Midnight Man

When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month, or even your year, Netflix will be there for you. Yep, that's right! All 10 seasons of Friends will be available for binge watching on New Years Day, the streaming service announced Monday. Joining Ross and Rachel on Netflix in the new year is the second season of the critically acclaimed British drama The Fall, starring Gillian Anderson and Jamie Dornan. Look for all six episodes on Jan. 16. Get The Complete Friends Series Now: just click here

Sy Berger, the father of modern day baseball cards, has died of natural causes at the age of 91. The news was announced Sunday morning by baseball historian Marty Appel on behalf of the family. Berger most famously devised the practice of signing Major League Baseball players year after year to be able to use their name and image on cards in annual sets. For more than three decades, Topps was paying players only $75 a year for that privilege and, most of the time, that amount was applied to buying something from the company catalog. Berger's personal relationships with the stars in the beginning years made it easier to make them sign on the dotted line, though he did not sign Cardinals slugger Stan Musial for the first six years. Berger was often seen at the side of Willie Mays, whom he considered among his closest friends Topps was founded in 1938 as a chewing gum company. As the competition in the gum market exploded, Topps unveiled Bazooka, with the added value of comics, to help sell the brand. That eventually led to putting gum in packs of baseball cards. And in 1952, Sy Berger arrived at the company to help make and produce the first set, which he designed at his kitchen table using cardboard and scissors. The packs of six cards were wrapped in wax and, of course, had a piece of bubble gum in it for a total cost of five cents. Despite having a Mickey Mantle "rookie" card in the set, sales were not good. Since they overproduced the second part of the set that year, Berger, for years, would try to unload the cards anywhere they could. "Around 1959 or so, I went around to carnivals and offered them for a penny a piece and it got so bad I offered them at 10 for a penny," Berger told Sports Collectors Digest in 2007. "They would say, 'We don't want them.'" In 1960, still saddled with a huge number of cards from the 1952 set, Berger put the remaining cards into three full garbage trucks and commissioned a barge to dump the remaining inventory into the Atlantic Ocean. With kids putting the cards in the spokes of their bicycle and years later, the parents of those who had saved them throwing out their shoeboxes full of cards, scarcity led to an era where the baseball card became an investment. After the T206 Honus Wagner card, the 1952 Topps Mantle is the most valuable card in the baseball card world. One of the 1952 Mantle cards sold at auction last week for $268,664. For years, baseball cards were the marketing mechanism for the gum companies -- Topps competed with Bowman and Fleer and Donruss. In the mid-80s, the fervor over cards led the cardboard to become the main attraction over the gum. Gum was soon wrapped in plastic so as not to hurt the cards and eventually was gone from packs altogether. Berger, who worked for Topps until 2002, is survived by his wife Gloria, his daughter Maxine, and his two sons Glen and Gary. Check Out This 2014 Baseball Card Set: just click here

The White Sox have found an upgrade in left field by agreeing with free agent Melky Cabrera. The three-year contract is worth $42 million, pending a physical exam which is expected to take place early this week. Cabrera, who was believed to have significant interest from the Mariners, would take over in left field and continue an impressive string of offseason acquisitions from general manager Rick Hahn. The 30-year old Cabrera batted .301 with 81 runs scored in 139 games for the Blue Jays this past season, hitting 16 home runs with 73 RBIs. The White Sox have not confirmed the signing, which comes days after a trade for pitcher Jeff Samardzija was made official and three days after the signing of reliever David Robertson was announced, but White Sox outfielder Adam Eaton mentioned Cabrera in a welcome message on Twitter on Saturday night, and Cabrera retweeted the message. Get Your Very Own White Sox Baseball: just click here

