Friday's Tidbits: July 31

1. Favre is Done

According to ESPN, future Hall of Fame quarterback Brett Favre has announced his retirement from the NFL after 16 years in the business. Favre made his decision Wednesday afternoon after calling Minnesota Vikings coach Brad Childress, and letting him know his 39-year-old body couldn't take the grind of another NFL season. He will one day enter the Hall of Fame as a Green Bay Packer, despite playing one season Atlanta and one in New York. Favre leaves the NFL with numerous league records and awards, which are listed below for your enjoyment.

Favre's Records and Awards

Most Associated Press NFL MVP Awards - 3 (1995, 1996 and 1997) (tied with Peyton Manning)

Most Consecutive Starts by an NFL QB - 269 (291including playoffs)

Most Regular Season Wins by an NFL QB - 169

Most Touchdown Passes - 464

Most Passing Yards - 65,127

Most Passes Attempted - 9,280

Most Passes Completed - 5,720

Most Seasons, 3,000 or More Yards Passing - 16

Most Passes Had Intercepted - 310

Most Career Games with at Least Three TD Passes - 65

Personally, I think if Favre wanted to play, he could have done fairly well, lining up behind a solid offensive line and handing off to one of the game's best running backs in Adrian Peterson. Still, the decision has been made, and hopefully for the last time.


2. MLB Trade Recap

The Major League trade deadline will come to a close today at 4:00 EST., and unlike last year's last minute shuffle, this year's deadline hasn't been very exciting. Although ESPN has tried to hype up the past week--making Roy Halladay into some sort of pitching god-- only one big trade and a few minor trades have gone down in the past 48 hours.

Here is a list of a few key trades that were made before today's deadline:

-The Cleveland Indians sent pitcher Cliff Lee and outfielder Ben Francisco to the Philadelphia Phillies for Class A right-handed pitcher Jason Knapp, Class AAA right-handed pitcher Carlos Carrasco, shortstop Jason Donald and catcher Lou Marson.

-The Chicago Cubs made a deal late last night with the Pittsburgh Pirates. In the deal, the Cubs received LHPs John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny, in exchange for RHP Kevin Hart, RHP Jose Ascanio, and 3B Josh Harrison.

-The Chicago White Sox acquired pitcher and former Fort Wayne Wizard Jake Peavy from the San Diego Padres for Aaron Poreda, Clayton Richard, and right-handers Dexter Carter and Adam Russell.

-The Cleveland Indians made another move before Friday's deadline. The Indians send Victor Martinez to the Red Sox, for right-hander Justin Masterson, lefty prospect Nick Hagadone and minor league right-hander Bryan Price.

-Shortstop Orlando Cabrera has been traded from the Oakland Athletics to the Minnesota Twins. The Twins send minor league infielder Tyler Ladendorf to the A's for Cabrera and cash.

3. Speaking of the Pirates.....

This is an organization that has many people wondering what in the world is going on behind closed doors. In case you missed it, the once proud organization has traded away six of its best and most popular players already this season. This isn't counting last season, where the team sent it's best player in all-star outfielder Jason Bay to the Red Sox for three prospects (one of those prospects was Adam LaRoche, who was traded to the Braves early this season). This got me to thinking, what if the Pirates kept all their best young talent since 2003? What would their lineup have looked like today? Well, after a little research, it appears the Pirates could have been a legitimate playoff contender this season with a roster like this...

2B Jose Castillo
SS Jack Wilson
3B Aramis Ramirez
OF Jason Bay
OF Nate McLouth
OF Xavier Nady
1B Sean Casey
C Jason Kendall

I understand the concept of trading and preparing for the future, but the Pirates have taken it to a whole new level. The rebuilding project has been a non-stop process, and if may never come to an end if they don't pull out the wallet and start investing in their team.


4. Prediction Mill

It's that time of year to start making predictions for the upcoming college football season. After looking at rosters, schedules and returning players from Notre Dame, Indiana, Purdue and Michigan, here's how I think these teams will fair in 2009.

Notre Dame

	Sat, Sep 5	Nevada	3:30 pm	W
	Sat, Sep 12	at Michigan	3:30 pm	W
	Sat, Sep 19	(24) Michigan State	3:30 pm	L
	Sat, Sep 26	at Purdue	8:00 pm	W
	Sat, Oct 3	Washington	3:30 pm	W
	Sat, Oct 17	(3) USC	3:30 pm	L
	Sat, Oct 24	Boston College	3:30 pm	W
	Sat, Oct 31	Washington State	7:30 pm	W
	Sat, Nov 7	Navy	2:30 pm	W
	Sat, Nov 14	at Pittsburgh	TBA	W
	Sat, Nov 21	Connecticut	2:30 pm	W
	Sat, Nov 28	at Stanford	8:00 pm	W

The Hunch

With a much improved running game and offensive line, Notre Dame (10-2) will earn a trip to the Sugar Bowl and take on LSU. Charlie Weis is off the hotseat....for now.

Indiana

	Thu,Sep 3	Eastern Kentucky	8:00 pm	W
	Sat, Sep 12	Western Michigan	12:00 pm	W
	Sat, Sep 19	at Akron	3:30 pm	W
	Sat, Sep 26	at Michigan	12:00 pm	L
	Sat, Oct 3	(9) Ohio State	7:00 pm	L
	Sat, Oct 10	at Virginia	TBA	L
	Sat, Oct 17	Illinois	7:00 pm	L
	Sat, Oct 24	at Northwestern	12:00 pm	L
	Sat, Oct 31	at (20) Iowa	TBA	L
	Sat, Nov 7	Wisconsin	TBA	L
	Sat, Nov 14	at (8) Penn State	TBA	L
	Sat, Nov 21	Purdue	TBA	L

The Hunch

Indiana will finish 3-9 in 2009, and will miss out of a bowl game yet again. Bill Lynch will be let-go at season's end.

