New York Yankees Alex Rodriguez will receive the harshest penalty and be
suspended through the end of the 2014 season. Reports indicate A-Rod will
appeal the suspension which will make him eligible to play during the process.

According to Steve Mikkelson, oddsmaker at the Atlantis Reno, Nelson Cruz,
the All-Star outfielder of the Texas Rangers, is the only player with any real
value to moneylines and totals.

"I think that without question, the Rangers are impacted the most,"
"That's a big bat in the middle of that Ranger lineup that is worth about three
or four cents to the moneyline. You'll also see totals come down a little bit as
well."

Cruz was batting .269 with 27 homers and 76 RBIs prior to the suspension.

As for Rodriguez, the oddsmaker doesn't see much impact.

"ARod is done," Mikkelson states. "I don't think it will have a big effect on the
Yankees. It will be more of a media circus on the ball club than anything."

Also suspended was Detroit Tigers SS Jhonny Peralta.

"I don't think Peralta is a real factor," Mikkelson stated.
"They went out and got Jose Iglesias who is a much better fielder and that will
certainly aid Cabrera defensively. Cabrera can't cover anything out there and
Iglesias is a better defensive option than Peralta. Detroit will hit with or
without Peralta in the lineup."

Young San Diego Padres shortstop Everth Cabrera was also given a 50-game
suspension by MLB.

"I'm not convinced by Cabrera yet," Mikkelson added. "He's a table setter, he
gets on base and he's got a really good glove, but he's not a game changer."

Other players that have agreed to suspensions are:

Antonio Bastardo, Philadelphia Phillies reliever
Jordany Valdespin, New York Mets outfielder
Francisco Cervelli, Yankees catcher
Jesus Montero, Seattle Mariners catcher
Cesar Puello, New York Mets outfield prospect
Fautino De Los Santos, San Diego Padres pitching prospect
Sergio Escalona, Houston Astros pitching prospect
Fernando Martinez, New York Yankees outfield prospect
Jordan Norberto, free-agent pitcher

With Tony Romo and the majority of starters sitting out Sunday's preseason
opener, the things that mattered most to the Dallas Cowboys was the performance
of their young players and the adherence to the points of emphasis the team has
focused on since the start of training camp.

Consider the 24-20 victory over the Miami Dolphins in the Hall of Fame Game at
Fawcett Field a huge success in terms of the Cowboys' mission to force more
turnovers and run the ball better and more this season.

The Cowboys jumped to a 17-0 lead, thanks to 97 rushing yards on 17
carries in the first half, including 10 rushes for 59 yards and a touchdown by
Phillip Tanner and two forced turnovers that led to two touchdowns. The second
touchdown came on a 75-yard interception return for a score by rookie linebacker
DeVonte Holloman.      

"Turnovers were the name of the game in the first half. We took
the ball away from them on their first offensive play and went down and had a
real short drive inside the 10," Cowboys coach Jason Garrett said. "The
interception by Holloman for a touchdown was a big play in the game. I thought
we ran it pretty well and the defense played pretty well situationally."

The success on the ground was huge for a Cowboys offense that was the
worst in team history last season in terms of rushing yards and rushing
attempts.

Certainly, the absence of quarterback Romo and starting receivers Dez
Bryant and Miles Austin as well as Pro Bowl tight end Jason Witten made a huge
difference in the play-calling. Still, not only did the Cowboys run it more than
they passed in the first half - 17 rushes to 10 attempts - but they had
tremendous success doing it without starter DeMarco Murray.

Tanner set the tone with his effort, namely his two tackle-breaking runs
of 17 yards. But he wasn't alone. All the Cowboys backs ran well.

Lance Dunbar opened the game as the starting running back, rushing four
times for 22 yards. And rookie Joseph Randle, who was considered the favorite to
be the backup to Murray, showed he wasn't going to be left behind with three
carries for 16 yards in the first half.

Randle also added eight carries for 48 yards in the third quarter alone
to finish with 13 carries for 70 yards to lead all rushers.

Undrafted rookie free agent Kendial Lawrence added a 7-yard touchdown
run.

"Just coming out here and making the best of every opportunity," Tanner
said. "Coach Garrett preaches that to us all the time, whether it is one play or
100 plays, make the best of every snap."