The Dodgers have agreed to a one-year, $10 million deal with left-hander Brett Anderson, with $4 million in possible incentives. Anderson went 1-3 with 2.91 ERA in his only season with the Rockies, who elected to decline his $12 million option. Finger and back problems marred Anderson's 2014 in Colorado, limiting the 26-year-old to eight starts. For his career, Anderson is 27-32 with a 3.73 ERA. He played his previous five years with the Athletics before he was dealt to the Rockies prior to the 2014 season. Get Your Very Own Dodger Fan Man Cave Sign: just click here

The Astros have reached agreement on a three-year contract with infielder Jed Lowrie, general manager Jeff Luhnow announced and Lowrie will receive a guaranteed $23 million. Lowrie, 30, is a .261 hitter over seven major league seasons with Boston, Houston and Oakland. He hit .244 with 16 homers during a previous stint with the Astros in 2012. Lowrie, who makes his off season home in Houston, is expected to play shortstop for the Astros. Houston had also expressed interest in free agents Stephen Drew and Asdrubal Cabrera before signing Lowrie. Lowrie enjoyed a career season in 2013 with the A's, setting career bests in batting average (.290) and RBIs (75) and also finishing with 15 home runs. Oakland acquired him from the Astros in a five-player trade before that season. He was paid $5.25 million last season. Get Your Very Own Astros Baseball: just click here

Outfielder Bryce Harper has agreed to a two-year, $7.5 million contract with the Nationals, avoiding a scheduled grievance hearing this week with the team. The Nats released a statement confirming a deal had been reached. "We are pleased to have reached an agreement today with Bryce Harper," the statement read. "This is a fair agreement that benefits both sides. We look forward to seeing Bryce on the field this spring and working towards a 2015 World Series Championship." The Major League Baseball Players Association had filed a grievance on Harper's behalf over whether he should be able to void the 2015 terms in the final season of a $9.9 million, five-year contract he signed when drafted. An arbitrator hearing would have taken place Tuesday if Harper and the Nationals hadn't settled. The agreement comes two days after harper didn’t show up for a scheduled appearance at the NatsFest fan festival, which prompted general manager Mike Rizzo to say he was "disappointed" by the outfielder's absence. Harper, who turned 22 in October, is already a two-time NL All-Star and one of the Nationals' most popular and marketable players. He's coming off an injury-interrupted season in which he batted .273 with 13 homers and 32 RBIs but thrived in Washington's NL Division Series loss to the Giants. Harper hit .368 with three homers and four RBIs in that four-game series. He lost time in the first few months of the season after having surgery on a torn thumb ligament suffered when he slid into third base during a game on April 25. Harper wasn't back in the lineup until June 30. Harper hit career highs during his first season in the majors, belting 22 homers and 59 RBIs in a 2012 campaign that saw him win the National League Rookie of the Year. Get Your Very Own Nationals Baseball: just click here

The Cubs have agreed to a one-year contract with free-agent reliever Jason Motte, pending a physical. The deal is for $4.5 million, a source said. Motte has spent his whole career with the Cardinals and was their closer in 2011 when they won the World Series. He later had elbow trouble and missed the entire 2013 season following Tommy John surgery. Last season, Motte struggled through back injuries, posting a 4.68 ERA in 29 appearances. Before missing 2013, Motte had a career year in 2012. He made 67 appearances, pitched 72 innings, racked up 42 saves and had a 2.75 ERA. Get Your Very Own Cubs Baseball: just click here

The Royals have reached agreement with free-agent outfielder Alex Rios on a one-year, $11 million contract. Rios, 33, is a .278 career hitter with 165 home runs in 11 big league seasons with Toronto, the White Sox and Texas. He batted .280 for the Rangers last season, but produced only four home runs and 54 RBIs in 131 games. Rios will fill the right-field void in Kansas City created by the departure of Norichika Aoki to free agency. He joins Kendrys Morales who agreed to a two-year, $17 million deal last week, as the second free-agent hitter to sign with the Royals this month. Get Your Very Own Royals Baseball: just click here

