ESPN’s John Clayton reports via SportsCenter that Michael Strahan of the New York Giants will end his holdout and play this season.

More in the “Snooze Bar” manana.

Jags name Garrard starter (AP/ESPN)

Coach Jack Del Rio said Friday the team plans to trade or release their former first-round draft pick, Byron Leftwich. Del Rio also named backup David Garrard his starter heading into next week’s season opener, believing Garrard gives the team a better chance to win.

“It’s bittersweet news,” said Garrard, who has started 18 games in five years as a backup in Jacksonville. “I’m definitely shocked. I didn’t see this happening. I’m beyond shocked. I really feel like this is a dream, but I know it’s not and I know I’m ready.”

Garrard completed 36-of-47 passes for 456 yards and a touchdown this preseason.

Davidson versus Darby (YouTube)

A loyal reader of ours — we do have those, you know — sent this little gem into us earlier today, but with things popping up in our lives, we didn’t have the opportunity to post it.

And now we do.  But the backstory first.

Kyle Garchar, 17, a senior at Hilliard Davidson High, tricked fans of Hilliard Darby High into holding up signs that together spelled out “We Suck.” The ruse took place during last Friday’s football game between the crosstown rivals, The Associated Press reports.

[youtube M7Y_AkT7PEM]

Have a good weekend, folks.  We’re likely out of commission on Sunday and Monday, so we’ll catch ya Tuesday!

Chicago acquires Trachsel (AP/ESPN)

Pitcher Steve Trachsel was traded from the Baltimore Orioles to the Chicago Cubs, giving the NL Central leaders yet another starter for the stretch.

Trachsel returns to the place where he started his major league career. The Cubs sent pitcher Rocky Cherry and infielder Scott Moore to Baltimore for the right-hander.

Marleau agrees to two-year extension (AP/ESPN)

Patrick Marleau agreed to a two-year, $12.6 million contract extension with the San Jose Sharks on Friday, keeping the longtime captain with the club through 2010.

News and notes while Eric Lindros apparently hangs ‘em up…

Rams sign Simeon Rice? (HadleyOnSports.com) John Hadley of 550 KTRS in St. Louis reports that the St. Louis Rams have inked Simeon Rice to a deal.

Jays’ Vernon Wells to explore surgery (TSN.ca) The Blue Jays center fielder may require off-season shoulder surgery, according to club general manager J.P. Ricciardi.

It’s a lot easier to critique preseason picks (SI.com) “Dr. Z” Paul Zimmerman goes over emails.

Jesse Palmer has a new gig (Awful Announcing) We posted the news a long time ago, but the former “Bachelor” star has officially started his new gig with TSN and ESPN.

SI close to poaching another writer from the NY Times (The Big Lead)

The fine folks at The Big Lead have another media scoop: Sports Ilustrated, in an effort to further beef up its writer stable, has poached features writer Lee Jenkins from the New York Times.  A deal is said to be finalized — or on the verge of being finalized — soon.

Jenkins has done outstanding work for the NYT in the last few years, and just a few pieces that stood out for us are this piece on Reggie Bush’s high school highlights (before the video was everywhere), this San Diego Magazine piece on LaDanian Tomlinson’s Texas roots, and the first story we read about jersey popping. Because columnist Selena Roberts remains behind the pay-wall, Jenkins is one of our top reads at the Times, right there with features writer Jere Longman and NBA scribe Howard Beck.

This marks the third such move in recent times for SI.  They’ve added Damon Hack and Jim Trotter to help replenish their staff that has seen the losses of Jeff Chadiha to ESPN, Mike Silver to Yahoo! Sports and Steve Rushin to Time magazine.

It would be a long fall for USC (FOX Sports)

FOX Sports’ Mark Kriegel writes that the dynasty that is USC — with a roster that’s stockpiled with talent like “the U.S. and the Soviets once stockpiled nuclear warheads” — might be facing a tumble as the investigation into alleged improprieties by former USC ‘back Reggie Bush drags on.  Kriegel even makes comparison to the recent Oklahoma jobs-for-players scandal, in which quarterback Rhett Bomar and lineman J.D. Quinn had jobs that didn’t require actual work.  The indictment by the NCAA ended up removing eight wins from their 2005 season and the school had to forfeit two scholarships in each of the next two seasons.

