Hey gang and welcome back to Tailgating, your quick stop on the way to the game. We have news from around the league today and a look at some of the playoff series to date. So, let’s get to it.
The NFL:
OSHA is looking into the tent collapse at the Dallas Cowboys training facility. The collapse injured 12 people, paralyzing one man from the waist down. There is a bunch of back and forth about whose fault it was that the building was never inspected, but it looks like the blame will fall squarely on the shoulders of the Cowboys organization.
Mike Vick aka Ron Mexico sat down for a very important meeting with former NFL head coach Tony Dungy about his future and the NFL. It seems likely that some team will take a chance on the QB but that team hasn’t stepped forward yet. Vicks agent said that the meeting was private yet positive. Once Vick leaves prison he will work construction in Hampton, VA for a reported 10 dollars an hour.
The NFL is pulling out all the stops this season in celebration of the American Football Leagues 50th anniversary. The remaining franchises from the old AFL days are Buffalo, New England, San Diego, Denver, Oakland, Tennessee, Kansas City, and the New York Jets. There will be special events throughout the season including games with teams wearing their throwback jersey’s as well as auctions of those same jerseys and other memorabilia.
Albert Haynesworth of the Washington Redskins is being sued now for reckless driving by the guy he hit. The 25 year old man had to have hip replacement surgery following the accident and is asking for no less than 25% of the guaranteed money that Haynesworth will receive from the Redskins. He is guaranteed 41 million dollars.
It looks like the Patriots have added another weapon to their defense in the form of Brandon McGowan. Despite signing a rookie safety in the second round of the draft the Pats wanted to shore up their defense with a little more experience since losing Rodney Harrison to injury.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have made some moves in the offseason by letting veteran linebacker Larry Foote go. Foote wanted out of Pittsburgh because he was losing playing time to Lawrence Timmons and the Steelers needed cap space, so it worked out for both sides.
Major League Baseball:
Zack Greinke is putting up an early bid for the Cy Young award with an April start that is out of this world. The Kansas City Royals hurler is 6-0 with a ERA of 0.40 in the month of April. He shows no signs of slowing in early May and has yet to lose a start.
After an amazing catch that sent him hurtling into the outfield wall St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Rick Ankiel was hospitalized. He spent the night there under observation and was released after undergoing a series of x-rays. The outlook on his condition is positive.
Carlos Zambrano will miss 2-3 weeks with a hamstring injury after legging out a bunt against the Marlins on Sunday. It looks like the Cubs will call up Randy Wells, a right hander, from the minors to take Zambrano’s spot until he recovers.
The Red Sox Yankees rivalry is looking a little one sided sine the Yankees moved into their new ballpark that is apparently a hitters dream. The Sox have a 4-0 record against the Yankees so far this season.
The Los Angeles Dodgers made history this week despite hitting into a triple play against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Dodgers have started the season with an 11-0 home record the best since 1900.
The Association:
The Orlando Magic had a big game one victory against the Boston Celtics and look to be receiving more good news. Guard Courtney Lee may be back to play in game three in Orlando. Lee had surgery to repair a fractured sinus that he received in game 5.
It took him six seasons but LeBron James is the MVP of the league with Kobe Bryant finishing a distant second with only two first place votes. Mr. James decided to have his reception ceremony at his old high school. Personally I think Chauncey Billups should have been the MVP but I don’t get a vote.
The NBA is messing around with Kenyon Martin. They fined the forward 25,000 dollars and upgraded a foul on Dirk Nowitzki to flagrant. Despite the that, the Nuggets still managed to win game one in convincing fashion.
The Lakers have to look for answers after a disappointing start against the Houston Rockets. The team to beat in the western conference looked like they couldn’t shake the rust off from a long wait for the second round. The Rockets built an early lead and only were threatened once in the third quarter before the Rockets pulled away for good.
