Owners vote 31-0 to settle litigation; first step taken in new CBA (BLOG)

Scott Hanson and Albert Breer of the NFL Network are reporting that the NFL owners have voted to ratify the settlement terms of the litigation that would be the first step in bringing forth a new agreement. The vote took place just before 7 p.m. ET on Thursday, and the NFL Network's Rich Eisen reports that the vote was 31-0, with the Oakland Raiders abstaining.

It was perhaps the most overwhelming initiative from the owners' side when it came to a settlement agreement or new collective bargaining agreement in the history of the league, and it sets the table for the players to vote on the global settlement put in front of them to put to bed the Brady v. NFL, collusion and lockout insurance lawsuits. The NFLPA will have a conference call at 8 p.m. ET to discuss the offer on the table, how to re-certify as a union and how best to go forward.

"The clubs approved an agreement that was negotiated with the players this afternoon," NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said Thursday at a news conference. "In addition to approving that agreement, we also approved a supplemental revenue sharing system for the next 10 years. With this ratification, and the ratification of the NFLPA board, we will be prepared to open the training facilities beginning this Saturday. We will then be prepared to start the new league year next Wednesday, subject to the full membership of the players ratifying the agreement and re-certifying as a union."

Goodell also said that the 2011 Hall of Fame game, which was to feature the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams on Aug. 7, has been canceled due to complications brought about by time constraints. The first actual preseason games would begin Aug. 11.

"There's certainly a major effort made to get everybody knowledgeable and familiar with the CBA," Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told Breer after the owners meetings adjourned. "Obviously, there was a tremendous amount of give and take to get this agreement with the players. And you have questions — the owners had a lot of questions about the give part, for sure, in the negotiations. That's what you expect. Certainly, they felt that the process gave everybody the best chance to do what the players and the league wanted to do, and that's to have a better game for the fans."

Through the day, union leader DeMaurice Smith and Goodell have been talking to resolve all outstanding issues, but it's important to note that the owners have essentially voted on their own proposal -- now, it's up to the NFLPA to meet them halfway.

It's not the final step, but it's a big one. Stay tuned for more news through the evening as we know it.

Australian Rugby Player, 21, Dies (BLOG)

BRISBANE, AUSTRALIA
An Australian rugby union player died Monday, two days after being injured in a tackle during a game in Brisbane.

Halley Appleby, 21, was rushed to the intensive care unit of the Royal Brisbane Hospital on Saturday with a spinal fracture and brain injury after the incident in a club match.

The University of Queensland player was pronounced brain dead Sunday afternoon after suffering a brain hemorrhage during the match.

Police confirmed Appleby's life support was switched off Monday.

University of Queensland coach Mick Zaicek said Appleby had been on the field as a substitute for only five minutes when the accident happened.

"It was quite innocuous, it was a strong tackle but nothing illegal," Zaicek said.

"It was one of those tragic things where he never got up," he added.

Read More HERE

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After Lockout, Cards Need QB in a Hurry (BLOG)

Yes, we are ready for some football.

And when this new 10-year deal between the players and owners is ratified and signed, the first winners next week will be those young free agents, ones with four years of vested service.

And like we’ve said from the very beginning, the biggest lockout losers are teams with new quarterbacks and new coaching staffs.

Yes, Jim Harbaugh still has plenty of time to get the San Francisco 49ers cranked up, but just think where his mindset, and that of his players, would be had he been working all spring with QB Alex Smith.

Ready or not, here are my lockout winners and losers:

WINNERS
1. Atlanta Falcons: The best thing about this city is that it’s not Green Bay or Cleveland or Indianapolis. A lot of NFL players live here, and the Falcons may have had the best turnout at their players-only workouts, which started on May 10. Although I thought they needed defensive help, the Falcons’ great receiver Roddy White says his offense can rival the Rams’ Greatest Show on Turf from the Warner-Faulk-Bruce days with the arrival of Alabama rookie receiver Julio Jones. Matt Ryan has Jones more than ready for training camp, and the Falcons seem determined to average 32 points per game this season, up from 25.9 points last season. Such an increase would put them in the Rams’ 500-point range.

2. Chicago Bears: The Bears have been working hard, but the best news during the lockout was that the players stood up for quarterback Jay Cutler, who has looked sharp after minor knee surgery. Cutler’s season ended in ugly fashion with his second-half exit from the NFC Championship Game, with many players around the league ridiculing him on Twitter. The best news, though, is that offensive coordinator/passing guru Mike Martz has figured out that Cutler favorite Earl Bennett should be catching 75-80 passes per season, not his measly 46 from last season.

3. New Orleans Saints: The Saints, like the Colts, have one of the game’s smartest quarterbacks in Drew Brees. When you have experience like that, plus an offensive-minded head coach like Sean Payton, it means you have a huge edge over the rest of the league with the losses of OTAs and minicamps. Brees knows the offense as well as Payton, and now the coach will simply have to fine-tune what the QB has done in this crazy offseason. This should be another fun and high-scoring season in the NFC South.


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4. Detroit Lions: The best news is that quarterback Matthew Stafford has been firing fastballs in the Lions’ player-only workouts. Boise State rookie Titus Young said his hands hurt from catching all those throws. Stafford's right shoulder sounds bionic now after corrective surgery. General manager Martin Mayhew has expertly improved the team’s personnel since taking over from Matt Millen, and now the key will be to see how much the Lions spend to improve their secondary in free agency.

5. Fans and retired players: The fans didn’t want to miss their training camp visits, and now they know they won’t be deprived of one single regular-season game despite all the doom-and-gloom talk after the Super Bowl. The NFL has become America’s No. 1 sport and also its best diversion, but even better news is that both the players and owners figured out a way to deposit $1 billion over 10 years into the Legends Fund for all the needy former players who helped make today’s game possible.

LOSERS
1. Arizona Cardinals: The Cardinals are a good team apparently in need of a starting quarterback. Nothing against second-year John Skelton, but all we’ve heard during the lockout is that they're going after Marc Bulger or trading for Philadelphia’s Kevin Kolb. If the latter is going to happen next week, it sure would have been great for his new teammates to have been working their new QB the past couple of months. You hate to overstate the obvious, but we all know how valuable a good quarterback is in the awful NFC West. Just think Sam Bradford. We could say that Seattle is in the same boat with Matt Hasselbeck looking to leave.

2. Washington Redskins: With the Donovan McNabb trade an utter failure, the Redskins have been talking all offseason about John Beck being their new starting quarterback. Problem is offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan missed the chance to work with Beck on a daily basis for the past three months. This is a team that still hasn’t found a resolution with controversial defensive tackle Albert Haynesworth, plus GM Bruce Allen has to make a lot of moves and decisions to get his team competitive with the other three teams in the NFC East in very short period.

