New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman said Tuesday that the Yankees have made a "fair and appropriate" contract offer to Derek Jeter and suggested that if the 36-year-old shortstop thinks otherwise, he should shop himself around to find out.

"We understand his contributions to the franchise and our offer has taken them into account," Cashman told ESPNNewYork.com. "We've encouraged him to test the market and see if there's something he would prefer other than this. If he can, fine. That's the way it works."

Cashman was clearly stung by the recent statement of Jeter's agent, Casey Close, who was quoted in Sunday's New York Daily News as saying he was "baffled" by the team's negotiating strategy.

"I was certainly surprised," Cashman said in regards to Close's use of the word "baffled." "There's nothing baffling about our position. We have actually gone directly face-to-face with Casey and Derek and been very honest and direct. They know exactly where we sit."

Cashman would not provide specifics of the team's offer but sources have confirmed to ESPNNewYork.com that it is a three-year contract at $15 million per season. Nor would Cashman discuss the demands being made by Jeter other than to say, "You can write that they have asked for more. More years and more money."

Cashman said there are no further meetings scheduled between the two sides, although he did speak to Close on Monday night to inform him the Yankees would not be offering Jeter arbitration.

If the Yankees had offered arbitration, the shortstop could have accepted a one-year salary set by an arbitrator or signed elsewhere. If he walked, the Yankees would have received two draft picks. But by offering the Yanks would have risked a hearing based on Jeter's 2010 salary of $21 million, considerably more than they are willing to pay him for 2011.

Reached by e-mail Tuesday, Close declined comment to ESPNNewYork.com.

Two weeks ago, owner Hal Steinbrenner acknowledged that the talks to retain Jeter, who is coming off a 10-year, $189 million contract as well as the worst offensive season of his career, "might get messy."

Read more...

MINNEAPOLIS -- The manager for the woman at the center of the NFL's investigation of Brett Favre said Tuesday that the quarterback's agent asked about paying her to keep quiet.

But that's not how Favre's agent, Bus Cook, sees it.

Cook said in a statement that Jenn Sterger's camp made "numerous overtures" to him. He said he believes money has been the motivation for the former New York Jets game-day emcee.

Sterger's manager, Phil Reese, told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that he called Cook in October to alert him about a forthcoming Internet report alleging Favre sent inappropriate messages and lewd photos to Sterger when they were both with the Jets two years ago.

Favre has admitted to the NFL that he left voice mail messages to Sterger but not the racy photos that he also has been accused of sending.

Reese said the reason he reached out was to compare notes about news that could be damaging to both of their clients.

"I was concerned because I didn't know exactly what was going to be coming out, and I knew that it wasn't going to be good for everyone involved," Reese told the AP in a phone interview. "He asked me if there was a specific figure in mind that could make this go away. I told him, 'I wish it were that easy, but there's no putting the toothpaste back in the tube.'"

Cook replied in a statement to the AP on Tuesday that there was never an intention to offer money for silence.

"Her manager and her lawyer have made numerous overtures to me ... at least 6 between the two of them," Cook wrote. "Anyone can figure out why. The point is we were never going to pay them, we didn't pay them and we will never pay them. Because, there is NO reason to pay them! They should consider that their attempts to negotiate privately and through the media have failed."

Read more...

LONDON -- Andy Roddick dropped to 0-2 at the ATP World Tour Finals on Wednesday, losing to Tomas Berdych 7-5, 6-3 in a racket-busting defeat in which he was angered by flashing lights behind the baseline.

 

Roddick's outburst came in the second set. The neon advertising lights on the front of the boxes where the line judges stand began flickering, red and then back to their usual light blue.

After he was broken for the second time -- putting Berdych up 3-2 -- Roddick snapped. Or, actually, the rim of his racket snapped.

"I was angry with myself and there wasn't anybody else to talk to at that moment," Roddick said.

Once Berdych went ahead, Roddick whacked a ball high into the seats at O2 Arena. Then, when he was walking back to his chair for the changeover, he smashed his racket against his foot and drew a code violation from the chair umpire.

"The neons in the back weren't quite to the settled position. They were still advertising fun stuff," Roddick said. "When you're trying to track a ball, it's kind of neon lights and stuff. Then Tomas noticed it. A couple of them just went out before we played a point."

The match finished with the lights off.

Berdych converted his first break point in the 11th game of the first set, minutes after saving two set points from Roddick.

Read more...

IRVING, Texas -- Despite being yanked to the turf by his dreadlocks last Sunday, Dallas Cowboys running back Marion Barber doesn't plan to hide his hair during Thursday's game against the New Orleans Saints.

Detroit Lions rookie defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh was called for a horse-collar penalty after grabbing a handful of Barber's long dreadlocks to make a tackle early in the fourth quarter of the Cowboys' 35-19 victory Sunday.

NFL rules state a player can pull another player's hair in the process of tackling. Barber said it was the first time in his career that another player had pulled his dreadlocks.

The 15-yard penalty resulted in a first down at the Detroit 5, setting up Jon Kitna's 4-yard touchdown pass to Miles Austin as the Cowboys took a 28-19 lead.

"They said he didn't pull his hair, that they got a horse-collar," Lions coach Jim Schwartz said. "I saw what you saw. That was a huge penalty. It gave them another chance."

During practice Monday and Tuesday, Barber covered up his dreadlocks -- even going so far as to tie them into a ponytail and tuck them into his jersey Tuesday.

But he won't cover them up for Thursday's game against the Saints.

Cowboys interim coach Jason Garrett sees no problem with his starting running back's hair.

Read more...