The highlights of the night were the turnovers on defense.

The Cowboys recorded a paltry 16 in 16 games last season and it was one
reason the Cowboys fired defensive coordinator Rob Ryan and made the change from
the 3-4 to the 4-3 scheme under new defensive chief Monte Kiffin.

Kiffin, along with defensive line coach Rod Marinelli, have a history of
forcing turnovers in the famed Tampa Two scheme. They have harped on going after
the ball and returning it for touchdowns since the start of the off -season
program.

Their messages came across loud and clear against the Dolphins, even
without defensive stalwarts such as DeMarcus Ware, Sean Lee and Bruce Carter.
Linebacker Justin Durant was the only defensive starter who played against the
Dolphins, and he was just out there for a series.

The Cowboys took advantage of a poor handoff from quarterback Ryan
Tannehill on Miami's first offensive play. Defensive tackle Nick Hayden
recovered the ball on the 9-yard line, leading to Tanner's 1-yard run.

After the Cowboys went up 10-0 on a 49-yard field goal by Dan Bailey,
Holloman made it 17-0 with his pick six.

A pass from Matt Moore tipped off the hands of receiver Chad Bumphus and
the seventh-round pick from South Carolina showed the playmaking skills of a
former safety. He took the ball out of the air facing the Dolphins, reversed
direction and romped 75 yards to the end zone, while fending off a hard-charging
Moore with a stiff arm. 

Los Angeles (08/04/2013) - When a pair of two-time defending champions in their respective leagues met at Dodger Stadium, even the Los Angeles Galaxy were a bit surprised to come out on top of mighty Juventus.

Landon Donovan scored the tiebreaking goal on a pass from Robbie Keane in the 60th minute, and the Galaxy beat Juventus 3-1 Saturday night in the International Champions Cup tournament.



Nobody from the Galaxy ascribed much importance to the result, but the Galaxy's fans got extra enjoyment from their club's first appearance at Dodger Stadium, the venerable 51-year-old Southern California landmark.

''Our team played well, (but) the result isn't going to change anything in this world,'' Los Angeles coach Bruce Arena said. ''We played well against a very good team, but we understand it's an exhibition. I don't want to play them when
it really counts.''

Although the rest of the tournament schedule hasn't been announced, Los Angeles is expected to play in the third-place game in Miami on Wednesday night, likely against the loser of Chelsea's match with AC Milan on Sunday outside New York.

Do you think their dreamlike winning streak will continue? Tell us your thoughts in the comments and call (877) 251-3289 to place a wager.

Bringing back the USA's best player, who
started his career with the New England Revolution before joining Fulham, is quite the "get" for MLS. It will be interesting to hear what changed for Dempsey
in the last 12 months to bring him back to the league after seeming so focused on rising to new heights in Europe and if he plans on returning to Europe on
short offseason loans like Landon Donovan has done with Everton in years past before needing to take an extended break from the game.

When the U.S. played Panama in Seattle in June, Dempsey was very impressed with the huge crowds and passion for the game in the city.


From News Tribune:

"I’m good friends with [Seattle striker] Eddie Johnson and he always tells me
about what it’s like playing here in front of these fans. It’s an atmosphere
that’s comparable to playing in Europe. It’s crazy to see because when I first
started out in MLS, things weren’t like that, so it’s great to see that the game
is building. People have so much passion for the game. I almost felt like I was
in another country the other day when the Seattle Sounders game was on. I was
walking to eat dinner, and just as I was walking past the bar, the TV was on and
everybody was watching soccer. For me that was awesome."

So how good is Mr. Clint Dempsey? Well he is considered the best US player.
Dempsey has the ability to dribble with the ball, albeit in a rough, somewhat
out of control manner. He can score from distance. He positions himself so he
can poke it in from a couple of yards. He can play on the wing, in central
midfield or as a striker, with or without a partner. There is a strong argument
that he was the best at heading the ball in the Premier League.

We continue our series on pro athletes who dare to switch sports after we recently spotted another NBA all-star Steve Nash trying out for soccer.

Asked a hypothetical question about James' potential if he opted to focus on football, Dez Bryant enthusiastically discussed why he thinks the 6-foot-8, 250-pound Miami Heat star could be an impact player as an NFL tight end or receiver.

