Workman, Bradley at Sea Dogs dinner Jan. 17
PORTLAND — Boston Red Sox pitcher Brandon Workman, who started the 2013 season with the Sea Dogs and finished the season pitching for the Red Sox in the World Series, will be returning to Portland for the Sea Dogs Hot Stove Dinner and Silent Auction Friday, Jan. 17.
Workman will be joined by Red Sox outfielder and former Sea Dog Jackie Bradley Jr. and longtime Red Sox official Dick Berardino at 5:30 p.m. at the Sable Oaks Marriott in South Portland. The event benefits the Maine Children’s Cancer Program. Additional guests will be announced.
Tickets can be purchased in at the Hadlock Field Ticket Office, by phone at 207-879-9500 or online at www.seadogs.com.
Packers’ Rodgers won’t make Thanksgiving return
Green Bay Packers head coach Mike McCarthy opened his Monday press conference by erasing speculation about quarterback Aaron Rodgers playing in the Thanksgiving Day game at Detroit.
“He would like to go,” said McCarthy. “Frankly, based on the info where we are, I would say he’s slim to none.”
Rodgers suffered a fractured collarbone in a loss to the Chicago Bears on Nov. 4 and said last week he would like to return for Thursday’s game against the NFC North rival Detroit Lions. But as Rodgers said last week on his radio appearance with ESPN Radio in Milwaukee, risk-assessment would be the final determining factor.
McCarthy does not believe Rodgers is healthy enough to test his injury in a full-contact environment.
Bogut, Williams suspended for fighting
Golden State Warriors center Andrew Bogut and Portland Trail Blazers guard Mo Williams were suspended one game without pay for fighting, the NBA announced Monday.
The incident occurred with 3:42 left in the third quarter of the Trail Blazers’ 113-101 win over the Warriors on Saturday in Oakland.
Bogut initiated the incident by elbowing Trail Blazers center Joel Freeland in the jaw. Portland forward LaMarcus Aldridge was fined $45,000, and Portland guard Wesley Matthews and Golden State forward Draymond Green were fined $20,000 each for escalating it.
Canadian teams top Forbes’ most valuable list
Canadian teams dominated the top end of Forbes’ annual list of the National Hockey League’s most valuable franchises on Monday with the Toronto Maple Leafs leading the pack for an eighth consecutive year.
For the first time since Forbes began tracking NHL team valuations in 1998, three of the league’s five most valuable franchises are Canadian.
The Toronto Maple Leafs were deemed the most valuable at $1.15 billion, a 15 percent jump from last year, while the Montreal Canadiens ($775 million) and Vancouver Canucks ($700 million) were third and fourth, respectively, in the survey.
The New York Rangers ($850 million) were second on the list while the defending Stanley Cup champion Chicago Blackhawks ($625 million) rounded out the top five.
The NHL’s 30 teams are worth an average $413 million, a 46 percent rise over last year but still below the average values of franchises in the other major North American sports leagues.
Michigan State stays on top of AP poll
The Michigan State men’s basketball team won three games last week to stay on top of the Associated Press top 25 poll, which was released Monday.
The Spartans (6-0) received 56 first-place votes while No. 2 Kansas picked up eight votes.
No. 3 Kentucky and No. 4 Arizona each moved up one place. Oklahoma State, which received the remaining first-place vote, jumped from seventh to No. 5
Duke, Ohio State, Syracuse, Louisville and Wisconsin rounded out the top 10. Louisville took a tumble from No. 3 last week after losing to North Carolina.
No. 23 Iowa and No. 24 Massachusetts replaced VCU and New Mexico in the poll. VCU fell from 10th after losing two games and New Mexico dropped from 19th.