The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced.

Pujols’ contract is only the third in baseball to break the $200 million barrier, following Alex Rodriguez‘s $252 million, 10-year deal with Texas before the 2001 season and A-Rod’s $275 million, 10-year contract with the Yankees before the 2008 season.

In addition, the Angels agreed to a five-year contract with left-hander C.J. Wilson, a deal worth about $75 million, a person familiar with that deal said, also on condition of anonymity because it had not been announced.

Pujols has spent all 11 of his major league seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals, becoming a franchise icon second only to Stan Musial. St. Louis also offered him a 10-year deal, but he chose to leave the Gateway City for sunny California.

“He left a pretty good impact over there, I don’t think fans will soon forget what his contributions were,” said former Cardinals manager and star Joe Torre, now an executive with Major League Baseball. “I still think the St. Louis fans are going to be more appreciative than angry.”

The Angels made the move as the financially troubled Los Angeles Dodgers are in the process of being sold by Frank McCourt in U.S. Bankruptcy Court, a move that could give the region’s NL team a new wealthy owner next year. The Dodgers could aggressively bid for talent a year from now, giving them a boost in the regional competition for fans’ attention.

Read more: SI.com

That much everyone can agree on.

Manny Pacquiao beat back an improbable, heroic effort from an aging champion to retain his WBO welterweight championship on Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, eking out a majority decision over the magnificent Juan Manuel Marquez in a fight that was just as close as their previous two ring wars. In doing so, he narrowly avoided a seismic upset.

One ringside judge scored it 114-114, with the other two giving it to Pacquiao at 115-113 and 116-114. SI.com had it 114-114.

Call it a lot of things, but don’t call it a robbery.

A heavily pro-Marquez crowd rained boos on the floor after Michael Buffer’s announcement of the outcome, hurling bottles and cans toward the ring — a far more vehement reaction than Floyd Mayweather experienced after his ungentlemanly knockout of Victor Ortiz in the same room just two months ago.

But the outcry was not commensurate to the injustice.

Yes, most of the media at ringside scored it a draw or a narrow victory for Marquez. But most of the rounds were very close. How close? Not once after the sixth did all three judges score a single round the same way.

Fact is, Saturday’s fight could have gone either way. There have been far more egregious iniquities in boxing — this year alone.

Marquez (53-6-1, 39 KOs), a 7-to-1 underdog who’d appeared vastly out of his depth in his only previous fight above lightweight, looked better than anyone expected from the opening bell, staying away from Pacquiao’s power in the early rounds and peppering him with well-timed counterpunches. The Filipino champion had trouble getting inside and landing shots, finding his hyperkinetic flurries thwarted regardless of his tack or pace. Marquez even managed to rock Pacquiao several times, most notably by gigantic right hands in the fourth, fifth and seventh.

During those the middle rounds Pacquiao was as apprehensive as he’s looked in years, wary of the counters, as confounded by the Marquez riddle as he was when they met at featherweight in 2004 and super featherweight in ’08. (They fought Saturday at a catchweight of 144, or 14 pounds above their most recent fight.) He was doing enough to bank a few rounds and keep the Mexican challenger from running out too far ahead, but it was clear the more disciplined Marquez was in control of the fight. After nine rounds, the fight was there for Marquez to take.

And then he took his foot off the gas.

Read more: SI.com

Read more: SI.com

Before that moment, nothing is certain. No matter what you’re promised, no matter how many posters or promo videos your face gets added to, that title shot isn’t really yours until they close the cage door behind you.

Nick Diaz found that out the hard way in September. Now it’s Carlos Condit’s turn.

Condit couldn’t have been too shocked when the UFC took his welterweight title shot and gave it right back to Diaz following UFC 137 last Saturday night. After all, the only reason he got the opportunity in the first place was because Diaz had screwed things up for himself by blowing off a couple of press conferences.

But with welterweight champ Georges St-Pierre injured, Condit had to wait for his chance to fight for a UFC title. While he waited, Diaz dominated B.J. Penn and then enraged GSP with a post-fight speech that accused the champ of faking an injury to get out of his obligations.

The combination of victory and crazy talk (does Diaz really believe that one of the world’s best pound-for-pound fighters has developed a sudden fear of fighting?) was enough to convince the UFC to rebook GSP-Diaz, leaving Condit even worse off than when he started.

Is it fair? By normal logic, probably not. But by MMA standards it’s all in the game, as The Wire‘s Omar might say. You don’t own a title shot so much as borrow it. It can be yanked out from under you almost right up until the last minute, and if it is, perhaps the worst thing you can do to improve your standing with the UFC is publicly complain about it.

Then again, it doesn’t look good to the fans if you offer no resistance whatsoever, which might explain the delicate little tightrope walk that Condit’s camp is attempting to pull off this week.



