For several years now, Gilbert Arenas(notes) has been looking to recapture the swagger that made him such an electrifying and unique star with the Wizards. With his trade to the Magic, he now has a chance for a fresh start. But in order to win some fans in his new city, he has to create memories that will endear him to the fanbase.
[Photo: Gilbert Arenas' impressive beard]
Monday night, he got a decent start with this incredible 75-footer at the halftime buzzer. Unfortunately, it bounced off the front rim and hit the shot clock, which is technically out of bounds. So, bummer of all bummers, it didn't count, and we've all been robbed of an all-time great highlight.
[Rewind video: College freshman hits half-court shot from his knees]
The good news is that it didn't factor into the final score, an easy 104-88 win for Orlando over New Jersey. There's now basically nothing to complain about with regards to this play, because we have a tremendous shot and a correct call by the officials. Fans of amazing, stylish plays win; fans of by-the-book officiating win; even casual fans who have no idea what I'm talking about win. Everyone celebrate!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Pres Obama commends Eagles for Vick’s second chance
HONOLULU (AP)—The White House says President Barack Obama has commended the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles for giving quarterback Michael Vick(notes) a second chance after his release from prison.
Obama spokesman Bill Burton says the president told owner Jeffrey Lurie that while he condemns the crimes Vick was convicted of, he believes people who have paid for their crimes should have the opportunity to contribute to society again.
The Eagles signed Vick last year after he served an 18-month prison sentence on charges related to a dogfighting ring. Vick has led the Eagles to the playoffs this year after assuming the starting job.
The White House says Obama also applauded the Eagles’ plan to install wind turbines and solar panels at their stadium to reduce energy consumption.
Saints celebrate their win by standing on the Falcon's face
After the Saints scratched out a victory against the Falcons in the Georgia Dome Monday night, a few of them returned to the field to put a little exclamation point on it.
Jonathan Vilma(notes) and a few other defensive players went out to celebrate on the big Falcon painted at midfield, Terrell Owens-on-the-star style. From nola.com:
When it was over, several Saints defensive players came back onto the field to pose for group pictures, gleefully celebrated on the Falcons' home field, while a small group of Saints fans cheered from the stands.
"We didn't want to wait until next week to clinch the playoffs," Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma said. "We wanted a remembrance of this. That's why we went out and had our picture taken on the Falcon."
[Rewind: Player fined for flashing TD message on shirt]
A classy move? Probably not. Will the Falcons like it? I doubt it (and we know that Roddy White has a tendency to take things personally). And it does feel a little beneath the defending world champions. Less than a year ago, you were dancing with the Lombardi Trophy, and now, you need to celebrate on someone else's logo?
You're the champs. You should expect to beat the Falcons.
[Rewind: Michael Vick calls out team for unsportsmanlike behavior]
But in the end, it's just a picture. They stood on painted turf and smiled. It's just one of those things that might add a little extra hot sauce to an already-heated rivalry. No more, no less.
Thursday, December 23, 2010
DeSean Jackson's punt return TD could have been called back
DeSean Jackson's(notes) goal-line grandstanding could have caused his miraculous game-winning punt return to be wiped out, a review of FOX replays show.
As the Philadelphia Eagles return man was running parallel to the end zone, delaying his touchdown for maximum showboating effectiveness, a number of his teammates ran onto the field from the sideline, a clear violation of the NFL's "too many men on the field" rules.
The new wrinkle on Jackson's return was first noticed at BallHyped.net. Because he took a turn at the 6-yard line instead of running into the end zone, a number of his teammates and some coaches spilled out onto the field in anticipation of his touchdown, which didn't come until a few seconds later. A flag could have been thrown, bringing back the touchdown and sending the game to overtime.
Now, I don't think any flag should have been thrown on the play. The players weren't on the field before the snap nor during the runback. Their on-field exuberance had no effect on Jackson's touchdown. Sometimes officials need to look the other way, like a foul at the end of a basketball game. However, as BallHyped points out, this play came during the same week that the NFL made a huge deal about sideline behavior during punt returns, thanks to the dirty play of Jets strength coach Sal Alosi
In a memo to each of the league's 32 teams after Alosi's trip of Miami Dolphins player Nolan Carroll(notes), it was stated that only coaches and substitution players are allowed within six feet of the back sideline stripe. As the picture above clearly shows, the Eagles have far more than that on the field, let alone behind the markings.
One week ago, you could have excused this because pushing out onto the field was a rule with loose enforcement, like jaywalking, illegal downloading or traveling in the NBA. Plus, Tom Coughlin was evidently on the field too, yelling at his punter. But the NFL can't enforce rules when it's convenient. This isn't like jaywalking because the NFL turned it into a much larger offense. True, the Eagles coming out wasn't a big deal in this game, but it may be in the future.
As for Jackson, you get the sense that Andy Reid allows his antics because he's such a great talent. But Jackson has shown in the past that his tendancy to hot dog isn't harmless. It can be a big deal. He almost got caught from behind on this play and could have had a penalty called on his team because he delayed scoring.
The theatricality of Jackson's celebrations are good for the NFL. The league needs more brash stars who have fun on the field and get opposing fans riled up with touchdown celebrations. Andy Reid doesn't. He needs to win. That's why he should tell his young star to tone it down ... at least until he gets into the end zone.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Orlando's last-chance blockbuster deals
The Orlando Magic entered this season as championship contenders. Two months into 2010-11, however, they've been revealed as an inconsistent team with an above-average offense that often deserts them, and a defense that has stumbled in the two seasons since it helped lead them to the 2009 NBA Finals. On pace for a disappointing 53 wins, the Magic have decided to make some major, major changes.
According to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, the Magic have agreed to two deals with the Phoenix Suns and Washington Wizards. Orlando will send Rashard Lewis(notes) to the Wizards for Gilbert Arenas(notes), while the Suns would receive Vince Carter(notes), Mickael Pietrus(notes), Marcin Gortat(notes), Orlando's 2011 first round pick and $3 million for Hedo Turkoglu(notes), Jason Richardson(notes) and Earl Clark(notes).
This is a massive restructuring, especially for a team with championship hopes, but it's typical for Orlando GM Otis Smith. Smith has been in win-now mode since he signed Rashard Lewis in the 2007 offseason, and each of his deals has been structured around winning a championship sooner rather than later. Even if it meant bringing in significant players who were seven or eight years older than the Magic's all-world center, Dwight Howard(notes).
Richardson is a very good scorer and rebounder, Hedo Turkoglu had success two years ago as a jack-of-all-trades type with this Magic team before leaving as a free agent, and Gilbert Arenas can still put up 20 points a game occasionally. But this is a desperate move. A last-second shot at something great, handing over every tradeable asset in the organization along the way.
Carter was a major disappointment in his one-plus year with the Magic. He fell off significantly from what was an All-Star level in his last season with the New Jersey Nets in 2008-09, and while his ball-handling and passing were actually on par with what Turkoglu (who left as a free agent a few weeks before the Magic traded for Carter) gave Orlando that year, all those passing instincts seemed to leave him in Orlando.
By trading for Turkoglu, the Magic are hoping to bring back the point forward who helped them so much with Jameer Nelson(notes) injured during Orlando's Finals run in 2009. The problem with that is Turkoglu was likely overrated in his time with the Magic because he had the ball in his hands so much, and even with that sober analysis of his contributions, he has fallen off significantly since leaving 1 1/2 years ago, looking much older than his 31 years.
He's averaged just 2.3 assists a game in Phoenix, but it should be pointed out that his assist ratio (the amount of possessions he takes up that result in assists) is right around the level established by several other able passing wing players, like Joe Johnson(notes), Manu Ginobili(notes), Andrei Kirilenko(notes) and Stephen Jackson(notes).
It's Richardson, leading the Suns in scoring with 19.3 points per game, that will be the significant upgrade. He's not the penetrator Carter was, but Carter often refused to take advantage of his ball-handling gifts. And Richardson has consistently improved his 3-point stroke through the years, making 41.9 percent mark in 2010-11. The two-time dunk contest champion can also throw down with the best of them, and his contract expires at the end of this season, which could be good or bad for the Magic (if he disappoints, he can go away, but if he thrives, he could still go away for more money elsewhere).
Arenas isn't a wild card. He's an inefficient scorer and terrible defender who could follow two months of make-good play in Orlando by completely scuttling things, and he owns the league's worst contract, one that has four years and $60 million left on it including this season (a year that has seen him shoot under 40 percent). But even with Arenas' off-the-court issues, and the fact that his contract goes two years longer than that of Lewis, just about anything (at any position) would be an upgrade over Lewis.
