Monthly Archive: January 2013

Jan 31

Red Sox Should be AL’s Most Improved Team

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MLB

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new players

Red Sox nation will be looking towards 2013 to help them forget the dismal season that was 2012. The Sox finished last in the AL east and had the third worst record in the AL. The promise new manager Bobby Valentine brought to the team quickly evaporated when he called out Kevin Youkilis for not playing hard enough. The Red Sox never seemed to recover from this controversy. They proceeded to trade Youkilis, then went on to complete a blockbuster deal with the Dodgers sending them Josh Beckett, Carl Crawford, and Adrian Gonzalez. Add on top of that injuries to Jacoby Ellsbury, Andrew Bailey, and others and the result was a disastrous season.

Gone is the distraction that was Bobby Valentine . In comes John Farrell, the former Red Sox pitching coach during their 2007 title run. Farrell is a guy who knows how Boston works. He understands how to manage the media and fans, and should be able to avoid controversy unlike his predecessor. Farrell has quickly looked to transform this team and put a new face on it with Boston’s offseason moves.

The Red Sox midseason salary dump trade to the Dodgers freed up a bunch of cash to spend this offseason. No, they didn’t sign major deals with the top free agents Josh Hamilton or Zack Greinke. But they did add some pieces that should lead to a drastic improvement over last year. Shane Victorino, Mike Napoli, Jonny Gomes, and Joel Hanrahan headline to Sox offseason acquisitions. While they may not be the flashiest names, they add something the Red Sox desperately missed last season, character and toughness. Every one of these players embodies what it means to play in a Red Sox uniform, something that has been missing since the likes of Kevin Millar and Jason Varitek left Beantown. Now the Sox will be hoping they can return to the glory Millar and Varitek brought them with their 2004 and 2007 World Series wins.

The Red Sox don’t have the most talented roster in the AL east. But they do have a new manager, new roster, and new attitude.  It shouldn’t be difficult for them to exceed their 69 win total of last season.  An improvement of 15-20 wins should be easily obtainable.

 

 

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Jan 30

49ers CB Chris Culliver Warns Gay Teammates

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NFL

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downloadWe have all heard rants and raves about gay men in pro sports specially in the NFL. The question still remains the same. Who cares? I spent a long time in the military and could careless if the guy next to me was gay.

Chris Culliver on the other apparently does care. Culliver, a second year cornerback on the 49ers, did an interview with comedian Artie Lange. When Artie Lange asked Culliver about having a gay teammate this was his comments.

“I don’t do the gay guys man,” Culliver said. “I don’t do that. No, we don’t got no gay people on the team, they gotta get up out of here if they do.

“Can’t be with that sweet stuff. Nah … can’t be … in the locker room man. Nah.”

Let me stop you here, If you’re heading to the Super Bowl and you actually have these feelings, why pick this week to express them? Do you not realize you will be criticized at every level? Don’t you realize that you’re a professional athlete and no matter what you say innocent or not, the comment will be taken out of context?

Culliver went onto suggest that homosexual athletes keep their sexuality to themselves until 10 years after they retire.

Culliver you’re an idiot. We as fans can careless about your thoughts on homosexuality. On a side-note, at least this took the light of Ray Lewis for a split second.

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Jan 29

Missing Pieces for U.S. in Upcoming WBC

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MLB

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logoThe United States’ roster for the upcoming World Baseball Classic is by no means weak.  Superstars like Giancarlo Stanton and Ryan Braun anchor a decent lineup and the rotation features reigning NL CY Young award winner R.A. Dickey.

But you have to honestly ask yourself, is this the best roster the U.S. could field? Clearly it is not.  It’s not even a top five roster in my opinion.  If you took this roster and had them play out an entire season in the AL west I’m not even sure they would finish in the top two.