3. Cincinnati Bengals: The Bengals forever seem to have personnel headaches and now they have Cedric Benson arrested again — do they re-sign the free-agent runner? — and the constant chatter from Carson Palmer talking retirement or trade. He has sold his Cincinnati home for $1.9 million. These are two huge offensive pieces in the Marvin Lewis puzzle. The Bengals had a very solid draft, but are they really going to start rookie quarterback Andy Dalton, who will be throwing to potential superstar A.J. Green? Mike Brown has plenty of decisions to make, starting with cornerback Johnathan Joseph.

4. Carolina Panthers: The Panthers have so much going on with a new coach (Ron Rivera) and a new rookie quarterback in Cam Newton while their best player, Steve Smith, wants out of there. The big question: Will owner Jerry Richardson allow GM Marty Hurney the ability to spend to improve the roster and retain talented players such as running back DeAngelo Williams and defensive end Charles Johnson? The Falcons already are eyeing Johnson to improve their pass rush. Thomas Davis and Richard Marshall are also defensive starters who are free to leave.

5. Denver Broncos: There’s plenty to like about the combination of John Elway (Denver's first-year executive vice president of football operations) and new coach John Fox. But these two desperately needed minicamps to settle on their starting quarterback and quit all the games with Tim Tebow and Kyle Orton. Heck, even Brady Quinn has been mentioned. What nonsense! Fox may have a training camp competition between his quarterbacks, and that could further put his team behind. The offseason would have allowed Elway and Fox to make a lot of personnel decisions (new defense, too) that will have to be made now in the next month. That’s no way to catch San Diego and Oakland.

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Kevin Kolb "Envisions" himself with Arizona Cardinals (BLOG)

With speculation about Kevin Kolb’s future picking up again (did it ever stop?), the current Eagles backup quarterback joined Howard Eskin on the Dan Patrick Show Tuesday to give his side of things.

“Arizona would be a great place. I’ve obviously envisioned myself there,” Kolb said via Silvamanning the fort over at Rotoworld.

We continue to think the Seahawks will make a push for Kolb, but the Cardinals may have an asset that the Seahawks can’t match. XTRA 910 Sports in Phoenix reported the Cardinals are “prepared” to offer cornerback Dominque Rodgers-Cromartie in a deal for Kolb.

We’d be a little surprised if that happened; you just don’t see teams trade away talented young cornerbacks often. Still, the rumor appears to have some legs. Eskin guessed that Kolb would ultimately land in Arizona for DRC and a draft pick.

Thankfully, it may not be long before Kevin Kolb speculation turns into a Kevin Kolb transaction.

Japan wins women's World Cup (BLOG)

FRANKFURT (Reuters) - Japan won the women's World Cup on Sunday for the first time, stunning the heavily favored United States 3-1 on penalties after a 2-2 draw in extra time.

Japan was in need of a good news story after the tsunami disaster which rocked the country in March and their women's soccer team delivered it in dramatic fashion despite being dominated for long spells in the final.

"To our friends around the world - thank you for your support," was the simple message on a giant banner the Japanese women carried around the pitch after the match.

It was hard to imagine a more thrilling finale to the three-week tournament played in packed stadiums before enthusiastic crowds around the country and in front of record television audiences of up to 16 million in Germany alone.

On Sunday, Japan fell behind in normal time and again in extra time but hit back out of the blue on both occasions before prevailing in the shootout as the top-ranked U.S. team lost all their confidence, sending a series of poor efforts at goal.

The United States were chasing a third World Cup title and dominated for long periods but wasted their many chances, especially in the first half.

Their confidence crumbled when it came to the spot kicks and they missed three of their four shots while Japan converted three of four.

Shannon Boxx and Tobin Heath had their spot kicks stopped while Carli Lloyd's shot sailed high above the crossbar before Abby Wambach finally converted to keep alive U.S. hopes.

Saki Kumagai then blasted a well-placed shot high to the left over diving U.S. keeper Hope Solo to give Japan an insurmountable 3-1 lead in penalties, sparking wild celebrations with her team mates in front of the sell-out crowd of 48,837.

"We're so happy about the title and so happy that we stayed in the tournament so long," said Homara Sawa, Japan's captain who scored the second equaliser for Japan. She won the Golden Ball as the top player and Golden Boot as well.

"Now we're number one," Sawa added after Japan had also upset hosts Germany and Sweden to reach the final. "We had so much self-confidence all the way to the end and we all believed in ourselves all the way. That's why we won deservedly."

"BITTER DEFEAT"

It was the first time in 26 matches that Japan had prevailed against the United States, who won the World Cup title in 1991 and in 1999.

The Americans had won 22 of the previous matches against Japan, with three draws. After Germany, winners of the last two World Cups in 2003 and 2006, they were the favourites to win what would have been a record third title.

The Americans, cheered on in Frankfurt by many U.S. military personnel stationed in Germany, also had backing from U.S. President Barack Obama and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who had vowed to watch Sunday's final.

"It's a bitter defeat," said U.S. defender Alex Krieger. "We played well. It's very disappointing. Japan played well too. It was a great match but we didn't do it. We didn't take advantage of chances and we also made some defensive mistakes."

Krieger told Germany's ARD TV she had no explanation for a defensive blunder that gave Japan their first equaliser.

"Unfortunately we gave them a gift with that goal," she said. "I didn't see what happened. But I still think we played well. We're happy that we won the silver medal. It's disappointing but I think we played well."

The United States had started strongly, dominating the first half. They broke the deadlock in the 69th minute when Alex Morgan scored a stylish goal. The American, who came off the bench at halftime, outsprinted defender Yaki Kumagai on to a long ball from Megan Rapinoe and expertly fired her shot into the corner.

Aya Miyama equalised in the 81st minute when she tapped in a loose ball in front of the U.S. goal after woeful defending.

Wambach's header in the 104th minute looked to have given the U.S. victory in extra time.

Japan came back again, however, with the same never-say-die approach that helped them to upset defending champions and hosts Germany in the quarter-final, when Sawa scored in the 117th minute. Japan were reduced to 10 when Azusa Iwashimizu was dismissed in the 120th minute.

AP sources: Labor seminar set if NFL deal approved (BLOG)

Two people familiar with talks to end the NFL lockout tell The Associated Press that if an agreement is ratified by Thursday, team executives will be updated on the deal's terms that day.

The people said the league's 32 clubs were told Monday that topics would include the rookie salary system and guidelines for player transactions. They spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the process is supposed to remain confidential.

Owners are meeting in Atlanta on Thursday, when they could ratify a new deal — if one is reached by then.

Lawyers for players and owners are meeting Monday in New Yorkin an attempt to end the four-month lockout.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

Lawyers for the NFL Players Association and the league met Monday at a Manhattan law firm to try to work out an agreement to end the four-month lockout.

The court-appointed mediator, U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan, was expected to arrive in New York later Monday to oversee talks aimed at ending the NFL's first work stoppage since 1987.

