Adding to the draw of the luxurious mansion — outside of the swimming pool, theater room, beautiful mountain view and private tennis court — are the two previous owners. Wayne Gretzky originally owned the house, having it custom built by world-famous architect Richard Landry in 2002. He lived there with his family before moving to another spectacular mansion in Arizona.

Then, in 2007, former big league star and troublemaker Lenny Dykstra purchased the compound for a cool total of $18.5 million. After a failed attempt at flipping the house, Dykstra foreclosed, but not before reportedly “trashing the place.“

Now, the home has undergone further renovations and remodeling, and is back on the market for those looking for a place in the exclusive Sherwood Country Club private, gated community. Along with the property, which includes two guest houses, you could potentially schmooze with neighbors such as Pete Sampras and Brittney Spears. And it’s all for the low, low price-tag of under $15 million.

Any takers?

Photo via Trulia.com

Houston has a dynamic offense and hard-nosed defense that forces any opponent to prepare for a multitude of talents on each side of the ball. Thus is the task for Bill Belichick and the New England Patriots headed into Monday night’s matchup.

On offense, running back Arian Foster is a touchdown machine. He leads the NFL with 13 scores on the year, making Texans fans and fantasy owners alike smile. And for the third straight year, he’s surpassed the 1,000-yard mark. Entering Monday’s game against New England’s ninth-best rush defense, Foster has already rushed for 1,102 yards.

Speaking of offensive firepower, Andre Johnson‘s return from injury has him leading the charge in the Houston passing attack. Johnson has 74 receptions for 1,114 yards and three touchdowns on the season. As all Patriots fans know, the pass defense has been lackluster at best over the course of the season, but in their most recent games turnovers have helped improve one of the league’s worst pass defenses.

On the defensive side of the ball, Houston allows only 18 points-per-game, while holding opponents under 100 rushing yards. Their catalyst is defensive end J.J. Watt. In only his second year in the league, Watt has made a name for himself as one of the most disruptive defensive players in the NFL. He’s racked up 16.5 sacks on the season, and recovered two fumbles, along with countless pass deflections and quarterback hurries. The Patriots’ offensive line will need to contain the former Wisconsin Badger if they want to keep Tom Brady clean and allow him time to attack.

With all that being said, which Texans stud do the Patriots need to worry the most about? Is Foster’s explosiveness their biggest area of concern? Or does Johnson’s height and strength make him first on the need-to-stop list? But, does Watt’s ability to get to the quarterback worry you more than the other two?

David Ortiz

While Big Papi is best known for his moon shots that sail into the Fenway Park stands, Ortiz is also a prominent humanitarian. For the fifth time, he organized the David Ortiz Celebrity Golf Classic held on Saturday in his native Dominican Republic.

In the previous four editions of the tournament, Ortiz has raised $750,000 for the David Ortiz Children’s Fund, which provides critical pediatric healthcare to children in New England and the Dominican.

This year, Ortiz was joined by plenty of former teammates, including Pedro Martinez, Kevin Millar and Johnny Damon, along with former manager Terry Francona. Olympic gymnast Aly Raisman and Bruins winger Shawn Thornton also made the trip to the sunny weather and pristine playing conditions of Cap Cana.

Click here for a photo gallery of the tournament >>

While NFL players celebrating a touchdown often jump into the stands to interact with some lucky fans, most of the fans are smart enough to catch said player. Key word: most.

In Sunday’s Bills-Rams game in Buffalo, tight end Lee Smith caught a touchdown pass and wanted to make the leap into the Bills’ faithful. But, for whatever reason, the fans weren’t ready for the backup tight end’s plunge.

Check out the animation below to see Smith’s dip into the dark abyss amongst Bills fans.

Animation via The Big Lead

But on Sunday, there was a bright spot. Rookie quarterback Nick Foles hit wide receiver Jason Avant for a 20-yard snag in the second quarter of their game in Tampa Bay.

Avant’s incredible body control and slick mitts allowed him to haul in the pass, making him a definite candidate for NFL catch of the year. Check out the animation below to see Avant’s handy work.

Animation via gifulmination.com

Thumbnail photo via Facebook/Jason Avant

On Thursday evening, a group of players met with Donald and Steve Fehr to discuss the talks that took place without them earlier in the week. An hour later, deputy commissioner Bill Daly — one of only two NHL members in attendance — returned to the league offices with the latest proposal from the players association.

Donald Fehr addressed the media shortly thereafter, at least projecting some optimism following the meetings.

