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: Canadiens at Bruins, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)
NBA: Celtics at Cavaliers, 7 p.m. (CSNNE; WEEI-FM)
NBA: Heat at Bulls, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
NBA: Nets at Trail Blazers, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: NIT, Iowa at Virginia, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: NIT, BYU at Southern Mississippi, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: NIT, Providence at Baylor, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
MLB preseason: Phillies at Tigers, 1 p.m. (ESPN)
MLB preseason: Rangers at Angels, 3 p.m. (MLB Network)
MLB preseason: Yankees at Orioles, 7 p.m. (MLB Network)

AROUND THE WEB:

Nike's Tiger Woods ad features a quote from the golfer that has angered some people. (AP)

♦ Tiger Woods is the world’s No. 1 golfer again, and Nike celebrated his achievement with an ad that features a picture of Woods and the statement “Winning takes care of everything.” That led to harsh criticism from people who questioned the implication that Woods’ transgressions should be dismissed now that he’s successful again.

Nike defended the ad in a statement: “Tiger has always said he competes to win. When asked about his goals such as getting back to number one, he has said consistently winning is the way to get there. The statement references that sentiment and is a salute to his athletic performance.”

Meanwhile, Woods offered some inspiration to fellow golfer Rory McIlroy. After receiving a congratulatory text message, Woods responded by telling McIlroy to (in McIlroy’s words): “get my finger out of my ass and win this week.”

♦ The Ravens introduced Elvis Dumervil on Tuesday after signing the former Broncos linebacker to a five-year deal worth a reported $35 million, and Dumervil let it be known that his breakup with Denver has provided him with a great deal of motivation.

“I think at times in life you deal with people who say you can’t do this or you shouldn’t do that,” Dumervil said. “In this world, you have to prove a point and prove yourself. I’m all about that. Year in, year out, that’s what drives me. I like to go in as a rookie every year, where you have to prove yourself. I have a chip on my shoulder, I may have a brick wall now. I’m so excited. I can’t wait to get out with the guys and really compete.”

Despite the way his departure from the Broncos was handled — with the team playing hardball and offering a dramatically reduced salary for 2013 — Dumervil said he has no animosity toward the franchise.

“It was an unfortunate situation that happened. Obviously leaving a really good organization like the Denver Broncos, they’re proven winners, I have nothing but good things to say about the organization,” he said. “But when an opportunity came that I could come to another winner and a first-class organization, it was just leaving one great one to another great one. So I took it. … Sometimes, you have to make a tough decision. I just felt like it was time to change the scenery.”

♦ Lakers center Dwight Howard had a tough day Monday. Not only did he take an elbow to his face that required three stitches on his lower lip, he was called for a foul on the play and then got a technical foul after he made some comments to Warriors forward David Lee.

Howard said after LA’s 109-103 loss that he won’t forget what Lee did, even though it appeared Lee was just trying to go to the basket strong when his lead elbow made contact with Howard’s face.

“He got away with a shot,” Howard said. “I’ll remember this game, I’ll remember that shot.”

Added Howard: “He said he wasn’t trying to do it. You can look at the play and see it for yourself. I will take care of it later.”

The teams meet again April 12.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On March 27, 1984, which Bruin scored a goal in a 6-4 victory over the Quebec Nordiques to give him 100 points on 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:
NHL: Predators at Avalanche, 3 p.m. (NHL Network)
NHL: Hurricanes at Canadiens, 7:30 p.m. (NHL Network)
College basketball: Notre Dame at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Hofstra at Drexel, 7 p.m. (NBCSN)
College basketball: Norfolk State at Hampton, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Bucknell at Lehigh, 7 p.m. (CBSSN)
College basketball: Rutgers at Villanova, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: West Virginia at Kansas State, 9 p.m. (ESPN)

AROUND THE WEB:

Wade MacLeod

♦ Former Northeastern University star Wade MacLeod had a seizure during Sunday’s minor league hockey game at the MassMutual Center in Springfield after he was checked from behind into the glass, and he was in stable condition at an area hospital Sunday night.

MacLeod, a 26-year-old forward for the AHL’s Springfield Falcons, collapsed while he was skating toward the bench. According to the Springfield Republican, MacLeod lay on the ice for several minutes, his legs flailing at times, while medical personnel attended to him.

“We would like to thank everyone for the overwhelming show of support for Wade tonight,” MacLeod’s family said in a statement Sunday night. “Wade is alert, in good condition, in positive spirits, and is resting comfortably at Baystate Medical Center. He will remain at the hospital while he undergoes tests. We are deeply appreciative of all the caring and kind words we have received from family, friends, and fans.”