The owners have a special meeting set for Thursday in Atlanta, where they potentially could ratify a new deal — if one is reached by then. Any agreement also must be voted on by groups of players, including the named plaintiffs in a federal antitrust suit against the league, and the NFLPA's 32 team representatives.

Players and owners have come up with the framework of an agreement that resolves most of the issues that have been blocking a deal.

That includes:

— how the more than $9 billion in annual league revenues will be divided;

— a rookie salary system;

— free agency rules;

— a cap of about $120 million for player salaries in 2011, with about another $20 million in benefits.

The lockout began March 12, when negotiations broke down and the old collective bargaining agreement expired. The NFLPA announced it was dissolving itself and would no longer be a union that could bargain for all players under labor law, instead saying it was now a trade association. That allowed players to take their chances against the NFL in federal court under antitrust law.

The sides are trying to put together a tentative agreement in principle in time to keep the preseason completely intact. The exhibition opener is scheduled to be the Hall of Fame game between the St. Louis Rams and Chicago Bears on Aug. 7, and as of Sunday, no preseason games had been canceled.

The regular season opener is scheduled for Sept. 8, when the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers are to host the New Orleans Saints.

Judge declares mistrial in Clemens case (BLOG)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Almost as soon as it began, former baseball star Roger Clemens' perjury trial ended Thursday — in a mistrial the judge blamed on prosecutors and said a "first-year law student" would have known to avoid.

U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton left the question of a new trial up in the air. But he called a halt to the trial under way after prosecutors showed jurors evidence that he had ruled out — videotaped revelations that a teammate had said he'd told his wife Clemens confessed to using a drug.

Walton scolded prosecutors and said he couldn't let the former All-Star pitcher face prison if convicted on such "extremely prejudicial" evidence.

"Mr. Clemens has to get a fair trial," Walton said. "In my view, he can't get it now."

Defense attorney Rusty Hardin, who had asked for the mistrial declaration, patted an unsmiling Clemens on the back as the judge announced his decision. As he left the courthouse, Clemens did not comment but accepted hugs from a couple of court workers, shook hands with the security guards and autographed baseballs for fans waiting outside.

The quick end on only the second day of testimony was the second mistrial involving a superstar player accused in baseball's steroids scandal. Home run king Barry Bonds was convicted three months ago of obstruction of justice, but a mistrial was called on three more serious false-statements charges after jurors couldn't agree on a verdict.

Walton said he would hold a hearing Sept. 2 to decide whether Clemens should face another trial. Hardin told reporters, "I wouldn't even hazard a guess" about what Walton will decide.

Walton could end the prosecution by declaring that a new trial would run afoul of double jeopardy — the right not to be brought to trial twice on the same charges for the same offense. But experts said it was unlikely that he would go that far, especially since the trial was just under way.

"Generally speaking, mistrial does not bar a trial of the defendant when the defendant requested the mistrial," said Harry Sandick, a former prosecutor who now defends white-collar cases. He said a judge may make an exception for misconduct on the part of prosecutors, but this appears to have been a simple yet devastating mistake.

"How could the government not have reviewed each piece of evidence after the court's pretrial rulings?" he said. "This is crucially important, and prosecutors have to do this all the time."

New York Yankees star shortstop Derek Jeter, once a teammate of Clemens', said after the mistrial was declared: "I'm no legal expert, but you want it to be behind him. Obviously, the more attention that's paid to that, it's just negative for the game in general."

The U.S. attorney's office in Washington, which tried the case, said it would have no comment because of Walton's gag order. Clemens also stayed mum.

"I'm not going to say anything," Clemens said as he left the courthouse. He and his legal team ducked into a nearby restaurant to escape the media horde following him.

The Clemens mistrial was the biggest embarrassment for the Justice Department in a high-profile case since the prosecution of Sen. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, in which the government failed to turn over evidence favorable to the defense. That failure, two years ago, was so serious that Attorney General Eric Holder stepped in and asked a federal judge to throw out Stevens' convictions. The judge did so.

The unraveling of the current case began as prosecutors were showing jurors a video of Clemens' 2008 testimony before Congress. He is accused of lying under oath during that testimony when he said he never used performance-enhancing drugs during his 24-season career.

Clemens' former teammate and close friend, Andy Pettitte, had told committee investigators that Clemens confessed in 1999 or 2000 that he used human growth hormone. Clemens has said Pettitte "misremembers" or "misheard" their conversation.

Prosecutors had wanted to call Laura Pettitte as a witness to back up her husband's account because she says her husband told her about the conversation the day it happened. But Walton had said Laura Pettitte's statement wasn't admissible since it didn't involve direct knowledge of what Clemens said.

In the video prosecutors showed the jury, Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Md., referred to Pettitte's conversation with his wife during the questioning of Clemens. Walton quickly cut off the tape and called attorneys to the bench for a private conversation for several minutes. The video remained frozen on the screen in front of jurors with a transcript of what was being said on the bottom.

Cummings had been quoting from Laura Pettitte's affidavit to the committee. "I, Laura Pettitte, do depose and state, in 1999 or 2000, Andy told me he had a conversation with Roger Clemens in which Roger admitted to him using human growth hormones," the text on the screen read.

The judge eventually told the jurors to leave while he discussed the issue with attorneys in open court. Hardin asked for a mistrial, while prosecutors suggested the problem could be fixed with an instruction to the jury to disregard the evidence. Walton responded that they could never know what impact the evidence would have during the jury's deliberations.

"I don't see how I un-ring the bell," he said.

"Government counsel should have been more cautious," Walton said, raising his voice and noting that the case had already cost a lot of taxpayer money.

"I think that a first-year law student would know that you can't bolster the credibility of one witness with clearly inadmissible evidence," Walton said.

He said it was the second time that prosecutors had gone against his orders. The other occurred during opening arguments Wednesday when assistant U.S. attorney Steven Durham said Pettitte and two other of Clemens' New York teammates, Chuck Knoblauch and Mike Stanton, had used human growth hormone.

Walton said in pre-trial hearings that such testimony could lead jurors to consider Clemens guilty by association. Clemens' defense attorney objected when Durham made the statement Wednesday and Walton told jurors to disregard Durham's comments about other players.

Joshua Berman, a white collar defense lawyer who used to work with Durham and Butler when he was at the Justice Department, said both men have excellent reputations as ethical and responsible attorneys.

"I think that mistakes get made, frankly, and they get made in every trial on both sides," Berman said. "Unfortunately here you are on Day One of a very high-profile trial."

U.S. beat France 3-1 to book World Cup final spot (BLOG)

MOENCHENGLADBACH, Germany (Reuters) - The United States struck twice late in the second half to beat France 3-1 on Wednesday and book a spot in the women's World Cup final where they will face either Japan or Sweden.

On a rainy afternoon, the Americans, who won the title in 1991 and 1999 and have never finished below third place in a women's World Cup, took an early lead when Lauren Cheney flicked in a Carli Lloyd cross in the ninth minute.

