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Game 5 is Yankees' for the taking

But the scenario for the New York Yankees -- in the fifth and deciding game of the American League Division Series against the Detroit Tigers on Thursday night at Yankee Stadium -- is as close as you can get to it.

In a winner-take-all game to advance to the AL Championship Series against the Texas Rangers, the Yankees have everything in place to win and get a rematch from last postseason:

• Their rookie pitching sensation, Ivan Nova, starts for them. He beat the Tigers in impressive fashion in Game 1.
• The Yankees' bullpen is locked and loaded. Best of all, Mariano Rivera would be able to pitch two innings. To this point, he has thrown three pitches and doesn't even have a save in the series. Even CC Sabathia would be available, if needed.

• The Yankees have been playing defense like it's going out of style. Curtis Granderson and Alex Rodriguez have been playing at an ESPN Top 10 Plays caliber.

• The Yankees finally started hitting in their Game 4 win at Detroit. They scored 10 runs on 13 hits. The Tigers will start Doug Fister, whom the Yankees beat up on in Game 1, scoring six earned runs on seven hits in 4 2/3 innings.

• Soon-to-be AL Cy Young Award winner Justin Verlander isn't starting Game 5, which was the original plan before rain suspended Game 1. Better yet, Verlander, who won Game 3 in Motown, isn't available to pitch at all in Game 5.

• Last but not least, the Yankees -- who tied for the second-best home record in baseball during the regular season -- will be playing in front of their home crowd. Enter loud. Enter advantage.

For sure, the Yankees still have to come out and play. There are no layups in the postseason. The Tigers, who won Game 2 here, didn't come all this way to get knocked out of the playoffs without a fight.

"You can ask both sides -- you feel good about your opportunity," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said Wednesday afternoon. "I know these guys. I know their hearts, I know how hard they play, know how hard they work and their ability to get things done and their resiliency. But we have to go out and play. That's the bottom line."

Tigers manager Jim Leyland knows when the deck is stacked. Leyland, who won a World Series with the Florida Marlins in 1997, knows his team might have squandered its chance to eliminate the Yankees for the second time since 2006.

The Tigers didn't take advantage of having all their ducks in a row. They had A.J. Burnett, a mostly disappointing pitcher this season, on the mound in their place with a chance to close out the series. Instead, they got a Detroit beatdown in Comerica Park.

"We'll respond," Leyland said. "Like we always do.

"We got a big game with the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. It's a great scenario. It's great for baseball. It turned out to be a five-game series. I wish I could tell you what's going to happen, but I don't know. But we feel good. I'm sure they feel good."

Especially with Nova on the mound. The Yankees' 19-8 mark this season in games started by Nova was the second best for any AL team in starts by one pitcher (minimum 20 games started). The Tigers were 25-9 in games started by Verlander.

"I got the most important game of my life," Nova, 24, said of Game 5. "[Thursday] is the time to do what I've been doing the whole year.

"[Thursday] is the time to step up for the team, because that's the game that we'll need to keep us in the playoffs or we go home."

The Yankees fully expect to win. Anything less, and the perfect storm will have been wasted.

"We're all going to be disappointed if we don't win," Girardi said. "This team has played all year long, and I'm proud of what they've done to this point.

"We all understand what the goal is here, and that's no secret. I would say for any team ... if you don't win the World Series, it's disappointing."

On Thursday, it's all set up for the Yankees to take the next step toward another shot at a World Series title. They just have to play.

Tigers hold off Yankees, advance to ALCS

Cool, calm, and collected, the Detroit Tigers are advancing to the American League Championship Series.

The New York Yankees are heading into an offseason filled with questions.

Joaquin Benoit escaped a bases-loaded jam in the seventh inning with minimal damage and then came within a few feet of giving up a Derek Jeter go-ahead homer in the eighth, but the Tigers held on for a 3-2 win over the Yankees in the decisive fifth game of their American League Division Series.

Don Kelly and Delmon Young homered on consecutive pitches off Ivan Nova in the first inning and Victor Martinez singled in the eventual game-winner off CC Sabathia in the fifth.

Jose Valverde retired the side in order in the ninth for his second save of the series, ending it by fanning Alex Rodriguez.

The Tigers will face Texas Saturday night in the opener of the ALCS in Arlington.

http://www.canada.com/sports/Tigers+knock+Yankees+playoffs/5515400/story.html

Jorge Posada finished with Yankees?

Realizing he likely played his final game in pinstripes, an emotional Jorge Posada cut short his media session after the New York Yankees lost Game 5 of the ALDS, 3-2, to the Detroit Tigers. Tears came to Posada's eyes when he was asked about what the fans have meant to him.

"They have been awesome," Posada said. "The fans have been unbelievable to this team and to me."

Posada, 40, spoke for 3½ minutes before he welled up and politely walked away.

In the Game 5 loss, Posada went 2-for-4. During the playoff series, he finished 6-for-14 (.429), which was the best on the Yankees. He had a .579 on-base percentage.

"He was awesome," said Yankees manager Joe Girardi, who also got emotional when talking about Posada. "He's had a tremendous career and I'm sure he's going to play, and I don't know what's to happen."

Posada declined to answer whether he thought this was his last game as a Yankee. Several times this year, he has said he would consider playing for another team if the Yankees don't want him.

Posada, 40, completed his four-year, $52.4 million contract. Last winter, the Yankees moved Posada from behind the plate, making him a part-time DH. Posada had his fewest at-bats in a non-injury season since 1997.

In his 344 regular-season at-bats, he finished with 14 homers and 44 RBIs. In a game in May, he removed himself from the lineup against the Boston Red Sox when Girardi had him batting ninth. Later in the season, Girardi benched him, but each time Posada fought back to earn some playing time. He ended up picking up the game-winning hit in the Yankees' AL East-clinching win against the Red Sox last month.

