CITI

Nadia Petrova of Russia and Shahar Peer of Israel had little difficulty reaching the championship round in the Women’s Tennis Association tournament in College Park, dropping just one set each in their four matches leading up to the final on Sunday.
Both found a challenge that day.
Second seed Petrova upset top seed Peer for the Citi Open title, winning in straight sets 7-5, 6-2, but it was not an easy victory. She fell behind early in both sets, having to fight back to take them both.
“I started off really good, but then I backed off,” the 24-year-old Peer said. “I need to learn to keep this way of playing for a longer period of time as I take my next step.”
Peer, who is ranked 24th in the world, said that she struggled throughout the afternoon with the placement of her serves, causing her to not swing as hard as she normally would to ensure that her serves would be in play.
“Unfortunately it happened today when I really needed my serve.” Peer said. “Against such a big server you need to get some free points, and I didn’t get it today.”
On the other end of the court, Petrova had no issues with her serves as she tallied seven aces in the match.
“I knew if I’m serving solid that it will be very difficult for her to break,” Petrova said.
The win gives Petrova her 10th career WTA title and first since 2008. “I’ve been waiting for this one very patiently,” Petrova said.
With the championship victory, the 32^nd-ranked Petrova earned $37,000 in prize money.
While much of the media was pegging Peer as the favorite to win the tournament, the predictions did not faze Petrova during the tournament.
“Luckily for me, I brought my laptop here and haven’t opened it once,” she said.
Throughout the match, several fans cheered loudly for Peer and waved Israeli flags.
“It is a very good feeling to have a lot of people behind you,” Peer said.

While the final did not go her way, Peer said she was pleased that she was able to beat four talented opponents during her week in College Park.
“Obviously you want to finish it with a win, but I don’t want to get down on myself,” Peer said. “I had a great week.”
Doubles Play and Crowd
Also on Sunday, Sania Mirza of India and Yaroslava Shvedova of Kazakhstan  won in straight sets 6-3, 6-3 over Olga Govortsova of Belarus and Alla Kudryavtseva of Russia for the doubles crown.
The tournament drew around 10,000 fans to the Tennis Center, roughly 1,500 for the final on a hot Sunday afternoon, said Sam Duvall of Lagardère Unlimited.
“Overall, we’re getting a lot of positive feedback,” Duvall said. “The players are really happy, which is really important for getting them onboard for next year.”

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Braylon Edwards

When you have a ton of wide receivers on your roster, you could always use one more, especially if you're an aimless franchise like the Washington Redskins.
The Redskins have been chasing their tail for the better part of the past decade, and now, there has been some speculation that he would join Washington, giving it a massive target in the passing game. In theory, that sounds great, but in reality, the Redskins don't have a quarterback that can get him the ball.
Thanks to Mike Shanahan, Washington has continued to fall apart after trading Albert Haynesworth and Donovan McNabb before the start of training camp. I'm sure every Redskins fan is just delighted with the thought of Edwards dropping underthrown balls from John Beck or Rex Grossman. In fact, I bet fans are running to the ticket office just to see it first hand.
Washington loves to throw money a big name guys with no idea as to how they'd work once they got on the field together. Edwards would be thrown into a unit that has a bunch of ill-fitting pieces and would have no quarterback to get him the ball.

Naturally, this won't deter the Redskins for pursuing Edwards and trying to ink him to a big money deal. This is what Washington does every year, without fail. Coaches come and go, but the desperate strategy remains the same.
Thanks to Shanahan, the team lost a viable starting quarterback, and have to deal with scrap heap signal callers, in an effort to throw something at the wall, hoping it sticks. Both Beck and Grossman are terrible players, and should be career backups.
No amount of receivers is going to change their lack of skill, but it won't stop this needless pursuit of a guy who needs a valuable quarterback under center to be productive. If I'm Edwards, I stay far, far away from the Redskins and look for a team that has a better chance of improving in the next couple of years.
Otherwise, he'll live to regret it as he wastes prime years of his career playing for a coach and franchise that has no direction.

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Brandon Marshall

Brandon Marshall

Brandon Marshall isn't the bravest athlete I've covered.

After admitting to the world he's struggling with amental disorder it's more fitting to describe theMiami Dolphins receiver as the bravest person I've known.

Admitting to your family something is wrong with the way yourbrain's wired is courageous. Telling the world you have a mental disorder is fearless.

I had that opportunity the past decade. After sitting down with a psychiatrist for 15 minutes in 2001 she diagnosed me as bipolar disorder, handed me a bag full of drugs and told me to come back next week for more.

We repeated that cycle for a couple of months till I'd had enough. After visiting another clinician years later I discovered I wasn't properly assessed, and had been misdiagnosed.

Few of my family members have heard that story because of the shame the initial diagnosis brought, so one can only imagine what Marshall must feel like to pour his soul out to the nation Sunday in a nationally televised news conference.

"Therapeutic," he said. "It's part of my healing, and I hope it can help others heal, help others end their shame. I have a mental disorder, but it's not a death sentence."

The way Marshall viewed it, living with undiagnosed Borderline Personality Disorder, also known as BPD, would have been.

