Kobe Bryant is still stacking up records – he just became the NBA’s all-time leading points scorer during All-Star game play – but it could have been very different. Indeed, the Lakers guard was seriously considering retirement just a few months ago.

According to Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, Bryant had been pondering whether to hang up his boots last season, due to his surgically repaired right knee and sprained left ankle restricting his customary on-court explosiveness.

However, an innovative treatment this off-season on both Bryant’s right knee and left ankle seemed to solve everything. Bryant flew to Germany to undergo the procedure, but it was worth it – the 33-year-old Lakers legend returned to the States and told Rodriguez that he felt years younger. A-Rod recalls:

“[Kobe] was really adamant about how great the procedure was for him. I know that he was hurting before, almost even thinking about retirement, that’s how much pain he was under. And then he said after he went to Germany he felt like a 27-year-old again.”

The work on Bryant’s knee and ankle was performed by a Dr. Peter Wehling at the Center for Orthopaedics and Molecular Medicine in Dusseldorf. Bryant received orthokine treatments on his right knee and left shoulder, and five platelet-rich plasma injections on consecutive days.

And hey, the work seems to be doing the trick. In 2009-10, Bryant plummeted to his lowest points output in years, with 25.3 points per game. Yet in 2010-11, he led the league in scoring, with 28.4 points per game. He also logged an average 38 minutes per game – five more than in 2009-10.

In other words, retirement can wait for now.

Kobe Bryant Considered Retirement, Reveals A-Rod is a post from: The Inquisitr

Bobby Simmons could become a Los Angeles Clippers player for the second time.  According to league sources the Clippers want to sign Simmons out of the D-League, offering him a 10-day contract following the All-Star break.

Simmons is 31-years-old and has been playing well for the D-League’s Reno Bighorns, averaging 13.5 points per game with 7.6 rebounds. Simmons last played in the NBA for the San Antonio Spurs during the 2010-2011 season when he played in just two games.

During his 2004-2005 season with the Clippers Bobby Simmons won the NBA’s “Most Improved” honors while averaging 16.4 points and 5.9 rebounds.

The 6-foot-6, 220 pound player never rebounded to those numbers, averaging 13.4 points and 4.4 rebounds during his first season with the Milwaukee Bucks from 2005-2006.

Bringing Bobby Simmons back into the mix is an essential part of the teams current strategy after losing Cauncey Billups to for the rest of the season from an Achilles tear. The Clippers are still looking for shooters after J.R. Smith signed to the New York Knicks instead of the L.A. Clippers.

Do you think singing Bobby Simmons to a 10-day contract was the right decision to be made by the Los Angeles Clippers considering its less than stellar options at this time in the NBA season?

Bobby Simmons Headed Back to Los Angeles Clippers [Insider Report] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Michael Jordan had one of his records taken away on Sunday after Kobe Bryant became the NBA’s all-time points scorer during All-Star game play.

During his career Michael Jordan managed to rack up 262 points however with 4:57 seconds remaining in the third quarter Bryan broke that record, racking up 20 points for the game.

Bryan began the night with 244 points in the 12 All-Star games he played in and quickly passed Oscar Robertson (246 points) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (251). Bryant also shares a record-tying four All-Star MVP awards.

The record tying shots came during two free throws in the third quarter. Bryant then took a moment to wipe blood from his nose after taking a hard foul from Miami’s Dwayne Wade.

Kobe Bryan’s record is all that more impressive when considering that he has played in one less All-Star game then Michael Jordan who finished 13 contests during his time spend in the NBA.

While Bryant’s scoring record is impressive, Michael Jordan was known for having fun during the league’s All-Star game, spending more time passing the ball then showboating as Kobe Bryan has been known to do during the NBA All-Star game.

Do you think Kobe Bryant has proven himself to be a better All-Star player then Michael Jordan or do his NBA All-Star game numbers only reflect his showboating ball hog ways?

