tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14297206259671773692024-03-13T04:45:48.162-07:00News online of NFL, MLB, NBA, golf, tennis, soccer and more.CBSSports.blogspot.com - Sports, NFL football, MLB baseball, NBA basketball, News, golf tennis, soccer, auto racing, tour de france and more.Unknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger439125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-70474794401209581662011-05-29T10:02:00.000-07:002011-05-29T10:02:33.355-07:00Mariners beat Yanks again - Kennedy lifts M's over Yanks with bloop single in 12thSEATTLE -- Adam Kennedy knew the cutter was coming from Mariano Rivera. He just happened to drop it in the perfect spot. <br />
Kennedy scored pinch-runner Luis Rodriguez with a bloop single off Rivera in the bottom of the 12th inning and the Seattle Mariners won for the ninth time in 10 games with a 5-4 victory over the New York Yankees on Saturday night. <br />
It was the fifth game-winning hit in Kennedy's career and kept Seattle rolling on a night that ace Felix Hernandez was knocked around early and a misplayed fly ball by Ichiro Suzuki led to extra innings. <br />
Yet, the Mariners found another way to win as Kennedy fought off Rivera's famed cutter and dropped it in front of Curtis Granderson in center field to set off a late-night celebration. <br />
"In that situation Adam is such a good hitter and with Mariano out there you know what is coming," Seattle designated hitter Jack Cust said. "So when he bears down I'll take [Kennedy] with the game on the line anytime." <br />
Kennedy had little success against Rivera in the past getting just one hit in 13 at-bats against the Yankees' closer. <br />
Seattle handed Rivera (1-1) his first loss since Sept. 11, 2010 against Texas in appearance No. 1,001 for the Yankees star. The Mariners are now in second-place in the AL West and have surged back from being seven games under .500 less than two weeks ago. <br />
Rivera's inning started as most do, getting a broken bat grounder from Chone Figgins, before Justin Smoak blooped a single to left that Brett Gardner barely missed on a diving attempt. Cust then came up with the big blow, going the other way with a backdoor cutter that Rivera left up and dropping a double just inside the left field line. Smoak raced to third with just one out. <br />
"He was trying to backdoor the cutter. He likes to come in with it and once he comes in he likes to freeze you away which he's done to me before," Cust said. <br />
Rivera thought it was a good pitch, but didn't make excuses afterward. <br />
"I made good pitches and the ball found places," Rivera said. "You can't do anything about that. I wish we were still playing." <br />
Miguel Olivo drove in three runs for the Mariners, including a two-run double in the fourth off Yankees' starter Ivan Nova. Brendan Ryan also had an RBI single. <br />
The attraction on this night was the chance to see Seattle ace Felix Hernandez go for a fifth straight win against the Yankees. Last year, he was 3-0 and allowed just one earned run versus New York. <br />
That total was matched in the second inning when Robinson Cano homered. Mark Teixeira gave New York a 3-1 lead with a two-run shot in the fourth after Hernandez failed to sneak a 2-0 fastball past the Yankees' slugger. <br />
But Hernandez was still in line to get his sixth win of the season into the seventh before Suzuki's mistake. Derek Jeter walked on a 3-2 pitch with two outs and Granderson eventually worked a 3-2 count as well, then hit a fastball to deep right field. <br />
Suzuki raced back to the warning track and jumped at the wall, but misjudged the depth of Granderson's hit and didn't need to jump. Suzuki whiffed and the ball bounded back into the field, Jeter scored and Granderson raced around to third. <br />
It stayed tied into the 12th, even though both teams had chances in the late inning and in extras. <br />
Seattle went to closer Brandon League to begin the 10th and he started with groundouts by Granderson and Teixeira, before giving up consecutive singles by Alex Rodriguez and Cano to put runners at the corners with two outs. Russell Martin drove a 2-1 pitch to right-center field, but Suzuki was able to run it down to end the threat. <br />
Nick Swisher singled with one out in the 11th off reliever David Pauley (4-0) who got the win for the second straight night. Swisher was replaced by pinch-runner Chris Dickerson and advanced to second when Brett Gardner hit a liner back to the mound that Pauley knocked down and threw to first in time. <br />
Jeter then stepped in but hit a weak grounder to short to end the inning. <br />
"It's been fun," Pauley said of Seattle's recent run. "It's been a lot of fun." <br />
<b>Notes</b> <br />
<ul><li> Four different fans, including a streaker, ran on the field in the late innings. All were tackled by security and removed from the stadium. </li>
<li> Former Mariners <b>Edgar Martinez</b> and <b>John Olerud</b> were honored as inductees to the Washington state sports hall of fame during a pregame ceremony. </li>
<li> New York's game against Minnesota that was rained out on April 6 will be made up on Monday, Sept. 19 at Yankee Stadium. </li>
</ul><div class="spacer10"></div><i>Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or<br />
distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The<br />
Associated Press is strictly prohibited.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-58970982956032097882011-05-29T09:58:00.000-07:002011-05-29T09:58:27.610-07:00Mavs-Heat '06 redux? Hardly, but Dirk vs. LBJ is fabulous theater<iframe frameborder="0" height="405" id="embedVideo" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.cbssports.com/video/player/embed-inc/nba/tNMTBc24STz6qJEdD2PWTCV7zY1WcZ0q/640/%20360/false?continuous_play=false" width="640"></iframe> <br />
<a href="http://cbssports.blogspot.com/search?q=Dallas+Mavericks&x=8&y=12" sjxed="1">Mavericks</a> vs. Heat is billed as a rematch of the 2006 Finals, when the Mavs choked away their best chance at a championship. Their best chance until now, that is. Only four players between both teams remain from that Dallas debacle, so these are both very different clubs. <br />
Especially the Heat. <br />
<a href="http://cbssports.blogspot.com/search?q=Dwyane+Wade&x=8&y=12" sjxed="1">Dwyane Wade</a> now has some help. Lots of it, in fact. More than any other superstar in the post-Michael Jordan era, it can be argued. But depending on how this series unfolds, <a href="http://cbssports.blogspot.com/search?q=lebron+james&x=8&y=12" sjxed="1">LeBron James</a> could very well face the biggest challenge of his career, a defining moment in his impressive drive to rebuild his image and remind us what an all-time talent he is: guarding Dirk Nowitzki. Crazy, right? A 6-foot-8 small forward asked to check the best shooting 7-footer in NBA history? Well, the Heat might have to get crazy to give themselves the best chance of winning this series and fulfilling their championship mandate. <br />
James successfully clamped down on one of the most fearsome little men in the NBA in the Eastern Conference finals, transforming Derrick Rose from MVP into a fitful blur of sound, speed and fury signifying nothing more than one win in the series. James has guarded point guards before. He's also guarded shooting guards, small forwards, power forwards and some centers. If called upon to defend Dirk, it would be a unique challenge -- one that perhaps James alone is equipped to even attempt among men of a certain size in the NBA. <br />
So I've come up with five factors that will determine the outcome of the Finals, and this little matter of Dirk vs. LeBron is by far the most interesting and could well be the most important: <br />
<b>1: Who defends Dirk?</b> Chris Bosh? He'll get the bulk of the possessions, but this isn't a viable strategy for the Heat in crunch time. Udonis Haslem? For short spurts, maybe. But the way I see it, the Heat's best hope of avoiding getting Nowitzki'd will be to send their best, all-purpose defender onto the floor in the fourth quarter and let him put his 6-8, 280-pound body and buzzsaw-like defensive abilities to the ultimate test. James is Miami's only defender with the strength to move Nowitzki away from the basket and prevent him from getting the ball in the Dirk Zone to begin with. After the catch, James is again Miami's only defender with the combination of length, lateral quickness, discipline and instincts to make Nowitzki work for his shots and take a few he'd rather not. <br />
If James is called upon -- he must to be, in my view -- and is successful in knocking Dirk out of his comfort zone, it would be one of the greatest performances in Finals history. It would go right to the top of the list, right there with Magic Johnson playing center in Game 6 of the 1980 Finals against the 76ers. Yeah, that good. <br />
But in this scenario, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra may have to tweak the closing lineup he finally was able to unveil late in the Bulls series and put Joel Anthony on the floor to contend with Tyson Chandler. He also might have to put a point guard on the floor to guard Jason Kidd (Mario Chalmers?), because if he puts Wade on Kidd, who defends Jason Terry? Wade should get that assignment, but then what about Shawn Marion? The Mavs' closing lineup presents matchup problems at multiple positions for Miami, whose league-high defensive efficiency in clutch situations in the playoffs (69 points allowed per 100 possessions) will be put to the ultimate test by the league's most efficient offense in clutch situations in the playoffs (148 points per 100 possessions). <br />
<b>2: Do the Mavs have enough quickness on the wings to contain LeBron and Wade?</b> <br />
Chandler will help. With Kendrick Perkins no longer patrolling the paint in Boston, Chandler will represent the most fearsome rim protector James and Wade have encountered in this playoff run. The rare moments when the Celtics and Bulls had success containing James and Wade came as a result of turning them into jump shooters. Sometimes, one of them would have the nerve to trump that strategy by making difficult shots from the perimeter. But against as complete a team as Dallas, this is not a viable strategy for Miami. If Chandler can stay out of foul trouble long enough to deter James and Wade from attacking the rim, the Mavs will be well on their way to taking control of this series. <br />
<b>3: Which Bosh shows up?</b> <br />
Bosh carried the Heat in Game 3 against the Bulls, and when he has it going, it can make guarding the LeBron-Wade-Bosh triumvirate demoralizing, if not impossible. Since both teams have played at a below-average pace during the postseason, these games will be about who can gain an advantage in the halfcourt. It'll be about how well Dallas can defend pick-and-rolls and isolation plays when LeBron or Wade has the ball on the wing. Nothing could be more frustrating than keeping LeBron or Wade away from the paint in those situations, only to have him dish to an open Bosh for a money 18-footer. Dallas, however, has a more versatile mix of defenders to throw at Bosh, who will find the ball in his hands at important moments again and again in this series. <br />
<b>4: Dallas has the better bench ... right?</b> <br />
Haslem suddenly is playing like the Haslem of '06 instead of the one who was 0-for-six months before asserting himself as a healthy, productive contributor midway through the Bulls series. Miller, who has dealt with injuries all season and had to tend to his ill newborn during the conference finals, played the way the Heat always anticipated he would in a productive Game 4 performance. But it remains to be seen whether the emergence of Haslem and Miller is an aberration or a trend; neither performed well in the series-clinching Game 5 victory in Chicago. The Mavs' second unit was a momentum-changer against the Lakers and Thunder, and it brings some interesting challenges for Spoelstra to consider. J.J. Barea's speed, penetration and peskiness; Jason Terry's creativity off the dribble and 3-point shooting; Brendan Haywood's size; and Peja Stojakovic's ability to serve as a release valve on the perimeter will put a lot of stress on Miami's defensive rotations. Haslem, Miller and Chalmers will be called upon to make a more consistent positive impact than they've provided thus far in the postseason. <br />
<b>5: Offensive rebounding and 3-point shooting -- the great equalizers.</b> <br />
The Heat's vulnerability on the glass was exposed by the Bulls, who simply didn't have enough other ways to score to make it count. Dallas is deceptively effective on the offensive glass; though the Mavs and Heat have both been below the league average in offensive rebounding rate in the playoffs, Dallas does a good job keeping possessions alive in key moments with tap-outs -- especially from Marion, who often is being boxed out by a smaller defender. Both teams emphasize getting stops and protecting the boards, which fuels their ability to get occasional, but important baskets in transition. Also worth noting: the Mavs are the third-best 3-point shooting team in the playoffs (.388), while the Heat are the third-worst 3-point defending team in the playoffs (.385). With every possession and every quality shot at a premium in the halfcourt, those two areas will be momentum-changers at important moments in this series. <br />
It's a collision of two teams playing their best basketball at the perfect time. The Mavs are deep, playing cohesively and have an all-time player putting up playoff performances befitting his legendary imprint on the game. <br />
The Heat have one of those, too. Though James isn't as far along in his career, he has risen to the expectations he accelerated by teaming with Wade last summer and putting the championship onus squarely on his shoulders. He has responded in ways even his harshest critics couldn't have imagined -- with other-worldly defense, devastating 3-point shooting and the mental chops to assert himself as Miami's closer against Boston and Chicago. At this point in James' championship mission, you pick against him at your peril. Which is what I do, taking the Mavericks in seven -- a nod to Dirk's brilliance, Kidd's experience, Dallas' overall depth and a stubborn belief that the NBA hasn't changed so much that a superteam can waltz through its first playoff run together and win a championship. <br />
If basketball is still about matchups, the Mavs have the edge. If it's about star power, the Heat have outshined every opponent thus far and will do the same to the Mavs. The one thing we know for sure is, we will be entertained.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-48772532773592596122011-05-29T09:44:00.000-07:002011-05-29T09:44:39.295-07:00Could haggling NFL factions agree on social-media monitoring?In the ongoing lockout, with passions ramped up by vitriolic rhetoric and litigation replacing negotiation, there seems very little on which the two sides agree. <br />
Kevin Long actually may have happened upon a common ground: He feels certain that both the NFL and its decertified union hope to protect players' reputations. And he and the company of which he is CEO, MVP Sports Media Training and U Diligence of West Lafayette, Ind., have developed a program that might aid in that pursuit. <br />
The program, currently employed by about two dozen Division I schools, monitors the Twitter and Facebook accounts of players, and dispatches an e-mail alert to both the school and the athlete when one of the key "search words" is used. Think the Pittsburgh Steelers, and tailback Rashard Mendenhall, couldn't benefit from the program? And by extension -- given that several players in the league have used social media outlets in recent weeks to offer messages that might be regarded as, well, anti-social, or at least misguided -- teams and their locked out rank-and-file wouldn't benefit? <br />
"I would think both the league and the players association would be amenable to something like this," Long said. "If the key is protecting a player's reputation, and that's really what it is, wouldn't it seem everyone would want to do that? It's like being in Willy Wonka and finding the golden ticket." <br />
One would think that, in a business where the opposite sides both parrot the hackneyed admonition about maintaining the "integrity of the game," such would be the case. But other than about three exploratory phones call from teams a few years ago -- all of them seeking to potentially monitor the posts of potential draft choices and not incumbent players -- Long hasn't received any inquiries for a system that was designed in 2008. <br />
The system, which includes clients in the six major college conferences and which was noted last week in a feature in <i>The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette</i> concerning the increasing dilemma teams face with social media, tracks the posts of athletes from many of the client universities' major teams. The program identifies 500 key words -- most of them from a range of subjects dealing with drugs, alcohol, sex, race and violence -- and red-flags any messages using the terms. <br />
Within 2-3 minutes, a cautionary e-mail is dispatched to the school and the athlete. As for a league that at times seems almost as concerned with the bottom line as with maintaining public confidence, the cost is negligible. It is $1,500 per year for one college team, and $5,000 to track 500 athletes in all sports. <br />
Clients can also customize the menu of words that initiate the alarms. For instance, if the Steelers were facing the Ravens, then Pittsburgh officials could enter the term "Baltimore" or "Ray Lewis" on the list of red-flag terms, to potentially preclude their players from providing bulletin-board material. So franchises could tailor the list of verboten words to meet their needs. <br />
Could the NFL potentially make the program a condition of employment, a better and clearly more enforceable method of policing the often misguided messages that some players initiate? Obviously, there would be some First Amendment issues. But, as Long noted, the players must also willingly download the application for it to work. And if the league and the players' trade association (formerly the NFLPA) were to collectively bargain the program into a new CBA, it would stand a better chance of withstanding any challenges. <br />
Several attorneys and agents surveyed about a league-mandated ban on players' use of social media contended that the issue would be strenuously challenged. But it would "have some teeth, at least," an agent agreed, if it were part of a CBA, and thus agreed to by the trade association. And the fact that a player must voluntarily download the application to permit the tracking might also offer a way around First Amendment or privacy issues. <br />
Of course, a union that views HGH blood-testing as an invasion of privacy that it won't sanction -- and which has instructed players against agreeing to such exams -- probably isn't about to limit players' rights to social media, right? <br />
Of the seven teams contacted this week, all but two were unfamiliar with Long's service. Officials from some of the franchises acknowledged interest, but none committed to exploring it. Still, several of the club officials conceded to concerns about players using social media, particularly during the lockout. <br />
"My feeling," Long said, "is that once you put something on the Internet, it's no longer private. I would think teams might want to guard against that, at least in some instances." Obviously, as has been demonstrated in recent weeks by Twitter and Facebook posts for which players have been forced to apologize or explain, the issue of the increasing use of social media is of some concern to franchises. There are a few college programs that ban players from using social media in-season. The NFL has rules that prohibit players from using social media during games, and for a time before and after contests. Last season, Cincinnati wide receiver Chad Ochocinco, arguably the NFL player whose tweets have attracted the widest audience, was fined $25,000 for using Twitter during a preseason game. <br />
Long said that, in speaking to athletes, he urges them to avoid what he terms a "Google-able moment." Said Long: "The last thing you want is for your own words to come back at you." <br />
He uses Mendenhall, whose Twitter remarks in the wake of the death of Osama bin Laden have drawn sharp criticism even from loyal Pittsburgh fans, as an example. <br />
Indeed, when Mendenhall's name was "Googled" on Wednesday, 16 of the first 20 items cited concerned his bin Laden remarks. There was sparse acknowledgement of his consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons, or even his untimely Super Bowl fumble. <br />
"If [Mendenhall] had some way of due diligence for what he was saying, perhaps he could have mitigated it in some way," Long said. "Let's face it, people make bad judgments ... and we help protect them from themselves sometimes." <br />
Long has what he laughingly referred to as the "Mother Rule," and, while relatively simple, it might merit consideration for NFL players and the population at large. <br />
"If you're posting something that would make your mother spill her coffee when she reads it, or to keel over," Long said, "then don't do it."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-62030713799493266212011-05-29T09:43:00.000-07:002011-05-29T09:43:06.720-07:00Djokovic extends streak to 43, Federer adds to quarters markPARIS -- Second-seeded Novak Djokovic outclassed Richard Gasquet 6-4, 6-4, 6-2 Sunday in the fourth round of the French Open to extend his winning streak to 43 matches. <br />
It was Djokovic's third day in a row on court at Roland Garros. He beat Juan Martin Del Potro in the previous round on Saturday in a match that stretched over two days. <br />
Djokovic is 41-0 in 2011, the second-best start to a season in the Open era, which began in 1968. He also won his last two matches of 2010, making his overall run the third-longest, behind Guillermo Vilas' record of 46 in a row in 1977. <br />
Bidding for his third Grand Slam title -- and first at Roland Garros -- Djokovic will next play Fabio Fognini of Italy. <br />
Earlier Sunday, Roger Federer set yet another Grand Slam record, extending his quarterfinal streak at major tournaments to 28 with a 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 victory over Olympic gold medal doubles partner Stanislas Wawrinka at the French Open. <br />
The 16-time major champion, who completed a career Grand Slam at Roland Garros in 2009, improved on the record he shared with Jimmy Connors on Court Philippe Chatrier. <br />