So what about Reggie Bush?

More after the jump »

The morning after the Cardinals cough up a golden opportunity in Houston…

Milwaukee’s Chris Capuano suffered his franchise-record 12th straight loss while making his second relief appearance of the season — he hasn’t won in 16 appearances;  the Yanks outscored Boston 14-6 in the series and outhit the Red Sox 30-13; the Fightin’ Phils sweep of the Metropolitans put them just two games behind the NL East division leader and the Detroit Tigers closed off a tailspin by halting their six game losing streak.

Red Sox 0, Yankees 5 — Robinson Cano tagged two key home runs, Chien Ming-Wang had a no-hitter into the seventh and the Yankees benefited from a key umpiring reversal in the seventh inning as Boston’s Kevin Youkilis was ruled out for running out of the basepaths between second and third to elude a tag and snuffed a potential rally to capture a 5-0 whitewashing of the Red Sox.

Tigers 6,  Royals 1 — Magglio Ordonez and Curtis Granderson each homered and had three hits, and Jeremy Bonderman snapped his six-game losing streak, helping the Tigers avoid a three-game sweep at the hands of the Royals with a 6-1 win in Kansas City.

M’s 5, Indians 6 — Kenny Lofton drew a bases-loaded walk from Rick White to force home the winning run in the ninth inning, and the Cleveland Indians beat the slumping Seattle Mariners 6-5.

More after the jump »

News and notes while MLS holds their breath over the long-term health of ‘Becks’…

Fourteen wrestlers tied to steroid network (SI.com) SI has learned that a dozen professional wrestlers have received steroids and/or human growth hormone through an Orlando-based drug network.  Names include: Chris Benoist, John Hennigan (’Johnny Nitro’), Brian Adams (’Crush’) and Adam Copelan (’Edge’).

PGA: Drug testing could begin in ‘08 (AP/ESPN) Commissioner Tim Finchem is nearing completion of a comprehensive drug policy and testing may begin next year.

Stern to sit tight while investigation plays out (AP/ESPN) David Stern defended his current referees and vowed to wait until a review of the NBA’s officiating program is finished before he decides on any punishments.

Gibbs racing eyes switch to Toyota (Wire reports/USA Today) With a news conference scheduled for next week, word has leaked that Joe Gibbs Racing will field Toyotas next season, ending its 16-year relationship with General Motors.

Brohm, Louisville dominate (AP/Y! Sports) Lousville’s Brian Brohm threw for 375 yards passing and four touchdown tosses to lead the Cardinals over Murray State 73-10.

LSU overwhelms Mississippi State (AP/SI.com) A 25-hour pre-game show led to this — a 45-0 shutout victory for LSU.

Blake wins his first five set match (AP/USA Today) The No. 6-seeded Blake outlasted Fabrice Santoro 6-4, 3-6, 6-2, 4-6, 6-4 in the second round of the U.S. Open Thursday.

WWE suspends ten for ‘wellness policy’ violations (AP/ESPN)

World Wrestling Entertainment has suspended 10 performers for violations of a policy that requires drug tests, the company said Thursday.

WWE says it issued suspension notices based on independent information received from investigators from the Albany County (New York) District Attorney’s Office.

A spokesperson for the organization would not identify the performers.

Under the policy a wrestler faces a 30-day suspension for a first violation, a 60-day suspension for a second violation and firing for a third violation.

MLB officials check on Francona’s attire during game (AP/ESPN)

Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona is known to wear pullovers during games, ala Tony La Russa in the 1980s when he skippered the Oakland Athletics.

Major League Baseball wanted to make sure that Francona was wearing the proper attire under the pullover during Wednesday’s tilt against Red Sox rival New York Yankees. Needless to say, Tito was none-too-happy how this played out.