Kobe Bryant Takes All-Star Game Scoring Record Away From Michael Jordan is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Ottawa Senators No. 1 goaltender Craig Anderson is out of action after slicing his hand open in a kitchen mishap and to make up for their lost goalie the team on Sunday acquired minor league goaltender Ben Bishop from the St. Louis Blues.

Bishop made the most of Anderson’s mishap by signing a $650,000 one-year deal with the Senators.

Bishop is a 6-foot-7 team worthy goal who only fell down the Blues depth chart when Brian Elliott emerged as the teams No. 2 and began sharing time with Jaroslav Halak.

In a statement from the St. Louis Blues front-office general manager Doug Armstrong said of Bishop:

“I would like to thank Ben for his time in our organization. He was a professional on and off the ice for us and we wish him nothing but the best in Ottawa.”

Picked up in the 2005 entry draft Ben Bishop was chosen 85th overall and the 25-year-old appeared in 13 NHL games. This season Ben Bishop was playing with the Peoria Rivermen of the American Hockey League where he was an All Star goalie.

For their trade the St. Louis Blues will receive a second-round draft pick in 2013.

Do you think Ben Bishop was the right acquisition for the Ottawa Senators given their immediate need for an experienced NHL ready goalie?

Ottawa Senators Acquire Minor League Goalie Ben Bishop From St. Louis Blues is a post from: The Inquisitr

New York Yankees third baseman, Alex Rodriguez, has an interesting offer for New York Knicks superstar Jeremy Lin.

Rodriguez told the press at Spring Training,

“If he’s still looking for a place to crash, maybe he can crash at my apartment. Imagine the tabloids then. Linsanity. Wow. What a run. You look at the Giants, you look at Linsanity and there’s been so many great things happening in New York. We kind of feel like we want to jump in the party. The great thing about Linsanity is that, it kind of reminds you of how fun the game should be,” he added. “For some of us that have been playing for a long time, it’s just the one second you take the game for granted, it makes you realize how much fun the game is.”

“That’s how much pain he was under, and said after he went to Germany that he felt like a 27-year-old again,” Rodriguez said. “Now the thing is, if I can play as well as Kobe, we’re in business.”

A-Rod played in just 99 games last season and hit 16 home runs.  He had knee surgery which caused his numbers to go down for the rest of the season.

“My knee does feel a lot better,” Rodriguez said. “Basically it was five injections right into your knee on five consecutive days. After the third day it felt pretty darn good. Kobe Bryant  said, `Look, your third or fourth day you actually will start feeling a lot better,’ and he was exactly right. We’re in a no-excuses business. Last year, for me, was a disappointing year. I don’t think there’s one guy that at the end of the year, September, October, November, that’s going to say he’s 100 percent. I just didn’t get it done.”

With spring training beginning ti will be interesting to see if Alex Rodriguez returns to form.

Do you think A-Rod is back on his game for this upcoming season?

A-Rod Says Jeremy Lin Can Stay At His Apartment is a post from: The Inquisitr

For the first time in the history of the Daytona 500, the race will run a day after it’s originally scheduled time. While the race has been delayed by an hour or two before, and even shortened due to rain (four times), it has never been postponed until the next day.

For those of you not familiar with why rain could delay a car race (cars, after all, do run in rain), the tires that are specifically designed for these stock cars have  no tread, and therefore no grip in slick conditions. To top it off the cars also lack a basic necessity of driving in the rain–windshield wipers.

With pre-race ceremonies already completed by the scheduled race start time of 1:30 pm EST, the only thing the drivers and track officials have been waiting on is Mother Nature. Alas, at a little bit after 5pm, track and NASCAR officials called the race off until tomorrow, where it will start at noon EST, provided the weather cooperates.

