MLB pays $1.2 million for Rockies.com
Where's Todd Helton
How important is it to Major League Baseball to own team name domain rights? Apparently $1.2 million in importance as that’s how much they shelled out to secure the rights to rockies.com. The website was previously owned by Tourism Canadian Rockies and was used to promote the Rocky Mountains (since they stretch all the way up to Canada).
It’s reported to be the largest price ever paid for a sports-related website and a significantly higher price than the domain name was expected to generate via auction. Apparently the MLB, doesn’t want what the Knicks did to the Nets to happen for the Colorado Rockies. The MLB now owns 26 of the 30 “dot-com” domain names for its teams, with the Rays, Rangers, Twins, and Giants as the teams who are not under MLB ownership. The New York football Giants own Giants.com and is clearly not looking to sell. As for the other teams, one has to think that the company that owns Twins.com for example, could use a million bucks. I doubt their brand is worth more than that.
New York Giants fans pummel Washington Redskins fan
Booze and football equals someones face getting beat in.
Phil Simms says Eli Manning not elite anymore
What Does He Have To Do
Phil Simms may believe that Eli Manning is a future Hall of Famer, but he doesn’t believe the current New York Giants quarterback is “elite.”
The Giants legend reopened that debate on Monday night when he questioned Manning’s elite status during an appearance on CBS Sports Network’s “NFL Monday QB” show. And he didn’t just blame Manning’s current slump or his poor performance in the Giants’ 31-13 loss in Cincinnati Bengalson Sunday either.
“No, he is not one of the elites,” Simms said. “Because when I hear the word elite, I’m thinking about guys that can make unbelievable plays on the field by themselves. There are very few quarterbacks in that category.“So yes, Eli has been a tremendous team player. He has been MVP of the Super Bowl twice. I know that. But the way I look at it, the answer is no.”
Jerry Jones Locked Out Of Team Locker Room
Stanky Leg
After watching his team drop to 3-5 in last night’s 19-13 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones was reportedly fuming. It didn’t get much better when he got down to the visiting locker room at the Georgia Dome and found himself forced to wait in the hallway.
“Jerry Jones just pounded locker room door because no one would let him in. It’s the angriest I’ve seen him all year. #Cowboys,” tweeted NBC5 sports anchor Matt Barrie.
Barrie’s tweet makes it hard to determine if Jones was locked out intentionally by coach Jason Garrett or members of the team’s staff or if it was a matter of security in a visiting stadium just not opening the doors quickly enough. But after losing a second straight game, especially on a day where they could have moved closer in the NFC East due to a Giants loss, Cowboys staffers should know better than to test the notoriously involved owner’s patience.
Lawrence Taylor On Prostitutes: I Like To Stack The Deck
Cocaine Is A Helluva Drug
Former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor took the stand in the second day of his civil trial Wednesday and well, he certainly didn’t shy from answering questions about his extracurricular pursuits.
Taylor, who was arrested in 2010 for paying for sex with a then 16-year-old girl, is being sued by the now 19-year-old woman for unspecified damages.
According to the New York Daily News, the 53-year-old Taylor was frankly honest about his desire to keep seeing call girls, despite still being on probation.
“I know I’m 50-plus years old. I still like the chase, but I like to stack the deck in my favor,” he said. “I don’t like to work too hard.”
As the entire sleazy story details,Taylor met the woman and many others through a friend of his driver known as “Fat Boy.” Of course he did.
The New York Post also has more details on Taylor’s testimony, if you feel like reading more of his raunchy admissions about the encounter with the teenager.
Lawrence Taylor Offers Tim Tebow Advice
Cocaine Is A Helluva Drug
New York Jets quarterback Tim Tebow has had negligible impact amid limited opportunities to help his 2-3 team this season. If he’s harboring any frustration over his role as struggling Mark Sanchez’s backup, he’s been careful to mask it,
And now this.
Though Tebow never strays from the high road, a Hall of Famer took a low one while offering him some advice on Showtime’s Inside the NFL on Wednesday night.
