Rangers buy out Chris Drury, who bows out with class

"As a kid, this was the team. Where I'm from, there's nothing bigger, better than the Rangers. Watching them win the Cup, I was a little bit older, but coming to Madison Square Garden, Brian Leetch, you name it, this was the place." ? Chris Drury, July 2, 2007.

Chris Drury achieved a childhood dream when he signed with the New York Rangers. The subsequent four years have either been a cautionary tale about being careful about one's wishes or about the perils of big-ticket contracts ? in this case a regrettable five-year, $35.25 million deal after Drury left the Buffalo Sabres ? to players in their prime.

After a false start earlier this month, Larry Brooks of the NY Post broke the news Wednesday morning that Drury will accept a buyout from the Rangers and become an unrestricted free agent, opting not to fight the process with a medical exemption under the collective bargaining agreement for his ailing left knee.

From the Post:

The Rangers, meanwhile, will be cap-charged approximately $3.717 million for the buyout this season and $1.667 million next year, though the obligation for 2012-13 could be erased pending negotiations of a new labor agreement. Because Drury had a no-move clause in his contract, he was able to elect not to go on unconditional waivers preceding the buyout.

"It was a great honor and privilege to be a New York Ranger for the past four years, and I will always be grateful for the opportunity to fulfill that childhood dream," Drury said in a statement that was sent to The Post by e-mail. "The Rangers are a first-class organization with great people in the hockey, public relations, team services and community relations departments.

"I would also like to thank Ranger fans. They always inspired me to do the best I could in whatever role I was asked to play."

There's no question Drury gave all on the ice, playing through injuries and playing several roles for the team that defied the prestige of his base salary. But his production went off a cliff with the Rangers.

His goals-per-game average before the Rangers was 0.307; with the Rangers it was 0.235. His points-per-game average before the Rangers was 0.739; with the Rangers, it was 0.572.

Still, Rangers fans like Scotty Hockey are using this decision ? which is a financially positive one for the team, no doubt ? to defend a lamented player's legacy:

Sure, Drury's tenure as a Ranger was not a good one. But the proud man, a winner throughout his career prior to his time in New York, is headed off Broadway as a loser. While being handsomely compensated, the guy lost his job and it was not for a lack of effort on his part. That is the one thing - when all is said and done - that can be said about Drury as a Ranger: he never gave it less than everything he had. And for that we should pause before delighting in his dismissal.

Drury isn't retiring, yet at least. There's a notion that the nostalgia movement from ownership in Buffalo will draw him back to the Sabres. When healthy, he's clearly as asset as a penalty killer and third-liner. For the right price.

After all the tributes to Drury, and the recognition that he didn't attempt to wield the CBA against the Rangers in this instance, his legacy is that price tag.

The Rangers committed $86.45 million to Scott Gomez and Chris Drury on July 1, 2007. Some saw it as a move that would solidify their center position for the next five years. Some saw it as dramatic overcompensation.

With Montreal reportedly trying to ship Gomez's contract away and Drury having seen his contract bought out by the Rangers, score one for the "dramatic overcompensation" crowd.

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Listen To Puck Daddy Radio for NHL free agency, Kariya talk

It's a Thursday edition of Puck Daddy Radio, and we're chatting about the following and much more:

? Special Guest Star: Agent Jay Grossman joins us to talk about the dynamics of the free-agent frenzy and to revisit the Summer of Kovalchuk.

? Looking at some of the key signings in the NHL over the last 24 hours.

? Paul Kariya retires. We look at his bitter words about NHL player safety and whether he was a top 5 player.

? The return of Puck Headlines.

? We want your phone calls! 1-888-942-7326, from 1 p.m ET/10 a.m. PT to 2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT

? Question of the day: Why didn't Jaromir Jagr make a decision on Jaromir Jagr decision day, in your creative opinion?

Email your thoughts to puckdaddyradio@thescore.com.

Puck Daddy Radio is on Monday through Friday, from 1-2 p.m. ET/10-11 a.m. PT on The Score Radio Sirius Channel 158. Featuring Wyshynski and Rob Pizzo, it's your show: Calls, tweets, special guests and a ton of hockey goodness every day.

The call in number is 1-888-942-7326 (1-888-9-HARDCORE). We'll also be reading emails to puckdaddyradio@thescore.com and tweets that you send to @wyshynski and @robpizzo.

We're all about interaction here; call in, email, tweet ... we'll discuss whatever you'd like. Listen here:

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Video: Alex Rodriguez loves how Cameron Diaz handles popcorn

If you thought the last kernel had popped on this love affair, you were premature. Not before Alex Rodriguez gives the final word on what being fed popcorn by Cameron Diaz is like.

In an exclusive video interview with Yahoo! Sports, the New York Yankees superslugger said getting caught on camera at Super Bowl 45 as his hot babe of a famous actress girlfriend stuffed popcorn in his face was a highlight of his offseason.

Of course it was.

And what about David Letterman using Diaz on his talk show to poke fun at A-Rod? Totally cool, the Centaurian said.

"It was really funny when she fed David Letterman popcorn; I thought that was a kick.

"I thought it was one of the coolest things that happened to me all offseason. My daughters kept making fun of me and they wanted to keep feeding me popcorn. It was a great moment at the All-Star game* and we really enjoyed it.

"It was all fun, and it was actually funnier the way she fed Letterman than the way she fed me [laughs]."

Wait a minute! Diaz fed A-Rod at the All-Star game, too? Get a popcorn cart, you two!

[*Editor's note: He means the Super Bowl.]

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? Online tool turns down volume of tennis grunting
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Higher Education ? Stop Rate for Linebackers

Now that we've endeavored to put statistical value on the pass defense efforts of cornerbacks and safeties, it's time to take a good look at the most and least effective pass-defending linebackers. As with safeties, it's tough to separate scheme from effectiveness ? there are linebackers who are tethered to the front and only roll back in desperation, and there are others who are used to dropping back. Additionally, you'll see defenses try to adjust to substitution issues against no-huddle offenses designed to spread coverages out, and in those cases, miscast linebackers will be asked to take the role that nickel cornerbacks or safeties should.

