The Baltimore Ravens have hired former Indianapolis Colts head coach Jim Caldwell as the new quarterback coach, according to the Ravens’ official twitter account.

#Ravens have officially hired Jim Caldwell as their Quarterbacks Coach

—
Baltimore Ravens (@Ravens) January 30, 2012

Caldwell will work with quarterback Joe Flacco alongside offensive coordinator Cam Cameron.   Before being hired by the Ravens, Caldwell was interviewed by the Pittsburgh Steelers for the offensive coordinator job.

Caldwell, 57, has been a quarterbacks coach for 15 seasons, including seven (2002-08) with Manning and the Colts.   Coaching the team for three years after taking over for Tony Dungy in 2009, Caldwell’s tenure with the Colts ended in 26-22 record including one AFC title and two division titles.

Former Washington Nationals first baseman Dmitri Young worked out with the Philadelphia Phillies, according to ESPN’s Jim Bowden.

Dmitri Young worked out for the Phillies who said he showed Quick hands great foot work and his normal special bat speed...he's lost 75 lbs

—
JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) January 30, 2012

Young, 38, last played in the Major Leagues in 2008 when he hit 280/.394/.400 with four home runs in just 50 games for Washington. He later announced his retirement in 2010 due to a constant struggle with weight issues and diabetes.

The two-time All-Star has a .292 career BA with a 683 RBI and 171 homeruns. Young was named the NL Comeback Player of the Year in 2007 when he hit .320/.378/.491 with 13 home runs and 74 RBI for the Nationals.

In response to Colts owner Jim Irsay’s comment of the ‘horseshoe’ coming before any one individual including Peyton Manning, former Dallas Cowboy Pro Bowl Receiver and NFL Network analyst Michael Irvin strongly opposed Irsay stating that the horseshoe wouldn’t be what it is without Manning, according to the USA Today.

“The horseshoe is first? The horseshoe is nothing before Peyton got here. You could’ve taken that horseshoe, and you couldn’t have given it away. It wasn’t lucky, it was killing you,” said Irvin. “This horseshoe was garbage without Peyton — it was garbage when [before] he got here and garbage when he left here this season.”

The horseshoe is a reference to the team’s logo. Irsay was trying to imply in his statements that the team comes first, even before a legendary figure like Peyton Manning.

Relocating from Baltimore in 1984, the Colts had been in Indianapolis 14 years prior to drafting Manning in 1998.  In those years without Manning, they reached the playoffs three times and had five winning seasons. With Manning on the field, the Colts reached 11 playoff appearances, two Super Bowl appearances, and one title.

The Carolina Hurricanes have signed defenseman Tim Gleason to a four-year contract, according to the team’s website.

“We thank Tim for choosing to stay with the Hurricanes long term,” said Hurricane’s President and GM Jim Rutherford in a statement. “He is one of our core players, someone who brings character and leadership to our locker room, along with being a key piece on the ice. This is a very important signing for our team going forward.”

Gleason, 29, is currently in his sixth season with the Hurricanes. In 51 games this season he has tallied one goal and 13 assists for 14 points on the year. Last season in 82 games he collected two goals and 14 assists for 16 points total.

Carolina is currently in a three-way tie with the New York Islanders and the Buffalo Bills for having the fewest points in the Eastern Conference. The Hurricanes, 18-24-9, have the fewest wins in the conference.

The Women’s Professional Soccer League (WPS) has decided to suspend operations for the 2012 season, according to a tweet from Sports Illustrated’s Grant Wahl.

WPS women's soccer league is suspending operations for the 2012 season.

—
Grant Wahl (@GrantWahl) January 30, 2012

The WPS plans to use this year to sort out some pending legal issues, and the challenges that they now face as a result of ongoing disputes with a former owner.

“We are proud of what the League has accomplished in the first three seasons, but we do recognize the necessity to resolve our existing legal and operational issues so that we can continue to support and grow WPS the right way,” said Sky Blue FC Owner Thomas Hofstetter in a WPS press release. “This was a very difficult decision, but one we as owners feel is the best business decision for the League at this time.”