"That dude is just that talented," said Bryant, who is coming off a breakout
season of 92 catches for 1,382 yards and 12 touchdowns. "I think it would take
him probably about a good two weeks to get very acquainted with football,
knowing what he's supposed to do. I think that's all he'd need with his physical
ability.

"I've seen a little bit of his highlights from high school. He's got the
hands, he can run the routes, he's fast enough. He could play in this league if
he put it all together."

James, who calls himself a die-hard Cowboys fan, starred as a receiver at St.
Vincent-St. Mary's in Akron, Ohio, before giving up the sport as a high school
senior. That seems to have been a wise decision, considering that the
28-year-old James has four regular-season MVPs and two NBA Finals MVPs as he
nears the middle of his prime.

But Bryant sees James' combination of height, power, hands, speed and leaping
ability and sees a potentially major problem for NFL defenses, especially in the
end zone.

"All he'd need to do is probably work on a little technique," Bryant said.
"It's not like he's never played football before. He has played football. I
think he'd be a beast in the red zone. I think he could do it. I think he could
do it, seriously."

In terms of the NBA, the Cowboys had another star at camp Thursday. 

Los Angeles Clippers point Chris Paul visited Cowboys camp and called it
"one of the highlights of my life ..."

Paul is a die-hard fan who actually seems proud of the fact that he slept on
Cowboys sheets while in college at Wake Forest.

"I'm like a little kid," Paul told reporters at the end of practice. "I've
done a lot of good things in my career, but this is one of the highlights of my
life. These guys probably have no clue what it means to me. I used to act like I
was Ken Norton in the backyard playing middle linebacker."

The Los Angeles Lakers guard had a ‘try out’ with elite Italian soccer team Inter Milan Tuesday in New Jersey as the team prepared for the first ever Guinness International Champions Cup. The  nine-day bracket-format tournament starts Wednesday in several U.S. cities and also features other top international teams including AC Milan, Chelsea FC, Everton, Juventus, LA Galaxy, Real Madrid and Valencia.

This story brings back all of the other great Athletes who tries to play more than one Sport. Michael Jordan playing Baseball or who can forget Bo Jackson playing 3 Sports?



“[The tryout] was kind of tongue-in-cheek,” Nash told For The Win. “The coach
was kind enough to let me get out there for a bit. They’re preparing for the season
and the Guinness Cup. It’s not ideal preparation to have a stranger walk on the
Sfield. They were really gracious and gave me the time of my life.”

Fortunately for Lakers fans, Steve Nash didn’t make the cut.

Nash, a part-owner of the MLS’ Vancouver Whitecaps, also sponsors an
annual charity soccer game in June to raise money for underprivileged children.
Between those experiences and his practice with Inter Milan, he seems to be in
awe of the elite players he’s scrimmaged with.

“Their level of skill, athleticism, understanding of the game and speed of
thought and ability is incredibly honed and phenomenal to experience,” Nash
said.

The same could be said about the two-time NBA MVP on a basketball court,
although he hasn’t had much time on one this summer, spending most of his off
months rehabbing from an array of hamstring, hip and back injuries that plagued
him at the end of last season.

“I’m not 100 percent but I’m getting really close and getting better all the
time,” Nash said.  ”I’ve done a lot of work and feeling positive and
optimistic.”

He’ll return to a Lakers team that no longer has Dwight Howard and faces
injury questions with fellow aging stars Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol. The
39-year-old Nash, who has two seasons remaining on his contract with the team,
seems to realize his window to win his first NBA title is closing.

“I definitely want to win a championship but it’s not going to define my
career,” Nash said. “If I get the opportunity that’ll be fantastic and it’s part
of the motivation to keep playing, but I also feel like there’s a lot of other
reward in playing.  I still enjoy being a teammate and competing against
the best players in the world.”

The Detroit Tigers already acquired Jose Iglesias from the Red Sox to fill in during Jhonny Peralta's upcoming suspension. The Rangers are preparing for life without Nelson Cruz based on their targets. The Yankees are in the same boat with Alex Rodriguez. And according to Jeff Passan, there are several major league players the public doesn't know about that will soon be suspended, and those teams will be forced to react accordingly if it could jeopardize their playoff chances.

