The event will go on next year, August 20-28, but the pen company will drop its sponsorship when its contract is up after that.

The register reported that Pilot Pen has been sponsor of the annual event, which features a men’s and women’s tournament, since 1996. It is held in downtown New Haven, near the Yale Bowl and Yale Field in the 13,000-seat Connecticut Tennis Center. The newspaper reported that Pilot Pen put up $1.4 million annually for the tournament.

“We firmly believe that Pilot Pen Corporation’s long-term support of the Pilot Pen Tennis tournament has helped us grow the sport of tennis in the Northeast and put us in a solid position to attract a new title sponsor,” tournament director Anne Worcester said in a statement “This tournament has developed into an entertainment event featuring some of the world’s best professional tennis players as well as many off-court events which have expanded our reach to all types of fans. A combined men’s and women’s tournament is a very desirable sports property and will appeal to national and regional partners alike.”

“We have enjoyed being the title sponsor of the Pilot Pen Tennis tournament” said Dennis Burleigh, President and CEO of Pilot Pen Corporation of America in the same statement. “Unfortunately, the economic recession has severely impacted our consumers and the office products industry in particular, necessitating this difficult decision.”

The film’s new trailer will be shown on the Cowboy Stadium’s enormous four-sided diamond vision screen- the world’s largest video display- just before noon this Sunday. The trailer will also be broadcast live to the audiences watching “Fox NFL Sunday,” the channels NFL pregame show.

Fox is calling the viewing party “the largest live motion picture trailer viewing in history.”

“Avatar,” which reportedly cost upwards of $200 million to produce, hits theaters December 18th.

He, in partnership with a 20-year-old accountant, opened a 14-room brothel in his homeland, which decriminalized prostitution in 2003. Campbell’s “gentleman’s club” will ultimately make him the money he needs to fund his training, however, New Zealand Olympic officials say that his business venture could work against him when applying to be a 2012 team member.

“Selection takes into account not just performance but also the athlete’s ability to serve as an example to the youth of the country,” funding manager John Schofield told New Zealand’s Sunday Star Times newspaper.

Campbell says his mother didn’t initially approve of the idea, however, decided to go along with it after meeting with some of the whores fine young women.

Campbell will work as a full-time pimp “escort agency” owner  until 2011. He’ll then hit the gyms for a full year before the 2012 games.

Beijing 2008

In the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Campbell, who competes in Tae Kwon Do, made the Top 16 before losing to Sung Yu-Chi of Taiwan, who eventually went on to win the bronze.

Leading up to those games Campbell’s parents were the ones who footed his $95,000 training bills.

This time, that bill will go to the lonely men of New Zealand. Campbell hopes the brothel will help him raise double the amount needed to train for the 2008 Olympics.

At least the customers will feel like they are doing a good deed.

On the men’s side, no. 1 seed Rafael Nadal made his way into the Round of 16 with a 6-1, 6-3, 6-1 win over Lleyton Hewitt and extended his clay court win streak to 30 matches. No. 2 seed Roger Federer is set to play no. 32 seed Paul-Henri Mathieu for a spot in the quarterfinals, while no. 6 seed Andy Roddick made the third round for the first time in eight years with a 6-2, 6-2, 7-6 (2) win over 85th-ranked Ivo Minar.

Saturday, May 30: Pittsburgh at Detroit, 8 p.m.

Sunday, May 31: Pittsburgh at Detroit, 8 p.m.

Tuesday, June 2: Detroit at Pittsburgh, 8 p.m.

Thursday, June 4: Detroit at Pittsburgh, 8 p.m.

Saturday, June 6: Pittsburgh at Detroit, 8 p.m.*

Tuesday, June 9: Detroit at Pittsburgh, 8 p.m.*

Friday, June 12: Pittsburgh at Detroit, 8 p.m.*

* If necessary

Games 1 and 2 and 5-7 will be broadcast on NBC. Games 3 and 4 will be broadcast on Versus. All games will be broadcast on CBC.

Brady, wearing a brace on his surgically-repaired knee, threw five passes in a drill for two completions. He was careful not to give definitive answers about his preparedness for next season.

“Life doesn’t always go how you plan it, and it’s a matter of dealing with it and understanding ‘what do I have to do to get on the right track?’,” Brady told the media. “Talk is cheap. I could sit here and tell you guys I’m going to play until I’m 80, but that doesn’t matter. I’m going to go do the best I can do, and I’m going to try to be the best leader and the best teammate and supporter of the guys on my team.”

Brady developed an infection in his knee a week after undergoing surgery on Oct. 6 of last year. He was treated aggressively for the “very treatable” staph infection and it won’t cause him any long-term problems.

“Part of surgery and rehab is you have setbacks, and you just deal with them,” he said.

The Patriots open their season on Sept. 14 against the Buffalo Bills.

The only filly in the race, Rachel Alexandra went off as the 9-5 favorite with jockey Calvin Borel, who rode Mine That Bird during his Derby win. Aside from bring the first filly winner at the Preakness in 85 years, Rachel Alexandra is the only horse to win from the outside position.

Ramirez released a statement acknowledging the suspension.

“Recently I saw a physician for a personal health issue. He gave me a medication, not a steroid, which he thought was ok to give me. Unfortunately the medication was banned under our drug policy. Under that policy, that mistake is now my responsibility,” he said. “I’ve been advised not to say anything more.”

Some reporters, especially a vocally and clearly angry Bill Plaschke, who ranted on ESPN Thursday afternoon, don’t believe the “doctor” story.

“Was there a Dominican cousin mentioned in there? Who in their right mind would believe that?” said Plaschke.

Plaschke called the situation “devestating to this city’s (Los Angeles) baseball culture, absolutely devastating.”

“How many times are we going to keep believing players who say ‘I didn’t know what it was?’” said Plaschke. “Get the guy out of a Dodger uniform. Get this guy out of baseball.”

Ramirez asserts that in the past, he has successfully passed 15 drug tests.

“Los Angeles is a special place to me, and i know everybody is disappointed. So am I. I’m sorry about this whole situation.”

The Los Angeles Times is first reported the story Thursday morning.

