WEC And UFC to Merge in 2011

By Justin Worsley

Ultimate Fighting Championship president Dana White announced on Thursday that one of his competitors, World Extreme Cagefighting, will merge into the UFC beginning in 2011.

Two new championships will be added to the UFC at 135 and 145-pound weight classes. All fighters in the WEC will go to the UFC. Both current champions will be recognized as the champions once they enter the UFC. Jose Aldo is the current 145-pound champion while the 135-pound champion, Dominick Cruz, defends his title at the final WEC event, WEC 53 in December against Scott Jorgensen.

All employees in the WEC will be retained as well. Versus, the primary network for WEC events will now showcase more UFC events in place of WEC's time slot.

White has also expressed interest in adding a 125-pound belt in the near future. The unification of the two rival league's will finally test how well WEC is able to stand up against UFC fighters.

The 155-pound belt will be folded into one title. Members of the WEC and UFC will have a tournament to determine the top contender for the belt, which is currently held by Frankie Edgar. Edgar will defend his title on New Year's Day against Gray Maynard.

Both UFC and WEC are owned by Zuffa LLC. WEC was founded in 2001, eight years after UFC held their first match in Denver, Colorado.

Troy Smith to Start for Injured Alex Smith

By Justin Worsley

San Francisco 49ers quarterback Alex Smith has sustained a separated shoulder in his left (non-throwing) arm and is ruled out for Sunday's game against the Denver Broncos in London.

Smith, who the game last week, a 23-20 loss to the Carolina Panthers, was replaced by David Carr, who completed only five of his 13 pass attempts and threw an interception which set up the game-winning field goal for Carolina with only 1:08 left in the game.

Carr will not start this week's matchup against struggling teams. Instead, Troy Smith will start for the first time since his rookie season in 2007, when he playaed for the Baltimore Ravens.

Alex Smith sacked from behind early in the third quarter against Carolina by defensive end Charles Johnson. The 49ers (1-6) have a bye week following their trip to London and are hoping Smith will be back in time for their game against the division-rival St. Louis Rams on Nov. 14.

Mets to Hire Alderson as General Manager

By Justin Worsley,

The New York Mets are going to hire Sandy Alderson as the team's new general manager, according to ESPN.com.

ESPN has also reported that the announcement may come as early as Friday, which is the off day between Game 2 and 3 of the World Series.

Though Alderson was the frontrunner for the position almost immediately after Omar Minaya was fired following the season's end, the organization continued to interview potential candidates. On Monday, the Mets executives Saul Katz, Fred Wilpon and his son, Jeff, interviewed Alderson as well as former Arizona Diamondbacks general manager Josh Byrnes.

Alderson, 62, was the general manager of the Oakland Athletics from 1983 until 1997. The A's won three straight American League Pennants between 1988-90, including a 1989 World Series win, the most recent in team history.

Alderson also served as the executive vice president for baseball operations between 1998 and 2005. The San Diego Padres then hired Alderson to become the team's CEO.


Along with a Dartmouth College degree, Alderson also graduated from Harvard Law School in 1976. Alderson, who's father was an Air Force pilot, served in the Marines during the Vietnam War.

Now that the general manager opening has been filled, the next area to address for the Mets is manager. Jerry Manuel was let go along with Minaya last month. Currently, no rumors have circulated as to which direction the team is looking in, deciding to wait until they had a general manager first.

Bengals Place Jones on Injured Reserve

By Justin Worsley

The Cincinnati Bengals have placed cornerback Adam "Pacman" Jones on injured reserve, ending his season just two days after he played his best game as a Bengal.

Jones, 27, has a herniated disk in his neck which may require surgery, sidelining the troubled player in his comeback season.

In a 39-32 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, Jones stripped a reception by Falcons receiver Roddy White and returned the fumble 59 yards for a touchdown which gave Cincinnati a 25-24 lead. Jones left the game late in the fourth quarter with his neck injury.

Cincinnati signed Jones to a two-year deal in the offseason after he sat out the 2009 season. Jones has never played a full season since the Tennessee Titans selected the former West Virginia star with the sixth-overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft.

Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Jones for the entire 2007 season after Jones was involved in a shooting at a strip club in Las Vegas. The suspension ultimately caused Tennessee to trade Jones to Dallas, where he only last nine games before the team cut him following more legal troubles.

His signing in Cincinnati gave him one last shot in the league. Jones played mostly as the nickelback, behind Leon Hall and Jonathan Joseph on the depth chart.

Jones had one interception this season during the Bengals 15-10 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. The Bengals were forced to put Jones in a starting role last week after Joseph was inactive due to an ankle injury.

If Joseph is still unavailable next week when Cincinnati hosts the Miami Dolphins, Morgan Trent or rookie Brandon Ghee could start.

Jones also returned punts and kickoffs. No player has been signed yet to take Jones' roster spot.

Celtics Survive Rally, Beat Heat 88-80

By Justin Worsley

The NBA kicked off the 2010-11 season by putting the old Big Three against the New Big Three.

In the end, the senior group prevailed.

The Boston Celtics went on an early 12-2 run and never gave up the lead as they defeated the Miami Heat 88-80.

Miami showed their offense has not jelled yet, scoring only nine points in the first quarter despite adding reigning league MVP LeBron James and five-time All-Star Chris Bosh on their roster to compliment guard Dwyane Wade. Not once last season did the Heat score less than 12 points in the opening quarter.

