Brandon Jennings may not be in Milwaukee much longer

Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings will be a restricted free agent after this season. But instead if doing the same song and dance so many other players have done, Jennings has a different plan than most. Jennings says he'll play on a one year qualifying offer, but if he does he's good as gone in Milwaukee.

"If I take the qualifying offer and become an [unrestricted] free agent there is no way I am coming back," Jennings told Yahoo! Sports on Friday after practice. "There is no way."

Simply put, he wants to get paid. But Jennings also would like the Bucks to be more competitive and that he just wants to win. Jennings might have to come to the realization that the Bucks being championship caliber is a pipe dream and might have to go elsewhere to win. He wants to go to a bigger market but being in a big market isn't the key to winning a title. Ask any New York Knocks player of the past decade about it.


"I just want to win," Jennings said. "The way I am playing now, I just want to go to a winning team and play like that. I don't care about being a superstar or being the main guy. I did that [the] first four years. I just want to win and be somewhere where it's all about winning.

"I'm not saying the Bucks aren't about winning. But I think [a title caliber situation] will help me, motivate my game and then you have to perform."


Not the most conventional way to full blown free agency but Jennings has never done things in a conventional way when it comes to his basketball career.

He went to Italy to play professionally for one year instead of going to college. And instead of signing with an established shoe company he signed with Under Armour. Kind of a trailblazer of sorts.

Jennings looks at what the Oklahoma City Thunder have accomplished in a small market and figures why it can't happen in Milwaukee. Well, the Thunder have a special player in Kevin Durant and a very capable sidekick in Russell Westbrook. The Bucks have a few pieces like an emerging Larry Sanders and Monta Ellis, but the Bucks don't have too much outside of those players.

I hate to say it Bucks fans, say bye bye to Brandon.

Ravens' Boldin told to take a pay cut or get cut

After winning a Super Bowl, Baltimore Ravens receiver Anquan Boldin is being asked to take a pay cut. If not he might be released.  

Boldin makes $6 million right now but the Ravens would like a more cap friendly number. Mainly to resign linebacker Danell Ellerbe who is a high priority and other pending free agents.

This comes after signing quarterback Joe Flacco to a massive new contract.

During a February interview with NBC Sports Radio, Boldin said he would retire if released by Baltimore. A source, though, said Boldin is having second thoughts about that statement. 

If released Boldin is still good enough where he could catch on elsewhere should he back off his retirement talk. If he likes Baltimore that much he'll take the pay cut so they can keep most of the team together.

Indiana won't wear new Adidas uniforms

Following the lead of Michigan and North Carolina State, the Indiana Hoosiers have declined to wear the new new Adidas designed basketball uniforms for the upcoming NCAA tournament.

That's a wise choice. I know college basketball fans have gotten a peek at the sleeved jerseys and camouflage shorts. Those uniforms are flat out ugly. I don't advocate anyone losing their job but whoever designed them needs to be fired or reassigned.

Indiana athletic director Fred Glass didn't want to get away from the classic cream and crimson of the Hoosiers.  


“When you look at that picture, it’s really hard to tell those uniforms apart,’’ Glass said. “It has really been a consistent look. Our thing is stability and a classic look. It’s about the name on the front of the chest and not on the back. All those things are important to who we are.

“I take seriously our obligation to be a good partner with Adidas, and we weren’t cavalier about this. But when all is said and done, that’s just not something that I think is appropriate for us here at Indiana to do.”

“The Indiana uniform is such a reflection of who we are as a program and a university that we weren’t comfortable moving away from our classic, iconic uniforms.’’

I'm surprised that traditional powers such as UCLA, Kansas, and Louisville are going along with it. UCLA fans aren't too happy with the decision for the Bruins to wear them. They look like volleyball jerseys if you ask me.

Glass should be commended for saying no and sticking with tradition over a marketing scheme.

Byron Scott might shut down Kyrie Irivng

With a team going nowhere, Cleveland Cavaliers head coach Byron Scott is considering shutting down All-Star guard Kyrie Irving for the rest of the season.

The oft injured Irving has missed 14 games including three recently with a hyperextended knee. Irving said the knee was still bothering him after last night's win over the Utah Jazz. Scott doesn't want to risk losing Irving for anymore games and wouldn't have a problem keeping Irving on the bench.

