The Squid is Back, Milwaukee!

  Sidney Moncrief, a veritable legend in Milwaukee, is prepared to sign an agreement to return to the Bucks as an assistant coach, replacing the recently departed Kelvin Sampson. Via “Sidney Moncrief returns to Bucks’ bench, Brandon Jennings knows kung-fu, and a tub of socks ” by Dan Sinclair In what can only be described [...]

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Jason Terry is shopping a reality show

Before this season, Mavericks guard Jason Terry was considered a very good player, but not a guy with much name recognition outside of NBA circles. That all changed after Dallas' Finals victory, especially given JET's peculiar tattoo of the Larry O'Brien trophy. As such, Terry now finds himself with a new level of celebrity, and he's looking to capitalize on it.

So, like any smart public figure, he's shopping a reality show. Here's the idea for "Homecourt Advantage," from the website of AMS Pictures (via SLAM):

Set in the glitzy world of NBA basketball star Jason Terry, this is a comical, never before-seen look at his off-court life with high school sweetheart wife, four young daughters, crazy mom and pimp dad.

Wow, that show sounds awesome, albeit very similar to the series pitched by Shawn Marion two months ago. Of course, I'm pretty sure "The Matrix" does not have a "pimp dad," which actually seems like a very serious issue better suited for one of those depressing HBO documentaries about street prostitutes.

Whatever the case, Terry needs a job now that the league is locked out, so it's hard to quibble with this decision. At the very least, it will be cool to learn about new eccentricities beyond his multiple-sock-wearing habits. Maybe he makes his daughters wake up in order of their birth. That's great TV if I've ever seen it.

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Video: Nick Young goes off the backboard, through the legs

On Wednesday, we noted that summer pro-am leagues are capturing a great deal of attention now that the NBA is locked out. Part of the reason they're exciting, apart from the fact that we need all the basketball we can get right now, is that players don't take them too seriously. Games are competitive, but the short "season" means that everyone is more interested in having fun than in impressing coaches and general managers.

For proof, check out this dunk by Washington Wizards scorer Nick Young. Not to spoil it, but he goes off the glass and through the legs in a manner similar to Jason Richardson's Best Dunk Contest Dunk Ever from the 2003 competition. By the looks of things, this all happened during an impromptu contest before or after a summer league game. These are the kind of things you don't see when you watch the Wizards play the Grizzlies.

Of course, summer league games aren't as good as real NBA games. But they're a pretty decent substitute.

(Video via TBJ's Trey "The Beek" Kerby)

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John Beck was unrecognized and turned away at Redskins Park

Redskins head coach Mike Shanahan is adamant that relatively unknown John Beck can be his team's starting quarterback this season. The rest of Washington, D.C., has been a little slower to embrace him.

Beck showed up to Redskins Park on Monday to try to meet with offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan, but he wasn't allowed to enter the building. The security guy at the gate had no idea he was the Redskins quarterback. From Mike�Jones at the Washington Post:

He was turned away at the security gate by a guard, who didn't even know who he was.

Beck was told that players can't report until Tuesday morning, and left slightly disappointed, but not offended.

"I'm OK with that," Beck said of not being recognized when reached this afternoon. "I haven't done anything yet."

If I was in the security guy's shoes that day, I believe I'd have done the same thing. I'm not sure I'd recognize John Beck if he walked into my kitchen right now and started making me waffles.

Beck was drafted in the second round of the 2007 draft by the Dolphins. In two years with the Fish, he started just four games (with a spotless 0-4 record) and was unable to beat out Chad Pennington, Chad Henne or the great Cleo Lemon for playing time. He spent 2009 wearing a Ravens uniform, but never got on the field.

In 47 days, he could be starting for the Redskins.

Gracias, Larry Brown Sports.

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Debriefing: Let the Mike Glennon Era begin at N.C. State

The least you should know about the 2011 Wolfpack. Part of ACC Week.

? You're on, kid. Russell Wilson is out, Mike Glennon is in and all eyes are on Tom O'Brien to see if he made the right call.

Wilson wanted to return to N.C. State for his final season of eligibility, but he also wanted to spend the spring and summer playing baseball with the Colorado Rockies organization. O'Brien wasn't having it, so Wilson took his talents to Madison, Wisc., opening the door for junior Mike Glennon to lead the Wolfpack to the Promised Land.

Glennon will definitely have big shoes to fill since many consider Wilson one of the best quarterbacks to ever wear a Wolfpack uniform. And Glennon didn't exactly wow fans during the Kay Yow Spring Football Game. He completed 21 of his 40 passes for 182 yards, but he also had two passes tipped at the line of scrimmage that resulted in interceptions -- one for a touchdown. According to the spring game wrapup on the team website, the first six of Glennon's passes were either tipped or knocked down by the first team defense.

Still, O'Brien doesn't think the spring game is a good way to judge Glennon and knows he'll seamlessly transition into the team's top signal caller.

"Those guys are fighting for jobs," O'Brien said of his defense. "Michael Glennon wasn't going to throw for 400 yards against that defense."

? Speaking of defense... This might be the most attacking defense N.C. State has put together during O'Brien's tenure. It's going to play a high-pressure style and will be built around speed and quickness to disrupt the opponent's backfield. Almost all of the linebackers and secondary return and the linebacking corps should be the anchor. Audie Cole has moved from outside to inside linebacker to replace Nate Irving, who led the team in sacks, tackles for loss and was second in tackles. Cole and Terrell Manning wreaked havoc on the edges last year and now former safety D.J. Green will add another dose of speed to the outside. Watch for this unit to do a lot of blitzing this year.