France leveled after the break with a Sonia Bompastor cross that bounced past U.S. keeper Hope Solo but two goals in three minutes from Abby Wambach (79th) and Alex Morgan (82nd) secured a third World Cup final appearance for the Americans.

"This is our journey, this is our dream," a beaming Wambach said. "France are a great team. There were moments they were outplaying us but I am so proud of this team."

"I know we are going to pull through. I have belief in this team. Everybody is working for each other."

Japan play Sweden in the other semi-final later on Wednesday.

"We lost our legs a bit but we picked up the fight," said U.S. coach Pia Sundhage, whose team needed a penalty shootout to overcome Brazil in the last eight.

"I think it was obvious we had heavy legs so we had to adjust."

FRENCH DOMINANCE

The Americans, under pressure from the start, scored against the run of play through Cheney but immediately fell back with some sloppy passing allowing France to come forward repeatedly.

With Sundhage sensing danger and bellowing from her coaching area, the French dominance almost paid off on the half hour when Gaetane Thiney tested Solo with a close-range effort.

Bompastor then rattled the bar with a fierce drive seconds later as France took complete control.

Wambach, who had scored an equalizer deep into extra time against Brazil, should have put the Americans further in front before the break but headed along the goal line from a meter.

The French got their just reward after 55 minutes when Bompastor leveled after whipping in a cross from the left that deceived Solo.

With France coach Bruno Bini bringing on another striker in the speedy Elodie Thomis as they went in search of the winner, the Americans struck at just the right time with Wambach making amends and heading in at the far post.

A smooth chip over keeper Berangere Sapowicz from Morgan three minutes later put the game beyond the French.

"We had our chances and we had a lot," Bini said. "We were as good as we could have been. But they have a lot of experience."

Steelers' Harrison to magazine: Goodell a 'devil', Mendenhall "Fumble Machine" Rothlisberger "Not Peyton" (BLOG)

NEW YORK (AP) — Heavily fined Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison calls NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell a "crook" and a "devil," among other insults, in a magazine article.

The 2008 AP Defensive Player of the Year hasn't been shy about ripping the league after he was docked $100,000 for illegal hits last season. In the August issue of Men's Journal, his rants against Goodell reach another level of wrath.

"If that man was on fire and I had to piss to put him out, I wouldn't do it," Harrison told the magazine. "I hate him and will never respect him."

His other descriptions of the commissioner include an anti-gay slur, "stupid," ''puppet" and "dictator."

If the Steelers had defeated the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl, Harrison said, he would have whispered in Goodell's ear during the trophy ceremony: "Why don't you quit and do something else, like start your own league in flag football?"

Harrison also criticizes other NFL execs, Patriots-turned-commentators Rodney Harrison and Tedy Bruschi ("clowns"), Houston's Brian Cushing ("juiced out of his mind") — and even teammates Rashard Mendenhall and Ben Roethlisberger for their performances in the Super Bowl loss.

Harrison calls the running back a "fumble machine" for his fourth-quarter turnover. Mendenhall said on Twitter on Wednesday he didn't have a problem with what Harrison said "because I know him." But he also included a link to his stats from last season, which show he didn't have a pattern of fumbling.

Of the quarterback's two interceptions, Harrison says: "Hey, at least throw a pick on their side of the field instead of asking the D to bail you out again. Or hand the ball off and stop trying to act like Peyton Manning. You ain't that and you know it, man; you just get paid like he does."

Steelers President Art Rooney II said in a statement that he hadn't seen the article or talked to Harrison.

"We will discuss the situation at the appropriate time, when permitted once the labor situation is resolved," he said.

Harrison also questions whether a black player is punished more for a hard hit on a white player than the opposite. Beyond the insults, Harrison makes some serious points about what he believes are the league's misguided attempts to increase safety.

He explains how non-guaranteed contracts make players more likely to hit high, because in the short term, a torn knee ligament is more costly than a concussion.

Harrison suggests the real way to prevent head injuries is to shorten the season to 14 games, start offseason workouts later and trim the length of training camp so "we're not bangin' heads so much in August; that's where the brain trauma comes from."

Fan almost falls from Chase Field stands at Home Run Derby (BLOG)

After what happened at the Home Run Derby on Monday night, we as a baseball-loving nation need to run a check on our priorities.

Wherever "catching a baseball" ranks — and it's high, apparently — it ought to be made less important.

Keith Carmickle — the man pictured above hanging on by his right arm, with his baseball glove dangling from his left hand — almost fell about 20 feet to a pool deck below at Chase Field after he chased a home run hit to center by Prince Fielder(notes).

Thankfully, he didn't catch the ball. Or fall. But he almost went over completely. As the Associated Press reports, he was saved by his brother and a friend.


"I thought: I've lived a good life," Carmickle said about dangling.


Seated in a small section of seats above the right-field fence, Carmickle, of Kingman [Ariz.], and his group had already grabbed home-run balls by Robinson Cano(notes) and Adrian Gonzalez(notes) and were looking to add another to their collection when Fielder came up in the second round of the derby.

Trying to snare a towering shot by Fielder, Carmickle stepped up onto a metal table about 18 inches wide and reached down to catch the ball. It hit a wall several feet below Carmickle. His momentum carried him forward, headfirst over a short railing at the back of the table.

Carmickle was headed for a hard landing when his friend, Aaron Nelson, grabbed his legs and his brother, Kraig, grabbed him around the arms. Carmickle dangled briefly over a deck where a couple of cameras were positioned behind Chase Field's pool before being pulled back up to his seat as the crowd above and below gasped.

Carmickle's good fortune came on the same day as a memorial service for Shannon Stone, the man who fell at Rangers Ballpark on Thursday and died that day as a result of his injuries after trying to catch a ball. Stone's story must have slipped Carmickle's mind.

NFL stumbling blocks: free agency, rookie wages(BLOG)

NEW YORK (AP) — A rookie wage scale and free agency for veterans appear to be the biggest stumbling blocks to ending the NFL lockout.

Several people with knowledge of the talks tell The Associated Press that such key issues as splitting total revenues — the major reason for the dispute — the salary cap, fewer offseason workouts and the length of a new collective bargaining agreement are close to being completed.

The people spoke anonymously because details are supposed to remain private.

Owners and players are to meet again, beginning Tuesday, after two days of long negotiations last week. Lawyers from both sides are to meet Monday.

The sticky topics include limits on rookie salaries and signing bonuses. Another is the number of transition tags for free agents, with right of first refusal.

With training camps scheduled to open in less than two weeks for some teams, time is growing short to reach an agreement to end the nearly four-month lockout without a disruption to the preseason. With court-appointed mediator Arthur Boylan on vacation this week, the two sides plan to negotiate in New York, where last Friday talks were slowed by differences over the rookie wage scale and guidelines for unrestricted free agents.

NFL owners have long sought to restrict the huge bonuses and salaries paid to unproven rookies, particularly those selected high in the draft. Quarterback Sam Bradford, the 2010 top overall pick by St. Louis, signed a six-year, $78 million contract that included a record $50 million in guaranteed money.

