THE LOCKER ROOM 3/24 - A.M. Edition

Here are the top stories on the wires this morning ...

• Sidney Crosby plans to accompany the Penguins on their brief road trip that starts Monday against the Islanders and could play for the first time since March 9.

• The Islanders were stuffed by Martin Biron and the Flyers last night, 4-1, in Philly. Biron stopped 32 of 33 shots to remain perfect against the Isles this season.

• The Nets will try to avoid their first season sweep by the Knicks in nine years when the teams meet up at The Garden tonight.

• Yankees No. 2 starter Andy Pettitte underwent treatment but did not play catch yesterday, one day after being scratched from a scheduled start due to back spasms.

• Orlando Hernandez and Mike Pelfrey, the leading candidates for the No. 5 job in the Mets rotation, were both ineffective yesterday in a 14-4 loss to the Cardinals.

• After a wild day in the NCAA Tournament yesterday, the top seeds are still alive but three double-digit seeds are also in play as the Madness is down to "Sweet 16." The biggest upset of the day was No. 10 Davidson knocking off No. 2 Georgetown.

• Novak Djokovic is looking more like contender for the top spot, although Mardy Fish says Roger Federer is still the best. Fish beat both in Indian Wells.

• Adoring fans in Daisuke Matsuzaka's home town await his return to the Tokyo Dome mound in the uniform of the champion Boston Red Sox tomorrow night.

THE LOCKER ROOM 3/21 - A.M. Edition

Here are the top stories on the wires this morning ...

• With the Devils enjoying a night off between key games against the Rangers and Islanders, the Canadiens passed New Jersey for first place in the Eastern Conference while the Penguins caught them for a share of the lead in the Atlantic Division.

• The wife of a former NBA referee charged in a betting scandal wants a restraining order against her husband, Tim Donaghy, who she said verbally and physically abused their children.

• Duke barely beat No. 15 Belmont, while Xavier, West Virginia and Purdue all advanced to round out the first day of the NCAA Tournament.

• Brian McNamee, the former personal trainer who has said he injected Roger Clemens with steroids and HGH, fainted while driving and crashed his car head-on into a city bus, according to published reports.

• Red Sox hurler Daisuke Matsuzaka, a national treasure coming back to Tokyo as a World Series champion, posed for pictures and fielded questions after his workout today.

• Coco Crisp is getting better, Mike Timlin is getting worse and Red Sox manager Terry Francona still has some roster decisions to wrestle with before Tuesday's opener against the Athletics.

• New closer Brad Lidge might be ready to start the season with the Phillies, while John Patterson is looking for a job after he was released by the Nationals.

• A co-defendant of suspended NFL quarterback Michael Vick has been released from federal prison after completing a two-month sentence in the dogfighting conspiracy.

• Geoff Ogilvy left Bay Hill on a positive note last week after closing with a 66 to salvage a finish in the top 20. Now, Ogilvy and Miguel Angel Jimenez Jimenez share the lead ahead of streaking Tiger Woods.

• Defending champion Rafael Nadal beat James Blake for the first time in their four meetings to move into the Pacific Life Open semifinals.

THE LOCKER ROOM 3/20 - A.M. Edition

What people are talking about this morning ...

• Nigel Dawes' Shootout goal gave the Rangers a crucial 2-1 win over the rival Devils at Prudential Center Wednesday night.

• Bobby Valentine has nothing against the Boston Red Sox and Oakland Athletics opening Major League Baseball's 2008 season in Japan. It's just the timing of it he can't understand.

• Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer advanced to the quarterfinals of the Indian Wells tournament. On the women's side, Maria Sharapova extended her winning streak to 18 straight matches.

• Despite low attendance, poor revenues and an aging arena, Sen. Herb Kohl said he'll never take the Bucks out of Milwaukee.

• In a season of misery, the Miami Heat set a new low. Andrea Bargnani and Anthony Parker each scored 14 points and the Toronto Raptors held Miami to the third-lowest point total in the shot-clock era, beating the Heat 96-54 on Wednesday night.

THE LOCKER ROOM 3/19 - Evening Edition

Here are the top stories on the wires tonight ...

• It's official. Joba Chamberlain will begin the season in the bullpen.

• The Boston Red Sox ended a threatened boycott Wednesday of their final spring training game in Florida, resolving a dispute over paying coaches for the season-opening trip to Japan.