Boston led by as much as 19 points at several instances, however, the Heat began to surge back in the third quarter, going on a 17-8 run to cut the lead to six points by the end of the quarter. James scored 15 of his game-high 31 points in the third quarter.

Miami went on another 10-0 run in the fourth quarter to make the score 83-80 with just over a minute to play, however, Boston slammed the door on a comeback when Ray Allen hit his fifth three-pointer to keep Boston ahead 86-80. Point guard Paul Pierce landed two foul shots to preserve the victory for Boston.

The much anticipated matchup did not quite live up to expectations despite the close score. Boston, who lost in Game Seven of the NBA Finals to the Los Angeles Lakers last year, swarmed Miami's stars and prevented the offense from scoring. Miami made only 10 of 36 shots in the first half.

Celtics fans did not hold back how they felt about Miami, booing every time James touched the ball and chanting "Overrated!" in the fourth quarter. TD Bank Garden Arean also gave out green t-shirts for every fan who purchased tickets in order to have a green-out.

Rajon Rondo was, yet again, a key component in Boston's offense, scoring only four points but dishing out 17 assists.

In his first game in a Celtics uniform, Shaquille O'Neal showed no signs of rust as the 38-year-old center scored nine points and gave out hard fouls against Miami, forcing the Heat to be able to score only 24 points in the paint.

"We're the team to beat right now," Rondo said in a post-game interview.

The two teams will meet three more times this season, but not again until until Nov. 11. Boston will travel to Cleveland tomorrow to face James' old team, the Cavaliers. Miami will be in Philadelphia to play the 76ers tomorrow.

Blue Jays Pick-Pocket Rival Boston for New Manager

By Justin Worsley

The Toronto Blue Jays have named Boston Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell the team's new manager on Monday, putting a halt to the process to replace retired manager Cito Gaston, which included general manager Alex Anthopoulos interviewing 18 potential candidates for the job.

Gaston, 66, announced earlier in the year that this would be his final season as a manager. The Blue Jays won 10 more games this season that they did in 2009, going 85-77.

The next step in Toronto is making the playoffs, which the team has been unable to do since winning two consecutive World Series in 1992-93. Gaston was the team's manager in both of those seasons.

Farrell joined the Red Sox as a pitching coach in 2006, reuniting him with Red Sox manager Terry Francona. The two were teammates during their playing career with the Cleveland Indians.

Much of Toronto's success last season came from their big hitting ability. The Blue Jays led the MLB with 257 home runs. Outfielder Jose Bautista had a breakout year, hitting a league-leading 54 home runs.

Toronto also boasts one of the youngest pitching rotations in the majors. Shaun Phillips is the oldest starting pitcher on the team at the age of 28.

Farrell is credited with the development of Clay Bucholtz and Jon Lester in Boston, who combined went 36-16 last season. Toronto, who has watched this development first-hand, became more interested in Farrell due to their pitching staff.

Pitching coach Bruce Walton and third base coach Brian Butterfield were finalists for the position. Both coaches will return to the team next season at their current positions.

Yankees Fire Pitching Coach Eiland

By Justin Worsley,

Less than a week after the New York Yankees season ended in Game Six of the ALCS, the Bronx Bombers have begun to prepare for the offseason by firing pitching coach Dave Eiland.

General manager Brian Cashman made the announcement Monday morning during a press conference, insisting that he was fired for personal reasons.

Pitching was a point of weakness for the Yankees this season, despite the team winning 95 games. The team ERA was 4.06, the 15th best in the majors.

The Yankees do have a Cy Young-candidate in CC Sabathia and a breakout performance by Phil Hughes, but the two pitchers in the back end of the rotation, A.J. Burnett and Javier Vasquez, combined for a 20-25 record and a 5.28 ERA.

Eiland has spent his entire coaching career with the Yankees, whom he plays for on two stints during his MLB career. After spending several years working the Yankees farm system, Eiland was promoted to pitcing coach in 2008.

Cashman is now focusing on the expiring contract of manager Joe Girardi, who led the Yankees to a MLB-record 27th World Series win last season. Once Girardi is re-signed, Cashman will then focus on bringing a new pitching coach.

Kenny Britt Has Career Game in Titans 37-19 Win Over Philadelphia

By Justin Worsley

Kenny Britt caught seven passes for 225 yards and three touchdowns and the Titans outscored Philadelphia 30-6 in the second half to walk away with a win from backup quarterback Kerry Collins.

Vince Young suited up, but did not play as he nursed a sprained knee and ankle from last week's win against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Collins completed 17-of-31 passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns and two interceptions.

Kevin Kolb started for Philadelphia for the second straight week as Michael Vick continues to heal from a rib injury suffered during the team's loss to the Washington Redskins. Kolb completed 26-of-48 passes for 231 yards, but threw two interceptions and only one touchdown.

Britt became the first Titan since Drew Bennett in 2004 to have 200 receiving yards in a game. His three touchdowns in the game give him seven for the year, tying him with San Diego Chargers tight end Antonio Gates for the league-lead.

One reason why Britt was able to have a breakout game was due to the attention the Eagles defense gave to running back Chris Johnson. The reigning rushing champion was held to 66 yards on 24 carries. The added attention to the running game, however, gave Collins more opportunities to expose the Eagles secondary.

After a scoreless first quarter, Philadelphia kicker David Akers kicked a 25-yard field goal in the secon quarter, one of four by Akers for the day, to give the Eagles an early 3-0 lead.

Tennessee fought back and took the lead, however, when Collins found Britt open for a 26-yard touchdown pass.

