The courtship for Jose Reyes by the Miami Marlins began at one minute past midnight on Nov. 3 and was finalized Sunday with a six-year $106 million contract because of the New York Mets feeble effort to sign their four-time All-Star shortstop.
"They didn't make me an offer," said Reyes decked out in a new Marlins jersey at a press conference in Miami this afternoon. "They didn't want me."
Reyes, who was being introduced as the new Miami shortstop, said he was happy to be going to Miami and playing for the Mets' division rival.
"They showed me that they really want me there," said Reyes. "They really pushed for me."
"I'm part of a new family now," said the ex-Met. "I love the city. I love the stadium."
The Marlins didn't wait long to start wooing their new prize after he became open game.
Reyes' agent Peter Greenberg said that at that 12:01 moment inside the Carlisle Hotel bar in Manhattan, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria met with Reyes, opened his trench coat like a subway flasher and revealed a Marlins jersey with Reyes' name on the back.
A couple of days later, Reyes was down in Miami to check out the new stadium.
"They showed me they really wanted me," laughed Reyes. "People say these guys are crazy...12:01? That's why I'm here today."
Miami jumped at the chance to "sweep him off his feet" according to Greenberg.
Reyes wouldn't elaborate on the Mets reluctance to resign him but their intentions were pretty clear after they didn't swap him before the trade deadline and made a five-year offer lower than Miami's.
"I have to move on," said Reyes about the only major league team he has ever played for.
Reyes thanked the Mets and their fans for "giving me the chance to play in the big leagues."
"[Mets fans] showed me a lot of love, and the support me in good times and bad," he said.
Now, it's on to a team with a new name, sunny weather and "a lot of Spanish people there," he beamed. "It's the perfect situation in Miami... I think I'm going to like it there."
Rabu, 07 Desember 2011
Ex-Magic CEO's Booty-Call Could Help Nets Land Dwight Howard
Nothing says "I love you" like a late night phone call to your ex—or soon-to-be free-agent—after a few rounds of drinks but the same call also says "run for the hills."
Either way, it's never a smart thing to do as ex-Orlando Magic CEO, Bob Vander Weide, found out after admitting he phoned Dwight Howard pleading with the star center to stay with with his team.
It sounds like the CEO's booty-call might have backfired.
Vander Weide, who unexpectedly retired yesterday, told Bright House Sports Network he called Howard a few days ago after having "a couple of glasses of wine" and "maybe should have waited until the morning."
"Maybe Dwight thought it was inappropriate to talk business after a couple glasses of wine," Vander Weide told the network about the 1 a.m. phone call. "I was playing paddle with a couple of friends."
The Magic are desperate to keep Howard in Orlando. Arguably the NBA's best big man, Howard can opt-out of the final year of his contract on July 1, and has expressed his desire to go to another team.
The situation has pretty much forced the Magic to deal the five-time All-Star now before they risk losing him for nothing in return when he becomes a free-agent.
In the meantime, teams have been taking advantage of the shaky relationship between Howard and his current team.
The Los Angeles Lakers—most notably—have offered everyone but Kobe Bryant for Howard but it's the New Jersey Nets who have actually put a tangible deal on the table.
The Nets have offered Brook Lopez, draft picks and cap space in order to keep their own All-Star point guard Deron Williams in Newark before they team moves to Brooklyn next year.
On Monday, Williams—who has his own opt-out decision to make after this season— claimed he had spoken with Howard about coming north and is "sure" he would sign an extension if he was dealt to the Nets. The two players were teammates on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.
"[Howard's] a monster," gushed Williams. "He's like a created player. He's not real."
The Nets might be facing an uphill battle for the coveted big guy playing alongside Williams.
Los Angeles—and the bright lights of Hollywood—might be too much of a draw for the aspiring actor Howard and the trade bait—Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum—might be too tempting for the Magic.
While the desperate call by Vander Weide might have been fueled by liquor—as suspected by Howard—the Magic are still in the mix for Howard. The former CEO told Bright House that Howard is still waiting to see what Orlando offers the center before he becomes a free-agent after this season.
"We have a pretty good relationship," said Vander Weide. "I have a pretty clear understanding where Dwight's head is and that's between him and this organization."
