The sad story of tight end Brian Mandeville

How is this news? The story of the guy who didn't make it. Why is it making its rounds around the internet? there must be thousands of young athletes every year who are told similar news.
I'm sorry Brian, Your not special. you won't be a football pro, along with millions of others.

Northeastern University is not exactly a professional football factory. Dan Ross and Sean Jones came through there, but after that, the cupboard's bare.

The Huskies went 2-10 last year, and haven't had a winning season in five years. So when a guy from Northeastern even gets an invite to the combine, it's a big deal ... which, unfortunately, makes this even sadder.

Tight end Brian Mandeville waited and waited for his invite to the combine, and finally, it came. He ventured out to California to prepare at the Velocity Sports Performance Center. And when the time came to show up at the combine and impress everyone, doctors instead told him that he should retire before he even got started.

How's that for soul-crushing? A guy gets an invite to the combine, which is essentially an audition to make a career out of playing football, and when he gets there, the first thing that happens is that they tell him he has no chance to make a career out of playing football. That's like getting a scholarship to the Juilliard School of Dance right before your advisor takes a baseball bat to your knees.

Doctors performing a routine exam found an issue with one of Mandeville's heart valves and advised him that he should give up football. The issues, according to his agent, aren't life-threatening, but they are career-killing. Even his agent grants that it's unlikely now that Mandeville will have a career in football.

It's a shame. By all accounts, he's a bright and capable young guy, so I'm sure he'll carve out a place for himself in the world. And of course, we all wish him luck with that.

A-Rod: Cousin gave me drugs

Aha! so it was the cousin who done it. or was it Colonel Mustard in the library with the rope?
Or perhaps it was mr Rodriguez himself? And who cares if its Bola or boli. BooYa!
It was six years ago, can we move on now?

Alex Rodriguez said on Tuesday that he was injected with steroids from 2001-03 by a cousin who purchased the drugs in the Dominican Republic, but he denied knowing they were steroids, didn't know how they impacted his performance and refused to name his cousin.

Rodriguez made the comments in a packed, emotional, 35-minute press conference at the Yankees' spring training complex in Tampa, Fla.

"I didn't think they were steroids," Rodriguez said. "That's part of being young and stupid. It was over the counter. It was pretty basic. It was amateur hour.... It was two guys doing a very amateur thing ... All these years I never thought I did something wrong."

Rodriguez said his cousin injected him twice a month for three years. He later clarified that it could have been fewer than twice a month or more than twice a month in certain months.

"It was injected," he said. "To what degree it helped, I don't know." He did admit he had more energy.

Ripped Fuel
Rodriguez also said he used Ripped Fuel, an off-the-shelves muscle-building supplement created by a Hauppauge-based company called Twinlab, during his years with the Seattle Mariners.

Ripped Fuel was eventually taken off the shelves because it contained ephedra, an amphetamine that stimulates the central nervous system and was cited in the death of Baltimore pitcher Steve Bechler in February 2003. Twinlab went bankrupt later that year and their Hauppauge office closed in 2005.

A-Rod said his cousin procured the drugs from the Dominican Republic at his request.

"He basically took instructions from me. He thought he was doing something that was helpful, not hurtful."

Primabolan
He said in 2001 his cousin told him about a substance he could buy that would give him a boost. Rodriguez said it was known "on the streets" as "boli" or "bola." He said his cousin was also the person who injected him with the drug.

"Bowl-ee" or "bowl-ah," as pronounced by Rodriguez, apparently is steroid-user's slang either for Primabolan or Dianabol, both anabolic steroids banned as performance-enhancing substances by baseball.

"We consulted no one," Rodriguez said. "It was pretty evident we didn't know what we were doing. . . I didn't think they were steroids. I know we weren't taking Tic Tacs. It could potentially be something that perhaps was wrong."

"It was basically amateur hour," Rodriguez said. "We used to do it about two times a month. I don't even know if that's the right way to take it."

"He's a huge investment. So he's an asset, and this is an asset that's currently in crisis," general manager Brian Cashman said. "So we will do everything we can to protect that asset. ... If this is Humpty Dumpty, we've got to put him back together again, to get back up on the wall."

Rodriguez held his first news conference since a Feb. 7 Sports Illustrated report that he tested positive for steroids in 2003. In an interview with ESPN's Peter Gammons Feb. 9, Rodriguez admitted his steroid use from 2001-03 while with the Texas Rangers, but he was not specific about what he used or for how long. He also claimed not to know what he was taking.

SI.com reported Rodriguez tested positive for two anabolic steroids, testosterone and Primobolan, in 2003.

A-Rod started the press conference on Tuesday by saying, "First, bear with me. I'm a little nervous - or a lot nervous." Then he read a prepared statement. After that, he took questions from the 200 or so assembled media members.