NASCAR  president Mike Helton was initially optimistic, hoping that the rain would stop and the track (which takes 2-3 hours to dry), would be ready for racing abut 5pm. “The Daytona International Speedway has every drying piece of machinery they’ve got across the country here today,” Helton added, “because we know that the fans at home and the fans here in Daytona want to see the race run, and we do, too. The sooner, the better.”

Unfortunately, all the state-of-the-art jet dryers in the country cannot help when Mother Nature decides against it. So, with the weather not cooperating, we will be forced to sneak peaks at NASCAR’s TrackPass (find your free 14 day  trial at www.NASCAR.com!), or Lap-by-Lap, while our bosses are not looking. In fact, I wonder how many NASCAR fans will be calling in “sick” to watch tomorrow’s race…

Daytona 500 Delayed Until Noon EST Monday is a post from: The Inquisitr

Lindsey Vonn claimed her 10th victory of the season on Sunday after she won the World Cup super-G competition. Her win also makes Lindsey the career leader in the discipline.

The victory also marks the 51st career win of Vonn’s career and her 18th super-G trophy. Vonn was previously tied with Austria’s Renate Goetschl for the record.

Speaking of her victory Vonn said:

“The course was difficult, pretty bumpy at some points, and very challenging.”

Lindsey Vonn finished the race in 1 minute, 15.66 seconds, besting  Tina Weirather by 0.05 seconds. In third place was Italy’s Daniela Merighetti who finished 0.07 seconds behind Vonn.

Vonn’s was 20 points ahead of Anna Fenniger as she headed into the final super-G of the regular season and after the ustrian finished 10th that lead was stretched to 94 points. With nine races left on the season Vonn’s lead is now 528-points.

Next up Vonn, Mancuso and teammate Leanne Smith will compete in super-G at the World Cup finals in Schladming, Austria, that event will take place in March.

In the meantime here’s the skiers winning performance (not in English):

Do you think Vonn is a shoe-in for leading the points standings at the end of the season given her massive points lead?

Lindsey Vonn Wins World Cup super-G, Claims 10th Victory Of Season [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III is fast, we have known that fact since his playing days at Baylor when he would scramble out of the pocket and on a few occasions find himself in the end zone. Now we know just how fast he really is after an impressive 40-yard dash performance at the NFL Combine this weekend.

Griffin managed to run the fastest 40-yard dash of any QB with a two-run average of 4.38 seconds. In comparison the Heisman trophy runner up Andrew Luck ran the 40 in 4.66 and 4.59 seconds and he’s pretty much a lock to be selected first during the 2012 NFL Draft.

Griffin wasn’t only the fastest quarterback at the combine, he was ranked in the top five for all players and just .08 seconds behind the combines fastest receive Stephen Hill.

Robert fell behind only Hill and Miami’s Travis Benjamin (4.32), North Carolina State’s T.J. Graham (4.35) and Wake Forest’s Chris Givens (4.37). All three of those men are receivers who were expected to post fast run time.

Griffin’s 4.38 seconds average means he was faster then more than 300 other draft hopefuls who worked out at the NFL Combine in Indianapolis on Sunday.

With the St. Louis Rams potentially looking to trade for its No. 2 NFL Draft pick the young QB’s performance at the NFL Combine could be giving them the type of ammunition they need to demand more for other teams looking for the opportunity to draft Robert Griffin III.

Do you think Griffin has a long NFL career ahead of him as an athletic QB with a good head on his shoulders?

Robert Griffin III Impresses At NFL Combine With Fifth Fastest 40-Yard Dash is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Broadneck (Md.) High girls swimming squad was stripped of a competition title recently because of illegal shaving. No the shaving didn’t involve some type of points shaving or time shaving that gave them a victory but rather because one of the teams members literally shaved right before her races.

Under National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) swimming rules a swimmer can not shave once they are on-site for a competition. That means had the player shaved before heading to the event they would have been fine.

The rule was instituted a long time ago in order to protect other swimmers from possible blood transmission of diseases. Officials have long worried that sharing razors could in the locker room lead to potential health issues.

