tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26019072461891050632024-03-21T20:22:07.195-07:00Mr.Sports HimselfAll the latest news, hot takes and more from Mr. Donnie Druin!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-39229619611653599852017-06-12T05:20:00.002-07:002017-06-12T05:22:04.927-07:00Penguins Emerge Late, Raise Back to Back Cups<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVscZN0AxDkh8FKnAeYAb7Ea0WvEQMVqr2vMMQZQMpLt1TVj6P4avKE_3NXktZpUaYG6kBXw4l1Mccrj74RE4GR46trJmiRguMGz05-9mMSjDhM3Lak-493VBiMrxHE9LzX9apOJevzKy/s1600/1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVscZN0AxDkh8FKnAeYAb7Ea0WvEQMVqr2vMMQZQMpLt1TVj6P4avKE_3NXktZpUaYG6kBXw4l1Mccrj74RE4GR46trJmiRguMGz05-9mMSjDhM3Lak-493VBiMrxHE9LzX9apOJevzKy/s640/1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lato" , "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">(Photo by Frederick Breedon/Getty Images)</span></div>
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Typically at the end of movie scripts that include the power struggles of good vs. evil, the good guys always seem to prevail.<br />
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With 1:35 left in a decisive Game Six of the Stanley Cup Finals, Pittsburgh Penguins forward Patric Hornqvist flipped the script to the rest of the NHL and returned the league's most spited team, along with the most hated player, back to the promise land.<br />
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On Sunday, the Penguins became the first team in the salary cap era (19 years) to repeat as Stanley Cup Champions with a 2-0 victory against the Nashville Predators.<br />
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Hornqvist's goal, taken from behind the net and banked in off the back of Predators G Pekka Rinne, gave the Penguins what was eventually the game winning goal in a game where virtually nobody outside of Pittsburgh city limits wanted to see them prevail.<br />
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Hornqvist scores the goal of a lifetime against his former team in Game Six. Snap Shots: <a href="https://t.co/uhefwlKfEa">https://t.co/uhefwlKfEa</a> <a href="https://t.co/nhNjzeWqCC">pic.twitter.com/nhNjzeWqCC</a></div>
— Pittsburgh Penguins (@penguins) <a href="https://twitter.com/penguins/status/874123058247647234">June 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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In an interview with Yahoo! (which can be found <a href="https://sports.yahoo.com/patric-hornqvist-happy-close-2nd-stanley-cup-nashville-ice-051935098.html">here</a>) following the game, the game six hero had this to say on the goal that brought a fifth Stanley Cup to Pittsburgh:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #26282a; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>“[Schultz] got it to the net, missed the net. I just tried to bank it in off Rinne and it worked. Eh, [expletive] it,” </i></span>said Hornqvist</span></blockquote>
With Hornqvist's goal and an empty netter by Carl Hagelin with 14 seconds left, the usually rambunctious Bridgestone Arena quickly took the form of a library with sights on a game seven fading away.<br />
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Up until Sunday night, each team that took the ice at home emerged victorious. Game six provided a perfect snapshot of the series: Gritty, intense, and controversial.<br />
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Early in the second period with a still scoreless game, Penguins net-minder Matt Murray was believed to have stopped a shot coming from his right side and thus had a whistle blew by an official to stop play.<br />
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Or so the official thought.<br />
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The <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Preds?src=hash">#Preds</a> put one past Murray, but the whistle had already gone. No goal. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pens?src=hash">#Pens</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/StanleyCup?src=hash">#StanleyCup</a> <a href="https://t.co/vskSB769fO">pic.twitter.com/vskSB769fO</a></div>
— RealClearSports (@RealClearSports) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealClearSports/status/874075069160534016">June 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The whistle effectively stopped Nashville's momentum, and kept the score at zeros. The call, after it went to review and was upheld, will stand in Nashville sports lore as "what could have been" and will be the talk around the Predators for a very long time.<br />
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Contrary to popular belief, however, that no call was not singularly responsible for a victory parade to be planned in Pittsburgh, as Nashville failed to convert on a single of their four power-play opportunities, including a 5-3 man advantage late in the game. Although Murray and Rinne played phenomenal, a puck had to sneak past one of the two.<br />
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To the dismay of Smashville, Rinne was the first- and only, to do so.<br />
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For the Penguins, who held Nashville scoreless for both games five and six while scoring eight goals of their own, it took a tough performance by a team riddled by the injury bug. Defensemen Kris Letang was missing from the lineup since April with a herniated disc, and forward Nick Bonino last saw action in game two as he revealed he had suffered a broken tibia.<br />
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It was a memorable run by Pittsburgh in the 2017 playoffs, as Head Coach Mike Sullivan guided this team past a hot and young Columbus squad, through a regular season juggernaut in Washington and around a well oiled Ottawa team en route to winning a title against a strong Nashville group. It was a run where everybody contributed, from the stars (Conn Smythe Winner Sidney Crosby, Malkin, Kessel) to the bottom liners.<br />
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Talks of a three-peat have already begun, but will be even harder to pull off than winning back-to-backs. For now, Pittsburgh will enjoy it's fifth gift from Lord Stanley. Many questions surround the Penguins moving into the off-season: What will the fate of Marc-Andre Fleury tell? Who will Pittsburgh lose to the expansion draft, retirement and free agency?<br />
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While these questions will need to be addressed at some point in the future, only one thing is on the mind of the city of champions:<br />
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It's time to plan a parade.<br />
