NFL commish visits injured Buffalo in hospital (SI.com)

NFL commissioner Roger Goodell took time out of his busy schedule in dealing with the whole New England Patriots thing to visit injured Buffalo Bills tight end Kevin Everett in a Buffalo-area hospital for 90 minutes Thursday.

Goodell flew from New York City to Buffalo to meet with Everett and his mother, Patricia Dugas, in the player’s room at Millard Fillmore Gates Hospital, hospital spokesman Mike Hughes told the Associated Press.

Hughes said Goodell requested permission to make the visit Wednesday, hours after Everett’s doctors expressed “cautious optimism” that the player might be able to walk again. Everett sustained a life-threatening spinal cord injury in Buffalo’s season opener against Denver on Sunday.

“He just wanted to go up to see him,” NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said.

Everett suffered a severe spinal cord injury on Sunday, but is expected to make a recovery.

Albany prosecutors meet with Mitchell Commission (AP/SI.com)

It’s “PEDs Day” at The Buried Lead as the ubiquitously named Mitchell Commission met with Albany (NY) prosecutors regarding their ongoing probe into a Florida pharmacy alleged to have distributed — and sold — PEDs to sports and entertainers.

The Mitchell Commission, headed by former U.S. Senator George Mitchell, is the blue ribbon panel hand-picked by MLB commissioner Bud Selig to investigate  steroids in the sport.

Commission officials came and went later without commenting publicly and Soares spokeswoman Heather Orth said she was unaware of any further meetings scheduled. Representatives of both leagues first met with the New York investigators in March after raids at Signature Pharmacy in Orlando, Fla., whose client lists reportedly included many professional athletes.

McLaren fined $100M in spying scandal (AP/USA Today)

While the NFL is trying to get to the bottom of the alleged “digital espionage” accusation levied by the New York Jets at the New England Patriots, McLaren Racing of Formula One was fined $100 million by the World Motor Sports Council for allegedly using leaked secret technical documents belonging to F1 rival Ferrari.

The team’s drivers, Lewis Hamilton and Fernando Alonso, currently 1-2 in the championship standings, were not punished.

McClaren was also stripped of their point totals in the constructors’ standings — whatever that is.

Oden lost for season (Yahoo! Sports)

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports is reporting that the Portland Blazers’ No. 1 pick in the 2007 NBA draft will miss the 2007-2008 season after undergoing knee surgery Thursday.

An announcement is expected by the club soon.

NHL to announce Sabres- Penguins outdoor tilt (AP/USA Today)

As we posted way back on June 2, the NHL is set to officially announce the outdoor game that will feature the Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins taking on the Buffalo Sabres in Buffalo’s Ralph Wilson Stadium, home of the NFL’s Buffalo Bills.

Buffalo is considered an ideal location to host the game, and not only because of its reputation for cold, bitter winters. The Sabres’ attendance has risen dramatically: last season’s President’s Trophy-winning team sold out all of its 41 regular-season games.

News and notes while LeBron James undergoes Lasik eye surgery and wrangles it into an endorsement deal…

Prosecutors link Ullrich, Spanish doping doctor (AP/ESPN) German prosecutors claim cyclist Jan Ullrich transferred money to Spanish doc.

Giants backup QB ready, waiting if Manning can’t go (AP/Y! Sports) Don’t go rushing to add Jared Lorenzen to your fantasy teams just yet.

Nike, Ohio State reach endorsement deal (AP/USA Today) The deal is for seven-years, $26 million.

Rex Grossman, mental midget (The Big Lead) Former defensive coordinator Ron Riviera of the Chicago Bears described Rex Grossman as a “mental midget” during the San Diego Chargers’ preparation against his former team.

MNF ratings down from last year (Awful Announcing)  ESPN earned a 9.7 rating, down 14.2% from a 11.3 last year.

Report: Twins GM Ryan out after 12 years on the job (Star-Tribune)

The Minneapolis Star-Tribune is reporting that Minnesota Twins general manager Terry Ryan is stepping down from his position after 12 years on the job.

Longtime assistant GM Bill Smith will succeed Ryan, the Star Tribune reported. Smith has been club vice president/assistant GM for the last 13 of his 22 seasons with the organization.

MLB hope to have blood test for HGH next season (USA Today)

Earlier, we mentioned the failure of MLB to actively pursue solutions in their long running battle with steroids and other PEDs in the sport.

Now comes word from this Bob Nightengale piece in USA Today that they hope to have a blood test for HGH next season.

More after the jump »

Mo. prosecutor won’t charge NFL’s Maas (STL Today.com)

Prosecutors in the state of Missouri have decided to drop their pursuit of charges against former NFL broadcaster BIll Maas after he allegedly tried to board a plane carrying a handgun on September 5.

Screeners at Kansas City International noticed a 9mm Glock (a frickin’ Glock? what’s he need that for?) in Maas’ carry-on bag.  When pressed, his explanation was he inadvertently brought the wrong baggage.

What saved Maas from legal entanglements? An obscure 1874 Missouri law allows people to carry concealed weapons if they are “traveling in a continuous journey peaceably.” Yeah, legislators are going to have close that loophole.

