This Day In Sports - June 25th

1930 -- Max Schmeling becomes the first German -- and European -- heavyweight world champion after he beats Jack Sharkey for the vacant title in New York.
1948 -- Ben Hogan wins the U.S. Open with a record 276, five lower than Ralph Guldahl's 1937 record.
1991 -- The Chicago Bulls win the first NBA championship in the team's 25-year history.
*from si.com*


Article of the Day:

The first draft lottery still rates the best
By: David Schoenfield
espn.com

The first NBA draft lottery took place in 1985, with the seven non-playoff teams participating. The big prize in that year's draft: Georgetown center Patrick Ewing.

As we prepare for the 25th draft conducted under the lottery system, consider how much the NBA has grown: from 23 to 30 teams; from seven lottery teams to 14; from rumors of frozen envelopes to a complicated system of ping-pong balls.

Consider also: in 1985, Ewing was a polished college senior who had led Georgetown to three NCAA championship games; one of the top picks this year will be 18-year-old Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio.

But NBA commissioner David Stern saw all this coming: "There are some 237 schools playing in Division I of the NCAA and that doesn't include smaller schools or foreign programs that will turn out more players like Uwe Blab or Bill Wennington," he told The Washington Post in 1985. "As basketball continues to grow worldwide, it will only get better."

OK, we'll forgive the Uwe Blab reference, but the commish was right. Basketball has grown as a global sport, turning the NBA draft into a worldwide event.

How did we get here? Contrary to the beliefs of conspiracy theorists, the lottery system was not created to steer Patrick Ewing to the Knicks, who had gone 24-58 in the 1984-85 season. In fact, the system was voted in after the 1983-84 season (in which the Knicks had won 47 games and reached the conference semifinals) in reaction to the perception that the Houston Rockets had tanked down the stretch. The Rockets lost 17 of their final 22 games, and nine of their final 10, to "pass" the San Diego Clippers by one game for the Western Conference's worst record. At the time, the worst teams in the West and East flipped a coin for the No. 1 overall pick. The Rockets won the toss, giving them the No. 1 selection for the second straight year (they added Hakeem Olajuwon to Ralph Sampson).

At the time, the controversy was whether a team on the fringe of making the playoffs would tank in order to make the lottery (originally, all lottery teams had an equal shot at the No. 1 pick). "If you're asking me where my heart would lie if it came down to a last-second shot between making the playoffs or the lottery, I couldn't -- I wouldn't -- tell you," Atlanta Hawks general manager Stan Kasten told the Post back then.

The Hawks missed the playoffs but didn't win the lottery. They drew the No. 5 pick and bypassed future All-Stars such as Karl Malone, Chris Mullin and Joe Dumars to draft the forgettable Jon Koncak (4.5 points per game in his career). The Clippers, predictably, didn't win the lottery either. Drafting third, they made a pick that would pretty much define the next two-plus decades of the franchise: Benoit Benjamin, a big man of immense talent, but best remembered for once trying to enter a game wearing two left shoes.

With that, let's relive each of the previous 24 years of the NBA draft under the lottery. We'll list the top 10 picks each year, suggest how teams should have drafted and grade the overall talent of each draft. Note that often players are selected by one team only to be dealt to another club in a prearranged trade; in those instances, we'll list the drafting team as the club that acquired the player.

Also, note this as you think about the results of Thursday's draft: By our hindsight accounting, NBA teams have nailed the top two selections in order just one time in 24 drafts (Shaquille O'Neal and Alonzo Mourning in 1992). They've nailed the top pick just seven times out of 24: David Robinson, Shaq, Chris Webber, Tim Duncan, LeBron James, Dwight Howard and Derrick Rose.

This Day In Sports - June 24th

After a brief hiatus This Day in Sports is back up and running!

1991 -- The NHL's Board of Governors adopts instant replay.
1998 -- Sammy Sosa ties the major league record for homers in a month, hitting his 18th of June in the first inning of the Cubs' 7-6 loss to Detroit.
2000 -- Rick DiPietro is the first goalie drafted No. 1 in the NHL draft, by the New York Islanders.
2001 -- Karrie Webb, 26, captures the LPGA Championship by two strokes to become the youngest woman to complete the Grand Slam.




