Editor's note: Each Wednesday from April 11 to May 23, NESN.com will highlight some of the cities the Red Sox visit on road trips this season. This week, we spotlight Oakland and Seattle, where the Red Sox will play June 28-July 4. The Red Sox then move on to Tampa Bay for their next series, from July 13-15. Next week, we target Texas and New York City, where the Red Sox will visit July 23-29, as well as Cleveland and Baltimore, the destination for the Aug. 9-19 road trip.

The Red Sox will be embarking on a trip across the country to the Pacific Northwest later this season. New England's northern counterpart hasn't had the most success in the baseball standings, but the small market ballclubs come from cities with plenty to offer.

The Sox will be focused on beating the Oakland A's and Seattle Mariners, but you can peruse some spots worth checking out in the cities and surrounding areas.

After the Red Sox finish in the Northwest, they'll move on to the other corner of the country come July 13, going to Tampa Bay to face the Rays.

Take a look at some of the places and attractions you shouldn't miss when traveling in the area.

Click here for places to go and things to do in Seattle, Oakland and Tampa Bay>>

NESN.com's Southwest Sports Destination Guides are presented by Southwest Airlines. Click here to book a trip.

Jeremy Lin knows the Knicks will need his help if they want to give the Heat a battle during the first series, but he's still dealing with the injury that sidelined him for the end of the season.

Lin, who has been out since March 24 with a torn meniscus, is reported to be struggling with knee soreness while training to increase his strength. Although he is well ahead of schedule, he has ruled out playing in either of the next two games.

Veterans Baron Davis and Mike Bibby will be forced into extended minutes, with third-year player Toney Douglas also increasing his playing time. Davis has been battling injuries all year, and Bibby has been far from effective, as his age is catching up to him. After a solid sophomore campaign, Douglas has seen his minutes and production significantly decrease.

If the trio can't help Carmelo Anthony, J.R. Smith, and Amar'e Stoudemire get the Knicks a win or two, the team could be looking at a 3-0 deficit by the time Lin is available. Even if Lin could play in Game 4, having him rush back may increase his chances of reinjuring his knee.

With time running out, it looks more and more like Lin will be unavailable for the Knicks in the first round, which means trouble for the depleted guard corps.

The race-day temperatures on Monday, which reached the mid-80s, were enough to encourage marathon officials to send out warning letters and declare that runners could postpone their eligibility to compete until next year.

Despite initial fears of injuries or health problems, people still had a great time. Runners and supporters on the sidelines were in full sweat before the race even started, but that is what the Boston Marathon is all about.

Wesley Korir won the men's elite division in 2 hours, 12 minutes and 40 seconds, and Sharon Cherop won the women's race in 2:31:50. The victories gave Kenya a sweep.

For those of us who can't run with the lead pack, it can be best to soak in the day and enjoy the experience.

Check out photos from all over on Marathon Monday>>

Just six days after signing his entry-level contract and nine days after winning a national championship with Boston College, Kreider got on the ice for Game 3 of the opening round of the Stanley Cup playoffs against the Ottawa Senators.

The Boston College star was drafted 19th overall in 2009 as an 18-year old. Now 20, he's skating in the NHL after Carl Hagelin's three-game suspension forced the Rangers to plug the hole with Kreider, according to the NYDailyNews.com.

Hagelin was suspended after hitting the Senators' Daniel Alfredsson with his elbow during overtime of Game 2, giving him a concussion. Alfredsson is not available for Game 3.

"It's been a learning process, but if they need me, I'm ready to go," Kreider told the Daily News on Sunday in Greenburgh. "I don't think I'd be here if I didn't feel that I was ready. I think I'd be back at school taking class. If they need me, then I'll try to do what's asked of me."

Now that the series between the Pennsylvania rivals Philadelphia Flyers and Pittsburgh Penguins has officially started, the Adventure Aquarium needed to pick sides. The aquarium, which is about 10 minutes from Philadelphia, is going to name the penguins after current Flyers players and coaches, according to Puck Daddy. 

For extra effect, the penguins will be named based on their personalities. "The penguin showing the most leadership skills will become [Claude] 'Giroux,' " said Kim Walker, public relations manager for the aquarium.

Among the Flyers being honored with a penguin named after them are Giroux, Scott Hartnell, Ilya Bryzgalov, Max Talbot, Sean Couturier, Danny Briere, Kimmo Timonen, Bayden Schenn, Wayne Simmonds and Jaromir Jagr.

Ray Allen

In an interview with FoxSports.com, Allen said players should be paid to play in the Olympics. He suggested that sharing the profits from the jersey sales could be an acceptable option.

"Everybody says, 'Play for your country.' But (NBA players are) commodities, your businesses," Allen said in the interview. "You think about it, you do camps in the summer, you have various opportunities to make money. When you go overseas and play basketball, you lose those opportunties, what you may make. … If I'm an accountant and I get outsourced by my firm, I'm going to make some money somewhere else."

