Russell Westbrook undergoes a procedure to repair a cheek fracture

After a frightening incident on Friday night that left Russell Westbrook with a literal crater in his right cheek, Westbrook’s immediate future with his team seemed in question. Players break noses or damage parts of their faces all the time in this contact sport, but few of these injuries looked as disturbing as Russell’s.

After some damage control, however, it appears as if the long-term implications of Westbrook’s Friday collision may not be all that lasting. From a Thunder press release:

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Russell Westbrook underwent a successful procedure today to address a fracture to the zygomatic arch of his right cheek, Thunder Executive Vice President and General Manager Sam Presti announced.

The procedure was performed by Dr. John Joseph Rehm and Dr. Jason Hamilton with Thunder medical personnel present at the Osborne Head and Neck Institute in Los Angeles, Calif. Westbrook will miss tomorrow’s game against the Los Angeles Lakers and will be re-evaluated later this week.

If you aren’t squeamish and haven’t seen the injury depicted in the video above, take a look at what fellow Thunder guard Anthony Roberson inadvertently did to his teammate’s face.

As the statement points out, Westbrook will miss a contest against the lowly Lakers on Sunday, and the next Thunder game following that will come at home against the tanking Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday. The team’s next real challenge will take place the following night, when OKC travels to Chicago to grapple with a similarly injury-plagued Bulls team.

The “later this week” evaluation falls right in line with how the Thunder are handling Kevin Durant’s day-to-day situation. Durant had yet another operation to address pain in his right foot earlier in February, the result of a frightening foot fracture last fall that forced team doctors to place a screw inside of his MVP wheel.

If Westbrook and Durant sit out against Los Angeles and Philadelphia, two teams with the second-worst records in their respective conferences, then the two stars would enter Thursday having missed 16 (Westbrook) and 34 (Durant) of their team’s 61 games by that point.

The Thunder have mostly circled the wagons this year, considering. The team had won nine of ten in February before falling in a tough road overtime loss to the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night, and a borderline cruel Friday evening matchup with Portland that saw the Thunder go down by just four points. Westbrook has been brilliant throughout, putting up MVP-level stats all season despite playing just 33 minutes a game, but the Thunder still rank eighth in the Western Conference currently.

The team isn’t exactly clinging to the final postseason seed, however, with the similarly-knackered New Orleans Pelicans working without Anthony Davis, Ryan Anderson and Jrue Holiday stuck a game in back of OKC, and those same Suns still 1.5 games back despite the win on Friday night. Even without Durant (who is scheduled to be re-evaluated soon, and could possibly come back by Wednesday) and Westbrook out against the Lakers and Sixers, those two contests should be an easy enough win for Oklahoma City provided they play to their strengths – unleashing new guard D.J. Augustin, while working endless pick and rolls.

What one does have to wonder about, however, is his ability to play through what can be an annoying and often distracting protective mask. Some players, like the recently retired Richard Hamilton or the heel-for-all-ages Bill Laimbeer, took to it. Others found it frustrating and invasive. Westbrook is a gamer, and his heart is in the right place, but that might not mean much if his routine is thrown off-kilter.

The Thunder have endured terrible luck this season with injuries, but they’ve also put themselves in a place to succeed – either through the knockout trade deadline moves of general manager Sam Presti, or Durant and (especially) Westbrook’s MVP-level play during the contests they’ve been allowed to participate in. Grabbing that eighth spot is no guarantee at this point, but the Thunder should be the overwhelming favorite, and they should seek to rest Durant’s ailing foot and go cautious in the wake of Westbrook’s surgery.

It’s always about April, possibly May and conceivably June with this crew. Just cross your fingers that both Westbrook and Durant can make it to spring without any other setbacks.

Former NBA standout Anthony Mason dies at 48

Anthony Mason, the rugged forward whose toughness and relentlessness fueled his journey from afterthought to NBA All-Star, died early Saturday after suffering a massive heart attack and being diagnosed with congestive heart failure earlier this month. He was 48.

Eddie Mata, who interviewed Mason as part of his "Where Are They Now In Sports" video series, reported that Mason passed away at 2:36 a.m. Eastern time on Saturday. Peter Botte of the New York Daily News and ESPN New York's Ian Begley subsequently confirmed the 13-year NBA veteran's passing.

Longtime New York basketball writer Peter Vecsey first reported via Twitter on Feb. 11 that Mason was "fighting [for his] life" after undergoing multiple surgeries, including one procedure that lasted nine hours. Vecsey reported that Mason had reached 350 pounds, had been dealing with heart problems for the past year, and was at a New York-area hospital undergoing tests when the heart attack occurred, prompting him to be rushed into surgery.

After multiple procedures and several touch-and-go days, Mason's condition stabilized. He was reportedly "getting better" in recent days, unable to speak but responding to family members by "blinking and shaking his head and things like that," according to his son, Antoine Mason.

Mason is survived by his sons, Anthony Jr., who played college ball at St. John's before embarking on professional stints with the D-League's Sioux Falls Skyforce and clubs in France and Italy; and Antoine, who finished second in the NCAA in scoring last year at Niagara and has since transferred to Auburn. Mason is also survived by Anthony Jr.'s mother, Monica Bryant, and Antoine's mother, Latifa Whitlock.

Mason averaged 10.9 points and 8.3 rebounds per game during a 13-year NBA career spent with six teams that was marked by ferocious play on the court and explosions off it, and fierce battles with opponents, teammates and coaches alike. He was a big man with guard skills; a freight train filling the lane with hellacious handles and footwork running the break; an undersized four adept at playing in the post and on the perimeter; a brutalizing defender who also boasted a feathery touch with both hands.

He was the sort of player and personality who resisted simple characterization, as Pat Riley, who coached Mason during his heyday with the New York Knicks in the 1990s and during his lone season with the Miami Heat, told Mark Jacobson in a November 1994 New York Magazine feature:

"Anthony's what I'd call an oxymoron," says Pat Riley. "He defies expectations [...] As a player you look at Mase's size and court demeanor and think he's a blue-collar banger, and he is, but he's also very nimble, can outrun people, and has superior ball-handling skills. He's deft, almost cute. There's a bundle of contradictions about him. He's versatile, unique in that way."

Then Riley stops in mid-hagiography, forms his bituminous-eyed John Carradine half-smile, and adds, "Maybe too unique for his own good."

Mason's hard-charging, take-no-prisoners approach made him an intense competitor and fan favorite on the court, especially in New York. But it also sometimes led him into trouble off the court, including a 1996 accusation of fighting with police in Times Square over a parking ticket and a 2000 arrest on third-degree assault charges for his alleged role in a Harlem bar fight. The most serious allegation came in 1998, when Mason and a friend were charged with statutory rape for having consensual sex with two underage girls in Queens. Mason entered into a plea agreement on the lesser charge of endangering the welfare of a child, for which he was sentenced to 200 hours of community service.

"There is a Jekyll and Hyde there, and I don't know where it comes from," Ken Fiedler, Mason's former coach at Queens' Springfield Gardens High School, told Mike Wise, then of the New York Times, in November 1996. "People see more of the dark side of Anthony than the shining light side. The guy I see isn't like the one you read about in the papers."

Born in Miami but raised in Queens, Mason first drew NBA attention as a 6-foot-7, 225-pounder who played all five positions for coach Larry Reid at Tennessee State. Despite averaging 28 points, 10.4 rebounds, three assists and two steals per game during his senior season en route to a first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection, Mason slid to the third round of the 1988 NBA draft, where the Portland Trail Blazers nabbed him with the 53rd overall pick.

With the likes of Caldwell Jones, Jerome Kersey and Mark Bryant entrenched up front in Portland, there wasn't much room for Mason to crack the Blazers' rotation, so he spent his first pro overseas, playing for Turkish club Efes Pilsen.