Because of the girls violation her team lost all points she had won, dropping the team to third in the meets final standing from their original first place win. After the violation was reported  Severna Park (Md.) High won the event when points were redistributed to other teams players,

The players violation also led to swim coach Colleen Winans being suspended from the Class 4A-3A Regional Championships.

While rule breaking has it’s consequences Swimming World Magazine general manager Jason Marsteller says it’s not the rule that surprises him but rather the fact that Broadneck’s punishment was so retroactive in taking place.

While the violation was a setback for the team they eventually emerged at the top of the seasons standings, winning both the boys and girls regional title.

Ironically the boys and girls teams cited their coaches bizarre suspension as the motivation they needed to beat their next closest competitor by 16.5 points.

Do you think the violation for shaving was a bit odd or should the player have better followed safety rules setup by the swimmers organization?

Maryland Girls Swim Team Stripped Of Title Because Of Illegal Shaving is a post from: The Inquisitr

James Buesher, driver of the Number 30 Chevrolet, is the winner of the 2012 DRIVE4COPD 300 Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway. Buescher battled through 120 laps of mayhem, including a last-lap crash that took out front-runners like Trevor Bayne, Tony Stewart, Elliott Sadler, Joey Logano, Kurt Busch, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Kyle Busch, to take the victory, despite being in a crash himself late in the game.

Buescher said of his first victory, “It’s incredible. This is top of the list for any race car driver to win at — and we did it.”  He’s not the only first-time winner this weekend, as rookie John King won the Camping World Truck Series race on Friday night.

Danica Patrick, the first female to win a pole position since Shawna Robinson in 1994, had seemingly good luck for the first 50 laps, until a mistake by her teammate, rookie Cole Whitt, caused her to spin out into the wall. Patrick could be heard screaming expletives over the radio about Whitt, but calmly stated later, “I don’t think it’s ever great when teammates come together, so we’ll have to figure out what happened and move forward.”

Whitt said of the accident,” Yeah, I think we’ll be fine. I wouldn’t expect her to be happy about it. I wouldn’t be happy about it, either. I don’t know why anyone would expect her to be like, ‘Oh yeah, it’s great.’ We’re teammates.” Suffice to say, they will most likely have a few words about Whitt’s mistake in the next team meeting.

Patrick’s team pushed the car to the garage for extensive repairs, losing 48 laps in the process. She returned to the track on Lap 98 and finished 38th. Not a very optimistic start to the former Indy car driver’s season, but with the rest of the season in front of her, she has numerous chances to make up for her position in the current standings.

Watch the last-lap crash that led to Buescher’s win here:

Buescher Wins Daytona Nationwide Race, Patrick Crashes Early is a post from: The Inquisitr

Funny guy Kevin Hart decided to toss a shoe and rip his shorts off at the All-Star celebrity game and was ejected from the game right before it ended. The crowd found overwhelming pleasure in his silly antics as they laughed their hearts out at the 5’2″ Kevin Hart standing next to men of the stature of Dwight Howard.

Kevin Hart won MVP of the NBA All-Star celebrity game without a close second. Prior to hoisting his freshly awarded MVP trophy into the air in a grand gesture of victory, Hart told ESPN:

“Sometimes being MVP isn’t about points, it’s about what you do for your team.”

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan suggested that Kevin Hart, the silly little guy who stole the show and entertained his fans as well as TV watchers, should receive an invitation to shoot hoops with the United States President Barack Obama.

The funny man was trending hot as fire on social media networks during the entire event. Kevin Hart was clearly the MVP of the 2012 All-Star celebrity game. Winner by landslide, Kevin Hart was yelling at his fans in the stands and creating an atmosphere filled with grins, laughs, and hysterical antics.

