Messy Leftovers...

Well since the original weekly column dealing with the mess, there have been a few more notes out there. Let me quickly post those updates:

* The Boston Red Sox acquired pitcher Paul Byrd from the Cleveland Indians for a player to be named later

* Detroit Tigers placed DH Gary Sheffield on waivers

* The Detroit Tigers made more news by signing pitcher Freddy Garcia to a minor league deal

* The 76ers and Andre Iguodala reportdely agreed to a 6 year 80 million dollar deal

Olympics !!

Well well well, the Olympics are in full swing and I must admit I went from a "who cares" mentality to a "When is Tyson Gay racing the Jamaicans in the 100 meter race" mindset.

Maybe it was the Brett Favre saga that sucked all the media out of the great Summer games or maybe it was because NFL training camp was beginning? The Olympics in my opinion definitely snuck under the radar and have finally captured the attention they deserved.

I did miss the Opening Ceremonies on Friday night but was able to DVR and catch it later on and I must say they were amazing! Over 15,000 performers took part in the ceremonies and did not fail to entertain.

I know that watching the Olympics through the eye of NBC, you really only get an American perspective on everything and all of the back stories, but so what? The U.S. is currently atop the medal charts battling it out with China.

So far, Michael Phelps has captured the attention of the average fan and for example myself. I can't until the next swimming race to see if Phelps can continue on his quest for 8 gold medals. At last count he is 3 for 3 in 3 world record breaking performances. Unbelievable!

The women's beach volleyball team of Walsh and May-Treanor, who won the gold in Athens in 2004, have also been putting on spectacular performances and had me watching most of their match against the Cubans.

I also can not forget the Redeem Team, who is currently 2-0 after putting on a clinic against the host team, China and Angola. They will have some tougher challenges ahead when facing Greece, Spain, and Germany. I think the team will be alright, but they definitely need to work on the outside shooting, which has been awful so far.

It should be an entertaining 2+ weeks and stay tuned as I will continue to give my thoughts on the Summer Games!

Cleaning Up the Mess...

Well it is Monday (as of the start of this post), so it must be time to round up some of the top news and notes items of the past week from a busy time in sports!

Let's dive into the headline makers from the past week...

NFL NEWS:

* Did you hear that Brett Favre was traded to the Jets? A trade that seemed to have gone under the radar... (sarcasm)

* As a result of this Favre guy, the Jets cut Chad Pennington and proceeded to sign with the Miami Dolphins

* Safety Adam Archuleta signed a deal with the Oakland Raiders

* The Pittsburgh Steelers signed QB Byron Leftwhich to backup BIG Ben

* The 49ers signed line backer Takeo Spikes

* After a 17 day absence, Shawn Andrews reported to Eagles training camp

* Seahawks wide receiver Bobby Engram will be out 6-8 weeks with a cracked shoulder bone

* Willis McGahee will miss 2-4 weeks with knee surgery

NBA NEWS:

* The Atlanta Hawks matched the deal Josh Smith signed with the Memphis Grizzlies and signed him long-term

* 76ers 2nd year center Jason Smith tore his ACL and will most likely be out for the season

* Team USA took care of business in the opening game and defeated host country, China

* The Clippers signed veteran point guard Jason Williams

MLB NEWS:

* The Orioles traded reliever Chad Bradford to the Tampa Bay Rays, and DFA's Al Reyes

* The Cubs traded reliever Scott Eyre to the Philadelphia Phillies

* The St. Louis Cardinals signed infielder Felipe Lopez, formerly of the Nationals

* The Royals traded pitcher Horacio Ramirez to the Chicago White Sox

* The Mariners released DH Jose Vidro

* The Florida Marlines signed catcher Paul Lo Duca

* The Rays placed both Evan Longoria and Carl Crawford on the DL, activate OF Rocco Baldelli

* The Blue Jays released outfielder Shannon Stewart

* BIG NEWS!! -- The Cincinnati Reds traded outfielder Adam Dunn to the Arizona Diamondbacks for 3 minor leaguers

GRAB BAG NEWS:

* Paddy Harrington won the PGA Championship, making it back to back majors for Harrington

* Michael Phelps is a perfect 3 for 3 so far in the Olympics in his quest for 8 Gold Medals

* The Olympics Open Ceremonies were on 08/08/08 and started the games off with a bang

Anything I missed??