Philadelphia, however, took a 13-7 lead at halftime by scoring 10 points in the final two minutes, including a five-yard touchdown pass from Kolb to Riley Cooper.

Both teams echanged a field goal in the third quarter, but Tennessee ran away with the game after that, scoring 27 points in the fourth quarter.

Tennessee scored three touchdowns and two field goals in the final 13 minutes of the game. Britt caught his second touchdown pass, an 80-yard catch off a blown coverage, to pull Tennessee within two points of Philadelphia.

Britt late caught his third touchdown pass, a 16-yarder in the back of the end zone, with five minutes to go.

The Eagles continued to drive the field late in the game, however cornerback Cortland Finnegan picked off Kolb and ran it back for a touchdown as time expired.

This is the first game this year that Tennessee (5-2) has won without Johnson running for 100-yards. Philadelphia (4-3) suffered their first road loss this season and will enter a bye week. Head coach Andy Reid announced after the game that Vick will be the starting quarterback on Nov. 7 when Philadelphia hosts the Indianapolis Colts.

The game also featured the two longest-tenured head coaches in the NFL. Titans coach Jeff Fisher is in his 17th season with the team while Reid is in his 12th. Fisher is 4-0 all time against Reid and the Eagles.

Titans Defense Propel Young-less Titans Over Jaguars

By Justin Worsley

The Tennessee Titans pounded the division-rival Jacksonville Jaguars 30-3 at the EverBank Field on Monday night to help Tennessee take a claim for first-place in the AFC Central division.

The starting quarterbacks on both teams, Tennessee's Vince Young and Jacksonville's David Garrard, left the game with injuries.

Young was injured in the first quarter on Tennessee's second drive off a fumbled snap by center Eugene Amano. Young knelt down to retrieve the ball and was swarmed by several Jaguars and Titans players who were going for what was initially called a fumble. A challenge by Tennessee head coach Jeff Fisher show that Young placed his knee on the ground as he recovered the ball, nullifying the fumble. Young, however, suffered a mild left knee sprain and did not return, ending the game with 61 passing yards and an opening-drive touchdown pass to Kenny Britt.

Garrard was hit hard by linebacker Will Witherspoon as he threw in the second quarter and did not return, being replaced by backup Trent Edwards. After the game, it was announced that Garrard had suffered a concussion.

Tennessee led 7-0 early in the game after Britt's touchdown pass and did not lose the lead once backup Kerry Collins entered the game. In the second quarter, Collins led Tennessee on an eight-play, 37-yard drive which ended with a two-yard touchdown pass to tight end Bo Scaife.

Rob Bironas nailed two of his three field goals later on in the game, giving Tennessee a 20-0 lead before Jaguars kicker Josh Scobee kicked a 33-yard field goal early in the third quarter.

Titans running back Chris Johnson had 111 rushing yards including a 35-yard touchdown with 1:40 left in the game.

Tennessee outgained Jacksonville 324-249 and did not turn the ball over. Edwards threw three interceptions, including one on the Tennessee one-yard line and tight end Mike Thomas fumbled a reception in the red zone. Tennessee shut down the Jaguars in the red zone, who went 0-3.

The 27-point loss is the most lopsided victory for the Titans over Jacksonville since the 1999 season, when Tennessee defeated Jacksonville 41-14.

Jaguars running back Maurice Jones-Drew ran for only 57 yards on 17 carries, his second-lowest total for a game this season.

Tennessee has won four of their last five meetings with the Jaguars, outscoring their rival 118-77.

Carolina Returns to Moore at Quarterback

By Justin Worsley

The Carolina Panthers have decided to name Matt Moore the starting quarterback, allowing the 26-year-old to regain the job after being benched by coach John Fox in favor of rookie Jimmy Clausen for three games.

Carolina is a disastrous 0-5 while averaging a league-low 10.4 points per game. They face another struggling franchise, the 1-5 San Francisco 49ers this Sunday.

Clausen has only completed 47.3-percent of his passes this season and has thrown only one touchdown compared to three interceptions. Moore, however, also had sub-par statistics, completing 33.3-percent of his passes with two touchdowns and six interceptions. Both quarterback have been sacked a combines 17 times, the third-worst in the league.

Moore replaced the ineffective Jake Delhomme last season, going 4-1 in five starts while tossing eight touchdowns to only one interception as a starter, bring the 4-7 Panthers to a respectable 8-8.

Sharks Give Thornton an Extension

By Justin Worsley

The San Jose Sharks have signed center Joe Thornton to a three-year, $21 million extension on Saturday.

Thornton, the team's captain, was slated to be a free agent next season and the six-time All-Star would have been the biggest name on the market.

Since arriving to San Jose in 2005, Thornton has been a key to the Sharks run at three consecutive division titles between 2007-10. In the 2008-09 season, San Jose had the best record in the NHL, going 53-18-11. Last season, the Sharks advanced to the second conference final in franchise history.

Thornton was second in the NHL last season with 69 assists. So far this season, Thornton has notched in two goals and an assist.

San Jose is an early favorite to win the Stanley Cup, much in part due to Thornton and new goaltender Antti Niemi, who won the Cup last season with Chicago.

Lilly Signs Extension With Dodgers

By Justin Worsley

The Los Angeles Dodgers have avoided losing ace pitcher Ted Lilly in free agency, instead, giving the veteran a three-year extension, according to sources.

The Dodgers acquired Lilly, 34, and Ryan Theriot on the July 31 trade deadline for Blake DeWitt, Brett Wallach and Kyle Smit. The southpaw went 7-4 as a Dodger with a 3.52 ERA.