During a segment called “Dear Insiders” often a tongue-in-cheek bit near the show’s end host James Brown asked Lawrence Taylor a made-up question which read: “(Dear Lawrence,) Like you, I’m a clean-living, hard-hitting, good ol’ southern boy trying to make it in The Big Apple. What was the secret to your success? Thanks in advance, (signed) Tim from the Meadowlands.”
Taylor, who appeared on the show to promote an upcoming NFL Films documentary about his life called The Life & Times, suggested sex as a cure-all.
“I would say he would have to go to church, Temple — wherever he goes — find a nice girl,” said Taylor, who added some more colorful language. “I mean marry her if he has to … but he’s got to get some of that pressure off.”
Brown and co-hosts Phil Simms and Cris Collinsworth reacted to Taylor’s response with some mixture of chuckles and groans with Simms (Taylor’s New York Giants teammate for 13 seasons) saying, “As you soon as you said Tim Tebow, I knew this was not gonna be good.”
Browns Game Leads Son To Stab Father
Who Let The Dog's Out
Logan Knight and his dad spent their NFL Sunday together, settling in for a meal and watching their favorite NFL team the Cleveland Browns when their day ended with Knight stabbing his 51-year-old father outside a Buffalo Wild Wings restaurant in Heath, Ohio.
According to the Newark Advocate, the pair was watching the Browns take on the New York Giants when they stepped outside to settle an argument over a bet on the game.
The paper says the elder Knight, whose full name wasn’t given, slammed his son’s hand in a car door before the pair took turns exchanging a flurry of punches. After bystanders separated them, 22-year-old Logan Knight reportedly stabbed his father in the leg with a pocketknife. Both were treated at a local hospital while Logan Knight was charged with aggravated assault.
Marcus Thomas Upset Madden Picture Shows Someone Else
Mistaken Identity
In 2008, there were two men named Marcus Thomas playing in the NFL. Now there’s only one and, somehow, he’s still getting confused for the other.
New York Giants defensive tackle Marcus Thomas went on an amusing Twitter rant on to complain to the makers of Madden ’13 that his profile picture shows the Marcus Thomas who played three games for the Detroit Lions in 2008. He demanded that the photo be changed, appealing to the highest power of all.
“the creators of madden needs to b slapped for putting an imposter pic in place of me that’s not me for the last time I don’t look like that. I been in the nfl going on 6years and y’all still hav another mans face for my pic on madden i hate y’all hate is very strong but I do. Madden is disrespectful practice your craft and make it realistic I’m in newyork now help me please someone call madden and tell him lol. I’m serious but I’m not Naw I’m serious they been try n me for 4 years. How y’all gone hav my pic rookie season and then change it to a completely dif person for ds rest of my career. Man im angry now u right madden is very unprofessional. dear mr @EAMaddenNFL i com to you humbly sir. Can u please put the right photo of me on the madden it’s been 6years not lol maybe a giggle”
Mama Margie’s Major Meltdown: Ryan Tannehill
Ryan Tannehill
Every Thursday Sports Grind Entertainment will present you with the Mama Margie’s Major Meltdown. The recipient of this honor goes to Miami Dolphins quarterback Ryan Tannehill’s ignorance of the teams in NFL’s eight divisions and two conferences. He proved it when he failed fellow teammate Matt Moore’s impromptu quiz. Tannehill thought the Kansas City Chiefs were in the AFC East alongside his Dolphins. He had no clue who was in the NFC North, then guessed the New York Giants after some prompting.
Tom Coughlin Not Happy With Tub Dunking Video
New York Giants head coach Tom Coughlin was not pleased after a video posted on punters Steve Weatherford’s Twitter account went viral and showed defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul tossing teammate Prince Amukamara into a cold tub accompanied by a slew of obscenities. He promised to “address that strongly.”
“I’m learning about that today. I really didn’t have any information about that until maybe an hour before this conference call,” Coughlin told The New York Post Sunday afternoon. ”I’m gonna look into it, I’m gonna talk to the parties involved, as I’m understanding it there were some parts of it that were inappropriate.”
Kelly Clarkson Releases Dallas Cowboys Anthem
Kelly Clarkson‘s new song “Get Up (A Cowboys Anthem)” will serve as a promotional single for Pepsi’s upcoming NFL series drafted by the soda maker which also features four platinum musical stars.
