David Price recants his opinion on Yankees comments

Yesterday Tampa Bay Rays pitcher David Price said that he wouldn't stay with the New York Yankees if he was traded there because of the team's policy regarding facial hair.

Today Price backtracked on his statements and called the Yankees the best organization in sports.

When people get critical of you over a statement always recant your story and translate it to the masses.

“It probably wasn’t the best thing to say, but I didn’t mean anything by it,” Price said. “I wasn’t looking to offend the Yankees. It’s probably the best organization in all of sports. Not just baseball, but all of sports. I didn’t mean anything (against) the New York Yankees. I’ve had friends on that team for multiple years.”

“I can’t rule out anybody because, obviously, what they do for the game of baseball is just tremendous,” Price said of the Yankees. “I was talking about Joe (Maddon). I was talking about the way we do everything over here, how he lets us be comfortable in our own skin. And that’s what I was referring to.”

Of course Price wouldn't want to rule out the Yankees because they're the team that will probably throw the most money at him. But I still believe that Price is a different cat and may not want to sign because of money.  Personally I would like to see him remain in Tampa.

Knicks sign Kenyon Martin to a 10 day contract

Once again Kenyon Martin is on the move to another contender for the stretch run. Martin signed a 10 day contract with the New York Knicks. Last season Martin signed with the Los Angeles Clippers to provide depth up front.

Martin will take Ronnie Brewer's spot on the roster after he was traded earlier today.

Martin will be a welcome addition in the frontcourt, especially with the injuries to Rasheed Wallace and Marcus Camby. It also provides the Knicks with a veteran presence. The move also reunites Martin with former teammates Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, Chauncey Billups, Marcus Camby and Jason Kidd.

The move isn't permanent since it's only a 10 day contract. So if this blows up on the Knicks they can get rid of him with a minimal loss.  

Rays' David Price says he wouldn't sign with the Yankees over facial hair policy

Tampa Bay Rays starting pitcher, David Price, will be a free agent in 2016. The Rays can trade Price at any time before they lose him for nothing. I'm not knocking the way the Rays operate, but Price could be gone sooner than later unless the Rays make a World Series run.

There is one team that Price wouldn't want to go to. The New York Yankees.

Price told Fox Sports reporter Jon Paul Morosi, that if and when he does hit free agency there are teams that he wouldn't sign with because of certain rules and policies. The Yankees have a no facial hair policy and that doesn't go over well with Price. Price sports a beard and doesn't plan on getting rid of it.

“It’s a joke to me, that I had less rules in college than I would on some major league teams. That’s not my style, man. I couldn’t do it on some of these teams I hear about. I couldn’t do it. I’m a grown man.”

 “If I ever did hit that free-agent market, there would be teams I wouldn’t sign with simply because of the stuff that I’ve heard – every rule they have. Being here since 2007, being treated like a grownup, given that respect and freedom and space – it grows on you.”

“I wouldn’t stay there (New York) very long then,” he responded. “I wouldn’t sign a long-term deal there. Those rules, that’s old-school baseball. I was born in ’85. That’s not for me. That’s not something I want to be a part of.”     

We all know money talks and current Yankee C.C. Sabathia said that he didn't want to play in New York until the Brinks truck rolled in. Price may simply be a different cat. He just likes to play the game and hopes to compete for championships.

There will be plenty of where will Price go to rumors over the next 2-3 years, but as a fan i hope he stays in Tampa.

Asante Samuel tells Wes Welker to chase the money

Asante Samuel left the New England Patriots because he knew he wasn't going to make top dollar there based on the Patriots' track record of resigning/signing free agents. So he went to the Philadelphia Eagles and got paid.

Former teammate Wes Welker was critical of Samuel's decision to chase money over championships. Now Welker is a free agent and Samuel has some advice for Welker. Take the money and run.

In an interview on Fox Sports Radio, Samuel said that Welker would be wise to take the best offer he can get if the Patriots don't give him the money.

“He made the comment when I left, I chased the money and not the championship. So here’s my advice to you, Welker: You better chase the money, brother,” Samuel said.