That was true for 96.8 percent of owners last season. But William Clay Ford Sr., overseer of the Detroit Lions, somehow managed to land in the financial red zone. The Lions were the only one of the 32 NFL franchises to lose money during the 2010 season.

Forbes has handed Ford Sr. the honor of being the worst owner in America’s most popular sport. The Lions franchise value has gone down 3 percent during the past five years — despite a beautiful new home stadium — and the Lions have won just 23 percent of their games with that 0-16 season thrown in for good measure.

The typical NFL team’s total value has grown 8 percent over the last half-decade. The Lions owner beat out the late Al Davis of the Oakland Raiders for the least desirable business honor in the NFL. The Silver & Black had the lowest income in the league last year.

Other lagging pro football owners include Bills boss Ralph Wilson Jr., Browns CEO Randy Lerner and Bengals top guy Mike Brown, all rounding out the worst five owners.

Read more: THEPOSTGAME.com

Buffalo couldn’t figure out what to do with the 2009 first-round draft pick. The Jets apparently have. Sunday, Maybin has a chance to show the Bills that he actually can play when New York and Buffalo square off in what could end up being a very important AFC East game.

Maybin told reporters that he’s had this game circled since catching on with the Jets — for the second time in just over a month — in late September. That’s usually how it goes when a player faces an old team, especially one that brought him into the league and bailed on him when he deservedly earned being let go.

Jets coach Rex Ryan is wise enough to know when to exploit any form of motivation — as we saw when he startedLaDainian Tomlinson against the Chargers in Week 7. Ryan also knows how to coach defense and create matchup advantages. That’s what he’s done with the 6-foot-4, 230-pound Maybin, a speedy pass rusher too slight to play every down.

Maybin is incredibly explosive rushing off the edge and if he simply has to beat a running back or other less athletic impediment, he’s got a chance, as long as he doesn’t have to fully engage. Although he still has a lot of room to improve, Maybin’s development as a pass rusher is encouraging. Besides the three sacks, he also has three forced fumbles, which is a trademark stat tracked by coaches when it comes to pass rushers.

Where Ryan and Maybin have to be wary is not to get burned by the player’s exuberance. The Bills have allowed just nine sacks — second fewest in the NFL — and Buffalo coach Chan Gailey is equally adept at exploiting matchups. Gailey could very easily give New York certain passing looks when Maybin is on the field and run or screen right at him.

The key for Maybin and the Jets will be to play with a lead, or at least stay close with the Bills. If they get behind, then Buffalo will turn Fred Jackson loose and run the ball to kill the clock. That will keep Maybin off the field. Plus, if New York has to throw in an effort to rally, it will face the NFL’s No. 1 team in terms of interceptions (14).

Read more: NFL.com

Well, sort of.

If we’ve learned anything from the Fisher-Hunter saga, it’s that two isn’t always better than one. These two were supposed to lead this labor fight together, the smart and stately old point guard with the five championship rings and the 68-year-old lawyer with experience in these sort of back-alley labor brawls. Yet, leading up to Thursday’s meeting with the NBPA’s executive committee in New York, they stood apart on the issue that mattered most and created an unwelcome fork in the road that could determine the final outcome of these negotiations.

It’s not quite as salacious as some might lead you to believe, but it is substantive: While Hunter made his stance known on Friday when he said the players would never accept less than 52-percent split of basketball-related income under any circumstances (and in doing so surprised even his own people), Fisher is open to considering a share that pays the players between 50 percent and the 52 percent depending on the outcome of the unresolved system issues. As one union source said Tuesday, “There’s been disagreement about how to negotiate or what moves to make, but there’s no fatal disagreement here.”

With the NBA already lobbying subtle threats that its 50-50 deal won’t be on the table for long, the players’ window for doing a deal that even remotely resembles the ones they have discussed is rapidly closing. Sources close to the situation all said that Thursday will be key in deciding which direction the union takes these talks, meaning the fate of the NBA season might rest largely on the union’s ability to clean up this mess faster than a Fisher turnaround jumper (that’s less than0.4 seconds, for anyone who forgot).

If the eight other players on the executive committee follow Fisher and set a tone for their colleagues who are growing more impatient by the day, then some hope will remain that a meeting with the owners could take place in the coming days and a deal could still get done before their offer gets even worse. If Hunter’s hard line remains the same and the players choose that route, then the odds are markedly lower of a resolution coming anytime soon.

Read more: SI.com

In the letter he referred to a recent report by FoxSports.com, quoting unnamed sources who said that Fisher had been challenged by NBPA executive director Billy Hunter and “at least one member of the union’s executive committee” for allegedly seeking a 50-50 split in basketball-related income from the owners. Hunter has since told SportsBusiness Journal that he did not confront Fisher as reported.