Amongst rotation players, only converted small forwards Danilo Gallinari(notes) and Jawad Williams(notes) had worse rebounding rates (the percentage of available rebounds you pull in) than Lewis this year, and that's not a stat that can be blamed on Howard's ability to clean the glass. Lewis doesn't get to the line, doesn't post up any more, and his contributions were limited to hitting above-average (36.7 percent) amounts of 3-pointers. But after hitting just 1.8 per game this season with Orlando, something tells us they'll be able to live without him.
As stated above, this is yet another win-now move for Orlando, desperate to bring in a ring and keep Howard in Florida. Howard has an option to become a free agent in 2012, but with the way the new collective bargaining agreement could be structured, he might choose a guaranteed $19.5 million in 2012-13 (all salaries courtesy ShamSports.com) on a team he's unhappy with, rather than playing for less money somewhere else. Still, it's Orlando's hope that he extends for far longer than that.
Will it work? Well, Richardson is a clear upgrade over Carter, and Turkoglu (even in his diminished state) is probably an upgrade over Lewis. The move clears up more minutes for Brandon Bass(notes), who can rebound and score without needing any plays called for him (assuming he knows them, anyway), and hopefully marks the return of the sweet-shooting Ryan Anderson(notes) to the Magic rotation.
The Magic will miss Gortat's sound play in limited minutes, tough. And though Mickael Pietrus isn't the defender he once was, and his shot selection tended to enervate the Magic coaching staff, they at least could pick themselves off the floor the next time he nailed a corner three or shut down a wing player. As it stands, heading into a playoff bracket with Paul Pierce(notes), Ray Allen(notes), Dwyane Wade(notes) and LeBron James(notes), the Magic have very little by way of wing stoppers.
On paper, the move isn't bad, especially because we don't have to write the checks. But as a realization that the Magic have now traded away all of the assets they had to improve the team with? The bounty of merely Richardson, Turkoglu and Arenas is a little scary.
For Phoenix, this is a good deal for the organization and owner Robert Sarver, but another shot to the gut for a fan base that has seen deal after detrimental deal since the glorious summer of 2004, when the team ponied up for the right to pay Steve Nash(notes).
As with Richardson, Carter's contract expires this summer, and he's an on-court downgrade. Gortat fills a needed role on the interior, but this move was all about cash. Gortat makes far less than Turkoglu and for fewer years, while the $3 million sent from the Magic is much needed in a town that isn't buying Hakim Warrick(notes) jerseys to replace their Amar'e Stoudemire(notes) ones. And it's possible the team will trade Orlando's lower-rung draft pick for the going rate of $3 million this June, as they have many times through the years.
Does it knock Phoenix out of the playoff bracket for good? It's no lock, not with the team's improving schedule, but it doesn't help. Trading efficient team-leading scorers midstream rarely adds to those postseason odds. And in reality, the savings from this deal aren't too blinding. All the $3 million from Orlando will do is pay a little more than the difference between Richardson's and Carter's contracts. Carter's $18 million non-guaranteed deal for 2011-12 is a nice trading chip, but the league has quite a few of those expiring deals floating around to trade, and the Suns (even if they do decide to try and move Carter for more help for Steve Nash) don't exactly have the best track record when it comes to adding more salary, as we saw last summer when they dealt for Turkoglu.
What Phoenix decides to do with Steve Nash will be the story of the winter, possibly the spring, maybe the summer, or even early fall (if the NBA lockout goes on for that long). Trading Phoenix's beloved Sun could cause riots in the high street down in Arizona, but the Suns probably do have to own up to their long series of bum moves (with a lot of bad luck thrown in) as they tried to surround Nash with a championship core through the decade. For now, they probably don't even know what they want to do.
For Washington, the motivation is simple. They don't have to pay Gilbert Arenas $20.8 in 2013 and don't have to pay Gilbert Arenas $22.3 million in 2014. Rashard Lewis makes about as much as Gilbert from here until 2012, but his cash in 2012-13 isn't fully guaranteed (if the Wizards cut him outright before the season starts, he'll make just $10 million out of a possible $22 million; though if they keep him around incentives could pump that guarantee up a few more million), and the floundering Wizards had no use for someone like Gil who shot a lot to score a lot.
This is Orlando's move, though, meant to give coach Stan Van Gundy more rotation options, payroll be damned. Despite the fact that the team plays in a smaller market, owner Rich DeVos has given Otis Smith blank check status for years, and he's gone to town with it. The problem is that the team's two cornerstones (Howard and point guard Jameer Nelson) were still drafted by former GM John Weisbrod (who, it should be pointed out, was terrible in every other regard). And Van Gundy has this team overachieving through the years only after the Magic were lucky enough to see the Smith-hired Billy Donovan chicken out after agreeing to coach the team in 2007.
Howard is mindful about all of this, and while the "can-these-deals-bring-Orlando-a-championship" question should be the first thing on everyone's lips initially, the real story here is the group's last chance at making Howard happy. Because this team is capped-out and bereft of trading chips after this deal, unless it decides to give up on Richardson this February at the trade deadline. With Gortat gone and Carter's expiring deal somewhere else, the Magic have cashed in on what they had to deal, and this is the payoff.
Jason Richardson, Hedo Turkoglu and Gilbert Arenas. There's a lot of offense in that sentence, and the Magic need offense.
But it hardly guarantees them championship contender status again. And it certainly shouldn't have Dwight Howard counting the days until he can sign his next contract extension.
Saturday, December 18, 2010
Magic, Wizards closing in on Lewis-for-Arenas deal
The Washington Wizards and Orlando Magic are close to a trade that will send guard Gilbert Arenas to Orlando in exchange for forward Rashard Lewis, a league source tells TNT's David Aldridge.
The proposed trade was expected to be completed Saturday, perhaps before the Wizards played the Miami Heat Saturday evening in Washington and the Magic host the 76ers in Orlando.
The deal would rid the Wizards of one of their biggest public relations headaches in years. While Arenas helped Washington make the playoffs for the first time in a decade and became an All-Star playing alongside Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison, his infamous suspension for bringing guns into the Verizon Center locker room last December as part of a prank and/or confrontation with then-teammate Javaris Crittenton cast a shadow over the franchise. Arenas was suspended by Commissioner David Stern for the final 50 games of last season and served time in a halfway house in the D.C. suburbs after pleading guilty to one felony count of carrying a pistol without a license.
Arenas returned to the Wizards this season and has played reasonably well, averaging 17.3 points and 5.6 assists for Washington. He would give Orlando someone who can create for himself and others off the dribble, something the Magic have sorely lacked this season as they has struggled at times against the league's better teams. And Arenas' close relationship with Orlando GM Otis Smith, who mentored Arenas while the two were in Golden State, has been well-documented.
Lewis is averaging his lowest point total in a decade for Orlando this season, scoring just 12.2 points a night on 41 percent shooting from the floor. He has struggled at times making the adjustment to playing more small forward this season than he has for the Magic; he thrived as a "stretch four" power forward playing next to center Dwight Howard in previous seasons, but the Magic has opted to give emerging forward Brandon Bass more minutes at that position this season.
The deal could save Washington at least $24 million; Arenas has four years and $80 million remaining on his $111 million deal signed two years ago, while Lewis has three years and $63 million left on the $124 million deal he signed as a free agent in 2007. But only $10 million of the $22.6 million he is owed in the final year of the contract, in 2012-13, is fully guaranteed. Lewis can increase the guarantee if he meets certain performance criteria between now and then
Magic to land Arenas, Richardson, Turkoglu
The Orlando Magic are set to complete a pair of blockbuster trades that will send them Washington Wizards guard Gilbert Arenas(notes) and Hedo Turkoglu(notes) and Jason Richardson(notes) from the Phoenix Suns, league sources told Yahoo! Sports
As a prelude to the trade for Arenas, the Magic have agreed in principle to send guards Vince Carter(notes) and Michael Pietrus, backup center Marcin Gortat(notes), a first-round pick and $3 million to the Phoenix Suns for Turkoglu and Richardson, sources said.
The Magic also are nearing completion on a deal to send forward Rashard Lewis(notes) to the Wizards for Arenas, sources said. No other players or picks will be in that trade.
The Wizards’ pursuit of Arenas escalated in recent days, and Yahoo! Sports reported Friday the teams were nearing a deal.
Arenas had privately told people for days that he believed a deal will soon send him to Orlando, where he’ll be reunited with Magic general manager Otis Smith, a friend and mentor from Arenas’ days with the Golden State Warriors. After losing five of their past six games, the Magic have shown more urgency to find a perimeter scorer who can help them stay a viable contender in the Eastern Conference.
Arenas has four years and $60 million left on his Wizards deal. Following his 50-game suspension for bringing guns into the Wizards locker room last season, Arenas became further expendable after Washington drafted No. 1 overall pick John Wall(notes)(notes).