Article of the Day:

Kahn the Dealer Strikes Early
"Landing the no. 5 pick for two veteran guards deepened the Wolves' options and caught the fan base's attention"

By Jerry Zgoda

Last update: June 24, 2009 - 7:25 AM

New Timberwolves basketball boss David Kahn promised he'd be hyperactive in his efforts to rebuild a franchise that can't sell a $5 ticket since it traded away superstar Kevin Garnett two summers ago.

Who knew he had been guzzling Red Bull?

Kahn today is expected to finalize his first trade since he became the team's new president of basketball operations 32 days ago.

The bold six-piece transaction that sends Mike Miller and Randy Foye to Washington for the fifth pick in Thursday's NBA draft begs a question:

With the hours quickly ticking away, just who is he after in a draft some NBA executives have called the thinnest they've seen in years?

Kahn's opening move essentially wipes clean the team's existing backcourt and makes the Wolves further committed to youth and the 2010 draft, when the Wolves will have two more first-rounders if their own pick is in the Top 10.

It provides a fourth first-round pick to a team that already has accumulated the sixth, 18th and 28th overall picks Thursday and presumably doesn't want three, let alone four rookies on next season's team.

With Foye's departure, it sends away the player who -- fairly or unfairly -- most reminds Wolves fans of Kevin McHale's failure in 14 seasons as Kahn's predecessor.

But, most notably, it has done one other remarkable thing.

Kahn and his promise for change -- about to be delivered with roster moves beginning today -- has Timberwolves fans interested again.

They are chattering away on Internet boards in numbers not seen in these Twin Cities since the last bit of breaking Brett Favre news.

A franchise that has barely registered a pulse since July 31, 2007 -- the day McHale traded away Garnett to Boston in the league's biggest deal for a single player -- now is guaranteed a prominent seat at the proverbial table after NBA Commissioner David Stern steps forth Thursday and announces the Los Angeles Clippers have made Oklahoma forward Blake Griffin the first player taken.

More than anything, Kahn now has options as he remakes a team's youthful rebuilding process apparently with more youth and, at least for now, on the cheap.

The acquisition of two top-six picks puts the Wolves in position to barter with one -- or both -- of those picks another deal, with Memphis for the draft's second choice.

That'd give Kahn his choice of precocious Spanish point guard Ricky Rubio or Hasheem Thabeet, the Connecticut center who's raw, undeveloped and also 7-3.

(You can't teach that, you know?)

But this draft offers no guarantees, other than the Clippers will take Griffin first.

So, in such a year, Kahn might very well decide it's better to stay put with two picks and completely rebuild a backcourt he just emptied -- Sebastian Telfair's presence notwithstanding -- by sending both Miller and Foye to Washington and new coach Flip Saunders.

In a draft populated by guards, the Wolves could keep both picks and take their choice of the best guards left on the board after Sacramento selects fourth.

Kahn is believed to covet Tyreke Evans, the combo guard from Memphis who so impressed with his 6-6 size and strength during a Target Center workout last week against smaller point guards.

(The Wolves also like Syracuse point guard Jonny Flynn a lot).

Until a few days ago, it seemed certain Evans would still be available with the fifth pick. Now, there's a growing chance the Kings will take Evans -- meaning Rubio very well could await Kahn and the Wolves with the fifth pick.

So could Arizona State's James Harden, another projected top-four pick. Flynn or Davidson's Steph Curry, the best shooter in the draft, will be there as well.

Only one thing is certain.

And most unexpected.

"People are excited," said veteran forward Mark Madsen, easily the longest tenured Timberwolf. "That's good, isn't it?"

Miraculous might be a better word.

