The Early Lead - Where your daily sports conversation begins ... and never ends - October 3, 2010

NFL investigating allegations about Brett Favre

The NFL is reviewing a report that Minnesota Vikings quarterback Brett Favre sent suggestive photos and messages to a former sideline reporter while he played for the Jets. "We are reviewing the matter," NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said Friday when...

By Cindy Boren | October 8, 2010; 3:18 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (11)
Categories: Brett Favre
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Steve Francis arrested after incident at LA International Airport

Former Maryland and NBA player Steve Francis was arrested Thursday night at Los Angeles International Airport, officials said. Francis, who appeared intoxicated and was created a stir at a ticket counter, reportedly was taken into custody about 10 p.m. by...

By Cindy Boren | October 8, 2010; 12:50 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (16)
Categories: NBA
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Charlie Crist's first pitch strong on comedy if not accuracy

Charlie Crist's ceremonial first pitch before Game 2 of the American League Division Series between the Texas Rangers and the Rays of Tampa Bay was high and juuuuuuuuuuuust a little outside. You'd think that a former quarterback at Wake Forest...

By Cindy Boren | October 8, 2010; 11:00 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Have another doughnut
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Secretariat: real-life footage is going to be awfully hard to beat

It's tough to pick the most thrilling performance on a racetrack by Secretariat, the 1973 Triple Crown winner who gets the Disney treatment in a biopic released in theaters today. Winning the Kentucky Derby is always special, particularly in...

By Cindy Boren | October 8, 2010; 10:15 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (4)

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Baseball playoffs marked by bad umpiring so far

The baseball postseason enters its third day and already there are definining images: managers angrily climbing the dugout steps to protest a call, managers getting ejected. (Good thing the games are starting earlier for the kiddies.) On Thursday, one-third...

By Cindy Boren | October 8, 2010; 8:45 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (12)
Categories: MLB
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Randy Moss press conference: 'I'm back home...this is going to be a fun ride'

Quick snippets from Randy Moss' first press conference in Minnesota since his trade from New England: "I'm back home. To all Vikings fans pull your 84 jerseys out. I think this is going to be a fun ride." "I've paid...

By Cindy Boren | October 7, 2010; 3:33 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: NFL
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Don Larsen congratulates Roy Halladay on his no-hitter

Don Larsen, until Wednesday the only man to pitch a no-hitter in postseason baseball history, offered his congratulations to Roy Halladay, who no-hit the Cincinnati Reds. "I would congratulate him on a nice day," Larsen, 81, said. "We work pretty...

By Cindy Boren | October 7, 2010; 2:25 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Jay Cutler will miss Chicago Bears' game Sunday against Carolina Panthers

Jay Cutler will miss the Chicago Bears' game Sunday night against the Carolina Panthers, meaning backup Todd Collins will get the start. Although Cutler, who suffered a concussion in the Bears' loss to the New York Giants on Sunday night,...

By Cindy Boren | October 7, 2010; 1:40 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: NFL
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Randy Moss trade: Bill Belichick says there was never incident, problem

New England Patriots Coach Bill Belichick decided to do a little air-clearing about the trade of wide receiver Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings on Thursday. "It's a combination of things," he told the media at Gillette Stadium about his...

By Cindy Boren | October 7, 2010; 1:01 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: NFL
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Report: Roberto Alomar accused by wife of exposing her to HIV

A second woman has filed suit against Roberto Alomar, alleging that he knowingly engaged in unprotected sex despite knowing he is HIV-positive. This time, Alomar's wife accused him in divorce proceedings in Florida, the New York Post reported. Maria Del...

By Cindy Boren | October 7, 2010; 11:48 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Randy Moss and Patriots reached 'point of no return' Monday night

Updated at 12:45 p.m. The Randy Moss-New England Patriots divorce started in Week 1 of the season and proceeded amicably, as they say, from there. A simple business decision became complicated by diminishing numbers and Coach Bill Belichick's evolving gameplan...

By Cindy Boren | October 7, 2010; 10:39 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Have another doughnut
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Roy Halladay's no-hitter for Phillies takes its place in baseball history

This is what a postseason no-hitter looks like. (Associated Press) Is Roy Halladay's no-hitter in the opening game of the National League Division Series the greatest moment in the 15-year history of the division series? Where does it rank...

