Mike Ditka skipping Hall of Fame induction ceremonies until NFL disability payments improve (AP/Y! Sports)

Former Chicago and New Orleans coach and Hall of Famer Mike Ditka won’t attend any further Hall of Fame induction ceremonies till pay is improved for the NFL’s disabled players.

“The system is flawed and when they fix the system I’ll go back,” the former Chicago Bears coach and player told The Associated Press on Friday.

Ditka said his beef isn’t with the pension system, but with the scarcity of disability payments. League officials have said 317 players collect disability totaling about $20 million a year.

Good for Ditka.  It’s a shame that some of these players aren’t granted the same benefits as Joe Workerbee.

Detroit’s Perez gets 80 games for third positive test for stimulant (AP/Y! Sports)

Detroit infielder Neifi Perez was suspended for 80 games after testing positive for the third time because of his use of a banned stimulant.

Perez was suspended for 25 games on July 6 when he tested positive for a second time. Under baseball’s labor contract, a player who tests positive for the first time is sent for counseling.

News and notes while tennis officials investigate irregular betting on ATP match in Poland…

Cuban boxers found at Brazil resort (AP/ESPN) Two Cuban boxers who disappeared during last month’s Pan American Games were found at a resort near Rio, where police say they partied and ran up an exorbitant tab.

USC tops NCAA pre-season coach’s poll (USA Today/SI.com) NCAA powerhouse Southern Cal received 45 first-place votes to sit atop the NCAA Div. I-A coach’s top 25 poll. LSU ranks second, defending champion Florida third.

NBA refs see no-win situations (ESPN.com) Kobe Bryant mouthpiece ESPN.com’s Ric Bucher explores the relationship between NBA referees and the league’s higher-ups.

Quickie: Coach’s 25, Levi, Yost, XMas NBA and more! (danshanoff.com) Bullet-point takes from Dan Shanoff on the sports news of the day.

Baseball and Steinbrenner (Portfolio.com)

Condé Nast publication Portfolio profiles New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner in a not-so-bright light, describing the once hands-on owner as a “bloated old man”.

Writer Franz Linz notes that he’s been trying to get an audience with Steinbrenner for more than a month in hopes of finding out who might succeed the Florida-based ship builder as head of the franchise (son-in-law Steve Swindal was suspected to be his successor, but after a DUI arrest and impending divorce from his daughter, he’s on his way out).

Linz notes this exchange between one of Steinbrenner’s long-time friends, former Tampa Tribune sports editor Tommy McEwen:
More after the jump »

Dukes in trouble again after violating court order (ESPN News Services)

Tampa Bay Devil Ray Elijah Dukes faces possible jail time after the prospect after being charged with a single count of violating a domestic violence injuction.

According to a report in the Tampa Tribune on Friday, NiShea Dukes, his estranged wife, called the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office to complain that he and an unidentified woman made harassing phone calls to her.

Dukes was optioned to the minor-leagues in June and is currently on leave from the organization.

Lions sign No.2 pick Johnson to six-year deal (AP/Y! Sports)

No. 2 overall pick Calvin Johnson ended his eight-day holdout on Friday, signing a six-year pact with the Detroit Lions.

No word of financial details at this time.

***UPDATED at 2:00PM EDT***

The deal is reportedly worth $64 million, with a guaranteed amount of $27.2 million.

Tucker suspended for violation of NFL steroid policy (Cleveland.com)

Cleveland Browns right tackle Ryan Tucker has been suspended by the National Football League for violating the league’s steroids policy.

He will miss his club’s first four games.

Tucker left the team on two occasions in 2006 for an undisclosed mental illness.

X-Games’ skater manages rare feat: losing his shoes while in action (YouTube/Deadspin)

If you happened to catch ESPN’s SportsCenter in the last 12 hours (and if you like sports, you probably had ESPN News on), they’ve been replaying the the video of X-Games XIII skateboarder Jake Brown attempt a 720-degree “spin” on the the half-pipe.