And as we did with safeties, we're using Football Outsiders' Stop Rate metrics. Stop Rate is a percentage that shows how often a defender kept an offense from making a successful play ? success in this case is defined as gaining 45% of needed yardage on first down, 60% of needed yardage on second down, and 100% of needed yardage on third or fourth down.

Here are the five most effective and five most susceptible linebackers (at least 75 total plays and 25 minimum pass plays) when it comes to creating stops. Again, with the radical differences in responsibilities, this is less about who's 'best' and more about who's getting the job done in specific roles. Keep in mind also that pass plays aren't the same as targets ? pass plays also include sacks and passes defensed. Tackles after the catch are covered with the 'pass tackles' metric in parentheses.

Highest Stop Rate (vs. pass)

Rolando McClain, Oakland Raiders (65% passing Stop Rate, 31 pass plays, 5.3 passing yards per play, 1 interception, 6 passes defensed, 24 pass tackles, 13 tackle stops, 73% run Stop Rate)

More may have been expected of McClain than was produced in his rookie season, but with a very impressive front four taking care of business, he was able to back out and cover from the middle. McClain was especially impressive with his ability to double back and catch up to bigger receivers and tight ends in the open field. He's also adept at stealing a look, barging in, and blowing up a swing pass.

Daryl Smith, Jacksonville Jaguars (63% passing Stop Rate, 46 pass plays, 4.9passing yards per play, 1 interceptions, 5 passes defensed, 36 pass tackles, 19 tackle stops, 69% run Stop Rate)

In Jacksonville's zone defenses, Smith is often asked to cover the strong-side seam -- any port in a storm when you have a disappointing safety duo. He's a quick and responsive player who's get a lot more name checks if he did his thing in a major market.

Paris Lenon, Arizona Cardinals (62% passing Stop Rate, 44 pass plays, 5.9 passing yards per play, 2 interceptions, 6 passes defensed, 37 pass tackles, 20 tackle stops, 66% run Stop Rate)

When the Cards bring a big blitz to the line and sell out their linebackers, it's often Lenon who's responsible for keeping things intact over the middle. He has great range from side to side and reads quarterbacks very well. Also a very solid run defender.

Kevin Burnett, San Diego Chargers (60% passing Stop Rate, 53 pass plays, 5.8 passing yards per play, 2 interceptions, 5 passes defensed, 42 pass tackles, 21 tackle stops, 65% run Stop Rate)

Burnett, Shaun Phillips, and Eric Weddle kept San Diego's defense together last year. For Burnett, the challenge was to read the backs and tight ends and release into coverage as the Chargers' hybrid defenses attacked. He's a persistent pass defender who won't frequently lose his assignment no matter how long the play goes.

James Anderson, Carolina Panthers (60% passing Stop Rate, 47 pass plays, 4.7 passing yards per play, 1 interception, 5 passes defensed, 37 pass tackles, 18 tackle stops, 66% run Stop Rate)

We've talked before about how underrated Anderson is, but with all his great efforts as a guy who can read a gap and plug a hole, he's even more unheralded in his ability to not only blow up quick passes, but to also break free from the line and chase receivers downfield. We'll keep hammering the point home ? James Anderson is a player you should watch.

Lowest Stop Rate (vs. pass)

Zac Diles, Houston Texans (24% passing Stop Rate, 41 pass plays, 7.1 passing yards per play, 0 interceptions, 0 passes defensed, 41 pass tackles, 10 tackle stops, 48% run Stop Rate)

Houston's secondary was an unmitigated disaster in 2010, so this didn't help. Diles played different roles around Brian Cushing's suspension and this is a really good example of a scheme throwing bad numbers on a good player. Houston's vanilla zones allowed enemy quarterbacks to target underneath just around the markers, leaving abundant opportunities to keep drives going. Hopefully, Wade Phillips will do Diles and his teammates a few more favors.

Scott Shanle, New Orleans Saints (28% passing Stop Rate, 43 pass plays, 8.7 passing yards per play, 0 interceptions, 2 passes defensed, 41 pass tackles, 10 tackle stops, 55% run Stop Rate)

One of the reasons you'll see teams using nickel defenses more than ever is that offenses are using multi-wide sets to splay coverages. Shanle's caught in the middle there ? while the Saints play a lot of nickel, they'll also have Shanle out in the slot and flex, as well as running after backs out of the flat. He's a mobile defender, but the fit isn't always great from a pass-coverage perspective.

Pat Angerer, Indianapolis Colts (29% passing Stop Rate, 35 pass plays, 6.0 passing yards per play, 0 interceptions, 2 passes defensed, 36 pass tackles, 6 tackle stops, 55% run Stop Rate)

DeAndre Levy, Detroit Lions (32% passing Stop Rate, 38 pass plays, 10.2 passing yards per play, 2 interceptions, 4 passes defensed, 34 pass tackles, 8 tackle stops, 74% run Stop Rate)

Curtis Lofton, Atlanta Falcons (34% passing Stop Rate, 50 pass plays, 7.8 passing yards per play, 1 interception, 3 passes defensed, 45 pass tackles, 12 tackle stops, 61% run Stop Rate)

Three linebackers with some talent (especially Lofton); three linebackers that can get caught up in zone coverage and have opposing quarterbacks take advantage of specific spacing concepts. It's why you'll see some zone teams (especially when they're running nickel and have two 'backers on the field) run hi-lo concepts to take care of that middle-distance coverage.

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First Name Last, Last Name First

  The Indiana/Chicago first round in last season’s playoffs gave us plenty to love about the Pacers. In four out of five games, Indiana stood its ground against the best team in the NBA at that point. Suddenly, despite incredibly awful shooting displays, the Pacers became a buzz-worthy team. And someone who garnered quite a [...]

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Bourne Blog: On T.J. Oshie, the party life and maturity factor

T.J. Oshie and the St. Louis Blues have agreed to a one-year, $2.35 million deal ? that's a bit of an odd contract for a 24-year-old rising star. Given the current cap situation in the NHL, where everyone suddenly has a lot of bucks to spend, you'd think they'd want to lock up a physical, talented player like him for a long time.

The thing is, Oshie kind of likes to have himself some fun.

When you first start playing pro hockey, learning to balance the fun factor with the seriousness of the job is essential to reaching your potential.

