Monthly Archives: June 2017

J.J. Hardy injury update: Orioles SS to miss 2 months with broken wrist

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The Orioles didn’t expect the news on J.J. Hardy to be good, and those fears were confirmed Monday.

The veteran shortstop told reporters a CT scan confirmed a non-displaced fracture in his right wrist and said he won’t be able to resume baseball activities for about four to six weeks. That could put him on the shelf for about two months with rehab time.
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Hardy was hit by a 93-mph Lance Lynn fastball Sunday, and manager Buck Showalter said after the game that the initial X-rays weren’t promising.

It’s the second consecutive season Hardy will miss extended time due to a freak broken bone. He was sidelined nearly two months last year after fouling a ball off his foot.

Ruben Tejada replaced Hardy on Sunday and figures to be in line for regular playing time at short in the coming weeks.

Arizona’s Kobi Simmons, a former top-30 recruit, was this year’s Derrick Jones Jr. 鈥?a top prospect who declared after his freshman year only to go undrafted. South Carolina’s P.J. Dozier, Maryland’s Melo Trimble, Nevada’s Cameron Oliver and Kentucky’s Isaiah Briscoe also surrendered their remaining college eligibility to enter this year’s draft, which came and went without their names being called.

Maybe they were viewed by NBA personnel as too small, too old or positional tweeners at the next level. Others may have declined the opportunity to get drafted in the second round, like Baker, VanVleet and Jones Jr. did last year, in favor of pursuing the flexibility and negotiating leverage provided by free agency.

Some fans and media members will question why certain players declared for the draft as early entrants, forgoing their remaining college eligibility, only to go undrafted. But that doesn’t mean a player’s dream of playing in the NBA is over. For some, it’s just the beginning.

Markelle Fultz signs with Nike

The Nets should be selecting the best player on their board with upside right now, and Leaf is the right choice given how well he fits their system. Able to pass and score from the 4, Leaf would be solid for Kenny Atkinson’s offense. He’s also an underrated athlete.

Another team that could use an athletic, type-4 player, as Patrick Patterson and P.J. Tucker will enter free agency, and the team is considering Serge Ibaka to be a 5. Wilson is still a project, but he’s got upside as a rim-protecting 4 that can shoot. They also just don’t need a big right now with Jonas Valanciunas, Jakob Poeltl and Bebe Nogueira.

Nike wanted nothing to do with Lonzo Ball after his father’s supposed $1 billion price tag, so they instead signed the consensus No. 1 overall pick, Markelle Fultz.

The former Washington Huskie announced on Twitter Friday afternoon that he had signed a deal with Nike.

According to the Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the deal is for multiple years. The full terms of the deal have not been disclosed.

Nike is known for signing No. 1 picks as they have locked up the last two No. 1 overall picks in Ben Simmons and Karl Anthony-Towns. Nike also signed the No. 1 pick in the WNBA Draft in fellow Washington Huskie Kelsey Plum.

Yes, James surpassed Jordan as the top scorer in NBA postseason history. But that’s not what we’re talking about: We’re talking about hair — specifically, James’ hair, and how it’s slowly becoming more like Jordan’s.redskins_083

Kevin Durant may take less money to keep Warriors core intact, report says

After years of failing to get over the hump in Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant is enjoying winning with the Warriors.

According to ESPN.com, Durant is so content in Golden State that he willing to forgo the maximum contract he is eligible for this offseason in order to keep the team’s main group in tact.

Daniel Sedin Game Jersey The retired pro was mocked by his crew, with Michelle Beadle asking what was in his drink. Pierce responded by saying he was drinking Truth Juice which means he really believes Durant has passed LeBron James as the best player in the league right now.

While no one is taking anything away from Durant, Pierce is flat-out wrong about this one. James just finished with his eighth Finals triple-double (tied for most all-time) after shooting 12-of-18 from the field. Durant has been great in this series, and is probably the second-best player in the league, but let’s not hand over that crown quite yet.

How Paul Pierce going to tell everybody to simmer down and don’t get caught in the moment after he said KD the best player on the planet?

Marcell Dareus Game Jersey At the end of the day, we’re splitting hairs here. Many would argue Durant is the second-best player behind James, especially after his Game 2 performance of 33 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists, 5 blocks and 3 steals. But James is still the king of the NBA at the moment.

Some might say Robinson and Tony Parker should be the Spurs’ combination on this list. But that discounts the bigger picture 鈥?how the crossover of two elite big men set up the Spurs’ championship standard of their unconventional dynasty.

No fine for Phil Jackson’s end-of-season Carmelo Anthony comments

Limited Kids Darius Slay Jersey Phil Jackson was out of line when he said Carmelo Anthony would be better off someone else. At least, according to NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts.

But as out-of-line as his comments might have been seen, they will not cost him any money.

The Cavaliers, seeking another top-caliber backcourt mate for Kyrie Irving, are trying to figure out multi-team trade scenarios, according to ESPN.

