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Packers president meets with Favre and his agent
Green Bay Packers president Mark Murphy traveled to Mississippi to meet with quarterback Brett Favre and his agent James "Bus" Cook on Wednesday, in an apparent attempt to talk Favre out of reporting to camp later this week.
Packers coach Mike McCarthy would not discuss the nature of the discussions after practice Wednesday morning.
"I really don't have any thoughts as far as Mark Murphy going to Mississippi," McCarthy said. "That's something you're going to have to ask Mark about. I'm not involved in the specifics of it. I really have no information for you."
The Green Bay Press-Gazette reported on its Web site Tuesday night that Murphy flew to Mississippi in hopes of talking Favre out of reporting to camp, a situation with the potential to cause a major distraction to a team that committed to moving on after Favre retired in March. Murphy declined comment to a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reporter at the Green Bay airport before his flight left Tuesday night.
It was not clear whether Murphy would speak to reporters after he returned from Mississippi.
Nearly five months after his tearful retirement news conference in March, Favre filed for reinstatement with the NFL on Tuesday. He is awaiting approval from commissioner Roger Goodell, which could come as early as Wednesday.
Once he is reinstated, a step considered a formality, the Packers will have 24 hours to decide whether to release him or return him to their active roster. The team has ruled out releasing Favre, fearing he would immediately sign with division rival Minnesota.
The Packers also could trade Favre, although no deal appeared imminent. The Packers hold Favre's rights until his contract expires after the 2010 season.
Despite the apparent nature of Murphy's trip, McCarthy reiterated Wednesday that Favre "absolutely" was still welcome in Packers camp. Team officials have made it clear, both publicly and to Favre, that he would no longer be the starter if he returned to the team.
"I've said it, and I'll just say it again: He was a big part of our history, and he can reinstate, come here and be part of our future," McCarthy said.
McCarthy acknowledged that the ongoing Favre saga puts Aaron Rodgers in a unique situation, but said Rodgers is handling the situation well. Rodgers has been solid in his first few days of camp, although the Packers' defense seems to be ahead of the offense in the first week of camp.
Packers defensive end Aaron Kampman, a close friend of Rodgers and the quarterback's roommate in training camp, said Rodgers is a "tough guy" who will only get tougher under scrutiny.
"He's a grown man," Kampman said. "He's handling it very well. He's done tremendous. I think he continues to validate he's got some special stuff inside of him."
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Hermida's pinch-hit homer lifts Marlins past Cubs
Jeremy Hermida hit a pinch-hit home run to lead off the ninth inning to help the Florida Marlins to a 3-2 win over the Chicago Cubs on Friday.
Justin Miller (3-2) earned the win by getting the final two outs in the eighth inning, and Kevin Gregg earned his 21st save by pitching a perfect ninth.
Bobby Howry (3-4) entered in the ninth and took the loss, after Hermida's home run on a 3-2 pitch. Geovany Soto and Reed Johnson hit solo homers for the Cubs, who fell to 3-5 since the All-Star break.
Chicago's Jeff Samardzija, the former Notre Dame football star, made his major league debut after being called up from Triple-A Iowa before the game.
Samardzija came in to protect a 2-1 lead in the seventh, but couldn't hold it.
With two outs, Jorge Cantu doubled in Hanley Ramirez to tie the score, but Samardzija avoided any further damage by getting Mike Jacobs to pop up to second baseman Mike Fontenot.
His second inning went smoother, as he retired the side in order. He ended up allowing one run and two hits with two strikeouts in two innings.
Samardzija received a standing ovation — his first of many — when he took the mound, and the crowd cheered when he struck out pinch-hitter Alfredo Amezaga to lead off the seventh.
While he showed some wildness — badly missing Soto on a pitch out — he also displayed a fastball that was clocked at 99 mph on the stadium radar gun.
Cubs starter Ryan Dempster tired during a hot day at Wrigley.
Dempster opened the second inning by hitting Dan Uggla, who had been hitless in his previous 13 at-bats. Josh Willingham made Dempster pay by doubling to right-center field to score Uggla.
Dempster allowed two hits and struck out six, but walked a season-high six in six innings. In the fifth, Dempster got the first two men out before walking the bases loaded. He then struck out Uggla to get out of the jam.
Florida starter Josh Johnson also tired in his third start of the season after undergoing elbow surgery on Aug. 3.
Johnson overpowered the Cubs early, striking out four of the first five batters before Soto hit his 17th home run of the season in the second inning.
Johnson matched a career high with eight strikeouts in 5 1-3 innings. He gave up two runs and seven hits with three walks.
