Ex-Mets clubhouse attendant provides names to Mitchell (SI.com)

Kirk Radomski, the former Mets clubhouse attendant who admitted selling steroids to scores of major leaguers, recently has provided names of users in a meeting with baseball’s lead steroid investigator, George Mitchell, SI.com has learned.

Sources tell SI.com’s Jon Heyman that Radomski provided names of dozens of major leaguers.

One person familiar with some of Mitchell’s findings said people are going to be “very surprised” by how much Mitchell has learned about baseball’s steroid past. While Mitchell has interviewed hundreds of people, Radomski is believed to have provided the juiciest new details — by far. Radomski is said by federal authorities to have been a supplier of steroids to current and former major leaguers between 1995 and 2005 after previously working as a Mets clubby and batboy.

Radomski is due in San Francisco court on Sept. 7, when he will be sentenced, and while his plea carries a penalty of up to 25 years, his sentence has been said by authorities to depend to some degree on his level of cooperation.

Feud developing between Barber, Manning (AP/SI.com)

Days after being criticized on national television by former teammate Tiki Barber, Eli Manning fired back at Today’s contributing correspondent, ripping him on being a distraction last season with his “am-I-or-am-I-not?” retirement talk.

“I guess I’m just happy for Tiki that he’s making a smooth transition into the TV world,” Manning said. “You know, I’ll be interested to see if he has anything to say (about a team) besides the Giants, and what his comments will be on that.”

Boom goes the dynamite.

“It’s just one of those deals. I’m not going to lose any sleep about what Tiki has to say,” Manning said at the Giants training camp at the University at Albany. “I guess I could have questioned his leadership skills last year with calling out the coach and having articles about him retiring in the middle of the season, and he’s lost the heart (to play).

“As a quarterback you’re reading that your running back has lost the heart to play the game and it’s about the 10th week,” Manning said. “I can see that a little bit at times. But I’m not going to get concerned. I’m going to go out there and play ball.”

Feel the love.

Offerman lawyer challenges arrest in bat attack (AP/ESPN)

The attorney for former Major League Baseball veteran Jose Offerman is challenging the arrest of the Independent League’s Long Island Duck when he allegedly hit a pitcher and catcher last week at Bridgeport, Connecticut.

“I think a mistake was made by him charging the mound with a bat in his hand,” [Offerman’s attorney Frank] Riccio said. “But after that, everything is a blur. We dispute the fact that any contact was made with the bat. It’s as likely these two players got injured in the melee that followed the incident as opposed to the baseball bat incident.”

At least he thought his client “made a mistake” by charging the mount with bat.

Ex-Packer Ferguson agrees to deal with Vikings (AP/ESPN)

Former Green Bay Packers wide receiver Robert Ferguson agreed to terms with division rival Minnesota Tuesday.

Ferguson was drafted in the second round by the Packers in 2001 and will immediately become the most experienced and productive receiver on the Vikings. Despite battling numerous injuries, Ferguson has caught 116 passes for 1,577 yards and 12 touchdowns in his six years in the league.

News and notes while the ‘A-Rod’-to-Anaheim talk pops up again…

Oklahoma names its starting QB (AP/USA Today) Redshirt frosh Sam Bradford is coach Bob Stoops’ choice to lead the Sooners in ‘08.

Ballpark Village — with condos — wins state financing (STL Today) The development-attached Village to Busch Stadium III in St. Louis  jumps yet another hurdle.

A city in recovery (SI.com) Alexander Wolff of SI.com profiles the city of New Orleans, two years after Hurricane Katrina ravaged “The Big Easy.”

Is Stern’s job in peril? (The FanHouse) Via The FanHouse, the New York Post speculates that the NBA gambling scandal could jeopardize the reign of David Stern as commish.

Yet another fantasy football draft on ESPN (AwfulAnnouncing) These “celebrity” fantasy sports drafts always go well…yawn.

Harold Reynolds gets court date (Portland Tribune) Buried within this notebook, former ESPN and current MLB.com contributor Harold Reynolds gets a court date — February 2009. (Tip o’the cap to AwfulAnnouncing for the lead.)

Johnson agrees to five-year extension with Chiefs (ESPN.com)

ESPN’s John Clayton reports that Kansas City Chiefs holdout running back Larry Johnson has agreed to a five-year contract extension with the organization.

Financial details have yet to be released, but the All-Pro running back took the the practice field late Tuesday morning after a deal was reached.  The deal, according to Clayton, is believed to included $19 million in guarantees.