Also included in this Pepsi promotion is Ice Cube, who will do one for the Oakland Raiders, Kid Rock for the Detroit Lions, Travie McCoy for the New York Giants anthem and a remix of Wiz Khalifa’s Black and Yellow for the Pittsburgh Steelers.teams and spawned remakes.
Michael Bennett Pleads Guilty To Identity Theft
Wait A Second I Know Who You Are
Former Minnesota Viking Michael Bennett has pleaded guilty to his role in a South Florida tax refund and identity theft scheme. Court records show Bennett pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. As part of a plea agreement, federal prosecutors agreed to recommend less than the possible 20-year sentence.
Prosecutors say the FBI operated an undercover check-cashing store in North Miami used by Bennett and seven others including two other former football players from February through April. The group allegedly cashed about $500,000 in fraudulent refund checks.
Former Oakland Raiders and New York Giants defensive tackle William Joseph has a change of plea hearing scheduled for next week. Louis Gachelin, who played professionally in Europe, previously pleaded guilty to theft charges.
Antrel Rolle Shows Up With Glow-In-The-Dark Hair
Got To Do What You Can To Get Noticed In The NFL
Antrel Rolle is sporting a new hair style for the New York Giants at training camp. The Giants safety arrived in Albany with mohawk combined with a glow-in-the-dark design for one of the wackiest styles the NFL has ever seen.
“No story behind [the haircut],” Rolle told reporters. “I just told my barber to give me something different, and this time we wanted to go with something that glows in the dark, so this is what you got.
Osi Umenyiora Says Robert Griffin III Hasn’t Earned Nicknamed
We Play For This Not Nicks
Osi Umenyiora is gearing up for his 8th season with the New York Giants. A season where he and his teammates will be the defending NFC East and Super Bowl champions.
While the Giants core has remained intact, there have been a few changes within the division. The most intriguing of which is Robert Griffin III taking over at quarterback for Washington Redskins. But seeing as though the Giants are on top of the NFC East mountain at the moment, Umenyiora sees it as his job to remind everyone that Griffin III has not done a thing in the NFL and until he does, Umenyiora will not call his by his established nickname, RG3. Instead, he will call him Bob Griffin.
“Who is this RG3 guy you guys keep talking about?’’ Umenyiora said. “You talking about Bob Griffin? You guys are giving him a cool nickname already and everything. When he does anything in the NFL we’re gonna call him RG3. Right now he’s Bob Griffin.”
Eric LeGrand Gets Endorsement Deal
Inspiration
Paralyzed Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand has a new job. The inspirational LeGrand was hired by Subway to appear in television commercials with New York Giants defensive lineman Justin Tuck to promote the world’s largest restaurant chain.
The commercials were filmed two weeks ago and will air this fall.LeGrand, who was paralyzed making a tackle in a game against Army in 2010, has had a remarkable year. The New Jersey native was signed to an NFL contract by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and his former Scarlet Knights coach, Greg Schiano, shortly after the NFL draft in April. The 21-year-old, who has vowed to walk again, also will receive the Jimmy V Perseverance Award at the ESPYs this month.
Initially told he would be a quadriplegic and remain on a ventilator, LeGrand is now breathing on his own and can stand upright with the aid of a metal frame
“Eric’s training is intense and his goal of walking again is clearly the most important goal,” Subway chief marketing officer Tony Pace said. “We believe his inspirational story resonates with our fans. All of our athletes who know Eric are already rooting for him. Like us, they love his character, determination and positive outlook.”
LeGrand is the latest athlete hired by Subway, joining Tuck, Michael Phelps, Apolo Ohno, Blake Griffin and Robert Griffin III.
Aaron Ross To Miss Parts Of Training Camp To Watch Wife In Olympics
Good Luck
Recently signed Jacksonville Jaguars defensive back Aaron Ross will be missing a portion of training camp this summer to support his wife Sanya Richards-Ross at the 2012 Olympics in London.
Sanya won the 400 meters race at the U.S. trials over the weekend to qualify for the Olympics by running a 49.28, best in the World so far this year.
Aaron asked the Jaguars for permission to take time off before signing a 3-year, $9.75 million contract in March. Ross asked the New York Giants for permission to watch his wife run in the 2008 Olympics where she won bronze in the 400 meter but his request was denied.
