Edwards to stay with the Browns

Against the fitting backdrop of a voluntary minicamp, Cleveland Browns receiver Braylon Edwards says he wants to remain a Brown and hopefully make up for a forgettable 2008 season

.The Browns spent time leading up to the April draft in trade discussions with the New York Giants, who were interested in acquiring Edwards to replace jettisoned star Plaxico Burress.
Edwards, who is entering the final year of his contract, said Thursday that reports of the teams' talks did not bother him.
"I didn't get excited [about the rumors]," Edwards said, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. "One, they were rumors and there was nothing to hold on to. And two, I felt like if I would have left Cleveland for any reason, I would have left with a bad taste in my mouth."
After a breakout 2007 season in which he had 1,289 receiving yards and 16 touchdown catches, Edwards had by most accounts a miserable '08. He was criticized for dropping balls and had 55 receptions, 25 fewer than in '07, and only three for touchdowns.
"I wanted to get back to playing good football, definitely here," Edwards said, according to the Plain Dealer. "It's a business and who knows what's going to happen next year. But for me, it was just about getting back to what I know I can do and being the player the Browns drafted in '05 and that the fans saw in '07."
In what was reported as his last discussion with the Browns, Giants general manager Jerry Reese told Cleveland he might be willing to part with a second- and a fifth-round pick. Nothing came of it and New York ended up drafting a receiver, Hakeem Nicks of North Carolina, with the 29th overall pick.
"Obviously they didn't get what they wanted, which means they felt highly of me to ask for a lot and it didn't go down that way and I'm still here," Edwards told the newspaper. "I'm happy to be here.
"There's a lot of players here that I still know, some new players. I remember [rookie receiver] Brian Robiskie at 17, having him out here when he was a ballboy and now he's one of my teammates. I think it's going to be a fun season. I'm excited to play with these guys and play in this new system and see what happens."
Edwards said he hasn't spoken to general manager George Kokinis or new coach Eric Mangini about the team's trade discussions.
"Right now I'm a Cleveland Brown and that's what I'm going to be until that day happens," Edwards said. "It won't be my decision."

Deal or No Deal

After San Diego Padres pitcher Jake Peavy got traded the Chicago White Sox he rejected it. Peavy and Chicago couldn't work out anything he was supposed to have an $25 million deal. Most people say they would go to Chicago instead . But Peavy wanted to stay in San Diego and that is what he did.

ND to play at Citi Field ?

The old Yankee Stadium hosted some of college football's greatest moments. The new Yankee Stadium might also host college football -- and the Fighting Irish are interested in writing the first chapter in its gridiron history, the school's athletic director said, according to The New York Times.
While stressing that no dates have been discussed, Notre Dame AD Jack Swarbrick said the Yankees are open to college football at the new stadium. The school has been in touch with the Yankees to express its interest in being one of the first two teams to play there, according to the report.
"We've been in contact with Yankee Stadium and asked and inquired," Swarbrick said, according to the Times. "We will be discussing games with them, but we haven't entered into any substantive discussions."
Ideally, Swarbrick said, Notre Dame would love to play Army at the stadium in 2013 to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the 1913 game, according to the report. In that landmark game, the Irish utilized the forward pass to great success to beat the Black Knights, popularizing what had been, up to that point, a little-used strategy. The results influenced other teams to adopt the forward pass, in effect changing the game.
If there's football at the new stadium before 2013, Notre Dame would still like to be involved, Swarbrick said. But playing the 100th anniversary of the 1913 game in New York would have great meaning for the Irish, he added, according to the report.
"It would be of great historical significance for us if it would be Army," Swarbrick said, according to the report. "We would love that. Some of the most significant games in the history of college football involve those two schools and Yankee Stadium."
The Yankees and Army did not immediately return calls seeking comment, the Times reported.

