FRESH Kicks...

Pearls In Stores TODAY!!!

"Pearl" Nike Foamposite Pro...

These were originally slated to drop this coming Saturday, but instead hit House of Hoops today....damn I wish I had some money.

Toro Bravo Release Date Changed!!!

Air Jordan V Toro Bravo Pack...

The release date on these beauties has been changed from May 30 to THIS SATURDAY, May 23!!!

More Detailed Pics Of The Tennis Ball & McFly Hypermax...

"Tennis Ball" Nike Hypermax...

"McFly" Nike Hypermax...

They speak for themselves.

Release Date: TBD

Peep The P.E.'s...

Adrian Peterson P.E. Nike Trainer 1...

Brandon Roy P.E. Nike Trainer 1...

These are cold. Nice kicks just to walk around in (i.e. Air Max 90, etc.).

Release Date: TBD

Via: nicekicks, footlockerunlocked, solecollector, & sneakernews

Percy Harvin, Brandon Tate Test Positive...

Wide receivers Percy Harvin and Brandon Tate tested positive for marijuana during February's NFL scouting combine in Indianapolis, two sources told FoxSports.com.

The news could be potentially damaging to the receivers' stock during this weekend's NFL draft. Harvin was considered a first-round pick after leaving the University of Florida following his junior season. Tate was considered a possible second- to fourth-round pick after a solid college career at North Carolina.

Joel Segal, the agent who represents both players, didn't return messages from FoxSports.com seeking comment.

NFL teams received the drug-test results earlier this week, according to FoxSports.com.

Sources told FoxSports.com Harvin and Tate were the only two high-profile players to flunk their combine drug tests, and one of the sources said that fewer than a dozen players tested positive for recreational drugs.

Players who failed the tests are subject to entry into the NFL's substance-abuse program.

Harvin finished his college career with 133 receptions for 1,929 yards and 13 touchdowns and 194 carries for 1,852 yards and 19 scores. He averaged 9.5 yards per carry and 11.6 yards every time he touched the ball. He also posted a strong 4.39 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the combine.

He was at his best in big games, earning MVP honors in the 2006 Southeastern Conference championship game and totaling 171 yards and a touchdown in a victory over Oklahoma in the Bowl Championship Series national title game in January.

He lined up at receiver, running back and quarterback for the Gators but expects to do even more at the next level because several teams have already talked to him about returning kickoffs and punts.

Tate finished his career with an NCAA-record 3,523 career combined kick-return yards. Before tearing two knee ligaments midway through his senior year, he averaged 23.5 yards on his 16 receptions.

Tate, still recovering from his injury, didn't work out at the combine.

Via: ESPN

NY Giants Snip Plax...

The New York Giants released Super Bowl hero Plaxico Burress on Friday, a little more than four months after the talented but troubled wide receiver accidentally shot himself in the thigh in a New York City nightclub.

Burress' four-year tenure with the Giants was highlighted by a game-winning touchdown catch in the Super Bowl against the previously undefeated New England Patriots in February 2008, but it was also dogged by fines and suspensions.

Burress' status has been uncertain since he shot himself in the thigh on Nov. 29 with an unlicensed gun he'd stuffed into his waistband. He faces a felony weapons charge that could put him in prison for at least 3½ years if convicted.

Burress' case was adjourned on Tuesday while his attorneys and prosecutors worked on a possible plea agreement. He is due back in court on June 15.

The 31-year-old, who was suspended by the Giants for the final four weeks of the season for conduct detrimental to the team and fined after the shooting, also faces possible NFL sanctions for violating its personal conduct policy.

A senior Giants official told ESPN's Sal Paolantonio it had become clear in January that Burress didn't want to be in New York when agent Drew Rosenhaus sent an e-mail to the rest of the league saying Burress could be available in a trade.

Full story here.

Via: ESPN

Jay Cutler To Da Bears!!!

