Brett Favre will not be showing up to practice today when the Green Bay Packers open up training camp. However, that doesn’t mean that the retired quarterback is going to give up his mission to return: it’ll probably just be with another team.
According to an ESPN report Sunday, Favre has signed a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell requesting to be reinstated but has yet tosend it to league headquarters. Favre said he is open to a trade, not just to Tampa Bay or the New York Jets, and is hoping Goodell can help cross the quarterback’s impasse with Packers General Manager Ted Thompson.
With a big rush in the final kilometers, Gert Steegmans had his victory in the last stage of the 2008 Tour de France, ahead of Gerald Cioleck and Oscar Freir.
Spanish Carlos Sastre came in inside the peloton, only slightly behind Steegmans, but close enough to hold on to his yellow jersey, becoming the 7th Spanish rider to win the title of the Tour de France. Runner-up Cadel Evans finished 7 seconds ahead of Sastre, closing the gap in the final classification between the two to less than one minute.
Tour winner Sastre said “Today was a really nice day. The team has done everything to make this Tour as easy as possible for me and even as we came to Paris for the final stage, they continued to work for me. It’s a great atmosphere now and I know that relief has set in and now everyone is happy.”
LeBron James has suffered what officials are describing as “a mild sprain” to his right ankle during the US Olympic basketball team’s practice on Tuesday in Vegas. The injury took place when James landed on Kevin Durant’s foot during a practice game between the American team and a team made up of young NBA players, according to the Los Angeles Times. Trainers wrapped James’ankle in a brace and James left the practice facility without offering any comment for reporters.
“He thinks it’s a mild sprain,” Coach Mike Krzyzewski told reporters. “Our trainers think it’s a mild sprain. So we’ll find out tomorrow. But I don’t think it’s anything serious. Obviously, we’ll look and see what happens tomorrow.”
Team USA plays an exhibition game against Canada this Friday.
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ason Taylor wanted out of Miami, and Bill Parcells was happy to let the defensive end go. The six-time Pro Bowl defensive end who was also the 2006 NFL Defensive Player of the Year — got into his teams bad books after spending his offseason on the TV show Dancing With The Stars rather than working out with teammates. So when the Washington Redskins lost a starting lineman to a season-ending injury Sunday, a significant swap quickly got done. The Redskins gave the Dolphins a second-round pick in 2009 and a sixth-round choice in 2010 for Taylor, who is leaving the only NFL team he’s ever played on.
AC Milan will introduce their newest addition, Ronaldinho to the fans and the media at San Siro stadium.
The Brazil forward, 28, decided to join the Italian superteam from Barcelona, declining a move to Manchester City. He took a medical in Milan prior to signing a contract that will keep him at the Serie A club to the end of the 2010-11 season. The city had reportedly bid £25.5m for the player, but AC Milan are believed to have paid considerably less for him. Rossoneri fans quickly bought up 5,230 season tickets on Wedneday alone, following news of Ronaldinho’s imminent arrival.
Josh Hamilton, the Texas Rangers’ All-Star who recently overcame drug addiction to restart his baseball career thrilled the crowd on Monday night for the 2008 Home Run Derby at Yankee Stadium. He hit 28 home runs in the first round to break Bobby Abreu’s old record of 24 in a single round. The most impressive part came during an incredible 13-swing stretch where every ball he connected with left the yard.
With his slick left-handed swing and undeniable hitting power, Hamilton seemed the only choice to take advantage of Yankee Stadium’s short right-field porch. He cleared the deep fences without a hitch, hitting three shots farther than 500 feet, including his longest, estimated at 518.
In a bit of a letdown, Hamilton didn’t actually win the overall title - that went to Minnesota Twins 1B Justin Morneau, who took down Josh Hamilton in the final 5-3. The full capacity crowd was chanting his name during that awesome first round, and his feat won’t be forgotten by anyone watching that day.
Three days after a conference call with Packers team officials in which quarterback Brett Favre vehemently expressed his desire to play in 2008, on Friday Favre officially asked by letter for his unconditional contractual release, a source close to Favre and the team said. Favre, expressed a desire to have an friendly parting, as the Packers have been hesitant to embrace his return. Favre has three years left on his contract at a total of $39 million. He currently is on the reserve-retired list.
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