Minor League Team To Host “Jersey? Sure” Night

It has only been two weeks since the finale of MTV's "Jersey Shore," but sports teams are already planning for next season with the cast. The Brooklyn Cyclones, the Single-A affiliate of the New York Mets, will host “Jersey? Sure” Night this summer.

According to Darren Rovell of CNBC, on July 21, the team will be giving away limited edition jerseys that will feature the Cyclones logo on front and a picture of the team’s mascot in a fist-pumping pose on the back.

“Jersey? Sure” night will include incredible GTL (“Gym, Tan, Laundry”) gift certificate giveaways as the team has partnered with a local gym, tanning salon and laundromat.

The team also plans to bring a special station on the ballpark’s concourse level that will allow fans to have their hair styled like Pauly D. and Cyclones management says it will invite Mike “The Situation” Sorrentino to take batting practice and ground ball drills with the team.

2K offers $1M for perfect game

Over the past few month, we have covered 2K Sports "MLB 2K10" video game, the announcement of Rays 3B Evan Longoria as the cover athlete and a sneak peek at the game's battle between pitchers and hitters.

There is a new wrinkle to the upcoming release on March 2nd as 2K will award $1,000,000 to the first person who throws a verified perfect game in "MLB 2K10".

"You don't see too many perfect games thrown in MLB 2K, but we've seen it happen," said Jason Argent, vice president of marketing at 2K Sports. "Our goal is to celebrate and highlight Major League Baseball 2K10's superior pitching and hitting mechanics this season, while also giving one of our loyal fans the thrilling opportunity to be rewarded with a lot of money."

CNBC's Darren Rovell explores this contest and points out a few key items:
Because 2K Sports had never tracked the statistic before, it was unable to insure the $1 million prize. Insurance companies obviously need to know odds in order to be able to price out the insurance.

There's one more catch in collecting that $1 million prize. It has to be verified by noted video games record keeper Twin Galaxies and in order for that to happen, the whole perfect game has to be recorded, Argent said.

The contest begins with the release of MLB 2K10 on March 2nd and will end on May 1st if no one has achieved a perfect game.

NBA team with most loyal fans is...

If you had to guess the NBA team with the most loyal fans, the Lakers, Cavaliers, Spurs and Suns would likely be at the top of your mind. However, a Wall Street Journal study shows that fans of the other team in Los Angeles are actually the league's most loyal.

With 17 losing seasons in the past 20 years and sharing a city and an arena with the 14-time NBA champion Lakers, it is hard to believe that the Clippers have the most loyal fans in the league.

A study designed for The Wall Street Journal by sports-reference.com, an Internet sports database, looked at NBA teams' attendance for the past 10 seasons. It then weighed certain factors like city population, arena capacity, prior winning percentage and whether there are other, competing teams in the same market.

By those measures, Clippers fans are the most devoted, while Golden State Warriors fans are in second place. These perennial league bottom-feeders get extra credit for continuing to post relatively strong attendance figures while sporting a combined winning percentage of .399 since the 2000-01 season.

According to WSJ, the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers and Dallas Mavericks, who lead the league in fans per game, round out the study's top five, while the Lakers come in sixth. In last place are the Philadelphia 76ers, just ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves and New Jersey Nets.

CBS Rejects Super Bowl Spot

Over the last week, there has been much debate as to whether CBS should have rejected Non-profit Christian organization Focus on the Family's Super Bowl commercial featuring Tim Tebow and his mother.

On Super Bowl Sunday, the Tebow's will share a personal story centered on the theme of "Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life." Although the group hasn't released specifics, the commercial is likely to be an anti-abortion message chronicling Pam Tebow’s 1987 pregnancy. According to AP, after getting sick during a mission trip to the Philippines, she ignored a recommendation by doctors to abort her fifth child and gave birth to Tim.

Although Tebow's spot will air, CBS has actually rejected one controversial commercial from Go Daddy featuring Danica Patrick and a fictional football player named Lola.

"Lola," is about a retired football player who finds his feminine side and launches a lingerie line and Web site.

"Lola is not a 'big-breasted woman' — Lola is a big, flamboyant, effeminate, lovable man," Go Daddy CEO and Founder Bob Parsons said while exclaiming surprise at the ad's rejection.

Parsons said that he was told by the network that the ad could be seen as "offensive to a certain class of people." "I'm mystified," Parsons said. "We had five ads and the others easily slipped through."

Take a look at Go Daddy's Lola commercial that will not air during the Super Bowl.

McDonald's announces LeBron partnership

A few weeks ago, we reported that LeBron James and Dwight Howard filmed a McDonald's commercial paying homage to the famous "H-O-R-S-E" contest Michael Jordan and Larry Bird. The commercial features a cameo by Bird and will air during the Super Bowl XLIV on February 7.

Howard has been a McDonald's endorsee for a few years and today the company announced that they have officially signed James to a multi year partnership.

Financial terms were not immediately known but James will support several McDonald's programs and promotions as well as Ronald McDonald House Charities, which provides housing to the families of seriously ill children.

"McDonald's and I make a great team," said LeBron James. "We share many of the same core values, including a commitment to excellence and giving back to the community. I am also excited about the opportunity to work with Ronald McDonald House Charities, which helps improve the lives of so many children and their families around the world."

James' other partnerships include Nike, State Farm and Coca-Cola.

The updated "H-O-R-S-E" spot will be an amazing addition to the Super Bowl commercial lineup and James is the perfect fit. However, can Howard really compete with the NBA MVP and his repertoire of shots?

