Month: June 2017

NFL schedule: Important dates, deadlines on 2017-18 calendar

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Game Telvin Smith Jersey Perhaps the NFL regular-season schedule for 2017, released in April, is your primary concern as the season approaches, followed closely by your team’s training camp schedule.

One of the Panthers’ starting second-year corners, James Bradberry, now has to deal with a broken left wrist from OTAs. But other than that, he has high expectations for a breakout year in coverage. While Bradberry has some shutdown potential, Daryl Worley can complement him with more impact plays on the ball from the other side.

The Panthers’ biggest and most needed change was bringing back Captain Munnerlyn, who wasn’t re-signed by the Vikings. After a mess of trouble covering slot receivers, the now-more-seasoned Munnerlyn (29) will lock down that spot and provide great mentorship for the young corners, much like he did in Minnesota for Xavier Rhodes and others. Behind Munnerlyn, Corn Elder makes for the ideal nickel/dime backup ahead of players such as Teddy Williams and Zack Sanchez. It didn’t take long for the Panthers to recover from their decision not to spend too much on Josh Norman.

Game Jacob McQuaide Jersey An even older new presence is 36-year-old former Colts free safety Mike Adams, who went to his first two Pro Bowls with Indianapolis (’14 and ’15) late in his career and has something left in the tank as a roaming playmaker vs. run and pass. He’s much like Roman Harper from ’14 and ’15, except with more on-ball pop in coverage. With a blend of rising youth and reliable wisdom, these Panthers more resemble the 24-interception group from two seasons ago.

The Panthers went from 39 takeaways and plus-20 to 27 takeaways and minus-two, providing the most telling stat of their hangover. Everything adds up to them making more big plays offensively and defensively again this season.

NBA free agency: Rumors of LeBron James to the Lakers get hotter

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LeBron James returned to Cleveland to bring Northeast Ohio a championship. He did just that last season. So where, if anywhere, does he go from here?

If you believe the NBA free agency rumors, LeBron could be headed to Los Angeles, specifically the Lakers.

James is much bigger than just basketball at this point in his career with countless off-court endeavors. This has led multiple folks to surmise James may leave the Cavs for a second time in favor of Los Angeles, where he owns a home 30 minutes away from Staples Center. James can become a free agent after the 2017-18 season.

At a press conference introducing new Milwaukee general manager Jon Horst, Edens threw some shade at the Sixers, saying rather than talking about “the process” he likes to talk about results.

As Embiid does, he had a clap back ready for Edens, basically dismissing the Bucks owner by tweeting “That’s cute.”

Perhaps Edens was trying to get back at Embiid after the 23-year-old center disrespected the city of Milwaukee on his Instagram when he posted a picture of him playing inside the Bradley Center.

Rather than tagging the arena’s location, Embiid shared his thoughts on Milwaukee in one word.

Edens took a nice jab at the 76ers and their “Trust the Process” motto, but starting a war of words with Embiid likely won’t end well for the Bucks given the social media savvy Embiid tends to exercise.

Charles Oakley rejects deal, will go to trial over MSG removal

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Authentic Andy Pettitte Jersey Charles Oakley has insisted from the moment he was ejected from Madison Square Garden in February that he did nothing wrong, and he’s prepared to go to court to prove it.

The former Knicks star appeared in a Manhattan courtroom Friday and rejected a conditional dismissal of charges that would have left him with a clean record after six months of good behavior, the New York Daily News reported .

The sports network notes that its director of analytics, Ben Alamar, compiled the second-annual rankings using a formula that includes such variables as endorsements, social media followers and Internet search popularity.

Using that formula, ESPN determined that the most famous athlete in the world is 斜薪 Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo. Golf and tennis stars fared quite well on the list, with Roger Federer (No. 4), Phil Mickelson (No. 5), Rafael Nadal (No. 9) and Tiger Woods (No. 10) all cracking the top 10.