Marshall's goal was to bring awareness, but it appears he's done more. He's inspired many struggling with BPD, a mental disorder that studies say is more common thanschizophrenia and bipolar. And he's challenging the mental healthcommunity, which rarely diagnoses BPD because of its misperceptions, to provide a proper treatment plan.

He's touched others who are struggling to care for and tolerate their BPD stricken loved ones.

Mental illness causes as much, if not more distress, for its sufferers and their families as physical illnesses do.

Marshall's inspiration was his peers at McLean Hospital, where he spent three months receiving treatment, discovering things like mindfulness, radical acceptance and distress tolerance, which comes naturally to most but not to someone suffering from BPD.

During his opening statement he kept thinking about Ariel Adams, whose friends held an intervention for her on her 21st birthday to demand she seek help. And Ellen Miller Carter, who tried to commit suicide three times before she finally got the right diagnosis, and proper treatment plan.

Both Adams and Miller Carter got passed around like a hot potato by clinicians before they finally found McLean. After spending a year there as an outpatient, Miller Carter has become a mentor and sponsor for others. She's also preparing to re-launch her life.

After reading Sunday's story Bill Strickler, a St. Cloud resident, admitted he'd become reinvigorated. His wife Sharon battled with manic depression and BPD for 40 years before taking her life in December of 2009.

Stricker can't get over the fact he was living in the dark and didn't know enough about BPD to help her. That's why he's sponsoring billboard in Central Florida.

"No one wants to be rejected, especially those with BPD. Society has been locking up and separating the ill from society instead of trying to embrace them," Strickler said. "All these people with mental health illnesses, they all want peace of mind. They just don't know how to get it."

Marshall believes he's found the way.

With the assistance of McLean Hospital, the training ground for Harvard University's medical students, Marshall has been filming a documentary called Borderline Beast. It takes the world on his journey to mental health. Robert Vickers hasn't left his side for three months, following him from his depressed state up to today.

The documentary isn't flattering. It's complex and emotional, but genuine. Marshall has no intentions of repairing his NFLimage. At this stage of his life he's too busy trying to save lives like the late Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry. Marshall said he's been told that close friends and family members of Henry suspect he might have also suffered from BPD.

"You're not blessed until you bless others. There's a lot of people who suffer from what I suffer from that never have the opportunity to get the right help," said Marshall, who paid $60,000 for three months of treatment at McLean hospital. "That's my purpose in life."

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Borderline Personality Disorder

Miami Dolphin's superstar Brandon Marshall said his dream home, nice cars, Pro-Bowl accolades, and monster contract couldn't buy him happiness.
"I haven't enjoyed not one part of it, and it's hard for me to understand why," Marshall, 27, told theOrlando Sentinel.
But now doctors have discovered why. The 27-year-old football player suffers from borderline personality disorder.
He had seen psychiatrists since he entered the NFL, and four years of therapy had not helped. After he hit rock bottom following an April altercation with his wife that left him in the hospital with a stab wound and her in jail, he knew he needed treatment.
On the recommendation of teammate Ricky Williams, who has had his own mental health issues, he became a patient at McLean Hospital in Boston, where he was diagnosed with BPD.
"This is the most stigmatized disorder out there, but yet it's very treatable and with the right help, the right treatment program, the right treaters, one diagnosed with BPD, can live a healthy, effective, peaceful life," Marshall said.
His treatment program taught him how to "defuse the bomb inside of his head," according to an interview he gave to the Florida Sun Sentinel.
"By no means am I all healed or fixed," Marshall told the paper. "But it's like a light bulbs been turned on in my dark room."

People with borderline personality disorder suffer from inner turmoil that causes them to lash out impulsively and have chaotic relationships. Poor communication within a family, childhood abandonment, and abuse are risk factors. Marshall's spoken to the media in the past about his troubled childhood.
"BPD is a well understood psychological disorder," Mary Zanarini, a professor of psychology at Harvard Medical School, who treated Marshall this summer told the Sun Sentinel. "It's not a form of misbehavior." She said BPD is more common than schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, but is rarely diagnosed because of misperceptions in the mental health community.
People with BPD are uncertain about their identity, and see things as only extremes - good or bad. These sudden shifts often lead to intense and unstable relationships. Symptoms include feelings of emptiness, fear and abandonment, inappropriate anger, and impulsivity. The disorder often leads to depression, drug abuse, problems with work and family, or suicide.
Marshall wants to use his fame to advocate for more widely available treatments for the disorder.
"I'll be the face of BPD," Marshall told the Sun Sentinel. "I'll make myself vulnerable if it saves someone's life because I know what I went through this summer helped save mine."
The National Institute of Mental Health has more on bipolar disorder.

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Osim Triathlon

Osim Triathlon

With growing interest, the Osim Singapore International Triathlon could be held at a bigger venue in future.

Among the venues being considered is the Marina Barrage.

This year's event at the East Coast drew 3,742 participants.

Held over the weekend, the elite races were the highlight as always. It saw more competing in the Olympic distance and kids' race categories.

The organisers said the scenic East Coast Park is reaching its limits. And they are working closely with the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources to secure the Marina Barrage as a future site.

But no timeline has been fixed.

