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: Pacers at Celtics, 8 p.m. (CSNNE; WEEI-FM)
NBA: Bulls at Heat, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
NBA: Lakers at Clippers, 10:30 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Cleveland State at Valparaiso, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Memphis at Tennessee, 8 p.m. (ESPN2)
College football: Cotton Bowl, Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma, 8 p.m. (Fox; WEEI-AM)
College hockey: Dartmouth at Quinnipiac, 7 p.m. (NESN)

AROUND THE WEB:

Tom Coughlin's Giants won't have the opportunity to defend their Super Bowl title, and the coach is very upset about the team's late-season collapse. (AP)

♦ While Jets coach Rex Ryan tried to escape the media in the Bahamas (and was photographed displaying an arm tattoo of his wife wearing only a Mark Sanchez Jets jersey), Giants coach Tom Coughlin talked Thursday about how distraught he is over his team missing the playoffs.

“I can’t even describe how it hurts. I don’t know what to do,” Coughlin said in an interview on New York sports radio station WFAN. “I’m walking around here like a crazy man. I am. I don’t know what to do with myself. We shouldn’t be doing this right now. The pain of it is almost indescribable.”

The defending Super Bowl champions lost five of their final eight games to squander their chance to defend their title.

“For us, right now, to not be in the playoffs; to be the Super Bowl champion and not be in the playoffs, if that doesn’t bring you down to earth and create the kind of humility that comes along with getting your nose back to the grindstone, I don’t know what does,” Coughlin said.

♦ The baseball field carved into a cornfield at an Iowa farm for the 1989 movie “Field of Dreams” was sold last week for $3.4 million to an investment group out of Chicago that includes Hall of Famer Wade Boggs.

An estimated 65,000 tourists travel to Dyersville, Iowa, each year to see the field. The new ownership group, which goes by the name of Go the Distance Baseball LLC and is led by CEO Denise Stillman, plans to develop the complex into 24 youth baseball and softball fields ad call it All-Star Ballpark Heaven.

Don and Becky Lansing put the 193-acre property on sale a couple of years ago, asking $5.4 million.

“My family’s farm has been part of the landscape for more than a century,” Don Lansing said in a statement. “I have been honored to care for it my entire life and know the Stillmans and their group will care for the movie site like I did.”

♦ The 9-year-old Utah girl who became an Internet sensation after highlights of her dominating boys in youth games hit the web was invited by the NFL to attend this year’s Super Bowl in New Orleans. Sam Gordon already attended a Giants game in New York with commissioner Roger Goodell, and now she’s receiving tickets to the title game.

“I think it’s going to be really cool,” Gordon said. “Plus, I get to sit next to the NFL commissioner, maybe.”

Gordon’s father, Brent, said the family saw Goodell the day after the Giants game while touring the NFL offices, and the commissioner hinted what was to come.

“As we were leaving, Roger Goodell walked in and said, ‘Sam, would you like to go to the Super Bowl? Well, maybe you should ask Santa Claus,’ ” Brent Gordon said.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Jan. 4, 1985, the Celtics honored Red Auerbach by retiring which number?

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Andre Brown

The Giants’ impressive 38-10 win over the Packers Sunday night was made less sweet when coach Tom Coughlin announced running back Andre Brown had broken his fibula.

“Takes an awful lot off of the win, to be honest with you,” Coughlin said.

The injury reportedly will be season-ending for Brown.

Brown is not ruling himself out. He tweeted early Monday that his season wasn’t necessarily over.

Brown has rushed 73 times for 385 yards and eight touchdowns this season.

The Giants now will rely on Ahmad Bradshaw and rookie David Wilson to step up and fill Brown’s role.

“I feel bad for Andre, he’s my little brother,” Bradshaw said. “It’s heartbreaking for me just to see him so down. When I was a rookie I told David, [Derrick] Ward broke his fibula and I had to step in and be a big part of our offense. That’s what I expect from David and I told him to get right and get ready for the following weeks to come.”

Wilson said he is ready to help the Giants, who sit atop the NFC East.

“Dre played a big role in our offense running the ball, I’m definitely going to have to step up when my number is called and be prepared,” Wilson said.

