Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 950 of 1503)

      SI to have models appear in the buff for swimsuit issue?

      February 11, 2009 /

      That’s what the guys from SPORTSbyBROOKS.com are wondering:

      With the progression of Sports Illustrated’s racy content, that can only mean one thing. I fully expect that we will see nudity in future Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issues™.

      When that will happen, no one knows, but I have great confidence in the folks at Time, Inc. They’ve proven they can mass market what would otherwise be regarded as softcore adult content to mainstream consumers and advertisers.

      It’s an astonishing feat, and I have great admiration for anyone who can convince Southwest Airlines to display images of SI models, who are pictured as (implied) nude and wearing thongs in innumerable SI photo layouts, on its planes. Bravo!

      SI has made hundreds of millions of dollars off its Swimsuit™ franchise, and you have to believe that the company wants to continue to up the financial return on the product.

      I’m guessing at some point we’ll see an “uncensored” version of the annual feature, which will be accessible through a password-protected subscription service on SI.com.

      But would that scare off those mainstream advertisers and users? Or increase market share?
      Good question. I have a tendency to think that SI could get away with it. Much like you see PPV porn on hotel televisions and cable and satellite TV systems.

      Don’t underestimate the folks at Time, Inc.!

      Considering the mag has had the models in paint only for the past couple years, I wouldn’t put it past SI/Time, Inc. either.

      General Sports, Women

      Miguel Tejada charged with lying to investigators

      February 10, 2009 /

      Astros’ shortstop Miguel Tejada has been charged with lying to congressional investigators about the use of performance-enhancing drugs in baseball.

      Miguel TejadaFederal prosecutors accused Tejada of making misrepresentations to congressional staffers during an interview in a Baltimore hotel room focusing on the prevalence of steroids in the game.

      The charge came in “a criminal information,” a document that can be filed only with the defendant’s consent and usually signals a plea deal is near. Tejada, who now plays for the Houston Astros, is scheduled to appear at 11 a.m. tomorrow in U.S. District Court in Washington, court officials said.
      Prosecutors did not charge Tejada with lying about allegations concerning his own steroids use.

      Instead, they accuse Tejada of giving false statements to congressional staffers about his conversations with another player about steroids and human growth hormone.

      Tejada faces a maximum penalty of a year in jail, but advisory sentencing guidelines call for a sentence of probation to six months behind bars.

      These federal investigators don’t f-around. They’ve nailed Tejada, Michael Vick and are presumably zeroing in on Barry Bonds. It’s almost kind of comical that these athletes think they can lie to federal investigators the way they do fans and reporters.

      MLB

      Terrell Owens not expected to be a Cowboy in 2009

      February 10, 2009 /

      Peter King of SI.com and Michael Lombardi of the National Football Post both believe that wideout Terrell Owens will not be a Cowboy next season.

      Terrell OwensNow, for the real news out of Dallas regarding Terrell Owens. Peter King wrote this yesterday in his Monday Morning QB, and I believe he is dead-on accurate. When, not if, is the real question everyone is asking about T.O. He will not be back, but the team is still deciding when to make the announcement of his termination or trade.

      Maybe Jones can work a trade out to send Owens to the Raiders since they have a huge need at wideout and have never been afraid to take on a big challenge. This will be interesting to follow as it develops.

      One can’t help but wonder if the Cowboys aren’t making moves for 2009, but perhaps 2010 when Jerry Jones hopes to land Bill Cowher or Mike Shanahan. Neither of those coaches would likely sign a contract with the ‘Boys knowing they would have to put up with T.O., so the team parts with him this year and fumigates the place for a season until one of those two are ready to coach again.

      Regardless of what Jerry Jones and the Cowboys’ future plans are at head coach, it appears that Owens’ days in Dallas are numbered. And if they are, his situation in Dallas proves that having dysfunctional players on your roster will more than likely lead to destruction and desertion.

      NFL

      Offseason Blueprint: St. Louis Rams

      February 10, 2009 /

      Notable Free Agents: Ron Bartell, CB; Richie Incognito, C; Dane Looker, WR; Dante Hall, WR;

      Projected 2009 Cap Space: $8000,000

      Draft Order: 2

      Top Needs: The Rams have major holes along their offensive line and will likely look to upgrade their linebacker corps and secondary.

      Offseason Outlook: Rumors are already circulating that the Rams will part with long-time veterans Orlando Pace and Torry Holt, although don’t rule out either player restructuring their current contracts in order to stay in St. Louis. Holt’s cap charge in 2009 is $10.25 million and Pace carries a charge of $9 mil next year. Neither player will be in a St. Louis uniform next year at their current prices. The team will either deal the players or flat out release them if they don’t agree to restructure their contracts.