All-Star Reserves

The reserves for the 2010 NBA All-Star Game will be announced tonight and thankfully the 30 head coaches will be completing these rosters. Steve Nash narrowly beat out injured Tracy McGrady in fan votes for the Western Conference starting 5 last week, but Allen Iverson unfortunately earned the nod for the East . Below are our picks for All-Star reserves.

Eastern Conference:

G Rajon Rondo (Celtics)

F Paul Pierce (Celtics)

F Chris Bosh (Raptors)

G Joe Johnson (Hawks)

G Derrick Rose (Bulls)

C David Lee (Knicks)

F Gerald Wallace (Bobcats)

Western Conference:

F Kevin Durant (Thunder)

F Dirk Nowitzki (Mavericks)

G Brandon Roy (Trailblazers)

G Chris Paul (Hornets)

G Chauncey Billups (Nuggets)

C Chris Kaman (Clippers)

F Zach Randolph (Grizzlies)

Indy & NO Art Museums Make Super Bowl Bet

Super Bowl match-ups always fuel rivalries between the participating teams' cities and now the art community has started some serious trash talking a legitimate wager on the game.

According to the Modern Art Notes blog (hat tip to FanHouse), Indianapolis Museum of Art director Max Anderson suggested Monday that IMA would loan the New Orleans Museum of Art an Ingrid Calame painting should the Colts lose to the Saints.

Like any athlete today, Anderson went to Twitter for some smack talking. In a tweet earlier this week, he said: "We're already spackling the wall where the NOMA loan will hang."

NOMA director E. John Bullard responded to the trash talking via e-mail:

"Max Anderson must not really believe the Colts can beat the Saints in the Super Bowl. Otherwise why would he bet such an insignificant work as the Ingrid Calame painting? Let's up the ante. The New Orleans Museum of Art will bet the three-month loan of its $4 million Renoir painting, Seamstress at Window, circa 1908, which is currently in the big Renoir exhibition in Paris. What will Max wager of equal importance? Go Saints!"

The smack talking went back and forth this week until terms were finally reached today. Again, per the Modern Art Notes blog:

From IMA's Anderson via Twitter: "Deal -- Claude for Turner. Two masters in spirited competition across the channel, and between our fair cities. Go Colts!" And in polite, collegial reply, NOMA's Bullard: "Max is a gracious opponent. Thanks for accepting the wager of a Claude from New Orleans for a Turner from Indianapolis. But this is definitely the Saints year. They are the Dream Team and in New Orleans we know that dreams come true. Geaux Saints!!!"

Forget Manning vs. Brees, Indianapolis Museum of Art vs. New Orleans Museum of Art is the matchup to watch in Super Bowl XLIV.

EWU launches Red Turf Project

Home field advantage is incredibly important in college football and Boise State's "Smurf Turf" will no longer be the most colorful field in the country. I-AA school Eastern Washington has announced plans to install a red field in hopes to mirror the Broncos' notoriety and success at home.

Former EWU star Michael Roos and current stud Tennessee Titans OT, has pledged $500,000 toward the "Red Turf Project.'' School officials hope to raise additional private money and have the field installed for the 2010 season.

"There is no doubt that one of Boise State's claims to fame has been their blue turf and like it or dislike it, it has certainly brought them a tremendous amount of notoriety," EWU athletic director Bill Chaves said. "In a similar vein we have a tremendous opportunity at Eastern to do the same by differentiating ourselves with the red turf while providing a superior playing surface."

Besides the obvious advantages of the new field for recruiting and unpredictable weather, coach Beau Baldwin's squad usually has practice issues late in the season in dealing with darkness and class schedules. With artificial turf, the Eagles can practice on their game field under the lights at their convenience with minimal field condition worries.

Eastern Washington said the turf installation will also save approximately 300,000 gallons of water per year.

Polynice reunited with Father

On yesterday's episode of "Dr. Phil," Haitian native and former NBA center Olden Polynice was reunited with his father, who survived the devastating earthquake. Polynice found out last week that his dad was OK, but the two have not seen each other in over three years.

NFL RedZone to go mobile?

One of the greatest tools for fantasy football owners might be going mobile. The NFL is considering making its RedZone Channel available to fans on cell phones next season. The cable-TV channel is hosted by Andrew Siciliano of ESPN Radio and provides coverage of games all day on Sundays, but cuts to the action any time a team is within 20 yards of a touchdown.

Wall Street Journal's Matthew Futterman explores the possibility of the channel going mobile, which would free fans from their living rooms on Sunday afternoons. He thinks this is a significant shift in media strategy for the country's most popular sports league, whose focus has long been to protect the value of its lucrative television deals.

If RedZone does indeed become available on mobile devices, this will change the game for fantasy football owners. No longer will fans be glued to the TV for 10 hours every Sunday. Fans will be able to watch the most important fantasy plays from anywhere.

"This is tailor-made to be able to watch during your kids' soccer games," said Brian Rolapp, the NFL's vice president for media strategy. "We want to put it on the Internet and wireless phones for next season, so we're thinking about how we do that."

CBS Sports president Sean McManus did however express some caution to the WJS at the potential expansion of the RedZone service to viewers. "RedZone hasn't hurt us yet, but we watch it very closely," McManus said. "Anything that would adversely affect our ratings on a Sunday afternoon would be a major concern to us."

Usher is TNT's All-Star

TNT has teamed up with five-time Grammy-winning artist Usher to feature the singer’s song “More” as part of the network’s marketing campaign for 2010 NBA All-Star.