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:
MLB: Red Sox at Athletics, 10:05 p.m. (NESN; WEEI)
MLB: Yankees at Rays, 7 p.m. (ESPN)
Tennis: Wimbledon, 7 a.m. (ESPN2)
Tennis: Wimbledon, 8 a.m. (ESPN)
Swimming: U.S. Olympic trials, 8 p.m. (NBC)

AROUND THE WEB:

Former Yankees manager Joe Torre is greeted at Sunday's Old-Timers' Day at Yankee Stadium. (AP)

♦ Former Yankees manager Joe Torre, at Yankee Stadium on Sunday for Old-Timers’ Day, said he thinks Roger Clemens belongs in the Hall of Fame despite his alleged steroid use.

“He is [deserving] to me,” Torre said. “I can’t make other people look at him, I can just tell you the way I feel about him. I was proud to have him play for me and I respect him.”

Added Torre: “I’m a little prejudiced on Clemens. He was like a son to me. Unfortunately, the question is always going to be there with him. It’s something that’s sad for me … because I disliked him like everyone else until I got a chance to know him. He was a great teammate for these guys and he was very devoted to the team was playing on, and I always respected that.”

♦ White Sox pitcher Jake Peavy allowed three home runs to the Yankees on Saturday, and he voiced his displeasure with the park’s hitter-friendly dimensions after suffering a 4-0 loss.

“They hit the ball in the air and it’s a home run,” Peavy said.

Peavy added that New York’s left-handed hitters are locked in on the short fence in right.

“Every guy is standing right on the plate.” he said. “How many balls get hit to the left side of the field? None. They have no interest in hitting the ball that way. Except Robinson Cano. That’s why he’s hitting .300, because he will use the whole field.

“Those guys are great hitters, so why wouldn’t you? They hit the ball in the air and it’s a home run.”

♦ Michael Jordan‘s son Marcus, who averaged 13.7 points as a junior at Central Florida last season, was arrested in Omaha, Neb., early Sunday after he got into an argument with two women outside a hotel. Police said Jordan was “very animated, intoxicated and uncooperative” and it took multiple officers to control and handcuff him.

Jordan was charged with resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and obstructing.

♦ The New York Daily News has a nice feature on Giants coach Tom Coughlin and his relationship with the family of former Boston College defensive back Jay McGillis, who died of leukemia 20 years ago this month, following Coughlin’s first season as BC coach.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On July 2, 1975, which Red Sox hurler, in a bid to become the third pitcher ever to have a no-hitter in both leagues, came within one out of a no-hitter before allowing a walk and two home runs in a 6-3 victory over the Brewers?

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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.

FRIDAY’S BROADCAST HIGHLIGHTS:
MLB: Nationals at Red Sox, 7:10 p.m. (NESN; WEEI)
MLB: Mets at Yankees, 7:05 p.m. (MLB Network)

SATURDAY:
NBA playoffs: Celtics at Heat, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN; WEEI)
NHL playoffs: Kings at Devils, 8 p.m. (NBC)
MLB: Nationals at Red Sox, 4:05 p.m. (NESN: WEEI)
MLB: Astros at White Sox, 4 p.m. (WGN)
MLB: Rangers at Giants, 4 p.m. (MLB Network)
MLB: Mets at Yankees, 7 p.m. (Fox)
MLB: Athletics at Diamondbacks, 10 p.m. (MLB Network)

SUNDAY:
MLB: Nationals at Red Sox, 1:35 p.m. (NESN; WEEI)
MLB: Mets at Yankees, 1 p.m. (TBS)
MLB: Cubs at Twins, 2 p.m. (WGN)
MLB: Tigers at Reds, 8 p.m. (ESPN)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Two black players for the Netherlands were targeted with monkey noises and loud jeers Thursday by hundreds of fans at Stadion Miejski during a training session in Krakow, Poland, for Euro 2012. The players, who had visited the site of the former Auschwitz World War II concentration camp a day earlier, responded by moving their drills to the other end of the stadium.

“It is a real disgrace especially after getting back from Auschwitz that you are confronted with this,” Dutch captain Mark van Bommel told the British newspaper The Guardian. “We will take it up with UEFA and if it happens at a match we will talk to the referee and ask him to take us off the field.”

Added coach Bert van Marwijk: “At least now we know what we can encounter. Very atmospheric.”

Despite concerns of racism and violence leading up to the event, UEFA later denied that the chants were racially motivated, claiming the fans were protesting Krakow’s omission as a host city for the tournament. UEFA did say referees will stop matches if players face abuse from fans.

“You need to open your ears,” Van Bommel said of UEFA’s explanation. “If you did hear it, and don’t want to hear it, that is even worse.”

♦ Coming off last season’s late struggles, controversial Jets receiver Santonio Holmes is off to a slow start if he plans to work on remaking his image. Holmes limped to the sideline and tossed his helmet Thursday after completing 20 of a scheduled 35 reps at Jets practice because he’s not yet in shape to complete a full workout.