The NFLPA insists that money diverted from the rookies go to veteran players; some also would go for retired players' benefits. The main disagreement right now is how deep into the first round the rookie wage scale would apply, perhaps eight picks, perhaps twice that many. Some owners also are seeking longer contracts for rookies.

In addition, the owners are pushing for more restrictions in free agency, which the players "vehemently oppose," one of the people familiar with the negotiations said.

"Maybe for one year there might be an extended right of first refusal as a compromise," the person said.

Would either side hold up a deal over that, especially with the possibility of lost exhibition games no longer remote? NFL revenues would be reduced by upward of $60 million for one weekend of canceled preseason games. The first full weekend of exhibition play is Aug. 11-15; the Hall of Fame game between the Chicago Bears and St. Louis Rams is Aug. 7 in Canton, Ohio.

Who pays how much to a so-called "legacy fund" to help retired players has become somewhat contentious. Originally, the funding was to be 50-50 between the owners and the players. There has been no agreement yet on that breakdown.

Whenever a deal is struck, it will be anywhere from six to 10 years. It also will include mechanisms for ending the CBA early, as happened with the 2006 agreement that the owners opted out of in 2008, leading to no salary cap in 2010 and, ultimately, to the lockout.

A topic on which there remains little disagreement is the salary cap. Some owners are not thrilled with a salary floor that requires teams spend up to 90 percent of the cap in cash on players' salaries each year, but that is not expected to be a significant hurdle.

Players would receive around 48 percent of all league revenues, which reached $9.3 billion last year, and the owners have dropped their demand for money off the top before splitting income with the players. There still will be some stadium credits for teams that recently financed new homes or are planning to do so.

An 18-game regular season still is favored by the owners, but has been set aside for now.

Reducing offseason workouts and minicamps, and the parameters for drug testing are close to being resolved and not seen as major roadblocks.

Boylan has ordered the two sides to meet before him in Minneapolis on July 19. He also made it clear that both sides should continue their own sessions in the interim "in an effort to define and narrow the differences between their respective settlement positions."

He also ordered lawyers from both sides to be ready to meet with him on the evening of July 18 for an "in-person agenda-setting session" that presumably would set the stage for productive talks the following day.

The owners have a labor meeting scheduled for July 21 in Atlanta.

Steelers' Hines Ward arrested on DUI charge in Ga. (BLOG)

DECATUR, Ga. (AP) — Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Hines Ward was arrested early Saturday outside Atlanta on a drunken driving charge, sheriff's officials said.

The former Super Bowl MVP and reigning "Dancing With the Stars" champ was booked into the DeKalb County jail at 3:41 a.m. and charged with driving under the influence. A jail official said he was released on $1,300 bond, though the sheriff's office website said his bond was set at $1,000. The discrepancy couldn't be immediately resolved Saturday.

The sheriff's office said it had turned over paperwork to the courts and couldn't release any further information about the player's arrest. DeKalb County police did not return repeated emails and phone calls seeking details of the arrest.

Atlanta lawyer Andrew Ree issued a statement saying the 35-year-old Ward cooperated fully with police and truthfully answered their questions.

"From our preliminary investigation we can tell you that we are confident that the facts will show that Hines was NOT impaired by alcohol while driving," Ree wrote. "However, Hines is deeply saddened by this incident and apologizes to his fans and the Steelers organization for this distraction."

A Steelers spokesman did not immediately respond to a message.

Since being drafted in the third round out of Georgia in 1998, Ward has been a four-time Pro Bowl selection, playing on teams that won two Super Bowls.

Dancing with professional partner Kym Johnson, Ward in May became the second professional football player to win the "Dancing" crown after Emmitt Smith won in 2006. He bested actresses Kirstie Alley and Chelsea Kane to become the season 12 champion of the TV celebrity dance competition.

NFL QB Collins Retires After 16 Seasons (BLOG)

NASHVILLE, TENN. (AP)
Quarterback Kerry Collins is retiring from the NFL after 16 seasons in the league, his agent announced Thursday.

''The past several months have brought on much introspection, and I have decided that while my desire to compete on Sundays is still and always will be there, my willingness to commit to the preparation necessary to play another season has waned to a level that I feel is no longer adequate to meet the demands of the position,'' Collins said in a statement.

Collins, 38, was facing free agency after his contract expired in March, though he said as recently as last month that he still wanted to play. Tennessee has said it plans to trade or release quarterback Vince Young after the NFL lockout ends, which would leave just this year's eighth-overall draft pick, Jake Locker, and Rusty Smith, a sixth-round pick in last year's draft, on the roster at the position.

Collins shared the stage with Young in his final season despite suffering injuries to his middle finger and thumb. Collins took over for good after Young suffered a season-ending injury to his right thumb on Nov. 21, though the Titans only won one of their final six games.

''Kerry had a great NFL career and we have been very fortunate to have had him with our organization for the last five years,'' Titans coach Mike Munchak said in a statement. ''I really enjoyed working with him. He was a true pro, who loved the game. His work ethic and commitment were a great example to his teammates of what it took to be successful in this league.''

In 195 career games, Collins maintained a 55.8 completion percentage and threw for 40,441 yards, 206 touchdowns and 195 interceptions.

He was the fifth overall pick by the Carolina Panthers in the 1995 NFL draft after playing at Penn State. He also played for the New Orleans Saints, New York Giants and Oakland Raiders.

As a starter, Collins lead his team to the playoffs four times, including an NFL Championship appearance during the 1996 season with the Panthers and a Super Bowl appearance with the Giants in the 2000 season.

In his statement, Collins said he was fortunate to have played for longtime Penn State coach Joe Paterno, the late Giants co-owner Wellington Mara, Raiders owner Al Davis and Titans owner Bud Adams.

''I would like to thank all of those coaches, players and other team personnel along the way who have shaped me both personally and professionally,'' Collins said. ''I want to wish Mike Munchak and the Tennessee Titans the best of luck in the future. I have had a fantastic five years here, and my family and I look forward to remaining part of the Middle Tennessee community that has been extremely gracious towards us and an honor to play for.''

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Cardinals activate slugger Albert Pujols off DL (BLOG)

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Albert Pujols is more than just one of the best players in baseball. He's also an incredibly rapid healer.

The St. Louis Cardinals activated their three-time NL MVP off the 15-day disabled list Tuesday, a month ahead of schedule in his recovery from a broken left wrist.

Pujols was not in the lineup Tuesday night against Cincinnati. But manager Tony La Russa planned to use him off the bench in some capacity and said he expected Pujols would be in the lineup on Wednesday.

"Thrilled," La Russa said. "We all are. It's about as good a break as we could catch."

The NL Central leaders initially believed Pujols would be out six weeks after getting hurt June 19 in a collision at first base with the Royals' Wilson Betemit. The Cardinals thought Pujols would be back in early August.