Still, the Nets don't want to turn any trade negotiations with the Magic into a media feeding frenzy, ala the Knicks and Carmelo Anthony.
"We're confident—Billy [Nets GM Billy King] and I," said Nets coach Avery Johnson. "We've been confident all along. Last year, we had a circus atmosphere when we were trying to make deals for some guys. Hopefully, if we do anything, you guys [the media] won't find out until you kind of find out what we did [with Williams]," said Johnson.
Johnson said that trade talks with Orlando are in the preliminary stages and will be kept under wraps until the time is right.
"I can't talk about it publicly," said Johnson. "But it's a foregone conclusion that we're working at it and hopefully, we'll get something done."
Maybe it's time for the Nets to bring out the big guns to lure Howard to Jersey and their new Brooklyn home next year—Madison Avenue and Jay-Z.
Either way, it's never a smart thing to do as ex-Orlando Magic CEO, Bob Vander Weide, found out after admitting he phoned Dwight Howard pleading with the star center to stay with with his team.
It sounds like the CEO's booty-call might have backfired.
Vander Weide, who unexpectedly retired yesterday, told Bright House Sports Network he called Howard a few days ago after having "a couple of glasses of wine" and "maybe should have waited until the morning."
"Maybe Dwight thought it was inappropriate to talk business after a couple glasses of wine," Vander Weide told the network about the 1 a.m. phone call. "I was playing paddle with a couple of friends."
The Magic are desperate to keep Howard in Orlando. Arguably the NBA's best big man, Howard can opt-out of the final year of his contract on July 1, and has expressed his desire to go to another team.
The situation has pretty much forced the Magic to deal the five-time All-Star now before they risk losing him for nothing in return when he becomes a free-agent.
In the meantime, teams have been taking advantage of the shaky relationship between Howard and his current team.
The Los Angeles Lakers—most notably—have offered everyone but Kobe Bryant for Howard but it's the New Jersey Nets who have actually put a tangible deal on the table.
The Nets have offered Brook Lopez, draft picks and cap space in order to keep their own All-Star point guard Deron Williams in Newark before they team moves to Brooklyn next year.
On Monday, Williams—who has his own opt-out decision to make after this season— claimed he had spoken with Howard about coming north and is "sure" he would sign an extension if he was dealt to the Nets. The two players were teammates on the 2008 U.S. Olympic team.
"[Howard's] a monster," gushed Williams. "He's like a created player. He's not real."
The Nets might be facing an uphill battle for the coveted big guy playing alongside Williams.
Los Angeles—and the bright lights of Hollywood—might be too much of a draw for the aspiring actor Howard and the trade bait—Lamar Odom, Pau Gasol and Andrew Bynum—might be too tempting for the Magic.
While the desperate call by Vander Weide might have been fueled by liquor—as suspected by Howard—the Magic are still in the mix for Howard. The former CEO told Bright House that Howard is still waiting to see what Orlando offers the center before he becomes a free-agent after this season.
"We have a pretty good relationship," said Vander Weide. "I have a pretty clear understanding where Dwight's head is and that's between him and this organization."
Still, the Nets don't want to turn any trade negotiations with the Magic into a media feeding frenzy, ala the Knicks and Carmelo Anthony.
"We're confident—Billy [Nets GM Billy King] and I," said Nets coach Avery Johnson. "We've been confident all along. Last year, we had a circus atmosphere when we were trying to make deals for some guys. Hopefully, if we do anything, you guys [the media] won't find out until you kind of find out what we did [with Williams]," said Johnson.
Johnson said that trade talks with Orlando are in the preliminary stages and will be kept under wraps until the time is right.
"I can't talk about it publicly," said Johnson. "But it's a foregone conclusion that we're working at it and hopefully, we'll get something done."
Maybe it's time for the Nets to bring out the big guns to lure Howard to Jersey and their new Brooklyn home next year—Madison Avenue and Jay-Z.
Selasa, 06 Desember 2011
Tebow Becomes T-Pain in "All I Do Is Win" Video Remix
What do you get when you superimpose Tim Tebow's head on T-Pain's body in a remix of DJ Khaled's song "All I Do Is Win?" A funny viral sensation.
