Russell, Raiders agree to six-year deal (ESPN.com)

First overall draft choice JaMarcus Russell and the Oakland Raiders have agreed to terms on a six-year contract, reports ESPN.com’s Len Pasquarelli.

According to ESPN.com, once the player passes a physical, he’ll officially sign his deal and take to the practice field for the Raiders.

There is still considerable work to be done, however, in terms of drawing up the contract, and a source close to the negotiations said late Monday that the two sides could still be working “very late into the night and maybe into [Tuesday] morning” to craft the precise language of the deal. ESPN.com has learned that Russell is still not in the Bay Area, and will not fly to Oakland until his representatives feel comfortable with all the details of the contract.

Red Sox, A’s lined up for Japan opener next season (AP/Y! Sports)

According to the Players Association general counsel Gene Orza, Major League Baseball gave the Union a drafted 2008 schedule and it includes the possibility of the Oakland Athletics and the Boston Red Sox playing in the Tokyo Dome.

Baseball officials have spent several months formulating a plan in which the Red Sox — with Japanese stars Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima — would start the season in Japan against an AL West opponent, then return to the United States for a series at that same AL West team.

Orza said that while Boston and Oakland are leading candidates, it’s not a done deal yet.

MLB wants to meet with Gibbons after steroid link (AP/ESPN)

A day after Baltimore Orioles outfielder Jay Gibbons’ name popped up in SI.com story on a performance enhancing drug distribution ring based out of Florida, Major League Baseball would like to have a little chat with him over these allegations.

No timetable was set for the meeting, a person familiar with the situation said Monday, speaking on condition of anonymity because no announcement was made.

On Friday, baseball asked to meet with St. Louis’ Rick Ankiel and Toronto’s Troy Glaus after reports that they received performance-enhancing drugs from Signature Pharmacy several years ago.

The SI.com report states that Gibbons got six shipments of Genotropin (a brand name for synthetic human growth hormone), two shipments of testosterone and two shipments of human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) from October 2003 and July 2005 from Signature Pharmacy of Florida.

Bills’ Everett recovering from spinal surgery after in-game injury (AP/USA Today)

Doctors will continue to sedate Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett as they wait to decide on the course of treatment for a severe injury to the player’s spinal column.

Everett is in the intensive care unit at Buffalo’s Millard Fillmore Gates Hospital after a four-hour operation performed hours after he was hurt in a season-opening loss to Denver, Eric Armstead, a partner of the player’s agent Brian Overstreet, told the Associated Press on Monday.

“He’ll be sedated for the next 24 to 48 hours and we won’t know more until then,” Armstead said. “We were told by the doctors that the surgery went well.”

The agent told the Associated Press that his client had “sparse movement”  and hope that he’ll be able to walk again.

An updated on the player’s condition is expected later on Monday.

***UPDATED at 5:56 PM ET***

The update? Everett’s injury is described as ‘catastrophic’ and paralysis is likely.

Bucs’ Boston tests positive for GHB in DUI (Tampa Bay Online)

A few weeks back, we showed you the hilarious video of Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver celebrating his making the squad by going out and getting hammered and receiving a DUI for his efforts.

Now comes word that the wide receiver has tested positive for GHB, the date rape drug commonly referred to as Liquid Ecstasy.

“We’re told by the experts that that is a level that would make you impaired,” said Bruce Bartlett, chief assistant state attorney at the Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney’s Office.

Tip o’the cap to ProFootballTalk.

Rams lose Pace for season (STL Today)

St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz reports via 1380 ESPN Radio’s Howard Balzer in St. Louis that the St. Louis Rams have lost offensive lineman Orlando Pace for the season with a torn labrum.

More information upcoming…

Sources: Pats suspected of stealing Jets’ signals (ESPN.com)

According to ESPN’s Chris Mortensen, NFL security has confiscated a video camera and its contents from a Patriots employee on the team’s sideline during Sunday’s contest against the Jets in a suspected spying incident, sources said.

The camera, along with its videotape, were sent to league offices inside a sealed package.

The Patriots’ cameraman was suspected of aiming his camera at the Jets’ defensive coaches who were sending signals to their unit on the field, the sources said. The league also is investigating some radio frequency issues that occurred during the game.

The league’s competition committee could conduct a conference call about the incident, which violates NFL policy, and ultimately recommend a penalty that could cost the Patriots a future draft pick or picks if it verifies that the team was spying on the Jets.