Purdue

	Sat, Sep 5	Toledo	12:00 pm	W
	Sat, Sep 12	at (10) Oregon	10:15 pm	L
	Sat, Sep 19	Northern Illinois	12:00 pm	W
	Sat, Sep 26	Notre Dame	8:00 pm	L
	Sat, Oct 3	Northwestern	12:00 pm	L
	Sat, Oct 10	at Minnesota	12:00 pm	W
	Sat, Oct 17	(9) Ohio State	TBA	L
	Sat, Oct 24	Illinois	TBA	L
	Sat, Oct 31	at Wisconsin	TBA	L
	Sat, Nov 7	at Michigan	TBA	L
	Sat, Nov 14	(24) Michigan State	TBA	L
	Sat, Nov 21	at Indiana	TBA	W

The Hunch

New head coach Danny Hope will lead the Boilers to 4-8 record in his first season as the main man. Boiler fans shouldn't expect too much this season, but Hope will have the program turned around in no time.

Michigan

	Sat, Sep 5	Western Michigan	3:30 pm	W
	Sat, Sep 12	Notre Dame	3:30 pm	L
	Sat, Sep 19	Eastern Michigan	12:00 pm	W
	Sat, Sep 26	Indiana	12:00 pm	W
	Sat, Oct 3	at (24) Michigan State	TBA	L
	Sat, Oct 10	at (20) Iowa	8:05 pm	W
	Sat, Oct 17	Delaware State	TBA	W
	Sat, Oct 24	(8) Penn State	TBA	L
	Sat, Oct 31	at Illinois	3:30 pm	L
	Sat, Nov 7	Purdue	TBA	W
	Sat, Nov 14	at Wisconsin	TBA	L
	Sat, Nov 21	(9) Ohio State	TBA	L

The Hunch

After a disappointing 2008 season, the Wolverines will improve to 6-6 in 2009, earning a trip to the Alamo Bowl against Arizona State. Freshman quarterback Tate Focier is an upgrade at the QB position, but he will have his work cut out for him.


5. NBA Free Agency

-The Los Angeles Lakers and Lamar Odom finally came to terms Thursday evening, as Odom agreed in principle to a four year, 33 million dollar contract. With the signing of Odom, and newly acquired Ron Artest, it's a safe bet to put the favorite tag on L.A. next season.

-The Portland Trailblazers and one of the league's most underrated point guards, Andre Miller, agreed to a three year, 21 million contract yesterday. With Brandon Roy and the addition of Miller, the Blazers possibly own one of the most feared backcourts in the NBA. Watch out for them next season.

6. Vegas Odds: NFL wins

Sin City came out with their betting odds for each team and gave their win totals for the 2009 season. Take a look at how they think the teams will fair.
*If I were a betting man and had to place ONE bet, I would put money on OVER for Seattle.

Miami Dolphins
Over 7 (-130) Under 7 (even)

Green Bay Packers
Over 9 (+125) Under 9 (-155)

New England Patriots
Over 11.5 (-135) Under 11.5 (+105)

New Orleans Saints
Over 8.5 (-180) Under 8.5 (+140)

New York Giants
Over 10 (+120) Under 10 (-150)

New York Jets
Over 7 (-150) Under 7 (+120)

Oakland Raiders
Over 5.5 (-155) Under 5.5 (+125)

Philadelphia Eagles
Over 9.5 (-160) Under 9.5 (+130)

Pittsburgh Steelers
Over 10.5 (-135) Under 10.5 (+105)

San Diego Chargers
Over 9.5 (-180) Under 9.5 (+140)

San Francisco 49ers
Over 7 (-170) Under 7 (+135)

Seattle Seahawks
Over 7.5 (-170) Under 7.5 (+135)

St Louis Rams
Over 5.5 (-170) Under 5.5 (+135)

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Over 6.5 (+130) Under 6.5 (-160)

Tennessee Titans
Over 9 (-130) Under 9 (even)

Washington Redskins
Over 8 (-115) Under 8 (-115)

Houston Texans
Over 8.5 (even) Under 8.5 (-130)

Indianapolis Colts
Over 10 (-115) Under 10 (-115)

Jacksonville Jaguars
Over 8 (-140) Under 8 (+110)

Kansas City Chiefs
Over 6 (-125) Under 6 (-105)

Arizona Cardinals
Over 8.5 (-120) Under 8.5

Atlanta Falcons
Over 8.5 (-115) Under 8.5 (-115)

Baltimore Ravens
Over 8.5 (-160) Under 8.5 (+130)

Buffalo Bills
Over 7.5 (-140) Under 7.5 (+110)

Carolina Panthers
Over 8.5 Under 8.5 (-120)

Chicago Bears
Over 8.5 (-170) Under 8.5 (+135)

Cincinnati Bengals
Over 6.5 (-160) Under 6.5 (+130)

Cleveland Browns
Over 6.5 (-120) Under 6.5

Dallas Cowboys
Over 9 (-150) Under 9 (+120)

Denver Broncos
Over 7 (+135) Under 7 (-170)

Detroit Lions
Over 5 (+135) Under 5 (-170)

Minnesota Vikings
Over 9 (-145) Under 9 (+115)

7. Ramblings

-David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez were the latest two major league baseball players to be named on the now famous '104 player failed drug test report.' Like most people, I'm not surprised either of these guys were on the list. Even though the person who is giving out these names is committing a federal crime, it's only a matter of time before we know everyone on the list.

-Irish football recruiting update.....Notre Dame and Virginia Tech are in hot pursuit of 2010 prospect Prince Shembo. Shembo, a 6-2, 232 pound, linebacker out of Charlotte, North Carolina, visited South Bend back in June, and is making a visit to Blacksburg, Virginia, today. He said he will make a decision sometime in early August. It's too close to call at this point on where he will end up.

