donderdag 31 maart 2011

College Football Rankings 2011: How Ohio State Will Survive Suspensions

Head Coach of the Ohio State Buckeye's Jim Tressel has been suspended for the first five games of the season. On top of that, star quarterback Terrelle Pryor was suspended along with four other players for the first fives games as well. 

Those games are Akron, Toledo, Miami, Colorado and Michigan State. Will the Buckeye's be able to survive without these six helping the team? 

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Daum aims for Bundesliga survival

New Eintracht Frankfurt coach Christoph Daum is targeting Bundesliga survival, beginning with Sunday's match away to Wolfsburg.

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MLB Pitch Values: Top 10 Splitters of 2010

Before the start of the season, I wanted to see which pitchers statistically had the best fastballs, curveballs, sliders, cutters, changeups and splitters of the 2010 season.

Here is a look at the top splitters of the 2010 season. A few notes:

The Pitch Value data was created by Fangraphs.com. I will be using the statistic, wSF, which denotes the runs above average for a particular pitch—in this case a splitter.  

The wSF stat benefits starting pitchers and pitchers who throw a certain pitch more often. Because the more often you throw a pitch, the better the chances are of it being successful.

Sometimes, PITCH/FX does not sort pitches into the right category. For example, Brandon Morrow’s splitter was categorized as a fastball. 

Best Fastballs

Best Cutters

Best Sliders

Best Curveballs

Best Changeups 

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Spain sitting pretty in Euro qualifying

Spain manager Vicente del Bosque insists he fielded a strong side in their 3-1 win over Lithuania in their Euro 2012 qualifier on Tuesday.

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2011 NBA Mock Draft: Where Will UConn's Kemba Walker Go in the Draft?

As we continue to witness Kemba Walker play dominant basketball for the University of Connecticut Huskies through the Final Four, we can’t help but wonder where he will fall in the 2011 NBA Draft.

He will most certainly be a lottery pick and many teams at the bottom of the NBA barrel could be in search of a shoot-first point guard to construct their franchise around. 

Walker carried the Huskies offensive workload averaging 23.9 points per game, while shooting 44 percent from the field, so look for these five teams to give a serious look at Kemba Walker come draft day. 

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Salary analysis: NCAA tournament coaches cashing in

Win or lose, the coaches in the NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament will make $1.4 million on average this season, according to a USA ...


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Wrestlemania 27: Stone Cold Steve Austin Talks Wrestlemania And More

Stone Cold Steve Austin Talks A Number Of Topics In ESPN.com Interview

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin will be all over WWE television for the next few weeks. He will be the special-referee for the Michael Cole-Jerry Lawler match at Wrestlemania on Sunday. After that, he can be seen as the host of "Tough Enough," the WWE's version of "The Ultimate Fighter," starting the night after Wrestlemania.

Austin, who has been absent from television since signing the contract to be the guest referee, did an interview with ESPN.com to talk about Wrestlemania and other topics. Here are some highlights from the interview, conducted by Jon Robinson.

When asked about who on the current roster he would like to have worked with:

"John Cena has done well for himself. I like the way he talks, I like the way he handles his business, and he works his ass off. Another guy is Randy Orton. Everyone thinks Randy has gone down the same path as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, so I think that would be another natural storyline."

Cena is like Austin in some ways. He is the biggest star and drawing card that the company has today, he sells more merchandise than anyone else. Austin drew more money than anyone in the history of wrestling from 1998-2001.

WWE, as Austin pointed out, is clearly trying to make Orton into Austin, when Austin was stunning everyone and the rebellious guy that everyone got behind. The biggest difference is Austin knew how to work as a babyface and Orton still hasn't figured that part out.

Who his favorite person to work with was:

"...the chemistry that I had with Bret "Hitman" Hart in the ring, and the respect and the trust we had for each other was unbelievable. Another guy was The Rock. We brought out the best in each other and every time we got in the ring, magical things happened."

It was Austin's feud with Hart that helped make him a player in WWE, which he acknowledges in the follow up question. The submission match between those two at Wrestlemania 13 was one of the best matches WWE has ever had.

The Austin-Rock feud was probably the second-most important feud during the "boom period" of wrestling, behind Austin-Vince McMahon. Those two had something special that has really been missing in wrestling for about 10 years.

If he ever has the "itch" to wrestle again:

"I'll tell you what, sometimes you do, but it's just like an itch that you scratch and it goes away," he said. "Could I still do it? Damn right I could. It may not be quite as good as I used to, but I got it out of my system."

Everyone wants to see one more match with Austin, but sadly he is so beat up and focused on doing other things that the chances of it ever happening again are very remote.

Austin was one of the great characters in wrestling history, he's arguably the most important character in history and he is still great whenever he appears on WWE television. Thankfully, Wrestlemania will have him and it will be better because of it.