Unlike Canadian singing sensation Justin Bieber who won the MVP award last year, comedian Kevin Hart won his through sheer domination of the crowd by means of funny antics. The score, which is seemingly less important than Kevin Hart ripping off his pants, was 86 to 54 in favor of Hart’s team, the East.

Kevin Hart Gets Ejected From The 2012 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game Video:

Kevin Hart Throws His Shoe and Rips His Pants Off, 2012 NBA All-Star Celebrity Game MVP is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Miami Heat’s Lebron James and Dwyane Wade had nothing but good things to say about the Chicago Bulls’ Derrick Rose during All-Star weekend.

James launched right into praise for the defending MVP when asked about rose.

James told ESPN:

“It’s amazing, honestly… Derrick has definitely evolved the point guard position. He’s doing it; him and Russell [Westbrook] are two guys with speed, athleticism, can score, can pass, can jump, can do everything at the point guard position. I think D-Rose from end to end, is probably one of the fastest, quickest guys that we have with the ball in our game. It’s always exciting to get out there with him.”

Wade also had good things to say about Rose, but the best Wade offered the Chicago Bull was to say that Rose reminded him of a young Dwyane Wade.

Wade said:

“I see a lot of the things I did when I was younger, probably on a little bit more athletic of a level with him. But I do see the things that he does and I’ll be like, ‘Man, I used to do that.’ or ‘Man, I’ve done that before.’ But he does it at another notch up than even when I did it. He’s so athletic and he’s so fast. … We’re going to compete against each other. We’re going to play against each other, but from Chicago, in a sense I’m proud to say that we’re from the same place. And the person that he is as well. That kid right there, he’s going to be a star in this league for many years to come. He’s an unbelievable talent.”

While Rose’s two biggest competitors offered him praise, the Chicago Bull said that he hasn’t been playing his best basketball this year. Rose said:

“I haven’t [done] anything this year yet to be MVP. One guy that’s ballin’ right now is Kevin Durant. He’s ballin’ right now. Putting up numbers. Playing great, shooting high percentage. He’s ballin’.”

The Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat are the two best teams in the East this year and will likely face each other again in the playoffs. The last time the two teams played in the post-season the Heat took the series in five games.

Do you think the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls will be playing each other again in the post-season?

Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Praise Derrick Rose is a post from: The Inquisitr

A day after his 50-game suspension was overturned, Ryan Braun reported in to spring training with the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday, sounding self-assured that his name had been vindicated after the media, as he says, dragged his name “through the mud.”

Braun, with his fellow Brewers sitting in the stands, held a news conference on the field at the team’s training complex on Friday. He said that he always believe that his suspension would be overturned and that he’s looking forward to suiting up with his teammates on opening day.

“At the end of the day the truth prevailed,” he said. “I’m a victim of a process that completely broke down and failed in the way that it was applied to me in the case.

“As players, we’re held to a standard of 100% perfection regarding the program, and everybody else associated with that program should be held to the same standard. We’re a part of a process where you’re 100% guilty until proven innocent. It’s the opposite of the American judicial system.”

Braun first learned that his urine sample showed that his testosterone levels were highly elevated, reportedly three times the level of any previous specimen, a fact that he doesn’t deny. What he does deny, however, is that he ever took any performance-enhancing substances.

Braun said that his urine sample showing elevated levels of testosterone could be due to a “chain of custody” problem–he submitted his sample on October 1, but it wasn’t delivered to FedEx until October 3.

“I honestly don’t know what happened to it for that 44-hour period,” he said. “There are a lot of different things that could have possibly happened.

“There are a lot of things that we heard about the collection process, the collector and some other people involved in the process that have been concerning to us. But as I’ve dealt with the situation, I know what it’s like to be wrongly accused of something, so for me to wrongly accuse somebody wouldn’t help.”

via LA Times

Ryan Braun Declares He Has Been Vindicated is a post from: The Inquisitr

Danica Patrick suffered a rough crash yesterday during a preliminary round at the Daytona 500, but the GoDaddy.com driver bounced back to take the pole position for the DRIVE4COPD 300 Nationwide Series race. Patrick is the second woman in NASCAR history to take the pole position in one of the top three national series.