Yankees signed third baseman Chase Headley to a four-year deal. The deal is worth $52 million. Headley also had reportedly been pursued by the Giants, who have a void to fill at third base. Headley, who was traded to the Yankees by the Padres prior to the trade deadline last season, hit a combined .243 last season with 13 home runs and 49 RBIs. Following the trade to New York, he hit .262 with six home runs and 17 RBIs after hitting just .229 in 77 games with San Diego. The signing leaves the Yankees with questions as what to do with Rodriguez, who will be returning from a one year suspension for violations of baseball's drug agreement and labor contract. General manager Brian Cashman said at last month's GM meetings that A-Rod will have to win a job. "If I signed a Chase Headley, he would be the starting third baseman," Cashman said then. "[Rodriguez] is going to compete for at-bats and for a position. The position would be third, and obviously DH, and that's it. Maybe some time at first base. He may be eventually the everyday third baseman, he may be the everyday DH; I just don't know." The move gives some infield flexibility to the Yankees, as Headley can also play first base. But it certainly looks like for the first time in two decades, the soon-to-be 40-year-old Rodriguez, who has not played a full season since 2007 because of the suspension, leg operations and operations on both hips, will be coming to spring training without a job. He is under contract until 2017 and is owed a minimum of $61 million, a number that could swell by another $30 million, in $6 million increments, every time he reaches a contractual home run milestone. "That has nothing to do with devaluing Alex or disrespecting Alex or anything of that nature," Cashman said at the GM meetings in November. "It's just a fair assessment of the unknown. You can't quantify the unknown right now until you get him out there on a consistent basis to see if he can actually remain on the field, stay healthy, be productive and be that middle-of-the-lineup threat and force that we've all come to see for years gone by." Headley, who played the previous six seasons for the Padres, had a breakout year in 2012, hitting 31 home runs and leading the National League with 115 RBIs -- big numbers considering Petco Park's dimensions and the lineup around him. He added a Gold Glove Award and finished a deserving fifth in the NL MVP voting. Headley, who will turn 31 in May, was paid $10.525 million in 2014. In eight seasons, he has hit .265 with 93 home runs and 418 RBIs. Get Your Very Own Yankees Baseball: just click here

Hawkins said he should not have to apologize for wearing a T-shirt that asked for justice for Tamir Rice and John Crawford. "A call for justice shouldn't offend or disrespect anybody," Hawkins said. "A call for justice shouldn't warrant an apology." Hawkins wore the T-shirt during pregame introductions of the Browns' 30-0 loss to the Bengals. On the front it read: "Justice for Tamir Rice - John Crawford." On the back it read: "The Real Battle of Ohio." Rice was a 12-year-old boy killed by Cleveland police in November as he was carrying an air gun in a public park; the coroner ruled Rice's death a homicide. Crawford was shot and killed in a Wal-Mart in Beavercreek, Ohio, in August as he carried an air gun he found in the store. The head of the Cleveland Police Union called Hawkins' action "pathetic" and asked for an apology. Hawkins addressed the media without notes for 6 minutes and 11 seconds. He spoke without taking questions, out of consideration, he said, for the "predicament" that the Browns were in. He spoke directly, and as he talked about his 2-year-old son Austin, he spoke emotionally. "As you all know," Hawkins said, "and it's well documented, I have a 2-year-old little boy. That little boy is my entire world. The No. 1 reason for me wearing the T-shirt was the thought of what happened to Tamir Rice happening to my little Austin scares the living hell out of me." As he spoke, Hawkins' voice broke more and more. "And my heart was broken for the parents of Tamir Rice and John Crawford, knowing they had to live that nightmare of a reality," he said. "So like I said, I made the conscious decision to wear the T-shirt. I felt like my heart was in the right place. I'm at peace with it. And those who disagree with me, this is America. That's the point. Everyone has the right to their First Amendment rights." Hawkins began by saying justice is "a right that every American should have, and also justice should be the goal for every American." "Ultimately," he said, "it means fair treatment." He stressed his T-shirt was not directed at every police officer. "I utterly respect and appreciate every police office that protects and serves all of us with honesty, integrity and acts the right way," he said. "And I don't think those kind of officers should be offended by what I did." He said his stance was against "wrong individuals doing the wrong thing for the wrong reasons to innocent people" and those who should be offended by his shirt are those who "would assume the worst in me without knowing anything about me for reasons I can't control."

