A Veteran Turned Rookie; Can Michael Phelps Do It Again?

Today in Sports: A military salute at the NBA Draft, Maryland cuts back on sports, and Sid the Kid isn't going anywhere.

Today in Sports: A veteran becomes a rookie, Maryland cuts back on sports, and Sid the Kid isn't going anywhere.

• As expected, Kentucky's Anthony Davis was the number one overall pick (to New Orleans) at the NBA Draft last night, but the most talked about selection was Bernard James, a power forward from Florida State who spent six years in the Air Force and had three tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan before going back to school to play basketball. He was taken 33rd overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers before being traded to the Dallas Mavericks. [USAToday]
• Maryland is planning to cut seven of its 27 varsity sports teams in an effort to slice a massive deficit in its athletic department budget. It might be the biggest rollback ever for a major university that plays football in a BCS conference. The vast majority of college athletic departments run at a deficit, borrowing money from schools that house them, but with state education budgets and alumni donations falling as well, the money just isn't there for the Terrapins. With the loss of the BCS system, will other schools soon follow? Or will the new college football playoff (which Maryland is unlikely to reach anytime soon) make everyone richer? [Washington Post]
• There were 1,829 swimmers at the U.S. Olympic Trials this week, even though only 52 will be making the trip to London next month. That's 600 more than four years ago and nearly three times the number of entrants from 2004. Why so many? USA Swimming dramatically lowered qualifying times after a ban on high-tech, high-speed swimsuits, but even in the slower suits, hundreds of swimmers managed to beat those marks anyway. [The Wall Street Journal]
• Speaking of the trials: After winning his signature event (the 200 meter butterfly) Michael Phelps is on target to race in eight events in London, matching the number he raced in 2008, when he won gold in all of them. Hope you like Subway commercials. [ESPN]
• Want to see a kid catch foul ball with a popcorn bucket? Why not. [MLB.com]

• Despite missing most of the last two seasons with problems from a concussion, Pittsburgh center Sidney Crosby was given 12-year, $104.4 million contract extension yesterday that will essentially allow him to remain a Penguin for life. Or at least until 2025. Despite the length, the contract is not a raise over his current salary, allowing the team to save plenty of money for other players that them could help get them back to the Stanley Cup Finals. [Yahoo]