TNT filmed an exclusive music video with Usher that will serve as a promotional spot airing in Regal Cinemas beginning Friday. In addition, the video will be used as part of the network’s campaign to promote its exclusive coverage of 2010 NBA All-Star Game in Dallas, TX on Sunday, Feb. 14.

“As a huge fan of the NBA I had a great time working with TNT to shoot a new video for NBA All-Star that infuses basketball and incorporates some of the biggest names in the game,” said Usher. “The song ‘More’ is a great anthem for the sport and I’m glad to be a part of this year’s NBA All-Star Game in Dallas.”

Oden apologizes for nude photos

In the PG-13 version of this story, Blazers C Greg Oden apologized yesterday afternoon for nude photos that surfaced on the internet. Oden said the pictures, taken with his cell phone and sent to a former girlfriend, were taken about 1 1/2 years ago.

A friend told the 21-year-old Oden on Tuesday morning that the photos were making the rounds on the internet and the injured center faced reporters to apologized for the incident.

“I want to apologize to everybody, Portland, fans, the organization. It was very embarrassing. It was something that happened over a year-and-a-half ago. It was taken and sent over a year-and-a-half ago. I’m very sorry and I’m definitely embarrassed for my family and everybody around me.”

“My heart dropped. I got a phone call like around 6 a.m. this morning and I usually have pictures of me all over the internet, even when they’re not true. So when I actually got up and saw this one, it was very, very embarrassing and hurtful … It was a lady friend who I was having a relationship with. It was for her. It was definitely meant to keep private.”

Last night, Oden spoke with The Oregonian sports columnist John Canzano on his radio show, "The Bald Faced Truth." The 3rd year player sounded very mature about the situation and it was a smart move to come forward immediately to admit his mistake and ask for forgiveness. His PR team should really have counseled Tiger Woods. The interview with Canzano was all business until Oden used an ironic cliche.

"Those pictures were taken and sent over a year and a half ago. I've definitely grown since then."

Oden is out for this season after fracturing his left kneecap during a game against the Houston Rockets on Dec. 5. He averaged 11.1 points and 8.5 rebounds in 21 starts.

ESPN bounces Shirley after Haiti article

Former NBA benchwarmer and current author Paul Shirley is a frequent contributor to ESPN.com but the World Wide Leader in Sports has officially parted ways today with the 6'10" former player after he wrote a long piece explaining why he has refused to contribute money to help Haiti rebuild.

Free speech is one thing, but when you contribute to the largest sports network in the world, eyes are always on your work. ESPN has a very strict policy on social media and blogging, especially when an employee (part-time or full-time) writes something on a personal site.

The post was on FlipCollective.com and Shirley compares the Haitian people to a bum on the street and in the middle of his article, he features a fake letter to the country.

Dear Haitians -

First of all, kudos on developing the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. Your commitment to human rights, infrastructure, and birth control should be applauded.

As we prepare to assist you in this difficult time, a polite request: If it's possible, could you not rebuild your island home in the image of its predecessor? Could you not resort to the creation of flimsy shanty-and shack-towns? And could some of you maybe use a condom once in a while?

Sincerely,
The Rest of the World

ESPN released a statement regarding Shirley this morning. "He was a part-time freelance contributor. The views he expressed on another's site of course do not at all reflect our company's views on the Haiti relief efforts. He will no longer contribute to ESPN."

SI cover jinx to strike again?

A week ago, Vikings QB Brett Favre and Jets QB Mark Sanchez appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated and both signal callers were on the losing end in their respective conference championship games on Sunday. Will the SI cover jinx continue with Saints QB Drew Brees? The New Orleans captain graces this week's cover but will his game suffer?

Richest NFL players this season

With a week off until the Super Bowl festivities begin and 30 NFL teams officially in their offseasons, players will be looking forward to receiving their bonus checks for contract incentives, playing time and Pro Bowl appearances.

BusinessPundit.com has combined salary and endorsement deals to come up with this list of the 25 richest players in the NFL this season.

As expected, QBs rule the top of the list as their contracts and endorsements are far more lucrative than other positions. There is of course some major star power in the list but also a few surprises. Take a look at the Top 5 below and check out the full list here.

1. Peyton Manning:
Salary: $14 million
Endorsements: $14 million
Total: $28 million

2. Eli Manning
Salary: $20.5 million
Endorsements: $7 million
Total: $27 million

3. Phil Rivers
Salary: $25.5 million
Endorsements: $500,000 (est.)
Total: $26 million

4. Donovan McNabb
Salary: $25 million
Endorsements: N/A
Total: $25 million

5. Kurt Warner
Salary: $19 million
Endorsements: $500,000 (est.)
Total: $19.5 million

Davies' incredible recovery

With the 2010 FIFA World Cup only a few month away, Team USA's roster is thin due to injuries (stars Clint Dempsey and Oguchi Onyewu both rehabbing knee injuries) but one up-and-coming star's freakish recovery might just inspire the squad and the entire country.

ESPN Soccernet's Ives Galarcep posted an incredible update on U.S. national team striker Charlie Davies and his unbelievable recovery from the deadly car accident that he was involved in last October. Davis broke his right femur and tibia, left elbow, suffered facial fractures and a lacerated bladder in the crash that killed the other passenger in the car.

Doctors said recovery would be 6-12 months and Davies might not even return to the pitch, but after just four months, Galarcep reports that the striker is already jogging and doing agility drills.