***UPDATED at 2:13 PM ET***

Jay Glazer of FOX Sports reports that the deal is for $45 million and confirms that the star running back will land $19 million in guarantees.

It seems Murphy is going to sell #756 (100% Injury Rate)

Matt Murphy, the 21-year old Mets fan who happened to catch Barry Bonds’ record-breaking home run while laying over in San Francisco that evening, will announce his plans for the baseball in a 5 PM ET news conference from a San Francisco eatery.

Murphy has already starting hawking items he wore that night on eBay — his ketchup-stained Jose Reyes jersey and a sweat-stained Mets cap — and it appears likely that he will part ways with the coveted baseball.

We’ll be sure to update his decision later Tuesday should more information be released.

Tip o’the cap to Deadspin for the story link.

***UPDATED at 6:33 PM EDT***

Confirmed: Matt Murphy will sell the ball due needing the bank account.

Canes leaving Orange Bowl for Dolphin Stadium (AP/ESPN)

The University of Miami made the painful decision to leave its long-time home of seven decades, the Orange Bowl, for the more modern facility of Dolphin Stadium.

The move to Dolphin Stadium translates to an extra $2 million in annual revenue for the school’s athletic department.  The city of Miami offered the school some $200+ million in improvements to the aging Orange Bowl, but were rebuffed by school officials.

The University of Miami has played in the Orange Bowl, which sits just eight miles from campus, since 1937 and was home to a 58-game home winning streak that spanned ten football seasons.

Madden rings: How long would YOU play to get one? (SportsBiz)

Just last week, we blogged an article from CNBC’s Darren Rovell which tackled the topic of Electronic Arts‘ promotion of championship rings for playing Madden 08.

Now comes an update from Rovell: a reader had sent along a note that he has cracked the third level of the game and is due to receive his ring soon.

From the reader to Rovell:

“I saw your article on the Madden rings and I see that you were asking how long it takes to unlock the third ring. Well I’m finishing up getting the third ring now and, judging by what I have left, I would say (it takes) about 67 hours. I agree this feature is awesome. I’ve been playing Madden for years and years and I love this addition. I’ll be buying my own ring–that’s for sure.”

Rovell also notes that he received this email mid-day on Friday and the game was released at midnight the Monday before.  By his calculations, the reader spent 17 hours NOT playing the video game.

In short, it takes roughly 67 hours to attain über dorkdom and develop an acute case of scurvy due to lack of sunlight.

Eagles cut LB Trotter (ESPN.com)

Len Pasquarelli of ESPN.com reports that the Philadelphia Eagles have cut four-time Pro Bowl linebacker Jeremiah Trotter on Tuesday, ending the nine-year vet’s career in the “City of Brotherly Love.”

The linebacker met with Andy Reid and was informed that he would be released.  The organization suggested that he hang them up, but Trotter insists he’ll find work elsewhere.

The move looks to have opened up a spot for Takeo Spikes, who was acquired from the Buffalo Bills back in March.

Nike founder donates $100 million to Oregon (AP/ESPNU)

Nike co-founder Phil Knight and his wife, Penny, have dropped an unexpected gift on the University of Oregon: a $100 million donation.

The school is seeking donations to build an on-campus facility to host the school’s basketball teams and other events, but it was not determined if this donation was directly earmarked for it.  According to school officials, the money will help fund or create the Oregon Athletics Legacy Fund, which will help support all athletic programs.

Knight attended Oregon in the late 1950s and ran for legendary track coach Bill Bowerman, whom he eventually founded Nike with in 1971. Bowerman designed several Nike shoes, but is best known for ruining his wife’s waffle iron in 1971, experimenting with the idea of using waffle-ironed rubber to create a new sole for footwear that would grip but be lightweight.

Hawaii to investigate ex-player’s drug allegations (AP/ESPNU)

A former University of Hawaii football player levied allegations that school officials and players manipulated NCAA-ordered drug tests.

Ian Sample (the irony!), who recently published a book chronicling the 2006 season entitled, “Once A Warrior,” released unpublished material on his blog about excessive drinking, widespread use of marijuana, sex with groupies and rigged drug tests.

He wrote:

“The higher ups definitely know what they are doing when they decide who will be tested. However, getting tested doesn’t necessarily mean getting caught, every once in a while a player will side step a positive test result by flushing out their system [the real smokers know where to go to get a cleansing elixir].”

