WHERE WILL DOC LAND?- JAYS AND HALLADAY SET TO PART WAYS

GO TO THE STORIES SECTION AND CHECK OUT MY NEW ARTICLE. THERE ARE BIG CHANGES GOING ON THIS OFF-SEASON FOR THE BLUE JAYS. IT HAS BECOME CLEAR THAT ROY HALLADAY IS ON HIS WAY OUT OF TORONTO. READ THE STORY TO GET MY TAKE AND FIND OUT WHERE HALLADAY MAY LAND AND WHAT THE JAYS CAN GET IN RETURN!!! CLICK THE LINK FOR THE STORY!!!

LATE BREAKING NEWS: IVERSON RETIRES

Just want to start off by apologizing to all the followers for the lack of posts over the past week. I've been having technical issues with my laptop. I still am having some difficulty but I should have the problem fixed later in the week. Stay tuned and thanks for all the continuous support. On to the news...

Gary Moore, the personal manager of G Allen Iverson has confirmed that Iverson has decided to retire from basketball. The 14-year veteran was set to sign on with the New York Knicks earlier this week, but the Knicks decided to back out at the last minute. "Wonderful career. Right thing to do for his family," Moore told Yahoo! Sports. "It's not secret that Allen has been unfairly treated through all this. The fact is that his family needs him more." Although it seems serious right now, Iverson will likely continue to court offers from teams and I wouldn't be surprised to see him in an NBA uniform sooner rather than later. Stay tuned for more developments.

LATE BREAKING NEWS

San Francisco Giants P Tim Lincecum is the 2009 National League Cy Young Award winner. For two years in a row now, Lincecum takes home the award. Today, he became the first player since Randy Johnson was selected for the award four seasons in a row from 1999-2002. Lincecum led the National League in strikeouts with 261 and tied for the league lead with two shutouts and four complete games. During a conference call earlier today, Lincecum also addressed minor marijuana charges that were a headline in the off-season. He took time to apologize for his actions and took full responsibility for what he did. It seems as the league will take no disciplinary action in this case.

LATE BREAKING NEWS

The 2009 MLB Manager of the Year Awards were handed out today. From the American League, Los Angeles Angels manager Mike Scioscia won the award. It is the second time in his career he has achieved the feat. This season, he led his team to the playoffs after one of their players, Nick Adenhart, died in a car accident early in the year. It was Scioscia who lifted and pushed the team through adversity. In the National League, Colorado Rockies manager Jim Tracy collected the honour. Under Tracy, the Rockies made a late-season push to slide into the wild card slot. After the announcement was made, the Rockies signed Tracy to a 3-year contract extension.

News & Notes

MLB

- On Wednesday, Kansas City Royals ace P Zach Greinke was named 2009 American League Cy Young Award winner. Greinke was the overwhelming selection, 54 points ahead of the runner-up, Seattle Mariners P Felix Hernandez. The 26-year-old finished the season with a record of 16-8 with a major-league low 2.16 ERA and 242 strikeouts, good enough for second in the American League. It is the first time Greinke has won the award and the fourth player in Royals franchise history to win the award.
- According to the New York Post, free-agent pitcher Ben Sheets could be an option for the Yankees, who are looking to bolster their starting rotation. Sheets had surgery on the flexor tendon in his right arm in February and is expected to be ready for the start of spring training.
- Keith Grunewald, the agent of free-agents P John Smoltz and IF/OF Mark DeRosa, told the Los Angeles Times that he has been in contact with the Dodgers about his two clients. The agent also mentioned that the Dodgers are one of dozen teams vying for DeRosa's services.

