Orange Black and Blue is a San Francisco Giants blog that combines comprehensive Giants coverage with a humor that's too irreverent for print. The DC-based blogger braved record heat to report live from Nationals Park this weekend, complete with tons of pictures from the Nats' brand spankin' new stadium.

Buster Olney of ESPN Magazine is reporting that an unnamed source has put the chances of the Boston Red Sox trading pitcher David Wells at either 80-20 or 90-10. The deal would have to be consummated within the next 48 hours for Wells to be eligible for a prospective club's postseason roster. Wells has cleared waivers and can be traded. The Red Sox are listening to offers for Wells after an awful August in which they have dropped six games behind the Minnesota Twins for a wild card berth and seven behind the New York Yankees.

The often controversial pitcher, who once wrote in his autobiography that he was still drunk from the night before while pitching a perfect game for the Yankees in 1998, has battled through an injury-plagued season with the Red Sox, but has been much better of late. The 43-year-old left hander has a 2.65 ERA in 30 August innings. For the season, he is 2-3 with a 4.98 ERA.

Olney indicates that the Twins, Mets, Diamondbacks, Phillies, Reds and A's may have an interest in Wells.

By now, many of heard that among the victims on the Comair crash in Lexington, Kentucky was a newlywed couple en route to California for their honeymoon. Jon Hooker, a former pitcher at Kentucky and in independent ball, married his girlfriend Saturday night. While at Kentucky, he played with and roomed with future Arizona All-Star pitcher Brandon Webb. Webb and Hooker were close friends, so much so that Webb's parents attended the Hookers' wedding the night before the crash.

"We were pretty much inseparable," Webb said. "We took all our classes together. All day, every day, we were together."

Webb elected to pitch his scheduled start after getting the shocking news from manager Bob Melvin. Pitching for his friend, Webb got the victory with 7.1 strong innings.

No, this is not 2001: the Oakland Raiders have signed former No. 1 pick Jeff George. The same Jeff George that hasn't thrown a pass in the NFL in five years. The Raiders already have three QBs - starter Aaron Brooks, 2005 3rd rounder and former ASU standout Andrew Walter, and Marques Tuiasosopo, an oft-injured vet who has started some in the past.

The rationale for signing George, particularly this late into the preseason, isn't exactly clear. At the very least, he will have a fair amount of rust to shake off. This, of course, is the team that brought Art Shell back after they fired him from his last coaching gig 12 years ago.

In other news, the Raiders are coming close to terms with Fred Biletnikoff and Kenny Stabler.

Dennis Dillon, in his NFL blog, recounts a story about Curtis Martin, who may be done with a degenerative knee condition. Martin, the polar opposite of a prima donna, was able to live life in the Big Apple fairly anonymously for such a prolific star. One day, however, he was recognized by a man who told Martin about his bleak financial situation. Martin took the man to a clothing store, bought him a suit, and told him he would pray for the man to get a job. Some time later, the two crossed paths again, and the man told Martin his help had got him a job.

The article also has some nice facts concerning Martin's amazing, if low profile, career. Among them: Martin is the only man not named Barry Sanders to have over 1,000 yards in each of his first ten seasons, he is fourth all-time rushing with 14,101 yards, and averaged 46 catches per season over his first ten full seasons.

Fourth round draft pick Stephen Gostkowski was officially anointed the Patriots second kicker in 11 years when veteran Martin Gramatica was cut last week. Gostkowski (the first 'k' is silent) steps into the very big shoes left by Adam Vinatieri, a man as synonymous with the Pats' dynasty as Tom Brady or Bill Belichick. Now that Vinatieri is suiting up for AFC rival Indianapolis, Pats fans are left wondering how the team will fare without the most clutch and notable kicker in recent memory.

Pat Kirwan at NFL.com predicts Gostkowski, although he most likely won't match Vinatieri, will provide solid kicking in his rookie year by looking at the rookie years of the top 10 kickers last year. Although Kirwin defers a bit much to the expertise of the Belichick/Scott Pioli team as a reason for confidence in the young kicker, there is some interesting predictors in here for the nervous Patriots fan.

