Ingram's Heisman Campaign Delayed

By Justin Worsley

Mark Ingram has already encountered a speed bump in his quest to win a second Heisman Trophy. The junior tailback from Alabama will not play in the Crimson Tide's season opener again San Jose State after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Tuesday morning.

Ingram injured his knee during practice on Monday. There is no set timetable for Ingram's return.

While the No. 1 Crimson Tide will be heavily favored over San Jose State, who went 2-10 last season, they host No. 19 Penn State on September 11.

Filling in for Ingram will be sophomore Trent Richardson. Richardson ran for 751 yards and eight touchdowns last season primarily as Ingram's backup.

Ingram became the third consecutive sophomore to win the Heisman Trophy. Ingram ran for a team-record 1,658 yards and 20 total touchdowns as Alabama won the National Title. The 5-10, 215-pound running back was trying to become the second player in college football history to win two Heisman Trophies. Ohio State's Archie Griffin won college football's most prestigious award in 1974-75.

Last year, Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford tried to repeat as a Heisman Trophy winner. Bradford receiver no votes after injuring his shoulder twice during the season and only playing in three games.

Aside from Richardson, only freshman Eddie Lacey is on the team's depth chart for running back. Alabama also faces No. 17 Arkansas and No. 4 Florida within the first five weeks of the season.

Rams Receiver Out For Season

By Justin Worsley

The St. Louis Rams road to relevancy has just gotten a bit longer.

According to head coach Steve Spagnuolo, wide receiver Donnie Avery tore the ACL in his right knee during the Rams preseason win against the New England Patriots last Thursday.

Avery, 26, injured himself while jumping to catch a pass from Sam Bradford when he awkwardly landed on his knee. Spagnuolo has said that Avery will wait about a week for the swelling to subside, then have the surgery.

Avery led the Rams in receptions with 47 last season and was considered the top target this year before his injury. The Rams are trying to rebuild a franchise that has won six games in the last three seasons combined.

The loss of Avery opens up a pivotal contest amongst the wide receivers as to who can bond with Bradford and become his top target during the season. One player who benefits is fellow rookie Mardy Gilyard, a fourth-round draft pick from Cincinnati. The other starting wide receiver is Laurent Robinson.

Avery started 28 games in the past two seasons for St. Louis.

Strasburg Expected To Require Tommy John Surgery

By Justin Worsley

The Washington Nationals feared for the worst when their ace pitcher Stephen Strasburg had a MRI on his throwing elbow, and the worst has occurred.

Strasburg, 22, has torn his ulnar collateral ligament in his right arm. The injury will sideline him for the rest of the season and Strasburg is expected to undergo Tommy John surgery.

The injury, however, will effect more than just the pitching rotation for the Nationals. The team has the third-lowest attendance for home games in the National League, however, the stadium is always a sellout crowd when Strasburg, the face of the franchise, pitches.

This is Strasburg's second stint on the disabled list this season. Last month, Washington put Strasburg on the disabled list when he strained his elbow prior to a start. Before going on the disabled list for the first time, Strasburg was 5-2 with a 2.19 ERA. In three games since his return, Strasburg was 0-1 with a 5.37 ERA.

Strasburg is flying to California to seek a second opinion before he elects to undergo surgery. The surgery has a high success rate, with 85 to 92-percent of those who undergo the procedure making a full recovery. The surgery takes about a full year for a pitcher to recover from.

Strasburg led the team in strikeouts with 92.

Vikings Top Receiver Rice To Miss Half Of Season

By Justin Worsley

If Brett Favre is hoping to have another successful year in Minnesota, he will have to do so without his favorite target.

The Minneapolis Star Tribune has reported that wide receiver Sidney Rice had hip surgery on Monday, a move that could sideline him for the first half of the season.

Rice was Favre's prime target last season, finishing second in the NFL with 1,312 receiving yards off of 83 receptions and eight touchdowns. Last year, Rice was selected to his first Pro Bowl.

Rice isn't the first receiver injured this preseason on the Vikings roster. Percy Harvin, the 2009 Offensive Rookie of the Year, has missed most of training camp due to migraines.

