Free Republic

... The ruling, issued by arbitrator Frederic Horowitz, is a reduction from the 211-game suspension Rodriguez was handed by MLB commissioner Bud Selig back in August, but it’s still the longest drug-related suspension in MLB history. For the 38-year-old Rodriguez, it means the loss of an entire season and $25 million in salary. The Yankees will gain $27.5 million worth of salary relief for luxury tax purposes, since the average annual value of his deal is what counts there. That will aid the team’s attempt to get below the $189 million threshold to reset their luxury tax rate, but it...

Mike Tyson: ‘Dennis Rodman Is Guilty Of Treason’ January 10, 2014 3:09 PM PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – It takes a lot to shock and outrage Mike Tyson. Sounds like a job for Dennis Rodman. As if Rodman’s recent trip to North Korea, for an exhibition game with several former NBA players, didn’t raise enough eyebrows, Rodman’s appearance on CNN with Chris Cuomo raised just about all of them. Rodman’s interview turned into an outburst, as he seemed to defend policies of North Korea while yelling at Cuomo. The other players that were along for the ride with Rodman sat silently and...

ORLANDO, Fla. -- A new study by the University of Central Florida's Diversity and Ethics in Sport released Thursday shows that the top leadership positions at Football Bowl Subdivision schools and conferences remain mostly white and male. [...] Study author Richard Lapchick called those numbers "unacceptable" and said part of the problem with getting more diversity throughout the system falls on the lack of penalties or sanctions for institutions that aren't more diverse.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo will miss the rest of the season because of a back injury, a league source told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter on Monday. Tony Romo overcame a back injury Sunday to rally the Cowboys past the Redskins, but he will not be able to play the rest of the season, a source said. The Cowboys (8-7) host the Philadelphia Eagles (9-6) on Sunday night, with the winner capturing the NFC East title. Kyle Orton likely will get the start at quarterback for Dallas. Orton has 69 career starts and is 35-34. He hasn't started since...

A rookie NBA player for the Philadelphia 76ers is being lauded for his financial prowess in putting his salary in a trust that he can't touch for three years, possibly avoiding the fate of a famous basketball player who donned the same jersey and now can't pay child support. Drafted 11th overall in the 2013 NBA Draft, Michael Carter-Williams, 22, is guaranteed $4.5 million over his first two seasons, but some of his salary is being put into a trust he can't touch for three years, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported. In the meantime, he is living off his endorsement deals...

After all these years, Anthony Lynn still remembers. The words had been a slap in the face -- and the beginning of the end to his boyhood dream. Before he rushed for more than 1,900 yards and 17 touchdowns as a Celina, Texas, high school junior and won back-to-back Super Bowls as a running back with the Broncos in the 1997 and '98 seasons, Lynn played quarterback from the Pop Warner level all the way through middle school. But one demoralizing conversation with a former coach changed the course of his playing career. "I'll never forget a guy telling a...

The NFL lost another great player too soon with the death of Todd Christensen on Wednesday. Christensen died during morning surgery at a hospital in Utah. He was 57 years old. According to The Salt Lake Tribune he had battled liver disease and other serious illnesses in recent years.The former tight end was a five-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion. He was also a television sports analyst. Christensen was a standout running back at BYU and a second-round draft pick by the Dallas Cowboys in 1978. He is best known for his time with the Oakland Raiders. Christensen...

A Kentucky high school student athlete declined to participate in her team’s cross-country race after she was assigned the number 666, saying it would have gone against her religious beliefs. Whitley County High School junior Codie Thacker and her coach tried to get her a different number, but race officials denied the request. Coach Gina Croley knew there might be a problem as soon as she saw the number Thacker had been given. "I saw it and I was like, 'whoa,'" she said. "I don't think she will wear that number." The number 666 is often associated with the biblical...

Walt Bellamy, the Hall of Fame center who averaged 20.1 points and 13.7 rebounds in 14 seasons in the NBA, died Saturday. He was 74. The Atlanta Hawks confirmed the death, but didn't provide details. The Hawks said Bellamy attended the team's home opener Friday night. "Walt Bellamy was an enormously gifted Hall of Fame player who had a tremendous impact on our game," NBA Commissioner David Stern said in a statement released by the league. "Off the court, he was an even more extraordinary person. Walt is going to be missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing...

LOS ANGELES — Since making the announcement last spring that he is a gay professional basketball player, Jason Collins has been widely praised, received much support and made many new friends. But with training camp for a new season under way, he has been waiting for a call from an N.B.A. team. Any N.B.A. team. When Collins, 34, a 7-foot center, wrote his coming-out cover story for Sports Illustrated — “my declaration,” he said — he proudly spoke of having been called a pro’s pro for his team-first, lunch-pail style. Never a star, he has nonetheless had a career spanning...

