“While at first I thought it was important to limit the institutions to which they could transfer, I have since reconsidered my decision,” said Edsall. “At the end of the day, I want what’s best for these guys and I wish them well in their futures.”

Edsall had come under major scrutiny from the media, although it was a legitimate move that he made. The Terps coach has been talked poorly of every since he led the team to a 2-10 record in his first season as head coach. If anything goes wrong with the team or the players, Edsall is the one that takes the blame.

He was blamed for O’Brien’s poor play and benching last season, however it appears as though he made the right move. Danny was fantastic his freshman season, as he was the ACC rookie of the year and many people had high expectations for him. However, he digressed this past year and deserved to be benched for backup C.J. Brown, according to ESPN.

Maryland is, however, going to be pursuing a tampering violation against Vanderbilt, since they believe James Franklin had contact with O’Brien before he decided to transfer. Franklin was responsible for recruiting O’Brien to Maryland and the two have a personal relationship, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Danny is going to graduate from Maryland in the spring, but still has two years of eligibility left. He will go home to North Carolina soon to make a decision with his parents on where he wants to transfer to.

The Los Angeles Times reports that Belisario said he initially did not know that he had tested positive for the drug and has no idea who actually took the test. Still, he stressed to the media that he does not have a drug problem, saying that he only used cocaine once. “I don’t have a problem with any drugs,” he said.

Belisario, who has already reported to the Dodgers’ spring training facility in Glendale, AZ, added that he is “…back, ready to go and help the team,” according to MLB.com. Belisario will not be able to help his team in April, though, since he will have to start the season by serving a 25-game suspension for violating the league’s drug policy.

Belisario also missed part of 2010 because he was in a drug rehabilitation program, although he declined to say why, reports the Associated Press.

The pitcher’s career has been littered with drama, making his cocaine test just another incident in a line of bizarre stories. According to MLB.com, he started his career in the minors with the Florida Marlins and the Pittsburgh Pirates, but had Tommy John surgery in 2005 and was suspended in 2006. He then played in the Venezuela Winter League, and was signed by the Dodgers in 2009. He had visa problems then, reporting weeks late to spring training, but wowed the organization in the minor league camp. He made it to the Dodgers’ opening day roster, made 69 appearances and had a 2.04 ERA. However, he was arrested for a DUI in Pasadena, CA in 2009, which gave him more visa problems in 2010. He is now 29-years-old and is convinced that he will be in the MLB for good now. “I’ll be here for a long time,” he told MLB.com, believing that his career is far from over.

Mickelson got off to a good start by getting a birdie on the 1st and 5th holes getting him to (-9), but then suffered two bogeys on 8 and 9 to get him back to (-7) before the turn. On the back nine Mickelson would birdie the 11th and then suffer back to back bogeys on 14 and 15 dropping him to (-6), which would knock him out of the lead as Bill Haas was waiting in the club house at (-7) after shooting a (-2) sixty nine.

Bradley would suffer the same fate as Mickelson, as he birdied the 1st hole. He then got in a little trouble after bogeying holes 2, 4, and 5, but saved it with birdies on 7 and 9. This would also keep him even through nine, and on the back nine he would birdie 11, but then he got bogey on 13 and 15 to make him (-6) and out of the lead.

So Mickelson and Bradley would both head to the eighteenth needing birdies to force a playoff. Mickelson hit is second shot just off he green twenty five feet from the pin, and Bradley put his second shot in the middle of the green twelve feet from the pin! Mickelson was away and up first he needed to make this and with everybody biting their nails on the edge of there seats they watched as the ball rolled closer, and closer to the hole and then disappeared. The crowd went crazy people were jumping and screaming and one guy even rolled down the hill in excitement. Now it was Bradley’s turn to make his putt to make it a three man playoff and again the crowd was ready and the putt was on the way to the hole and it slowed up and it just had the the perfect speed to just sink in the hole and the crowd again erupted with cheers!