Despite a significant increase in fans and revenue last season after the U.S. Women’s National Team made it to the World Cup finals, the WPS as a whole has struggled to keep afloat. The WPS believes that it will most likely resume play in 2013.

35-year old outfielder Pat Burrell will be announcing his retirement soon, according to MLB Trade Rumours.

Burrell has been battling a chronic foot injury and was not optimistic about playing in 2012 when interviewed by the Associated Press in November.

“I have not decided yet, but I don’t think I can play anymore [due to a chronic foot injury].  It hurts me to say that.”

Drafted in 1998 as a third baseman, Burrell spent the majority of his career as a left fielder.  Before finishing his career with the Rays and Giants, Burrell spent nine seasons with the Phillies hitting .257/.367/.485.  He ranks fourth all-time on the Phillies’ home run list with 251.

As Colts owner Jim Irsay mulls over his decision of the future of Peyton Manning in Indianapolis, Titans fans are campaigning more than ever to bring the former University of  Tennessee star quarterback back “home” to play for their team, according to NBC Sports.

Titans fans have gone as far as creating a website, ComeHomePeyton.com, which features fan-made video tributes to Manning.  Donations can also be accepted through the site which serve to finance billboards and advertisements throughout the state calling Peyton back home.

Word still awaits from Colts’ owner Jim Irsay; however, news regarding Manning’s future should come relatively soon.  If Peyton is not released or moved before March 8, the Colts would then have to pay the injured quarterback a roster bonus of $28 million.

In 2010, the 35-year old quarterback threw for 4,700 total yards and 33 touchdowns leading his team to the playoffs with a 10-6 record.

The New York Yankees are in “serious” talks with utility-man Bill Hall, according to Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal.

Sources: #Yankees in serious talks with Bill Hall. Role could be similar to what he had with #RedSox in 2010. Backup IF, RH bat in OF. #MLB

—
Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) January 30, 2012

Hall, 31, hit .211/.261/.314 with two home runs and 14 RBI in 62 games between the Houston Astros and the San Fransisco Giants. Just one year earlier, in 120 games as a super-utility player for the Boston Red Sox, Hall hit .247/.316/.456 with 18 home runs and 46 RBI.

Hall’s best season came in 2006 when he hit .270/.345/.554 with 35 home runs and 85 RBI for the Milwaukee Brewers. He has failed to come close to matching those career numbers in the previous five years, however.

Over the course of his 10-year-career he has managed to play over 200 games at third base, shortstop, second base, and in the outfield, making him one of the most versatile players in baseball.

The Philadelphia Eagles have added Todd Bowles to their defensive staff as a secondary coach beneath Juan Castillo, according to CSN Philadelphia. Castillo will remain as the club’s defensive coordinator.

Bowles has spent the last four seasons as the Dolphin’s assistant head coach/secondary coach. He took over as interim coach for the Dolphins after Tony Sparano was fired and helped the team end the season with a 2-1 record. Prior to his coaching career he spent a eight season in the NFL where he made a Super Bowl appearance in Super Bowl XXII.

The Eagles finished the 2011 season with an 8-8 record and finished second in the NFC conference.

Michigan’s head coach, Brady Hoke has been named the 2011 Collegiate Coach of the Year by the Maxwell Football Club, according to AnnArbor.com.

“Coach Hoke has engineered a tremendous turn around in the Michigan football program in just one year and it was obvious that his team improved each week,” Maxwell Football Club executive director Mark Wolpert said in the release.

Hoke led the Wolverines to an 11-2 season in his first year with the school, ending a seven year losing streak to Ohio state, and capturing their second BCS bowl game victory in the Sugar Bowl.

Prior to becoming Michigan’s head coach, Hoke coached San Diego State to a 13-12 record over two seasons.

During the fourth quarter in Sunday night’s game against the Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls power forward Carlos Boozer’s son was captured by television cameras cheering for his dad’s opponent, according to CBS Sports.

During a game break in the fourth quarter, ABC broadcasted a featured story on Boozer’s son who has against all odds recovered from sickle-cell anemia.  Immediately after the feature, the camera focused in on Boozer’s son, who was seen cheering for his father’s opponents, chanting, “Let’s Go Heat!”

