Selanne hopes Ducks are "pissed" off about their low predictions

Predictions are hardly ever accurate. Unless your team is so bad that you can't help but to finish dead last. Or a team is so much of a sure thing that you can' miss. I'm no hockey expert, but I wouldn't classify the Anaheim Ducks as neither. But the experts are saying the Ducks won't be a contender this season and veteran Teemu Selanne isn't taking it lightly and hopes his teammates won't either.

“That can’t be the only motivation. But hopefully we’ll get pissed off here,” Selanne said.

With this being a shortened season as well as the final season for Selanne, maybe that can act as a form of motivation. The season is only 48 games so anything can happen.  

Syracuse to retire Carmelo Anthony's jersey

The man responsible for Syracuse's only national championship will finally be properly honored. ESPN New York has reported that former Orange star, Carmelo Anthony will have his jersey retired.

SU spokesman Pete Moore said the university has been "working to arrange that for a couple of years" and that the school hopes to make an official announcement about the details of the Carrier Dome ceremony soon.

The current New York Knick led Jim Boeheim's 2003 team to the national championship in his first and only season suiting up for the Orange. The team practices in the Melo Center, named after Anthony when he donated $3 million to the school to complete the facility.

Anthony will be the 10th Syracuse player to have his jersey retired, joining the likes of Sherman Douglas, Rony Seikaly, and Billy Owens among others.  

Tim Brown not confident about Bears' Trestman hire

Long time coordinator/quarterbacks coach and former Montreal Alouettes (CFL) head coach, Marc Trestman was hired to lead the Chicago Bears. For the Bears this hire was made to utilize the weapons they have on offense and was an indictment on former coach Lovie Smith, who was fired for the fact the offense wasn't consistent.

I don't know how Bears fans view the hire and I really don't care one way or the other, former Oakland Raiders great, Tim Brown publicly questioned the hiring of Trestman Wednesday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000.

Trestman was an assistant with the Raiders during the 2002 season, which culminated in a Super Bowl appearance for Oakland. It also marked the end of Brown as the number one receiver, something that seems to bug him to this day.

Brown goes on to say that he never viewed Trestman as head coaching material.

"I don't want to say it was a joke, but I just never saw Trestman as being a head coach," Brown said Wednesday on "The Waddle & Silvy Show" on ESPN 1000.


"The year he took over as offensive coordinator is also the year my reign with the Raiders ended because he made Jerry the No. 1 receiver instead of myself," Brown said. "The year before I made the Pro Bowl and caught [91 passes for 1,165 yards] ... and the year afterwards, the year he takes over I think I came like 50 yards from catching 1,000 yards in 10 or 11 straight seasons.

"Hey, look, I'm not a selfish player, but come on, if I put the work in, make this happen for me. We had some interesting words about that part of it."

"He's a really smart guy, knows football like the back of his hand. That's not the issue," Brown said. "But there's a lot more to coaching than just X's and O's. You have to be able to deal with players and that's the reason [former Raiders coach] Bill Callahan hasn't succeeded as a head coach because he's a smart guy, knows football like the back of his hand, but when it comes to leading me, it's a totally different intangible you have to have. It's going to be very interesting to see how [Trestman] and Jay Cutler get along, that's for sure."

Ok, let me get this straight. Your not a selfish player, but basically complained about being bumped to number two next to the greatest receiver of our time, Jerry Rice. And you talk about being 50 yards short of 1,000 for 10 or 11 years. Sounds like there was a bonus on the line that he knew he was going to miss due to Rice's arrival. I liked Brown as a player, but it sounds like sour grapes to me.

I won't go and say Trestman is the next Lombardi, but he must know something to keep getting coordinator and head coaching gigs. Let's see how this shakes out before saying the guy is in over his head.



 

Marlins owner Loria orders front office media boycott

I guess when you constantly get ripped by the local media, you boycott them. At least that's what it appears Miami Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria is instructing members of his front office to do.


Besides forbidding president David Samson from doing his radio show, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria also told Samson that he can no longer do interviews. That’s short-sighted, because Samson made himself more accountable and accessible than many team presidents, even amid unpopular decisions made solely by Loria. Loria, by the way, has refused to speak to the media since mid-November.

When you basically give have the locals foot the bill for a new stadium, have a season go horribly wrong. and then proceed to have a fire sale, expect to get ripped. If you ask Marlins fans they'll tell you that Loria is the worse owner in MLB. Then he feels that he or any of his cronies shouldn't be accessible to local media.

Loria better get used to it because this season is shaping up to be worse than last year.

Mariners' Felix Hernandez rocking Seahawks gear

It's not uncommon for teams in one city to cheer one another on. Seattle Mariners ace Felix Hernandez couldn't make the trek to Atlanta so he stayed home to cheer on the Seahawks. Here's Hernandez all decked out in Seahawks gear.

Kenny Britt not talking after brother's stabbing

The offseason has barely started for some NFL players and we're already hearing about legal troubles. The latest involves Tennessee Titans receiver Kenny Britt. It should come as no shocker considering how many times his name has been in the police blotter over the past few years.

This time Britt is adhering to the 'no snitching' code of the streets. Britt dropped off his brother, who was stabbed at a party in Jersey City, at a local hospital, but refused to cooperate with authorities. Britt later went back to the scene to pick up his girlfriend, and a gun shot was heard nearby. The stab wound is reported to be non-life threatening.


Police were called to a birthday party at a home on Van Nostrand Avenue between Sterling and West Side Avenue in Jersey City at 3:28 a.m. on the report of a stabbing during a fight involving a large group of people, reports said. But when they arrived there was no sign of trouble, reports said.

Police were then notified that a stabbing victim later identified as Britt's 23-year-old brother had walked into the Jersey City Medical Center accompanied by Britt, reports said.Britt, who grew up in Bayonne, was uncooperative with police and left the hospital, reports said.



“We are looking to speak to Mr. Britt in reference to the incident," Jersey City police captain Edgar Martinez told the Tennessean. “We are currently in the process of trying to do that.”

Said Martinez: “They were all involved in an altercation. So they all knew each other and what was going on. That's why we want to talk to him. He was involved in the incident, both incidents. He was there during that time period. So we are looking to speak to him."

I don't see how the Titans have any patience with Britt.

Brian Billick interviews for Eagles job

Out of all the Super Bowl winning analysts who haven't returned to coaching, there has been one name that has been flying under the radar. Former Baltimore Ravens coach Brian Billick. Word is that Billick has expressed an interest in returning to the sidelines and recently interviewed for the Philadelphia Eagles job.

Sources say that Billick met with Eagles officials for around eight hours and is a legitimate candidate for the job. Billick does have impressive credentials. He won a Super Bowl with the Ravens and pretty much made that team what it is today. Before he took the Ravens job, he was the coordinator for an explosive Minnesota Vikings offense.

Billick is currently a broadcaster and worked the Falcons-Seahawks game earlier today. There has been no comment from either side.