Wrestler Benoit Had Tragic Family Secret

FAYETTE COUNTY, Ga. -- An attorney for World Wrestling Entertainment says that in the days before the deaths of Chris Benoit, his wife and seven-year-old son, the couple argued over whether he should stay home more to take care of the mentally retarded boy.

Jerry McDevitt said care for the boy -- who had a rare genetic disorder called Fragile X Syndrome -- was "a source of stress and consternation" for Benoit and his wife.

Two days before he and his family were found dead in an apparent murder-suicide, pro wrestler Chris Benoit told co-workers his wife and son had food poisoning and were throwing up, according to World Wrestling Entertainment.

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I was deeply saddened by the killings and suicide of the Benoit family. I thought pound for pound he was the best "wrestler" in the business. Bare none!

He made about $500,000 a year working for Vince McMahon. So what could have happened to make him want to kill his wife and 7 year old son? Steriod rage.

Kobe still wants to play for the Bulls

The Los Angeles Times and Riverside (Calif.) Press-Enterprise, citing sources, reported that in a meeting with Lakers owner Jerry Buss on Friday in Barcelona, Spain, Bryant had reiterated the trade demand he first made three weeks ago.

The Press-Enterprise, again citing sources, said Bryant, the only NBA player with a no-trade clause, has a three-team wish list that includes the Bulls and Knicks.

For now, the Bulls are working under the assumption the Lakers have no desire to deal their nine-time All-Star guard. That stance is supported by a statement Buss released two weeks ago.

Should Lakers management change its mind and pursue trade options, the Bulls, like any NBA team, would have interest.

But depleting the roster of multiple assets like Luol Deng and Ben Gordon to match Bryant's $19.5 million salary likely would give general manager John Paxson pause.

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I think Kobe will be a Bull. Two other teams are in the running but are doubtful. Dallas and Phoenix. No mention of the Knicks. They offered, Crawford, Frye, and David Lee.

Rick Bucher said on ESPN today, it's basically down to the Bulls and they are showing interest. Lakers won't trade Kobe to the Suns. Bulls can offer a better package than Dallas. We have younger players and a #9 pick in this years draft.

It will be an interesting 10 days until the draft.

Getting Kobe gives us a real go to guy. A big guard that can handle Wade and LeBron.

Make no mistake. Reports are Lakers want Wallace, Deng, Gordon, and the 9 pick in exchange for Kobe and #19 pick. Sure they do! Wouldn't you if you were a Laker?

Truth is, Bulls don't need Kobe. We could very well be in the finals next year by adding to, and not taking away our core players! Lakers will lose with or without Kobe. Bulls will not gut the team to get him. Period.

T'wolves taking steps to assess Garnett's trade value

Are the Minnesota Timberwolves moving closer to trading Kevin Garnett?

Sources from several NBA teams say the Wolves have been making calls to gauge Garnett's trade value throughout the league. The most provocative conversation of which I've heard has been with the Phoenix Suns, who are said to be ambivalent about moving 24-year-old Amaré Stoudemire to Minnesota in a package for Garnett, 31.

A league source understood the talks with Phoenix to be in a preliminary stage, saying, "They're not hot yet.''

It may be that the Wolves are merely assessing Garnett's value amid speculation by rival teams that they've kept him too long. Some league executives feel that Garnett's worth has diminished after absorbing 11 years of mileage while proving unable to carry the Wolves to the playoffs since 2003-04, when they reached the Western Conference finals with KG as league MVP alongside Sam Cassell and Latrell Sprewell.

Yet Garnett recently is coming off one of his best seasons. After being slowed by a knee problem in 2005-06, the 6-foot-11 Garnett recovered to lead the NBA in its all-around "efficiency'' statistic while averaging 22.4 points, 12.8 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.7 blocks and 1.2 steals.

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Zeke Eyes Big Score

June 13, 2007 -- Despite odds stacked against him, Knicks president/coach Isiah Thomas has not given up on making a big move this offseason.

Though Thomas did not name them, he noted prominent players such as Kobe Bryant and Jermaine O'Neal have asked for trades - and promised he'd be active in attempting to acquire them.