Warning: This video may be a bit graphic and violent.

[youtube KBvCrSjpx9I]

Tip o’the cap to Deadspin for unearthing video.

Canning, Jr., adds more muscle in bid for Cubs (TheBizofBaseball)

The apparent front-runner for purchasing the National League’s Chicago Cubs added some financial muscle to his bid this week.

John Canning, Jr., the Chairman and CEO of Madison Dearborn Partners, decided to follow ownership models used in Washington and Boston to put together his group in the bidding for the club from Sam Zell, who is the pending owner of the team after his purchase of The Tribune Cos., earlier this year.

The supposed list comes from The Chicago Tribune (we figure it’s accurate since, well, they still own the Cubs):

    * Larry Levy, founder of Levy Restaurants, and industrialist Craig Duchossois, who had initially been looking to place a bid for the Cubs independently.
    * Restaurateur, Richard Melman of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises, owner of Tru, Brasserie Jo and Ben Pao.
    * Patrick Ryan, the founder of Aon Corp., and the man leading the Chicago’s bid to host the 2016 Summer Olympics.
    * Billionaire Michael Krasny, founder of Vernon Hills-based computer seller CDW Corp. (Madison Dearborn is purchasing the computer giant).
    * Edward Kaplan, co-founder of Vernon Hills-based Zebra Technologies Corp.
    * David Donnini, a principal in another major Chicago-based private-equity firm, GTCR Golder Rauner.
    * Michael Sacks, chief executive of Chicago-based Grosvenor Capital Management, a fund of hedge funds.
    * Michael Ferro, a Chicago entrepreneur who founded software maker Click Commerce Inc., which last year was sold to Illinois Tool Works Inc.

Not that Mark Cuban of the Dallas Mavericks had a legit shot in his bid, he might need to come up with some more heavy hitters to improve what chances he has to get it done.  It’s gonna be hard to overcome the fact that Canning, Jr., used to be a batboy for the Braves while they were in Atlanta and his currently a minority owner in the Milwaukee Brewers, the team that MLB commissioner Bud Selig once owned.

We’ll apparently find out who the new owner might be just after the Cubs’ season is over.

Trooper in NHL probe to be sentenced (AP/USA Today)
The New Jersey State Trooper who allegedly assisted former NHL star Rick Tocchet run a sports gambling ring is expected to receive his sentence in a Mount Holly, New Jersey courtroom Friday.

In the investigation that followed, authorities and hockey officials have said there’s no evidence that there was any betting on hockey. But the betting was heavy on other sports. In the 40 days that led up to the charges, the ring handled $1.7 million in bets, including college football bowl games and the Super Bowl.

***UPDATED at 4:30 PM ET***

Ex-trooper James Harney was sentenced to a five-year term for his role in the gambling ring.

How important was Natalie Gulbis’ win to the LPGA Tour? (The FanHouse)

The Golf Channel conducted a Q-&-A panel of so called experts to answer the following question: how important was Natalie Gulbis’ first professional win at the Evian Masters last week in France? The FanHouse provides the synopsis of the best answer, from Mercer Baggs:

Mercer Baggs: “This gives the LPGA even more reason to promote their tour through one of the most visible, attractive and likable players they have. I think a 10 would be having Michelle Wie win and commit herself to playing the tour full time. Love her or loathe her, no one at the moment drives more traffic the LPGA’s way than does Wie. “

For more on other “expert” opinions, hit the this link from The Golf Channel.

Baptism by fire: Spurs face Oden on opening night (AP/ESPN)

The NBA season just ended and yet it’s just around the corner as the league released its 2007-2008 regular season schedule on Thursday.

Defending NBA champion San Antonio will open the regular season at home against No. 1 pick Greg Oden and Portland on Oct. 30 and will be one of three games to be played on the league’s opening day.