The Chicago Bears pulled the big upset Thursday afternoon by acquiring Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler.

To acquire Cutler, the Bears had to give up quarterback Kyle Orton and first-round picks in 2009 (18th overall) and 2010, along with a third-round pick (84th overall) in 2009.

To complete the trade, the Broncos had to give back a fifth-round pick (140th overall) in 2009. That pick was acquired by the Broncos from the Seattle Seahawks in a trade for wide receiver Keary Colbert.

The Bears beat out the Redskins, Buccaneers, Lions, Titans and other teams to land the 25-year-old Pro Bowl quarterback. The Broncos had made it clear they were asking for at least two first-round choices.

Full story here.

Via: ESPN

NFL News...

Stallworth Charged With Manslaughter...

Miami-Dade prosecutors on Wednesday charged Cleveland Browns wide receiver Donte' Stallworth with DUI manslaughter, alleging the football player was driving drunk on the morning of March 14 when he struck and killed a pedestrian on Miami Beach.

Blood tests revealed Stallworth had a blood alcohol level of .126 after the 7 a.m. crash, according to documents filed in the clerk's office Wednesday.

Stallworth, 28, who has cooperated with authorities since the crash, is expected to surrender to authorities on Thursday morning.

Stallworth's attorney, Christopher Lyons, declined comment.

DUI manslaughter is a felony that carries a minimum of four years to a maximum 15 years in prison.

Full story here.

Officer Who Detained Moats Resigns...

The police officer who pulled out his gun and threatened an NFL player with jail instead of allowing him inside a hospital where his mother-in-law was dying resigned Wednesday.

Officer Robert Powell had been placed on paid leave pending an investigation of the March 18 incident.

“I made this decision in the hope that my resignation will allow the Dallas Police Department, my fellow officers and the citizens of Dallas to better reflect on this experience, learn from the mistakes made, and move forward,” Powell said in a statement issued through his attorneys.

He had stopped Houston Texans running back Ryan Moats SUV outside Baylor Regional Medical Center in suburban Plano after the vehicle rolled through a red light.

The officer pulled out his gun and threatened Moats with jail as the player and his family pleaded to be allowed to go inside the hospital. Powell continued writing Moats a ticket and lecturing him even after a fellow officer confirmed that Moats’ mother-in-law was dying.

Jonetta Collinsworth, 45, died of breast cancer before Powell allowed Moats to go inside the hospital.

Powell’s resignation was first reported by Dallas-Fort Worth television station KTVT. He later issued an apology, and Moats said he would accept it.

Full story here.

Via: yahoo

Sports News

The 2009 NIT Schedule:

First Round

Tuesday, March 17
Davidson (26-7) at South Carolina (21-9), 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Rhode Island (22-10) at Niagara (26-8), 7 p.m.
George Mason (22-10) at Penn State (22-11), 8 p.m. (ESPNU)
UAB (22-11) at Notre Dame (18-14), 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
UNLV (21-10) at Kentucky (20-12), 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)
Weber State (21-9) at San Diego State (23-9), 10 p.m.
Nebraska (18-12) at New Mexico (21-11), 10 p.m. (ESPNU)
Washington State (17-15) at St. Mary's, Calif. (25-6), 11 p.m. (ESPN2)

Wednesday, March 18
Duquesne (21-12) at Virginia Tech (18-14), 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
Miami (18-12) at Providence (19-13), 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
Illinois State (24-9) at Kansas State (21-11), 8 p.m.
Bowling Green (19-13) at Creighton (26-7), 8 p.m.
Tennessee-Martin (22-9) at Auburn (22-11), 8 p.m.
Jacksonville (18-13) at Florida (23-10), 8 p.m.
Northwestern (17-13) at Tulsa (24-10), 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
Georgetown (16-14) at Baylor (20-14), 9 p.m. (ESPN2)