From the AP:

During the second inning of Wednesday night’s game against the New York Yankees, Francona was called out of the dugout so an MLB security official could make sure he was wearing his uniform top under his usual Boston pullover jacket.

“When Derek Jeter is on second base and I got somebody coming from the league making me go down the runway, I was a little perturbed,” Francona said Thursday.

“That was about as embarrassed as I’ve been in a long time, for baseball.”

Wait, there’s more.

More after the jump »

Baseball tennis (YouTube)

We’re sure this video has been circulated across the Internets for quite some time now, but we wanted to share it with our three readers anyway.

Baseball tennis!

[youtube 7tBW4nxLZP4]

News and notes while SI.com’s Jon Heyman fellates the Yankees…

Gay wins double gold (AP/ESPN) The US’s Tyson Gay wins the 200 — to match his 100 gold — at the world track championships.

The inventor of the Nautilus is dead (NY Times) Arthur Jones, the man who helped usher in a wave of fitness with his Nautilus machines, has died at the age of 80. (TIp o’the cap to TheFanHouse)

Baltimore’s Lewis in shape, improving with age (USA Today) Larry Weisman of USA Today writes a nice little piece on the dance machine that is Ray Lewis.

Cards send former first round pick to complete Maroth deal (AP/Y! Sports) Chris Lambert completes the Mike Maroth deal for the Detroit Tigers.

Beer fight: It’s nice to see fighting back in the Philly stands (Deadspin) Now can you see why we call them the Fightin’ Phillies?

Two sports bloggers dating? (Epic Carnival) An interview with KSK’s Unsilent Majority.

Duke D.A. pleads not guilty to criminal contempt (AP/CNN)

The bungling former district attorney of Durham, North Carolina, who led the investigation into a woman’s allegations that she was raped at a 2006 Duke lacrosse team party where she was hired as a stripper, plead not guilty to criminal contempt Thursday.

Mike Nifong has criminal contempt charges levied against him stemming from his failure to turn over complete DNA testing results during the now-discredited Duke lacrosse rape case.  He won indictments in the investigation, but eventually recused himself from the case as his house of cards began to crumble — to the point where the state of North Carolina dropped all charges against the three men.

Nifong’s attorney, Jim Glover, told Superior Court Judge W. Osmond Smith III during the hearing Thursday that it wasn’t about whether the statements were true or false but “were they willfully and intentionally false and were they also part of an effort … to hide potentially exculpatory evidence.”

Nifong was disbarred in June for more than two dozen violations of the state’s rules of professional conduct during his prosecution of the lacrosse case.

An ESPN.com investigation: the Toledo point-shaving case (ESPN.com)

ESPN’s Mike Fish and George J. Tanber set out to write a lengthy story about the University of Toledo’s football team shaving points in a gambling scandal.

The Detroit-based FBi probe into gambling suggest prosecutors aim to present the case before a federal grand jury later this year. And though the players apparently aren’t the primary targets of the FBI investigation, a number of former and possibly some current Toledo athletes could face indictment.

The two writers stumbled upon a name of a player involved whose name appears on an NFL roster — Brad Gradkowski of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

One of the other names that has surfaced during the investigation, sources confirmed, is Bruce Gradkowski, the Rockets’ starting quarterback in the 2003-05 seasons who now is a backup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Authorities have not spoken about Gradkowski’s possible connection, but sources say investigators are examining his playing time in a number of games under scrutiny as they follow up on an allegation that Manni had offered a Toledo player $10,000 to sit out particular games.

“I don’t know what to say about that,” said Gradkowski, coming off the field after a recent Bucs’ training camp practice. A Tampa Bay public relations assistant, who had been made aware of the focus of the interview, walked beside Gradkowski and deflected follow-up questions.

If you’d like to read up on the whole scandal, be sure to click the link at the beginning of this post.  But be forewarned: it’ll take you some time to get through it.  A lot of time.