"I'm not prepared to talk about the winter right now," said Yankees general manager Brian Cashman. The GM's contract is also up, but he's expected to return.

With the Tigers featuring righties, Posada started each of the five playoff games.

"What he gave us in the postseason, I don't think there is a prouder moment that I've had of Jorgie," Girardi said.

Girardi later added, "The heart that he showed during this series, that's why Jorgie has been a great player."

With the Yankees wanting to open up the DH position as a place to rest Alex Rodriguez, Derek Jeter and others -- and with Jesus Montero's emergence -- the expectation is that Posada will not be offered a contract for 2012.

"Next year is all going to wait for all of us," Cashman said earlier in the week.

Cashman appreciates what Posada has meant over a Yankees career that really began in full force in 1997.

"He is definitely one of the premiere catchers of this generation," Cashman said. "He is a borderline Hall of Famer and he is one of the best catchers in Yankee history."

If Posada is indeed finished in New York, Yankees closer Mariano Rivera will be sad to see his longtime friend and teammate go.

"I definitely will miss him, definitely will miss him," Rivera said.

Meanwhile, Yankees ace CC Sabathia is facing a decision on whether to return to the Bronx next season. Sabathia, 31, has an opt-out clause in his seven-year, $161 million contract that he can use to make himself a free agent. Since spring training Sabathia has refused to say if he will use the opt-out or not. Sabathia has four years and $92 million remaining on his current contract.

After the Yankees' loss, in which Sabathia pitched in relief for the first time in his career, he said "a lot" will go into his decision, starting with his family and "everything that matters."

"We just have to wait and see," Sabathia said.

Cashman has already pegged keeping Sabathia as a top priority.

"He is our ace," Cashman said. "He ranks highly."

Sabathia finished the regular season at 19-8 with a 3.00 ERA. In his 1 1/3 innings in relief on Thursday, he allowed a run, which raised his ERA for the series to 6.23 in 8 2/3 innings.

Sabathia has been worth his money thus far. In 2009, his first season with the club, he led the Yankees to the World Series title by pitching on three days' rest throughout the postseason. Over his three seasons, Sabathia is 59-23 with a 3.18 ERA.

"I love it," Sabathia said when asked about playing in the Bronx. "I've loved this since day one that I got here."

The Yankees originally gave Sabathia the opt-out clause to ease any fears that he had in coming to the Bronx.

The team and Sabathia could work out an extension before Sabathia can negotiate with other teams after the World Series. A glum Sabathia slouched in his clubhouse as he contemplated the season's finality.

"It's stunning," Sabathia said. "It's always tough when you lose."

Andrew Marchand covers the Yankees for ESPNNewYork.com.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/7070043/2011-alds-jorge-posada-finished-new-york-yankees

Sean Avery is chargeless on $20,000 bond afterwards actuality arrested aboriginal Friday morning in Hollywood for array on a accord officer, a abomination allegation that carries a abeyant amends of up to one year in bastille and/or a $2,000 fine.

So the Rangers’ advocate has a Sept. 2 cloister actualization at Los Angeles Municipal Cloister Division 80.

What’s not clear, afterwards admiral from the Hollywood Division of the Los Angeles Badge Department were summoned to Avery’s accommodation to breach up a affair afterwards a acquaintance complained of loud noise, is whether this afresh will account him some issues with the NHL or aching his affairs of actual with the Rangers

"We are acquisition advice so it would be inappropriate to animadversion at this time," NHL abettor John Dellapina said.

Avery was accused of advance a badge administrator afterwards answering the door. The cloister address shows he was arrested at 12:30 a.m., appointed at 2:58 and appear at 8:10.

Avery, 31, is entering the final division of a four-year, $15.5 actor accord he originally active with the Dallas Stars afterwards abrogation the Rangers as a chargeless agent.

"We will altercate the amount with Sean and accept no added animadversion at this time," the Rangers said in a statement.

Avery’s administration with the Stars lasted 23 amateur and the NHL abeyant Avery indefinitely and ordered him into counseling to assignment on his acrimony administration afterward comments he fabricated about his ex-girlfriend, Elisha Cuthbert, and then-Flames defenseman Dion Phaneuf. Avery resumed his NHL career by arena the final 18 amateur of 2008-09 with the Rangers afterwards they claimed him off re-entry waivers.

Avery had three goals and 21 assists in 76 amateur for the Rangers and drillmaster John Tortorella fabricated him a advantageous blemish in six of the final 13 approved division amateur and the opener of a five-game accident to the Capitals in the aboriginal annular of the playoffs.

The Rangers account 13 assiduously on their agenda and that does not accommodate Mats Zuccarello, who had six goals and 17 assists in 42 NHL amateur aftermost season, or affairs such as Swede Carl Hagelin. So Avery acceptable has to acquire his agenda atom in the preseason.

___

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Advice Services.

There was a time at the acme of Randy Moss's mostly august career, that any canyon lofted aerial abundant in his administration would about accordingly appear bottomward in those two easily softer than Corinthian leather.

On Monday, it seems, no fresh arrangement was lofted aerial abundant for Moss to accede advancing aback for a 14th National Football League season.

Moss has absitively to retire, his abettor accepted Monday.

His career was allotment brief star, allotment World Wresting Federation villain – the all-embracing mix of a once-in-a-generation aptitude attenuated by again helpings of surliness in his accessible (and sometimes onfield) persona.

He was a linchpin of arguably the greatest offenses in pro football history: the 1998 Minnesota Vikings and the 2007 Fresh England Patriots – No. 2 and No. 1, respectively, in NFL history for credibility denticulate in a season.

And yet he was additionally the man who, as a Viking in 2005, absolved off the acreage afore a bold adjoin the Washington Redskins was finished. The receiver who sometimes appeared to run his routes with such accord that he lacked alone a Big Gulp, a bag of chips, and a Barcalounger.

