I know this has nothing to do with announcing but this report from Stephen A. Smith on ESPN just blew my mind. Apparently the Nuggets are trading Allen Iverson to Detroit for Chauncey Billups and Antonio McDyess at some point today....

I've been searching for conformation but all I can find is this brief nugget from the Boston Globe....

A source close to Denver Nuggets guard Allen Iverson is telling people in Denver that he expects to be traded to the Detroit Pistons for Chauncey Billups.

Iverson makes $20 million this year. Billups makes half. The deal can not be executed unless the Pistons involve more players to match the Iverson cap figure.

Billups, a Denver native, has seemed opened minded to finishing his career back home.

This seems like a terrible move for the Pistons considering that the team just recently resigned Billups to a multi-year contract and that they're giving up a solid veteran like McDyess. Both teams do need a wake up call of sorts and maybe the move would help each out. The Pistons also have Rodney Stuckey who they are absolutely in love with and Allen Iverson is surprisingly only one year older than Billups (I know....that blew my mind too).

Again, this is a rumor, and ESPN is reporting it as gospel, so expect it to be proven wrong at about 1:30pm.

Iverson to Pistons? (Boston.com)

Or should I rather say has just begun (muhahaha!). At 10:45 pm last night, Brett Favre was officially traded to the New York Jets and is allegedly prepared to report to camp as soon as he can. The winner in the battle royale for who would break the story first appears to be Jay Glazer of FOX Sports, but in the end I think we're all losers in this crazy roller coaster ride....

The Brett Favre era in Green Bay is now officially over. But Favre's legendary career is not.

The month-long saga has finally come to an end, with the Packers trading their future Hall-of-Fame quarterback to the New York Jets.

The exact compensation was not immediately known, but it is believed to be a single draft pick that increases in value depending upon how the Jets perform during the 2008 season.

As a result of this, the Jets will likely release a quarterback. Signs have been pointing to Chad Pennington as the likely culprit because the team will need to free up cap room to fit Favre's contract under the salary cap.

To be completely honest with everyone, I've had this post ready to go for three days. Of course all the Jets mentions were Bucs mentions, but other than that everything has stayed the same. I knew Glazer was going to get to the story first, and I put together a cute little look back. Shall we?
_____________________

Best Quotes:

"I'll practice my butt off, if it comes to that, and I think we all know what the end result will be, but this probably isn't going to work."- Brett Favre

"I do believe if the Packaneers and Buccaneers can get together on compensation, uh then it's reasonable in light of the circumstances"- Chris Mortensen

"This has been going on for over a decade. Going into '96, the Super Bowl that he won. He talked about it prior to that game that if he won that Super Bowl he may in fact retire. And since that time it's been twelve years now that we've talking about whether or not Brett's going to retire."- Troy Aikman

"ESPN's Michael Smith has confirmed that Brett Favre has been traded to the Jets."- Stuart Scott (Well good for him)

"I’m a football coach. I know (talking to the media) is part of my job description, and I don’t mind doing it, but I have no desire to stand out there and answer all the political questions. I’m going to tell the truth, and that’s that. I’m not going to be politically correct. I’m sick of it."- Packers Coach Mike McCarthy

"We are a good football team. We’re trying to become a great one. We’ll do anything we can to get better. And if that involves looking at other players, by George that’s our job. That’s our responsibility."- Bucs Coach John Gruden

“Once you’re on another team, you’re on another team. I think for the most part the locker room would have liked to see him back here. But like I say, once you’re on another team...”- Packers CB Charles Woodson

“The train has left the station, whatever analogy you want. He needs to jump on the train and let’s go. Or, if we can’t get past things that have happened, I have to keep the train moving.”- Packers Coach Mike McCarthy

“Yeah, dead man walking.”- Jeff Garcia

"We're talking to Tampa and the Jets. I don't think anything has changed. We'll see what happens."- Brett Favre

Timeline:

-March 6: Favre's tearful press conference.