Coach Mike Mularkey promised Ross in April that if his wife, qualified for the Olympics, he could get time off.
“You certainly don’t want somebody to miss something like that. A birth, your wife in the Olympics, I don’t know anybody who’s had that chance.”
When Aaron was granted permission to miss a few days, he said,
“That’s really huge. It speaks volumes about what they’re trying to preach here. They preach family first, and they’re not just preaching it. They’re actually showing it firsthand. It was important to me and they made it happen.”
Ross said he will watch his wife run if she makes the finals Aug. 5, but not any of the prelim heats.
“I want to miss as little time as possible,” he said.
Richards-Ross isn’t the only woman with NFL ties who is Olympics-bound. Holley Mangold, the sister of New York Jets center Nick Mangold, qualified as a weight lifter. Jets coach Rex Ryan has encouraged Mangold go to London to watch his sister, but Mangold has said he wants to remain in camp with teammates.
Brandon Jacobs Gets $3.36 From 6 Year Old Fan
Moving little Tommy
Brandon Jacobs was released this offseason by the New York Giants, but one fan is opening up the piggy bank to get the running back to return to the Big Apple.
Jacobs, who has signed with the San Francisco 49ers, posted a letter to Twitter on Tuesday night he received from a 6-year-old boy named Joe. At the start of the letter, Joe’s mom explains how her son became a fan of the team and how he was disappointed to see Jacobs depart to San Francisco. The mother had to explain that the Giants “didn’t have enough money” to keep Jacobs, who was owed $5 million.
In the letter, Joe writes:
“Dear Brandon Jacobs,
So you could go to the Giants, here is my money.
Love, Joe”
Attached is a plastic bag of singles and change totaling $3.36.
Jacobs later tweeted, “I almost cried, I am still trying to hold it in. I may have to pay him a surprise visit.”
Justin Tuck’s New Facemask
Silence Of The Lambs
Super Bowl winning New York Giants defensive end Justin Tuck showed up at mandatory workouts sporting a new facemask. Designed to send a message to opponents:
“Go ahead, just try to stick your fingers inside. I’ll take them with me.”
Tuck introduced a new facemask last October when he suspected opponents tried to aggravate his neck injury by sticking their fingers in his old facemask and pulling.
The new design has five horizontal bars and 12 diagonal bars.
Lawrence Taylor Super Bowl Ring Sells For High Bucks
Cocaine Is A Helluva Drug
Former New York Giants linebacker Lawrence Taylor’s Super Bowl XXV ring has sold and Osi Umenyiora isn’t the new owner of the jewelry.
Taylor’s ring sold Sunday night at auction by the firm SCP Auctions. Umenyiora had said if he got 1 million Twitter followers he would step up and purchase the ring to return to the former Giants star. When Umenyiora, who started the day with less than 30,000 followers realized that was impossible, he lowered his aim to 500,000. Needless to say, he finished more than 400,000 short of his goal.
Taylor’s ring sold for $230,401 at the auction as there were 30 total bids. Taylor’s son is the one who sold the ring via the auction house.
Jeopardy Contestant Doesn’t Know Who Eli Manning Is
Apparently winning two Super Bowls in a $9 billion dollar league and being the brother of Peyton Manning hasn’t help New York Giants Eli Manning in the crossover for all teenagers as was evident when Kevin on Teen Jeopardy.
Roddy White Says If He Can’t Walk At 50 It’s Well Worth It
flip flip flipadelphia
Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Roddy White is the latest NFL figure to chime in on the player safety debate. Based on previous such comments, his sentiments lie somewhere between former New York Giants wide receiver Amani Toomer and current Giants defensive end Osi Umenyiora. White took to Twitter to address the issue.
“It’s crazy how football players are killing our game you signed up to play a violent game and made a lot of money now you talk bad about #how,” White tweeted first.
When a follower asked White, “Would you ever trade your job for anything else?”, White responded with this: “No I love playing football if I cant walk when im 50 it was well worth it.”
Kurt Warner Answers His Critics
Can't We All Just Get Along
Kurt Warner, criticized by former players for saying he prefers his sons not play football, issued a lengthy response saying he is disappointed “we can no longer respect others opinions.”