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<i>For news on everything in the world of sports, or just to tell him all referees play for the Penguins, follow Donnie on Twitter @DonnieDruin </i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-14826470866665732462017-05-23T22:31:00.001-07:002017-05-23T22:31:28.282-07:00NFL Owners Approve New Rule Changes<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbx3RD_Mnuom-jj9ttG1Z1wQ_7z5dKEzLmOPLmx2yK0Gn5RZBmMfe1vQn4IlBHf9NRbqJhrM8SARkb7UrQ-LDMPRbpL-SpekGYpX__e-TRcLkp3ASwEWUhmPW68Y9oDx0bg4wIP-cGo2Pj/s1600/RG.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbx3RD_Mnuom-jj9ttG1Z1wQ_7z5dKEzLmOPLmx2yK0Gn5RZBmMfe1vQn4IlBHf9NRbqJhrM8SARkb7UrQ-LDMPRbpL-SpekGYpX__e-TRcLkp3ASwEWUhmPW68Y9oDx0bg4wIP-cGo2Pj/s640/RG.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Owners of all 32 NFL franchises flocked to Chicago, IL for the league's annual spring meeting this week. Although there were rule changes made during meetings that took place in March, these meetings were to finalize solutions that were left unruled/ pending from the previous meetings in Phoenix earlier this year.<br />
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The league has done (for the most part) a satisfactory job at evaluating the game every year and making tweaks for the overall good of the game, at least more-so than the MLB, NHL and NBA's efforts.<br />
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So what rule changes were approved in the windy city?<br />
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Everything you need to know:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD34stuuW5PUdRhj6yD5oLtIGdw3F3G9VbMbB7iyr8LBQQUN1eu0UM2PnrIVUTVoJdYcw8Yvc1FK6yaJgmTq3FaDCHRSnXRt-S5eAOFsnPiStx86IeRAbABWBm9yCaqcjmRldJibvtUWiS/s1600/nfl-overtime-052317-getty-ftrjpg_v5liqphdpi2s1q6w4oxpru8dm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD34stuuW5PUdRhj6yD5oLtIGdw3F3G9VbMbB7iyr8LBQQUN1eu0UM2PnrIVUTVoJdYcw8Yvc1FK6yaJgmTq3FaDCHRSnXRt-S5eAOFsnPiStx86IeRAbABWBm9yCaqcjmRldJibvtUWiS/s640/nfl-overtime-052317-getty-ftrjpg_v5liqphdpi2s1q6w4oxpru8dm.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Rule: </b>Overtime cut from 15 to 10 minutes<br />
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<b>The Good: </b>With increasing television timeouts and a constant stoppage on the game clock, NFL games can feel like they're dragging from Sunday to Sunday. Although minor, the rule change will potentially shorten games (even if by 5 minutes), and will force interesting decisions to be made in OT considering the shortened time.<br />
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<b>The Bad: </b>In all reality, the five minute change wont really change much. Player safety was cited as one of the main causes of this change, but in a game that is already long over the 60 minute mark, how can we say with a straight face this is a <i>real </i> benefit for players? Additionally, say a team takes 8 minutes and chews up the clock to only kick a field goal. If the league is aiming for "fairness" in competition, what's fair about getting the ball back with two minutes in overtime?<br />
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<b>Final Verdict: </b>This rule change will only effect the minority of football games, so it's impact will likely reach minor levels. However, if we're looking to improve overtime/player safety, there are much better ways to approach these issues.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YAO7Vww3TiJgJQtLCPrmwBj0b_sy55J-aXRytDzDkUkgjmnk9iwustb_XNLOO0vzZZ3neurgJVsee8ICS54sq6CxHdT1k2wU7C2uVZqgTx86SXIkyAoJWfKOLt-gwdB5lixp4qckXvyF/s1600/icon-1024x537.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0YAO7Vww3TiJgJQtLCPrmwBj0b_sy55J-aXRytDzDkUkgjmnk9iwustb_XNLOO0vzZZ3neurgJVsee8ICS54sq6CxHdT1k2wU7C2uVZqgTx86SXIkyAoJWfKOLt-gwdB5lixp4qckXvyF/s640/icon-1024x537.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Rule: </b>The league is now loosening restrictions on player celebrations<br />
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<b>The Good: </b>The NFL, which has stood for the No Fun League as of late, took a greater step towards the entertainment aspect of the game by now allowing players to do pretty much anything, as long as it is not taunting nor vulgar. This will allow the characters of the league to come out and be true to themselves, while also increasing the fun and entertainment value for the fans. No weaponry or sexually provocative movements allowed.<br />
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<b>The Bad: </b>There's not really much that can be put into this section. This is mostly for the old-heads of football who favored Barry Sanders because he simply handed the ball to the referee. The only true bad that could come out of this rule is a player taking it to extremes, but we have yet to see this egregiousness in the league's history.<br />
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<b>Final Verdict: </b>This can only be seen as a Win/Win for everybody involved. We might not get back to the days of Joe Horn pulling out his cellphone or Terrell Owens with his sharpie, but the NFL saw a drop in ratings last season and needed to make changes. This is one that will bring people back to football.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji49zEG_NGj6T4l-RU91BjeXsSmhnH_PaX-ufk-h0RFCYD_OEVdFS5cwNsiVagJrh88-ED-NkOl7Af1cR82paqpSoXylzMgI-VFEBJwoWZas0mCjmzDKSpPnbjyxWDsOpvUSmofWXctCOh/s1600/NFL-training-camps-2014-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji49zEG_NGj6T4l-RU91BjeXsSmhnH_PaX-ufk-h0RFCYD_OEVdFS5cwNsiVagJrh88-ED-NkOl7Af1cR82paqpSoXylzMgI-VFEBJwoWZas0mCjmzDKSpPnbjyxWDsOpvUSmofWXctCOh/s640/NFL-training-camps-2014-3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Rule: </b>Cutting roster sizes has moved to one day, will go from 90 man to 53 man. <br />
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<b>The Good: </b>Unless you follow the league intensely or keep up on <i>Hard Knocks, </i>this change won't mean very much to the common fan. This rule will now force teams to make cuts at the end of the preseason all at once, which is a major victory for players on the lower end of the totem pole trying to make rosters. This will allow these players more opportunities to show the coaches what they're able to do.<br />
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<b>The Bad: </b>This part is mostly on the coaching staff. Already a stressful facet of the preseason, this forces the staff to cut 37 players at one time as opposed to two separate days. Obviously, 37 talented players to cut is no easy decision. This will force some quick decisions and may prove to have roster consequences later in the season.<br />