"It's safe to say we're active on the phones, trying to improve our team, whatever ways we can," Thomas said yesterday after a Garden news conference to announce next season's preseason game vs. Maccabi Tel Aviv.

"Our goal one day is to put together a team capable of competing and winning a championship.

"There are players who are still out there who publicly said they want to be traded. I'm hoping."

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Dream on 'Zeke. No way can you trade away some of your older players with their contracts. You have some younger players, yes. But if you trade them away what do you have left?

Thomas has done a bad job as General Manager. I must say he did alright as their coach. I never would have thought they would do as well as they did last season.

It's rumored that Thomas has interest in Lewis from Seattle as well.

Good luck!

Rockets agree to trade Howard to Wolves for James

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets, who have been discussing a Mike James-for-Juwan Howard swap in one form or another since the February trade deadline, have agreed in principle to finally complete that deal this month, ESPN.com has learned.

An announcement of the trade's completion could be made as early as this week, according to NBA front-office sources.

The holdup stems from the possibility that another player or two could be added to the deal, sources say. The teams, though, have verbally agreed to a straight-up exchange of James for Howard at the very least.

The Timberwolves beat out Houston for James' free-agent signature last summer because of their willingness to include a trade kicker in the well-traveled point guard's four-year, $23.4 million contract, but the acquisition was questioned from the start after Minnesota landed Randy Foye in the 2006 draft.

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This could change the draft for the Bulls. That could mean another big man may come their way! Minnesota may take Conley with their pick with James gone.

Verlander masters Brewers with no-hit performance

DETROIT (AP) -- Justin Verlander threw 100 mph heat, crazy curves and a tantalizing changeup.

No-hit stuff, indeed.

With a big assist from his shortstop, Verlander pitched the first no-hitter in Comerica Park history, leading the Detroit Tigers over the Milwaukee Brewers 4-0 Tuesday night.

"It was the best thing that ever happened to me," he said.

The 2006 AL Rookie of the Year came back with the game of his career, striking out 12. He benefited from several stellar defensive plays, the best by Neifi Perez, who turned a possible single up the middle in the eighth into an inning-ending double play.

"About the fifth or sixth you can't help but think about it a little," Verlander said. "Everyone kept giving me high-fives and nobody came and sat next to me."

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Noah, Hawes might fill Bulls' big need

The Bulls brass has been busy with workouts of draft prospects, including a session Friday at the Berto Center that included Joakim Noah, from two-time defending champion Florida, and Spencer Hawes, from Washington.

Either of the two, both of whom measured 6-10 without shoes at the NBA pre-draft camp in Orlando, Fla., last week, would seem a good fit for the Bulls, who likely will look to fill their need for a post player should they keep the No. 9 pick in the draft June 28.

Neither Noah nor Hawes had any qualms about facing each other in the same session, even though they are battling for some of the same jobs.

''You don't want to be somebody who's ducking players. I think that's kind of lame,'' said Noah, who also squared off against Hawes on Wednesday in a workout for the Minnesota Timberwolves, who own the No. 7 pick. ''I think Spencer's a great player. He has a lot of upside. He can shoot the ball really well. He's a competitor. It's great going up against a guy who's pretty different than I am in terms of our abilities.''

Hawes, who has yet to hire an agent and therefore could opt to withdraw from the draft and return to Washington for his sophomore season, is known for his good hands, ball-handling, footwork and a shooting touch to 18 feet. He averaged 14.9 points and 6.4 rebounds last season and earned All-Pac-10 honorable mention.

''You're gunning for each other but, at the same time, you like him,'' Hawes said of Noah. ''It's fun going up against the guys you know are trying to bring the best out of each other.

''I think [playing for the Bulls] would be a great opportunity. A lot of the times, guys who are higher picks fall into situations where they are playing for losing teams and teams on the rebound that are going to be better in the future but not right away. The opportunity to win right away is just about as enticing as you could find trying to step into the league.''

Complete article by BRIAN HANLEY

It is rumored that the Bulls really liked Noah for last years draft but he returned to school for 1 more year. His averaged dropped from 14 points a game to 12.

