Thats a wrap

Well there is my blog. I posted 10 posts and as soon as my professor sees this and gives me my grade im going to delete this thing. Like I said i have nothing against people who blog. I actually saw some pretty sweet blogs that were pretty interesting. im just not the blogging type. i hope i didnt offend anyone. ALL THE ARTICLES I POSTED WERE COPIED DIRECTLY FROM ESPN. THEY WERE NOT MY OWN IDEAS AND IM NOT TAKING ANY KIND OF CREDIT FOR THEM WHAT SO EVER. IM JUST SPREADING THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF SPORTS NEWS WITH EVERYONE. GO ESPN. Since this is my last post i thoughgt i would leave everyone with a good note. Some of the things i like to do are play call of duty modern warfare 2. i like to golf and play many other sports. i enjoy going on dates with extremely attractive women. im a senior in college with about 2 weeks left to go. right now im currently the bartender at a local contry club. well thats a wrap. keep it gangster

Back at it milton

SEATTLE -- The self-proclaimed bad guy of baseball is regrouping after one rough week with his new team.

The Mariners sat Milton Bradley down following an incident with fans on last week's road trip and told him not to put so much pressure on himself.


“
It's trying to get him to understand he doesn't need to carry this club and put all that pressure on himself. There are going to be people looking for him and I understand that, but lead by example. He was remorseful in our conversation.

”
-- Mariners manager Don Wakamatsu, on Milton Bradley (pictured)

Manager Don Wakamatsu said before Seattle lost its home opener 4-0 to Oakland on Monday that he talked with his slumping slugger after he flipped off heckling fans from the outfield during the fourth inning at Texas on Friday night.

"He opened up and talked about the pressure. We talked a lot about relying on us to alleviate some of that and [how] he doesn't have to carry this club by himself," Wakamatsu said.

Bradley's response?

"He responded to it and was open," the manager said, adding Bradley was "remorseful" over the incident.

In last week's opener at Oakland, the 31-year-old well-traveled veteran shattered his bat into splinters after pounding it to the ground in frustration following a strikeout. He was booed all night by his former fans -- Bradley spent the 2006 season and part of '07 with Oakland.

On Thursday, the man who told The Associated Press last month he was baseball's Kanye West blew kisses to Oakland fans behind third base after he chased a foul pop fly.

Bradley also tipped his batting helmet in the direction of Rajai Davis after the A's center fielder jumped above the wall to steal Bradley's second hit -- and second home run -- of the season from him.

He hasn't had a hit since. He went 0 for 1 with two walks Monday, when he batted sixth after a day off on Sunday. He began the season in the cleanup spot.

He is 1-for-22 (.045) this season.

"We talked and again, it's trying to get him to understand he doesn't need to carry this club and put all that pressure on himself," Wakamatsu said. "There are going to be people looking for him and I understand that, but lead by example. He was remorseful in our conversation. He cares a lot. And a lot of fans don't realize he cares sometimes too much about his performance.

"Doesn't matter whether you have seven games or seven years, everyone is susceptible to pressure. It's learning how to deal with it."

Last month in the spring training camp of his eighth team in 11 seasons, Bradley claimed his own place in the game.

"If I was a musician, I'd be Kanye West. If I was in the NBA, I'd be Ron Artest," he said. "In baseball, they've got Milton Bradley. I'm that guy. You need people like me, so you can point your finger and go, 'There goes the bad guy.'"

The Cubs gave him a $30 million, three-year contract before last season, months after he was a 2008 All-Star and hit .321 with a career-high 22 home runs for Texas. In his only season with Chicago, Bradley hit just .257 with 12 home runs and 40 RBIs in 124 games.

That season began like this one, with Bradley as the Cubs' cleanup hitter. He lasted just 19 games in Chicago's prime run-producing spot, batting .179 with two home runs and five RBIs there.

His 2009 season ended with the Cubs suspending Bradley after a verbal altercation with their hitting coach.

Wakamatsu said he doesn't think Bradley's early self-imposed pressure in Seattle is from batting cleanup.

"I think [it's] a new start and [for] this club," the Mariners' manager said. "I think he has found a comfort level with the ballclub and in that, [he's] not wanting to let his teammates down."



this article was taken directly from espn.com

Roid Rage

VEGA BAJA, Puerto Rico -- Two-time American League MVP Juan Gonzalez reaffirmed Monday that he never used performance-enhancing drugs during his 17-year career in the majors.