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<b>Final Verdict: </b>Roster trimming used to go from a 90 man roster, to a 75 man roster, down to the standard 53. The new rule, which only grants one day to go from 90 to 53, is essentially for players trying to make rosters. Teams are typically trying to simply avoid injuries by the last week of the preseason, and by enforcing the new rule, will get a last chance to see these players in live action before making decisions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAbZQhRMbPydk3UvmSnt8yL2WcGqmNqoB_Q6j6lt66jsDclIFFYqWs8q9KHqIjM894oDP_R4AvRSN9v9etk8bvRUjZrED8ThPfef_LC1MaSZsdZYbNHYk9K3BAtU_2CFNuuH3NuQOLkYC/s1600/NFL21.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAAbZQhRMbPydk3UvmSnt8yL2WcGqmNqoB_Q6j6lt66jsDclIFFYqWs8q9KHqIjM894oDP_R4AvRSN9v9etk8bvRUjZrED8ThPfef_LC1MaSZsdZYbNHYk9K3BAtU_2CFNuuH3NuQOLkYC/s640/NFL21.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Rule: </b>Two players will now be allowed to be taken off injured reserve<br />
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<b>The Good: </b>Unfortunately, injuries will forever be a part of sports. Should a player suffer a major injury, their season was officially finished once they hit the injured reserve. In recent years, the league allowed one player to return from this designated list, and recently as last year eliminated the need to claim what player up front would be designated for return. Now, two players will be allowed to return from the Injured Reserve.<br />
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This again is a win for everybody. The players who are hurt now still have the possibility of returning to play, coaches are able to hold roster spots while they're gone and still welcome injured players back, and fans can have the possibility of watching the best players return.<br />
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<b>The Bad: </b>Again, not much to complain about on this side. The only possible downside is having a player rush back too early from injury and possibly risk further damage.<br />
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<b>The Verdict: </b>This new change can have big ripples later in the season, where a playoff team can gain an important piece to their puzzle. A true shame is watching great players end a season due to injury, and now with this addition, the possibilities of watching a comeback now takes a step closer to happening.<br />
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Other important notes from Tuesday:<br />
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<li>Tampa Bay will now be the site for Super Bowl 55, which was originally supposed to be in Los Angeles. Rain in the LA area deterred construction and pushed the date back for the new stadium to be ready. Tampa, which was originally the runner up to Los Angeles, has 90 days (August 25th) to solidify requirements. </li>
<li>A proposal to allow coaches who are currently in the playoffs to work out agreements for other teams has currently been tabled. This means that coaches who are still currently with their team during a playoff run must wait until they are eliminated to negotiate. </li>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">To receive updates on the NFL and all other sports, follow Donnie Druin on Twitter @DonnieDruin</span></i></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-70471209784653658212017-04-27T07:48:00.000-07:002017-04-27T07:49:39.961-07:002017 NFL Mock Draft<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-mtIo-X8aYbRSdtQSNiJW7_00zCjuOogg3uvobTdj1ot_Uap4fyoLDAhhCmy4C43C7QrPuTPwYPZ8ytrLlOooCJWSQ4CQI52F68Mh8NVTGLr1Fd6iYEZHLFdGbATJZhvtNYbeIzqH1tG/s1600/nfl5745784.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm-mtIo-X8aYbRSdtQSNiJW7_00zCjuOogg3uvobTdj1ot_Uap4fyoLDAhhCmy4C43C7QrPuTPwYPZ8ytrLlOooCJWSQ4CQI52F68Mh8NVTGLr1Fd6iYEZHLFdGbATJZhvtNYbeIzqH1tG/s640/nfl5745784.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's the equivalent to a second Christmas for football fans: The NFL Draft. For years now the NFL has ditched it's old platform of all seven rounds in one day, and has successfully turned what used to be an event for players, into one for fans and media as well.<br />
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The only way to describe this draft is cloudy. Cloudier than the weather, perhaps even cloudier than Jabrill Peppers' combine urine sample. The 2017 draft has many questions surrounding it, starting with the very first pick by Cleveland. Do they pass up Myles Garrett and take Mitch Trubisky? How many quarterbacks will go in the first round compared to how many are deserving to do so? How do recent events transpiring with those including Gareon Conley and Rueben Foster effect the rest of the draft?<br />
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The time has now come for every question to have an answer. When Roger Goodell takes the stage in Philadelphia later tonight, the lives of 32 young men will be changed forever, whether it be positive or negative. The draft is where champions are forged, and where championship aspirations can be thrown away in the same night. Which will your team choose?<br />
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And without further hesitation...<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>With the 1st pick in the 2017 NFL Draft, the Cleveland Browns select:</i></span></div>
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<li><span style="font-size: large;">Cleveland Browns - Myles Garrett - DE - Texas A&M</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">San Francisco 49ers - Jamal Adams - S - LSU</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Chicago Bears - Marshon Lattimore - CB - Ohio State</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Jacksonville Jaguars - Leonard Fournette - RB - LSU</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Tennessee Titans - Mike Williams - WR - Clemson</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">New York Jets - Jonathan Allen - DT - Alabama</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">San Diego Chargers - Malik Hooker - S - Ohio State </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Carolina Panthers - Christian McCaffrey - RB - Stanford</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Cincinnati Bengals - Solomon Thomas - DL - Stanford </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Buffalo Bills - OJ Howard - TE - Alabama </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">New Orleans Saints - Rueben Foster - LB - Alabama</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Cleveland Browns - Mitch Trubisky - QB - North Carolina</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Arizona Cardinals - Haason Reddick - LB - Temple</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Philadelphia Eagles - Marlon Humphrey - CB - Alabama</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Indianapolis Colts - Derek Barnett - DE - Tennessee </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Baltimore Ravens - Corey Davis - WR - Western Michigan</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Washington Redskins - Takkarist McKinley - DE - UCLA</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Tennessee Titans - Adoree' Jackson - CB - USC</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Dalvin Cook - RB - Florida