Welcome to Tuesday’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.

TUESDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NHL: Bruins at Penguins, 7:30 p.m. (NESN, NBCSN)
NBA: Celtics at Bobcats, 7 p.m. (CSNNE; WEEI-FM)
NBA: Hawks at Heat, 7:30 p.m. (NBATV)
College basketball: Northeast final, Mount St. Mary’s vs. LIU, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: Big East first round, South Florida vs. Seton Hall, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Horizon final, Wright State vs. Valparaiso, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Summit final, North Dakota State vs. South Dakota State, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: Big East first round, DePaul vs. Rutgers, 9:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
World Baseball Classic: Netherlands vs. Japan, 6 a.m. (MLB Network)
World Baseball Classic: Italy vs. Dominican Republic, 1 p.m. (MLB Network, ESPN2)
World Baseball Classic: Puerto Rico vs. United States 8 p.m. (MLB Network)

AROUND THE WEB:

Alex Rodriguez

♦ Alex Rodriguez‘ troubling offseason continues with a report that his cousin, Yuri Sucart, whom A-Rod claimed provided him with performance-enhancing drugs, is considering filing a $5 million lawsuit against the injured Yankees slugger after Rodriguez turned down a settlement proposal.

“I know there’s a lot of friction. I know that [Sucart’s] name got caught in the crossfire of all the allegations involving all the performance-enhancing drugs,” Miami attorney John Ruiz told the Daily News. “I’ve been consulted about it. But obviously because there’s an attorney/client relationship, I can’t really divulge details.”

When Rodriguez admitted in 2009 that he had used steroids in the past, he claimed Sucart — who had run errands for A-Rod for 15 years — encouraged him and helped administer the drugs. The Yankees then banned Sucart from the team’s facilities.

Added Ruiz: “I know he was working for [Rodriguez] for quite some time. There is information that he has — I guess, only he knows. The public doesn’t know. I’m not at liberty to discuss it as of this point in time.”

♦ Michael Vick‘s book-signing tour was canceled after threats were made against the Eagles quarterback and store employees due to Vick’s participation in a dog-fighting ring. Vick was to appear at Barnes & Noble stores in Atlanta, New Jersey and Pennsylvania to sign copies of his autobiography, “Finally Free.”

“While we stand by Michael Vick’s right to free speech and the retailers’ right to free commerce, we cannot knowingly put anyone in harm’s way, and therefore we must announce the cancellation of Mr. Vick’s book-signing appearances.” Worthy Publishing president Byron Williamson told PhillyMag.com. “We’ve been assured these threats of violence, which have been reported to the police, are being taken very seriously by local authorities.”

Vick, who last month agreed to a restructured three-year deal to remain with the Eagles, served 18 months in federal prison for his role running the dog-fighting ring. The former Falcons No. 1 overall pick signed with Philadelphia in 2009 after missing two seasons while serving out his sentence. He has since worked with the The Humane Society of the United States to speak out against animal cruelty.

♦ Clippers center DeAndre Jordan‘s alley-oop dunk Sunday night has made him an Internet sensation. It’s also given some publicity to Pistons guard Brandon Knight, who was posterized on the play. At Yahoo! Sports, Adrian Wojnarowski examines our “backward culture” that has made Knight the punch line for challenging an opponent eight inches taller and 80 pounds heavier.

At least Knight is keeping his sense of humor. Tweeted Knight after the game: It wasn’t in the scouting reports that the clippers threw lobs lol

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On March 12, 1985, Larry Bird scored a team-record 60 points in a 126-11 victory over the Hawks in New Orleans. Whose record did he break?

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Michael Vick

Michael Vick has agreed to a restructured one-year contract to remain with the Eagles, the team announced Monday. It replaces the remaining portion of the six-year, $100 million deal Vick signed in 2011 and makes him eligible for free agency after next season. Under reported terms of the new deal, Vick could make as much as $10 million in 2013.

There had been widespread speculation that the oft-injured quarterback would depart Philadelphia this offseason, following a 2012 campaign in which the 32-year-old started the first nine games before suffering a concussion. Prior to the injury, there were calls for him to be replaced by rookie Nick Foles as the team struggled to a 3-6 mark. Vick, who started the season finale after Foles broke his right hand, completed 58.1 percent of his passes for 2,362 yards and 12 touchdowns vs. 10 interceptions while rushing 62 times for 332 yards in 10 games.

