Report: Red Sox Make Formal Offer To Varitek

Jason VaritekAccording to Tony Massarotti of the Boston Globe, the Boston Red Sox have made a formal offer to their free agent catcher Jason Varitek.

According to a baseball source, the Sox have formally presented an offer to Varitek’s agent, Scott Boras, that could appease the catcher’s desire for a second guaranteed season. While the precise value or term of the proposal was unclear, the Sox could ensure Varitek a second year by guaranteeing it outright or making it attainable through an option.

In the latter scenario, Varitek could trigger the option through reachable incentives (like at-bats or games played), or the club could grant him a straight player option for the 2010 season. Another possibility would involve a dual option, first giving the Sox the choice of bringing back Varitek next season (at a higher number) and, subsequently, Varitek the right to return on his own volition (albeit at a lower number than the team’s option).

According to Massarotti’s source the deal was offered in the last 3 or 4 days which is interesting because Scott Boras said last night that nothing was going on.

Hopefully the deal that was offered is something that will appease Varitek and get him back with the Red Sox for 2009 and maybe 2010.

Don’t forget to vote in the poll in the left sidebar about Varitek’s situation.

Geno Admits He Was Wrong

UConn women's basketballIt’s time to close the door on the incident that transpired last weekend when Nicole Michael of Syracuse tripped UConn Huskies head coach Geno Auriemma during the postgame handshake.

During the “Geno Auriemma Show” on CPTV tonight (taped on Thursday morning), Geno admitted that he was wrong for saying something to Michael during the handshakes.

[dailymotion width=”382″ height=”306″]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x850ah_geno-wrong_sport[/dailymotion]video courtesy of CPTV

Even though Geno did admit that he was wrong, Michael was very immature for tripping him afterward. The Big East didn’t take any action on the matter.

But it’s time to move onward and upward although the Huskies can’t go much higher than they already are.

Report: Varitek Asking For $10-12 Million

Catcher Jason Varitek of the Red Sox throws out Gary Matthews Jr. of the Angels after fielding the ball in front of home plate in the second inning of Game 1 of the ALDS. - STEPHEN DUNN / GETTY IMAGES

According to Buster Olney of ESPN.com, Jason Varitek is asking for a salary of $10-12 million a year from the Boston Red Sox.

Here is where they stand in the impasse: Varitek is asking for an annual salary close to the $10 million to $12 million he would’ve made through arbitration or a two-year deal for less annual salary. The Red Sox are willing to pay him much less than that and don’t feel they owe him extra cash for services rendered in the past, and they don’t feel they owe it to him to offer a salary commensurate with what Varitek would’ve made if he had accepted arbitration.

The reason the Red Sox made that offer of arbitration had as much to do with evaluating the value of the compensation draft pick as it was about Varitek’s value to them. Now that compensation issue is no longer a factor for the team, because they’ve successfully attached the pick to Varitek.

If Varitek continues to ask for that much money from the Red Sox, he’s probably going to find himself without a job to start the season because there’s no one out there other than the Red Sox inquiring about his services.

I still think that he will end up with the Red Sox though. I figure he’ll end up a signing a 1-year deal worth about $7-8 million although the salary could be lower with some obtainable incentives or a 2-year deal worth about $15 million or so.

Dan Roche of WBZ still doesn’t understand why a deal hasn’t been done.

And don’t forget to vote in the poll in the left sidebar about Varitek’s situation.

RIP Kay Yow 1942-2009

RIP Kay Yow

It’s a very sad day in the world of women’s basketball as North Carolina State Hall of Fame women’s basketball coach Kay Yow has lost her long battle with cancer at the age of 66.

Yow was diagnosed with breast cancer back in 1987 and her battle with cancer came into the spotlight during the 2006-07 season when she had to leave the team to focus on her treatments. When she returned, NC State won 12 of it’s final 15 games including big wins over rivals North Carolina and Duke.

When her cancer returned this season, Yow once again had to step away from the team and just recently announced that she would not return to the bench this season to focus on her battle.

Yow was very outspoken on the subject wanting to help others out in their fight with cancer. In 2007, she started the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund in partnership with The V Foundation for Cancer Research.

“I am honored to have a Fund established in partnership with The V Foundation that bears the name of Kay Yow,” V Foundation CEO Nick Valvano said. “Her courage, faith and legacy will continue to live on in the hearts of those she helped to inspire throughout her coaching career and battle with cancer.”

Yow won 737 games in her career, coached US Olympic Women’s Basketball team to a gold medal in 1988, she won 4 ACC Championships, went to the NCAA Tournament 20 times and made it to the Final Four in 1998.

During the 2007 season, NC State dedicated “Kay Yow Court” at Reynolds Coliseum. She was elected to the Naismith Hall of Fame back in 2002.

My condolences go out to Yow’s family and friends and the NC State women’s basketball program and all of it’s fans. She will be missed.

For Those Who Blog We Salute You – 1/24

For Those Who Blog We Salute You

Here’s my look back at some of the blog posts at some of the sites I enjoyed reading during the past week.