Adirondack defenseman Brandon Manning received a two-minute penalty for boarding on the play, which occurred late in the second period with MacLeod’s Falcons trailing 2-1. The coaches agreed to suspend the game at that point.

Manning tweeted later: would like to give my best to Wade MacLeod and his family. never had any intention of every hurting another player.. hope for a speedy recovery and see him back on the ice soon. thoughts and prayers to him and his family

MacLeod, who had an assist Sunday, has four goals and seven assists in 20 games this season for the Falcons, an affiliate of the Columbus Blue Jackets. At Northeastern, MacLeod played four years, leading the team in scoring his final three seasons. The native of Coquitlam, British Columbia, totaled 61 goals and 76 assists at NU while setting the school record for games played (149).

♦ Former Mets catcher Mike Piazza wrote in his new book that he took karate lessons to be prepared for a fight with Roger Clemens after the then-Yankees pitcher beaned Piazza in 2000.

Clemens responded Sunday, telling the Houston Chronicle that Piazza wasn’t the only one who wanted revenge, noting that even some of his own teammates had issues with him.

“He’d have to stand in line,” said Clemens, who is serving as a spring training instructor for the Astros. “I think there were about three guys on the Yankees that wanted a piece of me more than [Piazza] did.”

Clemens, who said has not read the book, claims he has become friendly with Piazza after playing with him at golf events.

“Some of these guys, once you get to know some of them, they’re fine. But like I said, there was no intent there,” Clemens insisted of his famous run-ins with Piazza, including the 2000 World Series incident in which Clemens threw a piece of a broken bat at the catcher. “And Mike’s a good hitter and I think he hit every breaking ball I threw to him and he hit them hard. But he’s not the first power hitter who’s got me. So, we had some good times. But, yeah, somebody just texted me the Cliffs notes of [the book], so we thought that was pretty good.”

♦ Tiger Woods might not be the world’s best golfer anymore, but he’s still a major drawing card. On Sunday, he played a round with President Barack Obama at the Floridian, an exclusive yacht and golf club on Florida’s Treasure Coast. The White House prohibited media coverage of the round, which included the participation of Astros owner Jim Crane, who owns the golf club, and outgoing U.S. Trade Representative Ron Kirk.

Obama, who is spending Presidents Day weekend in Florida, spent the day Saturday with Butch Harmon, Woods’ former swing coach. That apparently was preparation for his round with Woods, who visited the president in the Oval Office of the White House in 2009.

“Just to see the interaction between the two on the range was pretty neat,” Harmon told Golf Digest. “The President said to Tiger: ‘The last tournament you played was fun to watch. It’s good to see you play well again.’ You could tell he meant it. It just wasn’t a throw-it-out compliment.”

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On Feb. 18, 1930, which Bruins goaltender set an NHL record for most wins in a season when he recorded his 31st with a 3-2 victory over the visiting Canadiens?

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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: Lakers at Celtics, 8 p.m. (TNT; WEEI-FM)
NBA: Bulls at Nuggets, 10:30 p.m. (WGN, TNT)
College basketball: Clemson at Virginia, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: Indiana at Illinois, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Old Dominion at Drexel, 7 p.m. (NBCSN)
College basketball: Belmont at Murray State, 8 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Washington at UCLA, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Missouri at Texas A&M, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: Colorado at Oregon, 10 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Saint Mary’s at Santa Clara, 11 p.m. (ESPN2)
NHL: Capitals at Penguins, 7 p.m. (NHL Network)

AROUND THE WEB:

Lance Armstrong

♦ According to a Neilsen/E-poll survey sponsored by Forbes magazine, Lance Armstrong and Manti Te’o are America’s most disliked athletes.

Both Armstrong and Te’o appeal to just 15 percent of the public.

“The Oprah [Winfrey] interview hurt [Armstrong],” Nielsen senior vice president of sports Stephen Master said. “He came off as pompous, arrogant and unapologetic.”

As for Te’o, “The story was just so creepy,” Master said.

Rounding out the list are golfer Tiger Woods (19 percent appeal), Bears quarterback Jay Cutler (21), Lakers guard Metta World Peace (21), Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez (22), Eagles quarterback Michael Vick (23), NASCAR driver Kurt Busch (27), Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (27) and Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo (27).