While it is true that athletes from other countries are paid in sometimes significant amounts to represent their respective countries, the players from the NBA are a special case. Swimmers, runners and other less marketable athletes do not earn nearly the same kind of salary that NBA stars command. That's why being paid is a huge bonus for them, giving them the ability to train year-round.

The NBA schedule combined with Olympic training concerns many of the players. With such a taxing schedule, it's often difficult for players to get the necessary rest to go back to work for the next NBA season. The concern here is certainly legitimate, as an 82-game season — plus playoffs for some — is brutal in itself. An addition of Olympic contests and practices diminishes the length of the offseason dramatically. The Olympic gold medal game is scheduled for Aug. 12, about a month before players typically start their workouts for the following season.

That said, representing your country is a huge honor that shouldn't really require a financial motivation. If the need to rest and recuperate for the next NBA season outweighs the desire to compete in the Olympics, then the players have every right to choose not to don the red, white and blue.

It's hard to ponder this issue without questioning the presence of greed. The NBA players that are selected to represent the U.S. in the Olympics are typically among the highest paid players in the league. None of those players are strapped for cash.

Miami Heat star Dwyane Wade echoed Allen's comments Wednesday. But teammate LeBron James wasn't quite as aggressive in his assertion, focusing more on the pride of playing for his country.

"I love representing my country, man," James said. "I've done it since 2004 and I'm looking forward to doing it in London. As far as (pay), I don't know, man. It doesn't matter. I'm happy to be a part of the team, to be selected again."

In Allen's defense, it doesn't seem like he is looking to make money for himself. It's doubtful he will ever be asked to play for the U.S. again, with younger stars commanding the attention of the U.S. Olympic Committee.

For players like Allen and Wade, it seems a bit strange to be asking for more money from the country that has given them so much.

The commitment does have a cash bonus if the team performs well, although it's more of a formality than anything else. A gold medal earns each player $25,000, a silver earns $15,000 and a bronze commands $10,000. 

Harvard’s baseball players took batting practice and worked out on the field as part of the celebration.

Harvard coach Joe Walsh said he and his players were excited about the opportunity.

“Harvard baseball is thrilled to be included in the birthday celebration at Fenway Park,” Walsh said. “Our guys look forward to any chance to set foot on a Major League Baseball diamond — in this case a batting practice session where many will take aim at the Green Monster. These are special moments that all young baseball players dream about, and Harvard has been fortunate to have these opportunities every few years.”

Here’s to Fenway Park providing great baseball memories for 100 years.

Humphries, meanwhile, is totally over Kardashian and wants to put their failed, 72-day marriage behind him, according to TMZ.com.

Even though Humphries' divorce from Kardashian isn't official yet, Kardashian has already moved on to dating West. Now that he's got the girl, West jumped at the opportunity to put Humphries in his song.

But if West wanted to make Humphries look like a fool, the lyrics dedicated to the New Jersey big man reek of insecurity. 

West also seems to have Jay-Z's job title mixed up. The rap mogul and part-owner of the Nets has no power to kick anyone off the team.

Listen to the song here to hear what's on West's mind.

(Warning: Audio contains some profanity and may be offensive to some viewers.)

Thumbnail via Flickr/Anirudh Koul

The three draftees, Nick Fairley, Mikel Leshoure, and Johnny Culbreath, have all been cited for marijuana possession in the span of a few months. Just to pile it on, Leshoure had two separate citations in less than a month.

Fairley, the 13th overall pick in 2011, broke his foot in training camp and was limited to just 10 games this season. He recorded 11 tackles and one sack. Leshoure, who the Lions traded up to get in the second round, tore his Achilles tendon in training camp and missed the entire season. Culbreath, a seventh-round pick also spent the entire season on the injured reserve.

For three players who really didn’t contribute to the team’s successful season and run to the playoffs, it doesn’t seem like the players have the best interest of the team at heart.

After what was a rough season for the three rookies, these incidents only create a larger black eye for the franchise considered to be the dirtiest in football. All three of the players could face punishment from the league under the NFL’s drug policy. For first-time offenses, there is a maximum of a four-game suspension and a six-game suspension for a second offense.

Both Fairley and Leshoure were expected to be significant contributors during the coming season. With these infractions, the momentum the Lions built over the course of last season could take a hit. Additionally, there could be draft implications.

Janoris Jenkins would be a great fit for the Lions’ system and may be the top talent available when the Lions pick. His off-field issues will possibly cause him to slide down most draft boards. However, those same issues may now push the Lions away. From a public relations standpoint, it would not be best to take another high-risk player.

Depending on how strict the league chooses to be, these citations could disrupt a promising franchise and is further proof that the substance-abuse policies may not be strict enough.

During a Lebanese Division-A pro basketball game between Moutahed of Tripoli and Bejjeh, Mohammad El Akkari scored 113 points to lead his team to victory and join the elite club of triple-digit scorers. Moutahed won the game 173-141.

Akkari, who came into the game averaging 7.6 points per game in 23 contests, made 40 of his 69 shots. The sharpshooter was 32-of-59 from beyond the arc. He shot and made only one free throw.