Second Round

March 19-23
Weber State-San Diego State winner vs. Illinois State-Kansas State winner, TBA
Davidson-South Carolina winner vs. Washington State-St. Mary's, Calif. winner, TBA
Tennessee-Martin-Auburn winner vs. Northwestern-Tulsa winner, TBA
Georgetown-Baylor winner vs. Duquesne-Virginia Tech winner, TBA
Bowling Green-Creighton winner vs. UNLV-Kentucky winner, TBA
Nebraska-New Mexico winner vs. UAB-Notre Dame winner, TBA
Jacksonville-Florida winner vs. Miami-Providence winner, TBA
Rhode Island-Niagara winner vs. George Mason-Penn State winner, TBA

Quarterfinals

March 24-25
At host sites

Semifinals

March 30 (at Madison Square Garden)
Semifinal, 7 p.m. Semifinal, 9:30 p.m.

Championship

April 2 (at Madison Square Garden)
Semifinal winners, 7 p.m.

Tony Dungy Asked To Be Liaison For Players...

Newly elected NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith has asked former Colts head coach Tony Dungy to serve as a liaison between the Association's players and the NFL office for player issues both on and off the field, a source told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen.

The 45-year-old Smith was elected Sunday on the first ballot by the 32 representatives -- one for each NFL team -- and was introduced to a standing ovation.

Dungy retired from coaching after the 2008 season.

Dungy talked constantly to his players about being targets, once describing to a visitor the specifics of how he counsels them to avoid the wrong people, the wrong places and the perils of driving in the early morning after a few beers. He also has firsthand knowledge of troubled young people -- three years ago, his son, James, committed suicide at age 18. That winter, he began to think about retirement, which finally came at 53, an age when many get their first job as a head coach.

"I think I've got a responsibility to be home a little bit more, be available to my family a little bit more and do some things to help make our country better," Dungy said when he announced this offseason that he was stepping down.

"I don't know what that is right now, but we'll see."

This would be a great look for the league, especially with all of the dumbass things some of these guys do. Everybody respects him, so his impact could be huge.

Pudge To The Astros...

Catcher Ivan Rodriguez has agreed to a one-year, $1.5 million contract with the Houston Astros, a source told ESPN's Steve Phillips on Monday.

Rodriguez can make an additional $1.5 million in performance bonuses.

At the World Baseball Classic, Rodriguez, a 14-time major league All-Star, is hitting .600 (9-for-15) in four games for Puerto Rico.

Rodriguez hit .276 with seven homers and 35 RBIs in 115 games with the Detroit Tigers and New York Yankees last year. He is the only player in baseball history with at least 13 Gold Gloves and a career .300 average or better.

He has three more Gold Gloves, earning one as recently as 2007, than Hall of Famer Johnny Bench and almost double the total of Bob Boone, who is third on the list. Among position players, only Hall of Fame third baseman Brooks Robinson has more Gold Glove awards.

Rodriguez has caught 2,173 games, trailing only Carlton Fisk (2,226) and Boone (2,225) in terms of longevity behind the plate.

This is a nice move for both sides. Even though Pudge is getting old, and his offensive numbers were down last year, his defense is still impeccable.

Via: ESPN

LT Staying Put

LanDainian Tomlinson and the San Diego Chargrs restructured the final three years of his contract in a deal that gives the team some needed cap room and it gives Tomlinson more job security.

Complete details of the breakdown weren't available Tuesday night. According to a source, Tomlinson won't take a pay cut from his $6.725 million salary in 2009 but the deal was restructured to give the team a cap break in 2009. Tomlinson's cap number in 2009 was scheduled to be $8,791,666.

General manager A.J. Smith sounded relieved that any uncertainty over L.T.'s future was over.

"The way I'm looking at it, L.T. has helped us on the field and now he's gone a step further and he's helped us off the field," Smith told The Associated Press.

"I'm just happy that it worked out," Smith said. "I felt comfortable that it had a chance. We wanted him back, he wanted to come back. Everything was as smooth as it can be in negotiations."