? Going Greene. Even though O'Brien has all the confidence in the world in Glennon, running back Mustafa Green could become the team's top offensive weapon. Last season, the Wolfpack ranked a dismal 95^th in rushing offense with just 3.4 yards per carry. Greene led the team with 597 yards and four touchdowns, but he almost split carries with quarterback Russell Wilson. That won't be the same case with Glennon, who prefers to do his work with his arm rather than his feet. Greene did have foot surgery back in April, but should be ready to make the Wolfpack the power running team that O'Brien has always envisioned.

? Tight end failsafe. Senior George Bryan was Wilson's go-to receiver and he'll be that again for Glennon. Bryan, a two-time All-ACC first teamer, had 35 catches for 369 and three scores last year, which was good for third on the team. With top receivers Owen Spencer and Jarvis Williams gone, Bryan will be the most consistent receiving attack returning while players such as T.J. Graham, Jay Smith and Quintin Payton adjust to more action.

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Puck Headlines: Awesome goalie mask retires; Orpik surgery

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.

? Fare thee well Patrick Lalime and his awesome Marvin The Martian mask, who retires after 12 NHL seasons to become a pundit for RDS. [Y! Canada]

? Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Brooks Orpik "had surgery to correct the hernia condition on the right side of his body. He is not expected to miss any regular-season games because of the procedure." It will take 6-to-8 weeks before we see free candy again. [Tribune Review]

? Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks has successful surgery on his left wrist. It'll be 6-to-8 weeks before he's double-fisting Crown and Coke again. [Blackhawks]

? Ty Conklin officially signs with the Detroit Red Wings to back up Jimmy Howard for just $750,000. [Winging It]

? Forbes reported that the Dallas Stars were losing $1 million a week. Mike Heika makes some sense of that report, and it turns out it sounded a hell of a lot worse than it actually is. [Dallas Stars Blog]

? Mark Bell, a player with a rather controversial past in the NHL, signs a 1-year deal with the Anaheim Ducks. [@AnaheimDucks]

? The top 10 NHL free-agent paydays of 2011 are pretty obvious when you rank them by dollar amount. [THN]

? The latest on Ryan Smyth "Mullet-gate" between the Los Angeles Kings and the Edmonton Oilers. [Jewels From The Crown]

? The Wiz and Jeff Carter make their Columbus Blue Jackets debuts. Said Carter: "I took some time to gather myself. When Scott (Howson), Scott Arniel and Rick Nash came to talk to me at my house (days after the June 23 trade), by the time they left that day, I was really, really excited. I talked to a few of the guys and I've had the chance to see a bit of the city the last day or so. I'm looking forward to my time here." [Puck-Rakers]

? Interesting note from Adrian Dater on the Colorado Avalanche and the MIA Peter Mueller: "Can I or anyone else in the hockey media talk to Mueller then, assuming he's healthy? Well, no, is the answer still. Does that mean, then, that Mueller still has concussion problems and hasn't been medically cleared yet? The Avs don't really have an answer for that right now." [Denver Post]

? The Washington Capitals were approached about terminating their relationship with former first-round draft pick Anton Gustafsson; they placed him on unconditional waivers Wednesday. [Capitals Insider]

? The Puck Stops Here rips the New Jersey Devils for treating coaches an "interchangeable parts." TPSH: "Lou Lamoreillo does not hold coaching in particularly high regard.� He doesn't make much of a commitment to any coach.� He waits much longer than any other GM to hire a coach and this reduces the talent pool he can hire from and the coach's attachment to the team.� Nevertheless, eventually he needs to hire a coach.� Peter DeBoer is his man this year.� Let's see how long it lasts.� I bet it won't be a longterm situation even if DeBoer has some immediate success with the team." [TPSH]

? Alex Ovechkin slouches in a chair in a tight T-shirt. DC Sports Bog takes an in-depth look at what might either be a beer belly or a baby bump. [DC Sports Bog]

? Pegulamania running wild for the Buffalo Sabres: "The Buffalo Sabres today announced the team has achieved a record renewal rate of 99% for their 2011-12 season tickets. As a result, season ticket sales have been capped at 15,200 tickets for the 2011-12 season. That total includes 100 new season tickets, which have been sold to members of the Buffalo Sabres Blue & Gold club." [Sabres]

? The Federal Hockey League has announced the suspension of the Niagara Falls Nationals effective immediately. [FHL]

? Tom Ferda on Chris Osgood and Detroit Red Wings fans: "Red Wings GM Ken Holland said Osgood should be voted into the Hall of Fame once he's eligible in 2014 and coach Mike Babcock has voiced the same; how can you argue with that. It may be time for the lynch mobbers in Motown to realize that three of the Stanley Cup banners hanging from the rafters at The Joe are in part due to Osgood and maybe a spot next to Terry Sawchuk's retired No. 1 may be needing some company." [Sports Climax]

? PG Marsh offers his case for Chris Osgood in the Hockey Hall of Fame. [The Wizard of Os]

? Seventeen-year-old Sarnia Sting right wing Nail Yakupov aims to the NHL's first Tatar superstar. Until Kyle Wellwood deep fries him and devours him. [NHL.com]

? "The National Hockey League (NHL) and Disney Consumer Products have revealed plans to co-brand merchandise featuring characters from Disney Channel's Emmy Award-winning animated series, Phineas and Ferb, in the 2011-12 NHL� season. The NHL made the announcement today at the 2011 NHL Exchange licensed products and retail trade show inside the Air Canada Centre in Toronto." Check out the #NHLPhineasFerb hashtag for more.