For the time being, a familiar face to Favre has been signed to take Rice's place. The Vikings announced on Tuesday that they have signed wide receiver Javon Walker. Walker played with Favre when both were on the Green Bay Packers between 2002-05.

Only two other wide receivers, Bernard Berrian and Greg Lewis, were on the roster last season. Tight end Visanthe Shiancoe, who caught 11 touchdown passes last season, alos returns.

Lee Spoils Misch's Gem

By Justin Worsley

A three-run home run by Carlos Lee in the seventh inning gave the Houston Astros a late lead and spoiled what was otherwise a very efficient game for New York Mets pitcher Pat Misch as Houston went on to win 3-2.

Bud Norris (6-7) was credited with the win after pitching seven innings and allowing two earned runs off of two hits. Brandon Lyon was awarded his fifth save of the season after pitching a perfect ninth inning.

Early errors put the Mets in a 2-0 lead when Norris walked Angel Pagan and then hit David Wright in his back elbow on a pitch with no outs. Ike Davis then advanced both runners to second and third when Astros shortstop Angel Sanchez failed to step on second base during a double play. Jeff Francouer then drove in Pagan as he grounded out. Chris Carter's infield hit brought in Wright.

After allowing a double to Hunter Pence in the first inning, Misch and the Mets defense went into lockdown mode, retiring the next 16 consecutive batters.

The 17th batter, however, was when things started to look bleak for the Mets. Misch allowed back-to-back singles to Sanchez and Pence before throwing a fastball over the plate to Lee on the first pitch, which he launched out of the park for his 16th homer this year.

Misch (0-2) pitched six innings, striking out one batter and allowing three earned runs off of four hits. None of the Mets pitcher allowed a walk.

The loss continues the Mets woes this year, as they have failed to win a road trip this season against a National League club. Houston's win evened the four-game series between the teams.

Starting at catcher for New York tonight was Rod Barajas, who has been out since July 24 with an oblique injury. Barajas went 0-for-3 in the game.

Mets first baseman Ike Davis also went 0-for-3. In his last ten games, Davis has gone 3-for-31

New York (60-61) will travel to Pittsburgh on Friday where Mike Pelfrey (11-7, 3.95 ERA) is expected to start against Jeff Karstens (2-9, 4.57) Houston (53-67) will travel to Florida where J.A. Happ (3-1, 3.38) will make his this start as an Astro against Anibal Sanchez (9-8, 3.31.)

Broxton Pulled From Closer's Role

By Justin Worsley

After being named to two consecutive All-Star games, Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Jonathan Broxton has gone from superstar to jobless.

Manager Joe Torre announced on Friday that he was pulling Broxton, 26, from the closing role, just a day after giving up four runs, three of the earned, in the ninth inning of a 10-9 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies. Prior to the bottom of the eighth inning, Los Angeles held a 9-2 lead.

Filling in for Broxton will be Hong-Chih Kuo, a lefty. Kuo, however, has a history of elbow injuries that prevent him from playing in consecutive games. Octavio Dotel and rookie Kenley Jansen could also fill the void for the time being.

Broxton has converted 21 saves, however, he has also blown five save opportunities and currently has a 3.42 ERA, the highest total since his rookie season. His 1.31 WHIP is also the second-worst total of his career.

Running Back Coffee Retires

By Justin Worsley

After spending his rookie season playing backup to Pro Bowl running back Frank Gore, San Francisco 49ers running back Glen Coffee has decided to step away from the game.

San Francisco drafted Coffee, 23, in the third round of the 2009 NFL Draft with the 74th overall pick. Coffee was second on the team with 226 rushing yards, however, he was only able to muster a pedestrian 2.7 yards per carry and only scored one touchdown (in comparison, Gore average 4.9 yards per carry.)

Coffee entered this season in competition for the backup running back role against rookie Anthony Dixon. The only other running back on the roster is fifth-year veteran Michael Robinson.

The 49ers have told the Associated Press that they are looking into bringing in another running back for the team. San Francisco is looking to try and help lighten the load for Gore, who has averaged 260.3 carries per season since 2006.