NBA


- Orlando Magic PG Jameer Nelson will undergo surgery today to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Orlando's starting point gaurd will be out of action for 4-6 weeks following surgery. He will be greatly missed and will rely heavily on newly acquired backup PG Jason Williams.
- ESPN Magazine is reporting that Jeff Fried, the agent of Golden State Warriors G Monta Ellis, plans to meet with Warriors' management. The article speculates that he may try to convince management to trade Ellis. Fried was unreachable for comment. Ellis has been really outspoken with the media early this season, questioning the coaching staff, teammates and the organization. I reported late last week that he also had a run-in with Warriors head coach Don Nelson during practice. The writing may be on the wall already. Check back for more on the developing story.
- Los Angeles Lakers SG Kobe Bryant scored 40 points for the 100th time in his career on Tuesday night when the Lakers held off the Detroit Pistons by a score of 106-93. Bryant is now currently third place on the all-time list of 40+ point performances, trailing Wilt Chamberlain (271) and Michael Jordan (173).
- The Toronto Raptors claimed F/C Pops Mensah-Bonsu off waivers on Tuesday. He was a fan favourite playing the majority of the season with the Raptors last year. He signed with Houston in the off-season but was waived by the Rockets on Friday.

NFL 


- The Buffalo Bills announced the firing of head coach Dick Jauron on Tuesday, following the teams 3-6 start. The Bills mentioned that a replacement would be names soon in a statement.
- The Cincinnati Bengals have officially signed RB Larry Johnson to a contract for the remainder of the season. Johnson will collect the $4 million he is owed from his former team, the Kansas City Chiefs, and will get $255,290 from the Bengals.
- ESPN is reporting that Philadelphia Eagles RB Brian Westbrook will meet with a pair of concussion specialists today in Pittsburgh. On Sunday, Westbrook was forced to leave the game against the Chargers because of a concussion. It was his second concussion in the past three weeks. He is hoping to learn whether or not he will be able to resume his career without further damage.

NHL

- On Tuesday, Brendan Shanahan announced his retirement from the NHL, as reported first by ESPN.com. During his 21-year career, Shanahan scored  656 goals. He spent the majority of his career with the Detroit Red Wings, winning three Stanley Cups there. He tried to latch on with the New Jersey Devils in training camp but was unable to make the top three lines. Shortly before the season start, the two sides parted ways and Shanahan took some time off to make his decision. He is a shoe-in for the Hall of Fame and expect him to stay close to the game of hockey in some kind of off-ice role.
- The Columbus Blue Jackets have loaned F Nikita Filatov to CSKA of the Kontinental Hockey League for the remainder of the 2009-2010 season. The club believes it will give the 19-year-old a chance to grow in a more comfortable setting, in his hometown of Moscow, Russia.
- According to the Associated Press, Washington Capitals G Jose Theodore has left the team for personal reasons.

MMA

- Brock Lesnar Update: According to the Associated Press, Brock Lesnar is suffering from a bacterial infection in his intestinal tract. It is unseen whether or not Lesnar will actually have surgery, althoug he will check in to the Mayo Clinic for further treatment. The AP report also suggested that it is possible that Lesnar may not fight again, depending on his recovery from the illness.
- Contrary to previous rumours, UFC welterweight champ Georges St. Pierre and number one contender Dan Hardy are not under consideration to coach the Ultimate Fighter 11 reality TV show. As speculated earlier, the show would have delayed a fight between the two. The update was reported first by Heavy.com.
- According to MMAJunkie, the postponed fight between UFC middelweight champion Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort will now take place at UFC 109 on February 6th. It is being reported that the two sides have already made a verbal agreement but have yet to sign anything.

Belichick Play-Calling Sinks Pats, Dana White: Possibility Brock Lesnar Will Never Fight Again, Pacquaio-Mayweather Camps in Talks

On Sunday night, the Indianapolis Colts completed a second half comeback late in the fourth quarter to defeat the New England Patriots to stay undefeated on the season. Peyton Manning was part of the surge that brought the Colts back into the game. Patriots head coach Bill Belichick was another factor. With 2:08 left in the 4th quarter, Bilichick decided to go for it on 4th and 2. Pats RB Kevin Faulk bobbled the ball and when he retained possession, the Colts' defenders quickly tackled him a yard short of the first down. Without any timeouts left, the Patriots were not able to challenge the play and gave up the ball at their own 30 yard line, placing the Colts in great field position to score and steal the game. Manning took over at this point, throwing a short pass to the end zone, connecting with WR Reggie Wayne to tie the game, leaving only 13 seconds on the clock. Colts kick the extra point, win the game by a score of 35-34 and up their record to 9-0. Bilicheck made a terrible play call and ultimately cost his team the game. It will be a while before he hears the end of this one.