Shawna Robinson was the first to accomplish the feat in 1994 whenshe took the pole in a Nationwide Series race in Atlanta.

Patrick said:

“I don’t think about it from a girl perspective. It was about being the best driver, not the best girl.”

The New York Times reports that Patrick topped a field of 50 cars at the Daytona International Speedway. Patrick posted a lap time of 49.250 seconds to clock a speed of 182.741 miles per hour. Trevor Bayne, who won the Daytona 500 last year, finished in second.

Patrick’s pole position is surprising, not because she’s new to NASCAR, but because her primary car was destroyed in her crash yesterday. Patrick joked at the time that maybe it was a “blessing in disguise” and that maybe her backup car was really faster. Well, it looks like she may have been right.

Patrick said:

“I was thinking about how disappointing the end of the day was yesterday and how happy it can be 24 hours later. It was a good turn of events. It’s always good to have something that brings your spirits up.”

The pole position will give Patrick the top spot on the grid tomorrow, but it will also put a little more pressure on her shoulder. Patrick knows now that her car is fast enough to win, now it’s up to her to drive it to victory.

“I got much more nervous because I know my car is fast. And when you sit on the pole, you’re the fastest car. So if you don’t win the race, then I just wasted the fasted car. So yes, it adds a lot of pressure and now I feel nervous.”

Do you think Danica Patrick will be able to win tomorrow?

Danica Patrick Becomes Second Woman in NASCAR History To Take Pole Position is a post from: The Inquisitr

UFC 144 will see Ryan Bader take on Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, Frankie Edgar defends his title against Ben “Smooth” Henderson, and Cheick Kongo and Mark Hunt battle in the heavyweight class. The UFC will be broadcasting parts of the event online, but for the big fights you’ll have to cough up $45.

The UFC will travel to the “land of the rising sun” for the first time in more than a decade for the fights on Saturday night. The Henderson vs. Edgar fight is the main event at the Saitama Arena in Tokyo, but plenty of people will be tuning in to see the co-main event of Bader vs. Jackson.

The Chicago Tribune reports that Bader has been in Japan since Monday to get acclimated to the time change. Bader has fought all over the world and says that he’s not worried about too much about the time change. Bader said:

“Once you’re in the arena, and you’re being prepared, you’re not thinking about anything else, so it doesn’t matter what time of day it is.”

Bader said that the big difference about fighting in Japan is the audience. The Japan crowd will stay quiet throughout the fight, which is a big change of pace compared to the loud American crowds. Bader said:

“It will be weird on TV, you’ll be able to hear everything.”

Bader, who won season eight of “The Ultimate Fighter,” will be going up against one of the most notorious fighter’s in UFC history. But to Bader, Rampage Jackson is just another guy.

“It’s a great opportunity. I grew up watching him and all those guys in PRIDE, but at the same time, he’s a name, just another guy. He’s not Rampage, he’s just another guy.”

Do you think Bader will be able to take down Jackson?

Here’s a preview for UFC 144.

The lightweight title fight at UFC 144 will see Ben Henderson attempt to take the title from Frankie Edgar. Fight News calls the Edgar – Henderson fight the best title fight of 2012.

Edgar has handed top fighters their first professional defeats. He’s landed 940 strikes in the UFC and has scored 35 career takedowns. If Edgar wins UFC 144 he’ll tie BJ Penn and jim Miller for most wins in the lightweight division at 10.

But Henderson could give him a fight. Fight News reports that Henderson is “officially the hardest man to submit in UFC history. Henderson has been put in 28 submission holds and he’s escaped every one. But Henderson isn’t all defense. The lightweight challenger has landed more hits on his opponents during everyone of his fights in the Octogan. His UFC strike ratio is 161-36 and he averages four take downs per fight.