One big name free agent who is still available is Brian Westbrook, who was cut by the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason after suffering two concussions last year.

Coffee agreed to a four-year deal last season. After making $310,000 last season, Coffee was slated to make $395,000 this year.

Merriman Signs Tender With Chargers

By Justin Worsley

San Diego Chargers outside linebacker Shawne Merriman has signed his restricted free agent tender, according to his Twitter account.

"Just signed my tender and glad to be back with my teammates thanks to everyone," Merriman said earlier today on Twitter.

The former Maryland star has spent his entire career in San Diego and was refusing to sign the tender because he felt the organization was going to trade him. San Diego selected Merriman, 26, with the 12th overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft, a pick obtained by the team as part of the Phillip Rivers-Eli Manning trade with the New York Giants.

Merriman started his career off on a high note, winning the Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 2005 as well as being named the three All-Pro teams and three Pro Bowls between 2005-07. In 2006, Merriman posted 17 sacks, however, he has only posted 16.5 sacks in the three following seasons combined.

Merriman was one of three holdouts for the Chargers this season. Wide receiver Vincent Jackson and left tackle Marcus McNeil have refused to sign their tenders because they both desire long term deals. Both players have gone as far as saying that they will sit out the first 10 games of the season. A player must be on a roster for a minimum of six games in order for it to count as an accrued season in their contracts, which would bring them into unrestricted free agency quicker.

Merriman's contract was reported to be for $3,269,000 in a one-year deal.

Correlating with his recent struggles on the field, Merriman has also recently faced legal trouble. Last September, Merriman was arrested for battery and false imprisonment against his then-girlfriend, television personality Tila Tequila. The charges, however, were dismissed a week later.

The Chargers have had a busy offseason and are an early favorite to win the AFC West division for the fifth-straight season.

Braves Lose Jones For Season

By Justin Worsley

If the Atlanta Braves are going to continue chasing their first division title since 2005, they will have to do so without the face of the franchise. Third baseman Chipper Jones tore the ACL in his left knee while fielding a ball in Wednesday's 8-2 win over the Houston Astros. Jones will miss the rest of the season, and possibly even his career.

Before the 2010 campaign began, Jones, 38, announced that he will decide on his playing future after the season ended. A serious knee injury could possibly seal that fate.

Since being selected first-overall in the 1990 MLB Draft, Jones has been the face of the Braves franchise as they chased down 11 consecutive division titles and a World Series championship in 1995. In 1999, Jones was named the league's most valuable player.

This season, Jones has hit .265 with 10 homes runs and 45 RBIs. Since debuting in the MLB with Atlants in 1993, Jones has assaulted the team's record book, placing himself in the top three of nearly every major batting statistic.

Atlanta will split Brooks Conrad and Omar Infante at third base. The Braves hold two-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies for first place in the division this season.

Titans Sign Defensive Tackle Brock

By Justin Worsley

After spending seven seasons playing against them, defensive tackle Raheem Brock has signed with the Tennessee Titans. Terms were not disclosed at this time.

ProFootballTalk.com first reported the story.

Brock, 32, was drafted in the seventh round by the Philadelphia Eagles in 2002, but was cut by the team before the season started after the franchise ran out of money to sign the former Temple player. Indianapolis quickly claimed him off of waivers.

Brock had 32 tackles and 3.5 sacks last season. In his career, Brock has 288 tackles along with 28.5 sacks and 11 forced fumbles.

The Colts released Brock last March in favor of Eric Foster, who posted 38 tackles, 2.5 sacks and a forced fumble last season.

Brock will rotate in and out of the defensive front along with Jason Jones and Sen
Derrick Marks. Earlier in the month, Tennessee placed fellow defensive tackle Tony Brown on the physically unable to perform list.

Mets Suspend Closer Rodriguez For Two Days

By Justin Worsley

The New York Mets have suspended closer Francisco Rodriguez for two days without pay following his arrest for third-degree assault in the clubhouse's family lounge. The victim was Rodriguez's father-in-law, who Rodriguez had an altercation with following Wednesday night's 6-2 loss to the Colorado Rockies. The victim was hospitalized with a bump on his head and scrapes on his face.

