T.O. Runnin' On Empty: Part Deux

On October 25, 2011, I posted an article about Terrell Owens' effort to sign with an NFL team after recovering from reconstructive knee surgery. Representatives of Owens, who declared him fit, invited several NFL scouts to an informal workout to observe Owens with the hopes of generating some interest in the loquacious receiver, but no one bothered to show up.

I had speculated that the only team that might take a flyer on Owens were the Seattle Seahawks, but only if they were able to position themselves into playoff contention, which I couldn't see happening (click here for the original article). 

As expected, no NFL teams  signed Owens so in January 2012, the former All-Pro (whiner) swallowed his pride and signed a contract with the Allen Wrangers of the Indoor Football League. But to no one's surprise, that didn't last very long and in May 2012, the team cut ties with the perennial malcontent.

TE Jake Ballard Claimed By Patriots

Well, here is a little bit of news that will get virtually no attention except for a sentence or two, filed under 'miscellaneous player transactions' in your local newspaper buried next to the horse racing section.

The New England Patriots claimed New York Giants tight end Jake Ballard off waivers.  Ballard who missed a portion of the season with a knee injury also suffered a potential career ending injury to his knee during the Super Bowl. The injury required surgery to repair damaged ligaments and cartilage and Ballard and will miss the entire 2012 season. For that reason, the Giants waived the 24-year old with the intention of re-claiming him once he passed waivers and then assign him to the PUP (Physically Unable to Perform) list with the intent of him returning to play in 2013. Given the seriousness

Guillen's Foot and Mouth Know Each Other Quite Well

So today Ozzie Guillen apologized to the Cuban community for remarks he made about Fidel Castro.  For those who missed the story Guillen, in broad terms, expressed great admiration for the dictator and in doing so, managed to offend half the Spanish speaking public in the United States.  Throughout Guillen's career he has always gotten himself in trouble with brash statements and survived but I think he has gotten himself in too deep this time. There are a lot of people lined up against Ozzie and this has all the hallmarks of a forced resignation in the making. 

Manning To Sign With The Broncos

As everyone is reporting, Peyton Manning is negotiating a deal to sign with the Denver Broncos. This makes sense (although I thought he would end up in Arizona). They have a very good defense and enough of an offense to make this a good fit for him. And of course there is the intangible of John Elway and the impact, if any, he had on Manning's decision.

Back on March 7, I blogged that as popular as Tim Tebow is, it would be a no brainer for the Broncos to sign Manning if they can, because most people know that Tebow is more of a cultural phenomenon than an NFL quarterback. I also said that I believe most Bronco fans would forget Tebow in heartbeat if they knew Manning was coming to town.

So what's next? I guess we'll wait for the official announcement of the signing and the contract terms. While that may be the end of this chapter in the Manning saga, it won't be the end of this story. In fact, the Tebow bandwagon has started to roll and everyone will soon be wondering where does he and his circus go now? And so on and on and on and on.......

Peyton Manning Released By Colts

The wheels are turning. As expected Peyton Manning was released today by the Indianapolis Colts. Really, this should come as a surprise to no one. I know that for months there was so much speculation as to how this was going to play out. As recently as last week, there were some very well respected people in the media who (just to be different?) were speculating that Manning and owner Jim Irsay would find a way to somehow work out their differences, clearing a path for Manning to remain with the Colts. This was just sentimental wishful thinking, a Hail Mary, if you will.  But most Hail Mary's usually go unanswered and this one was no different.

Sabathia Pulls Heist. Nets Another $30 Million

Really. Has greed in athletes reached such a height that players will squeeze every last penny out of their employers just (shaking head in disbelief) because they can? Let me be clear. This is the greatest country in the world and players should get paid their market rate. I don't have any major beef with Sabathia getting the extra $30 mill. At the same time you just have to wonder. $92 million over the next 5 years wasn't enough?? Sabathia (more specifically, his weasely agent) in effect told the Yankees "I want more or I'm leaving". And so, they just rolled over on their backs and gave it to him. I guess when you already have quad-trillion dollar payroll, what's another $30 million. Especially since they're not actually paying his salary. I beleive the mindset is that we'll just pass the cost on to our sniveling sucker fans.