Lewis has three years and $66.5 million left on his contract, including this season
Friday, December 17, 2010
Mayweather freed from Vegas jail in battery case
LAS VEGAS (AP)—Police say boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been freed from a Las Vegas jail following his arrest on a misdemeanor warrant alleging he poked a security guard in the face last month outside his home.
Police Officer Jacinto Rivera said Friday that Mayweather’s release without bail from the Clark County jail came less than 12 hours after his arrest late Thursday at a Las Vegas-area casino.
Mayweather lawyer Richard Wright says the 33-year-old Mayweather has a Tuesday court date.
The warrant stems from a battery charge alleging Mayweather poked a 21-year-old security guard in the face during a Nov. 15 argument over parking tickets.
Mayweather had been free on bail on unrelated felony charges stemming from a September dispute with his children and their mother
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Michael Vick leads NFL in Pro Bowl voting
PHILADELPHIA - Michael Vick(notes) leads Pro Bowl voting 1½ years after he was released from prison.
The Philadelphia Eagles quarterback had 729,838 fan votes, nearly 39,000 more than second-place Peyton Manning(notes), the NFL said Wednesday. Manning topped the balloting two weeks ago.
"I think it's just a credit to everything I've tried to accomplish on and off the field, just working as hard as I can to change things around, be a part of the solution and not the problem," Vick said. "I changed my life and it just goes to show anybody can do it. It's an unfortunate situation, the things that happened, I wish I could go back and change it all. I wish I could take it all back. The only thing I can do is move forward."
It's the latest evidence many fans seem willing to forgive Vick for the vicious dogfighting operation that sent him to prison for 18 months — and embrace his stunning return to NFL stardom. A backup to start the season, Vick has led the Eagles to first place in the NFC East, accounting for 21 touchdowns and throwing just two interceptions.
"I appreciate my fans, man," Vick said. "Couldn't do it without them. Been very supportive over the last three years. What more can you ask for?"
Manning had 691,146 votes, which led the AFC, followed by New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady(notes) (623,074), Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson (591,598) and Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers(notes) (547,340).
Online Pro Bowl voting ends Dec. 20. The teams are picked by a vote combination from fans, players and coaches.
Vick, a three-time Pro Bowler with the Atlanta Falcons, pleaded guilty to federal dogfighting charges in August 2007. He was released from federal custody and conditionally reinstated by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in July 2009. But it wasn't clear how much interest teams would have in the quarterback who once wowed fans with his unique skills, yet frustrated them with his inconsistency when he last played in the league in 2006.
The Eagles signed him before last season, when he was the third-string quarterback and had limited playing time as a change of pace. Even after Philadelphia traded away Donovan McNabb(notes), Vick was expected to back up Kevin Kolb(notes). But when Kolb was hurt in the opener, Vick took over and showed a newfound maturity as a passer. Added to his running skills, he's made the Eagles a contender at 8-4.
The Eagles, averaging 28.7 points per game, are the second-highest scoring team in the league, next to only the New England Patriots at 31.6.
"It's a great honour, a great position to be in right now, because I haven't made the Pro Bowl yet, but it's a credit to my coaches, a credit to my teammates, (backups) Mike Kafka(notes), Kevin Kolb, guys who just helped me get through this season," Vick said. "I can't do it without my team, I can't do it without my teammates, I can't do it without the offensive line, (wide receivers) DeSean (Jackson) and Jeremy (Maclin), can't do it without them. I'm just thankful to have these guys in my life, these coaches in my life."
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
Steve Johnson blames God for his overtime drop
Buffalo Bills wide receiver Steve Johnson(notes) dropped an easy, game-winning touchdown pass against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday.
After the game, Johnson placed the blame for the flub not on himself nor the pass nor the lights nor the defender nor the pressure of the situation. Nope; he blamed it on the big guy upstairs
"I praise you 24/7!!!!!!And this how you do me!!!!!You expect me to learn from this???How???!!!Ill never forget this!!Ever!!Thx Tho..."
After the game, Johnson placed the blame for the flub not on himself nor the pass nor the lights nor the defender nor the pressure of the situation. Nope; he blamed it on the big guy upstairs
"I praise you 24/7!!!!!!And this how you do me!!!!!You expect me to learn from this???How???!!!Ill never forget this!!Ever!!Thx Tho..."
Texans' coach gives Andre Johnson a game ball despite ejection
Andre Johnson(notes) did enough with the football in his hands to deserve a game ball on Sunday. It was what else he did with those hands that will make his post-game reward controversial.
The Houston Texans receiver was awarded a game ball from coach Gary Kubiak despite getting ejected during the game for engaging in a vicious fistfight with Tennesee Titans cornerback Cortland Finnegan(notes). [Watch the clip and read about the incident.] Kubiak insists he gave Johnson the ball because his nine catches for 56 yards and a touchdown put him over 60 catches for the eighth-straight season, but the coach also led with a joke about the fight and appeared to relish in his star receiver's scrape.
Texans owner Bob McNair said afterward that he awarded the fight to Johnson "on points" and the team's website even boasted about Johnson's exploits on Twitter
But though his team delighted in the fight with Finnegan, Johnson was apologetic about it after the game:
"I really don't have anything to say about Cortland. I would like to apologize to the organization, our owner, and my teammates. What happened out there today was not me. I just lost my cool and I wish that I could take back what happened, but I can't. It's over and done with now. I'm pretty sure that I'll be disciplined for it. When that time comes, I'll find out what it is and have to deal with it from there ... I hope that I'm not suspended for the next game."
That's a man's apology right there. No qualifiers, no "if I offended anyone" caveats: Johnson knew he was wrong, took responsibility for it and will accept his punishment without complaint. He'll doubtlessly be fined and will be hoping to avoid a suspension that would cause him to miss Thursday night's game against the Philadelphia Eagles.
I don't blame Johnson for fighting Finnegan. As I wrote in Sunday's post about the fight, Finnegan prides himself on dishonorable play and is a bully on the field. He instigated the fight and got the result he deserved. Everyone knows that, even the Titans
So there's no need for Kubiak to draw attention to it. It's a classless move made more for the press than for his locker room. Praise Johnson behind closed doors for getting the best of a bully, give him a pat on the back and take the high road in public. Save the game balls for one of those games when Johnson earns it both with and without the football. Given that Johnson is one of the top receivers in football, there are plenty of opportunities to do that. For his sake, let's hope that includes this Thursday night.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Video: Broderick Brown's sideline tip drill may be physically impossible
With all the top-shelf playmakers Oklahoma State has populating the nation's No. 1 offense, the odds of the play of the year coming from the middling Cowboy defense are long, to say the least. But Broderick Brown and freshman Shaun Lewis are here tonight to mock your probabilities – as well as a Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones' pass efficiency rating and the general concept of gravity
The gravity-defying tip drill is what we refer to in the industry as "Pulling a Dansby," although in this case, the vaunted OSU offense wasn't able to capitalize on the turnover. In fact, it's not capitalizing on much of anything: Through eight first half possessions, the Cowboys have been forced to punt four times and turned it over twice. Without Lewis' first interception, a 52-yard pick-six for Oklahoma State's first touchdown, the Sooners' halftime lead would be even more ominous than it is at the moment, at 24-17.
But it still wouldn't overshadow Brown's sideline acrobatics, already well on their way to the finals for the defensive play of the year.
[Update, 11:25 p.m. ET] The final score is in: Oklahoma escapes with the wild road win, 47-41, thrusting the Big 12 South race into a three-way tie between Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M, a deadlock that will almost certainly be decided in the Sooners' favor when the BCS standings are released Sunday night. The highest-ranked of the three in the BCS will go on to face North Division champ Nebraska next week in Dallas in the final Big 12 Championship Game before the conference is slashed to 10 teams and no title game next year
The gravity-defying tip drill is what we refer to in the industry as "Pulling a Dansby," although in this case, the vaunted OSU offense wasn't able to capitalize on the turnover. In fact, it's not capitalizing on much of anything: Through eight first half possessions, the Cowboys have been forced to punt four times and turned it over twice. Without Lewis' first interception, a 52-yard pick-six for Oklahoma State's first touchdown, the Sooners' halftime lead would be even more ominous than it is at the moment, at 24-17.
But it still wouldn't overshadow Brown's sideline acrobatics, already well on their way to the finals for the defensive play of the year.
[Update, 11:25 p.m. ET] The final score is in: Oklahoma escapes with the wild road win, 47-41, thrusting the Big 12 South race into a three-way tie between Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M, a deadlock that will almost certainly be decided in the Sooners' favor when the BCS standings are released Sunday night. The highest-ranked of the three in the BCS will go on to face North Division champ Nebraska next week in Dallas in the final Big 12 Championship Game before the conference is slashed to 10 teams and no title game next year
Friday, November 26, 2010
Quinton Jackson humble in victory, irks his boss Dana White
Quinton "Rampage" Jackson and Dana White have some personality similarities. It's probably why the fighter and UFC owner bicker quite often. They both say what they feel and there isn't much of a filter.