Many Bulls posters on various message boards do not like Noah as a Bull, some do. I think we could do worse than Noah. He runs the floor and plays defense.

Spencer Hawes is a better fit in my opinion. He has a low post game and a nice touch from in close. As the article stated, he averaged 14.9 and just over 6 rebounds a game in college. If he can do that for the Bulls, he gives us EXACTLY what Eddy Curry did, except with a little better defense.

Personally I want Paxson to try and trade for a big man. If it means trading away the pick then so be it, as long as the big man fits in with the team. More than likely, we keep the pick, and then trade for a big man after July 15. Why wait until then? Because on July 15, we can resign both P.J. Brown and Andres Nocioni and include them in a package for a player like Zach Randolph.

Sources tell me, Portland will make a trade soon, but they won't say the name of the team.

NBA draft is just 18 days away.

Courtney Upshaw

BAMA picked up verbal commitment number 10 this afternoon when Eufaula High School's Courtney Upshaw announced his plans to sign with the Tide. Upshaw is a defensive end who plays with a non-stop motor, and has a knack for making big plays. While he excels at rushing the quarterback, he is also good at getting off blocks and containing the running back. At BAMA, Upshaw would likely find a home at outside (jack) linebacker where his versatility and skills could be best utilized. As a junior, he collected an impressive 96 tackles (20 TFL), 12 sacks, and 3 INT's. Upshaw chose the Tide over offers from LSU, Georgia, Auburn, South Carolina, Clemson, and Louisville.

Terrelle Pryor considering Bama'

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Jeannette two-sport star Terrelle Pryor, considered the nation's top football prospect by one recruiting service, has narrowed his college choices to 11 schools and eliminated Pitt in the process.

After conferring with Jeannette coach Ray Reitz, Pryor trimmed his list of 70-plus scholarship offers to the following schools, listed alphabetically: Alabama, Florida, Georgia Tech, Michigan, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia.

"It was hard," said Pryor, a top-100 player in football and basketball who plans to play both in college. "I just narrowed it down. That's who I like and the coaches I was more comfortable with."

A 6-foot-6, 220-pound dual-threat quarterback, Pryor passed for 1,732 yards and 15 touchdowns and rushed for 1,676 yards and 28 touchdowns last season for the WPIAL Class AA champion and PIAA finalist Jayhawks. He was named the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review's Player of the Year.

Duhon on the block?

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League sources say general manager John Paxson is active in potential trade scenarios, with guard Chris Duhon the most likely Bull to be shopped. Perhaps such second-round secrecy is being sought to ensure the desired replacements are in place if a trade is made.

The Oregonian of Portland reported Thursday that Trail Blazers general manager Kevin Pritchard has been told that guard Kirk Hinrich is "untouchable," further dampening any Zach Randolph-to-the-Bulls talk.

This makes sense. Duhon can be traded with Thabo coming on as he is. We have too many guards and teams need a point guard and we need a good big man. Duhon can be included in any trade we may make!

As for Hinrich. He is untouchable. I agree with that no matter how much I want Randolph.

Oden outdoes Durant in predraft workouts

Greg Oden is cementing his standing as the top player in the upcoming NBA draft.

Several media outlets obtained results from the Orlando predraft camp — and the center from Ohio State didn't disappoint.

Oden outperformed every prospect, including Kevin Durant, in drills. Even in speed and agility skills, he held his own with smaller, quicker guards.

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Greg Oden baring injury is going to be a hell of a player in the NBA. Durant is no slouch either.

Jazz should consider trading Kirilenko

Now that they've finished their best postseason since Michael Jordan slammed the door on them in 1998, what do the Jazz do next?
Trade their highest-paid player, naturally.
Nothing like a little offseason drama to keep them in the news.
OK, maybe trading Andrei Kirilenko would be more than a little drama. But it could be just the thing that gets them a championship.
The end of the Jazz's season Wednesday night was embarrassing. Maybe not as embarrassing as that fall Miss USA took, but close. The Jazz ended up on their backsides, too. Going for its fourth title in nine years, San Antonio had barely finished its 25-point win when Jazz guard Deron Williams started calling people out. He claimed several teammates had mentally checked out weeks ago. Among the suspected offenders was Kirilenko.
Was it simply the frustration talking, or did Williams mean it?
Both.