By Cindy Boren | October 7, 2010; 9:49 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: MLB
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Mark Teixeira battles past injuries as Yankees hurt Twins

Mark Teixeira (at right, above, with Alex Rodriguez) put the hurt on the Minnesota Twins with a two-run homer, but that probably couldn't compare with how he felt, playing with a broken right pinky toe and a bruised right...

By Cindy Boren | October 7, 2010; 8:15 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Miami Heat lose Dwyane Wade for a while with a tweaked hamstring

It was great while it lasted -- which was roughly 57 minutes less than "The Decision." Three minutes and 17 seconds into the most anticipated debut in the history of debuts, Dwyane Wade abandoned LeBron James and Chris Bosh and...

By Cindy Boren | October 6, 2010; 11:52 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: LeBron James, NBA
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Report: Red Sox owners to buy Liverpool Premier League team

A deal reportedly is in place for New England Sports Venture, parent company of the Boston Red Sox, to purchase the Liverpool soccer team. According to a BBC report, the deal hinges on resolution of a legal dispute with Liverpool's...

By Cindy Boren | October 6, 2010; 8:37 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Randy Moss trade to Vikings is done; Patriots get third-round pick

Updated at 2 p.m. The New England Patriots have traded wide receiver Randy Moss to the Minnesota Vikings for a third-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft. The trade also involved the Patriots sending their seventh-round pick in 2012 to...

By Cindy Boren | October 6, 2010; 5:37 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (10)
Categories: NFL
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Tiger Woods, Cigar Guy and the greatest sports photo ever (well, almost)

Some are calling it the greatest sports photo ever. While we're partial to Ali-Liston (or just about anything taken by Neil Leifer), the one of Tiger Woods that was snapped by Mail on Sunday photographer Mark Pain on Saturday...

By Cindy Boren | October 6, 2010; 5:15 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (9)
Categories: Golf, Tiger Woods
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NFL asks Sen. Russ Feingold to stop using ad featuring Randy Moss, others

The National Football League has asked the re-election campaign of Sen. Russ Feingold (D-Wis.) to stop using an ad that contains footage from NFL games. The league, according to NFL spokesman Greg Aiello, did not license the footage, which shows...

By Cindy Boren | October 5, 2010; 2:16 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: NFL
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Barry Sanders Jr. looks a lot like Barry Sanders when it comes to playing football

With a name like Barry Sanders Jr., you almost have to be good at football, right? Turns out that Sanders, son of the Detroit Lions' Hall of Fame running back of the same name, is. Playing for 5-0 Heritage Hall...

By Cindy Boren | October 5, 2010; 2:01 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)

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GrandPa Hogette to be buried today at Arlington National Cemetery

(1997 photo by James A. Parcell - TWP) Ralph Campbell, the co-founder of the Hogettes who died at the age of 73, will be buried today with full military honors at Arlington National Cemetery. Known as GrandPa Hogette, Campbell...

By Cindy Boren | October 5, 2010; 11:46 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Redskins
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Clinton Portis said he's not likely to play Sunday against Packers

Clinton Portis said he's unlikely to play Sunday against the Green Bay Packers. Although he said he hasn't gotten results back yet on an MRI of his groin injury, Portis said on the Mike Wise Show on 106.7 The Fan...

By Cindy Boren | October 5, 2010; 10:35 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Clinton Portis, Redskins
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Patrick Chung leads Patriots to a big win over Dolphins with stellar show

Updated at 11:41 a.m. By anyone's measure, an NFL game in which a safety returns an interception for a touchdown and blocks a punt and a field goal ought to have "defensive player of the week" stamped all over it....

By Cindy Boren | October 5, 2010; 8:22 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: NFL
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Carolina Panthers cut WR Dwayne Jarrett after second DWI arrest

Updated at 5:56 p.m. The Carolina Panthers cut wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett this afternoon, just hours after his second arrest for driving while impaired. Filed at 7:45 a.m. Dwayne Jarrett, wide receiver for the Carolina Panthers, was arrested and charged...

By Cindy Boren | October 5, 2010; 7:45 AM ET | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: NFL
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Report: Are Redskins seeking to trade Devin Thomas?

Are the Redskins actively trying to trade little-used wide receiver Devin Thomas? The National Football Post reports that the team is shopping the third-year wide receiver. Thomas' career has been a disappointment; under Mike Shanahan, he's been relegated mostly to...

By Cindy Boren | October 4, 2010; 12:17 PM ET | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Redskins
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The Early Lead: October 3, 2010 - October 9, 2010