This Day In Sports - June 10th

1984 -- Larry Bird named Finals MVP as Boston Celtics win NBA Championship, beating LA Lakers in Game 7, 111-102.
1984 -- Ivan Lendl beats John McEnroe (3-6, 2-6, 6-4, 7-5, 7-5) to win the French Open men's singles championship.
1986 -- A. Bartlett Giamatti, who would later become MLB commissioner, is named president of the National League.
1996 -- Patrick Roy and Colorado Avalanche sweep the Florida Panthers to win the Stanley Cup.
*from si.com*


Article of the Day:

Childress Says There's "Absolutely" No Dealine For Favre
By: Mike Florio
ProFootballTalk.com

Though Vikings coach Brad Childress has yet to acknowledge that his team is interested in acquiring “retired” quarterback Brett Favre, Childress declared during a Wednesday morning radio spot with our friends at KFAN in Minneapolis that no deadline exists.

"Absolutely not," Childress said. “Maybe by Deanna [Favre] or somebody like that, but certainly not from me. Not even — not even close. [I] don’t know where that dropped out of the sky from. . . .

“I don’t know how you guys in that industry go about your sourcing,” Childress added. “‘A source that a source said.’ I don’t know. It’s questionable. Very questionable.”

The fourth-year head coach also continues to be evasive regarding the true nature of the team’s interest in Favre. For example, asked whether the press has overstated the Vikings’ interest in Favre, Childress focused only on the report that Childress was in Mississippi to meet with Favre when Childress actually was in Minnesota. “I always thought David Copperfield was a great magician,” Childress said. “But I haven’t been able to do that one yet.”

Childress at no time has said that he’s not interested in Favre, so it’s Favre to assume that the door was and still is open for the Second Annual Brett Favre unretirement.

**Check out the podcasted interview now at KFAN.com**

This Day In Sports - June 9th

1973 -- Secretariat becomes first Triple Crown-winner in 25 years by taking the Belmont Stakes, setting records for time (2:24) and margin (31 lengths).
1984 -- Martina Navratilova defeats Chris Evert (6-3, 6-1) to win the French Open women's singles championship.
1985 -- LA Lakers win NBA Championship by beating Boston Celtics, four games to two. the Moon.
1993 -- Montreal Canadiens defeat Los Angeles Kings of Wayne Gretzky and coach Barry Melrose to win Stanley Cup, four games to one.
*from si.com*

Article of the Day:

Sirius host refutes ESPN report
By: Judd Zulgad
Star Tribune

Earlier today, ESPN’s Chris Mortensen and Ed Werder reported that Vikings coach Brad Childress has imposed a deadline of this week for Brett Favre to decide whether he will be the team’s quarterback for the 2009 season. We were told later in the day that Childress had talked about giving Favre a deadline of this week.

But did it happen?

Pat Kirwan said today on SIRIUS NFL Radio’s “Movin’ The Chains” that there is no deadline for Favre in Minnesota, contrary to what ESPN has reported. Kirwan’s words carry weight on this subject because he is friendly with Childress and frequently has the Vikings coach on as a guest during the season.

Here’s the conversation between Kirwin and his co-host Tim Ryan today.

Kirwan: “I heard you talking about Brett Favre, every show has been talking about him. I’ve got a couple of things to say. First off, let me make sure I’m clear on this to everyone who is listening. There is no deadline for Brett Favre to come in by Friday. There is zero deadline. The story was made up, it’s not true and trust me on that.”

Ryan: “I still think he’s coming July 15. By then he’ll be signed up for the Minnnesota Vikings. ESPN calling it shoulder surgery, the biceps tendon attaches to a point up on the shoulder, did have that thing cleared out. We’ve been talking about it for a couple of months. That if he had the surgery he was coming back. It’s clear Favre’s on his way to Minnesota.”

Kirwan: “Favre is on his way to Minnesota and it may be around July 15. It might be earlier. Remember how we said [that] first Step 1 is he healthy enough to play? He’s in the process of having that resolved. Step 2, get a contract done. We don’t think that’s going to be a problem either so the first two hurdles are going to be easy to fly over and then come in and be part of this program. With the OTAs winding down, and maybe that’s a good thing because he’s not ready to throw, and all the business that goes on with football. Maybe it’s better if he comes in at a quiet period of time and gets ready to roll. But I think you’re right on it, I think he’s on his way in. Friday may come and Friday may go and it will have nothing to do with him in a purple uniform.”

This Day In Sports - June 9th

1955 -- Brooklyn Dodgers option Tommy Lasorda to make room on roster for Sandy Koufax.