The terms of the deal were not made immediately available and Lilly must pass a conditioning test before the deal becomes official.

The Dodgers originally drafted Lilly in 1996, but traded him to the Montreal Expos prior to his MLB debut. Lilly immediately contributed to the Dodgers when he was traded, winning his first five starts and posting a 1.82 ERA in the process.

Los Angeles now has three of their five starting pitchers back for next season. Along with Lilly, Clayton Kershaw and Chad Billingsley are still under contract. The free agent market this year for pitchers has several marquee options including the gem of free agency, Texas Rangers ace Cliff Lee and Bronson Arroyo of the Cincinnati Reds.

Lilly is 113-96 in his career with a 4.18 ERA and 1,474 strikeouts.

Minnesota to Pull Plug on Brewster

By Justin Worsley

Before the Minnesota Golden Gophers Saturday game against Purdue, rumors began to spread that head coach Tim Brewster would be fired at the seasons end if Minnesota was unable to defeat the 3-2 Boilermakers.

Minnesota, however, was not up to the task, losing to their Big Ten rival 28-17. ESPN.com has reported that multiple media outlets have reported that Brewster will be fired.

Minnesota won their season opener against Middle Tennessee State, but has since dropped six straight.

Under Brewster, Minnesota has only been able to produce one wining season. The 2008 Golden Gophers went 7-6, losing in the Insight Bowl to Kansas. Minnesota also went bowling in 2009, but yet again lost in the Insight Bowl, this time to Iowa State.

In three-plus seasons, Brewster has failed to win a bowl game and has an overall record of 15-30 including a pedestrian 6-21 mark against fellow Big Ten foes.

Mariners to Hire Wedge as Manager

By Justin Worsley

In one day, the sources close to the Seattle Mariners not only ruled out one potential candidate to become the team's new manager, but they also announced who the team would hire.

ESPN.com has reported that former Cleveland Indians manager Eric Wedge will be hired as the team's new manager. The news comes just hours after it was announced that Bobby Valentine's return to the MLB would not be in Seattle.

Wedge manned the Indians for seven years, winning the AL Manager of the Year award in 2007, when Cleveland won the AL Central division with a 96-66 record.

Seattle fired manager Don Wakamatsu in August and the team finished with a 61-101 record with interim coach Daren Brown. Only the Pittsburgh Pirates had a worse record in the MLB than Seattle.

The Mariners have not made the playoffs since 2001. Cleveland was only a game away from going to their first World Series since 1997 before falling to the Boston Red Sox.

Rookie McCoy to Make First Career Start Sunday

By Justin Worsley

Cleveland Browns fans may get an early look at the man who many are hoping will be the savior of their downtrodden franchise this Sunday.

Rookie quarterback Colt McCoy will make his first career start against the Pittsburgh Steelers this Sunday after both first and second-string quarterbacks Jake Delhomme and Seneca Wallace failed to show any sign of improvement with their injuries this week in practice.

Delhomme and Wallace both have severe ankle sprains. Wallace took over for Delhomme after the 35-year-old left the season opener, a loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Journeyman Brett Ratliff is also on the roster.

McCoy had a legendary career at the University of Texas, leaving college with the all-time wins record for a quarterback with a 45-8 record.

McCoy's best collegiate season came in 2008, when he completed 76.2-percent of his passes for 3,859 yards with 34 touchdowns and only eight interceptions.

During the preseason, McCoy, 24, showed fans his pinpoint accuracy was no fluke in college, completing 28 of his 39 passes, including a perfect 13-for-13 in the Browns preseason finale against the Chicago Bears.

Pittsburgh has the fourth-best defense in the NFL, but are 20th in pass defense. So far this season, opponents have averaged 226.8 passing yards per game.

Cleveland has not won at Heinz Field since the 2003 season.

Eagles, Browns, Swap Running Backs

By Justin Worsley

The Philadelphia Eagles have acquired last year's late bloomer, Jerome Harrison, in a trade with the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday.

Cleveland will receive running back Mike Bell in the trade.

Harrison rushed for 561 in the final three games last season, all of them victories for Cleveland, including a franchise-record 286 yards in a win against the Kansas City Chiefs.

This season, however, Harrison saw his role on the offense diminish as fullback Peyton Hillis began to receive the bulk of the carries. Harrison has not found the end zone yet on 31 touches and has only been able to muster 91 yards.

Philadelphia was hoping that Bell would be able to spell running back LeSean McCoy as he entered the role as the team's feature back. Instead, Bell has gained a pedestrian 28 yards on 16 carries. Bell signed a one-year, $1.7 million deal this year to play for the Eagles.

Harrison was unable to prove to Cleveland that he was the teams every down back after Jamal Lewis announced that he would retire at the season's end. Though Lewis ultimately did not retire, he was placed on injured reserve last season, ultimately giving Harrison the starting role.

Cleveland also drafted Montario Hardesty in the second round of this year's draft.

Wizards Fine Arenas for Faking an Injury

By Justin Worsley

The Washington Wizards have fined point guard Gilbert Arenas an undisclosed amount of money after the team discovered Arenas faked an injury in order to give his backup, Nick Young, a shot at having more playing time during the Wizards 107-92 preseason victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Prior to the games, Arenas, 28, told coach Flip Saunders that his knee was a little sore and stiff during a morning practice and that he would most likely not play that night.

Young had a team-high 24 points in the win.