• A New Jersey lawmaker wants the NCAA to investigate the Rutgers-Tennessee women's basketball game won by the Lady Vols amid a dispute over whether the clock paused, allowing a foul and game-winning free throws.

• Atlanta Braves outfielder Jeff Francoeur, hit in the face by a pitch over the weekend, hopes to play Thursday night against the Detroit Tigers.

• Former tennis great Monica Seles is working on a memoir. The book, currently untitled, will be published in 2009 by Avery, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA).

• All professional tennis tournaments using an electronic replay system will offer players the same amount of challenges per match starting next week.

THE LOCKER ROOM 3/17 - A.M. Edition

Here are the top stories on the wires this St. Patrick's Day morning ...

• Former Yankees catcher Jim Leyritz, facing DUI manslaughter charges, visited former teammates yesterday before the game with Cleveland.

• Hank Steinbrenner has not been disappointed by the way new manager Joe Girardi has run an excellent spring training camp."I think the players have the 'Eye of the Tiger' back," the co-owner said.

• Yankees center fielder Melky Cabrera said he most likely will appeal a three-game suspension for his role in the spring-training fight between New York and the Tampa Bay Rays.

• Pedro Martinez threw four shutout innings in his spring training debut, and Carlos Delgado was cut by a flying bat, in the Mets' victory over Detroit.

• Longtime powers Arizona, Kentucky and Villanova slipped into the NCAA men's basketball tournament, while many schools once again claimed 'snub.'

• Andy Roddick lost his temper - and his third-round match in the Pacific Life Open. Roger Federer, meanwhile, was as cool as usual in Indian Wells.

NetJets Showdown Gallery: Federer Beats Sampras

On Monday at Madison Square Garden, Roger Federer battled Pete Sampras in the NetJets Showdown, beating the former World No. 1 in three exciting sets, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 7-6 (6).

Take a look at how Federer won bragging rights in the fourth exhibition match between the living legends.

MORE:

• Were You There To Witness The Historic Event?
• Re-live The Night Through Our Exclusive Video
• Al Trautwig And Taylor Dent Answer Your Questions

The NetJets Showdown: Fan Cam

Were you at The Garden to witness Pete Sampras and Roger Federer volley for bragging rights in The NetJets Showdown?

Share your thoughts on the night in the comments section below.

MORE:

• Tennis Legends Give Their Take On The Best Ever
• Al Trautwig And Taylor Dent Answer Your Questions
• Federer Wins Game On!'s "Best Ever" Poll

NetJets Showdown In Video

The NetJets Showdown at The Garden Monday was amazing, ending with Roger Federer beating Pete Sampras in an exciting third set tie-break.

Re-live the great night with our exclusive videos, including interviews with tennis greats before the match and the post-match reactions.




WATCH: Roger Federer's post-match reaction

WATCH: John McEnroe shares his analysis of the match

WATCH: Ivan Lendl talks about the best players he's played against

WATCH: Billie Jean King recalls her famous "Battle of the Sexes" exhibition match

WATCH: Pre-match interview with Sampras' wife, actress Bridgette Wilson

WATCH: Scott Lasky gets a history lesson on the Davis Cup Trophy from its keeper

WATCH: Al Trautwig & Taylor Dent break down the fans' picks for best player ever

NetJets Showdown: Trautwig And Dent Answer Your Questions

Hey tennis fans, thanks for your great questions for Taylor Dent and I.

Now, check out the answers we have for you.

MORE:

• Who's The Best Tennis Player Ever?
• Photos Of The Top-16
• Can't Beat Tennis At The Garden

Vote For The Best Men's Tennis Player Of All-Time: We Have A Winner

The final votes have been tallied in our "Best Men's Tennis Player Of All-Time" poll and the winner is ... (insert drum roll) Roger Federer.

The Swiss Maestro beat Pete Sampras in the championship round, by a whopping 68-32%, after eliminating Mats Wilander, John McEnroe and Bjorn Borg.

Do you agree with the masses? Where's the love for Pistol Pete?

MORE:

• The Best: Top-16 | Sampras | Federer
• Ask Taylor Dent And Al Trautwig

Vote For The Best Men's Tennis Player Of All-Time: Championship Round

It's down to the final two!

Pete Sampras and Roger Federer walloped their Final Four competition to coast into our final matchup.

Now it's your turn to determine who's the best men's tennis player of all-time, once and for all.