“We think there is a complete agreement on dollars. Wouldn’t seem to be very much reason why we shouldn’t be able to conclude,” he said. “Players have gone a very, very long way.”

Fehr also addressed that he believed that the players had agreed to the “make-whole” agreement that the NHL proposed a few weeks back. As a result, the $300 million difference would be made up in the players’ pension plan. Also outlined in the proposal from the players was contract length for the proposed CBA lasting eight years with an opt-out clause after six. The NHL originally outlined a 10-year contract.

The players also moved on the length of contract stipulation, reducing their outline to a seven-year deal for players re-signing with their team. The NHL looked to have a five-year limit on contracts.

With all that being said, the players left the news conference — but returned in less than an hour to the podium. But this time, the news was much more grim.

The NHL (reportedly Daly) had left a voice mail for Steve Fehr that the players’ latest steps were “unacceptable.”

Don Fehr: It's not positive. We were advised in a voice mail message that the moves the players made were not acceptable.

—
Nick Cotsonika (@cotsonika) December 07, 2012

Fehr once again addressed the media after the phone call before Bettman took the podium. The commissioner then added more grim news.

Bettman spoke about the players’ latest proposal as “not acceptable,”  saying he couldn’t envision a scenario ”playing less than a 48-game season,” according to ESPN.

Interestingly, Bettman also accused Fehr of “using spin to make it appear the two sides are closer than where the league thinks they are.”

With all this being said, it looks as though the negotiations between the league and players has hit another snag, and there are no discussions scheduled for the remainder of this week — or any time for that matter. In even more interesting news, Winnipeg Jets defenseman Ron Hainsey was told by the NHL that bringing Donald Fehr back into the room could be a “deal-breaker,” according to Chris Johnston of The Canadian Press.

After two days of meeting with representatives from the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Services, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly left Thursday’s meetings with no sense of positive direction being gained as a result of mediation.

In a statement released following Thursday’s meetings, Daly said, “After spending several hours with both sides over two days, the presiding mediators concluded that the parties remained far apart, and that no progress toward a resolution could be made through further mediation at this point in time.

“We are disappointed that the mediation process was not successful.”

The league has cancelled all games through Dec. 15, along with the Winter Classic and All-Star Game, that were scheduled to be held in Ann Arbor, Mich., and Columbus, Ohio, respectively.

Darren Dreger of TSN reports that commissioner Gary Bettman has proposed a meeting between players and owners only for the next talks, without the league or union heads in attendance.

Bettman proposed to Fehr and PA an owner-payer mtng only. No NHL or NHLPA brass. Fehr and PA are believed to be considering.

—
Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) November 29, 2012

Those talks have yet to be scheduled, with both sides considering their options at this point.

Dave Bolland

Bolland, an avid Twitter user, retweeted a fan — a rather common practice between athletes and their followers. But, the tweet that he sent back out into the Twittersphere was one that probably should have been left untouched.

A fan asked, “can I get a RT for wanting Bettman dead?” And, Bolland obliged.

Oops.

The tweet has since been removed and Bolland has issued an apology, but the deed has already been done. Bolland spoke with ESPN’s Pierre Lebrun, and felt bad for retweeting his fan.

“It was a mistake, I never meant to retweet that out, I like to retweet for a lot of my fans, and I just retweeted the wrong thing. I feel bad about it.”

While it is true that accidents do happen, this is something that has become somewhat of a common pattern for anti-Bettman actions, as Bolland is already the third NHLer to say something negative about the commissioner.

Red Wings defenseman Ian White called him an “idiot,” and Panthers forward Kris Versteeg went so far as to call Bettman and deputy commissioner Bill Daly as “cancers.”

Photo via Twitter/@DaveBolland

Rajon Rondo

Kevin Garnett was fouled hard by the Nets’ Kris Humphries in the second quarter, and that’s when Rondo stepped in to defend his fallen teammate.

The point guard and Humphries began pushing and shoving, and Gerald Wallace began to shove KG. Rondo, Wallace and Humphries were ejected from the game as a result of the skirmish.

With the ejection, Rondo’s streak of double-digit assists games was snapped at 37 games.

Celtics general manager Danny Ainge appeared on WEEI’s The Big Show on Thursday evening, and said Rondo would be suspended two games for the incident. The NBA agreed with Ainge’s sentiments, and Rondo will miss the next two games for the C’s.