What does this progress mean, exactly? It means that, barring any setbacks, Davies could be back on the field with club team FC Sochaux by April, meaning his chances of playing for the United States in June's World Cup should no longer be seen as a shattered dream.

The feature article says that after six surgeries, Davies has recovered from all of his broken bones and has gained back the 15 lbs. he lost. He only has one more surgery to go (his elbow) before he plans on returning to Sochaux for training by the end of February.

This is such an insane story as Davies' survival was remarkable, let alone a full recovery and possible return to soccer. According to Galarcep, the swelling in Davies' face that was so evident during his interview with ESPN last November has subsided, though a shorter haircut reveals the scar he has from ear to ear arcing over the top of his skull. That scar came after doctors peeled his face off down to his chin in order to repair the multiple fractures that left his facial bones a shattered mess.

Peeled his face off down to his chin? Davies' recovery is so unbelievable and inspirational. The United States will have something truly incredible cheer about when the national team heads to South Africa in June.

"I know I can come back and be one of the best strikers in the world. I know with the improvement that I'm making, if I can continue that with this new feeling I have now, it's going to be tough to stop me."

Arroyo owes "Jersey Shore" for movie cameo

"Jersey Shore" cast members' loss is Major League Baseball's gain. The stars of MTV's breakout reality show have turned down a movie role opposite "The Sopranos" actors Vincent Pastore and William DeMeo and a multi-talented pitcher is benefiting.

According to the NY Post, producer Irena Angeliades approached the show's cast members about cameos in her independent film "Goat." They replied that although they would have loved to do it, they were just too busy.

Instead, Cincinnati Reds pitcher Bronson Arroyo and former MLB player Eduardo Perez will appear in the movie, which also stars Armand Assante and Ice-T.

Paul Borghese is directing "Goat" and the film is about about a young man struggling to recover from a brutal attack after pledging a fraternity. Arroyo will film his cameo this weekend in New York.

Arroyo was 15-13 with 127 K's last year for Cincy. The former World Series Champ with Boston kicked off his professional music career in 2005 when he released his debut CD "Covering the Bases." He has since appeared in commercials for JTM Food Group and is a frequent performer at the annual Hot Stove Cool Music charity event in Boston.

Ochocinco hits stage in Miami

After a breakout season off the field, Bengals WR Chad Ochocinco is having quite a productive offseason. The outspoken player and social networking connoisseur hosted a contest that awarded 10 winners a seat on a luxury bus for Ochocinco's "Tour of Giving" trip across the country.

The group traveled from Cincinnati down to Miami and stopped in cities along the way to volunteer at various organizations. Ochocinco tweeted updates from the road that included video game tournaments, movie playlists and photos of the group giving volunteering.

Now that the bus tour is over, Ochocinco is working on a possible new career after football. #85 hit the stage Sunday night at a LeBron James hosted party in Miami for his debut performance of "Girl, You Trippin." Take a listen below.

Calipari Calls ESPN anchor a "Jagoff"

This morning on ESPN, anchor John Buccigross chatted with Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari on SportsCenter and things got a little testy. Around the 1:37 mark of the video below, Buccigross brought up Calipari's luck at Memphis. Check out the transcript and name-calling.

Buccigross: “You talk about luck and bouncing the ball, and certainly had you had that against Kansas, certainly your Memphis team could have been a national champion.”

Calipari: “Now why would we bring that up? That was two years ago, John. What are you trying to bring up memories of a three that goes through a rafter? And ‘Why didn’t you call a timeout?’ And ‘You should have fouled earlier.’ I thought we were going to talk about Kentucky.

Buccigross: “Let’s take a 20-second timeout.”

Calipari: “You must be from Western PA, John. Where are you from?”

Buccigross: “Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.”

Calipari: “OK, so you’re a jagoff. Basically, you’re a jagoff.”

(via FanHouse)

The akward name-calling was all in good fun and after the interview, Calipari tweeted an explanation: “John Buccigross & I go back 10 yrs. We’re both from Pitt. It’s a term of endearment & we went back n forth using that term b4 we went on-air.“

Phil blames Artest's bad feet on the shoes

Lakers F Ron Artest doesn't do much by the book, but his choice of footwear might be hurting his feet and his team's chances at a repeat NBA Championship. Artest has developed plantar fasciitis in both feet and Coach Phil Jackson believes that Ron's shoes are to blame.

"I've called his shoes concrete boots for about the last month," Jackson said. "Those shoes look like they are made for the Hudson River. But he stays with them and he gets his feet worked on. But he does not move really quickly. He looks like he's clogging around out there."

Plantar fasciitis is a common injury for basketball players, but according to Elliott Teaford, of LA Daily News, Jackson said the right shoes could help a player avoid the debilitating pain that flares at the bottom of the foot between the heel and the toes. The pain sometimes lingers for months.

Artest is sponsored by Chinese company Peak as is Mavs PG Jason Kidd and Rockets F Shane Battier.

Jackson compared Artest's situation to his former Knicks teammate Walt Frazier wearing uncomfortable Puma sneakers that wound up giving the stylish guard an arthritic toe that ended his career.

"I never thought Pumas were all that comfortable a shoe. Frazier insisted on wearing Pumas back in the day and ended up with an arthritic toe (bringing an) end to his career,"

Craiglists Purchase Of The Day

A few weeks ago, we posted video of Oklahoma's 6'9'' 296 lb. freshman forward Tiny Gallon causing a backboard to explode on New Year's Eve against Gonzaga. Tiny missed an alley oop dunk attempt, grabbed the rim and the glass shattered all over the court. The Sooners-Bulldogs game was delayed 50 minutes and fans can now buy pieces of the backboard on Craigslist. An alley oop to Hot Clicks.