This isn't meant to be an attack on the kid ? a lot of players take more opportunities to have fun than they should. He's just earned the reputation in a short time. There are clips of him online returning to UND and joining the guys in the booth in a rather jovial state. He's been on the wrong end of "unexcused absences" stories, and the tales go beyond that.

For a young, rich NHLer, life may be good, but it ain't necessarily easy.

Being a successful pro takes discipline, if for no other reason than the fact that there are constant opportunities to go out with your buddies and let the night get away from you.

Practice ends before noon, which means even if you hit the gym and get some medical treatment you're home by two. I lived beside the rink in Salt Lake City, and was home before noon on the days I didn't stick around to do extra work.

That's a lot of free time.

Beyond that, you're always in new cities, and just happen to be staying in a hotel in a good part of town. Combine that with any "oh you play hockey?" favourtism and it can be tough to not go out and explore a few local bars on occasion.

And that's fine. On occasion.

I was lucky that during my first year pro, I became friends with an older player on the team, who walked me through his tumultuous early years. He felt that chasing girls and booze badly hindered his chances of making the NHL. (There are a million stories like this in the ECHL, and it's not all "I coulda been a contendah" stuff). He basically had a "green light" schedule for when it's okay to get after it (worked out to about once a week), and I was able to adopt a similar policy on going out.

If you aren't so fortunate to meet a guy like I did, consider how your life suddenly changes, and how easy it would be to get a bit too excited about it ? you step out of college where you're taking a full course load, have no money, and the coaches watch you like a hawk, to pro, where you have endless free time, money, and the attitude is "be a pro, if you can't take care of yourself then we'll find someone who can."

If you're a guy coming from junior, that completely free lifestyle starts even earlier.

Oshie may be able to handle that just fine. The Blues may not have even thought about any of this when it came to signing him to a new contract. The point is, if it's not him, it's someone ? on every team I've been a part of, there's always at least one guy that needs to be reined in with regularity.

As fans, we often struggle to figure out why a player can't reach his potential, or why he's inconsistent, and we sometimes just forget that like other jobs in the real world, some people just don't take proper care of themselves away from work.

Playing professional sports, for most, is a dream come true. You play a kid's game for a living, make a lot of money, and spend every day hanging out with people a lot like yourself. You travel, you have an interesting job, and life is pretty darn good.

For some, that's just too much to handle. It takes a measure of maturity to deal with the opportunities provided to these guys as pros, and not every player comes equipped with an "off" switch.

To be all that they can be, some need to get one installed.

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Preying Mongoose, Hidden Wolverine

The bottom line with Vesely, though, is this: he’s not like most Europeans.� Whereas Kanter hasn’t played in a year and Valanciunas and Biyombo play limited minutes for their club teams, Vesely was a main player on one of the best teams in Europe in Partizan.� He’s tough, he wins and he plays big in [...]

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Anti-NCAA plaintiffs ask CBS, ESPN to cease and desist using ex-players? images

At first, Ed O'Bannon was only interested in the video games: The class-action lawsuit the former UCLA hoops star brought against the NCAA in 2009 was inspired by a digital doppelganger on an EA Sports title that featured "classic" teams, and Electronic Arts was named as a co-defendant. Other suits targeting the video game giant for reproducing the likenesses of former players without permission or payment were eventually brought under the umbrella of O'Bannon's.

Last month, a district court judge in California exempted EA from the suit, on the grounds that there was no evidence that the company agreed to participate in the alleged "conspiracy" that requires all incoming NCAA athletes to sign away marketing and licensing rights in perpetuity. Instead, O'Bannon's team has set its sights on an even bigger target ? the broadcast and cable companies that air old footage during games. From the USA Today:

Attorneys for a group of former college players suing the NCAA over the continued use of their likenesses in commercials, video games and other mediums are taking their fight to ESPN, CBS and other major networks.

A cease-and-desist letter sent Monday says each of the networks "appears to have no right" to feature the names, images and likeness of former major-college football and basketball players without their permission.

In essence, it's a threat. Asked what legal compulsion there might be for, say, ESPN Classic to pull programming, Washington, D.C.-based attorney Michael Hausfeld said, "None yet. But what it does is put all of those licensees on notice that they paid (the NCAA) for something [the NCAA] didn't have and they could become involved in litigation. ? You've got to get a license from the people and entities that own the rights."

The letter calls for all licensing fees paid to the NCAA or its licensing partner, the Collegiate Licensing Company, to go into an escrow account, and for all existing contracts to be rewritten in the meantime to clarify the specific rights held by the NCAA. It also asks for the networks to negotiate separate licensing contracts with individual former players, on the basis of the NCAA's acknowledgement during a recent hearing that "there are no licenses from the NCAA that purport to?constitute a license of any student athlete rights," and that those rights "are at all times owned by the student athlete."

In theory, then, the plaintiffs are demanding that the networks either stop showing replays of, say, this play:

? or else somehow track down Kevin Moen and at least a few of the other 21 players on the field back in 1982 and secure their express written consent for commercial rights to their images, which until now have been illegally appropriated by the NCAA. (Sorry, the unfortunate tuba player is on his own.) And then secure the consent of Doug Flutie, Lindsay Scott, Kordell Stewart and anyone else it wants to remember from the good ol' days. Now that certain clips can be viewed a couple hundred thousand times online, maybe YouTube's in line for a cease-and-desist letter, too.

Back in reality, if EA Sports isn't liable for exploiting former players' likenesses, it's hard to imagine how CBS or ESPN could be, or that the plaintiffs' attorneys actually expect them to be until a court rules in the players' favor. That can't happen until next year, when the case is scheduled to go to trial ?�if it hasn't been settled in the meantime. I'm a fake doctor, not a lawyer. But if the plaintiffs do win, and the NCAA is no longer allowed to peddle their images to outside companies in perpetuity, it will represent a fundamental shift in the way college sports are bought, sold and marketed. Considering the scope of ex-athletes who'll suddenly have a claim, as this letter suggests, it will mean a lot of work for a few union organizers, too.

- - -
Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

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Deep Posts: Are they also going to put the Mirror Ball Trophy in the display case with the Lombardi Trophies?