Rondo will not also be fined as a result of the incident, as reported by Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports.

Agent Bill Duffy tells Y! Sports there is no additional fine other than lost pay during 2-game suspension for his client Rajon Rondo.

—
Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) November 29, 2012

This will be the third suspension for Rondo is his NBA career. He was suspended for two games in February of 2012 for throwing a ball at an official, and then suspended for one game in last year’s playoff series against the Hawks for bumping an official.

Pending an appeal, Rondo will sit out games against the Blazers and Bucks.

Following the contest — which saw Rajon Rondo, among others, rejected– both teams have continued the bad blood off the court and into social media (which has drawn criticism from Erin Andrews).

And on Thursday afternoon, Garnett fired back at the Nets and Humphries.

KG joined Mut & Merloni on WEEI to talk about the confrontation, and although Rondo’s actions may yield a suspension, he was OK with his teammate sticking up for him.

“A lot of people that know Rajon know that he doesn’t like anybody messing with teammates or messing with brothers or messing with any kind of family. It’s pretty much been the code and been how it is since I’ve been here. … This year’s no different from that. We have each other’s backs out there.”

According to KG, Humphries has been known for such hard fouls, including a similar foul in an earlier contest, on teammate Paul Pierce.

“I’ve seen him foul out. We watched film of the last time the last time we played in Brooklyn and he kind of gave Paul [Pierce] a similar type of foul: two hands, had something on it. Dude’s always been known to be out of control and he’s always tried to play the tough guy or whatever role.”

Because of Rondo’s unquestioned value to the Celtics, his actions and potential suspension may have those wishing he didn’t get involved in the altercation. He talked with NBA officials prior to Thursday’s practice, and the league’s decision on whether Rondo will be suspended — and if so, how long — coming soon.

The Celtics are currently 8-7 and take on the Blazers on Friday night.

Screen Grab via NBA.com

Why, you ask?

After Serota was assigned to the mediation Monday afternoon, Twitter users took to the Internet to discover who one of the men leading the charge to hopefully end the NHL lockout was. Serota’s account left some questions to be answered.

Hockey Buzz blogger Travis Yost snapped a couple of screenshots of some interesting Serota tweets where Serota made racially insensitive comments and harassed actress/comedian Sarah Silverman. Shortly after, FMCS Director George H. Cohen released a statement essentially firing Serota.

“Accordingly, in order to immediately dispel any cloud on the mediation process, and without regard to the merits of the allegations, I have determined to take immediate action, namely to remove commissioner Serota from this assignment,” Cohen said.

Serota alleges his account was hacked, according to email correspondence with ESPN hockey writer Pierre LeBrun.

Reached Serota via email a few minutes ago and when asked if his Twitter account had indeed been hacked, he responded: ``Yes.''

—
Pierre LeBrun (@Real_ESPNLeBrun) November 26, 2012

The FMCS said it would make no further statements in regards to the situation but said Serota will be left out of further talks. In one of the oddest situations regarding labor discussions in history, the advice of “don’t press send” couldn’t be more evident.

Photo via Facebook/Guy Serota

Suh has been suspended once in his brief NFL career, following an incident that happened on Thanksgiving 2011. He stomped on the arm of Packers guard Evan Dietrich-Smith following a brief skirmish, and was suspended two games without pay by commissioner Roger Goodell.

The league decided that the kick was not worthy of a suspension, but will be reviewed for a potential fine. Schaub denounced Suh on Monday, saying that he’s “not Houston-Texan worthy.”

Click here to see Suh’s questionable groin shot on Schaub –>

Young men and women, who one day dream of playing sports professionally, choose a school to further their athletic endeavors, with the ultimate goal not being to graduate with a specific major degree. As Pargman argues, as an institution of higher education, shouldn’t these young people be allowed to pursue a degree in their chosen field?

“Higher education, for better or worse, purports to be a pathway to a vocational future,” he writes. “Why is this not so with regard to professional sports?”

In his article, which was written for the Chronicle of Higher Education, Pargman continues on with the concept of a “sports performance” major for those who are interested in pursuing their athletic prowess after college.

He goes on to propose a course load for said students, following two years of introductory studies, which as he examines, “An initial two years of basic studies await most freshmen upon entering the four-year college campus, and such is expected of student athletes as well.”

It is after this two year exploration that the athlete is forced to choose a major, and in most cases, follows a path with no desire or interest in said major, resulting in a lack of dedication to the course load.