Rodriguez, 33, has been called one of the greatest baseball players of all time and has long been considered a lock for the Hall of Fame. Rodriguez, who is on pace to break the all-time home run record, is a career .306 hitter with 553 home runs, 1,606 RBIs and 1,605 runs scored -- plus nine years left on his Yankees contract.

Rodriguez was joined by Yankees officials Hank Steinbrenner, Felix Lopez, Cashman, manager Joe Girardi and teammates, including Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, Jorge Posada and Johnny Damon.

Specifically addressing his teammates, Rodriguez said, "I thank you, I love you. I look forward to putting this day behind us and having an amazing season."

"After today," Rodriguez said, "I hope to put this behind me and focus on baseball."

All-Star Shaquille O'Neal pops and locks with Jabbawockeez

Check out Jabbawockeez featuring Shaq on the NBA All-Star reserve selections player introduction. This guy is huge. Poping and locking.

Shaquille O'Neal highlighted the NBA All-Star reserve selections this year by moving past Michael Jordan, Karl Malone and Jerry West into second place in league history with his 15th All-Star appearance. As a small token of his appreciation, he danced with the season one champs of America's Best Dance Crew, Jabbawockeez, during player introductions.

Daytona 500 starts what may be tough NASCAR season

This is something that needs explaining to me - what is the facination with cars wizzing around and around and around forever. Everyone waiting for the crash so they can get thier moneys worth. explain it to me!

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The million-dollar motorhomes still crowd the infield at Daytona International Speedway, and the FanZone has hosted a steady stream of cash-carrying customers.

The hospitality village is up and running, ready to host VIPs who helicopter in before NASCAR's version of the Super Bowl.

On the surface, nothing seems amiss as today's season-opening Daytona 500 approaches.

Is it all just a mirage?

NASCAR, like most businesses, is certainly feeling the affects of the economic crisis as America's most popular racing series heads into yet another season. Budgets have been slashed and hundreds of crew members are out of work. Teams that existed in November have folded, while others have merged to stave off a similar fate.

But Daytona is a difficult place to measure just how rough 2009 could be. Pomp and circumstance still surround the biggest event of the season, creating an appearance of normalcy that might be misleading.

"I think the Daytona 500 is such a big event in and of itself that it seems like you always have more here than you have other places," veteran driver Jeff Burton said. "It's hard to compare the Daytona 500 to other places. But we know there are companies that aren't doing the hospitality they did last year. We know there are people who aren't going to be able to buy the race tickets they did last year.

"I think that will show up more at the Californias, the Atlantas, the places like that is where we'll see it."

Indeed, the talk during the weeklong buildup to the 500 has been a worried whisper about sluggish ticket sales next week at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., or next month in Atlanta. Both venues have traditionally struggled to fill the grandstands, and the respective owners swapped their late-season dates this year in an effort to lure fans to their races.

Across the entire industry, track promoters are concocting clever pricing schemes, reducing concession costs and convincing hotel operators to lower their rates to create an affordable weekend.

"There's no doubt this is going to be a difficult year to sell tickets," said Texas Motor Speedway president Eddie Gossage. "But it's going to be difficult in every sport, not just NASCAR, where it appears to be more pronounced because our venues are so much larger. But it's not the toughest times this sport has ever faced, not by a long shot.

"There are far more teams right now with far more money. NASCAR has a finger on the pulse of the problems the industry is facing, and the drivers are willing to do their part. I've had calls from many drivers asking 'Do you need something? Can I help with something?' I've never had that in 30 years."

Regardless, people in every corner of the garage recognize the sport — which is so heavily dependent on corporate sponsorship — has a challenging season ahead. Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Mark Martin all informed owner Rick Hendrick they'd be willing to take a reduction in salary if it would help the organization maintain its hold as the most dominant team in NASCAR.

"I certainly don't want Rick to be in a position where he can't do things for the race team because he has to pay Jeff Gordon," the four-time series champion said. "And I certainly don't want sponsors to not come into the company because they can't afford the rates."

So far, at least at the front of the field, the sponsorship dollars are still flowing. There's no hiding that some teams are struggling to find significant funding, but there are companies still willing to spend, said David Abrutyn, senior vice president of IMG Consulting, which works with NASCAR sponsors Allstate and Coca-Cola.

"Sports is still a very powerful marketing tool, and NASCAR reaches a tremendous fan base," Abrutyn said. "You can't do business without advertising your brand. During these times, the goal is trying to do it smart, efficiently and figuring out how to maximize your spend. NASCAR provides that opportunity."

Gossage is concerned corporate executives, gun-shy about the negative perception of hosting lavish parties at big sporting events, will scale back at-track hospitality at venues across the country. But Abrutyn said the functions are still essential.