? The rough, blue-collar city of Pittsburgh, where gridiron greatness takes a backseat only to the unbreakable work ethic of its iron-jawed steel workers, is having a party for Hines Ward because he danced so pretty. Don't forget the glitter, boys.

? The future is really, really bright for rapidly-improving teams like the Chiefs, Rams and Buccaneers, right? Unfortunately, history offers a much bleaker outlook.

? Ravens wide receiver Derrick Mason says that Peyton Manning is the best player in the NFL, "hands down." Also, Darrelle Revis is the game's best corner.

? There's still time left to get Joe Flacco and his wife a wedding present. I'm going to get him the icing spatula and not the tea bag squeezer, because I don't ever want it to be said that I gave another man a tea bag squeezer.

? On Reggie Bush and his Fruity Pebbles.

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Are the Suns trading Steve Nash (question mark)

Thanks to some definitive statements, we now know that Phoenix Suns president Lon Babby is not trading Steve Nash, he's not trading Marcin Gortat, and that he doesn't have a good grasp of what types of punctuation go where. This guy would have been miserable in the time of telegraphs.

There was an ESPN rumor, however depressing, that Minnesota was in talks to possibly send the second pick in Thursday's draft to Phoenix for Steve Nash, a deal that would have been as pointless for Minnesota (what do they need with a win-now point guard with that group?) as it would be for Phoenix (they can't deal Nash without some sort of obvious trade chip in return, so as to explain away to the fair weather fans). It was another in a long line of Minnesota/David Kahn plants (Andre Iguodala or Andrew Bynum for the second pick? Sure, David. Sure), but potent enough a rumor for Babby to respond to.

From the Arizona Republic:

"We are not trading Marcin Gortat. Period. End of sentence," Babby said Wednesday morning. "We are not trading Steve Nash. Period. Exclamation point."

The guy is obviously a Dan Baird fan. For those who are wondering what that would look like, here's the transcription:

We are not trading Steve Nash.!

Good for Babby and his Suns for not trading Nash to Minnesota. The idea of Nash and that freewheeling band of non-defenders would be fun for us League Pass obsessive-types, but beyond that it would be a real depressing turn for those who also obsess over the future and legacy of this 37-year-old legend.

Though he's the one who decided to sign a contract extension with the team nearly two years ago, Nash needn't be wasting his last few effective years with a mess like Phoenix, and the Suns should be ashamed for choosing gate receipts over helping this legend (a player that has made them millions) find a contender to play with via a trade. The Suns could cut payroll and find several suitable takers for Nash in any economic climate, passing along the buck in trading however many packaged undesirable contracts with Nash that they want, should they ask around. But they'd prefer to be a pretty-good lottery team with Nash's presence making things palatable, then a potentially winning rebuilding team that also happens to make the world happy and hand Nash one last chance at a ring.

Also, they're not trading him to Minnesota. Period.

And they're going to let him finish out his run on a lottery team in Phoenix. Expletive. Exclamation point.

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Puck Headlines: Wisniewski and the BJs; Jagr decision day

Here are your Puck Headlines: a glorious collection of news and views collected from the greatest blogosphere in sports and the few, the proud, the mainstream hockey media.

? For his 26th birthday, reader Zach Wolek built himself a custom Chicago Blackhawks bag toss set. "The bags themselves are filled with corn from the Buffalo Trace distillery, which would have become my favorite bourbons in Buffalo Trace/Eagle Rare (the chemist at BT I contacted regarding this project turned out to be born raised as a die hard South Side Blackhawks fan)." Awesome.

BREAKING: Paul Kariya officially retires from the NHL. More coming up from Leahy. [Globe & Mail]

? Dwyane Roloson is back with the Lightning for 1 year at $3 million, per Ryan Rishaug of TSN. [Rishaug]

? The Columbus Blue Jackets have acquired defenseman James Wisniewski's negotiating rights from the Montreal Canadiens for a seventh-round pick next season that will become a fifth if he signs. Really impressed at the Blue Jackets' sudden epiphany that a functioning power play might increase their chances at a playoff spot. [Puck-Rakers]

? Via Josh Rimer at XM Home Ice, it sounds like the Wiz isn't gong to let Scott Howson blow this: "Excited about Columbus trading for his rights! He said that he's happy that team believes in him." [@JoshRimerHockey]

? Nikita Filatov, meeting the press for the Ottawa Senators: "I don't want to really say anything about Columbus." [Sens]

? Todd Marchant retires from the Anaheim Ducks and joins the front office. [Ducks]

? The 10 reasons Jaromir Jagr should return to Pittsburgh. [Pens Universe]

? The Pensblog has been on JagrWatch since before dawn, debunking Russian media reports and tracking his flight. [The Pensblog]

? Jagr's arrival at JFK. Clever as always from Benstonium. [Benstonium]

? The Boston Bruins have emailed the rest of the NHL to let them know that Tomas Kaberle's negotiating rights are up for grabs. Does that include BBurke1967FU@yahoo.ca? [Stanley Cup of Chowder]

? Dale Tallon on Florida Panthers goalie Tomas Vokoun: "We're in negotiations with him as we speak, very hopeful. All I can tell you.'' [On Frozen Pond]

? Jim Rutherford's Pimp Hand, Vol. 1: The Carolina Hurricanes have re-signed right wing Chad LaRose on a two-year contract. The deal will pay LaRose $1.5 million in 2011-12, and $1.9 million in 2012-13. [Canes]

? Jim Rutherford's Pimp Hand, Vol. 2: Via Chip Alexander, "Jussi Jokinen's agent says he hopes to have deal done with Canes before Friday. We'll see." [@Ice_Chip]

? There appears to be a conflict of opinion between two Philadelphia Flyers writers who work for the same media company, with regard to Steven Stamkos. [Crossing Broad]

? Anthony San Filippo on what the Flyers need to do to tender an offer sheet to Stamkos: "They have to make sure their offer is the best offer. There are a lot of other teams interested in signing Stamkos to an offer sheet and many of them are in a better cap situation to offer a maximum allowed deal, which would better the Flyers." [In The Room]

? Will Steven Stamkos's next contract financially cripple the Tampa Bay Lightning? [Sportsnet]

? This has been viewed 58,000 times, so we're guessing you might have seen it but it's new to us: Winnipeg Jets domino fall. That first domino looks like the Marian Hossa trade. [Via Roitman]