It’s no secret that other countries, especially those in Latin America and Asia, are taking the competition much more seriously.  The only good news for to the United States team is its relatively weak bracket, especially compared to group C which features Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, and Venezuela.  The two squads most likely to challenge the U.S.  in group D are Mexico and Canada. But both teams have major leaguers on the roster and could keep the games between them and the U.S relatively close.  Would I be surprised if the U.S. doesn’t make it out of that group? Absolutely.  But I would be more surprised if they actually won the tournament.

The lack of urgency from American players to participate in the tournament should be troubling to anyone who wants to see the WBC succeed. I understand that players don’t want to risk being hurt, but are they really more likely to be hurt in the WBC than they would during a Spring Training game? I doubt it.  And the injury excuse hasn’t stopped other players from representing their countries.  When you look at the other serious contenders to win the tournament, most of them got their best players to sign up. No questions asked.  Venezuela has Miguel Cabrera and Albert Pujols will likely play for the Dominican Republic.  Even young prospects who have everything to lose like Juricksan Profar (Netherlands) will be participating.  The same cannot be said for the United States.  Superstars like Justin Verlander and Buster Posey won’t be there.  Neither will young and exciting players like Mike Trout nor Bryce Harper be in attendance.

When you don’t put your best forward you shouldn’t expect to win.  In any sporting competition it often comes down to who wants it more.  And unfortunately U.S. players have demonstrated that their priorities are elsewhere.

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Jan 28

Alex Smith To Ask For Release After Super Bowl

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NFL

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Alex SmithWhile looking like something out of a movie we have actually seen this scenario before. The starting quarterback goes down with an injury and the young, fresh, backup comes in and leads his team to the Super Bowl.

Just as Kurt Warner replaced Trent Green in 1999 and Tom Brady replaced Drew Bledsoe in 2001, Colin Kaepernick has now completely replaced Alex Smith. Whether he wins Super Bowl MVP or not this Sunday, the 25-year old Kaepernick is clearly the new face of the San Francisco 49ers. There’s even a super-sized image of him on the facade of the team’s hotel in New Orleans.

So where does this leave the 2005 number one overall pick? Pro Football Talk has reported that Smith will ask for his release immediately following the Super Bowl. While he has maintained a professional relationship with Kaepernick and the rest of the team, Smith must be bitter about his situation. Just one year ago Smith brought the Niners to within one game of a championship and appeared to be on the verge of becoming the type of franchise-player the team hoped he’d be. Now just like Green and Bledsoe, Smith will have to watch a young phenom quarterback ‘his’ team in the Super Bowl.

Last March Smith signed a three-year contract that will pay him $7.5 million in base salary and a $1 million bonus in 2013. So with Kaepernick’s price to increase this offseason, it was likely the Niners were going to trade Smith. But Smith would rather be released as soon as possible to have more time to decide where he will be playing next season. And with the upcoming draft lacking any real prospects, teams like the Chiefs, Eagles and Browns will likely jump at the chance to land a quarterback like Alex Smith.

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Jan 28

Hurricanes are Legit Final Four Threat

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NCAA

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Last week the Miami Hurricanes asserted themselves as the story of college basketball. The Canes started off 4-0 in the ACC and surprisingly ahead of traditional powers like UNC, Duke, and Maryland and then destroyed Duke on national television in front of a packed home crowd. After a dominant win over rival Florida State, the Canes are showing that this story isn’t ending any time soon.

 

At 6-0 and with a two game lead in the ACC—Miami has asserted itself as not just a player for the conference crown but as a legit Final Four threat as well.

 

This isn’t a typo—Miami is a darkhorse national title contender.

 

Before you laugh check out this team’s DNA. It’s a senior-laden roster that is led by three legitimate NBA prospects in big man Kenny Kadji, wing man Durand Scott, and point guard Shane Larkin. All three are seniors who play over 34 minutes a night and all three are playing like All- ACC first teamers.

 

Miami is not just reliant on those three stars. The Canes have a roster of five men who average double-figures scoring a game. Few teams can boast that kind of balance from all over the floor.

Jim Larranaga's system has let to net cutting before. This year's Canes squad is equipped to do just that again.

