The San Francisco Giants will not reconsider a decision to part ways with controversial home run king Barry Bonds, the team president said on Wednesday.Last season Bonds passed Hank Aaron to become Major League Baseball’s career home run record holder, packing the stands at the Giants ballpark on the scenic San Francisco Bay.

But the club, who at the end of the season said they would not re-sign the free agent, have now removed prominent tributes in the stadium to the slugger, who has steroid allegations and perjury charges hanging over his head.

The legal case is expected to drag out for many months after a federal judge told prosecutors to restructure the indictments against the seven-time National League Most Valuable Player and single-season home run record holder.

Giants repeat no to Bonds, remove his images | Sports | Reuters

Controversial home-run king Barry Bonds said he has no intention of retiring and still hopes to sign with a team despite steroid allegations and perjury charges hanging over his head.“I’m not going to retire. I don’t think that’s going to happen,” Bonds, 43, said in an interview on MLB.com on Wednesday. “I’m working out, I’m training. If my phone rings, it rings, if it don’t, it don’t.

Despite setting baseball’s all-time home run record last season, pushing his career total to 762, there has been little interest in signing the free agent slugger, who faces perjury and obstruction of justice charges stemming from an investigation into the BALCO steroid scandal.

The government case alleges Bonds lied in 2003 when he told a federal grand jury investigating the BALCO lab behind closed doors that he had never knowingly used performance-enhancing drugs. In December 2007, he pleaded not guilty.

The seven-time National League MVP said he is still hoping to sign with a new team for the 2008 season after the San Francisco Giants, for whom he has played since 1993, did not renew his contract.

Bonds retains desire to continue playing career | Sports | Reuters

“Most of the tickets for UFC 83 were sold in the first 24 hours of our UFC Fight Club presale, and the rest were gone within one minute of the public on-sale today,” said Dana White, UFC President. “I’m excited to say that this event is a sellout, and the fastest one in UFC history, so it’s safe to say we definitely will be back in Canada after this inaugural event.”

Fighting out of Long Island, NY, Matt Serra (16-4) shocked the world a year ago by defeating St-Pierre by first round knockout for the UFC Welterweight Championship. Ever since then, many have speculated on the outcome of a rematch between the two. Serra was set to take on fellow The Ultimate Fighter® Season 6 coach Matt Hughes in a fight on Dec. 29, but he suffered a herniated disc in his back during training and had to pull out of the fight. Now fully recovered, Serra is ready to head to Canada and defend his crown against the man he took it from at UFC 69.

St-Pierre (15-2), fighting out Montreal, Quebec, Canada, became the UFC welterweight champion at UFC 65 when he stopped Matt Hughes in the second round. After losing his belt to Serra in April of 2007, St-Pierre rebounded in spectacular fashion, defeating Josh Koscheck at UFC 74 by a three round unanimous decision, and submitting Hughes in their rubber match for the 170 pound interim title at UFC 79. Now the former champion looks to regain the welterweight crown in his home province and prove to his fans and his country that he is the best 170 pound fighter in the world.

UFC® : Ultimate Fighting Championship®

The New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays engaged in a benches-clearing brawl in an exhibition game on Wednesday.Trouble had been brewing between the teams since Saturday when the Rays’ Elliot Johnson crashed into Francisco Cervelli at the plate, leaving the Yankees catcher with a broken wrist.

On Wednesday, Yankees pitcher Heath Phillips was ejected in the first inning after grazing highly regarded prospect Evan Longoria with a pitch.

In the second, Shelley Duncan of the Yankees slid with his spikes high into Rays’ Akinori Iwamura, cutting the Japanese player’s knee.

Players from both dugouts and bullpens charged onto the field. Tampa outfielder Jonny Gomes raced from right field and knocked into Duncan from behind.

Brawl mars Yankees-Rays training game | Sports | Reuters

The Farewell Speech

“Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.

“Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn’t consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I’m lucky. Who wouldn’t consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball’s greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure, I’m lucky.

“When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift - that’s something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies - that’s something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter - that’s something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education and build your body - it’s a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed - that’s the finest I know.

“So I close in saying that I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for.”

Lou Gehrig :: The Official Web Site

Green Bay Packers quarterback Brett Favre bid an emotional goodbye to the NFL on Thursday, making it clear he had no second thoughts about his decision to retire.Two days after informing the Packers he would not be back for an 18th season, Favre met with the media at Lambeau Field and within seconds of stepping to the podium was waging a losing battle to hold back the tears.

“As they say, all good things must come to an end, I look forward to whatever the future may hold for me,” the 38-year-old told a televised news conference, his voice cracking. “It’s been a great career, it’s over.

“I’ve given everything I possibly can give to this organization, to the game of football and I don’t think I’ve anything left to give.

“I know I can play but I don’t think I want to.”

No second thoughts as Brett Favre packs it in | Sports | Reuters

Is set for UFC 86 on July 5.

Jackson and Griffin are currently serving as opposing coaches on the upcoming season of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) 7, which is set to debut on April 2 on the SpikeTV network. It’s a pairing of two extremely charismatic and colorful personalities who never seem to take themselves to seriously (sans the Griffin in-ring meltdown after the loss to Keith Jardine.)

However, Melzter also recently reported that Jackson and Griffin get into a heated confrontation at some point during this season — something that perhaps doesn’t seem possible, but certainly will add some fireworks if indeed accurate leading up to the Independence Day weekend event.

UFC 86: Rampage Jackson vs. Forrest Griffin set for Las Vegas on July 5 at UFC blog for UFC news, results, videos, rumors, fights, pics and tickets — MMAmania.com

The UFC’s only five-time champion had fans lined up in the street Sunday at the Fizogen Xtreme Couture Mixed Martial Arts Training Center. He signed autographs, posed with fans of all ages inside a cage and held a grappling demonstration.

“He is ‘Captain America.’ He attracts a crowd everywhere he goes. He is a great image for the sport and people still want to see him fight.

“He will stay around until everyone has their picture or autograph. He will not wave anyone off like other pro athletes in other sports. He is a hero of everybody. He’s not just a fighter, he is a person like us.”

Couture, a Greco-Roman wrestler with skills in mixed martial arts, is known for his brute strength and takedowns. He is the only fighter to hold championship titles in both heavyweight (three) and light-heavyweight (two).

After 13 years, mixed martial artist Randy Couture still kicking around — South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com