? Finally, how they converted a hockey locker room in D.C. into the Dali Lama's private quarters. Big hitter, the Lama.

Canadian Designer Transforms NHL Locker Room into Dalai Lama's Private Quarters from Leigh Paterson on Vimeo.

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Deep Posts, morning edition: Where we go from here ?

?�I'm sure we're going to talk a lot more about this in the coming days, weeks and months, but with the abbreviated offseason, the beginning of the NFL season figures to feature some ugly, ugly football. Advantage, defenses and more veteran teams with lower roster turnover.

?�The Jaguars are going to have to spend about $35 million to fulfill their obligation to meet the salary cap floor. Expect most of that to go to defense. Here's a list of what they need and what's available.

?�Here's a list of fellows who could maybe expect a call from the Seattle Seahawks.

?�The Minnesota Vikings, meanwhile, are a few million over the cap, and have to figure out what to do with Chad Greenway, Sidney Rice and Bernard Berrian. Adrian Peterson is heading into the last year of his rookie deal, too.

?�The Green Bay Packers also have some players hitting the free-agent market, and they're all more attractive now because it says "Super Bowl champion" on their r�sum�.

?�For the Tennessee Titans, safety Chris Hope could be on the chopping block because of his $7 million 2011 salary. Here, Chris Hope makes the case that he's worth it.

?�Mike Klis of the Denver Post goes through the Denver Broncos to-do list.

?�It's a really bad year to be an undrafted free agent. Eventually, I think everyone who deserves a look (and there are some good ones) will get it, but they might have to scrap, claw and hang on more than undrafted free agents and other years. There's just not as much time, not as many reps available, and not having had free agency yet, teams don't even know exactly what they need.

?�Peter King tweets that HBO will not have a "Hard Knocks" this year. Frowny face.

?�What did Detroit Lions DE Turk McBride get into during the lockout? Geology, Computer Science and English 435. He is now a college graduate.

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Looking ahead to 2011-12: Ranking the NHL?s top left wingers

(Rankings are based solely on players' projected performances in 2011-12. Players are listed at their official position when the rankings were created.)

Left wing has always been the spot for hockey's forgotten forward, like the flag football player who's told to "go deep" in every huddle. The center sets up pretty plays, the right winger scores goals ... and the left winger digs pucks out of the corner and then gets out of the way. There are, of course, exceptions ? hello, Alex Ovechkin and Daniel Sedin ? and San Jose's Patrick Marleau, New Jersey's Zach Parise and Anaheim's Bobby Ryan would also crack any best-forward list. After that, though, there is a drop-off. Certainly, Boston's Milan Lucic, Buffalo's Thomas Vanek, Philadelphia's James van Riemsdyk and Winnipeg's Evander Kane may rise up and demand to be counted, but there's no denying the left side is left behind in overall star power and depth.

Honorable mentions: Andrei Kostitsyn, Montreal Canadiens; Curtis Glencross, Calgary Flames; Dustin Penner, Los Angeles Kings; Matt Moulson, NY Islanders; Ryan Malone, Tampa Bay Lightning.

25. Sean Bergenheim, Florida Panthers: Let's see if he uses his playoff scoring binge as a springboard to bigger and better things. His new team certainly hopes so.

24. Taylor Hall, Edmonton Oilers: The Oil are getting better, and here's a big reason why.

23. Simon Gagne, Los Angeles Kings: Not as dynamic as he used to be, but his elite scoring skills will be on display given the Kings' strength down the middle.

22. James Neal, Pittsburgh Penguins: Was a disappointment after joining the Pens in a mid-season trade last year ? one goal in 20 games ? but big shooter is poised for breakout if Sidney Crosby and/or Evgeni Malkin can stay healthy.

21. Alex Tanguay, Calgary Flames: Found his stride playing with Jarome Iginla, and turned in his best offensive season since 2007.

20. Ryan Smyth, Edmonton Oilers: A lot of NHLers turn up their noses at northern Alberta. Suffice to say, Smyth is not one of them.

19. Evander Kane, Winnipeg Jets: Fans in Manitoba ? and opponents around the league ? will want to keep an eye on this burgeoning power forward.

18. Nikolai Kulemin, Toronto Maple Leafs: It's hard to fly under the radar when you're a Leaf, but Kulemin managed to score 30 goals last season without too many taking notice.

17. Brooks Laich, Washington Capitals: Gritty leader and core Cap is good for 20 goals and a consistent physical presence.

16. Erik Cole, Montreal Canadiens: Veteran is a gamer with speed and skill, as long as his body doesn't betray him. As always, the pressure will be on in Montreal.

15. James van Riemsdyk, Philadelphia Flyers: Part of the reason the Flyers traded away Mike Richards and Jeff Carter was the growth of this young behemoth.

14. Ville Leino, Buffalo Sabres: The Sabres made a six-year, $27 million bet that he's more than a 19-goal scorer. We'll see how he fares in his first real chance as a go-to guy.