“I was talking to [wide receivers coach Sanjay Lal] and letting him understand it was too many reps today,” Holmes said.

In his defense, Holmes missed half of the voluntary workouts because he was on a USO-sponsored trip to Germany to visit U.S. troops.

“I’ve been gone for a while, so I can’t be at full tempo like the rest of these guys and where they want us to be at,” Holmes said. “So, giving us a few reps off is much-needed for all of us.”

♦ The Giants’ Super Bowl celebration continues Friday with a visit to the White House, where the team will be honored no only for its championship but for its “ongoing support to the men and women who serve in the military and their families.”

“We are excited,” coach Tom Coughlin said. “It’s always something that we look forward to.

“It’s a great honor to go to the White House, to be invited by the President of the United States, to have our Super Bowl XLVI and world championship team go and be in the presence of the President and the historic White House.”

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On June 8, 1950, the Red Sox recorded their most lopsided victory ever, with a 29-4 rout of the St. Louis Browns. Which future Red Sox Hall of Famer led the way with three home runs?

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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 playoffs: Celtics at 76ers, 7 p.m. (TNT)
NBA playoffs: Lakers at Thunder, 9:30 p.m. (TNT)
NHL playoffs: Devils at Rangers, 8 p.m. (NBCSN)
MLB: Red Sox at Rays, 7:10 p.m. (NESN, ESPN; WRKO)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee revealed Tuesday that he has called the Rhode Island Economic Development Corporation to an emergency meeting Wednesday morning to discuss financial problems at former Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling‘s video game company.

Two years after relocating from Massachusetts to Rhode Island to take advantage of a $75 million taxpayer-backed loan, Schilling’s company missed a loan-guarantee payment of $1.125 million, setting off red flags.

“We’re concerned and just doing everything possible to ensure that 38 Studios stays part of the Rhode Island community,” Chafee told Providence TV station WPRI earlier this week. “We’re working on different issues with them.” Asked whether he thinks 38 Studios can be stabilized, Chafee paused and said: “We’re working on it.”

Last June, PriceWaterhouseCoopers audited 38 Studios and expressed “substantial doubt” that the company would be able to stay solvent. The company since released its first game, “Kingdom of Amalur: Reckoning,” to positive reviews and decent sales, but another game, “Project: Copernicus,” appears to be facing delays.

Schilling, who also serves as an ESPN analyst, loaned his company $4 million in 2010, but that money was paid back from the package the company received from Rhode Island.

♦ The Giants will receive their Super Bowl rings Wednesday night in a ceremony at Tiffany’s flagship store on Fifth Avenue.

“It will be exciting for everybody, no doubt,” Giants coach Tom Coughlin said. “That’s the symbol, you know? In your heart it’s already been established. I look forward to it, I think it’s going to be very festive. Let’s face it, now it’s twice in a lifetime. It’s a wonderful thing to do it again.”

The ring is 14k white gold with surrounding diamonds, sapphire band (representing Giants blue) and diamond footballs. It has images of the four Lombardi trophies the franchise has won, plus the team logo and the score of Super Bowl XLVI, a 21-17 victory over the Patriots.

“Big and obnoxious, that’s always the goal,” guard Kevin Boothe joked.

♦ Brian McNamee continued to testify in Roger Clemens‘ perjury trial Tuesday in Washington, but the star witness wasn’t enough to keep all the members of the jury awake, as one juror was dismissed for sleeping.

What the sleeping juror missed was McNamee claiming his wife encouraged him to keep evidence that he injected Clemens with steroids. McNamee said he did, putting a needle, swab and cotton ball in an empty beer can to sneak it out of Clemens’ apartment after an injection.

McNamee also talked about injecting Clemens’ wife, Debbie, which he insists was done with the pitcher’s approval.

♦ According to police in Oceanside, Calif., someone broke into Junior Seau‘s San Diego-area home last week, five days after Seau committed suicide in the bedroom. Lt. Leonard Mata told the North County Times that the burglar accessed the garage through a doggy door and apparently did not enter the main part of the house. The only item noticed to be missing was a bicycle that belonged to a friend of the former NFL star.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On May 16, 1989, Mike Milbury was hired as Bruins coach replacing which man?

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After leading the Giants to their second Super Bowl title in five years, Tom Coughlin is in the process of working out a contract extension with the team, according to the New York Post.