"Turkey was strange," he told Jacobson. "People would follow me down the street. Then I'd go into the hotel, go to sleep, get up the next morning, go out, and there'd be the same person still staring at me."

Mason came back to the States and the East Coast for a shot with the New Jersey Nets, then coached by former Knicks great Willis Reed, who was close with Fiedler. But after Reed was bumped to the front office and Bill Fitch took over on the sideline, Mason struggled to crack the Nets' rotation, logging just 108 minutes over 21 appearances in Jersey before being cut.

From there, Mason spent time with Marinos de Oriente in Caracas, Venezuela; had a couple of 10-day cups of coffee with the Denver Nuggets that amounted to all of 21 total minutes; joined the Tulsa Fast Breakers of the CBA (where he earned the nickname "Beast"); and suited up for the Long Island Surf of the USBL, where he was pouring in buckets with his sights set on a lucrative contract to play in Italy.

Instead, Ernie Grunfeld, then the Knicks' vice president of player personnel, invited Mason to New York's 1991 training camp. His strength, quickness and tenacity impressed Riley, the new head coach, and earned him the chance to back up Charles Oakley and Xavier McDaniel.

Before long, Mason was cutting into their playing time, earning praise for his bruising play and love of "razor buzz graffiti" in his hair, and entrenching himself as an integral cog off the bench for a Knicks team that pushed the eventual NBA champion Chicago Bulls to seven games in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.

No. 44 car reported stolen has been found

The reported stolen No. 44 Team Xtreme car was found Saturday morning.

The team tweeted a picture of the car's owner with the car, which was found in suburban Atlanta. The Morrow Police Department confirmed to the AP that the car had been recovered.

The hauler the car was in was reported stolen from the parking lot of a Drury Inn on Friday morning. According to police, the hauler was taken from the parking lot at 5:34 a.m. and was reported stolen at 5:52 a.m.

The team was forced to withdraw from Sunday's Sprint Cup race because it was the only car it had prepared for the weekend.

Surveillance video from the hotel showed a silver Jeep enter the hotel parking lot. A man then walked across the lot and seconds later, the hauler drove off in the opposite direction. The car was in the hauler because the team sent its transporter to the track to be parked for Thursday's test session at Atlanta Motor Speedway and the car wasn't ready for the race when the transporter left.

Team Xtreme qualified for the Daytona 500 and finished 32nd despite a crash in front row qualifying. The team has said it plans to attempt next week's race in Las Vegas.

Federer stuns Djokovic in Dubai

Roger Federer claimed the 84th title of his legendary career, kept his nose in front in his personal rivalry with Novak Djokovic, and equalled his best achievement at any tournament by winning the Dubai Open for the seventh time on Saturday.

The Grand Slam record-holder from Switzerland beat the world number one from Serbia 6-4, 7-5 in a colourful success which took Federer’s title haul here equal to those of Halle and Wimbledon. It also put him 20-17 up against Djokovic

Federer served superbly, his 12 aces taking his career total past 9,000, something only three other players have done since 1991.

Even more noticable was his risk-taking, the frequency with which he approached the net, and the commitment with which he attacked his ground strokes.

The victory was a fine riposte to those who said after his third round loss to Andreas Seppi in the Australian Open that his good days were now behind him.

"People are often saying how old I am – but who knows how many years I have left. I can still play with the best," the 33-year-old said challengingly.

It required only one break of serve in the first set, in the eighth game, to give Federer the thrust he needed to close out the first set.

And one break was enough in the second, coming in the eleventh game.

Djokovic nevertheless came very close to vital breakthroughs when he had Federer at 15-40 in the third game of the first set, and again in the eighth and tenth games of the second set. The last two were both set points, and both were saved by aces.

"I definitely won the big points tonight," said Federer.

"I am very happy with this – otherwise I don’t think I would be here giving this interview.

- Djokovic denied 50th title -

"It’s very special to be part of this match. We have played many, many times, and this seventh title does mean a lot. I will always come back here every single year."

Djokovic, who was thus denied the 50th title of his career and the opportunity to overtake the 49 won by his coach Boris Becker, may reflect on the seven chances to break serve altogether which got away.

The first offered Djokovic perhaps his best chance when he pushed Federer back from the net with a decent lob, only for the maestro to produce a nerveless, powerful and accurate smash.

The second was abruptly truncated with a fine first serve, and this seemed to inspire Federer.

The two break points at 3-4 in the second set were similarly dispatched with an ace and a first service winner, and the two at 4-5 with even more rapid aces.

Djokovic had a break point in the last game of the match too, but that was to break back.

Federer saved that with the greatest difficulty of any of them, with a smash from a deep high lob which he could easily have missed.

But Federer was relaxed, pressure-free, and enormously buoyed by the noise of his many supporters here.

"Better than losing in the first round of the doubles," he said, recalling his brief exploits with Swiss compatriot Michael Lammer.

"You work hard and travel a lot, and make sacrifices and hope it pays off in big matches. It’s been a wonderful week. After this you can’t wait for the next tournament to start."

Djokovic often played very well, and claimed he could not have done more. He had to be pleased with what he had done, he reckoned, even if it was the first time that he had lost in his five finals here.

"We always make each other play our best tennis," he said.

"We require from each other the maximum focus and commitment, and that's what raises the quality of the match. That's why he's who he is."

Djokovic did have one last laugh.

"How come you had seven break points and he had two – and you lost?" he was asked on court afterwards.

His answer caused the stadium to erupt. "I think I will get the same question a little later from Boris," he said.

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - FEBRUARY 28TH

1903 - Barney Dreyfuss & James Potter buys Philadelphia Phillies for $170,000.

1929 - Chic Black Hawks lose record NHL 15th straight game at home.

1931 - Ban Johnson, created (baseball's AL), dies after a long illness.

1940 - 1st televised basketball game (U of Pitts beats Fordham U, 50-37).

1940 - Mario Andretti, Italian American race-car driver

(1969 Indianapolis 500, 1978 Formula One World Champion) is born.

1945 - Charles "Bubba" Smith, Tx, NFLer (Balt Colts)/actor (Police Academy) is born.

1957 - Jockey Johnny Longden's 5,000th career victory.

1959 - NFL trade, Chicago Cards trade Ollie Matson to LA Rams for 9 players.

1960 - US wins Olympic hockey gold medal by defeating Canada.
1966 - Sandy Koufax & Don Drysdale begin a joint holdout against Dodgers.
1967 - Wilt Chamberlain sinks NBA record 35th consecutive field goal.
1970 - Bicycles permitted to cross Golden Gate Bridge.

 1971 - 53rd PGA Championship: Jack Nicklaus shoots a 281 at PGA Natl FL

Jack Nicklaus wins his 2nd golf grand slam.

1973 - Eric Lindros, London Ontario, NHL center (Phila Flyers) is born.

1986 - Peter Uberroth suspended 7 Baseball Players for 1 year,

after they admitted in Curtis Strong's trial in September, they used drugs.

1988 - Pat Verbeek becomes 1st NJ Devil to score 4 goals in an NHL game.
1989 - Red Schoendienst & Al Barlick elected to baseball's Hall of Fame.
1991 - Don Mattingly named 10th NY Yankee Captain.

1998 - Vancouver Canucks Mark Messier is 4th NHLer to get 1,600 points.

Derrick Rose out 4-6 weeks after knee surgery; return this season expected

Derrick Rose had successful surgery to remove the damaged portion of the torn medial meniscus in his right knee, Chicago Bulls general manager Gar Forman told reporters Friday morning. Forman termed the surgery "minor" — Rose reportedly walked out of the hospital bearing his full weight on his own following the outpatient meniscectomy — and estimated the star point guard's recovery timeline at four to six weeks.