[+] EnlargeRonald Martinez/Getty Images
Juan Gonzalez played 13 of his 17 seasons with the Texas Rangers.
In an interview with ESPNDeportes.com in Puerto Rico, Gonzalez said his and other players' legacies will forever be questioned after Jose Canseco wrote in 2005 that he introduced several players to steroids and PEDs and former Sen. George Mitchell produced a report for Major League Baseball in 2007 about the use of banned substances in the game.


"It will affect [us]," said Gonzalez, who plays for an amateur team in Vega Baja, a city 20 miles west of San Juan. "The media is going to be driven by this whenever my name and others are mentioned. I never used any of that stuff."


Gonzalez, an outfielder who spent 13 of his 17 seasons with the Texas Rangers, last played in the major leagues in 2005. He spent part of spring training in 2008 with the St. Louis Cardinals, but didn't play in the major leagues that season.


"I have nothing to hide," he said this week. "Nothing. And I offered to be tested, whenever they wanted. If you have nothing to hide, there is nothing to worry [about]," Gonzalez said.

In addition to the Rangers, he also played for Cleveland, Detroit and Kansas City and finished his career with 434 home runs, 1,404 RBIs and a .295 batting average.


“
I have nothing to hide. Nothing. And I offered to be tested, whenever they wanted. If you have nothing to hide, there is nothing to worry [about].

”
-- Former major leaguer Juan Gonzalez

Gonzalez brushed aside Canseco's allegations in 2005, saying: "It's not true. ... I never saw needles. I never saw pills. I never saw anything. ... The only guys who have put needles in my body are doctors."


Gonzalez also reserved some criticism for Bud Selig, who cleared the way for Mitchell to study the use of PEDs in baseball.


"This dilemma was caused when Canseco opened his mouth, but the commissioner is partly to blame," Gonzalez said. "Why did he throw away millions on that congressman [Mitchell]? What does Mitchell know about baseball? He never played baseball.


"Canseco is gone. He did it by himself, [not] to [Rafael] Palmeiro, Ivan Rodriguez or me. [Canseco] never gave us anything. He opened his mouth and wants to hurt the image of a lot of people."


Palmeiro testified under oath before Congress that he never used steroids during his career. Later, he tested positive for a steroid and served a 10-game suspension.


Gonzalez also sought to explain his relationship with Dominican trainer Angel Presinal, who has been banned from MLB clubhouses and ballparks because of his link to PEDs.


Presinal surfaced on baseball's security radar in October 2001 when he and Gonzalez were tied to an unmarked bag containing steroids discovered at the Toronto airport. Neither man was arrested, but MLB security officials informed all 30 clubs that Presinal was not welcome in any part of a ballpark where the public couldn't go.


Gonzalez said Presinal, whom he described as a friend, never offered him any substance as part of his training regimen.


"It's been a while since I saw him. Last time I saw him, it was at the Americas Championships here. I said hello to him and that was it," said Gonzalez, who clarified that Presinal was never his employee and worked for him on the advice of baseball agent Fernando Cussas.

this article was taken directly from espn.com

big ben looses his beef

PITTSBURGH -- A Pittsburgh company that markets food products endorsed by local sports stars has ended its beef jerky sponsorship deal with Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

AFC North blog
ESPN.com's James Walker writes about all things AFC North in his division blog.

• Blog network: NFL Nation


PLB Sports president Ty Ballou says Roethlisberger is "falling short" of the company's standards after a Georgia prosecutor announced Monday he will not prosecute the quarterback over sexual assault allegations.

The company said in a statement on Tuesday that facts presented at the prosecutor's news conference led to the decision.

The company sold "Big Ben's Beef Jerky" in bags depicting the quarterback at Pittsburgh area Giant Eagle supermarkets and GetGo convenience stores.

The same company markets a breakfast cereal endorsed by Steelers receiver Hines Ward and Penguins forward Max Talbot.



this article was taken directly from espn.com

Worth it for the Jets?

NEW YORK -- Santonio Holmes was walking his dog at home Sunday night when he received an unexpected phone call. It was the Pittsburgh Steelers, telling their talented but troubled wide receiver he had been traded to the New York Jets for a fifth-round pick in this year's draft.


