12:30 PM Boxer Pedro Fernandez thinks Manny Pacquiao's weight gain isn't natural: "I just think that? I honestly think that he is taking something, because a lot of fighters coming up in weight like that, 40 something pounds? he just looks ripped like Bruce Lee."
12:17 PM Those two Indian kids, Rinku and Dinesh, who won the "million-dollar arm" contest and were signed by the Pirates have finally returned home to their native India. Check out Rinku's new bunker home.
12:01 PM Northwestern Coach Pat Fitzgerald to SI's Stewart Mandel: "Even though we're similar academically, we're in a little different boat as Notre Dame. We've been consistently winning since 1995. They're still saying they can do it, but we're doing it." One more reason for ND to jettison Mayor McCheese.
11:43 AMLamar Odom finally gets his wish thanks to his newly-found, pseudo celebrity: He's being sued by car accident victim two years after a fender-bender with her. If Odom didn't end up on a reality show, do you think that'd be happening?
So with Glen Davis (or, as the kids call him, Big Baby) sidelined for a few weeks to rehab the thumb he broke by getting punchy, Davis has a lot of time on his hands. He can think about things. Maybe do some whittling. Give up on that on account of the broken thumb. Get back to thinking. Think about the future. Think about… the NFL.
For some reason, Big Baby told ESPN THE MAGAZINE’s Chris Broussard that he’s considering giving up the game of basketball at his peak in order to try his hand again at football. Yes, again; he was a defensive end and halfback as a youngin’. Of course, there’s video after the break.
It’s not that unusual for basketball players to make the jump to football. (See: Gonzalez, Tony, and Gates, Antonio.) People may also argue for Julius Peppers as well, but I see him more as a football player who happened to have dabbled in basketball.
And now the CARROLL COUNTY (MD) TIMES shoots up news of the latest hoopster trying to make the same transition to the gridiron: Joe Reitz (not seen to the left).
The difference between Jonathan Ogden, a sure-fire Hall of Fame mauling road-grader of a left tackle, and Reitz, a guy who hasn’t played football since high school? Likely negligible. Read more…
Jonathan Ogden is off the field for good, as the Ravens lineman announced his retirement on Thursday. The oversized offensive tackle spent all 12 of his NFL seasons in Baltimore, starting in 176 games for the Birds.
During the press conference of his official announcement, as he thanked teammates & team officials, Odgen managed to take a little sideswipe at a problem player who could have taken his place: Read more…
• During the Trojans’ season-ending undoing of UCLA, INSIDE USC overheard the Coliseum PA announcer start the 2nd half with the declaration, “Your USC Chargers!“• FRIENDS OF CRAZY JOE DAVOLA thinks the Brewers were drunk when they signed Eric Gagne to a 1-year, $10 million deal.
• DEUCE OF DAVENPORT gets down with Ravens lineman Jonathan Ogden, who shakes his money maker for low car insurance rates:
RED HOT SPORTS CHICK SET TO ENJOY RAVENS THREESOME: Anita Marks, a.k.a. The Red Hot Sports Chick, will be hosting not one, not two, but *three* Ravens-related radio roundtables this season:
She’ll be chatting it up on The Ray Lewis Show (Mon 6-8), The Willis McGahee Show (Thur 6-8) and The Big Show with J.O. starring the one and only Jonathan Ogden (Wed 6-8) - all on ESPN Radio 1300 in Baltimore.And if you can’t just get enough, you can see the RHSC in all her glory weekdays from 3-5 p.m. on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network. So, get your spirits high just before they come crashing down during the following Nationals or Orioles game on MASN.
But don’t think Anita’s just a pretty face. The one-time Playboy poser is also quite the football phenom, having played quarterback for a women’s pro team in Miami.So, she could kick your sorry butt.
