Jacobsen offering $5K reward for stolen golf clubs (AP/ESPN)

From the AP:

The Champions Tour player is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the return of a set of Titleist clubs he uses on the tour and three other bags of clubs with sentimental value.

The older clubs included a set he used at Lincoln High School and at the University of Oregon.

Washington County sheriff’s deputies said the clubs have an estimated value of $28,000.

Jacobsen said his tour clubs were tailor-made five years ago for his body size, shape and style of game.

“When you get fit for a set of clubs it’s like getting fit for a tuxedo or a prom dress or a tailored suit,” he said. “I spent a lot of time and effort getting these fit just right.”

News and notes on a slow, hot, humid Midwestern midday…

Report: Pats’ Samuel considers ending holdout (ESPN) Len Pasquarelli of ESPN.com reports that a close associated of the Patriots cornerback is considering ending his holdout and reporting to camp soon.

Work begins on the Bertuzzi civil trial (TSN.com) Three years later, former Colorado Avalanche player Steve Moore’s legal team has been conducting examinations for discovery over the past several weeks related to the injury caused by then-Vancouver Canucks forward Todd Bertuzzi in 2004.  If you recall, Bertuzzi sucker-punched Moore in the back of the head that caused Moore an injured vertabrae and a concussion.

David Boston celebrates a bit too hard after making the Buccaneers (My Fox Tampa) This is not the move to make when you’re trying to resurrect your career, buddy (Tip o’the cap to SPORTSbyBROOKS for the informational link).

FOX Sports pulls Glazer piece (The FanHouse) FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer wrote an article ripping the Cincinnati Bengals’ training camp home in Kentucky.  It gets pulled.

Guess the NFL writer Sports Illustrated is about to hire (The Big Lead) Our friends at The Big Lead write that the magazine is said to be close to hiring a prominent  football scribe to elevate its lagging brand.  Who is it?

Vick plea agreement admits dog killing, conspiracy (CNN)

CNN is reporting that the plea agreement signed by Michael Vick and filed in a Richmond, Virginia courthouse contains details that the Altanta quarterback has admitted to one count of “Conspiracy to Travel in Interstate Commerce in Aid of Unlawful Activities and to Sponsor a Dog in an Animal Fighting Venture.”

The charge is punishable by up to five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Federal prosecutors agreed to ask for the low end of the sentencing guidelines.

In the statement of fact, that was filed with the agreement, Vick admitted buying the property that was used for dogfighting but said he did not bet of the fights or receive any of the money from the fight’s.

It also said that “collective efforts” by him and two others caused the deaths of at least six dogs.

The filing will include a summary of facts from the Atlanta Falcons quarterback, the source said.

This story contradicts an earlier report by ESPN that stated the Vick wouldn’t admit to such crimes in his filed paperwork.

***UPDATED at 2:00 PM ET***

TheSmokingGun.com has all the details on the admission of guilt by Michael Vick.

Is MLB licensing gang-related apparel? (FOX News)

FOX News has a nice little story up on its website about official MLB caps blatantly featuring colors and symbols for some of America’s deadliest street gangs are turning up on store shelves in Harlem.

As one would suspect, local activists are none too happy with this turn of events.

“Companies involved should not profit from the promotion of gang affiliation, which leads only to gang violence,” the activists, who call themselves the Coalition to Protect Our Children, said in a statement. The coalition is concerned that unsuspecting kids could buy one of the hats, wear it in the wrong turf and then be targeted for attack.

The group marched Thursday in East Harlem to try to pressure local shops into pulling the caps from their shelves. One store operator agreed to do so, MyFOXNY.com reported.

Meanwhile, an MLB official claimed the league was not aware that the designs were gang-related and it was probably just a coincidence that the apparel had the urban-esque designs to them.

“Major League Baseball … is very concerned about the issue,” said Silvia Alvarez, the league’s director of multicultural and charitable communications, in a statement. She indicated that MLB would encourage and support the pulling of these caps from stores.

Miller to stay retired, puts aside talk of comeback (Indianapolis Star)

Reggie Miller, the former Indiana Pacers star and TNT hoops analyst has decided he won’t make a comeback with the Boston Celtics or anyone else, according to The Indianapolis Star.

After two weeks of extensive exercise and training, Miller decided that the wear-and-tear on his mind — not his body — just wasn’t worth it to make a comeback.