While he escaped legal hassles in Misssouri, he had no such luck in Illinois, as he was charged earlier this week with drug possession and weapons charges stemming from a July roadside safety check.

Hundreds see Marlins pull out win (Palm Beach Post)

When the two worst teams in baseball got together in South F-L-A for a Wednesday matinee thanks to the Jewish holy day of Rosh Hashanah, not many expected to a see a large crowd.

15,000? 13,000? 10,121?

The paid attendance figures suggest that final tally, but according to Carlos Frías of The Palm Beach Post, it was merely hundreds viewing the tilt.

The game sometimes felt like an off-day workout as foul balls landed amid acres of empty orange seats. Individual fans could be heard cheering for individual players. On the plus side, the catcalls were few when [Mike] Jacobs watched a third strike go by with the bases loaded in the first inning. An inning later, Jeremy Hermida, too, stuck out with the bases loaded, then broke his bat by pounding it against the ground. Fortunately, few witnessed that, or the 14 men Florida left on base, either.

It didn’t help matters that the game lasted until the 12th inning, either.

But at least the players had a sense of humor about it, as Mike Jacobs told the paper not long after he scored the game-winner and recalled it was on television: “I’m sure,” he said, “there were plenty of people at home who saw it.”

Albany district attorney questions MLB (Yahoo! Sports)

Yahoo! Sports writers Josh Peter and Tim Brown got a chance to interview Albany, New York district attorney David Soares, the man in the middle of the ongoing investigation of an illicit steroid-distribution ring that’s permeating professional sports and entertainment circles.
Soares found time to praise the National Football League for it’s cooperation and had some questions for Major League Baseball officials on their willingness to lend a hand in the investigation of Signature Pharmacy of Orlando, Fla.

Asked if he would furnish MLB with a list of players who allegedly received steroids from Signature, Soares told Yahoo! Sports: “Let’s think about this in the context of the National Football League. We’re working together. So I feel comfortable providing access and giving information to an agency that is working in collaboration with our offices for the purposes of our criminal prosecution.”

That doesn’t sound like much of a ringing endorsement for America’s Pastime, does it?

More after the jump »

The morning after Jim Thome clubbed dinger 499…

The Fightin’ Phils became the first team since the 1995 Cincinnati Redlegs to turn two triple plays in a season; Joba Chamberlain’s 15 1/3 IP scoreless streak was the second-longest by a Yankee pitcher to begin his career (Judd “Slow Joe” Doyle had a blemish-free 18 scoreless innings in 1906); the Cubs and Brewers are knotted atop the NL Central standings and the Cleveland Indians lose a rare game since the All-Star break.

Indians 5, White Sox 7 — Javier Vazquez won for the first time in four starts, striking out nine and giving up two runs, one earned, and six hits. At one point in today’s proceedings, he struck out six in a row and eight of 10 over one stretch.

Angels 18, O’s 6 — There’s nothing to write other than that the Orioles suck. Well, maybe there’s more: Kelvim Escobar earned his 17th win despite yielding six runs, and the Angels cruised to an 18-6 pasting of Baltimore.

D’Rays 4, Red Sox 5 — “Big Papi” did something that he hasn’t done this season: hit a walk-off home run.  Ortiz launched a wall scraping shot to the right field corner off D’Rays hurler Al Reyes, resulting in a one-run victory for Boston, 5-4.  The homer was Ortiz’s second of the game and he accounted for all five of the team’s RBIs.

Yankees 4, BlueJays 1 — Mike Mussina returned to the Yankees’ rotation, tossing six solid innings (five hits, 3 walks and one strikeout), as the Yankees down the BlueJays for their seventh straight win, 4-1.

A’s 4, M’s 5 — A walk-off single by shortstop Yuniesky Betancourt gave Mariners a 5-4 victory at Safeco Field. The Mariners’ win spoiled Oakland pitcher Dan Haren’s chance for his 15th win of the season.

More after the jump »

News and notes while noting the irony in LaDainian Tomlinson’s statement about the Patriots’ cheating when one of his teammates loaded up on ‘roids last year…

Sports landscape, legends quite different in ‘82 (USA Today) A retrospective look back at the year 1982 as USA Today celebrates his upcoming 25th anniversary. Names to check out: Bear Bryant, Wayne Gretzky, Rickey Henderson and the St. Louis Cardinals hitting only 67 homers as a team to win the World Series.

Kaka, Brazil beat Mexico for first time in three years (AP/SI.com) Kaka’s game winning goal in the 80th minute helped cement Brazil’s first win over Mexico in three years.

Steelers’ Ward suspected Patriots’ spying (AP/Y! Sports) Oh you did, did you Hines? Way to call attention to it before, pal.

Glaus done for season with foot injury (AP/ESPN) The recently alleged steroid user BlueJays third baseman will miss the remainder of the season due to foot surgery that’ll correct a nerve problem.

Dodgers to celebrate 50 years in LA in grand style (BizofBaseball) Not included in this piece: the muttering of Brooklyn fans who still curse the name of Walter O’Malley.