1966 -- The NFL and AFL announce plans to merge and become the NFC and AFC in 1970.
1982 -- Los Angeles Lakers win the NBA Championship by beating the Philadelphia 76ers four games to two.
*from si.com*




Sources: Favre Has Surgery
By: Chris Mortensen and Ed Werder
espn.com

Brett Favre's determination to play quarterback this season for the Minnesota Vikings prompted him to undergo arthroscopic surgery to repair his injured passing shoulder recently, according to two sources. However, Favre remains unable to make a commitment because subsequent throwing sessions indicate the shoulder is not yet 100 percent.

While Favre has now clearly demonstrated his interest in coming out of retirement for a 19th season in the NFL, it seems equally obvious that he will not do so unless convinced he has recovered fully from the torn biceps tendon that undermined him last year with the New York Jets.

Favre began considering options to repair the shoulder last month when he sought advice from acclaimed orthopedic surgeon Dr. James Andrews. Favre and Andrews discussed surgical and non-surgical options. When cortisone injections and exercise therapies that included weight lifting failed to release the damaged tendon naturally, Favre consented to the arthroscopic surgery.

Favre has thrown on a limited basis since the surgery, which occurred last month, but has not felt close to "100 percent" and would not come back unless he makes significant progress, sources said.

Favre's agent, Bus Cook, would not confirm or deny the surgery, saying "That's a confidential client privilege."

Other sources say they believe Favre's ultimate recovery makes him a certainty to play for the Vikings, but the team will wrap up their organized team activities (OTAs) with four practices, Tuesday through Friday. The team also has two OTA dates remaining for the following week, but coach Brad Childress has traditionally canceled those as a reward for his players' hard work.

The Vikings report to training camp at the end of July and could agree to a contract if Favre's recovery accelerates to the point where both the quarterback and the team are comfortable with his return for the 2009 season, sources said. Favre's motivation to un-retire again is based on his desire to keep playing and the fact that he perceives the Vikings as a Super Bowl contender that runs "his offense," virtually identical to what he directed for 16 years in Green Bay, the sources contend.

Vikings sources declined to comment. Childress reiterated last week that Favre "is retired" but refused to set a deadline on any potential decision.

Cook also reiterated this weekend, "As far as I know, Brett is still retired and reserves the right to change his mind."

Favre's determination to play can be measured by his willingness to undergo arthroscopic surgery by Andrews, inasmuch sources said the quarterback wanted to avoid any procedure. Favre suffered the injury during the final stretch of his one season with the New York Jets in 2008. The Jets released him upon his request shortly after the April 25-26 draft, making him an unrestricted free agent. Favre already had said he was going to retire again, citing the injury as a major factor.

ESPN reported on May 14 that Favre had consulted with Andrews regarding his arm and the surgical and non-surgical options. The St. Paul Pioneer Press reported on May 18 that Favre was having surgery by Andrews that week; a source told ESPN that no surgery was scheduled. The specific date of Favre's recent surgery is unknown, except that it occurred last month.

Chris Mortensen is a senior NFL analyst for ESPN. Ed Werder covers the NFL for ESPN.

This Day In Sports - June 5th

1967 -- The NHL awards six new franchises: the Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota North Stars, the Oakland Seals, the Philadelphia Flyers, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the St. Louis Blues.
1977 -- Bill Walton scores 20 points, grabs 23 rebounds and blocks eight shots to help the Portland Trail Blazers defeat the Philadelphia 76ers for the NBA title.
1993 -- Julie Krone rides Colonial Affair to victory in the 125th running of the Belmont Stakes, becoming the first woman jockey to ride a winner in a Triple Crown race.
*from Si.com*

This Day In Sports - June 3rd

1932 -- John McGraw, longtime manager of the New York Giants, abruptly resigns midway through the season.
1989 -- The Houston Astros need 22 innings and more than seven hours to secure a 5-4 victory over the L.A. Dodgers at the Astrodome.
2003 -- Sammy Sosa of the Chicago Cubs is ejected from a game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays for getting caught using a corked bat.
*from si.com*

This Day In Sports - June 2nd

1941 -- Yankee great Lou Gehrig dies of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in New York at the age of 37.
1974 -- Chris Evert wins her fist major international tournament at the Italian Open with a win over Martina Navratilova in straight sets.
1990 -- Seattle's Randy Johnson pitches the first no-hitter in Mariners franchise history.
*from si.com*



Article of the Day:

WHAT I'VE LEARNED

Lil' Penny
-- Interviewed May 31, 2009

Yeah, I've seen the commercials. Kobe and LeBron. Not bad. Good for those kids. But I was the original.