Kobe enters the zone

Finally, Nike is taking a break from the brand's MVPuppets basketball campaign and has launched a new spot staring Kobe Bryant called "Enter the Zone." The commercial is in conjunction with the launch of #24's Nike Zoom Kobe V.

The debut of the new campaign capped off a huge week for Bryant both on and off the court. Kobe debuted his new sneaker, the Nike Zoom Kobe V last weekend in LA, the NBA announced that #24's jersey topped the league's merchandise charts for the second-straight year, Bryant made an appearance on "Sesame Street," and while on the team's current 8-game road trip, he become the youngest player to score 25,000 career points.

As part of the brand's new campaign, NikeBasketball.com now features a "Enter the Zone" section where fans can test their knowledge on the fundamentals of basketball and watch videos of Kobe showcasing aspects of his game such as Creating Opportunities, Communication and Ball Hawking.

"Pants on the Ground" did not inspire Vikes

A week ago after defeating the Cowboys, Vikings QB Brett Favre did his best "American Idol" impression as he sang a verse of the infamous "Pants on the Ground" song from the show's Atlanta audition.

In order to keep the momentum going for the Vikes, the team flew General Larry Platt to New Orleans and the 62-year-old performed his big hit in a Minnesota team meeting yesterday before the NFC Championship game.

Although he was trying to be inspirational, Platt really should have changed his chorus to "Footballs on the Ground" as the Vikings fumbled the ball on the Superdome turf 6 times (Saints recovered 3) in a 31-28 OT loss to New Orleans.

The team was extremely excited to have Platt in their meeting yesterday and took to social networking platforms to share the news. TE Visanthe Shiancoe tweeted "U will not guess who was in our team meeting today..." , before posting a photo of him and Platt.

WR Bernard Berrian (@B_Twice) posted the full video of Platt's performance on Twitter prior to the game yesterday. Check it out below.

Thankfully with the Vikings loss, Platt's 5-minutes of fame are over and now they can exclusively listen to Prince's horrible team fight song. An appearance by the 7-time Grammy Award winner in the team meeting yesterday surely would have inspired the Vikings more than 2010's version of William Hung. Forget Favre's interceptions or Adrian Peterson's fumbles, it is Prince's fault the Vikes lost.

Sears Launching New Favre Ads

Vikings fans better hope there is no such thing as a "Sears curse." The department store chain is launching a series of new TV ads starring Vikings QB Brett Favre that will debut during this weekend's NFL Conference Championship games.

The new spots are continuations of Favre's commercials over the summer where a Sears Blue Crew associate tries to sell the previously indecisive QB a TV.

In conjunction with the new campaign, Sears is hosting a contest where fans can vote for their favorite Favre commercial and enter for a chance to win Sears electronics.

Will we be seeing Favre and the Vikings in Miami?

(via Sports Business Daily)

Extra Super Bowl Motivation for Rex

It is not like Jets coach Rex Ryan needs any extra motivation to beat the Colts on Sunday and advance to the Super Bowl in his first year in New York. However, just in case he isn't his usual fired up self this weekend, Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest has officially offered Ryan a seat in this year's competition should his Jets advance to the Super Bowl. It will now be extremely difficult to bet against the 350 lb. coach (who consumes 7000 calories a day) and his squad versus the Colts on Sunday.

Herzlich Back After Cancer Recovery

We have been closely following the story of Boston College LB Mark Herzlich since the All-American announced in May that he had Ewing's Sarcoma. The 2008 ACC Defensive Player of the Year missed this season while battling the disease and undergoing radiation and chemotherapy treatments and thankfully doctors have said he is cancer-free and can return to football.

Herzlich is back lifting weights and returned to the Eagles' practice field yesterday for seven-on-seven drills. The All-American is still limited in how much work he can handle, but is starting to resemble the intimidating 'backer who recorded 81 tackles and 6 interceptions in '08.

"I'm very excited, even to do just a little stuff today," Herzlich said. "I want to jump in, but I also want to be smart and not take any risks that can get me hurt."

During the 2009 season, Herzlich served as an unofficial defensive assistant for the Eagles and mentored freshman star and All-ACC LB Luke Kuechly. But Herzlich's impact was felt way beyond the BC Campus.

Throughout his recovery, Herzlich heard from other athletes, including cancer survivors like Lance Armstrong and Boston Red Sox pitcher Jon Lester, and he said he is eager to pass on the encouragement to others facing a startling diagnosis. He said he has spoken to 50 or 60 families, usually kids with cancer or their parents who have written to him; he tries to help when he can with an autograph or a few words of encouragement.

Herzlich also helped raise about $200,000 through ''Uplifting Athletes,'' which works with college athletes to raise awareness of rare diseases.

So will Herzlich sport his famous face paint and return to form as one of the best linebackers in the country?

''Never doubt Mark,'' fellow Eagles LB Mike Morrissey said. ''He's a special person and a special player. He's NFL bound, and I think it's going to be a great career for him.''

First Look at Vick Series

In October, we reported that Eagles QB Michael Vick partnered with BET to star in an 10-part docu-series called "The Michael Vick Project," that will premiere on Feb. 2 at 10 p.m. ET.

In the show, Vick tells his side of how he got involved in a dogfighting ring that sent him to prison and temporarily derailed his NFL career. Vick says the 10-part series will show he's a changed man after a tragic fall from stardom he says "was all my fault."

