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:
NBA: Timberwolves at Magic, 7 p.m. (NBA TV)
NBA: Suns at Warriors, 10:30 p.m. (NBA TV)
College basketball: Syracuse at Louisville, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Iowa State at Baylor, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Kansas at Kansas State, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
NHL: Sharks at Capitals, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)
College hockey: Beanpot final, Boston College vs. Boston University, 7:30 p.m. (NESN)

AROUND THE WEB:

Terrell Owens

♦ Terrell Owens made a weekend appearance on Dallas radio station KESN as he prepares to join the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League, and the controversial wide receiver insisted that it’s the media’s fault that he is viewed as a troublemaker.

“I think a lot of why I probably didn’t play [in the NFL] this year, everybody keeps talking about the ‘character’ issues,” he said. “The last two or three years relatively I was quiet, knowing that everybody was saying that I had a character issue, I’m disruptive, there’s a lot of hype that comes with me, they’re saying I’m a distraction here and there. That’s all hearsay. If you ask a bunch of my teammates, a lot of it is basically blown out of proportion, the media making me into a fall guy.

“Overall, will I ever admit that I was a bad teammate? Never. I wasn’t a bad teammate. Was I disruptive. No, I wasn’t disruptive. I feel like I have a lot of football left and I’m looking forward to getting back to playing. I think the thing … I didn’t get picked up was that a lot of general managers bought into the fact that the media thinks that I’m this bad guy, this rebel guy, this disruptive guy that divides and messes up team’s chemistry. They won’t allow me to turn over a new leaf. They won’t allow me to be a better person. Anytime anything is brought up about me, they keep talking about things that happened five, six, seven years ago. Why don’t I get a pass? I’ve kind of fallen into that villain category and I can’t get out of that box.”

♦ Former major league star Jose Canseco begins his comeback bid in Mexico, if you believe his tweet from Saturday. Canseco wrote that he was preparing to play for the Triple-A Tigres of Cancun. The 47-year-old admitted steroid user has not played in the majors since 2001 with the White Sox.

♦ Troubled guard Gilbert Arenas, a free agent since being waived by the Magic in the preseason, had a private workout for Lakers officials Sunday in Southern California, according to a Yahoo! Sports report. Kobe Bryant and coach Mike Brown reportedly have been pushing for the team to sign the 30-year-old, who starred for the Wizards before being limited by injuries and a 50-game suspension for bringing a gun into the locker room.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Feb. 13, 1985, the Bruins fired coach Gerry Cheevers. Who replaced him for the remainder of the season?

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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:
NBA: Magic at Celtics, 7:30 p.m. (CSNNE, NBA TV; WEEI)
NBA: Grizzlies at Warriors, 10:30 p.m. (NBA TV)
College basketball: Syracuse at Cincinnati, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Texas A&M at Kansas, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
NHL: Blues at Red Wings, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)

AROUND THE WEB:

Peyton Manning might end up in the AFC East if the Colts decide to part ways with the 35-year-old quarterback. (AP)

♦ There’s been widespread speculation that the Jets would make a run at Peyton Manning if the Colts decide to move on from the veteran quarterback. ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports that another AFC East team is one of three clubs expected to join the hunt. Schefter writes that the Dolphins, Redskins and Cardinals all have interest, and The Miami Herald confirms via team sources that the Dolphins will “aggressively pursue him” if the 35-year-old is cleared medically.

The Colts, who own the No. 1 pick in April’s draft, must decide by March 8 whether to pay a $28 million roster bonus to Manning, who missed the season after having neck surgery.

Manning was in San Francisco Sunday, watching his brother Eli lead the Giants past the 49ers for the NFC championship.

“I’m just proud as a quarterback to watch him compete,” said Peyton, who bought his own tickets to the game and didn’t tell his brother he’d be watching him in person. “And the way he’s played, I’m even more proud that Eli is my brother.”

♦ Controversial former NFL wide receiver Terrell Owens, who last week signed a deal to play for the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League, told GQ magazine he is running out of friends and money. “I don’t have no friends. I don’t want no friends. That’s how I feel,” he said. The 38-year-old said he’s been victimized by bad investments and struggles with child support for four children (with four mothers). When people ask him where he is, he tells them, “I’m in hell.”

♦ Prince Fielder remains unsigned, and a weekend rumor has the dysfunctional Dodgers as a possible landing spot.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Jan. 23, 1981, the Red Sox traded Fred Lynn and Steve Renko to the Angels for pitchers Frank Tanana and Jim Dorsey and which outfielder/designated hitter?