The last time Federer failed to reach the quarterfinals at a major was at the 2004 French Open, when he was the top-seeded player but lost to Gustavo Kuerten in the third round. <br />
Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova knocked out the highest seeded player remaining in the women's draw, beating No. 3 Vera Zvonareva 7-6 (4), 2-6, 6-2 to earn a spot in the quarterfinals. <br />
Defending women's champion Francesca Schiavone and No. 10 Jelena Jankovic are scheduled to be in action. <br />
Federer again dominated with his serve. He was broken once early in the third set, but broke back twice to remain one of the four players to have won every match in straight sets. <br />
Federer also beat Wawrinka, his Davis Cup teammate, in the quarterfinals of the Australian Open. In 2008, the Swiss pair teamed up to win the doubles gold at the Beijing Olympics. <br />
<table align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 341px;"><tbody>
<tr> <td width="341"><br />
<img alt="At 19, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is the youngest player left in the tournament. (AP)" height="310" src="http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/tennis/img15179082.jpg" width="341" /></td> <td width="15"></td> </tr>
<tr> <td width="341"><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><br />
<b>At 19, Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova is the youngest player left in the tournament.</b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
(AP)</span><br />
</span></td> <td width="15"></td> </tr>
</tbody></table>Besides his record 16 major titles, Federer also set a record of 23 straight Grand Slam semifinal appearances. That run ended at last year's French Open, when he was beaten in the quarterfinals. <br />
Federer set his quarterfinal streak in 28 consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, while Connors skipped some in his run. <br />
In the next round, Federer will face either No. 7 David Ferrer or No. 9 Gael Monfils. <br />
The third-seeded Zvonareva followed No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki and No. 2 Kim Clijsters out of the tournament after losing to Pavlyuchenkova, at 19 the youngest player still in the tournament. Wozniacki and Clijsters both lost in the third round. <br />
No. 4 Victoria Azarenka of Belarus is now the highest seeded player left. <br />
"I don't really want to comment on this, because, well, it's not of my business," Pavlyuchenkova said. "I'm just trying to do my thing, focusing on me. ... The rest, I don't really care." <br />
It is only the third time that none of the top three seeded women has reached the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam tournament in the Open era, which began in 1968, and the first time at the French Open. It also happened at Wimbledon in 2008 -- when the top four were eliminated by the end of the fourth round -- and at the Australian Open in 1997. <br />
Zvonareva reached the Wimbledon and U.S. Open finals last year and the Australian Open semifinals in January. She saved two match points in the final game against Pavlyuchenkova before hitting a forehand long on the third. <br />
"Well, that's, I guess, part of the game. I know what I have to work on and what I have to improve," said Zvonareva, who saved a match point in the second round before advancing. "Of course when you play less than 50 percent of your potential, it's very tough to win the fourth round of a Grand Slam." <br />
For the 14th-seeded Pavlyuchenkova, the result is her best at a Grand Slam tournament. Previously, she reached the fourth round at least year's U.S. Open. <br />
"She (Zvonareva) was up with a break, so I think maybe in the past or last year I wouldn't believe I can win this match against that top player," Pavlyuchenkova said. "This time I think that was the main key." <br />
<br />
<i>Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or<br />
distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The<br />
Associated Press is strictly prohibited.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-19867443963984305472011-05-19T19:12:00.001-07:002011-05-19T19:14:17.969-07:00Pistone: All-Star preview -<object data="http://sports.cbsimg.net/swf/video/uvp/skins/Default/latest/Skin.swf" height="480" id="mycbsiplayer" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="640"><param name="src" value="http://sports.cbsimg.net/swf/video/uvp/skins/Default/latest/Skin.swf"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="swLiveConnect" value="true"><param name="quality" value="high"><param name="flashvars" value="width=640&height=360&compAdsEnabled=true&compAdW=300&compAdH=60&pid=VAf60joAgldYI7JUkUz3YSxxDZFiOa_r&partner=cbssports&autoplay=false&server=http://www.cbssports.com&smode=fit&uvpc=http://sports.cbsimg.net/video/uvp/config/uvp_default.xml&imageServer=http://sports.cbsimg.net&contEx=share,embed,related,sep5,sep6,sep8&fireOverlays=true"></object> <br />
<br />
By Pete Pistone<br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>SPRINT ALL-STAR RACE PREVIEW </b></span><br />
<br />
There are no points and simply pride and money on the line in Saturday night’s Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Over the years that’s been a pretty good recipe for an entertaining night of racing.<br />
Since the annual All-Star event made its debut back in 1985 it’s undergone a variety of changes, modification and tweaks. But at the end of the day it’s still all about one thing and one thing only – winning.<br />
“Yeah, everybody amps it up so much saying there’s nothing on the line but money,” said former winner <b>Tony Stewart</b>. “Trust me, we all think of the trophy first and the money second. But it’s fun to know that you can take extra chances in that race and you know that everybody is going to do it so it just takes the whole level of racing and just takes it up a whole new level that we don’t get a chance to do when we’re racing (the normal schedule).”<br />
The change of pace from the weekly grind of points racing makes Saturday night’s race special enough that in addition to the drive to succeed there’s also a “fun factor” in play.<br />
“We’ve never been able to close the deal,” said Sprint Cup Series point leader<b> Carl Edwards</b>. “I’m excited to be able to go compete for a million dollars and not have points on the line. It’s just a fun weekend and I’m looking forward to it more than I have any other All Star race.”<br />
<br />
In a bit or a rarity considering the history of the event, this year’s All-Star Race will again feature the same format used last year when Kurt Busch went to victory lane.<br />
The Sprint Showdown preliminary event will see the first two finishers move into the main event along with one driver voted in by “Fan Vote” for an All-Star Race starting line-up of 22 cars.<br />
A fifty lap segment opens up the All-Star Race followed by a pair of 20-lappers with a no holds barred ten lap dash to the checkered flag set to cap the night off and the $1 million pot of gold.<br />
That all adds up to what some believe to be the best all-star event in professional sports.<br />
“Our series, the hits are actually probably worse, harder, stronger,” said <b>Jimmie Johnson</b> of what takes place in the NFL’s Pro Bowl or NHL’s All-Star Game. “The intensity and commitment for our All-Star event seems to be a lot higher than others. So that mindset is the difference to me. Not to take anything away from those athletes. I should then say we’re surrounded by a steel cage so it’s easier for us to dish some stuff out and take some hits.”<br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Charlotte Motor Speedway </b></span><br />
<b>Track Size:</b> 1.5-mile<br />
<br />
<b>Banking/Straightaways</b>: 5 degrees<br />
<b>Banking/Corners:</b> 24 degrees<br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Race Facts </b></span><br />
There have been 26 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Races.<br />
The first NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race was in 1985. <br />
<br />
25 have been held at Charlotte Motor Speedway. In 1986, the event was held at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and won by <b>Bill Elliott.</b> That season was also the first year for what is now known as the Sprint Showdown. <br />
84 drivers have run in at least one All-Star Race. <br />
There have been 18 different winners of the All-Star Race. <br />
<br />
<b>Mark Martin</b> has participated in 21 races, more than any other driver. <br />
The race has featured a field that ranged from 10 drivers in 1986 to 27 in 2002. <br />
<b>Dale Earnhardt</b> (1987, 1990 and 1993) and <b>Jeff Gordon</b> (1995, 1997 and 2001) are the only three-time winners of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race.<br />
<br />
There have been seven different winners in the last seven NASCAR Sprint All-Star races. <br />
<br />
<b>Davey Allison</b> (1991 and 1992), <b>Terry Labonte</b> (1988 and 1999), <b>Mark Martin</b> (1998 and 2005) and <b>Jimmie Johnson</b> (2003 and 2006) are the only other drivers to post multiple victories in the All-Star Race. Allison is the only driver to ever win consecutive All-Star events. <br />
<b>Dale Earnhardt Jr.</b> (2000) and <b>Ryan Newman (</b>2002) are the only drivers to win the All-Star Race in their rookie season. <br />
<br />
<b>Jeff Gordon</b> is the youngest winner of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at 23 years, 9 months and 18 days (1995). <b>Mark Martin</b> is the oldest at 46 years, 4 months and 12 days (2005). <br />
<b>Matt Kenseth</b> has a 6.6 average finish in 10 appearances in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, the best of any driver in this weekend’s field; followed by <b>Jimmie Johnson</b> with a 6.7 average finish in nine appearances. The best average finish by a driver with more than five starts is <b>Ken Schrader</b>, at 6.125. <br />
<br />
The NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race has been won from the pole position four times; the first three came in consecutive years: <b>Dale Earnhardt</b> (1990) and <b>Davey Allison</b> (1991 and 1992). <b>Kurt Busch</b> posted the fourth win from the pole last season. <br />
The deepest in the field an All-Star Race winner has started was 27th, by <b>Ryan Newman</b> in 2002. <br />
<br />
Hendrick Motorsports drivers have won six All-Star Races: <b>Jeff Gordon</b> (three), <b>Jimmie Johnson</b> (two) and<b> Terry Labonte</b> (one). <br />
Five drivers have won the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship in the same year: <b>Darrell Waltrip</b> (1985), <b>Dale Earnhardt</b> (1987, 1990, 1993), <b>Rusty Wallace</b> (1989), <b>Jeff Gordon</b> (1995, 1997, 2001) and <b>Jimmie Johnson</b> (2006).<br />
<br />
The record for lead changes in a NASCAR Sprint All-Star race is 10 in 2004. The most different leaders is nine in 2002.<br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Who’s Hot at the All-Star Race</b></span><br />
<b>Matt Kenseth</b> – Fresh off his victory last Sunday in Dover Kenseth races to the All-Star Race with four straight Top 10 finishes in the event on his record. Kenseth is a winner of the 2004 race.<br />
<b>Tony Stewart</b> – His recent rough streak could be cured with another win in the All-Star Race, where he’s run in the Top 5 four straight years including a victory lane-worthy performance back in 2009.<br />
<b>Kurt Busch </b> – A year ago Busch was the toast of Charlotte Motor Speedway with a win in the All-Star Race and a follow-up victory in The Coca-Cola 600. Things have not gone well for the Penske Racing team since Daytona but the ship would feel very righted with back-to-back $1 million paydays.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Who’s Not</b></span><br />
<b>Kyle Busch</b> – You’d think the format of the All-Star Race would be perfect for Busch’s style of racing with the all-out dash to the checkered flag in the final ten-lap segment. But the Joe Gibbs Racing driver has not enjoyed the annual event very much at all and has only one Top 10 finish in five career starts.<br />
<b>Jamie McMurray</b> – Charlotte is the scene of McMurray’s first career Sprint Cup win but the All-Star Race has not been a favorite of the Earnhardt Ganassi racing driver. An average finish of 17.2 in four career starts is McMurray’s performance record in the race.<br />
<b>Jeff Burton</b> – The veteran has a best finish of fourth in six career races for Burton adds up to a career average finish of 14.8.<br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>2011 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race</b></span><br />
<br />
<b>Entry List</b><br />
Bayne, Trevor<br />
Biffle, Greg<br />
Bowyer, Clint<br />
Busch, Kurt<br />
Busch, Kyle<br />
Edwards, Carl<br />
<br />
Gordon, Jeff<br />
Hamlin, Denny<br />
Harvick, Kevin<br />
Johnson, Jimmie<br />
Kahne, Kasey<br />
Kenseth, Matt<br />
<br />
Martin, Mark<br />
McMurray, Jamie<br />
Montoya, Juan Pablo<br />
Newman, Ryan<br />
Reutimann, David<br />
Smith, Regan<br />
<br />
Stewart, Tony<br />
Fan Vote Winner<br />
Winner Sprint Showdown<br />
Second Place Sprint Showdown<br />
<br />
<b><i><u><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="en"><span style="background-color: #e6ecf9; color: black;" title="">extracted from cbssports.com</span></span></u></i></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-43692735839640719082011-05-19T19:07:00.000-07:002011-05-19T19:14:47.389-07:00Elling: Major course correction - Tiger's majors mission now becomes improbableIt was, by the length of a nine-course meal, the funniest line of the week. <br />
Maybe a tad prescient, too. <br />
One of Tiger Woods' oldest friends and confidants, a guy who once lived a hundred yards down the same street and served as his professional mentor, was explaining how the fading former world No. 1 seemed to finally be in a happy place emotionally. So much so that Woods did the unthinkable over dinner on the eve of the Players Championship. <br />
He pried open his wallet, reached between the cobwebs, pulled out some plastic and picked up the check. <br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 280px;"><tbody>
<tr> <td width="280"><br />
<img alt="Tiger Woods probably won't be displacing Jack Nicklaus and Sam Snead atop the majors list after all. (Getty Images)" height="420" src="http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/golf/img15076969.jpg" width="280" /></td> <td width="15"></td> </tr>
<tr> <td width="280"><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><br />
<b>Tiger Woods probably won't be displacing Jack Nicklaus and Sam Snead atop the majors list after all.</b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
(Getty Images)</span><br />
</span></td> <td width="15"></td> </tr>
</tbody></table>"It's not often he goes to the hip," Mark O'Meara cracked, drawing huge laughs. <br />
The lone Woods tipping point of the week, it wasn't. <br />
After nine holes, Woods handed a scorecard to his playing partners and withdrew, the numerical tab having grown to 42 strokes. Even with Woods' substantial assets, both physically and financially, it added up to a hugely disappointing sum. <br />
For the first time, after 20 months on the fence as Woods' cataclysmic career trajectory and personal life have morphed into the stuff of morbid curiosity, it's at last become clear that he's too beaten down, too beaten up and just plain too easy to beat. <br />
For many of us on the fence regarding his future, it became jarringly clear last week that Woods is never going to break the decades-old records of Jack Nicklaus or Sam Snead. <br />
By any definition of the word, Woods has pulled up, lame. Fate has wrecked what we once considered a <i>fait accompli.</i> <br />
Some will find an immediate sense of satisfaction and comfort in that sentiment, in that the game's monumental marks for total victories and Grand Slam wins are safe from his pillaging. On this end, it's more akin to gradual resignation. He first lost his moral compass and reputation -- now his golf game and health are both pointed due south. What's left? It didn't sneak up on anybody, really. It's just that the preponderance of evidence hit home as Woods ponderously walked the TPC Sawgrass course last week, trailing 100 yards behind his ambulatory playing partners. How can he run when he can't even walk, or when, in each of his last two starts, he's injured himself hitting mundane golf shots? <br />
He bandages his knee as we bandy about the increasingly reasonable questions about his future, especially after Woods noted on his website Monday that he likely won't play again until the U.S. Open next month. By then, he will have completed 16 stroke-play rounds in 5 1/2 months of PGA Tour play -- or roughly three per month. <br />
Most guys show up for the Open, the toughest test in golf, feeling ready, willing and able. Woods is 1-for-3 and it's clearly time to ask how much that'll change. As one surgeon told the New York Times, when you have had four surgeries in the affected area, there's no such thing as a minor strain. His Achilles injuries are the result of wear and tear, not a particular injury, Woods said. His ankles hurt. He tweaked a calf muscle. <br />
Used to be, Woods didn't say much about his injuries. Now he's as rusty as a '72 Ford Pinto and parts are falling off. Odds are pretty good he's not jaking it, either. His ex-swing coach, Butch Harmon, is a former military man and says Woods is the toughest player he's ever coached. <br />
"Tiger Woods has a higher pain threshold than any player I have ever known," Harmon said two weeks ago in Charlotte, N.C. "He'd have calf injuries, sprains, whatever, and he would never even limp. People would have no idea." <br />
We do now. If he's addressing his maladies publicly, that says plenty about how much he's hurting, not to mention underscores that he no longer can hide the totality of his injuries anymore. <br />
Three years is a long time in any sport, but it seems like only yesterday that the prognosticators weren't just envisioning Nicklaus and Snead getting passed, but eyeballing their extinction dates. It wasn't a matter of whether Woods would break the mark for most major wins, 18, but a question of when. <br />
I predicted that he'd catch Nicklaus by the end of 2010, since majors were played at Pebble Beach and St. Andrews last year, sites where he had piled up multiple Grand Slam titles by whopping margins. It didn't remotely seem like a stretch given his conversion rate at the time. <br />
Then he had knee reconstruction. Then he had marriage deconstruction. He hasn't won a major since the 2008 U.S. Open. In fact, I bet a writer from ESPN a few shillings the other day that the next eight majors will be won by eight different players and probably should have added a side wager that none will be named Eldrick. There are 35 rookies on tour this season and two of them have already won. With every passing week that players finish ahead of Woods, whatever is left of his juju erodes further. Nobody faints at the sight of his shadow anymore and as Woods seemingly gets older by the minute at a creaky 35, the tour keeps getting younger. <br />
It's been like watching a soap opera or Oprah, with each day between the ropes seemingly offering another dizzying development. When Woods wrecked his public persona in the scandal, not a soul envisioned the performance issues it would indirectly create for the player. A year ago, Woods wanted everybody to stop talking about his personal life and concentrate on his golf. Now it's a tossup as to which is in sorrier state. <br />
This isn't just about his execution, either. His image has been sullied to the point where he remains, in the marketing world, practically toxic. No need recapping the damaging personal fare, but now he's not winning, either. When was the last time you spotted him in an advertisement, other than as part of an ensemble cast in a Nike spot? In other words, corporate America quite literally isn't buying the notion that Woods is poised for a comeback, either personally or professionally. <br />
Now, neither am I. By the time Woods next figures to play, it will have been 21 months since he won on the PGA Tour. His best finish in that stretch is T4. That new golf swing and jittery putting stroke aren't getting any better while he's sitting on his sofa eating Froot Loops. <br />
Let's be clear: Woods will still pick off a few victories, and perhaps a couple of majors along the way. But he needs four to tie Nicklaus, which as has been pointed out numerous times, is the exact number amassed over the two-decade career by the game's second-best player in that span, Phil Mickelson. <br />
The tour is wisely positioned to continue without Woods as its major marquee man. Nobody in Ponte Vedra Beach is writing him off and his boon to the TV ratings remains inarguable, but if you've seen the PGA Tour's series of 2011 promotional ads juxtaposing young players against the established guard like Woods, it's pretty clear that the new wave is being tossed on our plate for public consumption. <br />
"The idea of the young guys challenging the established stars, I think, is something that's a positive thing," Commissioner Tim Finchem said Sunday. "The other thing is Tiger has been finishing well in advance of finish time this year, and our television ratings are up virtually across the board." <br />
Translated: Tiger isn't in the afternoon TV window, which means that even when he is playing, he often isn't in contention. <br />
"There's a number of reasons for that [ratings data], but one of them is clearly the fans are engaging with and focusing on these other players, and that's good news for the future," Finchem said. <br />
Maybe you guys figured it out first. Most of us inside the traveling tour circus learned long ago that dismissing Woods usually just made him mad, which led to more than a few dismissive news dispatches being eaten by their authors. <br />
In that regard, if this column turns out to be dead wrong, and Woods somehow catches Nicklaus and Snead, I'll print out the story, douse it in Tabasco, and eat the words. <br />
I'll pay that tab myself.<br />
<b><i><u><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="en"><span style="background-color: #e6ecf9; color: black;" title="">extracted from cbssports.com</span></span></u></i></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-77708910898257400092011-05-19T19:02:00.001-07:002011-05-19T19:14:56.964-07:00Miller: Weather wreaking havoc - Reasons for rain? Maybe Mother Nature wants more twinbillsRaindrops keep fallin' on their heads. And fallin' ... and fallin' ... and fall. ... <br />