State</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Denver Broncos - Ryan Ramczyk - OT - Wisconsin</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Detroit Lions - Jarrad Davis - LB - Florida</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Miami Dolphins - Forrest Lamp - OG - Western Kentucky</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">New York Giants - Garett Bolles - OT - Utah</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Oakland Raiders - Cam Robinson - OT - Alabama </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Houston Texans - Deshaun Watson - QB - Clemson</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Seattle Seahawks - Kevin King - CB - Washington</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Kansas City Chiefs - Patrick Mahomes - QB - Texas Tech</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Dallas Cowboys - Jabrill Peppers - S - Michigan</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Green Bay Packers - TJ Watt - LB - Wisconsin</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Pittsburgh Steelers - Budda Baker - S - Washington</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">Atlanta Falcons - Charles Harris - DE - Missouri </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;">New Orleans Saints - Quincy Wilson - CB - Florida</span></li>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-92231078950522741262017-04-25T04:44:00.000-07:002017-04-25T04:44:15.919-07:00Adrian Peterson Finds Home, Signs With New Orleans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKW-Wm1B98iqhURbf_wLlXiop3p8dtWyAru8XHD4g7AZuIdmtG_p_gHy42i5P_ZmUTa2mimIaAQ52fX-UsU84LeKvA_zxGw2jM6ZBpy4kWQlf9c2Yd5nUmVFqAr1QHq8cSDhbbDfOBjJ2/s1600/Adrian-Peterson1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgKW-Wm1B98iqhURbf_wLlXiop3p8dtWyAru8XHD4g7AZuIdmtG_p_gHy42i5P_ZmUTa2mimIaAQ52fX-UsU84LeKvA_zxGw2jM6ZBpy4kWQlf9c2Yd5nUmVFqAr1QHq8cSDhbbDfOBjJ2/s400/Adrian-Peterson1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Two days before one of the biggest days on the NFL calendar, it's extremely rare a story non-draft related climbs it's way atop the headlines.<br />
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Perhaps one of the greatest to ever carry a football could change that.<br />
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After a long off-season of debate and mulling options, 32 year old running back Adrian Peterson finally settled on joining the New Orleans Saints on a 2 year, $7 million deal. Peterson, who has battled injuries and suspension the past three years, will share a backfield with Pro-Bowler Mark Ingram in hopes of providing more balance in an aerial juggernaut of an offense.<br />
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Many factors contributed to Peterson's release by Minnesota, with age, performance and a fresh start on the mind of Minnesota's front office. In an interview with ESPN, Peterson said that "I chose this team because it felt right with my spirit" and went on to point the potential of what New Orleans could become.<br />
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However, one factor makes this signing mostly fun for all of us at home: A week one match-up with an NFC North team NOT named the Bears, Lions or Packers. That's right, his first week of football in his new home will feature a game against his former team, the Minnesota Vikings. (Get yo popcorn ready)<br />
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Very seldom do we see a superstar on the level of Peterson take a supporting role for a low amount of money, but with the clock very much ticking on Adrian's career, the All-Pro running back made a smart decision. Not only does Peterson move to a new fan base where more people will be able to celebrate and enjoy his success as a fresh start, but he also put himself into position to take less punishment and more beneficial to his long term health, something that has become a hot topic in the realm of athletes and medicine.<br />
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When Peterson enters the Hall of Fame, he will indeed go down as a Minnesota Viking. Will he end up with a Super Bowl ring? That argument just got a little more interesting (depends who you ask). But one thing is for sure: For the next two seasons, Adrian Peterson is a Saint.<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-84043357201411708842017-03-30T07:08:00.000-07:002017-03-30T13:31:19.556-07:00Reaping What You Sow: The Colin Kaepernick Story<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgMuh6q-6L0I_4Zy5R8facL7otpBVEI4Datkh9haY2Y4ob7ophtbYZTrDo1jgzzB5iFafOh9ogB_l2-L2kZ6QfhQ2ENFKR936037UXRaqpcvLx2E_raia2ySZmCI45H5qlhWZjWT1SwXM/s1600/kaep3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcgMuh6q-6L0I_4Zy5R8facL7otpBVEI4Datkh9haY2Y4ob7ophtbYZTrDo1jgzzB5iFafOh9ogB_l2-L2kZ6QfhQ2ENFKR936037UXRaqpcvLx2E_raia2ySZmCI45H5qlhWZjWT1SwXM/s640/kaep3.jpg" width="640" id="id_b557_709e_7b5b_5f45" style="width: 640px; height: auto;"></a></div>
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It seems like yesterday Colin Kaepernick was the best thing since sliced bread. The rocket armed, inked up, bicep kissing dual threat quarterback was torching defenses left and right and was one throw away from adding "Super Bowl Champion" to his resume.<br>
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Life comes at you fast.<br>
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Fast forward five years, and 2017 is a vastly different animal than 2012. Shortly after their Super Bowl run, the 49ers organization collapsed similar to a house of cards in what might have been one of the worst off-seasons in modern sports history. San Francisco, along with Colin, watched more than 16 players either retire or flee to free agency following Jim Harbaugh's departure to the collegiate level, among other coaches leaving the 49ers as well. Nothing has been the same for Kaepernick, Not his coaching staff, not his play, <i>not even his diet</i>.<br>
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So following another disappointing campaign in 2016, Colin opted out of his newly structured deal, and decided it was best if they started seeing other people.<br>
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Here's where the tin-foil hats start to emerge from the cornfields.<br>
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In-case you somehow forgot, 2016 kicked off the year of Colin Kaepernick's national anthem protests. Kaepernick received much backlash for his kneeling during the star-spangled banner, and many athletes followed suit in support. Many fans turned to booing, boycotting, and even humoring the message Colin was trying to peacefully portray.<br>
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It was a truly odd moment for us as a society, to poke athletes and wish upon a star for them to use their platform to speak their minds and stand up (or kneel in this case) for what they thought was right. We as people thirst for this so bad- <i>but only if it's our views they're projecting. </i><br>