Related Story: 10 Reasons Returning Stars Help WWE

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Fantasy Baseball 2011 Closer's Corner: Updating Team-by-Team Closer Situations

Over the last three years, only five closers have recorded at least 30 saves each season (Jonathan Papelbon, Francisco Cordero, Mariano Rivera, Joakim Soria and Brian Wilson). This fact alone illustrates the high turnover rate at this unstable position.

With more than half of baseball’s 30 teams likely to start 2011 with a new closer, it’s important for fantasy managers to brush up on the bullpens in transition.

Every week during the 2011 season, I’ll update the Closer’s Corner as ninth-inning roles change hands. In the meantime, I’ll post updates as free agents continue to sign and spring training battles become more clear.

Here’s how the closer situations look as of March 31. The first name listed is the favorite to close on Opening Day 2011, while the name in parenthesis is the player to own should injury or ineffectiveness occur.  

UPDATES

  • 3/29/11: Brad Lidge will start the season on the DL with a partially torn rotator cuff. He won’t throw a baseball for at least three to six weeks, and hopes to be back on the mound by the All-Star Break. Manager Charlie Manuel said Tuesday that Jose Contreras—not Ryan Madson—would be the closer if he had to choose.
  • 3/29/11: David Aardsma threw a 20-pitch session on Tuesday, and reported no problems with his surgically-repaired hip. He hopes to be closing games for the Mariners by mid-April. Brandon League will serve as the Mariners’ closer until then.
  • 3/29/11: Koji Uehara (elbow) has retired all six batters he’s faced since returning from injury, and is hopeful to join the Orioles on Opening Day. It appears as though Kevin Gregg is the safer bet to close games right now, but manager Buck Showalter expressed confidence in Uehara earlier this spring. This will likely be a fluid situation throughout the season.
  • 3/28/11: Manager Bruce Bochy said on Monday there’s a less than 50-50 chance that Brian Wilson (oblique) will be ready for Opening Day. Sergio Romo is expected to close games while Wilson is out.
  • 3/28/11: J.J. Putz (back) is expected to be ready for the start of the season. He will be the Diamondbacks' closer.
  • 3/27/11: Andrew Bailey will be sidelined for the first few weeks of the season with a strained forearm. Brian Fuentes will likely close games for the A’s in his absence.
  • 3/27/11: Frank Francisco (pectoral) threw from 90 feet on Sunday. He’s expected to start the season on the DL, but shouldn’t be out long. Jon Rauch will close games for the Blue Jays in his absence.
  • 3/24/11: The Rangers have named Neftali Feliz their closer for the 2011 season.
  • 2/22/11: Jake McGee has set his eye on the Rays’ closer job. He’ll compete with Joel Peralta and Kyle Farnsworth this spring until one of them separates himself from the group. The Rays could also use the dreaded closer-by-committee. J.P. Howell is expected to be sidelined with a shoulder injury until mid-May, but could fill the role when he returns if nobody else has stepped up.

 

Be sure to check back for more updates as the season approaches!

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ORIGINAL ARTICLE: FANTASY BASEBALL INSIDERS

Fantasy Baseball Insiders’ 2011 Big Board:

2011 Position Rankings:

Latest from Fantasy Baseball Insiders: 

30 Teams in 30 Days Fantasy Preview:

Previous articles from Fantasy Baseball Insiders: 

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Falling crowds hit Serie A hard: Milan

AC Milan director Umberto Gandini has warned that the Serie A could become a second-tier European league unless crowds rise.

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Wings allow most goals since '93 in 10-3 setback

DETROIT (AP) The St. Louis Blues took full advantage of a backup goalie and another netminder making his NHL debut.

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Midfielder Lucas signs new deal with Liverpool

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) -Brazil midfielder Lucas Leiva has signed a new contract with Premier League club Liverpool.

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MLB Opening Day 2011: 20 Memories, Stats and Facts from Baseball's First Day

A dozen aces from 12 different teams will walk out to the mound today as Major League Baseball gets underway in six different cities across America.

Justin Verlander and CC Sabathia match up at Yankee Stadium in the best pitching duels of the early starts, while the Brewers-Reds game highlights the three 2pm starts.

Later, Tim Lincecum gets the ball for the reigning World Series champion San Francisco Giants as they start the defense of their crown against the LA Dodgers in the first night game of the 2011 season.

What history will be made on the first day of baseball's latest season? How will it compare to seasons past? We'll just have to wait and find out.

To whet your appetite, here are 20 moments, facts, statistics and figures from 20 different Opening Days from previous years.

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Derby winner takes all, says Trap

Former Italy manager Giovanni Trapattoni believes the winner of the Milan derby on Saturday will go on to take home the Serie A title.

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Ex-Auburn players tell of cash handshakes, sexual favors

Sacks of money. A car. "Cash handshakes." Sexual favors. Those are some of the details supplied by former Auburn players of events they said ...


