Morning News Links
MLB
Tampa Bay Rays relief pitcher Joel Peralta was ejected last night after umpires found pine tar in his glove. Rays manager Joe Maddon called Washington Nationals manager Davey Johnson cowardly for requesting the check from umpires on a former Nationals player. [ESPN]
Philadelphia Phillies second baseman Freddy Galvis was suspended 50 games by the MLB for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs. [CSN Philly]
Colorado Rockies outfielder Carlos Gonzalez is aiming to return to the lineup tonight against the Phillies. Gonzalez has not played since Saturday due to a strained knee. [Denver Post]
Rockies manager Jim Tracy plans to go with a four-man starting rotation, while limiting each starter to 75 pitches per outing. [ESPN]
Los Angeles Dodgers manager Don Mattingly says that the federal government's five-year investigation into Roger Clemens was a total waste of resources and money. [ESPN]
NFL
Minnesota Vikings wide receiver Percy Harvin has reportedly requested to be traded from the team. [AP]
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees apologizes for comparing the NFL's bounty case to the search for weapons of mass destruction. "My WMD comment has nothing to do with politics or our brave military. Merely an analogy to show how media influences public perception." [Twitter]
Former Saints defensive end Anthony Hargrove says that it's not his voice saying "Give me the money," in a video the NFL used as evidence against him in the bounty case. [ESPN]
Former Green Bay Packers general manager Ron Wolf says that he acquired the greatest Packer of all time when he landed quarterback Brett Favre. [Green Bay Press-Gazette]
Free agent wide receiver Plaxico Burress would like to play with Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers. "It's just about me picking my spots and seeing where I'm a good fit. You just look at a situation like Carolina. You can't come across a better situation than that," Burress said. [CBS Charlotte]
Miami Dolphins quarterback Matt Moore says that the people who think Chad Ochocinco has lost his step, are wrong. "He's fast, that's for sure. He's quick and he's just got that attacking mentality you love in a wide receiver," Moore said. [ProFootballTalk]
NBA
Former Los Angeles Lakers coach Phil Jackson says that he tried to get Kobe Bryant to be more like LeBron James and be a pass first, shoot second kind of player. "You want a player that can do both. I tried to get Kobe to do both for numbers of years, and he could. But his first instinct is to beat the guy that's in front of him," Jackson said. [Palm Beach Post]
Oklahoma City Thunder centre Kendrick Perkins does not know what head coach Scott Brooks was doing with his lineup rotations in Game 4. "I just don't understand why we start out the first quarter the way we did with the lineup we had, and all of a sudden we change and adjust to what they had going on... If it ain't broke don't fix it," Perkins said. [ProBasketballTalk]
The Denver Nuggets are in discussions with point guard Andre Miller for a possible return to the team next season. [Denver Post]
LA Lakers owner Jim Buss says that fans shouldn't expect major moves on the team in the offseason. [LA Times]
NHL
Anaheim Ducks forward Bobby Ryan is reportedly back on the trading block. [TSN]
Would Jaromir Jagr be a good fit with Jarome Iginla and the Calgary Flames? [Globe and Mail]
Edmonton Oilers executive Kevin Lowe says that there have been no serious offers for their first overall draft pick. Lowe says that his sense is that the team will keep the pick. [Twitter]
NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman says that he expects the Phoenix Coyotes to remain where they are, as the 2012-13 schedule is set to be released on Thursday. [Canadian Press]
The Columbus Blue Jackets named Craig Hartsburg assistant coach. [NHL.com]