13. Alex Burrows, Vancouver Canucks: He agitates, he scores, then he agitates some more. He was one of the Canucks' clutch performers last spring.

12. Andrew Ladd, Winnipeg Jets: As captain, he's the first face of the franchise and his physical style should quickly endear him to the locals.

11. Scott Hartnell, Philadelphia Flyers: Classic Broad Street winger plays it big and burly; he'd be top five on this list if he had more finish.

10. Patrik Elias, New Jersey Devils: He's not the offensive threat he was a decade ago, but 30 goals and 70 points aren't out of the question.

9. Michael Cammalleri, Montreal Canadiens: The Habs' best scorer plays with heart and collects goals in bunches.

8. Thomas Vanek, Buffalo Sabres: A pure sniper who needs someone to get him the puck. The Sabres' offseason spending spree will help, even if the talent upgrades didn't include a playmaking center.

7. Brenden Morrow, Dallas Stars: Team captain bounced back with 33 goals, and he'll get all the ice time he can handle as franchise rebuilds.

6. Milan Lucic, Boston Bruins: Power forward enjoyed a breakout regular season with 30 goals, then celebrated with a Summer of Cup.

5. Bobby Ryan, Anaheim Ducks: Bruising style and soft hands, and he's only 24. We're finding out why he was drafted second overall behind Crosby in 2005.

4. Zach Parise, New Jersey Devils: A knee injury at the end of October derailed his ? and the Devils' ? season.

3. Patrick Marleau, San Jose Sharks: Too soft? How about, too talented? Sharks shooter is aiming for 30-plus goals for sixth time in seven years.

2. Daniel Sedin, Vancouver Canucks: After Stanley Cup disappointment, the league's defending scoring champion will be motivated to light it up again.

1. Alex Ovechkin, Washington Capitals: Thirty-two goals for Mr. 50? Look for the NHL's post-lockout goal-scoring king to rebound after an off-year.

Sam McCaig is the NHL editor for Yahoo! Sports and Yahoo! Canada

Photo credits: Getty Images

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Debriefing: Beleaguered Buckeyes still have big goals in their grasp

The least you should know about the 2011 Buckeyes. Part of Big Ten Week.

? Time to face the changes. Even before his suspension and ultimate departure from the team last month, quarterback Terrelle Pryor was generally regarded as an untapped talent at best, and a flaky underachiever at worst. But make no mistake: There is no overstating the effect Pryor's absence will have on the Ohio State offense.

For all his faults as a passer, leader or teammate, Pryor remained a nearly unmatched talent under center (or in the shotgun), and his production last year put him right on the verge of justifying the hype. As a junior, he finished in the top 10 nationally in pass efficiency, led the Big Ten in touchdown passes and was the best player on an offense that easily averaged more points per game (38.8) than any other team in Jim Tressel's decade-long tenure as head coach. He was the MVP of back-to-back BCS bowl wins, first in a 26-17 win over Oregon that snapped the Buckeyes' three-game BCS losing streak in the 2010 Rose Bowl, then in a 31-26 Sugar Bowl win over Arkansas that stopped a nine-game skid against the SEC. As a senior this fall, the sky was still the limit.

Now, instead of a fourth-year starter with legitimate Heisman ambitions, the offense will be forced to lean on either a fifth-year senior with nowhere near Pryor's athleticism (Joe Bauserman) or a true freshman with nowhere near Pryor's experience (Braxton Miller). And he won't just have to ride out the first five games.

? Back to basics. Regardless of the identity of the quarterback, the return of full-scale Tressel Ball ? sans Tressel ? requires the emergence of an imposing Old Testament tailback, of which there is never a shortage here. With All-Big Ten senior Boom Herron still scheduled to join two other offensive starters on the bench for the first five games, first crack at the workhorse role goes to a pair of touted redshirt freshmen, Jaamal Berry and battering ram Rod Smith, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound who has been explicitly compared to Eddie George. Both are former top-100 recruits, and with Herron back at mid-October, give OSU enough options to guarantee it can still plow straight ahead if necessary against the vast majority of the schedule.

Of course, it helps to have a senior All-American calling the shots in the middle of the offensive line, and once senior left tackle Mike Adams rejoins rejoins the fold, the front five should count as a strength. As usual.

? Plug in and enjoy. The all-consuming angst over the Tressel/Pryor Affair has completely eclipsed the non-scandalous concern on defense, where five of last year's top six tacklers were drafted by the NFL in April. Last year's senior-led outfit led the Big Ten by every possible measure ?�scoring defense, total defense, rushing defense, passing defense, pass efficiency defense, takeaways ?�and left flashing red "vacancy" signs in the middle of the defensive line, at two of the three linebacker spots and at both corners.

Naturally, this being Ohio State, the new starters are mostly former blue chips who are expected to uphold the usual standard: The last two times the Buckeyes lost at least five draft picks from the defense, in 2006 and 2007, they went on to lead the nation in scoring defense and play in the BCS Championship Game both times. Both of those defenses, though, were very good at something last year's otherwise stellar group was not: Rushing the passer. Even with a first-rounder (Cameron Heyward) holding down one end of the line, the Buckeyes finished 76th nationally with fewer than two sacks per game and were shut out completely on four different occasions ? including their only loss, at Wisconsin. If bookends John Simon (top) and Nathan Williams (right) can't generate more heat on competent passers this fall, the overhauled secondary may find the going tougher than expected.