You can watch some of the prelims live on the UFC Facebook page. You can watch a live stream of the fighter weigh-ins below (Bloody Elbow reports that the weigh-ins will start at 11 p.m. EST) or you can buy a ticket to the fight here. 

Video streaming by Ustream

Watch UFC 144: Bader, Jackson, Edgar and Henderson Head to the Land of the Rising Sun is a post from: The Inquisitr

Will it be Seattle? Indianapolis? Miami?  The debate over Peyton Manning’s future in the NFL continues as football fans in Miami urge the future hall of famer to take his talents to South Beach.

ManningtoMiami.com is asking fans to sign a petition to get Peyton to the Dolphins. The website has also put up billboards along the interstate to bring attention to the cause. The website reads:

“Be Part OF “The Movement” and Make History – BRING MANNING TO MIAMI – This site has been created to help influence Peyton Manning and the Miami Dolphins that “Manning to Miami” is a movement and marriage that the entire South Florida community is behind. Tell family, friends (even enemies), tell co-workers, business associates to cast their vote and make a difference in Bringing Manning to Miami.”

And the people behind Manning to Miami aren’t the only ones who think that Peyton would be a good fit in South Beach. ESPN writes that with Manning the Dolphins would be an instant title contender.

Miami already has a pretty impressive Pro Bowl offensive package in Brandon Marshall and Reggie Bush, and with Jake Long at left tackle, Manning wouldn’t have to worry about too many blindside hits.

According to ESPN, Manning will end up somewhere other than Indianapolis next year. The Colts are expected to release Manning before his $28 million bonus is due in March. The Colts are expected to take Andrew Luck with the No.1 overall pick in the NFL draft and say goodbye to the Manning era.

So where should Peyton Manning play? Do you think he’ll take his talents to South Beach?

Peyton Manning to Miami: Dolphin Fans Start Petition for Colts’ QB is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Chicago Bears have a new general manager and with that position filled their now ready to negotiate with running back Matt Forte.

Bears management spoke with Forte’s representatives during the NFL combine and they conducted several meetings with his team and the teams other free agents at the Hyatt Regency in downtown Indianapolis.

GM Phil Emery is now expected to offer Matt Forte somewhere in the vicinity of $13 to $14 million in guaranteed money after talks with the 26-year-old running back broke down last year with the Bears promising to throw the franchise tag on their star running back if no deal was reached.

Given his age the Bears are expected to offer Forte a five-year deal that will place him on the Chicago Bears for a full decade.

Signing Matt Forte to a long-term deal has been a top priority for the Bears with their star RB ranking fifth in yards from scrimmage since entering the NFL. Forte trails only Chris Johnson, Adrian Peterson, Maurice Jones-Drew and Steven Jackson.

Forte was also placed on his first Pro Bowl team in 2011 after leading the team with 1,487 yards from scrimmage even though he missed the last four games of the season because of a sprained medial collateral ligament sprain in his right knee during the Bears loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Dec. 4.

Chicago Bears head coach Lovie Smith is confident Matt Forte will be with the organization for a long time:

“Matt is going to play his football for the Chicago Bears, you start with that,” and “In time, hopefully we can get an agreement in place that suits Matt and we feel comfortable with. I think it’s just a matter of time. That will happen eventually.”

If an agreement is not met by the March 5 deadline the Chicago Bears can place the franchise tag on Matt Forte which will pay him $7.7 million next season.

Do you think the Chicago Bears need to work quickly to secure Matt Forte for the long term?

Chicago Bears To Begin Matt Forte Contract Negotiations is a post from: The Inquisitr

Tim Tebow’s starting spot on the Denver Broncos is secure at the moment, but Vice President John Elway says that the young quaterback still has a lot of room for improvement.

Elway gave the Mile High Messiah a strong endorsement today saying that Tebow would be the Broncos’ quarterback for a “long time,” but said that Tebow has a lot of work to do during the off-season.