? The top 10 and/or 11 moments of the Boston Bruins playoff run. [SCOC]

? Chris Pronger on whether the Philadelphia Flyers are a better team now than they were at the end of the season: "Well we won't know that for awhile. You can sit here and 'armchair quarterback' and speculate and do all the rest of that, but at the end of the day talk is cheap and you gotta go out and perform and prove it." [Sports Radio Interviews]

? The top 10 UFAs on the market for July 1. [NHL Hot Stove]

? For those asking about Drew Doughty's deal with the Los Angeles Kings, Eric Cooney's thinking: "If it's a long deal, expect a cap hit similar to Duncan Keith's of Chicago, about $5.6 million per season. �However, if Doughty opts for a shorter deal so he can become a UFA, expect a higher cap number. �I wouldn't be surprised to see it go as high as $7 million per season." Waaaah?! [Pro Sports Blogging]

? Cam Barker clears waivers for the Minnesota Wild; so now what? [Russo]

? Blues players T.J. Oshie, Patrik Berglund, Carlo Colaiacovo and Ben Bishop� walked the red carpet Wednesday at the premiere of the new movie, "Zookeeper," which stars actor Kevin James and opens in theaters everywhere on July 8. "Kevin James is such a great actor and a funny guy to watch," said Colaiacovo. Obviously hasn't seen whatever the hell that Vince Vaughn flick was called. [Blues]

? David Jones gets a 1-year deal with the Colorado Avalanche. [NHL]

? Adam Hall signs a 1-year deal with the Lightning. [Lightning Strikes]

? The Dallas Stars have re-signed defenseman Brad Lukowich to a one-year, two-way contract, and hired Paul Jerrard as an assistant coach. [CP]

? Buffalo locks up Nathan Gerbe with a 3-year deal. He signed it with a mini-golf pencil that was twice his size. /shortjokes4life [CP]

? George Richards celebrates the Florida Panthers' AHL reunion with San Antonio the only way he knows how: With overt Pee-Wee Herman reference. [On Frozen Pond]

? Finally, here's a hockey-centric commercial for Sweden's second most popular beer, Falcon. The most popular? You guessed it: Michelob Holmstrom.

Falcon - Hockey from Bobby on Vimeo.

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Rosenhaus: T.O. is fine, not retiring, will be ready in August

Drew Rosenhaus, agent for Terrell Owens, called into "SportsCenter" Tuesday to talk about the reports that Terrell Owens was considering retirement after tearing his ACL.

You're not going to believe this, but Rosenhaus framed T.O.'s recovery in a positive light. From the AP:

In an interview with ESPN, Rosenhaus called speculation that Owens was considering retirement "nonsense" and said the 15-year veteran is doing "fantastic" and could be recovered as early as August.

Rosenhaus said Dr. James Andrews performed the surgery to the same knee in which Owens tore his meniscus late last year.

"The old injury has been repaired," Rosenhaus said. "He is many months into recovery and doing fantastic. No predictions on training camp, but he comes back fast from injuries. I won't rule him out of anything. He will be a starting receiver for someone this year."

Rosenhaus also called the injury "no big deal," which is the first time�I've ever heard an ACL tear described as "no big deal." Apparently, Doctor Rosenhaus has been spending his lockout time in the lab, engineering significant scientific advances in how we treat complete tears of the anterior cruciate ligament. Bless his heart.

Obviously, it's no surprise that Rosenhaus thinks Owens can recover from this. That's his job, and it might also be his personal opinion, as Terrell Owens has recovered remarkably well from injuries before.

But that Owens is willing to play and that Owens will play are two different things. He'll still need to find a team, and even if the injury is as minor as Rosenhaus would have you believe, it's certainly still going to give teams pause before signing Owens to a contract.

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Training camp rosters could grow for 2011

Most of the NFL news day has been dominated by leaking tidbits about how both sides really like each other now, and that a deal is closer to getting done. I don't know how much any of that means, or if it's even true, especially since there are also whispers to the contrary.

One moderately interesting specific thing that's emerged though, is the possibility of expanded training camp rosters. The current limit is 80, but with lost time potentially being a factor, some general managers would like to push that up to about 90 this year. From the NFL Network's Jason La Canfora:

There is concern among many coaches and executives about how fit players will be whenever they report, and the suspicion among many is that there will be a rash of injuries. Teams will need to have enough bodies around to sustain the rush. Furthermore, with undrafted free agency now coming deep in the offseason instead of directly after the draft, the time to work with and evaluate those players will be significantly compromised as well.

To that end, some general managers would support expanding the practice squad by a spot or two as well, though that topic has not been broached by the competition committee to this point.

La Canfora also quotes one general manager as saying that he doesn't know how any other GM would oppose the idea. I can't imagine why they would, either, but I could picture an owner -- Mike Brown of the Bengals comes to mind -- who might have a small fit about having to pay 10 extra guys.

I don't see a downside, really. A team gets to look at an additional 10 guys, and who knows, maybe a diamond emerges from the rough, and one of the extras makes a roster. If not, you've still got 10 more bodies to absorb punishment through training camp and take reps in preseason games that you just want to end.

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Panthers lead list of teams on the hook with new projected salary floor

Before Tuesday's owners meetings, several sources reported that there was a small group of owners opposed to terms in the owners' prospective offer to the players. Whether that was the case, or whether a few hyperactive lawyers tried to get a little clutch of opposing voices together to make things more "interesting" is uncertain, but there is a definite sense that when all 32 owners got together in Chicago to vet the particulars of the newest offer, anyone opposed for financial reasons was going to get steamrolled right out of the process. It's fast approaching the time when all owners stand to lose serious money from an abbreviated or cancelled preseason, which is one reason so many things�were crossed off on that one-day meeting before the owners traveled to Boston to meet again with the players and try to finally nail down the parameters of the NFL's next collective bargaining agreement.

Estimates say that when a deal is struck, the 2011 salary cap could be anywhere from $110 to $130 million, depending on who you're reading or listening to. �For our purposes, we'll go with an even $124 million, which was the approximate cash commitment per team in 2010, when there wasn't a salary cap. Based on that number, it's very easy to see which teams would be violently opposed to a 90 percent-plus cash guarantee each year, because their cash commitments in recent years have been so far below the average. That new floor would require commitments of at least $110 million with a reasonable cap, and as you're about to see, many teams aren't even in the same zip code right now.