? The guns of October. The crucial month on the schedule is October, which brings 2010 conference co-champs Michigan State and Wisconsin to Columbus and sends the Buckeyes to the early 2011 favorite, Nebraska. If Ohio State can take two of those three ? especially if one of them is against fellow Leaders Division favorite Wisconsin ?�and avoid a letdown on a dangerous trip to Illinois in between, it can hit the stretch run in November with the suspensions in the rearview mirror, the conference title still within its grasp and four very winnable games in front of it. As easy as it is to imagine the Buckeyes as a fall power already, knocking them from the throne is still easier said than done until someone actually does it.

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

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Debriefing: Beleaguered Buckeyes still have big goals in their grasp

The least you should know about the 2011 Buckeyes. Part of Big Ten Week.

? Time to face the changes. Even before his suspension and ultimate departure from the team last month, quarterback Terrelle Pryor was generally regarded as an untapped talent at best, and a flaky underachiever at worst. But make no mistake: There is no overstating the effect Pryor's absence will have on the Ohio State offense.

For all his faults as a passer, leader or teammate, Pryor remained a nearly unmatched talent under center (or in the shotgun), and his production last year put him right on the verge of justifying the hype. As a junior, he finished in the top 10 nationally in pass efficiency, led the Big Ten in touchdown passes and was the best player on an offense that easily averaged more points per game (38.8) than any other team in Jim Tressel's decade-long tenure as head coach. He was the MVP of back-to-back BCS bowl wins, first in a 26-17 win over Oregon that snapped the Buckeyes' three-game BCS losing streak in the 2010 Rose Bowl, then in a 31-26 Sugar Bowl win over Arkansas that stopped a nine-game skid against the SEC. As a senior this fall, the sky was still the limit.

Now, instead of a fourth-year starter with legitimate Heisman ambitions, the offense will be forced to lean on either a fifth-year senior with nowhere near Pryor's athleticism (Joe Bauserman) or a true freshman with nowhere near Pryor's experience (Braxton Miller). And he won't just have to ride out the first five games.

? Back to basics. Regardless of the identity of the quarterback, the return of full-scale Tressel Ball ? sans Tressel ? requires the emergence of an imposing Old Testament tailback, of which there is never a shortage here. With All-Big Ten senior Boom Herron still scheduled to join two other offensive starters on the bench for the first five games, first crack at the workhorse role goes to a pair of touted redshirt freshmen, Jaamal Berry and battering ram Rod Smith, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound who has been explicitly compared to Eddie George. Both are former top-100 recruits, and with Herron back at mid-October, give OSU enough options to guarantee it can still plow straight ahead if necessary against the vast majority of the schedule.

Of course, it helps to have a senior All-American calling the shots in the middle of the offensive line, and once senior left tackle Mike Adams rejoins rejoins the fold, the front five should count as a strength. As usual.

? Plug in and enjoy. The all-consuming angst over the Tressel/Pryor Affair has completely eclipsed the non-scandalous concern on defense, where five of last year's top six tacklers were drafted by the NFL in April. Last year's senior-led outfit led the Big Ten by every possible measure ?�scoring defense, total defense, rushing defense, passing defense, pass efficiency defense, takeaways ?�and left flashing red "vacancy" signs in the middle of the defensive line, at two of the three linebacker spots and at both corners.

Naturally, this being Ohio State, the new starters are mostly former blue chips who are expected to uphold the usual standard: The last two times the Buckeyes lost at least five draft picks from the defense, in 2006 and 2007, they went on to lead the nation in scoring defense and play in the BCS Championship Game both times. Both of those defenses, though, were very good at something last year's otherwise stellar group was not: Rushing the passer. Even with a first-rounder (Cameron Heyward) holding down one end of the line, the Buckeyes finished 76th nationally with fewer than two sacks per game and were shut out completely on four different occasions ? including their only loss, at Wisconsin. If bookends John Simon (top) and Nathan Williams (right) can't generate more heat on competent passers this fall, the overhauled secondary may find the going tougher than expected.

? The guns of October. The crucial month on the schedule is October, which brings 2010 conference co-champs Michigan State and Wisconsin to Columbus and sends the Buckeyes to the early 2011 favorite, Nebraska. If Ohio State can take two of those three ? especially if one of them is against fellow Leaders Division favorite Wisconsin ?�and avoid a letdown on a dangerous trip to Illinois in between, it can hit the stretch run in November with the suspensions in the rearview mirror, the conference title still within its grasp and four very winnable games in front of it. As easy as it is to imagine the Buckeyes as a fall power already, knocking them from the throne is still easier said than done until someone actually does it.

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

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Jeff Carter, James Wisniewski and avoiding the misery of losing

Jeff Carter and James Wisniewski were introduced as members of the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday, sitting at a table with their general manager Scott Howson with rows of empty seats behind them. Which, come to think of it, is somehow both the most appropriate and inappropriate backdrop for a Blue Jackets press conference.

Fact is that that Carter and Wisniewski represent two major corrections for lingering problems that have led to a lack of success on the ice and a lack of bodies in the stands for Columbus.

As Howson said, it's been his goal for years to land a No. 1 center, and now he has one. Meanwhile, he said, "we haven't been good on the power play for a long, long time and I think part of the reason is we haven't had a guy to run it. We think we have that guy now" in Wisniewski.