As an NFL player Welker should explore his options to see how much he's worth on the open market. Someone will be willing to overpay for him based on his production. As good as Welker has performed, I do believe he's a product of the Patriots system. Don't believe me, ask Deion Branch how well he did after leaving New England.

NFL players have short careers so Welker might want to get paid while he can. But he might be the best fit in New England's offense than going elsewhere.

'It girl' of the week: Esther Baxter

The "It Girl" of the week is Esther Baxter

Kobe Bryant passed on a trade to join the Pistons in 2007

According to a report by yahoo.com’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Kobe Bryant was very close to becoming a Detroit Piston back in 2007.

At the time the Los Angeles Lakers were a mess and Kobe was on one of his get me out of here rants. The late Jerry Buss had a meeting with Bryant at Buss' home and was informed that a deal was on the table.

Bryant would have had to waive his no trade clause and Detroit wasn't on his list of destinations. The reported deal would've had Tayshaun Prince, Amir Johnson, Richard Hamilton, and a first round pick going to Los Angeles for Bryant. The Pistons denied the rumors at the time.

Bryant says that he wouldn't have left the Lakers for anywhere.

“It hit me that I didn’t really want to walk out on Dr. Buss,” Bryant said Monday, adding it probably wouldn’t have mattered if it was Chicago, Dallas or New York either.  

It would've been interesting, but I don't think Bryant would've stayed in Detroit too long. Not a knock on the city, but I just couldn't see Bryant meshing well with what the team had at the time. Also what would have Bryant done once he hit free agency?

We can play the 'what if' game with that scenario.  

Oakley says LeBron can do more than Jordan

Former NBA enforcer, Charles Oakley, hasn't been the biggest fan of today's NBA. He'll blast it any chance he gets. Oakley isn't afraid to speak his mind on anything regarding the NBA. But there's one thing he has done. He's changed his tune on how he views LeBron James. This comes on the heels of the Michael Jordan/James debate where Jordan questioned whether James would be successful in the era that he played in.

Back in 2011, Oakley was critical of James. Not as a player, but his a few aspects of his game.


"I wouldn't put [James and Jordan] in the same conversation."

"It took a while for Michael to win championships too, but they have a different swagger, a different demeanor. If I would compare anybody to Michael Jordan, it would be Kobe Bryant. Point blank. I know LeBron well; he don't have what Michael have so I'm not even gonna discuss that one." 

"To be a superstar [LeBron] has to go back to his fundamentals… work on his post game, work off the ball."


Oakley never said he didn't like the guy, he just said he needed to work on a few things to reach a higher level, if that's possible. If you look at James' game now, you see that he worked on a few things and it resulted in a championship. Oakley has taken notice of the changes in King James' game and went on to say that James can do more on the court than the great Michael Jordan.

“I appreciate him as a person, a mindset out on the court to perfect the game,” Oakley said of James. “Everybody’s criticizing him about this, about that, and he lets his game get better every year, and he got smarter every year, no matter what no one said. He let his game grow with him. The man is the best player, ain’t never gonna be a player like that. He’s going to go down as a top three player in the history of basketball.”

“He might not have had a lot of big numbers, but he would have made it,” Oakley said. “If you can get 26 (points) instead of 27, it’s the same thing. But he’s a guy you want to play with, no matter level what he played. If he played 40 years ago, he understands basketball. He’s one of the smartest guys I’ve seen in this game, probably go down as one of the smartest guys. He dictates offense, defense, he can do it all.”


“It’s a different debate,” Oakley said. “I ask everybody, who’s the best between Magic and LeBron? Everyone says Michael’s greatest. But, OK, well, we’ll give him his props. But LeBron is a better athlete, and he can do more than Michael on the basketball court. Michael is finisher, a great shooter, and it is what it is.”

Say what you will, but it's difficult to argue Oakley's point. James is too multi skilled to not have been a successful player in yesteryear's game. He might not have dominated like he does now, but who in the league had James' skill set with his kind of size and strength. Not many that I can think of right off the top of my head.

I'm not going to get into the Jordan/LeBron debate. They're both great players that played in different eras. You can't really compare the two. But to most, in order to get into Jordan' stratosphere, James will need to win some more championships. Until then most will not put James in Jordan's class.