-It's still unclear will Michael Vick will eventually end up, now that NFL Commissioner has granted Vick an unconditional reinstatement to the league. Rumors suggest a few teams, such as the Washington Redskins, St. Louis Rams, Seattle Seahawks and New England Patriots, have shown some interest in acquiring the former Virginia Tech standout. My bet is the Rams make an offer, which Vick will accept. What do they have to lose?

-Jets head coach Rex Ryan announced Friday morning that Kellen Clemens, not first round pick Mark Sanchez, will be the team's starting quarterback for the start of training camp. My guess is Clemens won't make it to week 5.

Favre to Stay Retired

Brett Favre has made a decision. And with it, SportsCenter can now go back to its regular scheduled programming.

ESPN.com is reporting tonight that the all-time career touchdown leader and future Hall of Famer has decided to hang up the cleats and retire from the NFL for a final time (we think), ending months of speculation on a possible return to the Minnesota Vikings.

Vikings head coach Brad Childress said Favre called him earlier this afternoon, stating the reason for his retirement was not wanting to experience the grind of another long, tough season. It would have been Favre's 19th season in the NFL had he decided to come back.

We'll discuss Favre retirement and more this Friday in the Tidbits.

Friday's Tidbits: July 24

It's Friday again, and you know what that means, another edition of this week's tidbits from your boy. Let's get to them, shall we.


1. A Perfect No-No

Chicago White Sox lefty Mark Buehrle threw the first perfect game of the 2009 season yesterday afternoon in 5-0 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. The former 38th round draft pick in 1998 out of Jefferson College, needed only 116 pitches and six strikeouts to make history. More importantly, the win moved the White Sox into a first place tie with the stumbling Detroit Tigers.

Other than throwing the first perfect game of the season, Buehrle accomplished a few other historic marks on Thursday. He became the sixth pitcher in history to have thrown at least two career no-hitters, including a perfect game, joining Randy Johnson, Sandy Koufax, Jim Bunning, Addie Joss and Cy Young as the other five to have done so. He also is the 28th pitcher with multiple no-hitters. Both are impressive feats.

While Buehrle deserves the praise for his impeccable day, he might want to send home plate umpire Eric Cooper another thank you card. Why another one? Cooper was the same umpire behind the plate for Buehrle's first no-hitter back on April 18, 2007.

Coincidence? In this case, I say yes.

2. The LeBron Dunk Tape

The Dunk

In case you missed it, the craziest dunk to have ever been performed in our lifetime was released on Wednesday by the tabloid publication TMZ. Well, if you're Nike, you thought it was the craziest dunk of all-time.

In reality, the Jordan Crawford through the lane dunk, over a late-helping from the weak-side LeBron James tape surfaced after Nike supposedly seized all film of the dunk in efforts to product James' image and its own. But really, all Nike did was leave many, many people confused and mildly disappointed.

The dunk by Crawford was a was a good one, and he did it on camera in front of the NBA's MVP and many at the Nike camp. However, was it good enough for the largest sporting apparel to hide the video from the world? My two-year-old cousin would tell you no, and I would agree him.

Twenty years from now people will remember this whole situation for how it played out, rather than the dunk itself.

I'm a fan Nike and LeBron James, but they really messed up here.


3. MLB Trade Deadline

Major League Baseball's trading deadline is quickly approaching, and for a few teams, this is the time to add the final pieces to the puzzle for a late playoff run. For more teams, though, it's time to dump salaries and prepare for the future.

Here are the two big fish that could end up in a different ponds by next week or sooner....

-Roy Halladay: Many teams have shown interest in the Blue Jays ace, which is a great thing for the trading market. More competition usually leads to better trades.

A day after Toronto said they would accept offers for Halladay, the usual suspects came to the forefront: Yankees, Red Sox, Mets and Dodgers. But recently, the Cardinals and Phillies have stepped into the Halladay sweepstakes, and now these two teams have jumped out in front of the others. Don't discount the Brewers out of this race, either.

The Blue Jays want prospects in return, and not just any prospects, the best ones. This may be hard for teams to do, as many organizations like to hold on to their top young players to build for the future and save money.

UPDATE-Matt Holliday: The St. Louis Cardinals are the winner.

Deal:

Per ESPN: Matt Holliday to St. Louis in exchange for third baseman Brett Wallace, outfielder Shane Peterson and right-handed pitcher Clayton Mortensen, sources told ESPN The Magazine's Buster Olney.

Cubs note....Look for the Cubbies to make a move for relief pitchers George Sherrill and Chad Qualls.

4. College Football Recruiting Notes

It's tidbit #4, and we haven't discussed recruiting yet?

Take it easy, we have arrived.

Though still months away from National Signing Day, many of the top programs from around the nation continue to improve their future rosters, adding five-star quarterbacks and two-star long snappers. As in every recruiting cycle, there are teams who outperform others off the field. Let's take a look at who's dominating the recruiting circuit right now.

Texas: Everything is bigger in Texas, and their current recruiting class isn't any different. The Longhorns have landed 19 total commitments so far, all of which are from instate. No wonder high school football runs rampant down there. While most teams are scrambling for their first commitment, Texas can sit back and watch the others battle it out, while they continue to look around for quality over quantity. The Longhorns are also still in play for the nation's second best wide receiver, 6-4, 205 pound Darius White. If you haven't guessed it, he's from Fort Worth, Texas.

USC: Robin Hood would not like the USC Trojans. Pete Carroll robs the rich and poor, and remains rich. This is pretty easy accomplish when your team has won a record six BCS bowl games. At the moment, the Trojans own 10 commitments, including pledges from the nation's fourth best running back in Dillion Baxter and top tight end Xavier Grimble. The Trojans also added Jesse Scroggins, the nation's third best pro-style quarterback, just yesterday. With many of the top players in the nation still looking around, most of them have USC on their short list. Look for the rich to become richer by February.

Florida: Urban Meyer has the persona of a top flight businessman. No wonder his business, or Gator program, is the best in the country. It's no coincidence why so many of the top players tend to flock down south to Gainesville, even in the summer. Currently, the Gators have landed 15 commitments, most notably the eighth best prospect in the nation in athlete Matt Elam.