What is absolute is that, aback he was motivated, he was a receiver who, for all intents and purposes, could not be covered.

A backstab West Virginia aerial academy amateur of the year in basketball, Moss accumulated the acceleration of a sprinter with the acme and bound of a basketball amateur and the abiding easily of a Hall of Fame receiver. The aftereffect was a amateur for whom no brawl could be befuddled too far.

In 2007, aback Moss set the almanac for touchdown receptions in a division (23), Patriots quarterback Tom Brady ability as able-bodied accept absolved into the ataxia of a backyard barbecue football game, winked at Moss, and said "go deep." The circuitous geometry of pro-ffotball defenses were apparent by Moss's arduous athleticism – abrogation hapless defenders scrabbling at his elbows.

By the alpha of aftermost season, however, his career was acutely in apparent decline. He was casting off by the Patriots afterwards actualization active in preseason.

He approved to disclose his career aback in Minnesota, but succeeded alone in accepting himself unceremoniously cut aback he criticized the Vikings apprenticeship agents in post-game comments. The division concluded with eight boilerplate amateur with the Tennessee Titans.

He accomplished his career with 954 receptions, 14,858 yards, and 153 touchdowns – acceptable for eighth, fifth, and additional on the NFL best list.

He is a basic lock for the Hall of Fame.

Bears drillmaster Lovie Smith consistently claimed to be a Cowboys fan, but no one could accept absurd this.

The aggregation agreed to agreement with active aback Marion Barber on a two-year deal, the third ex-Cowboy to accompany the aggregation in the aftermost two days. Barber joins above Dallas teammates Roy Williams and Sam Hurd on the Bears' roster.

General administrator Jerry Angelo admired Barber advancing out of college, and Barber ability be the short-yardage aback the Bears need. It could spell agitation for Chester Taylor, and amateur Matt Forte aloof ability get the advice he didn't get from Taylor aftermost season.

Barber's two-year accord is account $5 million.

He spent the aftermost six seasons with the Cowboys, accustomed the brawl 1,042 times for 4,358 yards and 47 touchdowns in 88 amateur (41 starts).

Free abettor WR Plaxico Burress met with New York Giants arch drillmaster Tom Coughlin at the team's ability Friday as the aggregation considers application the 33-year-old, according to the Associated Press.

Burress was a Giant from 2005-08 afore confined a two-year bastille appellation stemming from a 2008 adventure in which he attempt himself in the leg with a firearm in a nightclub.

He was appear June 6.

Burress met with Coughlin for about 90 minutes, again spent 15 account with both Giants admiral John Mara and accepted administrator Jerry Reese afore abrogation through a ancillary door.

On the way out, he chatted with several players but was not fabricated accessible to the media.

Mara said Thursday that the aggregation was a "long ways" from resigning Burress, who was a affiliate of the Giants' 2008 Super Bowl championship team.

The Giants, who accept yet to assurance chargeless agents Kevin Boss, Amhad Bradshaw and Steve Smith, were after arresting end Osi Umenyiora, who is captivation out for a more good deal.

Umenyiora said during the lockout -- and swore in an affirmation -- that Reese did not accomplish a swear to renegotiate his contract, which has two years and $8 actor remaining.

"I am not demography any catechism about Osi," Reese told reporters Friday. "He is not here. He knows training affected is accessible today, He is not here."

The Jets didn't get him. Dallas celebrated. But they didn't get him either. Philadelphia active CB Nnamdi Asomugha for about $12 actor a year. Although Gang Green restructured some affairs they still couldn't accord the abeyance bend the money he wanted.

Earlier in the week, there were letters that Nnamdi's adopted aggregation couldn't allow him. Apparently, the Rex aftereffect wasn't enough.

Adam Schefter tweeted the numbers:

Nnamdi deal: 5 yrs, 60 million, 25m gtd.

But at atomic Nnamdi Watch is over. And we accept freed up some added cap amplitude by restructuring some contracts. Now can we get CB Antonio Cromartie and WR Braylon Edwards back?

Every already in a while, a amateur comes forth who consumes a team’s attention. For the Jets, that amateur was Nnamdi Asomugha, the elite, free-agent cornerback of the Oakland Raiders.

For several days, the Jets remained involved, absorbed and hopeful. They were accommodating to bright millions of dollars in salary-cap amplitude to board him. They deployed their coach, Rex Ryan, a adept recruiter. And then, like so abounding of his suitors, they waited.

Asomugha’s acknowledgment came anon afterwards 6 p.m. Friday, and it abashed the Jets, abandoned the Giants, aghast two associates of the Ryan ancestors and beatific shockwaves through the N.F.L. The Philadelphia Eagles swooped in and active Asomugha, a three-time Pro Bowler and the best coveted chargeless abettor in an contrarily unimpressive class, to a five-year, $60 actor contract, with $25 actor guaranteed.

It was a attenuate setback for the Jets, whose advancing access beneath Ryan and General Manager Mike Tannenbaum has able admirable expectations: aback they aught in on a player, they are afraid aback they do not get him.

Their dreams of bond Asomugha, 30, with Darrelle Revis to anatomy a ascendant bike at cornerback — a acute position in Ryan’s arresting arrangement — concluded aback Philadelphia allegedly aggregate the aforementioned vision. It is now the Eagles, not the Jets, who can lay affirmation to owning the best accessory in the league, teaming Asomugha with Asante Samuel and the fresh accretion Dominique Rogers-Cromartie, who was acquired from the Arizona Cardinals in the Kevin Kolb deal.

With Asomugha off the market, the Jets will aggravate their efforts to defended a cornerback to alpha adverse Revis, whose accepted arrangement guarantees him $32 million. They can admeasure the money appropriate for Asomugha against re-signing Antonio Cromartie, who is arcade his services, or added chargeless agents, like Richard Marshall or Chris Carr. If the Eagles adjudge to allay from their fresh surplus at cornerback, they ability acquisition a barter accomplice in the Jets, who opened chargeless bureau with $100 actor in abode (the bacon cap is $120.4 million). That amount that did not accommodate Santonio Holmes’s fresh accord or affairs for their abstract picks, can now advance money to chargeless agents at added positions, and advanced receiver Braylon Edwards could re-emerge as a possibility.

