http://www.yardbarker.com/content/team/15 Recent articles about the Los Angeles Dodgers en-us A little bit of history happened tonight at the NBA Draft when you weren't lookinmg...Idaho Stampede guard Mike Taylor was selected with the 55th overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft by the Portland Trailblazers becoming the first player from the NBA Development League to be drafted by an NBA team. A member of the 2008 NBA D-League Champion Stampede, Taylor was then traded to the Los Angeles Clippers for a future second round draft pick. "Everyone at the NBA D-League joins me in congratulating Mike on his history-making achievement," said Dan Reed, NBA D-League President. "Mike is a shining example of the NBA D-League's core mission – to develop top prospects into NBA players." In 39 games for the Stampede this past season, Taylor averaged 14.5 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.3 assists primarily as the team's sixth man, scoring 20 or more points on 11 occasions, including during the deciding Game 3 of the NBA D-League Finals presented by Delta. During that game, Taylor connected on four three-pointers in a three-minute span in the fourth quarter to solidify the Stampede's first NBA D-League Championship. "Mike brings a tremendous amount of ability and quickness to the NBA," said Idaho Stampede head coach Bryan Gates. "He really is a spark of energy and a breath of fresh air whenever he enters a game."Source: NBA D-LeagueOTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK SEE IT: Red Sox/AAA Ford Fusions to Run Sat. and Sun. at New Hampshire Motor Speedway - The Biz of Baseball Deadline Pushed Back to July 31st for Cubs/Wrigley Field Sale - The Biz of Baseball Dunkin?' Donuts Promo Features Joba Chamberlain and Jonathan Papelbon - The Biz of Baseball Astros GM Ed Wade Attacked by Pitcher Shawn Chacon - The Biz of Baseball Dodgers Surpass 3 Million Tickets Sold for 2008 - The Biz of Baseball Ducks owner Henry Samueli Suspended by NHL - The Biz of Hockey NHL 2K9, First Officially Licensed Game by NHL and NHLPA for Wii, Coming this Fall - The Biz of Hockey Dion Phaneuf Selected for Cover of EA Sports "NHL 09" - The Biz of Hockey NBC Reports 6.8 Million Viewers for Game 6. Up 111% from 2006 - The Biz of Hockey Papa Replaces Gumbel as NFL Network's Play-by-Play Announcer - The Biz of Football NFL Network May Partner Up With ESPN - The Biz of Football NFL Players Help Hometown Tornado Victims - The Biz of Football Recently Retired Strahan Joins Fox NFL Pregame Show - The Biz of Football Anheuser-Busch to Sponsor New Meadowlands Stadium - The Biz of Football Big Ten Network Nearing First Major Cable Deal with Comcast - The Biz of Football TNT Lands Full Slate of Sponsors For "Wide Open Coverage" Telecasts - Maury Brown's Biz of Sports Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:11:19 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287774 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287774 In anticipation of the 20th season of Minnesota Timberwolves basketball, the Timberwolves primary logo, featuring the wolf's head amidst the tree line, has undergone a facelift. Additionally, the Timberwolves have unveiled a new, re-designed secondary logo. The new-look logos, designed by adidas, usher in a new era of Timberwolves basketball as the franchise celebrates its 20th season in the Twin Cities with the upcoming 2008-09 NBA campaign. The modification to the Timberwolves primary logo includes the incorporation of white on the wolf's head as well as a cleaner and sleeker design of the tree line and the script "Minnesota Timberwolves." The intent of the adidas design group was not to replace the well-known logo, but rather let it "evolve" into something that would mark the next era of Timberwolves basketball. The wolf's head and tree line were introduced as the team's primary logo prior to the 1996-97 season, and had remained unchanged for the past 12 seasons.  