Dana White announced today the UFC heavyweight champion Brock Lesnar will be out of action indefinitely and could possibly never fight again. White told TMZ.com that Lesnar is suffering from an undisclosed illness and will require "major surgery"for an "intestinal disorder" . White told reporters in England over the weekend that Lesnar collapsed while on vacation in Canada recently. Further testing revealed the illness. Lesnar dropped out of a January bout with Shane Carwin because of his condition.

"I am worried about it," White said, speaking to reporters on Saturday. "(He) is in rough shape. He's in really bad shape". "He is not well and is not getting any better". "There is a possibility that Lesnar will never fight again."

The LA Times is reporting that representatives for Manny Pacquaio and Floyd Mayweather will begin talks today to discuss the terms of a future fight. This would be atop the list of most-anticipated match-ups of all time for fight fans. On Saturday, Pacquaio defeated Miguel Cotto in decisive fashion to solidify his spot as one of the best fighters at his weight class. Mayweather told reporters earlier in the year that he would only fight Pacquaio if he proved he was worthy. Apparently Mayweather still thinks he isn't worthy enough. Mayweather's camp is posturing for a larger purse. The argument is that Mayweather is a bigger draw. Not everyone agrees with that statement after watching Pacquaio knock out Cotto over the weekend. Pacquaio is the more exciting fighter and has been in a lot more fights since Mayweather has decided to come back to boxing. It will be interesting to see whether these talks are just a bluff by Mayweather's camp. It is possible that Mayweather has no intention to fight Pacquaio at all. He may use these negotiations as another excuse not to fight the Filipino fighting sensation. Only time will tell.

News & Notes

MLB

- It looks as though Matt Holiday's time with the St. Louis Cardinals has come to an end. Fox Sports is reporting that the free-agent outfielder has narrowed down potential suitors to three teams: New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Los Angeles Angels.
- The Cincinnati Reds have re-signed C Ramon Hernandez to a one-year/$3million contract. The contract also includes a vesting option for 2011 worth $3.25 million if Hernandez appears in 120 games in 2010.
- The MLB has announced several awards winners for the 2009 season last week. Gold Glove, Silver Slugger and Rookie of the Year awards were handed out to players from both leagues. Below are a list of award winners.

AL Gold Glove Winners:
P Mark Buerhrle (Chicago White Sox)
C Joe Mauer (Minnesota Twins)
1B Mark Texeira (New York Yankees)
2B Placido Polanco (Detroit Tigers)
3B Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay Rays)
SS Derek Jeter (New York Yankees)
OF Torii Hunter (Los Angeles Angels)
OF Adam Jones (Baltimore Orioles)
OF Ichiro Suzuki (Seattle Mariners)

NL Gold Glove Winners:
P Adam Wainwright (St. Louis Cardinals)
C Yadier Molina (St. Louis Cardinals)
1B Adrian Gonzalez (San Diego Padres)
2B Orlando Hudson (Los Angeles Dodgers)
3B Ryan Zimmerman (Washington Nationals)
SS Jimmy Rollins (Philadelphia Phillies)
OF Michael Bourne (Houston Astros)
OF Matt Kemp (Los Angeles Dodgers)
OF Shane Victorino (Philadelphia Phillies)

AL Silver Slugger Winners:
C Joe Mauer (Minnesota Twins)
1B Mark Texeira (New York Yankees)
2B Aaron Hill (Toronto Blue Jays)
3B Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay Rays)
SS Derek Jeter (New York Yankees)
OF Jason Bay (Boston Red Sox)
OF Torii Hunter (Los Angeles Angels)
OF Ichiro Suzuki (Seattle Mariners)
DH Adam Lind (Toronto Blue Jays)

