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Report: Portland Lands Hedo

Henry Abbott of TrueHoop is reporting that the Blazers have landed top free agent Hedo Turkoglu for the princely sum of $50 million (or more) over five years. Hedo had been the expected target of Portland's largess before the Magic acquired Vince Carter. That move made this move rather logical from every perspective.

... well, except the perspective that it's unclear exactly why Portland needs a ball-dominant small forward. After all, the Blazers do have one Brandon Roy, eternal All-Star, under contract. And with Roy dominating the ball this season, the Blazers finished with the league's finest offense. In terms of offense, this is a bit like the Lakers adding Ron Artest: sounds good on the surface, but when you look at the details, you get a bit worried.

L.A. Times Writer Would Like You To Boo Manny Ramirez

Tonight is the night that many a Dodgers fan has been waiting for. After serving his fifty-game suspension, the home run-hitting, fertility drug-taking wonder that is Manny Ramirez will be back in the lineup as the Dodgers take on the Padres in San Diego. Now if your wondering what to make of all this I invite you to give our latest Basecast a listen as Prez and Fletch have already broken it down for you.

One question I have for tonight's game is how Manny will be treated by Padres fans. These are the same people who greeted Barry Bonds with giant syringes after all. Of course, while we know that Manny is bound to hear some boos while on the road, what kind of reaction will he get in Mannywood? Well, if one writer at the Los Angeles Times gets his way, Dodger fans will boo Ramirez.

Lou Gehrig in 140 Characters? Impossible to Imagine

Lou GehrigLou Gehrig did not Twitter.

Never mind that such social networking wasn't around 70 years ago. Typing minutiae and thinking it's important simply wasn't Gehrig's style.

He was unassuming, lived with his parents until he was 30 and didn't crave his own reality TV show. Let's hope players are paying attention Saturday when baseball does something unusual.

Roddick Advances to Wimbledon Finals, Regains Place Among Tennis Elite

Andy RoddickAmerica finally has a new men's tennis star.

Andy Roddick.

I know, he's been around forever. But now he's for real. Finally, he has a strategy and a coach and a brain and some actual footwork and speed. And even a backhand. Finally, he's not just a serve, not just a one-stroke gimmick with an empty head.

And finally, he is back in the Wimbledon finals. Roddick won the Battle of Andys Friday, beating Scotland's Andy Murray 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (9-7), 7-6 (7-5) in the Wimbledon semifinals, and crushing Great Britain's hopes for the first Brit champ since 1936.

Expectations Still High for Boise State

Kellen MooreKellen Moore exceeded expectations last year when he became the first freshman quarterback to ever start a season opener at quarterback for Boise State.

Moore's poise and production also were off the charts, helping the Broncos come within two points of an undefeated season. He was named Western Athletic Conference Freshman of the Year and second-team all conference in addition to being named Boise State's Most Valuable Offensive Player by a vote of teammates.

That's plenty of praise and hardware, but don't think for a second Moore is blinded by his success.

"We have high expectations here," Moore told FanHouse. "We go into each week with a game plan and I am expected to do what I do, whether it's throwing a certain route or whatever. We prepare in practice and nothing really happens brand new out on the field during the game."

Selanne Will Retire After Next Season

Ducks forward Teemu Selanne will retire after the 2009-2010 season.The Anaheim Ducks still have plenty of veteran presence on their team, despite the trade of defenseman Chris Pronger to Philadelphia.

Captain Scott Niedermayer and forward Teemu Selanne have both said they will return. For Niedermayer, the future is uncertain beyond next season. Selanne, meanwhile, says 2009-2010 will be his last year in the NHL.

Futilitywatch 09: Trade Winds Blowing

Lastings Milledge, recently acquired by the Pittsburgh Pirates, finishes a swing in early April for the Washington NationalsFutilitywatch '09 is a our semi-regular update on the Pittsburgh Pirates and their march toward their record 17th consecutive losing season.

