Amir Khan says Mayweather has picked Maidana for next fight

Floyd Mayweather Jr appears to have rejected Amir Khan as his next opponent for a megafight in Las Vegas in May.

In a series of tweets on Friday night, Khan sent out the clear message that Mayweather has chosen instead to take on the challenge of the Argentinian Marcos Maidana, whom Khan defeated on points in 2010, but who beat the rising Adrien Broner last December.

"No response from Mayweather or his team. Fights not happening. I should of taken the title fight last December against Alexander ..." Khan tweeted on Friday night, followed by, "very disrespected by his team. Wasted my time." and, "Good luck to Maidana against Mayweather."

Khan, who has been in full training for the fight in anticipation that he was the favored contender, added: "Can I apologize to the thousands of people who are let down? You me and everyone wanted the Mayweather fight. He's running scared."

 “Floyd is not the same fighter as he was three or four years ago. That’s why he picks slow fighters, because he doesn’t have the same movement as he used to.”

Mayweather has yet to announce the name of his next opponent officially. He has four fights left in a six-fight deal with Showtime that probably will earn him $600 million. Controversy surrounded the choice of his next opponent when Mayweather threw the option open to social media. Some votes had Maidana well ahead; others had Khan the favorite.

Khan thinks Mayweather hand picks his opponents and he might be right. But when you're coming to the end of the line of an illustrious career such as Mayweather's you almost have the right to do that. It doesn't make it right because it deprives the sport of boxing of the best matchups possible.  

Brett Favre compares Johnny Manziel to himself

Improvisational with a "go big or go home" attitude. A propensity for risk-taking that will leave you either jumping for joy or smashing the beer glass in your hand to pieces. The ability to zip any throw right on the money while also making occasional boneheaded plays that leave you wondering, "how could he?"

A lot of quarterbacks who fit that mold, but two that really encompass those traits are legendary Green Bay Packers signal-caller Brett Favre and NFL prospect Johnny Manziel, out of Texas A&M.

Through a recent interview with USA Today, Brett Favre revealed that he also felt that the play of Johnny Manziel was reminiscent of his early days. As with Manziel, Favre had a strong arm, and was able to run, utilizing a skill that many quarterbacks have not been able to master.

"I haven't watched him much," Favre told USA Today, "but one game I watched, for like three quarters, was the Ole Miss game. I almost thought I was watching film of a young Brett Favre. I didn’t think I did a lot of things well (in college at Southern Miss), but he did. And and I liked the attitude of ‘whatever it takes’ — from that standpoint, I liked him.” 

"I didn't throw near as well as him," Favre said of Manziel. "He may have that capability — unbelievable throws and can make plays with his feet. I was impressed."

Manziel will be one of the key players to keep an eye on in the draft, in addition to the upcoming NFL scouting combine, which is taking place this week. However, he doesn’t plan to throw for scouts and personnel executives until March 27th.

With a 6’0, 210 pound figure, he is also small for a quarterback. He has significant similarities to Russell Wilson in terms of their build, and playing style, and the young player has also credited Wilson, a recent Super Bowl winner, for giving shorter quarterbacks a chance in the NFL.

After an outstanding career with the Texas A&M Aggies, Manziel is ready to transition into the NFL. The two most likely destinations for him to end up seem to be with the Houston Texans or the Cleveland Browns. Who should get him? Is he able to become a star in the NFL in the same way that Russell Wilson has?

If Manziel can have anywhere close to the success that Favre had throwing the football, while also making his signature Johnny Football plays with his legs, Manziel could be absolutely sensational at the next level. It's just another reason that I feel he has the most upside of any quarterback in this draft class.

"It Girl" of the week: Rosie Jones

The Just Sports & Just Us "It Girl" of the week is Rosie Jones.

SMU could be a dangerous team in March

Despite losing Sunday to a below average Temple squad on Sunday and dropping out of the top 25, the SMU Mustangs should be heading to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1993 barring a late season collapse.

The Mustangs currently sit at 20-6 and are 9-4 in the American Athletic Conference behind Louisville and Cincinnati. Head coach Larry Brown has made the Mustangs into a team in his image and one of the surprise teams in the nation. The Mustangs are undefeated at Moody Coliseum and have been ranked in the Top 25 for the first time in nearly three decades.

Even though Brown is a nomad and has never been one to overstay his welcome, he is enjoying his current stay in Dallas and I'm sure the players enjoy playing for him. Brown has the Mustangs playing at their highest level since the days of Jon Koncak. If they can lock down a tournament berth in the next week they can be a difficult matchup in March.

I'm not predicting any Final Four runs for the Mustangs, but they do possess the firepower to get past the round of 64 and knock off a higher seeded team in the next round and advance to the Sweet 16. With Brown at the helm the Mustangs are definitely a team you don't want to look past. The SMU games I've watched this season, the Mustangs are very capable of catching fire.

The two transfers, guard Nic Moore (Illinois State) and forward Markus Kennedy (Villanova) are what give the Mustangs their horsepower. Despite being 5-9, Moore can get hot and take over a game from the perimeter. Kennedy has stepped up his game in the absence of center Yanick Moreira, who should be coming back by season's end. Freshman forward Ben Moore has been solid and reminds Brown of a young Derrick McKey. Nick Russell and Shawn Williams have also played well. Star freshman Keith Frazier hasn't  even played a major role for the team. If Moreira can come back healthy and Frazier can hit his stride this team can be dangerous.