So Haas, Mickelson, and Bradley started the playoff, the first play off hole was the eighteenth and all three guys would go on to par the hole and move on to the next playoff hole which was the short par 4 tenth the hole is 312 yards. Mickelson hit his 3 wood put his drive short of the green in the rough, then Bradley using his 3 wood put his drive in the green side bunker, and Haas would use his driver and put it pin high in the rough. Haas was away and chose to play it safe and chip it in the middle of the green. Mickelson hit a flop shot that landed right next to the flag and just kept rolling all the way in to a bunker on the other side of the green. So bradley hit his shot out of the bunker and it landed by the flag and rolled on the fringe 15 feet from the pin. Haas was away again and he had a 40 footer and was just looking to make a good putt to keep himself  in it. He made the stroke and the ball just rolled, and rolled, and rolled, and then vanished into the cup and now the pressure was on Mickelson to hole out from the bunker and for Bradley to make his putt. Mickelson would miss his chip and Bradley”s putt rolled and missed by a hair. Haas won and moves up to fourth on the money list with the win and he said afterwards to ESPN “I never expected to make a 40-footer, especially in that situation, a little luck was involved. I guess it was meant to be.”

His playing partner in the playoff Keegan Bradley told ESPN “I didn’t think he was going to make that one, I should have known, though, because he’s a great putter and a great player.” Mickelson also chimed in saying “Bill hit a tremendous putt, we’re thinking it’s a very difficult 3. It’s a defensive hole. You’re just trying to make 4, believe it or not.”

So Bill Haas has a big win at Riviera and Haas closed by saying “To beat guys of that caliber is amazing, something I will never forget.” So Haas moves to 4th on the PGA money list with the win and looks to keep the momentum going.

Jordan Theodore has been a huge part of Seton Hall’s success this season and he came up big Tuesday night. He scored a career high 29 points, which included going five for five from downtown, according to the New York Times.

“We just needed this one so bad. I was jacked up for this game,” said Theodore. “I didn’t want to blow another opportunity like we did my sophomore year when we were on the bubble. I have a little experience in being on the bubble. I want to dance so bad. I can taste it we’re so close.”

Seton Hall is now 19-9 on the season and pulled even at 8-8 in Big East play. They do have two more regular season games against DePaul and Rutgers, which they should win, before the Big East tournament starts. As far as the NCAA tournament goes, they have an RPI in the 30s which usually indicates that they should make the dance.

As for the Hoyas, this is certainly a disheartening loss since they have been playing so well of late. However, with a 20-6 record and 10 wins in the conference already, they are a sure lock to make the tournament. On Tuesday night though, they allowed Seton Hall to make eight threes.

“We thought we play pretty good perimeter defense, but we were atrocious tonight,” said Georgetown coach John Thompson III. “They hit some shots early and we got frustrated early and that frustration carried over to our offense. That was the crux of everything.”

The Hoyas did not have any player score in double figures, as Greg Wittington lead the team with nine points, according to ESPN. The team will likely fall out of the top 10 in next week’s rankings, however they still have time to get back in it. They have three more regular season games and can still pick up some big victories. They have Villanova and Notre Dame at home before closing out the season at Marquette.

The final score was 89-76.

This game looked ugly from the start. The Sixers trailed by 20 points at the end of the first quarter, and they were down by as many as 21 during the game. Yet, they fought back and by the fourth quarter the 76ers trailed by only 4 points. However, the Grizzlies did not let them capitalize on their comeback; they hit key shots down the stretch to win the game by 13 points.

The Grizzlies were led by center Marc Gasol, who had a team-high 15 points, along with 14 rebounds, 7 assists, and 5 blocks. O.J. Mayo was productive for the team as well. He contributed 13 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds, while hitting three 3-pointers. The Grizzles offense was not at its best tonight. However, the lack of Philadelphia’s offense was a bigger story.