The Eagles faced a deadline last Wednesday in which they had to pay Vick a $3 million bonus if he remained on the roster. He was due to make $15.5 million in 2013.

New Eagles coach Chip Kelly is expected to install an uptempo offense that could be a better fit for Vick.

Welcome to Monday’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.

MONDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NHL: Jets at Bruins, 1 p.m. (NESN)
NHL: Red Wings at Blue Jackets, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)
NBA: Pacers at Grizzlies, 1 p.m. (ESPN)
NBA: Nets at Knicks, 3:30 pm. (NBATV)
NBA: Spurs at 76ers, 7 p.m. (TNT)
NBA: Lakers at Bulls, 9:30 p.m. (TNT)
College basketball: Cincinnati at Syracuse, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Oklahoma State at Baylor, 5:30 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Georgetown at Notre Dame, 7:30 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Bethune-Cookman at Savannah State, 7:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Southern at Alabama A&M, 9:30 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Texas at Oklahoma, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)

AROUND THE WEB:

Manti Te'o will attempt to explain how he was the victim of a bizarre hoax when he sits down with Katie Couric this week. (AP)

♦ Heisman Trophy runner-up Manti Te’o will give his first on-camera interview since the dead girlfriend story broke when he and his parents sit down with Katie Couric for an talk that will air on her syndicated show Thursday. Te’o spoke to ESPN’s Jeremy Schaap on Friday, but he would not consent to having the interview videotaped.

The Notre Dame linebacker has claimed he was the victim of a hoax when he had a relationship with a woman named Lennay Kekua who he never met and supposedly died from leukemia. He told ESPN that the man behind the hoax, Ronaiah Tuiasosopo, reached out to him and apologized.

Meanwhile, Tuiasosopo and his cohorts apparently were still toying with Te’o the night before the national championship game, when they sent Te’o a photo from Notre Dame’s hotel lobby and called him to say they were there waiting to see him. A Notre Dame fan told ESPN that she took the photo of the lobby and sent it to someone claiming to be the sister of Kekua upon a request.

♦ There was speculation earlier this month that Eagles quarterback Michael Vick might be a target of the Jets this offseason, as coach Rex Ryan has expressed his appreciation for Vick’s ability. However, an ESPN report Sunday indicated Vick — should be be released by Philadelphia — is not likely to consider New York.

First off, the Jets would have trouble clearing enough money to pay him. Second, the Jets hired former Eagles offensive coordinator Marty Mornhinweg to serve in the same role, and Morninweg and Vick apparently did not see eye-to-eye in Philadelphia.

The Jets appear to be stuck with Mark Sanchez, who threw 18 interceptions in 2012 and counts for $12.8 million against the salary cap.

♦ Amherst Regional High School dismissed an assistant basketball coach following an incident last week in which he allegedly told a player to intentionally run into the opposing coach during a game.

Junior Tyrell Jackson was suspended for twice ramming into South Hadley coach Jeff Guiel while heading up the court. Jackson and five teammates told the Springfield Republican that Eric Wheeler requested it because he was upset that Guiel was stepping outside the coach’s box. The players were split about whether Amherst coach Jim Matuszko was aware of the plan, although Jackson had no doubt.

“[Matusko] definitely knew that I was going to do it when I went in,” Jackson said. “As I went in, Wheeler said, ‘Take him out,’ and Matuszko heard [but] didn’t say anything.”

Matuszko denied any involvement, insisting: “If one of our coaches did say that, I certainly didn’t know about.”

After Jackson ran into Guiel a second time just before halftime, the situation escalated, with the coaches sharing angry words and the players coming close to fighting. The referees discussed the incident but did not call anything.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On Jan. 21, 1954, the NBA All-Star Game went to overtime for the first time. Which Celtic scored 10 points in the extra session and was named MVP after leading the East to a 98-93 victory?

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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.

THURSDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NBA: Thunder at Timberwolves, 7 p.m. (TNT)
NBA: Heat at Mavericks, 9:30 p.m. (TNT)
College basketball: Elon at Duke, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Eastern Michigan at Michigan, 8:30 p.m. (Big Ten Network)
College football: Poinsettia Bowl, BYU vs. San Diego State, 8 p.m. (ESPN)

AROUND THE WEB:

It's been a long season for Rex Ryan and Mark Sanchez. (AP)

♦ The Jets appear ready to start over at quarterback. According to the New York Daily News, the team will look to trade Mark Sanchez after the season — although it likely will be difficult to find a team willing to pay Sanchez the $8.25 million he’s owed. Sanchez, in his fourth season in New York after being drafted fifth overall, has been benched in favor of Greg McElroy for Sunday’s game against the Chargers following his disastrous five-turnover performance in this past Sunday’s 14-10 loss to the Titans that ended the Jets’ playoff hopes.