-Week of March 24: During the coaching staff's spring break, Packers offensive line coach James Campen, whose in-laws live in New Orleans, goes up to visit Favre in Mississippi on March 26. On the 27th, Campen tells McCarthy Favre is having second thoughts and McCarthy should call him.

-March 29: Favre calls McCarthy to deliver a message: Thanks, but no thanks.

-April 24: On the 24th, McCarthy explains the team's decision to place Favre on the reserve/retired list.

-May 6: With the NFL draft out of the way, Thompson visits Favre in Mississippi and has lunch on his back porch. Thompson says they have a "good conversation," but don't spend too much time talking about the idea that he might be having second thoughts.

-June 7: During a staff retreat in Kohler, Wis., Campen says he's worried about Favre. McCarthy tells Campen to go to Mississippi - not as an official team intermediary, but as Favre's friend.

-June 16-20: Acting on Campen's advice, McCarthy calls Favre. They play phone tag for a few days but eventually connect. "You and Ted need to have a plan if I do come back," Favre says, according to McCarthy. "Either give me my helmet or give me my release."

-July 4: Favre sends a text message to Thompson, who responds by saying he is traveling and asks if they can talk Monday. Cook begins texting Thompson, and a conference call is arranged.

-July 8: A conference call is scheduled involving Favre, Cook, Thompson, McCarthy and Russ Ball, the team's VP of football administration/player finance, to discuss Favre's request for a release.

-July 27: Packer players report to camp, without Favre, as the quarterback agrees to let Thompson try to work out a trade solution in hopes of keeping Favre from coming to Green Bay.

-July 29: Favre finally faxes his official request for reinstatement to the league.

-July 30: Reports leak that Packers president Mark Murphy flies to Mississippi to extend a lucrative olive branch: $20 million over 10 years for Favre to stay retired and remain with the Packer organization in a marketing capacity.

-July 31: Trade talks become serious with the New York Jets. Favre apparently decides he doesn’t want to play for that team, and reportedly considers the marketing offer.

-August 3: Favre flies to Green Bay at the same time the Packers are having their Family Night scrimmage. He’s greeted at the airport by cheering fans.

-August 4: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell reinstates Favre, and the Packers add him to the 80-man roster. McCarthy is scheduled to meet with Favre, then address the team, then address the media. However, his meeting with Favre extends to roughly 4 hours — Thompson also meets with Favre — and the team meeting and media conference are canceled. Goodell also rules the Vikings didn't tamper with Favre.

-August 5: Favre and McCarthy meet again at Lambeau Field. Then, Favre, Thompson, Murphy and others meet at Favre’s home in Ashwaubenon. McCarthy indicates Favre’s mindset isn’t right for him to rejoin the team, but says he plans to speak to Favre again in the evening.

-August 6: Favre is traded to the New York Jets.

Media Winner: Jay Glazer of Fox Sports

Jay had both the trade story today and the overnight report that Favre and the Packers were at a standstill after all night meetings. I don't know how he does it, but the guy can't be sleeping more than 4 hours a night.

Media Loser: ESPN

They're not necessarily a loser in all of this, but they threw everything at this and got scooped once again. I don't entirely blame them for their over-the-top coverage, but you could tell that they wanted to break the story live on a "Sports Center Special" for the last two days. Glazer also reported the story about an hour before ESPN did, and Sal Pal was still on Sports Center talking about the Bucs deal as FOX's story went live. It seems like they've been scrambling all night and ESPN.com still doesn't have a full story up as of midnight. They sure did try though and I feel bad for Wendy Nix after being stuck in Green Bay for what seems like three months.

Also, their hole plan for Brett Favre's jersey retirement ceremony before the opening Monday nighter is trashed and they have to go back to the drawing board. At least they have a new angle now.
__________________________

In the end I think the process gave ESPN a good look at how draining the 24-hour news cycle can be and they have to now be more prepared than ever to go live with Sports Center next week. The bottom line though is that a majority of Country honestly cared about the outcome (I don't care what you all say) and all of the outlets searching for more and new information is a great thing. Say it loud and say it proud New York....

