Panthers wideout Jarrett charged with DWI (AP/SI.com)

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett has been charged with driving while intoxicated (DWI) after he was arrested early Tuesday in Meckenburg County, North Carolina.

Jarrett, a former star at Southern Cal, was pulled over at 3 a.m. in Charlotte and was released by authorities on $1,000 bond.

He was the club’s second round pick in last year’s NFL Draft.

News and notes while cleaning things up around the domicile…

Source: Yankees wouldn’t stand in way NHL contest (ESPN News Services) The NHL would like to place their next “Winter Classic” at the soon-to-be closing Yankee Stadium in January 2009, the final event at “The House That Ruth Built.”

Fitzgerald to stay with Gridbirds (Larry-Fitzgerald.com) Pending the approval of the NFL, the Arizona Cardinals and wideout Larry Fitzgerald have agreed to terms on a contract extension for four years.

Ex-Ram, fans drop suit against Patriots (Boston Globe) Remember that ridiculous lawsuit filed by former St. Louis Rams player Willie Gary against the New England Patriots for millions of dollars? It was dropped due to what lawyers cite as an “exercise in futility”.

Heels to retire Hansbrough’s jersey (AP/SI.com) As a reward for winning a national player of the year award courtesy of the Sporting News, junior Tyler Hansbrough will have his jersey retired to the Dean Dome rafters.

Comcast, Big Ten Network coming to agreement? (SPORTSbyBROOKS) Via the sports marketing publication the Sports Business Journal, cable company Comcast and the Big Ten Network may finally be coming to an agreement to have the cable giant to carry the network on its airwaves.

…and finally…

Clayton Kershaw has a wicked curve (YouTube) Not as wicked as the “Uncle Charlie” that St. Louis pitcher Adam Wainwright dropped on New York’s Carlos Beltran in the 2006 NLCS, but it’s still really, really, really neat-o.

Favre tells Packers he’s calling it a career (FOXSports.com/ESPN)

According to a published Internet report on FOXSports.com — and confirmed by ESPN’s Chris Mortensen — Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre has decided to retire.

The certain Hall of Famer has reportedly told Packers brass via his agent, Bus Cook, that the gunslinger is done.

***UPDATED at 11:31 AM EDT***

The Green Bay Packers have confirmed the report by FOXSports.com’s Jay Glazer.

News and notes while the Cardinals go for the brass ring and sign Ron Villone to a minor-league deal…

Pence injured in sliding door tumble (MLB.com) Houston’s young star Hunter Pence has trouble with sliding glass door, cuts hand and knees.  Something tells us the story will change a bit here.

Tejada won’t discuss Mitchell Report (AP/SI.com) Expect answers similar to Chico Escuela when asked about his involvement in the Mitchell Report.

Report: Giants, Coughlin close to deal (The Sports Network) The Super Bowl champion New York Giants and their head coach Tom Coughlin are closing in on a pact that would keep the bench boss in the Meadowlands till 2011.

Noel Devine in some hot water (The Dominion Post) Morgantown Police investigating incident that involves WVU star running back Noel Devine (i-Five to TheBigLead for the tip).

ESPN.com to launch channel for print pub (MediaWeek) The Worldwide Teaser to publish online home for it’s printed publication, ESPN: The Magazine.

The NHL is no stranger is pranks (YouTube) On Monday, we brought you the Kyle Kendrick prank. Today, some NHL veterans have some fun with a rookie’s car keys.

News and notes while the Patriots go after Matt Walsh…

Ranking the best GMs in the game (SI.com) Jon Heyman of SI.com has the usual suspects atop the list. Great nugget: The poster boy of  “Moneyball” is retiring.  Jeremy Brown, the pudgy OBP machine, is hanging ‘em up at age 28.

Study: Jeter is worst defensive shortstop in baseball (New York Post) Predictably, the New York media is none-too-happy with the results of this University of Pennsylvania study.

Time for Pettitte to tell the whole truth (FOXSports.com/New York Post) Joel Sherman of the New York Post wants Yankees pitcher to come clean.

Tennesse punter gets DUI, loses scholarship (Chattanooga Times Free Press) Dumb. Dumb. Dumb.

..and finally…

Kyle Kendrick gets punked by teammates, management (YouTube)

News and notes while dropping in for a spell and enjoying the five-game Red Wings losing streak….

Posada supports Clemens (Daily News) Even though he didn’t watch the Congressional hearings this week, Yankees catcher Jorge Posada still believes that Roger Clemens didn’t take PEDs.  Good to see he’s making an informed opinion, nevermind that  his comments don’t show much love for current teammate Andy Pettitte.

