We begin Odds & Ends with the announcement of Peyton Manning deciding to call it a career.

The 18-year NFL quarterback,who turns 40 later this year, will announce his retirement today at a press conference in Denver. He and the Denver Broncos won Super Bowl 50 last month which was Manning’s last game. Manning goes out on top just like another Broncos quarterback did,John Elway,back in 1998. Elway is currently the general manager of the team.

“Peyton Manning’s extraordinary career was driven by his talent, an incredible work ethic, and an unwavering desire to be the best and ended so perfectly for him with a Super Bowl victory,” NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement. “Peyton’s competitive fire and love of the game made him a legendary player who thrilled fans for a generation. He has served as a great representative of the NFL both on the field and in his community. We are forever grateful for Peyton’s unmatched contributions to the game and know that his success will continue in the next phase of his life.”

Manning finishes his career with the most touchdown passes and passing yards in NFL history,five MVPs,and two Super Bowl championship in four appearances.

I had a feeling that this was Manning’s last season. He didn’t look like the Peyton of old and in fact lost his starting job in the middle of the season and for him to come back for another year in Denver or elsewhere (Los Angeles,Houston) would’ve been all bad. He has made the right decision to go out on top. I for one will miss seeing him and Tom Brady go head-to-head. Those were some of the best games to watch in NFL history and in my lifetime and that will definitely be missed,well only the games in which Manning lost,at least. I’m interested to see what he does next.

One thing about this whole story that blew me away was who broke the story. It was none other than ESPN’s Chris Mortensen. Mortensen is currently undergoing treatment for Stage 4 throat cancer and has been off the job since January. As much as I didn’t like how he reported the Deflategate scandal,I know how hard it is to watch someone battle cancer like he is doing and the fact that he was the guy to come out first with the story was awesome.

The San Francisco Giants and the Sacramento River Cats have extended their affiliation agreement through the 2020 season. The original agreement was to expire after this upcoming season. The two teams signed an agreement in 2014 after the RiverCats ended their 17-year partnership with the Oakland Athletics, a move that still pisses off A’s fans.

“We’ve been doing this a long time and we’ve got a pretty good idea as we’ve worked with affiliates over the years of when there’s a good relationship and a good foundation for growing our interests together in the future,” Giants general manager Bobby Evans said. “It really wasn’t a hard decision.”

In the past the Giants have had short two-year partnerships with their minor league affiliates,but the relationship between the two teams has been more than beneficial.

“The RiverCats proved to be an incredibly important affiliate for us. The proximity to San Francisco, the loyal fan-base in the Sacramento-region, and the passion of the ownership and front office has been nothing short of spectacular,” said Giants CEO Larry Baer.

As much as A’s fans hate that this partnership is continuing, for both the Giants and RiverCats,it’s paid off. Attendance last season was the highest it’s been since 2008. Team merchandise sales were also up, particularly Giants merchandise. I’m glad this affiliation is continuing because I am a Giants fan and while I haven’t had the chance to see a game in the RiverCats/Giants era, the chance to see the future players come up is pretty cool. I imagine that’s how A’s fans felt when they were the team piping players through the RiverCats (and then trading them away after a few years so they could win league MVPs and World Series rings elsewhere). I think this partnership will last even longer than 2020, the best is yet to come.

Chase Utley had his two game suspension uplifted on Sunday. The Dodgers’ second baseman was originally suspended in last year’s postseason for his controversial slide into second base that broke the leg of Alex Tejada of the Mets. Utley appealed the suspension while the Dodgers continued their postseason play,but lost their series to the Mets in five games during the NLDS.
The suspension was rescinded by MLB Chief Baseball Officer Joe Torre, who said the suspension “sort of lost its impact” when Utley decided to appeal it during the postseason which resulted in his continuing to be eligible to play.

Torre added, “There wasn’t anything clear-cut to say that play violated a rule.”

There is,however,a new rule requiring players that slide on potential double plays “will require runners to make a bona fide attempt to reach and remain on the base,” and that a runner will be prohibited “from changing his pathway to the base or utilizing a ‘roll block’ for the purpose of initiating contact with the fielder.”

I think the suspension not only should’ve been upheld,it should’ve been longer. I feel that Utley’s slide was violent and was trying to hurt someone, namely Tejada. A lot of feel the same way I did then and now and I think if anything was to send a message that slides like Utley’s wasn’t okay,it was upholding that suspension. That didn’t happen and that’s unfortunate.