Soccer stars Lionel Messi (No. 3) and Neymar (No. 6), along with Jamaican speedster Usain Bolt (No. 7) round out the top 10.

Authentic Brian Dawkins Jersey Among the four major North American pro sports leagues, the NBA led the way, placing 13 players on the list. On the other hand, Major League Baseball fared poorly, with no players among the top 100. Tom Brady (No. 21) was the highest ranked of eight NFL players on the list.

Eight female athletes made the list, headed by Ronda Rousey at No. 16.

The ESPN list may not settle any arguments about the GOAT, but it’s sure to spark some debate.

NBA Finals: Draymond Green shoots up list of Cleveland villains

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CLEVELAND — Cavaliers fans let Warriors forward Draymond Green have it throughout Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday.

Mens Fernando Rodney Jersey Chants of Draymond sucks! Draymond sucks! enveloped Quicken Loans Arena throughout a night in which Green was given two technicals, only to have one rescinded and given to Steve Kerr later. The Cavs routed the Warriors 137-116 to send the series to Game 5. So Green offered the Cavaliers fans a parting shot.

I don’t pay much attention to people in Cleveland, honestly, Green said in a heated postgame interview. They don’t seem to be the sharpest people around.

But his Boston exit could lead Johnson back to his adopted home in Toronto. Multiple league sources told Sporting News this week that there is mutual interest in getting Johnson back onto the Raptors’ roster this summer.

Toronto’s priority remains finding a way to keep both point guard Kyle Lowry and power forward Serge Ibaka. That could be a tall order for a team with a little less than $30 million in cap space and about $50 million under the luxury tax.
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But once those issues are settled, bringing back Johnson is a strong consideration on Toronto’s list. He was a community favorite in his six seasons in Toronto, participating in the city’s Zombie Walk and hosting a party for his biggest fans under the banner of his I Roll With Amirevent. He also had the red Raptors’ claw carved into his hair for a while.

Johnson will have options when he hits free agency, with a handful of teams having expressed interest, a source said. If the Raptors need too much time to sort out other issues, Johnson would look elsewhere. But a return to Toronto would be the best fit for all involved. In the end, this summer, Johnson could come through on his vow to see Raptors fans later.

Disastrous roster moves in 2013 sealed former Colts GM Ryan Grigson’s fate

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The Colts fired GM Ryan Grigson at a news conference Saturday night, ending his time in Indianapolis after five seasons.

The start of Grigson’s tenure coincided with the hiring of coach Chuck Pagano whose job is safe heading into the 2017 season if you believe what owner Jim Irsay had to say and the selection of franchise quarterback Andrew Luck at No. 1 overall in the 2012 NFL Draft. Taking Luck proved to be the easy choice for Grigson, but he also grabbed T.Y. Hilton, Dwayne Allen and Coby Fleener in that same draft. Those moves revamped the offense and helped bring Indy back from a dismal 2-14 record in 2011. The Colts made the postseason with an 11-5 record three straight seasons from 2012-14.

This 41-16 record, you’ve probably heard, is the best 57-game start we’ve seen in MLB since the 2001 Mariners, who were 45-12 at the same point. Houston’s current .719 winning percentage puts the Astros on pace to win 117 games, which would be the most in the history of the sport. Currently, the record is 116, a mark held by those 2001 Mariners and the 1906 Cubs (it should be noted, of course, the Cubs had those 116 wins in only 155 games).

Those Mariners and the 1998 Yankees are the only teams in the era of the 162-game schedule (which started in 1961) to finish the season with a winning percentage of at least .700. Those Yankees went 114-48, a winning percentage of .704. Eight teams from 1900-1960 had a winning percentage of at least .700.

Now, let’s look at the 16 teams that have won at least 100 games since in the 2000s, and what their record was at the 57-game mark. vikings_074

Twitter is having a yacht of fun with Giants’ boat photo

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Giants receivers Odell Beckham Jr., Victor Cruz, Sterling Shepard and Roger Lewis Jr. will probably regret their trip to Miami, after what happened in Sunday’s 38-13 loss to the Packers. The pre-playoff trip was met with an overwhelming amount of criticism, especially after a photo surfaced of the players on a yacht.