“I’m not going to make excuses,” Sanchez said after Wednesday’s practice. “At the end of the day, no matter what kind of situation that you’re in, the quarterback has the ball and it’s my job to make good decisions with the football regardless of the personnel situation. … I’m not going to go there. Is every interception the quarterback’s fault? Of course not. But they’re attributed to the quarterback. It goes as my stat. You live with that. You own up to your side of the mistakes and you move on.”

The Daily News also reports that Michael Vick, who is expected to be released by the Eagles when the season ends, would be amenable to joining the Jets, and that Rex Ryan has always admired the speedy QB.

“[Ryan] loves him,” a team official told the paper.

Vick lost his starting job in Philadelphia after receiving a concussion this season.

♦ Suspended ESPN “First Take” panelist Rob Parker apologized for racially inflammatory remarks he made last week about Washington quarterback Robert Griffin III.

Parker, himself African-American, questioned whether Griffin was “a brother or a cornball brother” and brought up the fact that the player has a white fiancee and is rumored to be a Republican.

Wrote Parker on Wednesday:

“I blew it and I’m sincerely sorry. I completely understand how the issue of race in sports is a sensitive one and needs to be handled with great care. This past Thursday I failed to do that. I believe the intended topic is a worthy one. Robert’s thoughts about being an African-American quarterback and the impact of his phenomenal success have been discussed in other media outlets, as well as among sports fans, particularly those in the African-American community. The failure was in how I chose to discuss it on First Take, and in doing so, turned a productive conversation into a negative one.”

Added Parker: “I’ve contacted his agent with hopes of apologizing to Robert directly. As I reflect on this and move forward, I will take the time to consider how I can continue to tackle difficult, important topics in a much more thoughtful manner.”

♦ Isiah Thomas, fired by Florida International University in March after going 26-65 in three seasons as coach, will make his debut as an analyst on NBA TV on Friday. Thomas is slated to make several appearances a month and write for NBA.com.

His first appearance comes as a lead-in to the game between the Bulls and Knicks, the last NBA team Thomas worked for.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Dec. 20, 1964, the Patriots ended their season with a 24-14 loss to the Bills. Despite failing to score in the game, which Patriots player finished the season with an AFL record 155 points?

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Michael Vick

Following the Eagles’ 31-6 loss to the Redskins, reports have surfaced that quarterback Michael Vick might be back to his starting position as early as next Monday’s game against the Panthers.

ProFootballTalk.com reports that a source said the Eagles overstated Vick’s concussion, listing it as “significant” in case backup QB Nick Foles did well against the Redskins on Sunday.

“Though Vick’s concussion definitely was bad enough to keep him from playing on Sunday, a source with knowledge of the situation says Vick could be ready to play next week,” the report read.

Next week, the 3-7 Eagles take on the 2-8 Panthers.

Nick Foles

ESPN’s Adam Schefter tweeted Friday that Nick Foles will start in place of Michael Vick when the Eagles take on Washington on Sunday.

Vick is out with post-concussion issues following the Cowboys game last week. Vick did not practice all week and was suffering from headaches. Doctors did not clear him to play this week.

After relieving Vick during last Sunday’s game, Foles practiced with the first team all week, taking snaps in preparation for his first career start.

“I’m ready,” Foles said on Wednesday. “I’m excited to just play again. Like I said before, my prayers are with Mike, I just want Mike to be healthy. But it’s my time to go out there and just play and do everything I can for this team and help in any way possible.”

Michael Vick did not practice Wednesday. (AP)

Eagles quarterback Michael Vick did not practice on Wednesday but has not been officially ruled out of Sunday’s game against the Redskins.

Vick suffered a concussion in the second quarter of a 38-23 loss to Cowboys this past Sunday and his availability this week is uncertain.

ESPN reports that a source has said backup Nick Foles will, in fact, make the start on Sunday, but the team has not confirmed.

Foles, a rookie, took first-team snaps at Wednesday’s practice and would make his first career start if Vick has to miss the game.