"We expect Derrick to be playing this season," Forman said.

The short side of the four-to-six-week timeframe would peg Rose's estimated return at March 27. At that point, the Bulls will have nine games remaining on their regular-season schedule. The far end brings us to April 10, three games before the end of the Bulls' season and eight days before the start of the 2015 playoffs.

The Bulls have one of the conference's friendlier slates for the balance of the season, according to NBA.com's John Schuhmann's strength-of-schedule measurement. But the next month of the schedule does feature some tough tests, including United Center visits from the Chris Paul-led Los Angeles Clippers, John Wall-fronted Washington Wizards and Russell Westbrook-helmed Oklahoma City Thunder over the next week. Chicago carries a 36-22 record into Friday's action, putting the Bulls a half-game behind the red-hot Cleveland Cavaliers for the top spot in the Central Division and slotting them in fourth place in the East's playoff chase, 9 1/2 games behind the conference-leading Atlanta Hawks.

Rose will begin "aggressive" rehabilitation on Saturday.

"I know Derrick is anxious to attack this rehab,” Forman said, according to K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune. “We anticipate a full return to activity. He’s full weight-bearing today. In about a week, he’ll be able to do basketball-related drills and increase his strength and go from there.”

Where Rose goes from there, of course, stands as an open, fascinating question.

Rose is just 15 months removed from his first surgery to repair a tear in this same meniscus, and less than three years removed from the April 2012 tear to the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, a devastating injury that completely altered the career arc of the explosive lead guard who in 2011 became the youngest player ever to win the NBA's Most Valuable Player trophy.

The physical circumstances surrounding this particular injury and procedure seem significantly less troubling than the two previous situations, with a far shorter recovery time associated with removing the damaged piece of the meniscus than attempting to repair it. But there remains the potential that removal could, as our Kelly Dwyer wrote Wednesday, "leave Rose far more prone to the sort of pain and 'minor procedures' that have plagued post-snip players like Dwyane Wade as they’ve grown older," or, in the worst-case scenario, the brand of cartilege-free, bone-on-bone agony that led to the early end of Brandon Roy's career.

Forman downplayed the likelihood of immediate pain issues related to the meniscectomy:

There's another nettlesome short-term issue, though — the reintroduction of the problematic dynamic that Rose and the Bulls fostered during the 2012-13 season as he rehabilitated from his ACL tear.

Forman has now made it clear that the Bulls are confident that Rose will be 100 percent before the end of the season and that they expect him to play in regular-season games. In past rehabilitation situations, Rose has shown a clearly conservative bent, waiting to return until he feels "110 percent" right. Two years back, the separation between the timelines of team and player led to serious static, with Rose demonized in some quarters for wanting to feel totally confident in his body before returning to the fray, Chicago's front office looking like ogres for wanting him to return after he was medically cleared, and everyone in the Bulls locker room having to answer the same questions about their fallen comrade over and over and over again.

The specter of a Rose comeback that never came enveloped the end of the Bulls' 2012-13 season. With such clear public proclamations of what's expected, Chicago could be inviting another messy battle here.

But we are, perhaps, getting ahead of ourselves. For now, let's breathe a sigh of relief that the injury that sent our hearts sinking back down to the pits of our stomachs doesn't appear to be as severe as we initially feared. For now, let's be thankful that our chances of seeing Rose suit up for a playoff game remain alive, as do the Bulls' chances of making their way past the Hawks and Cavaliers into the NBA Finals.

For now, there's hope that we'll see Derrick Rose on the court again before we close up shop for the summer. It's not everything, but for now, that's enough.

Why Ronda Rousey-Cat Zingano is the biggest fight of Rousey's career

On Saturday at Staples Center, for only the third time in UFC history, two unbeaten fighters will meet for the world title.

Ronda Rousey (10-0, 10 finishes) will defend the women's bantamweight title in the main event of UFC 184 against Cat Zingano (9-0, eight finishes).

The only other undefeated championship bouts in UFC history were Rashad Evans-Lyoto Machida for the light heavyweight title at UFC 98 in 2009 and Rousey-Sara McMann at UFC 170 last year.

The Rousey-Zingano fight will attract a horde of celebrities who are coming out to watch what could be the match that, 10 years from now, 25 years from now, 50 years from now, is the one that all other women's bouts are judged against.

Just as major boxing matches are measured by the standard of Muhammad Ali (31-0, 25 KOs) against Joe Frazier (26-0, 23 KOs) on March 8, 1971, it's possible that future women's MMA fights will be judged against Rousey-Zingano.

UFC president Dana White, who frequently raves about Rousey, is nearly as effusive in his praise of Zingano. He said that among the celebrities expected to attend are Jennifer Lopez; Demi Lovato; Will Smith and his wife, Jada Pinkett Smith; Mark Wahlberg; Maria Shriver; Ed Norton; Mandy Moore; Vin Diesel; Charlize Theron; Anthony Kiedis; Kellan Lutz; Schoolboy Q and Travis Barker, among others.

"A lot of celebrities we don't normally get," White said.

The card at one time looked as if it might be the most loaded of the year. The main event was supposed to feature a middleweight title bout between Chris Weidman and No. 1 contender Vitor Belfort, but Weidman injured a rib and the fight was moved to May 23.

Rousey-Zingano moved up to be the main event. But the Frank Mir-Antonio Silva fight was moved off the show to become the main event of the card earlier this week in Porto Alegre, Brazil, and a fascinating match between Jacare Souza and Yoel Romero was switched off when Souza got pneumonia.

That left Rousey-Zingano at the top of a far thinner card in terms of big names. And yet, the celebrities are still coming in, which in White's eyes is recognition of Rousey's stardom.

"She's the headliner," White said of Rousey. "She's the one who's getting pushed. She's the champion. She's the star. She's at such a high level that other celebrities recognize that, but it also has to do with the fight.

"It's a tough, legit fight. Cat Zingano is probably the greatest threat to Ronda there is. Do you remember that fight she had with Amanda Nunes, where she got her in that guillotine and then [suplexed her] backward? That kind of raw power and strength that Cat Zingano has, I've never seen in the women's division."

Rousey, who at 28 seems to be hitting her athletic prime, insists she's ready to raise her game to another level. Her history would suggest it's tough to bet against her, given the way she's added to her game virtually for every bout.

One of the marks of the greatest athletes in any sport is that they perform their best when the stakes are highest.

It doesn't get much bigger than facing another unbeaten opponent, particularly one who is as strong, powerful and aggressive as Zingano.

When Rousey began, her coach, Edmond Tarverdyan, spoke glowingly of her potential. Before her first UFC fight – a match at UFC 157 against Liz Carmouche that came amid great hype and fanfare – Tarverdyan told Yahoo Sports he felt Rousey's boxing had progressed so much that she was capable of winning a gold medal in that sport if she focused on it.

She stopped McMann with a knee to the midsection last February for her first finish other than an arm bar and pummeled Alexis Davis in just 16 seconds at UFC 175 on July 5.

Zingano, who lost a chance to fight Rousey earlier when she injured a knee that forced her to pull out of a coaching stint on "The Ultimate Fighter," said Rousey's dominance has, in an odd way, helped the division.

"She's great for the sport and for women's MMA," Zingano said of Rousey. "What she's done is that she's made all of us work harder and improve our games so we can get to that level. I have nothing but respect for her.

"But I also feel like I am the one to do this. Everybody talks about the arm bar and this and that, but I bring things to the table, too, that she has to worry about."

The bout could, in many ways, be a battle between Rousey's judo throws and Zingano's wrestling, as well as a battle of vastly different striking styles.

Rousey's hands are far better than they were two years ago, when she debuted in the UFC, and she throws with speed and in combination. Technically, her combinations may be sharper than Zingano's, but Zingano has the overwhelming power that could give her an edge.