Jackson won a narrow decision over Lyoto Machida at UFC 123, but was stunned when the announcement was made. Just seconds earlier, he was getting punched in the grill and losing the third round. His reaction added to the controversial nature of the decision and it didn't please his boss.
"Me and Rampage are getting along OK, but he pisses me off again," White said at the UFC 123 postfight press conference (2:15 mark -- video). "I had Rampage winning that fight two rounds to one. I scored that fight for Rampage. Rampage is slumping down and raising the other guy's hand and acting like he lost. I thought he won the fight."
It didn't seem like Jackson did anything wrong. After escaping with a tight decision win, it's pretty rare for a fighter to show that kind of honesty and class.
Forty-five minutes later, when Jackson entered the presser, he was in apology mode.
"I'm sorry man. I had just gotten done getting punched in the face a couple times," Jackson said (7:52 mark). "Don't pay me no mind.
"When I was in the fight I had a one-track mind, you know knockin' him out. In the third round, when he dominated me so much, I forgot what happened in the first two rounds. ... It's one of those things, at the time I thought I got my ass whooped because I was just getting up off the ground and he [just] ran a flurry up on my face."
That seems plausible. Jackson was probably a little stunned. With all the adrenaline flowing right after a match, fighters are speaking with raw emotion.
White looked at the entirety of the fight and liked what Rampage did over 15 minutes.
"That's not the fight I saw. He definitely put on that burst where he landed five or six punches and definitely rocked him. You don't win a fight off four or five punches," said White
Scoring is very subjective. Some judges, media members and fans like Octagon control and counterstriking. Others favor the man pushing the action. Compustrike backed the judges and White. Jackson outlanded Machida 59-38 in a fight that spent 12:28 of 15 minutes on the feet.
"Rampage was the aggressor. He moved forward the entire fight. Everytime Lyoto would go with that leg kick, he'd fire and go after him," said White. "I 100 percent had Rampage winning the first two rounds and had the third round going to Machida. Again, nobody gives a [expletive] what I think, but I'm not a judge. But that's how I scored the fight."
In the seconds following the fight, Jackson said several times that Machida deserved a rematch. White emphatically shot down that idea (6:10 mark).
"No, no," said White when asked about Rampage-Machida II. "As far as I'm concerned, and apparently as far as the judges are concerned, Rampage won that fight."
White then repeated his displeasure of Jackson's postfight behavior.
"Rampage is in there raising [Machida's] hand, slumping down, acting bummed out, acting surprised when he won," White said. "He won two rounds. It's a three-round fight. He won two of them."
With White in his presence during the presser, Jackson made sure not to repeat the rematch offer.
"This ain't my show. I don't own UFC homey. I just fight here," said Jackson (8:30).
Jackson also revealed that he almost had to back out of the fight after coming down with a stomach ailment he'd caught from his kids.
"Dana's always been there for me. Even if we don't see eye to eye all the time," Jackson said (9:40 mark). "I just couldn't tell Dana 'I cant make this fight because I'm sick.' He probably would've cussed me the [expletive] out."
Jackson comes out a big winner from this fight. He didn't complain about Machida's counterstriking style, as so many others have done. Fans who thought it was a boring fight should listen to Jackson when he says Machida is a beast. Jackson's reaction probably saved the Brazilian's reputation a bit too.
12 stitches for Obama after errant elbow in hoops
WASHINGTON – President Barack Obama needed 12 stitches in his lip after taking an errant elbow during a pickup basketball game Friday with a group of family and friends visiting for the Thanksgiving holiday, the White House said.
Press secretary Robert Gibbs said in a statement that Obama was inadvertently struck by an elbow. The elbow's owner wasn't identified.
Obama received the stitches under local anesthesia in the doctor's office on the ground floor White House after he returned home.
The president had traveled to nearby Fort McNair to indulge in one of his favorite athletic pursuits, basketball. It was a five-on-five contest involving family and friends and including Reggie Love, Obama's personal assistant who played at Duke University.
Obama emerged from the building after about 90 minutes of play, wearing short-sleeve T-shirt and gym pants, and was seen dabbing at his mouth with what appeared to be a wad of gauze. A few hours later, reporters who had gathered on the White House driveway for the arrival of the Christmas Tree saw the president in an upstairs window, pressing something white against his mouth.
"After being inadvertently hit with an opposing player's elbow in the lip while playing basketball with friends and family, the president received 12 stitches today administered by the White House Medical Unit," Gibbs said.
Buy ... this? LeBron James' new Nike logo?
We're as LeBron'd out as the rest of you, believe me, but people keep buying his wares and spinning his tales, so we feel it a capitalistic duty on this Black Friday to inform you that LeBron James(notes) has a new Nike logo.
And, yes, he's sticking with that "King James" thing. This is the part where you roll your eyes, and then look at the picture CNBC's Darren Rovell took yesterday
Saturday, November 20, 2010
Thursday, November 18, 2010
'Rampage' reborn
DETROIT – Quinton “Rampage” Jackson left a Memphis-area junior college in 1999 and began fighting for his supper. He starred as a mixed martial artist in low-level leagues in America, headed to Japan for five years before, in 2006, returning to become a star in the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
It’s a tough, unforgiving life. So when Hollywood called offering a staring role as “B.A. Baracus” in 2010 movie “The A-Team,” Jackson took it. Not surprisingly, it changed his life. There were months of filming, months of publicity, endless distractions.
Jackson isn’t one to make excuses, but after he looked uninspired in a loss to Rashad Evans in May – just before the movie released – the question became: Did the movie affect his day job?
“How couldn’t it?” said Dana White, president of the UFC.
Jackson returns to the Octagon for Saturday’s UFC 123, where he’ll take on light heavyweight Lyoto Machida in a battle of former champions. He looks in great shape, says he’s focused and really just wants to return to fighting the way he usually does – all out.
“I feel my last performance wasn’t exciting,” Jackson said Wednesday. “And anyone that really understands me and the way I like to fight, I like to put on a great show. That is one of the main reasons I decided (to become) a fighter. I like to entertain people and (make) exciting fights.”
This is why everyone – fan or foe – should at least appreciate Rampage Jackson. As the sport has changed and, in many ways, begun to favor multi-disciplined fighters, there is a question about whether guys such as Rampage can last. He’s a wrestler first and then a brawler. He has knockout power in both hands and is willing to take a shot to deliver one. He isn’t a Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt though.
He still enters the Octagon wearing a heavy chain around his neck, howling to get the crowd going. His goal is to make sure the judges have nothing to do. He’s only 32 years old yet has a 30-8 record, 21 of them by knockout or submission.
He always wants to know what White is offering as a bonus for fight, knockout or submission of the night.
“I like a little extra cheese,” he said with a laugh.
He’s one of those rollicking showmen that helped make MMA what it is. Whatever he lacks in polish, he makes up for in action.
“I feel that boxing has become very boring,” Jackson said. “And (now) too many (MMA) fighters (are) coming up with these crazy game plans and just fighting for points. I hate to see this sport turn itself into boxing. No one is even hitting the canvass these days. (Guys are) just trying to win by points.
“I just feel like, I like to have fights.”
I like to have fights. What’s not to like about that?
And so there was a sense of sheepishness on Wednesday as he discussed his performance against Evans. The two were bitter rivals for years, exchanging endless trash talk and expressing genuine disdain. Jackson isn’t always easy to like and watching the two personalities work as coaches on “The Ultimate Fighter” made many fans favor Evans.
And then Rampage went out and fought poorly. Evans won the decision in a fight that didn’t live up to the hype. The two had nearly come to blows multiple times through the years and when they finally got inside the cage it was sort of a dud.
Just over two years ago, Rampage was the UFC light heavyweight champion and a huge star for the promotion. Then he lost a close, controversial decision to Forrest Griffin. He came back and won twice before getting decisioned by Evans. Now he’s staring at the crossroads. He knows careers can slide as fast as they can climb in this sport. A two-fight losing streak is not something he wants to consider.
He refuses to blame the movie. He won’t blame anything, really. He just promises to do better Saturday.
Still, the distractions over the last year were there. He spent months out of the country filming. Then they shot the season of TUF in Las Vegas. Then he had to prep for A-Team publicity even as he was trying to train for Evans from the Wolf’s Lair facility in England. Then it was immediately back to work.
“The same night as my fight I was on a private jet to promote the movie and I did that for three months,” Rampage said.