Up to 5,000 participants would be able to compete at the Marina Barrage and organisers said it could also pave the way for Singapore to host one leg of the International Triathlon Union (ITU) World Cup.

"In terms of elite participation this year, you also see a big jump compared to last year - we have close to 17 countries taking part in this year elite race. And we have almost close to 65 elites taking part in the elite circuit under ITU sanctions," said Mark Tay, President of the Triathlon Association of Singapore.

And on Sunday's elite races, Japan's Sato Harunobu was top with his time of 1 hour 51 minutes and 59 seconds.

Namibia's Louw Abrahm was second, and in third place was Australian Bryce McMaster.

The Australians ruled the women's category, with Lisa Marangon beating her compatriots to cross the finishing line with her 2 hours 7 minutes timing.

Two minutes behind was Australian Courtney Gilfillan, and Chloe Turner also from Down Under was in third place.

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Peyton Manning

Peyton Manning has a new long-term deal in time to report to training camp.
He still hasn't been cleared to practice.
Colts owner Jim Irsay said he was "thrilled" to sign the only four-time MVP in NFL history to a deal that likely will keep him in Indianapolis for the rest of his career. Details of the contract were not immediately available but it is believed to be for five years. The contract reportedly is worth $90 million.
New England's Tom Brady earns $18 million a year.
"Signing Peyton was a top priority for this organization and we are thrilled that the deal is complete," Irsay said in a statement released by the team Saturday. "We feel that it is a salary cap-friendly deal and it allows us more flexibility."
The deal comes nearly five months after the team used the exclusive franchise tag to prevent Manning from negotiating with other teams. Had Manning signed the one-year offer, he would have made $23.1 million this season.
By getting the long-term deal done, Manning's salary cap number will be reduced, allowing the team to sign more of its own free agents.
Other key players that Indy is trying to work out deals with include running back Joseph Addai and left tackle Charlie Johnson. They still have not signed first-round pick Anthony Castonzo, either.
Manning will not practice because he's continuing to rehabilitate from neck surgery in May. It was the second time since March 2010 that he had neck surgery.

Seahawks move on

Seattle coach Pete Carroll expects former Viking Tarvaris Jackson to be the Seahawks' starting quarterback on opening day.
"In this situation, to make things the most competitive for our team, Tarvaris needs to be our starter right now," Carroll said. "He comes in as our starter, he's going to own that position."
Jackson signed a two-year deal with the Seahawks on Friday.
Carroll says Jackson's familiarity with offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell gave the newcomer the edge over Charlie Whitehurst. Jackson and Bevell worked together in Minnesota from 2006-10.
Jackson alternated between starter and backup during five seasons with the Vikings, starting 20 games and throwing almost as many interceptions (22) as touchdowns (24).

Saints' Ingram signs
Heisman Trophy winner Mark Ingram couldn't wait to put on his jersey.
Moments after signing his rookie contract with the New Orleans Saints, Ingram was pulling his No. 28 jersey over shoulder pads, grabbing his helmet and trotting onto the field at club headquarters halfway through the second practice of training camp.
Ingram reportedly signed a four-year contract worth nearly $7.4 million.

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Complex

Complex

As the Harrisburg City Islanders slowly shuffled off to their Skyline Sports Complex locker room, eyes were focused downward and locked on the beat-up turf and heads swiveled from side to side.

Yep, another unsavory result.

Only this time, unlike some other recent outings, Bill Becher’s club was unable to salvage anything Saturday night as the Wilmington Hammerheads claimed a 2-1 victory that put the City Islanders in a precarious spot with just three USL PRO games to go. No victory. No draw.

No points.

“It was disappointing,” said veteran winger David Schofield, who made his second straight appearance after missing five games with a groin strain. “Obviously, they played their game plan, sat in and made it difficult for us — and we didn’t have an answer for it.

“We’ve gotta be better.”

With the USL PRO playoffs just three weeks away and the City Islanders (9-6-6, 33 points) four points out of first yet trying to fend off a dangerous Los Angeles club that’s a half-dozen points back with six games left, Harrisburg must be better.

The City Islanders certainly weren’t good enough to solve a weary Wilmington outfit — the Hammerheads won 3-1 Friday at New York — content to clog the middle of the field defensively and wait until an opportunity to get forward materialized.

Most of the time, David Irving’s club had at least nine players behind the ball. And most of the time, those nine players and keeper Brock Duckworth (4 saves) were clustered across the field in the final third in a space no wider than penalty area. Still, the City Islanders continued to attack inside.

While it worked early, when some nice one-touch combination play from Sainey Touray and Jose Angulo led to an Angulo rebound and 1-0 lead, it never worked again.

“Paid off for them in the end, I guess,” Becher said.

“Over and over, we were trying to force it through the middle,” Schofield added. “It wasn’t working, because they were playing for that.”

After conceding Andriy Budnyy’s finish in the 29th minute and a Chris Banks penalty kick in the 60th, the City Islanders were in trouble. Again. This time, they could not rally.

“[Wednesday] we weren’t at our best away, but still we pulled it out,” Schofield said of a 3-2 win at Dayton. “[Tonight], we weren’t able to come up with [another goal] later on. If we put ourselves in these situations, sometimes we will, sometimes we won’t. We’ve gotta be better right from the start.

