SB Nation Philly: All Posts by Jay King

Penn State Scandal: Joe Paterno Sought, Recieved Golden Parachute To Retire Amidst Scandal

2012-07-14T16:04:58Z

Former Penn State football coach Joe Paterno had negotiated a golden parachute arrangement to retire from his position at the end of the 2011 season before the Jerry Sandusky scandal became public knowledge, the New York Times reported on Saturday.

Paterno would have received $3 million to retire after the conclusion of the 2011 season and the $350,000 the university had loaned him would have been forgotten. His contract was not due to expire until after the 2012 season but he and the university's president, both of whom knew where the Sandusky investigation would lead, negotiated the golden parachute arrangement.

Penn State's board of trustees was reportedly kept in the dark regarding the arrangement, which ultimately was revisited during the 2011 season when the Sandusky investigation was completed and Paterno was fired amid the scandal. The board of trustees agreed to give Paterno's family a nice package anyway, worth roughly $5.5 million according to the Times.

For more on the Freeh report and the Penn State scandal, visit this StoryStream. Also check out Black Shoe Diaries for more on Penn State football.

NHL Rumors: Shane Doan Gets A Big Offer, Flyers Involved?

2012-07-14T15:45:05Z

An unnamed Eastern Conference team has offered unrestricted free agent Shane Doan a four-year contract worth at least $30 million, according to John Gambadoro of Sports 620 KTAR Phoenix.

The 35-year old Doan had 22 goals and 28 assists for 50 goals last season with the Phoenix Coyotes. He is a respected scorer, tallying at least 50 points for each of the last nine seasons. But if this unnamed Eastern Conference team is the Flyers... Travis Hughes of Broad Street Hockey doesn't like it. At all.

I'd love Shane Doan on the Flyers. I think he's a fantastic player and if he can hop in, play in the top-6 and at least replace Jaromir Jagr's scoring from a year ago, I'd be all for it. But for $7.5 million per year, a deal that would make him the highest paid player on the team until 2016? (Or until Claude Giroux takes that title in two years.) Not a chance in hell.

Paul Holmgren isn't this crazy, right? Please re-assure me of that before I have a panic attack.

You can read more about the Philadelphia Flyers at Broad Street Hockey. For more on the NHL draft and additional news, notes and analysis around the league during the season and offseason, be sure to check out SB Nation's dedicated hub page.

Tour de France 2012 Results: Andre Greipel Wins Stage 13, Bradley Wiggins Maintains Lead

2012-07-14T15:34:03Z

Andre Greipel of Germany won Stage 13 of the Tour de France on Saturday, while Bradley Wiggins of Britain remained in control of the race.

Greipel won a photo finish in just under five hours, finishing at 4:47:59, just a hair ahead Peter Sagan of Slovakia.

Wiggins held the lead briefly toward the end of the stage, but fell slightly behind during the furious sprint to the finish. He was evidently trying to allow one of his Team Sky teammates, Edvald Boassan Hagen, but cost himself a chance to win while doing so. Wiggins still kept the yellow jersey and maintained a 2:05 lead over Christopher Froome of Britain.

Saturday brings Stage 14, a 191-kilometer trek from Limoux to Foix.

For complete 2012 Tour de France standings, visit NBCSports.com.

For more on the Tour de France, please be sure to check out our blog Podium Cafe, SB Nation and SB Nation Boston for all the latest news and updates.

New York Mets Prospects Matt Harvey, Zack Wheeler Could Benefit From Depleted Starting Rotation

2012-07-14T14:51:24Z

The New York Mets remain in the NL Wild Card hunt largely because of a starting rotation that ranks fourth in ERA among National League teams. But their rotation has been decimated because of injury, and the Mets could soon be looking for a fifth starter. If it becomes a dire need, the Mets might even consider rushing one of their two best minor league pitching prospects.

Miguel Batista, who appeared in relief Friday night, is expected to get the first crack at the opening. But if he falters, the Mets could be forced to turn to young prospects who they don't feel are particularly ready.

According to the New York Post, Matt Harvey could be next in line after Batista. The Mets are hesitant to promote Harvey, the seventh overall pick in the 2010 MLB Draft, because they feel the right-hander still needs work. But the 23-year-old has been impressive at Triple-A Buffalo, where he is 7-4 with a 3.39 ERA in 18 starts.

An intriguing option outside of Harvey is Zack Wheeler, who hasn't yet pitched a single Triple-A game. The Post notes that Wheeler, the Mets' top prospect, has a season cap of approximately 150 innings and has already pitched 92 2/3. But the 22-year-old righty has dominated his first stint in Double-A this season, compiling an 8-4 record with a 2.62 ERA in 15 starts.

Stick with this StoryStream for previews, updates and more from the New York Mets vs. Atlanta Braves series. For all things Mets, head over to Amazin' Avenue. If the Braves are your team, check out Talking Chop.

Former Yankee Hensley Meulens Honored With The Royal Decoration Of The Kingdom Of The Netherlands

2012-07-14T14:00:55Z

Former New York Yankees utility man and current San Francisco Giants hitting coach Hensley Meulens was presented with The Royal Decoration of the Kingdom of the Netherlands on Friday night prior to San Francisco's game with the Houston Astros.