2011 numbers are still variable and non-indicative to a degree, because we don't know what the rookie signings will take up ? we don't even know if there will be a rookie pool (though we can assume there will be). Franchise tags and other designations will have to be re-set with a new CBA, because of the high possibility that free agency will revert to a four-year concern after the six-year term in 2010. As such, these numbers are approximate and are not intended to be a 100 percent accurate barometer of what each team has spent. But in adding together six key totals for each team ? base salaries, signing bonuses, option bonuses, roster bonuses, workout bonuses, and incentives likely-to-be-earned incentives, we can get a fairly clear picture of who's doing what ? and who's not. Not-likely-to-be-earned incentives clauses are one of the primary 'funny-money' machinations in the NFL, and as such, we're not including them here.

So, again, keep in mind that all these numbers are approximate, but close, to a pre-CBA scenario. Thanks to Brian McIntyre of Football Outsiders and Mac's Football Blog for providing the base numbers. Here are the five lowest cash-commitment teams, in reverse order.

Carolina Panthers
2011 Cash: $57.9 million
2011 Cap: $76.8 million
Cash % of Cap: 75.4%
Pct. Of $124 million Cap: 47%

Tampa Bay Buccaneers
2011 Cash: $64.4 million
2011 Cap: $64.7 million
Cash % of Cap: 99.5%
Pct. Of $124 million Cap: 52%

Cleveland Browns
2011 Cash: $65.0 million
2011 Cap: $87.8 million
Cash % of Cap: 74.0
Pct. Of $124 million Cap: 52.4%�

Indianapolis Colts
2011 Cash: $73.8 million
2011 Cap: $100.7 million
Cash % of Cap: 73.3
Pct. Of $124 million Cap: 59.5%

Buffalo Bills
2011 Cash: $75.3 million
2011 Cap: $89.5 million
Cash % of Cap: 84.1
Pct. Of $124 million Cap: 60.8%

According to the data used for this article, 22 of the NFL's 32 teams would be under 80 percent of cash obligations were there a $124 million salary cap in 2011. Now, of course, many teams will plug those holes with their own roster reclamations -- the Colts will put a high eight-figure total (estimated at over $23 million per prior league rules) into franchising Peyton Manning unless a long-term deal gets done between team and quarterback. Other franchises, like the Panthers, have a laundry list of players that they would have liked to have re-signed in previous years ? under the new rules, they'd be�beholden to do so.

In a larger sense, the fact that 14 teams would be under 70 percent of cash obligations in that $124 million scenario might lead you to two conclusions: There are owners using revenue sharing as a cash grab without putting adequate resources back into their player costs, and there are other owners who are very, very tired of that trend. I've said all along that the main reason the owners oppose opening the books to a line-by-line audit is not because they're afraid that the players will find out how much profit they're clearing ? anyone with half a brain can deduce that NFL team ownership is a license to print American currency. The real issue is that the NFL doesn't want a script where the big-market owners like Jerry Jones (and say what you will about the Double-J; he does roll serious cash back into his team) would pull revenue sharing off the table because they're sick of paying seven-figure "bonuses" for relatives of other owners. �

If you're the ownership group of the Green Bay Packers (a league-leading $115.8 million in 2011 cash obligations), or the New York Jets (second-place with $113.5 million), or the owners of the eight other teams over the $100 million cash floor pre-CBA (the Redskins, 49ers, Falcons, Broncos, Rams, Cowboys, Lions, and Giants), how do you feel about the hoarders right now?

That's why having the mandatory high floor is so crucial for both sides in a new collective bargaining agreement, and why the health of the league would be further affected without it.

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Video: Nice catch, soldier! Vet nabs foul ball at Yankee Stadium

Friday night was already shaping up to be a good one for Michael Kacer.

He took his 13-year-old nephew, Isaiah, to his first New York Yankees game. And as part of a group with Achilles International ? a nonprofit organization devoted to athletes with disabilities ? Kacer got to hang out on the field before the game, meeting Nick Swisher and posing for a photo with Joe Girardi. Kacer served 11 years in the National Guard and lost his left arm in a 2008 rocket attack.

But the night got even better after the game began. During the Yankees' half of the first inning, Curtis Granderson popped a foul ball behind home plate. The ball caromed off the concrete just inside the wall and bounced up toward the next level of seats. Kacer reached out over the railing and caught the ball with his cap. No sweat.

Here's the video, courtesy of MLB.com:�

Kacer needed a little prompting from his nephew before springing into action.

"He's like, 'Get up and catch it,'" Kacer said, "'and I'm like, 'It's going nowhere near me.

"And then I watched it bounce and I'm like, 'I ... might ... be able ... to get it,' and it just happened to go right in the hat. So it makes for a great souvenir for him."

It also makes for a great video for us to watch. Nice catch, sir.

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Mandate for Change: Michigan hails Brady Hoke, its halcyon hope

New coaches and the schools that love them (for now). Previously: Todd Graham, Pittsburgh, Al Golden, Miami, Jon Embree, Colorado, Jerry Kill, Minnesota. Today: Michigan's Brady Hoke.

? The Old Guy. There's not much left to write about Rich Rodriguez that hasn't been written many, many times over the last three years, and then written again. But it probably is worth beginning with a pair of reminders. One: RichRod's record over the course of turning West Virginia into a short-lived national power made him an attractive hire in December 2007 ?�Alabama tried to hire him the previous December, and thought it had, before aiming its checkbook at Nick Saban ?�and two: The tumbleweed-strewn lineup left by the Lloyd Carr administration mandated a rebuilding period regardless of who inherited it. In fact, after four straight defeats against Ohio State and eternal humiliation at the hands of Appalachian State in Carr's final season, a fresh start under an outsider who intensified workouts, expanded recruiting into Florida and traded old-school brawn for the speed and misdirection of a 21st Century spread attack was an integral part of Rodriguez's appeal.

