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.