So while these guys answered the usual questions about pressure and coming to a new team, there was that undercurrent of tension throughout the presser: This is it for Howson.

This is it for this incarnation of the Blue Jackets.

One guy is signed through 2022, the other through 2017. If this isn't the No. 1 center the team's needed, or if this isn't a defenseman who can successfully make the power play something more than an embarrassment, well then what?

To their credit, both players seem to understand this, with Wisniewski in particular determined to make this work.

"I want to be the missing piece of the puzzle. I don't want to be the guy who plays a year here, and you can get somebody else. That was the biggest thing coming into unrestricted free agency, was I wanted to come to a team and be the missing piece," he said.

The Blue Jackets have some pieces already. One of the few moments of levity in the press conference was when Carter listed the better players on the Blue Jackets -- Steve Mason, Rick Nash and R.J. Umberger -- and neglected to list the guy two seats away from him among them, which drew some laughter from the players and media.

But The Wiz is a player that's been overlooked for years. Here's James Wisniewski, being honest, on "the excitement of coming to Columbus" after a well-traveled career:

"Being part of the organization with the Chicago, we were bottom of the barrel, so I saw the upside of what we can do with the right draft picks and the right signings. The team obviously won the Stanley Cup a couple of years ago. Obviously playing with Anaheim, the market wasn't that big, but going to Long Island, you're in New York but, obviously, you're in Long Island, and then going to Montreal you're pretty much the New York Yankees of baseball. The spotlight's on you. Obviously the more money you make, the more pressure you have. We're just looking forward to coming in and, like Jeff said, quieting all the critics."

The Wiz doesn't come off polished. He doesn't come off as a guy who just broke the bank in free agency. He comes off as a player that's had a string of 1-year contracts and bounced around the NHL like a super-happy fun ball, now having the chance to set up his family financially and try and replicate what the Chicago Blackhawks did while he was there: Go from "the bottom of the barrel" to championship contention.

One gets the sense that the money isn't going to provide him with solace if the Blue Jackets suck next year, which is what you want to hear from a new addition like Wisniewski.

"Obviously, I want to be on a winning team," he said. "I don't want to lose everyday. That makes life miserable."

And who wants to be miserable, right?

Here are Carter and The Wiz; the audio doesn't sync with the video, giving this thing an awkward charm:

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Bills WR charged with DWI after his car hits a cop

If you're driving a car and you're intoxicated, it's a good idea to keep your car from making contact with other things. But if you absolutely have to run your car into something, that something should probably not be a police officer.

And that's where Buffalo Bills wide receiver Paul Hubbard went wrong.

Here's the very brief report from YNN in Buffalo. The good news, if there can be such a thing in a situation like this, is that no major injuries were sustained. The officer went to the hospital, was treated and released.

Hubbard, who is probably not a genius, spent most of last year with the Buffalo Bills, splitting time between the practice squad and the active roster. He was also briefly a Cincinnati Bengal, and was originally drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 2008. He played his college ball at Wisconsin.

He has one career catch for eight yards. That may end up being the high point of his career.

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Blame Canada: Rasmus to Toronto, Edwin Jackson to Cardinals

Not surprisingly, the St. Louis Cardinals granted the apparent wish of outfielder Colby Rasmus to be sent as far away from President Barack Obama manager Tony La Russa as possible. Obviously, his wearing of an Auburn cap in the above photo was the last straw, as Joe Sports Fan reported first.

What was surprising: The team that acquired the talented young outcast, and how.

Breaking the ice of Major League Baseball's trading deadline season, the Toronto Blue Jays acquired Rasmus in a three-way deal involving the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.

Going to St. Louis: Starting pitcher Edwin Jackson (via Chicago), along with relievers Octavio Dotel and Marc Rzepczynski, and outfielder Corey Patterson (all via Toronto, which also is sending three players to be named later).

Going to Chicago: Relievers Trever Miller (via St. Louis) and Jason Frasor, along with minor league pitcher Zach Stewart (both via Toronto).

Going to Toronto: (via St. Louis) Rasmus, relievers�P.J. Walters and Brian Tallet (and his mustache), along with infielder/outfielder Mark Teahen (via Chicago).

Alex Anthopoulos, you son of a gunderson. The GM of the Blue Jays practically stole Rasmus from the Cardinals, who grew tired him not living up to the production he showed in 2010, when he batted .276/.361/.498 with 23 homers.

We can thank a Tony for an assist with the trade. Either La Russa or Rasmus, Colby's dad. Pick one.

The Redbirds also seemed to grow tired of Rasmus' attitude which, some speculate, stems from the relationship with his reportedly meddling father. There's just one too many Tonys in Rasmus' life.

La Russa recently said that Rasmus "doesn't listen to coaches" ? but implied he does listen to his dad ? which is why he is prone to slumps.

Whatever his issues, Rasmus is by far the most talented player in the trade, which does address one of St. Louis' needs ? more pitching. But it comes at a huge cost, for now and for the future.

Edwin Jackson is a free agent at season's end, Dotel is 37 years old and Patterson's career has mirrored what Rasmus' might look like if he doesn't develop consistency. Rzepczynski is really hard to spell, but is left-handed.