Arenas is trying to get back in the good graces of not only the Wizards organization, but with the NBA in general. The league suspended Arena's for 50 games last season after Arenas brought in an unloaded firearms to the teams home stadium, the Verizon Center, during an altercation with then teammate Javaris Crittenton over gambling debts. The incident put Arenas in a halfway house for 30 days and he is also under probation for the next two years.

If Arenas, a three-time all-star, had played, it would have been his first game since his suspension. Arenas has told the Washington Post that he will play in Thurday's game against the Milwaukee Bucks.

Braves Hire Gonzalez as New Manager

By Justin Worsley

The Atlanta Braves wasted no time appointing the successor to Bobby Cox, announcing on Wednesday that the organization has hired Fredi Gonzalez to replace the legendary skipper.

Gonzalez, 46, was a coach in Atlanta between 2003-06 before the division rival Florida Marlins hired Gonzalez as their manager. Gonzalez led the Marlins to a 276-279 record before he was fired last June.

The Sporting News named Gonzalez as the manager of the year in 2008 after Florida went 84-77, a 13 game improvement from their 2007 record of 71-91.

Florida continued their climb to the top of the AL East division, going 87-75 in 2009. This season, however, the team got off to a slow start, going 34-36 before firing Gonzalez. Florida finished the season going 80-82, this in the AL East.

The expectations are high in Atlanta, where Cox has led the Braves to 16 playoff appearances and a 1995 World Series victory. Cox if fourth on the all-time managerial wins list with 2,504-2,001 record over a span of 29 years. Despite retiring as a manager, Cox has announced that he will still be an advisor to the team.

The Braves season ended on Monday when they fell to the San Francisco Giants in Game 4 of the ALDS.

Rangers Win First Postseason Series In Team History

By Justin Worsley

Cliff Lee threw 11 strikeouts and a complete game while the Texas Rangers defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 in Game 5 of the ALDS.

For the first time in MLB history, the away team won every game in this series with Lee getting the best of Rays ace David Price on two occasions. Both pitchers also started Game 1 of the series with Texas also walking away with a 5-1 win in that game.

Shortstop Elvis Andrus got the Rangers on the board early in the first inning off of a groundout by Josh Hamilton. Andrus stole second base while Hamilton was at bat and when Price ran to cover first base, his back was turned to the speedy Andrus who never slowed down as he rounded third base.

Tampa tied the game at one apiece in the third inning when right fielder Ben Zobrist took an inside, 93 MPH fastball by Lee deep into center field. Sean Rodriguez scored and both Zobrist and Jason Bartlett advanced to second and third base off of a throwing error by Hamilton.

Texas took back the lead in the fourth inning, however, when Kelly Shoppach made an errant throw to third base as Nelson Cruz was stealing the base, allowing Cruz to score.

Lee got more run support in the sixth inning when Ian Kinsler grounded out on a fielder's choice at first base. Veteran Vladimir Guerrero rushed home and evaded the tag by Shoppach to pad Texas' lead.

Price had no answer for the middle of the Rangers lineup. Guerrero, Cruz and Kinsler combined to go 7-for-12 with four runs and three RBIs. Price pitched six innings, allowing three earned runs off of eight hits with six strikeouts. No batter was walked in the game.

The fate of the Rays season was sealed when Kinsler hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning off of closer Rafael Soriano, giving the Rangers a 5-1 lead. Lee retired the last nine Rays batters to end the game.

In seven career postseason starts, Lee is 6-0 with a 1.44 ERA. Only Orlando Hernandez has posted a lower ERA while going 6-0 in his first seven postseason starts in MLB history.

Texas will now try to follow their first postseason series win in franchise history by winning their second against the reigning World Series champions, the New York Yankees. The Rangers will host New York on Friday night at 8 p.m.

Wisniewski Suspended Two Games

By Justin Worsley

The NHL has suspended New York Islanders defenseman James Wisniewski for two games after making a lewd gesture to New York Rangers forward Sean Avery during the Islanders 6-4 win on Monday night.

Wisniewski, 26, made a gesture towards Avery with both his hands and mouth, causing the two to get into a scuffle which was separated by officials.

The two games Wisniewski will miss include two of the top players in the NHL. Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals host New York on Wednesday. On Friday, New York travels to Pittsburgh where they will face a Penguin team led by Sidney Crosby.

This is Wisniewski's first season in New York after spending the previous two years with Anaheim Ducks. Wisniewski had an assists during the Islanders win. In two games, Wisniewski has scored one goal and had notched in three assists.

Super Bowl MVP Branch to Return to New England

By Justin Worsley

Just a week after the New England Patriots traded wide receiver Randy Moss back to his former team, the Minnesota Vikings, the Patriots have now reacquired Deion Branch from the Seattle Seahawks.

In a trade announced Monday, the Patriots will give Seattle a fourth-round draft pick in exchange for Branch, who has been with Seattle since 2006.

In Branch's last game in New England, he helped the Patriots win their second consecutive Super Bowl. Branch, 31, finished the game with 11 catches for 133 yards, helping him earn the MVP award for Super Bowl XXXIX.

Branch went to his third consecutive Super Bowl during the 2006 season, his first in Seattle, however, the Seahawks fell to the Pittsurgh Steelers. Branch had 725 receiving yards in four touchdowns during his first season in Seattle, however, his production has consistently dropped since then. This season, Branch has caught 13 passes for 112 yards and a touchdown.

New England is hoping Branch could help bring back the magic he had with quarterback Tom Brady early in his career. During his final season in New England, Branch caught 78 passes for 998 yards and five touchdowns, all career highs.