Terrell Owens has been fined by the Dallas Cowboys for missing a team meeting and rehab session, as well as being to an offensive meeting. Owens was reportedly fined $9,500 for his indiscretions, marking the first official discipline he has received by his new team.

Owner Jerry Jones told the Dallas Morning News, "That's our club business. That's going to be accounted for." Both incidents happened Friday, one day ahead of the Cowboys preseason game against San Francisco, Owens's former team. It will be interesting to see what, if anything, the Big Tuna has to say come Monday.

John Tomase of the Boston Herald speculates that there are seven potential teams where Deion Branch could land in a trade. Yesterday, the Patriots gave Branch and his agent a week window to seek a trade and a contract extension with another team after talks broke down. It was a bit of a surprise given Branch's optimism only days ago, when he said, "I've got a great feeling that we're both going to do what's right. We're going to make sure everything works out." Tom Brady also has urged management to get a deal done with his favorite target, although he backed off his comments some following the Patriots' announcement yesterday.

Some of the teams that may be interested in Branch include: the Jets, Bills, Raiders, Eagles, Saints, Bears, and the Jaguars.

The Minnesota Vikings released troubled WR Koren Robinson in their first round of cuts ahead of the NFL-mandated Tuesday deadline. In March, Robinson signed a $12 million three year contract after the former first-rounder enjoyed a rebirth in Minnesota following a turbulent career with Seattle. Robinson battled alcoholism before pronouncing he was sober last year. He subsequently made the Pro Bowl as a kick returner.

Robinson played exactly one preseason game under his new contract before being arrested for evading police and a DUI last week. Many have speculated that, under the NFL's substance abuse policy, Robinson could potentially be suspended for the year. Minnesota, under a new regime, decided he wasn't worth the headache.

Reconciliation does not appear to be in the cards in the relationship between rookie Marlins manager Joe Girardi and owner Jeffrey Loria. Three weeks ago, Girardi reportedly told Loria to "Shut the ____ up" after Loria berated umpires during a game from his field seat. After the game, Loria allegedly sent Girardi a message that he had been fired before being talked out of it by cooler heads within the organization, including GM Larry Beinfest.

Now, in his first public comments since, Loria did not exactly give Girardi, mentioned in some circles as a potential NL Manager of the Year candidate considering the club's $15 million payroll, a vote of confidence. "Everything is, you know, it's fine,'' Loria said. "But I don't want to talk about it.''

Girardi has been known as somewhat stubborn and has butted heads with management since spring training. But his ballplayers have played for him, and it would be a step back for the organization to fire Girardi after only one season. That does, however, appear to be the direction in which this situation is heading.

On the heels of awarding a record $2.3 million bonus to Angel Villalona, a 16-year-old Dominican third baseman, the San Francisco Giants signed another 16-year old phenom. The Giants announced they have signed shortstop Julio Izturis. If the name sounds familiar, it is because he is the brother of major league shortstops Cesar (Cubs) and Maicer (Angels).

The Giants also gave a bonus of over $2M to former Washington standout pitcher Tim Lincecum last month following his selection in the June amateur draft. After neglecting their farm system for the past few years, the GM Brian Sabean and his front office finally appear to be making a concerted effort to rebuild for the post- Barry Bonds era.

Two weeks ago, Jerry Rice was very critical of Alex Smith on his Sirius Satellite radio show. Matt Maiocco reports that, following Rice's official retirement at San Francisco 49ers headquarters yesterday, he backed off his comments, citing those critics of Rice himself during his rookie year.

"I think what Mike Nolan is doing for this team is unbelievable, and I think these players are starting to really buy into it , and I think it shows out there on the football field," Rice said. "I was real critical of Alex Smith. When I first came into the league, people were real critical of me because they thought I was a bust. What I'm seeing from him is significant improvement in the way he's managing the football team, his execution, getting out of the pocket, being able to throw the ball downfield and pinpoint the ball. So I think this team is headed in the right direction."

