The Rays are taking an unprecedented and very unorthodox move by offering 20,000 free tickets to their ball game tonight. The decision comes as a bit of surprise given that A) no one is cheaper than an owner of a professional franchise and B) the Rays are actually good, like one win away from playoff good.

Seriously, if anybody should be giving away free tickets it should be the Clippers followed by the Raiders. What makes the situation in Tampa Bay extremely odd is that the Rays are winning and making a legitimate claim for the postseason yet failed to bring more than 12,000 people into seats last night at what players like Evan Longoria and David Price describe as ”embarrassing”.

The Rays are currently 93-63, good enough for first place in a division that includes such historic franchises as the New York Yankees and Boston Redsox, yet have struggled to demonstrate that Major League Baseball in St. Petersburg, Florida will last. The team, for example, has been making an effort to get a new, publicly financed ballpark but as last night proved, are not necessarily getting any love back.

But free tickets!!!

Team president Matt Silverman explained the decision:

“‘It was something we had discussed, but I don’t think we would have (done this without their comments), and it’s not about the two players, it’s about the sentiment expressed by the team throughout the year, the energy that they get from the fans when this place is full. Two years ago when we clinched against Minnesota the players celebrated with the fans, it was a packed house, and it’s that type of celebration of this season that we’re looking for. You see it in the record – the players really respond to the energy and the noise and the excitement when the fans are in this place, and we’re looking to do that tomorrow with these free tickets.”

Business as usual? No, this is actually a refreshing change from the stereotypical.

Well, not really.

We do have to admit, however, that the “Get off your knees ref, you’re blowing the game” line is fairly clever if it was not for a drunk blurting it out – thinking he is witty at every professional sporting event.

Still, refs are prone to make some mistakes…major mistakes; and when it comes down to last Sunday’s game between the Cowboys and Texans, it’s all about effectively relaying back to the crowd what you saw on the field.

Referee Carl Cheffers struggled mightily to announce a series of calls on one kickoff, confusing the teams, numbers of those guilty and even at one point pausing to to regroup with his comrades.

To be clear, there were three fouls on the play and they did offset each other. Unnecessary roughness calls against Dallas linebacker Leon Williams and Houston linebacker Kevin Bentley, as well as holding on Dallas long-snapper L.P. LaDouceur.

No additional yards were awarded to the commentators, who appeared to have a riot, yet are the biggest hypocrites in the world considering they’re full of clichés and lines from the TelePrompTers.

One day, Reggie Bush was the prodigy of the NFL. Fantasy owners even drafted the kid in the first round (remember those days!?). Now, Bush is just an average running back who never lived up to his potential and is destine to lose his most valuable award – the Heisman trophy.

Yahoo! Sports reports that Bush is expected to be stripped of the award as part of the ensuing NCAA investigation, violations and punishment for USC’s scandalous football program. If the rumors are true, Bush would be the first player in the 75-year history of the award to have the trophy taken away.

Two sources close to the Heisman trust said the body’s investigation is coming to a close, and will ultimately concur with the NCAA’s determination that Bush was ineligible during his Heisman-winning season in 2005. NOTE: It has also been reported that the athlete received cash, gifts and other impermissible benefits while playing for the Trojans.

The status of USC’s 2004 BCS National Title remains to be determined. BCS officials are awaiting the NCAA’s ruling on the Trojans’ appeal of the June finding.

Is it going to church once a week on Sundays? Or is it merely saying a prayer in a dire situation?

For Minnesota Viking Husain Abdullah, it’s something more.

Abdullah is a devout Muslim, and consequently is stuck in a tight spot between his religion and his profession, football. Today, August 11th, marks the beginning of Ramadan, or the important holy month in the Islamic faith.

Observers of the Muslim tradition are asked to fast for 30 days, requiring that the followers do not eat or drink anything from sunrise to sunset. And while this could be difficult for anyone to observe, it is especially difficult for a professional athlete looking to make a team during the very hot and very intense summer camps of the NFL.

Yet, even under the vicious heat and daunting drills (sometimes in full pads), Abdullah is adamant about his faith. He will not allow himself so much as a cup of water until the sun sets and before it rises.

“I’m putting nothing before God, nothing before my religion,” Abdullah said. “This is something I choose to do, not something I have to do. So I’m always going to fast.”

The decision has been controversial to say the least. While the Minnesota coaching staff and fellow teammates appear to support the personal decision, NFL players have and still can die on the practice field. In fact, it wasn’t but nine years ago that another Viking, Korey Stringer, died of heat stroke during August practices.

What do you think of Abdullah’s decision - An admirable discipline or simply blind ignorance?