It’s hard to watch any sporting event without seeing a commercial featuring a star athlete such as Peyton Manning or LeBron James. Now, a study published on Oct. 7 in Pediatrics shows that a lot of the foods they are promoting are unhealthy, concerning pediatricians because adolescents are among their primary viewers. “Professional athletes wouldn’t endorse tobacco today because it would be a liability for them,” lead study author Marie Bragg, a doctoral candidate in psychology at Yale University, told the Globe and Mail. “We’re hoping one day that the same would be true for unhealthy foods.” …

I have seen/heard multiple sportscasters hammering Romo for trying to do too much; lack of judgement; recklessness...On the replay (from behind the pocket) Romo's left foot was clearly kicked by his lineman's right foot as he attempted the throw. Now, I am not a Cowboy fan, but he is being slammed mercilessly with no mention of what was clearly visible on replay. For goodness sakes, he threw for over 500 yds!

Athletes may have some of the fittest bodies in the world but a new study has found they also have really bad teeth. Tests were carried out on 302 participants at the London 2012 Olympics and found athletes had poorer dental health than people in other occupations of the same age. Just over half of those examined had signs of cavities, three quarters were suffering from gum disease and 45 per cent showed evidence of tooth erosion. ‘Our data and other studies suggest that, for a similar age profile, the oral health of athletes is poor. It’s quite striking,’ said...

If Brian Holloway thought the hundreds of teenagers who destroyed his home were ruthless, wait until their families are through with him. Several parents are reportedly considering lawsuits against the former NFL star after he posted their children's names on a website created in the wake of the Labor Day weekend house party. snip The website, www.helpmesave300.com, identifies over 100 of the estimated 300 house-crashers who trashed his upstate New York residence, and includes photos and tweets that documented the reckless destruction. But rather than apologize to Holloway for their children's behavior, some parents have contacted their lawyers to see...

LAS VEGAS -- Former heavyweight champion Ken Norton, who beat Muhammad Ali and later lost a controversial decision to him in Yankee Stadium, died Wednesday at a local care facility, his son said. He was 70. Ken Norton Jr., a coach with the Seattle Seahawks, confirmed the death to The Associated Press before handing the phone to his wife, too distraught to talk. Norton had been in poor health for the last several years after suffering a series of strokes, a friend of the fighter said.

When Branch Rickey determined to break the color barrier in Major League Baseball, he wisely recruited Jackie Robinson, a stellar athlete in multiple sports, who soon established himself as one of the greats of the game, black or white, and went on to easily earn a plaque in the Hall of Fame. He was an excellent hitter, an excellent fielder, an excellent base runner, and a man of high character. If there was anyone who had sincerely argued that blacks were not qualified to play in the Biggies, he demolished their arguments for good and all. Alas, Branch Rickey didn’t...

A football team in Russia has offered Tim Tebow $1 million to play in two playoff games. “We have offered him $1 million for two games,” Moscow Black Storm owner Mikhail Zaltsman told Russia Beyond The Headlines. “I talked with him personally and he wanted to go.” Zaltsman wants Tebow to fly to Moscow for the Black Storm’s semifinal against the Moscow Patriots in the American Football Championship of Russia on Sept. 28 and also play in the final if they advance. Zaltsman said Tebow’s agents are urging the quarterback to not play. “They’re thinking of using him as a...

Cheerleading 'most dangerous sport for US women' Cheerleading causes two thirds of the very serious sports injuries suffered by girls in the United States and many concussions are not reported, according to a new study. By Nick Allen, Los Angeles 5:12PM BST 15 Sep 2013 Researchers found that the number of visits to casualty resulting from high school and college cheerleading injuries rose from 4,954 in 1980 to 26,786 in 2007. The sport accounted for around 66 per cent of "catastrophic" injuries – those resulting in permanent disability or medical conditions – to girls, research published in the Journal of...

Tim Tebow has had a rocky NFL career starting with a first round draft pick in 2010 and potentially ending with a dismissal from the New England Patriots about ten days ago. But not all hope is lost as Tebow has been offered a potential "million dollar" contract with Arena League franchise LA KISS. Operating out of Anaheim, California the LA KISS team, owned by the infamous KISS rockers, has extended an official offer to Tim Tebow. Known for his strong Christian beliefs and positive outlook, a partnership with the rowdy rockers may not seem like the most conventional choice,...

Banks still might have a future in Atlanta, media sources reportThe Atlanta Falcons have waived Brian Banks, a Los Angeles linebacker who was imprisoned for five years after being convicted of a rape that never happened. Banks, 28, spent five years in prison and five years on probation following his conviction of rape and kidnapping charges a decade ago. The woman who made the charge when Banks was a 16-year-old football standout later recanted her accusation. The conviction was overturned by a California court last year.