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woensdag 30 maart 2011

Mertesacker fancies England

Per Mertesacker concedes he would be interested in a move to England, should he leave Werder Bremen.

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Lahm - Van Gaal has to go

Philipp Lahm believes Bayern Munich have made the right decision in agreeing to cut ties with Louis van Gaal.

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Owomoyela offered new deal

Borussia Dortmund have put a contract offer to Patrick Owomoyela despite his recent injury problems.

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UEFA concerned about hooligans at Euro 2012

MANCHESTER, England (AP) - Hooliganism is causing a "huge image problem'' for 2012 European Championship co-host Poland with every round of league matches marred by trouble, a UEFA executive said Wednesday.

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Midfielder Lucas signs new deal with Liverpool

LIVERPOOL, England (AP) -Brazil midfielder Lucas Leiva has signed a new contract with Premier League club Liverpool.

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Velarde: Bonds' personal trainer gave me drugs

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) -- Former New York Yankee Randy Velarde testified Wednesday that he purchased a performance-enhancing drug from Barry Bonds' personal trainer throughout the 2002 season, the Texas native's last after 16 years in the big leagues.

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San Francisco 49ers: Alex Smith, the Spread and What It Means Come April 28

Bill Cunerty remembers seeing Alex Smith 12 years ago at Helix High in San Diego. The reaction was common among those who know that a smart, good head makes plays. “I thought I was watching a phenomenal athlete,” remembered Cunerty, the former head football coach at Saddleback Junior College who now works with Athletics Performance.

Cunerty’s specialty is quarterbacks, and outside Athletic Performance he also has his own summer camps in Orange County, California. Carson Palmer and Mark Sanchez, among many others, have worked with him.

In working with Athletics Performance, which is a national chain geared towards helping elite athletes train for the highest level of competition, Cunerty gets an up-close look at the top prospects either during offseason workout sessions that last two to three months at the company facility in Phoenix or the Home Depot Center near Los Angeles.

“When Alex got to Utah, he started doing all the stuff with [then head coach] Urban Meyer what we later saw in Florida—the shovel passes, running the spread option—and I said to myself, ‘Someone is going to take this guy No. 1 and I’m not sure if his background in reading defenses will translate to the NFL.'”

During the phone interview on March 28, Cunerty noted that the “spread” college quarterbacks, which include Auburn’s Cam Newton and Nevada’s Colin Kaepernick in this year’s draft, have a rhythm of C–B–T. That’s for Catch (the snap), Bounce (look to one side of field) and Throw.

“And if that first option to throw is not there, the second option may be, ‘Take off,'" said Cunerty. "In the NFL, take off is the last option you want to make."

Those either-or options can put quarterbacks atop the collegiate rankings, and that can attract attention from the pros. Ironically, the skills that make for a success spread QB can detract from playing in the pros—specifically, in footwork and in reading defenses. That’s where Cunerty comes in.

“So many reads for Alex at Utah were on the perimeter,” Cunerty pointed out. “For example, his first read was who’s unblocked on the line.”

It is not uncommon for spread options plays for offensive linemen to leave men unblocked and let the quarterback either run or throw to advance the offense. In the NFL, the first read is an outside rusher—either a defensive end, linebacker or cornerback.

“It even happened in the BCS Championship game,” Cunerty noted. “Over the last critical drives, Oregon left [Auburn defensive star tackle] Nick Fairley unblocked a couple of times. He ate them up.”

That said, Alex Smith is no longer throwing shovel passes for Urban Meyer; his career has been inconsistent. However, he has had three head coaches, seven offensive coordinators and, through much of his career, an offensive line that ranked from terrible to promising. Under new head coach Jim Harbaugh, what to do about or with Smith remains the biggest offseason question for the 49ers.

Is there hope? Cunerty quoted former Niner offensive coordinator and now San Diego Charger head coach Norv Turner:

“Norv told me he loved Alex,” Cunerty said. “And this is so critical. When you have a new coach every year, and when even if there’s a little twist here or there in the offense, you feel you’re stuck in the seventh grade.”

Niner fans feel that it’s time for him to graduate to the next level and the team to make the playoffs. Either that, or he’s going to get expelled.

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Spain call-up the goal for Canales

Real Madrid midfielder Sergio Canales says he is desperate to be part of Spain's squad for the UEFA Under-21 European Championships.

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SF Giants: Champs to Begin Season Without Closer Brian Wilson

SF Giants Will Be Without Reigning Saves Leader for Immediate Future

The San Francisco Giants are nearly 24 hours away from starting their title defense, but they got a slight bit of bad news on Tuesday. After being on the shelf since March 22nd with a left oblique strain, Giants closer Brian Wilson is going to start the season on the 15-day disabled list.