      The Rams might also consider releasing safety Corey Chavous ($1.2 million), linebacker Pisa Tinoisamoa ($2.25 million), backup quarterback Trent Green ($1.3 million) and defensive tackle Claude Wroten ($726,000) this offseason. Considering they’re handcuffed at only $8 million, expect new head coach Steve Spagnuolo and his staff to make moves in order to free up some cap space this offseason.

      If the Rams part with Holt, some believe they may target a wide receiver in the draft, possibly even Texas Tech’s Michael Crabtree. But don’t count on it. Even if the team releases/trades Holt, word is that the Rams love the potential of Donnie Avery and Keenan Burton, and therefore could address other needs with the second overall pick in the draft.

      The Rams’ draft plans could revolve around what they do in free agency. Apparently free agent center Matt Birk (Vikings) is on the Rams’ radar, as well as linebacker Bart Scott (Ravens), even though he’s played in a 3-4 defensive scheme his entire career. But with their current cap state, the Rams probably won’t be able to add both Birk and Scott without a fair amount of roster movement (i.e. cuts, trades, etc.). If St. Louis can add Birk, they might target Wake Forest linebacker Aaron Curry, who could play either inside or outside in Spag’s 4-3 defense. If they land Scott, the Rams could consider Virginia offensive tackle Eugene Monroe with their top pick, which would go a long way in rebuilding their offensive line.

      It’s also imperative that the Rams re-sign cornerback Ron Bartell, who was a solid player that was overlooked because he played on a bad team. He’s prone to following up a good play with two bad ones, but the fact remains that he’s the Rams’ most underrated free agent and he should get top priority among players they re-sign. (Unlike center Richie Incognito, who proved to be a thorn in the sides of teammates, coaches and even fans last year.)

      Perhaps the Rams’ offseason game plan should revolve around running back Steven Jackson, who is without a doubt their only marquee player. Nothing helps a back more than having a solid offensive line in front of him, so St. Louis could make a big push to sign Birk, then draft a big-bodied tackle like Monroe or Alabama’s Andre Smith with their first pick in April. With the amount of money the Rams committed to both Jackson and quarterback Marc Bulger the past two offseasons, it makes sense to build the offense first (especially considering they play in a dome at least eight times a year), then concentrate on defense. Hiring Spags also plays into the notion of building the offense first, because he arguably can do more with less on the defensive side of the ball by plugging in players that fit his successful scheme.

      NFL

      Is Scott Boras screwing himself in the end?

      February 10, 2009 /

      For years, Scott Boras has been known as an agent who gets his clients the absolute best deal possible financially. His clients – Barry Zito, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, etc – have walked away from past contract negotiations with fat bank accounts and big smiles on their faces.

      But in playing hardball yet again with another club (the Los Angeles Dodgers) in order to get Manny Ramirez a long-term deal, Boras could be screwing himself in the long run.

      From ESPN.com’s Peter Gammons:

      Manny RamirezScott Boras has put the heat on Dodgers owner Frank McCourt, and there has been no love lost. The L.A. scouting department has been told it will not draft Boras clients come June.

      That may hold true for a number of teams. With the economy in its current state, the Yankees, Red Sox and perhaps two or three other teams may be willing to ignore the commissioner’s office’s attempts to fix draft prices. Boras and other agents may determine that high school players would be better off coming out in 2012 when the economy should be more stable.

      Boras represents outfielder Donavan Tate, Baseball America’s top high school positional prospect, and could decide that Tate will be better served playing quarterback and baseball at North Carolina and allowing MLB and the NFL to set his price in 2012. Without the Dodgers and Tigers in the bidding, there may be very few teams other than the Yankees and Red Sox that may even contemplate Boras’ price on a high school player.

      Boras has cashed in for years on clubs’ dimes, but in doing so it appears that he has alienated himself in the process. Teams like the Dodgers are finally fighting back against bully agents like Boras, who might lose clients soon if he doesn’t change his negotiating tactics. He relies on two or more teams being interested in his clients and then he wages a war between the two clubs, who are often more than willing to drive up the price so that even if they don’t eventually acquire said player, the team they’re fighting against will have to pay top dollar.

      But in the recent case of Manny Ramirez, Boras has one team that’s officially interested (the Dodgers) and one team that might-kind-of-sort-of be interested (the Giants). And unless the Giants pony up and officially offer a long-term deal soon, the Dodgers will continue their refusal to budge on their one-year, $25 million offer. And worse yet, now the Dodgers are instructing their scouts that no Boras client will be drafted and apparently other clubs are doing the same.

      Boras is losing the Manny-contract battle and soon yet, he might be losing more than that.

      MLB

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