LoDuca apologizes for ‘mistakes in judgment’ (AP/SI.com) More PEDs: Washington Nationals catcher Paul LoDuca apologized for being mentioned in the Mitchell Report in a released statement by the ballclub.  Thankfully, he didn’t say he “misremembered” taking the stuff.

Zednik released from hospital (AP) The Florida Panthers defenseman who was inadvertently slashed by a falling teammates’ skate was released from a Buffalo, New York-area hospital.  Zednik’s season is over.

Zach Thomas not ready to hang ‘em up (Florida Today/USATODAY.com) The recently-released Pro Bowl linebacker Zach Thomas tells a South Florida radio station that he’s not ready to retire from the NFL.

Indiana investigation a sham (IndyStar.com) Indianapolis Star columnist Bob Kravitz writes what everyone is thinking: the Indiana University investigation in the major NCAA violations by hoops coach Kelvin Sampson is nothing more than a sham.

…and finally…

$100M spy suit says Pats, coach cheated St. Louis (Boston Herald) So let’s get this straight: taping a walk-through is going to tilt a Super Bowl in a team’s favor? This guy should sue then-Rams coach Mike Martz for not using running back Marshall Faulk.

(Note: We hope to be back on a regular basis for most of next week.  We definitely won’t be around from February 23 through March 4-ish. We apologize for being away, but life gets in the way sometimes.)

News and notes while making a brief return…

Questions good enough to launch a rocket (FOXSports.com) Ken Rosenthal writes for FOXSports.com that it’s now gametime as Congressional hearings are set to go Wednesday for Roger Clemens and Brian McNamee.

Vikes’ Udeze has leukemia (KSTP.com) The Minnesota Vikings are extending their “thoughts and prayers” to defensive end Kenechi Udeze after a television station reported Monday that he has a form of leukemia.

NFL looks beyond experience for its new crop of coaches (SI.com) Don Banks of SI.com takes a look at the spate of NFL head coaching hirings this offseason.

Mayock doesn’t see McFadden in top-20 (Pancake Blocks) NFL Network draft expect Mike Mayock released his top-10 overall picks Monday and Arkansas’ Darren McFadden didn’t make the cut — or a spot in the top-20 (i-five to TheFanHouse for the story).
Malarchuk remembers the blood (Calgary Herald) The former NHL goalie who had his jugular vein sliced 19-years ago speaks out on the similar injury suffered by Florida Panthers defenseman Richard Zednik on Sunday.

…and finally…

Chris Berman video fun (YouTube/The Big Lead) We missed out on the Chris Berman video frenzy in the last week or so, but The Big Lead found one Tuesday that we have to share.

Giants DC Spagnuolo to remain in Meadowlands (Daily News)

Daniel Snyder’s wait to interview New York Giants defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo didn’t pay off as Spagnuolo will stay with the Super Bowl champions.

After meeting with Redskins brass over a span of two days, the Giants DC decided it was best to stick around and re-up with the G-Men, reportedly accepting a deal that may pay him roughly $2 million a season.

News and notes while coming to the realization that Gary Bettman has been NHL commish for 15 freakin’ years…

Kevin Everett: Standing tall (AP/Y! Sports) Five months after accident, the Buffalo Bills tight end is walking, standing tall.

Giants GM Reese hits jackpot in first draft (USA Today) In his first year on the job, New York Giants GM Jerry Reese has done a solid job in the NFL Draft, writes Tom Weir of USATODAY.com.

Irish hire Tenuta as assistant coach (AP/SI.com) Jon Tenuta, who guided the Georgia Tech defense to a 20th-ranked finish in ‘07, has been hired as assistant head coach for defense. He’ll assist DC Corwin Brown.

Agent meets with committee lawyers (AP/MLB.com) An employee of the sports agency that represents Roger Clemens and Andy Pettitte spoke Thursday to the congressional committee investigating drugs in baseball.

Professional sports is very interesting (The Onion) We read it. We laughed. We’re sharing.

…and finally…

ESPN bloopers (YouTube) The YouTubes had the Chris Berman clip of him going batshit crazy over a production error. Today, we bring you other ESPN bloopers.

NFL set to okay annual BIlls game in Toronto (AP/SI.com)

The National Football League has reportedly given the go-ahead for the Buffalo Bills to play an annual regular-season game in Toronto, Ontario.