Rasmus, conversely, is under club control for three more seasons. He turns 25 next month. His arrival is a big boon for the Blue Jays, provided they can keep his dad tangled at customs until 2014. They didn't give up nothing to get him, but they didn't give a lot.

The White Sox are cutting salary. That's it. They have to pay for Ken Williams' other mistakes somehow. It's just too bad for them they couldn't have gotten Rasmus out of the deal.

A final question: Will Rasmus take advantage of the socialized medicine available in Canada, will it affect his opinion of the current presidential administration, and might he change his T-shirt? More on this as it develops.

Follow Dave on Twitter ?�@AnswerDave ? and engage�the Stew on Facebook

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Debriefing: Michigan turns the page (preferably to two chapters ago)

The least you should know about the 2011 Wolverines. Part of Big Ten Week.

? Life is timing. It sounds like sour grapes when Rich Rodriguez says in interviews that he finally had Michigan in position to win this fall, if only he'd been given one more chance after the worst three-year stretch in Ann Arbor in 40 years. Frankly, though, on paper, it's hard to argue with him: Before Rodriguez was fired in January, his spread offense had just taken hold in a big way, he was preparing to bring back a truly veteran lineup in 2011 for the first time and was probably a new defensive coordinator away from turning the corner.

Instead, RichRod is out, Brady Hoke is in, and a "Michigan Man" gets to oversee the final stages of the journey from the tumbleweed-strewn locker room that greeted Rodriguez back in 2008. Only he's going to do it with tradition.

By pure coincidence, Hoke's arrival also coincides with the ongoing disintegration to the south, where Ohio State continues to succumb to the glare of NCAA violations and the consequences on the recruiting trail. The Buckeyes 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 still feeling particularly vindictive. If the emergency coach and/or quarterback transfer in Columbus doesn't take, OSU's eight-year winning streak in the rivalry is in jeopardy for the first time since well before anyone on Michigan's current roster set foot on campus.

? If it ain't broke... The philosophical shift on offense is a double-edged sword. On one hand, the offense gets back the Big Ten's reigning offensive player of the year at quarterback, four starting offensive linemen and virtually everyone who touched the ball for the No. 1 total offense in the conference. On the other, Hoke and offensive coordinator Al Borges seem determined to begin shifting the offense away from the shotgun/spread system in which all that returning talent came up as underclassmen and ultimately flourished.

Of course, no one flourished more than electron-quick quarterback Denard Robinson, but that was at least in part because almost no one else had the chance: "Shoelace" kept the ball himself or passed on more than 58 percent of the Wolverines' offensive snaps for the year, accounting for more than two-thirds of the team's total yards. As a runner, he averaged almost 20 carries per game, and had at least 17 carries in all but two ? and at a little under 200 pounds, also had to leave five different games for an extended period due to assorted injuries.

If there's an obvious advantage to the takeover by Borges it's his commitment to keeping Robinson healthy and in the lineup by reducing the number of hits he takes on any given weekend. Obviously, that means reducing his opportunities to run in favor of a gaggle of backs that haven't proven themselves to be a fraction of the home run threat their quarterback is. According to Borges' math, the yards Robinson yields to remain upright will be more than accounted for by his improved production as a passer. But can he force defenses to respect his arm without paralyzing them with the ever-present threat of his legs?

? Fix it. Please fix it. Like Borges, new defensive coordinator Greg Mattison inherits a lot of vets ?�eight guys are back with significant starting experience, all of them beginning their third or fourth year on campus ?�but he only wishes he was confronted with how to handle a proven game-changer. Not surprisingly given their wretched numbers, the Wolverine D was shut out by league coaches when it came to first-team All-Big Ten voting, and only put one player (defensive tackle Mike Martin) on the second team.

Aside from Robinson, the defensive line looks like the strength of the team, mostly thanks to Martin and defensive end Craig Roh. But a big part of its success in improving its rock-bottom numbers against the run will also hinge on William Campbell, a 6-foot-5, 330-pound behemoth who's getting one more chance to justify the five-star hype at defensive tackle after two years on the bench. Campbell was so uninspiring in his initial go-round on defense that the old staff converted him to offense, but woeful depth on the D-line doesn't give the new staff much choice. If he can hold down the role of the wide-bodied run-stuffer in the middle, it will allow Martin to play to his strengths as a quick, slashing rusher and finally give the linebackers a chance to get to ball carriers before they're engulfed by blockers at the second level.

? Plugging the leaks. As bad as the defenses were ?�and man, they were bad ?�Rodriguez was equally undone by the classic measures of bad teams: Turnovers and special teams. Michigan finished dead last in the Big Ten in turnover margin all three years of Rodriguez's tenure (an incredible feat, considering that turnovers tend to be fairly random over time), and was so hopelessly inept on field goals in 2010 that the offense was basically resigned to going for it from anywhere more than 25 yards out.

Again, the combination of experience on offense and the law of averages suggests the turnover margin should radically improve. And while neither experience nor the law of average will help the dismal placekicking situation, incoming freshman Matt Wille may have a shot. If so, the offense should be able to capitalize on enough scoring opportunities to keep output in the 30-points-per-game range, even if the total yardage takes a hit.

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

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Third to none: Betemit makes hilariously ugly throw in Tigers debut

The Detroit Tigers added Wilson Betemit for his bat. Any awesomely awkward throws he might make on defense are just a bonus.