"Is there less hospitality? Yes. But entertaining 50 to 100 of a company's best customers, or Coca-Cola honoring its distributors at a race, is still an effective tool," he said.

Continued involvement will also be linked to the actual on-track product, which through three non-points races has so far been pretty good. And it's helped that Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch — three of the sport's biggest names — each won a trip to Victory Lane in the days leading up to the Daytona 500.

It was the first win since October 2007 for Gordon, who last year suffered through his first winless season since his 1993 rookie campaign. Busch, meanwhile, won for the first time since the late-season collapse that cost him his first NASCAR championship.

NASCAR's success is often tied to the success of its most popular drivers, so good racing and likable winners could be the tonic the sport needs. The first step is an exciting Daytona 500, and NASCAR chairman Brian France won't exactly be rooting for the favorites.

The weakened economy has opened the door for independent team owners to get a foot in the sport, proven when Scott Riggs and Jeremy Mayfield both earned spots in the Daytona 500. Mayfield formed his own team less than a month ago, while Riggs was persuaded to drive for former crew chief Tommy Baldwin, who found himself out of work when Bill Davis Racing folded in late December.

France believes NASCAR will prosper if the underdogs can find some success.

"That's very encouraging for us," France said. "Someone who says, 'I didn't have the biggest budget but was still competitive,' that would be a wonderful story to see unfold in 2009."

Of course, those kind of stories are part of NASCAR's legacy, dating back to the days when racers scraped together every last penny just to make it to the racetrack. The minimal purse winnings rarely went toward the grocery bill, often being used on a new set of tires or next week's entry fee.

Earnhardt Jr. grew up in that style of NASCAR, watching his grandfather and father eke out a living through racing.

"I pull hard for the underdog," he said. "If there is a time when it can get back to single-car teams with minimal funding competing, this is it."

Jeremy Lusk X-Games Crash Video

Here we go again, cureing our morbid facinations with watching other people hurt them selfs in the hope that we might witness a fatality. Well, we got what we wanted.. How does it feel? I feel sick, yet I will watch it again.

And for the same reason the freeway comes to a stand still every time there is an accident because of people slowing down to catch a glimps. Jeremy lusk is becoming famous not for being a great athlete but for dying on youtube. Vultures!

What a sad day. What is to be a happy event turned into disaster when Freestyle motorcross rider Jeremy Lusk sustained head injuries during the X-Knights event in Costa Rica. Performing Seatgrab Indian Backflip Jeremy Lusk lost control and crashed. He died as a result. Jeremy Lusk is only 24 years.

He was brought to the hospital, in the ICU at the Calderon Hospital San Jose but did not make it. He died February 9,2009.

It must have been very painful for Jeremy's family, his parents, his wife Lauren Lusk, and for his fellow riders and his fans. Lusk won the X Game gold in the FMX event and silver in Moto X best trick in the year 2008. More impressively was that Jeremy Lusk was named FMX rider of the year and appeared in the Transworld Motocross Magazine in this January 2009 Issue.

NFL lifts TV blackout as Pro Bowl nears sell out

The NFL has lifted the local TV blackout for Sunday's Pro Bowl, with the all-star game close to being sold out for the 30th straight year.

The league had granted two extensions before lifting the blackout for Hawaii. NFL spokesman Brian McCarthy says only a few hundred tickets remained as of Saturday.
The Pro Bowl has sold out, usually weeks in advance, every year since moving to the 50,000-seat Aloha Stadium in 1980. It will be televised on NBC.

There has been only one blackout in the history of the Pro Bowl in Hawaii. The 1982 game, which was the year of the players' strike, was blacked out locally, although it was sold out by kickoff.

Alex Rodriguez tested positive for steroids in 2003

This one has sports fans in two camps. Sports Illustrated claims they have multiple independent sources saying he tested positive in 2003. Half say its terrible, what is the sport comming to etc. The other half are saying: so what, this is nothing new, nobodys is surprised.
Read the article and make up your own mind:

In 2003, when he won the American League home run title and the AL Most Valuable Player award as a shortstop for the Texas Rangers, Alex Rodriguez tested positive for two anabolic steroids, four sources have independently told Sports Illustrated.

Rodriguez's name appears on a list of 104 players who tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball's '03 survey testing, SI's sources say. As part of a joint agreement with the MLB Players Association, the testing was conducted to determine if it was necessary to impose mandatory random drug testing across the major leagues in 2004.
When approached by an SI reporter on Thursday at a gym in Miami, Rodriguez declined to discuss his 2003 test results. "You'll have to talk to the union," said Rodriguez, the Yankees' third baseman since his trade to New York in February 2004. When asked if there was an explanation for his positive test, he said, "I'm not saying anything."
The MLBPA issued a statement on Saturday, saying "Information and documents relating to the results of the 2003 MLB testing program are both confidential and under seal by court orders. We are prohibited from confirming or denying any allegation about the test results of any particular player[s] by the collective bargaining agreement and by court orders. Anyone with knowledge of such documents who discloses their contents may be in violation of those court orders."

