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      MMA 2010 Half-Year Awards

      July 15, 2010 /
      PORTLAND, OR - AUGUST 29: UFC fighter Chris Leben (L) battles UFC fighter Jake Rosholt (R) during their Middleweight bout at UFC 102: Couture vs. Nogueira at the Rose Garden Arena on August 29, 2009 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Jon Kopaloff/Getty Images)

      Who has been the best fighter over the past half year in MMA? What about the best fight or the biggest upset?

      Heavy.com compiled its half-year awards for 2010 in MMA, handing out honors to the best fighter, the best knockout, the best submission and much more.

      Chris Leben was the recipient of best fighter.

      This is one tough category to pick. Most contending fighters have only one fight for us to judge them by, meaning you’re looking at a virtual crapshoot when it comes to picking between them.

      Because of that, I went with a guy who not only has three fights, but two of them came within two weeks of each other. Leben’s victory over Aaron Simpson was surprising. He went into the fight as a significant underdog who should’ve been overwhelmed by Simpson’s wrestling. Instead, Leben used a surprisingly well-rounded skill set to stop Simpson’s takedown and batter him into a second-round TKO.

      Two weeks later, he went into the cage against Yoshihiro Akiyama on short notice and, in one of the most thrilling fights of the year, submitted Akiyama in dramatic fashion to score the biggest win of his career. On top of the two biggest wins of his career, he’s got a win over Jay Silva in January, giving him three solid victories in a year where many fighters only have one.

      To check out all of their first-half awards, click here.

      External Sports, Mixed Martial Arts, UFC

      Lee willing to waive his no-trade clause?

      July 14, 2010 /
      April 23, 2010- Milwaukee, WI. Miller Park..Chicago Cubs Derrek Lee runs to third base, Lee had 1 hits in his 3 at bats tonight. .Milwaukee Brewers lost to the Chicago Cubs 1-8. .Mike McGinnis / CSM.

      According to Jon Paul Morosi and Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, Cubs’ first baseman Derrek Lee may be willing to waive his no-trade clause in the right deal.

      Derrek Lee has remained noncommittal on the issue of his no-trade clause. But some friends of the Cubs first baseman said this week that they believe he would accept a deal to the right team.

      And if the Cubs formally decide to sell, it’s hard to imagine a better fit than the Angels.

      The Angels, 4.5 games back in the American League West, are still looking for an upgrade at first base because of Kendry Morales’ season-ending injury. And they prefer someone who isn’t under contract for next season.

      Why? They plan to pursue Carl Crawford as a free agent and would like to have the flexibility of sliding Bobby Abreu into a DH role once Morales returns to first.

      The article notes that Lee lives in California during the off-season and would “probably be comfortable” playing in Anaheim. He’d also have the opportunity to play for a contender, which the Cubs are definitely, positively not.

      Assuming he’s willing to waive his no-trade clause, then a trade to the Angels makes a lot of sense for all parties involved. The Halos need a replacement for Morales in order to try and keep up with the Rangers in the AL West, while the Cubs could take the opportunity to restock their farm system.

      That said, it’s unknown if the two teams have even had trade discussions involving Lee yet, so we’ll have to see if this story develops.

      External Sports, MLB

      Man uses kids as bait against Gary Carter, then puts the video on YouTube

      July 14, 2010 /

      Check out this video from a fanfest that was set up at the 2010 MLB All-Star Game for people who paid a $25 admission. The idea was for fans to walk around and meet Hall of Famers, as well as get their autographs.

      But apparently former Met Gary Carter threw a wrench in the works by claiming that he was only going to sign a white piece of paper. One fan (who was attending the event with his son and young brother) videotaped his experience with Carter, which, uh, didn’t end well.

      More times then not, these fanfests aren’t what they’re advertised. Whoever puts them on draws people in with the promise of autographs from players, but what usually happens is you stand in line for hours hoping that the athlete doesn’t get up and walk out before you’ve reached the stage that they’re signing on. And if you’re lucky enough to meet the athlete, some of them (like Carter) have restrictions on what they’ve sign because of endorsement deals or because they’re total ass hats.

      But while Carter doesn’t come off looking good here, the man who taped the video reeks of douche-baggery, too. He clearly was looking for a clip to put on YouTube and once he heard about Carter’s autograph rules, he used the kids as bait to cause a scene. I’m sure Carter deserves the negative attention (this probably wasn’t the first time he’s stiffed fans for autographs), but the owner of the video doesn’t escape ridicule in this situation after he manipulated the situation.

      Pretty soon fans aren’t going to be able to take video cameras into these events because of morons like this who are just looking for attention.

      External Sports, MLB, Video

      Braves trade Escobar for Hello Kitty notebook and 5 packs of nacho cheese sunflower seeds

      July 14, 2010 /
      July 10, 2010 - Flushing, N.Y, United States of America - 10 July, 2010: Atlanta Braves shortstop Yunel Escobar.

      I know Yunel Escobar is a maddening player, but is Alex Gonzalez and two minor leagues the only thing the Braves got in return for him? Holy smokes.

      The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that the Braves have dealt Escobar and minor-league pitcher Jo-Jo Reyes to the Blue Jays in exchange for Gonzalez, minor-league pitcher Tim Collins and minor-league shortstop Tyler Pastornicky.

      Escobar entered the All-Star break hitting just .238 with no home runs and 19 RBI, while Gonzalez is currently hitting .259 with 17 dingers and 50 RBI. Obviously Gonzalez’s numbers are better, but at only 27, Escobar still has plenty of potential left in him. He was a worthwhile risk for Toronto, especially if all he needs is a change of scenery to help turn his career around.

      There’s no doubt that Escobar has been in and out of Bobby Cox’s doghouse over the years, but the Braves sold low here. He has a tremendous glove, has proven in the past that he can hit for average and he’s under team control until 2013. Why the Braves dumped him for a player in Gonzalez (who may be having a great year, but whose career numbers reek) is a little puzzling to say the least.

      That said, anything can happen. Collins is tiny (5’7, 155 pounds), but has a 2.40 ERA in parts of four seasons in the minor leagues and is averaging an outstanding 15.3 K/9 over 43 innings. Pastronicky projects to be a leadoff hitter, although not that the Braves have a need for one right now with Martin Prado developing into an All-Star.

      There’s also no guarantee that this is a fluke year for Escobar. He may be as bad as he’s shown and in that case, it was better that the Braves got something for him. I don’t retract what I wrote earlier about them selling low, but nobody can predict how a deal will turn out in the end. (Plus, history has shown that once I try and get cute with a title like the one in this post, I get usually get burned. So torch me, Alex Gonzalez – I’m ready.)

      External Sports, MLB

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