Injuries took their toll on Branch, preventing him from ever playing a full season in Seattle. Branch was inactive in 17 of 68 games in Seattle.

New England holds two fourth-round draft picks in the upcoming draft. It is unclear which pick they have agreed to trade, their pick or the pick the team acquired in a trade with the Denver Broncos which sent running back Laurence Maroney out of town. New England has two picks in the each of the first four rounds of the next April's draft.

Three Players Removed From Tar Heels Football Team

By Justin Worsley

North Carolina has announced that three players have been ruled ineligible this season following a scandal in which the players received improper benefits from agents.

Defensive lineman Marvin Austin has been kicked off the team while defensive lineman Robert Quinn and wide receiver Greg Little have been declared "permanently ineligible" by the NCAA.

All three players were expected to have a major impact on the team as the Tar Heels battled for the ACC title. Instead, North Carolina has been forced to play without them. None of the three players have played in a game this season.

The punishment handed down to these three players is not the end, either. North Carolina is also being investigated for academic violations. In the season opener against LSU, the Tar Heels had to keep 13 players out of the game.

According to the NCAA, Quinn and Little lied in three separate interviews with the NCAA about their meetings with agents. Both players were given jewelery and travel accommodations. Austin has allegedly received double the benefits of what Quinn and Little received.

The Associated Press has reported that athletic director Dick Baddour will not appeal the ruling.

Quinn and Austin were both top-ranked players for their position this season. Instead of being able to solidify their status, they may now lose out on the opportunity to be drafted early, potential costing both players millions of dollars.

Austin reportedly received between $10,000 and $13,000 in benefits.

Berkman's Bat Puts Yankees in 2-0 Lead

By Justin Worsley

Lance Berkman had two RBIs and Andy Pettitte pitched seven quality innings as the New York Yankees got the best of Carl Pavano and the Minnesota Twins to take a 2-0 Divisional Series lead.

Berkman broke a 1-1 tie with a solo home run in the fifth inning, the seventh postseason homer in his career.

In the seventh inning, Berkman made Pavano regret walking catcher Jorge Posada by launching a double that went over center fielder Denard Span's head.

Pettitte allowed five hits and two earned runs through seven innings. The veteran pitcher threw 88 pitches, striking out four while walking one.

Minnesota got an early lead when rookie third baseman Danny Valencia hit a sacrifice fly to bring in left fielder Delmon Young in the second inning.

The Yankees fought back two innings later, however, after Curtis Granderson hit a double, Alex Rodriguez brought him home on a sacrifice fly.

Orlando Hudson forced another tie for Minnesota when he ended Pettitte's streak of 12 consecutive retired batters, blasting a 73 MPH changeup to left-center.

Twins manager Rod Gardenhire was ejected in the seventh inning for arguing over a called ball with umpire Hunter Wendelstedt. The pitch by Pavano would have struck out Berkman, who instead hit the go-ahead double.

Pavano was pulled from the game two batters later, giving up 10 hits and four earned runs in six innings. The former Yankee also struck out three while walking one.

The final nail in the coffin for Minnesota came in the ninth inning when Granderson took advantage of a stolen base by Bret Gardner. Granderson hit a soft single to center field, bringing in Garderner. For the game, Granderson went three-for-five with an RBI and a run.

The Yankees have been nothing but dominant against the Twins in the last few postseasons. New York is seven-for-21 with runners in scoring position against the Twins dating back to last season.

New York is now in position to sweep Minnesota on Saturday when Phil Hughes (18-8, 4.19 ERA this season) starts the Yankees home opener in the postseason against Brian Duengsing (10-3, 2.62.)

Cardinals Pick Up Pujols Option

By Justin Worsley

The St. Louis Cardinals have exercised their $16 million option on first baseman Albert Pujols, keeping the face of their franchise for another season while they work a new deal.

Pujols, 30, has won the last two National League MVP awards. This season, Pujols led the NL with 118 RBIs and 42 home runs. He also tied Matt Holliday for the team's best batting average, hitting .312 in 159 games.

Pujols also led the NL in home runs last season, blasting 47 balls out of the park. He is the first player since Ted Williams to lead the league in home runs for consecutive. Williams acheived his feat in the 1941-42 seasons.

Along with being one of the best hitters in baseball, Pujols is also dominant on the field. In 2006, Pujols won the Gold Glove award. Pujols is also a five-time Silver Slugger award winner.

Along with making his ninth All-Star team, Pujols also hit his 400th home run this season. The right-handed batter made just under $15 million this season.

Packers LB Barnett Done for Year

By Justin Worsley

Green Bay Packers linebacker Nick Barnett is out for the season after suffering a wrist injury in a win over the Detroit Lions.

Barnett, 29, is seeking a second opinion before opting for surgery. The injury he suffered is similar to the dislocated wrist division rival Brian Urlacher of the Chicago Bears had last season.

Through four games, Barnett recorded 24 tackles, including 19 solo ones.

Barnett is just the latest casualty for the Packers. Starting running back Ryan Grant injured his ankle during the Packers season opening victory against the Philadelphia Eagles. Rookie safety Morgan Burnett tore his ACL during a loss to the Bears.

This is the second time in the last three years that Barnett has suffered a season-ending injury. In 2008, Barnett tore a ligament in his knee, missing the final seven games of the year.

Halladay Makes History in Postseason Debut

By Justin Worsley

Apparently, Roy Halladay wasn't nervous in his postseason debut. Instead, he created history.