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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:
NHL: Bruins at Devils, 7 p.m. (NESN)
NHL: Penguins at Rangers, 7 p.m. (NHL Network)
NBA: Lakers at Heat, 8 p.m. (TNT)
NBA: Mavericks at Jazz, 10:30 p.m. (TNT)
College basketball: Boston College at NC State, 8 p.m. (WSBK; WEEI)
College basketball: Wake Forest at Duke, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: North Carolina at Virginia Tech, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: San Francisco at Gonzaga, 10 p.m. (ESPNU)

AROUND THE WEB:

LaDainian Tomlinson

♦ Running back LaDainian Tomlinson went on Showtime’s “Inside the NFL” and talked about how the Jets struggled with internal strife during their 8-8 season. In the interview that aired Wednesday night, LT said the relationship between quarterback Mark Sanchez and receiver Santonio Holmes was especially poor, and it helped create a fractured locker room.

“It is as bad as I’ve ever been around, honestly,” Tomlinson said. “And I’ve been around some locker rooms and quarterback-receiver situations and what-not. But it was as bad as I’ve been around.”

Tomlinson assessed the blame for the poor chemistry on the guys who built the team: the general manager and coach.

“This is the type of football team that they wanted,” said Tomlinson, the NFL’s fifth-leading rusher. “Mike Tannenbaum, Rex Ryan are both brash, in-your-face type of style — say whatever you want, just get it done on the field. And then it leads to other things, as guys are calling each other out and saying, ‘I’m not getting the ball,’ or whatever it may be.”

Tomlinson said he loved playing for Ryan, but he would prefer the coach dial down the tough talk, noting that it provided inspiration for opponents.

“I don’t mind every now and again saying we are going to win a championship,” Tomlinson said. “Maybe at the beginning of the year just saying, ‘Hey, our goal is to win a championship.’ But at the same time every week if you are calling out a team on certain things, I think it puts a little extra on your team. Guys really want to go out there and say, ‘Let’s shut this guy up. Let’s shut these Jets up, just end their season.’ ”

♦ Actor Rob Lowe made some news Wednesday when he tweeted that Peyton Manning would announce his retirement. Lowe, who stars in NBC’s “Parks and Recreation,” a show set in Indiana, is friends with Colts owner Jim Irsay. But apparently he didn’t clear his “scoop” with Irsay, because it was quickly shot down. Manning’s father laughed at the report and denied it, while Manning’s agent, Tom Condon, told the NFL Network, “It was news to [Manning].”

♦ Former NFL receiver Terrell Owens announced via a video that he’s joining the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League. “Uh oh! It’s official! It just went down! I’m headed back to Texas!,” Owens said. “That’s right. IFL, here I come. Allen, Texas, here I come.”

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Jan. 19, 1898, which two New England schools played the first recorded college hockey game in the United States?

QUOTE OF THE DAY: “This is our second-longest winning streak this year. It’s a positive vibe right now in our locker room.” – Rajon Rondo, after the Celtics ended a five-game losing streak Wednesday night with a 96-73 victory over the Raptors

STAT OF THE DAY: $111 million – Amount the Rangers invested in Japanese pitcher Yu Darvish, after agreeing to a six-year, $60 million contract a month after agreeing to pay a $51 million posting fee

‘NET RESULTS: A Bruins fan in Tampa does not take kindly to the Lightning mascot hitting him in the face with silly string and pushes “Thunderbug,” which appears to lead to the fan’s ejection.

Real Madrid soccer player Pepe created a controversy when he stomped on the hand of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, an act the referee missed. Tweeted Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney, who was watching the game on television: Pepe. What an idiot.

The Knicks Kid Reporters, Jaylah and Ryan, ask the Knicks players tough questions, such as how to spell supercalifragilistic and if they can sing a Justin Bieber song.

TRIVIA ANSWER: Brown and Harvard, with Brown winning 6-0

SOOTHING SOUNDS: Janis Joplin, who died in 1970, was born on this day in 1943.

Terrell Owens

Terrell Owens might finally have a contract.

Owens, who has tried in vain to hook on with an NFL team, reportedly was offered a deal to play for the Allen Wranglers of the Indoor Football League, with a salary between $250,000 to $500,000 and an ownership stake in the suburban Dallas team.

