BDeutsch News Analysis

The Minnesota Vikings drafted controversial wideout Percy Harvin with the team’s first round selection (22nd overall) during Saturday’s NFL draft.
Few would question the former Florida Gator’s dedication and determination on the field, however his off-field issues raised enough of an alarm that 21 teams passed on Harvin before the Vikings picked him up to add depth to Minnesota’s offense.
During his high school days in Virginia, Harvin had several run-ins that eventually got him banned from participation by the Virginia High School League, according to the Star Tribune.
He also allegedly failed a drug test when he tested positive for marijuana at the NFL combine earlier this year, according to WCCO-TV.
"I understand a lot of the things I did were totally wrong," Harvin said to the Star Tribune. "If I could rewind it back to where I am now, I could have dealt with half of those things and [they] would have been knocked out when it was. But I didn't know how to handle things at the time."

Posted by deuts060 at 11:21 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Five days after the only coach the Minnesota Wild have ever known resigned, team owner Craig Leipold decided to further shake up the organization by firing Doug Risebrough – the only general manager the team has ever known.
"I just saw things, and my gut says now's the time for a change so we can go out and get the best person out there who can take this incredible brand and great franchise and great team to the next level,” Leipold said in an interview with the Star Tribune.
"It's time we get some new eyes in here.”
Leipold, who took over as the Wild’s owner one year and one week ago, said whoever takes over as the team’s new general manager will decide what direction to take the team, which missed the playoffs this season after winning the Northwest division last year.
“He'll have the freedom and flexibility to build his own organization," Leipold said.
A major decision will be who should replace Jacque Lemaire, who resigned as the team’s head coach a week ago.

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With the secrecy normally surrounding matters of national security, the first family has finally selected its first pet, according to the Associated Press.

The Obama family settled on a 6-month old Portuguese water dog given to the family as a gift by Sen. Edward Kennedy.

Obama’s daughters, 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha, named the dog Bo, allegedly in honor of Michelle Obama’s father, who was nicknamed “Diddley,” according to an unnamed White House aide.

“We couldn’t be happier to see the joy that Bo is bringing to Malia and Sasha," Kennedy, who owns several of the breed himself, said in a statement. "We love our Portuguese water dogs and know that the girls — and their parents — will love theirs, too."

Furthering the long-standing debate over what breed the first family would select and the controversy surrounding the decision, anonymous aides to the first lady told the Associated Press that Michelle Obama arranged an exclusive deal for the dog story with the Washington Post.

Posted by deuts060 at 11:36 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Authorities are searching for a missing St. Thomas student, who was last heard from while walking along the Mississippi River early Sunday morning.
A friend told police that St. Thomas freshman Dan Zamlen, 18, of Eveleth was walking along the river around 3 a.m. Sunday morning when Zamlen’s phone abruptly went dead.
Authorities would not comment on the search, but a spokesperson for St. Thomas alluded that the search for Zamlen may be due to a medical condition – the freshman suffers from diabetes.
“There's concern that he may need medical attention,” university spokesman Jim Winterer said.
Winterer also said Zamlen had been at a party Saturday night although authorities have no idea exactly where the St. Thomas student might have been.
A search helicopter discovered nothing today after scanning the river.

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After a 4-1 win over Cornell in the NCAA Midwest Regional Final, Bemidji State will be Minnesota’s lone representative at the Frozen Four later this month in Washington D.C.
The Bemidji Pioneer is reporting the Beavers as the first 16 seed to ever reach the Frozen Four. Bemidji State defeated Notre Dame 5-1 on Saturday in semifinal action before taking down Cornell in the championship game.
"We knew this was possible because we believed," BSU coach Tom Serratore said. "You can't understand that unless you were in the locker room or affiliated with Beaver hockey. We get to represent the state of Minnesota and we're proud of that. You don't know if something like this is ever going to happen again."
The Beavers will face Miami (Ohio) in a Frozen Four semifinal game at 4 p.m. April 9 in Washington, D.C. Boston University and Vermont will play in the other semifinal. The winner of both games will play for the national championship.
Bemidji State’s success in the national tournament and the fact that the Beavers outlasted every Western Collegiate Hockey Association team this year definitely shines a bright light on the program, which is attempting to join the WCHA next season.

Posted by deuts060 at 11:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

A day after leading his team to its first state hockey championship, Eden Prarie defenseman Nick Leddy was named Mr. Hockey – the best high school hockey player in the state of Minnesota.

Leddy, who has verbally committed to play for the University of Minnesota next season, scored a goal in the Eagles 3-0 shutout victory of Moorhead in the 2A championship game at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, according to the Pioneer Press.

According to the Star Tribune, the Mr. Hockey award is voted on by a panel of judges, including National Hockey League scouts, Division I coaches and selected media members from around the state.

Leddy’s coach at Eden Prarie, Lee Smith, was named the 2A Coach of the Year.

