Ben Fowlkes: Edgar’s the best lightweight, style points notwithstanding

When did we decide, either as a sport or as a culture, that you had to be terrifying to be a champion? I’m tempted to say Sonny Liston and Mike Tyson had some influence on this, but you can’t blame boxing now. That sport has largely moved on from the specter of the snarling bruiser [...]

Stewart Mandel: Spurrier finally has an offense, Pryor sharp right away

Welcome back, football. We missed you. Though reminders of this tumultuous offseason still scroll across the ticker (Alabama defensive end Marcell Dareus’ suspension), at least we can finally watch some live action.
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Andrew Lawrence: Tennis badly needs injury transparency

NEW YORK — Typically when an athlete gets injured, a familiar routine unfolds: the injury is named, the severity articulated and the prescription detailed.
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Ian Thomsen: Best free-agent bargain? Turn to Miami

Who was the best free-agent bargain this summer? The answer is LeBron James, according to an analyst who shared his numbers with me.
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Jim Kelley: Kovalchuk matter a dangerous, tangled web, more NHL notes

“Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive.” — Sir Walter Scott.
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Wertheim: Discussing protocol, five-setters for women, and more mail

I don’t think you properly answered the question about players bringing water on to the court. The reader was asking why they don’t drink water in between points (in the same way that they towel off), not at the changeovers. I’ve never seen players try to do this, so it’s actually quite a good question. [...]

Jon Heyman: Waiver trade deadline a yawner except for Ramirez

With the exception of the accepted waiver claim of Manny Ramirez by the White Sox, the waiver trade deadline was a real dud, with the change-of-scenery-type trades of Manny Delcarmen and Jeff Francoeur the only deadline-day moves. It was a year when GMs were especially aggressive with their claims and blocks, severely limiting deals. But [...]

Tom Bowles: As teams look toward 2011, shortage of rookie talent is becoming apparent

As the dust settles from NASCAR’s Silly Season and Sprint Cup teams turn toward 2011, a funny thing happened when I tried to find a list of the sport’s next rookie class.
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The Bonus: Matt Simms, Kenbrell Thompkins form an unbreakable bond

Tennessee quarterback Matt Simms was in the film room when he got the text about the 8 p.m. team meeting. A couple of hours later he was shuffling into a room with the other Vols players — some of them whispering that coach Lane Kiffin had taken the USC job, others guessing that Kiffin had [...]

Bruce Jenkins: Clijsters emerges as player to beat on women’s side

If the tour’s young players have difficulty relating to the Williams sisters, so adept at balancing tennis against off-court pursuits, imagine their take on Kim Clijsters. In a tournament fraught with peril — the upsets, the heat, the humidity — Clijsters moves quietly and comfortably in a world entirely her own.
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Jon Heyman: A-Rod has parted ways with Scott Boras

Yankees star Alex Rodriguez sent his longtime agent Scott Boras a letter saying that he is parting ways with him, sources confirm.
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The value of skill players

The glory of Fantasy Football is in the skill positions. The winning can be in what I call the “fantasy grab bag,” all the other players, even the ones you don’t pick. Don’t pick? You look confused, my friend. Yes, fantasy games can be won or lost due to the play of offensive linemen, defensive [...]

Chris Mannix: Fast Breaks: USA vs. Tunisia

After a forgettable first half Thursday, Team USA pulled away in the second to rout Tunisia 92-57, completing a 5-0 run through Group B at the FIBA World Championship in Turkey. With pool play complete, the United States will face Angola on Monday in the round of 16. Here’s what we can glean from the [...]

Josh Gross: Different paths lead Soto and Warren to Bellator 27

A day before flying to San Antonio for the most important fight of his developing career, 23-year-old Joe Soto can’t sleep. It’s Monday, 3 a.m., and playing on the featherweight’s laptop, again, is a DVD of his opponent’s best hits.
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Bill Trocchi: Game of the Week: Boise battles Va. Tech with title hopes on the line

With Boise State coming into the season ranked No. 3, Broncos coach Chris Petersen knows he can no longer play the “no respect” card to motivate his team. So what have these Broncos adopted as their motto? “Let’s prove everybody right,” Peterson told his team in August. Boise State will get that chance right away [...]

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