“We’re very close,” said Wranglers general manager Drew Pearson, a former Cowboys receiving star. “Jon Frankel, our owner, has been working on this for quite some time now. When he started, he felt there was maybe about a zero percent chance he could get it done, but through his persistent efforts and really wanting to make this happen, he has been able to make contact with their people. Now it’s in a stage where he thinks it’s at the point where it’s about 70 percent done and close to being finalized, so we’ll see how it shakes out from this point.”

Owens, 38, had 72 catches for 983 yards and nine touchdown for the Bengals last season but is recovering from knee surgery for an offseason injury.

“There’s no question he can play,” Pearson said. “I think right now he’s probably better than over half the receivers in the NFL. You see as the season is shaking out all the injuries at the wide receiver position and they’re signing guys off practice squads … but no one took a chance on Terrell Owens. A lot of it has to do with his past history, his attitude.”

Welcome to Wednesday’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.

WEDNESDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NHL: Bruins at Maple Leafs, 7 p.m. (NESN)
NHL: Lightning at Red Wings, 7:30 p.m. (Versus)
College basketball: Penn State at Boston College, 7:15 p.m. (ESPNU; WEEI)
College basketball: Wisconsin at North Carolina, 9:30 p.m. (ESPN)

AROUND THE WEB:

Jim Leonhard (36) did not like hearing the negative reaction from Jets fans Sunday. (AP)

♦ Last week, it was a Giants player who expressed concern about New York fans’ loyalty. On Tuesday, it was the Jets’ turn. Safety Jim Leonhard is not pleased that quarterback Mark Sanchez received a mix of cheers and boos when he was introduced to the MetLife Stadium crowd before Sunday’s win over the Bills.

“I think we have a great crowd,” Leonhard said. “I think probably for one of the first times, I was kind of disappointed. Our starting quarterback gets booed in introductions. It’s kind of one of those things, that’s frustrating when … as players, you kind of turn to each other and say, ‘You know what? I guess we’re in this one today by ourselves. We can’t rely on the crowd to give us that energy because it’s already started out on a bad note.’ So I will say that this past weekend was really the first time that I’ve been kind of frustrated going into a game, which is bad.”

The Jets are 5-1 at home this season — with the only loss coming against the Patriots — but that didn’t stop the crowd from booing Sanchez and the offense several times during the game. Leonhard said he understands the fans’ frustration, but he’d prefer for them to try to support the team better.

“We do have a great crowd,” Leonhard said. “We have passionate fans, as passionate as anybody and they understand the game of football. So I give them the benefit of the doubt on a lot of things, but … we love it when the crowd is going crazy. There’s a lot of situations where we control, where [if] we start a little hotter, you know that crowd is going to get riled up.

“We just want that crowd to have our back, which we know they do.”

♦ Unsigned wide receiver Terrell Owens engaged in a Twitter war with a Dallas TV reporter on Thanksgiving Day. After Owens tweeted a comment about a play, sports anchor Newy Scruggs called Owens “petty.” Owens answered by calling Scruggs fat. Responded Scruggs: So thankful my fat butt has a job, can pay for my kids, and isn’t on TV CRYING about being broke. I’ll get on a treadmill when you pay your child support.

♦ Longtime talk show host Larry King reportedly has agreed to be a minority investor in Dennis Gilbert‘s bid to buy the Dodgers. King is a season ticket holder who criticized outgoing owner Frank McCourt, saying McCourt “does not belong as an owner of a baseball team.”

Gilbert was in the running to purchase the Rangers last year, but the team was awarded to a group led by Nolan Ryan.

♦ Some diehard Red Sox fans are pushing for Luis Tiant to be acknowledged by the Baseball Hall of Fame Veterans Committee, which will have its annual meeting Monday and decide whether any old-timers deserve to be enshrined. The Sox fans are hosting an event Wednesday night at Jerry Remy’s Sports Bar & Grill, around the corner from Fenway Park, where Tiant will greet his supporters (and anyone who wants to stop by) from 6-9 p.m. Those who cannot attend are being encouraged to sign an online petition.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Nov. 30, 1976, the Bruins’ 31-game home unbeaten streak ended with a 6-2 loss to which team?

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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.

WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY FRIDAY:
No games scheduled

SATURDAY:
NHL: Bruins at Canadiens, 7 p.m. (NESN)

SUNDAY:
NFL: Patriots at Steelers, 4:15 p.m. (CBS)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ The fan who caught David Freese‘s 11th-inning home run in Thursday night’s classic World Series Game 6 returned the ball to the Cardinals player after making a quick deal for a signed bat and ball and a chance to meet the players.