The Cavaliers, per league sources, have been working today on assembling multi-team trade scenarios to try to acquire Chicago’s Jimmy Butler

The Celtics are also believed to be interested in acquiring the 6-7 Butler, who just completed the second year of a five-year, $95 million contract that includes an option for that fifth season.

Butler went to his third straight All-Star game this past season, when he averaged 23.9 point, 5.5 assists and 6.2 rebounds per game. But despite high hopes after adding Dwyane Wade last offseason, the Bulls went a disappointing 41-41 and squeaked into the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in the Eastern Conference.

While no one knows where Butler will play next season, one thing is becoming clear — his time with the Bulls is probably over.
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I don’t think he should be compared to either of those players because they play different positions. Kobe and Michael are both 2-guards. They’re both scorers. They’re mostly like a Kyrie. They’re looking to score the basketball when it hits their hand. They’re not looking to make plays for anybody on the floor. They’re not looking to be a facilitator. That’s the role that LeBron plays because he’s such a dominant and powerful force, and he’s a great passer.
When asked who does James compare to, Pippen brought up another Lakers great.

Last-place Giants are built to win now, and doing anything but — so what now?

Last place in their division. An offense that ranks at or near the bottom of the league in almost every category. A revamped bullpen that hasn’t performed up to expectations. Injuries, age, and lousy play plaguing their biggest stars.

No, things are definitely not going how the Giants drew them up at the beginning of the year. And after a weekend that saw them drop a series in Philadelphia to the worst team in baseball, the Giants find themselves in a situation they probably didn’t expect to face for some time: stay the course and hope for a turnaround, or throw in the towel this year and attempt to rebuild And the big question: What do you do with a team that’s built to win now but is doing anything but?

You know when hes not yelling at the franchise star on the sideline, beating down a rookie receiver for no reason or committing a personal foul that essentially cost the Bengals what would have been their first playoff victory since 1991.

The Bengals, of course, gave Jones yet another extension last offseason, after those on-field incidents. Only $6 million of the $22 million was guaranteed, and the team could easily cut ties now with this latest incident. History tells us not to count on that.

But maybe this is the real start of the Adam Jones redemption story. Hes 33, with his NFL future more tenuous than ever after a mostly bad season on the field. Any conviction or plea should lead to a suspension, if the charges alone dont draw one. The Bengals are at a crossroads with their current roster on which Jones somehow is a defensive captain.

Something needs to change. Will it be Adam PacmanJones History tells us not to count on that, either.
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Every Falcons employee can go to Super Bowl 51 thanks to owner Arthur Blank

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Owner Arthur Blank is paying the way for every employee in the Falcons organization to go to Super Bowl 51 in Houston, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.

Falcons owner Arthur Blank plans to take every employee in organization to Super Bowl. We’re talking hundreds.
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Considering airfare, hotels and tickets, that tab will add up quickly, but Blank, the founder of Home Depot who has an estimated net worth of about $3 billion, has that kind of cash to spare.

Panthers owner Jerry Richardson took every team staffer to last season’s Super Bowl in Santa Clara.

He’s a two-way guy, too, but he’s definitively seen as a hitter in the pros after a great season with the Cavaliers 鈥?he hit.390 with 14 homers, 10 stolen bases and only 21 strikeouts for the entire season. He’s athletic enough to play anywhere in the outfield. On the mound, the lefty had a 3.58 ERA in 11 starts for Virginia.

He’s a prep right-hander from Texas with a huge fastball. That’s like candy for scouting directors and front-office types. Baz could easily be gone before the Phillies get to choose.

Mizzou has produced a number of first-round picks this decade, highlighted by two-time Cy Young winner Max Scherzer. Houck might not be Scherzer, but his fastball sits in the mid-90s and sniffs triple digits, and the Tigers (the ones in Detroit) would be happy with that.

Burger has a ton of power, and the Giants can use an influx of power in their system (especially in the bigs). Also relevant (maybe), eight of San Francisco’s past 11 first-rounders have come from the college ranks.

Heimlich was required to register as a sex offender beginning in August 2012.

Heimlich was sentenced to 40 months in a juvenile detention facility, but that sentence was suspended and later dropped after he completed two years of probation and sex-offender treatment, the report says.

Heimlich was required to register as a sex offender beginning in August 2012. Washington classified him as a Level 1 offender, a designation for those who present the lowest possible risk to the community and likelihood to re-offend is considered minimal.

The Oregonian reported that it wasn’t clear whether Oregon State officials were aware of Heimlich’s record when he enrolled in 2014. The university does not require students to disclose past felony convictions in the admissions process. However, a university spokesman told The Oregonian that the school receives on a regular basis a list of sex offenders registered in Benton County, where Oregon State is located.
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Sheldon Rankins Kids Jersey For Rizzo, the close relationship with Fowler transcends what he meant to the team as a whole.

More than baseball, he said. He’s a good friend. We grew close off the field. Last year he kind of got messed around in the system of free agency, so this year he goes and gets really what he deserves with a nice contract. It’s unfortunate it’s not here, but as a friend I’m happy for him.