Dr. J To Sell Prized Possessions

source: kimoracochran.com

The Atlantic Journal-Constitution has reported that Hall of Fame superstar Julius "Dr. J" Erving has decided to auction off some of his prized possessions he acquired during his 16-year NBA career. Among the several items included in the auction catalogue are Erving's championship rings  from the NBA and ABA.  There is some suggestion that Erving is selling off a portion of his collection because he is short on cash.  Apparently, Erving's company, The Erving Group  owes Georgia Primary Bank approximately $200,000 that stems from a $1,000,000 line of credit it received in April 2009. The bank filed a lawsuit against Erving in Fulton Superior Court seeking recovery for the amount owed.

T.O. Runnin' on Empty

What would you do if you threw a party and no one showed up? Well that's what apparently happened at a local high school just outside of Los Angeles this morning. Terrel Owens, The Sultan of Smug and the King of Me and I showed up at Calabas High School for a workout with the express intent of showing NFL scouts what his 37-year old body had left six months after ACL surgery to repair his ruptured knee.  The only problem was that no one cared enough to show up. From what I understand, his agent Drew Rosenhaus put the whole thing together but aside from a handful of curious media (and some Arena football players who participated with Owens in some passing drills), there were no NFL representatives at the gathering. Hmm. Does anyone see the irony?

NHL Post-Season Awards Ceremony

On June 22, 2011, the NHL will hold its awards ceremony in Las Vegas for the 2010-11 season. Each year, the NHL issues an award to the top player in various individual categories. This year, the Art Ross Trophy given to the league's top point scorer will be awarded to Daniel Sedin who scored 104 points for the Vancouver Canucks (43G, 61A). Corey Perry, who scored 50 goals for the Anaheim Ducks will be awarded the Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy as the league's top goal scorer. Most notably, neither Alex Ovechkin or Sydney Crosby are expected to receive any awards as Ovechkin had an "off" year and was not considered for any of the prominent trophies and Crosby, as most know, missed a large part of the season with a head injury. 

Here are the finalists in some of the top categories:

Sunday Brunch....Clarence Clemons 1942-2011

Source: Star Ledger file photo

For the most part, this blog is dedicated to the world of sports. However, at my discretion, there are stories or events that I feel worthy of my attention that have nothing to do with sports. This post is one of those moments. 

There are no words to describe the loss of Clarence "Big Man" Clemons, who succumbed last evening to complications related to the stroke he suffered earlier last week. He was a gentle giant who no doubt, was the lynch pin of The E Street Band. I have been following Springsteen since 1978 (just prior to the release of the Darkness on the Edge of Town album) and for 33 years he, Clarence and the rest of The E Street Band are (to me), simply the greatest Rock 'N Roll show on earth. 

34 Years Ago Today Seaver Traded to Reds

Source: ESPN.go.com

Well it was 34 years ago today that the New York Mets traded Tom Seaver, their most popular player in team history, to the Cincinnati Reds for Doug Flynn, Pat Zachry and two minor leaguers. Seaver, also known as The Franchise, led the Mets to victory in the 1969 World Series versus the Baltimore Orioles. Prior to his arrival in 1967 (he was Rookie of The Year), the Mets were considered a laughingstock but by 1969, no one was laughing at them any more as they won 100 games en route to their world championship. The Orioles were heavily favored to win the series and when the Mets took the series in five games, they were forever known as the Miracle Mets

Sunday Brunch.....Playoff Beards

Well, we're deep into the hockey playoffs and that can only mean one thing - beards!! Who will be this year's winner for the narliest playoff beard? Damned if I know but anyway, below is a group of some of the more mangier rat nests that have been weaved over the years. Take a look.

NHLer Derek Boogaard Found Dead

Source: James Keivom/News

Really sad new coming out of Minneapolis today. New York Rangers forward Derek Boogaard, 28 was found dead in his apartment last evening and the cause at this time is unknown. Boogaard who had just signed a 4-year contract with the Rangers at the start of the 2010 season was considered one of the toughest fighters in the NHL. At 6"7 and 260 lbs he was an intimidating force on the ice and often took on the other teams enforcers. This season Boogaard was limited to only 45 games due to injury. In December he suffered a shoulder injury during a fight and then experienced concussion-like symptoms during an off-ice work out and never returned to the ice for the rest of the season.