Under Garrett, the Cowboys led by PFWA Offensive Rookie of the Year RB Ezekiel Elliott and All-Rookie Team QB Dak Prescott ran off a franchise-record 11 consecutive victories and a nine-game improvement from a 4-12 record in 2015, the largest one-season turnaround in Cowboys history.

Game Womens Joffrey Lupul Jersey I dont have family out here with me. I dont have people calling me all day. Theres a lot of people I knew out there [in Phoenix] than I do out here, so thats just what it is. Its great to be strictly focused on the playbook and getting to learn this offense for sure. That takes up most of my time, really.

Prescott then expanded and told the story of his first meaningful interaction with Witten, who taught the kid a lesson that day, intentionally or not.

It’s a no-huddle, up-tempo offense. I think that it’s gonna be similar to the Cowboys. I think he has Demaryius Thomas and some wide receiver No. 10 on the other side. And I feel like we will win ballgames with Tony Romo or potentially a championship.

It was clear Sanders had put some thought into the idea and is excited about the possibility of working with Romo. Yet, he also understands the Broncos have two young quarterbacks Trevor Siemian and Paxton Lynch who can help the team win games.
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At the same time, Paxton Lynch played in a spread offense at Memphis, and he can be successful, Sanders said. I think Trevor can be successful. So we’ll see what we do. I can’t sit up here and say, ‘Bring Tony Romo!’ because I also have two other quarterbacks that are playing really well, too.’

Ohio State’s Malik Hooker declares for NFL Draft

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Malik Hooker has declaredfor the 2017 NFL Draft.
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Limited Courtney Upshaw Jersey The Ohio State safety announced the move Monday ina statement on Twitter, calling it one of the toughest yet most exciting decisions of my life.

Hooker, a redshirt sophomore who had two years of college eligibility remaining,had announced last month he would return for his junior year but disclosed after the Fiesta Bowl he would reconsider his decision with his family. He is projected to be a potential first-round pick in April.

Hookerrecordedseven interceptions, returning three for touchdowns, and had 74 tackles in 13 games en route to unanimous All-American honors this season.

The highest ceiling pick in this year’s draft goes to the Reds at No. 2. Cincy takes prep phemon Hunter Greene 鈥?the guy featured in a Sports Illustrated cover story 鈥?with the second pick. He could play shortstop or pitch (fastball jumps into triple digits), but the Reds will develop him as a pitcher.

Lewis was projected in the 5-6 range in most mocks drafts. Now what The first domino has fallen, and it’s not the one most folks expected to fall. That’s not a knock on Lewis, of course.

The thing about surprising picks is that those picks create more surprising picks. The Rays are thrilled that Brendan McKay was around at No. 4 (that was best-case scenario), and Rays fans should be thrilled, too.

Then it hit me. That’s why Fitzgerald hugged me in the locker room back in November. It was his way of saying he was sorry for what he was going to do to me in the future. Well played, Larry.

Mariners, SS Jean Segura agree to 5-year, $70M extension

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The Mariners and shortstop Jean Segura have agreed to a five-year extension, the team announced Wednesday. The deal is worth $70 million, according to multiple reports.

The result: Glover blew a save opportunity in the ninth inning against the Rangers, and after the game (the Nats lost 6-3 in 11 innings) he was in pain.
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I was taking a shower, bent over to get my body wash, stood up and had a little kink, Glover told reporters afterward (via The Washington Post). With some issues I’ve had lately, I kind of pushed myself.

Glover entered in the ninth inning with a 3-1 lead but the Rangers collected three hits and a walk to tie the score and knock Glover out of the game. Afterward, Glover said he regretted trying to pitch through the back problem.