The times reported that Dodgers told AAA outfielder Xavier Paul to be ready to report to Los Angeles.

The Times says that Ramirez will say the test results are because of medication he received from a doctor for a medical issue.

If the report is true, it is a brutal blow to baseball. Manny Ramirez was widely considered one of the last “clean” superstars and was an absolute first ballot hall of famer until today.

Ramirez would be the second of his superstar ilk to fall this season, behind Alex Rodriguez.

Ramirez led the Boston Red Sox to two World Series championships. He leads the Dodgers this season with a .348 batting average and has six home runs so far.

Ramirez has previously denied steroid use.

The move comes as the Packers look to switch to a 3-4 defense next year. Raji’s strength, size and speed could make him a vital piece of the puzzle going forward.

That’s the only local pick in the top 10 so far.

As expected, the Lions took Georgia QB Matthew Stafford #1. Another big pick is Darrius Heyward-Bey going to the Raiders at #7, adding a big time wide receiver to the corps of young offensive potential in Oakland.

Stick with http://blastmagazine.com for more sports coverage!

Earlier this week, Iverson whined about coming off the bench and that he’d rather retire than become a team player. Throughout Iverson’s career it has always been about him. He’s shown up late for practices, whether it was for the Philadelphia 76ers or the United States Basketball team, or sometimes didn’t even show up at all. He’s never had any respect for his coaches. Larry Brown and Maurice Cheeks were the most famous of his victims. And his selfishness on the court credited him with not being able to make any of his teammates better during his entire basketball career.

The NBA will be a better place if Allen Iverson retires after this year.

The Detroit Pistons knew what they were getting this year when they traded Chauncey Billups to the Denver Nuggets. They didn’t acquire Allen Iverson. They acquired his expiring contract. Allen Iverson’s expiring contract is worth more than Allen Iverson. When Iverson becomes a free agent this summer, he will quickly find out his services are not wanted anymore in the NBA. There is not one contending team or playoff team that will sign him.

He is a cancer. He is a plague.

The Philadelphia 76ers were not successful because of Allen Iverson, they were successful because of Larry Brown. Larry Brown was able to surround Iverson with a team of unselfish players. Players that didn’t care if Iverson dribbled the ball for 23 seconds before shooting. Players that were capable of rebounding and defending and helping Iverson when he wasn’t able to defend. And players who knew what their role was and played it to perfection.

In the meat of Allen Iverson’s career, he averaged almost 25 shots per game. Way too many for a guard whose FG% was around 41%. That is absolutely putrid and embarrassing. Iverson will go down in the history books as one of the worst-shooting guards in NBA history. Eric Snow has the same career FG% as Allen Iverson. And 76er’s fans know how horrible of a shooter Eric Snow was.

I understand there is a huge Iverson following and they have supported him on and off the court. They love him. They cherish him. But these are the people that don’t understand how the game of basketball is supposed to be played. It’s played as a team and Iverson is not a team player. He never was and he never will want to be.

When he finally retires, hopefully after this year, the NBA will be a better place.

“This party has officially ended,” Schilling wrote in an email. “After being blessed to experience 23 years of playing professional baseball in front of the world’s best fans in so many different places, it is with zero regrets that I am making my retirement official.

“To say I’ve been blessed would be like calling Refrigerator Perry ‘a bit overweight.’ The things I was allowed to experience, the people I was able to call friends, teammates, mentors, coaches and opponents, the travel, all of it, are far more than anything I ever thought possible in my lifetime.”

Schilling was as good at pitching as he was being annoying and obnoxious…and that says a lot about how good of a pitcher he was.

Schilling compiled a record of 216-146, notching 3,116 strikeouts in 20 years of MLB service, and is the only pitcher to win a World Series start for three different teams.

Arlington, Texas-based Donruss produces cards under the Playoff, Leaf and Score labels. It was established in 1954 and was known throughout the 80s and 90s for “Rated Rookies” and “Diamond Kings.”

Donruss is currently publishing officially licensed products for the NFL under license.

The acquisition means that the newly former American branch of the Italian Panini will have its headquarters in Texas. It will take over NFL products in May and start NBA publishing in October.

Panini is also the exclusive producer of cards and sticker albums for FIFA soccer and trading cards for the Harry Potter movies.

His father, David N. Mullaney, was a retired semi-pro pitcher. Unwilling to let his son be forced to abandon his love for baseball by possible injury, space constraints, lack of a full line-up, or the threat of property damage, he began to create a backyard-safe bat and ball and a set of rules that could make a competitive game between as little as two people. What was born was an idea so simple that its genius has become an American icon. Rare is the hand of an American youth which has not handled a WIFFLE ball and bat at some point in their development.

Since its inception in 1953, WIFFLE ball has gone from backyard fun to a competitive sport. Tournaments with serious prize money are offered across the nation. Connecticut has adopted WIFFLE ball as a state game and more states are interested. Variations on rules and pitch speed color national tournaments. Nick Benas and Jared Verrillo, creators of Big League WIFFLE Ball, are at the heart of the WIFFLE phenomenon.

“We’re a medium-pitch organization,” Verrillo said. “We find that pitch speeds up to 35mph create a tournament that is action friendly, allows sufficient hit-ability, and still allows for all the play you expect in WIFFLE pitching.” You can see how satisfying their tournaments are (and how profitable), when you check out their website: www.bigleaguewiffleball.com. Teams in the winner’s bracket can be seen flashing stacks of hundred dollar bills. They even have a Guinness World Record attempt approaching in May 2009 for the largest mass participation in a WIFFLE ball tournament.

You may notice that the winner’s bracket is often inhabited by the legendary professional WIFFLE team called DOOM. Dallas Mall and Adam Trotta dominate the East Coast but constantly are under threat by teams like Absolute Gunners, Lou’s Diamonds, Cereal Killers, and Krusty’s Kids. Teams like DGA tour the Midwest and battle their arch rival High Heat for victories in the Chicago-land area. Chad Heyda and Brian Payne compete in the Minneapolis area and with the help of a mutual friend took first place in a tournament in Madison, Wisconsin.