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This article has taken me surprise. I thought the Jazz did very well this year! They were healthy, and the players developed into a team of contenders. That being said, the writer wants to trade Kirilenko! Shocking.

I love the way he plays. He plays both ends of the court. A shot blocker that jumps for loose balls and makes spectacular plays. He has been their star during their transition stage. But, now that Boozer, Okur, and Williams are making moves to claim the Jazz as their team, Kirilenko seems to be lost.

I would love to have him play for the Bulls. But he is not the low post player we need, he would; however, fit in with the defensive and offensive execution that Skiles has his team run.

Zach Randolph would be a better fit. A true low post player.

Dolphins deal for Green

The Kansas City Chiefs capitulated, and the Miami Dolphins flinched.

One of perhaps the longest-running trade discussions in NFL history finally came to an end Tuesday when the Chiefs dealt quarterback Trent Green to the Dolphins for a conditional draft pick.

The Dolphins gave up a fifth-round pick in 2008 that could become a fourth-round pick if Green reaches certain performance standards, a source said. Green has had an agreement on a contract with the Dolphins since March after Green was given permission to seek a trade by Kansas City.

Green was allowed to seek a trade after the Chiefs told him that he would split practice time and have to compete with second-year quarterback Brodie Croyle for the starting position.

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I have always liked Trent's game. He needs talent in front of him a behind him. On paper this looks like a good trade. Croyle can now show what he's got. Miami needs a QB, and Trent could be their answer.

Mulder returns to rehab mound

According to his agent, Mark Mulder has thrown from 230 feet and will get back on a mound next week in St. Louis. From there he will slowly work his way back, likely making a few rehab starts in June.

Mississippi Braves Manager goes crazy

You won't believe this. This is supposedly a grown man!

Billy D returning to Gators

GAINESVILLE, Fla. (SI.com/AP) -- The South Florida Sun-Sentinel is reporting the team will allow Billy Donovan to back out of his contract and return to the Gators. The Magic are pursuing former Heat coach Stan Van Gundy to fill the now-vacant position.

Earlier on Monday, the team issued a statement saying that Donovan is "conflicted" about his decision to leave the Florida Gators to coach the Orlando Magic, and he will continue talking with the NBA team about the contract he agreed to last week.

It's unclear whether Donovan had signed the five-year, $27.5 million contract with the Magic.

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Well, that was short and sweet.

United Football League

Every decade or so, someone with a lot of money decides there's room for another professional football league.

Remember the World Football League? The USFL? The XFL?

All short-lived, all crushed by the NFL.

Next up ... the United Football League?

This past week brought word, first in a New York Times column, of preliminary plans to launch an eight-team league, possibly as soon as 2008.

The United Football League would play in the fall, going up against the NFL as well as college football.

Lotsa luck with that.

The idea — the brainstorm of Wall Street maverick Bill Hambrecht — is for the league to have teams in non-NFL cities such as Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Antonio and Mexico City.

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Cleveland in finals

CLEVELAND (AP) -- As his teammates danced and carried on while wearing baseball caps and T-shirts proclaiming "Champions," LeBron James walked around in a daze with a smile etched across his face.

"This is like a dream," he said, shaking his head. "This is probably the best feeling that I've ever had in my life."

An entire city felt the same.

For the first time in a long time, championship-starved Cleveland has something to feel good about.

The Cavaliers, once the punch line to jokes and Michael Jordan's favorite foil, are Eastern Conference champions -- and on their way to the NBA finals.

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Cleveland did what many thought would never happen. They defeated the Detroit Pistons 98-82 to win the best of 7 seven series 4 games to 2.

The celebration is ongoing in Cleveland, but for Detroit, souls searching will be happening in the off season, but will this be enough to bring them back to the finals next season? Both Cleveland, and to a lesser extent the Chicago Bulls put them to the test this year. Can they answer the call next season with the team they now have? It will be an interesting off season, no doubt about it.

