Michael Phelps tells of miracle 7th gold medal win - brings girlfriend home for Thanksgiving
November 27, 2008
(ChattahBox) — Seems that Michael Phelps has been doing well for himself in Sin City. People Magazine says the Olympic champion has been dating a Las Vegas cocktail waitress named Caroline “Caz” Pal, 26, for about two months. Apparently he likes her well enough to take her to meet the family in Baltimore to spend Thanksgiving together. I couldn’t find any pictures of Ms. Pal, but unfortunately you can bet when the paparazzi hear about this they will be after some photos.
Along with dating Caroline, a waitress at the Palms Casino Resort’s Moon Nightclub, Phelps is spending time in Vegas working on his poker game. Read more
Signing of Tazawa may start a bad trend in major league baseball
November 25, 2008
(ChattahBox) — It’s baseball free agency time and the desire to win at all costs by some clubs means there will the usual surprisingly foolish and greedy decisions. One of those is that the Boston Red Sox are reportedly close to signing Junichi Tazawa of Japan. Several other teams scouted and are also pursuing Tazawa, but Boston, seems to be in the lead to eventually sign him. He’s a 22-year-old Japanese amateur player who depending on who you believe has a chance to be pretty good depending on the scout you ask. But whether Tazawa is any good or not isn’t what’s at question. The pitcher is an amateur player and by signing him, the Red Sox would break a decades-old unspoken agreement between the Major Leagues and the Japanese leagues not to steal amateur players from each other’s country.
For the Japanese, this is a huge potential problem. If they can’t keep their best players in their Leagues for at least a few years, the quality of their baseball will quickly diminish. It could hypothetically impact all of baseball as well-financed Japanese may choose to try to sign top American prospects in retaliation, but it seems doubtful. While Japanese teams might regard the signing of Japanese prospects negatively, for North American teams, the pursuit of these same players makes perfect sense. Young Japanese pitchers would have longer Major League careers than veteran Japanese pitchers, and perhaps more to the point, they would be much, much cheaper. The solution could be to put an ironclad rule in place and perhaps that will be the legacy Tazawa leaves. But for now, there’s a hole in the system and some teams that don’t care about walking through it.
As for free agency is it wise for clubs to offer $100 million for players like CC Sabathia, Mark Teixeira and Manny Ramirez in these troubled economic times? Everybody is waiting for CC Sabathia to make his move (he’s been reportedly offered $140 million by the Yankees). It will set a price for other players and clarify what other clubs will do. We are seeing the impact of the economy in how teams are setting pricing for next season’s tickets. Many clubs are being extremely conservative, and are taking very small increases, or even holding last year’s pricing. However, there are two new Stadiums in New York, leading to huge revenue increases for both teams. And teams in big markets like the Cubs and Red Sox seem insulated from the economic pressure based on their strong brands and heavy season ticket base. So more then ever you could have a huge disparity between the have and have not’s in baseball. So it’s not just the Japanese that have to worry about big market teams buying all the best players.
General Motors ends 9-year endorsement deal with Tiger Woods
November 24, 2008
DETROIT (ChattahBox)— At least partly due to the difficult times, General Motors has ended it’s endorsement deal worth at least $7 million a year, with Tiger Woods. Woods a global icon in sports with his 14 major championships, has been carrying the Buick logo on his golf bag for the last nine years and still had one year left on his contract.
While General Motors Corp. was looking to cut costs and hoard cash to survive the worst sales downturn in a quarter-century, it also seems to be a mutually agreeable split. The auto company said Monday the world’s No. 1 golfer wanted more time for himself, especially with a second child on the way. Woods’ agent at IMG, Mark Steinberg, also confirmed the decision to end the relationship one year early was “absolutely mutual.” Read more
WWE Puts On Memorable Show In Boston With Survivor Series
November 24, 2008
Boston (ChattahBox) - World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) put on a very memorable show at the TD BankNorth Garden in Boston, MA this past Sunday night with the Survivor Series pay-per-view, and ChattahBox was in attendance to take it all in.
