Still blogging from iPhone. Maybe Perry can post a picture?

The bone isn’t broken, but MRI results show a sprain and a bone bruise. The young superstar, who will never fully blossom as a Sixer due to Andre Iguodala’s big contract and inability to play in a half-court offense, is on crutches.

“I spoke to Thad at halftime (of the Atlanta game),” coach Tony DiLeo said at practice earlier today. “He was down. He’s been playing at a high level. He’s just disappointed, and a little apprehensive.”

Lackey first felt soreness in his right forearm near the elbow after his start against Kansas City. He was 12-5 with a 3.75 ERA last year so losing him for any period of time is a bad thing for the Angels.

Photo Caption: Good pitcher, but not one of the better looking players in MLB.

“We do not think it is serious, at least at this time” Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. said. “We thought it was important for Dr. Ciccotti to check him out and see if there is anything more serious than what we think it is. He’ll decide once he sees him tomorrow morning if he needs to do any testing or any further testing. We did do a physical on him before we ended up finalizing the multiyear deal with him and felt comfortable with the diagnostics and such. But he’s had a little persistent soreness and we want to be cautious about it and have him checked out.”

The Mets better hope that Santana and Pelfrey don’t miss any significant time. Both are being counted on to try to overtake the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies.

“It’s a big blow for the whole family. Alex is destroyed,” J-Rod told ESPNdeportes.com. “We were all very excited to see him play with the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.

“But the most important thing is to have a successful surgery so that Alex may continue his career.”

The surgery is scheduled for next Monday.

Right now, there is no link between the cyst and steroid use. But we’re sure someone will find one.

The Eagles have not yet announced that he had surgery. Westbrook said he has undergone an intense rehab process.

”It’s getting better all the time,’ he said.

“It went really good,” he said. “I felt for the first time this spring like I have a fighting chance at getting somebody out. Before I was wondering how I was going to do it. The tightness is pretty typical for me coming into spring training. I’m trying to throw in Colorado, but I can’t get a ton of work in there. Then we come here and I’m throwing a lot. I go through a phase where I have tightness and stiffness and deadness and all the above.”

Lidge hasn’t played in a Grapefruit League game yet this season.

“We have 162 games,” Santana said on Saturday. “What we have to accomplish takes 162 games. Everything starts April 6, if it’s going to be me or somebody else. It’s tough to say right now.”

The Mets will have him throw a light bullpen session on Sunday to see how he feels. Even though he said he feels tightness in it today. Whatever work for you, Mets.

Stay tuned. If Santana has arm trouble this year, the Mets are all but sunk.

It might be good news for the Sixers, if that makes any sense. The Sixers are a young, fast team that likes to play defense (except for Lou Williams) and run the floor. They run all day everyday, and twice on Sundays. Their game is fastbreak after fastbreak.

However, that is not remotely Brand’s game. Brand was supposed to be the half-court presence they need so badly. The team doesn’t fit what he does best and he doesn’t fit what the team does best. It’s tough to play half-court basketball when no one on the team can knock down an open jumper.

Photo Caption: Mistake.

With Brand missing time earlier in the season, the Sixers went on a tear. If they are able to stay hot and make a deep run into the playoffs, don’t be surprised if Stefanski tries to move Brand in the offseason.

Redd played for the gold-winning Olympic team in China this past summer and is the leading scorer on the Bucks averaging 21 points per game.  After missing 14 games in the beginning of the season, Redd started to heat it up in January shooting over 51% and averaging 24 points per game, including 44 points against Sacramento in their first meeting.

PHOTO CAPTION:  A keen eye can spot hot cheerleaders in the background.

PHOTO CAPTION:  Could Chase be ready on Opening Day?

Police say that there is no evidence that he did anything to provoke the shooting, which occurred outside a residence. OTR guesses that Biddle probably didn’t grow up in a great neighborhood.

He is currently recovering from hand surgery but will be healthy enough to resume his role as a guy that never gets on the field.

Elliott Hershman, the Islanders team orthopedist (We know you know who he is, but we had to say it anyway), said the decision was based on continued swelling in his surgically repaired left knee.

When asked if the injury could be career threatening, Hershman spewed his typical raft of crap.