In the report, based on the Post’s conversations with Giants owner John Mara, it was noted that the deal should get done in a month to six weeks.

“We’ve had a lot of good discussions since the Super Bowl, and I have no doubt it’s going to get done very soon,’’ Mara told the Post. “As I’ve said, Tom is our guy, and we think we have the best coach in the league.”

Upon winning his first Super Bowl with the Giants in 2008, a 17-14 victory over the Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, Coughlin received a four-year, $21 million extension. At 65 years old, Coughlin was the oldest coach to win a Super Bowl when the Giants again beat the Patriots, this time in Super Bowl XLVI.

Regardless of how long the extension is for, Coughlin knows he still has to perform in order to remain in good standing with Giants ownership and fans alike.

“No matter many years you sign a contract, it’s a one-year deal,” Coughlin told the Post. “I’m going to go forth with the idea of enjoying each season as it comes and rallying the troops. I want to be a motivator for our staff, our players and our organization.”

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: Jets at Bruins, 7 p.m. (NESN)
NBA: Bulls at Timberwolves, 8 p.m. (NBA TV)
NBA: Suns at Lakers, 10:30 p.m. (NBA TV)
College basketball: Louisville at Providence, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: Ohio State at Illinois, 9 p.m. (ESPN)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Following LSU’s 21-0 loss to Alabama in Monday night’s national championship game, LSU coach Les Miles faced some questions about why he didn’t yank ineffective quarterback Jordan Jefferson and put in Jarrett Lee. One such question that led off the postgame press conference was more of an attack, and it came from former Saints quarterback Bobby Hebert, who, to make things even more interesting, has a son, T-Bob Hebert, who is an offensive lineman for LSU.

Here’s the video of Hebert, a New Orleans sports radio host known for his emotional outbursts, criticizing Miles’ game plan.

♦ Giants defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul said Sunday that there’s a “100 percent” chance his team would beat the Packers in Round 2 of the playoffs. On Monday, the rest of the Giants did their best to support Pierre-Paul without being as definitive.

“Whatever my teammates say, I don’t care if they say something obnoxious, I’m backing them all the way,” safety Antrel Rolle said. “Especially if JPP says it, we’re gonna go out there and get it done.”

Said coach Tom Coughlin: “I realize everybody is anxious, and I am, too. I told the players that and let’s cover the game and learn from the game we just played, let’s keep things in perspective, let’s get started looking at some tape but let’s not get too carried away just yet.”

♦ Many media members like to act like they know it all, but they don’t always like to live up to their mistakes. Real Clear Sports has a list of the top 10 erroneous columns of 2011. Making the list: New York Daily News columnist Mike Lupica‘s statement that the Jets would make the playoffs, a Sporting News article predicting the Eagles and Patriots in the Super Bowl, an Orlando Sentinel column calling Charlie Weis a great hire for Florida, CBS Sports’ Clark Judge writing that the Panthers made the wrong pick on Cam Newton, and Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy predicting a Red Sox-Yankees ALCS.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Jan. 10, 1996, which Celtic hit a 3-pointer in his 89th consecutive game, an NBA record?

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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:
NBA: Celtics at Heat, 8 p.m. (TNT)
NBA: Jazz at Lakers, 10:30 p.m. (TNT)
College basketball: Pittsburgh at Notre Dame, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: Wisconsin at Nebraska, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
NHL: Blues at Red Wings, 7:30 p.m. (Versus)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ Jets coach Rex Ryan said Monday that he doesn’t plan to change his brash behavior, even after his boasting backfired with Saturday’s loss to the fired-up Giants.

“That’s who I am,” Ryan said on a conference call. “Do I regret it? No. Did it work out? Nope. It never worked out. I’m never going to say I regret anything that I believe in my heart, and I’ve always said from Day 1 I’m going to be true to myself. When I leave this job 10 or 15 years from now, I’m going to be true to myself. Maybe it’s not the traditional way of doing things. But for me, this is who I am. I made the statements and I’ll stand by everything I said.”

Ryan also spent some time defending quarterback Mark Sanchez and offensive coordinator Brian Schottenheimer, who have come under fire for the team’s struggling offense.

♦ Now that they’re done arguing with the Jets, the Giants have moved on to focusing their hatred on their next opponent, the Cowboys. “I do not like the Cowboys and they don’t like me,” defensive end Justin Tuck said Monday. “And that’s how it’s supposed to be.”

Meanwhile, Giants coach Tom Coughlin joked about the knee injury he suffered on the sideline Saturday when Jets linebacker Aaron Maybin hit running back D.J. Ware out of bounds and knocked him into Coughlin.