Serious WIFFLE players like to theorize why the game is so enjoyable. Many believe that it fits a niche in the American psyche where playing baseball can no longer reach the masses. When people are working two or three jobs or taking multiple extracurriculars along with long hours of schooling, there is neither time nor possibility to get the numbers needed for a baseball game at the local diamond. There is, however, time to get a few friends together to hear “the crack of the plastic” as your buddy smacks a home run or to hear the “wiff” of the iconic yellow bat as it misses a wicked curve, slider, or riser. America’s past-time has evolved. It’s latest manifestation is WIFFLE.

If T.O. couldn’t get along with Jeff Garcia, Donovan McNabb and Tony Romo, let’s see how he acts when Trent Edwards skips numerous passes to him and the losses mount up.

The younger brother of 2004 Sprint Cup champion Kurt Busch won two track championships at the “Bullring” in Legends cars before he moved up to late models in 2001. He had continued success in that class, winning 10 times that season.

But despite his talent, he never did win the facility’s biggest event.

“We had a chance to win the “Fall Classic,” it’s our big race out here,” Kyle recollected after today’s Shelby 427 at LVMS’ 1.5-mile superspeedway. “It’s called the Open Comp. I think it was 2001…It was the last race of the year and we knew were moving on and going [to the American Speed Association] next year.

“I think I qualified on the pole, led the most laps. It’s 140 laps long, I led 130 laps and got wrecked with 10 to go. I wasn’t able to win that one. I remember it quite vividly.”

Chances are he’ll remember Sunday vividly as well, but for much happier reasons.

Despite being forced to give up his pole position after changing an engine during Friday’s practice session, Busch went on a methodical march through the field. He capped it off by taking the lead with 17 laps remaining and held on through two late cautions to win the Shelby 427 at LVMS.

Busch made the race-winning pass by way of nudging Clint Bowyer up the race track in Turn 2 and going past him on the inside. As he cleared Bowyer, his spotter Jeff Dickerson muttered, “Say goodnight, Gracie,” over the radio.

Two late cautions in the final 15 laps would not stop Busch from saying “Good night” to the field; he simply sped away from the field on both restarts.

Now he’s got a better prize from Vegas than that “regular old late model win” he said was the biggest win he’d had at his home track before Sunday.

“This is pretty awesome,” he said. “It’s very special. You never know how special they can be until you can get it done…The last 25-30 laps, I was just as nervous as could be.

“I don’t know if it’s set in yet or not, but it feels pretty damn good right now.”

It was a wild race that saw a race-record 14 caution period mar the proceedings.

Multiple drivers in the top-10 of the points standings, such as Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards, suffered engine failures. Edwards’ instance was more painful as the power plant in his No. 99 Roush Fenway Racing car blew up as he was running fourth with two laps to go.

Several other contenders also found themselves caught in wrecks. But through it all, Busch made the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing machine fly.

Despite starting at the back, he found himself in the top ten by the race’s halfway point. From there, it was all about staying in striking distance up to the time he passed Bowyer for the lead, and ultimately, the victory.

“Bowyer slipped up off the bottom just a little bit, so I had my [left-side tires] right on the white line there and got a good drive through the center of the corner because it gripped good,” said Busch.

“I got right up to him. He started coming back down a little bit. I like, ‘Oh, don’t do that,’ and then he got loose and I got by him…We were able to just have a little bit better grip than he did and pass him.”

It served as a perfect ending to what Busch’s crew chief Steve Addington called “a crazy weekend” for the entire No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team.

“Sometimes, you just have to scratch and claw and kick and spit and fight for a win, and that’s what this race team did along with Kyle today,” he said. “I think they took advantage of an opportunity when it came.”

As a result of that, it was Kyle who took the checkered flag, did his burnouts, and made his customary post-win bow to the delight of a happy hometown crowd and members of his family, who waited for him in Victory Lane.

That contingent included proud mother Gaye and brother Kurt (who finished 23rd). After embracing Kyle, he reminded him of how they watched Las Vegas Motor Speedway created before their very eyes when they were younger.

“He said, ‘We watched this place be built and you were the first one to conquer it,’” Kyle recalled.

Now, he’s got a memory that will last him a lifetime.

Bundchen and Brady, according to the celebrity magazine, got married Thursday in a Catholic wedding mass in Los Angeles.

The bride, 28, donned a form-fitting ivory lace strapless gown with a trumpet skirt, scalloped edges, long train and a floor-length veil with attached handmade satin roses and attached satin headband, all by Dolce & Gabbana. Her three dogs also wore matching Dolce & Gabbana floral lace collars.

Us said the ceremony began ad dusk and was “very small and intimate,” according to a source.

Immediate family was there but so were Tom’s ex-girlfriend Bridget Moynahan and their son.

Bundchen, 28, with Brady, 31 since 2006. She had previously been linked to Leonardo DiCaprio.

Bundchen is a Brazilian-born supermodel who grew to American fame for her Victoria’s Secret ads.

What makes a topic for interesting conversation and debate is where the other teams in the division fall into place. With the Dodgers ability to potentially re-sign Manny and their impressive post-season play last year, I cannot fathom power ranking them 4th. Many would naturally expect the San Francisco Giants to assume this poll position, however I am optimistic for this ball club to make improvements from 2008. I believe the team that deserves to occupy the 4th place power rank in the West is a team that will not be celebrating Hollidays this year…wait, I mean Holliday.

Lets take a team that finished at .500 from last year and see what happened to them in the off season. They lost blue-chip sensation, Matt Holliday in a trade to give them financial wiggle room as well as speedster Willy Tavaras and closer Brian Fuentes to free agency. Bummer. What did the Rockies recover from these losses? Some money, and Huston Street the young closer from Oakland. I like Street’s potential, however, the Rockies already have a usable closer in Manny Corpas, so I can’t help but feel that they put their eggs in the wrong basket when trading away Holliday. Why didn’t they go for a marquis pitcher to aide their stomach-churning rotation? Speaking of which…

The Rockies arms have to be amongst the bottom seven in the MLB. I suppose they consider their ace to be Aaron Cook, who had a good first half of last year, but proceeded to play like a skunk for the rest of the season. The rotation is followed by Jeff Francis and Franklin Morales who both battle injuries of sorts and neither may play this season. Ubaldo Jimenez could help the team out if he strays from his 100+ walks from last year, and newcomer Jason Marquis may become something good, but has a lot to prove in his first chance as a starting pitcher. For a team that plays 80-some-odd games in a stadium renowned for its home-run hitting ease, this rotation has to be scaring the pants off everyone in Colorado.