Whatever it all was – and it’s fair to say the dangerous Evans had plenty to do with it also – that wasn’t the Rampage Jackson fans are used to seeing.
The Orange County, Calif. resident returned home this fall and set up camp locally. He said he’d been away from his kids for almost a year. He was finally able to combine intense training with the mental ease of spending time with his family.
Machida is a difficult opponent, a guy with a style that’s tough to crack. Yet after watching Mauricio “Shogun” Rua break his defense and knock him out, Rampage has to think there is a chance for a big-punching brawler. Maybe the days of the brawler aren’t over.
“When Rampage is on 100 percent, his timing is there and he’s in great shape, (then) he’s very aggressive,” White said. “He moves forward, he hits hard, he has great takedowns. Which Rampage shows up? If that’s the Rampage (that) shows up … it should be a fun fight.”
If nothing else, it should be a fight. And that, at the very least, is what “Rampage” Jackson wants to bring back
Roy’s knee is the one that scares Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers have been playing without center Greg Oden(notes) for three years now, pushing past 50 victories and reaching relevance again. They stopped counting on him. The regime responsible for drafting Oden over Kevin Durant(notes) has been pushed out, and a fresh front office bears no burden for a broken No. 1 pick.
Another microfracture surgery for Oden, as the team announced Wednesday, is just another step closer to the Blazers letting him leave this summer.
As much as the training staff likes Oden, it will have to take into account the mental toll that four years of flailing has taken on him. The issues which have surrounded him – his drinking, his deep emotional lows – play into the uncertainty around his future as much as the two microfracture surgeries on his knees.
The Blazers could survive without Oden, but their true star – Brandon Roy(notes) – has the knees which truly frighten the franchise.
The guard will miss the next two games with soreness in his left knee – a knee that has grown worse and worse. There’s damage and deterioration, and two league sources with direct knowledge of the medical prognosis on Roy say his days as an NBA All-Star, a franchise player, are probably over.
“There’s no real hope of it improving,” one league source with direct knowledge of the medical prognosis told Yahoo! Sports on Wednesday. “It’s just about trying to manage it now. He’s not going to be the franchise superstar that [Portland] thought he would be. This isn’t something they consider ‘fixable.’ ”
The Blazers have gathered multiple medical opinions on Roy, but there’s been no clear consensus, no course of action. The scenarios are still wide open. The team could try another surgery. They could limit his minutes, his games, his back-to-back appearances. All of those things are being discussed and likely will be implemented sooner than later. They keep taking Roy to more doctors, but there remains one thing that no one can offer for the beleaguered left knee: a solution.
Another source privy to the discussions between Blazers management, Roy and the doctors, simply says: “It’s bad and it’s not getting better.”
Before the season, general manager Rich Cho and his staff were so concerned about Roy’s knee that they conducted internal discussions to weigh the possibility of including him in trade proposals, sources said. Only, they never did. The most serious talks the Blazers had were with the New Orleans Hornets about Chris Paul(notes), sources said, and Cho never raised the possibility of including Roy in a trade. Cho understood that he couldn’t walk into a new job and immediately trade one of the most popular players in franchise history.
Privately, Roy is deeply troubled over the perception that he had to ask for his minutes to be reduced, that he isn’t willing to play through the pain. He’s been playing with two troubling knees for years now and understands that he’s lost his explosiveness, his quickness, and that he must search for solutions to save his career. For too long, he pushed too hard with the knee. He cares deeply, and everyone surrounding him is truly worried about his future with the Blazers.
When the Blazers started talks on Roy’s contract extension in the summer of 2009, franchise owner Paul Allen pushed for multiple contingencies to protect the organization. Nevertheless, then-GM Kevin Pritchard couldn’t handle the criticism in the Portland public and media, and eventually caved with an $82 million extension with only limited non-guaranteed money in the contract’s final year. The Blazers should’ve challenged Roy to try restricted free agency, but they didn’t have the stomach to fight that PR battle.
The beginning of the end for Pritchard came during Roy talks, sources say. Ownership felt he had undermined them with Roy and his reps, and that Pritchard didn’t back up their tough initial starting point in the talks. Before Roy’s extension was done, Pritchard was largely taken out of the discussions, and Blazers president Larry Miller started to gain control of basketball operations. Pritchard never recovered within the organization.
So much has started to unravel for a franchise with so much promise three years ago. Oden may never play another game for the Blazers. Roy may never be the same. And one of the NBA’s most respected coaches, Nate McMillan, could leave as a free agent this summer. Slowly, surely, the Blazers try to hold tight to something that’s slipping away.
Ultimately, Portland can live without the franchise player they never had in Greg Oden. Brandon Roy is something else, something special. He is the franchise player, the All-Star guard, and every day the fears that he’ll never be the same again grow worse and worse.
Oden’s plight breaks everyone’s heart, but Roy’s? This one could break the Blazers
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
UFC boss says he’ll rethink Lesnar vs. Mir III
OBERHAUSEN, Germany – Brock Lesnar (5-2 MMA, 4-2 UFC) and Frank Mir (14-5 MMA, 12-5 UFC) may not be completing their trilogy just yet.
Just one day after suggesting Lesnar vs. Mir III is a fight that "kind of makes sense" in the heavyweight division, UFC president Dana White now admits feedback received on his Twitter account is leading him away from arranging the matchup.
"People have been saying on my Twitter that they're not happy with that fight," White told MMAjunkie.com. "It's something I need to rethink."
Following Lesnar's heavyweight title loss to Cain Velasquez in October, reports began to surface in a number of locations that Lesnar vs. Mir III was in the works.
At a Friday Q&A session with the UFC Fight Club, White said those reports were a bit premature as he had not spoken to Lesnar since the former champion's UFC 121 defeat. However, he did seem intrigued with the notion.
"That fight kind of makes sense," White said on Friday. "So, we'll see."
But since White made that statement, fans have taken to the Internet to express their displeasure in the potential fight. While the UFC president believes it's unwise to pay too much attention to Internet message boards, White says those that took the time to address him on his official Twitter account have made their feelings known loud and clear.
"I usually don't gauge things by the Internet; the internet is [expletive] stupid," White said. "My Twitter I do.
"On my Twitter, there are 1.2 million people that care about this thing and everything else, and you don't get the goofy [expletive] that you get on the Internet."
Lesnar's October loss snapped a four-fight win streak that instantly catapulted him to the pinnacle of the sport's heavyweight division. Before meeting Velasquez, he earned victories over Heath Herring, Randy Couture, Mir and Shane Carwin.
Lesnar and Mir have shared a sometimes intense rivalry since they first met at UFC 81. Mir won that bout by first-round submission, and the two sniped at each other in the press after Lesnar became heavyweight champion by defeating Couture at UFC 91.
The two then met at UFC 100, and Lesnar avenged the loss when he knocked out Mir in the second round. In subsequent interviews, Mir pined for a rubber match, though he went silent after he gave an interview in which he wished death on Lesnar. White publicly chastised Mir and said it wouldn't happen again.
Mir most recently defeated Mirko "Cro Cop" Filipovic in the main event of UFC 119 a bout that largely was panned for its lack of action.
Carmelo Anthony: 'I'm not Chris Bosh'
It has become the season to pick on Chris Bosh(notes), apparently.
Sure, Chris doesn't make it any easier on himself by looking like the third wheel in the LeBron James(notes)/Dwyane Wade triptych, or by complaining about how his building in Canada wasn't equipped to receive NBA League Pass, or with a rebound rate (the percentage of all available rebounds you pull in) that rivals that of the ancient Grant Hill's(notes) this season ... but this statement from Carmelo Anthony(notes) seems a little low.
And a little accurate.
In speaking (on record!) with Peter Vecsey of the New York Post recently, Anthony wants you to know that he will not be emulating Bosh's final few months with the Toronto Raptors:
The lines of communication already had been connected almost immediately after the exaggerated trade report surfaced. Ever since the "news" hit the doorstep, [personnel bosses Josh] Kroenke and [Masai] Ujiri have sought out Anthony for opinions on team matters, just as he's gone to them with suggestions.
Both sides now know exactly what must be done. He wants to see the team improved within the next three months, or shown a plausible plan to get better this summer. He promises not to leave his team hanging.
"I'm not Chris Bosh," Anthony declared. "We're not the same person. What I do will be straight up. Management knows that."
Ouch. And you can't blame him for that. While speaking candidly about trying to find a reasonable end to this semi-trade demand may possibly net Anthony a fine, he is being honest about giving the Nuggets a few months to get their affairs in order while working with them (should he decide to leave) in an open and up-front manner.
Instead of, as Bosh did, deciding to break it to Raptors fans and employees alike that he was gonzo, via Twitter, on an early Friday evening during the first round of the playoffs.