Former NBA coach and ABC commentator Jeff Van Gundy reacted to Boozer’s son cheering saying over the broadcast, “If my kid is yelling ‘Let’s Go Heat’ like we just saw, I’ve got a problem…You can’t go against pop’s team…We would have a long talk.”

The Bulls ended up losing the game 97-93.  Boozer had 10 points, nine rebounds, two assists, and two steals.  Despite the loss, the Bulls still have the most wins in the NBA (17-5).

A three-year contract extension for manager Joe Maddon should be completed before pitchers and catchers report to spring training, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

Maddon, 57, helped manage the Rays into the playoffs this season after trailing the Boston Red Sox in the wild card standings by as many as nine-and-a-half games entering the final month of the season. The Rays, who finished with 90-or-more wins for the third time in the last four seasons, did so even after losing impact players such as Carl Crawford and Matt Garza from their 2010 squad.

The Rays went on to lose to the American League champion Texas Rangers in the American League Divisional Series. Maddon, however, was named the American League Manager of the Year for the second time in his career.

Maddon is best known for being at the helm of the Rays as they have transformed from perennial losers into a contender in baseball’s most difficult division. Despite losing 197 games in his first two seasons in Tampa, the Rays have managed to go 368-215 since 2008.

New York Giants wide receiver Hakeem Nicks should be ready for the Super Bowl XLVI game against the New England Patriots, despite a nagging shoulder injury, according to ProFootballTalk.

Nicks, who suffered the injury in the NFC title game against the San Francisco 49ers Jan. 22, has been held out of practice for a week and was listed officially as questionable for Sunday’s game. A league source has confirmed to ProFootballTalk that Nicks is expected to play this Sunday, however his range of motion maybe affected.

This season Nicks has received 76 passes for a total of 1,192 yards and has scored seven touchdowns. He has a career total of 197 receptions for 2,958 yards and 23 touch downs.

The New York Giants will compete for their fourth Super Bowl Championship on Sunday against the New England Patriots.

Former two-time heavyweight champion “Iron” Mike Tyson will be inducted into the World Wrestling Entertainment Hall of Fame on March 31, according to Mike Tyson’s official twitter account.

I'm looking forward to my induction into the @WWE Hall of Fame. Shout out to my friend Triple H.

—
Mike Tyson (@MikeTyson) January 30, 2012

In 1998, Tyson’s first role in the WWE came on Monday Night Raw when a melee broke out between him and Stone Cold Steve Austin.  Tyson then played the role as referee in Wrestlemania XIV in the matchup between Austin and Shawn Michaels.   Tyson also made an appearance last year as host of Monday Night Raw.

Last year, Tyson was inducted into Boxing’s Hall of Fame for his illustrious fighting career.  At 20 years of age, Tyson became the youngest to win the heavyweight title defeating Trevor Berbick.  He finished his career with a 50-6 record, 44 of those victories by way of knockout.

Colt’s owner Jim Irsay insists that he still has not made a decision on the future of Peyton Manning, according to Sports Illustrated’s Peter King.

“There has been no decision,” Irsay told King.  “This thing is still up in the air.  I guarantee you I have not made the decision.”

Before a $28 million roster bonus is due to Manning on March 8, Irsay must make his decision in the coming weeks whether to keep Manning a Colt.  As Irsay has already made several personnel changes, ridding coaches who spent most of their careers with Manning in Indy, King states, “it’s fair to assume that Manning may have played his last game for the Colts.”

As Irsay contemplates releasing Manning, many teams have shown interest in acquiring the potential free agent.  In 2010, the 35-year old quarterback threw for 4,700 total yards and 33 touchdowns leading his team to the playoffs with a 10-6 record.

In an interview with ESPN’s Hannah Storm, Indianapolis Colts owner Jim Irsay said that the club has had their eye open for a quarterback that could replace Peyton Manning prior to this season where he failed to play in a single game.

“I think we have identified that, even before this year, that you have your eye open at looking for that quarterback that can eventually replace Peyton,” Irsay said.

Manning’s immediate future with the squad has been in doubt after Irsay has completely overhauled the team’s front office and coaching staff in recent months. The Colts, who have been one of the most successful teams of the past decade, posted a 2-14 record last season after a neck injury forced Manning to miss the entirety of the campaign.