Aside from Garret Atkins being a totally overrated bust, the Rockies don’t look too shabby in the field. There is power behind (SS) Troy Tulowitzki and (RF) Brad Hawpe and breakout potential behind (C) Chris Iannetta. The rest of the field doesn’t necessarily dazzle or disappoint. If and when Todd Helton realizes that he is going to be 36-years old this season, he may start to dip in offensive production.

Plain and simply, you can get away with crappy pitching if you have a line-up like the Yankees but you can’t if you’re the Rockies. They have lost speed and power and are getting older at the corners. They will put up a fight within the middle of the pack of the NL West, but when the season is over you will see them in the 75 wins range…and occupying 4th place in their division.

“We today have released Marvin Harrison because of salary cap considerations,” Polian said.

“Marvin let us know his preference was to be released. Both Jim Irsay and I felt very strongly that after Marvin’s long and dedicated service to the Colts, we would, in this painful circumstance, be guided by Marvin’s wishes.

“This is a sad day for the Colts. Marvin Harrison, in addition to being a certain Hall of Famer, has been a good friend, model professional and a loyal and dedicated teammate. His record-setting achievements brought about by immense talent, work ethic and dignified professional demeanor have thrilled Colts fans for a generation. Marvin today takes his place alongside Raymond Berry, forming the greatest receiving tandem in Colts history. He will, in due time, join Raymond in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and take his rightful place with the greatest players in the history of the game.

“On behalf of his legion of fans in Indianapolis and his many friends and admirers in the Colts organization, Jim Irsay and I sincerely thank Marvin for all he has done for us. We wish him every blessing and success in the future.”

“When Marvin’s playing career comes to an end, we look forward to bringing him “Home” to Indianapolis, installing him in the Ring of Honor and joining all his fans in thanking him and celebrating his remarkable career.

“Godspeed Marvin, we will miss you.”

I have never heard of a team being wildly successful with as few weapons as the San Diego Padres. Unfortunately, for the city named after “a whale’s vagina,” I will be power ranking their ball-club at 5th  in the West. I’m hard pressed to believe that the Friars will exceed 70 wins this season, which would be a seven-game victory improvement from last year’s amateur hour.

Jake Peavy is God in San Diego. Without him, the organization might as well take a year-long vacation. He will be 27-years old on Opening Day and is arguably a top-three MLB pitcher. He should be primed for another 200+ strikeout season and double digit wins. But who does he have to support him in the rotation? Exactly. Chris Young fills in as the #2 guy. He’s ok if he can stay healthy, which isn’t a sure thing. Finishing off the depth chart: Cha Seung Beak, a Korean from Seattle with a 5.10 ERA, Kevin Correia, who is barely more than a middle relief guy, and potential rookies Wade LeBlanc or Ivan Nova. Yucky.

Even assuming that Jake Peavy blows away an MLB record and marks 30 wins this season (joke), there isn’t any offense to give run support to the lackluster bats on the team. Adrian Gonzalez has emerged as a legitimate first-class first basemen and will be the center of their offense. The developing and supportive Chase Headley and Kevin Kouzmanoff will bolster the team by sharing third base, with Headley in left as well. The rest of the offense is extremely blasé, however, with David Eckstein (2B), Craig Stansburry (SS), Nicholas Hindley (C) and Bryan Giles, Scott Hairston and Jody Geirut (who might be something) in the outfield.

Heath Bell is now the closer with Hoffman gone, and this simply supports my theory that San Diego will not surpass 70 wins this year.

What San Diego has going for them is the absence of a monster competitor in their division. I can’t see them falling victim to the Dodgers or the Rockies an embarrassing amount of times, but know they will not be able to climb to 3rd in the division either.

Check back soon as I will power rank the rest of the NL West.

“I think it kind of gets out of hand,” he said of all the Phillies-Mets rivalry chatter. “But you know what? If it spurs enough (interest) to where we get a lot more attention when we face each other, that’s fine.”

Hamels did say that he has a lot of respect for the Mets players.

“I don’t want it to be bad blood against their players and us because we respect each other,” he said. “But if it really gets the fans involved, that’s OK.

“I know that I have the Phillies fans on my side and I know I’m never going to have the Mets fans on my side. So it’s not like they’re going to cheer me when I go out there. I guess if it gets more exciting when we play, I think that’s good for baseball. I think that’s what baseball needs. It needs some good rivalries to forget about the other stuff off the field that’s been happening.”

Does he wish he never said anything at all?

“I’ll live with it, and I’ll never regret anything I say because I learn from it,” Hamels said. “It’s a situation where I can try to apologize to players because I don’t want them to be offended by it. I have a lot of respect for all the players on their team. I guess it’s just something to stir the pot. Hopefully it’ll get things going for when we compete during the season.”

He was asked if he’ll talk to the Mets players about all this when he sees them.

“Yeah, most likely,” he said. “And I think they’ll understand. They know. They know the game. We try to play it as best we can. We like to be competitive. But we’re not trying to kill each other out on the field because further down the line we might be playing with these guys. It’s not like it used to be back in the day when players could go at each other because they knew they were never going to see them because they never had the free agency or trades that they do now. I have a lot of respect for them. They’re major leaguers and they play for a big-time franchise and city.”

Who else can’t wait for May 1, when the Phils meet the Mets for the first time this season? I have my popcorn ready.

Mandewille was diagnosed with an abnormal heart valve, which is not considered life-threatening, but the problem could become dangerous under the strenuous training regimens of the NFL.

“I told him his health and well-being is what’s important,” Northeastern coach Rocky Hager told the Boston Herald. “I don’t know if that means he’ll continue in a career in sports, but then everybody’s career in sports eventually comes to an end. But I think he’s so well grounded and his parents have done a great job raising him and he always has the right attitude.”