Tuesday was the first day Pujols was eligible to return from the DL. He said he'd predicted 15 days would be enough.

"Does it surprise you?" the star first baseman asked. "It doesn't surprise me. A lot of people praying for me and I believe all the prayers are being answered.

"That's a good way to describe it."

Reds manager Dusty Baker said he thought Pujols might be back early.

"I didn't think it was going to take as long as they said originally, knowing Albert," Baker said. "With modern medicine, and he's probably working on it around the clock, no it doesn't really surprise me.

"Somebody else, maybe. But not him."

The team's medical staff cleared Pujols to return earlier in the day. For a final test, Pujols had an active pregame. Clad in shorts, Pujols took his first round of live batting practice from first base coach Dave McKay, and also fielded dozens of grounders at first base, then he had more hitting work indoors.

"He's not in the starting lineup because he hasn't had a rigorous workout and I feel like it would be good for him to get one of those, and then play tomorrow," La Russa said. "I just try to use common sense."

The Cardinals placed left-handed reliever Brian Tallet on the 15-day disabled list with a right ribcage injury that the pitcher said had been hindering him for about a week. Tallet said the source of his injury was a violent sneeze.

"It wasn't anything weird," Tallet said. "I was just kind of laying down with my boy and coughed a couple times and then a big sneeze."

La Russa said there was no chance that Pujols could talk his way into the lineup Tuesday. Lance Berkman was playing first base and Matt Holliday was in Pujols' No. 3 spot.

"We talked and that's private, that's between me and Tony and the trainers, so I don't have to tell you the discussion we had," Pujols said. "When he posted the lineup, if I was there it was fine.

"I'm just happy to be available for the ballclub, it's better than being on the DL, so I'm pretty excited."

After taking indoor batting practice and fielding grounders outside Monday, Pujols said there was no pain and he felt great.

The Cardinals went 6-7 without Pujols but entered the day leading the division by one game over Milwaukee.

"That's what our club has been doing, they've been doing a good job of compensating," La Russa said.

Tallet missed 34 games earlier with a broken hand sustained making a tumbling putout at first base on April 12. He has allowed at least a run in seven of his 13 appearances since returning. He's 0-1 with an 8.31 ERA in 18 games overall.

Tallet said he tried to pitch with the injury for five or six days before telling the team his delivery had been compromised.

"It just progressively didn't get any better, got a little worse, got a little worse," Tallet said. "I'm the kind of guy who's going to keep going out there battling through it until it gets to the point that you've got to make the move."

Earnhardt Jr. furious after frustration at Daytona (BLOG)

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) — Dale Earnhardt Jr. made it clear he's no fan of the current style of restrictor plate racing before he even arrived at Daytona International Speedway.

"I'm not looking forward to going to Daytona, not with the way the drafting is there," he said a week before Saturday night's race.

"It's really weird and kinda wrong on some levels to race that way," he said the day the track opened.

But if there was any doubt, he ended it after a frustrating 19th-place finish that had his passionate army of fans accusing Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson of sabotaging Earnhardt's chance to win.

"I am really ticked off. It was a foolish ... race. I don't know what to tell you," he fumed. "I don't like this kind of racing and you know it."

Earnhardt didn't appear to be "ticked off" at Johnson, the teammate he partnered with for the second consecutive plate race. He had pushed Johnson to the win at Talladega in April, and Johnson said all week he was willing to return the favor at Daytona.

There once was a time when Earnhardt didn't need help to win at Daytona, when he could just slice his way to the front and hold off a train of traffic in the closing laps. That's how he did it 10 years ago, on his first visit to the track following his father's fatal accident in the 2001 Daytona 500. And that's how he did it 17 months ago, when he charged from 10th to second in the breathtaking final two laps of the season-opener.

But the racing has changed dramatically since then, and drivers now need to create a two-car hookup to get around Daytona. They use one spotter, with the lead driver taking traffic signals, guiding the trailing driver, who is stuck in a perpetual blind spot as he's glued to the rear bumper.

The tandem racing debuted at the start of the season, was elevated to a more sophisticated level at Talladega, and led almost every driver to pick a partner and devise a strategy even before they got to Daytona.

"I'd rather have control of my own destiny and be able to go out there and race and just do my own work and worry about my own self," Earnhardt said on Thursday. "Been growing up all these years racin' for No. 1, lookin' out for No. 1, doing my job. This is what I need to do, I need to do this to get up through the pack. This is how my car drives. Now you are doing it so different. Your thought process and everything you think about during the race is nothing near that.

"It is just different and weird."

Maybe Earnhardt would have felt differently had the outcome been a little better Saturday night. But as winner David Ragan made his move toward the front with teammate Matt Kenseth, the Earnhardt-Johnson duo found itself mired in traffic.

Then they were separated when Johnson ducked onto pit road, but Earnhardt stayed on the track. It was obviously botched communications that sunk their chances at the win.

"I'm driving my car, do what I'm told," Earnhardt said. "They decided to do something different. I can't run the whole damn thing from the seat of the damn race car. I'm just doing what I'm told out there. I don't know how that affected us, if it did at all. It probably didn't."

Johnson, apparently getting blasted on Twitter from angry JR Nation fans, posted on his page immediately after the race that he "didn't leave Jr hanging" and crew chiefs Steve Letarte and Chad Knaus make the decisions.

"You people are crazy," he wrote on Twitter. "When my crew tells me to pit, I pit. Steve and Chad sort out the details."

But that wasn't even what ruined Earnhardt's race. It came later, on the final two-lap sprint, when he said Jamie McMurray drove into the side of his Chevrolet and turned him.

"I had it saved, and then he came on and got him another shot," Earnhardt said. "Brought the KO. punch the second time and spun us around."

The style of racing won't change before NASCAR goes to Talladega in October, when drivers, maybe even Earnhardt, will be competing for the Sprint Cup championship. Each move will be critical, and every driver will be dependent on someone else.

It's not comfortable for Earnhardt, and he doesn't think it's suitable. He's the most outspoken driver about the current state of plate racing, but he's definitely not alone.

"It's so hard to see how many hours these (crew) guys put into these cars, to have it torn up in the blink of an eye like that," Johnson said. "But it is what it is and we'll just go on to the next one."

Kimbo Slice To Return, Set To Make Boxing Debut In August (BLOG)

Kimbo Slice, who rose to fame through backyard brawls that went viral on the Internet, is finally set to make a comeback. This time, however, he's trying his hand at boxing.

The 37-year-old Internet fighting sensation-turned-MMA star will make his pro-boxing debut in mid-August in a four-round heavyweight bout against an opponent that's yet to be determined.

According to ESPN, his fight will be the main event of an untelevised card at Buffalo Run Casino in Miami, Oklahoma.

