Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 794 of 1503)

      Saturday MMA Review: 7/4

      July 4, 2009 /

      Here’s a weekly rundown of MMA content from Ben Goldstein of CagePotato.com:

      – Bobby Lashley made Bob Sapp tap twice and Gilbert Yvel KO’d Pedro Rizzo at last week’s ‘Ultimate Chaos’ event.

      – Nick Diaz and Joe Riggs may be settling an old rivalry next month. But will anybody see it?

      – With UFC 100 coming up next Saturday, we counted down the 10 greatest UFC events of all time.

      – Nobody seems to think Michael Bisping has a chance against Dan Henderson in their UFC 100 fight. Though if he really plans on out-wrestling Hendo, maybe he really is doomed.

      – Indiana became the 39th U.S. state to begin regulating MMA. Last state to legalize the sport is a rotten egg!

      – Rampage Jackson says he’ll be knocking out Rashad Evans in his hometown of Memphis in December.

      – Tito Ortiz fooled us for the last time.

      – We chatted with Jon Fitch about the stupidity of trash-talk and the challenges of fighting a man in a dress.

      Mixed Martial Arts

      Federer, Roddick to meet in Wimbledon final

      July 3, 2009 /

      After bating Tommy Haas on Friday, five-time champion Roger Federer will face Andy Roddick in the 2009 Wimbledon final for a chance at a record 15th Grand Slam title.

      If Federer wins Sunday, he will be the third player to win six or more Wimbledon titles. William Renshaw and Sampras both won seven.

      “I’m very proud of all the records I’ve achieved because I never thought I would be that successful as a kid,” Federer said. “I would have been happy winning a couple tournaments and maybe collecting Wimbledon. It’s quite staggering now having reached … my sixth straight Grand Slam final. Having so many things going for me now again, opportunity again on Sunday, it’s fantastic.”

      If he beats Roddick, Federer will regain the No. 1 ranking from Rafael Nadal, who beat him in the Wimbledon final last year and missed this year’s tournament with knee problems.

      Federer said he is feeling less pressure this year than in 2007 when he equaled Bjorn Borg’s record of five straight Wimbledon titles. Borg was among those watching Friday from the Royal Box.

      It’s a shame Nadal and Federer won’t be squaring off in the Wimbledon final again this year, but Roddick is certainly an intriguing underdog. Maybe he’ll catch Federer sleeping and pull off the upset.

      Tennis

      Could the Bears have interest in Charles Rogers?

      July 3, 2009 /

      Both MLive.com and BleacherReport.com speculate that since the Bears are looking for receivers and Charles Rogers is looking to get back into the NFL after spending some time recently in the clink, that the two could be a match.

      bleacherreport.com: One other option is a 28-year-old, former No. 2 overall pick, who measures up at 6’3″ and 207 pounds. Sounds great until you hear his name: Charles Rogers.
      Clearly, there is at least one reason that no NFL team has even called him looking for a tryout. He is undoubtedly a step or two slower than the 4.28 40-yard dash he ran back at the NFL Combine, but seeing as how he would have the third-most career receptions on the current Bears’ roster, it might make sense to at least give him a look.

      Outside of giving him a quick tryout, the Bears shouldn’t waste much time on Rogers. God might have given him outstanding athletic ability, but he also cursed Rogers with a peanut-sized brain.

      This is the same guy who was arrested in 2008 and charged with assault and battery of a female friend. He also received jail time in March of this year after violating probation. When the Lions eventually gave him the boot (which should tell you something in and of itself) in 2006, he worked out for the Dolphins, Patriots, Bucs and Chiefs, but they all declined after coming away less than impressed by his auditions. He also reportedly brought some of his friends along to the workout in Tampa, which didn’t sit well with then-Bucs head coach Jon Gruden.

      If I’m the Bears, I’d be more interested in trying to develop Devin Hester, Earl Bennett and Juaquin Iglesias than trying to sign Rogers. I know the Bears’ receivers won’t exactly keep defensive coordinators up at night, but Rogers is done.

      NFL

      Rangers owner Hicks borrows millions from MLB

      July 3, 2009 /

      Major League Baseball has loaned millions to Rangers owner Tom Hicks to assist him with the sale of the franchise, although the league hasn’t released any more details other than that.

      According to an article in the Dallas Morning News, the sport’s central office withholds $15 million to $20 million owed to each team from central revenues and the sale of the Montreal Expos. Teams can borrow from that with the permission of commissioner Bud Selig, so Hicks isn’t breaking any rules, nor has baseball made an exception here.

      But why would Hicks need millions to help him sell the franchise? It’s true that the Rangers have lost money over the years because of bad contracts (A-Rod’s being the worst, of course) and poor attendance sales, but the club is in a top market and their payroll is in the bottom half of the league. So where is all the money going to?

      Apparently creditors to Hick’s Hicks Sports Group have declared the company in default, so that might have something to do with him borrowing money from MLB, but something still doesn’t add up here. A-Rod’s contract is off the books, Hank Blalock and Vicente Padilla’s deals are expiring and attendance is up this for the Rangers because they’re playing well. So why borrow?

      Whatever the reason, the Rangers (and their fans for that matter) will certainly be better off once cheapo Hicks is out of the picture. The club is showing signs of life and if they can get some more pitching, the Rangers could have a nice team over the next couple years. But with this clown running things, the direction of the organization will always be in flux.

      MLB

      Report: Indians open to trading Lee, Martinez

      July 3, 2009 /

      While it would have to take quite the package(s) to pry them away from Cleveland, the Indians are open to the idea of trading pitcher Cliff Lee and catcher Victor Martinez according to a report by the Plain Dealer.

      The Indians could put together a decent rotation next year with Lee, Jake Westbrook, Fausto Carmona, Aaron Laffey, David Huff, Jeremy Sowers, Hector Rondon and others. Without Lee, it could be worse than it is this year.

      Replacing Martinez, despite his big bat and strong voice in the clubhouse, wouldn’t be as difficult. The Indians played well in the second half last season while Martinez was recovering from surgery on his right elbow.

      They would probably have to sign a veteran catcher to bridge the gap until Carlos Santana is ready in 2011.

      The chances of keeping Lee and Martinez beyond 2010 are not good. They’ll both be eligible for free agency after next season.

      The Indians gave a hint of where the Lee negotiations are headed when they wouldn’t discuss a contract extension in spring training. Lee’s won-loss record doesn’t show it, but he has pitched like a Cy Young winner this year, which means it’s unlikely he’ll consider a multiyear deal this winter when he’s just a year away from the open market.

      The Indians would probably have a better chance of signing Martinez to a multiyear deal, but with the loss in revenues that the Indians and other teams are expected to take this year because of the economy and drop in attendance, that’s probably not going to happen.

      Still, 2010 might not be bad if Lee and Martinez return, Westbrook, Grady Sizemore and Travis Hafner stay healthy and the bullpen can be repaired. If not, Lee and Martinez can be turned into Sabathia clones and dealt to the highest bidder. The return might be as good as anything Shapiro could get this year.

      It’s amazing how far the Tribe have fallen from their run in 2007. The Indians’ core that year was expected to be successful for a long time, but injuries and a drop off in production from players like Carmona sunk them in 2008 and now this season has been an utter disaster.

      It might not appease fans, but trading guys like Lee and Martinez now might ensure a winner in 2011 and beyond. No fan wants their team to punt a season in hopes that the future will be brighter, but sometimes that’s the best option. If Lee and Martinez aren’t going to help Cleveland win next year and the club isn’t going to sign them long term, then what’s the point in hanging onto them?

      The Tribe front office certainly has a dilemma on its hands.

      MLB

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