"At times, it's hard to talk about it, but for the most part, if you talk about it and let it all out, it kind of helps put the demons to rest," Vick told The Associated Press on Thursday.

According to AP, in an advance copy of the premiere episode, Vick openly discusses living a "double life" of running the inhumane operation at the same time he was making Pro Bowls and signing a $100 million contract with the Atlanta Falcons. Vick explains in detail the childhood experiences he had with dogfighting and how the activity morphed from his NFL sideshow job to a bustling second career that spanned state lines.

Check out the first look at the show's trailer and set your Tivos for "The Michael Vick Project" on Feb. 2 at 10 p.m. ET.

(via First Cuts)

NBA All-Stars of rap music missing one stud

In honor of the NBA announcing starters yesterday for next month's All-Star game in Dallas, ESPN.com's Page 2 released their list of the best rappers in the league. Kaitee Daley put together a pretty nice list (Marquis Daniels, Tony Parker, Allen Iverson, Chris Webber and Shaquille O'Neal) including lyrics, audio links and nicknames however she forgot probably the top rapper in the game today.

Although Hawks F Joe Smith's NBA career has been considered a bust, the former #1 overall draft pick is the most prolific musician in the league today. "Joe Beast" has written 400 to 500 rap songs, released a 19-track debut entitled “The Beginning” last season and hopes to drop his second album before the NBA All-Star break.

“I put my heart and soul into my music just like I do basketball,” Smith said. “It's a whole lot of fun.”

Not only is Smith the best rapper in the league, but he is the only player who provides his team theme song. After signing with the Hawks, Joe wrote and recorded a song called “V.I.C.T.O.R.Y.,” which is played at Philips Arena this season every time the Hawks run onto the court. According to Lang Whitaker of SLAM, it’s a great arena song, heavy on the bass and beats, and Joe manages to mention everyone’s name.

Smith's 19-track debut is available for free download and you can learn more about "Joe Beast" on his MySpace page. Take a quick listen to the intro track.

Prince writes fight song for Vikings

The musical community must not have approved of Vikings QB Brett Favre's rendition of "Pants on the Ground" in the locker room after defeating the Cowboys on Sunday. Singer-songwriter Prince watched his beloved football squad at Mall of America Field and after the game on wrote a new fight song for the Vikings.

Prince told Fox TV in Minneapolis last night that he wrote "Purple and Gold" the night after the game. "I saw the future," he told the station. Below are the lackluster lyrics and a portion of the track. Will the team play this inspiration fight song in the locker room before Sunday's NFC Championship game in New Orleans?

Purple and Gold Lyrics
the veil of the sky draws open
the roar of the chariots touch down
we r the ones who have now come again
and walk upon water like solid ground
as we approach the throne we won't bow down
this time we won't b denied
raise every voice and let it b known
in the name of the purple and gold
we come in the name of the purple and gold
all of the odds r in r favor
no prediction 2 bold
we r the truth if the truth can b told
long reign the purple and gold
the eyes say ready 4 battle
no need 4 sword in hand
we r all amped up like a rock n roll band
ready 2 celebrate every score
ready 2 fight the elegant war
ready 2 hear the crowd roar
that's what we came 4
and so much more
in the name of the purple and gold

r spirits may b tired
r bodies may b worn
but since this day is r destiny
r history – that's y we must b
4ever strong as the wind that blows the Vikings' horn
in the name of the purple and gold

(via The Sporting Blog)

Lebron Lip-Syncs “Forever” in Crunch Time

In advance of his documentary release back in September, we posted the music video debut of LeBron James in "More Than a Game" featured track "Forever," by Drake, Kanye West, Lil’ Wayne and Eminem.

Last night in crunch time of the Cavs-Lakers game, James came out of a timeout lip-syncing the hit. With 23.4 seconds left and Cleveland up 2, the reigning MVP calmed his teammates and the crowd with his rendition of Eminem's verse. LeBron and the Cavs held on to win the possible NBA Finals preview, 93-87.

Kobe on "Sesame Street"

What a week it has been for Lakers G Kobe Bryant. He debuted his new sneaker, the Nike Zoom Kobe V over the weekend in LA, the NBA announced that #24's jersey topped the league's merchandise charts for the second-straight year and on Monday the Lakers beat the Magic in a rematch of last year's NBA Finals.

As the Lakers begin a huge eight-game road trip tonight vs. LeBron and the Cavs, Kobe starts the day off right with an appearance on "Sesame Street." Check out the clip of Kobe and Abby explaining the word "miniature."

(via NESW Sports)

Warriors Go Solar

Although the Golden State Warriors and are currently 12-28 and in 2nd to last place in the Western Conference, the team will score a huge win today as they are unveiling more than 500 newly installed solar panels atop the team's practice facility in Oakland.

A ribbon cutting ceremony today marks the culmination of a six-week installation project. Warriors President Robert Rowell and rookie guard Stephen Curry will be joined by Mark Danenhower, President of the Solar Company, at the unveiling of the new solar system.

The solar-panel installation is believed to be the first at an NBA practice facility and it could save the team more than $2M in electricity costs over the next 25 years. Hopefully the team will invest that big chunk of change in a legit ball player for once.

"Top Ten Signs The New York Jets Are Getting Cocky"

David Letterman got into the AFC Championship spirit this week with his Top Ten list. "Top Ten Signs The New York Jets Are Getting Cocky" of course featured the team's preparation for their battle with the Colts on Sunday, but also included mention of the NBC late night situation and that of Mike Sorrentino of MTV's "Jersey Shore."

