Manti Te'o out for a week with a foot sprain

Manti Te'o's march to be in an instant NFL starter has taken a slight detour.

San Diego Chargers coach Mike McCoy said Saturday the middle linebacker will not practice for the next week -- and not play at Chicago on Thursday night -- because of a sprained foot. Te’o was hurt Thursday night against Seattle. He was in a walking boot Saturday.

The injury is not considered serious. It is important that Te’o, a second-round pick, recovers and gets back on the field to play in the Chargers’ third preseason game, Aug. 24 at Arizona. The third preseason game is the game where starters play the most. Te’o started against Seattle and is expected to start the season opener, Sept. 9 against Houston.

Jack Clark fired over his PED remarks about Pujols and Verlander

Former major leaguer Jack Clark, who accused Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander and Anaheim Angels slugger Albert Pujols of using performance enhancing drugs, has been fired from his job as a Fox Sports Radio talk-show host, the St. Louis Dispatch is reporting.

Clark, who hit 340 home runs during an 18-year big league career, began working at WGNU-AM in St. Louis just last week. He based his accusation on conversations he said he had with Chris Mihlfeld, Pujols' former personal trainer, who worked with the Dodgers when Clark was the team's hitting coach in 2000. He also accused Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander of using PED's since he's had a dropoff in performance from previous years.

"Verlander was like Nolan Ryan, he threw 97, 98, 100 miles an hour from the first inning to the ninth inning," Clark said on WGNU-AM. "He got that big contract, now he can barely reach 92, 93. What happened to it? He has no arm problems, nothing's wrong. It's just the signs are there.

"The greed ... they juice up, they grab the money and it’s just a free pass to steal is the way I look at it."

InsideSTL Enterprises quickly distanced itself from Clark and co-host Kevin Slaten. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that the company issued a statement saying it had "terminated its relationship with Jack Clark and Kevin Slaten. As independent contractors, we want to make it clear that the opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of InsideSTL. Also as independent contractors, InsideSTL did not have editorial control over the show’s content."

"It is irresponsible and reckless for Jack Clark to have falsely accused me of using PEDs," Pujols, who is on the disabled list and did not travel with the Angels to Cleveland, said in a statement. "My faith in Jesus Christ and my respect for this game are too important to me. I would never be able to look my wife or kids in the eye if I had done what this man is accusing me of."

Pujols has threatened legal action against Clark. There has been no word on whether Verlander plans to do the same.

USC's Marqise Lee leaves practice in a sling

If USC is going to make any noise this season they'll need big seasons from their experienced players and whoever takes over for departed quarterback Matt Barkley will need to step up. Health will also be a key but the Trojans are of to a bad start in that category.

Star receiver Marqise Lee left practice after injury his shoulder and returned shirtless and in a sling.

At some point during practice Friday, the All-American Lee was on the receiving end of a deep pass but landed awkwardly on his right shoulder after contact with a teammate.  Lee was carted off the field by the team’s training staff and was later seen wearing a sling.

The team's medical staff has not given an update at this moment.

Lee, who had 118 catches for 1,721 yards (14.6 yards per catch average) and 14 touchdowns and will need his production if the Trojans are to have any success this season.

His teammates sound confident that Lee will come back sooner than later.

 “Obviously, your heart stops for a second,” quarterback Cody Kessler, who threw the deep ball on which Lee was injured, said. “But Marqise is a tough guy. He’ll be fine.”

Lee might tell you he'll be fine but that'll be up to the doctors. His health is of great importance to whoever takes over at quarterback for the Trojans.

Joey Browner to get a spot in the Vikings' Ring of Honor

Joey Browner was one of the most feared safeties during the 1980s. Browner was the hardest hitter this side of Ronnie Lott.

Browner made six straight Pro Bowls from 1985-90 and was a three-time Associated Press All-Pro.

During the Minnesota Vikings Week 8 showdown with the Green Bay Packers, Browner will be inducted into the team's Ring of Honor.

Browner will be the team's 21st inductee which includes Fran Tarkenton, Alan Page, Jim Finks, Bud Grant, Paul Krause, Fred Zamberletti, Jim Marshall, Ron Yary, Korey Stringer, Mick Tinglehoff, Carl Eller, Cris Carter, Bill Brown, Jerry Burns, Randall McDaniel, Chuck Foreman, John Randle, Scott Studwell, Chris Doleman and Matt Blair.

"Ring of Honor is something that is very special because there's very few of us in there," said Browner, who noted it was extra special the announcement was made Friday with the Houston Texans in town with his nephew, Keith Browner, a defensive end for Houston.