Warner, a two-time NFL MVP, faced a sharp backlash last week from ESPN’s Merril Hoge and former New York Giants receiver Amani Toomer, which we posted on May 4th HERE, for questioning the safety of playing the game.
Hoge said Warner was irresponsible and “sounded extremely uneducated.” Toomer claimed Warner was disingenuous considering his role as an NFL Network analyst and should “keep his opinions to himself.”
Warner has made his point; now he’s asking for a civil conversation about the dangers of violence in the NFL with fewer individual attacks are needed.
In comments posted on his website, Warner said:
” … I love this game and all the things that it taught me and afforded me along the way, but regardless of all that I have a responsibility to my kids. I cannot be oblivious to the risks of the game of football simply because it was good to me. So as my kids continue to play I worry about them every time they get hit, just as my wife worried about me every time I got hit in my 12 years in the league.
“Now, I don’t want to scare anyone about this great game and I will continue to support all of the adjustments being made by the NFL (& other levels) to increase player safety in hopes that the game of football has a long and healthy run as the world’s greatest team sport. But, we must proceed with caution and be informed of how to handle these situations if we ever find ourselves in them (as Mr. Hoge so eloquently stated).”
Warner questioned why Hoge and Toomer considered his comments throwing the game under the bus.
“I don’t know why it is so hard for people to understand how I can BOTH love the game and be grateful for what it did for me and at the same time have concern for my kids in regards to playing it. Why does it have to be one or the other?” Warner wrote.
Amani Toomer Says Kurt Warner Trying To Trash NFL
Sensitive Times
A rash of concussions, recent suicides of former NFL players and the BountyGate scandal have Kurt Warner hoping his sons never again play the sport.
But Warner’s opinion is “a little disingenuous,” according to former New York Giants receiver Amani Toomer, who accused Warner of trying to “trash the game.
“What this reminds me of is the guy at the basketball court, who once he gets done playing takes the ball and ruins the game for everybody else,” Toomer said. “I think Kurt Warner needs to keep his opinions to himself when it comes to this. Everything that he’s gotten in his life has come from playing football. He works at the NFL Network right now. For him to try and trash the game, it seems to me that it’s just a little disingenuous to me.”
Warner, the former St. Louis Rams, New York Giants and Arizona Cardinals quarterback, didn’t appear to be trashing the sport when he made his comments earlier Thursday on “The Dan Patrick Show.”He was speaking as a father of sons who love football, and said the idea of them playing an increasingly dangerous sport “scares me.” Asked point blank if he’d prefer they not play the sport, Warner said “Yes, I would.”
“They both have the dream, like dad, to play in the NFL,” Warner said. “That’s their goal. And when you hear things like the bounties, when you know certain things having played the game, and then obviously when you understand the size, the speed, the violence of the game and then you couple that with situations like Junior Seau. Was that a ramification of all the years playing?
“It scares me as a dad. I just wonder. I wonder what the league’s going to be like. I love that the commissioner is doing a lot of things to try to clean up the game from that standpoint and improve player safety, which helps, in my mind, a lot. But it’s a scary thing for me.”
Warner didn’t appear to take Toomer’s criticism personally, though. Via Twitter, Warner later sent a message to Toomer saying “Sorry that u disagree w/ me old friend! But I will always worry about my kids well being . . . Doesn’t affect my love 4 game!”
Eli Manning Says He’s Still Third Most Talked About Quarterback In Own City
Live From New York Its...
Eli Manning may have two Super Bowl rings and he may be more successful than his famous brother Peyton Manning. But despite that success, there has been little chatter about Manning in New York this offseason.
That’s because all of the offseason talk in the city has centered around the New York Jets quarterback drama involving Mark Sanchez and the recently acquired Tim Tebow.
“(The) New York Giants just won a championship,” Manning told Fox News Channel’s Shepard Smith, “yet I’m still the third most talked-about quarterback in my own city.”
Earlier in the offseason, Manning commented to the New York Daily News that he was enjoying the quiet. The comment was made one day after the Jets held a press conference for Tebow.
“I’ll continue to enjoy this. And when we get our rings, I’ll continue to celebrate our championship season.”