“Usually I wouldn’t even dignify absurd media reports with a comment,” Fisher wrote to the players Monday night. “But before these reports go any further, let me say on the record to each of you, my loyalty has and always will be with the players. Anyone that questions that or doubts that does not know me, my history, and what I stand for. And quite frankly, how dare anyone call that into question. The Players Association is united and any reports to the contrary are false. There have been no side agreements, no side negotiations or anything close.”

Here is the entire letter as sent by Fisher:

All,

Interesting times right now. The clock is ticking and we are aware that games are being lost, our jobs are on the line as are those of all the arena workers and business owners impacted by the lockout.

We have been prepared for this and need to make sure we are getting the best deal possible. As this sets the precedent for the next 6, 7, 10 even 20 years. My goal, the Executive Committee’s ONLY goal is to present you with the most fair deal possible. A deal that is both fair on system and BRI. One isn’t more important than the other. They are both extremely impactful to our business, our sport and our day to day life in the league.

Our Executive Committee, NBPA staff and I are navigating the negotiations very carefully. We need to continue to work hard on your behalf and get the season going if possible. I’ve been speaking with many of you and we are working with your opinions, suggestions, and requests front and center. This is your union, and we work with and for you.

Many of you have asked about the timing of the cancellation of games. We know as players and interacting with our fans and the people that work in these arenas on a daily basis this is having an impact. If nothing more, the league and owners should understand people’s livelihoods are at stake. They should be able to take the over 1 Billion dollars we’ve offered them and open the doors of their arenas and let us, along with the ushers, parking attendants, everyone impacted to get back to work.

Usually I wouldn’t even dignify absurd media reports with a comment. But before these reports go any further, let me say on the record to each of you, my loyalty has and always will be with the players. Anyone that questions that or doubts that does not know me, my history, and what I stand for. And quite frankly, how dare anyone call that into question. The Players Association is united and any reports to the contrary are false. There have been no side agreements, no side negotiations or anything close. We are united in serving you and presenting the best options and getting everyone back to work.

The attempt by “sources” to divide us will be unsuccessful. We will continue to work every day to do right by you, the businesses that depend on our league and our fans.

The NBA and the owners have not allowed us to go back to work. So they have essentially turned their backs on not only the players, but the fans that have made them billions. I hope they decide to change that. It’s the only way everyone wins.

I urge each of you to stay involved. Call me and your fellow players on the Executive Committee and the NBPA staff with anything you need or questions you may have.

I will be in touch later this week with updates on the details of the negotiations. Stand United.

With much respect,

Derek

Read more: SI.com

And yet, for all those heartbreaks, it’s hard to imagine Rivers enduring a worse moment than the one he had Monday night in the Chargers’ 23-20 loss.

After willing his team to a game-tying drive in the fourth quarter — a rally that would not have happened without Rivers rolling away from pressure on 3rd-and-13 from his own 35, keeping a play alive for as long as was possible, and finding Vincent Jackson for a 27-yard gain — and following that up by moving his team down the field again on its next drive, Rivers simply blew it.

San Diego had a first down at Kansas City’s 15, the game tied, the clock ticking down under a minute. All Rivers had to do was hand off or take a knee and let Nick Novak win it with a field goal. Instead,Rivers jumped the gun on a snap and the ball ricocheted to the turf.

He dove for the loose football, with Kansas City defenders flying all around him. The officials’ efforts to sort the pileup seemed to take forever.

Had this been an M. Night Shyamalan movie, there would have been plenty of time for the dramatic flashbacks recapping everything that had happened to that point — Rivers’ two interceptions, Chiefs’ QB Matt Cassel’s own two turnovers, the Chargers struggling to score in the red zone…

It all would have set the stage for the big twist: Kansas City recovered the fumble. San Diego’s victory? Gone.

Read more: SI.com

After the 4-2 defeat that came to be known as Phonegate for La Russa’s telephonic troubles, La Russa called a quick team meeting in the visitors clubhouse of Rangers Ballpark. His team was one loss away from the end of its season. His message could not wait for tomorrow, an off day.

“I’m telling you guys,” La Russa told them, “just keep busting your butts and in a couple of days we’ll be cracking champagne at home. And you guys deserve it. We cracked champagne in Houston, in Philadelphia and in Milwaukee. This is your year, and you deserve to celebrate at home in a couple of days.”

Said outfielder Allen Craig, recalling La Russa’s speech, “It was definitely the right thing to say at the right time. He made sure that we knew no matter what had just happened that it was like we were a team of destiny, and our destiny was to celebrate at home.”

“It’s why Tony is the best,” hitting coach Mark McGwire said. “He has a reason for everything he does. And here we are, cracking champagne in St. Louis.”

And Phonegate?

“It’s all irrelevant now,” McGwire said. “Phonegate is out the door now.”