During his playing career, Browner forced 18 fumbles, a franchise record for defensive backs. He also made 1,098 combined tackles, fifth most in franchise history. His 37 career interceptions rank fourth in the Vikings’ record books.

Robert Parish thinks it's awkward for Paul Pierce to be playing for the Nets

As a basketball fan it just won't seem right watch Paul Pierce in a Brooklyn Nets uniform. Just like it was strange watching Hakeem Olajuwon and Karl Malone in a Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Lakers uniform. It just doesn't seem right after watch him play for the Boston Celtics for so many years.

Longtime Celtic great Robert Parish knows a little about being in a different uniform. Parish spent his final years as a member of the Charlotte Hornets and Chicago Bulls.

In an interview with Sean Deveney of the Sporting News, Parish said that Paul Pierce being on the Nets 'will be awkward' and he also compared Pierce's situation to his last few years in the NBA.

“Just accept the fact that it is going to be awkward initially. That’s all. Because he has worn the Celtics green for so long and it is going to be really awkward for him. But it was time for a change and what I do like about what the Celtics did for Pierce and Garnett, they didn’t send them somewhere to another situation that is not going to be successful. They sent them someplace where they are going to win. Garnett and Pierce have earned that right.” 

Parish spoke about his time in Charlotte and how he felt about it.

“Un-com-fortable,” Parish said (of wearing the Charlotte uniform). “In my mind, I would always be a Celtic. I was very thankful and humbled that the Hornets saw fit to allow me to play a couple more years, but the only time I thought of myself as a Charlotte Hornet was game time. Other than that, when the jersey came off, I still felt like I was a Celtic.”


When Pierce eventually goes into the basketball hall of fame he'll more than likely go in as a Celtic. But as long as the Russian billionaire is cutting the check in Brooklyn I'm pretty sure Pierce won't be feeling too awkward.

Only when he comes back to Boston.

Alonzo Mourning looking forward to working with Greg Oden

When the Miami Heat signed Greg Oden many were thinking that he would solve the team's interior woes. But Heat fans might want to be patient as Oden works his way back into shape since he hasn't played in a game since December 9, 2009.

The Heat have reached back to the past to help Oden work his way back from knee troubles. Alonzo Mourning will be working with Oden to get him back in the game. Mourning sounded excited about the prospect of working with Oden.

“Extremely excited, extremely excited,” he said by phone, “because I understand the potential that he has….

“I think we all, as an organization, are looking forward to working with him, developing him, so that he can be a part of this organization for years to come….

“I know that if healthy, the impact that he can have on this franchise,” Mourning said. “Just him being 25 years old, I feel that the longevity of the possibility of him playing, that longevity will continue to stimulate a winning opportunity with the organization.”

Mourning should curb his enthusiasm regarding Oden. If you can remember the guy has been a one man M.A.S.H unit since his days at Ohio State.

If Oden can be a marginal contributor to a championship team then this will be a success, provided he can stay healthy.
 

Greg Mattison believes the Big Ten can be king again

In the world of college football it's the SEC and everyone else. The conference has laid claim to the last seven BCS championships and boasts heavyweights like Alabama, Florida, and LSU among others. With the Crimson Tide being the unanimous preseason number one team, it looks like no one will wrest the BCS/national championship crown from the SEC anytime soon.

Michigan's defensive coordinator Greg Mattison believes that it's time for a change at the top of the college football food chain.

Mattison believes that the Big Ten will start taking over again, gaining back the respect lost in BCS title game blowout losses.

"What happens with conferences, throughout history, is that they're going to go up and down," Mattison said. "I really look for the Big Ten to really start taking back over again. My respect, I can tell you this from all the places I've been, my respect for the Big Ten is greater now than maybe it was when I was here 10 years ago.

"I see how hard and how physical and how tough this league is. You'd better not, in the Big Ten Conference, go out there and think that you can just walk out there. Because you're going to get hit."  
Offensive coordinator Al Borges echoed Mattison's sentiments.

"The perception right now is that the SEC is the best conference, and they’ve got something to go on,” he said. "(But) we recruit against all those schools. We get our share of players. As long as you’re getting as good a player as they’re getting, why shouldn’t you win?

"So recruiting is what it’s all about. Focusing on that, then getting them in and developing them.”

The perception of the Big Ten it's that they're too slow for teams in the SEC. Teams in the Big Ten (Michigan,Ohio State) can recruit with the heavyweights in the SEC it's just that SEC teams get a different caliber athlete than teams on the Big Ten.

I do think it's cyclical so there will be a point and time when the SEC won't be as dominant as everyone else.