Manning was originally drafted by the Colts in 1998 and had not missed a single game for Indianapolis until this season. In 208 contests he has thrown for 54,828 yards and recorded 399 touchdown passes.

Miami Heat star Lebron James rode his bike to the America Airlines Arena for the Sunday night showdown between the Miami Heat and the Chicago Bulls, according to NBC Sports.

Facing blocked-off streets because of the annual ING Miami Marathon, James was seen riding his custom designed bike with a decal reading “King James” on its side.  ABC reported Lebron rode three miles to the arena, setting a good example by wearing his helmet the entire way.

Each year, James hosts many charity events one of which provides bikes to the underserved youth in his native city of Akron, Ohio.

After arriving to the American Airlines Arena safe and sound, James led the Heat to a 97-93 victory over Derrick Rose and the Chicago Bulls.  James had 35 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists, and one block.  Currently, the Heat are 15-5, standing first in the Southeast Division.

Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard would be open to playing with Derrick Rose in Chicago, according to the Chicago Tribune.

“If I could play with Derrick right now and God wanted that to happen, it will happen,” Howard told the Tribune. “It has nothing to do with me not wanting to play with Derrick Rose. I love him. That’s my brother.”

“It has nothing to do with Adidas,” Howard said. “In fact, Adidas would love that because me and Derrick have the same guy.”

It had been previously speculated that Howard would not go to Chicago because he shares an Adidas sponsorship with Rose. Those speculations stemmed from a Yahoo! Sports article penned the day after Christmas that quoted one sneaker executive saying “Adidas simply cannot have its two signature players on the same team in the same market.”

Howard’s future with the Magic has been up in the air since the three-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year said that he planned to become a free-agent following this season. There have been talks about a potential Howard trade, however the teams which the All-Star center would sign an extension with are limited, which have led Orlando to wait until the trade deadline when they might have better leverage for a deal.

The Carolina Panthers have changed to a “more aggressive” logo, according to the Associated Press. The team has had the same logo since joining the league in 1995.

According to a press release Sunday night, the logo has a “more aggressive, contemporary look to the logo while making it more three-dimensional for ever-increasing digital use.”

The new logo will be used throughout the 2012 season.

New England Patriots wide receiver Wes Welker said Sunday that he plans to return to the team even though he will be a free agent after the season, according to NESN.com.

“I plan on being back,” Welker said, according to the report. “I’m not really too worried about that right now. I’m fully concentrated on this game and what we have to do, but I plan on being back.”

Patriots owner Robert Kraft also seemed confident that Welker would return to the team.

“I think Wes wants to be here, and we want him here,” Kraft said Jan. 20. “Hopefully when the season ends, both sides will be wise enough to consummate something. He’s pretty special. Anytime there’s a player on this team I can look eye to eye and be at the same level, he’s an important guy.”

Welker, 30, has become a favorite target of quarterback Tom Brady. In 2011 he finished with 122 catches and nine touchdowns.

Oakland Athletics pitcher Dallas Braden will pitch off a mound Monday for the first time since having shoulder surgery in May, according to MLB.com.

“Tomorrow’s Christmas for me,” Braden said Sunday, according to the report. “Get to bed early, leave cookies and milk out on the table, see what happens.”

He’s expected to throw 25 pitches — just fastballs — and he said that he feels healthy after rehabbing almost a year and missing the majority of the 2011 season.

“I feel great. I feel really strong,” Braden said. “It’s nice to know all the hard work we put into the offseason and the days you didn’t want to get up and the days you didn’t want to push through, you now understand why it’s important to do so.”

The Texas Rangers and pitcher Roy Oswalt will meet Monday, according to ESPN.com. Several reports have stated that Oswalt has narrowed his choices to the Rangers and St. Louis Cardinals.

“If that were to happen, you’d love to have extra depth,” Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said Friday. “The flip side we’ve got to consider is what if that doesn’t happen? How does it all fit together? We’ve spent a lot of time and resources developing this younger group where they are ready to maybe take that next step and do we owe it to them? Those are things we’re walking through right now.”

Oswalt, 34, has said that he will not pitch in relief, which could make for a crowded staff in Texas.