Of course, elsewhere in the piece, Anthony does say this:
"I'm just like LeBron," Anthony emphasized in the Nuggets' locker room following Saturday's practice. "It's all about winning. That's all I care about. I want the chance to compete at the championship level. All the other stuff is irrelevant."
DeSean Jackson's unfortunate word choice: Eagles 'like pit bulls'
The Philadelphia Eagles came out in the first quarter Monday night and rained furious hell upon the hapless Redskins.
Led by a historically great performance by Michael Vick(notes), the offense ran up 28 points and cruised for 328 yards of offense in the first quarter. The defense allowed the Redskins nothing
How do you describe a tenacious, overwhelming performance like that? Well, DeSean Jackson found one interesting way, referencing a pregame shoving match with several Redskins (from USA Today):
"The pregame altercation got us going. It had us ready. We came back into the locker room pumped," Jackson said, via the AP.
"We were like pit bulls, ready to get out of the cage."
Please pause right here to approximate the awkward silence that must have followed Jackson's last sentence.
There is, of course, no reason to hold anything against DeSean Jackson(notes) here. People compare fights and fighters to pit bulls all the time, because when provoked to fight, the breed often shows a natural tenacity and stubborn refusal to quit fighting
Vick & Eagles embarrass McNabb & Redskins 59-28
LANDOVER, Md. (AP)—Forget about the contract: The Philadelphia Eagles weren’t happy with Donovan McNabb’s(notes) words. And they were thoroughly upset with LaRon Landry’s(notes) alleged dirty deeds, both before and during the game.
The best way to handle it? Have Michael Vick(notes) and the offense run up the score
On a day the Washington Redskins hoped to celebrate McNabb’s new contract and set aside the swirl of distractions from his benching two weeks earlier, Vick put up some gaudy numbers of his own and the Eagles stormed the party and embarrassed their NFC East rivals 59-28 Monday night
It was Vick, not McNabb, who played like a $78 million quarterback, accounting for six touchdowns. The Eagles marched down the field in one big chunk after another, putting new entries in the various record books along the way.
Vick became the first player in NFL history with at least 300 yards passing, 50 yards rushing, four passing touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns in a game. He hasn’t thrown an interception or lost a fumble this season.
“I’ve had some great games in my day,” Vick said. “But I don’t think I’ve had one quite like this one.”
Philadelphia center Mike McGlynn(notes) said the team was motivated by McNabb’s dig after the Redskins beat Philadelphia 17-12 last month. McNabb, speaking of the offseason trade that sent him to Washington, said at the time: “Everybody makes mistakes in their lifetime, and they made one last year.”
“Donovan had said some things after they beat us that fired us up, saying how they made a terrible decision and everybody makes mistakes,” McGlynn said. “I think we’re happy with where we are right now.”
Then there was a pregame skirmish between the teams on the field, forcing officials to step in and restore peace. McGlynn said Redskins safety Landry started it by saying something to receiver DeSean Jackson(notes). Notably, it was Landry who was beaten by Jackson on the first play from scrimmage, an 88-yard pass from Vick for the first of many scores.
[Rewind: Spotlight on Vick’s late arrival to game]
“Basically a guy tried to come over and intimidate us,” McGlynn said. “It was (No.) 30 again. He said some things to our star player he shouldn’t have said, and he got his. You can see on that first play. He got his.”
McGlynn also said he was spit on by Landry twice during extra points.
“That really fired us all up, and we really put the afterburners on,” McGlynn said. “It’s good to come out and score 60 points almost. We all want to play the game with all the respect in the world. When people come out and disrespect it like that, I think you’ve got to be more respectful of the game. That’s just a terrible thing. I think we just looked at it as ‘Hey, let’s keep pouring it on.”’
Landry denied spitting at McGlynn, saying: “I’m aggressive. I’m not that type of player.”
As far as the pregame confrontation, Landry described it as “typical talk.”
“Me and DeSean was talking, and they took it to another level,” Landry said.
Jackson’s take? He said there were “some disrespectful things” said by players who “take this football a little bit too serious.” But then he uttered what would appear to be an unintentionally insensitive remark, given Vick’s recent jail time on a dogfighting conviction.
“The pregame altercation got us going. It had us ready. We came back into the locker room pumped,” Jackson said. “We were like pit bulls, ready to get out of the cage.”
The Eagles led 35-0 after the first play of the second quarter. Vick completed his first 10 passes and finished 20 for 28 for 333 yards with four touchdowns. He also ran eight times for 80 yards and two scores, moving past Steve Young and into second place in NFL history for yards rushing by a quarterback.
The Eagles set team records for total yards in a game (592), points in a half (45) and had the biggest lead after the first quarter for any NFL road team (28-0) since at least 1950.
The win moved Philadelphia (6-3) into a first-place tie with the New York Giants in the division, with both teams two games ahead of the Redskins (4-5). The Eagles are 4-0 when Vick starts and finishes the game.
A few hours before kickoff, the Redskins signed McNabb to a five-year, $78 million contract extension with $40 million guaranteed, putting to rest any doubts as to whether he would remain the centerpiece of coach Mike Shanahan’s rebuilding effort. It was Washington’s first game since Shanahan benched McNabb in the final two minutes of a loss to Detroit, when the coach cited McNabb’s less-than-full grasp of the two-minute offense and later the quarterback’s lack of “cardiovascular endurance” stemming from sore hamstrings.
McNabb received a standing ovation and applauded the fans in return when he was introduced with the starting lineups, but most of those fans had left by halftime on a rainy night in which they heartily booed offense and defense alike.
“We just got embarrassed, from start to finish,” Redskins cornerback DeAngelo Hall(notes) said. “It’s frustrating to go out there on national TV and play the way we played. … Anybody that was watching that game thought it was a joke.”
McNabb finished 17 for 31 for 295 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions, nearly all of the yards coming after the Redskins had dug themselves a five-touchdown hole. Dimitri Patterson(notes) intercepted McNabb twice, returning one of them 40 yards for a touchdown in the third quarter.
Interestingly, Shanahan made McNabb finish the entire game this time, even with the game out of reach in the fourth quarter. McNabb said the news of the contract didn’t help in dealing with the loss.
“At this point, I’m angry,” he said.
The 45 first-half points allowed by the Redskins tied a franchise record, and the 59 total points were the most allowed by a team coached by Shanahan. It was almost as if the players had decided there was no incentive to play well, given that a teammate who got benched in the last game had just received a mega contract.
“We got outcoached. We got outplayed. They did everything right,” Redskins defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth(notes) said.
Monday, November 15, 2010
Vick will remember Eagles’ loyalty in 2011
Talk already has turned to the potential free agency of Michael Vick(notes) next season, and though Vick said his agents have not spoken to the Eagles about a new deal yet, the QB will remember who helped him return to prominence. "When nobody else wanted me, they did and I'll definitely have to take that into
consideration when it's time to make a decision," Vick told the media this week. And the Eagles clearly have a tough choice of their own, with backup Kevin Kolb(notes) the assumed quarterback of the future. But Vick said he has not let his contract situation affect the way he has played. One interesting factor that could sway his decision after the season is whether Marty Mornhinweg gets a head-coaching job, perhaps with the 49ers if Mike Singletary is not retained. Our sources have raved about the work Mornhinweg has done on a daily basis with Vick, and the QB could follow the coach if the right situation comes up somewhere else.
Todd Haley will not play nice with Josh McDaniels
That fantastic photograph by Justin Edmonds for Getty Images pretty much tells the story. Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley didn't offer a handshake to Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels after the game. Instead, he appeared to offer a stern mini lecture.
About what? Well, that's not entirely clear. Haley, on the wrong end of a 49-29 stomping that wasn't as close as the final score would indicate, talked a little bit about it after the game, but didn't go into specifics.
"That's a private time between head coaches that has become not so private, but the key I would say, probably the thing that you're asking about, is that I've been in this enough as an assistant coach, as a head coach now, to be in some of these games. And the important thing for me as a head coach is that our team continue to just play hard and play our hearts out and keep fighting until the end.
"Sometimes, you see indicators on the other side of where that team thinks the game is. We've been on the other side of this and we've been on this side of it and we've been ... again, let's just keep it at that."
[Photos: More intense moments for Todd Haley]
That's pretty vague, but Dennis J. Georgatos of the FanHouse speculates that Haley might feel like some of the Broncos were a little too jovial on the sidelines after the game was well in hand for the Broncos. Jim Trotter of Sports Illustrated says it might have been because the Broncos, with their starters still in the game, were going deep with a 32-point fourth-quarter lead.
Vic Lombardi of The Denver Sports Insiders asked McDaniels about the snub, and his reply was, "Ask him. I'm going to focus on my team."