Mandeville caught 63 passes for 863 yards and seven touchdowns in 33 games, worthy of earning first-team All-New England honors. Northeastern’s I-AA football program went 2-10 last year and hasn’t had a winning season since 2003.

NL EAST PREDICTION

1. Phillies: A defensive powerhouse, the dark horse World Series champs are the most powerful team in their division. That doesn’t mean they can contend with the likes of the Red Sox and Yankees just yet, but for now, they’re safe atop the NL East.

2. Mets: The Mets will forever be overshadowed by their more glamorous and successful sibling across town. Still, adding Francisco Rodriguez and amping up their rotation was a smart move that will make the other New York team a contender.

3. Braves: They’ve got the stellar rotation necessary to keep opponents at bay, but can pitching alone win games? We’ll see what Atlanta is made of now that golden boy John Smoltz has shipped up to Boston.

4. Marlins: When Dan Uggla is your most recognizable player, you know you have a problem. The Marlins are starting to suffer from “Mets Syndrome” to the benefit of that other Florida team. Don’t count them out just yet, but maybe it’s a little soon to call them in, either.

5. Nationals: Almost anything would be an improvement over last year’s abysmal season. Seems nothing can go right for Washington; when you’re essentially a sob story non-contender in your division, fans will start switching allegiances to the nearby Orioles. The only upside? Adam Dunn arriving in the capital. Montreal Expos, we miss you.

NL CENTRAL PREDICTION

1. Cubs: These NL darlings will fare better than their cross-town rivals this season, with names like Carlos Zambrano and Rich Harden drawing big expectations. If the past has been any indication, winning the division won’t be a problem for Chicago – but the postseason will be.

2. Cardinals: A team that definitely benefits from their division. Anywhere else the Cardinals would struggles, but the NL Central is notoriously unpredictable. Pujols is a powerhouse, put who else is worth mentioning in St. Louis?

3. Brewers: C.C. Sabathia gave this team a huge boost down the stretch last season, and his departure, coupled with that of Ben Sheets, will hurt their pitching staff, if not team morale. They won’t plummet without Sheets and Sabathia, but they won’t soar, either.

4. Reds: You can say what you want about the “new and improved” Reds with bigger names and mesmerizing offense, but this year will be just like all the others. Maybe next year will be different. Then again, it probably won’t.

5. Astros: Who plays for the Astros these days? No, really. With the names on this roster, Houston might as well be the International League Toledo Mud Hens. Enough said.

6. Pirates: A short drive west of Philadelphia, home of the defending World Series champs, lies Pittsburgh. The Pirates used to be the state’s premier baseball team, with five World Series titles and nine NL pennants. PNC Park, built in 2001, has been declared by many as the best park in baseball. But after massive executive and management changes a few years ago and no big-name players. things just aren’t how they used to be…

NL WEST PREDICTION

1. Dodgers: Much rides on L.A.’s ability (or inability) to nail down that money-grubbing superstar of theirs. Manny Ramirez is still holding out for a better contract, which leaves the Dodgers in a scary place. They haven’t done much in the offseason besides chase after Ramirez, but if they get him, they have a good shot at taking their division.

2. Diamondbacks: They’ve got the pitching many teams only dream of, with Dan Haren poised to prove his worth with another big year. A lot is riding on young players, which could be a good thing – or prove disastrous for Arizona. But with three mediocre teams in their division, they should be able to scrape a second-place finish even without stellar production from their farm-fresh lineup.

3. Giants: Randy Johnson? Really? They may be relying on solid veteran pitchers, but this team couldn’t hit the broad side of a barn. Tough getting to first if you can’t put guys on base. Tough luck, San Francisco.

4. Rockies: Colorado lost their 2007 passion last year, and losing Matt Holliday definitely won’t help. The Rockies are young, inconsistent and in the middle of nowhere. Maybe they can blame the altitude.

5. Padres: A sad team. We’re talking bottom-of-the-barrel, insignificant, not even worth mentioning sad. Just because you can drop a few names from their roster doesn’t mean they have any relevance in the NL West. At least their fans can jump on the A’s, Dodgers or Angels bandwagon.

A National League preview is on its way tomorrow.

AL EAST
The Red Sox-Yankees rivalry will live up to the hype this year after big offseason signings by both teams and a disastrous scandal for New York. The Yankees add slugger Mark Teixeira and amp up their rotation with A.J. Burnett and C.C. Sabathia, causing many to beg for a salary cap. But if the Yankees aren’t careful, A-Rod’s steroid admissions could become a bigger story than their big-name roster. The Red Sox add pitchers Takashi Saito, Brad Penny and John Smoltz and seem to be drama-free entering the season; bringing back a healthy David Ortiz and Mike Lowell doesn’t hurt, either. The third-wheel Tampa Bay Rays lost Rocco Baldelli to Boston but also have added Pat Burrell and Matt Joyce, both useful acquisitions. Still, their young superstars need to have another stellar season to pull off the sophomore Cinderella story. Oh, by the way, there’s two other teams in this division. The Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles are playing t-ball compared to the AL East love triangle.

Prediction:
1. Red Sox
2. Yankees
3. Rays
4. Blue Jays
5. Orioles

AL CENTRAL
The mediocre AL Central consists of five teams that made little improvement during the offseason. The White Sox are getting old and everyone is tired of manager Ozzie Guillen’s antics, resulting in low expectations for a team whose daily clubhouse fodder typically resembles an episode of Desperate Housewives. The Kansas City Royals put up a good fight last year, but they lack stability and it’s still too soon to put them above the .500 mark. The unpredictable Detroit Tigers, a huge World Series favorite during last year’s preseason, had the opportunity for success but blew their chances during what could only be called an epic meltdown. They are the epitome of “good in theory, bad in practice” with impressive names on their roster, but don’t call it a comeback just yet. The Cleveland Indians struggled after losing Sabathia last season, but this year should fare better for the Tribe; if the individual play of Grady Sizemore, Travis Hafner and Fausto Carmona are any indication of what’s to come, they’ve got a shot. But the Minnesota Twins should end up taking this one; even though they lost some big names to teams out east, they retained Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer and Francisco Liriano, all key components of their formula. Still, it’s a “best of the worst” scenario; none of these teams would have a chance in another division.