Rodriguez, 28, was held in a holding cell in Citi Field and is expected to appear in court Thursday afternoon.

The altercation began after the game when Rodriguez was allegedly upset when he did not enter the game after the Mets gave up five runs in the eighth inning. New York called up Ryota Igarashi from Triple-A Buffalo to replace the four-time All-Star.

Rodriguez is currently in the second year of a three-year, $37 million contract he signed with New York in 2008. The right-handed pitcher is 4-2 for the season with 25 saves and a 2.24 ERA.

Four-Team Trade Brings Ariza To New Orleans

By Justin Worsley

Chris Paul now has some reassurance that the New Orleans Hornets are seriously trying to build a contending team.

The Hornets along with Indiana, New Jersey and Houston have completed a five-player trade that will bring small forward Tervor Ariza to the Big Easy.

Indiana received James Posey and Darren Collinson from New Orleans. Indiana sent Troy Murphy to New Jersey, who sent Courtney Lee to Houston.

Ariza helped the Los Angeles Lakers win the 2009 NBA Championship, however, the Lakers let him walk in free agency in favor of fellow free agent Ron Artest. In his only season in Houston, Ariza had a career year, averaging 14.9 points, 0.6 blocks, 5.6 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.8 steals per game, all career highs. It was also the first season that Ariza played primarily as a starter. In the 72 games Ariza played in, he started 71 of them.

Indiana is hoping that journeyman Posey will be able to bring in veteran leadership to the team. Posey has won two NBA championships with Miami and Boston, however, Posey has not been a consistent starter since the 2006 season, when he started 63 games.

In his rookie season, Collinson, 22, average 12.4 points per game while playing mostly off the bench. The Hornets selected Collinson with the 21st overall pick in last year's draft.

The acquisition of Murphy, 30, brings in immediate competition for lottery pick Derrick Favors. Murphy averaged 14.6 points and 10.2 rebounds per game last season.

For Lee, this is his third team in as many seasons. Lee, however, had career-highs in nearly every category after being a consistent starter for the Nets. In Houston, Lee will most likely replace Ariza as well as help the Rockets avoid the luxury-tax. Ariza signed a five-year, $34 million deal in Houston last year. Lee made $1.3 million last season.

Murphy is also entering the final year of his contract, which could potentially make him trade bait for the Nets when the season deadline approaches, depending on how Favors develops.

Oscar Winner Witherspoon Wants To Portray Another Music Star

By Justin Worsley

In 2005, James Mangold's biopic on Johnny Cash came out and the world saw Reese Witherspoon in a way that they have never seen her before. No longer was she ditzy, beautiful college student trying to impress her ex-boyfriend by entering law school in "Legally Blonde," but instead, a southern belle with pipes of gold as June Carter, Cash's wife until her death in 2003.

Her role as Carter won her the Academy Award for Best Actress in 2006 and now it seems that she wants to portray another music artist. According to Variety Magazine, the 34-year-old has the "fever" to portray jazz singer Peggy Lee in the upcoming biopic that is being directed by Nora Ephorn (Julie & Julia.)

Lee's career spanned over seven decades and included 12 Grammy Award nominations and an Academy Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress in
Pete Kelly's Blues." The Big Band and Jazz Hall of Fame inducted Lee as a member in 1992. In 2001, Lee died at the age of 81 due to complications of diabetes and a heart attack.

Witherspoon has several movies coming out in the upcoming months, however, none is more anticipated than "How Do You Know?" a romantic comedy directed by Academy Award-winner James L. Brooks. Paul Rudd, Jack Nicholson and Owen Wilson will also be in the film.

Fox 2000 is the film studio behind the currently unnamed film.

McGrady Signs With Detroit

By Justin Worsley,

The Detroit Pistons have signed shooting guard Tracy McGrady to a one-year, $1.3 million deal according to ESPN.

McGrady, 31, spent the 2009-10 season playing for both the Houston Rockets and the New York Knicks, however, multiple injuries have kept him off the court, limiting him to only 30 games last season. McGrady was only able to muster up 8.2 points per game, the lowest since his rookie season.

