Kicker’s golf clubs stolen by man delivering Chinese food
Kicker’s golf clubs stolen by man delivering Chinese food
It’s not often that we come across a story involving a kicker, golf clubs and Chinese food. Unfortunately for Atlanta Falcons kicker Matt Bryant(notes), though, we’ve got one today. From Fran Jeffries at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Kristian Vail, 22, of Flowery Branch, was arrested and charged with stealing the bag of clubs, valued at more than $3,000, from the open garage at Bryant’s home on Sept. 16. “He went into the open garage, took the clubs, delivered the food and went on his way,” said Braselton Police Assistant Chief Lou Solis. Vail, who was arrested on Sept. 22, faces felony burglary charges. Investigators found the clubs on the Internet using their serial numbers, Solis said. Vail had traded the clubs and golf bag to Michael Gibson, 22, for 80 Ecstasy pills, Solis said. The good news is that most of the golf clubs have been recovered. One notable exception is Bryant’s Scotty Cameron putter, which remains at large. Scotty Cameron putters are one of the most absurdly-overpriced items in an industry built on absurdly-overpriced items. I guess the lesson here is that you should lock your garage when you’re having food delivered. As wonderful as it is when a stranger shows up at your door with hot, delicious Chinese food, it does not make that stranger your friend. As you’re inside innocently enjoying your moo goo gai pan, he’ll be out on the street trading your hybrid 3-iron for a bag of E. Gracias, Larry Brown Sports. Related: Atlanta Falcons
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Trio of Steelers’ O-linemen questionable (AP)
Trio of Steelers’ O-linemen questionable (AP)
PITTSBURGH (AP)—The Pittsburgh Steelers offensive line might not be as banged up as originally thought but coach Mike Tomlin says the team is looking to add some depth anyway. Right tackle Marcus Gilbert(notes) (shoulder), right guard Doug Legursky(notes) (shoulder) and left tackle Jonathan Scott(notes) (left ankle) all missed time during a 23-20 win over Indianapolis on Sunday night. Tomlin says all three are questionable for Sunday’s game at Houston and the team is exploring free agent options. Scott’s injury appears to be the most significant. The veteran wore a boot on his left foot while at the team’s practice facility on Monday. Tomlin doesn’t anticipate signing someone and immediately plugging them into the lineup, adding his biggest concern is having enough bodies in practice.
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Carmelo Anthony doesn’t understand ‘Muhammad Ali-type statements’
Carmelo Anthony doesn’t understand ‘Muhammad Ali-type statements’
The lockout isn’t over yet, so we could have something to top this, but it appears as if an NBA player has given us the first Kenny Anderson-type statement. You remember Kenny, right? During the lockout that stretched from July of 1998 to January of 1999, he was quoted by the New York Times as saying this, unabashedly: ”I was thinking about selling one of my cars,” he said recently, laughing. ”I don’t need all of them. You know, just get rid of the Mercedes.” Oh, Kenny. He wasn’t lying, and he wasn’t wrong. But even in those relatively well-heeled economic times, the statement didn’t sit well with … well, anyone. And yesterday, in talking to NBA.com’s David Aldridge, New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony(notes) passed this along: It was shortly after that that my man Michael Tillery (who, by the way, disagrees with me that the stars couldn’t put their own run together), from the terrific website The Starting Five, asked Anthony why the star players don’t speak out like the NFL’s players did during the NFL lockout. “We’re not allowed,” Anthony said. “I mean, everybody has their own opinion. You hear people talk here and there. But nobody comes out and says what they really want to say. That’s just the society we live in.” He laughed a little. And, then: “Athletes today are scared to make Muhammad Ali-type statements.” Oh, Carmelo. He’s not lying. He’s not wrong. But comparing Ali’s stand against a conflict in Southeastern Asia that had gone terribly wrong to a discussion over the sharing of actual billions of dollars in Basketball Related Income is the absolute height of absurdity. Yes, athletes today are scared to make Muhammad Ali-type statements (as is the case with most people that want to keep their jobs), but the application of an anecdote like that to a situation like the NBA lockout is completely and utterly wrong. Aldridge mentions as much: Forget for a second that Ali got in trouble (with some) for his vocal opposition to the Vietnam War, for refusing induction into the Army and for not only becoming a Muslim, but a Muslim who supported the controversial teaching of Nation of Islam leader Elijah Muhammad until Muhammad’s death in 1975. Kind of big things. And by comparison, Anthony was asked about speaking