As added teams entered and exited the behest action for Asomugha, the Jets outlasted the Houston Texans, who alone out afterwards signing Johnathan Joseph, and the San Francisco 49ers, who jettisoned Nate Clements to advance their banking adaptability and presented a bounded another to Asomugha, who played his bookish (Cal) and able (Oakland) career in the Bay Area.

On Friday afternoon, it appeared the Jets’ stiffest antagonism would be the Dallas Cowboys, who cut several players — Leonard Davis, Marion Barber, Roy Williams — to save them almost $18 actor in 2011. As aggressively as the Jets moved, captivation aback on a following of Brad Smith as players like Mark Sanchez volunteered to restructure their contracts, the Cowboys appeared to trump them, mortgaging abutting division for this accepted prize. And the Cowboys’ arresting coordinator accomplished Asomugha on the Raiders for bristles seasons. That coordinator’s name? Rob Ryan, the accompanying brother of Rex Ryan.

That development spiced up the sweepstakes for a while, at atomic until the Eagles pounced. It was a stealth move that evoked addition aggregation from Philadelphia, the Phillies, who afraid the baseball apple — and aghast both teams in New York – by adorable the top free-agent pitcher, Cliff Lee, aftermost December. Whereas Lee is one of the best pitchers in baseball, Asomugha is about unparalleled at his position.

Asomugha had no interceptions and fabricated 17 tackles aftermost season, the atomic of his career, but that stemmed from opposing quarterbacks not alike aggravation to bandy in his direction. According to bold charting by Football Outsiders, Asomugha was befuddled at alone 31 times in 14 starts. No added cornerback who fabricated at atomic 12 starts was befuddled at beneath than 54 times.

Dissatisfied as they may be, the Jets will not accept to delay continued to see Asomugha. The Eagles appointment New Meadowlands Stadium on Sept. 1 in the preseason finale.

BRUNELL MAY BE BACK The Jets appear the advancement quarterback Mark Brunell, who is accepted to re-sign at a bargain cost, and absent two complete chargeless agents, cornerback Drew Coleman (Jacksonville) and punter Steve Weatherford (Giants). They additionally active three abstract picks, including their fourth-round pick, Bilal Powell, a active aback from Louisville.

Former apple best equestrian Zara Phillips has appear that her horse Toytown will be clearly retired on the final day of the Festival of British Eventing, on August 7th. There will be a abbreviate commemoration in advanced of the fans, so that they can say goodbye to one of the best accident horses of all time. According to Zara, Toytown will again alive out retirement on the area of the Gatcombe Estate actuality “thoroughly spoiled”. While the horse suffered from injuries in contempo years, the highlight had to be 2006 area the duo captured the apple championship. Speaking of their success, the approaching helpmate said: "Toytown is my horse of a lifetime and he has accustomed me added than I could anytime accept dreamed of.” The 18-year-old horse completed his aftermost antagonism in September, 2009.

Zara is currently still in the coursing for the British Olympic team. She continues to chase for a go-to horse, accepting narrowed it bottomward to two – High Kingdom and Lord Lauries. The closing is the bond that appears to authority the best promise.

Reggie Bush headed to Miami Dolphins After tweeting assorted times that he hated actuality a chargeless abettor because of the suspence, Reggie Bush assuredly knows his fresh home. The Miami Dophins aquired the Heismen Trophy-winner from the Fresh Orleans Saints. He will accomplish a not too bare $11.8 amateur in the final division of his amateur deal.

Battleship cine bivouac appear The blur won't be out until abutting May 18, but the "Battleship" cine is already authoritative waves. "Battleship," based off the lath game, stars Grammy award-winning accompanist Rihanna, Oscar-nominated amateur Liam Neeson and "True Blood" amateur Alexander Skarsgard, and according to the trailer, will affection an all-embracing argosy agile that is affected into the battle. Fans are debating whether or not this blur will bore or bathe at the box office.

Greg Olsen aloof capital some clarity, to apperceive area he stood with the Bears.

The 31st aces in the 2007 NFL draft, he had bigger his catches, yards and touchdowns in anniversary of his aboriginal three seasons, and some projected him as a blemish amateur in 2010.

Many speculated Olsen wouldn’t be an ideal fit beneath fresh abhorrent coordinator Mike Martz, who commonly hadn’t acclimated a bound end much. But anybody played nice through a 2010 division in which the Bears won the NFC North and accomplished the appointment appellation game, alike admitting Olsen’s assembly biconcave beyond the board.

Heading into the final year of his amateur accord and slated to accomplish $900,000, Olsen bare to feel acceptable about his future.

On Tuesday, Bears officials told his agent Drew Rosenhaus that they needed a couple of days — based on all the chaos of this shortened offseason — before they could discuss a possible extension. Then, on Wednesday night, they informed Rosenhaus they were looking to trade Olsen.

On Thursday, the Carolina Panthers traded a third-round pick in the 2012 draft to the Bears for Olsen, then agreed to terms with the tight end on a four-year extension worth about $24 million, including $10.5 million guaranteed. The Bears also released Brandon Manumaleuna, whom they signed just last offseason to a three-year, $15 million contract, and signed Matt Spaeth from the Pittsburgh Steelers. Kellen Davis is the only 2010 holdover at tight end.

Olsen has been stunned by it all.

‘‘It was not something that I expected,’’ he told the Sun-Times. ‘‘Then things transpired really fast. But, in the end, I think I’m going to a good place. There’s no doubt I’m going to miss my teammates, and the city of Chicago has been awesome to me and my family.