McGrady has been named to seven consecutive All-Star teams between 2001-07. In both 2003 and 2004, McGrady led the NBA in scoring while with the Orlando Magic.

Detroit went 27-55 last season and has spent the offseason trying to rebuild themselves as playoff contenders as they were for the majority of the decade.

McGrady has a career average of 21.5 points per game along with 6.0 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game.

Mariners Fire Manager Wakamatsu

By Justin Worsley

In 2008, Seattle was 61-101 and had the second-worst record in the league. The team then cleaned house, firing their coaching staff and bringing in Oakland bench coach Don Wakamatsu. The move paid off early as Seattle improved to 85-77 in 2009 and saw the return of Ken Griffey Jr., arguably the most well-known player in franchise history.

This season, however, was a forgettable one and it has now cost Wakamatsu his job. The Mariners announced on Monday that they have fired the coach. Wakamatsu was 127-147 in his tenure.

Seattle had high hopes this season after having a good 1-2 punch at the top of their pitching rotation with Felix Hernandez and Cliff Lee. Lee was ultimately traded to Texas after Seattle slipped to 16 games behind Texas for the division lead.

Last June, Griffey also retired following a miserable start to a season marred by rumors that he was sleeping in the clubhouse during a game.

Seattle crumbled in July, going 6-23 for the month. The Mariners were 2-4 to start off August until Wakamatsu was fired.

Arbitrator Sides With NHL, Kovalchuk Rejoins Free Agency

By Justin Worsley

The New Jersey Devils tried to fight the NHL's attempt to void the 17-year contract the Devils tried to give to winger Ilya Kovalchuk and lost.

An arbitrator ruled on Monday that the league was just in disallowing the 17-year, $102 million blockbuster deal. The longest contract given to a player in NHL history was ruled as violating the salary cap.

The deal paid out Kovalchuk, 27, a large sum of money early, but then only gave him $550,000 per season in the final five years of the deal.

Kovalchuk originally agreed to the deal on July 19, but after the NHL reviewed the contract, they swiftly voided it two days later. The arbitration ruling makes Kovalchuk an unrestricted free agent again.

Kovalchuk, often referred to as "The Russian Sniper," has scored more goals than any NHL player since his rookie season in 2001. The Devils acquired the high-scoring Russian in a trade with the Atlanta Thrashers, who selected him with the first-overall pick of the 2001 NHL Draft, last February. In his career, Kovalchuk has scored 338 goals and 304 assists in 621 career games. Last season, Kovalchuk scored 41 goals and 44 assists.

New Jersey could also face league punishment for the signing, though the NHL has made no announcement yet. The cap violation could result in the loss of a draft pick or a fine.

New Jersey's president and general manager Lou Lamoriello has stated that the team is in talks with Kovalchuk but no offer is set.

Delgado Signs Minor League Contract With Boston

By Justin Worsley

After losing first baseman Kevin Youkilis for the season after the power hitter underwent thumb surgery, Boston realized they may need help at the position for depth.

Boston has taken a flier on free agent Carlos Delgado, signing the 38-year-old to a $20,000 minor league contract.

Delgado applied for free agency last year after undergoing two hip surgeries. He spent the offseason unsigned despite interest from two of his former teams, the Florida Marlins and the New York Mets, who he played for from 2006-09.

Delgado, a two-time All-Star, could help provide veteran leadership as well as a left-handed bat in the lineup for the Red Sox. Delgado as a career batting average of .280.

The signing of Delgado also helps him propel his quest for 500 home runs. Delgado currently has 473 home runs and 1,512 RBIs.

Not all of Delgado's statistics, however, are stellar. Delgado has struck out 1,745 times, the 17th highest amount all time. Compare this to the fact that he has only has 2,038 hits in his career.

Delgado has also played for the Toronto Blue Jays, where he spent the first 11 years of his career with.