The Hawaiian Warrirors head coach June Jones, as expected, denied such claims and labeled that allegations as lies.

Blind golfer hears the shot of her career (AP/USA Today)

Not many people in life get the chance to nail a hole-in-one on their favorite municipal golf course. In fact, Golf Digest said in 1999 that the odds of an amateur getting a hole-in-one are 1 in 12,750.

There’s an even slimmer total of the population that have done it without the benefit of sight and accomplishing the feat.

Count Shelia Drummond among the select few who can say that she’s downed a hole-in-one while blind: Drummond, blinded by diabetes 26 years ago, experienced the highlight of her golfing career Sunday, recording an ace on the 144-yard, par-3 fourth hole at Mahoning Valley Country Club in Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  She knew it was in the hole as soon as she heard the ball hit the pin and drop.

Q&A on Vick’s plea deal (SI.com)

Sports Illustrated’s investigative reporter George Dohrmann sits down with the magazine to discuss the aftermath of Michael Vick pleading guilty to dogfighting charges and what is likely to follow in the case.

SI.com: Could the judge impose a stiffer sentence?

Dohrmann: Usually judges stick to the guidelines, although the judge in Vick’s case — judge Henry Hudson — let it be known at the plea hearing for [Purnell] Peace and [Quanis] Phillips last Friday that he could sentence them to five years in prison and they couldn’t then get out of their pleas (or appeal). If Vick agrees to plead guilty to the same single charge as his friends (federal dogfighting conspiracy), he faces the same quandary. He might get the sentence his lawyers negotiated with prosecutors or he might get more. Hudson won’t make the final decision until the sentencing hearing, the date of which we won’t know until Monday.

For more questions and answers, hit the link.

The morning after Rick Ankiel goes oppo at Wrigley…

Manny Ramirez has 39 RBIs in 38 games since the All-Star break for the Red Sox; the Giants’ four-game sweep was the first on the road since August 14-17, 2006; the White Sox avoided losing their ninth game in succession while Bobby Jenks failed to notch his 42nd out and the Milwaukee Brewers started their road trip with a roar in Arizona.

Red Sox 6, D’Rays 0 –  Tim Wakefield continued to rule Tampa Bay, allowing four hits over seven innings as the Red Sox blanked the Devil Rays 6-0. Wakefield struck out five and walked one in the effort for his 15th win.

M’s 9, Twins 4 — Seattle’s Raul Ibanez is alive, hitting two of the team’s four home runs — nine in August — and helped propel the Mariners to a 9-4 win over the Minnesota Twins.

A’s 6, BlueJays 4 — Jack Hannahan hit a three-run homer, Joe Blanton remained unbeaten in August and the Oakland Athletics beat the Toronto Blue Jays 6-4 at Rogers Center in the big T.O.

Royals 3, White Sox 4 — Josh Fields’ RBI single in the seventh broke a 3-all tie after Danny Richar had tied the game earlier in the inning with a one-out shot to right field for his second home run of the year that tied it up.

Yankees 6, Angels 7 (10 innings) — Los Angeles’ Ryan Budde stroked a one out base hit to right center field in the 10th inning to score Howie Kendrick from second base to give the Angels an extra-inning win over the visiting Yankees, 7-6.

Rangers-O’s — PPD: will be played Wednesday as part of a doubleheader.

More after the jump »

News and notes while listening to Sean Salisbury pontificates on the Michael Vick case…

Durant, Collison cut from U.S. roster (AP/SI.com) The U.S. Dream Team hoops squad qualifying for the Beijing Olympics trimmed its roster to the 12-player limit for the FIBA Americas tournament, sending Seattle’s Kevin Durant and Nick Collison home.

The offseason adventures of Michael Vick! Episode 10: Guilty (KissingSuzyKolber) The satirical sports blog KSK continues their multi-arc series on the life and times of Michael Vick.

Seeds handed out for tennis’ U.S. Open (AP/USA Today) The top men’s seed is Roger Federer for the fourth consecutive year; Justine Henin gets the nod for the ladies bracket.

PETA loves Citizen’s Bank Park (Biz of Baseball) PETA chose the Fightin’ Phillies’ hometown stadium as numero uno, thanks to their vegetarian menu offerings.

Montana player dies a week after collapsing at practice (AP/USA Today) Jeffrey R. Bowman, a senior football player at BigFork High School, died Monday at a local hospital where Bowman had been since collapsing last Monday.