The performance is the first 100-point effort in an official game played in any league of the FIBA Asia National Federations, according to FIBAAsia.net.

"Thank God for this performance. I think it's all a result of my practice," said Akkari.

Although Akkari has had a relatively uneventful seven-year stint with the team, Akkari's coach, Ahmad Fadel, had nothing but praise for his player's work ethic.

"He's a phenomenal but very underrated shooter," said Fadel. "He puts in a lot of hard work in practice. I am not surprised."

The play was reminiscent of Kevin Garnett's hike to Rajon Rondo during a game against the Lakers. In the Celtics game, the theatrics stopped there. The high-schoolers got a bit more creative.

After winning the opening tip, the players lined up in the backcourt in a football formation. The "wide receiver" then went in motion, and the ball was snapped. The "quarterback" fled the pocket and tossed the ball from halfcourt as his teammate rose to the rim to slam it home.

Despite what probably could have been called a 10-second violation, the half-court alley-oop was a huge success. 

Check out the video below to watch the play.

The announcement was made on Saturday by Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington. The move does not come as a surprise, as Cherington had stated previously that he would not carry three catchers on the roster.

Lavarnway will likely get a large portion of time behind the plate at Pawtucket to work on his defense. He hit .429 with .488 on-base percentage in 40 at-bats this spring.

His goal with 6:54 remaining in the third period against the Ducks gave the B's a two-goal buffer and sealed the win in Anaheim. 

After a defensive stop, Chris Kelly got the puck with just one defender to beat. Kelly dished to Rolston, who slapped it past Ducks goaltender Jonas Hiller.

In the seven-game stretch from March 17 to March 27, Rolston had a line of 3-9-12.

Check out the video below to see Rolston's goal, now the Captain Morgan Goal of the Week.

As a part of his "Lose like a man" campaign, Barkley's next commercial with Weight Watchers will give viewers a glimpse of the Round Mound of Rebound in a dress. Alhough he has lost 42 pounds so far, as reported by USA Today, he still struggles to make the dress look good.

In January, Barkley was caught on camera saying his position as a spokesman for the weight-loss company is a scam, acknowledging he is getting paid to lose weight. At the time, the company said it would forgive and forget.

We don't know if Sir Charles willingly adorned the dress, but he'll be taking some flak from his colleagues either way.

The commercial is set to begin running April 8.

Defensive tackle Amobi Okoye was drafted 10th overall in 2007 and had his best season as a rookie in Houston. He recorded 5.5 sacks in his rookie campaign to accompany 32 tackles, but has yet to reach that sack total since.

According to Comcast SportsNet, the Patriots aren't the only team taking a look at the 6-foot-2, 302 pound Nigerian. The Buccaneers, Broncos, Bears, and Bengals — who have already scheduled a workout with Okoye — have also expressed interest.

Though Okoye hasn't lived up to his billing after being the 10th overall pick, his speed and power make him worthy of another shot. It's not like the Patriots are shy about giving underachieving or disgruntled players an opportunity to prove themselves.

As a reserve for the Bears last season, Okoye had 4 sacks and 27 tackles. 

Not only are the players asked to entertain us on the court, but they're also committed to the community in more ways than just playing basketball. The Lakers' Pau Gasol stepped up in a huge way during the Lakers 2012 Signing Day. 

Though I'm sure the phyiscal demands of a basketball season are intense, this session of autographs seems like it would be an incredibly exhausting experience. The time lapse below shows Pau's continuous run of putting pen to paper – and other surfaces.

Check out the video below to watch him sign away.

Cool video by @tynowell of Pau at autograph day: t.co/p5rFD6mu … No wonder his signature looks like this: t.co/a2K4JWpY

— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) March 25, 2012

With some teams looking to pull off improbable upsets and others trying to justify their top seedings, every bit of support is going to help.

As the tournament gets under way, get to know some of biggest fans of the 64 teams fighting for a title.

Click here to see the cheerleaders of the West region>>

NESN.com’s college basketball coverage is presented by Bovada.net.

While the teams will duke it out in hopes of reaching the final game, their cheerleaders will be dancing and prancing with extra energy in hopes of rallying the fans behind the team.

In the coming days, photos of cheerleaders from each of the 68 teams will be shared. The East region will set the standard, in the order listed on the bracket from top to bottom.

Click here to see the cheerleaders of the East region>>

NESN.com's college basketball coverage is presented by Bovada.net.

Cheerleaders will be doing their cheers along the sidelines and during the breaks in the game throughout the tournament. In preparation for this, we will provide a glimpse of the pompom-bearers.

Each region will receive their own gallery, ordered by the bracket list from top to bottom.

Click here to see the cheerleaders of the Midwest region >>

Gregg Williams, the defensive coordinator at the time, and head coach Sean Payton have found themselves in the midst of a scandal that rivals that of the Patriots' Spygate scandal five years ago. As they must now cooperate with the NFL in its investigation, athletes and other NFL personnel are taking to Twitter to express their thoughts.

[View the story "Athletes and NFL Personnel React to Bounty Program" on Storify]