Mike & Mike in the Morning
ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter breaks down the Santonio Holmes trade from the Steelers to the Jets. Schefter says this changes the outlook of the draft a bit now that the Jets don't need to look for a WR and the Steelers are in the market for one.

"I was very shocked at first," Holmes said during a conference call Monday. "But, I knew it definitely opened up a lot more doors and a better opportunity for me to start over."

Holmes won't make his Jets regular-season debut until Week 5 of the regular season after the NFL suspended him earlier in the day without pay for the first four games for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

"We understood that was part of it, but we just felt like even with that, it was worth it," general manager Mike Tannenbaum said. "Obviously, a guy with his production and at 26 years old, he would not have been available if these indiscretions didn't happen, and obviously the suspension. But, with that said, we just felt like the risk and the price was reasonable for us."

Unafraid lately to add players with checkered pasts, Tannenbaum said he, coach Rex Ryan and owner Woody Johnson had "a robust debate and robust discussions" before deciding to acquire Holmes.

"We're not going into this with our eyes closed," Tannenbaum said.




NFL Nation: Holmes Trade Reaction
The Jets' acquisition of Steelers wide receiver Santonio Holmes for a fifth-round draft pick has people talking. Blog

Holmes, the 2009 Super Bowl MVP, is eligible to participate in the team's offseason program and in all preseason practices and games. He would be suspended for an entire season if he violates the league's policy again.

"To go back down the same road, make the same mistakes, won't be accepted," Holmes said.

Holmes is coming off his best season, with 79 catches for 1,248 yards and five touchdowns. But he is also facing a lawsuit in Florida from a woman who claims he threw a glass at her, cutting her above the eye, in an Orlando nightclub. A witness has since taken responsibility, according to Holmes' lawyer.

Holmes was also arrested in 2008 for possession of marijuana, and involved in a domestic violence incident in 2006; the misdemeanor charges were later dismissed. He was also recently accused of telling a fan to "kill urself" on his Twitter page, but implied that his account was hacked.

"It wasn't me," Holmes said. "I never tried to defend myself on that topic among anyone on Twitter or among anyone that tried to ask me for interviews. I would definitely be accountable for my actions if I did say it."


Missed Valuable Players?
Most Valuable Players of the Super Bowl who left their Super Bowl-winning teams, since 2000:

SB team Current team
Santonio Holmes Steelers Jets
Deion Branch Patriots Seahawks
Dexter Jackson Bucs None (played in UFL in '09)

The 5-foot-11 Holmes, a first-round pick out of Ohio State in 2006, has one year remaining on his contract and will essentially be on a 12-game tryout for a long-term deal. The Jets have taken the same one-season approach with Braylon Edwards, another wide receiver who came to New York with baggage, and cornerback Antonio Cromartie, who was acquired from San Diego even though he was dealing with paternity issues.

Holmes has 235 catches for 3,835 yards and 20 touchdowns, but his troubles off the field could explain the relatively low price the Jets paid to get him. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Monday, citing anonymous sources, that the Steelers were prepared to release Holmes if they couldn't find a trade partner.

"I don't think I need to dig myself out of any hole," Holmes said. "These guys have opened their arms to me right now and all I have to do is walk into them."

The deal came together quickly as talks between the teams began late Saturday night. Holmes gives the Jets a game-breaking player for an offense that already included second-year quarterback Mark Sanchez, wide receivers Edwards and Jerricho Cotchery, tight end Dustin Keller, running backs Shonn Greene, Leon Washington and the recently signed LaDainian Tomlinson.


Jets blog
Looking for more information on the green and white? ESPNNewYork.com has you covered. Blog

"Obviously, there's been some bumps in the road in the past and hopefully he's learned from that," Tannenbaum said. "We understand that there's risks, significant risks."

Despite being benched earlier in the 2008 season for the marijuana arrest, Holmes made a number of big plays for Pittsburgh -- none bigger than in the Super Bowl against Arizona. His tiptoe catch in the corner of the end zone of a 6-yard pass from Ben Roethlisberger with 35 seconds left sent the Steelers to a 27-23 victory.

The Jets clearly see Holmes as another major piece in making their own Super Bowl run after finishing a win short last season.

"I know for a fact that's why they brought me here," Holmes said. "The opportunity presented itself for the Jets to acquire me, and I'm definitely here for a reason."


Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press

this article was taken directly from espn.com

trouble for big ben

NEW YORK -- The NFL is weighing possible disciplinary action against Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, who met with league commissioner Roger Goodell one day after learning he won't be charged in the alleged sexual assault of a Georgia college student.

Roethlisberger described the Tuesday afternoon meeting in Manhattan as "very productive," but gave no hint whether he expects to be suspended or fined for several off-field incidents that damaged his reputation and angered the franchise he's led to two Super Bowl championships.

"It's a very serious matter, one we take serious," Roethlisberger told ESPN as he and his representatives left the meeting with Goodell.

While Roethlisberger faces no criminal charges after being accused of assaulting the 20-year-old student in a nightclub bathroom, in a separate case he also is being sued in civil court by a former Nevada hotel employee for an alleged sexual assault in 2008. No criminal charges were filed in that case.

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello says the league will review the facts and will follow up with Roethlisberger and the Steelers. He gave no timeline.

Possible options include a suspension, fine or having the $102 million quarterback undergo counseling or rehabilitation.

"Commissioner Goodell met today with Ben Roethlisberger and his representatives to discuss the recent incident involving his personal conduct," the league said in a statement. "In accordance with the league's personal conduct policy, our office will review all the facts and follow up at the appropriate time with the Steelers and Ben."

The team had no comment Tuesday as it awaits the NFL's findings, and it isn't expected to discuss the issue until the league makes its ruling.

However, the Steelers are angered with their star player's conduct, and apparently are ready to discipline Roethlisberger even if the league doesn't. Team president Art Rooney II was upset by the sordid details of the incident in Milledgeville, Ga., which were explained at great length during a news conference Monday by district attorney Fred Bright.

"C'mon, you're supposed to stand for something," Bright said in criticizing one of the NFL's best-known players. "I mean you're a leader, you're supposed to be a role model. You don't need to put yourself in this position anymore."

The Georgia prosecutor suggested that Roethlisberger "grow up" and stop taking groups of friends to bars, where his entourage stakes out a private area and invites patrons to join them.

Roethlisberger effectively agreed a few hours later, saying while reading a short statement that he planned to reshape his image and make the team's fans proud of him again.

Roethlisberger's appearance changed greatly in the less than 24 hours between the time he read that statement to reporters and his meeting with Goodell. He'd gotten a haircut and he wore a suit, rather than a sports shirt and slacks.

Roethlisberger is expected to join his teammates Monday for offseason practice, the first time he has taken the field since the Steelers' season-ending victory over Miami in January.

The team's veteran players have been involved in conditioning for several weeks, but Roethlisberger skipped those sessions to avoid being a distraction. The Steelers already will be without wide receiver Santonio Holmes, the former Super Bowl MVP who was dealt to the Jets on Sunday night for a fifth-round draft pick following a series of off-the-field problems.

While the Roethlisberger incidents likely won't damage the Steelers monetarily -- they've sold out every game since 1972 and have a long waiting list for season tickets -- their fans clearly are unhappy with the quarterback's troubles.

Talk shows were flooded with callers Monday and Tuesday criticizing Roethlisberger, not only for his conduct but the way he looked in reading his statement -- casual attire and a long, shaggy hairstyle.

The quarterback has relatively few endorsement contracts for such a high-profile player, but he lost one Tuesday as a Pittsburgh-area food products company announced he would no longer endorse its line of beef jerky.

Roethlisberger's diminished popularity is evident in his hometown of Findlay, Ohio, where merchants said Tuesday his jerseys and other memorabilia are sitting unsold on shelves.

"We can sell everybody else's, but not his," Sue Cataline said. "We can't sell any of his stuff."

this article was taken directly from espn.com

Tiger Tiger Woods ya'll

FAR HILLS, N.J. -- Tiger Woods has taken the first step toward playing the U.S. Open by sending in his entry form.



Woods
The USGA said it received Woods' entry on Monday, one day after he tied for fourth in the Masters. It was his first competition in five months since he was caught cheating on his wife.

Even players such as Woods who are exempt from qualifying for the U.S. Open must apply to play. The deadline to enter is April 28.

The U.S. Open will be held June 17-20 at Pebble Beach, where 10 years ago Woods won by 15 shots and tied the tournament scoring record.

this article was directly copied from espn.com