Let me know when those two put out their own rap album.

Now that Orlando is back in the Finals, I figured I could work with Kobe. But Nike won't return my calls. Can ya help a brother out?

Nike's scared. They know I can take him, one-on-one, even now. It's not bragging if it's true.

What advice would I give puppet LeBron? Keep your head up. Stay grounded. Be smart with your money. And watch your back -- there might be a hand in there.

My ride was incredible. Money. Fame. Women. Swimming pools and movie stars and Japanese steam baths, you know? Tyra Banks still has my toothbrush.

"Kobe Doin' Work"? I gave Spike the idea. Starring me, of course.

Everything ended so quickly. One minute I'm introducing the 1996 playoffs on NBC, have Phil Knight on speed dial. Then came the microfracture. Next thing I know, I'm at the bottom of a cardboard box with some old "Just Do It" T-shirts and a couple of twisted-up Ken dolls.

The Kens just smiled. Their hair never moved. I'd rather not talk about it.

I blew it. Put my money into Pets.com, trusted that sock dog. A lot of us did. Statler and Waldorf tried to warm me, but I didn't listen.

It's hard out there for a puppet. They stopped making Chucky movies years ago. Do you see any ventriloquists on Comedy Central?

I got a sniff from Sesame Street. They wanted to go younger, cheaper. But the union there closed ranks. And that was that.

Elmo runs the shop. He will cut you, man. No joke.

Bobblehead work is the future. I just need enough money for head-enhancement surgery.

Until Dwight Howard gets his own creepy miniature effigy, he's just a basketball player.

The meaning of life? It's simple: never forget who pulls the strings.

-- Patrick Hruby

*from espn.com*

This Day In Sports - June 1st

1925 -- Lou Gehrig bats for Pee Wee Wanninger in the eighth inning to start his streak of 2,130 consecutive games.
1975 -- Nolan Ryan of the California Angels pitches his fourth no-hitter to tie Sandy Koufax's record.
1986 -- The beautiful Abigael Marie (Bendickson) Mansour was welcomed into this world!
1986 -- Pat Bradley wins the LPGA tournament and becomes the first to win all four women's majors.
1992 -- The Pittsburgh Penguins win the Stanley Cup for the second straight year, beating the Chicago Blackhawks 6-5 for a four-game sweep.
*from si.com*

Article of the Day:

It's been a bittersweet playoffs for Lakers' Lamar Odom

A doctor theorizes that the Lakers forward's fondness for candy is hindering his play.
By Mike Penner
LA Times

Sportswriters and fans have proposed numerous theories for Lamar Odom's up-and-down play, but here is a new one: Odom's fondness for candy.

In an essay titled "Lamar Odom, Sweet Tooth and Erratic Play," Dr. Daniel Amen writes that Odom's massive consumption of candy leads to a sugar high and then a crash, evidence of which can be seen on the basketball court.

Writes Amen: "Odom freely confesses that he just can't help himself when it comes to the sweet stuff and always keeps a stash on hand of Gummi Bears, Honey Buns, Lifesavers, Hershey's white chocolate, Snickers bars, cookies and more. He eats the sugary snacks morning, noon and night, and even says he sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night, chows down on some treats, then falls back asleep.

"This is bad news for the Lakers. I've been telling my patients for years that sugar acts like a drug in the brain. It causes blood sugar levels to spike and then crash, leaving you feeling tired, irritable, foggy and stupid. Eating too much sugar impairs cognitive function, which may explain why Odom doesn't always make the smartest decisions on the court. . . .