VOTE NOW:

No. 1 Pete Sampras vs. No. 1 Roger Federer

MORE:

• Sampras-Federer Is Going To Be Exciting
• Tennis Greats Ready To Clash
• Ask Taylor Dent And Al Trautwig
• The Best: Top-16 | Sampras | Federer

NetJets Showdown: Ask Al And Taylor Dent A Question

American tennis player Taylor Dent will join me on March 10 to call the match between Pete Sampras and Roger Federer at The Garden.

We'll also be fielding questions and comments from you, the fans.

So pass along your inquiries in the comments section below and check back here on match day to see if yours was featured.

We look forward to hearing from you all. Thanks everyone!

MORE:

• PHOTOS: Check Out Agassi's Mullet
• Pete Sampras Still Has Game

NetJets Showdown: Renewing An Old Tradition

Reviving an old school tradition of barnstorming, which started with Babe Ruth in the offseasons of the 1920s, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer will play their fourth exhibition; a Garden showdown Monday night.

It will be a classic one-night stand at one of the world's greatest sporting places. This is a unique matchup that exceeds some other such forays in historical terms because you have 26 Grand Slam championships between these two players.

MSG had tennis as recently as 2000, of course, with the WTA Championships -- the successor to the Virginia Slims women's championships. Those were season-ending tour championships, that were vied for by all the best players in the world. This is different. Sampras and Federer is the latter-day version of what we've seen before.

The Beginning

It began in 1948, really, and then it happened again in the early 1970s. The day after Christmas in 1947, Jack Kramer debuted as a pro and faced a veteran barnstormer, Bobby Riggs. More than 16,000 people trudged through 25 inches of snow that night to watch Riggs win in four sets, after a 10-8 second set escape, which gave him a two-set advantage. The box office gross of that event was over $55,000, which shattered any previous records.

Second Set

Next came the 1970s series of tennis champions classics. Rod Laver was fresh off his second Grand Slam. He played a $10,000 winner-take-all event against 41-year-old Pancho Gonzalez and 14,700 jammed into the new Garden. Gonzalez, the old man, scrapped his way to a five-set win. So Laver, supposedly the greatest player ever, was shocked, as were the patrons there that night.

More MSG History

And the third great MSG tennis extravaganza came in 1971. Laver beat the other great Aussie of that era, Ken Rosewall. It was the first of that year's tennis champions classics. Laver won it and then he rolled over the other greats of the day during the course of the year, beating Roy Emerson, Arthur Ashe, and Tony Roche and then eventually a straight set win over Tom Okker at The Garden. Laver won a total of $160,000 during all those tennis champions classics that year.

The Best Ever?

Now hear we come with Federer and Sampras. Federer won the first two matches, but Pete won the third one. And what I've noticed is that Sampras' serve is still as lethal as it was in his prime. His conditioning maybe isn't Grand Slam level obviously -- he's been playing more golf than tennis -- but he has gotten on a regimen of getting back in shape to play the game of tennis. Maybe he's been bored by going to the beach and playing golf everyday.

In a one-time match like this, I think Sampras is an even bet with his serve as the equalizer. The other advantage he has is the serve-and-volley game. Now Sampras, in his prime, played a lot of serve-and-volley. That's something that Federer doesn’t see on the tour these days. And don't forget, the 14-time Grand Slam winner has the ultimate motivation: He does not want to embarrass himself. Sampras has little to lose, but he will be motivated and will make this a tough match on Federer.

Federer is still the best player in the world, has been going on four years, but he's lost a couple matches in a row. Finally, there’s a chink in the armor of the great Federer. Maybe he's getting bored or slipping just a half a notch -- he did not win in Australia; Novak Djokovic, who may be his heir apparent, won there.

But for Federer and Sampras, it's going to be an exciting night because The Garden will be jam-packed. It's a special place and this match will renew a tradition that started in the 1940s, was picked up again in the 1970s and now is back in the new millennium.

MORE:

• Al Trautwig Has The Inside Scoop
• Ask Taylor Dent And Trautwig A Question
• Who's Better: Sampras Or Federer?
• Photos Top-16 | Sampras | Federer

THE LOCKER ROOM 3/7 - A.M. Edition

Here are the top stories on the wires this morning ...

• Federal agents have contacted a former employee of a Houston fitness center in a bid to see whether Roger Clemens obtained performance-enhancing drugs in Houston, The New York Times reported.