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Jenson Button

enson Button won an exciting and wet 25th Hungarian Grand Prix for McLaren on Sunday, making the most of his 200th Formula One race on the course where he claimed his first victory five years ago.
Button won from world championship leader Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull and Ferrari's Fernando Alonso while long-time leader Lewis Hamilton in the other McLaren had to settle for fourth in the end.
Australia's Mark Webber finished in fifth spot, having started the race sixth on the grid.
Button and Vettel had the best strategy for the second half of the race when they chose hard tyres and stayed on them even as light rain set in.
The rain caused Hamilton to spin, he got a drive-through penalty and changed to intermediates which ended all his hopes of a second win in eight days, the first being the German GP.
Vettel increased his championship lead again thanks to the second place, now holding 234 points from 11 of 19 races.
His team-mate Webber has 149, Hamilton 146, Alonso 145 and Button 134.
Vettel gained valuable points but the second straight McLaren win showed that the season is far from over when it resumes after a four-week summer holiday in Belgium in late August.
"Guys, perfect going into the summer break. Let's come back and win them all." said Button via team radio.
Vettel won the start from pole ahead of Hamilton, but soon came under pressure from the 2008 champion who could clearly drive faster in the wet conditions and almost effortlessly passed in the fifth lap as the German went wide.
A drying track after morning rain prompted the drivers to get dry-weather slicks and Button overtook vettel in the 14th lap for a double McLaren lead.
But the drama unfolded later as different strategies were chosen and light rain set in as well.

Hamilton spun in the chicane in the 47th lap as Button snatched the lead and Vettel closed in on the McLarens as well.
By that time Button, Vettel and Webber were on harder tyres with which they could complete the race, while Hamilton and Alonso on softer rubbers required at least one more pit stop.
Webber and Hamilton were the first to pit for intermediates while the others stayed out on slicks which proved the winning formula.
Hamilton's woes were complete when he was handed a drive-through penalty for getting his car back in the right direction on the track after his spin, which forced Paul di Resta off the course.
Up front, Button coasted to victory in the fourth straight wet GP in 1 hour 46 minutes 42.337 seconds, with Vettel 3.5 seconds adrift and Alonso 19 seconds off the pace.
Earlier, Nick Heidfeld escaped a burning Renault unharmed after a second pit stop in the 24th lap.
"The pitstop took longer than it should have. Probably something overheated," Heidfeld said in first television interviews.
"I was a bit (scared). After I stopped I think the fire marshals were trying to put the fire out and then there was a small explosion on the left. I've never seen anything like that before."

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Louis

The St. Louis Rams have finally inked their first round pick Robert Quinn, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Rams training camp started today, so the team will be anxious to get their new defensive end on the field as soon as possible. Quinn had some issues with his former agent and recently signed a new one, which complicated his situation. Though rules have complicated his signing, Quinn and the Rams have agreed to a deal and he will be practicing with the team soon.

Quinn was the 14th overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft and he should give the Rams some much needed help at defensive end. Though rookie QB Sam Bradford had the Rams on the brink of a playoff berth, albeit out of the weak NFC West, there's no question that their pass rush needed some serious help.
The investigation into violations at North Carolina kept Quinn off the field in 2010, but he put up an impressive 11 sacks in 2009 for the Tar Heels. For more on Quinn's signing and the St. Louis Rams, check out SB Nation's Rams blog Turf Show Times.

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Fedor Emelianenko

It’s funny how quickly things change, less than 14 months ago Fedor Emelianenko was one of the most beloved combatants on the planet, with his near ten year unbeaten streak and humble attitude it seemed that nobody could get enough of him.
Then for the first time in his career he suffered a legitimate defeat at the hands of the submission guru Fabricio Werdum in June of last year and since then has failed to get back on the wagon suffering back-to-back losses to Antonio “Big Foot” Silva and tonight to Dan Henderson.
Emelianenko walked to the Strikeforce cage without his usual fan support from those in attendance Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates, Illinois but it failed to bother the Sambo champion.
From the opening bell Fedor took the center of the cage throwing bombs at Henderson who was quick to return fire and gave as good as he got.
As we entered the final minute of the round it seemed that “The Last Emperor” had the upper hand buckling the light-heavyweight kingpin before rushing in on his fallen prey.
However, Hendo wasn’t done yet utilizing his wrestling to reverse position and get on top and land a big uppercut before following up with some grounded strikes until senior referee Herb Dean stepped in to stop the action.
Most fight fans in attendance seemed to believe that the bout was stopped early and Emelianenko agreed in his post-fight interview.
But any way you cut it; this is the third straight defeat for the former ruler of the heavyweight division and could be the last time we get to see him step into the cage.