WARRIORS over PELICANS 128 to 122 BULLS over HEAT 93 to 75 WIZARDS over JAZZ 93 to 84 LAKERS over TIMBERWOLVES 100 to 94 THUNDER over SUNS 112 to 88 RAPTORS over KNICKS 95 to 90 SPURS over NUGGETS 99 to 91

WARRIORS over MAVERICKS 105 to 98 NETS over HORNETS 114 to 87 TRAIL BLAZERS over PACERS 95 to 85 MAGIC over HAWKS 100 to 99 BUCKS over CLIPPERS 111 to 106 GRIZZLIES over 76ERS 120 to 115 ROCKETS over NUGGETS 108 to 96 PISTONS over KINGS 95 to 90

Trevathan's star-crossed season is over after he suffered a dislocated left kneecap in the fourth quarter of Sunday's win. Trevathan has suffered two separate fractures in the same leg already this season. As a result of the previous injuries, Sunday's game was just Trevathan's third of the season. "This game is tough, Danny has had a rough season with his knee issues,'' said Broncos head coach John Fox Monday.”Sometimes setbacks are set-ups for better things to come, that will be his mindset as he gets ready for surgery and pretty strenuous rehab to come back. We feel like he'll do a great job.'' Marshall suffered a left foot sprain in the second quarter of the game and left Qualcomm Stadium with a walking boot on the injured foot. Marshall is the team's leading tackler and has been the every down linebacker since Trevathan suffered his first leg fracture, at the top of his tibia, in training camp. After Marshall and Trevathan left the game, it was Davis who stayed in the lineup as an every-down linebacker, playing in all of the personnel groupings to close out the game. The Broncos spent most of the remainder of the game, after Trevathan's injury, in their specialty packages as the Chargers were in a pass-first mode. When the Broncos were in some of their six defensive back looks, Davis was the only linebacker in the formation. "I just wanted to bring something to the team any way I could,'' Davis said. “I like to stay in my playbook a lot, I got a lot of help from my coaches trying to get me ready, trying to get me prepared.'' Get Your Very Own Broncos Cowhide Wallet: just click here

CARDINALS over RAMS 12 to 6

PENGUINS over FLAMES 3 to 1 CANADIENS over KINGS 6 to 2 PANTHERS over RED WINGS 3 to 2 DUCKS over OILERS 4 to 2

BULLS over TRAIL BLAZERS 115 to 106 WIZZARDS over CLIPPERS 104 to 96 HAWKS over MAGIC 87 to 81 KNICKS over CELTICS 101 to 95 NETS over 76ERS 88 to 70 RAPTORS over PACERS 106 to 94 GRIZZLIES over HORNETS 113 to 107 THUNDER over TIMBERWOLVES 111 to 92 PELICANS over CAVALIERS 119 to 114 PISTONS over SUNS 105 to 103 HEAT over JAZZ 100 to 95 LAKERS over SPURS 112 to 110

THUNDER over CAVALIERS 103 to 94 ROCKETS over KINGS 113 to 109

The Denver Broncos placed Montee Ball on injured reserve, ending a disappointing season for the once-heralded running back. The Broncos needed to create roster space in order to activate linebacker Danny Trevathan from injured reserve/designated to return, prompting the team to place Ball on season-ending IR. Ball has not played since aggravating a groin injury in a loss to the Rams. He originally suffered the injury against the Cardinals. Ball, who entered the season as Denver's top running back, appeared in just five games this year, rushing for 172 yards and one touchdown on 55 carries. C.J. Anderson recently has emerged as a productive lead back for the Broncos, rushing for 393 yards and four touchdowns in Denver's last three games. Juwan Thompson and Ronnie Hillman, who has been sidelined with a foot injury but hopes to return by Week 17, also have provided depth at the position for the Broncos. A second-round draft pick in 2013, Ball also missed two preseason games after undergoing an emergency appendectomy in August. The Broncos also placed safety Quinton Carter on season-ending IR with a knee injury and signed tight end Dominique Jones to their practice squad.