Sneaky bastages.

(From time to time, we’ll post a short blog entry regarding a current topic or something else that catches our fancy. It might be something trivial or something that really makes us wonder what the hell is going on.)

Now for something completely different…

You’re an earlier adopter and just got to have an iPhone because it’s just so darn freakin’ cool.  You decide to take it to Europe because you can — and it’s on a GSM network, so you can use it anyway.

Once you get there, you barely use the damn thing and think everything is great because, hey, you got the freakin’ iPhone.

Then you get home after a nice trip filled with tales of drunken debauchery, sight seeing and coffeerdness (That last one is an ode to Peter King of SI, in my attempt to make this sports-related) and get around to opening your bills.

This is where the fun stops, as the New York Times points out.

More after the jump »

Pacman wins tag team title (AP/SI.com)

Suspended Tennessee Titans corner Pacman Jones is finding “success” off the football field, capturing the TNA wrestling tag-team title Sunday.

Jones didn’t really “wrestle”, he just hopped on to the stage…er, mat and covered up the rather tied up opponent.

The turning point came when [Kurt] Angle’s wife appeared ringside, refused to leave and then slapped Sting. She went down as if hit when the wrestler pointed for her to leave, and her husband came over to investigate.

By the time Jones finally tagged in and got into the ring, Angle put a move on Sting that allowed Jones to cover the wrestler for the victory.

It’s like the storylines just write themselves.

News and notes while New England Patriots return man appears on ESPN’s First Take with his Bluetooth headset on…
Detroit Tigers ponder shutting down Jeremy Bonderman (Detroit Free Press) The talented right-hander may have bone chips in his elbow.  MRI scheduled for Monday.

Hokies to start frosh against Ohio (ESPNU) The move to start true freshman Tyrod Taylor over Sean Glennon.

Justin Gimlestob does the Tonight Show (SPORTSbyBROOKS) Retiring tennis players does man-on-the-street reporting for The Tonight Show, comedy ensues.

Sizing up Frank Coonelly to the Pirates (Biz of Baseball) The Biz of Baseball breaks down the Pittsburgh Pirates’ latest hire, new CEO Frank Coonelly.

The Pammy Awards, Week 2 (Awful Announcing) Compilation of quotes from sports broadcasters over the weekend.

Airmaster & AT&T buy tickets to WNBA Finals, donate them to area Shock fans (WNBA)

Thanks to an informational tip o’thecap from SPORTSbyBROOKS, the WNBA Finals match-up between the Phoenix Mercury and the Detroit Shock saw quite a few fans show up for Saturday’s Game 2 festivities.

But as the great website points out, the puffed up 16,752 attendance figures may’ve had some help, thanks to come cooperate sponsors.

Airmaster - a premiere Lennox dealer - and AT&T have purchased 4,000 tickets to Games One and Two of the 2007 WNBA Finals featuring the Detroit Shock and the Phoenix Mercury and are giving them away to fans who know the “secret word.”

“Airmaster and AT&T have been heavily involved with the Shock all season and are great supporters of women’s basketball,” said Shock COO Craig Turnbull. “The team is doing everything in its power to bring another championship to Detroit, and Airmaster and AT&T are doing everything in their power to make certain that as many fans as possible have the opportunity to experience the Shock. That they are doing so at no cost to the fans speaks volumes to the kind of connection they feel with our audience, and I know that our fans will respond in kind with an outpouring of support for Games 1 and 2 of the WNBA Finals.”

Any guesses to what the secret word was?

Again, a tip o’the cap to SPORTSbyBROOKS.

Germany v. Argentina report (AP/ESPN)

In case you hadn’t heard — or we failed you in updating such things like the WNBA Finals…they’re fantastic! — the FIFA Women’s World Cup is currently underway in beautiful China.  In the tournament’s inaugural match-up, defending champ Germany faced off against South America’s finest, Argentina.

It appears either two things happened: Germany still employs the use of enhanced East German “women” or Carlos Tevez and Riquelme couldn’t quite pull of looking like women as Germany trounced the Argentines 11-0. (We’ll go with neither.)

The loss by the Argentines set a FIFA record for margin of defeat in a women’s tournament and Germany set the record for the most goals in a match.

Zee Germans received hat tricks from not one, but two players: Birgit Prinz (31′, 45′, 59′) and Sandra Smisek (57′, 70′, 79′).

Argentina played without suspended Catalina Perez and lost the services of midfielder Mariela Coronel on the eve of the tournament because of a knee injury.