Post-fight when asked about whether or not he would return to the cage he simply said “It’s gods will” and I believe it will be quite some time until we have a decision from him.
We have to take into consideration this was the last bout on his contract with Strikeforce and Showtime who would likely be interested in re-negotiating a deal.
It’s a common misconception that public interest in Emelianenko is at an all-time low but that couldn’t be further from the truth – If we look at the recent numbers his popularity has been higher since he lost to Werdum than before and I have no doubt that this rating will reflect that.
He’s not alone; UFC hall of famers like Randy Couture and Chuck Liddell both reached their peak as performer long before they reached their peak as a draw.
The problem moving forward for the great Emelianenko is because of his name value he will only be matched up with combatants from the top of the division where he may struggle.
It has been suggested by numerous places that he should make the cut down to 205-lbs because he has never been a large heavyweight weighing around the 230-lbs mark but he has stated in the past that he has no interest in moving weight classes.
At 34 years of age and having done almost everything there is to be done in the sport I feel it is time for “The Last Emperor” to step down from his throne.

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Ubaldo Jimenez

Late Saturday night, the Indians traded their best pitching prospect, Drew Pomeranz, their second-best pitching prospect, Alex White, plus Aeros first baseman Matt McBride and Aeros starter Joe Gardner for Ubaldo Jimenez, the ace of the staff for the Colorado Rockies.
The deal is contingent on Jimenez passing a physical Sunday.
Pomeranz is listed as the player to be named, because as the Indians’ first pick in the 2010 draft (the fifth overall selection), he cannot be traded for one year from the date he signed, which means he must remain property of the Indians until Aug. 16.
The Indians also acquired outfielder Thomas Neal from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for middle infielder Orlando Cabrera.
Jimenez, 27, was one of the few marquee names of this trading season, which ends at 4 p.m. EDT Sunday. He carries a 6-9 record and 4.46 ERA, but most of his struggles came in April and May, when he was 0-5 with a 5.86 ERA.
Until he gave up four runs in one inning Saturday night, Jimenez had posted a record of 6-4 with a 3.03 ERA in 10 starts for the months of June and July.
Last year, he posted a 19-8 record and 2.88 ERA and was selected to pitch in the All-Star Game. His career record is 56-456 with a 3.66 ERA.
The trade was held up for part of Saturday evening, because the Rockies allowed Jimenez to start, angering the Indians. Apparently, the transaction hadn’t been totally wrapped up by game time.

One of the attractive aspects of the deal is Jimenez’s multi-year contract. He will earn $2.8 million this season and $4.12 million in 2012 guaranteed. In 2013, he has a club option for $5.75 million and another for 2014, worth $8 million.
However, because he was traded, he has the right to opt out of the 2014 option. Both option years include a buyout of $1 million.
Jimenez’s contract also includes a clause that increases his compensation the more innings he pitches starting with 200. For each 10-inning increase to 240, he receives $50,000.
The risky part of the deal is that the Indians have left themselves a large hole after trading pitchers that have been judged to be potential stars.
McBride was batting .297 with 14 homers and 53 RBI at Akron, and Gardner was 7-8 with a 4.99 ERA in 19 starts.
Neal, 23, was San Francisco’s 36th round pick in the 2005 draft. He is batting .295 with 13 doubles, two homers and 25 homers in 60 games at Triple-A Fresno of the Pacific Coast League.
The right-handed hitter has played all three outfield spots. He is being assigned to Columbus.
Cabrera is one of the few veteran voices in the clubhouse and is batting .244 in 90 games. Until Cord Phelps and then Jason Kipnis were called up from Triple-A to make their major-league debuts, Cabrera was the Indians’ everyday second baseman.

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Detroit Lions

What started off as a promising, young career took a turn for the worst last season and now cornerback Eric Wright will attempt to make amends. With the Detroit Lions.
The physical and athletically-gifted Wright agreed to a one-year deal with the NFC North Lions early Friday morning. The signing comes shortly after Wright was granted unrestricted free agency following the newly designed NFL collective bargaining agreement. The Browns had attempted to tender Wright heading into the lockout, but the four-year veteran was one of the many players to enter the free agent pool once the lockout was lifted.
The Lions had reportedly been in play for former Cincinnati Bengals cornerback Jonathan Joseph prior to the talented former Gamecock landed a lucrative five-year deal with the Houston Texans. Thus, the Lions opted to move up Interstate 71 and pluck another player with AFC North experience in Wright. After starting all four seasons in Cleveland, Wright is anticipated to join the starting unit of the much-improved Lions defense.
Unfortunately, the same could not be said if Wright were to stay in Cleveland as the emergence of rookie Joe Haden (64 tackles and six interceptions despite only starting in seven contests) would have likely forced the former 2007 second-round selection to a reserve role in Dick Jauron’s defense scheme.
Wright amassed eight interceptions in his first three seasons with the Browns before falling flat on his face in 2010, plucking one pass while playing in only 10 games prior to his season ending in injury. One of the 10 is a game that will likely live on for a while as the Eric Wright game where Baltimore’s Anquan Boldin burnt the once-promising cornerback for three touchdowns.