All-Pro running back Adrian Peterson’s appeal of a league suspension for a violation of the NFL's personal conduct policy has been denied. Peterson's appeal was heard by former NFL executive Harold Henderson last week in Washington, D.C. Henderson was appointed by commissioner Roger Goodell as arbitrator to hear the sides' cases and issue a ruling. In upholding the NFL’s initial ruling, Henderson concluded that Peterson "has not demonstrated that the process and procedures surrounding his discipline were not fair and consistent." He wrote: "He was afforded all the protections and rights to which he is entitled, and I find no basis to vacate or reduce the discipline." Peterson said in a phone interview, "I feel like they're handling the situation absolutely wrong," he said. "I think I've been made an example out of. It kind of baffles me how -- I have nothing but love for Ray Rice, I'm happy he has the chance to play. But it's like, how did Ray Rice get reinstated before me, a team has a chance to pick him up, but I don't have the opportunity to come back until April. When has that happened in any other case in the NFL, ever?" Peterson said he has considered retiring. He also said he will appeal the decision in federal court. "I don't really know," he said when asked whether he thought the decision to pursue legal action would delay his reinstatement. "That's something I have to sit back and talk to my team about. I haven't talked to anyone today. To this point, any type of process with the NFL is not the way to go. It's a business; the outcome is going to be in their favor no matter what. Did they appoint Harold Henderson to Ray Rice's case? No. They knew the situation and the facts about that case and what was going to come out. They clearly wanted to get an arbitrator that would rule in their favor." According to a person with direct knowledge of the situation, a lawsuit will be filed against the NFL on Peterson's behalf in federal court in Minnesota as early as Monday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the lawsuit had not yet been filed. "The NFLPA expected this outcome, given the hearing officer's relationship and financial ties to the NFL," the union's statement read. "The decision itself ignores the facts, the evidence and the collective bargaining agreement. This decision also represents the NFL's repeated failure to adhere to due process and confirms its inconsistent treatment of players. Our union is considering immediate legal remedies." Peterson, the 2012 NFL MVP, hasn't played for the Minnesota Vikings since Week 1 after he was charged with child abuse in Texas. He was placed on paid leave while the legal process played out, and he pleaded no contest Nov. 4 to misdemeanor reckless assault for injuring his 4-year-old son with a wooden switch. He avoided jail time by reaching the plea deal. On Nov. 18, Peterson was suspended without pay by Goodell for at least the rest of the season. He will remain suspended and won't be considered for reinstatement before April 15, though he will get to keep the money accrued while on the exempt list. However, Peterson will not serve a three-game suspension at the start of the 2015 season as was initially reported. Rather, he will be charged three additional game checks on this season's salary for a total of six games. Peterson will have the choice of paying the salary back now, or having his wages garnished in 2015 if he plays. The docked game checks are based on this year's salary of $11.75 million and amount to $4.15 million, game payments are based on 17 weeks, not 16 games. "The facts in this appeal are uncontested," Henderson wrote. "The player entered a plea which effectively admitted guilt to a criminal charge of child abuse after inflicting serious injuries to his four-year old son in the course of administering discipline. No direct evidence of the beating was entered in the record here, but numerous court documents, investigative reports, photographs and news reports, all accepted into evidence without objection, make it clear that Mr. Peterson's conduct was egregious and aggravated as those terms are used in the Policy, and merits substantial discipline. "His public comments do not reflect remorse or appreciation for the seriousness of his actions and their impact on his family, community, fans and the NFL, although at the close of the hearing he said he has learned from his mistake, he regrets that it happened and it will never happen again. I reject the argument that placement in Commissioner Exempt status is discipline." At the crux of the NFLPA's argument for reinstatement was what NFL executive vice president for football operations Troy Vincent told Peterson last month when the dispute was at its height. Vincent told Peterson he would receive a two-game ban if he attended a hearing on Nov. 14 with Goodell. Peterson declined to meet that day with Goodell, citing uncertainty about the NFL's intent to question him. Goodell then announced on Nov. 18 that Peterson would be suspended for the six games that remained for the Vikings at the time and not be considered for reinstatement until April. A recording and a transcript of what Vincent told Peterson was presented by the NFLPA to Henderson, who oversaw a hearing on Dec. 2. Peterson attended that and listened via telephone as the hearing continued Dec. 4, when Vincent was questioned.