The honor makes Meulens the Dutch version of a Knight. He wasn't quite a Knight during his time in a Yankees uniform, hitting .221 with 12 home runs and 46 RBI over parts of five seasons. He finished his career with brief stints in Montreal and Arizona, bringing his Major League totals to .220 batting with 15 home runs and 53 RBI.

The Giants have taken to calling Meuelens, a third-year hitting coach, "Sir Bam Bam" since his honor was initially revealed in April. The native of Curacao participated with the Netherlands in the 2000 Olympics and coached the country's Olympic team in 2004.

For more on the Yankees, visit the SB Nation blog Pinstripe Alley.

Los Angeles Angels (48-39) At New York Yankees (53-33) Preview: Game Time, TV Schedule, Probable Pitchers

2012-07-14T14:00:20Z

The New York Yankees look for their sixth consecutive victory on Saturday afternoon when they host the Los Angeles Angels at Yankee Stadium. (Game Time: 1:05 p.m., TV Schedule: YES)

New York stole a 6-5 victory Friday night by scoring four runs in the eighth inning. Mark Teixeira tied the game at 5-5 with a three-run homer and Russell Martin sent an RBI single to right field later in the same frame for the winning margin.

Friday night's contest was the Yankees' first since the All-Star break. Freddy Garcia will start for New York. The Angels are expected to counter with Jerome Williams, who has not made a start since June 18 due to an asthma attack.

Current Series

Yankees lead the series 1-0

Fri 07/13	WP: Chad Qualls (1 - 0) SV: Rafael Soriano LP: Scott Downs (1 - 1)	6 - 5 win
Los Angeles Angels Halos Heaven @ New York Yankees Pinstripe Alley Saturday, Jul 14, 2012, 1:05 PM EDT Yankee Stadium Jerome Williams vs Freddy Garcia Mostly cloudy. Winds blowing out to left field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 85. Complete Coverage >
Sun 07/15		1:05 PM EDT

Stick with this StoryStream for previews, scores and more from the New York Yankees' series against the Los Angeles Angels. For all things Yankees, check out Pinstripe Alley.

New York Mets (46-41) At Atlanta Braves (47-39) Preview: Game Time, TV Schedule, Probable Pitchers

2012-07-14T14:00:20Z

The New York Mets continue a three-game series with the Atlanta Braves on Saturday afternoon at 4:05 p.m. ET at Turner Field. (TV Schedule: Fox)

The Mets resumed play after the All-Star break on Friday night to poor reviews. Starting pitcher Chris Young surrendered five runs in just three innings as New York fell to Atlanta, 7-5, to drop 1.5 games behind the Braves in the NL Wild Card race.

R.A. Dickey will look to build on his fantastic first half for the Mets, with a chance to earn his 11th straight win. The Braves will counter with Tommy Hanson.

Current Series

Braves lead the series 1-0

Fri 07/13	WP: Cristhian Martinez (4 - 1) SV: Craig Kimbrel LP: Chris Young (2 - 3)	5 - 7 loss
New York Mets Amazin' Avenue @ Atlanta Braves Talking Chop Saturday, Jul 14, 2012, 4:05 PM EDT Turner Field R.A. Dickey vs Tommy Hanson Partly cloudy,rain. Winds blowing from right to left field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 90. Complete Coverage >
Sun 07/15		1:35 PM EDT

Stick with this StoryStream for previews, updates and more from the New York Mets vs. Atlanta Braves series. For all things Mets, head over to Amazin' Avenue. If the Braves are your team, check out Talking Chop.

Phillies Vs. Rockies: Preview, Game Time, TV Schedule, Probable Pitchers

2012-07-14T13:28:47Z

The Philadelphia Phillies look to avoid their sixth straight defeat on Saturday night when they resume their three-game series with the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. (Game Time: 8:10 p.m. ET, TV Schedule: CSN)

The All-Star break did not cure Philadelphia's woes, at least on Friday night. The Phillies fell 6-2 to the Rockies in the series opener to drop to 37-51 for the season. Cliff Lee lasted six innings, surrendering three runs, two of which were earned.

The Phillies will turn to Vance Worley on Saturday in hopes of ending their slide. He will be opposed by Colorado's Jeremy Guthrie.

Current Series

Rockies lead the series 1-0

Fri 07/13	WP: Christian Friedrich (5 - 6) LP: Cliff Lee (1 - 6)	2 - 6 loss
Philadelphia Phillies The Good Phight @ Colorado Rockies Purple Row Saturday, Jul 14, 2012, 8:10 PM EDT Coors Field Vance Worley vs Jeremy Guthrie Partly cloudy,rain. Winds blowing in from right field at 5-10 m.p.h. Game time temperature around 90. Complete Coverage >
Sun 07/15		3:10 PM EDT

Stick with this StoryStream for previews, updates and more from the Philadelphia Phillies series against the Colorado Rockies. For all things Phillies, check out The Good Phight. If the Rockies are your team, check out Purple Row.