Yet even in its wettest season in years, baseball looks out its (water-dotted) window and sees rainbows. <br />
You can tell by the fact that, so far, there are no job postings for Executive Vice President, Global Warming. <br />
"I don't know what Al Gore was talking about," commissioner Bud Selig joked from his office in Milwaukee this week. "I sure wouldn't mind it getting warmer." <br />
<table align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 350px;"><tbody>
<tr> <td width="350"><br />
<img alt="Fans have already soaked up 29 weather-related postponements, eight more than all of last season. (AP)" height="270" src="http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/baseball/mlb/img15079715.jpg" width="350" /></td> <td width="15"></td> </tr>
<tr> <td width="350"><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><br />
<b>Fans have already soaked up 29 weather-related postponements, eight more than all of last season.</b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
(AP)</span><br />
</span></td> <td width="15"></td> </tr>
</tbody></table>Nor would 30 clubs. <br />
Warmer, and drier. <br />
Through Wednesday, 29 games already had been postponed because of inclement weather. Last year? There was a total of 21 postponements ... <i>for the entire season.</i> <br />
"I'm an amateur meteorologist," Selig continued. "I watch the Weather Channel a lot. And this has been unbelievable. Everybody you talk to is talking about it. <br />
"The fact that we're even close to our attendance figures through this point last year is incredible. ... We're less than one percent down from last year. I'm more than optimistic about our attendance. I'm more bullish than ever before." <br />
I believe Selig was wearing galoshes and speaking from beneath an umbrella even while inside his office. <br />
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the earth experienced the seventh-warmest April since record-keeping started in 1880. <br />
According to the National Weather Service, La Nina -- obviously a fan of showers, but not Towles (J.R., whose Astros were rained out in Cincinnati on May 2) -- is the rainmaker. <br />
A La Nina phenomenon occurs when cooler-than-normal water temperatures in the tropical Pacific Ocean wreak havoc with the atmosphere. <br />
"The result is an active storm track driven by a stronger-than-average jet stream right into the center of the country, which is common to La Nina patterns in the spring," said Richard Castro, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Chicago bureau. <br />
I phoned the Chicago bureau of the NWS because the city has been hammered especially hard this spring: The Cubs already have postponed three games in Wrigley Field, which ties Pittsburgh for the major-league lead. <br />
"At least they're first in something, huh?" one helpful NWS person offered. <br />
Predictably, the drenchings are dredging up old arguments as to why baseball doesn't play more early games in warm weather cities, and why the schedule doesn't start later. <br />
As for the former, it is simply more waterlogged than the Pirates, whose washout in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday was their fourth of the season. <br />
There are certain desires inherent in all clubs: Everybody wants more home dates during the summer, when school is out. Few want to play at home on Mother's Day. Nobody wants to open on the road every season (and nobody wants to play on the road for long stretches at a time). <br />
Then, there are the two-team markets. If the Mets and Yankees both spent much of April on the road and then made up for it in, say, June ... there would be no baseball in New York for much of April, then two games per day in June? That's just silly. <br />
<table align="left" class="data mRight10"><tbody>
<tr class="title"> <td colspan="2">Who's the wettest </td> </tr>
<tr class="subtitle"> <td colspan="2">AL home-park rainouts </td> </tr>
<tr class="label"> <td>Team </td> <td>No. </td> </tr>
<tr class="row1"> <td>Baltimore </td> <td>2 </td> </tr>
<tr class="row2"> <td>Boston </td> <td>2 </td> </tr>
<tr class="row1"> <td>Cleveland </td> <td>2 </td> </tr>
<tr class="row2"> <td>Detroit </td> <td>2 </td> </tr>
<tr class="row1"> <td>Minnesota </td> <td>2 </td> </tr>
<tr class="row2"> <td>New York </td> <td>1 </td> </tr>
<tr class="row1"> <td>Texas </td> <td>1 </td> </tr>
<tr class="subtitle"> <td colspan="2">NL home-park rainouts </td> </tr>
<tr class="label"> <td>Team </td> <td>No. </td> </tr>
<tr class="row1"> <td>Chicago </td> <td>3 </td> </tr>
<tr class="row2"> <td>Pittsburgh </td> <td>3 </td> </tr>
<tr class="row1"> <td>Atlanta </td> <td>2 </td> </tr>
<tr class="row2"> <td>Colorado </td> <td>2 </td> </tr>
<tr class="row1"> <td>New York </td> <td>2 </td> </tr>
<tr class="row2"> <td>Washington </td> <td>2 </td> </tr>
<tr class="row1"> <td>Cincinnati </td> <td>1 </td> </tr>
<tr class="row2"> <td>Philadelphia </td> <td>1 </td> </tr>
<tr class="row1"> <td>St. Louis </td> <td>1 </td> </tr>
<tr class="footer"> <td colspan="2">Through games of May 18 </td> </tr>
</tbody></table>As for opening day, yes, 2011 started a few days earlier than usual as Selig rightly works to keep the World Series out of November (this fall, Game 7 is scheduled for Oct. 27). <br />
But here's the catch with this year's March 31 openers: <br />
Through April 12, there were only three rainouts. <br />
Between April 12 and 19, there were nine. <br />
So the season should have started, when? Sometime after April 20? <br />
There's a reason everybody talks about the weather and nobody does anything about it. Or, as legendary manager Leo Durocher once said, "You don't save a pitcher for tomorrow. Tomorrow it may rain." <br />
Poor Cleveland. Last in the majors in attendance in 2010, the Indians shockingly own baseball's best record in 2011. While they played before scores of empty seats early, last Friday, 33,774 watched Cleveland score three runs in the bottom of the ninth in a 5-4 win. <br />
Then the Indians and Mariners were rained out on both Saturday and Sunday. <br />
"The weather <i>is</i> going to get better," Selig said. <br />
I believe he now was wearing a rain slicker and scuba mask. <br />
Last season, there were only two rainouts in April. When the Twins opened Target Field, it was 70 degrees. And they were rained out at home only once all of last year. This year, they've already been washed out twice. <br />
It's wet everywhere. On April 29, the Dodgers and Padres suffered four rain delays in San Diego, of all places, and the game finally was suspended at 1:40 a.m. (and completed the next day). <br />
This week in Oakland, the start of an Angels-Athletics game was delayed 90 minutes. The Brewers and Dodgers played through rain in Los Angeles. <br />
"We left Milwaukee and it was 50 degrees, raining and windy as hell, and we landed in Los Angeles and the weather was the same," Brewers Hall of Fame broadcaster Bob Uecker said. "I thought we circled for 4½ hours and landed in Milwaukee again." <br />
Rain, economy, gas prices ... on Tuesday afternoon, you could purchase $2 tickets on StubHub for that night's Marlins-Mets game in New York and Blue Jays-Tigers game in Detroit. Both wound up postponed. <br />
"We've got a great sales pitch: 'Come and watch the rain delay,'" quipped one executive. <br />
Old records are sketchy but, since 2000, 50 rainouts in '04 is the season high. Currently, 2011 is on pace to drown that. <br />
Beautiful days? Yeah, if you're a duck. Last year, Katy Feeney, executive vice president for scheduling and club relations, worked to jockey a large portion of the schedule around a U2 tour. Homestands were moved in certain markets. Games were flip-flopped. Then the band canceled at the last minute when lead singer Bono underwent emergency surgery. <br />
Which is more temperamental? <br />
"I haven't figured that out yet," Feeney said. "Bono's back, or Mother Nature." <br />
Splish, splash.<br />
<b><i><u><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="en"><span style="background-color: #e6ecf9; color: black;" title="">extracted from cbssports.com</span></span></u></i></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-9588192922282621372011-05-19T19:01:00.000-07:002011-05-19T19:16:57.246-07:00Dobrow: Player Rankings - Player Rankings: Chasing sparse seconds and lefties<i>Stats through May 16 </i> <br />
Chase Utley may or may not be running at full speed and pivoting at full pivotosity during his current rehab, and he may or may not come back this week as the guy who was one of the game's five best players between 2005 and 2009. Thus it feels both premature and weird ranking the league's second basemen in his absence -- and what a sad-clown group it is. Utley on one leg or Omar Infante? Utley denying the existence of a broken rib even as bones visibly protrude through his jersey, or Bill Hall? Gimme Utley. I believe. <br />
As for left-handed starters, the pool is equally shallow, at least while a handful of candidates struggle with injury (Johan Santana, Brian Matusz) and bad-at-pitching-ness (Francisco Liriano, John Danks). While it's still hard to justify contracts like the one the Phillies handed to Cliff Lee -- not because he's not great, but because he's 32 -- we live in a supply-and-demand world. You can either pay what the market will bear, or you can be the Pirates. That's how it works. <br />
<table class="multiColumn"><tbody>
<tr valign="top"><td width="49%"><br />
<table class="data"><tbody>
<tr class="title"><td colspan="2">Batters</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">1. Rickie Weeks, 2B - Milwaukee Brewers</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 6</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/433808" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="Jaime Garcia" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/433808.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>Forget the beautiful, beautiful bat. The advanced fielding metrics I don't entirely understand now paint him as merely substandard on defense, as opposed to anvil-handed and barbarous. Baby steps, man, baby steps. </td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
163 AB, <br />
7 HR, <br />
.301 AVG, <br />
14 RBI, <br />
25 R, <br />
5 SB</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">2. Robinson Cano, 2B - New York Yankees</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 5</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/532997" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="Clayton Kershaw" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/532997.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>This is largely a legacy ranking based on his 2010 performance and the possibility that he'll start accepting walks again. The Yankees know from experience that the world doesn't need another Mariano Duncan.</td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
147 AB, <br />
9 HR, <br />
.286 AVG, <br />
25 RBI, <br />
21 R, <br />
3 SB</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">3. Ben Zobrist, 2B - Tampa Bay Rays</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 1</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/1099014" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="David Price" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/1099014.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>He counts as a second baseman; the other keystone-capable utility folk, like Martin Prado, do not. Why? Because it's my column and I can qualify if I want to. Zobrist plays most positions well; his defense-minded keepers in Tampa would have it no other way.</td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
149 AB, <br />
8 HR, <br />
.289 AVG, <br />
27 RBI, <br />
31 R, <br />
5 SB</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">4. Dustin Pedroia, 2B - Boston Red Sox</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 11</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/547429" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="Cole Hamels" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/547429.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>The struggles against off-speed stuff aren't a problem, boosters say, because he's confident enough to battle through them. But what if he's not? What if all the "laser show" boasts mask a deep reservoir of self-disgust and longing? Hug him, stat. </td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
155 AB, <br />
2 HR, <br />
.245 AVG, <br />
10 RBI, <br />
21 R, <br />
7 SB</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">5. Dan Uggla, 2B - Atlanta Braves</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 14</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/292238" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="Jon Lester" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/292238.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>He'd rank higher on a list that doesn't assess the ability to move laterally. It still says here that his mashiness is a perfect fit on a Braves squad that hasn't had a righty bopper since Andruw Jones aged 15 years between the end of 2006 and the start of 2007.</td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
163 AB, <br />
7 HR, <br />
.202 AVG, <br />
15 RBI, <br />
19 R, <br />
1 SB</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">6. Brandon Phillips, 2B - Cincinnati Reds</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 2</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/225418" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="Cliff Lee" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/225418.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>The four-category fantasy deliciousness has upped his profile, perhaps undeservedly. In the real world, Phillips' sure-handedness afield and cagey baserunning are tempered by his impatience at the plate. Reality bites.</td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
146 AB, <br />
5 HR, <br />
.322 AVG, <br />
26 RBI, <br />
26 R, <br />
2 SB</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">7. Howard Kendrick, 2B - Los Angeles Angels</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 3</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/489785" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="Brett Anderson" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/489785.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>The OBP and SLG have spiked in 2011, a mere five years after we expected them to. How psyched must the Angels be that their injury problems have given them a reason to shift him off second? "No, Howie, it's totally temporary. Honest."</td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
168 AB, <br />
6 HR, <br />
.310 AVG, <br />
17 RBI, <br />
29 R, <br />
4 SB</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">8. Ian Kinsler, 2B - Texas Rangers</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 7</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/489854" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="CC Sabathia" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/489854.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>Wait a second -- the deal was that if he could manage to stay healthy for more than three series at a time, he'd ascend to a higher pinnacle of distinction. Yet here we are, a quarter of the way through a healthy season, and he hasn't. I feel gypped.</td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
152 AB, <br />
5 HR, <br />
.250 AVG, <br />
17 RBI, <br />
26 R, <br />
7 SB</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">9. Neil Walker, 3B - Pittsburgh Pirates</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 4</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/545787" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="Gio Gonzalez" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/545787.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>He's a second baseman like a cat is a tree. That said, a switch hitter on an OBP self-improvement tear and without pronounced lefty/righty splits is an asset -- an asset like a chest of dimes is an asset.</td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
151 AB, <br />
5 HR, <br />
.278 AVG, <br />
22 RBI, <br />
26 R, <br />
2 SB</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">10. Brian Roberts, 2B - Baltimore Orioles</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 10</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/223690" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="C.J. Wilson" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/223690.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>As recently as last September, Roberts was a run-creating gnat. There's nothing wrong with him that a pep talk and a new spine won't cure, so give him the benefit of the doubt until the MRI says otherwise.</td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
163 AB, <br />
3 HR, <br />
.221 AVG, <br />
19 RBI, <br />
18 R, <br />
6 SB</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">11. Kelly Johnson, 2B - Arizona Diamondbacks</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 20</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/292279" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="Ricky Romero" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/292279.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>Eesh. This position thins out fast. Johnson? He's got some power and he'll take a walk. That counts for something, slow start notwithstanding. </td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
147 AB, <br />
4 HR, <br />
.184 AVG, <br />
7 RBI, <br />
16 R, <br />
6 SB</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">12. Jonathan Herrera, 2B - Colorado Rockies</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 13</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/1102926" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="Zach Britton" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/1102926.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>In a limited look-see, he hasn't embarrassed himself, his team or his family. In conclusion, we should shorten these lists to ten players when the shallowness of the positional pool demands it.</td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
120 AB, <br />
2 HR, <br />
.292 AVG, <br />
8 RBI, <br />
15 R, <br />
4 SB</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
<br />
<b><i><u><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="en"><span style="background-color: #e6ecf9; color: black;" title="">extracted from cbssports.com</span></span></u></i></b></td> <td width="2%"></td> <td width="49%"><br />
<br />
<table class="data"><tbody>
<tr class="title"><td colspan="2">Pitchers</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">1. Jaime Garcia, SP - St. Louis Cardinals</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 4</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/1537183" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="Jaime Garcia" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/1537183.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>Those still waiting for him to fall apart oughta find a new pet cause. It's like a bunch of college do-gooders refusing to leave the Dean's office until the university divests its oil and defense holdings. Don't hold your breath, kids.</td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
52.1 IP, <br />
5-0 W-L, <br />
0 SV, <br />
1.89 ERA, <br />
48 Ks,<br />
12 BB</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">2. Clayton Kershaw, SP - Los Angeles Dodgers</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 14</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/1221725" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="Clayton Kershaw" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/1221725.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>Most 23-year-olds have no responsibilities other than mining the gems lodged in their nostrils; Kershaw has been charged with leading a major-league staff. His shoulders are as broad and sturdy as the ocean is salty and contaminated.</td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
59.0 IP, <br />
5-3 W-L, <br />
0 SV, <br />
2.75 ERA, <br />
64 Ks,<br />
20 BB</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">3. David Price, SP - Tampa Bay Rays</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 23</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/1232130" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="David Price" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/1232130.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>He's pretty OK at pitching, but did you see the clip of his batting-practice dinger? Forget that he cleared the fence -- his loop around the bases, which featured headfirst slides and somersaults, was the revelation. He appears to enjoy his job.</td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
62.2 IP, <br />
5-3 W-L, <br />
0 SV, <br />
3.59 ERA, <br />
52 Ks,<br />
10 BB</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">4. Cole Hamels, SP - Philadelphia Phillies</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 24</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/479065" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="Cole Hamels" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/479065.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>Line from an actual reader e-mail about Cole Hamels, who I think is effin' terrific: "More often than not his poor outings are because of his lack of mental focus and mental toughness." Really? And this is evident to the untrained eye how? Dumbass.</td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
53.2 IP, <br />
4-2 W-L, <br />
0 SV, <br />
3.19 ERA, <br />
56 Ks,<br />
12 BB</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">5. Jon Lester, SP - Boston Red Sox</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 20</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/580589" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="Jon Lester" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/580589.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>If there's a nit to pick, it's the walk totals. But in the context of Lester's overall ferocity, that's a small nit, like a lower-phylum parasite that just can't be bothered to leech.</td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
57.2 IP, <br />
5-1 W-L, <br />
0 SV, <br />
3.28 ERA, <br />
58 Ks,<br />