up on a labor dispute involving millionaire athletes and billionaire owners. Kind of little things, in the grand scheme. And, in Anthony’s defense, his point about the relative lack of star power at the bargaining table between the NBA and its players is well-taken. Yes, in 1998 and 1999 a David Falk-led coterie of famous players helped lead the NBA’s Players Association, but to an ultimately disastrous affect. The space between the 1995 lockout and the 1998 lockout was filled with escalating top tier salaries and the routine signing of average players to, quite literally, minimum salary contracts. The stars, during the 1998-99 lockout, attempted to keep that status quo before the rank and file got their way. It wasn’t until then that the 1998-99 lockout ended. Here’s Carmelo: “You saw me at a lot of meetings. You see CP. You saw ‘Bron at a couple of meetings. But right now, the same thing just keeps going back and forth, so we don’t know how powerful we are at this moment. We’ll just see what happens.” What happens next, according to CBS’ Ken Berger, is a negotiating session on Tuesday that will possibly bleed (or swim, lovingly) over to Wednesday before the observance of Rosh Hashanah sets in on Thursday and Friday. Though it would have made an impact last week to have seen LeBron James(notes), Anthony, and Kobe Bryant(notes) at the photo opportunity in Las Vegas, supporting their union while a litany of agents attempt to take it down from the inside, their presence isn’t really needed in New York this week. And in that time, perhaps Carmelo could find another outspoken athlete to compare his particular plight to. Something perched in the middle of, say, Kenny Anderson and Muhammad Ali. Related: Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, New York Knicks, NBA lockout
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Irsay: Manning December return possible (AP)
Irsay: Manning December return possible (AP)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—Peyton Manning(notes) made it out to practice Monday. He’s still nowhere close to throwing yet. The four-time MVP was in good spirits when he made his first public appearance on the field since having neck surgery Sept. 8. Peyton Manning watches preseason action.(AP) “Save a copy for me for my scrapbook,” Manning joked as he walked past the television cameras filming his arrival. Those around Manning are not elaborating about his medical recovery. Fox Sports, citing an unnamed source, reported Sunday that Manning traveled to Europe for stem-cell treatment before his latest surgery. The procedure has not yet been approved for use in the United States. Colts vice chairman Bill Polian and Tom Condon, Manning’s agent, both declined to comment about the report following Sunday’s 27-19 loss to Cleveland. On Monday, Manning’s surgeons followed suit and Caldwell reiterated that the team would not provide any additional details about Manning’s progress. “Just in terms of how we’ve handled things around here, we have not discussed anything of that nature in terms of medical situations or whatever it may be,” Caldwell said. “I think, also, in (the Sept. 
release, we stated that we’re not going to discuss anything further, and that’s where I’m going to end it.” Dr. Gowriharan Thaiyananthan, co-medical director of the Chapman Neurosurgical and Spine Institute in Orange, Calif., said it’s possible stem-cell treatment could speed up Manning’s recovery. But it’s still unlikely, Thaiyananthan said, that the Colts will get Manning back sooner than the current timetable. Manning is expected to miss at least two months after having an anterior fusion to treat a nerve injury that was causing weakness in his triceps. The procedure normally involves making an incision in the front of the neck, removing soft disk tissue between the vertebrae and fusing the bones together with a graft. The goal is to ease pain or address a disk problem. Some doctors have said the recovery can take four months or longer, which could keep Manning out all season. “He still has to recover from a cervical fusion, so I think that will be several months,” Thaiyananthan said. “I think the hope is that he can get back to playing sports.” The stem-cell treatment does not use embryonic stem cells, which have caused so much consternation in the U.S., but rather cells from Manning’s own body. Doctors harvest the cells, expand them and then put them into the body. Kerry Collins (R) came out of retirement to potentially help back up Peyton Manning (L).