How many teams in baseball history have traded 2/3rds of their starting outfields in consecutive years? The Pirates started 2008 with an offense-oriented outfield of Jason Bay, Nate McLouth, and Xavier Nady, from left to right. With Bay and Nady slated to become free agents in the two coming offseasons and having good years at the plate, the Pirates dealt them and shifted towards a defensive outfield of Nyjer Morgan, McLouth, and Brandon Moss. Now, Morgan and McLouth are gone and GM Neal Huntington may not be done dealing. Where does that leave the Pirates?

NBC Denies Fans Hoping to Watch Wimbledon Semifinals Live

Andy RoddickIf tennis wants to be taken seriously, then this can't be happening. If you tried to watch the Andy Roddick-Andy Murray Wimbledon semi live Friday, well, good luck.

During the match, ESPN2 was showing last year's Roger Federer-Rafael Nadal final. NBC? Well, the Today Show followed by, in Chicago at least, the Martha Stewart Show. I mean, I'm all for learning how to turn my hydrangeas blue instead of pink, but come on. Can you imagine seeing that during the NFC Championship Game coming to you on tape, a few hours later?

Apparently, that's the plan with Murray-Roddick.

BaseCast: Manny Mania and Much More

Manny RamirezIt's a baseball podcast. The math is easy, right? BaseCast. Let's rock.

He's baaaaaaack. Manny Ramirez rejoins the Dodgers Friday night in San Diego after a 50-game suspension for a violation of Major League Baseball's drug prevention program.

FanHouse's own Jeff Fletcher will be at Petco Park to see and report on Manny's return, so in preparation he joined Andrew Johnson (Prez) on the second edition of BaseCast to talk about what the media horde will be like, how, if at all, the slugger will address the media, what impact he'll have on the Dodgers on the field and how the road fans will react to him post-suspension.

And just for good measure, there's also Fletch's exclusive interview with Tigers center fielder Curtis Granderson. Listen in after the jump.

Milwaukee Mile May Be on Last Legs

Races like this IndyCar event may be a thing of the past at the Milwaukee Mile, as the track promoter struggles to pay the bills.
Wisconsin is not regarded by many people as a mecca for auto racing. However, it does have a fair history in the sport. Tracks like Road America (Elkhart Lake) and Madison International Speedway have been around for over 40 years, while the Milwaukee Mile has been around for over 100 years.

The historic racetrack on the Wisconsin State Fairgrounds in West Allis is in trouble. After its most recent run of major events, the Milwaukee Mile may be about to shut its doors for good.

Lakers Learned From Previous Champs

There is a reason nothing stays the same in the NBA. It's never good enough -- even at the top. What the Los Angeles Lakers learned from the previous four NBA champs – Detroit, Miami, San Antonio and Boston -- was that the status quo will just ...

Roger Federer Makes Historic Seventh Consecutive Wimbledon Final

WIMBLEDON, England (AP) -- Five-time champion Roger Federer delivered a masterful grass-court performance Friday to beat Tommy Haas in straight sets and reach his seventh straight Wimbledon final, putting him within one win of a record 15th Grand ...

On Top Without Manny, Dodgers Are Ready to Welcome Him Back

When the Dodgers lost Manny Ramirez, questions surfaced from coast to coast about how the team would be able to get by without its most valuable player. Turns out everyone underestimated the other 24 guys. "Most times in your life you are challenged ...

Scott Niedermayer Is a Happy Duck

Scott Niedermayer had to take some time after Anaheim's grueling seven-game loss to the Red Wings to think about his future. He'll be 36 next month, and the defenseman wanted to make sure he still had the fire to play another full NHL season, with ...

FightHouse Radio: Jon Fitch, Ricco Rodriguez Talk UFC 100 and More

Behold another exciting edition of FightHouse Radio. This week, MDS and I welcomed two great guests to the show. First, UFC welterweight contender Jon Fitch talked about preparing for his fight against Paulo Thiago at UFC 100 and evolving as a mixed ...

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