The schedule includes a tripleheader of games on Christmas Day, featuring Miami and Cleveland and Phoenix at the Lakers , followed by the first meeting between Oden and No. 2 pick Kevin Durant when Seattle visits Portland.

Man U signs nine-year-old YouTube wonder kid (Reuters/ESPN)

Rhain Davis, who was born in England but has lived in Australia since the age of four, was hailed by the British press on Thursday as the next Wayne Rooney after the United striker. His grandfather sent the Premier League champions a DVD showcasing the boy’s talents which has become a YouTube sensation.

Without further ado (as seen on numerous sports sites like Deadspin), Rhain Davis making Under-10s looking silly.

[youtube kjrWErvba5s]

The morning after Roger Clemens gets booed off the mound at Yankee Stadium…

Johnny Estrada and manager Ned Yost almost got into a fight in the dugout tunnel during the game; Doug Mirabelli had some fancy footwork trying to tag up on a would-be David Ortiz sacrifice fly; the White Sox and Yankees each scored eight runs in the second inning, an MLB-record for that inning and Mark Teixeira homered for the second consecutive game with the Braves since his July 31.

Texas 0, Indians 5 — Cleveland’s Jack Westbrook allowed just five hits over six innings of work and Grady Sizemore’s two RBI helped the Indians shutout the Texas Rangers 5-0.

O’s 4, Red Sox 7 — Doug Mirabelli’s two-run single in the home half of the seventh inning put the Boston Red Sox in the lead for good and went on to win a 7-4 contest against the Orioles. Eric Gagne made his Boston debut in the ninth inning, striking out the first two hitters he faced and allowed one in closing the game out. Jay Payton and Corey Patterson each had two RBI for the losing Orioles.

White Sox 13, Yankees 8 — After letting the Yankees tie the game in a record-setting second inning in which each team scored eight runs, the White Sox managed to overcome and break a five-game losing streak against the Bombers with a gutty 13-9 victory.

Red Sox 7, O’s 4 — Doug Mirabelli’s single up the middle drove in Coco Crisp and made it 4-3, jump-starting a four-run inning as the Red Sox pulled away from the Orioles in the seventh and went on to win 7-4.

Angels 6, A’s 4 — Los Angeles’ Vladimir Guererro clubbed his first homers since June 23 against Pittsburgh — a span of 30 games — and the three-run shot in the fifth propelled the Angels to a 6-4. David Murphy of Oakland knocked a two-run shot in the home half of the ninth to cut the score to just a two-run lead, but Francisco Rodriguez came in and shut the door.

More after the jump »

News and notes while noting that Bud Selig didn’t miss a thing in Los Angeles last night…

Gridbirds sign No. 5 overall pick Brown (AP/ESPN) The 6-foot-5, 323-pound offensive tackle out of Penn State signed a six-year contract that could be worth up to $62 million, just over $18 million of it guaranteed.

Woods 1 behind at Bridgestone after shooting 68 (AP/Y! Sports) Hunter Mahan overcame a sloppy double bogey with a torrid stretch of birdies for a 3-under 67, giving him a share of the lead with Paul Casey and Rory Sabbatini at the Bridgestone Invitational. Tiger Woods lurks just one behind after carrying a 68.

Beckham likely to miss MLS debut in Toronto (AP/ESPN) With a nagging ankle injury, superstar David Beckham will likely miss his originally scheduled MLS debut in Toronto, Ontario.

Divorce on the way: Owner of high-revenue club MLB club (BizofBaseball) The Biz of Baseball reports that an owner of a high-revenue baseball club is on the verge of a divorce, with the wife making the filing. The site claims it’s an owner of “one of the crown jewel” franchises.

Yahoo! Fantasy Footbal bloggers’ league draft results (danshanoff.com) Somehow our invitation got lost in the Internets. With the number one pick in the draft, Shanoff selected…LaDainian Tomlinson, running back, San Diego Chargers.