Jim Larranaga’s system has lead to net cutting before. This year’s Canes squad is equipped to do just that again.

 

Why are the Canes capable of scoring from just about anywhere? The vision of head coach Jim Larranaga. At George Mason, Larranaga annually had successful teams that were predicated off tenacious team defense and a balanced roster that shared the scoring load. Larranaga’s best team in 2006 also featured five players who averaged double-figures and they rode this style en route to their stunning run to the Final Four.

 

The Hurricanes number one asset is their experience. Let’s take a look at the last  ten championship teams to get an idea on how crucial experience can be in March. Only two of the last eight national title teams had freshman lead players. Those teams would be Syracuse in 2003 and last year’s Kentucky squad as each were led by Carmelo Anthony and Anthony Davis, respectively. As these two men were the face of their team’s—they were also surrounded by talented upper-classmen who contributed around them. The 2004/2011 Uconn, 2005/2009 North Carolina, 2006/2007 Florida, 2008 Kansas, and 2010 Duke teams were all led by at the very least juniors and only the 2006 Gators were a sophomore laden bunch.

 

This year’s top 10 is littered with teams that return seniors, juniors, and sophomores while the traditional freshman heavy squads like UCLA and Kentucky are struggling to crack the top 25.

 

Led by emotional leader, Shane Larkin, the Canes are going to be a tough out for anyone this March.

Led by emotional leader, Shane Larkin, the Canes are going to be a tough out for anyone this March.

Check out Miami’s schedule, they’re not news. This team has been playing solid ball all season long. This team defeated Michigan State back in November and has two ugly losses to Florida Gulf Coast University and Indiana State—two schools that could win their conferences this February.

 

Go outside and look up in the sky. I promise you that you won’t see any pigs flying. The U is for real in hoops. Don’t be shocked if they’re cutting down nets this March.

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Jan 28

D-League Team Interested in Allen Iverson

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NBA

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Could Allen Iverson be attempting another comeback? We’ll soon have an answer.

 

This time however, it won’t be in the NBA or even overseas; The Texas Legends of the D-league are asking for the former MVP’s services.

 

It’s unknown whether he is interested in the gig; however, it was reported in 2010 by 76ers beat writer, Kate Fagan, that Iverson was virtually broke.

 

If the 37-year-old were to return—it would mark yet another strange turn in the downward spiral of one of sport’s most controversial figures.

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Jan 28

#1 Prospect Robert Nkemdiche Eyes Gators and LSU Over Ole Miss

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High School Sports, NCAA

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Robert Nkemdice. Photo credit espn.com

Robert Nkemdice. Photo credit espn.com

Last time we brought you news of number one high school football prospect Robert Nkemdiche, it was because his father was possibly going to get a job that would help lure his son to Ole Miss. Just a few weeks later and the interwebs are buzzing that Robert may buck Ole Miss altogether.

 

Nkemdiche was all set to go to Ole Miss and join his brother, but that was before he started making rounds on his official visits. On January 20th, Robert went down to The Swamp, and had his first official visit at any school, at Florida. The visit went well enough that there is talk that Nkemdiche may be reconsidering his commitment to Ole Miss.

 

Muschamp

Will Muschamp is happy Robert Nkemdiche enjoyed his visit to Gainesville, and even more so that he won the approval of Robert’s father

After the visit, Nkemdiche said that he wants to see if he can bond with the coaches and players in Oxford the same way he did in Gainesville. His father, the doctor in the middle of the Ole Miss recruiting scandal, also “liked Will Muschamp a lot.”

 

Knemdiche was quoted as saying, “It was fun hanging out with the other Florida commitments. I met a lot of them during practice for the Under Armour All-America Game, and they all told me good players like to play with other good players, which is true. They were just letting me know we could do great things together at Florida and continue that tradition in Gainesville. I think I could make a big impact at Florida and really help this incoming class a lot.”

