Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 807 of 1503)

Browns likely to hang onto Edwards

Remember the gazillion rumors that centered on the Browns trading receiver Braylon Edwards earlier this offseason? Well apparently the team is content on keeping Edwards on its roster this season, despite the fact that he’s entering the final year of his contract and thus could walk at the end of the year.

Despite feverishly trying to move the inconsistent former No. 3 overall pick around draft time, Cleveland received zero offers to their liking. According to a report by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, the Browns wanted a first round pick but teams were only offering middle-round picks and lackluster veterans.

The Giants seemed to be team that made the biggest push for Edwards, but a rumored deal involving DE/LB Mathias Kiwanuka fell through and New York eventually backed off. (The then G-Men selected North Carolina wideout Hakeem Nicks with the 29th overall pick in round one.)

In the end, whom could blame teams for not wanting to part with a first round pick for Edwards? He makes letting the ball get into his pads instead of catching it with his hands his personal mission and outside of his fluke season in ‘07, he has done nothing to merit a team giving up a first round pick for his services.

Maybe him staying in Cleveland will work out best for all parties involved. Players in a contract year always turn it up a notch and it’s not like the Browns couldn’t use another playmaker after trading tight end Kellen Winslow Jr. to the Bucs. Maybe Edwards will turn in a great season, realize that he’s a huge fan of the Great Lakes Science Center and the Cleveland Museum of Natural History and decide to re-up with the Browns.

Either way, the Browns aren’t in a bad spot. If he’s still infected with the dropsies, then they can allow him to walk via free agency at the end of the year and move forward with the development of second round picks Brian Robiskie and Mohamed Massqauoi. If Edwards does produce, they could make an effort to re-sign him after the season or even (gasp!) place the franchise tag on him if they deem him worthy enough.

Builder blows $25 million investment from NHL players on porn stars and Roger Clemens

A golf-resort developer named Ken Jowdy duped two dozen former and current NHL stars by taking roughly a $25 million investment from the players and blowing it on lavish parties packed with porn stars, hookers and ex-baseball players, which included all-round standup guy Roger Clemens.

The 19 former and current stick-handlers — including an all-star roster of Rangers and Islanders — are demanding that Las Vegas-based golf-course mogul Ken Jowdy return the $25 million they invested, plus fork over $15 million in damages for failing to build two luxury resorts in Mexico that are seven years behind schedule.

Instead, the players say, Jowdy got rowdy, squandering their cold cash on “lavish parties” that included “various female porn stars, escorts, strippers [and] party girls” to impress Clemens, Jackson, banned star Pete Rose and ESPN announcer Joe Morgan, one of the suits filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court alleges.

The suits also allege that Jowdy:

Put a Clemens gal pal named Adrian Moore, described as a “regular party attendee who was close to Clemens,” on his payroll “as a personal favor” to the former Yankee Cy Young winner.

Bought three private planes to fly himself, childhood pals, the baseball players and their “female companions” to Mexico, Palm Springs, New York and Las Vegas.

Paid himself an $800,000-a-year salary — plus travel and entertainment expenses — while his brother-in-law, Connecticut lawyer Bill Najam, took in $650,000 annually without having a role in the project.
Hired Brian McNamee — the one-time Clemens trainer who told Congress he supplied the ballplayer with steroids — as a fitness trainer.

Paid the projects’ sole construction manager, Ken Ayers, a $550,000 salary, even though Ayers spent fewer than 20 days at the sites in seven years.

So if you’re Jowdy, one, you must be incredibly insecure if you’re spending millions of dollars of investors money on porn stars and parties for Roger Clemens and his steroid-producing trainer. Two, you also must be a gigantic idiot to believe the players you suckered wouldn’t eventually ask you, “Hey, remember that golf course that you were supposed to build for us? Yeah – where the hell is it?”

Jowdy must have figured that at some point he would get busted for all this but until then, he was going to party his ass off. Personally, I think there are better ways to blow through millions of dollars than to fly Clemens all over the country for free, but hey, that’s just me.

Red Sox to skip Dice-K’s next start

With John Smoltz set to come off the DL, the Boston Red Sox have decided to skip struggling Daisuke Matsuzaka’s next start.

At the moment, Matsuzaka does not have a next scheduled start. John Smoltz is slated to go Thursday in Matsuzaka’s normal turn in the rotation. Pitching coach John Farrell said after the game, “I think until a determination comes from within, we haven’t announced a rotation beyond that.’’

“There’s certainly no imminent announcement, if that’s what you’re asking for,’’ Farrell added of what comes next for Matsuzaka. “But knowing how determined he is, knowing the work ethic that he has, he’s disappointed, I’m sure. But at the same time we can’t forget that this is a 33-game winner over the previous two years coming into this season. We certainly have some work to do. Consistency of strikes, particularly with his fastball, is the primary target. We’ll continue to work toward that.’’

Manager Terry Francona said that with Monday’s offday, the Sox have “the ability to be a little flexible in what we do going forward.’’ He also said that nothing is likely to be an nounced before Monday, prior to the team’s trip to Washington.

The Sox were contemplating moving Brad Penny to the bullpen to make room for Smoltz in the rotation, but he’s pitched well in his last two outings and it’s hard to move him with Dice-K pitching so poorly. Penny’s name has also surfaced in trade rumors the past week, but nothing serious has materialized yet.

While Boston would certainly love to have the Dice-K that went 18-3 last year, at least with Penny pitching well they can be patient while Matsuzaka works out the kinks. While they have the time, I’m sure the club’s training staff will determine whether or not Dice-K’s problems are physical. He could still be suffering from the shoulder injury that landed him on the DL last month.

Jim Brown: Stallworth might have smoked pot before accident

Browns’ legendary running back Jim Brown says that Donte Stallworth might have smoked pot the evening/morning of his car accident that took the life of Miami pedestrian Mario Reyes.

Hall of Fame running back Jim Brown, who remains a senior member of Cleveland Browns management, suggested on Friday that Browns receiver Donte’ Stallworth(notes) was smoking marijuana on the evening/morning of the accident that claimed the life of 59-year-old Mario Reyes, according to Profootballtalk.com.

Brown made his remarks during an appearance on 790 The Ticket’s The Dan LeBatard Show.

“This situation is a tragedy all around, but what was involved was alcohol and marijuana,” Brown said.

“On one hand, DUI is a very serious thing in America. Marijuana of course is against all the rules.”

Brown explained that he has some “inside information that says that that was also a part of what was detected,” presumably in the blood test imposed on Stallworth. Brown said he’s not “100 percent sure” that this is true, but Brown said he spoke with a ” very reliable source” who shared this information, according to the report.

It Brown isn’t 100% sure that any of this is true, then he shouldn’t be saying it. And even if it is true, Stallworth has already cut a deal to only serve less than 30 days in jail so this changes nothing.

I have a hard time believing that if pot were involved, that that information would have been released along with Stallworth’s blood alcohol level. I’d take this report with a major grain of salt and I question Brown’s motives here.

Ryan Leaf jersey only $445 at NFL.com

If ever there were an example of how NFL.com loves to bend fans over in terms of buying league merchandise, it’s this one:

Mounted Memories Ryan Leaf Autographed Chargers Jersey

Item no. 2460599

$449.99

NFL Savings Alert

$4.99 Standard Ground Shipping Eligible! (See Promotion Details)

You mean, for only $449.99 I could have something that’s worth about as much as what I leave in my toilet after a heavy night of drinking and eating chicken wings? NFL.com, you’re too kind!

I think it’s amazing that the site had the audacity to put an “NFL Savings Alert” graphic under the price. What…a…joke.

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