A fan can also make an argument that Detroit got caught in their own mind set. What that means is Detroit played all season long that they thought, no matter how badly the game was going, they could always come back and win. Well, they found out that was not always true, especially when it mattered the most, the Eastern Conference Finals!

Give Cleveland credit. They are in the finals because of their desire to be there, and not just Detroit's losing. They held the Pistons to just 36% shooting! They out rebounded them by 20. Seventeen of those rebounds were offensive rebounds.

The real difference in the game was the fact that Detroit made 10 more free throws, and 6 more threes than Detroit did.

King James came very close to a triple double. He had 20 points. Fourteen rebounds, and 8 assists.

Next up for the Cavs' are the San Antonio Spurs.

Bulls interested in Fizer?

In the workout, Marcus Fizer showed off many of the dominating skills that made the Chicago Bulls decide to draft him with the #5 pick in the 2000 draft, as well as the #1 scorer in the ACB League this year. He created his own shot at will, both from the perimeter or inside the post, showing incredibly quick feet and a terrific knack for finding his way to the basket despite still looking very much out of shape. His turnaround jumper looked virtually unstoppable, elevating decently off the ground and displaying fantastic touch. Fizer was just a load in the post who anyone who tried to guard him, putting his rear-end into his man and clearing him out of the way at will to get to virtually wherever he wanted on the floor. Defensively, he was just average.

A number of NBA teams were here to watch Fizer in particular, including Chicago, Indiana, Miami, the LA Lakers, New Jersey, Portland, Charlotte, the LA Clippers, and Charlotte just from the people we were able to recognize from our vantage point. Fizer looks like he could play in the NBA for at least the minimum if that’s what he really wanted to do, but losing 15-20 pounds could really make an intriguing prospect out of him.

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Sure why not! If he has gotten better since his injuries I would at least have him play in the summer leagues and invite him to camp. Before his injury he rebounded and could score and run the floor. Trouble was he didn't play defense and he was inconsistant. We don't need him to play good defense anymore. We need a low post player and Marcus can do that. He is not our answer but he could be part of the solution as a bench player.

He would come cheap.

Donovan leaving Florida to coach Orlando Magic

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) -- Rich history wasn't enough to lure Billy Donovan away from Florida. In the end, it was just riches.

Donovan will have plenty of them after he was hired to coach the Orlando Magic on Thursday. The team confirmed the hiring Thursday night and scheduled a news conference for Friday morning.

Donovan agreed to a five-year deal paying $5.5 million annually, an official in the NBA told The Associated Press.

"Billy Donovan is a winner," general manager Otis Smith said. "We feel he is the right person to develop and maximize the talents of our players. We look forward to Billy leading us to the next level."

Donovan has been the subject of speculation since the Gators' second straight NCAA championship in April. He turned down an offer to coach Kentucky, whose storied program launched his career as an assistant in 1990, and was more recently linked to the Memphis Grizzlies' vacant coaching job.

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He will do well in Orlando. That team is young and they will listen to him. He built a nice program at Florida. The Gators will suffer without his leadership and I wonder if the program will ever be the same. Will players want to go play for Florida without Donovan there? We shall see.

LeBron nets 48 in Cavs' double-OT win over Pistons

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. (AP) -- LeBron James grimaced, limped up to the podium and plopped into a chair behind a microphone.

It was the only time he looked human all night.

James had already used every ounce of energy to put together one of the most spectacular performances in playoff history, lifting the Cleveland Cavaliers to the verge of their greatest season.

James' career playoff-high 48 points -- including his team's final 25 and 29 of its final 30 -- carried Cleveland within a win of the NBA finals for the first time in franchise history with a 109-107 double-overtime victory over the Detroit Pistons on Thursday night.

After the breathtaking display of talent and will gave the Cavs a 3-2 lead in the Eastern Conference finals, the 22-year-old star said he felt terrible.

"I'm banged up. I'm winded. I'm fatigued," he said. "I've got all day tomorrow. It's going to be tough to get some rest when you got a crazy, 2-year-old running around the house. So hopefully, I can take him to one of his grandma's house."

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