Red Wings Chelios To Retire And Join Front Office

By Justin Worsley

After spending last season as the oldest active player in the NHL, defenseman Chris Chelios has decided that he is getting too old to be on the ice. According to a report by Fox Sports Detroit, Chelios announced during a Cubs-Reds baseball game in Chicago on Friday that he will retire from hockey in order to take an unnamed front office position with the Detroit Red Wings.

Chelios spent last year bouncing back between the Atlanta Thrashers and their AHL affiliate, the Chicago Wolves. In seven NHL games, Chelios failed to score a point and Atlanta stumbled away from the playoff picture for the third straight season.

Returning to Detroit means returning to the team where the glory days of Chelios' career was spent. Chelios twice hoisted the Stanley Cup in Detroit, during 2002 and 2008.

Former teammate of Chelios, Steve Yzerman, left his position as the team's vice president last May in order to become the general manager of the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Chelios was drafted 40th overall in the 1983 NHL Draft by Montreal. In his career, Chelios has a +350 rating along with 185 goals and 763 assists.

Spiller, Bills Agree To Five-Year Deal

By Justin Worsley

The Buffalo Bills have signed their top draft pick, running back C.J. Spiller to a five-year, $25 million deal according to ESPN.com's John Clayton.

The signing leaves Seattle's first pick, tackle Russell Okung, as the only unsigned draft pick.

Spiller, 22, was the ninth overall pick in last April's draft. In his last season at Clemson, Spiller ran for 1212 yards off of 201 carries along with 503 receiving yards and 16 total touchdowns.

The deal includes $20.8 million guaranteed. Spiller is planning on report to Buffalo's training camp at St. John Fisher College early Friday afternoon to train with his teammates.

Buffalo plays their first preseason game on Aug. 13 against the Washington Redskins.

Alabama Sits Atop Coach's Preseason Poll

By Justin Worsley

The University of Alabama is starting the season off exactly where they left off last year, on top.

The Crimson Tide were given 55 of the 59 first-place votes. Ohio State received the other four votes and is ranked second.

Alabama, however, wasn't the only undefeated team last season. Boise State, who is ranked fifth, also finished 14-0 and finished the season off dethroning undefeated Texas Christian in the Fiesta Bowl. TCU is ranked seventh.

Texas, who lost to Alabama in the BCS Championship game, is ranked fourth. In third place is Florida, the reigning Sugar Bowl Champions.

Virginia Tech is in sixth place, and open their season off against Boise State. The rest of the top 10 include Oklahoma, Nebraska and Iowa.

Oregon, who will play this season without Heisman Trophy-contender Jeremiah Masoli, is ranked 11th. Rounding out the rest of the top 15 is Wisconsin, Miami, Penn State, and Pittsburgh.

LSU is the third SEC school ranked in the top 25, in 16th place followed by Georgia Tech, North Carolina, Arkansas and Florida State.

The final five are Georgia, Oregon State, Auburn, and in a two-way tie, Utah and West Virginia.

The coach's poll takes part in the BCS formula that is used to determine the national champion. The last time the top-ranked preseason team won the National Championship was in 2004, when USC crushed Oklahoma 55-19. The win however, was vacated by the NCAA due to violations. The sanctions also affect the Trojans now, who are unranked due to their two-year postseason ban.

Dumervil Goes Down

By Justin Worsley

It's official, the team with the injury bug this year is the Denver Broncos.

Bad luck first struck the team when their left tackle Ryan Clady tore the patellar tendon in his knee in April while playing a pickup game of basketball. The injury has put Clady on the active non-football Injury list.

On the opening day of training camp, Denvers two feature running backs went down as well. Knowshon Moreno injured his hamstring while Correll Buckhalter suffered a back injury. Both are expected to return by the season opener, but that didn't stop Denver from signing LenDale White.

Now Denver will have to go without their best pass rusher. Defensive end Elvis Dumervil suffered a torn pectoral muscle in a one-on-one passing drill on Wednesday night. The injury is expected to take five months to recover from, which could potentially end Dumervil's season.

Dumervil, 26, broke out as a pass rusher in the NFL last season, leading the league with 17.0 sacks. The former Louisville star was named to his first All-Pro team.