24 BB</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">6. Cliff Lee, SP - Philadelphia Phillies</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 64</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/370395" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="Cliff Lee" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/370395.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>There's been talk that he throws <i>too</i> many strikes, that he'd be better served by baiting hitters to swing at crud. Isn't that like saying an elite batter should try not to make so much solid contact, because line drives sometimes get caught?</td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
58.2 IP, <br />
2-4 W-L, <br />
0 SV, <br />
3.84 ERA, <br />
68 Ks,<br />
13 BB</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">7. Brett Anderson, SP - Oakland Athletics</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 53</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/1611137" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="Brett Anderson" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/1611137.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>His mantra is less "ommmmmm" than "stay healthy stay healthy stay healthy stay healthy." Would you rather have the Phillie Phour or Oakland's Cahill/Anderson/Gonzalez/McCarthy quartet and $60 million to spend? That's a legit question.</td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
60.0 IP, <br />
2-3 W-L, <br />
0 SV, <br />
3.3 ERA, <br />
47 Ks,<br />
16 BB</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">8. CC Sabathia, SP - New York Yankees</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 41</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/174974" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="CC Sabathia" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/174974.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>When pundits rhapsodize about his tendency to "put the team on his back," they mean it literally. The guy's torso is three times the width of a surfboard and just as long. If necessary, he could be used as a flotation device.</td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
59.2 IP, <br />
3-3 W-L, <br />
0 SV, <br />
3.47 ERA, <br />
50 Ks,<br />
21 BB</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">9. Gio Gonzalez, RP - Oakland Athletics</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 88</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/585618" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="Gio Gonzalez" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/585618.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>He got a mulligan -- a literal one -- for last week's outing against the Rangers, who pummeled him for 7 runs in 3 innings. It started to rain, the game got called and the ugly stats went bye-bye like water down the drain. Lucky dude.</td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
43.2 IP, <br />
4-2 W-L, <br />
0 SV, <br />
2.68 ERA, <br />
41 Ks,<br />
20 BB</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">10. C.J. Wilson, SP - Texas Rangers</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 33</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/548808" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="C.J. Wilson" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/548808.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>He added a limiting-walks component to his "str8-edge" persona -- a good thing, because we wouldn't want kids to look at him and think, "He's cool, accountable and substance-free, but he just gives it away. I'm gonna model myself after A.J. Burnett instead."</td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
61.1 IP, <br />
4-2 W-L, <br />
0 SV, <br />
3.38 ERA, <br />
50 Ks,<br />
22 BB</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">11. Ricky Romero, SP - Toronto Blue Jays</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 40</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/585626" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="Ricky Romero" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/585626.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>Next, on <i>Dateline Minutes</i>: Are Americans biased against ace-lite hurlers who pitch in Canada, or do the Jays just need to hire a better PR guy?</td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
51.0 IP, <br />
3-4 W-L, <br />
0 SV, <br />
3.35 ERA, <br />
51 Ks,<br />
18 BB</td></tr>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="2">12. Zach Britton, SP - Baltimore Orioles</td></tr>
<tr class="label"><td colspan="2">Previous Rank: NR<br />
<br />
| By Position: 11</td> </tr>
<tr class="row2" valign="top"><td width="60"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=1429720625967177369#%21/mlb/players/playerpage/1733482" sjxed="1"><img align="middle" alt="Zach Britton" border="0" height="80" hspace="0" src="http://images.cbssports.com/images/baseball/mlb/players/60x80/1733482.jpg" vspace="0" width="60" /></a></td> <td>Too soon? The K/BB numbers are worrying, but he's outpitched the other candidates (Buehrle, Sanchez and De La Rosa) for the slot. Just like the Orioles decided he was ready, so too did we. Hooray for happenstance.</td></tr>
<tr class="row2"><td colspan="2"><b>Key Stats: </b> <br />
52.0 IP, <br />
5-2 W-L, <br />
0 SV, <br />
2.42 ERA, <br />
29 Ks,<br />
16 BB</td></tr>
</tbody></table></td></tr>
</tbody></table>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-74868572262566722742011-05-19T18:52:00.000-07:002011-05-19T18:52:50.399-07:00Haslem key to Heat hopes - With emergence of Haslem, Heat improve odds of beating BullsCHICAGO -- No way was it going to happen again. <br />
No way were <a href="http://cbssports.blogspot.com/search?q=dwyane+wade&x=0&y=0" sjxed="1">Dwyane Wade</a> and <a href="http://cbssports.blogspot.com/search?q=lebron+james&x=0&y=0" sjxed="1">LeBron James</a> going to be little more than decorative pieces in a second <a href="http://cbssports.blogspot.com/search?q=miami+heat&x=0&y=0" sjxed="1">Miami Heat</a> loss in two Eastern Conference finals games against the Chicago Bulls. <br />
<table align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 270px;"><tbody>
<tr> <td width="270"><br />
<img alt="Udonis Haslem scored 12 points in the second half of Game 2, but it's his defense that's key for Miami. (Getty Images)" height="380" src="http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/basketball/nba/img15079711.jpg" width="270" /></td> <td width="15"></td> </tr>
<tr> <td width="270"><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><br />
<b>Udonis Haslem scored 12 points in the second half of Game 2, but it's his defense that's key for Miami.</b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
(Getty Images)</span><br />
</span></td> <td width="15"></td> </tr>
</tbody></table>No way was Miami going to allow the Bulls to throw themselves a post-Oprah Winfrey celebration on the United Center stage. <br />
No way. <br />
So, on Wednesday evening -- the night after Chicago's iconic talk-show host's celebrity-laden farewell party in the same building -- the Heat recovered to even the best-of-7 series at a victory apiece. <br />
The Heat now return to American Airlines Arena for the next two games, on Sunday and Tuesday nights, with an opportunity to seize control of a series that began miserably for them. What else would anyone call a 21-point loss, which was Miami's fourth to Chicago in four meetings going back through the regular season? <br />
But if an NBA playoff series is about anything, it's about perspective. <br />
And from Miami's perspective, the series has turned in its favor, at least temporarily, on the basis of the emergence of Udonis Haslem and its defense. If those two elements remain strong, it would seem the chances of the second-seeded Heat beating the top-seeded Bulls and moving onto the NBA Finals remain strong too. <br />
And at the core of things for Miami stands the superstar tandem of Wade and James. <br />
They combined for just 33 points in the Game 1 loss, making only 12 of 32 shots. Their numbers in Game 2 improved dramatically as they made 20 of 37 shots and scored 53 points. <br />
Little wonder the Heat emerged with a 10-point win. <br />
Here's the thing: Miami is a Big Three, including Chris Bosh, constructed with the notion that the sum of those parts more often than not is greater than the sum of the parts of any opposing team. And if significant assistance comes in any form -- a wonderful Wednesday night performance by Haslem, for example -- well, the Heat become all but unbeatable. <br />
Haslem, who missed most of the regular season with a foot injury, not only filled the box score (13 points, five rebounds, two assists, a steal and a blocked shot), but also provided 23-plus minutes of inspiration. <br />
"The player of the game," Wade called him. <br />
True, and the Heat's near invincibility under such circumstances was evident despite Bosh scoring only 10 points. <br />
Something else Haslem will do, if he continues to contribute big minutes, is unclutter Miami's mix-and-match rotation. Heat coach Erik Spoelstra might not have to go beyond Wade, James, Bosh, Haslem, Joel Anthony, Mike Bibby and either Mike Miller or James Jones, depending on what's required. <br />
It has been quite some time since Miami exhibited such a clean look. <br />
The Heat insist all the animosity they've dealt with this season after signing James and Bosh and re-signing Wade in formation of a supposed super core steeled those players for whatever comes next. At a point when Chicago could have put them in a 2-0 hole, they demonstrated more than a little moxie. <br />
James and Wade were great, and got unexpected help from Haslem. <br />
It's a recipe that's almost always going to be good enough for Miami to succeed, which may serve to heighten the resentments against it. But the Heat insist adversity makes them stronger. <br />
They took a big step toward proving it by getting even against the Bulls, and the latest Miami perspective is that the Heat are more dangerous than they've looked in a very long time.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-56271754206717275132011-05-19T18:46:00.000-07:002011-05-19T19:17:08.122-07:00Judge: Lockout hurts rookie QBs - Rookie QBs suffer most by lockout-prohibited work, teachingThis week's court decision allowing the NFL lockout to stand was more than just a setback for players. It was a crippling blow to rookie quarterbacks. They're the guys who need the mini-camps, OTAs, classroom work and on-field repetitions to develop into the Peyton Mannings and Tom Bradys of tomorrow, only they're the ones not getting it <br />
Now tell me that won't retard their development … because it will. <br />
I know, Jake Locker and Christian Ponder are busy planning touch-football workouts with their teammates, and that's great. Only one problem: While it will help them learn new names, it won't help them learn new offenses. <br />
Nope, to do that, they must be around coaches, classrooms and practice fields for months, and that's not going to happen as long as the lockout lasts. And from what we heard this week from the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals, that won't be anytime soon. <br />
The court will rule on an NFL motion for appeal next month, and the expectation is that it puts the season on indefinite hold. That's not good for anyone involved in the game, but it's downright devastating to the development of a young quarterback. <br />
"You want to build a bridge from the spring to the summer," said an AFC assistant, "but you can’t. Plus, you're not going to have time to have competition. You have to know things right off the bat, otherwise there's a lot of guessing going on -- and that's not good. Guys are going to have to suck it up for awhile. <br />
"The smart guys might be OK, but the 'repetition' guys are screwed. Guys who need that work over and over aren't going to get it, and they'll get left behind -- at least at the beginning. It's the instinctive guys who will succeed. <br />
"My prediction: Young quarterbacks are going to spend all their waking hours in the building during the season -- if there is a season -- a lot more than during normal years." <br />
Of course, it's not just the rookie quarterbacks who are affected. It's the coaches teaching them, too. Already they've started to pare playbooks to reduce the learning curve for their students. The idea is for coaches to make things as uncomplicated as possible for their understudies. <br />
"Let's just say the packages will be limited," said an NFC quarterbacks coach. "It's going to be: What do they really need? It's especially hard with rookie quarterbacks that are with veteran teams. You can't show a rookie quarterback what he should have gotten on his own because veterans will get bored out of their minds. Look at Minnesota: Brett Favre could step in and make all the calls tomorrow, but Christian Ponder can't. So it's going to be hard." <br />
Learning the quarterback position is difficult as it is, with some coaches firm in their beliefs that it takes three to four years for passers to feel comfortable. All I know is that it takes more than one, and I offer Peyton Manning as an example. He was 3-13 as a rookie. Troy Aikman was 0-11. John Elway threw twice as many interceptions as touchdown passes. Eli Manning produced a Blutarsky (zero-point-zero-zero passer rating) in a dreadful performance against Baltimore. And Drew Brees … well, it wasn't until his fourth season -- or after San Diego had all but given up on him, drafting Philip Rivers -- that he became a polished and reliable quarterback. <br />
So it takes time, and that's where the lockout hurts rookies -- because it's not giving time to anyone but attorneys and judges. <br />
Still, all is not lost. At least quarterbacks taken in the first-round have playbooks -- or should have. When the lockout was lifted it was done the day after they were chosen, so guys like Locker, Ponder, Cam Newton and Blaine Gabbert in all likelihood were handed playbooks before leaving their team headquarters, and that can't hurt. <br />
"That’s an absolute advantage," said an AFC offensive coordinator. "At least they can get down the terminology, see formations and look at pictures. None of that will change, so that gives them an edge." <br />
But I'm not sure how much it means if you don't have someone to help you with calls or walk you through exercises. In essence, it's like showing up the first day of school, getting handed a 100-page homework assignment, then going home to sit for weeks, maybe months, trying to figure it all out. You might be OK if there were a lifeline to call, but there isn’t. Nobody can help … or, at least, nobody is supposed to. <br />
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<img alt="Rookie QBs like Jake Locker are already behind the daunting learning curve that passers face when jumping to the NFL. (Getty Images)" height="400" src="http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/football/nfl/img15079431.jpg" width="280" /></td> <td width="15"></td> </tr>
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><br />
<b>Rookie QBs like Jake Locker are already behind the daunting learning curve that passers face when jumping to the NFL.</b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
(Getty Images)</span><br />
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</tbody></table>One head coach I consulted said he believes assistants probably are communicating with players ("There's just too much you read about not to believe it's going on," he said), but so what? There's no face-to-face communication or on-the-field instruction to help with mechanics, techniques, formations and reading defenses. <br />
Basically, there's no nothing, and I don't see how that does anything but retard the development of someone like Newton, who won a Heisman Trophy in a spread offense, ran more than he threw in his career at Auburn and the University of Florida and is in urgent need of tutoring because he's expected to be the starter in Carolina. <br />
The Panthers may not admit that, but that's how it goes when you're the first pick of the draft, and Jimmy Clausen is the competition. <br />
One GM said, "My question is: Do they start him from Day One? Or do they put him behind Clausen and let him learn, working him in by the eighth game or so. Or do they roll out both -- having, in essence, a two-quarterback system, that's not real popular but might be necessary. <br />
"We don't know how quickly he'll pick things or what they'll throw him, but I guarantee it will be limited. And that will affect what Carolina is able to do. Because when you limit what you give the quarterback you limit the offense in general because he's the trigger man, and I want to see how that plays out over time. <br />
"They might give him 30 plays where he would have had 300, and maybe those 30 are effective. But this is going to work both ways because if you're a defense facing the guy you're going to throw everything but the kitchen sink at him, and he'll do what he can to survive -- like throwing the 'out' or run and scramble. <br />
"The key is what these guys are missing mentally -- because that is everything. The quarterbacks who achieved the most in this game, like Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Philip Rivers, Ben Roethlisberger and Aaron Rodgers, all talk about how much they study in the offseason, and it shows. Because when you understand, you're confident. That comes with experience, but it comes with a lot of hard work, too." <br />
Unfortunately for guys like Newton, Gabbert, Locker, Ponder and Cincinnati's Andy Dalton -- all rookie quarterbacks who could start this season -- the only work they do is on their own. And no matter what that is, it can't replicate what they could accomplish at their teams' headquarters. <br />
No one is ready to say it's too late to make them ready for this season, but no one is prepared to say they aren't staring at an enormous learning curve, either. "No question, these guys are handicapped," the GM said. "A lot of this is going to depend on what we have for a training camp. If we have a normal one, the rookie quarterback is still going to be behind because he missed everything in the offseason. If we have half a training camp or two weeks to get ready, you're going to have a disaster for most of the season -- especially if you want him to start." <br />
Bottom line? <br />
"Bottom line," said an NFC head coach, "if you're a rookie quarterback, and you're looking to start, your back is against the wall."<br />
<b><i><u><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="en"><span style="background-color: #e6ecf9; color: black;" title="">extracted from cbssports.com</span></span></u></i></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-14714014995992199322011-05-19T18:45:00.000-07:002011-05-19T19:15:06.874-07:00Freeman: Working through lockout - Merriman, Smith show lockout isn't work stoppageLinebacker Shawne Merriman thinks he knows when the lockout will end. He's not claiming to be an expert. He's calling it an educated hunch. <br />
"My guess, late June or early July," he said. "It'll run its course by then." <br />
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<img alt="Shawne Merriman figures the lockout will wind down in June or July. (Getty Images)" height="380" src="http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/football/nfl/img15079681.jpg" width="281" /><br />
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><br />
<b>Shawne Merriman figures the lockout will wind down in June or July.</b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
(Getty Images)</span><br />
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</tbody></table>In the meantime, as the lockout drones on into paralyzing monotony, Merriman continues the business of preparation. He is a Buffalo Bill but still works out in San Diego, where he spent most of his career. There's the MMA workout, the field drills and conditioning runs. Like hundreds, if not thousands of other players, he constantly preps for a season that may never come. <br />
"You have no choice but to stay ready," he said. "If players don't stay ready, they're going to regret it later." <br />
Thousands of miles away, the lockout hasn't caused one of the league's best and brightest, coach Mike Smith of the Falcons, to leave his offices and retire to a beach. Quite the contrary. In many ways Smith and the coaching staff remain as busy as if this were a normal offseason. Smith is discovering the lockout has provided more time to direct attention to previously neglected projects. <br />
"This isn't a time to take it easy," said Smith. "I can guarantee you no coach in this league is seeing the lockout as a time to rest. It's the opposite." <br />
Smith and Merriman are symbolic of what's occurring with coaches and players during these ugly times in a fractured sport. They prepare as if the season could start at any moment despite not knowing for certain when it will arrive. Coaches like Smith watch their film and run their scenarios while players like Merriman still perform their own due diligence, the bills still due, despite the absence of paychecks. <br />
They prepare. Then wait. Prepare some more, wait some more. It's the lockout two-step that has been ongoing for over two months and will probably continue for many more. <br />
What has become clear is that coaches and players are using the lockout almost as a test of their dedication. As Merriman sees it, no one is watching -- no coach, no trainer -- so now is the time to work your hardest. As Smith sees it, no one is watching -- no media, no players -- so now is equally the time work your hardest.<br />
<br />
That similar mindset is why there has been no public animosity between players and coaches similar to players and owners. Both see themselves as the working class of the sport. Sure, that's a stretch, but they possess the belief that lockout or no lockout, they're going to outwork competitors. It's what distinguishes them from the amateurs. <br />
There are certainly coaches vacationing in the south of France and players getting their Krispy Kreme on. The exceptions exist. We've seen the Reggie Bush tweets. But it seems, for the most part, neither player nor coach is getting fat and happy during the lockout. <br />
When Smith was a defensive coordinator in Jacksonville he was known as one of the more studious coaches in all of football. That hasn't changed. Interestingly, Smith has spent time examining how other coaching staffs are handling the lockout, and the common theme seems to be this: Act like there isn't one, prepare as normal. <br />