“Earlier today (Thursday), I was ready to come back. I was going to do it. But then I flew back here, I thought about it, I talked to a lot of people, and honestly, most people told me I should come back. Charles (Barkley), Mark (Jackson), Doug (Collins), they all said I should do it. And when I was back in Indy this week (for the Peyton Manning charity bowling event), people on the streets, they’d tell me to do it.

“But as the day went on, I just realized I wasn’t ready mentally to put myself through the grind again.”

Miller remains the NBA’s all-time 3-point leader, even after his retirement following the 2005 NBA playoffs that was preceded by 18 stellar seasons in Indianapolis.

So if you’re reading this and happened to run an NBA team: don’t call Reggie Miller.

The morning after Florida’s Josh Willingham became a one-man wrecking crew…

The Mets’ Billy Wagner and the Padres’ Trevor Hoffman blew saves in the same game for the first time in their careers, thirteen days after they each blew a save on the same day for the first time ever; the Rangers scored a measly four runs after their 30-run effort Wednesday; Matt Cain shows his versatility and Indians’ pre-trade deadline acquisition of Kenny Lofton pays dividends in the pinch.

Indians 3, Tigers 1 — Kenny Lofton’s pinch-hit infield single scoring Josh Barfield in the top of the tenth broke a scoreless tie and the Cleveland Indians tacked on two more runs to down the Detroit Tigers 3-1.

Twins 5, Orioles 2 — Boof Bonser pitched seven innings of three-hit ball and earned his first win since June 10 as the Twins capitalized on errors to beat the Orioles

Red Sox, White Sox — Postponed due to rain.

M’s 9, Rangers 4 – Ichiro Suzuki had a three-run double in between homers by Jose Guillen and Jose Vidro during a seven-run inning that pushed the Mariners to a 9-4 victory over the Rangers.

More after the jump »

News and notes while still grappling with the notion that Michael Vick just doesn’t get ‘it’….

U.S. blows out Virgin Islands (AP/ESPN) Michael Redd’s 15 points in five minutes during the second quarter gave the Americans a boost in their 123-59 romp in the FIBA Americas tournament.

Dodgers reach deal with Wells (ESPN The Magazine) ESPN The Magazine’s Buster Olney reports that the Los Angeles Dodgers and free agent pitcher David Wells have reached a tentative contract agreement.  Wells is expected to join the Dodgers on Sunday and pitch against the Mets that evening.

Beckham gets feisty in MLS match (AP/SI.com) After a whirlwind, trans-atlantic trek from London where he played for England, LA Galaxy’s David Beckham played a full 90-minutes in the 3-0 loss to Chivas USA.  A scrum broke out between “Becks” and Chivas’ Jess Marsch after Marsch tackled the über defender from behind.

Big Ten/Fox vs. Cable carries: The Q&A (SportsBiz) CNBC Sportsbiz analyst Darren Rovell examines the battle between the fledgling college-themed sports network and the nation’s cable carriers.

Ex-teammate: Vick just ain’t smart (The FanHouse) Two former teammates speak out — anonymously, natch — on Michael Vick.  One claimed “he’s not that smart,” while another said that he was coddled by ownership and never gave second thought to any of his actions having consequence.

Eagles coach’s son detained on suspicion of DUI (AP/ESPN) More trouble for a son of Eagles coach Andy Reid: son Britt Reid, who is currently free on bail pending sentencing on a Jan. 30 road-rage incident, was detained in a store parking lot at 3:45 PM on suspicion of driving under the influence.

Report: Vick won’t admit to killing dogs, gambling (AJC.com)

According to a report in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Michael Vick’s father said he asked his son to give up dogfighting, or to at least put property used in the venture in the names of others to avoid being implicated.  In another AJC.com report, Vick’s estranged father Michael Boddie claims that his son staged dogfights in their garage and kept fighting dogs in their Newport News, Virginia backyard in 2001.

In related news: ESPN is reporting that when Vick enters his plea on Monday in a Richmond, Va., federal court, he will not admit to killing dogs or gambling on his property.

ESPN reported that Vick’s defense team met with federal attorneys Thursday afternoon to determine the “summary of facts” to which Vick will plead. But ESPN’s source said Vick maintains he never killed dogs and never gambled on a dog fight. The source told ESPN the Atlanta Falcons quarterback will plead guilty to the charge of interstate commerce for the purpose of dogfighting.

Instead, he will admit he was present when dogs were killed, but that he did not personally kill any of the dogs.

We somehow think this won’t pass the ‘ol smell test with Judge Henry E. Hudson.