• Although he spoke for a little more than an hour, Brett Favre struggled just to get through the first minute of his opening statement, when he emotionally said goodbye to a Hall-Of-Fame bound NFL career.

• The Titans agreed to terms on a multiyear contract with Jevon Kearse, and coach Jeff Fisher said they plan to play the 31-year-old defensive end as much as possible.

• It was a tough night for four ranked college teams. No. 13 Connecticut fell to un-ranked Providence, No. 8 Xavier lost to un-ranked Saint Joseph's, No. 7 Stanford came up short against No. 3 UCLA, and No. 24 Clemson lost at Georgia Tech.

• Venus Williams dispatched Vera Zvonareva today to reach the semifinals of the WTA's Bangalore Open.

• Pro golfer Tripp Isenhour apologized for killing a hawk that was making noise while he tried to film a TV show. Now the Humane Society wants the PGA Tour to take action.

Getting Ready For The NetJets Showdown

I can't wait for Monday night, March 10. It's going to be a simply fabulous event at The Garden as Roger Federer takes on Pete Sampras in the NetJets Showdown.

Everyone is excited not only for the match, but for all the interesting things we are going to do on MSG Plus, which makes its debut that night, and MSG.com.

Here's the inside scoop on what's going on for the big night.

MORE:

• Sampras-Federer Is Going To Be Exciting
• Tennis Greats Ready To Clash
• Ask Taylor Dent And Al Trautwig
• The Best: Top-16 | Sampras | Federer

THE LOCKER ROOM 3/6 - Evening Edition

Here are the top stories on the wires tonight ...

• The New York Islanders' pregame skate Thursday morning provided no concrete conclusion to the saga of who would start in goal hours later against the New York Rangers.

• A slumping Roger Federer will face Pete Sampras at Madison Square Garden in The NetJets Showdown Monday, March 10.

• An emotional Brett Favre ruled out returning to play football at a news conference Thursday.

• Commissioner David Stern and other NBA officials will tour Oklahoma City's downtown arena on March 25 as part of the Seattle SuperSonics' relocation request.

• Andy Roddick used his strong serve to upset Rafael Nadal 7-6 (5), 6-2 Thursday and reach the semifinals of the Dubai Tennis Championships, and then announced he has split with coach Jimmy Connors. Roddick is no longer coached by tennis great Jimmy Connors.

• After a year in which Kyle Farnsworth said he had communication problems with Joe Torre, the big right-hander is hoping for a better result under new manager Joe Girardi.

• With the Miami Heat almost certainly headed to the NBA lottery, Pat Riley wants to see who might be available for the taking.

Vote For The Best Men's Tennis Player Of All-Time: Final Four

The Final Four is set!

The journey to crown the king of tennis has reached these four players: Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Roger Federer, Bjorn Borg.

Now it's your turn to decide who the finalists will be.

VOTE NOW:

No. 1 Pete Sampras vs. No. 3 Andre Agassi
No. 1 Roger Federer vs. No. 2 Bjorn Borg

MORE:

• Why Watch Sampras And Federer At The Garden?
• Does Pistol Pete Have Any Chance At All?
• Ask Taylor Dent And Al Trautwig
• The Best: Top-16 | Sampras | Federer

Vote For The Best Men's Tennis Player Of All-Time: RD. 2

Andre Agassi and Bjorn Borg have advanced to our Final 4!

Your votes helped Agassi take care of Jimmy Connors and Borg get past Rod Laver to move on.

Now who will be their Final 4 opponents? That's up to you again.

Round 2 continues in the top half of the bracket with Pete Sampras against Boris Becker and Roger Federer versus John McEnroe.

VOTE NOW:

No. 1 Pete Sampras vs. No. 4 Boris Becker
No. 1 Roger Federer vs. No. 4 John McEnroe

MORE:

• Al Trautwig Makes His Predictions
• Ask Taylor Dent And Al A Question
• PHOTOS: The Top-16 ever?

Vote For The Best Men's Tennis Player Of All-Time: RD. 2

No surprise here. Pete Sampras ousted Andy Roddick and Roger Federer dispatched Mats Wilander in the final matchups of Round 1 of our tournament.

Round 2 begins with a pair of No. 2 vs. No. 3 battles. Jimmy Connors takes on Andre Agassi, while Bjorn Borg will attempt to fend off Rod Laver.