Smith gives a complicated example and it serves as a window into how talented coaches think during these times. Smith said the normal Falcon offseason consists mainly of four components: free-agent evaluations, draft evaluations, working with players on the field and something called system analysis. That last goal is rarely reached in full because of the demands on time from the other issues. <br />
Since there's more time because of the lockout the staff has dived into this system analysis, which consists of a top-to-bottom look at the efficiency of the offense and defense -- plays, players, schemes, everything. It's like a 100,000-mile checkup on a car. <br />
When the Falcons lost last season in the playoffs to the eventual Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers 48-21, Smith was determined to evaluate their postseason preparation. Every minute of it, in fact. The lockout allowed him to do just that. <br />
On the surface, the league is quiet, but underneath, the activity is there. Merriman has a number of off-field projects he's working on though his workouts remain the priority, and Smith is still the detailed worker bee. They push back as the lockout pushes on. <br />
Smith has enjoyed one thing about the lockout. He's been able to eat more meals at home with his family. And who says the lockout is all bad?<br />
<b><i><u><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="en"><span style="background-color: #e6ecf9; color: black;" title="">extracted from cbssports.com</span></span></u></i></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-58630924789765423652011-05-19T18:43:00.000-07:002011-05-19T19:15:25.626-07:00Glanville takes on UFL - Known for taking risks, Glanville ready to take on UFLHOUSTON -- As the kickoffs flutter and the quarterbacks watch their throws sail in the strong Texas winds, a familiar figure in black presides over a tryout in the shadow of the House of Pain he created nearly 25 years ago. <br />
Wearing dark shades like Elvis, Jerry Glanville moves from hopeful to hopeful and places a reassuring arm around their shoulders. He appears content and invigorated at the same time. Eight years after he nearly died in a fiery stock car crash, the right sleeve of his United Football League polo shirt covers a squared skin graft that was removed from his thigh and reattached to his bicep. <br />
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<img alt="Jerry Glanville believes his surviving a racing crash eight years ago was one step on his divinely mapped path. (Getty Images)" height="380" src="http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/football/nfl/img15077276.jpg" width="270" /></td> <td width="15"></td> </tr>
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><br />
<b>Jerry Glanville believes his surviving a racing crash eight years ago was one step on his divinely mapped path.</b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
(Getty Images)</span><br />
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</tbody></table>Months after the near-death experience, the coach received his calling when former president George W. Bush invited him to visit American troops in Iraq on a trip organized by the NFL Alumni Association. Glanville returned from overseas with a journal filled with pages of phone numbers from family members of the troops. Glanville estimates he called 70 families from the basement of his home in Dawsonville, Ga., to inform them their loved ones were still alive. <br />
"I had no idea why the good Lord saved me," Glanville, 69, said outside a practice field at the Houston Dynamo's training facility. "The only reason I didn't die was He wanted me to go to Iraq. Every one of these [soldiers] from Texas asked me to come back and coach football." <br />
In 2005, he heeded their advice when he returned to coaching for the first time in 12 years as the defensive coordinator at Hawaii. A year later he helped lead the Warriors to a victory in the Hawaii Bowl over Arizona State, before he became the head coach at Portland State -- his first head coaching job since leaving the NFL in 1993. <br />
Glanville, who coached the Houston Oilers from 1986 through 1989 and the Atlanta Falcons from 1990 to 1993, lasted just three years, resigning after winning only nine of 33 games. Now Glanville has a shot at redemption as head coach and general manager of the UFL's Hartford Colonials. With the potential of an NFL lockout dragging into the fall, the coach known for his colorful antics in the late '80s and early '90s, could be thrust back into the public spotlight. <br />
While most of the 119 players at last weekend's tryout have a slim chance of earning a roster spot, Hartford has already signed safety Jacob Patek, who played at Hawaii under Glanville. Determined prospects like former Grambling State defensive lineman Melvin Matthews drove several hours early Saturday morning to showcase their talents. Matthews participated in the Redskins' minicamp in 2009, but was released after his weight dropped to 285 pounds due to a three-month bout with ulcers. <br />
"There's not many camps where you get to do football drills," said Matthews, who now weighs 305. "I'm happy they gave us the opportunity to do one-on-ones and show actual football skills." <br />
The workouts were supervised by an 11-man coaching staff that has a combined 139 years of NFL experience -- three years more than the Patriots' 12-man staff. Glanville's cadre of assistants includes offensive line coach Larry Zierlein, wide receivers coach Harold Jackson and defensive line coach Tim Krumrie. Zierlein served in a similar capacity with the Super Bowl XLIII champion Steelers in 2009, while Jackson finished his playing career in 1987 with 10,372 receiving yards. Krumrie served for 15 years as a defensive line coach with the Bengals, Bills and Chiefs. <br />
Glanville has not determined whether the Colonials will run the run-and-shoot offense he pioneered in the NFL until he further evaluates his personnel. Hartford could start No. 1 overall pick Jerrod Johnson or former Redskin and Raider Colt Brennan at quarterback. <br />
At times with the Oilers, Glanville almost ran the run and shoot out of necessity, when the loss of Jamie Williams through free agency left Houston thin at tight end. At others, Glanville depended on a power rushing attack with backs Mike Rozier, Allen Pinkett and Alonzo Highsmith. In 1988, the trio combined for 1,981 yards as the Oilers finished tied for second in the AFC in rushing. <br />
The audacious coach is open to trying anything, as five-time All-Pro linebacker Randy Gradishar can attest. While in Iraq, Glanville convinced Gradishar and Hall of Fame defensive end Deacon Jones to join him for a lavish dinner one night in downtown Baghdad. The contingent received an invitation from an American intelligence official Glanville met at Western Kentucky -- the official served as an academic advisor for the football team there in 1967 when Glanville served as the Hilltoppers' defensive coordinator. <br />
The NFL alums boarded a convoy of seven or eight jeeps around 7 p.m. en route to dinner in a Baghdad "red zone." The vehicles darted through the barricaded and unlit streets, as the passengers stared at the ruins of war-torn buildings. While eating traditional Iraqi cuisine, they spent the evening surrounded by several Kurdish guards carrying M-16s, according to both Glanville and Gradishar. <br />
"They wear machine guns like jewelry," Glanville said. <br />
*** <br />
He has not lost his love for racing in spite of a horrifying wreck during qualifying for the Channel-5 205, an ARCA race at the Kentucky Motor Speedway on May 9, 2003. Glanville lost control of his car between turns three and four when the back end of his No. 81 Fricker's-POW MIA Dodge hit the wall at 175 mph. As the car pirouetted before stopping near the infield, Glanville noticed a trail of fire heading toward him from the track. <br />
The impact ruptured the car's fuel cell, causing flames to erupt from the rear passenger side and heavy black smoke to billow into the air. Glanville remained conscious as temperatures of close to 800 degrees melted the car's plexiglass rear windows. Within seconds, more than a dozen emergency workers arrived. One, Glanville says, initially refused to spray him with a flame retardant because of its potential to cause lung cancer. <br />
"'Spray me!' "Glanville pleaded. "I pulled my shield down and he sprayed me three times or I wouldn't be here." <br />
Glanville sprung from the car and crawled on the track with shoes that had turned to goo from the extreme heat. He has no memory of a 20-minute helicopter ride to the University of Kentucky's Albert B. Chandler Hospital. When he regained consciousness in the hospital's burn unit, he was unable to speak and desperately motioned for a pad and a pen from his niece Heather. <br />
"'Get me a suction hose, I'm drowning in my own spit,'" Glanville scribbled. "I shoved it down there and all this black soot came out." <br />
Once he was able to speak, Glanville says he signed for his release from the hospital against the advice of doctors and was discharged that night. The former coach says he took iodine baths to reduce the swelling for several days and underwent skin-graft surgery in Atlanta about a week later. It only took Glanville two months to recover, as he competed on the NHRA drag-racing circuit later that July. <br />
*** <br />
If Glanville's sideline demeanor appears different this summer than when he ran the Gritz Blitz in Atlanta or the House in Pain in Houston, his time in Iraq could be why. During the week-long excursion, he flew in a C-130 Hercules with members of the Pennsylvania National Guard, ate meals with the Army Special Forces and received a tour of the palace of Uday and Qusay Hussein from Navy SEALS. When recounting an encounter Gradishar had weeks after his return to the United States, Glanville perks up. <br />
Gradishar, who now serves as the director of corporate communications for Phil Long Dealerships in Colorado, brought an album of the trip to a meeting at KCNC-TV, a CBS-affiliate in Denver. While Gradishar worked at soliciting sponsors for the 229th Army Birthday Ball in Fort Collins, a station employee leafed through the photos. Suddenly, her eyes became glued upon a familiar face: it was her son, a Navy SEAL, whom she hadn't seen in more than a year. <br />
"I almost started crying," said Gradishar, a two-time All-American at Ohio State and 1978 NFL Defensive Player of the Year with the Broncos. "You go halfway across the world, come back and here's a picture of her son fighting in the war. It was just amazing." <br />
UFL commissioner Michael Huyghue has faith in Glanville's abilities as both a teacher and coach, saying that Glanville is "more excited about this opportunity than any he's had because he still wants to do it," even as he approaches 70. Although Glanville repeatedly insists he's "not a hero, the troops are," he has undeniably been changed by the experience. Whether he's around an up-and-coming linebacker or a devoted soldier, there's just something that attracts Glanville to a youngster giving his all. <br />
"You look at the kid next door and he's got his pants hanging off his butt, he's smoking a cigarette, he might have a tattoo and you say to yourself, 'Who is going to lead this country?' " Glanville said. "Guess what? We have the greatest kids in the world."<br />
<b><i><u><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="en"><span style="background-color: #e6ecf9; color: black;" title="">extracted from cbssports.com</span></span></u></i></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-32029886713571433292011-05-15T08:33:00.000-07:002011-05-19T19:17:39.115-07:00Were NFL lockout deals made? - Goodell: Teams could have dealt between lockouts<i><img height="185" src="http://cbssports.com/images/blogs/Kevin_Kolb_Carolina_Panthers_2012_Pick_Trade.jpg" style="float: right; margin: 2px;" width="250" /></i>As you'll recall, there was a (very) brief period between the lockout(s) in which players were free to report to facilities, meet with coaches, etc., etc.<br />
This period, roughly between 8 AM - 6 PM on Friday April 29, didn't mean that teams could trade players, however. Or at least so we thought anyway.<br />
Roger Goodell, while speaking to Eagles fans, said that two teams could have agreed to a deal before the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals granted the league a temporary stay.<br />
Per Les Bowen of the <i>Philadelphia Inquirer</i>, Goodell said that "trade talks about players were not allowed during the draft, but he said two teams could have agreed on a deal before the lockout went into effect and could then carry through when the lockout ended."<br />
This is a pretty huge deal, because it could potentially mean that players are already heading to different destinations, perhaps without even knowing about it.<br />
Kevin Kolb is the reason for an Eagles fan asking, of course, and it's entirely possible that he's headed to a new team immediately following the lockout.<br />
What would be particularly fascinating is if Kolb's (admittedly hypothetical) new team is interested in keeping him up to speed ... could they potentially find a way of getting him a playbook? Would it be worth the risk to gain such an advantage heading into the 2011 season? Could that team keep it from leaking out if that were the case? <br />
Again, all of these questions are hypothetical scenarios, but the point remains: Goodell's statement to Eagles fans on Friday opens up an interesting window for offseason player movement that we previously weren't aware of.<br />
<b><i><u><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="en"><span style="background-color: #e6ecf9; color: black;" title="">extracted from cbssports.com</span></span></u></i></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-13865555497644690702011-05-15T08:32:00.000-07:002011-05-19T19:17:49.919-07:00Freeman: Dragging lockout - NFL's foundation cracking under weight of record stoppageThe record came and went. It passed quietly and most didn't notice. Then again, maybe most people didn't want to see it. Too painful to acknowledge. <br />
<div class="story-body hasByline" style="margin-top: 0pt;">The NFL labor strife reached a stunning -- and disgraceful -- milestone Thursday. It was Day 58 of the lockout. Thus this is now officially the longest labor stoppage in NFL history. <br />
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<img alt="Roger Goodell has been a frequent target of players during the lockout. (Getty Images)" height="350" src="http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/football/nfl/img15056969.jpg" width="275" /></td> <td width="15"></td> </tr>
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><br />
<b>Roger Goodell has been a frequent target of players during the lockout.</b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
(Getty Images)</span><br />
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</tbody></table>The previous mark came in 1982 in what was one of the nastiest battles between owners and players in the history of sports. That lasted 57 days, from Sept. 20 through Nov. 16. While the length of that strike and this lockout haven't approached the all-time labor meltdown that was professional hockey's (that one lasted 310 days), the NFL's dubious new mark is still a very big deal. <br />
It signals the days of professional football being viewed as the model for labor peace are forever gone. Indeed, the NFL used to openly and loudly brag about how it was unique. Owners and players could successfully cohabitate, cats and dogs living together, and it was those other leagues that had the labor battles, not football. <br />
No longer. The NFL is now just as shameless as the other sports. Football had its big, fat ass sitting atop a mound of gold. To the left, piles of cash. To the right, more piles of cash. In front and behind was fan loyalty and, yep, more piles of cash. How any league can stab prosperity in the eye while much of the country still suffers real job losses and hardship remains inexplicable. <br />
So here is the NFL setting the wrong kinds of records, a stagnant sport, with increasingly angry fans. Some of them might never come back as the lockout drags on. <br />
The only good news for football is that no games have been missed. We're still some time away from that point, but what once seemed impossible becomes more plausible with each passing day. Think of this scenario. The 8th Circuit Court reverses the lower court and the lockout stays on until the players break financially. <br />
A number of agents tell me they believe most players can last without paychecks until mid-October at the latest, but afterward, most will go broke. If the lockout did go into September, the season could be salvaged, but make no mistake -- the players are going to hold on as long as they can. The idea they'll capitulate easily isn't accurate. The animosity between the players and owners is extreme, bordering on hate, and the athletes, being competitors, aren't going to cave without a huge brawl, even if they go bankrupt in the process. <br />
You've seen some of the animosity with a number of harsh player comments toward Roger Goodell, the commissioner. The dislike isn't a media exaggeration. <br />
If the dispute heads into October or later, the possibility of a season is greatly diminished. The NFL could always do what it did in 1982 and have a nine-game season, but it would be cheapened. Many football historians view the strike-shortened 1982 and 1987 seasons as almost invalid. <br />
There have been reports the owners would shut down football if the 8th Circuit sides with the lower court. I'm told by two league sources that remains a remote possibility. It would be cataclysmically bad PR for the owners if they did. <br />
For now, we remain in this lockout prison, a football hell. The world goes on. Kids go to school, dogs play fetch and Oprah still rules the planet. Meanwhile, the NFL stays dormant. <br />
And sets a new, ugly record every day.<br />
<b><i><u><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="en"><span style="background-color: #e6ecf9; color: black;" title="">extracted from cbssports.com</span></span></u></i></b> </div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-10847019381835753012011-05-15T08:30:00.000-07:002011-05-15T08:30:35.983-07:002012 NFL mock drafts*NFLDraftScout.com worked with an NFL general manager the morning the 2011 draft was completed to cooperatively determine a predicted order for the 2012 first-round projection.<br />
<div class="tableTitle">Mock Drafts</div><div class="featureComponent"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tbody>
<tr valign="top"> <td width="17%"><table class="data"><tbody>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="1">Team</td></tr>
<tr class="label" id="special"><td align="left" class="label">Order</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">1. WAS</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">2. CIN</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">3. CAR</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">4. DEN</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">5. MIN</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">6. MIA</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">7. BUF</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">8. CLE</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">9. ARI</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">10. SEA</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">11. HOU</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">12. TEN</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">13. SF</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">14. OAK</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">15. CHI</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">16. JAC</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">17. KC</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">18. NE</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">19. TB</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">20. DET</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">21. STL</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">22. SD</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">23. PHI</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">24. CLE</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">25. IND</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">26. DAL</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">27. BAL</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">28. NE</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">29. NE</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">30. PIT</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">31. GB</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">32. NYJ</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1" id="last"><td align="left" class="label"></td></tr>
</tbody></table></td> <td><table class="data"><tbody>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="1">Rob Rang</td></tr>