"This is one of those fights that I absolutely can't wait to see," White said. "It's an awesome fight, in my opinion. A lot of people have been saying that Cat Zingano is the absolute biggest threat to Ronda's title. [UFC broadcaster] Joe Rogan was saying that Ronda isn't just a once-in-a-lifetime fighter, she's a once-in-an-ever fighter.

"To me, this is a fight that has everything you could want to see in a fight: two great athletes at the very top who have speed, power, great technique, great athletic ability and an incredible desire to win."

Josh Hamilton likely to be suspended 'at least 25 games'

We're still waiting for MLB to hand down a penalty regarding Los Angeles Angels outfielder Josh Hamilton's reported drug relapse. The two sides met in New York on Wednesday for what's been described on the record as a "disciplinary issue."

Something is coming, we just don't know what form that punishment will take or when it will go public.

Fox Sports' Ken Rosenthal and Jon Morosi dove into the complicated issue of Hamilton's place on the drug-punishment timeline and MLB's next step. While nothing is official, the Fox Sports story makes a suspension sound almost certain, though it says MLB will possibly be lenient with Hamilton. From Rosenthal and Morosi:

Hamilton is likely to be suspended for at least 25 games but less than a full season, sources say. Because of various complexities, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is not close to a decision. Moreover, the MLB Players Association, acting on Hamilton's behalf, would appeal any penalty it deems to be too harsh.

Hamilton's recent drug use, reported by CBS Sports to be cocaine, violated the terms of a treatment program to which the Angels outfielder agreed when he returned in June 2006 from a suspension of more than two years. The sport's jointly bargained drug agreement lists specific penalties for such violations, but those guidelines are not easily applied in Hamilton's complicated case.

Aside from the headline-pushers, there's not a huge rush for MLB to figure things out. Hamilton, 33, is sidelined after shoulder surgery and probably wouldn't have played the first two months of the season anyway, so there aren't many immediate baseball effects that come with suspending Hamilton.

One of the most common questions in the Hamilton saga is how MLB will view his previous drug suspensions and where that places him in the penalty timeline. According to Fox Sports, the league would view Hamilton has a second-time offender, because he was on a 40-man roster when he was suspended as a minor leaguer in 2004.

Hamilton was suspended for the better parts of three seasons, but cleaned up and successfully returned to MLB. You know the rest: He won an MVP with the Texas Rangers, becoming an inspirational comeback story. Hamilton's successes — not so much his production on the field, but his overall revival as a human being — could help him in MLB's eyes. Via Fox Sports:

Manfred and other league officials have a favorable view of Hamilton's efforts to remain sober, including compliance with MLB-mandated drug tests (three each week) for nearly nine years. He made five All-Star teams during that time, all while speaking honestly to baseball fans and the greater public about his struggle with addiction.

Although Hamilton approached MLB officials to inform them of his relapse, the fact that he was forthcoming will not be the reason for leniency; sources say MLB officials are of the view that Hamilton may have come to them once he believed a positive drug test was inevitable.

All that being said, there are many who believe MLB shouldn't suspend Hamilton. The thinking goes: the day-to-day structure of baseball might be better for Hamilton than being left in the wind for a month, which way very well be true.

There's certainly a lot to consider in this matter, which is one reason Manfred and MLB may move slowly in answering the question of "What's next for Josh Hamilton?"

Phil Jackson likely to be fined for commenting on draft-ineligible player

New York Knicks president Phil Jackson will likely face an NBA fine for publicly commenting on Ohio State freshman guard D’Angelo Russell, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Upon leaving Ohio State’s game on Thursday night in Columbus, Jackson told Cleveland.com that Russell was a “great looking kid. Great prospect.”

The NBA forbids league officials from making public comments on draft-ineligible players, and sources told Yahoo Sports that the league office was beginning to look into the matter Friday morning.

After winning 11 NBA championships as a coach, this is Jackson’s first year as an NBA executive. The Knicks will have one of the highest picks in the 2015 NBA draft, and Russell is considered the No. 1 point guard prospect in college basketball.

Vince Young, Michael Sam will work out at NFL's first veteran combine

Michael Sam's Twitter account is still @MichaelSamNFL. He hasn't been employed by the NFL since late October.

But Sam hasn't given up. He has been accepted to participate in the first NFL veteran combine on March 22 in Arizona. That news was first reported by ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Vince Young will reportedly be there too. The former University of Texas quarterback has signed up to participate, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport said. Young will turn 32 in May and hasn't played in an NFL regular-season game since 2011 with the Philadelphia Eagles.

It's a combine that will be similar to the college one, with position drills and physical tests, for NFL veterans who are free agents. The Associated Press reported earlier this year that about 100 players were expected to be invited.

Sam, of course, is still vying to be the first openly gay player to appear in an NFL regular-season game. The defensive end out of Missouri was drafted in the seventh round by the St. Louis Rams last year. He was cut at the end of a fairly productive preseason, and the Rams didn't sign him to their practice squad. The Dallas Cowboys signed him to their practice squad but cut him on Oct. 21.

Sam has signed up to be on "Dancing with the Stars," but the NFL door isn't closed for him. It's not going to be easy for him though. Any team could have signed him since the Cowboys cut him, but that hasn't happened. Maybe a good workout will help him. An underwhelming performance at the college combine a year ago probably negatively affected his draft stock. He is viewed as not big enough to be an NFL defensive end and not explosive athletically enough to overcome that or transition to outside linebacker. Maybe he could change what the NFL thinks of him with a great veteran combine.

It'll be tougher for Young to change perceptions at the veteran combine. The NFL knows him well, as the third overall pick of the 2006 draft. Since he was with the Eagles, the Buffalo Bills, Green Bay Packers and Cleveland Browns have given him chances and he hasn't stuck. There are many NFL teams who need help at quarterback and haven't signed Young. Maybe a strong performance at the veteran combine can help him, because his NFL career seems dead at this point.

The veteran combine was created not only as an efficient way for NFL teams to work out free agents, but for former NFL players who still want a shot in the league. It will be up to invitees like Young and Sam to take advantage.

Earl Lloyd, first African-American to play in NBA game, dies at 86

Basketball pioneer Earl Lloyd, the first African-American ever to play in an NBA game, died Thursday. He was 86 years old.

Lloyd was one of three African-American pioneers to break into the NBA in 1950. Chuck Cooper became the first black player drafted by an NBA team, selected in the second round of the 1950 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics, seven rounds before the Washington Capitols picked Lloyd. Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton, a former Harlem Globetrotter, became the first African-American player to sign a full NBA contract, joining the New York Knicks on May 24.

But on Oct. 31, 1950, Lloyd became the first first African-American ever to play in an NBA game, suiting up for Washington against the Rochester Royals, scoring six points and grabbing a game-high 10 rebounds in a 78-70 loss. Both Cooper and Clifton would see their first NBA game action less than a week later.

"It's amazing how a scheduling quirk can change your whole life," Lloyd once said.

Born in Alexandria, Va., on April 3, 1928, Lloyd starred at historically black West Virginia State College, where he'd led the Yellow Jackets to an undefeated 1947-48 season and a second straight Central Intercollegiate Athletic Association title the following year. He'd later be named the CIAA's Player of the Decade for the 1940s. It was at West Virginia State where he received the nickname "Moonfixer," which would later become the title of a 2009 autobiography he wrote with Syracuse, N.Y., Post-Standard columnist Sean Kirst.

As Lloyd told the story, the seniors at West Virginia State assigned near-impossible jobs to all the freshmen, as a way of messing with them. Because Lloyd was the tallest at 6-foot-6, "my job was to reach up and make sure the moon was shining when [the seniors] were with their girls."

"That was my job, and they expected me to come through," Lloyd wrote. "They made me the 'Moonfixer,' and it stuck."