Forty years removed from their last losing season, however, Michigan fans' idea of "patience" did not include a home loss to Toledo, a 3-9 record, a last-place finish in the Big Ten, the complete collapse of the defense, the arrival of probation for the first time in school history or the extension of the losing streak against the Buckeyes to seven years, with no end in sight. They certainly didn't include a head coach who tears up to the strains of Josh Groban in public.

Even beyond his 0-9 record against Ohio State, Michigan State or Penn State, Rodriguez's lack of Maize-n-Blue pedigree divided a fan base that clutches its history to its chest like the family pearls. Even after three full years, he still had to insist that, yes, he truly did "want to be a Michigan man." But too many people were never convinced, and after the 52-14 debacle at the hands of Mississippi State in the Gator Bowl, even his defenders were too tired of waiting to protest much when new athletic director Dave Brandon decided to pull the plug.

? The New Guy. At the time, of course, Rodriguez's exit was accompanied by the hope that the job would lure one of two accomplished prodigal sons, ex-Wolverines Jim Harbaugh and Les Miles. Officially, Brandon admitted to talking to both but insisted he never offered either; in reality, it looked like two big whiffs on a pair of swings for the fences, followed by a seeing-eye single: Brady Hoke.

At least Brady Hoke was excited. An Ohio native, Ball State alum and longtime Wolverine assistant under Lloyd Carr, Hoke made no secret even while still employed at San Diego State that Michigan is his dream job, the endpoint he's been aiming for most of his career. He also fits at least the first two criteria Brandon laid out for Rodriguez's replacement, as Hoke is both a) An experienced head coach, with stints at Ball State and San Diego State; and b) A defensive coach, having presided over one of the most dominant units on one of the dominant defenses in the last 20 years as defensive line coach for Michigan's 1997 national championship team ? a far cry from the rock-bottom units that struggled as Big Ten whipping dog under beleaguered defensive coordinator Greg Robinson.

Hoke's track record for producing winners is less obvious, beginning with his actual record: Just 47-50 in eight years as a head coach. He does have two major credits over the last three years, the first for resurrecting Ball State as an undefeated MAC frontrunner in 2008. He got out of Muncie just in time to avoid a crippling exodus of talent after that season, and had his new team (now his old team), San Diego State, in a bowl game last year for the first time since 1998. After a solid decade as Mountain West doormats, the Aztecs won nine in Hoke's second year, with all four losses came by a combined 15 points.

But the new boss' most obvious asset is his willingness and ability to serve as the symbol of Michigan's official repudiation of Rodriguez. So far, Hoke's resum� hasn't mattered nearly as much as his success in evoking the halcyon days of yore among Carr-era alumni, who have yet to tire in their praise of deep respect for tradition and insistence on building a "physical" presence from the sissified remnants of the spread. The fact that he was able to make the best hire of the offseason by luring former colleague Greg Mattison from the Baltimore Ravens to resurrect the conference's worst defense doesn't hurt, either.

? Immediate Impact or Slow Burn? It may sound like sour grapes when Rodriguez says in interviews that he finally had the team in position to win this fall, if only he'd been given one more chance, but on paper it's hard to argue with him: His teams improved each season ?�from three wins to five to seven ?�and with electric quarterback Denard Robinson leading nine returning starters from the conference's most prolific offense, the Wolverines were probably a new defensive coordinator away from turning the corner under the old administration. Instead, Hoke inherits a veteran roster in far better position to deliver something resembling a vintage Michigan season than the attrition-ravaged bunch Rodriguez took on in 2008.

His arrival also coincides with the ongoing disintegration to the south, where Ohio State will roll into Ann Arbor on Nov. 26 without either of Rodriguez's chief tormenters, Jim Tressel and Terrelle Pryor, and possibly with far less to play for if the NCAA is feeling particularly vindictive. If the emergency coach and/or quarterback transfer doesn't take, the Buckeyes' streak in the rivalry is in serious jeopardy for the first time since the epic 1 vs. 2 showdown in Columbus in 2006.

The optimism is tempered by the philosophical shift under new offensive coordinator Al Borges, whose West Coast-y system figures to give Robinson far fewer opportunities to run than Rodriguez's "spread 'n shred," which was designed specifically around the quarterback as a threat to run. (Robinson personally accounted for 67 percent of the team's total offense last year as a runner and passer.) But the defense can't possibly be worse, and with Mattison, is likely to be dramatically better. Hoke may not be a better coach than Rodriguez, and his first team may not achieve anything it couldn't or wouldn't have under the old regime. His first team should be better than any of Rodriguez's offerings, though, possibly by a wide margin, and the good vibrations will buy him all the time his predecessor never had.

- - -
Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

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Jim Riggleman parties as the rest of us pass judgment

Soon after he stepped down as manager of the Washington Nationals on Thursday, Jim Riggleman retired to Caddies on Cordell in Bethesda, Md.�Why did Riggs head there?

"I was solving the world's problems," Riggleman told a local radio station on Friday.

Also, the ladies: "There are some beautiful young ladies in that place," he said.

Apparently so, judging from the pics snapped by @jskiernan. �But while Riggleman was celebrating his new unemployment in a way that many of us might ? at the bottom of a bottle ? the baseball world was still buzzing about his spectacular (and backfired) power play on Mike Rizzo and the Lerner family.

Here's a sampling of what we've been saying:

Dave Sheinin, Washington Post: "Riggleman's unhappiness over his contract situation had been an open secret around the team almost since the day it was signed, Nov. 9, 2009. Although the Nationals called it a three-year deal at the time, it was more accurately a two-year guaranteed deal with a low buyout after the first season and a team option for 2012 ? effectively keeping Riggleman on a year-to-year basis, and at a salary, $600,000, that ranked among the lowest in the game"

Will Yoder, The Nats Blog: "Leaving the team was the lowest thing he could have done. As stated above, I understand his frustration, for me it would be maddening. But think about the other people involved. The team had built this undeniable chemistry, the fans were falling in love, and you're the god-forsaken manager of the club. You can't quit halfway through, you signed a contract just like the players did."

Ben Schwartz, Can't Stop the Bleeding: "So, Riggleman left his pennant-guaranteed .507 club high and dry because he didn't get the deal he wanted.� Owners do that every day, as is their privilege as "businessmen."� This is the same Riggleman who watched the Padres deal Gary Sheffield and Fred McGriff out from under him in their 'fire sale.' Do owners ever get blackballed for such bull----?� Do we ever hear how they'll never work again, no matter how much they sell out the concept of winning?"