Wright’s father recently tweeted that “issues with individuals within the Browns organization” made it impossible for his son to re-sign with the team.
It was roughly one year ago today when Wright had joked with the Browns fans and front office, dubbing himself “Pay Da Man 2″ on the wake of Josh Cribbs’ PR-led campaign to get a new contract. The team added cornerbacks Haden and Sheldon Brown, adding some fuel to the competition fire, hoping that three starting-caliber cornerbacks would help the considerably weak pass rush. Alas, the Browns are now back in the hunt for a cornerback as the list of free agent names continues to dwindle day by day.
As of Thursday afternoon, per The OBR, the Browns had not spoken with the representation for Nate Clements; speculation is that the Browns will not spend an exorbitant amount of money on what will ultimately be a reserve corner. Top unrestricted cornerbacks remaining include former Raider Nnamdi Asomugha (whom the Browns have next to zero chance in signing), former Raven Chris Carr, former Steeler Ike Taylor, and former Redskin Carlos Rogers.

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New England Patriots

American football "wide receiver" Chad Javon Ochocinco was traded to the New England Patriots from the Cincinnati Bengals, the National Football League's website reported on Thursday.
Ochocinco, who legally changed his name from Chad Johnson in 2008, will receive a three-year restructured contract from the New England Patriots, replacing the one year he had remaining on his contract.
Ochocinco provides another option for Tom Brady, who has been without a deep target since the Patriots traded Randy Moss to Minnesota last season.
Ochocinco accepted a restructured three-year contract from his new team. ESPN also reported that the Bengals will receive two draft picks, one this year and another the next.
Ochocinco was scheduled to make $6.35 million for the Bengals this year. The Patriots wanted him to restructure his contract to fit their cap, according to ESPN.
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In addition to Chad Ochocinco, Albert Haynesworth are coming "the Patriots' way" who will team with Vince Wilfork to give New England a formidable defensive line.

The New England Patriots also officially signed the third-round draft choice RB Stevan Ridley and seventh-round draft choice DB Malcolm Williams.
Ridley, a running back from Louisiana State, was selected by the Patriots in the third round of the 2011 NFL Draft with the 73rd selection overall. Williams, a defensive back from Texas Christian University, was selected by the Patriots in the seventh round of the 2011 NFL Draft with the 219th selection overall.
After a season-long feud with Washington coach Mike Shanahan, Haynesworth, a defensive tackle, was traded by Washington on Thursday for a fifth-round draft choice in 2013, according to Associated Press.
Ochocinco, 33, is the Bengals' all-time receiving leader with 751 receptions, 10,783 receiving yards and 66 touchdowns in 10 seasons. He started 12 games last season scoring four touchdowns and gaining 831 yards.
"He was an incredible player here. I will miss him as a player and a person. I wish him the very best and thank him for his hard work for me," Bengals coach Marvin Lewis told Reuters.

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Houston Texans

The Houston Texans have agreed to terms with cornerback Johnathan Joseph, according to a person with knowledge of the deal.
The person spoke Thursday night on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced.
Houston went 6-10 last season and was desperate to land a top-tier cornerback. It reportedly was a front-runner to land Nnamdi Asomugha, a four-time Pro Bowler.
The 27-year-old Joseph is three years younger than Asomugha, and intercepted nine passes in his last two seasons in Cincinnati. The Bengals drafted Joseph out of South Carolina with the 24th overall pick in 2006.
A second person with knowledge of Joseph’s deal said it was for five years and worth $48.75 million, with $23.5 million guaranteed.
The agreement was first reported by ESPN.
The Texans open training camp on Sunday, and will get to work on shoring up the league’s worst pass defense from 2010.
Houston allowed an average of 268 yards passing per game and 33 touchdown passes overall. Defensive coordinator Frank Bush was fired and Houston brought in Wade Phillips to install a 3-4 alignment.
The team used six of its eight draft picks on defensive players — three on defensive backs. Phillips has said he plans to move 2010 sacks leader Mario Williams to outside linebacker and Glover Quin to safety.
But the Texans also needed an effective cornerback to shore up a secondary that gave up a league-high 18 receptions covering 40 yards or more. While Asomugha was considered the best free-agent cornerback available, Joseph has more interceptions (14) over the past five seasons than Asomugha (11).
Also Thursday, the Texans announced the signings of 15 undrafted free agents — linebacker Mister Alexander (Florida State), guard Howard Barbieri (Rutgers), fullback Justin Bartlett (Carroll-Montana), linebacker Bryan Braman (West Texas A&M), linebacker Steven Friday (Virginia Tech), defensive end John Graves (Virginia Tech), punter Brett Hartmann (Central Michigan), offensive tackle Peter Hendrickson (Tulane), receiver Lestar Jean (Florida Atlantic), receiver Jeff Maehl (Oregon), defensive end Zane Parr (Virginia), fullback Zach Pauga (Colorado State), safety Maurice Rolle (Louisiana-Lafayette), cornerback Jason Teague (TCU) and receiver Terence Toliver (LSU).