Despite the landmark nature of Lloyd's barrier-breaking Halloween 1950 performance, the fact he became the first black player ever to appear in an NBA game barely registered as a blip on the radar at the time, as Yahoo Sports NBA columnist Marc J. Spears once wrote for the Boston Globe:

The next day, the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle didn't mention Lloyd in its game story while the Rochester Times-Union only wrote: "Bones McKinney, the Caps' new coach, injected big Earl Lloyd, Negro Star of West Virginia State, into the lineup (after halftime) and he took most of the rebounds."

"In 1950, the NBA was like 4 years old," Lloyd said. "We were like babes in the woods. I wouldn't say it was ho-hum. But it didn't get the type of coverage that major league baseball got."

While Lloyd's initial foray in the NBA proved almost somewhat uneventful, thanks in large part to taking place in an integrated Northern city, many other nights featured more regrettable interactions.

“Those fans in Indianapolis, they yell stuff like, ‘Go back to Africa,'" Lloyd later said. "And I’m telling you, you would often hear the N-word. That was commonplace. There were a lot of people who sat close to you who gave you the blues, man.”

“Cincinnati didn’t want me to come in to play," he told Spears in a 2009 interview. "How can you not be angry when people near and dear to you are being treated different? You have to manage your anger. You could quit. But you can never quit.”

He responded to those slurs and slights by doing everything in his power to take his frustration out on the opposition.

“My philosophy was if they weren’t calling you names, you weren’t doing anything,” he said. “You made sure they were calling you names, if you could. If they were calling you names, you were hurting them.”

Lloyd would play in only seven games for Washington in his first season before being drafted into the U.S. Army to serve in the Korean War. The Capitols folded while he was serving, and the Syracuse Nationals snagged the rights to his contract. After he returned for the 1952-53 season, he carved out a niche as a rebounder and defensive stopper who could neutralize dangerous interior scorers and help free up top forward Dolph Schayes to focus on offense. When the Nats won it all after the 1954-55 season, Lloyd became the first black starter on an NBA championship team.

He'd play two more seasons in Syracuse before being traded to the Detroit Pistons, where he'd play the final two years of his NBA career before retiring after the 1960 season. He averaged 8.4 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 26.2 minutes per game over a nine-year career that included 560 NBA appearances. The comparatively pedestrian stat line belied Lloyd's impact, as he tailored his game to what he called in "Moonfixer" the "things that people watching the game from the stands won't necessarily appreciate," like face-guarding taller, better rebounders and establishing position to keep them off the glass.

"If I looked at the stats the next day, and I saw a guy only had two or three rebounds, that was my twenty points. You understand?" Lloyd says. "I don't know if you get remembered for that, but if you ask, that's how I want to be remembered. I don't call it a sacrifice because it was my job."

Lloyd would go on to have other jobs in the NBA. He made more history in 1968, when he joined the Pistons' coaching staff and became the league's first-ever black assistant. Three years later, he ascended to the head of the Pistons' bench, becoming just the second black head coach in NBA history, following Celtics legend Bill Russell. He'd last just one full season, going 20-50 in 1971-72 before being fired following a 2-5 start to the '72-'73 campaign. He'd stay on in Detroit, though, spending five more years with the Pistons as a scout.

Although Lloyd occupies an inarguable place in NBA history, he routinely refused comparisons to color-line-breaking pioneers in other sports. Throughout "Moonfixer," he emphasizes that he "was no Jackie Robinson" and "no Joe Louis," and he struck similar notes in interviews.

"I take polite homage to people who try to compare me to [Robinson]," Lloyd told Spears. "There's no comparison, man. Here's a guy who was all by himself, man. I thank God he had a beautiful, lovely wife who was smart. If he didn't have Rachel, no telling what could have happened to him. When I go to high school to speak sometimes and say, 'You want a project, go to your computer, go to Google and throw Jackie Robinson's name in there and see what you get.' The guy was a renaissance man. Any time your own teammates don't want to play with you? I never experienced that."

Downplay it though he might, Lloyd experienced his fair share of hardship, too. Yet he carried himself like a professional and a role model, and in 2003, he earned enshrinement in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in recognition of his contributions to the game.

“That’s the greatest honor that’s ever been bestowed on me,” Lloyd later said.

Despite his induction in Springfield, Lloyd still rarely received much recognition for his role in NBA history. He made regular appearances at the NBA's Rookie Transition Program, but relatively few younger players were familiar with Lloyd's struggle and place in the game's story; in fact, Lloyd told Spears in 2005, the only player who had reached out for his counsel was the famously mercurial Stephen Jackson.

But Lloyd never looked for much in the way of recognition or accolades. In keeping with his sacrifice-for-the-good-of-the-team playing style, he wanted his legacy to be about helping create something bigger than himself.

"One [young NBA player] said to me one day, 'Mr. Lloyd, we owe you,' " Lloyd said. "I said, 'Let me tell you who you owe, you owe the people that come behind you.' I know Chuck Cooper, Sweetwater Clifton, myself, we made it a better place. If we didn't do that, all of ya'll wouldn't be there now.' "

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - FEBRUARY 27TH

1874 - Baseball 1st played in England at Lord's Cricket Ground.

1902 - Gene Sarazen, Harrison NY, PGA golfer

(Masters 1935, US Open 1922, 32) is born.
1903 - Reginald Gardiner, Wimbledon England, actor (Great Dictator) is born.

1927 - For 2nd Sunday in a row golfers in SC arrested for violating Sabbath.

1959 - Chicago Cards trade running back Ollie Matson to LA Rams for 9 players.
1959 - Boston Celtic Bob Cousy sets NBA record with 28 assists

Boston Celtics score 173 points against Minneapolis Lakers.
1960 - US Olympic Ice Hockey Team beats USSR 3-2 en route to gold medal.
1963 - Mickey Mantle of NY Yankees sign a baseball contract worth $100,000.
1973 - Dick Allen signs a record $675,000 3-yr contract with White Sox.

1986 - Jacques Plante, Canadian ice hockey goalie, dies of stomach cancer at 57.

1987 - NCAA cancels SMU's entire 1987 football schedule for gross

violations of NCAA rules regarding athletic corruption.

1988 - Bonnie Blair (US) wins Olympic 500m speed skating in record 39.1.
1988 - Katarina Witt (GDR) wins 2nd consecutive Olympic figure skating.

1992 - Larry Smith named 9th Commissioner of the CFL.
1992 - Tiger Woods, 16, becomes youngest PGA golfer in 35 years.

Shaun King's mock draft 1.0: QB Marcus Mariota falls to Bears

Now that the Senior Bowl and scouting combine are complete, it's time to get serious about the 2015 NFL draft. Teams now have game tape, measurements, medicals and in-person interviews to help adjust their draft boards.

NFL free agency begins on March 10 and that can alter draft boards heading into the last week of April. This mock draft is largely based on what I feel each teams' needs are pre-free agency. This mock doesn't include trades, but I expect a lot of movement come draft night.

 

1. Tampa Bay Buccaneers
Needs: OL, pass rusher, QB
The pick: Jameis Winston (QB, Florida State) – The Bucs don't need to over-think this pick. They have a glaring need at QB and Winston is the top one available. He's the best football player in this draft.

2. Tennessee Titans
Needs: Pass rusher, CB, RB
The pick: Leonard Williams (DT, USC) – The Titans appear to believe they can win with Zach Mettenberger at QB. So the selection here is Williams, the safest pick in this draft. He can play multiple positions along the defensive line, is scheme versatile, plays with a tremendous motor and still has room to get better.