♦ Sixers guard Lou Williams tweeted Saturday about an incident in which he avoided being robbed because of his community service work. Tweeted Williams: Almost got robbed today. But homie said he recognized me and the good I’ve done for his hood so that made him change his mind… WOW.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Dec. 27, 1959, which Bruins player began a 22-game point-scoring streak in the B’s 6-1 loss to the Blackhawks in Chicago?

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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:
NFL: Texans at Colts, 8 p.m. (NFL Network; WEEI)
College football: MAACO Bowl, Arizona State vs. Boise State, 8 p.m. (ESPN)
College basketball: Memphis at Georgetown, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: Florida State at Florida, 7 p.m. (ESPNU)
College basketball: Illinois vs. Missouri, 9 p.m. (ESPN2)
College basketball: Long Beach State vs. Xavier, 11:30 p.m. (ESPNU)

AROUND THE WEB:

♦ The Jets and Giants play Saturday, and despite coach Tom Coughlin‘s request that his team not get caught up in a verbal back-and-forth with Rex Ryan and friends, the Giants can’t help themselves.

Ryan has been trying to claim that the Jets are taking over New York from the Giants.

Said Giants running back Brandon Jacobs: “They’re going to need a hell of a lot more than this game to make that happen.”

Added Giants offensive lineman Kareem McKenzie: “Chirp if you want. That’s up to the individual that wants to go ahead and talk. I don’t think it’ll have any outcome on the game itself. Unless [Ryan] is going to suit up, I don’t see any difference.”

Giants receiver Hakeem Nicks, meanwhile, isn’t interested in being too respectful of Jets standout Darrelle Revis. Asked if Revis is the best cornerback in the NFL, Nicks said: “I mean, he’s a decent corner. He’s decent.”

Added Mario Manningham about all the Jets cornerbacks: “I ain’t about to them on a pedestal. They’re still cornerbacks like we faced all year.”

♦ In the latest major poll, the Packers ranked far ahead of the Cowboys for favorite NFL team. Green Bay received 22 percent of the vote to Dallas’ 11 percent during a Public Policy Polling survey of 700 respondents nationwide taken last weekend. The Patriots ranked seventh at 6 percent.

“It’s nice to see these types of responses in surveys that show the broad appeal the Packers have nationally,” Packers president and CEO Mark Murphy said. “The success of the team certainly helps. We’ve felt for some time that if the Packers aren’t a fan’s favorite team, we’re the fan’s second favorite team. Football fans like the Packers’ story as well as our strong history and tradition.”

As for America’s favorite quarterback, Tim Tebow is leader at 15 percent, following by Eli Manning (14) and Peyton Manning (12). Tom Brady tied for fourth with Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees at 10 percent.

♦ James Harrison finally appears to understand why he was suspended for one game for his helmet-to-helmet hit on Browns quarterback Colt McCoy. Now, however, Harrison wants to know why the Browns aren’t being punished for allowing McCoy to return to the game with a concussion.

“If he was hurt so bad I don’t know why they let him back in … two plays later,” Harrison said Wednesday, in his return to practice after his suspension. “Something should be done to them, I would think. I don’t know. I got a game, what should they get?”

The Browns’ failure to properly monitor McCoy led to the league’s decision to put a certified trainer in the press box at each game going forward.

ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On. Dec. 22, 1954, who retired as a player and was named coach of the Bruins?

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Jets receiver Plaxico Burress (right, with Mark Sanchez) criticized former coach Tom Coughlin and ex-teammate Eli Manning in an interview with Men's Journal. (AP)

Jets wide receiver Plaxico Burress bashed Giants coach Tom Coughlin and quarterback Eli Manning in an interview with Men’s Journal that is set to be published in October. Burress said that both Coughlin and Manning did not support the wideout when he was sent to prison on a gun charge back in 2009.

Burress told the magazine that Coughlin is “not a real positive coach,” and he wished Coughlin had shown some concern when Burress accidentally shot himself in a New York nightclub back in November of 2008. Burress also said that Manning never visited or tried to contact Burresss while he was in jail. This disappointed Burress, who described himself as Manning’s “biggest supporter” during his time as a Giant.

Despite the harsh words, Burress and Coughlin have met since Burress was released from jail back in June and became a free agent — and after Burress did the interview — and the wide receiver has said that the meeting helped clear the air between them. Burress also said that he and Manning recently ran into each other at a movie theater and had a friendly conversation.