 

Nkemdiche has an official visit to LSU this coming weekend. Robert’s robert-nkemdiche-under-armour-all-americabrother Denzel, already plays football for the Rebels, so fans from Oxford aren’t too worried about his visit to the bayou. But maybe they should be. Florida and LSU are clearly better programs, when it comes to success on the football field. They both get more games on national TV, compete for a conference title every year, and in the SEC that means competing for the BCS title year in and year out. Ole Miss is the definition of SEC mediocrity.

 

Nkemdiche may choose one of the other schools he’s visiting, if for no other reason than to rid himself of the “recruiting scandal” that has surfaced at Ole Miss.

 

We will all find out Nkemdiche‘s final decision as early as February 6th, which is national signing day.

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Jan 27

Michael Bourn’s List of Suitors is Shrinking, Where Will He Land?

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MLB

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Michael Bourn remains unsigned as the start of spring training gets closer and closer. He is the top position player that has not found a home. As the list of possible teams that will make a run

for him gets smaller I will try and tell you who will finally give this speedy centerfielder the contract he is looking for.

With Michael Bourn you are paying for his speed and defensive abilities. He is a decent leadoff hitter that will get himself into scoring position by stealing bases if he gets on. He plays good glove defense in a premium position but that is all you are really getting.

He has very similar numbers to Chone Figgins when he became a free agent and got a big contract from the Seattle Mariners. Figgins actually had slightly better numbers but I wouldn’t expect Bourn to drop off so fast like Figgins did. Bourn can go one of two ways, take a higher value one year deal and try and get a multiyear deal next offseason or continue to hold out for a 4 or 5 year deal this offseason.

If he holds out for a longer contract there are only a few teams that will go for that. The team that he would seem to make the most sense with long term would be the Mariners. They are in need of any offense they can get their hands on. We have seen recently with Josh Hamilton not wanting to sign there and Justin Upton vetoing a trade to them that they can’t seem to bring players in. They will have a good shot at signing Bourn because he has had to wait this ling and doesn’t have many other options. They might be scared away because of their signing of Figgins back in 2010.

If he choses to take a one-year deal his potential list of suitors will increase. The team that could use him for one year would be the Tampa Bay Rays. They could use him in center allowing Desmond Jennings to stay in left and let Wil Myers stay in the minors delaying his arbitration clock. The problem with this signing is the Rays don’t normally give big contracts to free agents. They might be desperate to keep up in the very talented AL East.

I think two surprise teams could be the Detroit Tigers and the Cincinnati Reds. If Bourn were to sign with Detroit he could play left field or allow Austin Jackson to slide over to left giving them 3 centerfielders in what would be a very good defensive outfield. If he were to sign with Cincinnati he would play center letting Shin-Soo Choo to play leftfield. He would also give the Reds the leadoff hitter they lost when they traded Drew Stubbs and it will allow them to bring Ryan Ludwick off the bench. With the start of interleague games all season Ludwick could also see some at-bats at DH when they go to an American League ballpark.

I think he will end up with the Reds on a one-year deal. He will give them everything they lost in Stubbs with less strikeouts and also serve as a stopgap for prospect Billy Hamilton.

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Jan 25

Factors that Will Decide Super Bowl XLVII

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NFL

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Super bowl logo
By the time the Super Bowl kicks off you will have heard more than your fair share of analysis concerning the game. To keep things simple, here are a few things to watch that could determine the fate of the game.

For San Francisco;

The ability of their offense to execute the read option with Colin Kaepernick and Frank Gore is going to be critical. Against Green Bay in the NFC divisional round Kaepernick incredibly rushed for 181 yards, an NFL record, and Gore went for another 119. If the 49ers rushing attack even resembles the success they had against Green Bay it’ll be a long night for the Ravens defense. In San Francisco’s embarrassing Monday night loss to Seattle, Gore and Kaepernick rushed for a combined 59 yards. Clearly establishing the ground game is going to be foremost of San Francisco’s priorities.