I didn’t want to take a day off. I’ve had three days off already, so I pushed the limits today, tried to pitch through it, he said. And it’s one of them things where it was out of my control and I should have said something early. I didn’t and now my back’s in pretty bad shape.

Glover said he doesn’t know if he’ll need a trip to the DL because of the issue.

The 24-year-old pitcher has eight saves this season, but a 5.12 ERA.

In October, Mazzone will have been out of baseball for a decade, fired by the Orioles in 2007 after a disastrous two-year stint as pitching coach. Before this, Mazzone had a 16-year run as pitching coach of the Braves, developing hurlers such as Tom Glavine, John Smoltz and Steve Avery and taking others such as Greg Maddux to greater heights.

Much like Sain, the greatest coaching mind of his generation has been exiled. At 68, Mazzone’s chances of getting back in the game are slim, too.

But it’s not too late for the Baseball Hall of Fame to rediscover either man.
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Peete said Friday he and Gurley had “a lot of conversations and spent a lot of time together.”

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It would have been understandable if McVay wanted to make a change. Following an outstanding rookie season in which Gurley ran for 1,106 yards and 10 touchdowns in just 13 games to win NFL rookie of the year honors, Gurley had just 885 yards and six scores in 2016 without missing a game. Peete had replaced Ben Sirmans, who left following the 2015 season to take the same position with the Packers.

Despite Gurley’s struggles during a 4-12 season that saw head coach Jeff Fisher get fired with three games remaining, he believed he had a good working relationship with Peete.

Peete said Friday he and Gurley had “a lot of conversations and spent a lot of time together.”

Davis was voted into the Hall despite playing just seven years and only three Pro Bowl selections. While his career was short and he had just three seasons of high productivity, those three seasons were deemed great enough to get him into the Hall. David was the NFL MVP in 2008 after rushing for 2,008 yards and helping the Broncos win Super Bowl XXXIII. He was the MVP of Super Bowl XXXII as he ran for 157 yards and three touchdowns in a 31-24 win over the Packers.

Like Davis, Easley had just a seven-year career, but was a five-time Pro Bowler and the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1984, when he had 10 of his 32 career interceptions. Easley was also the 1981 AFC Defensive Rookie of the Year.

Since Jones bought the Cowboys in 1989, they have reached the playoffs 14 times and won three Super Bowl titles.

Owens, who is second all-time in receiving yards with 15,934, third in receiving touchdowns with 153, and eighth with 1,078 receptions, was denied likely due to his reputation as a divisive teammate, though he did help lead the Eagles to the Super Bowl in 2004. texans_127

NFL draft rumors: Patrick Mahomes might be top QB; Lions want another TE

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Limited Eric Lindros Jersey Even for a perceived down class, quarterbacks continue to dominate discussions with sources and those within the football industry. Clemson’s Deshaun Watson will be the enigma of the 2017 class, but a different quarterback could be the top overall pick … and not to the Cleveland Browns.

Also in this NFL draft roundup, an update on the 49ers’ quarterback situation for the future, who the Lions might take in Round 1, buzz on the top running backs in the class, a defensive lineman with substantial character concerns and much more.

“Everyone knows that 鈥?you need a quarterback to be consistently competitive,” he said. “That’s what everybody is looking for, coaches and personnel people. That’s where it starts.”

Limited Brock Osweiler Jersey With the Falcons, Shanahan has a general manager in Thomas Dimitroff who got him exactly what he needed, whether that meant drafting players such as Jake Matthews and Tevin Coleman or signing players such as Gabriel, Mohamed Sanu and Alex Mack.

The Niners’ new GM, John Lynch, is set up nicely for Shanahan, too. Like Mike, Kyle is well aware of what a Stanford-educated, Hall of Fame-caliber player named John can do to both lead and build a Super Bowl team. Kyle Shanahan sees a lot of John Elway in John Lynch.

“John is a guy with whom I’ve developed a relationship over the years,” Shanahan said of Lynch. “He’s a guy who lives and dies football. He’s a very smart guy.”