Full story here.

This is all cool. But LT getting back to putting up numbers like he used to is ultimately the best solution to this problem.

T.O. To The Bills??? Believe It...

My jaw dropped when my dude PG broke the news to me. I still don't what to think. It's just random as hell. But bottom line: T.O. got his bread, and I'm sure that's all he (or Drew Rosenhaus) cared about. Peep what Rosenhaus said:

"[T.O.] thanks the Cowboys organization for releasing him and adding to his bank account".

Lol, wow.

Via: ESPN

BREAKING NEWS: COWBOYS RELEASE T.O.!!!!!!!

The Dallas Cowboys have released controversial wide receiver Terrell Owens, sources told ESPN's Michael Smith late Wednesday.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones did not deny the team is discussing the possible release of Owens in late February.

"There are several decisions on our roster we have to look at," Jones said at the time. "This is the time of year we do that. I'm not trying to be trite, but as you all know we're evaluating players in college, we're evaluating free agents and we're evaluating our own roster. This is an ongoing thing, not any different than this time last year."

There has been talk since the end of the Cowboys' 9-7 season, in which they missed the playoffs, that they would consider cutting Owens to improve moral in the locker room.

Not only did Owens have relationship issues with quarterback Tony Romo and tight end Jason Witten, but the receiver consistently criticized offensive coordinator Jason Garrett's play calling and his offensive schemes to the point that sources say Garrett does not believe they can coexist.

The Cowboys paid Owens a $12 million signing bonus just last year, included as part of a new four-year, $34 million deal.

Owens caught 69 passes for 1,052 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.

WOWWWWWWW (Flavor Flav voice, LMAO). For as long as the T.O. shit has been goin down, it honestly never crossed my mind that they'd actually release him. Watch him put up numbers wherever he goes though. (Philly? I wish...)

Via: ESPN

Breaking News: 2 NFL Players Among 4 Missing At Sea...

Via: ESPN

Sporting News...Two Bulls' Legends Pass Away

R.I.P. Norman Van Lier & Johnny "Red" Kerr

Norm Van Lier, one of the most popular players in Chicago Bulls history and one of the NBA's top defensive players in the 1970s, was found dead in his home just blocks away from the team's arena Thursday. He was 61.

The cause of death was not immediately known, authorities said.

Van Lier's death was discovered on the same day that former Bulls coach Johnny "Red" Kerr died.

Kerr, 76, coached the Bulls to the playoffs in their inaugural 1966-67 season and spent more than 30 years calling their games on local broadcast outlets.

Van Lier, who most recently worked for Comcast SportsNet Chicago, had been scheduled as a pre- and post-game analyst for Wednesday night's Bulls game with the New Jersey Nets.

Comcast officials became concerned when Van Lier did not show up for work and could not be reached Thursday. An employee was sent to his apartment near the United Center on the city's near West Side, said Jim Corno, president of Comcast SportsNet Chicago. The employee tried unsuccessfully to get inside.

Authorities responded to a subsequent well-being check and found Van Lier unresponsive shortly before 1 p.m. He was pronounced dead at the scene, Chicago Fire Department spokesman Quention Curtis said.

The Cook County Medical Examiner's office confirmed Van Lier's death but said a cause was not immediately known.

"Norm Van Lier was one of the all-time greats ever to put on a Chicago Bulls uniform," team chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. "Along with Jerry Sloan, he set a standard for Bulls defense and toughness which we will never forget and which we will always strive to replicate."

Full story here.

Johnny "Red" Kerr, the former Chicago Bulls coach who spent more than three decades as a broadcaster for the team, died Thursday. He was 76.

Kerr died at his home after a battle with prostate cancer, Bulls spokesman Tim Hallam said.