Brett Favre is the quarterback for your New York J-E-T-S, JETS! JETS! JETS!

Packers trade Favre to Jets (FOX Sports)
Packers detail timeline of Favre's decisions (FOX Sports)
Favre timeline: It's been a strange 5 months (Packer News)

(Photo via FOX's Alex Marvez)

It's always humorous when a non-Sports channel decides to try to report on something. For as much flak as we give ESPN, for the amount of info the ratio of mistakes to the amount of information they produce is pretty small. CNBC however rarely gets into the Sports game and hilarity ensues when they do....

When big news breaks, it's always a struggle to try to put together the details. In the frenzy, someone's bound to make a mistake. It happens.

The news that Manny Ramirez has been traded to the Dodgers is currently being picked up by media outlets around the world. The funniest breaking news tease seen thus far: CNBC's "Breaking News" box that said the following:

SI: Manny Ramirez to Dodgers for Jon Heyman

Jon Heyman, of course, isn't coming to the Red Sox. He is a SI.com reporter who reported the story soon after the trade happened.

I wish I had the visual evidence because that's too funny. I also just got word that Selena Roberts was part of the Ivan Rodriguez deal and instead of going to SI today, she'll immediately report to the Detroit Free Press.

Gotta Laugh About It (Boston.com)

You would think it would be hard for a 24-7 Sports Network to run out of stuff to talk about in regards to a subject, but it officially happened to ESPN this morning. First Take decided to dust off the ESPN Photoshop Department (located in the janitor's closet behind Studio D) and put them to work on what Favre would look like in other team's uniforms. Who cares if blogs did this three weeks ago, or that FOX Sports did it as well (complete with taped on heads), the world needs ESPN's take!

Here is their rendition....


Not a bad job actually. It looks like they took some time and didn't mess around....oh wait....spoke to soon....


Ugh. About the only thing that came from this that I can approve of is Favre in an Arena League jersey and Stephen A. Smith slowly losing his mind on set. That guy cannot stand this story AT ALL.

Top this NFL Live! Bet you can't.

(posted by OMDQ)

From mjd over at The FanHouse comes the remarkable story of an anonymous broadcaster, an open mic, and the slip of the tongue heard round the world:

"During the online webcast of the Summer League Suns/Blazers game, one of the broadcasters (I don't know who it was, sorry) made a little bit of a mistake. His mouth believed he was off the air, but his microphone disagreed ... and unbeknownst to the broadcaster himself, he told the whole world this:

A Lakers team source told him that the Lakers would be trading Kobe Bryant to the
Grizzlies for Pau Gasol and Mike Miller, and that it would be going down in the next 10 days."

Kobe to Memphis? I know that rumors of his ultimate departure from Los Angeles have been swirling for some time now, but there's something not right about Bryant wearing anything other than the Laker purple and gold. Call me old-fashioned or naive or just plain stupid - I believe that a player who spends his entire career with one team enhances his legacy in the long run.

Regardless of one's feelings on the issue, however, it will be very interesting to see how this plays out - if there ever was a deal in place, and if either team backs out due to the leak.

The Kobe Video Guys are trying to get their money's worth with this thing, but here's a snippet of the video that apparently has Bryant going on a tirade about the organization (and Andrew Bynum)...

"D*** this f**king Organization."- KB

For some reason I could care less about this, but I figured I'd share it with you anyway(s).

My personal favorite trade rumor is Kobe to NY, and Lebron being signed by the Knicks in 2009. People...there's only one trade possibility for Kobe and that is Chicago. It's the only team with the right mix of young talent, superstars, draft picks and expiring contracts. Please stop it with the Arenas to L.A., Kobe to Chicago, Thomas/Gordon to Washington. That'll never happen.

(Via FH)

The stoner son of Jerry Buss, Johnny Buss has bid his farewells to Los Angeles Lakers Star Kobe Bryant. The non-Basketball related son, best known for appearing on the Punk'd episode of Lisa Leslie, is letting his friends (and Kobe Bryant) know his feelings through MySpace Messages....