The decision by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will make the Bills the first NFL squad to play annual regular season games outside the United States.

As part of the deal, per the Associated Press, the Bills would play some preseason games and one annual regular-season game at the downtown Rogers Centre — a domed stadium with a retractable roof — through 2012.

According to, well, St. Louis Rams coach Scott Linehan, the organization has hired Al Saunders as the team’s new offensive coordinator.

Linehan appeared on Team1380 — St. Louis’ “The Roll Home with Bernie Miklasz and Randy Karakker” to make the announcement of the hire.

***UPDATED at 7:47 PM ET***

The Sporting News has all the details on the three-year deal Saunders signed.

Brady: Plax prediction on Pats’ points puzzling (Boston Globe)

New England’s Tom Brady was puzzled by Plaxico Burress’ prediction that the New York Giants would beat the New England Patriots 23-17 in Sunday’s Super Bowl.

Brady wasn’t surprised at the winner he picked (the Giants), but he was certainly amused by the output by his club’s offense.

“We’re only going to score 17 points?” Brady said Wednesday morning before chuckling. “OK. Is Plax playing defense?

“I wish he had said 45-42 and gave us a little credit for more points.”

Finally, some good stuff coming out of players’ mouths.

News and notes while Stromile Swift needs some anger management help…

Poulter: I can challenge Tiger (Reuters) The last guy that made such a claim got his butt-kicked.

Strahan living it up (Y! Sports) Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports writes that New York Giants defensive end Michael Strahan is enjoying his second crack at an NFL title.

Tollner named QBs coach/assistant to the head coach (The Press Democrat) Matt Maiocco of The Press Democrat (Santa Rosa, Calif.) writes that the San Francisco 49ers have officially tabbed Ted Tollner to coach to quarterbacks and will also be an assistant to head coach Mike Nolan.

Brooks not hired, yet (PFT.com) Despite Len Pasquarelli’s confirmation, ProFootballTalk.com states that the Washington Redskins have not hired — or have come to any agreement — with Larry Brooks to coach the defensive line.

Fresno St. OC will take same job with ‘Bama (SportingNews) Sources have told Sporting News’s Tom Dienhart that Jim McElwain will replace Major Applewhite as offensive coordinator at Alabama.

…and finally…

Mike & Mike, sad media folk and the Fox Sports Grill (Deadspin) Will Leitch’s evening in Glendale, Arizona.

News and notes while rumors swirl that the Erik Bedard deal may’ve hit an injury snag…

Pettitte will discuss Clemens, lawyers say (New York Times) According to Duff Wilson and Michael S. Schmidt of the New York Times, the lawyers for Mitchell Report informant Brian McNamee say that NY Yankees pitcher Andy Pettitte will disclose the PEDs usage of Roger Clemens before the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

With Santana Mets ease September pain (Y! Sports) By acquiring winning Johan Santana from the Minnesota Twins, Yahoo! Sports’ Tim Brown writes, the New York Mets have helped ease the pain of their late 2007 crash from atop the NL East standings.

MU hoops coach suspends five indefinitely (STLToday.com) Graham Watson of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that Missouri hoops coach Mike Anderson has suspended five players indefinitely for violating teams rules by being at a Columbia nightclub early Sunday morning.

Former Patriot Joe Andruzzi is in fight for his life (SI.com) Tim Layden of SI.com profiles former New England Patriots guard Joe Andruzzi, who is battling Burkitt’s Lymphoma, a form of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma that advances with such haste that it can double in size in just 24 hours.

Super Bowl tickets are way over price of admission (USATODAY.com) Larry Weisman of USATODAY.com reports from the “No Duh Department.”  Face value of tickets are in the ‘hood of $700.

…and finally…

NHL All-Star Game ratings up from last year in U.S., down in Canada (CP/The Hockey News) The ratings in the U.S. had nowhere to go but up.

Brady gets marriage proposal by Spanish language reporter (ESPN)

A Spanish language reporter named Ines Gomez-Mont asked New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady if she could be “the real miss Brady.”

Watch for yourself.

Campo set to make return to Cowboys (Dallas Cowboys Fan Zone)

The Dallas Cowboys plan to introduce Dave Campo as secondary coach Tuesday, a source told the Dallas Morning News. The hiring comes five years after Campo’s three-year term as the Cowboys’ head coach ended with his being fired.

Also within the blog notebook, former NFL head coach Dom Capers is set to meet with head coach Wade Phillips.  It appears that Capers might be interested in filling the vacancy of linebackers coach.