Roy Halladay threw the second no hitter in MLB postseason history during the Philadelphia Phillies 4-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds. The only other no hitter occurred in 1956 when New York Yankees pitcher Don Larsen threw a perfect game in the World Series.

For Halladay, it was his second no hitter of the season. In May, Halladay pitched a perfect game against the Florida Marlins.

The Phillies ace almost pitched another perfect game, however, he walked right fielder Jay Bruce in the fifth inning.

Philadelphia jumped all over starting pitcher Edinson Volquez, who gave up four earned runs off of four hits and two walks in 1.2 innings.

Shane Victorino hit a double in the first inning and then stole third base with second baseman Chase Utley at bat. Utley hit a sacrifice fly to bring in Victorino.

Volquez got ahead early in the second inning, causing right fielder Jayson Werth to ground out and left fielder Raul Ibanez to pop out, but the Phillies rallied and scored three runs. With a man on first and second, Halladay hit a RBI single down left field. Volquez then walked shortstop Jimmy ROllins to load the bases. Victorino then hit a two RBI single down center field which put an early end to Volquez's day.

Travis Wood replaced Volquez and pitched 3.1 innings, allowing only one hit and a walk.

Down 0-1 in the series, Cincinnati will now have to face the Phillies second ace, Roy Oswalt (7-1, 1.74 ERA since joining the Phillies in July) on Friday night at Philadelphia. Bronson Arroyo (17-10, 3.88) will take the mound for the Reds.

Moss Returns to Minnesota

By Justin Worsley

The New England Patriots have traded wide receiver Randy Moss back to the Minnesota Vikings.

New England will receive a third-round pick in the 2011 draft out of the deal. When the Patriots traded with Oakland for Moss in 2007, they gave up a fourth-round draft pick.

Moss, who is in the final year of his contract, began his career with the Minnesota Vikings in 1998. If New England decided to let Moss walk in free agency, they would receive a third-round compensatory pick in the 2012 draft.

According to ESPN.com's Adam Schefter, Moss, 33, requested a trade from New England after the team's victory over the Cincinnati Bengals. After the game, Moss stated that he felt that he felt unappreciated and that if New England opted until the season's end to work a new deal that it would be a "smack in the face."

So far this season, Moss has caught nine passes for 139 yards and three touchdowns. In Monday night's blowout win against the Miami Dolphins, however, Moss did not catch a pass for the first time in 51 games as a Patriot.

Minnesota has been desperately looking for a top wide receiver since Sidney Rice went down with a hip injury before the season starter. Rice is expected to miss the first half of the year. Minnesota was also in talk with the San Diego Chargers earlier this season about acquiring disgruntled receiver Vincent Jackson.

Moss, a seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro has been courted by Vikings quarterback Brett Favre before. When the Oakland Raiders were shopping Moss in 2007, Favre, the with the Green Bay Packers, asked the organization to pursue a trade for him saying that "There is no one in this league who puts fear in people more than Randy Moss."

Moss is on the verge of a milestone season where he could catch his 1000th pass, his 15,000th receiving yard and his 160th touchdown.

Dolphins Fire Special Teams Coordinator Bonamego

By Justin Worsley

After an embarrassing performance in a 41-20 Monday night loss to division rival New England, the Miami Dolphins have fired special teams coach John Bonamego.

A week after the New York Jets blocked a punt against Miami, the special teams unit simply fell apart against the Patriots. Brandon Tate returned the opening kickoff of the second half 103 yards for a touchdown and New England took control of the game from there. On the next series, safety Pat Chung blocked a punt which set up a 12-yard rushing touchdown by BenJarvus Green-Ellis. Early in the fourth quarter, Kyle Arrington returned a blocked field goal 35 yards for another touchdown.

The performance of the special team in Miami is especially shocking due to the fact that team consultant Bill Parcells gives a lot of focus on that unit. Head coach Tony Sporano left the Dallas Cowboys with Parcells in 2008 to join Miami.

Bonamego has been with Miami since 2008 and has spent 12 seasons in the NFL. Along with Miami, Bonamego has also been a coordinator for New Orleans, Jacksonville, and Green Bay.

Special teams assistant coach Darren Rizzi will replace Bonamego.

Bills Trade Lynch to Seattle

By Justin Worsley

The Buffalo Bills have traded running back Marshawn Lynch to the Seattle Seahawks for two draft picks, helping pave the way for rookie C.J. Spiller to become the feature back in Buffalo's offense.

In exchange for Lynch, 24, Buffalo will receive a 2011 fourth-round draft pick and a conditional pick in the 2012 draft.

To clear a spot for Lynch, Seattle has released Julius Jones, the team's leading rusher for the last two seasons.

Talks of trading Lynch have been circulating since the offseason after the emergence of running back Fred Jackson last season. When Spiller was drafted, Buffalo suddenly had a crowded backfield and it was clear Lynch's days were numbered, it is just surprising to see him last this long.

Lynch was the second running back taken in the 2007 Draft, going 12th overall to Buffalo. The 5-foot-11, 217-pound back made the Pro Bowl in 2008 after rushing for 1,036 yards and eight touchdowns.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell suspended Lynch for the first three games of the 2009 season, however, after Lynch plead guilty to misdemeanor gun charges during the offseason. His suspension helped open the way for Jackson to take over as the team's feature back.

Seattle is looking for a spark in their rushing game which currently ranks 27th in the league with 318 rushing yards.

The release of Jones is just another casualty in the Pete Carroll era of the Seahawks. Nearly half of the players on the team during last season's 5-11 campaign are gone.