WWE has to move

Less than 24 hours after announcing it was bolting Denver for Los Angeles because of a scheduling conflict, World Wrestling Entertainment was distributing a promotional image of chairman Vince McMahon and Nuggets and Pepsi Center owner Stan Kroenke. Superimposed above a photo of McMahon smiling beatifically was a halo; a shot of a dour-looking Kroenke had two red horns atop his head.
WWE was still milking the moment Thursday, securing space at the Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square for a news conference complete with star wrestler Triple H. Giant flat-screen TVs blared WWE highlights and supporters clapped and hollered as McMahon stepped to the podium.
No matter whether Kroenke, an owner who prefers to stay in the shadows, was closely involved in the arena being double-booked for WWE's Monday Night Raw and a Nuggets-Lakers playoff game on the same night. WWE isn't letting this go easily. And Kroenke himself makes a much more appealing target than the faceless entity of his company, Kroenke Sports Enterprises.
McMahon boiled down the dispute to a basic element of human conflict.
"It makes me feel like our organization and all of WWE fans have been disrespected," he said.
McMahon insisted all he wanted was a simple apology from Kroenke.
"Had he called me and said, 'You know what, Vince, we screwed up. We had your event and I didn't know my team was going to make the playoffs and my management screwed up somehow. I want to apologize to you and I want to make it right in some way," McMahon said.
"Had he picked up the phone and called me and said that, I really don't know what I would have done, except I wouldn't have done this."
Kroenke Sports no longer wanted to engage in the debate. But it was too late to stop the publicity machine of WWE, clearly intent on inflicting as much embarrassment on the organization as possible.
"We're not going to fuel the media fire that this guy would like us to," said Kroenke Sports executive vice president Paul Andrews. "We're preparing for basketball games. Whatever he does from here is of no concern."
A lot more people will know who E. Stanley Kroenke is after Monday night, when Raw airs on USA Network from Staples Center, home of the Lakers. WWE plans a parody pitting McMahon's character against Kroenke's.
McMahon never missed a chance to mock Kroenke on Thursday, referring to him as "E period Stan Kroenke" on every mention and seemingly pronouncing his last name differently each time.
"I never trusted anyone with an initial for a first name," he cracked, "and now I know why."
WWE released the copy of a joint news release it said Kroenke Sports wanted to send out, announcing that the two sides had agreed to move Raw to Sunday night at Pepsi Center. McMahon called the wording "absurd" and claimed it doomed negotiations.
Rolling his eyes and sarcastically enunciating choice words, McMahon read aloud a passage.
"By all accounts," the release quoted McMahon as saying, "Mr. Kroenke is one of the most respected professional sports team owners in the world, and the professional way he and his staff good-naturedly handled this conflict gives further testament to the type of business leader he is."
That certainly contradicted the tone of McMahon's public utterings all week, variations of this missive Thursday: "Their business management is the most inept business management we've ever dealt with."
USA Network was happy to pile on to the story line, sending executive vice president Chris McCumber to the news conference.
"I want to encourage all WWE fans to tune in this week," he said, "to stand up, show who you are, show that you can't be pushed around."

Who Let The Dogs Out?!...Vick Released

Vick was imprisoned for bankrolling a dogfighting ring but has now been released and will serve two months of home confinement as his house in Virginia, before being officially released on July 20.
The 28-year-old was once the highest-paid player in the NFL when playing for the Atlanta Falcons, but he will now report for a construction job as part of his terms of home release.
"It's a happy day for him to be starting this part of the process," said Larry Woodward, Vick's Virginia-based attorney. "He looks forward to meeting the challenges he has to meet."
The biggest challenge for Vick will be trying to regain his place in the NFL, after commissioner Roger Goodell suspended him indefinitely in August 2007 and will only review the situation after his full sentenced has been served.
Remorse
Goodell says Vick will have to show significant remorse and prove he has changed his ways before he will even consider reinstatement, but such was Vick's skills as a player there is still talk of him being back in the league for the new season in September.
Part will depend on whether Vick has retained his footballing ability, but his future will most likely depend on whether any team in the NFL is willing to take a chance - and put up with the guaranteed negativity about giving him a chance.
The Falcons still own Vick's contract rights and could seek trade compensation should any club signal their interest - but he will definitely not be back playing in Atlanta, even if team owner Arthur Blank does think he deserves his chance.
"There's no question Michael's paid his debt to society, obviously," Blank said during a break at the NFL Spring Meeting in Florida.
"I have not spoken to him face to face. I have indicated that I would do anything that I can do on a personal level that would be constructive and productive for Michael, and that still hasn't changed. But we've certainly been in communication.
"We've made it clear Michael's not going to play for us again, as you know. Right now, his salary is being tolled so it has no effect on our cap, beyond the allocation of signing bonus, which happens under any circumstances. So we'll deal with it at the time we think is correct."

Peavy Gets Traded

The latest report in sports is that Jake Peavy got traded to the Chicago White Sox. He got traded for two left handers Araon Poreda and Clayton Richard Lance Brodway also got traded.Peavy's new home will be Chicago.