After the breakout season, Dumervil threatened to hold out of training camp, demanding a new contract. The Broncos and Dumervil were quick to settle this manner, agreeing to a six-year, $61.5 million contract extension through the 2015 season.

Dumervil will be the seventh player on Denver's injury list this season.

Denver Signs White

By Justin Worsley

After losing two of their starting running backs to injuries, the Denver Broncos have turned towards free agency and signed a former 1,000 yard running back.

Denver and LenDale White have agreed to a two-year deal, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter.

White was released in May by the Seattle Seahawks, just a month after the organization made a draft-day trade for the 25-year-old. The 6-foot-1, 218-pound bruiser will be suspended the first four games this season for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

White became expendable in Tennessee after teammate Chris Johnson broke out with a 2,006 yard rushing season in 2009, making carries less available.

Denver lost Correll Buckhalter and Knowshon Moreno on the first day of training camp to back and hamstring injuries. Buckhalter could be back as early as Monday while Moreno will most likely be back by Denver's second preseason game on August 21. Denver also has Toney Baker, Lance Ball and Bruce Hall on their roster.

Celtics Bring In Veteran O'Neal

By Justin Worsley

Though Shaquille O'Neal has been known to be one of the most dominant centers in NBA history, he has also carried a reputation throughtout his career as a journeyman. It now looks like his journey has a new destination.

The Boston Celtics have signed the 7-foot-1, 325 pound O'Neal to a two-year deal worth about $3 million, the veteran's minimum.

For O'Neal, 38, this is the sixth stop in his NBA career since being drafted first-overall by the Orlando Magic in 1992. O'Neal has also had stints with the Los Angeles Lakers along with Miami, Phoenix and Cleveland.

O'Neal saw limited action in last season while playing for Cleveland. The 23.4 minuted per game he played in were the lowe of his career and injuries forced him to play in only 53 games. His 12.0 points per game were also a career low. O'Neal has a career average of 24.1 points per game.

Boston, however, is hoping O'Neal's charisma and winning style will help propel the reigning Eastern Conference champions to a coveted NBA title. O'Neal has won four NBA titles and has been named to 15 All-Star teams.

Another O'Neal also will be wearing green and white this year, Boston signed fellow center Jermaine O'Neal, 31, this offseason. Both will compete to fill the void left by the injured Kendrick Perkins, who is out until February after tearing both his MCL and PCL in his right knee during Game Six of the NBA Finals last season.

While Perkins was a defensive-minded center, O'Neal is a more all around player. Despite a dominant defensive playing style, O'Neal has also been a high scorer, twice winning the league scoring title. O'Neal leads all active players in career points scored and is the fifth-highest scoring player in NBA history. Due to his ability to dunk with ease, O'Neal also has the second-highest scoring percentage in NBA history.

O'Neal will most likely retire once his contract expires.

Modano Joins Red Wings

By Justin Worsley

After spending his entire career with the Dallas Stars, center Mike Modano has decided to return home.

According to the Associated Press, Modano has signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Red Wings, close to his hometown of Livonia, Michigan.

Modano began his 20-year career with the Minnesota North Stars, who drafted him with the first-overall pick of the 1988 draft and was the centerpiece of their organization for years as the team moved from Minnesota to Dallas. Modano is the NHL's all-time leading scorer by an American player.

Dallas, however, was unwilling to re-sign the aging star and Modano, 40, wasn't quite ready to retire so he tested the free agent market, being courted by the Minnesota Wild and San Jose, Modano decided Detroit was his best destination.

Modano is an eight-time All-Star and won the Stanley Cup in 199 with Dallas. In his career, Modano has scored 1,359 points off of 557 goals and 802 assists.

Last season, however, Modano was not his normal, high-scoring self. In 59 games, Modano only managed to scored 30 points, the lowest of his career since the 1994-95 season when he only played in 30 games and scored 29 points. Dallas has not made a playoff appearance since the 2007-08 season.

Along with the new team, Modano will also be forced to change his jersey number. After wearing number nine for his entire career, he much change in Detroit because that number is retired in honor of the legendary Gordie Howe.