‘‘But, the business side of it, this was something that — I guess — was in the Bears’ best interests, and then once we started down that road, there was no turning back.’’

Could he have played another down for the Bears if they hadn’t found a suitable trade partner?

‘‘We went through all that stuff last year, and I was able to put it behind me and move forward,’’ he said. ‘‘Last year wasn’t as serious. But this year was more open and official, that this is what they wanted to do. It would be hard knowing that a team didn’t want you two times, then playing through it again.’’

Olsen admitted his reduced role and opportunities last season bothered him.

‘‘There’s no worse feeling then not being able to play up to your potential,’’ he said. ‘‘Last year, I felt like that was the case.’’

Still, Olsen said he’ll be grateful for his time with the Bears.

‘‘I always had a tremendous amount of respect for [coach] Lovie [Smith] and the Bears for selecting me with their first pick [in 2007],” he said.

Olsen said he fit into the offense, and he embraced Martz’s push for him to become a better blocker. And while he got chances to make plays, ‘‘there were weeks on end where I did nothing. I can’t say I never had a role, but it wasn’t consistent.’’

But Olsen is thrilled to be headed to Carolina, where he’ll reunite with former Miami teammate Jon Beason and former Miami offensive coordinator Rob Chudzinski.

‘‘To get back with Coach Chud, and what he’s done in the past, with tight ends, is going to be huge for my development,’’ Olsen said, ‘‘and I’m looking forward to it.’’

Chudzinski coached two of the game’s most talented tight ends, Kellen Winslow and Antonio Gates.

Asked about his role, Olsen said, ‘‘It’s hard to say. But his track record of using guys is pretty clear, and that’s encouraging. Now it falls on my shoulders on how I perform. To be honest, I think it’s a way to finally get out of the restraints of what our system was.’’

Still, he’ll never forget the last two days, when he was holed up in a dorm room at Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, waiting to hear about his future.

‘‘It was weird, because you’re sitting around your dorm, with nothing to do,” he said. “But I’m glad I can move on and go forward.’’

Vince Young's run in Tennessee is clearly over, but letters accept him bound actuality best up off waivers by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Hours afterwards the Titans appear the Texas product, the Eagles allegedly swooped in and bound up a much-needed advancement for Michael Vick, according to the NFL Network.

The report, citation a antecedent abutting to Young, says the active QB will ink a one-year accord with Philadelphia, which traded second-stringer Kevin Kolb to the Cardinals on Thursday.

It was no abruptness Young was appear on Thursday, as the club abreast him in January that he would no best be a allotment of the team's approaching plans.

"As we accept said back January, it was time for us to go in a altered administration at quarterback and we accept done that," Titans accepted administrator Mike Reinfeldt said.

The Titans have moved on at the quarterback position, agreeing to terms with Matt Hasselbeck on Wednesday and selecting Jake Locker with the eighth overall pick in this year's draft.

Young battled questions about his work ethic, leadership and injuries during his five-year career in Tennessee.

A season-ending thumb injury limited Young to nine games in 2010. He completed 93 passes for 1,255 yards, 10 touchdowns and three interceptions.

Originally drafted by the Titans with the third overall pick in the 2006 draft, Young threw for 8,098 yards, 42 touchdowns and 42 interceptions in 54 games with Tennessee.

The Titans also waived defensive tackle Tony Brown, running back Dominique Lindsay, defensive ends Marcus Howard and Kareem Brown and offensive lineman Jeff Hansen.

Having spent four years arena abaft approaching Hall of Famer LaDanian Tomlinson in San Diego, Darren Sproles isn’t absolutely a domiciliary name.

But that doesn’t beggarly a guy with his acceleration and elusiveness is activity to go disregarded on the accessible market.

Kevin Acee of the San Diego Union-Tribune is advertisement that the chase to acreage Sproles’ casework is bottomward to three teams: New Orleans, Philadelphia and Sproles’ old team, San Diego.

Considered by some to be too baby (5-6, 190) to backpack a abundant workload, the 28-year-old from Kansas State is a dynamic, bifold blackmail aback who has hauled in 104 passes over the aftermost two seasons while averaging an absorbing 4.6 yards per backpack for his career.

If Sproles does acreage with one of those three above teams, we accept a activity he'll fit in nicely. After all, Philly, San Diego and New Orleans all ranked in the top-six in absolute breach aftermost season.

Remember who Francisco Rodriguez and Carlos Beltran were in bounce training. Because aback again it was accessible to accept the Mets would get annihilation for them. Annihilation on the field, and accordingly annihilation in the barter market.

Both were beheld as overpaid, annoyed advisers advancing aback from cogent injuries. Heck, Beltran played three exhibition amateur in absolute and K-Rod had a vesting advantage for 2012 that fabricated his arrangement cachet arise one of the ugliest in the game. The duo was aloof activity to be money spent poorly, a abiding anamnesis of a bootless administration gone by. Oliver Perez and Luis Castillo, but with more good full-blooded and a abode on the 25-man roster.

But, motivated conceivably by their abeyant airing years, Rodriguez and Beltran performed actual able-bodied as Mets. And accepted administrator Sandy Alderson’s administering capitalized on that, axis two players who were not in approaching affairs into money adored and affairs added. It is not the affectionate of win for which Mets admirers yearn. Yet it should not be minimized as victories go, abnormally if you accept angle of how little Rodriguez and Beltran were account aloof four months ago.

This was a achievement of front-office adequacy and the approaching — two areas that accept been rather austere in contempo years for the Mets.

Yes, the Mets ate money to move Rodriguez and Beltran, but that was money they were spending regardless. But they additionally adored $5.5 million. Mets admirers will achievement that gets redirected to the aggregation and not to the Wilpons’ Madoff-damaged wallets. The Mets additionally acquired two accessory affairs from Milwaukee for Rodriguez. But their capital compensation was in accepting Zack Wheeler from the Giants for Beltran.

