N ews item: Boston Red Sox owner John Henry shocked the baseball world when he abruptly declared that his team was no longer "a factor" in the negotiations for free-agent first baseman Mark Teixeira.
My take: This is quite a setback for agent Scott Boras, who apparently thought Henry bore a striking resemblance to Texas Rangers owner Tom Hicks, the guy who rolled over and gave Alex Rodriguez that ridiculous $252 million contract eight years ago.
News item: Washington Redskins executive vice president Vinny Cerrato waffled when answering a question about the future job security of coach Jim Zorn. Cerrato first answered, "Yeah," when asked whether Zorn would be back, then said the issue had not been discussed in the Redskins' front office.
My take: Cerrato said on a radio show that "It's business as usual in this building," which can't be too comforting for the guy who basically got the job on Daniel Snyder's whim and set himself up for a postseason fall by saying he felt "like the worst coach in the America" after the 'Skins lost to the lowly Cincinnati Bengals.
News item: Wide receiver Anquan Boldin and running back J.J. Arrington probably will miss today's game against New England, which isn't good news for the teams competing with the Patriots for the last AFC wild-card berth.
My take: Not that it figures to make much difference. The Cardinals already are a playoff team, but they have not beaten a decent team on the road all season.
News item: Ravens cornerback Frank Walker denied that he intentionally spat into the mouth of Pittsburgh Steelers punter Mitch Berger, calling the incident an accidental "slobber moment."
My take: The NFL did not punish Walker because there was no conclusive video evidence that the saliva broke the plane of Berger's lips.
News item: Braves president John Schuerholz blasted the agents for shortstop Rafael Furcal, calling them "despicable" for allegedly backing out of a verbal agreement with Atlanta to sign a $30 million contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. Schuerholz pledged that the Braves would never again deal with Paul Kinzer and Arn Tellem.
My take: Schuerholz's outrage is sincere, but he'll eventually cool off and realize it's not practical for the Braves to isolate themselves from a significant group of players.
News item: Southern California guard Jeff Byers has successfully petitioned the NCAA for a sixth year of college eligibility.