Like Texas and USC, and even Ohio State, Florida has the ability to recruit any player of its choosing, whether it be a three-star safety, or the top overall lineman in the country, like Seantral Henderson. Henderson, a 6-8, 301 pound monster offensive tackle from Saint Paul, Minnesota, recently put Florida, along with USC, Florida State and Michigan on his short.

Commitment Lists of Other Top and Local Programs

Notre Dame
Michigan
Illinois
Purdue
Indiana
Michigan State
Pittsburgh

5. Top Four College Players to Watch in 2009

I've made a short list of four players who I think should have monster seasons in 2009. Make sure to remember these names. You'll see why this fall.

Jahvid Best, California: Best should rush for over 1,000 yards and score 18 or more touchdowns this season. He's super quick, and hits the hole hard for a smaller running back. He's a home run threat every time he touches the ball.

Highlights

Dez Bryant, Oklahoma State: Many college football fans have heard of him,, but after this season, every college football fan will have heard of him. The 6-2, athletic wide receiver should surpass his 19 touchdown total from last season. He's a future first round draft pick.

Highlights

Jevan Snead, Ole Miss: The once former Texas Longhorn made some noise last season after throwing for 26 touchdowns and 2,762 yards. Back and better than ever, the future NFL signal-caller could throw for over 30 touchdowns and 3,000 yards this fall. Some experts believe Snead could be the first quarterback drafted next year, ahead of Colt McCoy, Sam Bradford, Tim Tebow and Zac Robinson.

Highlights

Noel Devine, West Virginia: Possibly the quickest running back in the country, Devine will be a one-man show in Morganstown, with Pat White now in the NFL (Go Dolphins!). Since high school, Devine has shown to have an extremely quick first step and make people miss at will. Although he stands 5-8, he will lower the pads and take on bigger defenders. Look for Devine to double his rushing production from last season.

Highlights

Golden Tate, Notre Dame: You really didn't think I would leave a Irish player of the list did you? You can call it bias, but most non-Notre Dame fans would agree that Golden Tate is primed for huge season in South Bend. After reeling in three touchdown passes in the 2009 Hawaii Bowl, the quick, soft hands Tate is ready to take the next step in becoming on the nation's best wide outs. An NFL future is assured, now it's a matter of putting together a good stat sheet. Tate had 10 total touchdowns, along with 1,090 receiving yards last season. If all goes well, look for a 16 touchdown, 1,500 yard season. Remember, he's sharing catches with another future NFL prospect, sophomore Michael Floyd.

Highlights

6. NFL Strength of Schedules

Take a peak...

1. Miami Dolphins	.594
2. Carolina Panthers	.592
3. New England Patriots	.590
4. Atlanta Falcons	.588
5. Tampa Bay Buccaneers	.580
6. Buffalo Bills	.570
7. New York Jets	.568
8. New Orleans Saints	.557
9. Philadelphia Eagles	.535
10. New York Giants	.527
11. Jacksonville Jaguars	.516
11. Dallas Cowboys	.516
13. Indianapolis Colts	.512
14. Tennessee Titans	.508
15. Houston Texans	.506
16. Washington Redskins	.492
17. San Diego Chargers	.484
17. Kansas City Chiefs	.484
19. Oakland Raiders	.480
19. Denver Broncos	.480
21. Detroit Lions	.467
22. St. Louis Rams	.465
22. Cincinnati Bengals	.465
24. Seattle Seahawks	.457
25. Cleveland Browns	.449
26. San Francisco 49ers	.443
27. Arizona Cardinals	.441
28. Baltimore Ravens	.438
29. Pittsburgh Steelers	.434
30. Green Bay Packers	.428
31. Minnesota Vikings	.420
32. Chicago Bears	.414

7. Rumblings.....

-Tom Crean will have to wait a little longer if he wants a committment from 2012 standout D'Vauntees Smith-Rivera. Rumors swirled last week that Rivera wanted to commit to IU last month, but this was before a few new programs started to show interests, like North Carolina and Duke. Now, Rivera said he's going to wait a little longer before committing, and take more visits.

-Carlos Boozer to the Heat? Very possible, according to multiple sources close to the Heat and Boozer. One such trade suggests Boozer heads to Miami, Odonis Haslam and a first round pick go to Chicago, and the Bulls send Kirk Hinrich and cash to Utah.

-The IPFW men's basketball program recently released its upcoming schedule for the 2009-2010 season, and once again, the Mastodons will take on a number of top-tier, non-conference opponents, such as road games against Wisconsin, Michigan State, Washington State, and Gonzaga.

-Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski is starting to put together the 2012 U.S. Olympic basketball team, otherwise known as the Redeem Team II. Kobe Bryant said he's coming back, and now, Kevin Durant is ready to make the pledge. Very good start, I'd say. Hopefully, for the Red, White and Blue, others will follow suit.

-Look for a special Brett Favre and Michael Vick tidbit edition sometime in the near future. Both issues need to be discussed at length, and will here very soon.

Friday's Tidbits: July 17

Welcome back ladies and gentlemen to another addition of this week's tidbits. For this issue, I decided to go back to how the tidbits used to be written in the beginning of this site: seven to 10 sports stories in a row, without headlines or subject lines. We'll see how it goes....

TIDBITS

1. All is quiet on the Indiana Hoosiers basketball recruiting front, at least for now. Tom Crean and his staff continue to make their way across the nation, hoping to land the country's top talent.

Here are a few updates from a few names we've been following....

.....Kyrie Irving says it's an even playing field now in his recruiting. However, I still think IU is the slight leader. Duke and Kentucky continue to put on the heat for his committment.

....Indianapolis Pike star Marquis Teague should commit to Louisville in the next couple of weeks. How good is Teague? One-and-done to the NBA is the likely road he will travel. If he chooses the Hoosiers, something odd happened.

