Welcome to Thursday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.

WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY THURSDAY:
No games scheduled

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Former Giants running back Tiki Barber, attempting an NFL comeback after a stint as a talking head on NBC, did an interview with New York sports radio host Mike Francesca Wednesday, and it did not go well. “The guys at NBC, and I know all of them, they felt that you did a bad job, and they said you thought you were entitled,” Francesa said, telling Barber he was fired after his stint was a “failure.”

Barber, who insisted that his agent join in on the interview, attempted to fire back at the longtime host, saying: “A lot of people will say that you don’t do a good job at what you do, because you badger your listeners, you badger your interview[ees].”

Later in the day, former Giants defensive end Michael Strahan weighed in, tweeting: “Francesca is an idiot,” and, “I refused to do interviews with [Francesca] and his side kick years ago!”

♦ Controversial Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez was his own worst critic after blowing a save in Wednesday’s game vs. the A’s, which the Mets came back to win in 13 innings, 3-2. “Definitely I have to get my head out of my butt, simple as that,” he said. “I have to stop those pathetic outings. They are really pathetic.”

♦ Mavericks owner Mark Cuban said he would consider attempting to purchase the Dodgers if the team is put up for sale. “I have an interest in Major League Baseball for the right deal,” Cuban told TMZ.com. “But it’s just such a mess, right? I can’t imagine that it’s not going to be such a mess that it’s [not] going to make it hard to turn around.”

♦ The perennially woeful Pirates are turning heads in Pittsburgh by playing .500 baseball. With the Red Sox set to pay a visit for a weekend series, Joe Starkey in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review writes that “the Pirates matter again.”

♦ With Albert Pujols on the disabled list with a fractured wrist after a slow start at the plate, there is speculation that the free agent-to-be may have cost himself some money. In the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Bernie Miklasz looks at the situation and notes how Pujols became testy when asked about it.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On June 23, 1917, Babe Ruth, pitching for the Red Sox, was ejected from the game after walking the first Washington Senators batter. Who came on and pitched a perfect game in relief?

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “[Danny Ainge] has explored dealing Rajon Rondo in the past. He has talked to other GMs about him in the past. I’m not saying he’s been willing to pull the trigger in the past, but Rajon Rondo has been on the table in the past year or so.” — Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, during his Wednesday appearance on the Dennis & Callahan show

STAT OF THE DAY: 7 — Baserunners stranded by Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz in Wednesday’s 5-1 loss to the Padres

‘NET RESULTS: Peyton and Eli Manning are “Football Cops.”

Brazilian soccer legend Roberto Carlos walks off the field in disgust after a fan throws a banana at him during a Russian Premier League game, an apparently racist taunt that also happened earlier this season.

The Ricky Rubio hype machine is up and running in Minnesota.

A Wimbledon line judge takes a serve off her head.

TRIVIA ANSWER: Ernie Shore

SOOTHING SOUNDS: June Carter Cash, who died in 2003, was born on this day in 1929.

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