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Colin Kaepernick officially opted out on March 3rd, and less than a month into the process, still remains jobless. The question we all pondered was <i>where </i>he would be starting, not <i>when </i>he would be offered a job. More-so, the question being asked is <i>why? Why doesn't Colin have a job yet? </i><br>
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Grab those hats I was telling you about, kids.<br>
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An overwhelming majority of social media and news outlets cling to the narrative that Colin is being treated unfairly in his job hunt, maintaining the idea that his protests and outspoken beliefs are ultimately costing him another chance to play the game that he loves. And as much as I would love to play along with the story-line, I simply cannot.<br>
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It's simply not true.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiV433e_2Fs7bjnSxPnZV833AQevThK9Th-j1rqLdYRqQFEY7AFz5XVoGXepqwWfevap01Lj0T_Bi3qOM7ct5HcMfbcc5W02MyRXAyzm7bqSaEI2RW6vFICVOJiNarTzL69K6A9qs240ND/s1600/kaep1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiV433e_2Fs7bjnSxPnZV833AQevThK9Th-j1rqLdYRqQFEY7AFz5XVoGXepqwWfevap01Lj0T_Bi3qOM7ct5HcMfbcc5W02MyRXAyzm7bqSaEI2RW6vFICVOJiNarTzL69K6A9qs240ND/s320/kaep1.jpg" width="320" id="id_3b0a_4b44_73ba_7672" style="width: 320px; height: auto;"></a>Now before the social justice warriors burn this article down and follow suit on my social media sites, we need to acknowledge the fact that I like Colin. He seems like a caring person who actually took a stand for his beliefs, while also following through with his word about donations (when's the last time your favorite athlete put 60 tons of food and water on a plane to aid in helping end famine?). Whether you agree with his political beliefs or not, the way he is carrying himself and holding true is something to be respected.<br>
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However, Colin Kaepernick is NOT a good quarterback. Not since Harbaugh dashed for Michigan. His arm strength is phenomenal, yet when a football isn't on target, the velocity of a ball doesn't matter as much as it should. Colin has happy feet, tends to ditch the play and takeoff with the football, struggles to progress through reads and even struggles identifying defenses. We're talking about a man who was benched for Blaine Gabbert, multiple times.<br>
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And you expect him to find a job where exactly?<br>
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If Jay Cutler, who is somewhat a better quarterback than Colin, is struggling to find a new home as a starting quarterback, one can only fathom how hard-pressed Kaepernick is to find a new gig. It was recently brought to light by many outlets that Kaepernick was asking for $9-10 million a year, and a chance at a starting position. That's an awful lot to expect given his downward play the past three seasons. Colin's not exactly doing himself any favors in this process.<br>
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As much as there is to blame on Colin pinning his hopes of a news start on an outdated version of himself, the market also takes it's fair share of blame.<br>
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Put yourself in the shoes of an NFL GM who's seeking an NFL quarterback for the future. In this example, we'll use the Cleveland Browns. With the amount of draft picks acquired, it's clear the path to rebuilding your franchise is through a youth movement. Who's ceiling is higher? A quarterback about to hit 30 this year who's been torched by opposing defenses on a routine basis, or an up and coming college kid you can groom as your own into your system and culture? Teams such as Cleveland are looking to build long term, and Kaepernick simply doesn't fit the visions of the future.<br>
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But what about teams built to win now? Surely they would take a look at Colin given his situation. And that may be true, had he been willing to accept a discounted salary and willing to be a number two man in case they needed him to be. However, with Dallas dangling a hot and ready Tony Romo to teams such as Denver and Houston and names such as Kirk Cousins and Jay Cutler who are more capable of leading a team at this time, Colin is stuck in a market that doesn't believe in his ability to win now, or win for the future.<br>
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The eye opening part of this whole scenario is Kaepernick left on his own terms. After all, he was the one who opted out of his deal with San Francisco. As a 49er, Colin was at least guaranteed to be on the roster and compete to win. Even more astonishing? Jed York, CEO of the San Francisco 49ers, not only supported Colin, but highly praised him for his efforts. It's not clear exactly why Colin left the surest bet to continue playing football to see if the grass is indeed greener on the other side. Either Colin thought he was worth much more, or he needs a new group of friends around him.<br>
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Yet many of those around me continue to hold true to their hearts that Kaepernick is indeed a victim. A victim of a 2017 America where you can't speak your mind against the establishment without becoming an outcast and sacrificing everything. It's difficult to find a true comparison to Kaep's unique situation, however many are quick and continuous to draw comparisons to former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow (don't get me started), a man who is also notoriously misconceived for being ran out of the NFL for being outspoken about his beliefs. Fun fact: If Tim was as talented as everybody believed him to be, he'd still be playing.<br>
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What it boils down to, is a question many coaches, scouts and front office personnel have to ask themselves every year when evaluating players: Can this guy play at a high enough level to win us football games?<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NQdmo06CTyWbCf9_sNCRuIYl3peZlqGyIksDLYnXB_MvEoBkVi4JDR-VBpTy21HomSfxFpOaCWZa-DmJ9VbA8qCTD-3AFVeFimPkUYTLL4I-y429knGGs3AgSyUwjT2ZKnXsYzHVww16/s1600/kaep.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4NQdmo06CTyWbCf9_sNCRuIYl3peZlqGyIksDLYnXB_MvEoBkVi4JDR-VBpTy21HomSfxFpOaCWZa-DmJ9VbA8qCTD-3AFVeFimPkUYTLL4I-y429knGGs3AgSyUwjT2ZKnXsYzHVww16/s320/kaep.jpg" width="320" id="id_ed2d_120_cdb0_80b4" style="width: 320px; height: auto;"></a>It's not about kneeling in front of dozens of cameras to get your message across. It's not about locker room interviews getting political. This league and professional sports in general have, and always will be commanded by talent over everything. If a guy is talented enough, those issues are tabloid material at best. Should Kaepernick have begun this in the greater stages of his career (which raises another valid point, where was he years ago with all of this?) Colin would receive much less negative reflex from those around him. Why? <i>Because when you are talented enough to effect football games, the guy in the press box who signs your checks is much more willing to ride with you. </i><br>