♦ In a strange story out of Fort Lauderdale, Fla., a top running back recruit abruptly canceled his signing day announcement at his high school Wednesday, reportedly because his mother took his letter of intent and went home, unhappy that he wanted to attend Arkansas.

Andrea McDonald wanted her son, Alex Collins, to stay closer to home and sign with Miami, and she refused to sign the papers. Collins announced in a TV appearance on Monday night that he was going to Arkansas, changing his earlier stance.

Said Collins’ older brother, Johnny: “She’s having anxiety. I know she preferred him to go to UM. Alex had said he was going to the U, and then all of a sudden he changes his mind. We found out he was going to Arkansas on TV.

“They still needed her signature. You can’t sign yourself over. It’s in black and white. But I didn’t expect any of this to happen. I’m as confused as everyone else.”

♦ The 1865 Brooklyn Atlantics baseball card discovered by a Maine man at a yard sale was auctioned Wednesday for $92,000. The Library of Congress said last month that it has the only other known copy of the team photograph, considered to be the first dated baseball card.

Neither the seller or buyer were identified, but Saco River Auction Co. manager/auctioneer Troy Thibodeau expressed satisfaction with the outcome.

“We’re happy with it and consigner is happy with it,” Thibodeau said.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA (answer below): On Feb. 7, 1999, which Patriots defensive player was named co-MVP of the Pro Bowl after helping the AFC to a 23-10 victory?

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Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and local favorite Keegan Bradley are three of the big names that will be on the minds of golf fans this weekend as the PGA’s finest descend on Norton for the Deutsche Bank Championship at TPC Boston.

Eric Baldwin has overseen the Deutsche Bank Championship since its inception in 2003.

One of the tournament’s other key names is Eric Baldwin. The Canton resident is a vice president in the golf division of sports, entertainment and media company IMG, which oversees the Deutsche Bank Championship. After serving as director of operations the first two years of the event, Baldwin took the title of championship director and has remained in that role ever since. He also manages more than two dozen other golf events for IMG.

It was under Baldwin’s leadership that the Deutsche Bank Classic became part of the four-leg PGA playoffs for the FedEx Cup in 2007, and the event has raised more than $20 million for the Tiger Woods Foundation and a host of New England charities.

The fact that the DBC has reached its 10th birthday is no small feat, considering that the struggling economy has taken a bite out of the budgets of both sponsors and fans. Baldwin got some positive news this week, when Deutsche Bank announced that it would remain as lead sponsor for at least four more years.

“I feel great about it and I can’t believe it,” Baldwin said of the tournament’s decade of success. “It’s been a very rewarding and enjoyable journey. A fast one, I can’t believe it’s been 10 years. Honestly, I think year one was yesterday. I’ve been here since day one and gone through a lot. It has always matured. I think the event has always gotten better and it has really been a fun event to be a part of.”

That said, Baldwin acknowledged that it hasn’t always been easy, especially faced with competition from the area’s highly successful pro sports teams.

“It’s a never-ending battle,” he said. “I think it’s always a challenge for any of these sports franchises, we’re not alone, we’re not blind to the challenges that we all face. But with that said, I think we do have a product, an affordable product for the entire family that allows people to come out here each and ever year. … The fans of New England are awesome. Whether they’re watching a football game, baseball game or golf, they’re always very educated, passionate, come and support the professionals and just have a really good time.”

Added Baldwin: “We have to work hard. We have to keep on delivering to our spectators and our sponsors what they’re looking for. That’s a never-ending battle of keeping that balance, and we’ve been very fortunate to have great sponsors over the last 10 years. Some of us have been with us since the beginning, we’ve had a lot of great partners come in over the years as well. We have a lot of value for partners to get out of this event, that’s a good thing. We just need to continue to keep it relevant, keep on differentiating, keep it fresh for people, and I think we’ll do that.”

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Tiger Woods' golf game might not be the same, but he remains . (AP)

Forbes recently released its list of the world’s most powerful celebrities for 2012, and Tiger Woods remained the top athlete on the list.

The list is based on entertainment-related earnings plus media visibility (exposure in print, television, radio and online). Forbes’ categories are money rank, TV/radio rank, press rank, web rank and social rank.

Woods was ranked 12th overall, down from his sixth ranking in 2011 and No. 5 ranking in 2010. The 36-year-old golf superstar beat out other athletes such as LeBron James (15), Kobe Bryant (27), Peyton Manning (40), Tom Brady (60) and Alex Rodriguez (63) to name a few. Woods brought in approximately $58 million based on pretax gross income earnings from May 1, 2011, to May 1, 2012. Those are the dates Forbes uses as the year marks. Woods also ranked sixth in TV/radio and fourth in press.