“All too many young men either completely lack interest in the mandatory and largely arbitrary and convenient choice of major or, at best, are only marginally attracted to it. Their laser-like focus is upon football, basketball or baseball. It is here where their most powerful and meaningful motivations lie.”

And while not every player on every major team hopes to one day play in the NFL, NBA, MLB or NHL, having a major choice like the one proposed in this column at the very least allows for those who have these dreams, to pursue them at the collegiate level.

“I’ve yet to meet a parent who would deny feeling pride and pleasure upon learning of a son’s success in securing an NFL, NBA, or MLB contract,” he writes. “Our culture is solidly supportive of its professional athletes.”

While the NCAA may have a different viewpoint on the matter, it would produce another academic opportunity, and give college athletes the opportunity to enjoy their academic rigor, and put the student back in student-athlete.

After sending Jose Reyes, Mark Buehrle and Josh Johnson to the Toronto Blue Jays for a plethora of prospects, the Marlins’ lone star in Miami is Giancarlo Stanton. Now his stay in South Beach may be limited, too.

The Marlins have had numerous teams inquiring about their budding superstar, including the Red Sox, Yankees, Orioles and Cubs, according to Nick Cafardo of The Boston Globe.

Stanton himself was shocked to hear the news of his (former) teammates being sent north of the border, tweeting his displeasure toward the trade soon after it happened.

Alright, I'm pissed off!!! Plain & Simple

—
Giancarlo Stanton (@Giancarlo818) November 13, 2012

But, as Cafardo points out, the Marlins will be closely watched in all future deals by commissioner Bud Selig, as he had to approve the first trade after “thorough examination.”

As the hot stove heats up, the Red Sox have put their names in the hat for multiple players, including free-agent catcher/first baseman Mike Napoli, who visited Boston over the weekend. Cafardo also points out that the Sox have been in contact with free-agent outfielder Nick Swisher.

Click here to see who could land Giancarlo Stanton>>

The Red Sox “have had ongoing negotiations with Swisher and his agents,” according to Nick Cafardo of the Boston Globe.

Last season, Swisher hit .272 with the Bronx Bombers, smacking 24 home runs while driving in 93 RBIs in 148 games. The switch-hitting outfielder killed the Sox in 2012, hitting a mind-boggling .459 — his highest against any opponent. Five of his 24 homers came against Boston as well.

With reports that first-baseman/catcher Mike Napoli visited the team over the weekend, another free agent may be considering taking his talents to the Hub in the near future.

But now it looks like the world has seen the last of Fireman Ed. Anzalone announced in a guest column for Metro New York that he will continue to attend Jets games, but not in his famous getup.

Anzalone was noticeably absent from the second half of the Jets’ beatdown by the Patriots on Thanksgiving night, and he addressed his absence in a column on Sunday.

“This was the second time in a row I left before there were four zeroes on the clock,” he said. “I decided to leave Thursday because the confrontations with other Jets fans have become more common, even though most Jets fans are fantastic.”

Anzalone has been wearing a Mark Sanchez jersey, which was apparently too much for the Jets loyalists who have now extinguished the most passionate fan of the team.

“The fact that I chose to wear a Mark Sanchez jersey this year and that fans think I am on the payroll — which is an outright lie — have made these confrontations more frequent,” he wrote. “Whether it’s in the stands, the bathroom or the parking lot, these confrontations are happening on a consistent basis.”

As a result, Fireman Ed is no more.

“I will always love the Jets because they are in my heart, and I will attend games as usual, just not as Fireman Ed,” he said.

Photo via Facebook/Fireman Ed

The Denver Broncos — thanks in large part to Peyton Manning and a disappointing Chiefs team — won again on Sunday, and increased their lead in the AFC West over the San Diego Chargers.

Back in New England, the Patriots beat the Jets in a laugher on Thursday night, widening their spot atop the AFC East perch. That extended their winning streak to five with a showdown looming against the Dolphins in Miami next week.

The Baltimore Ravens squeaked by the Steelers without Ben Roethlisberger, but have maintained their winning ways and lead the suddenly-down AFC North. And with Ray Rice running wild on teams, watch out.

And then there are the Houston Texans. They share the best record in the NFL at 10-1 with the Atlanta Falcons, and won a wild game in Detroit, thanks in large part to multiple Lions miscues. Coach Jim Schwartz‘s premature throwing of a challenge flag was particularly glaring and cost the Lions seven points. But even with that record, are the Texans the best team in the AFC?