The news comes according to MSNBC.com, which reports that Wilson told Giants manager Bruce Bochy that he felt "great" after throwing 25 pitches off a mound on Tuesday. Nevertheless, the thinking is that there's no reason to rush Wilson's return, especially since his DL stint is retroactive to last Tuesday.

Wilson led the majors with 48 saves in 2010, and he proceeded to notch six more during the Giants' postseason run. He also didn't allow an earned run in the playoffs, and was last seen striking out Texas' Nelson Cruz to clinch the Giants' first World Series since 1954.

While Wilson's injury is obviously not very ideal, Giants fans should probably be more concerned about how the team's rotation is going to hold up this season. Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez, and Madison Bumgarner logged a lot of innings last season, and recent championship hangovers have tended to target starting pitchers. If any one of those guys goes down, the Giants will be in trouble.

Even if the Giants do stumble a little in 2011, it's not like there are any other teams in the NL West that are capable of dominating the division. The Colorado Rockies are a very talented team, but they don't quite have as much rotation depth as the Giants.

There was a bit of good news for the Giants on the personnel front today. John Shea of the San Francisco Chronicle tweeted earlier on Wednesday that the team is leaning towards making Brandon Belt its starting first baseman. If so, the Giants immediately have themselves a player who can win NL Rookie of the Year honors, which of course went to Buster Posey in 2010.

For more on Wilson and the Giants, check out our list of The Craziest Giants of All Time.

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Bale in doubt for Real clash

Tottenham winger Gareth Bale could miss the first leg of his side's Champions League quarter-final with Real Madrid with a hamstring strain.

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Capello warns Carroll over drinking

England manager Fabio Capello has warned Liverpool striker Andy Carroll to watch his drinking.

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Euro 2012 Group E wrap: Netherlands maintain domination

Liverpool's Dirk Kuyt scored two late goals as the Netherlands beat Hungary in an eight-goal thriller in Amsterdam on Tuesday.

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Fergie wary of Javier fatigue

Manchester United boss Sir Alex Fergsuon is determined to protect Javier Hernandez from fatigue.

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Schumer: Tea Party GOP's proposed cuts are 'extreme'

Sen. Charles Schumer told fellow Democrats they should all use the word "extreme" when describing the budget cuts Tea Party Republicans seek ...


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Cleveland Sports: Art Modell and the City's Eight Most Hated Figures

Woe is Cleveland, a sports-crazed city whose Browns have never won a Superbowl, whose Cavs have never won an NBA title, and whose Indians haven't won a World Series since 1948.

Cleveland has fallen victim to "The Shot", "The Drive", "The Pitch", "The Curse of Rocky Colavito" and countless other heartbreaks. It's enough to make you think the Cuyahoga River caught on fire in 1969 purely out of protest.

It's been painful, but at least we've got some great stories. Of course, every great story needs a villain, and Cleveland has no shortage of those. We're still searching for our happy ending that will allow us to let all the old grudges with longtime nemeses go, but for the time being we'll have to settle for reveling in the hatred of our former foes.

Following are eight of the most hated villains in Cleveland Sports, together in one list which you can use to relive unhappy memories or for target practice. Feel free to add more of the Cleveland villains you love to hate in the comments below. After all, misery loves company.

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Pires reveals Australia offer

Aston Villa midfielder Robert Pires has revealed he could continue his playing career in Australia.

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'Lord, let him live,' Reagan's Secret Service agent prayed

Secret Service agent Jerry Parr tells his story of the day President Reagan was shot outside a Hilton hotel in Washington, D.C.


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Valencia hope La Liga matches go ahead

Valencia defender Angel Dealbert said training this week has continued as normal despite the threat of postponed fixtures in La Liga.

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Neuer rules out United

Reported Manchester United target Manuel Neuer has ruled out a move abroad.

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No bad blood with Bilic, insists Blanc

France manager Laurent Blanc has dismissed talk of a row with Croatian counterpart Slaven Bilic ahead of this week?s friendly international.

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New England Patriots: The Truth out Spygate?What Fans Don't Know

The sole purpose of this article is to shed some light on the unknown details of Spygate. The anti-New England Patriots fans out there need to realize some of the facts about the situation before they accuse the Patriots of cheating.  

I'm going to be very blunt with this statement: The New England Patriots are not cheaters. 

Yes, that's right—take some time to digest the thought.

The New England Patriots did brake a NFL rule, however, a lot of people aren't fully aware of the NFL rule and the details of the whole Spygate incident—maybe because they only want to hear what they want to hear. 

Here is some quoted text from the 2007 NFL "Operations Manuel" on page 105: "No video recording devices of any kind are permitted to be in use in the coaches' booth, on the field, or in the locker room during the game...All video shooting locations must be enclosed on all sides with a roof overhead."

So what did the Patriots do that was illegal? The location of where the Patriots video-taped the game from. 