After his first season in Chicago in 2015, Fowler went to free agency with draft pick compensation attached. That meant for any team other than the Cubs to sign him, they’d have to surrender their first-round pick in the 2016 draft. That’s a high price to pay for a guy who, at the time, had never posted higher than 3.3 WAR in a year. While it appeared the Cubs were set to move on, having signed Jason Heyward to an eight-year, $184 million deal, Fowler continued waiting into spring training.

Packers’ Ha Ha Clinton-Dix shifts blame away from Dom Capers … kind of

The Packers’ defense, which gave up 44 points in an NFC championship game loss and allowed 24.3 points per game in 2016 (21st in the NFL) is an easy target for offseason criticism.

Brown continued: “Domestic violence is not just physical abuse. We’re talking intimidation and threats, the attempt to control, body language. An abuser is going to abuse to a certain degree to acquire some kind of a reaction.”

During Roger Goodell’s press conference Wednesday, he briefly touched on the subject of Brown. He confirmed that there was still an ongoing investigation into his case.

“We do have an active investigation on Josh Brown,” Goodell said. “You know from last fall that we didn’t have all of the information from law enforcement. They released some of that at a later date. We now have that information, and we will continue that investigation. Until we have a final decision, we won’t be making any decisions about anyone’s eligibility on that front.”

Marshall has never been one to mince words about his playing potential. Before this season Marshall bet Steelers wideout Antonio Brown that if he had more total yardage at the end of the season, he wanted Brown’s Rolls-Royce. If Brown was the winner, he would snag Marshall’s Porsche.

Brown easily had more yards (1,284) than Marshall’s 788, and in fact so did the Jaguars’ Marqise Lee (851), Cowboys’ Cole Beasley (833) and even Cardinals running back David Johnson (879).

Marshall has had to contend with the likes of quarterbacks Geno Smith, Bryce Petty and Ryan Fitzpatrick, who he lobbied the Jets to re-sign this past season. Moving forward, Marshall is done trying to influence the Jets’ front office.

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Tom Brady leaves Joe Montana generation no choice but to crown new GOAT

Tom Brady staked his claim to the title of greatest quarterback of all time when he led the New England Patriots to a 34-28 victory against the Atlanta Falcons in the most entertaining way possible at Super Bowl 51.

Since taking over New England’s four-Super Bowl dynasty, coach Bill Belichick has owned pretty much everyone on the other sideline 鈥?except when Mike Shanahan was coaching the Broncos. Shanahan not only matched Belichick, but also outwitted him to the tune of a 5-3 head-to-head advantage, including playoffs.

To best Belichick defensively, it takes someone with the aptitude to think several steps ahead offensively. It also requires an attitude; a calculated, cool cockiness that, like Mike, Kyle has.
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“There’s a fine line 鈥?don’t think there’s much Bill and his staff haven’t seen before,” Kyle Shanahan said of trying to out-coach Belichick. “They’ve seen a lot of football and they do it as well as anyone.

“The main thing is giving your players confidence going into the game knowing that when we do see what they’re doing, you give our players the ability to adjust for us to go in a number of different directions.”

The faces change, the sports change and the methods change, but the refrain is quite familiar: Almost had it. So close. Why can’t we have nice things?

Whitney Mercilus Youth Jersey “This one takes the cake and it’s going to hurt for a long time,” Matt Cason, 26, of Woodstock, Ga., said of Sunday’s epic Super Bowl collapse.

Final order for 2017 NFL Draft now set with Browns first, Patriots last

With Super Bowl 51 complete, we now know the final order of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Authentic Mens Vic Beasley Jersey We knew last month the Browns were picking first and, with their win over the Falcons in the Super Bowl, the Patriots own the 32nd overall selection.

When the regular season ended on New Year’s Day, picks 1-20 were set while the remaining 12 picks were contingent upon the results of the playoffs.

I grilled them on anticipated questions; on football, family and anything in their past that teams might bring up. I spent two to three hours with each player, taping the interviews with all kinds of questions (similar to what I heard in these interviews during my GM years). Then we reviewed the tapes, and I gave feedback on their answers and body language.

We also have our players take several sample Wonderlic intelligence tests so they get a feel for the types of questions and the time element (50 question test that must be completed in 12 minutes).

Youth Mark Clayton Jersey NFL teams know that this on- and off-field training work is taking place. While it’s obvious which players have been coached up in these areas, the astute GMs, coaches and scouts still can get a fairly good read on players’ personalities during their 15-minute interview sessions at the Combine. Top players can expect to meet with virtually every team, so it can become a mental endurance test, too.

Because they don’t have the same draft capital of other teams and need a quarterback, left tackle, cornerback, safety, pass rusher and running back (among other positions), the Jets arguably are in the worst position in the NFL.

Free agency is a tough place to go to fix a roster, but with a general manager and a coach on the hot seat, it may have to be the route the Jets take.