Nats Enquirer: "Gotta wonder if this is the kind of change Jayson Werth had in mind when he was 'misinterpreted' by the media a few weeks ago when the ship was sinking in Milwaukee?�It's always something with this team."

Ken Rosenthal, FOX Sports: "Let's forget Riggleman for a moment. Let's go back to Sept. 24, when someone even more highly regarded than Riggleman resigned from the Nationals.�Stan Kasten worked 24 years for Ted Turner, one of the most eccentric owners in sports history. He lasted only four years with the Lerners.�Gee, wonder why."

Dave Nichols, Nats News Network: "As in everything else in life, there are three side[s] to every story: yours, mine and the truth.� We may never know the complete truth on how things went down leading up to Thursday's announcement, but we have a pretty good handle on the big picture �... What we know is this:� Rizzo had no reason to pick up the option or even discuss it.� Doing so would give away the only option he had in the managerial structure for next year's team.� 2011 isn't about wins, despite the outrageous hot streak that have the Nats at 37-36 at play's end today.� It's about evaluation, of players ? both major and minor league ? and the managerial and coaching staff.� Picking up Riggleman's option was simply not something Rizzo needed or wanted to do."

Jeff Passan, Yahoo! Sports: "He grew up in Rockville, Md., a little more than 20 miles from Nationals Park, and wanted to be the hometown boy who turned the hometown team into a winner.�So he waited until the Nationals were playing their best baseball to see if that was realistic. If ever Washington was going to pick up his option, it would be now. So he made a threat. Rizzo called his bluff."

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Mariners prevail in first NL game played in an AL ballpark

SEATTLE ? The first question Seattle Mariners manager Eric Wedge was asked in his pre-game presser on Friday night: "Do you think you'll get confused tonight?"

It wasn't meant to cast aspersions on Wedge's intelligence or awareness; more to wonder if Wedge would get tripped up putting a National League lineup together in his own park. Because of a U2 concert scheduled at Sun Life Stadium, the Florida Marlins had to come cross-country to play a series of three "home" games at Seattle's Safeco Field instead of welcome the Mariners to their own park. As such, pitchers would hit in an AL park for the first time since the inclusion of the designated hitter in 1973.

"I hope not," Wedge said when asked whether confusion would reign. "It'll definitely be different with the National League rules and with being the visiting team … in our own ballpark, and hopefully, it'll be fun for a lot of people. This is the first time there will be National League rules in an American League park. That will be more unusual than anything."

As it turned out, a great many things were unusual about the first game in which the Mariners ever took the field at Safeco in the bottom of the inning, wearing their road grays. The fact that NL rules applied seemed like a mere novelty by the time the same was over and the M's took a 5-1 win.

First, the numbers from this game were a bit convoluted. The attendance was unusually low (15,279) because these games are not included in season ticket packages. According to the Mariners' PR staff, the attendance will be counted as a Marlins home crowd, but the game stats from the series will be Mariners' home stats. Problem is, those stats will be seen as Marlins home/Mariners road splits until Major League Baseball changes them on Monday.

The only area that was anywhere near full was the "King's Court," that band of yellow-clad goofballs who take up their own left-field section whenever Felix Hernandez pitches. Though Hernandez started out rocky ? 21 of his first 42 pitched were balls, and it took him a couple innings to get in the swing of things ? he eventually got it together and even contributed a single to right in the third inning.

Unfortunately for Hernandez, that was the second straight game in which a Mariners' pitcher got the team's first hit ? Michael Pineda did the same against the Washington Nationals on the team's just-finished road trip ? which should tell you everything you need to know about the tepid state of Seattle's offense. When Adam Kennedy scored in the seventh on a fielder's choice line drive that Miguel Olivo hit to third, it ended a 20-inning scoreless streak for the team. Eventually, Franklin Gutierrez's two-run single eliminated a lot of bad juju from a brutal offensive series in Washington D.C.

The Marlins weren't doing much with Hernandez, either. The only run Hernandez gave up was on a third strike that would have ended the fourth inning had it not bounced off Olivo's glove. As Marlins manager Jack McKeon pointed out after the game, it's tough to win when you have more hit batsmen than hits.

Olivo had his own group of admirers in the "King's Court" group.. They mixed up their cheers nicely all night, and eventually settled on an "O-liv-o Oooooooh" chant (sung to the tune of the march of the Evil Witch's soldiers from The Wizard of Oz) and were rewarded when Olivo hit a ninth-inning home run just on the right side of the foul pole where the group was gathered.

Hernandez was, in the popular vernacular, 'effectively wild.' With two out in the second inning, second baseman Omar Infante apparently was hit by a pitch. It took the umps about five minutes to discuss it, and Infante eventually took his base after the men in blue had confab with McKeon and Wedge. Infante was the second batter in a row Hernandez hit with a pitch, and the third in the game. Through two innings, Hernandez had walked two batters, hit two more … and had a no-hitter going. But he followed that up with two strikeouts and nine total pitches in the third, and from there, he was rolling.

Of course, the only thing he wanted to talk about after the game was that one hit. Hernandez mentioned that he "really wanted that last at-bat" before receiver Brandon League came in to spell him in the ninth, but that Wedge had told him to expect the hook. No specific approach to his somewhat lumbering swing mechanics, though ? when I asked him what thoughts he brought to the plate, he said, "Just swing!"

The Mariners have played home games on the road before ? they went on a 20-game road jag to end the strike-shortened 1994 season after tiles fell from the Kingdome roof and the place was shut down until repairs could be made. But this was a very different feel, starting when the Marlins and starting pitcher Ricky Nolasco hit the field to the tune of U2's "Where the Streets Have No Name," proving that the person in charge of Safeco's music has an interesting sense of humor. The PA announcer got into it as well, announcing that the home team's weather in Florida was "80 degrees and rainy."

The evening may have been odd, but as far as shortstop Brendan Ryan was concerned, odd was just fine. As he said in the locker room after the win, "We should have all our road games at home!"

They'll get two more chances at the very least.

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