Two weeks ago, Rice had this to say about Smith: "I feel like Alex Smith is not the quarterback of the future. I think (offensive coordinator) Norv (Turner) is going to make it better for him this season, but still, you're not going to see him fill — like a (Joe) Montana or a Steve Young — he's not going to fill their shoes.

He might be okay. But I don't think he's going to be that good."

Pro Football Talk is reporting that Dallas WR Terrell Owens is now claiming that he has re-injured his hamstring as a result of being rushed back to practice by coach Bill Parcells, and that he will now not practice until he is 100%, most likely until the second week of the regular season.

This news comes from the infamous "anonymous league source," so it remains to be seen how much of this rumor is true. If it is, this will just be the latest chapter in what is quickly developing into a sideshow in Dallas. Owens seems to be hell-bent in breaking his own record in how quickly he can tear apart a football team, and he may outdo himself by doing so before the end of his first preseason with the Cowboys. It didn't take a genius to predict that Parcells and Owens, two of the strongest personalities in football, would eventually butt heads when owner Jerry Jones guaranteed Owens $10M in a three year deal this past offseason, but one has to be surprised at how quickly the scenario is playing out. Parcells is known to be a strict believer in the philosophy of No Practice, No Play, no matter who you are or who you think you are. This was perhaps most famously exhibited when Parcells, while head coach in New England, referred to their resident star wideout (and now the Cowboys' second option) Terry Glenn as "she" for his repeated absences from practice with minor injuries. If Owens is now actually implicitly blaming Parcells for his re-injury, things in Dallas will turn ugly sooner rather than later.

Jerry Rice will retire as a San Francisco 49er. Rice, widely considered the best wide receiver, if not player, in league history, will sign a one day contract Thursday at the team's Santa Clara training complex before officially retiring. The 49ers also announced that Rice, a record 13 time Pro Bowler, will be honored at halftime on November 19th when the 49ers play the Seattle Seahawks at Candlestick Point. The team will also most likely the wideout's #80 jersey during that ceremony.

"This was my home for many years, and this is where so many memories were made," Rice said in a statement. "I thank the entire 49ers organization for the opportunity to stand on the field to say goodbye."

Among Rice's littany of records over 20 NFL Seasons: 1,549 receptions, 22,895 receiving yards, 197 touchdown receptions, 207 total touchdowns, 11 consecutive 1,000 yard seasons (both receiving and total), 233 consecutive games with a reception, 13 consecutive games with a TD reception, 31 TDs on Monday Night Football, 7 career Super Bowl TDs, 28 Super Bowl receptions, and 512 Super Bowl receiving yards.

Bill Parcells is not known to be undermined by his players, but Mike Silver reports that, before T.O.'s return to practice on Wednesday, he was on the verge of losing the faith of at least a few of his troops. Reportedly, on Tuesday, Cowboys head coach Bill Parcells, visibly tired of WR Terrell Owens's two week absence from practices for an alleged hamstring injury, told Jim Maurer, one of T.O.'s exclusive team of trainers, "Look, you tell Terrell that tomorrow I want him out here for practice. Tomorrow's the day. I don't care. Tomorrow's the day." Wednesday, T.O. was back.

An anonymous player told Silver, "Before T.O. got back out there, a lot of people were starting to second-guess Bill. For the first time ever, he'd shown a little weakness, like he might not be totally in control, and like he didn't know how to handle this situation. Because, let's face it, it's been a total spectacle so far."

Today, it was determined that Owens will not play Sunday as to not undo all the "progress" made to his hamstring last week (particularly during his jaunt for the Discovery Channel stationary biking team). Not that it's a bold or unprecedented prediction, but, now, more than ever, it looks like the pairing of Bill Parcells and T.O. will become explosive before the season is out.