Prediction:
1. Twins
2. Indians
3. White Sox
4. Tigers
5. Royals

AL WEST
The Angels have little competition in the four-team division, even after losing Teixiera and Francisco Rodriguez during the offseason. The only team close to catching them is the Oakland A’s, who smartly added Matt Holliday and Jason Giambi, but their rotation needs a huge boost before it can catch up to the likes of high-caliber teams. Despite signing houshold name Ken Griffey Jr., the Mariners are destined to stay stuck in a last-place rut – but at least they haven’t skipped town like Seattle’s NBA franchise. The dark horse Texas Rangers could potentially become an offensive powerhouse, but who can name a decent pitcher in their rotation OR their bullpen? Give this one to Los Angeles and call it a day.

Prediction:
1. Angels
2. A’s
3. Rangers
4. Mariners

“I’m going through as if this was our offseason conditioning program. I’m lifting and running and focusing on strength and working on the game film and those types of things,” Brady told the media.

Brady said he’s “doing everything” in his workouts and that “you wouldn’t know that I had surgery if you watched me.”

Brady underwent surgery on Oct. 6, and later contracted an infection. He said he is no longer being treated for anything related to the infection.

“Now it’s about trying to move on with the normal getting ready for the season,” Brady said. He believes he will be ready for the season opener the week of Sept. 10-14.

“There is no reason why I shouldn’t (be),” he said. “It’s just a matter of getting to that time. I wish it was right around the corner. I wish it was here now.”

But yes, Oil Can Boyd is 49 years old and wants to pitch in the Bigs for the first time in 18 years.

“Satchel [Paige] being my idol and knowing he didn’t come into the (majors) until he was in his early 40s, that’s always been in the back of my mind,” Boyd told The Boston Globe. “Now, I’ve been given back the fastball I once had. I want to play.”

Boyd’s former catcher thinks he can actually pull it off.

“He looks no different to me now than when I caught him in Texas (with the Rangers). He still has the same passion. I don’t know if he was getting to 90 because we didn’t have a (radar) gun, but he still had the same stuff. The same tight slider, curve, fastball,” said former catcher Mike Stanley.

In a 10-season career with the Boston Red Sox, Montreal Expos and Texas Rangers, Boyd collected a 78-77 record with 799 strikeouts and a 4.04 ERA in 1389.2 innings. In 2005, Boyd tried to come back when he pitched for the Brockton Rox of the independent Can-Am League.

A colorful personality, Boyd was usually known for a good quote, even if it didn’t make sense. After a 1986 game against the Indians was canceled due to fog, Boyd said “That’s what they get for building a park on the ocean.” The stadium is actually built right next to Lake Erie.

Boyd had a few troubles in his past, including admittance to a psychiatric ward in 1986 after a fit of rage driven by the fact that he didn’t make the All-Star team. In 2005, he was indicted by a federal grand jury for threatening a girlfriend and her son.

But all that behind him, the man nicknamed Oil Can for his penchant for beer drinking when he was just 15-years old is ready to get back on the mound just shy of his 50th birthday.

“I have nothing to lose, and all a major league team has to lose is 15 minutes,” Boyd said. “Give me 15 minutes and I’ll show I can still pitch. That’s all I want.”

Some seem to think that because Izzo is the only football player scheduled to be a witness, that it shows how clean the NFL is. I’m not so sure about that. Let’s see what happens after we get more information about the names that Dana Stubblefield named in his case for lying to federal investigators.

But, getting back to the Bonds case. Probably more damaging will be the testimony of Bonds’ former personal shopper Kathy Hoskins, who claims she saw Anderson inject Bonds with steroids. In his original statement in 2003, Bonds claims that Anderson never injected him with anything, so this claim would certainly put Bonds into the category of “lying under oath.”

Bonds is about as cooked as can be. He has pleaded “not guilty” to perjury, but there seems to be no shortage of people willing to come forward and say he’s full of it.

So it went for Matt Kenseth in Sunday’s Daytona 500. With rain threatening to shorten The Great American Race, the Wisconsin native and former NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion managed to take the lead moments before Aric Almirola’s spin into the backstretch grass on Lap 146 brought out the eighth caution of the night.

Six laps later, the race went under the red flag as the wet stuff started to hit the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway. At 6:49 p.m. ET, NASCAR called the race (which went official at the halfway point of Lap 100) with Kenseth as the winner. For him, it was the end of a day that saw him start in the rear of the field, charge up the scoring pylon, stay in contention and pull the trigger when it counted.

Although the race was shortened, a last-lap pass decided the outcome of the race. Utilizing a major push from Budweiser Shootout winner Kevin Harvick, Kenseth managed to get by Elliott Sadler in between Turns 1 and 2 with 54 laps to go. Moments later on the backstretch, Almirola’s No. 8 and the No. 9 machine of Kasey Kahne made contact, which sent the former spinning away and brought out the yellow flag that effectively ended the race.

NASCAR president Mike Helton said in a message that was passed along to viewers by the FOX Sports announcing team that the rain was to continue until 10 p.m. ET and that due to the high humidity at DIS, the earliest point for re-starting the race would have been around 11 p.m. ET. With that in mind, the race was called.

But couldn’t NASCAR have waited a little longer? While it’s true that many of the fans at today’s race had to head home for school and work the next day, DIS’ lighting system should have emboldened NASCAR to at least wait longer than the 17 minutes it took from the red flag (6:32 p.m. ET) to their calling of the race.

Even though many people would be trudging to their workplaces and classrooms in the morning, I think they would have appreciated a longer effort by NASCAR in waiting out the rain.

—–

As a result, the 500 was robbed of a chance at a great finish. Instead, this year’s edition of the race will have a massive wreck triggered by NASCAR’s biggest star as its signature moment.

On Lap 124, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brian Vickers were both one lap down but were 1-2 amongst the cars in that position. In NASCAR, the first guy one lap down automatically gets a free pass to return to the lead lap should a caution flag come out — thus, when Earnhardt attempted to go to Vickers’ inside, Vickers came down to block.

