Torre to manage Dodgers; Mattingly will be his bench coach (LoHud.com)

According to a report on Lower Hudson Online, Peter Abraham writes that the Los Angeles Dodgers will fire manager Grady Little and ink Joe Torre as their new skipper.

The published report also points to Torre bringing Don Mattingly along as his bench coach.  Mattingly, who was a finalist for the New York Yankees managerial position that looks to have gone to Joe Girardi, announced earlier Monday that he would leave the Yankees organization after failing to land the top job.

Torre would also like to bring along Rick Long, his hitting coach last year with the Yankees.

Tip o’the cap to TheFanhouse for the informational link.

***UPDATED at 1:47 AM ET***

Buster Olney of ESPN The Magazine confirms The Journal Online report that Grady Little will be dismissed and Torre will be his replacement.

Cowboys sign Romo to six-year, $67.5 million deal (TSN/ESPN)

ESPN is reporting that the Dallas Cowboys have reached a deal on a contract extension with quarterback Tony Romo.

The deal, for six-years in duration, will pay the second-year signal caller $67.5 million.

Mattingly leaving the Yankees (Bats)

Tyler Kepner of the New York Times reports that Don Mattingly, who was in the running for the Yankees’ managerial job that appears to have gone to Joe Girardi, will not return to the club after being passed over.

Mattingly’s agent, Ray Schulte, released a statement on the Yankees legend’s behalf.

More after the jump »

The Atlanta Braves have dealt shortstop Edgar Renteria to the Detroit Tigers for RHP Jair Jurrjens and OF Gorkys Hernandez, according to a broadcast report on ESPN News.

Renteria will be the new Detroit shortstop, replacing Carlos Guillen who will now man first base.

***UPDATED at 4:53 PM ET***

The Atlanta Braves have issued a press release announcing the deal between the two clubs.

FIFA votes to end World Cup rotation system (AP/Y! Sports)

The World Cup will no longer be rotated among continents, a decision that throws open the race for the 2018 tournament.

“If you go back to 2002, and look at the recent history of rotation … it’s been Asia, Europe, Africa and with 2014 going to South America,” CONCACAF general secretary Chuck Blazer told The Associated Press. “I thought in all logic and fairness the next cycle should be CONCACAF. Regrettably, that did not carry the day.”

Countries belonging to the African and South American confederations will not be eligible to host the 2018 tournament because South Africa and Brazil will have hosted the two previous tournaments.

NHL suspends Jones for two games (AP/ESPN)

The National Hockey League has suspended Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Randy Jones for two games for his hit on Boston Bruin Patrice Bergeron Saturday.

“I’m disappointed,” Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren said. “I think it is a situation that we see — minus the injury to Patrice Bergeron — I think we see quite often.”

If you haven’t seen the violent hit, check out our post Saturday, shortly after the play too place.

News and notes while Tony Romo looks for an endorsement deal with Valtrex after hanging out with Britney Spears…

Twins to pick up closer Nathan’s option (AP/ESPN) Minnesota picks up Joe Nathan’s $6 million option for ‘08.

MMQB: It’s Pats-Colts week! (SI.com) Peter King offers up insight on the Week 9 shenanigans leading up to Pats-Colts.

Hippo found in Charger coach’s swimming pool (Larry Brown Sports) Words cannot begin to describe what happened.

An interview with Erin Andrews — by a blogger (OMDQ) Blogger “One More Dying Quail” nets an interview with sideline beauty — and excellent sideline reporter — Erin Andrews.

When drunk college football coaches (ex?) wives attack (The Big Lead) Oregon coach Mike Belotti’s (ex?) wife berates a sports columnist in the press box during the Ducks-Trojans game for the paper’s coverage of one of their children.  Even the nanny got involved.

Joe Buck is exciting (The Big Picture)

We know you’ve often wondered this: what if FOX Sports broadcaster Joe Buck called some on the most important calls in sports history.

The Miracle on Ice? The Stanford-Cal football game? The Kennedy assassination?

Yep, it’s all here.

Find more videos at BurlySports.com

Source: Yanks officially offer skipper job to Girardi (ESPN News Services)

Andrew Marchand of ESPN 1050 in New York is reporting that the New York Yankees have officially offered their managerial job to Joe Girardi on Monday.

Reportedly, GM Brian Cashman has told the other two candidates — Don Mattingly and Tony Peña — that they won’t be the team’s next skipper.

Mattingly will not accept a position on the Yankees coaching staff, Marchand and ESPN The Magazine’s Buster Olney are reporting.

(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.)

Ah, the beauty of predictions: they’re completely worthless to utter, yet so tempting to try and look like a friggin’ genius by picking the winner.

If you’re a regular reader of this site (and who is…really?), you’ll know that throughout the playoffs, we made attempts at being experts by selecting winners for each series.

More after the jump »

Boston fans celebrate World Series win; 37 arrested (AP/Y! Sports)

After winning their second World Series in four years, Boston Red Sox fans couldn’t help themselves from reveling in the joy.

The first time around, they had to wait 86 years to break through curses, “evil empires,” and the never-ending belief of impending doom that something was going to happen to cause of their success to be flushed down the toilet.

Which leads us to Sunday/Monday in beautiful Boston.
More after the jump »

The morning after Red Sox became the new “Evil Empire”…

Red Sox 4, Rockies 3

Another Series for the Red Sox, another sweep for a championship.

Nearly three years to the day of their first World Series win in 86 years, the Boston Red Sox wrapped up their seventh championship, downing the dormant Colorado Rockies 4-3 at Coors Field in Denver.

More after the jump »

Gammons unhappy with A-Rod’s timing (ESPN)

As we mentioned earlier in The Snooze, the timing of Alex Rodriguez’s decision to opt out of his contract was quite curious (it was in the middle of Game 4 of the World Series when FOX Sports’ Ken Rosenthal jumped in with the news).

ESPN baseball analyst Peter Gammons agreed with us: why make the decision public during the World Series? He has 10-days after the Fall Classic to opt out of the remaining $91 million due to him.

More after the jump »

News and notes while network analysts finish taking shots at NFL games in London…

A-Rod opts out: association with Yanks likely over (NY Times) Curious timing, Mr. Boras.  Meanwhile, Hank Steinbrenner, as Tyler Kepner writes, seems to be a bit perturbed.

Aaron explains himself (Y! Sports) Tim Brown of Yahoo! Sports writes why Hank Aaron wanted to ditch out on Barry Bonds’ home run chase: he didn’t want to be a part of “that bullshit” of being in a controversy.

Girardi could get Yankees offer Monday (SI.com)  Jon Heyman speculates that Joe Girardi may get the offer on Monday. We wish he stayed in broadcasting because he’s pretty darned good.

Bruins’ Bergeron leaves hospital day after hit (AP/ESPN) If you missed the hit by the Flyers’ Randy Jones, be sure to check it out.

Randall Godfrey calls out Pats coach Bill Belichick after blowout loss (NBC Sports)  The Washington linebacker wasn’t all that happy with the Patriots coach after his team lost 52-7, telling him after the game that ‘you need to show some respect for the game.’