EA Sports stands by Tiger

Although many sponsors have ended their relationships with Tiger Woods, EA Sports is sticking with the best golfer in the world and have announced that Tiger Woods PGA Tour 11 will be released this summer fo Wii, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3 and iPhone.

In addition to the announcement, EA Sports has made its beta testing available to fans for free. You can check out the new Tiger Woods PGA Tour Online at the game's site.

"During beta testing we’ve already seen tremendous participation and enthusiasm from golf fans around the world for Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online,” said Executive Producer Mike Taramykin. “We’re looking forward to offering all players the opportunity to preview the game for free* in the coming weeks. Also, during open beta gamers can invite others to play via Facebook and we continue to encourage the community to help to drive the game’s evolution and development.”

During the free preview open beta starting today, players will also be able to enjoy the following new features:

• Facebook Connect – Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online connects to Facebook, allowing players to invite their friends to become fans, thus earning additional in-game experience. Players are also able to publish their accomplishments to Facebook.

• Golfer Progression – Players will begin their career as a beginner and by earning experience points, will climb the ranks toward becoming a golf legend.

• The Cut Line – As an extra challenge, each day a target score will appear that becomes the goal for each golfer. If the user meets, or scores under the target, additional in-game experience is rewarded.

• Fans, Favorites & Sponsorships – Each player will be able to acquire fans within Tiger Woods PGA TOUR Online. The more fans a player has, the more experience points are rewarded. Sponsor your friends and earn in-game money if they make the Cut Line.

• Realistic Wind – Experience dynamic wind that calculates the direction and speed throughout the round, making the game more realistic and challenging.

• Pro Shop – Purchase upgraded equipment with in-game earnings to help improve your customized golfer and impress friends.

ESPN announces "30 for 30" schedule

ESPN Films has finally announced the return of its acclaimed “30 for 30” series and the network's spring schedule includes eight films from filmmakers such as Ice Cube, Steve James, Dan Klores and Brett Morgen.

The slate begins with a special presentation Sunday, March 14 at 9 p.m. ET of Klores' "Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks." The schedule then gets underway again in its regular Tuesday slot with James' "No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson April 13 at 8 p.m."

"Winning Time" has been named an official selection of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival and the Los Angeles Times yesterday included the doc in its festival preview:

"Barely more than an hour in length and made for ESPN's "30 for 30" series, Dan Klores' "Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. the New York Knicks," the story of the clash of NBA civilizations in the 1994 and 1995 playoffs, is minute for minute likely the most engaging, irresistible film in the festival." (via Twitter page of "30 for 30" executive producer Bill Simmons)

Here is the full spring/summer ESPN "30 for 30" Schedule:

Winning Time: Reggie Miller vs. The New York Knicks
Sunday, March 14, 9 p.m. ET

No Crossover: The Trial of Allen Iverson

Tuesday, April 13, 8 p.m. ET

Silly Little Game

Tuesday, April 20, 8 p.m. ET

Run Ricky Run

Tuesday, April 27, 8 p.m. ET

Straight Outta L.A.

Tuesday, May 4, 8 p.m. ET

The Two Escobars

Tuesday, May 11, 8 p.m. ET

June 17, 1994

Wednesday, June, 16, 10 p.m. ET

The Sixteenth Man

Tuesday, June 22, 8 p.m. ET

H.O.R.S.E. returns to All-Star Weekend

Although last year's All-Star weekend featured a lackluster H.O.R.S.E. competition between Kevin Durant, Joe Johnson and O.J. Mayo, the NBA has decided to not only bring the contest back, but include it in TNT's primetime broadcast of All-Star Saturday night.

From TNT's press release:

The network also announced today that H.O.R.S.E. presented by GEICO will return and will now be featured in prime time on Saturday, Feb. 13 at 7 p.m. (ET). The competition will showcase three NBA players challenging each other with thrilling moves and creative shot-making skills in a classic basketball competition. Participants for the event will be announced at a later date.

Durant, Johnson and Mayo bricked jumper after jumper and didn't show off any legit trick shots. Lets hope that the league picks a much more exciting trio this time around. Our perfect field would look something like this:

Washington Generals offer contract to Conan

The Washington Generals, an exhibition basketball team best known for their losing streak in against the Harlem Globetrotters, has officially offered a playing contract to Conan O'Brien and Andy Richter. Owner Louis "Red" Klotz wants to sign the 6'4" fellow redhead O'Brien for the remainder of the team's 2010 U.S. Tour in an effort to end their 13,000 game losing streak to the Globetrotters. This is a real offer from the Generals so stay tuned to see if Conan hits the hardwood next month. Assist to Hot Clicks for the letter image.

More details on new "NBA Jam"

Over the past few weeks, we have reported on the upcoming release of EA Sports' new version of the classic basketball arcade game "NBA Jam." New details continue to leak online and fans will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite NBA team trios for the game.

According to PastaPadre.com, the Wii exclusive version will be released later this year and feature NBA team trios with 3D bodies and 2D heads. The faces are actual photographs and each character has multiple faces (3 faces while running the court, 2 dunk faces, and a positive and negative face).

There will be two modes of the new version: One is called "Classic Campaign," which plays pretty much identical to the old NBA Jams but this time it will be 3 on 3 as opposed to 2 on 2. There are no rules other than shot clock and goal tending. The other version is called "Remix Tour," which features different core mechanics, rule tweaks, and camera tweaks etc.

Fans have the opportunity to vote on the player squads for the game. Last week, voting for the Clippers, Kings and Thunder was on EA's site and now you can vote for Timberwolves, Grizzlies and Warriors.