Brady ranked 60th on the list, bringing in an estimated $27 million last year. Brady ranked 15th in TV/radio and 14th in press. His wife, Gisele Bundchen, was one spot behind him at 61st, bringing in about $45 million.

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: Celtics at Hawks, 7 p.m. (CSNNE; WEEI)
NBA: Bulls at Magic, 8 p.m. (TNT)
NBA: Mavericks at Nuggets, 10:30 p.m. (TNT)
College basketball: NIT, Middle Tennessee at Tennessee, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: NIT, Minnesota at Miami, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: NIT, Illinois State at Stanford, 11:30 p.m. (ESPN2)
NHL: Maple Leafs at Bruins, 7 p.m. (NESN)
NHL: Devils at Rangers, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)
NHL: Ducks at Sharks, 10 p.m. (NBCSN)
MLB preseason: Tigers at Phillies, 1 p.m. (ESPN)
MLB preseason: Dodgers at Indians, 4 p.m. (MLB Network)

AROUND THE WEB:

Bryce Harper will start the season in Triple-A, but Nationals manager Davey Johnson expects the 19-year-old in the majors soon. (AP)

♦ Bryce Harper, the controversial 19-year-old many are predicting to be the next major league star, was sent to Triple-A Syracuse Sunday by the Nationals .

Harper, who missed six spring training games with a calf strain, went 1-for-5 with four strikeouts Sunday against the Tigers. Manager Davey Johnson reportedly had been pushing for Harper to stay in the majors.

“He’s a special player,” Johnson said. “He needs to go down there and do what he’s doing. He doesn’t need to change [anything] for me. He just needs to go play.”

Said Harper: “It sucks. But I’ve got to go down there [to Syracuse] and work hard and try to get up here as quick as I can. … I just want to go down there and … get on a streak and be called up and hopefully be a game-changer for the Nationals.”

Harper, who is being transitioned from catcher to outfield, is expected to play mostly center field with Syracuse.

♦ Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie tweeted Sunday night that he is moving to safety to help the team fill a void there. The team has been bringing in free agents — including LaRon Landry, who also has visited with the Patriots — but hasn’t found anyone yet.

Tweeted Cromartie: The reason I say I’m moving to FS is because Kyle [Wilson] is becoming a good corner and I don’t mind the move.

♦ More details from golf coach Hank Haney‘s book on Tiger Woods were revealed over the weekend, and it’s not good for Woods. Haney does not paint a flattering picture of the golf legend in “The Big Miss,” which is due to be released next Tuesday.

Haney claims Woods is a self-centered, immature tightwad who routinely ignores kids looking for autographs. Haney said when eating at a restaurant with Woods, the golfer would get up without a word when he was finished and expect everyone in his party (including his former wife, Elin) to follow him, even if they were not finished.

“When he was done — and he habitually ate fast — you were done,” Haney told.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On March 19, 1972, which Bruins player scored two power-play goals in a 7-3 victory over the visiting Minnesota North Stars and in the process set an NHL single-season record with 27 power-play goals (he finished the season with 28)?

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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: Devils at Bruins, 7 p.m. (NESN)
NBA: Thunder at Magic, 8 p.m. (TNT)
NBA: Heat at Trail Blazers, 10:30 p.m. (TNT)
College basketball: Michigan at Illinois, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Florida State at Virginia, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Georgia at Kentucky, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Villanova at Rutgers, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: New Mexico State at Nevada, 11 p.m. (ESPN2)

AROUND THE WEB:

Jose Canseco's 2005 book exposed baseball's steroids problem.

♦ Jose Canseco, saying he has had “nightmares” ever since exposing baseball’s steroids problem, apologized for the pain he caused former teammates when he wrote the book “Juiced.”

Wrote Canseco on Twitter Wednesday: I am probably the only person in history that will never be forgiven for telling the truth and making MLB better and safer for everyone especially young kids.

I am truly sorry for hurting my teamates and friends when I wrote juiced. I have had nightmares since I wrote that book it still haunts me till today. It is my demon that never sleeps.

Canseco, who had a stint with the Red Sox in the mid-1990s, recently signed with a Mexican minor league team, saying he’s hoping to start a comeback that ends in the majors.

♦ The Steelers confirmed Wednesday that they plan to release wide receiver Hines Ward, who has spent the last 14 seasons in Pittsburgh, catching 1,000 passes for 12,083 yards and 85 touchdowns and winning two Super Bowls.