Lynch has rushed for 164 yards this season on 37 carries but is yet to find the end zone.

Morneau Out for Postseason

By Justin Worsley

If the Minnesota Twins are going to spoil the New York Yankees run for another World Series championship, they will have to do it without their star player.

The Twins announced on Monday that first baseman Justin Morneau will be out for the postseason due to post-concussion syndromes. Morneau has not played since July 7.

The Twins face New York in the playoffs for the second consecutive year. Last season, New York swept the Twins in the ALDS.

Morneau, the 2006 American League MVP, has been elected to the last four All-Star teams. In 81 games, Morneau was hitting .345 with 18 home runs and 56 RBIs.

Morneau also missed last season's playoff series after suffering a stress fracture in his back. Teammate Joe Mauer won the league MVP award, making the Twins one of only two teams in the MLB to have two league MVP's on their roster with the Philadelphia Phillies being the other.

Pirates, Mets and Brewers Clean House

By Justin Worsley

A day after the regular season ended, three teams are already starting their offseason by looking for a new manager.

The New York Mets confirmed a report on Friday that the team would dismiss both general manager Omar Minaya and manager Jerry Manuel on Monday by releasing them following a 79-83 season. New York finished fourth in the NL East this season.

The Pittsburgh Pirates also parted ways with manager John Russell after the team went 57-105. Pittsburgh has finished in last place all three years under Russell. The Pirates have not had a winning season in 18 years, the longest drought of any professional sport in North America.

Milwaukee Brewers skipper Ken Macha was also let go after two years. The Brewers went 157-167 under Macha's leadership failing to improve upon the team's 90-win season under Ned Yost and Dale Sveum.

Several options are already available for these teams. Two managers are already rumored to be in the running for New York, Joe Torre, who stepped down as the Los Angeles Dodgers manager at the season's end, and former manager Bobby Valentino.

Don Wakamatsu and Fredi Gonzalez are also considered one of the best avaialble managers.

Pittsburgh has finished in last place of the NL Central in five of the last six seasons.

Along with these firings, two other managers have found themselves with contract extensions. Cincinnati Reds manager Dusty Baker has been given an extension through the 2012 season after leading the Reds to their first playoff berth since 1995.

The Arizona Diamondbacks have also removed the interim label off of manager Kirk Gibson, granting him a two-year contract extension as well.

Cincinnati will travel to Philadelphia to play the Phillies on Wednesday night.

Jose Theodore Joins the Wild

By Justin Worsley

With backup goaltender Josh Harding out with a serious knee injury, the Minnesota Wild have signed a veteran goaltender to serve as starting goalie Niklas Backstrom's backup.

Jose Theodore, 34, has agreed to a one-year $1.1 million contract according to ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun.

Theordore won the Hart and Vezina trophies in 2002 while with Montreal. Last season, while playing for Washington, Theordore went 30-7-7 with a .908 save percentage and a 2.81 goals against average.

Backstrom was 26-23-8 last year with a 2.72 goals against average and a .903 save percentage. Minnesota missed the playoffs for the second consecutive year after winning the Northwest Division in the 2007-08 season.

Steelers Place Dixon on Injured Reserve

By Justin Worsley

The Pittsburgh Steelers are placing opening-day starting quarterback Dennis Dixon on injured reserve, ending his season and helping secure a roster spot for Charlie Batch.

Dixon injured his knee in the second game of the season, a 19-11 win against the Tennessee Titans. Batch took his place and helped gear Pittsburgh to a win against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers the following week.

The Steelers are 3-0 despite the fact that starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has not been there for the team. Roethlisberger was suspended for the first four games of the year by the NFL following a sexual assault allegation this offseason.

Pittsburgh will also be able to secure a roster spot for Byron Leftwich. Leftwich was battling Dixon for the starting quarterback position but was injured in preseason. The Steelers were forced to cut Leftwich during the second week of the regular season in order to sign a defensive tackle.

The Steelers host the Baltimore Ravens in the final game of Roethlisberger's suspension in what is expected to be the team's toughest game so far into the season. Only the Chicago Bears and the Kansas City Chiefs are also undefeated.

Minaya, Manuel to be Ousted from New York

By Justin Worsley

After six seasons and only one playoff appearance, the New York Mets have decided to move on without general manager Omar Minaya according to sources on ESPN.com.

Minaya, however, will not join the unemployment line alone. Mets manager Jerry Manuel will also be let go as early as this weekend after the regular season ends.

New York is currently 78-82 and tied with the Florida Marlins for third place in the NL East. After winning the division title in 2006, the Mets went back-to-back seasons in which they were eliminated from the playoffs on the last day of the regular season.

Minaya joined the team in 2005 and immediately signed two impact players, ace pitcher Pedro Martinez and slugger Carlos Beltran. In recent seasons, however, Minaya's teams have entered the season expecting to be in the playoffs and have continuously let down fans with either bad play of injuries.

Mets fans also publicly criticized Minaya for firing former manager Willie Randolph after a 9-6 road loss to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2008.

Manuel became the Mets interim manager after Randolph's firing. Not once during Manuel's two-plus years as the Mets skipper did they make it into the postseason.

The Met's have gone 203-212 since Manuel took over the team.

Though Minaya had several bright spots as far as trading for players or signing free agents, not all have worked for New York. After signing closer Francisco Rodriguez to a three-year deal in December 2008, the Mets released the player after allegedly assaulting his girlfriends father.

The loss to Milwaukee on Thursday officially made it the second consecutive losing season for the Mets.