 

3. Jacksonville Jaguars
Needs: CB, OT, RB
The pick: Andrus Peat (OT, Stanford) – It won't be a surpise to see the Jaguars move out of this spot as third is a little high for Peat, but Jacksonville finished first in the NFL in most sacks allowed in 2014 with 71. That's 13 more than Washington, the next worst team. To give Blake Bortles a chance to succeed, the Jags have to protect him. Pairing Peat with Luke Joeckel gives them two young tackles to build around.

 

4. Oakland Raiders
Needs: CB, pass rusher, WR
The pick: Dante Fowler Jr. (DE, Florida) – Oakland had only 22 sacks last season, tied for second to last in the league. Fowler is the best among the defensive linemen after Williams. He can play multiple positions and plays in a violent manner. This is a deep wide receiver class, so the Raiders can add one in the later rounds who can help Derek Carr in his second season.

 

5. Washington Redskins
Needs: DB, OT, pass rusher
The pick: Brandon Scherff (OT, Iowa) – This is another team I can see moving down from this spot. If the Redskins stay put, they'll be a lot like Jacksonville in needing to protect their young QB in order to fairly evaluate him. Scherff won't be a flashy pick but he is tough, strong and nasty. They can play him at either guard spot or opposite Trent Williams at right tackle. The Redskins gave up 58 sacks last season, second worst in the league last season.

 

6. New York Jets
Needs: CB, OT, WR
The pick: Amari Cooper (WR, Alabama) – Geno Smith has been inconsistent by all measures, but he has shown in spurts the tools needed to be a top-level NFL QB. Chan Gailey is a much better fit for Smith than Marty Mornhinweg as offensive coordinator. Here, the Jets finally get their QB an elite option at WR.

 

7. Chicago Bears
Needs: DB, LB, pass rusher
The pick: Marcus Mariota (QB, Oregon) – Head coach John Fox wants to run the football and play great defense. Jay Cutler just doesn't fit that type of environment (or any other to be frank). The Bears have outstanding offensive skill-position personnel which will make Mariota's transition easier. Offensive coordinator Adam Gase and quarterbacks coach Dowell Loggains get to mold Mariota into the Bears' franchise QB. (Sidenote: If Mariota falls to No. 7, expect Chip Kelly and the Eagles to be doing everything possible to move up and select him.)

8. Atlanta Falcons
Needs: DB, pass rusher, TE
The pick: Randy Gregory (OLB, Nebraska) – I wish Gregory was more consistently dominant at Nebraska, but he is too talented for a Falcons team in dire need of a pass rusher to pass up at this spot.

 

9. New York Giants
Needs: ILB, OL, pass rusher
The pick: Kevin White (WR, WVU) – Not a need for the G-men but White gives them protection in case Victor Cruz doesn't return to his old self after a knee injury. If Cruz is completely healed, White gives New York the most talented group of skill players in the NFC. Eli Manning is all smiles.

 

10. St. Louis Rams
Needs: CB, QB, OL
The pick: T.J. Clemmings (OT, Clemson) – Rams GM Les Snead showed that he believes in building from the inside out and doesn't mind drafting guys with high ceilings. Clemmings fits the bill, although some will consider this too high for him. He has the most upside of any o-lineman in the draft (he has played on the line for only two years). Think two years from now when Clemmings and Greg Robinson are fully matured …

 

11. Minnesota Vikings
Needs: CB, OT, WR
The pick: Devante Parker (WR, Louisville) – I said last year that Teddy Bridgewater was hands-down the best QB in the 2014 draft. He proved me right (skinny ankles and all). The Vikings add a dynamic weapon to a Bridgewater-led offense in Parker.

 

12. Cleveland Browns
Needs: DL, ILB, WR
The pick: Danny Shelton (DT, Washington) – Shelton is the best player available and he fills a need. After the major logo change (insert joke here) the Browns finally generate some good news.

 

13. New Orleans Saints
Needs: CB, Pass rusher, OL
The pick: Vic Beasley (OLB, Clemson) – His pass rushing production has always been there, but people wondered if he could duplicate it at 220-225 pounds. Beasley showed up at the combine at 245 and still tested off the charts. Defensive coordinator Rob Ryan gets another toy to try and fix the Saints' defense.

 

14. Miami Dolphins
Needs: DB, LB, OT
The pick: Landon Collins (S, Alabama) – Excellent value here for the Dolphins as Collins projects as a top-10 caliber player. Miami could also take an offensive lineman here but Collins offers more immediate impact.

15. San Fransico 49ers
Needs: DL, OL and WR
The pick: Breshad Perriman (WR, UCF) – He is not as well known as the top-three wide receivers in this draft but Perriman is just as talented. Niners could lose Michael Crabtree and possibly Stevie Johnson so this position becomes a need.

 

16. Houston Texans
Needs: OT, QB, WR
The pick: La'el Collins (OT, LSU) – Excellent run blocker can play right tackle if Derek Newton leaves via free agency or move inside to guard if the Texans keep Newton.
 

17. San Diego Chargers
Needs: CB, NT, OL
The pick: Malcom Brown (DT, Texas) – Brown is an all-around good interior lineman who is physical at the point of attack and can win one-on-one situations as a pass rusher. Brown can play multiple positions along the defensive front which will allow him to make an immediate impact.

 

18. Kansas City Chiefs
Needs: CB, OT, WR
The pick: Jaelen Strong (WR, Arizona State) – It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know the Chiefs need help at wideout. Do they go for the upside of Dorial Green-Beckham or the safer choice in Strong? They can't afford to miss with this pick because Alex Smith needs immediate help so they'll keep it safe with Strong.
 

19. Cleveland Browns
Needs: DL, ILB, WR
The pick: Maxx Williams (TE, Minnesota) – I fully expect Jordan Cameron to leave in free agency, so TE becomes a major need for the Browns. Williams has rare open field quickness for a guy his size. Williams gives them a better chance to be successful, no matter who starts at QB in Week 1.   

 

20. Philadelphia Eagles
Needs: CB, OLB, S
The pick: Trae Waynes (CB, Michigan State) – Bradley Fletcher was a major liability last season in the Eagles' secondary. Waynes is an immediate upgrade. Although he isnt as physical as I would like, he is an excellent cover corner.

21. Cincinnati Bengals
Needs: CB, S, WR
The pick: Arik Armstead (DE, Oregon) – Armstead played the 5 technique the majority of his time at Oregon, but I think he can play end in a 4-3 in the NFL. Marvin Lewis gets another large, physically gifted but raw prospect to develop along the defensive line with Margus Hunt.
 

22. Pittsburgh Steelers
Needs: CB, DL, S
The pick: Marcus Peters (CB, Washington) – He is the best all-around cornerback in this class. If not for serious character concerns he would be a top-10 pick. Peters has all the natural ability in the world. The structure and environment in Pittsburgh allows head coach Mike Tomlin to make this selection.

 

23. Detroit Lions
Needs: CB, DL, WR
The pick: Dorial Green-Beckham (WR, Missouri/Oklahoma) – Every year Calvin Johnson misses a few more games with injuries. Could he be breaking down? I expect Detroit to find a way to keep Ndamukong Suh from leaving in free agency so wide receiver becomes the pick here. DGB is super talented but, a lot like Marcus Peters, he has serious character concerns. Head coach Jim Caldwell not only led the Lions to the playoffs last season but he created a different environment in the Motor City that allows them to take the chance on DGB.

Darren Collison's surgery expected to end his season with Kings

Sacramento Kings point guard Darren Collison will have surgery on Tuesday to repair a core muscle injury that is expected to end his season, league sources told Yahoo Sports.

Collison suffered a strained hip flexor on Feb. 5 against the Dallas Mavericks and has not played since. He will meet with Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia on Monday, a day before the surgery. Collison will be re-evaluated three to six weeks after the surgery and there is no timetable for his return.