Reed Johnson homered in the fifth to break a 1-all tie. The Cubs were in position to score more in the inning with Alfonso Soriano on second and Ryan Theriot on first, but Soriano was thrown out at the plate by Willingham on a Derrek Lee single to left field to end the inning.
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Halladay completes Blue Jays' 'sweep' of Orioles
Roy Halladay scattered seven hits over seven innings, leading Toronto over the Baltimore Orioles 7-1 Thursday after the Blue Jays won a game suspended one night earlier.
In the suspended game, halted by rain in the sixth inning Wednesday, a strong performance by Toronto's bullpen preserved a 5-1 victory for A.J. Burnett.
Halladay (12-7) allowed one run, struck out six and walked one. The right-hander took over the major league lead in innings pitched (159 1-3) and lowered his ERA to 2.82.
Halladay is 18-4 lifetime against the Orioles, who fell a season-worst five games under .500 (48-53).
Adam Lind and Marco Scutaro each had three hits and scored twice for the Blue Jays, who won three of four from Baltimore after losing their previous seven series on the road.
Toronto built a 7-0 lead in the sixth inning against Daniel Cabrera (6-6), who was lifted after giving up a season-high seven earned runs and 11 hits. Cabrera is 1-5 in 12 starts since May 20.
After a wild pitch by Cabrera and an RBI single by Lyle Overbay made it 2-0 in the third, Brad Wilkerson hit a run-scoring single in the fourth. Overbay added a sacrifice fly in the fifth, and a two-run single by Gregg Zaun chased Cabrera during a three-run sixth. Zaun's hit snapped an 0-for-19 skid.
Baltimore got its lone run in the bottom half on a sacrifice fly by Luke Scott. The Orioles went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position.
In the earlier game, Burnett (11-9) gave up one run and six hits, striking out seven, in five innings Wednesday night. The Blue Jays took a 2-1 lead in the top of the sixth before play was suspended by a thunderstorm.
The game resumed with Burnett watching in the dugout. Jesse Carlson started the sixth and got four straight outs, Shawn Camp retired the only two batters he faced to end the seventh and Scott Downs finished with two innings of two-hit ball.
"Let's thank the bullpen," Burnett said. "They came out and finished out what I started from the get-go."
When play resumed, Lance Cormier replaced Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie (6-8) and retired Scott Rolen on a comebacker with Overbay on third base.
Overbay singled in the tiebreaking run earlier in the inning, shortly before rain ultimately rendered the field unplayable.
The loss was Guthrie's first in seven starts since June 12. The right-hander was 3-0 in that span.
Toronto pulled away with three unearned runs in the eighth. With the bases loaded and one out, Kevin Millar fielded a grounder to first and threw wildly to the plate, allowing two runs to score. John McDonald followed with a sacrifice fly.
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Alex Rodriguez signs with William Morris agency
Alex Rodriguez signed another big-league contract, joining the William Morris Agency in an attempt to extend his brand beyond the baseball diamond
The New York Yankees slugger signed with the powerhouse talent agency in Beverly Hills, Calif., and becomes part of a client list that includes some of the biggest names in sports, entertainment and business.
"Partnering with William Morris will enable me to broaden the scope of my career in creative and innovative ways," Rodriguez said in a statement. "I'm excited to see what we will be able to accomplish together, both domestically and abroad."
Dave Wirtschafter, president of William Morris Agency, called Rodriguez "one of the world's most iconic athletes whose personality transcends sports."
"In the baseball world, Alex is synonymous with success," he said in a statement Tuesday. "Our job will be to extend that success beyond the field to other opportunities."
The deal, which was first reported by The Wall Street Journal, was completed this month and set up by Rodriguez's manager, Guy Oseary, a music business mogul who has worked closely with William Morris.
Among the star athletes handled by William Morris are Dwyane Wade, Serena Williams and Kevin Garnett. The agency represents such movie stars as Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe.
Rodriguez's decision to join William Morris comes at a time when he is now a staple of celebrity gossip. His wife has filed for divorce and his relationship with Madonna has generated blaring tabloid headlines and daily fodder for talk-show radio. Media reports linked Rodriguez and the pop star, but each denied a romantic relationship.
The 32-year-old third baseman is a three-time MVP who has hit 539 home runs and is on pace to pass Barry Bonds on the career list.
Rodriguez is drawing a major league-high $27 million salary this year and last December signed a record $275 million, 10-year contract with New York. The deal that allows him to make up to $305 million if he reaches certain milestones.
"Surrounding Alex with the right team is imperative to reaching our goals," Oseary said. "We are delighted to have William Morris as a part of our team."