With a thoroughly underwhelming 6-2 victory in Game 7 — at least against the backdrop of 32 pressure-packed days of the purest baseball drama a fan could hope to see — the 2011 Cardinals cemented their place in history. Team of destiny? That shortchanges the extraordinary resolve of La Russa’s gang. The Cardinals will go down as one of the great comeback teams in championship history. They proved they were more than just the “hot” tournament team, as can happen in this three-round playoff system. They were ferocious in rising to multiple challenges.

On Aug. 24, the Cardinals stood 10½ games out of a playoff spot with just the 12th-best record in the majors (67-63). On the last day of the season, they needed a win and a Braves loss just to get into the postseason. In the NLDS they needed to beat Roy Halladay and the Phillies in a sudden death game on the road. In the NLCS, they needed to beat the Brewers, baseball’s best home team, in Milwaukee to win the pennant. Saving their greatest escape route for last, down three games to two against Texas, to win the world championship they needed to survive being one strike away from elimination not once, but twice.

There have been 107 World Series. Only the 1986 Mets and the 2011 Cardinals won the World Series after walking as close to the abyss as possible — one strike away from losing it.

What these Cardinals and their gallant foils, the Texas Rangers, did was to elevate the World Series like it hasn’t been in a decade. Albert Pujols gave us an individual performance to live for posterity with those of the Babe and Reggie. The two teams gave us the first Game 7 in nine years, breaking the longest such drought since the best-of-seven format was permanently installed in 1922. La Russa and Texas manager Ron Washington, with their 145 pitching changes throughout the postseason and their spasmodic usage of relievers, intentional walks and bunts, left managerial meat on the bones of every game to chew on. Every game seemed to have its own afterlife, a regular game of CSI World Series to get to the bottom of how a game was lost.

Above all, what the two teams gave us was the wonder of Game 6. It ranks with the Game 6 thrillers of 1975 and 1986 as among the most spectacular World Series games ever staged — what it may have lacked in technical skill more than compensated for with an ebb and flow that was nearly dizzying. The game was a ratings phenomenon, picking up viewers with every twist and turn. Hour by hour did the ratings climb: 8.5, 11.7, 12.9, 13.2 and finally, after midnight, 15. Nobody complained that the four hours, 33 minutes of drama was too darn long.

The comeback Cards wiped out five different leads in the game. Texas found that holding them back was like trying to hold back water with your hands. David Freese won the MVP Award with two of the most clutch swings you will ever see in a World Series: a two-strike, two-run game-tying triple when an out meant a world championship for Texas, with the encore of the fourth walkoff homer when facing elimination, joining the Rushmore of series-saving homers by Bill Mazeroski, Carlton Fisk and Kirby Puckett, Hall of Famers all.

“He’s got ice in his veins,” McGwire said. “I truly believe it’s God-given. The ability to hit under pressure, either you have it or you don’t. And he has it. What he is able to do with two outs and two strikes in pressure situations is unbelievable.”

Texas did score two runs in its first at-bat in Game 7, allowing for the possibility that somehow it might have recovered from the kick in the gut the previous night. But Freese — with his third consecutive extra base hit that wiped out a lead or put St. Louis ahead — immediately answered with a two-run double, and all life seemed to slowly leak out of the Rangers. You could virtually hear the will hissing out of them.

“I’ll be honest,” Texas reliever Mike Adams said, “we could have used an extra day to come back from that game. It took so much out of us. It was hard. I was spent from it and I only threw three pitches.”

The continental divide of this series — the point where the waters started flowing in different directions — was when the Rangers held a 7-4 lead with five outs to go in Game 6 and the game in the hands of Derek Holland with closer Neftali Feliz behind him. At that juncture Craig smacked a home run, the start of an amazing stretch in which 12 of the next 20 Cardinals batters reached base and the team scored in the eighth, ninth, 10th and 11th innings as if purely on willpower.

Feliz was flattened by such a steamroller — he had nobody on base with one out in the ninth holding a two-run lead and couldn’t close the deal.

“It’s only my second year closing,” Feliz said. “I know there is another chance for me. The one I think about is the [Freese] hit in the ninth inning. I have to get over it. It already happened, so I have to forget it and move on.”

Asked if thought he could pitch the 10th inning — Washington asked journeyman Darren Oliver to close the World Series, a major reach given his usual role — Feliz, who had thrown only 22 pitches, said simply, “It was the manager’s decision.”

Of course, the Cardinals came back on Oliver, even with two bench players and the pitcher’s spot due to bat. This time Lance Berkman supplied the last-strike stay of execution with a base hit off Scott Feldman. Said Texas center fielder Josh Hamilton, “Watching the Cardinals, I feel like most teams must feel when they play us during the season: down by two or three runs, you know they are going to make a run.”

“They did a good job fighting back and holding the lead,” outfielder David Murphy said. “But it’s hard not to think about last night [Game 6] and the way they beat us. They had to earn it and they did.”

Read more: SI.com