"His name was synonymous with basketball, both here in Chicago, and throughout the entire NBA," Bulls chairman Jerry Reinsdorf said. "Those that were fortunate enough to have known Johnny were touched by both his tremendous compassion for people, and his lifelong passion for the game of basketball. We will miss him greatly."

Full story here.

NBA Bailout Plan???

The NBA has lined up $200 million to distribute to teams interested in additional cash, which the league considers a sign it remains strong in a slumping economy.

Between $13 million and $20 million will be available to each of 12 teams that have expressed interest in the funds, commissioner David Stern said Thursday. The money can be used for any purpose, including helping teams deal with operating losses incurred because of the economy.

It should not, Stern said, be construed as a bailout. At a time when credit markets have been frozen, investors saw the NBA as a safe bet.

"It's exactly the opposite" of a bailout, Stern told The Associated Press "This was a show of strength in the creditworthiness of the NBA's teams."

The NBA declined to name the teams interested in the money.

The league has an existing $1.7 billion credit facility, essentially a line of credit established by lenders from which teams can borrow. The league had been interested in growing the facility when the credit markets seized up last fall.

"They told us there's no chance of any additional funds being raised for any sports league, and indeed, the credit facilities that had come up for other leagues were being termed out rather than renewed," Stern said.

JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America recently approached the league to say $150 million might be available, a figure that eventually grew to $200 million.

"It's a great sign of confidence in us and that's wonderful that the market is opening up, so we'll take it," Stern said. "And we turned to our teams and said, 'OK, we've got this much more to distribute under the facility for those of you who want it now.'"

Full story here. 

Just Manny Being Manny....

Manny Ramirez has rejected yet another offer from the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Dodgers announced Thursday night the star outfielder's agent Scott Boras had declined a $25 million, one-year contract with a $20 million player option for 2010. It was the club's fourth offer to Ramirez this offseason.

"We want Manny back, but we feel we are negotiating against ourselves," Dodgers owner Frank McCourt said in a statement. "When his agent finds those 'serious offers' from other clubs, we'll be happy to restart the negotiations."

Full story here.

Mike Vick Update...

 

Imprisoned NFL star Michael Vick will be allowed to serve the last two months of his sentence under home confinement because there is no room at a halfway house for him, a government official told The Associated Press Thursday.

Vick is serving a 23-month sentence at the federal penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kan., after pleading guilty to bankrolling a dogfighting operation at a home he owned in eastern Virginia's Surry County. He also admitted to participating in the killing of several underperforming dogs.

Vick's lawyers have said they expected him to be moved any day into a halfway house in Newport News. But because of a lack of space, Vick will be released instead to his home in nearby Hampton at some point on or after May 21, said the official, who has knowledge of the case but requested anonymity because the individual was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

Full story here.

Yankees Address A-Rod Issue...

Alex Rodriguez was told by the New York Yankees to keep his cousin away from the team.

The message was given to the star third baseman on Thursday, said a person familiar with the situation, speaking on condition of anonymity because the team did not make an announcement. The message applied both to spring training and the regular season, the person said.

Rodriguez was also told the cousin should not be anywhere the team congregates, which presumably includes the team's hotel when it travels and the ballpark.

Speaking at Steinbrenner Field in Tampa, Fla., general manager Brian Cashman said only that the matter of Rodriguez being picked up from his spring training opener Wednesday by his cousin "has been handled."

Rodriguez took a similar tone following New York's 5-1 victory on Thursday over the Tampa Bay Rays.

"It's been addressed," he said. "And, no further comment."

A day earlier in Dunedin, Rodriguez homered and walked twice before getting into a SUV driven by Yuri Sucart. He's been identified as the cousin who provided Rodriguez with performance-enhancing drugs obtained in the Dominican Republic. Rodriguez admitted using them while playing for the Texas Rangers from 2001-03.

Rodriguez acknowledged to the Yankees that having the cousin meet him at the ballpark in Dunedin was a mistake, the person who told The Associated Press about the situation said.

Full story here.

Via: ESPN