Lightning Sweep Caps 4-0. Are the Caps Done?

So the Tampa Bay Lightning whipped the Washington Capitals in their Eastern Conference semifinal round. I'm not even sure which is the bigger story; the Lightning sweep or the Capitals loss. Yes, I know it's been four years since the Lightning made the playoffs and they had a great season and now they knocked off Ovie & Company in four straight games (not an easy task), but I'm thinking long term ramifications. Where is the bigger impact? I'm thinking the answer lies with the Washington Capitals.

Verlander Joins Exclusive No-Hit Club

Over the weekend, Justin Verlander threw the second no-hitter of his career. Verlander was brilliant in throwing 108 pitches, 74 for strikes and allowing only one walk en route to a 9-0 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.  In 2007, Verlander tossed his first no-hitter against the Milwaukee Brewers.  According to Baseball Reference.com he ties  twenty other pitchers since 1919 to throw two no hitters. Nolan Ryan is the all-time leader with seven no-hitters, followed by Sandy Koufax with four and Bob Feller with three.

That Didn't Take Long - Mendenhall Fired

On Wednesday I wrote that while there is nothing wrong with Rashard Mendenhall voicing his opinion, you would have thought he would have chosen his words carefully. I had mentioned that as a public figure with close ties to the community through his affiliation with the Pittsburgh Steelers, he will be held accountable for any reactions his comments might cause. I concluded my blog by saying that if you play with matches you will get burned. Yesterday, Rashard Mendenhall got burned -- as in fired.

The 137th Running of The Kentucky Derby

As we near the end of the first week in May, the warm weather has made its way east of the Mississippi. Mother's Day is this Sunday and the baseball season is already thirty games old. Clearly spring has arrived. Many of us mark the change in seasons based on certain annual events. For instance, if you grew up on Fifth Avenue, you might mark the spring season based on what's happening at Lincoln Center, The Guggenheim and The Met. If you were raised in the Bronx, it might be the first pitch on Opening Day. But there are some that swear that spring does not begin until you've had a mint julep and you can smell the freshly cut bluegrass as the horses exit the paddock to the tune of My Old Kentucky Home. This Saturday in Churchill Downs such pageantry will be on display at the 137th running of the Kentucky Derby. 

Rashard Mendenhall Apoligizes For Tweets

So another athlete puts himself at the center of a national controversy. Then he apologizes about it. Wow, what a surprise. In case you missed it, this past Monday, Rashard Mendenhall tweeted what appeared to be some righteous indignation about thousands of people celebrating the news that Osama Bin Laden had been killed by U.S Special Forces in Pakistan. "What kind of person celebrates death?" he tweeted. "It's amazing how people can HATE a man they never heard speak. We've only heard one side...." He went on to add that "We'll never know what really happened. I just have a hard time believing a plane could take a skyscraper down demolition style."

Monday Morning Quarterback

The NFL Draft.

The objective of which through public spectacle or display, NFL organizations seek opportunities to improve the quality of  their team through the selection of highly talented college football players that will ultimately help them win the Super Bowl.  Its all business. Right? Well not exactly. It's as much about marketing and entertainment as it is anything else. What was once a non-televised weekday afternoon event is now a prime time televised extravaganza and this year was no different. While the uncertainty of the NFL lockout looms overhead, it did not stop fans from gravitating toward Radio City like moths to a light bulb, while the rest of us around the country tuned in to ESPN to get a peek at which of this year's crop of collegiate football players were heading to the NFL. 

Vacation was "Perfect"

Okay....so for vacation I meant to take a few days off; instead I took a year. What's the difference? At this point, no one is reading anyway. I'm just blogging to myself.

A lot of stuff happened since the last blog ----to name a few, Michael Phelps; Celtics-Lakers; U.S soccer team victory over Spain; Jay Cutler orchestrates his own trade out of Denver; the passing of Harry Kalas and A-Rod, Big Papi and Manny Ramirez are all named as steroid users and so much more.

But as we head into the dog days of summer, there certainly isn't any shortage of things to write about, that's for sure. And I have a lot of catching up to do so here we go.