"If you've been following the Kobe drama, I want to let you know it's not really drama … sometimes we all need to make a change in our lives and that's all it is," Buss wrote. "Popular or unpopular, when it's time, it's time. Good luck Kobe wherever you go!"

Umm, yeah....that's great, but I'm pretty sure Kobe isn't getting traded. This might explain why he's no longer in charge of the LA Sparks. Oh and be sure to check out his freelance photography work. (NSFW)

Another Buss steers into drama (LA Times)
BURNED-OUT BUSS IMPLIES KOBE BRYANT WILL BE TRADED (SbB)

P.S.- I just saw that Chamique Holdsclaw retired from the WNBA. What happened to that chick?

So Scoop tries to follow up on the piece he wrote about 3 days ago by backing it up with....umm.....evidence??? Yeah....I guess that's what he was trying to do. Let's revisit shall we?

Awful Announcing: Zero Teams Interested in Allen Iverson

Recap:

• No teams want to trade for A.I.
• A.I. "cosigned" his walking papers to Billy King???
• Allen Iverson has "defied the odds"
• Used Race Card in comparing Iverson to Nash
• "Hypocritical Value" is a major factor in trying to trade for Iverson.

Here we go again.......

Scoop Jackson: Unanswered

We have now reached the "why" point. The bigger-picture moment. The footnote.

Why is it taking so long? Why are we still talking about Allen Iverson not being traded?

It has been a week. Seven days with no end in sight.

Or has it been longer?

Do we add the previous four years to this week to emphasize the point?

That is the question that we need to be asking -- of general managers around the League, team owners and coaches, but also to ourselves

Dammit Scoop. Why did you have to go back to the one sentence crap? Anywho, you're an idiot. How is something that's the bigger picture a footnote?!?!?!?!?! It's a footnote because it's not part of the bigger picture you ass. Good lord. And why do I need to ask that question to myself? GMs on the other hand don't ask the question they automatically do it. Why would you ever make a trade without taking past performance into account? Hmm, maybe because you don't want to end up having to continue pay someone like Bryant Reeves or Vin Baker. (I know unfair comparison, but come on already.)

Why isn't he in another team's uniform, in another team's arena, on the court, balling?

That's not a sentence. I strike it from the record.

Why does an ultraluxe superstar in the NBA, a sports icon, a global phenomenon, not have any takers? Not just after a week, but after four years of the Sixers trying to move him.

Do you really even watch basketball Scoop? I'm being serious.....do you??? It hasn't been other teams it's the Sixers who didn't want to let him go. Because their team (and attendance) would be shit without him. Where have you been the last four years? (P.S.- Ultraluxe is not a word)

And even when the trade finally does happen (and it most likely will within the next week), we still need to ask the one-word question: Why? Why it took so long?

You seriously don't watch basketball or understand the business of it. It's because the Sixers are trying to get the most out of the deal. Not because no one wants him. He's on the market for 40 cents on the dollar and they are trying to get 50. Also, if he's going to an Eastern team....why give him to them so quickly? Just so he can burn you?

Are Sixers owner Ed Snider and GM Billy King asking for something that is so unreasonable in return that teams are finding it an insult to deal with them? (Word is they asked Charlotte for Raymond Felton, Sean May and Adam Morrison, for which Iverson killed the deal because he would have been worse off than he is in Philly.)

That is the biggest bunch of b.s. I've ever heard. First of all asking for that is ridiculous. Even if this was two years ago Charlotte would never do that. Second if Bernie Bickerstaff even thought about considering that he should kill himself because he's dumber than Billy King. Scoop probably just plugged that into the ESPN Trade Machine and was like...."Yeah man, that's shocking. People won't suspect I made that up for a second"

Either there is something about Iverson that we (the public) are severely naive about or King and Snider are a worse combination than Mitch Kupchak and Jerry Buss back when they decided to trade Shaq.

Hahahaha okay Scoop. First of all that wasn't THAT bad of a trade. How many games has Shaq played in this year? Plus the Lakers got Odom and are in the West. What a dumb comparison.

Personally, I think it's more the former than the latter.