VOTE NOW:

No. 2 Jimmy Connors vs. No. 3 Andre Agassi
No. 2 Bjorn Borg vs. No. 3 Rod Laver

MORE:

• Al Trautwig Makes His Predictions
• Ask Taylor Dent And Al A Question
• PHOTOS: The Top-16 ever?

Vote For The Best Men's Tennis Player Of All-Time: RD. 1

We have yet to have an upset in our tournament as both No. 4 seeds advanced to the second round with Boris Becker eliminating John Newcombe and John McEnroe taking care of Ivan Lendl.

Now it's time for the No. 1 vs. No. 8 matchups, where Pete Sampras and Roger Federer start their journey to be claimed "The Best Ever" by you, the fans.

VOTE NOW:

No. 1 Pete Sampras vs. No. 8 Andy Roddick
No. 1 Roger Federer vs. No. 8 Mats Wilander

MORE:

• Al Trautwig Makes His Predictions
• Ask Taylor Dent And Al A Question
• PHOTOS: The Top-16 Ever?

Why All The Racket About Tennis Here?

Everybody here at Madison Square Garden is very excited about March 10. It's going to be The NetJets Showdown featuring Pete Sampras against Roger Federer, arguably two of the best players in tennis history from their respective eras.

Many people, whose opinions I respect, believe Federer is without question the greatest tennis player of all time. So he should run away with this whole bracket thing, right?

Here are my picks ...

VOTE NOW:

No. 4 Boris Becker vs. No. 5 John Newcombe
No. 4 John McEnroe vs. No. 5 Ivan Lendl

MORE:

• Now YOU Vote For The Best Of All-Time
• Have A Tennis Question? Ask Taylor Dent & Trautwig
• Photo Gallery Of The Top-16
• Don't Be Fooled, Sampras Can Still Play

Vote For The Best Men's Tennis Player Of All-Time: RD. 1

The bottom half of our tournament bracket is all set for the second round with Jimmy Connors against Andre Agassi and Bjorn Borg versus Rod Laver.

But now we shift our attention to the top half where you, once again, decide who moves on to Round 2 in today's matchups between the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds.

VOTE NOW:

No. 4 Boris Becker vs. No. 5 John Newcombe
No. 4 John McEnroe vs. No. 5 Ivan Lendl

MORE:

• PHOTOS: Federer Once Had A Ponytail
• Ask Taylor Dent And Al Trautwig A Question
• You Ready For Sampras-Federer At MSG?

NetJets Showdown Gallery: Roger Federer Highlights

Swiss superstar Roger Federer is right on the heels of Pete Sampras for the all-time lead in Grand Slam titles.

See how the No. 1 player got to this point in his career.

MORE:

• VOTE For The Best Men's Player Of All-Time
• Ask Taylor Dent And Al Trautwig A Question
• PHOTOS: These Legends Hold Court
• Maybe Sampras Left The Game Too Soon ...

Vote For The Best Men's Tennis Player Of All-Time: RD. 1

The votes are in from our No. 3 vs. No. 6 matchups, and it's Andre Agassi and Rod Laver moving on to Round 2.

Their opponents in the second round? Well, that will be decided by you.

VOTE NOW:

No. 2 Jimmy Connors vs. No. 7 Arthur Ashe
No. 2 Bjorn Borg vs. No. 7 Rafael Nadal

MORE:

• He's Married To Nancy Kerrigan AND Knows Tennis ...
• Ask Taylor Dent and Al Trautwig A Question
• The Best Of All-Time In Pictures

Expect Fireworks From Sampras-Federer Match

Monday night, March 10, is going to be an exciting time when Pete Sampras and Roger Federer go head-to-head.

And the man who's promoting and producing the showdown, Jerry Solomon of StarGames, dropped by the MSG, NY studio to discuss this sold out event at The Garden.

MORE:

• Ask Taylor Dent And Al A Tennis Question
• PHOTOS: What A Mullet!
• Does Pistol Pete Still Have Game?

NetJets Showdown Gallery: Pete Sampras Career Highlights

Pete Sampras is enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame and currently holds the record for the most Grand Slam titles.

See Pistol Pete's top moments below.

MORE:

• Ask Taylor Dent And Al A Question
• VOTE For The Best Men's Player Ever
• PHOTOS: Legends Of The Court
• Can Sampras Still Hang With The Big Boys?