The Timberwolves secondary logo has been completely re-designed. The new logo features a Timberwolf in front of a treeline howling at the moon, which is depicted as a basketball. The new secondary logo pays homage to the original Timberwolves logo with the return of a basketball in the logo's background. Prior to a basketball being incorporated in the new secondary logo, the Wolves were one of only five teams in the NBA which did not have a basketball depicted in either their primary or secondary logo. The newly-designed secondary logo will make its public debut tonight at the 2008 NBA Draft as it will adorn the hat of the Timberwolves' first-round draft pick. The Wolves NBA Draft cap, with the team's new secondary logo, and t-shirts are available for purchase at The NBA Store online at www.nbastore.com or by calling 612-673-1303. "With our 20th season upcoming, we believe it is the perfect time to re-brand the look of Timberwolves basketball," said Timberwolves President Chris Wright. "The new-look logos and soon-to-be-introduced uniforms are part of a year-long re-branding process around our franchise. In the last year, our on-court product has changed as we have re-built the team, and these off-court changes sync up with this new era of Wolves basketball." Wolves New Logos June 26, 2008 Page 2 of 2     Yesterday's introduction of the new logos is the latest step in the re-branding campaign of the Timberwolves as the team approaches its 20th season. The Wolves will also introduce newly-designed uniforms in August. Attached are jpeg copies of the Timberwolves new-look primary logos and secondary logos.Source: Minnesota Timberwolves OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK Aw, Tapioca! Kozy Shack the Official Pudding of the Mets - The Biz of Baseball MLB.com Releases 3-D Enhancements to Gameday - The Biz of Baseball Take in an Orioles Game, Win $50,000 or $100,000 - The Biz of Baseball SEE IT: Red Sox/AAA Ford Fusions to Run Sat. and Sun. at New Hampshire Motor Speedway - The Biz of Baseball Deadline Pushed Back to July 31st for Cubs/Wrigley Field Sale - The Biz of Baseball Dunkin?' Donuts Promo Features Joba Chamberlain and Jonathan Papelbon - The Biz of Baseball Astros GM Ed Wade Attacked by Pitcher Shawn Chacon - The Biz of Baseball Dodgers Surpass 3 Million Tickets Sold for 2008 - The Biz of Baseball Ducks owner Henry Samueli Suspended by NHL - The Biz of Hockey NHL 2K9, First Officially Licensed Game by NHL and NHLPA for Wii, Coming this Fall - The Biz of Hockey Dion Phaneuf Selected for Cover of EA Sports "NHL 09" - The Biz of Hockey NBC Reports 6.8 Million Viewers for Game 6. Up 111% from 2006 - The Biz of Hockey Papa Replaces Gumbel as NFL Network's Play-by-Play Announcer - The Biz of Football NFL Network May Partner Up With ESPN - The Biz of Football NFL Players Help Hometown Tornado Victims - The Biz of Football Recently Retired Strahan Joins Fox NFL Pregame Show - The Biz of Football Anheuser-Busch to Sponsor New Meadowlands Stadium - The Biz of Football Big Ten Network Nearing First Major Cable Deal with Comcast - The Biz of Football TNT Lands Full Slate of Sponsors For "Wide Open Coverage" Telecasts - Maury Brown's Biz of Sports Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:11:18 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287772 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287772 The Boston Celtics' victory over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 6 of The Finals was the culmination of the most successful sales season in NBA history, including the best post-clinch day in history at the NBA Store and NBAStore.com.  During The Finals, multiple merchandise sales records were set: Sales records set at the NBA Store in New York City and on NBAStore.com include: Largest post-clinch sales day in the history of both stores on June 18, with sales from NBAStore.com up 82 percent, and at the NBA Store up over 30 percent versus the previous best post-clinch day (2006 Miami Heat and 2002 Lakers, respectively).June 18 was the largest sales day in the history of NBAStore.com.The NBA Store and NBAStore.com each had its best sales year during the 2007-08 season. Arena Sales records for the Celtics and Lakers during The Finals include: Highest Finals average game-night sales up 10 percent from previous best (2004).Lakers set a new league single-night merchandise sales record for a non-clinching game at Staples Center's Team LA shop during Game 3 (June 10).Celtics had their highest single-night sales in history at the TD Banknorth Garden during Game 6 (June 17). Most Popular Merchandise from The Finals includes: Boston Celtics 2008 NBA Champions Locker Room tee shirt and hat from adidas sold out within minutes at the TD Banknorth Garden and have been top sellers at Modell's, Sports Authority, Dick's