NHL to Return to Winnipeg

By Justin Worsley,

Fifteen years after the Winnipeg Jets bolted south to become the Phoenix Coyotes, the heart of Canada will have a hockey franchise return to them.

Atlanta Thrashers majority owner Michael Gearon has sold the franchise to True North Sports and Entertainment for $170 million. True North will relocate the franchise to Winnipeg and the league will split a $60 million relocation fee.

Atlanta becomes the first city in NHL history to be lose two franchises due to relocation. The Flames relocated to Calgary in 1980.

The 11-year-old franchise only made one postseason appearance, which was in 2007 after winning the Southeast Division title. The were swept by the sixth-seeded New York Rangers in the opening round of the playoffs.

The deal is still pending league approval. The vote will take place on June 21 at the NHL Board of Governors meeting. In order for the sale to be accepted, it needs three-quarters of a majority vote while the vote for relocation simply requires a majority vote.

The team name will most likely change. Former owner Ted Turner named the Thrashers after Georgia's state bird. No name has been decided upon yet, but the Jets could be used.

The NHL will not re-align the divisions after the relocation, meaning that Winnipeg will still be forced to played in the Southeast division, traveling as much as 2,300 miles for an away game within their division.

The Thrashers finished their final season in Atlanta with a fourth-place finish in the division, going 34-36-12. Only the New York Islanders and the Coyotes had lower home game attendance than Atlanta this season.

Jim Tressel Resigns as Ohio State Head Coach

By Justin Worsley,

Jim Tressel has resigned as the head coach at Ohio State according to the Columbus Dispatch, ending an era that began with winning the National Championship and ending with a scandal.

Assistant head coach Luke Fickell will serve as the interim head coach for the upcoming season.

Tressel, 58, was hired by Ohio State in 2001 to replace John Cooper. In 2002, Tressel led the Buckeyes to their seventh National Championship and their first since 1970. Ohio State also made it to the 2007 and 2008 National Championship games, where they lost to Florida and LSU.

Ohio State has gone 106-22 under Tressel, the second-best winning percentage by a Buckeyes head coach. The Buckeyes have also dominated their rivalry with Michigan under Tressel, going 9-1 including a current seven-game winning streak.

While Tressel may be known for returning Ohio State to prominence as well as the sweater vest he routinely wore during his tenure, he ends his career under scrutiny. Just before the Sugar Bowl, the NCAA discovered that several players were selling autographed jerseys or one of their Big Ten championship rings to tattoo parlor owner Edward Rife, who has been arrested by the FBI for drug trafficking. The NCAA later found out that Tressel knew of the players activity and suspended him for two games and fined him $250,000. The five players, most notably quarterback Terrelle Pryor, will be forced to sit out the first five games this season.

Before coming to Ohio State, Tressel served as the head coach of Youngstown State, where he won four Division I-AA National Championships.

Buster Posey Breaks Ankle

By Justin Worsley,

San Francisco Giants catcher Buster Posey has suffered a broken ankle and will be out indefinitely.

Posey, 24, suffered the injury during a home-plate collision with Florida Marlins outfielder Scott Cousins in the 12th inning of a 7-6 Florida win.

Posey will also undergo a MRI on Thursday to determine whether of not he has also suffered ligament damage. For the season, the reigning NL Rookie of the Year is batting .284 with four homers and 21 RBIs.

Jeff Berry, Posey's agent stated on Thursday morning that he will contact Joe Torre, the leader of on-field operations in the MLB, about changing rules about plays at home plate.

San Francisco is expected to place Posey on the disabled list and call up Brandon Belt from Triple-A Fresno.

Source: Mike Brown to be Next Lakers Coach

By Justin Worsley,

Sources have told ESPN that former Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Mike Brown is the top candidate to replace Phil Jackson as the head coach of the Los Angeles Lakers.

Brown, 41, was fired by the Cavaliers last season after they failed to advance past the semifinals of the playoffs despite having the league's best record for two consecutive seasons.

Jackson announced a year ago that this would be his final season. The two-time defending champion Los Angeles were swept by the Dallas Maverick in the conference semifinals this season.

Under Brown, the LeBron James-led Cavaliers made the finals in 2007, only to be swept by the San Antonio Spurs.