No deal, Bob Arum, the 78-year-old chairman of Top Rank (boxing’s preeminent promotional company) related with clear frustration during the early hours of Saturday morning. The news, was indeed as somber as the time in which it was presented.

A fight between the two could have sold three million pay-per-view purchases and made each man upwards of $60 million. Yet this is one instance where money does not talk and the two men’s pride clearly is the biggest factor.

Boxing, within the past decade has became a joke and should really consider tossing in the towel once and for all.

Dare we challenge the reign of the great King, but “his highness” has done nothing but generate bad publicity since he made the announcement to join Sir Wade in Miami.

First, their was the disaster known as LeBron’s one-hour buildup to his “grand” announcement.

I’ve usually been a sucker for such hype shows, however I couldn’t force myself to watch 60 minutes of interviews, highlight footage, analysis, and whatever else you possibly use as filler for a decision that certainly wasn’t that important in the first place.

Yet when it was all said and done, LeBron did the impossible. He generated all that discussion and excitement leading up to the special, only to come out in the end and turn his back on the one city who deserved better.

Within minutes, Cleveland responded appropriately, setting ablaze to his now infamous #23 in scarlet, white, and gold as well as a nasty backlash from Cavaliers owner, Dan Gilbert.

Among the excerpts:

• “As you now know, our former hero, who grew up in the very region that he deserted this evening, is no longer a Cleveland Cavalier.
• This was announced with a several day, narcissistic, self-promotional build-up culminating with a national TV special of his “decision” unlike anything ever “witnessed” in the history of sports and probably the history of entertainment.
• Clearly, this is bitterly disappointing to all of us.
• If you thought we were motivated before tonight to bring the hardware to Cleveland, I can tell you that this shameful display of selfishness and betrayal by one of our very own has shifted our “motivation” to previously unknown and previously never experienced levels.
• The self-declared former “King” will be taking the “curse” with him down south. And until he does “right” by Cleveland and Ohio, James (and the town where he plays) will unfortunately own this dreaded spell and bad karma.
• “I PERSONALLY GUARANTEE THAT THE CLEVELAND CAVALIERS WILL WIN AN NBA CHAMPIONSHIP BEFORE THE SELF-TITLED FORMER ‘KING’ WINS ONE”

Woah Jack!

Sure Gil, LeBron did quit on you and your team in the second round of the playoffs this year but how dare you suggest the man is selfish!?

Of course, my favorite person in the whole world, Jesse Jackson, was right there to defend the King like John Starks.

The Rev suggested that Gilbert treated LeBron as a “runaway slave” and that his comments were “mean, arrogant, and presumptuous.”

Ah, hell nah!

“He speaks as an owner of LeBron and not the owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers,” the Rev added. ”His feelings of betrayal personify a slave master mentality. He sees LeBron as a runaway slave. This is an owner employee relationship – between business partners – and LeBron honored his contract.”

So maybe Race Wars Jes does have a point. Maybe LeBron gave Cleveland seven solid years of basketball and didn’t throw it all away in the playoffs. Maybe the guy really is a winner. Maybe he doesn’t ONLY think about himself.

Maybe, just maybe.

Two things Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young does not f**k around with.

Over the weekend, Vince Young was kicked out of a club after he socked the manager square in the face. And what, you may ask, would ignite such an ugly conclusion?

Surcharges.

Vince, a multi-millionaire professional athlete, was apparently unhappy about having to pay a surcharge required to withdraw money from the club’s ATM. The manager got involved and all hell broke loose.

The manager, who also happens to be from Oklahoma, flashed an upside down “hook ‘em horns” hand signal and said “f**k the Longhorns” to Vince. That’s when Young allegedly decked the manager in the face and had to be dragged out of the club.

According to KDFW, Young was issued a “Class C assault” citation today. The sentence could carry up to a $500 fine…or far more than the ATM surcharge.

Tennessee Titans fans take heed, the toss was easily the best of Vince Young’s NFL career.

Sioh what the f**k Wade?

I wish I could make up the name if I could, but Siohvaughn is actually a real person with a real issue. The former wife of Dwyane Wade is currently going through a divorce with the superstar, yet she cannot appear to maintain a lawyer.

Siohvaughn was dumped by her ninth, yes read that right, ninth divorce laywer today, citing (very ironically) “irreconcilable differences.” The emergency motion was filed yesterday in Cook County, IL by Siohvaughn’s attorney, Marsha Fisher.

The infamous list has now reached nine attorney’s willing to part ways with the former basketball wife. They include: Dorene Marcus, Burton Hochberg, Michael Berger, David Stein, John Rokacz, Rosaire Nottage, Andrew Leinoff, and Michael Bruck.