Collison has averaged 16.1 points and 5.6 assists in 45 games this season with the Kings. The Kings are expected to continue to start young point guard Ray McCallum in Collison's absence while backing him up with veteran Andre Miller, who was acquired from the Washington Wizards at the trade deadline.

New Kings coach George Karl, who was hired during the All-Star break, did not get a chance to coach Collision this season.

Johan Santana gets another chance, signs with Blue Jays

When you were once as good as Johan Santana was, it's a good bet some team will be there, waiting to offer you another chance. For 2015, that team is the Toronto Blue Jays.

Santana has agreed to join the Blue Jays on a minor-league deal with an invite to major-league spring training. It's the first step in either a feel-good comeback story or another stalled attempt by Santana to reclaim his MLB glory.

Santana, 35, didn't pitch in the big leagues in 2013 and 2014, but not for lack of trying. Shoulder surgery prevented him from taking the field in 2013 with the New York Mets. He signed a one-year contract with the Baltimore Orioles last year, but tore his Achilles tendon in June when the O's assigned him to extended spring training. Santana also missed the 2011 season because of shoulder surgery. He returned to pitch with the Mets in 2012, throwing a no-hitter but posting a 4.85 ERA in 29 starts.

This is a total gamble by the Blue Jays, since it's not remotely clear what kind of pitcher they're getting. His pedigree is well known — he's a two-time Cy Young winner who led the league in strikeouts for three straight years with the Minnesota Twins.

But coming off two shoulder surgeries and the Achilles injury, plus missing three of the past four seasons, he's a mystery. That's not to say he can't help the Jays, who have some wiggle room in their rotation, because he absolutely can. R.A. Dickey and Mark Buehrle are the veterans of the staff, with Marcus Stroman coming off an impressive rookie year. Youngsters Drew Hutchinson and Daniel Norris are hoping to find a place. The Jays also have Marco Estrada, who they got in return for Adam Lind.

What Santana contributes depends on his health and his stuff. He spent some of the winter pitching in the Venezuelan league, where he hit 90 mph and attracted scouts from MLB teams, before halting his efforts because of a sore shoulder.

As you can see, there are a lot of stalled comebacks in the Johan Santana story. Time will tell if this is another one.

Josh Hamilton should retire from baseball, says his close friend

There are still many unknowns in the Josh Hamilton story. Reports say he relapsed and started using cocaine again. We don't know for certain that's true, nor do we know what action MLB will take against Hamilton, though it has been confirmed that he met with league officials Wednesday in New York City.

If the reports are true, then Roy Silver, a longtime friend of Hamilton's, says the Los Angeles Angels outfielder should just retire from baseball. Life is more important than baseball, as we'd all agree, and as Yahoo Sports' Tim Brown eloquently emphasized in his latest column.

So Silver, who helped Hamilton return to MLB after battling his addictions, told USA Today's Bob Nightengale that Hamilton's best move is to get off the baseball field.

"He needs to get his life back in order," Silver said. "Even three years ago, I told Josh that you might want to consider retirement. It seems like he's struggling with things. When you've been given three, four and five chances, and it's still not working, it's best to say, 'This is it.' His life isn't over, but his baseball career should be."

Silver was instrumental in piecing Hamilton's career — and life — back together after Hamilton missed the 2002-06 seasons while recovering from addiction. Hamilton, the top overall pick in the 1999 draft by the Tampa Bay Rays system, accepted a part-time job at Silver's baseball academy — mowing grass, pulling weeds, even cleaning toilets — in exchange for use of the facility.

"I'm not shocked or surprised,'' Silver says. "People don't understand that this hasn't been easy for him, I knew something was not right for the last couple of months. The fact that he's turning himself in is a sign that he got tired of the same old spin cycle. He's trying to get well. He needs to get down and dirty with himself."

The Hamilton story is well documented: He's a former No. 1 overall pick whose addiction to drugs and alcohol crippled him. He was out of baseball, suspended for three seasons, then eventually allowed back into the league in 2006, as he got his life together.

The comeback story hit its apex when Hamilton won the AL MVP in 2010 with the Texas Rangers. He's in the third year of a five-year, $125 million deal with the Angels that has mostly been a disappointment. The 2015 season didn't start off well either, with Hamilton, 33, requiring shoulder surgery before spring training even started.

Hamilton's mostly been injured and unproductive since coming to Anaheim, and the way last year ended, with him going hitless in the ALDS, had to weigh on him going into the offseason. Silver told USA Today that he feared Hamilton had relapsed based on their most recent conversations:

"This has nothing to do with baseball,'' Silver said. "This is affecting other parts of his life. His wife and children, and other relationships."

Silver says he last spoke with Hamilton around Christmas time, but had a sickening feeling during their lengthy conversation that something was amiss, fearing that Hamilton was struggling.

"People that are depressed are very selfish,'' said Silver, who teaches ministry and has shared Bible study classes with Hamilton. "I'm sure there is anxiety and depression that goes with it. You forget about all of your responsibilities elsewhere."

Like we said in the beginning, there are still many unknowns to be sorted out. But putting Josh Hamilton the person before Josh Hamilton the baseball player isn't one of them.

Judge overturns Adrian Peterson's NFL suspension

Let's go ahead and chalk up the Adrian Peterson suspension as another mistake for the NFL as it tries to police its own league.

The NFL suspended Peterson after the completion of his court case involving him injuring his 4-year-old son with a switch. On Thursday a federal judge said the NFL arbitrator who made that suspension decision overstepped his authority and applied the NFL's new conduct policy retroactively to Peterson's case, so he overturned the suspension. The Star-Tribune said Judge David Doty sent "the case back for further arbitration proceedings 'consistent with' the players’ collective bargaining agreement." The NFL said it is reviewing the ruling, and hasn't yet said whether it will reinstate Peterson, appeal or arbitrate again. According to Doty's order (via the Star-Tribune), Peterson and the NFL agreed in writing on Sept. 18 that he would be put on the commissioner's exempt list until his court case was resolved. Peterson pleaded no contest to misdemeanor reckless assault in November. The NFL called a disciplinary hearing for Peterson, keeping him on the exempt list in the interim, and Peterson didn't show up because the NFL Players Association was upset about the process and that the league wasn't honoring what the union said was an agreement to reinstate him.

Doty agreed with Peterson and the NFLPA, saying former NFL executive Harold Henderson was wrong to suspend Peterson without pay for the remainder of the season on Nov. 18. The NFLPA argued many points, including that Peterson wasn't allowed time to submit his position in writing to commissioner Roger Goodell, and that Peterson was being punished under a new policy, even though the incident took place before that was implemented in late August.

It's yet another misstep for the NFL that a judge ruled it wrongfully took away games and pay from Peterson last season. In the NFL's other high-profile case last year, Ray Rice's indefinite suspension stemming from his domestic violence case was overturned in late November. Rice still hasn't signed with a new team. In the order, the judge points out that the NFL said it couldn't apply the new policy retroactively in the Rice case, but then applied it retroactively in the Peterson case.

“This is a victory for the rule of law, due process and fairness," NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said in a statement. "Our collective bargaining agreement has rules for implementation of the personal conduct policy and when those rules are violated, our union always stands up to protect our players' rights. This is yet another example why neutral arbitration is good for our players, good for the owners and good for our game.”

Peterson was supposed to be eligible for reinstatement on April 15. Having the suspension lifted now is important for Peterson because free agency starts on March 10, and there's no guarantee Peterson returns to the Vikings.

Between his $15.4 million cap hit and lingering feelings about how the Vikings handled the situation last year, Peterson is no sure thing to return. The Vikings have been able to stall because Peterson was suspended. Now the timetable for a decision will speed up.

Jaromir Jagr heads to Florida for draft picks in trade stunner

Jaromir Jagr is about to get a suntan. The New Jersey Devils winger, who had done everything but demand a trade recently, is on his way to … the Florida Panthers! Did anyone see that one coming?