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A column by Sid Hartmann of the Star Tribune reported that Minnesota Vikings would have offered former center Matt Birk more than the 3-year, $12 million contract the free agent signed with the Baltimore Ravens earlier this week.
According to the column, Birk said it was never about the money. His family was looking for a new adventure and now was the time to embark on it.
“It wasn't about the money. You hear it all the time, the market is what it is," he said. "I think sometimes it's good to leave the familiar comfort zone and do things that scare you a little bit. It certainly is that. Even though, I think professionally, and personally, it seems like a great fit.”
Adventure or not, Birk’s decision ostracized him from much of the Vikings fan base after 11 seasons with the team.
According to a Pioneer Press article published on Thursday, Birk never intended to use an offer from Baltimore against the Vikings.
"It wasn't about that or pitting the two sides against each other," Birk said. "Once I got here, I just told the guys I needed a commitment where I knew I wasn't just going to be just a one-year wonder, if I was going to move my family out here. Wherever I went, I was going to take my family with me. Once that commitment was there, it was a done deal."

Posted by deuts060 at 11:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

New Jersey goaltender Martin Brodeur becames just the second goalie in NHL history to reach the 100 shutout plateau when he led the Devils to a 3-0 win over Philadelphia on Sunday – his second shutout in three games since returning from an arm injury that kept him out of 50 games this season.

The shutout moved the four-time Vezina Trophy winner within three shutouts of Terry Sawchuck – the league’s all-time leader in career shutouts.

“It’s a big number, it’s kind of hard to believe,” Brodeur said in an Associated Press article. “You get to different numbers and at times you think, ‘OK, it’s just another one.’ When you get to a round number, it looks more impressive.”

Brodeur is also just four wins shy of tying Patrick Roy’s record of 541 victories.

The Star-Ledger, a local news outlet, used an interesting lead for its story on Brodeur’s feat by saying Brodeur quashed any thought that his new helmet – designed to promote the goalie’s new personal Web site – was cursed.

Brodeur began wearing the new mask this season and tore multiple muscles in his bicep four months ago.

Posted by deuts060 at 11:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yahoo! Sports is reporting that Yankees third baseman and confessed steroid user Alex Rodriguez has apologized to the reporter who broke the story.

According to the news outlet, Rodriguez called Sports Illustrated writer Selena Roberts on Wednesday to apologize for the comments he made in an interview with ESPN.

“I know this lady from Sports Illustrated, Selena Roberts, is trying to throw things out there that in high school I tried steroids. I mean, that’s the biggest bunch of baloney I’ve ever heard in my life,�? Rodriguez said in the interview.
“This lady is coming out with all these allegations, all these lies.�?

On Sunday, Roberts confirmed she had spoke with Rodriguez but said she would not comment until the three-time American League MVP’s press conference on Tuesday.

ESPN is reporting Rodriguez’s coach and some of his teammates plan on attending the press conference.

"I think it shows the unity of the club, and I think that's real important," Girardi said to ESPN on Sunday. "I think it's important that teammates back teammates, and they're there for each other, and they know during difficult times they can lean on each other. Because, you know what? There's going to be something else that comes up this year that's difficult maybe for a player to get through."

Posted by deuts060 at 5:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Associated Press is reporting that the documents linking Major League Baseball player Alex Rodriguez to steroids in 2003 should have been kept confidential as per the collective bargaining agreement.
“2003 tests were supposed to be confidential. For whatever reason test results were not destroyed as they were supposed to have,�? Bob DuPuy, baseball’s chief operating officer, said.
Sports Illustrated first reported the claim that Rodriguez, a 3-time MVP winner, failed two drug tests in 2003, while playing for the Texas Rangers.
Rodriguez, now a third baseman for the New York Yankees, told reporters “You’ll have to talk to the union�? when asked about the positive tests.
“I’m not saying anything,�? Rodriguez, one of 104 players listed in the 2003 report, said.
A day later, Rodriguez, the players’ union and the league still are not talking even though the third baseman is safe from any sort of penalty.
“Because the survey testing that took place in 2003 was intended to be non-disciplinary and anonymous, we can not make any comment on the accuracy of this report as it pertains to the player named,�? Rob Manfred, the MLB’s Executive Vice President of Labor Relations said.�?

Posted by deuts060 at 5:40 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Olympic -swimming hero Michael Phelps did not dispute a photograph published Sunday by the New of the World showing the 23-year old smoking a marijuana pipe.

“I engaged in behavior which was regrettable and demonstrated bad judgment,�? Phelps said in a statement. “I’m 23 years old and despite the successes I’ve had in the pool, I acted in a youthful and inappropriate way, not in a manner people have come to expect from me. For this, I am sorry. I promise my fans and the public it will not happen again.�?

The Associated Press is reporting the photo, supposedly taken at a house part Phelps was attending at the University of South Carolina in November, does not prove whether or not Phelps was smoking marijuana.

Even if Phelps was smoking the illegal drug, it is unlikely his record performance at the Beijing games would be challenged.

Phelps has never failed a drug test, which limits the power of the World Anti-Doping Agency according to a report by Yahoo! Sports.

“We don’t have any jurisdiction,�? David Howman, executive director of the World Anti-Doping Agency said. “It’s not banned out of competition. It’s only if you test positive in competition.�?

This is not the first time Phelps has been allegedly been involved in illegal activity.

In 2004, Phelps, 19 at the time, pled guilty to driving under the influence just months after the Athens games, where the swimmer won six gold medals.

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