The Denver Broncos quarterback's grinning face is prominently bouncing around in the foreground of the rap video which features Ludacris, Rick Ross, T-Pain, Snoop Dog with a bevy of sexily-clad women and flashy cars—exactly the image Tebow is the polar opposite of—and it's become a viral hit.
The video has gotten over 500,000 hits on YouTube.
Maybe the only thing the bible-thumping Tebow has in common with the rap-lifestyle video is the title.
The unorthodox QB has lifted the once pathetic Broncos (7-5) to six victories in seven starts and a first place tie with the Oakland Raiders in the AFC West with another come-from behind victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
Maybe the saintly Tebow could get a little more street cred by changing his name to T-Bow and doing a song called "Mile High" with Snoop Dog.
The Denver Broncos quarterback's grinning face is prominently bouncing around in the foreground of the rap video which features Ludacris, Rick Ross, T-Pain, Snoop Dog with a bevy of sexily-clad women and flashy cars—exactly the image Tebow is the polar opposite of—and it's become a viral hit.
The video has gotten over 500,000 hits on YouTube.
Maybe the only thing the bible-thumping Tebow has in common with the rap-lifestyle video is the title.
The unorthodox QB has lifted the once pathetic Broncos (7-5) to six victories in seven starts and a first place tie with the Oakland Raiders in the AFC West with another come-from behind victory over the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday.
Maybe the saintly Tebow could get a little more street cred by changing his name to T-Bow and doing a song called "Mile High" with Snoop Dog.
Senin, 05 Desember 2011
Red Sox Fans Serenade Real "Sweet Caroline" at Kennedy Center Honors
Dozens of Boston Red Sox fans joined Smokey Robinson in a sing-a-long of Neil Diamond's "Sweet Caroline" at last night's taping of the 2011 Kennedy Center Honors in Washington, D.C.. The surprise guest was Sweet Caroline herself—Caroline Kennedy the daughter of former U.S. President John F. Kennedy.
As a chorus of Boston fans in Red Sox T-shirts and head-gear backed up Robinson and Lionel Ritchie with their Fenway Park anthem, Caroline got onstage and shyly sang the song which was written about her by Diamond in 1969 after he saw the young teen on a cover of Life magazine.
The song has become a staple at Red Sox home games and can even be heard by fearless "Sawx" fans trying to sing it through the Bronx cheers at Yankees/Red Sox games in New York too.
The "Sweet Caroline...bum, bum, bum" refrain has become as well known as the Yankees "New York, New York" anthem and has been featured in movies like "Fever Pitch."
Diamond was one of five honorees this year and sang from his featured spot in the audience.
As a chorus of Boston fans in Red Sox T-shirts and head-gear backed up Robinson and Lionel Ritchie with their Fenway Park anthem, Caroline got onstage and shyly sang the song which was written about her by Diamond in 1969 after he saw the young teen on a cover of Life magazine.
The song has become a staple at Red Sox home games and can even be heard by fearless "Sawx" fans trying to sing it through the Bronx cheers at Yankees/Red Sox games in New York too.
The "Sweet Caroline...bum, bum, bum" refrain has become as well known as the Yankees "New York, New York" anthem and has been featured in movies like "Fever Pitch."
Diamond was one of five honorees this year and sang from his featured spot in the audience.
Dallas Cowboys Head Coach Ices Own Kicker and Loses Game
The Dallas Cowboys made enough mistakes during their 19-13 loss to the Arizona yesterday, but none was bigger than Jason Garrett's time-out call an instant before kicker Dan Bailey kicked what would have been a game-winning 49-yard field goal with :03 seconds left on the clock.
With the score tied at 13, the Cowboys head coach iced his own kicker right before the kick went through the uprights but was nullified.
Bailey's attempt at the re-do fell short of the goal posts and the Cardinals went on to win the game in overtime.
"I was glad they iced their kicker at the end so I didn't have to do it," joked Arizona head coach Ken Whisenhunt.
The Cards won the coin toss before OT and Kevin Kolb's short screen to tiny LaRod Stephens-Howling ended up being a serpentine 48-yard game-winning score.
Garrett said he called the time-out before the kick because "the play clock was running down."
"We just wanted to make sure that he [Bailey] had a real clean opportunity at it," explained Garrett. "It was at about six [seconds] and we were still getting settled in."