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Ferguson gives Ronaldo some fatherly advice over Real move
Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has claimed that Cristiano Ronaldo would be doing the 'worst thing' for his career if he succeeding in engineering a move from Old Trafford to Real Madrid.
The 23-year-old Portuguese forward once again refused to rule out a move to the Spanish champions over the weekend, despite Ferguson's insistence last Friday that he would not be leaving Old Trafford.
But Ferguson, in Durban ahead of United's friendly clash with Orlando Pirates on Tuesday, insisted again that Ronaldo will be staying at United.
And he also warned the player that Madrid is the last place he should be attempting to move to.
Ferguson said: "If you were asked for advice by your son, you would give him the best advice and the worst thing Ronaldo could do at the age of 23 is to go to Real Madrid.
"He is at the right club and a fantastic football club and the future is that he has signed a five-year contract and has four years left. That's definite because I have seen his signature.
"In the modern-day, young lads can be twisted by the talk of money, but if you saw Ronaldo after the Champions League final, he was the happiest boy in the world. I genuinely believe that I know what the best club in the world is for him and that is Manchester United.
"When you have young players, you want the best for them and you want to do the best for them."
United midfielder Michael Carrick has urged Ronaldo to think again about his future after insisting United are on the verge of more glory.
Carrick said: "The best thing I have done is to come here (from Spurs). For me it is a no-brainer.
"Everything that surrounds the club is moving in the right direction and we want to build on that, but we have to use what we have achieved. We drive ourselves on and we expect so much of each other.
"People from outside have nothing to do with us but we know what we are capable of and that means more European Cups and Championships."
Ferguson remains in the hunt for Spurs hitman Dimitar Berbatov, despite Tottenham's attempts to keep the Bulgarian at White Hart Lane.
But the United boss admits that adding new blood to his squad is not easy, despite last season's Champions League win.
He said: "We did a lot of stocking up last summer, buying four players of good ages as part of a policy of bringing in footballers who could develop and we think there is further progress there.
"I had 23 players in Moscow and they will still be there for this season because we are happy with the squad.
"It is difficult for us to buy and improve on that because we know why clubs don't want to sell their best players and we don't either."
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Alexander Hleb signs for Barcelona
Belarus international midfielder Alexander Hleb signed for Catalan giants Barcelona from English Premiership side Arsenal for 15million euros on Wednesday on a four year contract which will see him team up again with another former Gunner in Thierry Henry.
The move could cost another 2million euros depending on the player's performances whilst should he wish to leave before his contract ends it would cost the club wishing to buy him 90million euros.
"I love this club (Barcelona)" said Hleb, who joined Arsenal from VfB Stuttgart for 11.2million pounds in 2005.
"I spoke with (coach Josep) Guardiola and it was very important for me to learn how much he wanted me.
"I will give my best for this team and I want to win everything with Barca," added Hleb, who scored 10 times in 130 Premiership appearances for Arsenal.
Hleb's departure from Arsenal follows that of fellow midfielder Frenchman Mathieu Flamini, who signed for AC Milan earlier this summer, and is likely to be followed by that of 2002 World Cup winning midfielder Gilberto Silva, who is slated for a move to Greek outfit Panathinaikos.
Arsenal have moved to fill one of those gaps by signing French international Samir Nasri from Marseille.
Barcelona - who have gone two seasons without silverware which led to Frank Rijkaard being sacked and replaced by Guardiola for this season - have sold Portuguese international Deco and on Tuesday two-time world player of the year Ronaldinho.
However, Hleb is their fifth signing of the summer, as he follows Malian Seydou Keita from FC Sevilla and three defenders, Spaniard Gerard Pique from Manchester United, Uruguay's Martin Caceres (Villarreal) and highly-rated Brazilian Daniel Alves also from Sevilla.
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Barcelona and AC Milan hold talks over football star Ronaldinho
Barcelona and AC Milan officials held talks Tuesday over the transfer of Brazilian star Ronaldinho from the Spanish side, Barcelona board member Rafael Yuste said.
"We are still holding talks and nothing has been concluded. We are relaxed because we have two offers," he told reporters as he left a lunch attended by board members from the two clubs in the Catalan capital.
"We are under no pressure. Our desire is to find a solution for Ronaldinho. Maybe in a few hours there will be no more doubts."
Italian media reported Tuesday that AC Milan are close to completing the signing of the 28-year-old.
The Gazzetta dello Sport reported on their website that Milan will pay Barcelona 18.5 million euros (29.5 million dollars) for Ronaldinho with the figure likely to be increased by performance-related bonuses.
Barcelona have also received a 32-million-euro offer for the two-time world player of the year from English Premiership side Manchester City, the club's president Joan Laporta said Monday.