As a Philadelphia Phillie last season, Oswalt was 9-10 with a 3.69 ERA.

Veteran knuckleballer Tim Wakefield said this week that he hopes to spend next season with the Boston Red Sox and that several other teams have expressed interest in him, according to FloridaToday.com.

“I just saw that (Jorge) Posada retired, you know it’s something that my wife and I need to talk about,” Wakefield said. “I’d probably need to talk about it with my kids, too. Ultimately, I would like to obviously play for the Boston Red Sox for one more year and see where it goes.”

Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington said in December that he was unsure whether or not Wakefield would be asked to return to the team. Wakefield has been with Boston since 1995 and appeared in 33 games last season.

Wakefield, 45, said that he met new manager Bobby Valentine and told him that he wanted to be with the team.

“I introduced myself and told him I hope to get a chance to play for him this year,” Wakefield said, according to the report.

Dallas Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd will be sidelined for at least a week with a strained calf sustained Friday night, according to ESPNDallas.com.

“It’s not real serious, but it’s going to take a while,” coach Rick Carlisle said Sunday, according to ESPN. “We’re going to say that it’s going to be at least a week and it’s probably going to be longer.”

Kidd, 38, has already missed three times more games this season due to injury than he did last year.

“He’s been so consistent just being out there on the floor,” Carlisle said. “Really, I don’t remember him sitting a game for injury since I’ve been here. We’ve rested him a couple of times, but it may have been a couple things where he was banged up slightly.”

Kidd is averaging just 4.1 points and 5.1 assists for the struggling Mavericks this season.

The Los Angeles Lakers are considering signing guard Gilbert Arenas, according to ESPN’s Chris Broussard.

Steve Blake will miss at least another few weeks with a rib injury, and two rookies are backing up veteran Derek Fisher at guard.

Arenas, 30, was waived by the Orlando Magic in December. The once-explosive scorer averaged just eight points a game last year with the Magic.

Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Zach Greinke said that he would be open to discussing an extension with the team after his contract is up in 2012, according to MLB.com.

Greinke, the 2009 Cy Yound Award winner, does not have an agent representing him, but he says that won’t stop him from negotiating a contract extension with Milwaukee.

“I’ll talk to them about it. I don’t really want to talk to anyone else about it,” Greinke said, according to the report. “But I like the business of baseball. It’s exciting for me. It’s not like I plan on being my agent, but it is exciting being able to know what’s going on behind the scenes.”

Greinke was 16-6 last season for the Brewers, recording 201 strikeouts.

The Philadelphia 76ers have inquired about New York Knicks big man Amar’e Stoudemire, according to CSNPhilly.com.

The talks are said to be preliminary at this time, but with the Knicks struggling and Philadelphia a surprising 14-6, the deal could free up some space on the New York payroll. Stoudemire signed a five-year, $100 million contract prior to the 2010-11 season.

In addition, there have been reports stating that Stoudemire and Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony are not co-existing well.

Stoudemire is averaging 17.6 points per game this season, down from 25.3 points last year.

New York Giants defensive end Justin Tuck said Friday that comments praising the Giants made by New England Patriots players is simply lip service.

“Typical Patriot fashion,” Tuck told the New York Daily News. “They give compliments to everyone they play.”

Other players were similarly dismissive.

“They can say whatever they want,” defensive end Dave Tollefson said, according to the paper. “We can say whatever we want. We’re going to play next Sunday. We’ll settle it out there.”

Houston Rockets guard Courtney Lee was unharmed after being involved in a car accident following Saturday’s game with the New York Knicks, according to an Associated Press report.

The report states that his car was struck by another vehicle, but a team spokesman said that Lee called a Rockets security guard to say that he was okay.

As of Sunday, Houston police had no accident report, according to the AP.

Lee has started the last two games for the Rockets, scoring 14 points in Houston’s win over the Knicks Saturday.

Typically, the NFL prefers its players mum during games, as well as directly before and after. However, in this year’s Pro Bowl, the league is encouraging players to tweet during the game, an idea that doesn’t sit well with Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison.

