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WHO'S Hot WHO'S Not
WHO'S Hot
Redskins
Quick fix: Nine hours after Phillip Daniels tore a knee ligament on the first drill of training camp—he'll miss the season—Washington filled the void at defensive end by trading two draft picks for Dolphins All-Pro and Dancing with the Stars star Jason Taylor (above). Said Skins executive VP Vinny Cerrato, "We're fortunate there was a guy that caliber on the market when somebody got hurt."
LeBron's bikes
After hosting 2,000 kids at his annual bike-a-thon, King James (right) donated 10 Cannondale bicycles to Akron's police department. Could be a smart move: James, who in December was ticketed for going 101 mph, will be hard to catch with pedal power.
Revolution
On a flight from Boston to L.A., Craig Tornberg, G.M. of MLS's New England franchise, helped subdue a man who emerged naked from the bathroom and tried to open the plane's emergency door. Soon after, his players were heroes. The Revs tied Chivas USA to advance to the SuperLiga semis.
Video games
What recession? Sales of consoles and software jumped 53% in June compared with last year, and the industry has a new leader. With 10.9 million units sold since its 2006 release, Nintendo's Wii passed the Xbox 360 as the best-selling system in the U.S.
WHO'S Not
A's
Sudden surrender: Oakland went into the All-Star break just 4 1/2 games back in the wild-card race, but the white flag is up. Before suffering a sweep by the Yankees, the A's sent Joe Blanton to the Phils, their second starter traded this month. Closer Huston Street may go next. Said righty Justin Duchscherer (above), "Sometimes you wonder ... what the organization is doing."
Oscar's blades
Amputee sprinter Oscar Pistorius's Olympic odyssey is over: The South African missed a spot on the 1,600-meter relay team by .7 of a second. Pistorius, who runs on two prosthetic carbon-fiber blades, will run in the Paralympic Games in Beijing in September.
Rotator cuffs
Shoulder woes hobbled several: Phil Dumatrait (Pirates), Dustin McGowan (Blue Jays), Wily Mo Pe√±a (Nats) and Jorge Posada (Yankees) went on the DL. Posada may have season-ending surgery. And—bring up the violins—virtuoso Itzhak Perlman missed a Chicago gig after rotator cuff surgery.
Video clips
What a temper. The Internet buzzed with video of another Danica Patrick (left) tiff: During qualifying she confronted the Indy 200's other female driver, Milka Duno, to complain about her driving. Patrick swore. Duno snapped a towel. Neither raced well. Danica finished 12th, Duno 23rd.
SI PLAYERS MLB POLL
Who will be MVP of your league?
National League
Chase Utley, Phillies 2B 50%
Chipper Jones, Braves 3B 28%
Lance Berkman, Astros 1B 15%
Albert Pujols, Cardinals 1B 2%
American League
Josh Hamilton, Rangers OF 74%
Manny Ramirez, Red Sox OF 13%
Alex Rodriguez, Yankees 3B 5%
Carlos Quentin, White Sox OF 3%
FAST FACTS
Players couldn't vote for a teammate.... Marlins 2B Dan Uggla tied with Pujols in the NL.... At week's end Hamilton led the majors with 95 RBIs and was third in the AL with 21 homers.... Utley would be the third straight Phillies player to win the NL MVP, following 1B Ryan Howard and SS Jimmy Rollins.... Giants righty Tim Lincecum (11--3) was the only pitcher to get more than one vote.
Based on a survey of 199 AL players and 235 NL players • For more on the poll go to SI.com/players
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LUIS M. ALVAREZ/AP (TAYLOR)
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JERRY LAI/US PRESSWIRE (DUCHSCHERER)
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LEW STAMP/AKRON BEACON JOURNAL/KRT/ABACA (JAMES)
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JOE ROBBINS/US PRESSWIRE (PATRICK)
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AL TIELEMANS (UTLEY)
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AARON M. SPRECHER/ICON SMI (HAMILTON)