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But here's to the sincerest of hopes that Colin revitalizes his career. The narrative of the 2017 NFL would be much juicer with Kaepernick on his revenge tour, and to wish harm on anybody's career path goes against moral duties of our society. Colin has done a lot of good off the field, and unfortunately his play on the field doesn't quite match up to the standard.<br>
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When Colin Kaepernick took a knee on that faithful night, spurring one of the most controversial and recycled news story driven seasons we've seen yet, he chose to exercise his freedom, something he is entitled and welcomed to do, For freedom is what this country was built upon. Just don't be upset when teams decide to do the same.<br>
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You reap what you sow, Colin.<br>
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<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: large;"><i>Donnie Druin is an award-winning writer from the Arizona Newspaper Association. F</i><i>ollow him on Twitter @DonnieDruin </i></span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">for updates/news/takes on all the sports you love, or just to tell him to stand up off the couch while the national anthem plays on TV.</span></i></span><br>
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<br>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-20970610854216378542017-03-22T06:03:00.001-07:002017-03-22T06:03:02.529-07:00NBA: No Sure Answer To League's Resting Controversy <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcwJ_MdelczMrnEARoKJRQvMsqm6sgb9JUFoG-GrpY733I5J2332LHKYog6YpnlbhvyXDkO9iy5L1JkwMTWNfB42xqkutpFtWuKeti5nAG0NXEJb17amXNEWd5iuHw_7IfAlvpR3h_zLQ/s1600/nba_g_lakersbench_576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKcwJ_MdelczMrnEARoKJRQvMsqm6sgb9JUFoG-GrpY733I5J2332LHKYog6YpnlbhvyXDkO9iy5L1JkwMTWNfB42xqkutpFtWuKeti5nAG0NXEJb17amXNEWd5iuHw_7IfAlvpR3h_zLQ/s640/nba_g_lakersbench_576.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The latest trend in the beloved National Basketball Association doesn't involve cupcakes showing up to OKC Thunder games on crutches or any advanced analytics showing Dion Waiters as a top ten player in the league.<br />
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NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recognizes a trend among the more competitive teams in the league, where teams will rest their key players for many reasons, mainly to preserve them for a hopeful NBA Finals run come summer time.<br />
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And frankly, Commissioner Silver wants these teams to give it a rest.<br />
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All bad puns and awful wordplay aside, Silver sent out a memo to all 30 clubs stressing the importance, and impact, of deciding to sit a star player. Silver stated that resting players is "an extremely significant issue for our league" and went on to speak of significant penalties in regards to teams committing such acts, according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.<br />
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It's good to see a man in power take a serious issue that directly impacts the fans of their respective sport, who knows when the last time we saw that was? However, as much as Silver's intentions benefits fans of basketball, it's impacting the NBA's wallet/exposure more than anything.<br />
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The Association's new television deal, which is currently in year one and will stretch to 2024, is reportedly worth $2.66 billion a year. That's a lot of dough for a company such as ESPN or Turner Sports to slide to the NBA in exchange for star players being rested on one of their prime-time television broadcasts.<br />
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Such was the case this previous Saturday night, when the Cleveland Cavaliers made the executive decision to bench Lebron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving on a nationally televised match-up with the Los Angeles Clippers. A week beforehand, the Golden State Warriors rested Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green against the San Antonio Spurs.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>So what's the problem? </i></b></span><br />
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There's two sides to the tricky balancing act the NBA is currently dealing with in regards to resting players.<br />
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One side belongs to you, the hard working fan who just wants to see your favorite player. You've been saving up for months to snatch great seats as (insert All-Star player here) is coming to your town for one of the handful of times per year. You're on your way to the arena buzzing with excitement, just to receive an update that said player is being rested. "For what?" you ask yourself, scrolling through your Twitter timeline to see if any injury updates have been posted. You catch a tweet by the sports analyst who says off the wall stuff on his radio show, saying your favorite player is being <i>rested for the postseason</i>. Now you couldn't be more disappointed, and will have to wait almost an entire year to see him again, because he's resting.<br />
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On the other side stands the business side, the one that usually wins in these cases. You're a coach of a certain NBA team who has their conference all but wrapped up. The 82 game season is a long, grueling and physically demanding one. Nobody wins a championship in the regular season, so you start game-planning for the playoffs. You want your men as fresh as possible, as the postseason grind is just as excruciating, so you decide to give your star players the day off. Surely it's not ideal for the fans and spirit of good competition, but you're the coach. Those fans pay decent money to see your players, yet you get paid even more handsomely to win the NBA Finals.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>So what's the solution?</i></b></span><br />
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Thus comes the tricky part of the equation. In a scenario such as the current one, there's no real right or wrong way to go about it. It's obvious with how the NBA season schedule is fixated, there is no permanent solution to make everybody including the league, network executives, players and fans all satisfied.<br />