Why u think the NFL "wants us" to tweet during the Pro Bowl but wont "let us" til 90 min AFTER a real game? I wont tweet during today's game—
James Harrison (@jharrison9292) January 29, 2012

The NFL rule, in fact, is that players cannot tweet 90 minutes prior to a game and not until they have finished speaking to the media afterwards.

The NFL has placed computers on each sideline this year in hopes that players and fans can interact via Twitter during the game.

Kenyon Martin plans to return to the United States and catch on with an NBA team once the Chinese Basketball Association season wraps up on Feb. 16, and there will be a number of team vying for his services. Among them, according to ESPN Los Angeles, are the L.A. Clippers.

“Kenyon is an experienced guy that knows how to play,” coach Vinny Del Negro said. “He can play some four, play some five. He brings a lot of athleticism to the team.”

Martin, an 11-year-veteran, has averaged 13.5 points and 7.2 rebounds per game over the course of his career with the Nets and Nuggets. He turned 34 last month and he’s been hampered by injuries for much of his last three seasons, but he may still have something left to offer a contending team.

“I think he’s very valuable,” said Chauncey Billups, who played with Martin for three years in Denver. “He comes from winning stock. He’s been to the Finals twice, has great ability and is a leader. He’s one of the great one-on-one big man defenders that I’ve played with.”

The Clippers currently sit at 10-6, a half-game ahead of the Lakers for first place in the Pacific Division.

Pat Hill was fired at the end of the 2011 season as head coach of the Fresno State football team, but it didn’t take him long to get back in the game. ESPN’s Pat Yasinskas reports that the Atlanta Falcons have hired Hill as their next offensive line coach.

Hill replaces Paul Boudreau, who had been on the Falcons’ staff throughout the tenure of head coach Mike Smith.

In 15 seasons at the helm in Fresno, Hill led the Bulldogs to an 112-80 record and 11 bowl game appearances. They won a share of the Western Athletic Conference title in 1999.

The Falcons went 10-6 last season, making the postseason for the third time in four years, but losing in the first round to the New York Giants.

It’s been a miserable 13 months for the Towson men’s basketball team, but the misery ended today. The longest losing streak in the history of Div. I hoops is over at 41, as the Tigers snagged a win today against UNC-Wilmington.

Marcus Damas led the way with 18 points and Deon Jones added 15, and Towson earned a 66-61 win at home.

It was the first career win at Towson for coach Pat Skerry, and the program’s first since a win at La Salle on Dec. 29, 2010, 395 days ago.

By now, Dwight Howard’s “wish list” of potential trade destinations has been fairly well publicized — the Los Angeles Lakers, New Jersey Nets and Dallas Mavericks are the three teams Howard would like to play for in the future, should the Orlando Magic choose to move him. But Howard this week revealed another potential landing spot: the Boston Celtics.

“I’d always listen to a team like that,” Howard told Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald. “I want to win a championship, and it takes a certain type of team to win a championship. You know, there’s a lot of teams who are great during the regular season. They play well, but it’s different once you play in those playoffs, you know?”

Howard has gotten to see the Celtics’ prowess up close and personal this week, as his Magic have taken a pair of beatings from the C’s. They blew a 27-point lead on Thursday night to lose to the visitors in green, and they scored a franchise-record-low 56 points in a blowout loss in Boston on Monday night.

While Howard has been the subject of trade rumors all season, it doesn’t necessarily have to be a trade that puts Howard in the Hub. The Celtics will have a great deal of space under the salary cap in 2012 with Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Jermaine O’Neal all coming off the books, so a free-agent signing this summer is a real possibility.

Colts owner Jim Irsay and Peyton Manning attempted to clear the air Friday about the rumored rift between them, releasing a statement saying the two were on the same page. But according to a report from NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora, that statement hasn’t changed a thing, and Manning and the Colts are done.

“According to sources who were involved in the Colts’ GM search, the organization was planning to move on from Manning weeks ago, well before this public squabble between the quarterback and his owner,” La Canfora said. “So Friday’s joint statement won’t be changing a thing.”

La Canfora says the Colts will “almost certainly” look to move Manning before this year’s NFL Scouting Combine, which is slated to get underway on Feb. 22 in Indianapolis.

The Colts are expected to take Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck with the No. 1 overall pick in this spring’s draft.