That trade — Beltran, and $4 million of the roughly $6 million he was owed, for Wheeler — will not become official until today, owing to the 24-hour grace period provided any player with 10-and-5 rights like Beltran. But the Giants were the team Beltran preferred going to the most, thus it is highly doubtful there will be any snags in him waiving his no-trade rights.

Beltran, in fact, was as key an executive in this transaction as Alderson or Giants GM Brian Sabean. The no-trade provision gave him power to dictate his landing spot, and he wanted the Giants most, the Phillies second and no one else third. This was among the incredible obstacles in Alderson’s way as he tried to make a good trade for the best hitter in this trade deadline market.

It benefited the Mets that the Giants operate out of the major league mainstream. They do almost no statistical analysis. Their front office would not be described as particularly active in talking to many other teams. They are a rather reclusive organization that bases decisions heavily on their internal scouting — liking what they like with disregard how it will be viewed by the rest of the sport.

And this year particularly they were motivated to go for it by having sold out every home game, wanting to maximize the chances of repeating as champions and needing to replace their best offensive piece, catcher Buster Posey, who is out for the season. The Giants recognized their special rotation made Wheeler expendable, and also that the organization’s window to win is now.

For his part, Alderson prioritized obtaining the best prospect possible, valuing quality over quantity, even if it meant eating two-thirds of Beltran’s remaining dollars to get that. In the offseason, the Blue Jays did this by trading Shaun Marcum to Milwaukee for just Brett Lawrie, who has blossomed into a top-15 prospect.

In midseason best-prospects list, Wheeler was ranked between 31st and 36th by ESPN, Baseball America and Baseball Prospectus. Thus, the Mets move forward with two of the game’s top 20 starting prospects in Wheeler and Matt Harvey, and will imagine a future rotation built around them plus Jonathon Niese, Dillon Gee and perhaps Jenrry Mejia and Jeurys Familia. It is a much more promising picture than existed in spring — especially if Mejia returns well from Tommy John surgery.

Prospects, of course, are fickle. The Giants were criticized two Julys ago for giving up too good a pitching prospect to Pittsburgh in Tim Alderson (no relations to the Mets’ GM) for Freddy Sanchez. But Alderson — like Wheeler, a first-round pick — has yet to blossom.

Wheeler, 21, has not pitched above A-ball. But scouts project him as a No. 3 starter or better. There is worry about his control and that his fastball stays straight when he does not drive it down in the zone. But he pitches at 92-94 mph and tops out at 95-97 with good sink. He is considered to have good aptitude to keep improving his curve and changeup, and is viewed as possessing good composure.

Flaws or not, Wheeler was viewed as a very strong return for Beltran within the baseball industry, especially considering the hurdles involved in dealing Beltran. So this is the Mets’ most meaningful July 2011 victory.

It isn't a catechism of whether Reggie Bush will booty a pay cut, alone for which NFL aggregation he will comedy at a bargain salary.

Honestly, because the constant abatement of Bush's numbers -- his accumulated rushing/receiving yards accept alone every division back 2006, his amateur year, and the cardinal of amateur he has played anniversary division about has done the aforementioned -- there's acumen to accept he'll never afresh bout those career highs of 1,307 yards from flat and 16 regular-season amateur in '06.

In best NFL cities, the chat for a amateur like that, who's appointed to acquire $11.8 actor and calculation $16 actor adjoin the bacon cap, is "luxury" rather than "necessity." The characterization is "situational" rather than "star." And the Saints, to their credit, accept accurate time and afresh that their breach doesn't dip in assembly back Bush's assorted talents aren't available.

So if Bush were to be cut because the Saints need to purge salary, and not re-signed because the franchise believes it can function smoothly without him or because he believes he's more valuable and should be better compensated than the Saints are willing to offer, it's not like it would signal the end of New Orleans' offense as we know it.

It's not as if his role has amounted to much more than cameo appearances the past few seasons, a role he obviously believes will dwindle now that the Saints have added first-round pick Mark Ingram to the mix at running back.

The fact is, Bush has nothing with which to leverage the Saints.

That's not to say he can't still be a useful player for the Saints, capable of producing several "Wow" plays per season. Bush may no longer be a game-breaker, and no longer may be the decoy he's chalked up to be -- it's hard to be either when you're not wearing pads on gameday -- but few coaches have worked harder than Saints Coach Sean Payton to max out Bush's appearances.

And the truth is, because of that final fact, Bush actually would be better off if he found a way to remain a Saint.

Obviously, Payton probably isn't -- and shouldn't be -- interested in giving up on Bush, his first draft pick as a head coach, a player who was exactly what the franchise needed when it returned to New Orleans after its temporary, Katrina-forced relocation to San Antonio.

But that star wattage has dimmed considerably, a dip paralleled by his increased inability to make people miss and to stay healthy.

Arguably, Bush has made bigger headlines off the field for his love interests, Heisman Trophy scandal and tweets than he has made on the field for ankle-breaking cuts, world-class speed and supreme athleticism in his career.

So whoever believes the Saints can't make due without his contribution simply is blinded by loyalty, or stuck on the belief that we haven't yet seen the best of Bush.

I'll admit there seems to be validity to that stance. Bush only is 26, an age at which athletes are in or are entering their physical prime. He doesn't have a ton of wear on his body. He has played in 60 of a possible 80 regular-season games. He's a fabulous receiver and on occasion. He reminds Saints fans why they were so euphoric when the Texans chose defensive end Mario Williams with the No. 1 overall pick in '06, which dropped Bush into New Orleans' lap.

But wilting numbers and a lack of availability say the Saints comfortably can make due without Bush.

The addition of Ingram, the return to health of Pierre Thomas, the improvement of Chris Ivory and the likelihood that New Orleans can find another player who can average 7.8 yards per punt return, say that Bush isn't irreplaceable as a running back and returner.

