Welcome to Thursday’s Morning Mashup. For the latest news, start at our WEEI.com home page or click here for the top stories from our news wire.
WHAT’S HAPPENING LOCALLY THURSDAY:
MLB: Red Sox at Royals, 8:10 p.m. (NESN; WEEI)
NFL Preseason: Patriots at Buccaneers, 7:30 p.m. (WBZ)
AROUND THE WEB:
‘¦ Giants quarterback Eli Manning received some attention for saying in a radio interview Tuesday that he considers himself in Tom Brady‘s class. On Wednesday, Manning tried to clarify his comments during an appearance on New York’s WFAN radio: “It was kind of like, what am I supposed to say ‘ no, I don’t think so?” Manning said. “I’m trying to compete. I’m trying to be the best quarterback and trying to get to a championship. That’s what I’m trying to do every year.”
Manning’s teammates and coach did their best to support their QB’s assertion that he belongs among the league’s elite. “I feel like he’s definitely in the top five,” receiver Hakeem Nicks said. “The way he just can dissect the defense by picking up on blitzes, catching things. I think he can break down a defense just as good as any quarterback in the league. And I don’t think you can say [people] overlook him, because he’s definitely put up numbers that you can’t overlook. In my eyes, Eli is definitely a top quarterback.”
‘¦ The alleged football scandal at the University of Miami happened under the watch of former Hurricanes athletic director Paul Dee, who last year handed down severe sanctions on USC as the chairman of the NCAA’s committee on infractions. New Pac-12 commissioner Larry Scott found that situation concerning. “If the [Miami] allegations prove true, the words irony and hypocrisy don’t seem to go far enough,” he said.
Added former USC linebacker Keith Rivers (now with the Bengals): “It’s unfortunate that [Dee] was so harsh on SC when his school was doing way more than what you found USC to be guilty of.”
‘¦ On Aug. 4, the Indians had just finished a series against the Red Sox at Fenway Park and were getting ready to fly to Texas to play the Rangers. Back in Cleveland, the wife of Indians infielder Jack Hannahan was in labor ‘ two months early ‘ with the couple’s first child. Because there was no flight immediately available, Hannahan’s teammates chipped in around $45,000 to get a private jet to fly him home.
Said former Red Sox pitcher Justin Masterson: “Everybody on this team, young and old, put something together to help Hannie out. … We all said ‘He needs to be there.’ That how all the guys felt.”
Hannahan arrived 15 minutes before his son was delivered. The boy, weighing 2 pounds, 12 ounces, was placed on a respirator and is expected to remain in the hospital until late October.
“I’m very proud of them, especially being a young team,” manager Manny Acta said. “You’re talking about a team where a bunch of guys are making the major league minimum or barely over that. For them to be so unselfish and do all that, that’s what is going to make this special for years to come.”
ON THIS DAY TRIVIA: On Aug. 18, 1967, Red Sox slugger Tony Conigliaro suffered a devastating injury when he was hit in the face by a fastball from which Angels pitcher?
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “We need to start winning some games. I mean, we all want to win the division. The Yankees aren’t going to lose, so you’ve got to win, man. It doesn’t matter who you run out there. You’ve got to win.” ‘ Red Sox second baseman Dustin Pedroia, after Wednesday’s 4-0 loss to the Rays
STAT OF THE DAY: 168 ‘ Career stolen bases for Jacoby Ellsbury, who had one steal Wednesday, moving him into a third-place tie in Red Sox history with Carl Yastrzemski
‘NET RESULTS: Jeremy Roenick participates in a remake of a scene from “Swingers” in which he plays against himself in a hockey video game.
TRIVIA ANSWER: Jack Hamilton
SOOTHING SOUNDS: Johnny Preston, who died in March, was born on this day in 1939.