(AP) It’s a procedure Thaiyananthan believes athletes may use more frequently in the future so they can avoid surgery. He’s not alone. “The stem cells very quickly affect the inflammation and then they’re like a factory where they will regenerate right at the site,” said Kevin Dunworth, founder and CEO of SpineSmith in Austin, Texas. Manning had a prior surgery May 23, but that did not fix the problem. The Colts are hoping this latest procedure will. “He’s convalescing from the surgery and that will take a little while yet, and then at some point, the doctors will bring him back and assess his situation,” Polian said on his weekly Monday night radio show. “We’re not sure when that will take place. He’s up and around, I can tell you that. But it is surgery, and there is a period of time where it takes its toll on you, and that’s where he’s at right now.” Teammates were happy to have Manning back on the field—even if it was only as a spectator. When five-time Pro Bowl receiver Reggie Wayne(notes) walked past reporters and saw Manning, he blurted out: “(He’s) walking it off.” The injury ended Manning’s streak of 227 consecutive starts, including the playoffs, and without him, the Colts have not been the same. They’re off to their first 0-2 start since 1998, Manning’s rookie season, and have scored only two touchdowns in eight quarters. Panicked fans are calling for changes, even replacing Kerry Collins(notes) who has started the first two games. The Colts, however, are more worried about fixing the mistakes than making personnel changes. “For the foreseeable future, it’s not going to be the high-efficiency offense that we’ve been used to,” Polian told listeners. “Kerry can’t do that, nobody can. You could probably bring back Johnny U. (Unitas) and you wouldn’t have that.”
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Nicotine could be put on list of banned substances (AP)
Nicotine could be put on list of banned substances (AP)
GENEVA (AP)—The World Anti-Doping Agency can take the first steps toward classifying nicotine as a performance-enhancing drug on Saturday, when it meets to update its list of substances prohibited in sport. WADA has received a report from its accredited laboratory in Lausanne, Switzerland, that describes “alarming evidence” of nicotine use by athletes across 43 sports studied. “WADA and sport federations should evaluate the inclusion of nicotine to the Prohibited List or/and Monitoring Program,” the Lausanne lab reported after a year-long study published by the Forensic Science International journal. The performance-enhancing effects of nicotine included increased “vigilance and cognitive function,” and reduced stress and body weight. “Interestingly, nicotine also triggers a significant increase of pulse rate, blood pressure, blood sugar and epinephrine release owing to simultaneous stimulant and relaxant properties,” the report said. “Smokeless tobacco is a very attractive drug from a doping perspective,” researchers suggested, because it did not damage an athlete’s breathing and respiratory system. The WADA ruling panel is meeting in Lausanne to weigh changes in the status of doping products and methods that will come into force in January. Nicotine is among a number of readily available substances, including caffeine and Viagra, to have been evaluated for potential doping effects. Tests on 2185 urine samples in Lausanne found 15 percent of athletes actively used nicotine, compared to 25 percent of the general population. However, athletes in ice hockey, gymnastics, rugby and skiing rated as above-average users of nicotine, while 19 percent of soccer players samples showed traces “before or/and during sport practice.” The report stated that “these statistics bring a very significant support to the hypothesis of smokeless tobacco use as a performance enhancer.” The Lausanne lab’s study followed initial research involving players at the 2009 ice hockey world championships played in Switzerland, which showed nearly half were active nicotine users. Its claims of nicotine’s performance-enhancing qualities have been disputed by golfers, who face increased testing after their sport was included on the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics program. “There is no drug proven that benefits golf,” Darren Clarke, the British Open champion, said this month at a tournament in Switzerland. Clarke and his European Ryder Cup teammates Miguel Angel Jimenez and Thomas Bjorn regularly smoke on the golf course. WADA can monitor a substance ahead of inclusion on the prohibited list if it meets two out of three criteria for inclusion—enhancing performance, damaging health and breaching the spirit of clean sport. The report states that nicotine meets all three.
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Texans expect Foster to play vs. Miami (AP)
Texans expect Foster to play vs. Miami (AP)
HOUSTON (AP)—Houston running back Arian Foster(notes) has returned to practice after missing the season opener because of a hamstring injury. Coach Gary Kubiak says Foster took the normal repetitions for a starter Wednesday. Kubiak says everything was “positive” and the key is how he feels after practice on Thursday. If Foster is able to play on Sunday at Miami, Kubiak says he wouldn’t expect there to be any limitations on his play. Foster, the 2010 NFL rushing leader, has been bothered with the injury for a month.
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