An offer has allegedly been given to Brown and a deal could be agreed upon as early as Wednesday. Though no figures have been officially released, Brown is looking for security in his contract, which would feature a good amount of years and money. Several sources have reported that the Lakers are offering a four-year deal worth between $16-19 million. Jackson made $8 million last season and Los Angeles is trying to cut back on salaries.

Without Brown and James, Cleveland stumbled to a 19-63 finish and hold the first and fourth-overall picks in the upcoming draft.

Angels Lose Morales for Remainder of Season

By Justin Worsley,

Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim first baseman Kendrys Morales will be out for the remainder of the season after undergoing surgery on his left ankle.

Morales, 27, has not played since breaking his ankle after celebrating a walk-off grand slam on May 29, 2010 against the Seattle Mariners. The switch-hitter was hoping to be on the Angels opening day lineup this season, but has faced several setbacks in his rehabilitation process.

The procedure will "clean up" scar tissue and bone cysts around the damaged ankle.

Rookie first baseman Mark Trumbo has replaced Morales this season at first base, hitting .270 with six homers and 17 RBIs.

Anaheim has performed well in the absence of Morales, their .271 team batting average this season leads the majors and they are first place in the AL West.

If the surgery is successful, Morales is expected to need six months to recover.

Alan Faneca Retires

By Justin Worsley,

Rather than face the uncertain future of the upcoming NFL season, Arizona Cardinals guard Alan Faneca has called it a career.

Faneca, 34, announced his retirement on Tuesday, putting an end to a career of one of the league's premier blockers.

Faneca spent most of his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who drafted him in the first round of the 1998 draft out of LSU. Faneca spent 11 years with Pittsburgh before signing with the New York Jets in 2009 and Arizona in 2010.

Faneca was name to nine consecutive Pro-Bowls between 2001-09, the second-longest streak in the NFL at the time, behind only Baltimore's Ray Lewis. In 2010, Faneca was named to the NFL's 2000s All-Decade Team.

Faneca ends his career playing 144 consecutive games and won two Super Bowls with the Steelers.

Bynum Hit Hard by NBA

By Justin Worsley,

The NBA has suspended Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum five game at the beginning of the 2011-12 season for his flagrant foul on Dallas Mavericks guard J.J. Barea late in the Mavericks series-clinching 122-86 win.

Bynum, 23, threw an elbow into Barea's ribcage as he drove in for a layup. Referee's immediately ejected Bynum, who is not only a foot taller than Barea, but also weighs 110 more pounds than him. Bynum promptly took off his jersey before leaving the court.

The NBA also fined Bynum $25,000 for "removing his jersey and the manner in which he left the court."

Bynum will not be paid for the five games he is suspended for, causing him to lose a grand total of $702,272.

Before being fined on Tuesday, Bynum apologized for his actions and to Barea for the foul. Bynum also said that he was "glad that he (Barea) was not seriously injured in the event."

Bynum was also suspended in March for a flagrant foul on Minnesota's Michael Beasley.

Mariners Designate Milton Bradley

By Justin Worsley,

The Seattle Mariners cut outfielder Milton Bradley on Tuesday, ending the 33-year-old's run in Seattle.

The Mariners designated Bradley for assignment, giving the team 10 days to either trade, release or demote him to the minors.

In the past week, Bradley was suspended for a game for making contact with an umpire, ejected from another for arguing a called strike and booed by home fans. Bradley is making $13 million this season.

A former All-Star, Bradley is batting just .218 with two home runs and 13 RBIs. He has also struck out 31 times.

Bradley will now be looking for hit ninth team to play for. Carlos Peguero was called up from Triple-A Tacoma to replace Bradley.

MLB Wants to Discipline Players for DUI Offenses

By Justin Worsley,

With the current collective bargaining agreement expiring on Dec. 11, the MLB is looking to include a new discipline for players.

Commissioner Bud Selig is looking into adding discipline for players who are involved in alcohol-related incidents.

Six player have been arrested this season for driving under the influence, Detroit's Miguel Cabrera, Atlanta's Derek Lowe, Cleveland's Shin-Soo Choo and Austin Kearns, Oakland's Coco Crisp and Seattle's Adam Kennedy. Under the current CBA, the MLB is unable to discipline any of these players.

The current CBA, however, can suspend or require players to undergo counseling if they are linked to "drugs of abuse."

Nothing has been stated yet as to how Selig would suspend the players.