For Baltimore;

Get Torrey Smith involved in the passing game. Smith has demonstrated relatively inconsistent play at the wide receiver position this season, especially compared to teammate Anquan Boldin. In Baltimore’s six losses Smith had a whopping total of zero touchdowns, and he totaled just 11 catches in those six games. In Baltimore’s 13 wins (including playoffs), Smith caught 11 touchdowns passes. And averaged 19 yards per reception. Smith has big play ability that Anquan Boldin doesn’t at this stage of his career, which makes his role in Baltimore’s offense even more critical. With Joe Flacco’s ability to throw the ball down field Smith has to get open in order for Baltimore to have a deep passing game. If Smith can stretch San Francisco’s pass defense, it should be a good night for the Ravens.

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Jan 25

NHL’s Opening Week Sets League TV Rating Records

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NHL

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Watching HockeyAfter the 119-day lockout one would think T.V. ratings for the NHL‘s opening week would be low. But in fact the ratings have been the highest for the sport in a long time. As with the NBA last year, a lockout or strike can sometimes have a positive impact when the games commence, even if just for the first couple of weeks.

The sports fan is a peculiar creature. When our teams win we say “we” won, as if we actually had anything do with their success. And when they lose we wipe our hands clean by saying “they” lost because, hey, we had nothing to do with it in the first place.

When it comes to lockouts and strikes you always hear fans ripping the players and owners, calling them selfish and greedy. And you always hear from some fans how they’re going to protest the sport when the lockout finally comes to an end. The sport’s public image does briefly take a hit but those same fans who, just last week were so angry at the league, always come back.

During NBC’s season-opening regional coverage last Saturday, the NHL drew a 1.6 rating and an average of 2.8 million viewers, peaking at 3.8 million in the final minutes of the Penguins-Flyers game. Not since FOX’s broadcast of Wayne Gretzky‘s last game in 1999, which drew 3.1 million viewers, has the league had so many fans watching at once.

The league’s regional markets saw even higher numbers. NBC’s Flyers-Sabres telecast on Sunday drew a 20.1 local rating in Buffalo, shattering the old mark of 13.0 for the same match-up back on April 8, 2011. For the Blackhawks home-opener against the St. Louis Blues, Comcast SportsNet Chicago earned a 5.4 local rating, marking the net’s best-ever rating for a Blackhawks regular-season game. Their previous high was a 4.4 rating back on March 5, 2010 against the Vancouver Canucks.

Meanwhile in New York, the MSG Network saw it’s highest rating in 15 years for both the Rangers and Islanders. For Saturday night’s game against the Boston Bruins, the Rangers earned the network a 2.9 local rating, marking it’s best since they played the Hartford Whalers back on April 20, 1995. For the Islanders, MSG+ earned a 1.0 local rating for their game against the New Jersey Devils on Saturday, marking the second-best regular-season Islanders game since the net began recording ratings for the team in 1991.

Other teams such as the Blues, Bruins, Washington Capitals and Minnesota Wild also reported record-setting ratings on their local networks. In Minneapolis-St.Paul, FS North earned a 7.7 local rating for the Wild’s home-opener against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday. Their previous record was a 4.6 when the team played the Winnipeg Jets on December 13, 2011. And just the next day on Sunday, the Wild earned the network it’s second highest-ever rating, with a 5.4 against the Dallas Stars.

Leafs FansNorth of the border, where hockey is religion, the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs‘ game gave Sportsnet Ontario 1.1 million viewers, the best-ever audience for a regional telecast on any of Sportsnet’s channels. Sunday night’s game between the Canucks and Edmonton Oilers earned Sportsnet Pacific an average of 623,000 viewers, marking the network’s fifth-best Canucks telecast of all-time.

We’ll see how long these high T.V. ratings last for the NHL. Probably not the rest of the season. But perhaps this is the silver-lining for the lockout, that the fan’s thirst for the game had become almost unquenchable. Sometimes an 82-game season can make for some pretty boring games in December and January that have no real importance or impact on the season. Now as all games are in-conference, there is an immediate push for the playoffs that are only three months away.

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