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The easy band-aid over the situation would be shortening the length of the season. Cutting the number of games down would be extremely beneficial to mostly everybody, but would result in paychecks having to be cut down, something not everybody is exactly begging to do (Although Steve Kerr stated he would be fine with it in an interview following a win over Minnesota this week).<br />
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While the NBA isn't directly solving this issue, they do currently have plans to push the season back a week, cut down on preseason games and spread games out more than previous years. With these changes on deck, modern day players should be able to limit these "rest nights", even if some former players don't think the rest is necessary.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbGWnHiL_xKjNHLm9uw-rKxWZ553bULX4k5rsZSHOuPFDjRR_wkPp4cnL5LmEt5zBO3Qcy1XmHBbogGORhMy26UEGV6FG4I39f5F-dZFVKORmOFfXBjhvAJ83fOWWGgk3u-6DzSckhme0/s1600/karl-malone.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXbGWnHiL_xKjNHLm9uw-rKxWZ553bULX4k5rsZSHOuPFDjRR_wkPp4cnL5LmEt5zBO3Qcy1XmHBbogGORhMy26UEGV6FG4I39f5F-dZFVKORmOFfXBjhvAJ83fOWWGgk3u-6DzSckhme0/s400/karl-malone.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b> </b></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;">"If you don't have at least 10 years (of) experience, get your a-- playing"</span><span style="font-size: large;"><i style="font-weight: bold;"> </i>- Hall of Fame player Karl Malone on resting issues</span></span></blockquote>
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Whether you share the same opinion as the Utah Jazz legend or not, one thing is for certain: As long as coaches have the 82 game schedule and a championship on the line, no real changes are going to be made. Basketball, out of the four major sports in the United States, provides the most individually driven game, both on the court and for marketing/television as well. No true reputable damage will trickle down from a player sitting a night or two in the name of preservation. After all, we tend to forget sports are a form of entertainment, and that these entertainers are indeed human like you and I.<br />
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However, to the little boy wearing a Steph Curry jersey, or little girl wearing a Lebron James jersey at the arena, seeing their hero play with their own eyes just might spark something: something no television contract, ticket price or any dollar amount could outweigh.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Donnie Druin is an award-winning writer from the Arizona Newspaper Association. Follow him on Twitter @DonnieDruin for all the latest things in the world of sports, or just to tell him to give his puns a rest.</i></span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-52108265912279104052017-03-10T05:47:00.003-08:002017-03-21T04:19:37.793-07:00NFL Free Agency Tracker: Day Three<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJCP4ZXysD8j_COYRvaP6ryqR085fFrHfLeQuWDKaiQouZY5LWaYdADcIMR5JBvPO-xDLcnJZ8ukVPm1rre8RBwAUMDtAEiXixGigymcETa8SxOggtEqH0s-4HsW-cBSb_pSEiZiqQvAP/s1600/NFL-Free-Agency.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" id="id_90f8_e505_55e6_c697" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJCP4ZXysD8j_COYRvaP6ryqR085fFrHfLeQuWDKaiQouZY5LWaYdADcIMR5JBvPO-xDLcnJZ8ukVPm1rre8RBwAUMDtAEiXixGigymcETa8SxOggtEqH0s-4HsW-cBSb_pSEiZiqQvAP/s1600/NFL-Free-Agency.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 600px;" /></a></div>
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Welcome to your guide for the crazy whirlwind of tweets, calls, information and deals known as NFL Free Agency! Any signing, potential signing, rumor or other transaction that happens during the free agency period will be available here.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Total Dollar Amount Spent Through Day 2 of Free Agency: </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">$1,512,282,500.00</span><br />
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Top Ten Teams According to Cap Space Available (via Spotrac)</div>
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<li style="text-align: left;"> San Francisco- $88.9 million </li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Cleveland- $83.8 million</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Jacksonville- $70.4 million</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Tennessee- $54.8 million</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Indianapolis- $43.4 million</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Chicago- $43 million</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Oakland - $40.8 million</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Tampa Bay - $34.3 million</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Green Bay - $33.5 million</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">Arizona- $32.6 million </li>
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*Figures are valid through 3/10/17<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">On this page you will find all the free agent signings listed by position, and are done in order of highest contract total.</span></i><br />
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Quarterbacks:<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Mike Glennon- Chicago Bears- 3 years/45 million, ($19 million guaranteed)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Kirk Cousins- Washington Redskins- 1 year, $23.94 million franchise tag</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Brian Hoyer- San Francisco 49ers- 2 years, $12 million ($10 million guaranteed)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Matt Schaub- Atlanta Falcons- 2 years, $9 million</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Landry Jones- Pittsburgh Steelers- 2 years, $4.4 million ($600,000 guaranteed) </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Matt Barkley - San Francisco 49ers- Terms TBA</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Fullbacks/Running Backs: </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kyle Juszczyk- San Francisco 49ers- 4 years, $21 million ($10.5 million guaranteed)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Patrick DiMarco- Buffalo Bills- 4 years, $8.5 million ($4 million guaranteed)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jacquizz Rodgers- Tampa Bay Buccaneers- 2 years, $3.3 million</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mike Tolbert- Buffalo Bills- 1 year, $1 million</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">C.J. Spiller- Kansas City Chiefs- 1 year, $980,000 </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Danny Woodhead- Baltimore Ravens- 3 years, monetary details