Unfortunately for Vickers and seven others (a group that included three-time defending series champ Jimmie Johnson), Earnhardt came back up and clipped Vickers’ No. 83 car in the left rear to send him spinning into the pack around them on the backstretch. The resulting “Big One” ruined several contenders’ chances of victory, including that of Kyle Busch, who led a race-high 88 laps and was in the lead draft when the incident sent him and his No. 18 machine in the wall.

“Just some guys having some bad days, not doing their best out there, and they made their bad day our bad day,” Kyle said to Fox Sports after the wreck. “It’s just unfortunate that two guys got together that were a lap down and fighting over nothing.”

It’s also unfortunate that NASCAR may find itself in another pickle about how it treats Earnhardt, the sport’s top draw. On Saturday, Jason Leffler was penalized five laps for a similar incident in the Camping World 300 for the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Earnhardt was not penalized for his role in Sunday’s melee, something that an upset Vickers mentioned in post-race comments to the media.

After seeing numerous replays of Earnhardt’s incident as well as video of Leffler’s, I’m still not sure about who’s in the right. Earnhardt may have been trying to get back behind Vickers after he got blocked (which itself was a risky move), but in my eyes, there’s also a lot of similarity between the twin crashes. Maybe NASCAR thought Earnhardt had suffered enough earlier, when he was penalized one lap for having his right front tire on the outer boundary of his pit box when he stopped for service under yellow.

You can check out the clips of both on the Orlando Sentinel’s NASCAR blog and judge for yourself if Junior’s getting special treatment from the powers that be.

Upper Deck is releasing several new, rare Joe DiMaggio cards in 2009

Upper Deck and the estate of the great New York Yankees slugger Joe DiMaggio reached an agreement to produce trading cards that include DiMaggio memorabilia and cut signature cards.

To commemorate the exclusive deal for UD, a limited Joe DiMaggio card, #0, will be packed inside 2009 Series One Baseball packs coming out this week. The card features “Joltin’ Joe” next to a chalkboard after he tied the Major League Baseball consecutive games hitting streak record at 44. On the chalkboard it calls out “44 EQUALS RECORD” with a smiling DiMaggio kneeling behind it.

“We are thrilled to be able to work with the estate of one of the biggest names in baseball history,” said Jason Masherah, Upper Deck’s senior brand manager. “Collectors and sports fans should be excited about finding Joe DiMaggio content inside of many of Upper Deck’s 2009 baseball card releases. In this day and age when records fall frequently, DiMaggio still holds one of the most amazing baseball achievements of all time.”

It’s baseball card season again kiddies!

This would be huge news if he hadn’t already gone through his long, dramatic “retirement” last year. And even if he is serious this time, it seems as though the general public is ready for him to go away. At this point, the whole New York Jets experiment is nothing more than the answer to a trivia question. The Jets, however, seem to think it was worth it.

“I had a great conversation with Brett this morning,” owner Woody Johnson said in a statement. “Considering that he came from a totally different environment and joined our team during training camp, his performance last season was extraordinary. As I spoke with people throughout the organization, they all told me how much they enjoyed working with him. Brett Favre is a Hall-of-Fame player, but he is also a Hall-of-Fame person. Brett, Deanna and his family will always be a part of the Jets family.”

After spending some $140 million on free agents, the Jets ended the season poorly on their way to a 9-7 record, which was surely not good enough to make the playoffs in the ultra-competitive AFC. Favre contributed his fair share to the disappointing season as he led the NFL in interceptions (again) with 22. And his 79.3 passer rating over the second half of the season was a big reason that head coach Eric Mangini got fired.

Favre should have just done the right thing last season and stayed retired. Instead, he cost people their jobs in NY and divided a locker room. It’s time for Brett to go away. He is overrated. For all the talk of how he is a non-mortal, he only won one Super Bowl, which puts him in elite company along with Trent Dilfer, Brad Johnson and Mark Rypien.

Please, Brett, I hope you are serious this time. Stay retired and stop destroying teams and reputations.

Whether it had the intended result or not, Blast had a reporter at the TD Banknorth Garden and worked with two photographers, Kristyn Ulanday of the Daily Free Press, and freelancer Peter Keeling, to visualize the game as best we could.

Here are the photos in high resolution:

Fans trickled out of the Garden. They were either elated or in the dumps — justified or mortified.

A Boston University 5-2 win over Northeastern left many frustrated that the game — pitting No. 1 versus No. 3 in the country — really wasn’t even close.

At the beginning of the third period BU, already leading, went at it hard and left the Huskies struggling to play catch up. NU’s Wade MacLeod’s seemed simply unable to take the shot after he had an opportunity, letting the puck loose causing one of several pileups at the BU goal.

BU’s David Warsofsky scored fourth goal and Colin Wilson followed about a minute later with the last nail.

Northeastern had a chance, but they were just not aggressive enough to attack and take the shots needed. The Beanpot and the pride of Beantown has been given to BU once again, with BU Sophomore Nick Bonino being named MVP.

Northeastern University students arrived pumped and fiery, chanting “BU Sucks,” but the game was the first serious letdown of perhaps the best hockey season this school’s struggling athletics program has seen in more than 10 years.

In the first period, Boston University managed to score the first goal. The Huskies fought back with a goal in the last minute of the period and have been fighting back BU’s plays since the start.

The rowdy fans got a little bit of drama early on when an official got hit in the face by a puck during the fourth minute. He was taken off the rink by paramedics.

BU played clean and fast, and the Huskies just didn’t have an answer all night. Most frustrating of all may be the fact that BU scored two shorthanded goals, topping off NU’s failure to capitalize on opportunities.

Bessie King reported from the game. Blast Magazine editor John M. Guilfoil contributed to this report with analysis.

The players are warming up and the fans are crowding the Garden for the 57th annual Beanpot Championship.

“Execute our game plan and come up high, there’s no more pressure than any other game,” said Albie O’Connell Northeastern assistant coach.

After a decisive win against Boston College, the third-ranked Huskies are ready to go for the cup. Top ranked Boston University though is ready to reclaim its title for the 29th year.

Although a Massachusetts event, this year’s game has reached nationwide attention because Northeastern has not made it to a final in more than 20 years.

So far the expectations are high and the tension is tangible.