The New England Patriots were penalized by the NFL because they had one of their staff members, Matt Walsh, videotape the New York Jets' defensive signals in their week one match-up in 2007. 

Like stated in the NFL rule, the Patriots were fined for the location of the videotape, not what Walsh was recording. 

However, did you know that it is not illegal to use binoculars and watch the opposing team's coaches as they signal in plays? Also, it is not illegal to write down exactly what signals the opposing coaches are doing. 

So, what's the major difference from videotaping them and writing them down? Where's the big advantage? How does that make New England cheaters?

It doesn't. Bill Belichick and the Patriots are not cheaters. 

Another false rumor about the Patriots is that Walsh would give the videos to the Patriots coaching staff at halftime—that never happened. He held onto the tapes throughout the entire game. And that's a proven fact: Walsh testified that the tapes were in his possession throughout the entire game. 

So, if the Patriots never had access to the tapes during the game, how did they cheat? Where did they gain an unfair advantage? They didn't—the Patriots did not cheat. 

As some fans might say, "well the Patriots could have used the tapes for the next time they played that team." 

Here's my answer: The Miami Dolphins, Buffalo Bills, and Jets are the only teams the Patriots play twice in a season. Also, NFL teams switch their signals from week to week. And, some of you may not know this but, team's have coaches send out false signals because they are fully aware that people could be watching them.

So where's the unfair advantage gained? Yet again, there isn't one. 

So, allow me to purpose this question to you: How does this tarnish New England's dynasty? 

You may say that the Patriots videotaped the St. Louis Rams' practice prior to XXXVI. But, guess what? That's another false allegation—Walsh never came through with the evidence. 

Walsh lied about videotaping the Rams' practice, and in an obvious retaliation against New England after they relieved him of his duties. 

Following the news of the Patriots illegally videotaping locations, former Dallas Cowboys' head coach Jimmy Johnson came out with this following statement.

"This is exactly how I was told to do it 18 years ago by a Kansas City Chiefs scout. I tried it, but I didn't think it helped us." Johnson also said, "Bill Belichick was wrong because he videotaped signals after a memo was sent out to all of the teams saying not to do it. But what irritates me is hearing some reactions from players and coaches. These players don't know what their coaches are doing. And some of the coaches have selective amnesia because I know for a fact there were various teams doing this. That's why the memo was sent to everybody. That doesn't make [Belichick] right, but a lot of teams are doing this."

Before I wrap this up, I have one last significant fact about the whole spygate incident—the Jets videotaped illegally videotaped the Patriots in 2006, but were never caught. 

Now, isn't that funny? The Jets did it too, and no one makes a big deal about it. 

As I conclude, when all is said and done, the New England Patriots are not cheaters—get over it.

It's time for the all the "Patriot-haters" out there to accept the facts that they've been neglecting to see, and move on.

The New England Patriots are an NFL dynasty, and will remain a serious contender for a Super Bowl as long as Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady are Patriots—not because of "cheating."  

 

NOTE: This article was first seen at PatriotsPlus.net. Be sure to follow Tony Santorsa on Twitter @   TonySantorsa.

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El Nino inspired by price tag

Fernando Torres insists being the most expensive footballer in Britain inspires him to excel at Chelsea.

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El Nino inspired by price tag

Fernando Torres insists being the most expensive footballer in Britain inspires him to excel at Chelsea.

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dinsdag 29 maart 2011

Philadelphia Eagles: Nine Biggest Bonehead Moments in Team History

Like any other franchise, the Philadelphia Eagles have had their fair share of blunders and head-scratching maneuvers over the years. Of course, it seems especially easy to find fault in one of the few teams that has yet to win a Super Bowl.

As we look back through the Eagles' less-than-perfect history, it becomes apparent how much this franchise has grown over the bumbling early years and, unfortunately, how much further it needs to progress.

Fortunately, Andy Reid and the other current members of the Eagles' front office have kept the team relevant over the past several years, but how might the franchise's history have differed if the following nine boneheaded moments hadn't happened?

We may never know the answer, but at least we can look back and laugh.

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2011 Fantasy Baseball Sleepers: Kyle Drabek Deserves Dap in Your Draft

Kyle Drabek Deserves a Close Look on Your 2011 Fantasy Baseball Sleeper List

One of the Jays top prospects is ready to burst out onto the scene and give your fantasy roster some much needed depth in the starting pitching department.

He made three career starts at the end of 2010 and gave up nine runs in 17 innings. Not exactly fantasy gold.

But his velocity has jumped up to the mid-90's and his devastating curveball is going to give hitters fits.

Jay's manager John Farrell is already jumping on the bandwagon as told to the St. Petersburg Times:

"I think the one thing we're seeing, even when he's not as sharp with his overall command, he's still been efficient, whether it's been in an 'A' game or other outings we've seen in spring training. He's making very good strides to start on Saturday (against Minnesota) and beyond."