Mario Williams to Convert to OLB

By Justin Worsley,

Houston Texans defensive end Mario Williams will play outside linebacker next season under new defensive coordinator Wade Phillips' 3-4 scheme.

Williams, the first overall pick by Houston in the 2006 draft, has 48 career sacks and has been a cornerstone on the Texans defense.

Phillips was hired in December after Houston fired former coordinator Frank Bush. Houston was picked by many to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. Instead, the Texans finished 30th in the league in yards allowed and ended the season with a 6-10 record.

Injuries also took their toll on defense. Williams missed three game and linebacker DeMeco Ryans missed the final ten games of the season. Brian Cushing was also suspended the first four games of the year after testing positive for a banned substance. The three combined players have made five Pro Bowl appearances and are all 26 or younger.

Phillips compared Williams to Dallas Cowboys linebacker DeMarcus Ware, whom he coached last season.

The Houston Chronicle first reported this story.

Uncle Mo Scratched from Kentucky Derby

By Justin Worsley,

Uncle Mo has been officially scratched from the Kentucky Derby on Friday morning after owner Mike Repole told reporters that the stomach ailement the colt has been suffering has not recovered enough for him to run a 1 1/4 mile race.

Uncle Mo was the second choice on Friday morning's line with 9-2 odds. Dialed In is the current favorite with 4-1 odds.

No racehorse will replace Uncle Mo, leaving the 137th Kentucky Derby with 19 horses.

Repole has a second horse in the field, Stay Thirsty.

Uncle Mo was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal tract infection after he was examined after the Wood Memorial. Suspicions rose at the Wood Memorial, where Uncle Mo lost his first career race, finishing third, when Uncle Mo was not eating after the race.

There is still a possibility for Uncle Mo to run in the Preakness on May 21. If not, he will be shelved until the Saratoga in July.

Osama Bin Laden Killed by U.S. Soldiers

By Justin Worsley,

Almost 10 years after one of the most devastating attacks on America, the man behind the attack has finally been caught.

On Sunday night, U.S. President Barrack Obama announced that the U.S. soldiers have killed Osama bin Laden in a mansion in Pakistan.

Bin Laden, who was the leader of an Afghanistan-based terrorist organization, Al Qaeda, organized an attack on the U.S. on September 11, 2001 and has since openly declared war on America.

Bin Laden, 54, hid around the Middle East for nearly 10 years, sending the U.S. videos and voice recordings over the years in order to end rumors that he had died.

The Joint Special Operations Command abducted bin Laden's corpse and brought it to the U.S. DNA samples from bin Laden's corpse was matched with his deceased sister to determine that it was him.

Prior to the 9/11 attacks, bin Laden was already an enemy to America. Bin Laden played a major role in the 1998 bombing of two U.S Embassies in Africa as well as the Oct. 200 attack of the U.S.S. Cole on a port in Yemen.

Bin laden is the son of a Saudi billionaire who was killed in a 1967 place crash which was piloted by an American who misjudged the landing. In the early 1980's, bin Laden began terrorist activities and inherited his family's wealth.

Operation on the mansion began last week and no civilians or Americans were harmed in the firefight.

Thibodeau Wins Coach of the Year

By Justin Worsley,

Chicago Bulls rookie head coach Tom Thibodeau was named the NBA's Coach of the Year on Sunday, the first Bulls coach since Phil Jackson in 1996 to win the award.

Under Thibodeau, Chicago went 62-20, their best record since the 1997-98 season, when the won their most recent NBA Championship.

Chicago's 62 wins are the most by a rookie head coach since the Paul Westphal-led Phoenix Suns went 62-20 and lost to the Bulls in the NBA Finals.

Thibodeau, 53, served as the Boston Celtics assistant between 2007-10 before being hired by Chicago. The Bulls made the playoffs in former head coach Vinny Del Negro's two years with the team, but never made it out of the first round, posting a 41-41 record each season.

Thibodeau, credited with being the defensive mastermind in Boston, created a new scheme in Chicago and the Bulls flourished, allowing the second-least amount of point per game this season after the Bulls ranked 13th just a year ago.

Point guard Derrick Rose also responded to Thibodeau's system well, reaching a career high in points, steals, blocks, assists and rebounds per game along with both free throw and three-point percentage. If Rose wins the NBA's Most Valuable Player Award, as many expect him to, the coach and player will become just the 12th tandem to win both awards on the same season.

The award for the NBA's MVP will be announced later this week.