I think it's great. Not running up the score -- that's a chump move to try to humiliate a beaten opponent. But a little bit of conflict and discord have never failed to enhance an intradivisional rivalry, and if McDaniels and Haley don't care for each other, that's just a little bonus spice twice a year for Chiefs vs. Broncos games.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Pennington becomes Miami’s starting QB
DAVIE, Fla. (AP)—A text message Chad Pennington(notes) received at home provided the first hint of a promotion.
“Can you stop by please,” read the message from Miami Dolphins coach Tony Sparano.
“That ‘please’ kind of threw me,” Pennington said later.
Starting quarterbacks enjoy deferential treatment, and Sparano announced the change Wednesday, pulling the plug on the Chad Henne(notes) experiment in favor of a 34-year-old coming off the latest operation on his right shoulder.
“They both have strengths, and certainly weaknesses,” Sparano said. “At this particular time, my decision is Chad Pennington’s strengths might be suited a little bit more for where we need to be.”
The Dolphins (4-4) play host to Tennessee on Sunday, when Pennington will make his first start since his season-ending shoulder injury in Week 3 last year. He contemplated retirement but re-signed with Miami, where he has won praise as Henne’s mentor.
The two are good friends, and they met for an hour Tuesday after being informed of the lineup change.
“We got teary-eyed, because we have a really good relationship,” Pennington said. “The good thing about this situation is he’s on the front end of his career, and I’m on the back end of mine. So we’re not two dogs fighting over the same piece of meat.”
Henne agreed that his bond with Pennington remains strong.
“I’m going to stick by him and help him out as much as I can, and we’re in it together,” Henne said. “We’re in it to win a championship.”
The Dolphins began the season believing they were set for years to come with Henne. He became the starter in his second NFL season last year and threw for 2,878 yards, and he was on pace for 3,800 this year.
But the offense has scored only 11 touchdowns, which ties for second-worst in the NFL.
“The quarterbacks a lot of times are the ones put on the cross if things aren’t going well,” running back Ronnie Brown(notes) said. “They get the brunt of the backlash. But we’re all responsible for what we’re supposed to do.”
In 21 career starts, Henne has topped 300 yards five times, which is more than any passer in the Dolphins’ 45-year history except Dan Marino. But Henne threw 23 interceptions and only 20 touchdown passes while leading Miami to a record of 11-10.
“There are obviously things that I can want back,” Henne said. “Turnovers glare at you, and some of the decision-making.”
The offseason addition of Brandon Marshall(notes) gave Henne a Pro Bowl target, but they hooked up for only one score. Henne has 10 interceptions this year, including three in Sunday’s loss at Baltimore, and only eight scoring passes.
The switch caught Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher by surprise. Henne threw for 349 yards but also had three interceptions in an overtime loss against Tennessee last year.
“We’ll have to shift gears a little bit,” Fisher said. “I personally didn’t feel like Chad Henne was playing that bad. I’ve always been a Henne fan.”
If Miami’s productivity fails to improve under Pennington, Henne might be back in the lineup soon. Asked if the quarterback situation is now a week-to-week decision, Sparano said: “Chad Pennington is the quarterback right now.”
The coach made the change mindful of the need for a surge in the standings. The Dolphins trail New England and the New York Jets by two games in the AFC East and lost to both teams at home, but their schedule eases in the second half of the season.
“It is time to move,” Sparano said. “If you don’t move during this month, you’re going to be in the also-rans.”
He said he remains optimistic about the young quarterback’s future.
“This is not an indictment on Chad Henne at all,” Sparano said. “It’s not an indictment on his future. This player has gotten an awful lot better. But at this particular time, it’s something I believe I need to do for our team.”
Pennington, an 11th year pro, came to the Dolphins in 2008 and won the league’s comeback player of the year award for the second time. He earned the affectionate nickname “Coach Pennington” from teammates because of his take-charge personality, and threw for 3,653 yards to help transform the Dolphins into AFC East champions one year after a 1-15 season.
Arm strength has never been Pennington’s forte, and he has said his right shoulder probably won’t be 100 percent this season. He has dealt with soreness at times, but Wednesday’s practice left him encouraged.
“Things went really smooth,” he said. “I felt really good throwing the ball. I felt like today was my best day throwing since I’ve been here.”
“Can you stop by please,” read the message from Miami Dolphins coach Tony Sparano.
“That ‘please’ kind of threw me,” Pennington said later.
Starting quarterbacks enjoy deferential treatment, and Sparano announced the change Wednesday, pulling the plug on the Chad Henne(notes) experiment in favor of a 34-year-old coming off the latest operation on his right shoulder.
“They both have strengths, and certainly weaknesses,” Sparano said. “At this particular time, my decision is Chad Pennington’s strengths might be suited a little bit more for where we need to be.”
The Dolphins (4-4) play host to Tennessee on Sunday, when Pennington will make his first start since his season-ending shoulder injury in Week 3 last year. He contemplated retirement but re-signed with Miami, where he has won praise as Henne’s mentor.
The two are good friends, and they met for an hour Tuesday after being informed of the lineup change.
“We got teary-eyed, because we have a really good relationship,” Pennington said. “The good thing about this situation is he’s on the front end of his career, and I’m on the back end of mine. So we’re not two dogs fighting over the same piece of meat.”
Henne agreed that his bond with Pennington remains strong.
“I’m going to stick by him and help him out as much as I can, and we’re in it together,” Henne said. “We’re in it to win a championship.”
The Dolphins began the season believing they were set for years to come with Henne. He became the starter in his second NFL season last year and threw for 2,878 yards, and he was on pace for 3,800 this year.
But the offense has scored only 11 touchdowns, which ties for second-worst in the NFL.
“The quarterbacks a lot of times are the ones put on the cross if things aren’t going well,” running back Ronnie Brown(notes) said. “They get the brunt of the backlash. But we’re all responsible for what we’re supposed to do.”
In 21 career starts, Henne has topped 300 yards five times, which is more than any passer in the Dolphins’ 45-year history except Dan Marino. But Henne threw 23 interceptions and only 20 touchdown passes while leading Miami to a record of 11-10.
“There are obviously things that I can want back,” Henne said. “Turnovers glare at you, and some of the decision-making.”
The offseason addition of Brandon Marshall(notes) gave Henne a Pro Bowl target, but they hooked up for only one score. Henne has 10 interceptions this year, including three in Sunday’s loss at Baltimore, and only eight scoring passes.
The switch caught Tennessee coach Jeff Fisher by surprise. Henne threw for 349 yards but also had three interceptions in an overtime loss against Tennessee last year.
“We’ll have to shift gears a little bit,” Fisher said. “I personally didn’t feel like Chad Henne was playing that bad. I’ve always been a Henne fan.”
If Miami’s productivity fails to improve under Pennington, Henne might be back in the lineup soon. Asked if the quarterback situation is now a week-to-week decision, Sparano said: “Chad Pennington is the quarterback right now.”
The coach made the change mindful of the need for a surge in the standings. The Dolphins trail New England and the New York Jets by two games in the AFC East and lost to both teams at home, but their schedule eases in the second half of the season.
“It is time to move,” Sparano said. “If you don’t move during this month, you’re going to be in the also-rans.”
He said he remains optimistic about the young quarterback’s future.
“This is not an indictment on Chad Henne at all,” Sparano said. “It’s not an indictment on his future. This player has gotten an awful lot better. But at this particular time, it’s something I believe I need to do for our team.”
Pennington, an 11th year pro, came to the Dolphins in 2008 and won the league’s comeback player of the year award for the second time. He earned the affectionate nickname “Coach Pennington” from teammates because of his take-charge personality, and threw for 3,653 yards to help transform the Dolphins into AFC East champions one year after a 1-15 season.
Arm strength has never been Pennington’s forte, and he has said his right shoulder probably won’t be 100 percent this season. He has dealt with soreness at times, but Wednesday’s practice left him encouraged.
“Things went really smooth,” he said. “I felt really good throwing the ball. I felt like today was my best day throwing since I’ve been here.”
Monday, November 8, 2010
Spike TV exec says “The Ultimate Fighter” still fresh, seeking fighters over feuds
Part fight tournament, part male soap opera, Spike TV's long-running series "The Ultimate Fighter" has launched the career of dozens of UFC fighters.
But critics of the show point to the sometimes outlandish behavior of the fighters residing in the "TUF" house as a potential black-eye on the still-growing sport of mixed martial arts.
While the antics began in season one with Chris Leben and reached a fever pitch on the eighth edition with Junie Browning, Spike TV senior vice president Brian Diamond insists his network isn't actively seeking miscreants for the sake of ratings.