“We had a conversation today with Hines Ward and informed him that we plan to release him of his contract prior to the start of the 2012 NFL calendar year,” Steelers president Art Rooney II said on the team’s website. “Hines has been an integral part of our success since we drafted him in 1998, and we will forever be grateful for what he has helped us achieve.”

Ward, who has gained widespread popularity by winning “Dancing With the Stars” last year and working the red carpet at Sunday’s Academy Awards, turns 36 next week, but he said he wants to continue his career.

“I do feel that I still have more football left in me and I am looking forward to playing in the NFL, again, this upcoming season,” he said in a statement.

♦ Clippers superfine Darrell Bailey, who goes by the name “Clipper Darrell,” took his fight with the team public this week. Bailey said the team has demanded that he stop using the nickname because he has been getting paid for public appearances even though he has know official affiliation with the team.

After Bailey wrote on his website, “I am devastated!!!” he received support from a number of Clippers players, including Chris Paul and Blake Griffin.

The Clippers, never known for dealing with sensitive situations in a responsible manner, released a statement on Wednesday in response to Bailey’s comments.

“We have had multiple conversations with him concerning his inappropriate use of the Clippers’ team name and trademark for his own unmonitored commercial gain,” the team said. “We have spoken to him repeatedly about his desire to make public appearances in ways which improperly suggest that he is officially affiliated with our organization. In all cases and over a long period of time, he has consistently rejected our efforts to operate in consultation.”

♦ Former Tiger Woods coach Hank Haney wrote in a soon-to-be-released book that the golfer considered becoming a Navy SEAL and participated in training on bases across the country. Woods, at the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., this week, expressed his disappointment with Haney’s book and brushed aside questions about it.

Woods, who in 2010 publicly acknowledged a desire to become a SEAL, became testy when a reporter asked him about it Wednesday, saying, “I’ve already talked about everything in the book.”

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On March 1, 1997, the Bruins send Adam Oates, Bill Ranford and Rick Tocchet to the Capitals for which three players (plus a third-round draft pick)?

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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.

WEDNESDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NBA: Bucks at Celtics, 7:30 p.m. (CSNNE; WEEI)
NBA: Bulls at Spurs, 9 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Georgia Tech at Boston College, 7 p.m. (NESN; WRKO)
College basketball: Maryland at North Carolina, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Marquette at Cincinnati, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: St. John’s at Pittsburgh, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Miami at NC State, 9 p.m. (NESN)
College basketball: Iowa at Nebraska, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Oklahoma at Texas, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
NHL: Penguins at Stars, 7:30 p.m. (NBCSN)

AROUND THE WEB:

Dwyane Wade (right) left Kobe Bryant with a nasal fracture after a hard foul in Sunday's All-Star Game. (AP)

♦ Heat guard Dwyane Wade acknowledged that he apologized for breaking Kobe Bryant‘s nose with a hard foul in Sunday’s All-Star Game, but he did it in the fashion that has become typical of the Heat — burying it in comments that imply everyone is biased against the Heat’s superstars.

“He knows it’s no ill intent on me to do that,” Wade said at Tuesday’s practice. “Did I take a foul? Yes, I took a foul. So, talk about me for taking a foul. But I never wanted that kind of outcome.”

Wade also has been criticized for ignoring Bryant after hitting him, walking over to complain about a previous call to the referee.

“I don’t know if anybody wants me to get down on my knees in front of the world and [apologize]. I don’t have to do that,” Wade said. “Like I said, everyone has an opinion, everyone uses their opinion. Like I said, I sent my apologies to Kobe, and I move on from it.”

Although he was diagnosed with a nasal fracture and a concussion, Bryant is expected to play when the Lakers host the Heat Sunday.

♦ New Marlins manager Ozzie Guillen said he doesn’t have many rules, but one big one is that every player is expected to be lined up in front of the dugout for the national anthem.

“The national anthem is 10 minutes before the game starts,” he said. “We’re going to start in 10 minutes and you’re late? National anthem, they’re going to be there. … That’s the only [rule] I have. You’re not going to go by that easy one? We’re going to have problems.”

Guillen explained that part of the reason is because he wants the entire team focused on getting ready for the game, even those who aren’t starting. And respect for the country is another.

“A lot of people have been killed trying to make this country free for us,” he said. “You should be there for at least two minutes. Respect that, especially if you come from another country. You should be there an hour before. I think it looks good for baseball if you’re in the stands and you look at the team respecting the flag and the national anthem. … Kids can see that, the respect.”