Vote in the poll below and be sure to tune in to NESN Daily on Sunday night at 10 p.m. to see the results.

She had been battling lupus since Nov. 10, when her father took a leave of absence from the Rockets to be with her, his wife Lynn and their four other children.

Former Rocket and current Celtics guard Courtney Lee remembered his time with McHale in his stint in Houston, and he sent a tweet Sunday evening asking for prayers for the family.

The Celtics take on the Magic on Sunday night in Orlando. Click here for a live blog of the game. Check out Lee’s tweet below.

Prayers go out to coach mchale and his family!!!!!

—
Courtney Lee (@CourtneyLee2211) November 25, 2012

The son of Robert Griffin Sr. and Jacqueline Griffin, Griffin moved around a lot as a child before settling in Copperas, Texas, in 1997 when he was 7 years old. Both his parents were Army sergeants and lived in Fort Hood to raise their budding star athlete.

Griffin attended Copperas Cove High School and was a two-sport star in both football and track. He combined for more than 2,400 yards his senior year of high school but didn’t draw much attention from major schools. Griffin chose Baylor because of its football and track programs — Griffin’s now-defunct track career included him participating in the U.S. Olympic Trials in the 400-meter hurdles.

Griffin did play his freshman year but was overlooked due to how poor the Bears were in 2008, when they finished 4-8. After being redshirted after a mild ACL tear in the third game of the 2009 season, Griffin regained the starting role a year later and led Baylor to a 7-6 record while throwing for 3,500 yards and rushing for another 635. Those were strong numbers, but nothing like what was to come.

And then there was 2011.

Entering the season, Griffin was at best recognized as a middle-of-the-road college quarterback. It took one game to begin the legend that has remained to this day, as he led the Bears to an upset over 15th-ranked TCU in the season opener, when he threw for 359 and five touchdowns. From that point on, college football fans across the country began to take notice of the young man in Waco.

A Heisman Trophy, a record-breaking bowl performance and a 3.67 GPA later, Griffin entered the 2012 NFL Draft as the second-rated quarterback, behind only Andrew Luck. The Redskins went all-in on Griffin, sending away their first-round draft picks until 2014 and a second-rounder in 2012 to move up four spots in the draft. Minus the sub-.500 record so far this season, it seems like the trade worked out for Washington.

Upon entering the NFL, Griffin immediately became a household name and a must-see player. His first game in the league included two touchdowns through the air and the debut of “Griffining.” Now, his jersey is among the top sellers in the league, and football fans in D.C. believe in the future of their franchise.

But why is this all relevant?

The Dallas Cowboys are hosting a game on Thanksgiving, an NFL tradition they’ve had since 1970, and this year Griffin and the Redskins are visiting in a key NFC East matchup. In the mammoth structure that is Cowboys Stadium, Griffin will return to his de facto home state for the first time, and on the national stage.

In a relatively short time span (just over a year, in fact) a quarterback out of a non-football powerhouse was drafted second overall, reinvigorated a once-dead franchise, and led a team toward a .500 record for the first time since 2008.

As the first quarterback born in the 1990s, Griffin is leading a youth movement in the NFL alongside Luck toward a new era in elite quarterbacks in the league. As a compliment to his style of play and leadership skills, the Skins named Griffin an offensive captain during their bye.

With a return to his home state on one of the NFL’s biggest stages, Griffin is poised to continue his statement as a top-notch signal caller in Washington. Fans will be glued to their televisions to watch the explosiveness in the house that Jerry Jones built.

What a way for a Texas kid to come home.

Two years prior, in 1982, one of the craziest occurrences in all of sports took place in the Lahaina Civic Center. The host school, Chaminade University of Honolulu — then of the NAIA — upset No. 1-ranked Virginia in one of the largest underdog wins of all time. After the victory brought attention to the school, the tournament was born.

Now, 30 years later, Chaminade has pulled off another upset. In the first round of this year’s tournament, the now-Division II Silverswords upset Big 12 powerhouse Texas, rekindling memories of the monumental upset decades ago. After trailing early, Chaminade caught fire and opened a lead as large as 18 points over the Longhorns to advance to the second round of the tournament.

Senior Deandre Haskins led the host institution with 32 points. Next up is either USC or Illinois in the semifinals.The Silverswords have never won their own tournament, finishing second in the inaugural version in 1984 to Providence.

While it’s not the same magnitude of the original upset, a Division II school beating a proud institution like Texas doesn’t happen often.