The morning after New England’s Ellis Hobbs set an NFL record by taking the second-half kickoff 108 yards for a score…

Steelers 34, Browns 7 — Ben Roethlisberger tossed a career-high 4 TDs in a rout of of Cleveland, 34-7. “Fast Willie” Parker rushed for 109 yards and landed rookie coach Mike Tomlin his first win in his inaugural start.

Patriots 38, Jets 14 — In his New England debut, Randy Moss accumulated 183 yards receiving on nine receptions and nabbed one touchdown and the Patriots cruised to a 38-14 victory over the Jets.

Bears 3, Chargers 14 — The San Diego Chargers passed their first test under new head coach Norv Turner, turning away the Chicago Bears with a 14-3 win. LaDainian Tomlinson had two touchdowns — one rushing and one passing — to help give San Diego all the offense they needed.

Broncos 15, Bills 14 – Veteran Jason Elam hit a 42-yard field goal just before time ran out to lift the Denver Broncos to a 15-14 victory over the Buffalo Bills.

More after the jump »

The morning after Milwaukee became only the third team in major league history to open a game with three straight home runs and Detroit center fielder Curtis Granderson joined Willie Mays and Frank “Wildfire” Schulte as the only players in major league history with 20 stolen bases, 20 homers, 20 triples and 20 doubles…

The Cardinals got swept by Arizona and drop three games behind in the NL Central derby; Alex Rodriguez continues his torrid hitting by feasting on KC Royals pitching; Pedro Martinez give Mets fans hope by pitching another solid effort and the Tigers fell four games back of the Yankees in the AL wild-card race while the Mariners are five games out.

M’s 14, Tigers 7 — Raul Ibanez hit a three-run homer, Adrian Beltre had four RBIs and Jose Guillen drove in three runs for Seattle as the Mariners torched Detroit starter Jeremy Bonderman for six earned runs and seven hits in a little over one inning of work.

Red Sox 3, O’s 2 — Coco Crisp singled home the tiebreaking run in the eighth inning, Mike Lowell drove in two runs and Dustin Pedroia had three hits for the Red Sox in their 3-2 win over Baltimore. Starter Josh Beckett allowed two runs in seven innings to earn his 18th victory.

Twins 5, White Sox 2 — Jason Kubel hit a three-run homer and added an RBI single, Johan Santana struck out 10 in seven innings, and the Minnesota Twins beat the Chicago White Sox 5-2.

Yanks 6, Royals 3 — Helped by Alex Rodriguez’s 52nd homer, Chien-Ming Wang tossed seven innings of three-run ball and won his 18th game in New York’s 6-3 victory over Kansas City.

Indians 6, Angels 2 — Ryan Garko hit a three-run homer, Asdrubal Cabrera had two RBIs and the Cleveland Indians beat the Los Angeles Angels 6-2.

More after the jump »

News and notes while Roger Federer is a frickin’ beast…

Ronaldinho lifts Brazil over U.S. (AP/SI.com) Brazil’s Ronaldinho zigged and zagged his way through the United States defense and helped his country down the U.S. in a soccer friendly, 4-2.

Powell sets world record in 100m (AP/FOX Sports) Asafia Powell improved his record Sunday, winning a heat at the Rieti Grand Prix in 9.74 seconds despite easing at the end.

Bears lose two starters on defense (ESPN.com) Chicago Bears safety Mike Brown and defensive tackle Dusty Dvoracek suffered knee sprains and will be evaluated in Chicago on Monday.

Rams’ Pace to have MRI on injured shoulder (AP/STL Today) Rams offensive tackle Orlando Pace will undergo an MRI Monday after injuring his right shoulder in a 27-13 season-opening loss to Carolina.

Cowher gets razzed during CBS debut (USA Today) Michael Hiestand’s weekly media column includes how Bill Cowher’s first day on the job at CBS went; the lack of star power on CBS’ U.S. Open broadcast coverage; NBC’s Johnny Miller talking to PGAer Phil Mickelson during the BMW Championship — the event Mickelson skipped; and Chad Johnson promises a “hilarious” touchdown celebration with some sort of prop.

Bills’ Everett has surgery being knocked cold (AP/Y! Sports) Buffalo tight end Kevin Everett sustained a severe neck injury in the team’s season opener against Denver which required surgery Sunday. It isn’t known at this time if the the third-round draft pick in 2005 has movement in his extremities.