“At this time, I would say no,” Hershman said in his typically flippant manner that we’ve all be come so accustomed to. “But we need to continue to monitor Rick and get him to where he needs to be.”

Whatever you say, Hersh! When the Islanders get a real team orthopedist, that’s when they will be able to seriously compete.

“Hell yeah,” Cromartie said when asked if he was looking forward to the offseason. “It came (too) soon, but I’m definitely looking forward to it – mostly to get my body back in shape, get back healthy and be able to play like I’m supposed to play.”

Photo Caption: Cromartie mails it in yet again.

So was he a bit down after picking off 10 balls in 2007 and just two in 2008?

“I don’t have any disappointment about this season,” he said. “That taught me how to work through injury, play with injury. I was hurt the whole year. I learned from that. Going into next year, I’m going to put it all together and have a great year.”

So yeah, that would explain the removal of his facemask and having to put him on a spinal board.

“I wouldn’t want to call it minor, because he’s got a pretty significant period of rehab time, ” Saints GM Mickey Loomis said. “But at the end of it, he shouldn’t have any issues.”

Uh huh.

Loomis fully expects him to be ready for June workouts, but that’s not a certainty. The problem with microfracture surgery as OTR views it (and is there a better way to view it?), is that that type of surgery is designed to promote cartilage growth. And if there isn’t enough cartilage, then isn’t Bush facing a bone-on-bone situation now or at some point?

Side note: Bush is facing bone-on-bone. There is a joke somewhere in there, but we have neither the time nor the inclination to find it.

Regardless, this is a story that should be monitored. Bush’s knee can only take so much before he loses his explosiveness. Which, combined with his lack of running instincts, would kill his career.

“He might be able to play in another week if we were able to go on,” coach Norv Turner said. “Or maybe he could play in another week after that.”

Based on the way he was running on Saturday night compared to the way Darren Sproles was running….why would you even care?

“A dislocation can get well,” coach Wade Phillips said. “Maybe we shouldn’t have played him at all. Maybe he would be well by now.”

Look for Tashard Choice to get the bulk of the carries.

We’d rather just shut it down than to run a boring, poorly updated blog, which is what OTR is starting to become.

We can’t thank all of our readers enough. You guys have all been great and we had a ton of fun playing with everyone. Maybe we’ll do it again some day. We could have just let the blog die slowly and not update it, but that’s not fair to anyone. We thought we would give OTR a proper burial by at least letting everyone know that we are calling it quits.

Memorial services will be held Sunday, December 21st at 2 PM at the Lodi, NJ YMCA.

You can send thoughts and regards to MPerry_77@hotmail.com and MicahW@feverpitchmedia.com.

Happy Holidays to all of those in OTR land!!

“I look at this as good news, we’re expected to have them both back for the playoffs,” Jeff Fisher said.

Uh huh. This is a serious blow for the Titans in their quest for home-field advantage.

If Haynesworth misses time in the playoffs, you can all but rule out the Titans.

That loud thump is the sound of the door hitting Romeo Crennel square in the dumper. GM Phil Savage shouldn’t be smiling too much, he is next.

The Browns seem to be, once again, headed for the basement. Anderson got benched this season for a reason and Quinn was no prize when he got to play. Last year, they thought they were blessed with two very good QB’s. Now, they probably have none.

But thankfully, he’s not dead. We tend to blow things out of proportion.

The Cowboys have generally frowned upon Kosier’s torn foot ligaments this year and have decided to punish him for being a weak, weak individual.

According to a report that is unconfirmed by any living human at this point (doesn’t mean it’s not true), Jerry Jones showed Kosier tape of Emmitt Smith’s heroic performance in 1993 against the Giants. He played with a separated shoulder and still led the team to an NFC East title in that game.

“You know what I wish, Kyle?” Jones reportedly asked Kosier. “I wish you weren’t such a little bitch, that’s what I wish!”

Jones, according to these unconfirmed reports, then gave Kosier’s jaw a slight upward tap, causing his teeth to click, before walking out of the room. He then (reportedly) told his assistant to “put him on IR,” while he rolled his eyes and made a jerk-off motion with his right hand.