Dave Huyette, a 39-year-old radiologist from Maryville, Ill., leaped a fence and snared the ball from the center field grass. He tucked it in his pants and escaped other fans looking for it. Then he was escorted to the Cardinals clubhouse, where he met Freese and struck his deal.

“Maybe if I had been wanting for money, it’d be different,” Huyette said. “But I make a good living. I wasn’t going to hold the country hostage for the ball.

“I told them I didn’t need any money, but it’d be nice to meet some of the players.”

Huyette did just that, along with his friend Jeremy Reiland, a Cubs fan who wore a Cubs T-shirt inside the rival locker room.

“He didn’t tell me he was going to wear that shirt before we came,” Huyette joked. “This is ridiculous.”

♦ Under new NCAA rules adopted Thursday, defending national basketball champion UConn could be banned from the 2013 tournament because of its poor graduation rate. The new rules dictate schools must have a two-year average score of 930 or a four-year average of 900 on the NCAA’s annual academic progress rate (APR). UConn had an 826 for the 2009-10 season, and last season’s total is not expected to be high enough to qualify the school, which already lost two scholarships this season for its poor APR.

UConn president Susan Herbst is holding out hope that the NCAA will give schools time to adjust to the new requirements.

“We just need time to prepare, and I think that’s true for a lot of institutions,” Herbst said. “We need to get the supports in place so they can meet any new standard. I have no doubt that we’ll have that chance.”

Meanwhile, it should be noted that Boston College tied with Duke for second nationally (behind only Notre Dame) among Division 1 FBS schools with a graduation success rate of 97 percent. The school had 21 teams with a perfect GSR score of 100, ranking it first for the third consecutive year in that category. The BC football team’s score was 93.

♦ The attorney representing the Dodgers and owner Frank McCourt implied that Bryan Stow could have some responsibility for the attack that left him in a coma for several months. Attorney Jerome Jackson, responding to a suit from Stow’s family that includes the Dodgers as a defendant, filed a civil complaint against the two men charged in Stow’s beating.

“I’ve been doing these cases for 23 years and I have never seen one yet in which it didn’t take at least two people to tango,” Jackson said, hinting that jurors could decide Stow bears some liability for provoking the attack. “So stay tuned and stand by.”

♦ Terrell Owens‘ publicist said the 37-year-old free agent receiver “absolutely” did not attempt suicide in an incident on Oct. 6 when police were called to his home. Owens’ assistant called 911 after apparently not realizing Owens had taken a sleeping aid to fall asleep. The publicist said Owens was responsive when police arrived.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Oct. 28, 1958, which Red Sox player was named Comeback Player of the Year after finishing second in the American League with a .322 average?

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Welcome to Wednesday’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 WEDNESDAY:
No games scheduled

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ NBA legend Julius Erving, who is being sued for failing to repay more than $200,000 to a Georgia bank, is auctioning off some of his personal memorabilia, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Items on the block Friday include his 1983 Sixers championship ring and his ABA rings from 1974 and ’76 with the New York Nets, along with MVP trophies from both leagues. The minimum bid on his NBA ring is $25,000.

♦ Speaking of sports memorabilia, federal authorities on Tuesday charged six dealers with selling hundreds of fraudulent game-used jerseys to trading card companies and other buyers. The Chicago FBI and other federal agencies conducted a four-year investigation into sports memorabilia fraud and questioned executives from the leading companies.

♦ According to the most recent NCAA figures, athletes’ graduation rates up are to an all-time high of 82 percent. This single-year graduation success rate (GSR) is for students who began college in 2004 and allows six years for them to get a degree. Boston College checks in at 97 percent, tied with Duke for highest in the ACC.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Oct. 26, 1973, the Red Sox traded Reggie Smith and Ken Tatum to the Cardinals for which two players who would play key roles on the 1975 American League championship team?

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Terrell Owens

Titans coach Mike Munchak said on his radio show Tuesday that Tennessee would consider signing Terrell Owens if the wide receiver was capable of passing a physical. Owens had knee surgery in the offseason. According to his agent, Drew Rosenhaus, the 15-year veteran should be cleared to get back on the field by the end of October.

The Titans have been in need of another wide receiver ever since losing Kenny Britt for the year due to a torn ACL and MCL he suffered in the third week of the season. Owens is a free agent after spending last season with the Bengals.