"Kimbo has been in Los Angeles area training for this for almost three months," promoter Gary Shaw told ESPN this week. "I don't know how far he can go, but I know he's very strong and powerful. I know the heavyweight division is weak at this moment in time, so it gives him an opportunity. He's never been in against top echelon boxers, so that story is still untold.

"But I know if he can't do this or he feels he is in over his head or outclassed, he'll call it a day. He will not make a fool of himself. He's too proud."

Slice (real name: Kevin Ferguson) previously expressed interest in the idea of an attempt at a boxing career, but it never came to fruition.

Shaw says he was still contemplating another run at MMA, but ultimately decided on boxing ... and has dedicated the last several months to training.

By now, most fight fans know Slice's story. He rose to fame through the Internet when his backyard brawls went viral. He parlayed his fame into an MMA career, and eventually became one of the sport's most recognizable faces despite his lack of professional experience.

He became the main draw in the now-defunct Elite XC promotion, and his rise was fast. However, things took a nose-dive when he was knocked out by a smaller, last minute replacement in just 14 seconds back in October 2008.

Slice then made a run at the UFC, participating in 2009's "The Ultimate Fighter," but lost his first fight on the show ... and was eventually was cut after a lopsided loss to newcomer Matt Mitrione at UFC 113.

His future was unknown until now.

"He's completely focused on his boxing career and excited to showcase his talents inside the squared circle," said Jared Shaw, Slice's adviser and Gary Shaw's son. "Kimbo Slice is hungry and when that man wants his bread, he's scary."

His boxing debut goes down on August 13th.

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Michael Vick Signs New Endorsement Deal With Nike (BLOG)

Quarterback Michael Vick is back with Nike once again, signing a new endorsement deal with the shoe giant nearly four years after he was dropped in wake of his dogfighting scandal from 2007.

Nike announced Friday (July 1) that they had re-upped with Vick, due to the positive changes he's made since the scandal rocked his world.

"We have re-signed Michael Vick as a Nike athlete," Nike said. "Michael acknowledges his past mistakes. We do not condone those actions, but we support the positive changes he has made to better himself off the field."

At press time, details regarding the deal were unknown.

According to USAToday.com, Nike has hooked Vick with equipment since he returned to the NFL in 2009, but had not signed him as an official spokesman/endorser until now.

"Michael is committed to working with Nike and wants to utilize his platform as a professional athlete to have a positive impact on our youth," Andrew Stroth, a lawyer who negotiated the deal for Vick, told the Associated Press.

The deal is Vick's third endorsement deal he's signed since returning to football two seasons ago. Sports-accessories suppliers, Unequal Technologies and Core Synergy, signed the football star Vick in January and in March, respectively.

However, Nike is his biggest endorser currently.

Vick has re-established himself as a player in the NFL following his jail sentence. He signed with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2009 as a backup quarterback. Last season, he took over as starting quarterback, and put up career bests in passing numbers.

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Federer upset by Tsonga in Wimbledon quarterfinals (BLOG)

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) — Six-time champion Roger Federer was upset in the Wimbledon quarterfinals for the second straight year Wednesday, squandering a two-set lead for the first time at a Grand Slam tournament and losing to Jo-Wilfried Tsonga 3-6, 6-7 (3), 6-4, 6-4, 6-4.

Federer barely looked challenged while winning the first two sets against the 12th-seeded Frenchman. But the Swiss star, who had been 178-0 in matches in which he had won the opening two sets at a major tournament, was broken one time in each of the last three sets.

"It's kind of hard going out of the tournament that way, but unfortunately it does happen sometimes," said Federer, who was playing in his 29th straight major quarterfinal. "At least it took him sort of a special performance to beat me, which is somewhat nice."

Federer may be right. The 16-time Grand Slam champion finished the match with only 11 unforced errors, half as many as Tsonga, but it didn't help him get close to breaking Tsonga's serve when he needed it.

"I was two sets down and I break. I did a good game of return and after that it was just amazing," said Tsonga, who had 63 winners, five more than Federer. "I just played unbelievable, served unbelievable and now I'm here, I'm in semifinal and I can't believe it."

Tsonga will face second-seeded Novak Djokovic, who defeated 18-year-old Australian qualifier Bernard Tomic 6-2, 3-6, 6-3, 7-5. Defending champion Rafael Nadal also advanced, beating Mardy Fish 6-3, 6-3, 5-7, 6-4. The two-time champion will face fourth-seeded Andy Murray, who defeated Feliciano Lopez 6-3, 6-4, 6-4.

Federer was seeking to equal Pete Sampras' record of seven Wimbledon singles titles. He breezed through his opening four matches, losing only one set, and played his usual elegant game against Tsonga.

In the first set, Federer earned his one and only break point of the match in Tsonga's first service game, and converted it. He held the rest of the way, and then won the second set in the tiebreaker.

But Tsonga finally got his first break in the third set, and another in the fourth and another in the fifth.

"He can come up with some good stuff and some poor things at times," Federer said. "He had basically good return games along the way in the third, fourth, and fifth. I think especially the third set, the break I get is very unusual. He chips back a couple, they stay in."

Those were the Frenchman's only three breaks, and they were just enough to send Federer home early again.

Last year, he lost to eventual runner-up Tomas Berdych in the quarterfinals.

"It's the biggest champion in my sport," Tsonga said. "He achieved a lot of things and he's just the best player in the world and I'm just so happy to win against him, especially on grass because it's maybe one of his favorite surface and I'm just so happy today."

Instead of Federer improving on his record haul of major titles, 10-time Grand Slam champion Nadal can add to his own.

The top-seeded Spaniard lost one set but did not appear to be bothered by the left foot he injured in his previous match againstJuan Martin del Potro.

"Today it was better. The treatment worked and I'm fine. I'm here," Nadal said. "The previous match was tough for me because for a moment I didn't know if I had a serious injury, but since (it's) nothing important (it's) probably going to work."

On Court 1, Djokovic overcame a tough match against his protege, holding on to reach the semifinals for the third time in his career.

Djokovic has been practicing with Tomic on-and-off since the two became friends last year in Australia, but this was the first meeting between the two in a competitive match.

After Tomic put a forehand into the net on match point, the pair had a brief chat at the net. Then, with the crowd applauding, Djokovic did the same while motioning toward Tomic.

"It was a very even match. In the first set I felt I played quite well," said Djokovic, who finished the match with fewer winners than Tomic, 43-39. "Then I played one really bad service game and he got back into the match. And from that moment on, he was the better player."

At the start, Djokovic appeared to have little to worry about, rolling through the first set and on his way to a fifth straight major semifinal. But Tomic didn't quit, instead breaking Djokovic to take a 3-1 lead in the second set and eventually evening the match.

"He is such an unpredictable player. He's very young, and obviously, first quarterfinals of a Grand Slam for him means a lot," Djokovic said. "But he didn't have anything to lose, so he was hitting a lot of winners today."