And Florida doesn’t have to give up a player off its roster. The Panthers, who are now clearly gunning for the Bruins and the playoffs, gave up a second round pick in 2015 and a Devils option of Florida’s or third or Minnesota’s third rounder in 2016.

Jagr’s name had been rumored to a few more veteran teams looking to add forward depth. The Panthers are a bit of a surprise, mostly because they’re still two points back of the playoffs and giving up draft picks. It's not like this team is totally out of rebuild mode yet. After all, it did have the No. 1 pick in the draft last year.

That being said – this is now eight teams for the NHL’s premier hired gun. Florida has no state income tax, and at 43, if this is it for Jagr, he can just move into a retirement home in Boca and play tennis every day.

How strange does this look?

There it is! Hot off of the press! Available TONIGHT in Pantherland during #CHIvsFLA! #FlaPanthers pic.twitter.com/YnaZbAY7sn

— Drew Goldfarb (@DrewGoldfarb) February 26, 2015

Also, Jagr’s legendary work ethic will be of primo importance to Florida’s young players. All guys who have played with him in his older years seem to comment on how he keeps trying to find different ways to get craftier at his game.

As for the on-ice part of it, Jagr is third on the Devils with 29 points and can still be a strong offensive player in certain situations. He wasn't happy with his usage by the end, and maybe another fresh start (with his eighth NHL team) is what he needed.

For New Jersey ... it's time to embrace the tank, in spite of the spin by GM Lou Lamoriello. New Jersey is eight points back of the playoffs, and just sold off a piece to a team it is chasing. Connor McDevil anyone?

Blackhawks divided over locker-room fight, personal issues

When Patrick Kane had surgery, putting him out of the lineup for 12 weeks, one optimistic theory stated that it could be a rallying point for the Chicago Blackhawks.

Which would be a good thing, because apparently they want to tear each others’ throats out behind the scenes ...

Two sports analysts with Chicago roots have reported, independently, that the Blackhawks dressing room is a cesspool of personal conflict.

A fist fight!? ON A TEAM THAT ONLY HAS 13 MAJOR PENALTIES THIS SEASON!?

Before you dismiss Diehl, please keep in mind he’s a Chicago native who’s been around the Blackhawks a bit. It’s entirely plausible that he’s got a source inside the room …

… and it’s entirely possible this is an old rumor being spun around the mill again. Particularly because it’s hard to have a locker room fist fight after the Kane injury when there’s no locker room to fight in, and the Blackhawks had an off-day yesterday.

Plus, there have been rumors about problems inside the Hawks room, and a teammate-vs.-teammate fight, since last summer.

The Committed Indian, the Blackhawks fan-zine, wrote the following in its “exit interview” of Patrick Sharp (and obviously this is grounded in rumor):

In my position, pretty regularly I get emails from people claiming to be in the know (and some genuinely are) letting me know about what they’ve heard about this guy or what’s going on with this injury and so on. I appreciate it of course, as I don’t really have any “insiders.” Most of it I dismiss out of hand. But when they start to pile up about the same things or incidents, you start to take notice. When you tap on some people who may be in the know and they say the same things, you take notice more. So I present the following not as truth but just as what I’ve heard repeatedly from a wide variety of people.

There are off-ice issues with Sharp. There may have been a physical altercation with a teammate (and a very important one). Let’s just say the image of Sharp as a wholesome family man with his two daughters is not an accurate picture. There may be other problems.

Completely unrelated to any of this we’re sure, Sharp is having his worst offensive season since 2007.

Was there a fight? Are there locker room issues? If so, can the Blackhawks overcome them?

The only question that matters is the last one. Locker room drama is nothing new in the NHL. Teams with “untidy” personal lives can still win Stanley Cups. It’s how you compartmentalize that stuff, and any ill feelings towards teammates, that’s the challenge many teams can’t meet.

Ex-Louisville guard Jones pleads not guilty to rape, sodomy

Former University of Louisville basketball player Chris Jones pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges of rape and sodomy, days after being dismissed from the team.

Jones, 23, appeared in Jefferson District Court before Judge Sheila Collins immediately after turning himself in to authorities. He was released to home incarceration. He did not speak during the brief hearing.

His attorney, Scott Cox, said Jones is cooperating with the police investigation.

''We believe this gentleman is innocent and he's been falsely accused, and he's going to be found not guilty,'' he said.

The allegations involved two women, and the rape is said to have occurred Feb. 22 at a private apartment off campus, university police said during a news conference. One of the women was identified as a University of Louisville student.

Two others are charged in the alleged attack on the second woman. Jalen D. Tilford is charged with rape and sodomy, and Tyvon Julah Walker is charged with rape. The two, who are not students, were arrested. The judge set a bond of $75,000 for Tilford and $100,000 for Walker.

Jones has withdrawn from classes at the university and has moved out of the athletic dorm and into a hotel room, Cox said.

It's the latest turn over nine tumultuous days for Jones, who was dismissed from the team Sunday. That came three days after he was reinstated following a one-game suspension on Feb. 17 for violating an unspecified team rule. Coach Rick Pitino said Jones returned to the team after meeting unspecified conditions for reinstatement.

Jones then scored 17 points in Saturday's victory over Miami before his dismissal was announced a day later in a one-sentence release saying there would be no comment.

A Louisville campus police report obtained Monday stated that Jones, a Memphis native, sent a woman a text threatening to ''smack'' her on Feb. 17. No charges were filed against Jones, but he was suspended from the team hours later and did not travel with Louisville to a game at Syracuse.

Jones' dismissal left the No. 17 Cardinals without their assists leader (3.7 per game) and No. 3 scorer (13.7 points). They beat Georgia Tech 52-51 Monday night without him.

After that game Pitino said, ''I feel awful for the young man. There's certain rules where you can work with people, and other rules where you've got to move on. Unfortunately, we've got to move on. They're like your children. You don't like to see anybody be hurt. But there's also accountability and doing the right things. He didn't. Now, he's got to get his life together, get on with life. There's no way he's coming back. It's over.''

TODAY IN SPORTS HISTORY - FEBRUARY 26TH

1839 - Jem Mason on Lottery wins 1st Grand National Steeplechase (Britain).

1887 - Grover Cleveland Alexander, HOF baseball pitcher (Phillies, Cubs) is born.

1918 - Edwin Charles "Preacher" Roe, baseball pitcher (Bkln Dodgers) is born.

1918 - Stands at Hong Kong Jockey Club collapse & burn, killing 604.

1935 - NY Yankees release Babe Ruth, he signs with Boston Braves.

1960 - USA's David Jenkins wins Olympic Gold for men's figure skating.
1962 - Wilt Chamberlain of NBA Phila Warriors scores 67 points vs NY.

1973 - Marshall Faulk, NFL running back (Indianapolis Colts) is born.

1981 - 84 penalties (406 mins) assessed for a brawl between NHL Minn & Bost.

1987 - NBA's Michael Jordan's 58 points in one game is a Chicago Bulls record.
1987 - Wash blocks 20 Indiana shots tying NBA regulation game record.
1989 - Dallas Cowboys fire coach Tom Landry after a 29-year career.

1989 - NY Yankees announce that Tom Seaver is their new TV sportscaster.
1989 - California court throws out most of Margo Adams's $12 million

breach-of- contract suit against Red Sox third baseman Wade Boggs.

1991 - Bill Veeck & Tony Lazzeri elected to Baseball Hall of Fame.

1992 - Jean R Yawkey, owner (Boston Red Sox), dies of a stroke at 83.

2009 - Norm Van Lier, Basketball player and broadcaster (b. 1947) dies.
2009 - Johnny Kerr, Basketball player and Chicago Bulls broadcaster (b. 1932) dies.