If anyone can get this team to play up to his potential it's Brown. The problem for the Mustangs which reared it's ugly head in their loss to Temple, was their ability to play down to the level of their competition. They have no problem getting ready for the big name games on their schedule, but the tend to struggle with lesser teams.

If the Mustangs can put a string of games together they'll be a handful.          

Bucks' Sanders out for 6 weeks after orbital bone surgery

Milwaukee Bucks center Larry Sanders underwent successful surgery on Thursday to repair right orbital bone fractures which he sustained in the Feb. 8 game against Houston.

The Bucks say Sanders will be sidelined for a minimum of six weeks.  The organization said  further updates will be provided when appropriate.

In 23 games (20 starts) this season, Sanders has averaged 7.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocked shots in 25.4 minutes a game.

It's another run of disappointment for Sanders, who missed 25 games at the beginning of the season because of a torn ligament in his thumb that occurred during a fight at a Milwaukee night club. On the court, Sanders complained of his role under first-year coach Larry Drew early on in the season, and he and Bucks guard Gary Neal had a shouting match in front of media members after a loss to the Phoenix Suns at the beginning of January. Not to mention that he received a citation for leaving his dogs out in the cold in January 2013.

With the Bucks at 9-43 and probably locking up the best odds to receive the number one pick in the NBA Draft, it almost makes no sense for Sanders to return. The Bucks more than likely won't be in a hurry to rush him back.

Lamar fires basketball coach Pat Knight

It's always hard to follow in your father's footsteps. Especially when your father is Bob Knight,  the winningest coach in basketball history. Pat Knight knew he had a lot on his shoulders being the son of a legend.

After compiling a 6-50 record the last two seasons, Pat Knight was fired as Lamar men's basketball coach Sunday with five games left in his third year at the helm.

Former Lamar assistant coach, Tic Price, will serve as the interim head coach for the remainder of the season.

ESPN reporter Andy Katz first reported Knight's firing.

"I was told last night to meet with the president and the AD this morning at 10 a.m.," Knight told Katz. "I knew it. There's no talk. They said they want to go in a different direction. We struggled for two years. It's all based on the record. It's part of the business."

Bill Tubbs, the program's former athletic director, coach and the namesake of Lamar's basketball court, learned the news Sunday afternoon while in California.

"I think the program has been very disappointing the last two years," Tubbs said. "Coach Knight did a great job that first year he was here. Lamar has really had a great tradition in basketball, it is known throughout the nation as a sound basketball program year-in and year-out."

Knight went 25-11 in his first year at Lamar, advancing to the NCAA Tournament.

"I did what I wanted to do," Knight told Katz. "I coached a team in the NIT [at Texas Tech] and I coached a team in the NCAA. I wanted to prove I could do this for my last name. I should have gotten out after the NCAA. But you're sitting there and have a chance to build a team from scratch. You decide to do it and didn't get it done quick enough. So you get fired. That's it. I have no regrets. I'm proud of what I did. I should have done it. You feel loyal to a place after you're fired from a place. We lost eight out of our top 10. We tried it and didn't work."

Knight disputed claims his job was in danger after Thursday's loss to Stephen F. Austin.

"No, I haven't heard anything, but if they want to do that, you know, I guess I'll be down in Florida.…I'm not playing for my job," Knight said in the press conference Thursday. "I've said it before, if they want to fire me, that's not up to me. We're in this business to get fired. But that's news to me. I don't coach thinking my job is on the line. I'm trying to build a program here. We just went to the tournament two years ago and then we started from scratch. It takes more than two years to get things going. But it is what it is. I appreciate you letting me know that. That's the first that I've been told."

Knight finishes with a 29-62 record at Lamar.

"It's always disappointing whenever anyone gets fired, but you always want your program to be strong and win games," Tubbs said. "Winning games is what it's all about."

It's a setback for the younger Knight, but I'm sure he'll wind up as an assistant on some team's sideline in the near future.

Rodman: 'I'm not an an alcoholic'

Former NBA star Dennis Rodman recently checked himself into an alcohol-rehabilitation center, but according to Rodman it wasn't for alcoholism.

Rodman says he entered rehab to reevaluate his life, not to give up drinking. Rodman says he's not an alcoholic.

“I needed to decompress from all the things I was going through,” Rodman said Friday by phone from Miami. “I was trying to get this game going and get everything going in North Korea.

“I don’t need to drink,” Rodman said. “I don’t need to do anything. I went to rehab just to sort things out. That’s it.”

My school of thought was that if you went to a treatment center that you had a problem with what you went in for. That just doesn't apply on Rodman's world.

“I’m not an alcoholic,” he said. “An alcoholic drinks seven days a week. I don’t drink seven days a week. When I drink, I don’t hurt nobody, I don’t have no DUIs, nothing like that.

“I didn’t go to rehab for drinking. There aren’t too many people who quit drinking going to rehab. Not too many people can do that.” 

Rodman said he will return to the rehab center every six months "to see where I'm at."

Maybe Dennis doesn't drink seven days a week but I'm pretty sure that he drinks more than the average person in three days than they do in seven. Rodman needs to recognize he has a problem, but knowing him it'll never happen.