<tr class="label" id="special"><td align="left" class="label"><i>5/13/2011</i></td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left"><b>Andrew Luck</b>, QB, Stanford</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left"><b>Justin Blackmon</b>, WR, Oklahoma State</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left"><b>Dre Kirkpatrick</b>, CB, Alabama</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left"><b>Riley Reiff</b>, OT, Iowa</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left"><b>Matt Barkley</b>, QB, Southern California</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left"><b>Matt Kalil</b>, OT, Southern California</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">Nick Foles, QB, Arizona</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">Kirk Cousins, QB, Michigan State</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left"><b>Donte Paige-Moss</b>, DE, North Carolina</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left"><b>Alshon Jeffery</b>, WR, South Carolina</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">Chase Minnifield, CB, Virginia</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left"><b>Jerel Worthy</b>, DT, Michigan State</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">Jeff Fuller, WR, Texas A&M</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left"><b>Luke Kuechly</b>, ILB, Boston College</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left"><b>Jonathan Martin</b>, OT, Stanford</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">Zach Brown, OLB, North Carolina</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">Mike Adams, OT, Ohio State</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left"><b>Cliff Harris</b>, CB, Oregon</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left"><b>Trent Richardson</b>, RB, Alabama</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">Brandon Lindsey, OLB, Pittsburgh</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left"><b>Marcus Forston</b>, DT, Miami (Fla.)</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">Travis Lewis, OLB, Oklahoma</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">Ryan Broyles, WR, Oklahoma</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left"><b>Ray Ray Armstrong</b>, SS, Miami (Fla.)</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">Kheeston Randall, DT, Texas</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">Jared Crick, DE, Nebraska</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">Ryan Tannehill, QB, Texas A&M</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left"><b>Alameda Ta'amu</b>, DT, Washington</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left"><b>Vontaze Burfict</b>, ILB, Arizona State</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1" id="last"><td align="left" class="label"><br />
</td></tr>
</tbody></table></td> <td><table class="data"><tbody>
<tr class="subtitle"><td colspan="1">Chad Reuter</td></tr>
<tr class="label" id="special"><td align="left" class="label"><i>5/13/2011</i></td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left"><b>Andrew Luck</b>, QB, Stanford</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left"><b>Donte Paige-Moss</b>, DE, North Carolina</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left"><b>Alshon Jeffery</b>, WR, South Carolina</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left"><b>Landry Jones</b>, QB, Oklahoma</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left"><b>Jonathan Martin</b>, OT, Stanford</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left"><b>Matt Barkley</b>, QB, Southern California</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">Nick Foles, QB, Arizona</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">Quinton Coples, DE, North Carolina</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left"><b>Matt Kalil</b>, OT, Southern California</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left"><b>Trent Richardson</b>, RB, Alabama</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left"><b>Justin Blackmon</b>, WR, Oklahoma State</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">Alfonzo Dennard, CB, Nebraska</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left"><b>Dre Kirkpatrick</b>, CB, Alabama</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">Zach Brown, OLB, North Carolina</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">Chase Minnifield, CB, Virginia</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left"><b>Luke Kuechly</b>, ILB, Boston College</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">Nate Potter, OT, Boise State</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left"><b>Vontaze Burfict</b>, ILB, Arizona State</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left"><b>Knile Davis</b>, RB, Arkansas</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left"><b>Cliff Harris</b>, CB, Oregon</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left"><b>Marcus Forston</b>, DT, Miami (Fla.)</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">Brandon Lindsey, OLB, Pittsburgh</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left"><b>Jerel Worthy</b>, DT, Michigan State</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">Michael Floyd, WR, Notre Dame</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left"><b>Coryell Judie</b>, CB, Texas A&M</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left"><b>Robert Lester</b>, FS, Alabama</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left"><b>Kevin Zeitler</b>, OG, Wisconsin</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">Jared Crick, DE, Nebraska</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">Jeff Fuller, WR, Texas A&M</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left">Kelechi Osemele, OG, Iowa State</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row1"><td align="left">Courtney Upshaw, ILB, Alabama</td></tr>
<tr align="right" class="row2"><td align="left"><b>Bruce Irvin</b>, OLB, West Virginia</td></tr>
</tbody></table></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-43395388887642860682011-05-15T08:27:00.000-07:002011-05-15T08:27:37.099-07:00Yanks have mishandled Posada, in every wayYou don't embarrass your stars, even when they're fading.<br />
You don't slap your stars in the face, even when they're wrong.<br />
Jorge Posada was wrong to ask out of the lineup, from everything we can tell from Saturday's madness at Yankee Stadium. But the Yankees have been wrong on Posada all year.<br />
They've mishandled this in almost every way possible, and it makes you wonder even more how the next 2 1/2 years will go with Derek Jeter.<br />
And don't think Jeter hasn't noticed what the Yankees have done to his friend.<br />
What exactly did they do?<br />
First, they told him he would never, under any circumstances, catch so much as an inning -- or even a bullpen session. They had Gustavo Molina (.228 career batting average) catch three games, just so they could avoid putting Posada behind the plate. On opening day, manager Joe Girardi said that Posada would "probably" be his emergency catcher, ahead of utility infielder Eduardo Nunez.<br />
Then, on Saturday, Girardi put the struggling Posada in the ninth spot in the batting order, for the first time in 12 years. Even with Posada's .165 average this year, it was such a drastic move that the only reason to do it would be to embarrass him.<br />
Benching him would have been a better option. Tell everyone -- and tell him -- that you think he needs a few days away.<br />
Don't drop him to ninth, on national television, with the Red Sox in town. Not unless your goal is to embarrass him.<br />
I checked with a few people in baseball Saturday night, asking for their thoughts. And their thoughts were the same as my thoughts.<br />
"To Posada, who has had a great career, it's a personal slap in the face to hit ninth," said one former big-league manager. "Hit [Brett] Gardner ninth. Girardi has to understand that Posada's got more friends on that team than [Girardi] does."<br />
Yes, I know, Posada said publicly -- before and after the game -- that hitting ninth wasn't an issue, and that it wasn't why he asked out of the lineup.<br />
I remember another proud player saying that being dropped in the batting order didn't bother him, then going up to the plate and telling everyone he would take three straight strikes (which he did).<br />
My guess is that tempers will cool down and that Girardi and Posada will come to some sort of understanding, and that if Posada starts hitting he'll keep playing.<br />
Girardi seemed to be heading in that direction after the game (a 6-0 loss to the Red Sox that dropped the Yankees out of a playoff position), to the point of saying that Posada told him in their brief pregame meeting that he just "needed a day."<br />
"Sometimes we need a day to clear our head, and take a deep breath," Girardi said.<br />
Posada also seemed to be heading towards mending fences. He also used the line about "needing time," although he inexplicably brought up the idea that his back was stiff.<br />
But he also said, "I still want to be here. I love playing, and I love playing for this organization."<br />
Posada saved his venom for general manager Brian Cashman, complaining that Cashman would choose to go on television to discuss the situation during the game.<br />
"That's the way he works right now," Posada said.<br />
Fortunately, a player-GM relationship isn't crucial, as the Rangers will tell you. Has it hurt them one bit that Michael Young doesn’t like Jon Daniels?<br />
Yes, Young is hitting .351, not .165. But it's also true that Rangers manager Ron Washington has already had Young start 13 games in the field.<br />
How a manager handles his stars, fading or otherwise, is absolutely crucial, because every other player in the clubhouse is watching. It's why Red Sox manager Terry Francona consistently stood behind David Ortiz during Ortiz's horrid starts the last two years.<br />
Francona did drop Ortiz as far as seventh in the order, but he made sure Ortiz knew he was appreciated.<br />
It's no surprise that it was Ortiz who said Saturday of the Yankees and Posada (according to the <i>Boston Herald</i>): "They're doing that guy wrong."<br />
Ortiz is right, even if in this instance, Posada was wrong.<br />
The Yankees have been doing that guy wrong.<br />
He may be a fading star, but he's still a star.<br />
And you don't embarrass your stars, even when they're fading.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-70401226137684665462011-05-15T08:25:00.000-07:002011-05-15T08:25:19.308-07:00Berger: Applauding Rose - Don't mistake reluctant Rose for a shrinking violet<iframe frameborder="0" height="405" id="embedVideo" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://www.cbssports.com/video/player/embed-inc/nba/_pcMmwUpjmohqE_zCrKXYM_Of6Zcucq7/640/360/false?continuous_play=false" width="640"></iframe> <br />
In the early days of July, when the basketball world was consumed with the recruitment of LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, one of the league's brightest young stars immersed himself in solitude. Far from the circus-like environment of pitch visits and badly orchestrated TV announcements, Derrick Rose retreated to the only place that gave him comfort. <br />
"He was in the gym," said a personal friend of Rose, "working on his game." <br />
At a time when Chicago native Wade and fellow Creative Artists Agency client Chris Bosh were huddled in their agent's office in the Windy City being wooed by Bulls executives, Rose was nowhere to be found. When Bulls officials went to Cleveland the next day to join in the biggest superstar suck-up in NBA history, pulling out all the stops in hopes that James would say "I do," Rose did not inject his influence into the process. <br />
<table align="left" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="width: 275px;"><tbody>
<tr> <td width="275"><br />
<img alt="Derrick Rose keeps putting in work as the Bulls try add another banner. (AP)" height="450" src="http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/basketball/nba/img15064516.jpg" width="275" /></td> <td width="15"></td> </tr>
<tr> <td width="275"><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><br />
<b>Derrick Rose keeps putting in work as the Bulls try add another banner.</b><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
(AP)</span><br />
</span></td> <td width="15"></td> </tr>
</tbody></table>Some interpreted Rose's silence as a deafening repudiation of James and Wade, as a sign that he somehow wouldn't welcome the superstars to share the stage in his native Chicago. It isn't clear how James and Wade interpreted Rose's lack of engagement. But one thing is clear: Rose's priorities were in the right place. He was working on getting better, respecting the hierarchy of the team and letting the people who get paid to make personnel decisions do their jobs. <br />
"Obviously, no NBA player is going to go beg someone to come play with him," said another person familiar with Rose's approach. "He was fine with LeBron, Wade or Bosh on his team, and he's fine with Carlos Boozer, Joakim Noah and Luol Deng. He goes about his business the same way regardless of who's on his team." <br />
In addition to his electrifying talent, precocious leadership and the MVP trophy secured in only his third season in the NBA, these traits are what make Rose one of the anti-stars in the modern-day, buddy-up culture of pro basketball. At a time when his elders were conspiring to change the landscape of the sport, when CAA already was plotting the next wave led by Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul, Rose was where he felt he belonged: in the gym, out of the spotlight and in his proper place in the pecking order. <br />
"Don't let me be one of these guys trying to tell people what we need," Rose told a confidant last summer. "Let's figure out who we are first. Let's control the things we can control." <br />
As the Bulls face the Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals Sunday in Chicago, it's easy to project onto Rose what a player of his stature should've done back in July. But that would be ignoring the obvious. Rose's talent and star power might have him in the same exclusive neighborhood as the Miami duo, but in his mind, the elevator carrying Rose to the top hadn't reached the penthouse yet. <br />
"He's not pretending to know what this league is about," Rose's close friend said. "He's not pretending to know what [supporting talent] he needs. How arrogant would that be for him to even do something of that nature? He never won a playoff series until this year. He's a young kid and a good kid, and he doesn't know those things. You have to know what you don't know." <br />
When James and Wade were re-aligning the basketball solar system last summer, they had both played seven seasons with the same organization and were setting the table for the next phase in their careers. Amar'e Stoudemire, the first big free agent to jump when he signed a five-year, $99 million deal with the Knicks, was at a similar point -- and immediately began using the clout and status he had earned as a perennial All-Star to put the full-court press on LeBron and Wade to join him with the Knicks. <br />
Rose was only 21, two years into his NBA career. The idea of wooing LeBron and Wade "was never discussed" last summer, his friend said. <br />
"What are we trying to project on him? Let's not forget, this is a 22-year-old kid. He's supposed to be a senior in college." <br />
"I'm a player," Rose told the confidant last summer. "You do your job and contribute and you trust the other guy to do what he contributes." <br />
Including the people who were making the trip to Cleveland to court LeBron, including co-executives of the year: GM Gar Forman of the Bulls and president Pat Riley of the Heat. <br />
"Those people get paid lots of money to do that," Rose said, according to his confidant. "Give those people the respect." <br />
Rose's reluctance to recruit James and Wade didn't speak to his opinion about playing with either. It spoke to his recognition that it wasn't his job to partake of the kind of basketball nation-building that was unfolding all around him. <br />
"If LeBron wanted to come, I think Derrick was fine with it," said a third person familiar with Rose's thinking. "And I think Derrick was fine if he didn't want to come." <br />
The assumption that Rose would've jumped into the free-agent fray with public statements, secret meetings or a barrage of text messages if he really wanted to attract one of the top 2010 free agents was flawed from the beginning. Rose only stepped in when his silence was spun as reluctance to team up with James, whose immaturity with the whole process belied his more seasoned status in the league. <br />
Rose's lone foray into the world of free-agent recruitment was a single text message to James, sent more to clear the air than to woo the Cleveland star. As revealed in a <i>Sports Illustrated</i> profile in March, Rose succumbed and texted James in his typically understated way to shoot down speculation that he didn't want him in Chicago. <br />
"I'm just hitting you up to kill all the rumors that I don't want to play with you," Rose wrote. "I'd like to play with you. I just want to win." <br />
Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but that's Rose. That's a basketball talent who in less than a year would become the youngest MVP in league history -- in large part, because he was more obsessed with improving his game last summer than sucking up to free agents. He was more interested in bonding with the teammates he had than importing new ones. <br />
"The kid says it every time he does an interview, and no one seems to have figured it out," Rose's friend said. "He just wants to win." <br />
Maybe after seven or eight years in the league, Rose will change. Maybe he'll be more opinionated or forceful about exerting his star status than he is now, in the infant stages of greatness. But until then, he'll go to battle against Miami's free-agent super trio with Boozer and Deng, Noah and Kyle Korver, Taj Gibson and Ronnie Brewer. He'll execute Tom Thibodeau's game plan, say, "My bad," when he messes up and let his talent and the work he put in last summer speak for itself. <br />
"He won in high school, he won in college, and he's winning on the NBA level," one of the people who knows him said. "That's just the way he goes about his business." <br />
Even if he has a different view of business than his contemporaries, and would rather mind his own.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-90514141130717523932011-05-15T08:23:00.000-07:002011-05-15T08:23:18.938-07:00Preview: Grizzlies-Thunder, Game 7 - Playoff Fix: Thunder, Grizzlies tangle in Game 7The Oklahoma City Thunder and Memphis Grizzlies face off in the first Game 7 of the 2010-2011 NBA Playoffs. Posted by Ben Golliver.<br />
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<img alt="kevin-durant-mad" height="416" src="http://sports.cbsimg.net/images/visual/whatshot/kevin-durant-mad.jpg" style="margin: 5px; vertical-align: middle;" width="640" /><br />
<br />
<b>One Big Thing:</b> More than any other series, the Thunder-Grizzlies one has been about giant swings in momentum, emotion and energy. After an exhausting triple overtime in Game 4, the Thunder ran the Grizzlies out of the building in Game 5. In Game 6, the Thunder collapsed after halftime, looking out-of-sync and lethargic as the Grizzlies put the hammer down. Game 7, then, is simply about who has more left in the tank. With home-court advantage and an edge in overall talent, that should be the Thunder.<br />
<br />
<b>The X-Factor:</b> Thunder forward Kevin Durant, the league's best and most consistent scorer, sure picked a bad night to have his worst performance of the season. His season-low 11 points in Game 6 was troubling because he appeared openly frustrated -- both by the aggressive Memphis defense he's been facing and with teammate Russell Westbrook's decision-making. <br />
<br />
Durant was sensational in closing out the Denver Nuggets in the first round, and an approximation of that performance should be enough to send the Thunder through to the Western Conference finals. If he no-shows again, though, Oklahoma City will find itself in a situation where Westbrook feels like he has to carry the entire burden. That's never a good thing. There are no excuses in a Game 7. Coexisting with Westbrook, the harassing defense and fatigue must become non-factors. Durant is staring at a legacy-impacting game and he needs to step up.<br />
<br />
<b>The Adjustment:</b> Before Game 6, I noted that Memphis needed to get back to what it does best: force-feeding Zach Randolph. It was better for the Grizzlies to go down doing what they do well than to go down doing what they do poorly. The flip is now true for Oklahoma City. If they're going to get eliminated from these playoffs, they need to force someone (anyone!) besides Randolph to send them packing. <br />
<br />
Oklahoma City must double Zach Randolph early and often. It doesn't have to occur on every touch but it needs to happen a lot more than it did in Game 6, when Randolph went off for 30 points and 13 rebounds in 40 minutes. Yes, Nick Collison and company have done an excellent job handling Randolph in this series and they've gone above and beyond in doing their best to neutralize him on the glass. But Memphis simply lacks the floor-spacers to make the Thunder pay for over-committing to Randolph. If nothing else, daring Mike Conley to shoot at every turn would be a significantly better strategy than letting Randolph work one-on-one. Conley has shot just 9-for-40 in the last three games combined, including just 3-12 from downtown.<br />
<br />
<b>The Sticking Point:</b> Westbrook has become a lightning rod for criticism in this series thanks to his shot-jacking (17.8 field goal attempts per game), his turnovers (3.7 per game) and the Thunder's stagnation during critical late-game stretches that has produced a lot of one-on-one play from Westbrook and a lot of standing around from Durant. In the big picture, that Westbrook has already accomplished so much so early in his career is remarkable. <br />
<br />
But this is not the time for Westbrook's supporters to be preaching patience, lest an opportunity be lost. Despite their youth, Oklahoma City is just five wins away from the NBA Finals and, when they're clicking on offense, they have the potential to be a legit title contender right now. Game 7 should be a good window into whether Westbrook and company are happy with what they've accomplished or are motivated enough to make some adjustments (better ball movement late in games, better shot selection, a bit more care with the ball when things break down in the halfcourt) so that they can move on to the next step.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-16991353887683069562011-05-15T08:22:00.000-07:002011-05-15T08:22:08.449-07:00Boston vs. Tampa Bay - Bergenheim leads Bolts to rout of Bruins in Game 1BOSTON -- The swift-skating Tampa Bay Lightning wasted little time taking control of the Eastern Conference finals. <br />
Surprising playoff scorer Sean Bergenheim began a stretch of three Tampa Bay goals in 85 seconds in the first period and the Lightning beat the Boston Bruins 5-2 on Saturday night for their eighth straight win. <br />
"We're not a team that's waiting to win games," Tampa Bay coach Guy Boucher said after the Lightning grabbed home-ice advantage. "We like to push to win games." <br />
Bergenheim, who scored just 14 goals in the regular season, got his NHL-high eighth of the playoffs at 11:15. Brett Clark connected at 11:34 and Teddy Purcell wrapped up the onslaught, both with unassisted goals as the Lightning capitalized on Bruins mistakes. <br />
The two goals in 19 seconds and three in 1:25 are club records. <br />
"That's what we do," Bergenheim said. "We went in on the forecheck and we went in front of the net and we score that way." <br />