Dallas (7-5) could have gotten a stranglehold on the NFC East title by winning yesterday. Now, they remain only one game ahead of the second place New York Giants (6-6) —who lost a heart-breaker to Green Bay. The Cowboys and Giants still face each other in home-and home games down the stretch.
"It is disappointing but we still have everything we want in front of us," said Dallas tight end Jason Witten.
"We called the time-out, but it is my job to regroup and make the next one," said Bailey. "I didn't do that. No excuses."
With the score tied at 13, the Cowboys head coach iced his own kicker right before the kick went through the uprights but was nullified.
Bailey's attempt at the re-do fell short of the goal posts and the Cardinals went on to win the game in overtime.
"I was glad they iced their kicker at the end so I didn't have to do it," joked Arizona head coach Ken Whisenhunt.
The Cards won the coin toss before OT and Kevin Kolb's short screen to tiny LaRod Stephens-Howling ended up being a serpentine 48-yard game-winning score.
Garrett said he called the time-out before the kick because "the play clock was running down."
"We just wanted to make sure that he [Bailey] had a real clean opportunity at it," explained Garrett. "It was at about six [seconds] and we were still getting settled in."
Dallas (7-5) could have gotten a stranglehold on the NFC East title by winning yesterday. Now, they remain only one game ahead of the second place New York Giants (6-6) —who lost a heart-breaker to Green Bay. The Cowboys and Giants still face each other in home-and home games down the stretch.
"It is disappointing but we still have everything we want in front of us," said Dallas tight end Jason Witten.
"We called the time-out, but it is my job to regroup and make the next one," said Bailey. "I didn't do that. No excuses."
Oklahoma State Fans Trampled During Celebration
Thousands of Oklahoma State fans stormed the field after their team routed interstate rival Oklahoma, 44-10, to win the Big 12 championship on Saturday in Stillwater. Ignoring warnings from the P.A. announcer, the jubilant fans ran onto the football field and tore down the goalposts.
Ten people were reported to be injured—one student is still hospitalized.
The No. 3 Cowboys (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) snapped an eight game losing streak against the No. 13 Sooners and made a strong case for the BCS national title. It was OSU's first outright conference title since 1948.
Many of the injured suffered ankle injuries and many were reportedly crushed against a wall in Boone Pickens Stadium.
The raucous crowd might have a bigger reason to riot—they were relegated to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl against Stanford on Jan. 2 instead of the BCS Championship game against LSU.
Ten people were reported to be injured—one student is still hospitalized.
The No. 3 Cowboys (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) snapped an eight game losing streak against the No. 13 Sooners and made a strong case for the BCS national title. It was OSU's first outright conference title since 1948.
Many of the injured suffered ankle injuries and many were reportedly crushed against a wall in Boone Pickens Stadium.
The raucous crowd might have a bigger reason to riot—they were relegated to the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl against Stanford on Jan. 2 instead of the BCS Championship game against LSU.
Kamis, 01 Desember 2011
Unbelievable Frisbee Toss & Catch From Bridge to Speeding Boat
In one of the most incredible Frisbee tosses of all time, a man threw the plastic disk from an Australian bridge into the hands of a friend cruising by in a motorboat. The entire stunt was videotaped from both the bridge and the boat to prove it was not faked.
Frisbee thrower, Brodie Smith, began the trick throw from a bridge soaring about 15 stories over his buddies passing underneath in a speedboat about 100 yards away. The toss was a little off target but Brody's partner salvaged the stunt by leaping off the boat and into the water while making the epic catch.
Brody said he and his friends came up with the idea while making a late-night run to McDonald's. They rented the boat and the plan was to land the Frisbee in the vessel.
Luckily, the receiver took the plunge to make the video even better.
Frisbee thrower, Brodie Smith, began the trick throw from a bridge soaring about 15 stories over his buddies passing underneath in a speedboat about 100 yards away. The toss was a little off target but Brody's partner salvaged the stunt by leaping off the boat and into the water while making the epic catch.
Brody said he and his friends came up with the idea while making a late-night run to McDonald's. They rented the boat and the plan was to land the Frisbee in the vessel.
Luckily, the receiver took the plunge to make the video even better.
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