The Sixers shot a measly 36.5 percent from the field and did not get a lot of contribution from their bench. Lou Williams (their leading scorer), Thaddeus Young, and Evan Turner, who collectively average 37.2 points off the bench, only scored 19 points in this game. Jrue Holiday was left to pick up the slack. He shot 50 percent from the field (9-18) and hit 4 3-pointers; finishing the game with 22 points, 4 assists, and 5 rebounds. However, his effort was not enough to get Philadelphia the victory.

The Sixers (20-13) have now dropped 4 in a row. Even though, they currently hold the fourth best record in the Eastern Conference, they seem to be cooling off after a hot first-half of the season. Meanwhile, the Memphis Grizzlies (19-15) have won 7 of the last 9 games, and are slowly climbing up the ladder in the Western Conference.

You can watch the Sixers try to snap their losing-streak tomorrow night against the 19-14 Rockets in Houston. This will be the Sixer’s last game before the All-Star break. Memphis will attempt to continue their winning ways after the All-Star break at home against the Dallas Mavericks.

ATP tour action resumed this week in in three different tournaments around the world. Last week the players on the ATP tour represented their countries in the Davis Cup. In the SAP Open, Milos Raonic bested Denis Istomin in the final and won his second straight SAP crown. According to atpworldtour.com, Raonic became the first player on the ATP tour to win two titles so far this year. On his way to his finals apperance, Isotomin beat the world’s former number one ranked player Andy Roddick in the quarterfinals. Roddick had previously captured the SAP Open crown on three previous occasions.

In the ABN AMRO World Tennis Tournament, the former world’s number one player and 17-time grand slam champion Roger Federer beat Argentine Juan Martin Del-Potro, capturing his first singles title in 2012. Federer was able to bounce back with a tournament win after having lost to Rafael Nadal in the Australian Open semifinals. Federer had closed off the 2011 ATP season as the hottest player on tour.

In other ATP action, Nicholas Almagro of Spain won his third consecutive Brazil Open title. Almagro is currently ranked 11th on the ATP tour. Almagro’s best grand slam finishes came in the French Open, where he was able to reach the quarter-finals in both 2008 and 2010. Just like the French Open, the Brazil Open is contested on clay, which is Almagro’s favorite playing surface.

On the WTA tour, there were two tournaments contested this week. According to wtatennis.com, the women’s number one Victoria Azarenka easily outclassed the number three ranked Samantha Stosur, winning the Qatar Total Open. Azarenka moved her early season record to an impressive 17-0, after also having won the Australian Open last month. In the other WTA tournament this week, Spain’s Lara Arruabarrena-Vecino won the XX Copa BBVA Colsanitas, capturing her first ever WTA singles crown.

It will be interesting to see two of the youngest guards in the league, Brandon Knight and Kyrie Irving, square off against each other.  Although Irving averages approximately six more points and 1 more assist per game than Knight, they are no doubt two of the most explosive guards off the dribble.  While it seems that Irving is developing at a faster pace than Knight, Knight has shown signs of improvement as well.  Considering that neither rookie has an abundance of talent around them, their performances so far in the season are promising.  In the last game the two teams faced each other, Knights scored 9 more points than Irving.

Tonight’s showdown will most likely feature the two young guards once again.  A win for either side will push them upward in the Eastern Conference standings, and closer to stealing the eighth spot from the struggling Boston Celtics.  Although the Cavaliers are ranked significantly higher in the league compared to the Pistons in points, rebounds, assists, and points allowed per game, the Pistons have only recently caught fire.  Detroit Center Greg Monroe is growing into a leadership role for the team, and the players are rallying behind his energy.  It will be an interesting game to follow, considering the players on both sides are growing into their roles and responsibilities.

In addition to Ramirez, the team’s offseason overhaul includes signing on veteran pitcher Bartolo Colon, outfielder Coco Crisp. The Athletics also traded Andrew Bailey and Ryan Sweeney to the Boston Red Sox for outfielder Josh Reddick.

The team also hopes that Brett Anderson will return by August following his 2011 surgery.