Tyler Seguin, the No. 2 overall draft pick last year, scored for Boston with 4:01 left in the first period in his playoff debut. <br />
Tampa Bay scored twice in the last seven minutes -- Marc-Andre Bergeron on a power play and Simon Gagne into an empty net -- before Johnny Boychuk made it 5-2. <br />
Game 2 of the best-of-7 series is Tuesday night in Boston. <br />
Both teams were coming off long layoffs after sweeping their previous series. It was the first game in 10 days for the Lightning and first in eight for the Bruins. <br />
"Rust was even on both sides as far as the time off so you don't want to use rust as an excuse," Bruins coach Claude Julien said, "but I think the effort was something that we're going to need more of." <br />
In the final minute, the Bruins frustration showed when Milan Lucic and Nathan Horton were given game misconducts. Lucic was penalized after punching Victor Hedman. <br />
"That is part of the game," Hedman said. "I wasn't expecting it." <br />
The speedy Lightning, the 2004 Stanley Cup champions, came out aggressively in an arena where they were just 4-25-6 before beginning their first playoff series ever against the Bruins. They won 61 percent of the faceoffs with the Bruins top faceoff man, Patrice Bergeron, sidelined by a mild concussion. <br />
"It's so important to start with the puck," Julien said. "When you don't win as many draws as you're used to, you're backpedaling a little bit." <br />
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The Bruins, in the conference finals for the first time since 1992, lost for the second time in 10 games. But they lost the first two games against Montreal in the opening round then won it in seven. <br />
"It's only one game," Boucher said. "We haven't done anything yet." <br />
The Lightning did take advantage of some miscues by the Bruins. <br />
"I thought we gave them some easy goals and that was more of our doing than it was theirs," Julien said. <br />
Bergenheim scored after Tim Thomas made a save and Dennis Seidenberg tried to clear the rebound with his right skate after losing his stick. But the puck went right to Bergenheim and he beat Thomas from just in front of the crease. <br />
"It was just a big battle in front of the net," Seidenberg said. "I lost my stick and I obviously didn't know what to do without a stick and the puck at my feet. I kicked it to whoever scored the goal." <br />
It quickly became 2-0 when Clark skated all the way up the right side, passing at least two Bruins who let him go by, and scored his first playoff goal when he shoveled a backhander from the right side off Thomas' right arm. <br />
"It takes a lot of energy from you" to allow two goals so close to each other, Boston's David Krejci said. "Somehow you've got to find a way to find the energy and go out there the next shift and try to ... maybe get a goal." <br />
But it was the Lightning who got that goal, the result of a giveaway from Bruins defenseman Tomas Kaberle. He had the puck behind his own net then skated to the left and lost control. An aggressive Purcell was there to take it away. Thomas stopped the first shot, but Purcell got his second goal when he put the rebound behind the NHL's regular-season leader in goals-against average and save percentage. <br />
"We capitalized on some opportunities," Lightning goalie Dwayne Roloson said. "We got a couple lucky ones." <br />
Seguin replaced Bergeron, one of the Bruins' best players in the postseason. <br />
The rookie, an outstanding offensive player who had been benched for the first 11 playoff games in part because of his defensive shortcomings, then did what he does best. He cut quickly between defensemen Mike Lundin and Marc-Andre Bergeron, sending an off-balance Lundin sprawling to the ice, and beat Roloson with a forehand shot to the goalie's left. <br />
<b>Notes</b> <br />
<ul><li> A pregame moment of silence was observed for <b>Derek Boogaard</b>, the New York Rangers' enforcer found dead in his Minneapolis apartment on Friday. </li>
<li> Tampa Bay's previous playoff records were 55 seconds for fastest two goals (April 23, 2006 at Ottawa) and 3:07 for fastest three goals (May 27, 2004 vs. Calgary). </li>
<li> Gagne played after missing three games because of a concussion. </li>
<li> Boston was scoreless on four power plays and is 2 for 41 in its 12 playoff games. </li>
</ul><i>Copyright 2011 by STATS LLC and The Associated Press. Any commercial use or<br />
distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and The<br />
Associated Press is strictly prohibited.</i>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-68772291378429007182011-05-15T08:18:00.001-07:002011-05-15T08:18:58.496-07:00Dodd: NCAA tries transparency - 'Transparent' NCAA shows how enforcement sausage is madeINDIANAPOLIS -- The NCAA called it the "Enforcement Experience" like it was an Epcot attraction. <br />
First thought? It wouldn't be the first time the words "Mickey Mouse" were attached to the association's mysterious investigative process. <br />
But give the monolithic organization credit. It tried to be a little less monolithic this week by inviting two dozen or so media members to Indy to share how its (punitive) sausage is made. <br />
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<img alt="Boise State's violations would appear to be minor, but Chris Petersen's program was hit with major penalties. (Getty Images)" height="450" src="http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/football/college/img15061022.jpg" width="270" /><br />
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<b>Boise State's violations would appear to be minor, but Chris Petersen's program was hit with major penalties.</b><br />
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</tbody></table>We already know -- just like in the slaughterhouse -- the process can be ugly and rank. If there is anything predictable about a real enforcement experience, it has yet to be revealed. Southern California gets hammered, but Jim Tressel continues to keep his job. Boise State gets slapped with lack of institutional control, but the Buckeye Five gets to play in the Sugar Bowl. Cam Newton doesn't miss a game, but Perry Jones misses the postseason. In each case, there are layers of rules, nuance and policies to be understood. We as a society largely don't have the attention span or interest to follow along. Even if we did, a lot of it still doesn't make practical, let alone moral, sense. <br />
That's why we attended -- for a few answers. All the NCAA can do is try to be more transparent, a mandate from president Mark Emmert. Tuesday was a revealing look at that enforcement process, complete with enough potty breaks to guard against lack of <i>constitutional</i> control. At the end of the day, we sentenced a make-believe school to made-up penalties after a mock infractions hearing based largely, it seemed, on hearsay. <i>That</i> was the most realistic part of the process. <br />
Our case had to do with "Coach Smith" at State U., who allegedly funneled test answers to four of his football players. Smith eventually was sanctioned by the infractions committee (us) after being fired by the school, but without a smoking gun to tie it all together. There was an answer key the players used to cheat that a former girlfriend of one of them told the NCAA she had seen. We never saw it. What was left was only circumstantial evidence. All four players achieved their highest semester grade in that Sociology of Sports class. The testimony was basically split among the four. <br />
How would you feel if your livelihood was ruined without evidence you could hold in your hand? That's why our group of five mock enforcement officers (real-life media hacks) voted 3-2 against making a formal allegation. The majority of the other participants disagreed, meaning the "Experience" would proceed beyond one potty break. <br />
Enforcement's real world is a strange enough place. Former USC running backs coach Todd McNair will never work again in college if an NCAA ruling isn't overturned by some court. Convicted felon Lloyd Lake told the NCAA, "He [McNair] knew" that the coach was aware Reggie Bush was taking money and benefits from Lake and a partner. Asked how he knew, Lake told the NCAA, "'Cause he was around a lot ..." <br />
Read the record, and everything else -- similar to Coach Smith's case -- is circumstantial. It resulted in McNair, like Smith, being slapped with an unethical conduct charge by the NCAA. That's the association's scarlet letter. The charge makes a respected eight-year NFL veteran essentially unable to be hired at the college level. That's why McNair intends to sue the association after losing his appeal. <br />
The NCAA seemingly didn't need Lake to nail McNair to make its case against USC. Lake has done jail time and reportedly is tied to numerous felonies. Based on such thin evidence as well as credibility issues with the witness, doesn't the NCAA need a higher standard if it is going to ruin someone's career? <br />
"The reality is ... some of the issues that we're investigating involved people that don't have a pristine record, that are in a different world than most of us," said Julie Roe Lach, the association's vice president for enforcement. "For that reason we're going to deal with people who are doing illegal activity. That's just the nature of the recruiting business right now." <br />
Unsavory characters (prisoners, felons, etc.) are also used in real-world court cases. The difference there is a presumption of innocence for the accused. There are cross-examinations, witnesses and either a judge or jury to decide guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The NCAA standard for conviction is much lower. Infractions hearings are more like civil cases -- administrative as opposed to criminal -- where only "clear and convincing evidence" is needed. That's according to former infractions committee chair Jo Potuto, a bulldog in the hearing room, judging by Tuesday, and a Nebraska law professor outside of it. <br />
That lack of true due process paints the NCAA into a PR corner. We already know the public doesn't understand the process. It <i>really</i> doesn't understand when the NCAA doesn't have subpoena power to compel witnesses to testify. <br />
The public relations battle can't be won with one seven-hour session. Maybe the simple takeaway is that the enforcement staff is made up of decent, honest -- maybe a bit geeky -- folks who do their extremely complicated jobs well. <br />
"I usually get all tingly inside when I talk about the NCAA interview requirements," said Chris Strobel, a director of enforcement, "but I'll try to control myself." <br />
Who knew these people had a sense of humor? There was campy humor in video presentations. One witness was coerced into talking because of obnoxious accordion music played by an investigator. One interview was conducted in a bathroom stall. They told us that in the real world, interviews really have gone down in a nursing home, a prison, even a Burger King. They call them "Captain Kirks," boldly going where no one has gone before. <br />
Ameen Najjar, a 49-year-old director of enforcement, was convincing as an indignant Coach Smith in front of the committee. Ignore his baldness and it was easy to squint and imagine Tressel in the same position on Aug. 12, when Ohio State gets its day in front of the infractions committee. <br />
Team Enforcement can't help it if they're caught up in one of the worst-perceived aspects of college sports. To change that perception, the NCAA is in the early stages of admitting there is a problem with how it is viewed. Early in the day we were reminded there is not selective enforcement. (The old line: The NCAA was so mad at Kentucky, it hammered Cleveland State.) Perhaps not, but there is a financial difference in the way schools are able to defend themselves. Ohio State, with a huge compliance department, probably has an advantage over, say, Boise State. <br />
One school might eventually keep its coach despite a coverup that resulted in six players competing while ineligible. The other already has been charged with lack of institutional control, in part because incoming freshmen were allowed to sleep on teammates' floors. <br />
"The more we can pull back the veil and let people see the inner workings, the better people feel about it," Emmert said. "When something is reported inaccurately because we haven't communicated it well, it's another mess we have to clean up." <br />
The length of cases is getting shorter, about 10 months on average. In 2000, the average case lasted more than four years. There are more folks working on them, about 50 in the enforcement department. Entering his seventh month in office, Emmert reiterated his get-tough stance that was, to be fair, similar to those made by his predecessors when <i>they</i> came into office. <br />
"We need to make sure that our penalty structure and our enforcement process impose a thoughtful level of concern, and even fear, that the cost of violating rules exceeds the benefit," he said. <br />
It is the ultimate open-ended question: When is risk going to outweigh reward? The same organization that hammered USC last year continually reminds us that every infractions committee is different, that it's not fair to compare penalties. In theory, that means the next major violator could get off lightly. <br />
Emmert had to be proud of our little group of faux committee members. We slammed Smith and State U.: three years' probation, the loss of 10 scholarships total over two years, two years of vacated wins and a two-year postseason ban. Smith got a three-year show-cause order, meaning it would be hard for anyone to hire him, which was kind of meaningless. Like McNair, the unethical conduct charge will follow him around for the rest of his career. <br />
Then in a Q&A session, Yahoo! Sports columnist Dan Wetzel reminded the room that two years ago the (real) committee asked the (real) NCAA board of directors to allow for stronger penalties. Potuto said the committee never got an official answer. <br />
That would qualify as one hell of an incongruous ride at Epcot. Sometimes it's educational to watch the sausage being made. Sometimes it's as ugly as you imagine. <br />
It was fitting that on the way out the door, we were all given a copy of the 434-page NCAA Manual. All that was missing was a pat on the back accompanied by a hearty: "Any other questions you have, it's all in there."Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-6836147283169429712011-05-15T08:17:00.001-07:002011-05-15T08:17:39.868-07:00Barnhart: Shape up, BCS bowls - Memo to Orange, Sugar Bowls: Note mistakes by FiestaIt's time for our Friday Follies, five things that nobody asked me, but: <br />
<b>No. 1:</b> A word of advice to our friends at the Orange and Sugar Bowls: If you haven't done so already, it's time to tighten up the ship. Now that the Fiesta Bowl has been dissected, fined, sent to time-out and pretty much skewered in the court of public opinion, the focus of the BCS bashers will now turn to the Orange and Sugar. <br />
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<img alt="Fiesta Bowl board chairman Duane Woods talks to reporters during BCS meetings in late April. (AP)" height="200" src="http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/football/college/img15061013.jpg" width="300" /></td> <td width="15"></td> </tr>
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<b>Fiesta Bowl board chairman Duane Woods talks to reporters during BCS meetings in late April.</b><br />
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</tbody></table>Matthew Sanderson, the co-founder of PlayoffPAC.com, a group whose stated mission is "Beat the BCS. Save College Football," told me Thursday that the Orange and Sugar should undergo the same independent scrutiny that led to a scathing 276-page report on the Fiesta Bowl. The anti-BCS folks smell blood in the water, so the bowls had better have their houses in order. They are coming after you next. <br />
By the way: The BCS never was going to throw the Fiesta Bowl out of the club. There are way too many interlocking contracts. <br />
More by the way: Why did I not mention the Rose Bowl? Seriously? Even the most serious BCS critics are not going to take on the Rose Bowl. Besides, they are too busy putting on that parade to get involved in this kind of stuff. <br />
<b>No. 2:</b> Here is yet another reason why, if the BCS goes away, it will not be replaced by a playoff run by the NCAA: Big Ten commissioner Jim Delany recently told Steve Weiberg of <i>USA Today</i>: "There's no judge or jury in the world that can make you enter into a four-team, eight-team or 16-team playoff." <br />
He's right, of course, especially if you take a little time to do the math. Delany's Big Ten put two teams into the BCS last season and earned $27.2 million from the BCS money pool. Not a bad payday. Now the courts could certainly rule that the BCS violates anti-trust law and break it up. Anything can happen in front of the right or wrong judge. But if that happens, the most likely scenario is that Delany and Pac-12 commish Larry Scott (who has shown he is willing to think outside the box) negotiate a blockbuster deal with ESPN to send their champs to the Rose Bowl for the next 10-15 years at more than $30 million per year. Ditto for the SEC (Sugar), the ACC (Orange) and the Big 12 (Cotton). If the BCS goes away, it is every man for himself and the TV boys have shown lately that they are willing to pay a premium for stability in college football (witness the Texas Network and the new Pac-12 TV contract). <br />
<b>No. 3:</b> I'm glad that Mark Emmert wants to start coming down hard on rule breakers. I'll believe it when I see somebody of substance get taken out. I heard this analogy the other day: A county has an ordinance against Sunday liquor sales. The penalty of violating the ordinance is $50. A store owner makes $6,000 in Sunday sales and pays the $50 fine each week. That's called having the risk-reward equation way out of balance. <br />
That is what college football is like right now. There is an element of risk to breaking the rules on a routine basis, but the rewards just totally overwhelm the risks involved. Until a coach believes he could lose <i>everything</i>, the NCAA doesn't stand a chance of getting a handle on this thing. You can give Julie Roe Lach, the head of enforcement, 1,000 agents and it won't matter. Until the NCAA takes down one of the big dogs and puts the fear of God in people, the beat will go on. <br />
Just asking: In retrospect, do you think that Emmert and Roe regret letting Ohio State's Tat Five play in the Sugar Bowl? <br />
<b>No. 4:</b> The ACC badly needs a big win in September. You have to give our friends in the ACC some credit. They are stepping out and playing some people early in the season. On Sept. 17, Clemson hosts defending national champ Auburn, Maryland hosts West Virginia, Miami hosts Ohio State, and Florida State hosts Oklahoma, which will be No. 1 in most preseason polls. <br />
<ul></ul>But the ACC needs to win one of these big games. A year ago these same four matchups yielded the Last season the ACC held its own against the Big East (4-3) but was 2-10 against the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, and Pac-10. The wins were over Florida (by Florida State) and Vanderbilt (by Wake Forest). <br />
<b>No. 5:</b> The hits are just going to keep on coming at Ohio State: There is an element of the Buckeye fan and alumni base that is embarrassed about what's going on in the football program. Other elements are equally convinced that this is all a conspiracy by an over-active media that just wants to bring their program down. <br />
Reports earlier this week said that former player Thaddeus Gibson obtained a car from a local dealer that had a purchase price of $0. <i>Columbus Dispatch</i> had to correct that report when it found an older title to the car that showed a purchase price of $13,700. Some Buckeye fans saw it as an "Ah-ha" moment that proved this entire story about Jim Tressel and the Tat Five is a fraud. <br />
Nope. Here is the problem. Because of everything that has come before, a lot of people had no problem believing the initial story about Gibson's car. And once that basic credibility is lost, one story begets another story, begets another story. The stories don't even have to be true to wear on the program. Now Ohio State's compliance people have to pull the titles and the purchase orders on the 40-plus cars that were sold to players and their family members and prove to the NCAA that there was no hanky-panky. And the story goes on and on and on. <br />
The only question is whether Ohio State can stop the bleeding by the time the school goes before the infractions committee on Aug. 12. <br />
By the way: When a straight shooter like Chris Spielman says Jim Tressel is in trouble, then he's in trouble.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-90583560016540797682011-05-15T08:13:00.000-07:002011-05-15T08:13:12.280-07:00Dodd: Meyer out of place - Nothing wrong with Meyer on TV, but it isn't rightUrban Meyer doesn't look uncomfortable, just out of place. <br />
Florida's former coach is telegenic enough in his new job as a college football analyst. You've probably seen Meyer interviewing some of the game's biggest names. But to him they are less "gets", and more like peers he was trying to beat the snot out of just a few months ago. The new gig seems to agree with him as far as it goes. The phrase "busy work" comes to mind. Meyer must feel like he's wearing a wool suit in the Gainesville heat. Not being on the field bothers him. You can tell. You don't even have to spend a few minutes on the phone with him like I did. All you have to do is read the body language bleeding through on basic cable. <br />
"I won't tell you that you won't see him coaching again because I think someday he will," said one Meyer's closest friends. "He's too good a coach not to." <br />
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<img alt="Urban Meyer is still spending time on the sidelines these days, but he is not coaching. (US Presswire)" height="325" src="http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/football/college/img15054462.jpg" width="250" /><br />
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<b>Urban Meyer is still spending time on the sidelines these days, but he is not coaching.</b><br />
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(US Presswire)</span><br />