....I'm still waiting for 2012 standout Ron Patterson to commit to Indiana. He has let it known his high interest in Crean and the Hoosiers for sometime. It's only a matter of time....

....Hopefully Jeremy Hollowell, also in the 2012 class, will join Patterson in committing to Indiana, despite picking up a boatload of offers this past week (Illinois, Xavier, Iowa).

2. Danny Hope and the Purdue Boilermakers may have found their signal-caller of the future after picking up a committment from Sean Robinson. Robinson, a 6-5, 205 pound, dual-threat quarterback out of Rochester, Illinois, became a Boilermaker back on July 6, deciding West Lafayette was the 'best fit for his future.' He chose Purdue over 23 scholarship offers from other top-notch programs, such as Stanford, Syracuse, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, and Nebraska, among others. Robinson becomes the fifth committment for Hope and Purdue in the 2010 class. Rivals.com gives him a three-star rating.


3. Notre Dame added two more prospects this past week, as the Irish picked up commitments from linebacker Kendall Moore, out of Raleigh, North Carolina, and cornerback Spencer Boyd, from Cape Coral, Florida .

After Moore participated in Notre Dame's summer camp last month, he decided to call Charlie Weis and give his pledge to the Irish on Tuesday. He turned down offers from ACC and Big East schools, such as North Carolina State and Florida State, who went hard after the physical linebacker. Moore is regarded as a four-star prospect by Rivals.com.

Boyd, committed to the Irish early this morning (7/17), picking Notre Dame after a long recruiting circus that saw more teams jump in for his committment as he continued to impress in summer camps. He chose the Irish over offers from Georgia, Miami, Michigan, and North Carolina. Rivals.com rates Boyd as a three-star prospect.


4. Look out now, but here come the Cubs. By winning three out of their last four games, beginning before the All-Star break, the Northsiders are starting to show signs of life offensively. It's amazing it took this long, but some players are beginning to earn their paychecks, some more than others. Despite his antics, former All-Star Milton Bradley has raised his batting average 10 points in the last a few weeks, after working with new Cubs hitting coach Von Joshua. Let's see if he continues to improve in the second half. While Bradley has been slowly turning his season around, Derrek Lee has been a man on a mission. I think he heard the trade rumors a few weeks back, and realized he needed to get things going at the plate. Currently, the first baseman has 18 home runs and 58 RBIs, and owns a .287 batting average. The Cubs are now three games back in a hotly contested N.L. Central.

5. Since we're talking about baseball, I'd like to make my 2009 playoff predictions, although many things can happen between now and October. Let's take a chance at these...

A.L. Division Winners: Yankees, Tigers, Angels---Wild Card: Red Sox
N.L. Division Winners: Phillies, Cubs, Dodgers---Wild Card: Marlins

World Series Match Up: Phillies vs. Yankees

Editors note: I can't remember the last time I made correct playoff predictions for baseball. This could be a different year, though, for your boy!

6. Bishop Luers' Deshuan Thomas and South Side's Raphael Davis are the most well-known high school basketball players in the Summit City, and both will attend Big Ten schools in the coming years. But is there enough room for two most players to join in their elite status?

From multiple AAU scouting reports, Brent and Byson Scott, who will both attend Northrop High School as freshmen in the fall, have competed and done very well against many AAU teams this summer. I've been told both stand about 6-0 in height, and play the combo guard position (point guard-shooting guard). Due to impressive performances at various camps and AAU tournaments, the twins are starting to pick up interest from big time programs, such as Indiana, Purdue, etc. The Scotts attended Indiana's Midnight Madness last season, as well as competed at Tom Crean's Summer Camp a few weeks ago. While it's still early to determine how good these guys will end up, look for them this winter to make some noise, and help Northrop become relevant again in Fort Wayne high school basketball.

7. Ramblings...

....Lamar Odom is being awfully greedy right now in contract negotiations with the Los Angeles Lakers. He is seeking a five year, 50 million dollar contract, but L.A. recently made a three year, 27 million dollar offer. Of course, Odom turned down the offer, and is looking elsewhere. So much for a guy who said just a month ago that he wanted to win another championship, and would take a pay cut to do so.

.....Is Tiger Woods really going to miss the cut at the British Open? Bye-bye high ratings this weekend for ABC.

....Dwyane Wade has taken his shoe empire to Nike, leaving Converse after a five year stint. Good move on his part. Now he can attend Nike athlete appreciation parties with Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.

...Brett Favre has until July 30 to make a decision on whether or not he will play for the Vikings next season. All I can say is, it's about time.

Have a great weekend!

Moore Makes 12

Notre Dame head coach Charlie Weis should have become a professional boxer. He has been winning a lot recruiting bouts as of late.

Kendall Moore, a linebacker prospect out of Raleigh, North Carolina, committed to Notre Dame Saturday afternoon at a news conference held at Southeast Raleigh High School in front of friends and family. He chose Notre Dame over heavy interest from Florida State and North Carolina State.

Moore becomes the 12th committment in the 2010 class for the Irish, and first to sign as a linebacker. He stands 6-3, 232 pounds, and reportedly runs a 4.67 40-yard dash time. Rivals.com rates him a four-star prospect.

Although he has committed to Notre Dame, Moore said he would like to take a few visits, just to make sure he made the right decision. At the moment, though, he's all Irish.

Friday's Tidbits: July 10

Good day everyone. We've been on a 168 hour vacation since the last edition of Friday's Tidbits, and I know you're craving for more. So, let's get right to it.

1. NBA Free Agency and Trades

As mentioned last week, the NBA free agent carousel is in full-swing, and even though the first 48 hours saw the two big fish find new homes, Ben Gordon and Ron Artest to Detroit and Los Angeles, respectively, the past five days have been even more enticing. If you think this free agent period is unpredictable, next year will be off the charts. Here are some of the popular moves this week, a confusing four-team trade, and a list of players still on the board.