He has been getting a plethora of ground balls this spring and has posted a 2.84 ERA this spring.

Drabek is only 23 and has already landed a secure spot in the Jays rotation. There are going to be some growing pains along the way?but expect the 6'0 durable righty to give you at least 10 wins and 200 innings pitched.

Drabek was considered one of the top 20 prospects heading into last season and has done little to change that line of thinking. It would be worth your while to snag him with one of your final picks before he bursts out onto the scene.

For all of the latest news and notes regarding fantasy baseball, click here.

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Euro 2012 Group D: Romania 3 Luxembourg 1

Romania grabbed their first win in Group D on Tuesday to keep alive their slim hopes of making the Euro 2012 finals.

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Euro 2012 Group C: Serbia denied victory

A late equaliser by Konstantin Vassiljev denied Serbia victory in their Euro 2012 qualifier against Estonia.

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Valencia hope La Liga matches go ahead

Valencia defender Angel Dealbert said training this week has continued as normal despite the threat of postponed fixtures in La Liga.

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Las Vegas sportsbook took $10 bet on VCU at 5,000 to 1

Because of VCU, the sportsbook at the Las Vegas Hilton is sweating out the Final Four a little more than its Sin City counterparts.


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Neymar warms to Chelsea move

Brazil international Neymar has expressed his desire to one day play for Chelsea in the English Premier League.

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Lahm - Van Gaal has to go

Philipp Lahm believes Bayern Munich have made the right decision in agreeing to cut ties with Louis van Gaal.

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Lengthy lay-off confirmed for Richards

Manchester City defender Micah Richards could be out for up to six weeks after suffering a hamstring injury playing for the England Under-21s.

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No bad blood with Bilic, insists Blanc

France manager Laurent Blanc has dismissed talk of a row with Croatian counterpart Slaven Bilic ahead of this week?s friendly international.

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Charity adressing campus gambling seems risky to some

Should colleges treat gambling like alcohol, writing campus policies that control for abuse while acknowledging that gambling can be healthy ...


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International friendlies preview: World Cup hosts square off

Qatar and Russia will go head to head in an international friendly on Tuesday in a battle of the future World Cup hosts.

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Loew sees room for improvement

Germany manager Joachim Loew believes his side have room to improve despite the fact they defeated Kazakhstan 4-0 on Saturday.

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Could these spring stats be an indicator?

Spring training statistics are rarely indicators of what to expect when the games actually start to matter, but when viewed in the larger context of a player's health and recent regular season numbers, spring performances that just might have meaning for the season to come start to come into view. What follows, then, are a small selection of hitting lines from this year's exhibition schedule that may just have revealed some larger truths about the players in question.

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Injury puts Doyle season in doubt

Wolves could be without Kevin Doyle for the rest of the Premier League season after the striker injured his knee on international duty.

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Capello releases Terry from Ghana game

England will need a new captain for Wednesday's friendly against Ghana after John Terry and five other players were released from the squad.

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Ibra downplays Citizens link

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has cooled rumours that he could trade AC Milan for Manchester City at the end of the season.

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Houston Has a Problem: What Will The Texans Do with Arian Foster and Ben Tate?

The Houston Texans drafted Ben Tate with the 58th pick of the 2010 NFL Draft. He was expected to be the man to shoulder the load and balance the Texans offense.

Then tragedy struck. Tate broke his ankle in the Texans first preseason game, and was lost for the rest of the season.

Then, in a strange turn of events, Arian Foster turned out a 231-yard rushing game against the Indianapolis Colts, and was the leading rusher in the NFL.

Foster's emergence as an elite running back places Houston's administration in a strong situation. They have a highly touted rookie running back who should be a dominant NFL runner, and the 2010 season's leading rusher.

The problem for the Texans front office is that both Foster and Tate are similar types of running backs, who are tough backs who will be productive in the zone blocking scheme that Houston run.

Tate is a bit faster, and Foster is a bit more powerful, but they are pretty much the same back, just with a different name.

There are a few options available to them, which I will seek to elaborate in this article.

The first option available to the Texans is to trade away Ben Tate. Since he was a middle second-round pick only last season, and is a very athletic for a 220-pound back, he will have not lost much of that value while losing his rookie season to a broken ankle. I think a late second-round pick would be able to wrest him away from the Texans' sticky little fingers.

While this may seem too soon to trade away a second-round pick, but the Texans were an explosive offense last season without him (third in the league). This would probably imply that the Texans will have a great offense with or without him, and a late second-round pick would be invaluable as they convert to a 3-4 defense.

The teams who could show the most interest are the Detroit Lions, the Indianapolis Colts and the New York Giants.

The Lions need a good powerful back to carry the load for Jahvid Best, and Tate would be better and more polished than any running back in the draft other than Ingram. However, the Lions also have plenty of needs, and giving up a second-round pick for a possible injury risk at running back could backfire spectacularly on them.