Rob Manfred, MLB's Executive Vice President of Labor Relations, also released a statement on Saturday, saying, "We are disturbed by the allegations contained in the Sports Illustrated news story which was posted online this morning. Because the survey testing that took place in 2003 was intended to be non-disciplinary and anonymous, we can not make any comment on the accuracy of this report as it pertains to the player named."

Though MLB's drug policy has expressly prohibited the use of steroids without a valid prescription since 1991, there were no penalties for a positive test in 2003. The results of that year's survey testing of 1,198 players were meant to be anonymous under the agreement between the commissioner's office and the players association. Rodriguez's testing information was found, however, after federal agents, armed with search warrants, seized the '03 test results from Comprehensive Drug Testing, Inc., of Long Beach, Calif., one of two labs used by MLB in connection with that year's survey testing. The seizure took place in April 2004 as part of the government's investigation into 10 major league players linked to the BALCO scandal -- though Rodriguez himself has never been connected to BALCO.
The list of the 104 players whose urine samples tested positive is under seal in California. However, two sources familiar with the evidence that the government has gathered in its investigation of steroid use in baseball and two other sources with knowledge of the testing results have told Sports Illustrated that Rodriguez is one of the 104 players identified as having tested positive, in his case for testosterone and an anabolic steroid known by the brand name Primobolan. All four sources spoke on the condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the evidence.

Primobolan, which is also known by the chemical name methenolone, is an injected or orally administered drug that is more expensive than most steroids. (A 12-week cycle can cost $500.) It improves strength and maintains lean muscle with minimal bulk development, according to steroid experts, and has relatively few side effects. Kirk Radomski, the former New York Mets clubhouse employee who in 2007 pleaded guilty to illegal distribution of steroids to numerous major league players, described in his recent book, Bases Loaded: The Inside Story of the Steroid Era in Baseball by the Central Figure in the Mitchell Report, how players increasingly turned to drugs such as Primobolan in 2003, in part to avoid detection in testing. Primobolan is detectable for a shorter period of time than the steroid previously favored by players, Deca-Durabolin. According to a search of FDA records, Primobolan is not an approved prescription drug in the United States, nor was it in 2003. (Testosterone can be taken legally with an appropriate medical prescription.)
Rodriguez finished the 2003 season by winning his third straight league home run title (with 47) and the first of his three MVP awards.
Because more than 5% of big leaguers had tested positive in 2003, baseball instituted a mandatory random-testing program, with penalties, in '04. According to the 2007 Mitchell Report on steroid use in baseball, in September 2004, Gene Orza, the chief operating officer of the players' union, violated an agreement with MLB by tipping off a player (not named in the report) about an upcoming, supposedly unannounced drug test. Three major league players who spoke to SI said that Rodriguez was also tipped by Orza in early September 2004 that he would be tested later that month. Rodriguez declined to respond on Thursday when asked about the warning Orza provided him.
When Orza was asked on Friday in the union's New York City office about the tipping allegations, he told a reporter, "I'm not interested in discussing this information with you."
In its statement on Saturday, the MLBPA said, "As we have explained previously, in detail and in public, there was no improper tipping of players in 2004 about the timing of drug tests. As set forth in our letter to Chairman Waxman of the House Government Reform Committee, in September 2004 MLBPA attorneys met with certain players, but we are not able to confirm or deny the names of any of the players with whom we met."
Anticipating that the 33-year-old Rodriguez, who has 553 career home runs, could become the game's alltime home run king, the Yankees signed him in November 2007 to a 10-year, incentive-laden deal that could be worth as much as $305 million. Rodriguez is reportedly guaranteed $275 million and could receive a $6 million bonus each time he ties one of the four players at the top of the list: Willie Mays (660), Babe Ruth (714), Hank Aaron (755) and Barry Bonds (762), and an additional $6 million for passing Bonds. In order to receive the incentive money, the contract reportedly requires Rodriguez to make extra promotional appearances and sign memorabilia for the Yankees as part of a marketing plan surrounding his pursuit of Bonds's record. Two sources familiar with Rodriguez's contract told SI that there is no language about steroids in the contract that would put Rodriguez at risk of losing money.
Arguments before an 11-judge panel in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Pasadena are ongoing between government prosecutors and the players' association over the government's seizure of the test results from the Long Beach lab. The agents who collected the material had a search warrant only for the results for the 10 BALCO-linked players. Attorneys from the union argue that the government is entitled only to the results for those players, not the entire list. If the court sides with the union, federal authorities may be barred from using the positive survey test results of non-BALCO players such as Rodriguez in their ongoing investigations.