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</tbody></table>That's Kyle Whittingham, the guy who replaced Meyer at Utah, also the subject of one of those sit-downs. There have been others -- Mack Brown, Brian Kelly. Meyer is easy enough on the eyes and ears but it's just not <i>him</i> up there on the flat screen. A lot of us knew that when Meyer resigned -- again -- in December. We'd been through it before. Already he longs to be back. Stress level: TBA. <br />
That's the great mystery and, perhaps, danger. Meyer could be the same wreck he was in December 2009 when he quit the first time. A couple of tweets attributed to Gigi Meyer have indicated Urban's daughter wants her daddy back. Didn't the man resign to spent more time with his family? <br />
Those are issues for his loved ones, doctors and medications to decide. All I know is that he's ready and headed your way, Ohio State -- perhaps soon. If not Columbus, then somewhere else -- soon. Pac-12 schools, with all that new TV money, suddenly have the ability to pay him. The operative word is <i>soon</i>. It might not be the best decision but it's the only decision for a man who misses the game. <br />
"He is too good at what he does," Whittingham reiterated in the same conversation, "to be out of it for very long." <br />
Got it? You should know by now Meyer can't stay silent or inactive for long. During his latest down time, he has become somewhat of an NCAA watchdog. During a February radio interview, he dropped this bomb: <br />
"What I've seen the last five years is a complete turn in the integrity of the college coaching profession." <br />
And he means it. If the NCAA hasn't already talked to him. Meyer is willing to cooperate. <br />
"I think you just have to make the rules as clear as possible and severely punish the people who violate the rules," Meyer told me. "There's no such thing as a secondary violation, if there is an intentional violation. The first thing you've got to do is get rid of that term. That just tells everybody: Secondary means not important. Intentional violation of rules should be punished." <br />
He's talking to you Jim Tressel, Bruce Pearl and anyone else willing to listen. A lot of you are already calling B.S. Sure, Meyer has those 30-odd legal dustups in his six years at Florida. Who is he to be pronouncing sentence on the profession? Truth is, there isn't a Mother Theresa in college football. Sorry. Anyone even close to the subject is going to have some warts. Tressel still has his job for the same reason Meyer could succeed him. They both win. <br />
Meyer operated inside the SEC recruiting vortex. If his comments make him the ultimate double agent, tough. This is a guy who was criticized, by some, after Cam Newton "got away." Meyer can't say it for the record but we know there were issues that caused Newton to leave for Auburn. The alleged stolen laptop. The reported academic fraud that had Newton headed for the door when a Florida academic committee was about to come after him. <br />
"The SEC is an interesting conference," Whittingham said. "It will grind you up and spit you out. Urban is brutally honest. He's going to say what he feels." <br />
So how much unethical shenanigans -- or, if you prefer, cheating -- did Meyer run into while he was coaching? <br />
"Things would come to light and the protocol was to turn them in to the compliance office," Meyer said. "I felt a responsibility to my staff. Violations would occur and our staff would not hear the result or a punishment. The school who committed the violation would be allowed to continue to recruit and sign the player. That did not make sense." <br />
"What happens is there's 10 percent, 20 percent of things that are done the wrong way. The majority are still done the right way. I was outspoken about it. I was very concerned about it. I'm still concerned." <br />
This is what it's like being a whistle-blower outside of the ropes. Frankly, Meyer doesn't care if those peers care. Part of his success is that brutal honesty. Before that first season at Utah, Meyer found out who wanted to play. Call it "running guys off". Whatever. It worked, and it had supporters. Some of the older players, figuring the message had been delivered, finally went to Meyer asking him to back off. According to Morgan Scalley, former Utah defensive back and the Utes' current safeties coach, he did. <br />
"A lot of what he brought to the program, we still do," Scalley said. <br />
"Except I don't remember backing off," Meyer said. <br />
He'll be back coaching because they're addicts, coaches, all of them. Bobby Bowden kept chasing one more title before Florida State unceremoniously kicked him out. Chris Ault has been coach at Nevada three times. He reached his ultimate high in 2010, leading the Wolf Pack to 13 wins including an upset win over Boise State and the school's first Top-25 ranking since the 1940s. <br />
We know the addiction can be debilitating. We can only hope that with his experiences, his family's support and the right medication he can get back on the field. There are a handful of places in the country where a coach is pretty much guaranteed to win. Florida and Texas are two of them. Last season those schools became the biggest disappointments in college football. Brown retooled his staff. Meyer is retooling his life. For that we should admire him but time is short. <br />
Every day looking out of place means another day out of the game.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-82655369182977171102011-05-15T08:12:00.000-07:002011-05-15T08:12:16.703-07:00Parrish: Five For Weekend - Five for the Weekend: Rating jobs, justifying Barnes' raiseOhio State is an awesome basketball job. <br />
And Rick Barnes is worth his $2.4 million salary. <br />
I'll explain why in my weekly <i>Five for the Weekend</i> column. <br />
<b>1. You mentioned Ohio State as one of the nation's elite jobs in your column about Jamie Dixon. Why?</b> <br />
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<img alt="Rick Barnes is an easy punching bag, but don't forget the program he has built. (US Presswire)" height="350" src="http://sports.cbsimg.net/u/photos/basketball/college/img15060744.jpg" width="275" /></td> <td width="15"></td> </tr>
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<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: xx-small;"><br />
<b>Rick Barnes is an easy punching bag, but don't forget the program he has built.</b><br />
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(US Presswire)</span><br />
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</tbody></table>I got quite a few emails like this, and I'm baffled that anybody would question Ohio State as one of the very best basketball jobs in the country. Trust me, college coaches -- you know, the guys who do this for a living -- wouldn't question it because Ohio State has lots of money, first-class facilities, a strong Nike affiliation and a terrific natural recruiting base, and those are the most important things to consider when rating jobs. <br />
Just look at the Buckeyes' roster. <br />
The top three returning players -- Jared Sullinger, William Buford and Aaron Craft -- are all from Ohio, and the state produces high-major talent on a regular basis. Meantime, Indianapolis -- home of former OSU stars Greg Oden and Mike Conley -- is only about 175 miles away. So it's possible to recruit within a 200-mile radius of campus at Ohio State and produce Final Four-caliber teams year after year after year. That -- combined with all the other things previously mentioned -- makes Ohio State one of the nation's most desirable jobs. It could reasonably be ranked in the top five and cannot reasonably be ranked outside of the top 10. <br />
<b>2. So what's America's best basketball job?</b> <br />
North Carolina. <br />
<b>3. Were lawmakers right to criticize Rick Barnes' $200,000 raise at Texas?</b> <br />
Considering none of the raise is the product of tax dollars, I would say no. But Barnes is coming off a disappointing loss in the Round of 32, marking the third consecutive season he has failed to survive the opening weekend of the NCAA tournament, and that's the real issue here. If Barnes were a month removed from a Final Four or flirting with another job, nobody would say a word about a $200,000 raise that gets his salary to $2.4 million annually. But he's not and he's not. So here we are. <br />
<b>4. So you think Barnes deserved the raise?</b> <br />
I don't know that he "deserved it," per se, but I certainly don't view it as that big of a deal. Again, it's not tax money; it's money from the Texas athletic department, which has more money than it knows how to spend. Yes, I recognize Barnes not making it out of the opening weekend of the NCAA tournament in any of the past three years is disappointing, but I think it's important to note what UT athletic director DeLoss Dodds told reporters this week: "Before Rick Barnes arrived at Texas, we weren't a top national basketball program," Dodds said. "We are now." <br />
Exactly. <br />
Barnes has become an easy punching bag the past few years but there's no denying he has built a monster of a program. He has led Texas to 13 consecutive NCAA tournaments, finished in the top three of the Big 12 in 10 of his 13 seasons, consistently recruited at a high level despite assistants coming and going, made three Elite Eights and a Final Four. Does Barnes have flaws? Of course. But -- and I never get tired of reminding people of this -- from 2001 to 2005 there was another high-profile coach who was bounced from the opening weekend of the NCAA tournament each and every season. His name was Billy Donovan. He spent 2006 and 2007 winning national championships. <br />
<b>5. Are you saying Barnes has national titles coming?</b> <br />
Not necessarily, no. All I'm saying is that if you consistently recruit well and consistently put yourself in the NCAA tournament you'll almost certainly break through and shut people up, eventually. And what I'm also saying is that I believe judging coaches based on a single-elimination three-week tournament instead of a four-month season is a little silly. And what I'm also saying is that if Barnes ever let it be known that he's willing to move, he would have plenty of schools doing everything possible to find $2.4 million a year to give him. <br />
That's something frustrated UT fans probably ought to remember. <br />
There's a chance you could hire a better coach than Barnes if your job opened. <br />
But the odds of that coach being as consistently good as Barnes would probably be pretty low.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-7113816859615769342011-05-15T08:11:00.000-07:002011-05-15T08:11:22.276-07:00Norlander: Butler rebuilding - Mack's departure forces Butler to rebuild in spotlightLet me be among the first to address this in elongated form, because by the time November comes the story very well could already be beaten to death. <br />
How's Butler going to do it again? <br />
No, not get to the Final Four; that's <i>not going to happen again, I assure you.</i> (At least I think I can. Butler has quickly made a habit of proving almost anything is possible, though.) This is more specifically aimed toward the thought of: How is Butler -- Brad Stevens in particular -- going to have another tournament-bound, successful season? In case you missed it, it's OK to doubt Stevens and Co. already because the team just lost another player, Shelvin Mack, to early entry for the NBA. This abandonment feels like anything but that for Butler's head coach. <br />
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<b>Recovering from Shelvin Mack's loss could prove to be a huge challenge for Butler.</b><br />
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(AP)</span><br />
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</tbody></table>"It's not bittersweet for me at all. I'm about my guys first and foremost," said Stevens by phone this week, "and if one of my guys [thinks] this is the best thing for him, I encourage him to go." <br />
Stevens said he got the strong inclination Mack wouldn't be coming back next season once the team reached another Final Four. <br />
"You don't think about that stuff as much through the season, but with the way he played in the tournament, getting to the Final Four and playing well again, especially in that first game [against VCU], I kind of got the feeling he was going to leave," Stevens said. <br />
He approached Mack's early-entry decision differently than Gordon Hayward's last season, primarily because the NBA labor situation prompted more players to leave last year. Stevens never resisted Mack's departure, either, inviting all contact from agents who wanted to represent Mack. <br />
"I want them to [talk to me]," Stevens said of the slew of slick and suited men who chase the morphed men who go from college to pro each spring. "You have to identify guys that may be in that position, and so if anyone wants to reach out to them and if our players that are in that situation, I want them to direct them to me. Everyone went through me first, and then after the season was over, he interviewed a few agents." <br />
Stevens' tactics aren't different from a lot of coaches, but it was interesting to hear him talk about Mack in a past-tense tone already. <br />
It's the second straight season Butler (not your average Horizon League resident) has been pilfered a player due to legitimate NBA dreams. Last year, Hayward, the No. 9 overall pick, left the Bulldogs and was drafted by the Utah Jazz. Mack, unlike Hayward, will not sniff the lottery. His NBA ceiling is certainly lower than his former teammate's. Mack has probably put the most dominant basketball of his life behind him. <br />
Yet I think it's reasonable, and likely, Butler will struggle more without Mack than Hayward. There are a number of reasons, of course. The first: In terms of vitality to Butler, talent and playmaking ability, the drop-off from Hayward to Mack isn't as stark as Mack to ... well, who's going to take the reins next year? Mack included, Butler loses six guys heading into next season, four of whom were impact players. <br />
Matt Howard, Shawn Vanzant and Zach Hahn have played their last games in Bulldogs uniforms. So is Khyle Marshall or Andrew Smith or Chase Stigall going to become The Guy? None of those players will be seniors, by the way, and none of them were singlehandedly the reason Butler won one game this year the way Mack, Howard and Vanzant could claim to be. Next season, Ronald Nored and Garrett Butcher will be the four-year guys and have already been given captain status by the team. Nored, as great a leader as he can be, isn't an offensive threat. <br />
"It's all about how you manage it. We're going to have some young guys that are going to have to play," Stevens said. "Some of those guys played at a high level and everyone saw it in national TV for the last three weeks of the season." <br />
We can see this becomes a bit of a compounded issue and is more than just about Mack leaving, but had he chosen to return for his senior year, Butler would be a presumed Horizon favorite. <br />
Even when Hayward was on the team, Mack went head to head with his same-class teammate. Without Hayward this past season, Mack didn't slow or see his game hampered at all. He averaged a career-best 16 points per game, 4.5 rebounds and improved to a 76.9 percent free-throw shooter. His usage rate -- the amount of possessions he directly helped account for a basket getting scored -- was 28.1 percent, a three-year best. <br />
With no Mack this suddenly looks like a group that could struggle to win its league. It's not as if Butler tore through the competition last season; Stevens coached his team to a 13-5 finish in the Horizon, possibly needing the league postseason title to avoid not earning an at-large selection into the Big Bracket. <br />
Stevens isn't nervous now, at least not publicly. You've probably gotten to know the man from afar. Sweating this type of stuff isn't his bag, anyway, but he did acknowledge Mack's overall value and the challenge that will come with replacing that. <br />
"If it was about replacing an individual we wouldn't have been in trouble," Stevens said of Mack's ability. "It's about replacing what they did for your team. Shelvin shot it pretty well for us and had a lot of good moments. We've got to replace those other things, those intangibles, his leadership and what he did for us there." <br />
Come NCAA tournament time, should Butler get there, that's when the realization will hit hardest: This is a new era of Butler basketball. The team will most likely lack the kind of killer Mack was. Even Hayward didn't have the smell-the-blood mentality Mack possessed since he stepped on campus nearly four years ago. In the 2011 tournament, Mack put up 30 against Pittsburgh, 27 against Florida in the regional final and then had 24 in the national semis against VCU. Howard was most definitely the biggest reason, from a player perspective, that Butler made back-to-back title games, but Mack could very well be considered 1A at the top of that list. <br />
In addition to all this, Stevens has lost a very valuable assistant -- and in all likelihood future D-I head coach -- in Micah Shrewsberry, who left Butler to join Matt Painter's staff at Purdue. What Stevens will prep for in the offseason and face head-on come November isn't new. He's a young coach (what, haven't you heard?), but this will be the second time he has had a major retooling job ahead of him. Three years ago, after his first season at Butler, the program lost five seniors after winning 30 games. Stevens spent the offseason taking questions about how he would rebuild. <br />
The class that came in was Mack's. You saw the unprecedented run they just put together. What Butler has done the past two seasons borders on the incomprehensible. So, maybe three years from now it's another group making another amazing run. But next year, we're probably going to have to get used to Butler playing somewhat in the shadows and regressing to what it was before the past two years: a solid, respected program. It says something about the program and Stevens that Butler has reached a level of expectation that's so high, people may be surprised if it <i>only</i> manages to win about 20 games and flirt with the NCAA tournament. <br />
Taking a step back next year isn't a bad thing -- without Mack, it's practically expected. Nearly every team has rebuilding years. For the first time, Butler has to retool while a nation remembers and acknowledges the type of program it has become.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1429720625967177369.post-46507129566329064982011-05-15T08:10:00.000-07:002011-05-15T08:10:07.140-07:00Parrish: Stop offering Dixon jobs - Note to D-I ADs: Stop calling Dixon; he's staying put -- OK?Jamie Dixon has managed to become a candidate everywhere and nowhere all at the same time. <br />
It's a fascinating achievement. <br />
Tiresome, too. <br />
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<br />
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<b>If a Duke comes along, maybe Jamie Dixon leaves. Until then? No.</b><br />
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(US Presswire)</span><br />
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</tbody></table>I bring this up today because we've just experienced another week where Dixon was linked to a college basketball opening, targeted by an athletic director and discussed on radio stations and message boards as the next coach at somewhere other than Pittsburgh. This time the possible destination was Maryland. But to the surprise of no one, Dixon rejected the overture and pledged his allegiance to the Panthers. <br />
Now he's preparing for his ninth season at the Big East school, where he'll have a team, led by Ashton Gibbs, good enough to be ranked in the Top 25 and projected to make the NCAA tournament for the ninth straight year. <br />
Long story short, Dixon never was going to Maryland -- just like he was never going to Missouri when it once pursued him, Arizona State when it once pursued him, Oklahoma State when it once pursued him, California when it once pursued him, Oregon when it once pursued him, Arizona when it once pursued him or North Carolina State when it once pursued him. <br />
Also worth noting: Dixon was never going to Tennessee even though he was reportedly on the school's list of candidates in March. And if you're a fan of some other school that has had an opening over the past four years, he was never going to your school, either. <br />
And yet the pursuit never stops. <br />
It seems no athletic director at a high-major institution embarking on a coaching search can move forward without first gauging the interest of Dixon. On one hand, I get it, because the guy is terrific at his job, better than I am at my job and almost certainly better than you are at yours. He has averaged 27 wins per season in eight years at Pittsburgh and made the NCAA tournament every March. <br />
Nobody whispers about his character or recruiting practices. He has been great with NBA prospects and great without them. The worst thing anybody can say about Dixon is that he has never made the Final Four. But that criticism is a classic example of not being able to see the forest for the trees, and it's one that'll be taken off the table at some point, anyway. <br />
So, again, I get why a school would want to hire Dixon. <br />
But he can't be hired. <br />
So stop trying. <br />
Oh, I guess, there could be a scenario someday where Duke or something like Duke opens and Dixon could be lured away from Pittsburgh by an opportunity too good to pass up. Or perhaps the NBA is in his future. But Southern California is essentially home, and he didn't go there. And Arizona is the marquee program in a state where he used to coach (at Northern Arizona), and he didn't go there. And Oregon has all the Nike money in the world, and he didn't go there. And Maryland is, in my opinion, one of the 10 best jobs in America, and he didn't go there, either. So where's Dixon really going? <br />
Answer: Nowhere. <br />
And with that, let me ask one favor of every Division I athletic director: Unless the job you're trying to fill is better than the Maryland and Arizona jobs Dixon has already passed on -- which means unless you're the AD at Duke, North Carolina, UCLA, Texas, Ohio State, Kentucky, Kansas or Indiana -- please lose Dixon's phone number. <br />
You can call and he will talk to you and be respectful because he's a nice guy and all that. But he's not coming to your school. So it would be wise to scratch his name off your list and start elsewhere, which is to say, a little lower.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0