The Rundown: Rasheed Wallace signs with the Boston (3 years, roughly 18 million)....Jason Kidd re-signs with Dallas (3 years, 25 million)....Anderson Varejao re-signs with Cleveland (6 years, 50 million)....Antony Parker signs with Cleveland (terms undisclosed).

Confusing but business-like trade...

**Warning: Take a deep breath first before reading

Four-Team Deal: Orlando, Dallas, Toronto, and Memphis

Toronto gets Hedo Turkoglu from the Orlando in a sign and trade deal, Devean George and Antoine Wright from the Dallas.

Orlando gets cash from Toronto and Orlando.

Memphis gets a 2016 second round pick from Toronto, Jerry Stackhouse and cash from Dallas.

Dallas gets Shawn Marion, Kris Humphries, Nathan Jawai and cash from Toronto, and Greg Buckner from Memphis.


Still out there and possible suitors:

Allen Iverson (Memphis, Miami)
Grant Hill (Cleveland, Denver, New York)
David Lee (New York)
Andre Miller (Portland, Philadelphia)
Jarrett Jack (Indiana)
Glen "Big Baby" Davis (Boston, Detroit)
Drew Gooden (Dallas, New York)


2. Big Ten Basketball Recruiting: 2010 Class

Similar to Rivals.com and Scout.com, ESPN recently came out with its own version of high school basketball prospects ratings, and if these ratings give any indication to the future, the Big Ten will reclaim itself as the top conference in the land. There is still time for these programs to add more pieces to the puzzle. As you'll see, Indiana has one committment to date, David Williams, but the Hoosiers have two more scholarships to hand out.

Take a look

Teams to fear in the near future...Ohio State and Illinois.

3. Indiana and Purdue basketball recruiting

I decided to combine these tidbits this week, since neither program signed a new prospect or made any major roster moves. However, both programs did throw our a few new offers to a few rising stars.

IU

According to Mike Pegram of Peegs.com, Indiana offered Vander Blue Monday morning. Blue is a 6-3, 180 pound, point guard out of Madison, Wisconsin. Blue originally committed to Wisconsin back in the winter, but decided to re-open his committment and look for more options. It appears this one will come down to Indiana and Wisconsin. Rivals.com rates Blue as a four-star prospect.

A numbers crunch, that's what Indiana coach Tom Crean faces the next two years. If you do the math, the Hoosiers have a combined five scholarships to hand out for the 2010 and 2011 recruiting cycles, which is pretty standard for any program. However, Crean has offered 32 players in these classes, meaning 27 players with Indiana offers will suit up for opposing teams. First come, first serve.

PU

Matt Weaver of Peegs.com reported Tuesday afternoon that Matt Painter extended an offer to Washington High School big man Cody Zeller. The name might sound familiar, as older brothers Tyler (North Carolina) and Luke (Notre Dame) have already made their way onto the college basketball scene. Cody, a three-star prospect according to Rivals.com, also has offers from Butler, Iowa, and Indiana. North Carolina and Ohio State are other programs showing interest. I expect the youngest Zeller to choose between Indiana, Purdue or North Carolina.

4. NFL Free Agency...who's left?

The NFL season is a couple months away, and a few notable players are still looking for a place to call home. Ironically, a pair of former Colts players top the list, Marvin Harrison and Edgerrin James. As it may turn out, both will receive the standard veteran contract. Here is a look at these two players and others, and where they may end up.

Marvin Harrison (Minnesota, Philadelphia)
Edgerrin James (New Orleans, Kansas City)
Plaxico Burress (Chicago, New York Jets, Tampa Bay)
Dante Hall (Indianapolis, New York Jets)
Jerry Porter (Baltimore, Oakland)
Willie McGinest (New England, Cleveland)
Derrick Brooks (Indianapolis, New England)


5. Notre Dame football recruiting

As reported earlier this week on this site, Charlies Weis and staff picked up two more commitments in the 2010 class, bringing the total amount of recruits to 13 for the Irish.
If you missed the two committment stories, which are located below, he is a recap....

Justin Utupo, a 6-2, 250 defensive end out of Lakewood, California, surprised Notre Dame fans Morning morning by verbally committing to the Irish after picking up a scholarship offer from Irish coach and recruiting coordinator Brian Polian. Utupo picked Notre Dame over offers from Arizona State, BYU, Colorado, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, San Diego State, Utah, Washington, Washington State, SMU and others. He is listed as a three-star prospect, according to Rivals.com

Scout.com reported Tuesday morning that Lake Forest (IL) quarterback Tommy Rees verbally committed to Notre Dame, joining Cincinnati Elder standout Andrew Hendrix on the 2010 quarterback committment list for the Irish. Rees, a 6-3, 195 pound, pro-style quarterback, picked the Irish over two major offers, Tennessee and Stanford, as well as a host of MAC schools.


Rambling Away...

-I'm happy for Andy Roddick and his runner-up finish at Wimbledon. He played his heart out, and fell to arguably the greatest tennis player of all time, Roger Federer. However, Roddick's window of opportunity for winning another Grand Slam title is slowly closing, as he turns 27 next month. Most tennis pros retire at the age of 32. It's just disappointing that he has only one Grand Slam title in nine years, after receiving the tag as "The Next Great American Tennis Player." Not to knock his career, but I don't see anything great about one title in 33 tries. Federer has obviously dominated the sport in this era, making it tough for Roddick to win. But, I think most tennis and sports fans expected multiple titles by now from Roddick.

-Cubs fans have to be wondering how in the world their team is only 3.5 games out of first place? When you're 14th in team batting average and 15th in both runs scored and hits in the National League, it's hard to think this team still sits in prime position for a playoff run.

