Friday’s Morning Mashup: Heat’s Dwyane Wade suspended, denies dirty play

Welcome to Friday’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.

FRIDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NBA: Nuggets at Mavericks, 8:30 p.m. (NBATV)
College basketball: Providence at Brown, 7 p.m. (NBCSN)
College basketball: Baylor at Gonzaga, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: Jacksonville at Indiana, 8 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
College basketball: Missouri at UCLA, 10 p.m. (ESPN2)
College football: Independence Bowl, Ohio vs. Louisiana-Monroe, 2 p.m. (ESPN)
College football: Russell Athletic Bowl, Rutgers vs Virginia Tech, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)
College football: Meineke Car Care Bowl, Minnesota vs. Texas Tech, 9 p.m. (ESPN)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ A couple of Boston sports antagonists were in the news Thursday, one receiving a suspension and the other escaping punishment on an apparent technicality.

The NBA suspended Heat guard Dwyane Wade one game for his kick to the groin area of Bobcats guard Ramon Sessions during Wednesday night’s game in Charlotte. Wade, who in the past has been accused of dirty play by Celtics guard Rajon Rondo, flailed his left leg upon being fouled, but he continues to insist it was an accident.

Tweeted Wade Thursday: I’m far from being a dirty player, + my intent was never 2 kick Ramon Sessions. I just reacted to the contact that I got from him. More than anything, I think of my boys watchin me be4 retaliating 2ward any player.

Sessions didn’t buy Wade’s explanation, saying after the game: “I thought he did it on purpose.”

Meanwhile, Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman tweeted two words Thursday in reference to his appeal of a four-game suspension for violating the league’s substance-abuse policy: I won.

Sherman had claimed that there were issues with the collection of his urine sample on Sept. 17 that involved a leaky cup.

“I know what the truth is and anybody else who knows anything knows what the truth is. The truth has been told today,” Sherman told reporters. “People can say what they want, there are always naysayers. I have great teammates and great coaches and great fans and that’s all I care about.”

Sherman — who famously taunted Tom Brady after Seattle’s 24-23 victory over the Patriots on Oct. 14 — received support and criticism following his announcement. Apparently, New England fans touched a nerve, as Sherman later tweeted: Pats fans enjoy ur day .

♦ Tim Tebow once again was bypassed by Jets coach Rex Ryan, as Mark Sanchez was tabbed to start Sunday’s season finale against the Bills when Greg McElroy was ruled out due to post-concussion issues.

“I’m going to start Mark Sanchez,” Ryan said Thursday. “The reason I’m starting Mark is we have two practices and one walk-through to get ready for Buffalo. Mark has had success earlier in the season against Buffalo. He’s very familiar with them. That’s the reason I’m going with Mark.”

McElroy suffered his concussion in Sunday’s 27-17 loss to the Chargers. He was sacked 11 times but did not acknowledge his condition to the coaches until Thursday morning. A “stunned” Ryan then called Sanchez and Tebow together to announce his plans.

“Obviously, Tim’s not happy with that as you’d expect,” Ryan said.

Said Tebow: “I understand. I told coach I definitely understand. Obviously, you’re a competitor, you want to play, but I understood his decision. I just let him know, just like always, I’ll do whatever I can to help the team.”

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Dec. 28, 1963, which Red Sox infielder was named Comeback Player of the Year?

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “I know these players have it within them. I will never doubt that, because they’ve shown time and time [again] what they’re capable of, but they also have a tendency to play down to their level of competition and to pace themselves, for lack of a better term, throughout the course of the regular season.” – Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge, during his Thursday appearance on The Big Show

STAT OF THE DAY: 10 – Points for the Celtics in the final quarter of Thursday night’s 106-77 loss to the Clippers

‘NET RESULTS: Mavericks guard Darren Collison hits a desperation 3-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime vs. the Thunder (the Mavs went on to lose in OT).

During Thursday night’s Belk Bowl, Duke punter Will Monday gets a fortuitous roll and ends up with a 79-yard punt that pins Cincinnati at its 2-yard line.

During a soccer match in Turkey, Galatasaray striker Burak Yilmaz is hit in the head by an object thrown from the stands, and then, while Yilmaz is lying on the ground being checked on by Trabzonspor defender Giray Kacar, a smoke bomb explodes right next to them.

TRIVIA ANSWER: First baseman Dick Stuart, who hit 42 home runs with a league-high 118 RBIs in his first season in Boston after coming over from the Pirates

SOOTHING SOUNDS: Former Box Tops lead singer Alex Chilton, who died in 2010, was born on this day in 1950.

2 Comments for “Friday’s Morning Mashup: Heat’s Dwyane Wade suspended, denies dirty play”

1. Mushroom Says:
   December 28th, 2012 at 10:31 am

   Didn’t Sherman initially say that he tested positive because he drank out of a teammates water bottle? If that was true, then a leaky cup shouldn’t have been the defense. Sherman is a bottom feeding scum sucker.

2. Jason Says:
   December 28th, 2012 at 3:27 pm

   I had heard that one of the Seattle cornerbacks had blamed some medication that he was taking for ADD or ADHD for his positive test. There’s usually an inverse relationship between number of excuses and innocence, in my experience.

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