This marked the 22nd annual Survivor Series the WWE has put on, and it was a memorable show to say the very least. Read more
NY Jets Hand Tennessee Titans Their First Loss of the Season
November 23, 2008
Tennessee (ChattahBox) — Brett Favre was given too much time and picked apart the previously undefeated Tennessee Titans on Sunday, Jets 34, Titans 13.
The Titans had won 13-straight regular-season games dating to Dec. 16, 2007, in becoming only the 11th team since 1970 to win its first 10 games.
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Jimmy Connors arrested in confrontation outside a college basketball game
November 22, 2008
SANTA BARBARA, Calif. (ChattahBox) — Tennis great Jimmy Connors known for his fiery temperament on the court, was arrested outside the campus arena where UC Santa Barbara and top-ranked North Carolina were playing a basketball game and taken into custody Friday night. The eight-time Grand Slam champion apparently refused to comply with an order to leave the area near the entrance of the Thunderdome following a confrontation, police Sgt. Dan Massey said in a statement. Read more
Landon Donovan to join German champion Bayern Munich on loan
November 22, 2008
Germany (ChattahBox) — Similar to the one David Beckham has agreed with AC Milan, Landon Donovan will join German champion Bayern Munich in a loan deal. Bayern’s manager Uli Hoeness said in an interview posted Friday on the Web site of the Munich-based Sueddeutsche newspaper, that Donovan will in any case now play for the team until March 15.Hoeness told the newspaper that Bayern would make no other transfers until the summer and would not release any players, including striker Lukas Podolski, who will get more competition now from Donovan. Bayern coach Juergen Klinsmann had said previously he was interested in keeping Donovan until the end of the season. Read more
WWE Ready To Invade Boston, MA With The Survivor Series
November 21, 2008
Boston (ChattahBox) - World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is set to invade the TD BankNorth Garden in Boston, MA this Sunday for one of the biggest pay-per-views of the year, the Survivor Series.
The WWE is set to present the Survivor Series this Sunday, November 23, 2008 from Boston, MA. Read more
George Steinbrenner turns NY Yankees over to son Hal
November 20, 2008
New York (ChattahBox) — George Steinbrenner colorful owner of the New York Yankees for 35-year’s has sort of come to an end as he has passed control of baseball’s most famous franchise to his youngest son, Hal. Major League Baseball said George Steinbrenner requested the change in control be made, and the Yankees said Hank Steinbrenner voted in favor of it. Baseball owners unanimously approved the change in control during a meeting Thursday. George Steinbrenner retains his title as the team’s chairman and his wife, Joan, is a vice chairperson along with their daughters, Jennifer Steinbrenner Swindal and Jessica Steinbrenner.
Before Hal, each son-in-law of the owner emerged as heir apparents, only to divorce the owner’s daughters and depart the team. “I realize it’s a great responsibility,” said Hal Steinbrenner, who turns 40 on Dec. 3. “My dad is, needless to say, a tough act to follow.” Read more
Pacman Jones reinstated by NFL?
November 20, 2008
(ChattahBox) — Twice-suspended often in trouble cornerback Adam “Pacman” Joneshas been reinstated by the NFL with his current team the Dallas Cowboys. Adam Jones was suspended for the entire 2007 season because of multiple incidents while with the Tennessee Titans. In the offseason, he was traded to Dallas and given another chance by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.
The Cowboys gave him a security team to help keep him in line, but on Oct. 7, Jones got into an alcohol-related scuffle with one of the bodyguards during a private party at an upscale Dallas hotel. Goodell suspended him indefinitely a week later, saying he’d put a timeframe on it after the cornerback missed at least four games. By the time Jones returns, assuming he’s back for the Pittsburgh game, it will be a six-game suspension—meaning he’ll have missed 22 of 28 games since the end of the 2006 season because of suspensions.
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