One of the Texans’ main priorities now is re-signing All-Pro fullback Vonta Leach, the lead blocker for 2010 NFL leading rusher Arian Foster. Ralph Vitolo, Leach’s agent, said this week that the Texans contacted him and expressed interest in bringing Leach back.
On Wednesday, the Texans brought back quarterback Matt Leinart, receiver Jacoby Jones and tackle Rashad Butler.
Copyright 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Randy Moss

Randy Moss is still without a team but it looks like he has a few potential suitors.
The Baltimore Ravens have emerged as an option for a few different reasons. They are looking for a third receiver after the disastrous 2010 of TJ Houshmandzadeh. He comes at the sort of bargain bin price the Ravens could certainly afford. Most importantly, the Ravens are a veteran-laden squad that has the strong leadership to take on a personality like Moss.
Do you think Ray Lewis and Ed Reed will stand for any sort of crap from Moss?
Jamison Hensley of The Baltimore Sun talks about a potential deal:
That's Randy Moss. He's a risk because of his age (34) and attitude. Is he a moody receiver who is a shell of himself? Or is he primed for another monstrous comeback with the right team?
It's certainly a gamble, and the Ravens have to determine if it's one they're willing to take with the release of Derrick Mason.
The Ravens were once interested in Moss. It was six years ago when the Ravens talked with the Minnesota Vikings about trading for him.
The New York Jets have also rumored to be interested in the former All Pro receiver—but it seems like Rex Ryan and Co. are linked to every troubled free agent.

The 2010 campaign was a rough one for Moss.
He bounced around the league on three different teams (Patriots, Vikings, Titans), causing headaches in every location. Yet he isn't very far removed from some of his best seasons.
In 2009 he caught 83 passes for 1,264 yards and 13 TDs. We all remember his record breaking 2007 season.
There's is still good football left in the 34-year old, and a team could really score big if they find the right fit for him.

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Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears have signed draft picks Stephen Paea and Chris Conte to four-year contracts.
Paea, a defensive tackle from Oregon State, was selected in the second round of April's draft. Conte, a safety from California, was the team's third-round choice.
Reports also indicate that wide receiver Roy Williams could be headed to the Bears. Williams was released by the Cowboys on Thursday after two-plus subpar years in Dallas.

According to ESPN, the Bears are Williams' first choice, but he can't talk with any team until Friday afternoon.
The former University of Texas star had just 75 catches combined in the last two seasons. He spent the first four-plus years of his career with Detroit and was a Pro Bowl pick after the 2006 season with Mike Martz as his offensive coordinator. Martz is the offensive coordinator in Chicago.

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Travis Pastrana

Travis Pastrana

The much-hyped "Pastranathon" - Travis Pastrana’s whirlwind weekend of competing in the X Games and making his debut Saturday in the NASCAR Nationwide series - has been put on hiatus.

While competing in the best trick event Thursday night in the X Games in Los Angeles, Pastrana fractured his right foot and ankle when his attempt at completing a "720" went awry and he crashed on landing.

The trick features two backflips on a motorcycle and one spin.

ESPN, which is broadcasting the X Games, reported Pastrana will require surgery for his injuries.

Early Friday, the Pastrana Waltrip Racing team withdrew its entry from Saturday night’s Kroger 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway in Clermont, Ind. Pastrana’s next scheduled Nationwide race is Sept. 9 at Richmond, Va.

In a statement to ESPN early Friday morning after having X-rays at a Los Angeles hospital, Pastrana said, "I am sorry this happened and will be back in action as soon as I can. I look forward to Pastranathon 2012 at X Games 18."

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Darren Sproles

Former Chargers running back Darren Sproles has signed with the Saints less than 24 hours after the team dealt Reggie Bush to the Dolphins.
Jason La Canfora reports that Sproles’ deal is for four years. The contract is worth $14 million with $6 million guaranteed.
It did not take long for the Saints to fill the gap they left after they sent Bush packing. According to SB Nation, Sproles is a good fit for the Saints because his style is similar to Bush’s. He averaged 4.6 yards per carry for his career, while Bush has averaged just 4.0 yards per carry.

Sproles will also provide quarterback Drew Brees with another option in the passing game, as he likes to catch the ball out of the backfield.
The Saints already have Pierre Thomas at running back and drafted the much-talked about Mark Ingram, so Sproles will not be an every-down back. But he will provide another dimension for the highly explosive Saints offense.

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Vince Young

Titans-Young, 1st Ld-Writethru,608As expected, Titans release QB Vince YoungEds: Updates with details, comments.NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans releasedVince Young on Thursday, finally cutting ties with the quarterback they made the No. 3 pick overall in the 2006 draft.
The move comes nearly eight months after owner Bud Adams said the team would trade or release Young.
Young is 30-18 in five seasons, including a playoff loss, but just 13-14 against teams finishing a season at .500 or better. He's battled questions over his work ethic, leadership and injuries.
He ended 2010 on injured reserve after suffering a season-ending thumb injury on his right, throwing hand Nov. 21. That was the day he tossed his shoulder pads into the stands and told off then-coach Jeff Fisher in front of the rest of the team before storming out.
Adams once said Young "is my guy," but general manager and executive vice president Mike Reinfeldt made the argument it was time for him to go.
"As we have said since January, it was time for us to go in a different direction at quarterback and we have done that," Reinfeldt said in a statement Thursday.
With the new labor deal, the Titans had to move quickly to avoid paying Young a $4.25 million roster bonus that had previously been due on the 10th day of a new league year. He also was scheduled for $8.5 million in salary this season, making him too pricey to trade to another team.