We voted for:

Timberwolves: Al Jefferson/Kevin Love/Jonny Flynn

Grizzlies: Rudy Gay/OJ Mayo/Marc Gasol

Warriors: Monta Ellis/Stephen Curry/Corey Maggette

USC vs. USC

Although University of Southern California hasn't competed against University of South Carolina since November 2006 (A 80-74 OT men's basketball win by Gamecocks), the two schools have faced off in a federal appeals court regarding the trademark of the interlocking "SC" logo used by both universities.

The courts ruled on Tuesday that the Trojans, not the Gamecocks, had the rightful trademark claim to the logo. According to Jack Stripling of Insidehighered.com, the ruling will not force South Carolina to immediately discontinue use of the logo, but it will deny South Carolina some of the trademark protections that come with federal registration, while at the same time granting Southern California an opening to legally challenge South Carolina’s use of the logo.

“In light of this opinion, South Carolina is going to have to take a careful look at its activities,” said Scott Edelman, a Los Angeles lawyer representing Southern California.

The appeals court ruling is the latest decision in a case that stretches back to 2002, when Southern California challenged South Carolina’s application to federally register its “SC” logo as a trademark. The Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (TTAB) refused to register the logo, saying it was confusingly similar to that of Southern California.

Stripling reports that in a counterclaim, South Carolina challenged Southern California’s use of the logo, arguing that the initials “SC” actually have a longstanding association with the state of South Carolina, of which the university is an agency. The court found, however, that the university failed to make its case that “SC” is uniquely identifiable with the state. Indeed, the university’s own evidence demonstrated that 16 other colleges use the letters “SC” to represent themselves. Sounds like a big victory for the Trojans.

Lawyers for the Gamecocks say that no decision has been made about whether the university will take its case to the U.S. Supreme Court. Can we just take this case to the football field and have the two squads play for the logo?

Shaq's ideas for Dunk Contest

If only Cavs C Shaquille O'Neal was in charge of All-Star weekend festivities. The Diesel has a plan to save the NBA's All-Star dunk contest by bringing back superstar participants and doing it all to benefit Haiti.

After the Cavs' win last night over Toronto, O'Neal was asked if he would like to see teammate LeBron James participate in this year's contest and that's when he offered his idea. Shaq would like to see former dunk champion Vince Carter, Kobe Bryant and others take part along with James next month.

"As his manager, I will only allow 'Bron to do the dunk contest if Vince Carter comes back out," O'Neal said. "If Kobe comes back out and if another big name comes back out. If we could get a big prize and have half of the money go to the people of Haiti and the other half to the winner.

Unfortunately, the NBA has already announced the dunkers for this year's event and LeBron was not among them. Throughout the first half of the season, he has been "50-50" on whether he would participate and decided to skip next month's event in Dallas.

"I'm saying it now," O'Neal said. "So tweet it. Facebook it. E-mail it and hopefully it gets out. Vince, we're calling you out. Kobe, we're calling you out. We're calling everybody out. If those guys step up in the dunk contest, then I will allow my client to step up."

With no LeBron in the dunk contest, he will just continue to tease fans with future NBA.com "Dunks of the Night" such as this:

MJ on Leno's "10@10"

Michael Jordan appeared on NBC's "The Jay Leno Show" last night for the "10@10" segment. Leno asked Jordan, who was in the Bahamas for his charity golf tournament, 10 questions via satellite. The two chat about Jordan's aliases, obsession with shoes and if the greatest basketball ever can still dunk.

Favre and Sanchez are SI coverboys

Vikings and Jets fan better hope the SI curse takes a week off. Sports Illustrated has two covers this week, featuring gun slinger playoff QBs Brett Favre and Mark Sanchez. Favre is the national cover and Sanchez will be seen by northeast subscribers. Might these away team signal callers meet in the Super Bowl? Minnesota and New York are both underdogs as they visit New Orleans and Indianapolis respectively on Sunday.

Carroll's Trip to Seattle Delayed

Before leaving Los Angeles for Seattle, former USC football coach Pete Carroll filmed a FunnyorDie.com video co-starring comedians Rob Riggle and Aubrey Plaza. In the skit, a crazy USC fan tries to convince Carroll to stay with the Trojans.

Thankfully, the video isn't purely salt in the wounds for 'SC fans as Carroll is able to promote his "Make It Better" comedy charity event to benefit A Better LA. Riggle and Plaza are scheduled to perform along with Trojan superfan Will Ferrell. Check out the video here.

Tebow films Super Bowl commercial

Non-profit Christian organization Focus on the Family has bought a 30-second ad during CBS' coverage of Super Bowl XLIV and will feature former Florida QB Tim Tebow and his mother, Pam. The Tebows recently shot the spot in Orlando and will share a personal story centered on the theme of "Celebrate Family, Celebrate Life."

The group isn’t releasing details, but the commercial is likely to be an anti-abortion message chronicling Pam Tebow’s 1987 pregnancy. According to AP, after getting sick during a mission trip to the Philippines, she ignored a recommendation by doctors to abort her fifth child and gave birth to Tim.

The organization describes itself as "a global non-profit Christian organization with a vision for healing brokenness in families, communities and societies worldwide through Christ."

Focus on the Family President & CEO Jim Daly in a statement said that "all the funds to air the ad came from a handful of 'very generous and committed friends' who donated specifically to support the project."

No money from the ministry's general fund was used and this will be the organization's first Super Bowl ad.