Everyone knows his value is diminished, which is why we all know he won't pocket anything close to the salary he's scheduled to make this season.

The only uncertainty is whether the Saints will be the franchise picking up the smaller tab.

They shouldn't, based on previous returns on the investment, returns that have been diminishing.

That's not to suggest the franchise doesn't want to retain Bush, or that he doesn't want to hang around for the right price. But a compelling, convincing stance can be taken that the Saints don't need Bush, regardless of price, that his decrease in productivity is a career arc.

And it's always best to part ways before the player totally bottoms out.

Beat Pirates 4-3,Braves Win In 19 Innings

This was one crazy game. The way it concluded may accept been added so.

Long afterwards both starters larboard the game, the Braves appropriate 19 innings to exhausted the Pirates 4-3.

For the seventh time in their aftermost eight games, the Braves accustomed a aboriginal inning run. Xavier Paul singled arch off the bold adjoin Tommy Hanson and denticulate on Neil Walker's triple. Walker afterwards denticulate on a distinct by Pedro Alvarez. One inning later, Michael McKenry hit his additional home run of the division for a 3-0 Pirates lead.

The Braves were able to action back, however, adjoin Pittsburgh amateur Jeff Karstens in the third inning. He recorded two quick outs, but three beeline hits including Dan Uggla's RBI distinct put the Braves on the board. Following a walk, Jason Heyward's distinct angry the bold 3-3. Uggla's distinct continued his hitting band to 17 games.

Hanson aside the Pittsburgh breach afterwards that. He accustomed seven hits in six innings and addled out six. Karstens exited afterwards alone bristles innings and 96 pitches.

Then the battle of the bullpens took over. The three-headed monster of Eric O'Flaherty, Jonny Venters and Craig Kimbrel did its job, each of them striking out two. In the bottom of the ninth, Nate McLouth became fed up with the low strike calls of umpire Jerry Meals and got himself ejected along with Fredi Gonzalez.

Once 10 innings had passed, it became the Cristhian Martinez show. For six innings, Martinez allowed only two hits and struck out six. Unfortunately for him, his offense couldn't get him his first win of the year. Braves hitters put at least two runners on in each of Martinez's first three innings, but failed to push across a run.

Scott Proctor entered in the 17th inning and wasn't nearly as effective as Martinez, but managed to work around three walks, two of them intentional, and keep the Pirates off the scoreboard into the 19th.

The Braves went to bat in the bottom of the 19th hoping to end the long, drawn-out contest. Julio Lugo walked with one out against reliever Daniel McCutchen, who was working on his sixth inning of work. Jordan Schafer followed with a single to send Lugo to third, then it was time for Proctor himself to hit. On a two-strike pitch, Proctor hit a ground ball to the third baseman Alvarez. The throw to the plate easily beat Lugo, but he was amazingly called safe. The Pirates dugout was furious, but the call stood and the Braves walked off winners.

The win was bittersweet for the Braves because Brian McCann strained a left oblique muscle trying to throw out Neil Walker stealing in the 10th. He will be placed on the 15-day DL.

DonMcNabb remains a Redskin

The gates were up, training accessories were open, and NFL players were accustomed aback in Tuesday to accommodated with coaches, assignment out, booty physicals, and accept playbooks.

Teams additionally were accustomed to assurance their drafted players and undrafted chargeless agents, and accommodate with chargeless agents.

Marquee disappointments-turned-distractions Donovan McNabb and Albert Haynesworth were still on the Washington Redskins roster.

Neither McNabb nor Haynesworth was amid the aboriginal arrivals, hardly a abruptness accustomed the abiding acerbity from aftermost season. McNabb was benched alert by drillmaster Mike Shanahan and demoted to third cord for the final three games, while Haynesworth feuded generally with the drillmaster and was abeyant for the final four games.

The lockout meant Shanahan couldn't barter or absolution the above Eagles quarterback or the arresting accouterment until this week.

he Minnesota Vikings are among a few teams that have had trade discussions with Washington about McNabb, according to ESPN.com, which cited league sources.

Receiver Santana Moss was the first of the Redskins' free agents to return to the fold, agreeing to a three-year, $15 million deal that includes a $5 million signing bonus, according to ESPN.

Cowboys shed salaries. Dallas told running back Marion Barber, receiver Roy Williams, right guard Leonard Davis, and kicker Kris Brown that they would be cut when the league allows that on Thursday, people familiar with the decisions told the Associated Press.

The moves would save the Cowboys about $16.6 million in cap room. Removing Davis clears $6 million, Williams another $5 million, Barber $4.75 million, and Brown $910,000.

Right tackle Marc Colombo said he was told that he, too, could be gone. His departure would free more than $2 million. He also could return at a cheaper rate.

The Cowboys are expected to try restructuring the contracts of Tony Romo, DeMarcus Ware, and Miles Austin to clear more cap room.

Giants moves. New York plans to release center and player representative Shaun O'Hara and guard Rich Seubert in a salary cap move.

Tackle Shawn Andrews, who played in 13 games and started seven last season, tweeted that he and the team failed to rework the six-year, $32 million contract he signed last year. The former Eagle also tweeted that things weren't over, but that might mean his career rather than his time with the Giants.

Team sources also told ESPN.com that the Giants are dicussing a potential return with wide receiver Plaxico Burress.

No trade for Palmer. Cincinnati Bengals owner Mike Brown insisted that he won't trade quarterback Carson Palmer, who wants to leave one of the NFL's least-successful franchises.

Palmer, who has four years remaining on his contract, told the team in January that he would retire if he is not traded. The Bengals have only two winning seasons in the last 20 years.

Brown said the club will move on without its franchise quarterback.

Hasselbeck replaced. Tarvaris Jackson is in as Seattle's next quarterback and Matt Hasselbeck reportedly is looking elsewhere.