But Tebow isn’t the only part of the Broncos’ offense that needs work. Elway said:

“There’s things we have to get him to do within our offense to be more successful as an offense. We feel that’s something we have to do to be able to get better as an offense. To add that threat makes everything else he does that much better.”

Tebow is currently training at UCLA with Noel Mazzone. Elway isn’t allowed to give Tebow any workout routines, but he said that Tebow’s work ethic alleviates any concern that he might have. Elway said that Tebow has plenty of strengths, but his most valuable talent is his ability to motivate the team. Elway said:

“He added a spark. I was really happy with his progress. We’re hoping he’s going to be the guy for a long, long time.”

When Tebow took over the starting spot for the Broncos last year the team was 1-4. Tebow was able to lead the Broncos to an 8-5 finish, thanks to five second-half comebacks, giving the Broncos their first playoff spot since 2005. 

Do you think Tim Tebow will be the long-term quarterback for the Denver Broncos?

John Elway: Tim Tebow Is Our Guy, But He Has To Improve is a post from: The Inquisitr

The team announced yesterday via its website that it had agreed to terms on a deal with 28-year-old Edwards, who presumably will compete with Mike Kafka to become the teams No. 1 backup quarterback behind Michael Vick.

“[Trent] has expressed a desire to be a part of our team,” Eagles general manager Howie Roseman said at the NFL Scouting Combine on Thursday. “He’s a guy that we liked and we saw him out there and we thought maybe he would be a good fit.”

No other details of the Edwards-Eagles deal were disclosed.

Fox Sports points out that Edwards, a third-round pick of the Bills in 2007, has 33 NFL starts to his credit, all but one with Buffalo. He has also spent time with the Jaguars and Raiders, who cut him prior to last season.

Over the course of his 4-year career Trent Edwards, is 14-19 with 6,019 passing yards, a 26-30 TD-INT ratio and a 75.4 passer rating.

via Philly Sports

Trent Edwards, Philadelphia Eagles Agree to 1-Year Deal is a post from: The Inquisitr

Michael Jordan is launching a lawsuit against a Chinese sportswear manufacturer who he accuses of using his name without permission.

The NBA legend is taking Qiaodan Sports to a Chinese court because Jordan’s name in Chinese is Qiaodan. In a press release, Jordan stated: “I am taking this action to preserve ownership of my name and my brand.”

While this may be an open-and-shut case in some countries, Chinese intellectual property law is renowned as something of a haven for intellectual property rights (IPR) piracy. Apple is still battling a local company for control of the iPad trademark, while Microsoft has struggled for close to a decade to defeat various unauthorized versions of Windows and Office.

Yet according to Jordan, China’s IPR laws are becoming more accomodating to foreigners. Writing on his site, Jordan says:

“China continues to make improvements to the IPR regulatory environment to ensure that companies and individuals have a platform to address IPR violations. [...] This complaint is in line with China’s approach to IPR issues.”

China’s stricter approach to IPR disputes may be a result of its dealings with the U.S. over the issue. According to Businessweek, in a meeting last week China Vice President and heir-apparent Xi Jinping was challenged by Speaker of the House John Boehner over what Boehner called “deficiencies in China’s enforcement of intellectual property laws as an ongoing barrier to stronger economic ties.”

Jordan is not the first NBA star, former or otherwise, to take on a Chinese company. Yao Ming, the former Houston Rockets center who also played for the Chinese national team, sued Wuhan Yunhe Sportswear in May 2011 for using his name in its brand, Yao Ming Era. The company lost the case, and were forced to pay Ming 300,000 yuan (about $48,000).

And in 2010, Yi Jianlian (now of the Dallas Mavericks), won a similar case.

[Via Businessweek]

Michael Jordan To Sue Chinese Company Who Used His Name is a post from: The Inquisitr