Ramirez, 39, agreed to a one-year contract with the Athletics reportedly worth $500,000. He must serve a 50-game suspension without pay before playing for the team because he violated baseball’s drug policy on two occasions. His suspension was reduced after he sat out most of last season.

The first game Ramirez would be eligible to play is the May 30 game at Minnesota, which, coincidentally, falls on his 40th birthday. That didn’t deter general manager Billy Beane and the Athletics.

“I am very pleased Billy was able to add Manny to our team,” the Athletics’ owner, Lew Wolff, said. “I look forward to welcoming him and the entire team that Billy and his people have assembled for the coming season.”

This will mark Ramirez’s 20th major league season. During his career, he has scored 555 home runs.

Let’s start with the Celtics. The team is currently 15-16 on the season and hold the eight seed in the East. They are on a four game losing streak and it doesn’t look like they are going to be able to make a run this year. Their stars Ray Allen, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce are all getting old and are nearing retirement. They also have young point guard Rajon Rondo, who they could deal as well. Therefore, it might be beneficial to trade them this season before the deadline so that they can get something back for them rather than just seeing them all walk.

Due to his large salary, Garnett might be tough to trade, but there will be teams that would gladly trade for Allen and Pierce, according to WEEI. If Orlando has decided to keep Dwight Howard for the remainder of the season, it would make sense for them to trade for Pierce to try to win a championship this year. Chicago could be a fit for Ray Allen as well.

As for the Lakers, they are definitely in a better position than the Celtics right now, although they aren’t where they would like to be. They are 19-13, which is good for fifth in the West. However, they certainly don’t look like a championship team at all.

Ever since the botched trade for Chris Paul before the season started, there has been a lot of distractions to the team. Much of it comes from Pau Gasol, who was supposed to be traded in the deal. He does not make a big deal out of it, but the trade rumors still linger in the locker room.

Pau and Andrew Bynum have both been great down low this season and Kobe Bryant has been his same old self. However, they are lacking a good point guard. Derek Fisher is old and Steve Blake is a good backup, but not good enough to run the show. Metta World Peace has declined significantly this season, according to Fox Sports West. Although Matt Barnes is a spark off the bench, they really don’t get any more bench production.

They really need to trade for a point guard. How about trading Pau Gasol to the Knicks for Amare Stoudemire and Baron Davis? Obviously Amare is a bit of a downgrade to Pau, but the Lakers would get a much needed starting point guard out of the deal.

Whatever the Lakers and the Celtics decide to do, one thing is clear. They don’t have enough firepower right now to make a run for the NBA championship and if both teams decide to go the rebuilding route soon, it might be a few years before they end back up there.

USA Today reports that Epstein, who the Red Sox replaced with Ben Cherington, released a statement Tuesday saying that he is “relieved this process is over.” He added that he was also pleased that the two teams “…were able to reach agreement on their own without intervention from MLB.”

Carpenter appeared in just 10 major league games last season, notes Boston.com, all out of the bullpen. He played 32 games with the Cubs’ AA team in Tennessee and the AAA club in Iowa. His career minor league record is 21-19 with a 3.62 ERA and 289 strikeouts in 96 games. He was ranked the number 13 prospect in the Cubs’ organization by Baseball America.

The Chicago Tribune reports that the Red Sox and Cubs will have to name the second player by April 15, noted Cubs general manager Jed Hoyer. “Chris is a very good reliever. He’s a difficult guy to lose. I think we all realize we were going to lose something of significant value when Theo came over here,” Hoyer added. Hoyer left the San Diego Padres to join Epstein and now the Cubs and Padres will have to figure out compensation for him joining the team.

Epstein is remembered for having helped the Red Sox break their 86-year World Series drought in 2004. He had just a year left on his contract before the Red Sox agreed to let him leave if the Cubs agreed to compensation. Epstein will have his hands full trying to help the Cubs win the World Series, something they haven’t done since 1908.