-Unless you've been sleeping under a rock, you know by now that the social networking service, Twitter, has become a national phenomenon. In response to the fast rise of Twitter, a few big name college basketball coaches have been in a heated race to see who can acclaim the most followers (fans or friends, who keep tabs on person's whereabouts). The first heated race started back in the fall of 2008, between Kentucky coach John Calipari and Indiana head coach Tom Crean. At first, the two coaches had equal amounts, with about 2,000 followers apiece. Since then, Calipari stormed out to a commanding lead. Commanding, as in, Crean might have to throw in the towel. Currently, Crean has a respectable 9,041 followers, while his counterpart has an astounding 381,668 followers. Either Kentucky has a large fanbase, which they do, or almost everyone in the state of Kentucky follows Calipari. I didn't think the state as a whole had that many computers.
But, it's safe to say Calipari has this race won. For now, anyway.

-On Dan Dakich's radio show this past week, he brought up the topic of how Allen Iverson almost suited up for the Hooisers back in the mid-90s. The story goes, Iverson wanted to play for either of these two coaches, John Thompson at Georgetown or Bob Knight at Indiana. During Iverson's recruitment, his recruiting coordinator contacted Dakich, who was an Indiana assistant coach at the time, asking whether or not Iverson could make a visit to Bloomington. Once Dakich got off the phone with the recruiting coordinator, he went to discuss the matter with Knight. While this is paraphrased, after Dakich told Knight of the news, the General gave the young assistant the look of "why did I hire you again?" In others words, Knight did not want Iverson in his program.

Thanks for reading, and have a great weekend!

Notre Dame Receives Second QB Verbal

Competition for a future open position tends to bring out the best in young players. And when you're fighting for the position of Notre Dame quarterback, you better bring it on every throw, or someone else will step in, and quickly pass over you.

Lake Forest (IL) quarterback Tommy Rees must have a knack for competition, as Scout.com reported that he verbally committed to Notre Dame Tuesday morning, joining Cincinnati Elder standout Andrew Hendrix on the 2010 quarterback committment list for the Irish.

Rees, a 6-3, 195 pound, pro-style quarterback, picked the Irish over two major offers, Tennessee and Stanford, as well as a host of MAC schools.

The impressive aspect of Rees' commitment is that the Vols and Cardinal do not have a quarterback signed for the 2010 class, meaning Rees could have been the number one guy at either of these two schools. Instead, he picked the Irish, knowing when his time comes, he will battle with Hendrix for the prestigious position.

Rees becomes the 11th committment in the 2010 class for the Irish, and Rivals.com rates him as a three-star prospect.

Utupo is Irish

Make that 10, with more to come.

Justin Utupo, a 6-2, 250 defensive end out of Lakewood, California, surprised Notre Dame fans Morning morning by verbally committing to the Irish after picking up a scholarship offer from Irish coach and recruiting coordinator Brian Polian.

With the committment, Utopo becomes the 10th prospect to pledge his football allegiance to the Irish in the 2010 class. He picked Notre Dame over scholarship offers from Arizona State, BYU, Colorado, Kansas State, Missouri, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Oregon State, San Diego State, Utah, Washington, Washington State, SMU and others. He is listed as a three-star, according to Rivals.com

An interesting factor into Utupo's committment is his self-proclaimed unfamiliarity with Notre Dame. Like lots of young kids around the country, he grew up an Irish fan, but due to the fact he lives in California, he has trecked across country to South Bend. He will get his first opporturnity to see his new home on an official visit against Nevada, September 5.

Note*- Rivals.com Jeremy Crabree calls Utopo a "Heck of a steal out of one of the best programs in California."

Friday's Tidbits: July 3

This past week has been extremely busy in the world of sports. Let's get to the big stories, and ones that didn't make SportsCenter and even, Outside the Lines.....

1. College Football News and Notes.....

-Evan Berry, the younger brother of Tennessee defensive back and likely 2010 NFL first round pick, Eric Berry, verbally committed to Lane Kiffen and the Volunteer staff last week, after Evan received a scholarship offer from Kiffen. While this sounds like any old standard college committment, the younger Berry is just 13 years old. In other words, he will be a freshman in high school this coming fall.

Is it me, or is 13 years old extremely young for a kid to decide on which school he will attend in four years? It's mind boggling how these kids are committing to schools at such a young age, while not taking into consideration of how their bodies and outset on life will change during their teen years.

For all we know, Evan could eventually stand 6-1, 210 by his senior year, be ranked atop the 2013 class as a free safety, and even own a five-star rating on Rivals.com. But these results are not a guarantee, and the sad thing about college football recruiting is scholarships are not a guarantee either, until they are signed on the dotted line on Signing Day. Meaning, if Evan doesn't pan out like his brother Eric, Kiffen (if he is still around, mind you) can pull the offer at anytime.

Talk about false hope.

-Many top notch sports publications have recently come out with their 2009 NCAA college football preseason polls, and if you're like me, I get a little 'getty' this time of year. Despite getting wild up like a teenage girl, it's important to understand that preseason polls don't mean much, it just gives us an early look at who may be a factor this season. As you'll see in the polls below, Florida is the clear favorite to repeat as champion next season, led by last season Heisman trophy winner, Tim Tebow.

Here is a collection of preseason polls by the top publications:

ESPN
Bleacher Report
Phil Steele, Lindy's, Athlon, Sporting News (combined)


2. NBA Free Agency

-The bidding wars and smart money guys in NBA offices have been busy lately as the NBA free agent season has gotten off to a Usian Bolt-like start. At the moment, many players are still looking for a new home, including future Hall of Famer and notorious 'bad boy' Allen Iverson. We'll recap the players who have signed with new teams in a bit.

As for A.I., if or when he signs with his new team, he will have 13 years under his belt, which nowadays is considered a season veteran, or for someone in Iverson's case, someone who is past hit prime. I think he'd even admit he has lost a step.

But the question all week has been this regarding A.I.... will a team risk spending 10+ million and possible on court sagas for a still talented, but slower point guard with Hall of Fame accolades? Rumors suggest if Iverson doesn't receive around the 10+ million mark, he may retire at the age of 34. Pride may be an issue with him, since 5 million a year and coming of the bench may hurt his ego. I don't believe he will retire, but anything is possible with this guy.