Tell Me Lies, Tell Me Sweet Little Lies [Center Field]

Meet The Future Blog of the Red Sox [Rocky Mountain Way…Outside Coors looking in]

Schilling: ‘I don’t think I deserve to be in the Hall of Fame’ [Red Sox Monster]

Fang’s Bites Musical Interlude – The Ting Tings [Fang’s Bites]

America’s Sexy Sportscaster 2009 [Playboy.com]

Emotionally Fragile A-Rod Cries Over Spilt Milk During Taping Of ‘Got Milk’ Ad [RootZoo]

We Officially Have Nothing To Talk About [Surviving Grady]

Video: Sager busts a move, GP challenges Kenny to a dance-off [Ball Don’t Lie]

Joke’s Up, Who Voted Bruce Bowen 3rd in the All-Star Game? [Larry Brown Sports]

Mark Teixeira: ‘I hope Red Sox win next 8 World Series’ [Wicked Good Sports]

Do the Red Sox have the best bullpen? [The Bottom Line]

The Baseball Journey of President George W. Bush [Home Run Derby]

Inauguration Day Obamicon: Jamie Kotsay [UmpBump]

An Interview with NBC’s Al Michaels [The Big Lead]

The Buttsaw That Is The NFC Champion Arizona Cardinals [Deadspin]

And Let’s Get Bashed In The Face [Deadspin]

The Australian Open Turned Into A “WWE Hardcore Match” Overnight [Awful Announcing]

And our video goodness comes by way of With Leather who has nasty double alley-oop dunk from a high school game.

Paw Prints – The Daily Roundup – 1/24

Paw Prints The Daily Roundup

It’s game day for both the UConn Huskies men’s and women’s basketball teams. Unfortunately they are both on at the same time. The UConn men are in South Bend, IN to take on the Notre Dame Fightin’ Irish at 7 PM on ESPN. The UConn women are in the hometown of former Husky Mel Thomas, to take on the Cincinnati Bearcats at 7 PM on CPTV.

Matt Stout of the Norwich Bulletin and David Borges of the New Haven Register both have some notes on tonight’s matchup with Notre Dame.

Hasheem Thabeet will face a very hostile crowd tonight at the Joyce Center.

The Huskies will look to end the 45-game home winning streak of Notre Dame tonight.

All eyes will be on Hasheem Thabeet tonight.

It will be 20 members of the UConn men versus all of Notre Dame tonight.

Dick Vitale, who will be calling the game tonight with Dan Shulman and Erin Andrews, likes UConn’s chances of making the Final Four.

The UConn men haven”t won at the Joyce Center since 2003.

Tonight’s game against Notre Dame will test the UConn men’s toughness.

John Altavilla of the Hartford Courant has some notes on the UConn women’s basketball team.

Caroline Doty will be kept busy once she returns to the UConn bench.

Tiffany Hayes is the only member left of this year’s freshman on the UConn women’s basketball team.

Tiffany Hayes was left shaken by the injury to Caroline Doty.

The UConn women are looking for a battle tonight but will gladly take a win.

Maya Moore hopes to carry over her practice habits to tonight’s game.

Do the UConn women have the depth to get through the season unscathed?

UConn women’s recruit Samarie Walker won’t be in attendance for the game tonight.

Mechelle Voepel has some final thoughts on the Geno Auriemma/Syracuse postgame festivities.

Rob Lunn shares his thoughts on South Florida coach Jim Levitt over at Thoughts From a Fat White Guy.

Desmond Conner says the UConn football team will have some recruits in this weekend.

Darius Butler, Will Beatty and Cody Brown get a chance to show what they have in tonight’s Senior Bowl.

Rob Lunn shares his thoughts about UConn running the “hurry-up” offense next season over at Thoughts From a Fat White Guy.

Joe Perez of the Norwich Bulletin has a look at the UConn football team’s prized recruit Dwayne Difton.

The UConn men’s hockey team got spanked by Mercyhurst 7-2.

Dominique Thibault scored a natural hat trick to to lead the UConn women’s hockey team to a 4-0 win over Northeastern.

Herm Edwards Out As Chiefs Coach

Pioli gives Edwards the axe: New Kansas City Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, formerly of the New England Patriots, has decided to fire head coach Herm Edwards. He was 15-34 in 3 seasons with the Chiefs. The rumor is that former Broncos head coach Mike Shanahan will be named head coach in a matter of days. [ESPN.com]

UConn Huskies Land 4-Star Receiver in Dwayne Difton

Dwayne DiftonRandy Edsall’s hiring of Joe Moorhead as offensive coordinator is already paying dividends for the UConn Huskies football team.

The Huskies received a verbal commitment from 4-star recruit wide receiver Dwayne Difton out of St. Thomas Aquinas in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. He is the highest ranked recruit to ever commit to UConn.

“I did my research on him, his offense is pretty good, pretty awesome,” Difton said of Moorhead, who came from Akron.

Difton was also considering Southern Mississippi, Purdue, Minnesota, Boston College, Colorado State and Big East foes Rutgers and Syracuse. He had previously given South Florida a verbal commitment during his junior year but decided to reopen his recruitment.

Difton learned his skills from a famous father of one his teammates Duron Carter (his father is former NFL great and future Hall of Famer Cris Carter).

This comes from ESPN’s Tom Luginbill on their ESPNU Insider recruiting page:

“Difton is one of the most underrated wide receivers in the entire southeast. He just makes plays and does so many things well. He is used to competing against high quality competition and he is ultra competitive in his work habits on game day. He has a go-to feel about him.”

“This is a big pick-up for UConn because this has not been a program that has produced many playmakers in the passing game and he gives them some versatility and productivity and is just a darn good football player.”

All the pundits have said that UConn needed a high-profile receiver to get to the next level and now it appears they have their man. Difton is expected to step right in and contribute as a true freshman next season.

Hopefully this is the start of trend for the UConn football program.