It seems like all baseball news has been overshadowed by the looming Biogenesis suspensions and the circus that is Alex Rodriguez‘s, Major League Baseball’s and the New York Yankees’ public feud. Indeed, as this week began it appeared as though today’s trade deadline would be a mere afterthought. Or, if not an afterthought, that it would be subservient to the Biogenesis drama, with teams looking to desperately cover for players they will lose to suspension.


Things have calmed down considerably in the past 24, hours, however.

For one thing, one of the teams that stood to be most adversely affected by
Biogenesis suspensions — the Tigers, who will almost certainly lose Jhonny
Peralta — filled their imminent shortstop hole with Jose Iglesias from the Red Sox.
That, combined with the news that baseball is not likely to suspend Bartolo Colon
due to him already having been punished for taking the substances he received
from Biogenesis means that only one team currently in the playoff hunt stands to
lose a significant player. That being the Texas Rangers and Nelson Cruz, according
to multiple reports. Other players named in multiple reports include the Padres’
Everth Cabrera, whose team is not in contention, and Yankees catcher Francisco Cervelli,
who is on the 60-day DL with a broken hand. Ryan Braun was suspended for the
remainder of the season, but with his team far from contention, it’s unlikely the Brewers
were going to do anything but sell anyways.


For another — and maybe I’m just imagining this — Major League Baseball
appears to be settling on Friday as D-Day in the Biogenesis mess. Last night
Jeff Passan of Yahoo! reported that the timeframe would be “within the next
72 hours” — a report that was later confirmed by multiple sources — as opposed
to dropping their bomb at or around today’s 4 p.m. ET trade deadline. Maybe this
is a matter of MLB still having work to do before issuing suspensions. Maybe it’s
a matter of the league wanting to bury bad news on a Friday afternoon like politicians
so often do. But maybe — just maybe — it’s a matter of MLB appreciating that the trade
deadline chatter and commentary is pretty good for its brand and deciding to let
that stuff have the limelight today.


The addition of a second wild card in each league also could be depressing
trade activity, because teams are hesitant to sell while they still are in
contention. Teams still need to sell tickets for the stretch run, and
surrendering before August is no way to do that. Besides, there’s always the
chance that a club goes on a late-season run.


MLB commended Braun for taking responsibility for his actions and said it
wanted to resolve this issue, but otherwise has been publicly silent about the
Biogenesis suspensions. Rodriguez’s attorney, David Cornwell, said in a
radio interview this week that his client planned to fight the suspension.


“When the time comes and baseball does whatever it is going to do, then I
will sit down with Alex and talk to him about the process of the appeal, filing
the appeal and going in and presenting our best evidence that we have — and we
think we have good evidence — to defend his interest, to protect him. That’s
what I expect to be doing,” Cornwell told Stephen A. Smith, who was hosting the
Michael Kay Show.


Rodriguez will always dominate the news, especially in New York. A-Rod would
lead New York sports news for years even if he joined a religious sect that had
him swear off sports, public appearances and money. He’s always the story in
Gotham. But outside of that crazy media environment trades and playoff races
seem to have been thrust to the fore last night and today.


Maybe Major League Baseball will fall back on old bad-P.R. habits and drop
it’s bad news bombs after lunch today. But for now it seems pretty darn
refreshing that we can focus on what’s truly good about baseball than what is,
quite frankly, a major, major drag.


Biogenesis is the dark cloud hanging ominously over baseball that simply won't
go away, but with clarity will also come complications for many contenders. We may
get a good look at how those contenders plan on dealing with their complications in
the next 24 hours.

Peterson, 28, rushed for 2,097 yards last season, eight yards fewer than Eric Dickerson's single-season rushing record of 2,105. His goal for this season is to reach 2,500 yards. 

As for Emmitt Smith's mark of 18,355 yards, Peterson told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that he can get there by Week 16 of the 2017 season, well ahead of his current pace of Week 4 of 2019. 

Peterson currently has 8,849 yards. By his estimate, he would need to average 120.3 yards per game over a 79-game span to collect the 9,507 yards needed. 

"Whoo. That's pushing it, huh? But hey, pushing it is the only way to do it. You know it," he told the Star-Tribune.