Foles was 22-of-32 for 219 yards with a touchdown and an interception after replacing Vick. The Eagles couldn’t muster a win, though, and dropped their fifth straight game.

Eagles coach Andy Reid offered little insight into Vick’s condition but said he was resting.

“Michael’s in a good place,” Reid said. “He’s hurting a little bit from the concussion, but he’s in a good place. I haven’t tried to overburden him right now.”

The Eagles and Redskins are tied for last place in the NFC East.

In an attempt to strengthen his 3-3 Eagles, coach Andy Reid replaced his defense coordinator and is considering more changes going forward.

Reid fired Juan Castillo on Tuesday and promoted secondary coach Todd Bowles. It was the first time Reid dismissed a coach midseason in his 14 years in charge. The move came after the Eagles blew a 10-point lead to the Lions with 5:18 remaining this past Sunday.

Interestingly, Reid did not rule out additional changes to his coaching staff.

“Please understand that offense, defense and special teams right now, we need to get better,” Reid said. “I’m going to continue to work through that and it’s my responsibility to do that. I’m just bringing this to you because this is what’s happened so far. I’m still evaluating.”

Reid, however, did affirm that he would be sticking with quarterback Michael Vick.

“As I sit here today, Michael’s the starting quarterback,” Reid said.

The Eagles have a bye this weekend before taking on the Falcons in Week 8.

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:
MLB playoffs: Orioles at Yankees, 5:07 p.m. (TBS)
MLB playoffs: Cardinals at Nationals, 8:37 p.m. (TBS)
College football: Navy at Central Michigan, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
NBA preseason: Pistons at Raptors, 7 p.m. (NBA TV)
NBA preseason: Trail Blazers at Suns, 10 p.m. (NBA TV)

AROUND THE WEB:

Michael Vick

♦ Eagles quarterback Michael Vick, who served 18 months in prison for his role in a dogfighting ring, confirmed Thursday that he is a dog-owner again. Vick hinted that he was interested in acquiring a dog for his three kids when his probationary period ended last summer, and that caused an uproar among many fans.

Vick tweeted a photo of his daughter last week, and dog food was spotted in the background. He addressed the issue Thursday.

“I understand the strong emotions by some people about our family’s decision to care for a pet,” Vick said in a statement. “As a father, it is important to make sure my children develop a healthy relationship with animals. I want to ensure that my children establish a loving bond and treat all of God’s creatures with kindness and respect. Our pet is well cared for and loved as a member of our family.”

Vick, who has partnered with The Humane Society of the United States and spoken out against animal cruelty since his release from prison, called this move “an opportunity to break the cycle” of animal abuse.

“I will continue to honor my commitment to animal welfare and be an instrument of positive change,” he said.

♦ Former ESPN college football analyst Beano Cook died Thursday at the age of 81. In the Tampa Bay Times, Gary Shelton takes a look at the way Cook used humor to deliver his message.

One of Cook’s best lines came after he was told that baseball commissioner Bowie Kuhn offered lifetime passes to the American hostages who were released from Iran in 1981. Asked Cook: “Haven’t they suffered enough?”

♦ The girl who played youth baseball pitching star Amanda Whurlitzer in the 2005 remake of “The Bad News Bears” died early Tuesday morning in a car accident in Los Angeles.

Sammi Kane Kraft, 20, was a passenger in an Audi that rear-ended a big rig and was struck by another car on Interstate 10. The Audi’s driver, who was treated for moderate injuries, was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving.

Kraft was 13 when she appeared in the remake of the 1976 classic. It was her only film. She had been discovered on a Los Angeles baseball field and reportedly was clocked throwing a 75 mph fastball.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Oct. 12, 1979, which Celtic scored the first 3-point basket in NBA history?

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Michael Vick

Michael Vick did not break any bones after being hit by Jermaine Cunningham in Monday’s preseason game between the Eagles and the Patriots.

Vick, who has already had to pass four medical tests so far this preseason, has only completed four passes through his seven attempts in his first two games.

X-rays on Vick’s ribs at Gillette Stadium were negative and an MRI and CT scan on Tuesday showed that he has no broken bones or fractured cartilage.

Vick is prone to rib injuries due to his scrambling style as a quarterback, and has missed three games to rib injuries in each of the past two seasons.

Nick Foles, the rookie quarterback who is backing up Vick this season, is 24-for-38 for 361 passing yards with four touchdowns and one interception in his first two career preseason games.