In tonight’s consolation game Boston College beat Harvard 4-3. For some this was a good enough prize.

“Its a little depressing that we didn’t make it and its my last year, but we’re rooting for Northeastern because there’s been such a rivalry with BU all these years,” said Keith Malado, a senior at Boston College.

ESPN is reporting that Rodriguez, in an exclusive interview with Peter Gammons, has admitted to allegations that surfaced in a recent Sports Illustrated report online.

“I felt an enormous amount of pressure,” Rodriguez told Gammons. “Back then it was a different culture. It was very loose. I was young. I was stupid. I was naive. I wanted to prove to everyone that I was worth, you know, being one of the greatest players of all time, and I did take a banned substance.”

Rodriguez did appear apologetic in talking to Gammons.

“I am very sorry and deeply regretful,” Rodriguez said. “Although it was the culture back then … i just feel that I’m just sorry. I’m sorry for that time. I’m sorry to my fans.”

SI reported last week that four sources independently told the magazine that Arod tested positive for two anabolic steroids at that time. According to SI, Rodriguez’s name appears on a list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball’s 2003 survey testing, which the MLB Players Association agreed to allow to determine if it was necessary to impose stricter drug testing in baseball.

The drug Rodriguez allegedly tested positive for, Primobolan, is less detectable than many other steroids because its markers stay in the body for less time than other drugs. It is also expensive, costing about $500 per week, SI reported.

Rodriguez called the time a “loosey goosy” era, saying he didn’t “know exactly what substance” he “was guilty of using.”

Rodriguez hit 47 home runs in 2003, good enough for his third consecutive home run title.

Rodriguez won his first American League Most Valuable Player award in 2003 while with the Texas Rangers.

SI is reporting that four sources independently told the magazine that Arod tested positive for two anabolic steroids at that time.

According to SI, Rodriguez’s name appears on a list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball’s 2003 survey testing, which the MLB Players Association agreed to allow to determine if it was necessary to impose stricter drug testing in baseball.

The drug Rodriguez allegedly tested positive for, Primobolan, is less detectable than many other steroids because its markers stay in the body for less time than other drugs. It is also expensive, costing about $500 per week, SI reported.

The 2003 steroids tests were sealed by agreement but leaked to Sports Illustrated by sources.

Rodriguez hit 47 home runs in 2003, good enough for his third consecutive home run title.

If you remember back in August, 2008, Q (what his teammates like to call him and a letter worth 10 points in the board game Scrabble) had this to say to the NFL Network:

“At this point we have no relationship, and I don’t see that changing. It’s just gotten to a point where I think lines were crossed. If you ask me, coaches should be coaches, management should be management, and I don’t think those lines should be crossed. But when you cross those lines, you put yourself in position for things like this to happen.”

Even with obvious frustration and bitterness towards the Cardinals organization, Boldin finished with 89 catches for 1,038 yards, including a career-high 11 touchdowns. And after a devastating hit that required titanium plates and 40 titanium screws to help repair facial injuries, Q was back on the field after only missing two games. An organization should learn how to respect a player like this. Despite them making it to the Super Bowl this year, they still are the Arizona Cardinals.

After doing his best to not create any controversy during the regular season and playoffs, minus the altercation with his offensive coordinator during the Eagles game, Anquan is expressing his discontent again, this time to USA Today after Thursday’s NFC practice for the Pro Bowl:

“I don’t think the relationship can be repaired with the organization. It takes more than, ‘Well, we did you wrong and we’ll pay you this.’ It’s not about the money. It was always about the principle. Guys being true to their word. I guess I was expected to uphold my end of the bargain, and it wasn’t reciprocated…..We’ve been talking to them for two years, and they still haven’t made anything happen.”

Anquan has two years left on his contract that some people say he should honor, plus one more if Arizona decides to franchise him. If this played out, Boldin would be 31 years young old before he could negotiate a new deal and get himself out of the desert.

None of us know exactly what happened between Boldin and the coaches/management, but something did and he obviously is not happy about it. That, plus the almost-career-ending hit Boldin took during the Jets game gives him all the right in the world to do his best in getting paid now.

The NFL is a business. NFL teams don’t have to honor contracts, yet people feel the NFL players should. I’m not one of them. Anquan has been an amazing player during his six-year career. He’s shown tremendous work ethic, on and off the field. If the Arizona Cardinals don’t feel like paying him, I’m sure there are plenty of NFL teams that will.

I have no problem with Boldin expressing how he feels and saying the things he says. Ultimately, he has to look out for himself, like anyone else would in any other career. Hopefully, Anquan will get his wish and be able to put on a different uniform on at the start of the 2009 season.

Along with all of the training gear, a box of e-mails containing well-wishes from fans will also make its way to Fort Myers, hopefully bringing the Red Sox good luck for the 2009 season.

Key spring training dates:

Feb. 12 — Reporting day for Red Sox pitchers and catchers
Feb. 14 — First workout for Red Sox pitchers and catchers
Feb. 16 — Reporting day for Red Sox positional players
Feb. 18 — First Red Sox full-squad workout
Feb. 25 — Red Sox spring training games begin

“This is not a situation where any anti-doping rule was violated, but we decided to send a strong message to Michael because he disappointed so many people, particularly the hundreds of thousands of USA Swimming member kids who look up to him as a role model and a hero,” the Colorado-based federation said in a statement. “Michael has voluntarily accepted this reprimand and has committed to earn back our trust.”

It has also been announced that Kellogg Co. won’t renew its sponsorship contract with Phelps, 23. The company, who featured the swimmer on Wheaties boxes following the Beijing Olympics, said his behavior is “not consistent with the image of Kellogg.”

Phelps hasn’t disputed the authenticity of the photo, taken at a Columbia, S.C. party in November.

If the Patriots choose to keep him, they will be charged $14.65 million, as the franchise tag grants a player the average of the top five salaries in the NFL at his position.

Depending on the rehab schedule of Tom Brady, the Pats could also opt to trade Cassel and not have some $29 million committed to one position on the team.

Cassel completed 63.4% of his passes and threw for 3,693 yards and 21 touchdowns with 11 picks while leading the team to 11 wins.