Sports Pros(e)

Heavily courted free agent Hedo Turkoglu has apparently backed out of his commitment to the Portland Trail Blazers and intends on signing with the Toronto Raptors, a source told Yahoo! Sports.

Turkoglu, who shined for the Orlando Magic during the NBA playoffs, had agreed to a five-year, $50 million deal with Portland but has broken off talks with the franchise.

A source says Turkoglu's wife wanted badly to live in Toronto, a far more European-style city, and that's where it appears the Turkish native is headed. The Raptors have embraced the Euro game under GM Bryan Colangelo, building a roster that includes Euro talents Jose Calderon and Andrea Bargnani.

Source: Turkoglu changes mind on Blazers    (Yahoo!)

Because we live in America --and more importantly -- because someone signed off on the whole idea, three elephants were pitted against three human beings in a bun-eating competition today at Brooklyn's Coney Island.

As you'd expect, the elephants crushed their competition, collectively eating 505 hot dog buns in six minutes compared to a palty 143 total racked up by the homo sapiens.

While this event lacks the gravitas of tomorrow's human vs. human competition, it did make for some compelling, if not slightly awkward footage on the local news.

A cursory tale of the tape seems to suggest that this wasn't really a fair fight at all.

Ringling Bros. Animal Stewardship Director Janice Aria says the elephants enjoy bread and can eat a foot-long loaf in 1.6 seconds.

Organizers say the humans weighed about 500 pounds combined, the Asian elephants about 9 tons combined.

Elephants outdo humans in NYC bun-eating contest     (AP)

Agent to the stars Scott Boras is at it again.

The high-profile representative who has a long history of creative maneuvering when it comes to the MLB draft, is floating the possibility that wunderkind and top overall pick Stephen Strasburg could play professionally in Japan if he's not paid in line with what Boras thinks he's worth.

His asking price is believed to be around $50 million -- as opposed to within the parameters of the current system, in which no player has ever received more than $10.5 million.

Even before talks began with the Washington Nationals, who made Strasburg the first overall pick June 9, Boras was dropping hints privately that he is preparing to explore a new frontier in his ongoing draft-busting crusade: Japan.

Such a ploy, were Boras to go in that direction, could involve a variety of issues, from the complex relationship between Major League Baseball and Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball, the residency requirements of both countries and, of course, the Major League Rules.

The Washington Post article examines some of the gray areas of the rule book that are being tested by Boras and Major League Baseball's reaction to it. Definitly a worthwhile read if you're interested in baseball and law and money and international intrigue -- which I think deep down, we all are.

Boras May Explore Japan for Strasburg     (Washington Post)

Competitive eater Crazy Legs Conti is talking to me about complexities surrounding the sports. He's telling me how heat and humidity can cause a hot dog frank to expand and contract. He's describing how not everyone's mandibles work in the same way and comparing the competitive eating circuit to Jack Kerouac's "On the Road."

He's telling me about how there are spots open to amateurs at any of the events sponsored by the International Federation of Competitive Eating. And I'm beginning to think that this face-stuffing jamboree is something I could do.

Then, he starts throwing otherworldly numbers out there that bringing me back to Earth.

Say what you want about the WNBA, but it's uniquely absent of high-profile cases of its athletes becoming embroiled in legal troubles.

Well, usually.

Phoenix Mercury guard and UCONN great Diana Taurasi was cited for drunk driving early this morning, just hours after her team took it to the Seattle Storm.

Phoenix police spokesman Luis Samudio says an officer stopped Taurasi at about 2:30 Thursday morning for allegedly speeding. A police statement says the officer smelled alcohol and gave her several field sobriety tests.

Taurasi was then driven to a mobile DUI van where she gave a blood sample, then was cited and released. Authorities did not know her blood alcohol content.

Taurasi is the leading vote-getter in WNBA All-Star voting.

Phoenix police: Mercury's Taurasi cited for DUI     (AP)

(AP Photo)

Landon Donovan, who captained the United States men's national soccer team to a respectable finish in the Confederations Cup, is lashing out at his LA Galexy teammate David Beckham.

In a new book titled "The Beckham Experiement" Donovan calls out Beckham, who has been on a five-month loan with Bayern Munich, for what he sees as lack of commitment.

Sam Fuld was right in the middle of the Cubs' offensive attack on Thursday night. (AP)

Cub manager Lou Piniella's decision to give left fielder Alfonso Soriano a rest for the second straight night may have raised a few eyebrows before Thursday's game, but the man who replaced him in the order may have raised even more with his stellar play.

Sam Fuld, the 27-year-old outfielder who collected his first two major-league hits on Wednesday night, kick-started the Cubs offense on Thursday by working a nine-pitch walk off of Milwaukee Brewers starting pitcher Seth McClung. Ryan Theriot followed with a single and Derrek Lee and Jake Fox each connected on tape-measure home runs to the left-field bleachers, giving the hosts quick 4-0 lead in the first of four crucial games at home against NL Central leaders.

"It's pretty simple," Fuld said before the game when asked about his role as leadoff hitter. "Get on base. I'm not trying to hit too many home runs. I just try to set the table for the middle of the order and [get on base] however I can."

The up and down 2009 season has certainly taken its toll on Cubs fans, but Jim Hendry remains the duck that appears to swim gracefully above water while paddling like hell beneath the surface.

The Cubs general manager talked to reporters before Thursday night's game, and remained steadfast in his role as eternal optimist heading into this pivotal homestand. Hendry brushed off the thought of any criticism fans might have of the job he's done or the team's sub-.500 showing so far this season.

"I spent most of my life in baseball and you take the good with the bad," said Hendry. "I've heard a lot of great things said about me and written that I didn't quite believe."

That said, Henry also admitted that if things aren't going well on the field, any criticism "ought to start with me."

New York Jets linebacker Calvin Pace has been suspended four games by the NFL for violating the NFL Policy on Performing Enhancing Substances.

Pace is still eligible to practice with his teammates and play in pre-season games, but won't be allowed to play in a regular-season game until after Oct. 4.

The 6-foot-4, 270 pounder racked up a career-high seven sacks last season and had this to say about his current situation:

"This is a situation that resulted from an over-the-counter dietary supplement that contained a substance that I did not know violated the league's policy," Pace said in a statement.  "I am responsible for what I put into my body and I should have paid closer attention to the league's guidelines. I regret that this has happened and apologize to my teammates, the entire Jets organization as well as the fans. Hopefully, this does not distract from our ultimate goal of winning the Super Bowl."

NFL Suspends LB Calvin Pace for 4 Games    (New York Jets)

(AP Photo)

Shaquille O'Neal, the man whose shoulders now share the weight of the Cleveland Cavaliers championship hopes, was introduced as the team's newest member Thursday. By all accounts, it was not your average, boring presser.

O'Neal unveiled his "Win a ring for the King" motto for this season and even brought a visual aid with him -- proof that he and general manager Danny Ferry are previously acquainted:



If today's press conference is any indication, it promises to be an extremely entertaining tenure in Cleveland for the big man.