Wait what? What don't we know about Allen? He cheated on his wife, he isn't always there for the team, and he's anywhere from the second to fifth best basketball player in the league. If you think this doesn't have everything to do with Billy King being the worst GM in sports (besides Isiah) then you are just flat out blind.

Why Nash and not Iverson?

Basically, they are one and the same. Same amount of time in the League; both are two of the three best players (along with Kobe Bryant) out of arguably the best draft class ever (1996); both have (although different) brilliance that overrides the flaws in their games; both of their bodies have taken about the same amount of beating over the years; one is ranked 11th and the other 13th on John Hollinger's PER system; they are comparable in height, weight, position and responsibility when on the court. One player has the label of being able to make those around him better but has never taken a team to the NBA Finals, the other a label of being selfish but has taken a CBA squad to the Finals.

One has one MVP, the other two.

One has a contract that pays him 18.2 million dollars this year making it difficult to trade him, and the other has a contract of 10.5. That's right the MVP of the league isn't even in the top 30 in the NBA and is 3rd.....3rd!!! On his own team (Marion- 15M, Amare- 12M)

Are you sure you want to pull that race card I KNOW you're itching to grab for???

And before anyone goes there, the analogy is not necessary based on color (although I'd be a hypocrite to say that this has nothing to do with color). I could pose the same question about Gilbert Arenas or Kevin Garnett. Carmelo Anthony, for that matter. But even that's not it. The question of "Why?" with AI is not a question of him being black, but the type of black person he is.

Why did you do that? I warned you it was a bad move. First, I don't even know the comparison, or reason you brought these players into the discussion. But okay. Kevin Garnett is making $21 Million Dollars this year. And haven't teams been trying to trade for him for years? Gilbert Arenas would never be traded by the Wizards....he's a bargain at $11M this year.....WHICH IS STILL MORE THAN STEVE NASH!?!?!?!?!?! And Melo????? Why even bring him up? He hasn't done anything in his young career. Sure he looks good this year, but let's wait until the playoffs.

So what was your point again.....I forget. My head hurts.

His Cablinasian is that of Michael Vick, Barry Bonds, Ray Lewis, Jeremy Shockey and Mike Tyson … with something extra. With something none of them ever had or ever will have: his personality, his existence, his way of life, his means of survival, his being. And that extra has everything to do with who he is as a person. And that extra is what most of the NBA teams are afraid of.

That's right.....I remember now. You were busy making no sense. What the hell does "extra" mean???? You have to f'ing define it........it could be anything from illigetimate children to cotton candy for fans in the front row! And there's not a chance it's the "extra something" Mike Tyson has.

Anyway(s), Scoop....friend......can you wrap this up for me so I can go cry in a corner because you have a writing job at ESPN and I write for 500 people?

They are afraid of his contract ($59 million over the next three years), his age (31 going on 40 in their minds), his play (a career 42 percent shooter and under 2-1 assist/turnover ratio), his lifestyle and habits (choose your own facts and adjectives). But mostly they're afraid that the words "mercurial" and "magnet for trouble" that have followed him throughout his career will follow him to their team.

Thank God.....I'm glad you finally realized that. I can take a break now......Oh wait.....there's more.....

And even with all that, we have to ask whether it should have taken this long?

Why?

Is the fear of Iverson so deeply rooted in things that have nothing to do with the game of basketball that what was initially a sweepstakes has become a rummage sale?

At the end of every day, every day Iverson remains untraded, a sociological issue in sports goes unanswered. Further reminding us that professional sports is not a game.

Seriously, WHAT IN THE HELL are you talking about!?!? What sociological issue? And, $59 million dollars is a hell of a lot to pay someone you are comparing to having a personality like Mike Tysons!!!! Ugh.

A change of venue for Iverson apparently will be based on a change of mind of someone else. And even though that GM and owner will never admit it, the fact that it took this long to trade one of the most meaningful players in the history of the game is all the evidence most of us should need to prove them wrong.

I'm done. I can't read him anymore. Let me know when he writes something that makes sense.