Betemit, acquired from Kansas City in a trade earlier this week, went 1 for 4 with a run scored in his Tigers debut Thursday night, a 6-2 victory at Minnesota. He needs only one more hit in July to equal the monthly total for Brandon Inge, the man he is replacing. So, that's the good.

The bad: He's already a leader in the Tigers clubhouse for ugliest play of the season.

Playing third base, Betemit nearly hit pitcher Phil Coke ? who rightly was ducking out of the way ? on a bungled throw to first base after Danny Valencia's slow roller in the ninth.

After nearly tripping over the bag, Betemit appeared to lose his grip on the ball, but tried throwing anyway. His effort got nowhere near Miguel Cabrera at first. Instead, it humorously rolled all of the way to the fence in front of the Twins dugout for an error that allowed a run to score.

Watch Betemit lose his grip

The best view of the play is, of course, via animated loop to be watched over and over. Yankees fan @richardiurilli ? who certainly has fond memories of Betemit when he played with the Bronx Bombers ? made a GIF and gives it to us all as a gift.

The laughing announcer on video is Twins analyst Roy Smalley, himself a former major league infielder, who's right to say that Betemit will get tons of grief from his teammates for the worm-killing throw. It's already happening, actually.

Note the look on Coke's face afterward:

Ginger grin for the win. Betemit sure made an unintentionally funny first impression. Just remember, Coke must be saying to himself: He is here for his bat.

Follow Dave on Twitter ?�@AnswerDave ? and engage�the Stew on Facebook

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Andrew Bynum parked in a handicapped spot. Come on, Andrew Bynum

It's hard to comprehend the line of thinking that allows for you to tell yourself that it's OK to drive up to and park in an open handicapped spot when you are the picture of full physical health. And once you get past the obvious joke behind Andrew Bynum and his wobbly knees being far from the picture of full physical health, you can go ahead and call Bynum whatever curse word you feel appropriate, as he apparently was caught parking in a handicapped spot in Los Angeles recently.

Unlike the local Los Angeles NBC affiliate, which is promising to blow this major, life-changing story wide open, this probably isn't worth a single second of local TV airspace. But it is worth a post on this and any other site that wants to follow up if only to ask ? seriously, Andrew?

Seriously, guy? Not cool for those of us driving a Corolla with a broken roof. Certainly not cool for you in your straight-six BMW, making $14 million a year (before 2011-12's lockout, of course), with a body that allows you to run up and down a basketball court and reverse-dunk a basketball with your eyes closed.

(See videos of Bynum's parking job after the jump)

Break the speed limit by 10 percent of the speed limit. Ignore those little arrows that shopping centers paint on the blacktop that tell you where to go. Take two straws (one for your drink, and one to chew on) with your drink at the gas station. Take a penny, but never give back a penny. We don't care.

Don't park in handicapped spots. I don't care how much of your career you spent in a wheelchair, don't do it.

Now, everyone boo and hiss.

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What to make of Hideki Matsui?s 500th career home run?

Oakland Athletics slugger Hideki Matsui hit the 500th home run of his career on Wednesday night, a feat that likely garnered big headlines in Japan and left the rest of us wondering what to think of the combined milestone.

Matsui's blast, a solo shot off Detroit's Duane Below, was his 168th homer over nine years in Major League Baseball. Combined with the 332 he hit for the Yomiuri Giants over 10 Japanese seasons and you get the large number that we used to get googly eyed over before the steroid era.

That Matsui was even on the brink of 500 home runs probably comes as news to those who don't follow the A's on a regular basis. Heck, it certainly did to me.

So are all homers equal? How do we process a familiar number reached through play in two different hemispheres? What's the conversion rate for Matsui homers, if any?

C. Trent Rosecrans of CBS Sports addresses those questions in the best take I've seen:

There are differences. The ballparks in Japan are smaller, the ball is slightly different, the pitchers are different and the season is shorter. But still, 500 is a lot of home runs, even if you're in Little League. He was never quite the same feared power hitter here that he was in Japan, but he did produce for many years and has been a good big leaguer, adjusting his game to his new surroundings.

Indeed, as many of Matsui's teammates pointed out, the No. 500 signifies a great baseball career, no matter where they were hit. They might not cause us to demand that Matsui be listed near the Mickey Mantles and Mike Schmidts of the world ? they shouldn't ? but they're certainly worthy of a moment of our applause.

And, really, what are our large, round numbers if not an arbitrary excuse to celebrate a fantastic and lengthy career? We all took note when Ichiro notched his 3,000th career hit back in 2008 and now we're taking a moment to celebrate the second-best Japanese-born hitter in MLB history. (Interesting stat: Matsui's 17.2 WAR in MLB ranks way behind Ichiro's 53.6, but also far ahead of the next-best Japanese-born position player ? Dave Roberts! ? with 10.2)

But when all is said and done, his "500th" will be way down on the list of Matsui's notable achievements, an order that will be led with his monster MVP effort in the 2009 World Series, his performance in the face of arthritic knees and intense media pressure and, hands down, history's greatest media introduction to a mate.

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A One-Night-Only Scrubtacular!

Hello friends! I?ve brought something special today. HoopSpeak Live producer and Outside the NBA head honcho James Herbert and I bring forth a collaboration. It?s an idea we?ve had and shelved for months. We hope you enjoy it. Nostalgia is a curious thing. What we choose to remember says a lot about us. Grand memories [...]

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