Indianapolis also needs a good running back to take the pressure off Peyton Manning. Tate would be able to make the most of the weak Colts offensive line with his athletic ability. He would also add some power to the Colts team, which has been seriously lacking recently.

The Giants have a good offensive line which paved the way for Ahmad Bradshaw in 2010. Tate would be able to be plugged in if Brandon Jacobs leaves as a power back, or as a full-time runner if they let go of Bradshaw.

Another option for the Texans would be to trade away the NFL's leading rusher, Arian Foster. While this seems mad, and could be terrible for the organization if Tate never comes off, Foster's value will never be higher, and the zone blocking scheme that Houston runs relies on the ability of the line more than the running back.

Most teams in the NFL would love to trade for Foster, and the Texans should get a first-round draft pick plus something else of value. This would help Houston's rebuilding effort even more than the Tate trade scenario.

A challenge with this is that Foster is an unrestricted free agent this offseason. This means that the Texans would have to sign him, then trade him.

The final obvious option is to keep hold of both running backs. Foster could be used as the primary back and Tate could be a change-of-pace runner. This would make Steve Slaton expendable, but he is likely not to have a high trade value.

Tate still has three years left on his contract, and by this time the Texans will know which back they want to continue with in the future.

I think the best option would be to trade away Tate. The risk involved in giving up one of the best running backs in the league for an unknown quantity is too great. It is also not sensible to keep carrying two carbon copy running backs in a team which suits a featured running back.

The draft pick they could acquire for him would also be important to rebuild the defense.

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Neymar backed for Blues move

Brazil coach Mano Menezes believes Neymar would benefit greatly from a move to Premier League champions Chelsea.

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International friendly preview: Germany v Australia

Germany will be missing several first-team players when they meet Australia in a rematch of their 2010 World Cup group-stage clash.

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Neymar warms to Chelsea move

Brazil international Neymar has expressed his desire to one day play for Chelsea in the English Premier League.

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Capello plan pays off for England

Fabio Capello was satisfied that his change of formation paid dividends as England comfortably defeated Wales 2-0 on Saturday.

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MLB?s ?Final Four?: Who Would Advance in All-Time Baseball Tournament?

The upcoming weekend in sports is without question one of the more unique times of year. The NCAA Final Four gets underway on Saturday, and just two days before that marks Opening Day for the 2011 MLB season. One marks a beginning, the other an end.

As fans breathlessly anticipate the blessed events, we at Bleacher Report thought that we would combine aspects of both events. In effect, we will look at the best of best in the history of Major League Baseball and match them up in order to see who would advance to a fantasy “Final Four” in baseball.

While fans of Kentucky, UConn, VCU and Butler await the fate of their college basketball teams, we will throw some fantasy fuel to the fire by determining just exactly which historical teams would advance in MLB’s Final Four.

We will start with eight teams: four from the American League and four from the National League. Sort of like an Elite Eight, if you will.

We will then match them up in regional finals, to see which teams will qualify for the MLB Final Four.

While there is no doubt that many will be passionate in their arguments as to who is the best of the best, we invite your participation and passionate discourse, but keep in mind, it’s only a fantasy.

So, without further adieu, here are the top four historical teams from the AL and NL, and our predictions as to who advances to the MLB Final Four.

For continuing coverage of Major League Baseball, follow Doug on Twitter @Sports_A_Holic.

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Injury forces Cahill out

Injury has forced Holger Osieck to leave Tim Cahilll out of the Australian squad for Tuesday's friendly against Germany.

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maandag 28 maart 2011

Euro 2012 qualifying Group H wrap: No splitting rivals

A late Erik Huseklepp strike salvaged a 1-1 draw for Norway in Saturday's Euro 2012 qualifier with Denmark, while Cyprus and Iceland drew.

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Arizona Rattlers: Week Four Rundown Against the Tulsa Talons

The Tulsa Talons entered the game looking to snap their two game losing streak.  However, the Arizona Rattlers had a different idea as they traveled to Tulsa looking for a top spot in the Western Division after the San Jose Sabercats tripped up against the Chicago Rush.

In the first half of the game the Arizona Rattlers played like the champions that they want to be. To top off the Rattlers' opening drive, Odie Armstrong trucked past the Talons defense and into the end zone. The Tulsa defense could only watch as Arizona’s Rod Windsor, Trandon Harvey and Nate Forse all slithered past and scored a touchdown while Nick Davila was firing off completions like a Kalashnikov. 

The Talons offense didn’t fare any better as they were held to a goose egg at the half. The Rattler defensive backs resembled their receiver comrades and pulled in interceptions. To sum up the first half defensively, the Talons kicker only saw the field twice. The first time was for the opening kickoff and the second was because of a safety.