**Side bit-Iverson made 20 million last year with Detroit.

Now, let's get to this list of major signings this past week...

Ben Gordon to Detroit (old team Chicago) 5 year, 50 million
Charlie Villanueva to Detroit (old team Milwaukee) 5 year, 35 million
Ron Artest to Los Angeles (old team Houston) 3 year, 18 million
Trevor Ariza to Houston (old team Los Angeles) 5 year, 33.5 million

Best of the rest who are still not signed and their possible future team...

Hedo Turkoglu (Portland)
Rasheed Wallace (Boston)
Jason Kidd (New York or Dallas)
Lamar Odom (Los Angeles)
Shawn Marion (Toronto, Chicago..?)

3. Notre Dame Football Recruiting

Past week committment recap.

LB- Blake Lueders, 6-5, 250 pounds (Four-star)
QB- Andrew Hendrix, 6-4, 220 pounds (Four-Star)
CB- Lo Wood, 5-10, 160 pounds (Three-Star)
S- Chris Badger, 6-0, 178 pounds (Three-Star)

(Star ratings according to Rivals.com)

Who's next?

-Tommy Rees, a three-star, pro-style quarterback out of Lake Forest, Illinois, recently earned a Notre Dame offer after a good showing at the Irish Summer High School Camp last weekend. He said he wants to make a decision before his senior season, and the Irish are in good position for his committment. He will pick from Notre Dame, Tennessee and Stanford.

-Highly regarded four-star linebacker and running back Anthony Barr out of Los Angeles, could pull the trigger at anytime, and the Irish sit well with the California prodigy. Notre Dame will compete with UCLA, USC, Cal and Florida, for his services. Barr has a strong Irish connection as he is the son of former Notre Dame running back Tony Brooks (1987-1991) and nephew of Irish standout Reggie Brooks (1989-1992).


4. Indiana Basketball Recruiting

-Indiana head coach Tom Crean says he loves recruiting, and as of late, that's all he has been doing. Over the past week, Crean has hosted a number of top recruits from around the Midwest and state of Indiana, most notably Cameron Wright (2010), Cody Zeller (2011), Branden Dawson (2011), Ron Patterson (2012) and Jeremy Hollowell (2012).

All of these prospects hold Indiana offers, with Hollowell picking up a Hoosier offer this past Tuesday.

-Indiana's prize recruit Kyrie Irving has been quiet as of late, except for putting on a 44 point, eight assist performance at the Red Storm Elite Camp.

5. Football recruiting from around the Big Ten

Michigan

-Rich Rodriguez and Michigan have signed 15 recruits this offseason that they hope will shape the future of their program. Two of these recruits stand out above the rest, as both could see playing time as freshmen.

1. Devin Gardner, a four-star, dual-threat quarterback, picked the Wolverines over offers from Notre Dame, Michigan State, and Oregon. Gardner will fit perfectly in Rodriguez's run-spread offense.

2. Christian Pace, the fifth ranked center according to Rivals.com, chose Michigan over Florida State, Iowa, Pittsburgh, Michigan State, South Carolina and Stanford. Pace could see playing time at guard his freshman season.

-Although Michigan has moved to a run-first offensive scheme, the Wolverines currently lead the nation in most signed receivers, with four.

Indiana

-Bill Lynch is a happy man this week, as four players have committed to the Hoosiers for the 2010 season. The four players include defensive end Jimbreel Black and Ryan Phillips, running back Matt Perez, and offensive guard Marlandez Harris.

-The Hoosiers have nine total commitments to date.

Purdue

New Boilermakers head coach Danny Hope has made up for lost time in impressive fashion by picking up four commitments since June 22. The top recruit thus far in this class is 6-3, 185 pound wide receiver Jeremy Cornelius. Despite not owning a star rating, Cornelius could have waited for more offers to pile in, instead he chose Purdue over offers from Iowa, Syracuse and Pittsburgh.

The three other commitments are tight end De'Ron Flood, defensive end Ryan Isaacs, and wide receiver Charlie Torwudzo.

6. Water cooler news and notes...

-Harding star running back Roderick Smith ended his college recruitment last night by verbally committing to Ohio State, according to Scout.com. Smith, who is on pace to set the SAC all-time rushing record, is the first running back committment to the Buckeyes this year, and he selected Ohio State over an impressive offer list that included Purdue, Tennessee, Indiana, Michigan and Michigan State.

Rivals.com ranks the 6-3, 220 pound Smith as the fifth best high school senior running back in the nation.

-USA men's soccer almost won the FIFA Federation Cup last Sunday, but fell to Brazil 3-2. Unfortunately, the Yankees couldn't hold on to a 2-0 first half lead. The loss, in retrospect, was good for the United States soccer team, as is showed the Americans can play at the highest level and not back down from the big boys, such as Spain and Brazil. However, all of this won't matter unless they can put on a similar showing in next year's World Cup.

I have a feeling more teams will not look past the Red, White, and Blue.

-IU basketball fans mark your calendars for December 8, 2009. Indiana will travel to Madison Square Garden to take on Big East powerhouse Pittsburgh, as part of the Jimmy V Classic.

-Have a second to check out a few kid prodigies? For their ages, these kids are great at their respective sport. Not sure, though, about the seventh grade basketball player being the best in his age group. As a few friends tell me after spotting a good looking girl on the beach, I've seen better....

-Ball State legend and current sportscaster Brian Collins was once again featured on SI.com's front page.

Instant Classic.

-Jeff Samardzija has been recalled from Triple-A Iowa, and will move into the Chicago Cubs bullpen.

Off Topic:

I want to take a moment, and send my condolences to the family of Mark A. Brueggeman. Mark lost his life this morning, leaving behind a lot of friends in the Bishop Luers and Ball State communities, as well as a great Catholic family. You will be missed by many Mark, thank you for brightening people's day for the last 23 years.

Happy 4th of July everyone.