Scott Strapp, the former front man of the alternative rock band Creed, may have made some disturbing comments that might be the result of a psychotic episode. Stapp's wife Jaclyn Stapp called 911 to tell authorities that Stapp claimed to be a CIA agent and was on a mission to kill President Barack Obama. Stapp's sister-in-law was also on the call and told the police that Stapp had been shirtless and riding a bicycle around the neighborhood with a backpack full of hundreds of printed-out CIA documents that Stapp had found online. "He thinks he's part of the CIA," Jaclyn says on the 911 call. "He thinks they're trying to kill him and he has a bunch of paperwork in his backpack that says he's a CIA agent and he was supposed to assassinate Obama." Stapp's wife and sister-in-law pleaded with authorities to place Stapp in psychiatric hold, but police determined Stapp did not show enough troubling behavior to be taken to a psych ward. The Secret Service said, "We are aware [of the incident] and we'll take appropriate action”. The bizarre behavior comes a few weeks after Stapp posted a video on Facebook saying that he was completely penniless and homeless, and accused his record label and others of stealing money from him. Jaclyn recently filed for divorce from Stapp, claiming the ex-rocker was delusional from abusing drugs, and was awarded sole custody of their three children on Friday. Get Creed's Greatest Hits Now: just click here

CBS is taking another stab at expanding its popular Criminal Minds franchise. The network is developing a new spin-off series that will first air as an episode of Criminal Minds in February. If ordered to series, it would become the second planted spin-off from Criminal Minds. The first, Criminal Minds: Suspect Behavior aired in 2011 but was canceled after a single season. Criminal Minds executive producer Erica Messer will write the episode and executive producer with Mark Gordon and Nick Pepper. The episode, and subsequent series, will focus on a division of the FBI that helps Americans in trouble abroad. No casting is attached yet to the project. Planted spin-offs are a popular way to film a series pilot while utilizing the episodic budget of the series from which it is spawned. Suspect Behavior starred Forest Whitaker, Janeane Garofalo, Michael Kelly, Beau Garrett, Matt Ryan and Kirsten Vangsness, who did double duty with the mother Criminal Minds ship. Criminal Minds is currently in its tenth season; Messer has been with the show since it began. Her credits also include Charmed, The OC and Alias. ABC Studios, CBS Television Studios and The Mark Gordon Company are behind the show and the potential new spin-off. Get Criminal Minds Now: just click here

BLACKHAWKS over BRUINS 3 to 2 SABRES over FLAMES 4 to 3 FLYERS over DEVILS 4 to 1 BLUE JACKETS over CAPITALS 3 to 2 KINGS over SENATORS 5 to 3 LIGHTNING over HURRICANES 2 to 1 BLUES over ISLANDERS 6 to 3 PREDATORS over COYOTES 5 to 1 AVALANCHE over JETS 4 to 3 SHARKS over WILD 2 to 1