NL Silver Slugger Winners:

C Brian McCann (Atlanta Braves)
1B Albert Pujols (St. Louis Cardinals)
2B Chase Utley (Philadelphia Phillies)
3B Ryan Zimmerman (Washington Nationals)
SS Hanley Ramirez ( Florida Marlins)
OF Matt Kemp (Los Angeles Dodgers)
OF Andre Ethier (Los Angeles Dodgers)
OF Ryan Braun (Milwaukee Brewers)
P Carlos Zambrano (Chicago Cubs)

AL Rookie of the Year Winner:
P Andrew Bailey (Oakland Athletics)

NL Rookie of the Year Winner:
OF Chris Coghlan (Florida Marlins)

NBA

- The Memphis Grizzlies have officially ended their contractual agreement with G Allen Iverson. The team made the announcement today siting Iverson's off-court issues as the reason he will leave the team. According to RealGM, Iverson will only receive a small portion of the $3 million contract he signed in the pre-season.
- Former Chicago Bull F Dennis Rodman has been detained Europe. The ex-NBA "bad boy" is being temporarily detained for skipping out on a hotel bill in Germany. According to the ESPN report, the bill was for an post-game party worth $5,100.
- According to the Times-Picayune, earlier reports that the New Orleans Hornets and Sacramento Kings were working on a deal that would send C Emeka Okafor to the Kings are apparently false. The Sacramento Bee originally reported on Sunday that a deal was discussed between the two teams.

NFL

- ESPN is reporting the free-agent RB Larry Johnson plans on signing with the Cincinnati Bengals. According to the report, Johnson flew to Cincinnati today and will sign before the end of the week. If a contract is met, it is expected to be for the league minimum. Stay tuned for more on any potential deal.
- The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette is reporting that Steelers star S Troy Polamalu could be out of action for the remainder of the season. He exited Sunday's game against the Bengals with a knee injury. He suffered a similar injury during the first game of the season and was working his way back into the lineup until the setback. Check back later for an injury update.
- According to the Miami Herald, Dolphins RB Ronnie Brown will likely miss the team's Thursday night game against the Carolina Panthers due to an ankle injury. Brown suffered the injury during Miami's win over the Tampa Bay on Sunday.

NHL


- The Ottawa Sun is reporting that the Toronto Maple Leafs management and rookie G Jonas Gustavsson are likely discussing a contract extension. The Leafs signed the Swedish netminder to a one-year deal in the off-season and will look to lock him up so other teams don't have a chance to pursue him at seasons end. The team can not sign him to an extension until January.
- According to an ESPN report, Washington Capitals star LW Alexander Ovechkin could return to the lineup on Thursday night against the New York Rangers. He has been out of the lineup with and upper-body injury since November 1st.
- Peter Forsberg may not decide to return to the NHL after all. The Denver Post is reporting that Forsberg is leaning towards staying in Sweden. MoDo GM Fredrik Andersson told reporters Friday he has "high hopes" that Forsberg will sign with MoDo, his longtime SEL league team.

MMA

- The Telegraph is reporting that UFC welterweight champ George St. Pierre and number one contender Dan Hardy are potential coaches for the Ultimate Fighter 11 reality show. Ultimate Fighter 11 will feature middleweight and light-heavyweight fighters and will film through April. If this rumour is true, St. Pierre will have to wait even longer for his return to the octagon. He recently announced his groin injury is healed and he is 100% to fight. Stay tuned for more details as they surface.
- The UFC has announced that the scheduled bout between Antonio Rodrigo Nogueira and Cain Velasquez at UFC 108 has been cancelled. Nogueira had to withdraw from the fight due to a sever staph infection in his left elbow. Rashad Evans vs. Thiago Silva will move into the main event slot. The UFC will attempt to find a new opponent for Velasquez.
- The UFC also announced more fights for UFC Fight Night 20 from Fairfax, Virginia. The even will be headlined by a lightweight match-up between Nate Diaz and Gray Maynard. Efrain Escudero and Evan Dunham will fight in the co-main event.