“That’s something that at some point when [Owens’] health is better and he can pass a physical – people thought the midpoint of the season, maybe – he might be a guy that may be able to to work out to prove where he’s at,” Munchak said. “So of course us, or whoever else, is going to take a look, just like we have with other free agents, to see what kind of shape he’s in.”

Muchak said that the Titans’ interest in Owens would depend on how well the team is doing when he is medically cleared to play and also what kind of production Tennessee is getting from the third wide receiver spot at that time. The Titans are off to a 3-2 start this season and will face the Texans this Sunday.

Welcome to Wednesday’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 WEDNESDAY:
MLB: Red Sox at Blue Jays, 7:07 p.m. (NESN; WEEI)
MLS: Revolution at Union, 8 p.m. (CSNNE)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Terrell Owens has some advice for Eagles receiver DeSean Jackson: Sit out Week 1. Jackson, making $600,000 in the final year of his rookie deal, was late in reporting to Eagles camp because he wants a new deal, but he has been with the team since early August. Said Owens: “I guarantee you, if he goes out and gets hurt, God forbid, he’s not going to get the contract that he probably would have gotten if he held out.”

That said, Owens acknowledged that he might have been too aggressive in seeking more money when he played in Philadelphia. “I probably would have handled it in a more professional way,” Owens said.  “I still stand by the fact that I never tried to do anything out of the norm to tarnish my relationship with the Eagles.  My agent tried to do the necessary things to try and do things behind closed doors to ensure I got a good contract at that time.”

Both players are represented by Drew Rosenhaus. The 36-year-old Owens, who played for the Bengals last season, is unsigned. He said he would welcome a return to the Eagles.

♦ Jaguars linebacker Mike Lockley was fined $20,000 for his hit on Patriots receiver Taylor Price in the teams’ first preseason game. Lockley later was cut, cleared waivers and was signed to the team’s practice squad. He now makes only $5,700 per week, so the league is deducting $2,500 from each paycheck until the penalty is paid. Lockley is appealing the fine.

♦ With the 10th anniversary of 9/11 four days away, former Jets players are recalling with pride how they refused to play the weekend after the tragedy, despite then-commissioner Paul Tagliabue‘s request that they continue the season without interruption. Native New Yorker Vinny Testaverde told teammates at a team meeting that there was no way he was flying to Oakland for a game against the Raiders, and the team backed him up with a unanimous vote against playing.

♦ Alan Moore hopes to become the oldest player in college football history. The 61-year-old who left junior college in 1968 to go to Vietnam is a kicker at NAIA Faulkner University in Alabama. Sporting News columnist David Whitley has Moore’s story.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: Sept. 7, 1950, marked the major league debut of which outfielder who would go on to have a movie made about him?

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Former Patriot Asante Samuel is one of the headliners in a highly regarded defensive backfield in Philadelphia, leading to lofty expectations for the Eagles this season. (AP)

The recent frenzy of NFL free agency has yielded a bevy of high-profile signings, with a good portion of the spoils going to the Eagles. Some are calling them the “all-hype team,” and with several big-name players being added to the Eagles roster, the name certainly fits. Since 2000, many teams have gone all-in during the offseason and attracted a fair amount of attention in the process. With that in mind, we’ll take a look at some of the most hyped teams in recent years, including some that lived up to expectations and others that didn’t.

10. 2010 Cincinnati Bengals

Looking back on last season’s Bengals, it’s hard to believe there was any hype at all over this 4-12, self-destructive Cincinnati squad. However, following a 2009 season in which the Bengals won the AFC North with a 10-6 record, the team paired Terrell Owens with Chad Ochocinco to create one of the most outspoken and talented receiving corps in the NFL. Unfortunately for Bengals fans, the receivers’ full potential was never realized, due in small part to Carson Palmer‘s 20 interceptions and 82.4 passer rating. Ochocinco started the season by asking, “How in the world are you going to stop this duo?” Cornerbacks around the league answered, “Easily.”

9. 2005-06 Miami Heat

The Heat have been the subject of significant hype in the past, even before LeBron James took his talents to South Beach. Amidst the ongoing drama between Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal in the 2004 offseason, the big man was traded to Miami for Caron Butler, Lamar Odom, Brian Grant and a first-round draft pick. Dwyane Wade had already dazzled NBA fans as a rookie, and the Heat dreamed of creating a Lakers-like dynasty on the East Coast. Miami fell short in the Eastern Conference finals that year but added more talent (and hype) in 2005-06 with Antoine Walker, Jason Williams, James Posey and Gary Payton. The Heat, under Pat Riley, took down the Mavericks in six games for the title.

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