Ronaldinho, who was deemed surplus by Barcelona's new coach Pep Guardiola following a dip in form last season, reportedly favours a move to the Italian side.
He scored 70 goals in 145 appearances for Barcelona.
Barcelona said Monday that it was giving Ronaldinho "two or three days" to finalise his transfer to one of the clubs which have shown an interest in signing him.
"If the operation cannot be confirmed in this time the player will rejoin squad training," it said in a statement posted on its website.
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NC State coach Lowe's son pleads guilty in robbery
The son of North Carolina State basketball coach Sidney Lowe pleaded guilty on Monday to dozens of charges connected to a March 2007 armed robbery.
A sentencing hearing for Sidney Lowe II began Monday and is expected to end Tuesday in Guilford County Superior Court.
Defense lawyer Joe Cheshire said his client was "completely remorseful."
Lowe entered guilty pleas to six counts each of robbery with a dangerous weapon and kidnapping, possession of a weapon on educational property, possession with intent to sell and deliver marijuana and possession of ecstasy under a plea agreement.
The 23-year-old Lowe also entered a plea to a conspiracy to commit armed robbery charge from a shooting at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. The plea means he doesn't admit guilt but says the state has enough evidence to convict him.
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Packers GM, coach say no to Favre's release
The Green Bay Packers' general manager and coach don't plan to grant Brett Favre's request for his release. If he does rejoin the team, they told The Associated Press, it won't be as the starting quarterback.
And Favre is unlikely to accept a backup role, GM Ted Thompson and coach Mike McCarthy acknowledged Saturday in their first public comments since the 38-year-old Favre demanded his release this week.
A trade may be the best resolution, but Thompson and McCarthy declined to discuss that possibility. Thompson said he had not received any inquiries from other teams as of Saturday morning.
"We've communicated that to Brett, that we have since moved forward," Thompson said. "At the same time, we've never said that there couldn't be some role that he might play here. But I would understand his point that he would want to play."
When asked whether that role might be as a backup or coach, Thompson said: "not a coach."
Added McCarthy: "He did ask about that, though."
Favre, who led the Packers to a Super Bowl title after the 1996 season, held a tearful news conference to announce his retirement March 6. The Packers planned to begin the season with Aaron Rodgers as the starting quarterback.
McCarthy said he and Thompson were in constant communication with Favre throughout the offseason.
"Quite frankly, it's a little gut-wrenching as an organization to go through it, and certainly for Mike and myself," Thompson said. "This stuff hurts a lot of people. I mean, it hurts. I'm not talking about physically hurting, but the sensitivity. We understand where the fans are coming from. This is a hot-button issue that surpasses anything I've ever gone through."
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Michael Vick files for bankruptcy protection
Michael Vick, the former star National Football League quarterback serving a 23-month prison sentence for his role in a dogfighting ring, has filed for bankruptcy protection, court papers show.
Vick had debts of between $10 million and $50 million, according to a Chapter 11 petition filed on Monday with the U.S. bankruptcy court in Newport News, Virginia. His assets also totaled between $10 million and $50 million. The petition did not offer more specifics.
The filing came after Vick failed to resolve a legal dispute with one large creditor, Joel Enterprises Inc., which is owed $4.5 million for breach of contract, court papers show.
According to papers filed by Vick's lawyers, "the hope" is that Vick "can, after the conclusion of the bankruptcy case, rebuild his life on a personal and spiritual level, resurrect his image as a public figure, and resolve matters with the NFL such that he can resume his career."
Vick, 28, was the No. 1 pick in the 2001 NFL draft and a three-time All-Pro quarterback with the Atlanta Falcons.
He pleaded guilty last August to conspiracy in connection with an interstate dogfighting enterprise on his property in rural Virginia.
Vick may be released next summer from the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth, Kansas, court papers show. He had faced a maximum five years in prison.
The NFL has suspended Vick indefinitely. Vick has lost an estimated $100 million in salary and endorsements from companies such as Nike Inc.
According to court papers, other large unsecured creditors include the Falcons franchise, which claims it is owed a $3.75 million pro-rated signing bonus, and Royal Bank of Canada, owed $2.5 million on a loan.
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Brewers expected to announce Sabathia trade today
The Milwaukee Brewers have scheduled a news conference Monday, where they are expected to announce a trade for Cleveland Indians ace pitcher C.C. Sabathia.
A person with direct knowledge of the deal confirmed to The Associated Press on Sunday night that the teams were close to a trade. The person requested anonymity because the deal had not been finalized. The impending trade first was reported by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
The Brewers' news conference is scheduled for noon EDT.
The Indians also called a news conference, scheduled for 12:30 p.m.
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