Bruce Tenen

Ron Gardenhire Needs To Keep His Checkbook Close

Ron Gardenhire ejected 60 timesRon Gardenhire is a former shortstop with the New York Mets, who aside from a poor 2011 has successfully managed the Minnesota Twins for the past ten seasons, after being a coach with the team for the previous 11 years.  

Gardenhire has been ejected from games 60 times during his managerial tenure.  Each ejection cost him between $250 and $2,500. 

Gardenhire recently told the St. Paul Pioneer Press, "I've written more checks to Major League Baseball than I have to the IRS."

Tulsa Star Returner Can’t Outrun The Law

Damaris Johnson suspendedDamaris Johnson is one of the best players in college football that you have never heard about. But, you will now. 

Johnson is the all-time NCAA career leader in all-purpose yards and kickoff returns, all of which he has achieved in only three years at the University of Tulsa. But as fast as he is, he apparently can't outrun the law. 

Johnson is facing a lengthy team suspension after shopping at Macy's last week. According to the police report, he recently bought $1,600 worth of merchandise, but was charged only $12.91 by his girlfriend, who works as a sales clerk at the store. On Thursday, he paid only 34 cents for an additional $1,238 worth of apparel. 

Arsenal Must Be Really Desperate This Season

Arsenal giving away free road ticketsArsenal is a longtime power in the English Premier League, but is very inexperienced this season and is taking their lumps as a result. 

Last Sunday, they traveled about 400 miles north to play Manchester United and were mauled 8-2. About 3,000 fans made the trip and now those followers are being rewarded for their loyalty. 

Monday, the North London club announced that they would be offering a free ticket to another road game, for those supporters who bought tickets for the match in Manchester. 

A statement from the club read: “Arsenal Football Club has announced it will be writing to fans who travelled to Old Trafford on Sunday with an offer to cover the cost of a match ticket at a future Barclays Premier League away game.”

Usain Bolt Disqualification Will Have Wide Ranging Ramifications

Usain Bolt disqualified at World ChampionshipsThis week’s World Championships of Track and Field in South Korea were supposed to be the Usain Bolt show. After all, he had raced to dominant victories in the 100 and 200 meters at the past two global events, the 2008 Olympics in Beijing and the 2009 World Championships in Berlin, setting world records at both events. His poster was displayed all over Daegu to promote the championships. 

The "Lightning Bolt" has not run that fast this year, but looked like his old self during the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds. 

Yet, Bolt was disqualified from the 100 meter final before it ever began, due to a false start. 

Football Dad Bites Police Officers

Dejuan Wells bites policeEarlier this month, Dejuan Wells was on hand watching his son's pee-wee league team in Indianapolis. Near the game’s conclusion, Wells took offense to a referee's call on an opponent’s touchdown.

Instead of displaying good sportsmanship in front of his five-year-old, the 27-year-old began yelling and cursing at the referee. 

He then ran after the official, when two off-duty police officers, who were watching their sons play for the opposing team, tried to diffuse the disturbance. 

Eventually, they tried to take Wells into custody, so he started biting them.

"He wouldn't let go," said officer Tyneka Poland.  "You can still see the teeth marks." 

Both officers had to get tetanus and hepatitis-B shots afterwards. 

SEC’s Stature Grows, Notably In The Waistline

SEC universities obesity rateThe Southeastern Conference has produced the past five national football champions and is considered the best football league in the country. 

The SEC also leads the nation in another category, however dubious. 

Mississippi, the home of two SEC universities (Ole Miss and Mississippi State), has the highest obesity rate in the US with 34.4 percent, based on data from 2008-2010, 

Alabama, whose two major schools are Alabama and Auburn, was a close second at 32.2 percent.

Tennessee (Tennessee and Vanderbilt) came in fourth with 31.9 percent and Louisiana (LSU) finished fifth at 31.6 percent. 

The SEC is good at everything these days! 

Seahawks Already Looking Towards Next Season?

Pete Carroll drafting Andrew Luck, Landry Jones, Matt BarkleyThe Seattle Seahawks let popular quarterback Matt Hasselbeck sign with Tennessee, leaving the team with a baffling quarterback combination of incumbent Charlie Whitehurst and the newly signed Tarvaris Jackson.

Hasselbeck had been Seattle's starter since 2001 and signal callers like Whitehurst and Jackson will not scare anyone or excite any fans.  

Perhaps head coach Pete Carroll is already awaiting the 2012 NFL Draft, which will include college stars like: Andrew Luck, Landry Jones and Matt Barkley.  

If this is the case, it will be a long 2011 season for the Seahawks and their supporters.    

Charlie Weis Really Cashed In At ND

Charlie Weis Notre Dame buyoutNew University of Florida offensive coordinator Charlie Weis was fired by Notre Dame, after the 2009 season, when the Fighting Irish went 6-6. Weis' buyout was recently revealed via Internal Revenue Service documents.

His compensation and termination payment, for the period July 2009 through June 2010, was revealed to be $7.28 million.     

In other words, more than enough money to pay his food bills.  

Finding A Packer Playbook In The Garbage

Packers playbook falls out of garbage truckMaybe Green Bay should take a page from Tampa Bay's playbook.

Jason Vogel, a deputy sheriff, was trying to catch speeders via radar, when he noticed a garbage truck go by with "bunches of papers" flying out of the rear of the truck.  The ensuing cleanup took about one hour and authorities estimated that they collected about two cubic yards of paper. 

Amazingly, the droves of paper turned out to be a discarded Green Bay Packers special team’s playbook.

Tampa Bay Telling Players To Turn In Their iPad

Tampa Bay Buccaneers iPad playbookThe "Turk" has a long tradition in pro football as being the team official who informs players that they need to see the head coach and bring their playbook, because that player has been cut.

This season, the Tampa Bay Bucs have a new twist on an old practice. 

The Tampa Turk tells players on their way out to go see the head coach and bring their iPad. All 90 Bucs, who are participating in training camp, received a new iPad when they arrived for practice. The machine contained the team playbook, a tablet, as well as game and practice videos. 

The coaches and players enjoy using the iPad, instead of lugging around a bulky, heavy playbook. 

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