Sporting Goods, Champs and JCPenney.The "Beat LA" T-Shirt was the most successful team tagline tee shirt ever.Spalding Limited Edition NBA Finals Matchup basketballs sold out at the Celtics and Lakers team stores. For the first time ever, game-worn jerseys were auctioned off on NBA.com during Game 1 and Game 3.Limited Edition Kevin Garnett NBA Finals shoes from adidas sold for $1,107 a pair with all proceeds going to NBA Cares. Source: National Basketball Association OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK Aw, Tapioca! Kozy Shack the Official Pudding of the Mets - The Biz of Baseball MLB.com Releases 3-D Enhancements to Gameday - The Biz of Baseball Take in an Orioles Game, Win $50,000 or $100,000 - The Biz of Baseball SEE IT: Red Sox/AAA Ford Fusions to Run Sat. and Sun. at New Hampshire Motor Speedway - The Biz of Baseball Deadline Pushed Back to July 31st for Cubs/Wrigley Field Sale - The Biz of Baseball Dunkin?' Donuts Promo Features Joba Chamberlain and Jonathan Papelbon - The Biz of Baseball Astros GM Ed Wade Attacked by Pitcher Shawn Chacon - The Biz of Baseball Dodgers Surpass 3 Million Tickets Sold for 2008 - The Biz of Baseball Ducks owner Henry Samueli Suspended by NHL - The Biz of Hockey NHL 2K9, First Officially Licensed Game by NHL and NHLPA for Wii, Coming this Fall - The Biz of Hockey Dion Phaneuf Selected for Cover of EA Sports "NHL 09" - The Biz of Hockey NBC Reports 6.8 Million Viewers for Game 6. Up 111% from 2006 - The Biz of Hockey Papa Replaces Gumbel as NFL Network's Play-by-Play Announcer - The Biz of Football NFL Network May Partner Up With ESPN - The Biz of Football NFL Players Help Hometown Tornado Victims - The Biz of Football Recently Retired Strahan Joins Fox NFL Pregame Show - The Biz of Football Anheuser-Busch to Sponsor New Meadowlands Stadium - The Biz of Football Big Ten Network Nearing First Major Cable Deal with Comcast - The Biz of Football TNT Lands Full Slate of Sponsors For "Wide Open Coverage" Telecasts - Maury Brown's Biz of Sports Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus, and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 23:11:18 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287773 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287773 The Tampa Bay Rays hold on to the top spot in our last power rankings before the All-Star break, followed by the Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs, but watch out for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who jumped 7 spots to No. 4, the highest they have been all season. The New York Yankees, on the other hand, drop 6 spots to No. 14. See where your favorite team ranks. To come up with the rankings, using only their statistical performance to date this season, each team is simulated against every other team 100 times. – 50 at home and 50 at the opposing ballpark so that all five pitchers in the current rotation start ten times at each location. After substituting CC Sabathia into the Milwaukee Brewers' rotation, they move up four spots to No. 10, while the Indians take a corresponding hit, dropping five spots to No. 24. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:37:07 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287760 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287760 According to a report in the Wall Street Journal on Monday, the NFL is "exploring a possible partnership" of the NFL Network and ESPN. As reported by The Sacramento Business Journal:The report says that NFL Network president and chief executive officer Steve Bornstein has been engaged in "high-level discussions" with Disney executives in recent months. Among others rumored to have been involved with the talks are NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and Robert Iger, president and CEO of the Walt Disney Co. (NYSE: DIS), ESPN's parent company.The report offers one possible scenario in which the NFL Network would combine with ESPN Classic. ESPN could then add to the number of games broadcasted on the NFL Network, which is currently eight per season. This would help the network increase subscription fees.  Although the report does confirm that talks have been on-going, it adds there is no reason to believe a deal is imminent.  OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK Rays May Delay Referendum on New Downtown Stadium - The Biz of Baseball MLB/MLBPA Committee Holds First Meeting on Bat Safety - The Biz of Baseball Biz of Baseball Organizational Report - LA Dodgers - The Biz of Baseball Portable, Battery-Driven CT Scanner for Bats to Be Unveiled - The Biz of Baseball MLB Launches "Welcome Back Veterans" Initiative - The Biz of Baseball Sunday MLB on TBS: Comments from Red Sox/Cards Game - The Biz of Baseball The 2008 Playoffs: Where the Revival of the NBA's Two Flagship Franchises Happened - The Biz of Basketball Olympic Free Agents? - The Biz of Basketball Tim Donaghy's Tales - The Biz of Basketball Ex-Ref Donaghy Claims NBA Playoff Games Were Altered. See Video of David Stern's Response - The Biz of Basketball Pistons Name Michael Curry as Head Coach - The Biz of Basketball Judge Rules on Motions Filed in Sonics Trial - The Biz of Basketball AEG Reaches 5-Year Agreement with Blazers to Run Rose Garden Arena - The Biz of Basketball Ducks owner Henry Samueli Suspended by NHL - The Biz of Hockey NHL 2K9, First Officially Licensed Game by NHL and NHLPA for Wii, Coming this Fall - The Biz of Hockey Dion Phaneuf Selected for Cover of EA Sports "NHL 09" - The Biz of Hockey NBC Reports 6.8 Million Viewers for Game 6. Up 111% from 2006 - The Biz of Hockey Nick Kappel is a staff member for the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network's Author Profiles Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:30:11 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287731 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287731 On May 25, an F-5 tornado, packing winds in excess of 200 mph, destroyed a small town of 1,900 in Parkersburg, Iowa. The monstrous three-quarters of a mile wide twister needed just 34 seconds to kill six people and demolish the pride and joy of this community: the Aplington-Parkersburg High School, which has produced four active NFL players, fifth most of any high school in the nation.  Casey Weigmann (Denver Broncos), Brad Meester (Jacksonville Jaguars) and Jared DeVries (Detroit Lions) gathered in nearby Cedar Falls on Sunday to help raise money to rebuild the school's athletic program. The fourth A-P alumni, Aaron Kampman (Green Bay Packers) was detained during a trip to Africa, and was unable to attend the fundraiser.  The NFL players signed autographs, while "Together We Will" T-shirts and "AP Falcons Tornado Relief" hats were sold.  The fundraiser also included a silent auction for signed football jerseys and helmets, as well as signed photos by NFL players and other celebrities.   During a live auction, a Miley Cyrus guitar was sold for $10,000, while the second-highest bidder offered $8,000 to buy another. A Brett Favre autographed jersey brought in $3,100.  "I just think it shows that people care, people have big hearts." DeVries said. "It's a very tough time for the community, and they're willing to do whatever they can do." Jaguars center Brad Meester delivered a check of $90,000. $32,000 came from Jaguars owner Wayne Weaver, while the remaining $58,000 was raised through hat sales on Jaguars.com, and donations from some of Meester's Jaguar teammates.  The NFL charity program will match every player donation up to $5,000. "I heard that there would be quite a few people here, but when we walked up and saw a huge line, that meant a lot," Meester said. "Just knowing that everyone was coming here to help raise some money and support this program. That means a lot." The players had hoped to raise $100,000 at the fundraiser, although the final total was reportedly close to $200,000.  Construction on a new high school is expected to begin August 1.   SOURCES: ESPN & KWWL - Iowa's News ChannelOTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK Biz of Baseball Organizational Report - LA Dodgers - The Biz of Baseball Portable, Battery-Driven CT Scanner for Bats to Be Unveiled - The Biz of Baseball MLB Launches "Welcome Back Veterans" Initiative - The Biz of Baseball Sunday MLB on TBS: Comments from Red Sox/Cards Game - The Biz of Baseball Matt Sosnick Talks Being a Player Agent - The Biz of Baseball New Bidders in the Mix for Cubs. One Would Offer Shares - The Biz of Baseball The 2008 Playoffs: Where the Revival of the NBA's Two Flagship Franchises Happened - The Biz of Basketball Olympic Free Agents? - The Biz of Basketball Tim Donaghy's Tales - The Biz of Basketball Ex-Ref Donaghy Claims NBA Playoff Games Were Altered. See Video