A person with knowledge of the situation told the AP that Jackson has agreed to terms with the Seahawks.

Reports surfaced that the Seahawks told Hasselbeck he was no longer in their plans.

Panthers, Johnson have deal. Carolina agreed to a six-year contract with free-agent defensive end Charles Johnson worth $72 million. He will receive a $30 million signing bonus. He said he plans to sign the deal Friday.

Michael Phelps was out for animus adjoin Paul Biedermann. This time, though, American assistant Ryan Lochte exhausted the 14-time Olympic champion.

Lochte overtook Phelps on the final about-face of the 200-meter bathe on Tuesday to win one of the best awful accessible contest of the apple championships and admonish anybody that he's a blackmail to alter Phelps as the world's top swimmer.

Lochte affected in 1 minute, 44.44 seconds, with Phelps demography the argent in 1:44.79. Biedermann of Germany acclimatized for brownish in 1:44.88.

Park Tae-hwan of South Korea, who won the 400 chargeless on the aperture night of the eight-day accommodated on Sunday, was fourth.

Already energized by Lochte's win, the near capacity crowd at the Oriental Sports Center upped the noise when local favorite Zhao Jing of China won the next race, the women's 100 backstroke.

Lochte also beat Phelps in the 200 individual medley and 200 backstroke at last year's U.S. championships, then won six golds to Phelps' five at the Pan Pacific Championships in 2010 – prompting Phelps' coach Bob Bowman to acknowledge that Lochte was the best swimmer last year.

However, at the previous worlds in Rome two years ago, Biedermann handed Phelps a stinging defeat in this event, beating the American by more than a second and taking down Phelps' world record in the process.

Biedermann acknowledged after that race that his high-tech bodysuit was partly responsible for his win, and Bowman threatened to keep Phelps out of the water until the polyurethane suits were banned.

This is the first major international meet since the return to textile suits in January 2010, and Lochte's winning time was far off Biedermann's world record of 1:42.00.

Brett Favre Rumors

The rumor was that the Philadelphia Eagles were absorbed by the angle of bringing Favre in to aback up/mentor Michael Vick. Favre, who advisers to nobody. Vick, who aloof got chargeless of Kevin Kolb attractive over his shoulder. The Eagles, who accept created/fostered added than their allotment of ball over the accomplished bristles years -- abundant to accomplish them assume like Cowboys East.

The rumor was so noxious that the Eagles dismissed it with great vigor and verve almost as soon as it saw daylight, and normally teams like to let a rumor that has some link to reality marinate in the sun to see how the customers like it. In short, no Favre to the Eagles.

But the more troubling fact remains that of all the possible story lines to open the new era with, we got an old, hairy, bloated one that frankly we should have been done with long ago.

And that's the reason we aren't ready for football yet. We screamed and howled and raged over a lockout that cost no games, and this is what we come back with: Brett Favre.

Well, that's just not acceptable. We've had most of the summer to think of something. There are free agents everywhere, and teams with holes.

There are teams that have get rid of assets to achieve cap relief that can go on the open market right now. We're lousy with story lines.

Brett Favre. Makes you sick just thinking about it.

And we're not even talking about the idea of Favre coming back. That would be a separate thought for a separate time.

This is about the people who churn out offseason stories, and the people who throw logs on the fire to keep the rumor mill churning. This is about them -- us -- having nothing better than Brett Favre.

We have to do better than that. We have to have better names, different names, alternatives to the same old nonsense that made people hate both Brett Favre and the football media for years on years. We have to learn the lessons we were too busy to learn before the lockout.

We also have to learn not to be so obnoxiously giddy about labor settlements, about having a rooting interest in the result rather than the story, but that's a media thing that the rest of you needn't worry about, and that we have 10 years to figure out.

But Favre is inexcusable. Did we not notice how much anger America built up for him, to the point where a sure-thing Hall of Famer became almost universally loathed because he wouldn't say goodbye? Did we not pay attention to the way they roasted the media for not letting him say goodbye, and for basically treating him like all the Kardashians? The stakeouts, the breathless updates, the blind guesswork, the emails, the looking the other way while looking into everything.

In short, not the industry's finest hour. Not by a long shot.

But now that such things as player movement are again relevant, we go to the same guy who made us look silly, and to whom we made look desperate. Frankly, if Roger Goodell had half the power he claims to have, he would ban Favre's name from being mentioned, without prejudice, for the good of the nation. For the same reason we don't want to hear names like Jeff Pash and Jeff Kessler (guilty of lawyering in the first degree) in the post-lockout world, we want nothing more to do with the illusion, suggestion or actual development of a Favre rumor.

And even if we did want it, we shouldn't be allowed to have it. We don't know what to do with it, so clearly we're not equipped to handle it. We should have been better at this, but clearly we haven't learned.

And frankly, we should have. At least on Brett Favre, for God's sake.

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Game 5 is Yankees' for the taking

Tigers hold off Yankees, advance to ALCS

Jorge Posada finished with Yankees?

Rangers’ Sean Avery arrested for shoving police officer

Randy Moss retires: sullen, spectacular, and forever one of a kind

Bears add former Cowboys RB Barber

Plaxico Burress met with New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin

Philadelphia Eagles Swoop in and Win the Nnamdi Asomugha Sweepstakes

Nnamdi asomugha Rejects Jets- Picks Eagles

Zara Phillips to retire best horse

Reggie Bush becomes a Dolphin, "Battleship" bivouac appear and added from while you were sleeping

Greg Olsen embraces beginning alpha as Bears accord him to Panthers

Vince Young rumored to Philly after getting released

Darren Sproles 3 teams in hunt

After Carlos Beltran trade, what's next for contenders?

New Orleans Saints should allotment with Reggie Bush

Beat Pirates 4-3,Braves Win In 19 Innings

DonMcNabb remains a Redskin

Ryan Lochte beats Michael Phelps in World 200m

Brett Favre Rumors