Young said in January he looked forward to a new beginning and a new team. He has been working out throughout the lockout near his Houston home.
Tennessee drafted Young to succeed his own mentor, Steve McNair, and he started off as The Associated Press NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2006. He helped the Titans go 10-6 with a wild-card playoff spot in 2007. But he got hurt in the 2008 opener followed a day later by Fisher calling police to help find Young when his mother worried about him speeding off in his Mercedes.
He didn't start again until Adams ordered him back into the lineup after an 0-6 start in 2009, and Young helped the Titans win eight of their final nine games. In 2010, he started eight of nine games but couldn't finish three games because of injuries. He was 93 of 156 for 1,255 yards and 10 touchdowns with only three interceptions and a career-best 98.6 passer rating.
Veteran quarterback Kerry Collins, who retired earlier this month, was a teammate of Young's since 2006 and said he saw the troubled passer improve in 2010.
"Some guys go through things early in their career. I certainly did," said Collins, who struggled with alcohol in his early NFL years. "You just hope that guys figure it out, and you know I think the question out there is whether he has," Collins said.
"I saw signs of him figuring it out a little bit. Maybe there's still hope."
Young was one of six players the Titans waived on the first day teams were allowed to release players after the NFL's 4½-month lockout ended. Tennessee also released defensive tackle Tony Brown, running back Dominique Lindsay, defensive end Marcus Howard, defensive end Kareem Brown and offensive lineman Jeff Hansen.
Brown signed a three-year contract extension worth $17 million before last season but has been hampered by injuries to his right knee. He spent five seasons with the Titans, starting the last four.
''As for Tony, his body just hasn't allowed him to play like he has in the past despite his best efforts," Reinfeldt said. "(Young and Brown) have been productive for us, and we appreciate their contributions to our team through the years."

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Paolo Pascual Azkals

By this time, you would have already read countless tweets and articles and Facebook status updates on the Azkals’ 1-5 loss to Kuwait. This article is not meant to chronicle their last World Cup qualifier. Since the team needed five more goals to have won this series, here’s five reasons to be proud – or at least amused – that you are an Azkals supporter.
Soaked and stuck in traffic? No problem.
Regardless of long ticket lines, jam-packed parking lots, non-stop rains and bumper-to-bumper traffic, thousands of fans still came out to support the Philippine team.

The game was supposed to kick off at 7pm. But as early as 5pm, fastfood chains all around Rizal Stadium were already filled with Azkal fans. And these aren’t usual fans. They were all wearing Azkal shirts; some even went as far as painting their faces and wearing wigs (yes, it didn’t matter if the paint dripped off their faces because of the rain).

With fellow supporters as die-hard as these, who wouldn’t be inspired to cheer along despite the weather?

Celebrities

This is the “maybe not proud, but maybe amusing" part – the celebrities who showed up in the historic football game.

While we expected the presence of Angel Locsin (the first to be named to the unofficial “WAGS" list by the fans), a handful of other celebrities came out to support the Philippine team.

Angel came with fellow actress Dimples Romana. Gab Valenciano and Andrew Wolff among others also watched the Azkals.

Celebrity couple Valerie Concepcion and Dondon Hontiveros, although both present in the grandstand, didn’t arrive nor did they leave at the same time.

But perhaps the biggest celebrity out there that night was Mister Philippine Showbiz himself, Piolo Pascual. He was very low-key the entire match, maybe because he wanted to be the spectator rather than the spectacle during those two hours.

Coach Weiss and the players get fired up

It’s normal in any sporting event that players, coaches and sometimes fans lose their tempers. But when you have Rob Gier pushing an opponent over a foul contention, then that shows how much the Azkals wanted to win this game.

Even the ever meek James Younghusband was going at the referee for not making calls against Kuwait. Yellow cards were slapped on both Stephan Schrock and Anton Del Rosario. A Kuwaiti player was even sent off with a red card after tripping Chieffy Caligdong and complaining about the call.

At various points of the match, you would also see Coach Michael Weiss shaking his head or shrugging his arms because he knew how much was at stake. Despite criticisms, Coach Weiss believes that he used his players and system in the best way possible. It just wasn’t their lucky night.

Schrocky’s goal

If there was one guy who had it good during the game, it would undoubtedly be Stephan Schrock who just came from a one-game suspension.

With two minutes added to the first half, Schrock scored a last-minute goal at the 47th mark. Receiving a pass from Caligdong, he went on to make the Azkals’ lone goal in this series.

The Fil-German did a fist bump as they finally got a much-needed offensive attack. And what did he get from that goal? Cheers from the fans and kisses from his teammates.
Never say die attitude

With the game about to start, it was a bit worrisome that the bleachers were only half-filled. Probably due to rains, viewers were still coming in after the halftime break.

While these latecomers missed about 75% of their tickets’ value when they missed Schrock’s goal, it was an exhilarating experience seeing everyone in high spirits despite the impending loss.
As the game was about to close – and the Philippines obviously bowing down to Kuwait – the crowd continued to chant “Azkals" and “Pilipinas" to their hearts’ content.

Just like what Coach Weiss said before, “We're gonna lose a few games once we go up higher level competition, but I hope the fans will still support us."

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