"As a fan and a physician, it concerns me that our professional sports organizations and players are not more concerned about brain health, which includes nutrition. My advice to Odom and to all sugar addicts is to get your sugar consumption under control. You'll feel so much better and your brain will function better too. And, maybe the Lakers can get their 15th championship and Odom can get his first."

This Day In Sports - May 28th

2006 -- Barry Bonds hits his 715th career home run, bypassing Babe Ruth as the second-most prolific home run hitter in baseball history.
1957 -- The National League approves the move of both the Brooklyn Dodgers and the New York Giants to the west.
1951 -- Giants rookie Willie Mays gets his first hit in the majors, a 450-foot home run off Braves hurler Warren Spahn
*from si.com*


Article of the Day:
From startribune.com

Tarkenton: Favre's actions 'despicable'

The greatest quarterback in Vikings history had harsh words for the player who broke many of his NFL records.

By JUDD ZULGAD, Star Tribune

Last update: May 27, 2009 - 9:51 PM

Former Vikings great Fran Tarkenton would like to see Brett Favre end his retirement to play quarterback in Minnesota. But that isn't because Tarkenton wants to see Favre succeed.

"I kind of hope it happens, so he can fail," Tarkenton told an Atlanta radio station Tuesday.

Tarkenton, who lives in Atlanta and does only occasional interviews, did not hold back with his disgust when talking about how Favre has handled himself since announcing his first retirement from the Green Bay Packers in March 2008. The Hall of Fame quarterback was far more critical of Favre than he was of the Vikings for expressing interest.

"I think it's despicable. What he put the Packers through last year was not good," Tarkenton told 790 The Zone. "Here's an organization that was loyal to him for [16 years], provided stability, provided players. It just wasn't about Brett Favre. In this day and time, we have glorified the Brett Favres of the world so much, they think it's about them. He goes to New York and bombs. He's 39 years old. How would you like Ray Nitschke in his last year [playing for] the Vikings, or I retire, and go play for the Packers?"

Tarkenton played for the Vikings from 1961 to '66 and from 1972 to his retirement after the 1978 season. He went 0-3 in Super Bowls with the Vikings but finished as the NFL's career leader in several categories, including passing yards (47,003) and touchdown passes (342). Favre now holds both of those marks.

Tarkenton, 69, might have been a little strong in his assessment of Favre's play with the Jets last season. The Jets, who acquired Favre during training camp, went 8-3 before losing four of their last five games and missing the playoffs. Favre retired after the season in part because of a partially torn biceps in his throwing arm that appears to be the main reason he hasn't yet decided if he will return.

Favre's agent, Bus Cook, did not return a message seeking a reaction to Tarkenton's comments.

This Day In Sports - May 26th

1988 -- Edmonton Oilers sweep Boston Bruins to win Stanley Cup.
1985 -- Danny Sullivan wins Indianapolis 500 by 24 seconds after spinning out.
1959 -- Pirates' Harvey Haddix loses to Milwaukee Braves after pitching 12 perfect innings.
*from si.com*




The NBA playoffs continue to impress. Denver evened things up last night beating the Lakers by 19pts in Colorado and will hopefully continue to outplay the Lakers as the series heads back to LA. The one thing that the Nuggets have going for them is that they are playing much better team basketball and moving the ball around to get an easy bucket or wide open shot. The Lakers have the "Cleveland Cavaliers syndrome" and just fall back on getting the ball to Kobe and making him force up a contested shot. Fortunately for them it's been working ok, with Kobe averaging 29.8 points per game. But if they have aspirations of the NBA Finals this needs to be remedied.

The Twins got things back on track a little bit this weekend sweeping the Milwaukee Brewers over the weekend and giving Boston a run for their money Monday. But the story of the weekend/story of the season thus far has been the dominance only known as Joe Mauer. After sitting out the first month of the season Joe debuted on May 1st hitting a home run on his first swing of the season. This set the tone for the rest of the month as Mauer has hit .444, with 11 HRs, and a .914 slugging percentage. WOW! With 31 RBI to this point in the month of May Mauer broke the MN Twins record for most RBI in the month of May leaping past Twins Great Harmon Killebrew with five more games in the month. It should be an exciting season if things continue to follow this line.