"If Ky is hurting, I have no problem sitting him down," Scott said.

Irving doesn't plan on being in fancy suits the rest of the season even though the early break could help him.

"The only way I would get better is if I sit out for the rest of the season, and I'm not doing that," Irving said.

I believe Scott has the right idea. Irving is the franchise and he shouldn't risk him doing further damage to himself in a lost season. It's not like the Cavs are in the playoff chase so why not. As a competitor Irving wants no part of that kind of talk. But it's probably more beneficial to him if he sits out than playing at less than 100 percent for the rest of the season.

Irving has a lot of basketball left and shouldn't hamper his career for a few meaningless games.

Diamondbacks Barajas finds missing World Series ring after four years

Current Arizona Diamondbacks catcher Rod Barajas was a member of the Diamondbacks World Series winning team in 2001. Of course being on that team you get a coveted  World Series ring. Barajas got his ring but he lost it four years ago.

Four years later Barajas had the good fortune of recovering his World Series ring. 

MLB.com's Steve Gilbert tells the story.


Before leaving the couple's home in San Diego, Stacie tried on a pair of shoes she had not worn in years. She tried one foot on, determined it matched her outfit and packed both shoes for the trip.

While getting ready at the hotel just before the funeral, Stacie put on both shoes for the first time. Only there was a problem with the one she hadn't tried on before she left. There was something in the toe blocking her foot.

"I was getting ready and my wife yelled out, 'Guess what I just found?'" Barajas said. "We're in a hotel room and I'm like, what could you find in a hotel room?"

As it turns out, you can find a 2001 World Series ring and pendant.

"She walked out with the ring and pendant and we both looked at each other and I said, 'That was your grandmother. Your grandmother grabbed that and put it there for us. One last gift that she gave us before she left,'" Barajas said.


Barajas is lucky he found his, but when are players gonna learn to keep their championship rings in a safe place.

Broncos will pursue Freeney if Dumervil doesn't take a pay cut

The Indianapolis Colts decided to part ways with defensive end Dwight Freeney. He's now a free agent and will be exploring his options when free agency kicks in next Tuesday.

One team to keep an eye on for Freeney's services are the Denver Broncos. A source told Mike Klis of the Denver Post that the Broncos might be a player for Freeney. But that's all contingent if current Broncos defensive end, Elvis Dumervil, doesn't take a pay cut. Throw in the fact that Peyton Manning has been recruiting Freeney and it's almost a lock that he becomes a Bronco.

Freeney (33) is four years older than Dumervil (29) and isn't the force he once was but if Dumervil doesn't want to take a pay cut, the Broncos could sign Freeney and parlay the extra money into a few players to fill needs at different roster spots. They are similar players so the dropoff shouldn't be too significant.

The Broncos would love for Dumervil to return but I don't see him being too pleased to to a loss in pay. If that's the case Elvis will indeed leave the building.

Browns beat out Bills for Kevin Costner movie

Two of the more snakebit franchises in the NFL went head to head off the field recently. But for once it was the Cleveland Browns that came out on top.

The Browns reportedly beat out the Buffalo Bills for the right to be the franchise in the Kevin Costner movie, Draft Day.

The movie, which was to depict Kevin Costner as a fictitious Buffalo Bills general manager trying to restore his team to past glory, will instead be shot in Cleveland, with the actor portraying the Cleveland Browns GM.

Like most reasons for anything related to business decisions, it all came down to the money. Shooting in Cleveland was cheaper than shooting in Buffalo therefore the Browns will get the nod.

“At the end of the day, it was a money thing. I think Mr. [Ivan] Reitman really wanted to shoot here, but it just came down to the cost factor. What we were told is that the Cleveland incentives were better,” said Tim Clark who heads the Buffalo Niagara Film Commission .

“I feel the worse for the Buffalo Bills, because they worked real hard to convince the film company that Buffalo was the place to shoot this, and that Buffalo was America’s team.”

Buffalo Bills being America's team. Since when? I guess I missed the memo on that one.

This will be the second time a movie will be based on a Cleveland sports franchise as Draft Day hopes to be as successful as Major League. I guess the silver screen is the only place where a Cleveland franchise gets to be a winner.