The second half the Rattlers' defense was gracious or tired enough to allow three touchdowns, but it was too little and too late for the Talons to regain any sort of command on their own field. The offense again left the Talons in awe as the Rattlers left the field totaling 69 points.

The Rattlers have now taken the division lead and will need to defend their lead at home against the always dangerous Orlando Predators. 

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MLB All-Futures Team: The Next Superstar at Every Position

Wondering who the next great MLB star will be? Well navigating through such as question is not just par-for-the-course, but also a very debatable topic that pretty much leaves an open door for several mentions, for several reasons.

I have comprised a list of who I think will be the next set of MLB superstars, and I tried to mix in both players who have begun carving their name into the history books (players with no more than five years of service prior to this season), as well as, players just about to begin making their mark (rookies).

So let’s take a look at who I chose, and be sure to leave your nomination below.

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Penguins Marching On: Recent Surge Has Pittsburgh Defying the Odds

Detroit, Philadelphia, and New Jersey.

Just a week ago, this stretch of games looked like a trip through Dante's Inferno for the still injury-ridden Penguins. Even at the beginning of the year, this stretch of games looked to be a measuring stick for the Pens as the playoffs loom in the near future.

Three shootouts later, the Pens grabbed six points and made it eight with another shootout win over the Panthers. With Crosby and Malkin, Pens fans would be ecstatic as these wins show the Pens that they can take on Stanley Cup contending teams.

However, without two of the game's best players, these wins show that this scrappy bunch of players aren't ready or expecting to bow out early of Lord Stanley's dance.

For the Pens, these teams are all a unique challenge for the Pens in areas where the Pens were expected to struggle without a healthy line up. Detroit is a deep team with veteran leadership with every line. Philadelphia is a rival who plays physically and can take good players out of games by drawing penalties. New Jersey poses the challenge of dealing with a true defensive minded team led by Martin Brodeur and causes headaches for Marc-Andre Fleury.

The Pens handled each team with the poise of a Cup winning team fans love to watch. Even in the midst of a defensive collapse against Detroit, the Pens were able to jump out early and maintain a high level of energy to get them to a position to win.

Against the Flyers, the Pens showed more grit and heart in a meaningful game played for Atlantic Divisional and Eastern Conference supremacy. Finally against New Jersey, Brett Johnson and Martin Brodeur went toe to toe before the shootout that proved to be one round too many for the legendary Devils goaltender.

James Neal struck gold every time, reinforcing Ray Shero's mastery of personal and Dan Bylsma's patchwork lines came through each time.

The only downside for the Pens with all of these games is the shootout. Two points all count the same in the standings, causing worry in Philadelphia for the first time in a long while, but winning in the shootout is a double edged sword.

In the playoffs, games aren't won in shootouts, they're won with five-on-five hockey. The Pens seemed almost to be playing for the shootout in these games because this is when they knew they held an advantage.

Granted, it is very possible that this unit would be able to score in a 15 minute overtime period and five is just too short. However, without the instant playmaker-scoring threat that both Malkin and Crosby bring every shift, winning a playoff game in overtime with precision play execution is very difficult.

Regardless, the Pens have proven that all of the critics banking on a first or second round elimination should be careful with their words. This new-look Pens team is threatening to be the Butler of Stanley Cup Playoffs: solid, experienced, and lacking the usual glitz and glamour, but more importantly, a team that each and every night, simply finds a way to win.

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Klose frustrated at Bayern

Bayern Munich striker Miroslav Klose is not going to accept another season without regular first-team football.

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NFL Power Rankings 2011: Rating All 32 Teams' Full Uniforms

There's an old saying that goes: "Clothes make the man." Does the same go for professional football teams' uniforms?

Do franchises jersey's and color schemes make them great or not?

Well, if a team's attire to determine their play on the field, that'd be pretty crazy. Nevertheless, there are teams in NFL who have uniforms that are just unbearable. Others have ones that fans from across the country (even if they don't root for the team or player) who will seek out and purchase a jersey just for the look.

Another trend that has become popular throughout the NFL and even other leagues is the introducing of throwback uniforms. A blast from the past if you will. 

Some teams rock them and others don't.

We're going to take a step back from rating players and teams during the offseason and switch gears to another power ranking system. The system being fashion.

 

Follow me on Twitter: @joehiggins5

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Mack's skills make Butler click on path to second Final Four

Shelvin Mack can be mischievous. Atop a ladder, after the Butler guard ceremoniously trimmed part of the basketball net for winning the NCAA ...


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Euro 2012 qualifying Group H wrap: No splitting rivals

A late Erik Huseklepp strike salvaged a 1-1 draw for Norway in Saturday's Euro 2012 qualifier with Denmark, while Cyprus and Iceland drew.

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Angry fans protest NFL lockout outside Seahawks' stadium

Fans' anger with the NFL lockout bubbled into a mini-protest on Sunday outside the Seattle Seahawks' home at Qwest Field.


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