of David Stern's Response - The Biz of Basketball Pistons Name Michael Curry as Head Coach - The Biz of Basketball Judge Rules on Motions Filed in Sonics Trial - The Biz of Basketball AEG Reaches 5-Year Agreement with Blazers to Run Rose Garden Arena - The Biz of Basketball NHL 2K9, First Officially Licensed Game by NHL and NHLPA for Wii, Coming this Fall - The Biz of Hockey Dion Phaneuf Selected for Cover of EA Sports "NHL 09" - The Biz of Hockey NBC Reports 6.8 Million Viewers for Game 6. Up 111% from 2006 - The Biz of Hockey Post-Game Commentary from Babcock, Zetterberg, Lidstrom, Osgood, Therrien, Crosby, Lemieux, Whitney, and Malkin - The Biz of Hockey TV Ratings for Decisive Game 6 of Stanley Cup Up Dramatically From Last Game 6 Played - The Biz of Hockey Dion Phaneuf Selected for Cover of EA Sports "NHL 09" - The Biz of Hockey NHL.com Breaks All-Time Record for Number of Fans Consuming Streaming Video - The Biz of Hockey NHL Renews Agreement with Anheuser-Busch for Bud Light - The Biz of HockeyNick Kappel is a staff member for the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network's Author Profiles Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:30:12 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287732 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287732 Newsday reported on Wednesday that New York Giants' play-by-play announcer, Bob Papa, will be named to the same position with the NFL Network. Papa will replace Bryant Gumbel, who resigned after last season. As reported by TICKER:He [Papa] will work next to Cris Collinsworth, who will continue to serve as the color analyst for the NFL Network's package of games, which begins on November 10 when the Cleveland Browns host the Denver Broncos.The NFL Network games will not conflict with his job with the Giants, which will allow him to stay with the team as their play-by-play announcer.  Papa beat out current NFL Network anchor Spero Dedes and Tom Hammond for the job.OTHER NEWS ACROSS THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK Rays May Delay Referendum on New Downtown Stadium - The Biz of Baseball MLB/MLBPA Committee Holds First Meeting on Bat Safety - The Biz of Baseball Biz of Baseball Organizational Report - LA Dodgers - The Biz of Baseball Portable, Battery-Driven CT Scanner for Bats to Be Unveiled - The Biz of Baseball MLB Launches "Welcome Back Veterans" Initiative - The Biz of Baseball Sunday MLB on TBS: Comments from Red Sox/Cards Game - The Biz of Baseball The 2008 Playoffs: Where the Revival of the NBA's Two Flagship Franchises Happened - The Biz of Basketball Olympic Free Agents? - The Biz of Basketball Tim Donaghy's Tales - The Biz of Basketball Ex-Ref Donaghy Claims NBA Playoff Games Were Altered. See Video of David Stern's Response - The Biz of Basketball Pistons Name Michael Curry as Head Coach - The Biz of Basketball Judge Rules on Motions Filed in Sonics Trial - The Biz of Basketball AEG Reaches 5-Year Agreement with Blazers to Run Rose Garden Arena - The Biz of Basketball Ducks owner Henry Samueli Suspended by NHL - The Biz of Hockey NHL 2K9, First Officially Licensed Game by NHL and NHLPA for Wii, Coming this Fall - The Biz of Hockey Dion Phaneuf Selected for Cover of EA Sports "NHL 09" - The Biz of Hockey NBC Reports 6.8 Million Viewers for Game 6. Up 111% from 2006 - The Biz of Hockey Nick Kappel is a staff member for the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network's Author Profiles Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:30:11 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287730 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287730 There is a new look to the Closer Report this week with expanded coverage of bullpen situations around baseball and rankings for the top fantasy closers and middle relievers. This week AccuScore analyst looks at the All-Star relievers, and has a problem with the selection of one player in particular. Also, the trade deadline is approaching so which closers could be swapping uniforms in the near future? Tue, 08 Jul 2008 18:00:47 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287565 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287565 Hiroki Kuroda was almost perfect Monday night shutting down 27 of 28 batters in a 3-0 win against the Braves. The Dodgers will need him to continue his strong recent performance as they battle for first place in the weak NL West. Damaso Marte got the first save in Pittsburgh post-Matt Capps, and youngster Ricky Nolasco and Ubaldo Jimenez continued their strong recent runs. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:57:16 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287543 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287543 Matt Capps is out for 2 months leaving a void in the Pittsburgh bullpen. Clayton Kershaw also gets sent down to the minors while Jay Bruce is making a comeback in performance. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:54:22 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287542 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287542 Oakley.com (http://www.oakley.com/). Part Number Club Frame Color 24-005 Boston Red Sox Red w/ Blue 24-006 Chicago Cubs Blue w/ Red 24-007 Detroit Tigers Orange w/ Blue 24-008 Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim Red w/ White 24-009 Los Angeles Dodgers Blue w/ White 24-010 New York Yankees Navy w/ White 24-011 New York Mets Blue w/ Orange 24-012 Philadelphia Phillies White w/ Red 24-013 San Diego Padres Navy w/ Khaki 24-014 Seattle Mariners Silver w/ Navy 24-015 Arizona Diamondbacks Black w/ Red Source: Oakley, Inc.Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/), which includes The Biz of Baseball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/), The Biz of Football (http://www.bizoffootball.com/), The Biz of Basketball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/) and The Biz of Hockey (http://bizofhockey.com/). He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus (http://baseballprospectus.com/news/?author=124), and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content view=article id=47 Itemid=18) He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_contact view=contact id=2 Itemid=29). Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:36:12 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287519 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287519 The Best a Man Can Get? Gillette, part of The Procter Gamble Company, today announced the unveiling of the newest Gillette Champions ambassador, New York Yankee Derek Jeter. Jeter will be integrated into Gillette brand programs in North America and will be leveraged through multi-faceted marketing initiatives, including: print and broadcast advertising, consumer promotions, point of sale materials, online support and public relations in support of Gillette's premium shaving products. Globally, the Gillette Champions program features Tiger Woods, Roger Federer and Thierry Henry as part of the The Best a Man Can Get campaign Being a part of the Gillette Champions program is a great honor for me, said Jeter. In baseball, having confidence is essential, and a critical element of confidence is looking and feeling my best. The Gillette name is synonymous with being the best. Jeter has proven he has what it takes to be a champion on the field, said Chip Bergh, Procter Gamble, Group President, Global Personal Care. He was chosen not only for his outstanding sporting performances, but also for his performance off the field, in his charitable actions and his reputation as an icon of true sporting values. That is what the Gillette Champions is all about. Men, women and children here in North America look up to athletes who raise their level of play and bring the game to a new level, who set the standard in sports and style. One wonders if Tiger Woods turned and said to Jeter, I don't really care. Let's talk about the Dodgers. Source: Procter GambleMaury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/), which includes The Biz of Baseball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/), The Biz of Football (http://www.bizoffootball.com/), The Biz of Basketball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/) and The Biz of Hockey (http://bizofhockey.com/). He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus (http://baseballprospectus.com/news/?author=124), and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content view=article id=47 Itemid=18) He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_contact view=contact id=2 Itemid=29). Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:36:11 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287516 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287516 With the All-Star Game just around the corner, it’s time to look at which general managers are at risk of being shown the door at the mid-way point in the season. Already Wayne Krivsky of the Reds was fired and replaced by Walt Jocketty, followed by Bill Bavasi of the Seattle Mariners being let go in early June with his replacement being Lee Pelekoudas in the interim slot. But, those two maybe just the beginning. Here’s a list of those that are feeling the pressure. J.P. Ricciardi – He bad mouthed Adam Dunn. Apologized to Dunn, only to find out it wasn’t Dunn, but a prankster, and Cito Gaston is back in the fold. Add in the fact that the Blue Jays are in last with a payroll just shy of $100 million ($ 97,793,900 to be exact), and could Pat Gillick be on the speed dial? Omar Minaya – When Willie Randolph was let go, many said he was a victim of the hand he was dealt. After an historic collapse last season, the Mets have puttered about at the .500 level this year. All that while boosting payroll to $ 137,793,376, second highest in MLB. With the poor way in which Randolph was hired, and no more fall guys in-between, Minaya’s Teflon coating may be finally gone. Brian Sabean – Sabean has been abysmal at developing talent, which meant that free agents have been the soup de jour in San Francisco. Two words… Barry Zito. Jim Bowden – “The Plan” which has Nationals team president Stan Kasten riding shotgun with GM Jim Bowden hasn’t panned out to date. “Trader Jim” hasn’t worked any magic since Day One. Fan attendance has been low at Nationals Park, but then the fans haven’t had anything to root for since the team arrived in DC, other than the team arriving in DC. Ned Colletti – Colletti was a Sabean protégé, which caused more than a few fans to do head slaps when he was brought on. Deals like Juan Pierre and Andruw Jones haven’t exactly helped his cause. Ned’s the luckiest of the lot at the moment. After all, the NL West is not exactly lighting it up. As of publication, the Dodgers sit 2.5 games out of first behind the D-Backs all while posting a sub-.500 record (.470). Kevin Towers – Towers has been a great evaluator of pitching talent. The same cannot be said of the rest of the staff. Currently sitting in the cellar of the lackluster NL West, Sandy Alderson has made noise that wind of change is in the air. That may, or may not, include Towers.Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/), which includes The Biz of Baseball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/), The Biz of Football (http://www.bizoffootball.com/), The Biz of Basketball (http://www.bizofbasketball.com/) and The Biz of Hockey (http://bizofhockey.com/). He is contributor to Baseball Prospectus (http://baseballprospectus.com/news/?author=124), and is available as a freelance writer.Brown's full bio is here. (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_content view=article id=47 Itemid=18) He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network (http://www.businessofsportsnetwork.com/index.php?option=com_contact view=contact id=2 Itemid=29). Tue, 08 Jul 2008 17:36:10 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287511 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287511 The L.A. Daily News is reporting that a potential deal to send C.C. Sabathia to the Dodgers as well as two other players was nixed by Dodgers owner Frank McCourt for financial reasons. McCourt wholeheartedly denies these allegations, saying the players did not match up and that was that. This is an interesting story if true, as the Dodgers pitching staff would receive a huge shot of life from Sabathia as well as seeing how C.C. would have responded playing in a large market like L.A. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:18:25 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287404 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287404 Razzball.com and FBHOF.com continue recreating the All Star teams of the fantasy era. In their second installment, players from '83-'85 are elected. Dale Murphy and Rickey Henderson paved the way for batters, a Met pitcher set a new bar for standout seasons, and a young Yankee first basemen had the most prolific RBI season in fantasy history. Tue, 08 Jul 2008 14:43:32 -0500 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287387 http://www.yardbarker.com/author/article/287387