Tomic again went up a break in the third, but that's when Djokovic got going. The two-time Grand Slam champion won five straight games to take the third set, and then won the first two games in the fourth. Although Tomic got back on serve at 2-2 and was two points from winning the set at 5-4, Djokovic soon broke to take a 6-5 lead and held for victory.

"It was really hard to predict where he's going to go. He was not making a lot of unforced errors from the baseline, and that made my life really difficult," Djokovic said. "I tried to change the pace, but he was better at that. We were playing cat and mouse, I think. But in the end, I'm just happy to get through."

Djokovic started the 2011 season by winning 41 straight matches, but that came to an end with a loss to Federer in the French Open semifinals. If the Serb reaches the final at the All England Club for the first time this year, he will guarantee himself the No. 1 ranking. He can also claim the top ranking if Nadal fails to defend his title.

Tomic was the youngest man to start in the men's draw this year, and is the youngest to reach the Wimbledon quarterfinals since Boris Becker defended his title in 1986.

Murray is trying to become the first British man to win the Wimbledon title since Fred Perry in 1936. And against Lopez, he was never really bothered.

He saved the two break points he faced, both in the third set, and finished off the match by winning the final game at love.

"I've played a little bit better every year I've come here," said Murray, who is in the semifinals for the third straight year. "I want to go further."

T.O.'s Career Could Come to Sad End (BLOG)

Chris Mortensen of ESPN was the first to report that receiver Terrell Owens(notes) may have had recent surgery for a torn ACL, a procedure that may keep him out of action for six months or more if true. Mortensen said that neither Owens nor agent Drew Rosenhaus were available for comment, but that the surgery was performed by noted surgeon James Andrews last month. ESPN asked Rosenhaus about the possibility of an Owens surgery last month, as well. The picture accompanying this post was taken on June 5 at Game 3 of the NBA Finals in Dallas, so take that for what it's worth on any timeline.

Two stories are coming out as to the source of the injury (if it's true) — one source told Mort that T.O. suffered the injury during a workout. We do know that he's been working hard at Athletes Performance in Los Angeles through most of the offseason, and he's always trained like a demon, no matter what his other issues may be. However, the more interesting possibility is that he tore his ACL while taping a reality show for VH1, where he's been a featured performer before, according to one ESPN source.

The 37-year-old Owens will be a free agent when the lockout ends, and he's said that he intends to play this season. One of the sources that spoke with Mortensen indicated that there was no other knee damage outside the ACL injury, and with serious rehab, Owens could be ready to play again in about six months.

We're still trying to muddle through all the speculation, but if Owens were ready to come back to a team near his 38th birthday on Dec. 7, teams might just advise him to wait it out until 2012. He's been productive in recent years for a number of teams (72 receptions for 983 yards and nine touchdowns for the Cincinnati Bengals in 2010), but this may be a serious setback. Owens' 2010 season ended early when he suffered a torn meniscus in his left knee against the Cleveland Browns in December. Dr. Andrews also performed that surgery, and the two injuries are not thought to be related.

In a larger sense, let's say that this signals the end of Owens' career, and the Hall of Fame discussions were to begin a bit down the road. Do you think Terrell Owens is a lock for the Hall of Fame on the merits of his career to date? Right now, he ranks fifth all time in receptions with 1,078 behind Jerry Rice, Marvin Harrison(notes), Cris Carter and Tim Brown(notes). Only Rice has more receiving yards than Owens' 15,934, and Owens is tied with Randy Moss(notes) for the second-most receiving touchdowns (153) behind Rice.

There are true greats and stat collectors — is Terrell Owens one or the other? Based on what he's done between the lines, would you vote him into the Hall?

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NBA Draft Pick Lies About his Age (BLOG)

The second round of Thursday night's NBA draft was full of obscure players from foreign leagues, but no one selected has as unknown a profile as Tanguy Ngombo(notes). A 6-6 forward from the Qatar League, Ngombo was virtually unknown by even the most committed draftniks until Jonathan Givony of DraftExpress.com tweeted about his potential selection by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the second round.

Sure enough, Givony was right -- Minnesota took Ngombo on Thursday night with the 58th overall pick. ESPN appeared to have ripped his highlight video straight from YouTube and his profile photo from Google Images, while analyst Fran Fraschilla compared him to Sidd Finch, a baseball phenom George Plimpton made up for a now-notorious April Fool's Day hoax in a 1985 issue of Sports Illustrated.

It turns out that Fraschilla was at least partially right: Ngombo exists, but his story doesn't check out. When the Wolves selected him Thursday night, they thought they were getting a 21-year-old golden nugget hidden from all other times. Instead, they found pyrite, because Ngombo is really 26 years old. Givony tweeted the truth on Friday afternoon:

Uh-oh, looks like our guy T'Wolves draft pick Tanguy Ngombo has been busted for lying about his age: http://bit.ly/kfxzqp (hat-tip @sJacas )

Here is a direct link to the FIBA website archive with Tanguy Ngombo 's profile and date of birth: http://bit.ly/lxStcJ

It looks like even Qatar is lising Tanguy Ngombo as being born in 1984: http://bit.ly/m5NXPI - I don't think there's any way around this now

NBA rules dictate that European players become automatically eligible for the league at 22 years old, at which point they become free agents unless a team already holds their rights through the draft. Since Ngombo had never been selected and his real age of 26 appears to have been a matter of public record, the selection should have never been allowed to happen and may be voided after the fact.

If the Wolves have a case to keep Ngombo's rights, it's that his NBA.com draft profile lists his year of birth as 1989. (The profile also gets his name wrong, but, in fairness, "Targuy" has been a common spelling since he entered the draftosphere on Monday.) The FIBA and Qatar links above look to be more official listings, so it looks as if the Wolves (and the NBA, to be sure) appear not to have done their due diligence. If they want Ngombo, they may have to sign him to a contract. Of course, it's also not entirely clear why any franchise would want a 26-year-old forward who plays in a low-level league in the Middle East. The only reason Minnesota should want to hold on to the pick is to avoid embarrassment. There's no reason that general manager David Kahn couldn't have done a rudimentary web search about Ngombo, and he deserves mockery for failing to carry out some basic research.

It's unclear if a case like this one has ever occurred in the NBA, but there is something of a precedent in the WNBA, as Kevin Pelton of Basketball Prospectus told me on Friday afternoon. In 2007, the Sacramento Monarchs took Charel Allen with the 36th pick even though she was set to return to Notre Dame for a fifth year and had not declared for the draft. Under league rules, she was declared ineligible, although the Monarchs did make her the Miss Irrelevant in 2008 when they chose her with the 43rd and final pick of the draft.

If that example serves as precedent, then the Wolves probably aren't going to end up with Ngombo. Given his advanced age and lack of reputation, they may be just fine with that. However, this mess will remain as a black mark on the resume of Kahn. Up until now, his most ridiculous accomplishment as an NBA GM was taking two point guards with back-to-back lottery picks in 2008. Failing to look into the full history of Tanguy Ngombo may be impossible to top.

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