"There's a couple of things that are just taking place naturally in society and pop culture," Diamond told MMAjunkie.com (www.mmajunkie.com). "Anybody who's between the ages 21 and 34 most of the guys are probably in their 20s that come here they're living in a society where reality television is around them all the time. They're vlogging. They're blogging. They're on websites and Tweeting. The idea of having a sense of personality and being visual, it's something that's part of their normal lives.
"We're finding it, I wouldn't say easier, but less of a challenge for guys to come in with some level of personality."
Each season, hundreds of hopefuls show up to open tryouts around the globe hoping to get picked for the show based on their grappling and striking prowess. But the final stage of approval is an interview process where television executives try to determine who will provide a personality suitable for Spike TV airwaves.
But Diamond insists the company isn't actively seeking potential train wrecks.
"The reality is, with Junie, he came to us," Diamond said. "It wasn't like we said, 'Let's go find us a Junie Browning.' That guy was in casting two other times before he actually got cast on the show.
"The tough part with him is like anything else. You see a guy who's got raw talent and abilities, it's just his demons got in the way. You really wanted to give him an opportunity to see if he could weed those demons out. Unfortunately, it didn't necessarily happen, but it's like an MMA fight: you don't know how it's going to end until it ends because anything can happen in the last five seconds of the third round."
Diamond points to a particular member of the current 12th season of "The Ultimate Fighter," featuring UFC welterweight champion Georges St-Pierre and challenger Josh Koscheck in coaching roles, as the perfect example of how personalities can prove interesting without being destructive.
"[Fighters] know; they see the show," Diamond said. "They know that they have to be interesting. They don't have to be crazy, necessarily, but they just have to be interesting personalities.
"You watch Jonathan Brookins this season, and compared to 'Bruce Leeroy' (Alex Caceres), he's more low-key, but he's just as interesting. People want to get in his head and know who he is. There's almost an aura and a mystery around him. He's not boring. That's the difference."
Some critics suggest "The Ultimate Fighter" has run its course. Designed as a means to introduce the public to MMA, the show follows a similar format from season to season. Some suggest that format is stale, but Diamond disagrees.
"We challenge ourselves," Diamond said. "The fights to get into the house, adding the wild card, trying to find a unique combination of coaches whether it's Tito (Ortiz) and Chuck (Liddell), Rashad (Evans) and 'Rampage' (Jackson) or when Kimbo Slice came into the mix, those are things that we try to challenge ourselves on. But the reality is, people are still watching it.
"That would be like saying, I'm not going to watch the Daytona 500 because it's the same race ever year. Well, there are different drivers. We don't know what's going to happen. That's the reality, and in those things, they don't even tweak anything. They don't go like, 'Oh, the top three seeds have to be 50 yards back in the pack.' It's the same race.
"Super Bowl. World Series. The designated hitter was the last real big thing that entered baseball years ago. We always challenger ourselves to try and come up with something interesting and different, but we don't want to do anything contrived. We don't want to make it feel unorganic to the process."
Diamond points to UFC matchmaker Joe Silva's involvement in the selection process as proof of the value of the show. And while the Spike TV executive believes the show is still viable as entertaining programming, he believes there is also a real demand for "The Ultimate Fighter" by the mixed martial arts community.
"You see the change in the quality of the guys who come through here," Diamond said. "Used to be, you'd see guys who are really skilled in one set or another, or guys who were real novices who were just coming here for the fun of it. Now you see guys who are really dead serious and are more four- or five-tool players.
"We've also changed the qualifications a little bit. You have to have three pro fights. We were starting to get a lot of guys that would walk up to the table that had amateur records or no records at all. The skill-level is such that you've got to really know what you're doing to be on the show and get into the UFC. To that extent, it's really good because the quality of the guys is great, and I think there's even more of them out there that are even better."
Cowboys’ Jones forced to audition Garrett
Interim Dallas Cowboys coach Jason Garrett has the derisive nickname of “Redheaded Jesus” among many members of the Big D media. It’s a reference to how, after the 2007 season, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones gave Garrett a $3 million per year contract to keep the then-assistant from pursuing head-coaching opportunities with the Baltimore Ravens and Atlanta Falcons
Jones also made it clear that Garrett was the coach-in-waiting once the team was done with Wade Phillips, a coincidental twist considering the current situation. Finally, when the Cowboys spent the 2008 training camp with HBO’s “Hard Knocks,” Garrett got so much face time that he appeared to be more in charge than Phillips.
Garrett seemed to walk on water in the eyes of Jones and the rest of Cowboys management.
Now, Jones hopes Garrett can maneuver the Cowboys out of the mud and muck of a 1-7 disaster. The situation can’t get much worse after the Cowboys lost 45-7 to Green Bay on Sunday night – and the game wasn’t as close as that lopsided score. The situation was so bad that Jones, who has never fired a coach at midseason and at least five times said Phillips would finish, was left with nothing to do but make a change.
A big part of the motivation is that Jones still hopes to salvage Garrett. The only way to do that was to give Garrett a chance now.
“Could you imagine trying to sell [Garrett] to the fans [in the offseason] if they kept playing like this and he was the offensive coordinator?” a source close to Garrett said, rhetorically. “That wasn’t going to work. Jerry has to sell the fans for next year that something is going to turn this around. Jason has eight games to show something.”
With the team playing as if it hadn’t practiced at all (rather than the fact that the Cowboys had the longest training camp of any squad in the league), the perception is that no one involved with the coaching of this franchise is qualified to be part of the solution.
Thus, Garrett had to be put in a position of control now to get a start on cleansing the stench of this season from his skin. On Monday, Jones even started to lay some groundwork (some may call it wishful thinking) for Garrett to be the next permanent head coach.
“Jason certainly has been a part of long-term thinking for the Dallas Cowboys, for me,” Jones said during Monday’s media address. “I do believe Jason has the temperament, the disposition to affect a coach change. I think this is important. … His style is one that I think can be real effective. … He does have the opportunity to get the job long term. That opportunity would be obvious if we would do outstanding as a team.”
Fair enough, but really selling Garrett later on required that he get that chance now. Otherwise, Jones would be cornered into making another high-profile hire along the lines of Bill Parcells. Jon Gruden and Bill Cowher are the obvious names that carry weight to get fans excited.
Garrett, though, can influence Jones’ decision-making by showing him something in the season’s final two months. And realistically, the situation can’t get any worse. Before this season, the Cowboys were talking about becoming the first team to play a Super Bowl in its home stadium. That talk wasn’t unrealistic at the time
Now, some of the current Cowboys will be lucky to be parking cars at Cowboys Stadium come the first Sunday in February.
What has happened to the Cowboys is preposterous. While the team has lost quarterback Tony Romo(notes) to injury (fractured left clavicle), that only partially explains the past three losses. It doesn’t explain the collapse of the defense, which Phillips ran. That group, which includes Pro Bowlers DeMarcus Ware(notes), Jay Ratliff(notes) and Terence Newman(notes) has been a joke. Nothing demonstrates how little respect the team had for Phillips than the incompetence of the defense this season.
In that regard, just firing Phillips will be enough of a shot across the bow. The only way Jones could have been more direct with the message Monday is if it had been delivered by Ted Allen, the host of Food Network’s “Chopped.”
But even this eight-game tryout for Garrett may not be enough to make him marketable to the public. Really, Garrett has been as much of the problem as Phillips. Since a strong first season as offensive coordinator in 2007, Dallas’ offense has been inconsistent. Spectacular at times? Sure. Awful at times? Yep.
Jones talked about how Garrett has managed the offense to the three most productive statistical seasons in team history. That’s true, but don’t confuse statistics with winning.
The Cowboys have an offense that’s great when it’s playing with a lead because it has the personnel to milk the clock. However, one of Dallas’ issues this season is that it’s second to last in rushing (75.6 yards per game). While the running backs can be blamed for failing to produce, Garrett’s heavy reliance on passing has to be questioned. The play-calling deserves further scrutiny when you consider that the lumbering offensive line isn’t good at pass blocking. It is fair to say that Garrett hasn’t found a solution to that problem during his three-and-a-half seasons as the coordinator.
Garrett has been unable to do that despite having great talent at his disposal. Romo may have his faults, but he’s clearly an above-average player. The other skill positions have consistently been loaded with the likes of Jason Witten(notes), Miles Austin(notes), Felix Jones(notes), Marion Barber(notes), Terrell Owens(notes), Roy Williams and now rookie Dez Bryant(notes).
Winning with backup quarterback Jon Kitna(notes) shouldn’t have been so difficult. Instead, the Cowboys have turned into quitters. That’s harsh, but it’s true. This team quit on Phillips and on themselves. They have already reached the lowest point possible for a team.
Garrett can only make it better. The question is: How much better is enough for him to be the long-term solution?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)