♦ According to a new book by Tiger Woods‘ former coach, Hank Haney, the golfer considered leaving the sport to become a Navy SEAL and took it so far as to do training on naval bases around the country.

Woods’ father, Earl Woods, was a special forces soldier in Vietnam, and Haney claims Tiger was obsessed with joining the Navy’s elite fighting unit.

Writes Haney: To my knowledge, he did training in parachuting, self-defense, urban-warfare simulations and shooting. I never heard of Tiger doing any training in the water with the SEALs, but he was already a pretty accomplished diver.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Feb. 29, 1976, which Bruins goalie recorded his 17th consecutive victory — an NHL record that still stands — with a 5-3 decision over the visiting Canucks?

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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.

WEDNESDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
NHL: Bruins at Sabres, 7:30 p.m. (NESN; NBCSN)
NBA: Knicks at Wizards, 7 p.m. (NBA TV)
NBA: Rockets at Trail Blazers, 10 p.m. (NBA TV)
College basketball: Florida State at Boston College, 7 p.m. (WEEI)
College basketball: Georgetown at Syracuse, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Kansas at Baylor, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: Duke at North Carolina, 9 p.m. (ESPN)

AROUND THE WEB:

Giants running back Brandon Jacobs wants Tom Brady's wife to keep quiet about football. (AP)

♦ Giants running back Brandon Jacobs offered his take on the Gisele Bundchen controversy, after Tom Brady‘s supermodel wife was videotaped criticizing Patriots receivers following Sunday’s Super Bowl. Bundchen was responding to a heckling Giants fan when she said that her husband could not catch the ball as well as throw it.

Said Jacobs to reporters at Tuesday’s Giants victory parade in New York: “She just needs to continue to stay cute and shut up.”

♦ A Nielsen poll determined that Eagles quarterback Michael Vick is the most disliked athlete in America, ranking ahead of golfer Tiger Woods. Jets receiver Plaxico Burress is third and Lions defensive lineman Ndamukong Suh is fourth. Then it’s three NBA players: Nets forward Kris Humphries, Heat star LeBron James and Lakers guard Kobe Bryant. Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez is ninth.

♦ Lakers star Kobe Bryant will not face charges for an incident at a San Diego church last year. A man had accused Bryant of grabbing him aggressively and taking his phone after thinking the man had taken a picture of the player, then returning the phone after seeing no photos. Bryant denied the allegations. The city attorney’s office said Tuesday that it could not prove the case beyond a reasonable doubt.

♦ The University of Memphis is the latest school to switch conferences, as the Tigers will be joining the Big East starting in 2013-14. In The Commercial Appeal, Geoff Calkins runs down the list of reasons why Memphis fans should celebrate the move from Conference USA.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Feb. 8, 1960, who was named the first coach in Patriots history?

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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:

Eli Manning celebrated a comeback victory over the Patriots Sunday, but his family says the Giants quarterback still gets unfairly criticized. (AP)

♦ Archie Manning enjoyed watching his son Eli lead the Giants to a last-minute victory Sunday against the Patriots, but he had trouble listening to the commentary on Fox. The elder Manning said he doesn’t agree with Troy Aikman and Joe Buck‘s criticism. “I don’t always listen to Troy and Joe,” Archie told ESPN. “They’re kind of hard on Eli. Joe’s always been really tough on Eli, and it seems this year Troy is too. But that’s OK. Sometimes I just mute them.”

In a 2009 interview, Peyton Manning made a similar comment, chastising Buck for being critical of Eli during another comeback attempt.

♦ Tiger Woods‘ former caddy Steve Williams apologized for his off-color comment at a banquet over the weekend, when he made a racially insensitive remark while joking about the golfer. Woods told reporters that he and Williams met on Monday in Australia and cleared the air, and he’s convinced that “Stevie’s certainly not a racist. There’s no doubt about that.” In the Sporting News, columnist David Steele writes that Woods deserves credit for taking the high road and helping to quash a controversy that would not be good for his sport.

♦ In the San Jose Mercury News, Mark Purdy writes about the man he calls the most influential American sports figure of the last 50 years: former baseball commissioner and 1984 Los Angeles Olympic organizer Peter Ueberroth, who is being inducted into the San Jose Sports Hall of Fame Wednesday.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Nov. 9, 1972, in an 8-3 victory over the Red Wings at Boston Garden, which Bruin became the seventh player in NHL history to record 1,000 career points?

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