TBA</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Wide Receivers: </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Pierre Garcon- San Francisco 49ers- 5 year, $47.5 million ($17 million guaranteed)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Robert Woods- Los Angeles Rams- 5 year, $39 million, ($15 million guaranteed)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">DeSean Jackson- Tampa Bay Buccaneers- 3 year, $35 million, ($20 million guaranteed)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Kenny Britt- Cleveland Browns- 4 year, $32.5 million, ($17 million guaranteed)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Kenny Stills- Miami Dolphins- 4 year, $32 million, ($20 million guaranteed)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Terrence Williams- Dallas Cowboys- 4 year, $17 million</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Torrey Smith- Philadelphia Eagles- 3 year, $15 million</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Alshon Jeffery- Philadelphia Eagles- 1 year, $14 million</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Brandon Marshall- New York Giants- 2 year, $11 million ($5 million guaranteed)</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Marquise Goodwin- San Francisco 49ers- 2 year, $8 million</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Terrelle Pryor- Washington Redskins- 1 year, $6 million</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Aldrick Robinson- San Francisco 49ers- $6 million</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Charles Johnson- Carolina Panthers- 1 year, $2.2 million</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Russell Shepard- Carolina Panthers - 3 years, Terms TBA</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Tight Ends:</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Martellus Bennett - Green Bay Packers - 3 year, $18.5 million</span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Dion Sims- Chicago Bears- 3 years, $18 million ($10 million guaranteed) </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Rhett Ellison- 4 years, $18 million ($8 million guaranteed)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Levine Toilolo- Atlanta Falcons- 3 years, $12 million ($3 million guaranteed)</span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Darren Fells- Detroit Lions- 1 year, $1.5 million</span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Offensive Line:</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kevin Zeitler- Guard- Cleveland Browns- 5 years, $60 million ($31.5 million guaranteed)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Matt Kalil- Tackle- Carolina Panthers- 5 years, $55 million ($25 million guaranteed)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Russell Okung- Tackle- Los Angeles Chargers- 4 years, $53 million ($25 million guaranteed)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Andrew Whitworth- Tackle- Los Angeles Rams- 3 years, $36 million ($15 million guaranteed)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Ronald Leary- Guard- Denver Broncos- 4 years, $35 million ($20 million guaranteed) </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Larry Warford- Guard - New Orleans Saints- 4 years, $34 million ($17 million guaranteed)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mike Remmers- Tackle - Minnesota Vikings- 5 year, $30 million</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Menelik Watson- Tackle - Denver Broncos - 3 year, $18.3 million</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">J.C. Tretter- Center- Cleveland Browns- 3 years, $16.75 million ($10 million guaranteed) </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Benjamin Ijalana- Tackle- New York Jets- 2 years, $11 million</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stefen Wisniewski- Center - Philadelphia Eagles- 3 year, $9 million</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Luke Joeckel- Tackle- Seattle Seahawks- 1 year, $8 million</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chance Warmack- Guard- Philadelphia Eagles- 1 year, $1.51 million</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Marshall Newhouse- Tackle- Oakland Raiders- 2 years, Terms TBA</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Eric Winston- Tackle- Cincinnati Bengals- 1 year, Terms TBA</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Kelvin Beachum - Tackle- New York Jets- Terms TBA</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Defensive Line:</span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Calais Campbell - DE- Jacksonville Jaguars - 4 years, $60 million ($30 million guaranteed) </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Brandon Williams - DT- Baltimore Ravens - 5 years, $54 million ($27.5 million guaranteed)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Nick Fairly - DT- New Orleans - 4 years, $30 million</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jabaal Sheard- DE - Indianapolis Colts- 3 year, $25.5 million</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Stacy McGee - DT- Washington Redskins - 5 years, $25 million ($9 million guaranteed) </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Terrell McClain - DT- Washington Redskins - 4 years, $21 million ($11 million guaranteed) </span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Lawrence Guy - DT - New England Patriots- 4 years, $20 million</span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Earl Mitchell - DT- San Francisco 49ers - 4 years, $16 million ($6.5 million guaranteed)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Chris Baker - DE- Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 3 years, $15.75 million ($9 million guaranteed)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">John Simon - DE - Indianapolis Colts - 3 years, $13.5 million</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Akeem Spence - DT- Detroit Lions - 3 years, $10.5 million ($3.5 million guaranteed)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jack Crawford - DE- Atlanta Falcons - 3 years, $10.3 million </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Cornelius Washington - DE- Detroit Lions - 2 years, $6 million</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Sylvester Williams- DT - Tennessee Titans - 3 years, Terms TBA</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;">Stephen Paea- DT- Dallas Cowboys- Terms TBA</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Linebackers:</span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: "arial";">Chandler Jones- Arizona Cardinals- 5 years, $82.5 million ($53 million guaranteed</span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">)</span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Malcolm Smith - San Francisco 49ers - 5 years, $26.5 million ($11.5 million guaranteed)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">A.J. Klein - New Orleans Saints - 4 years, $24 million ($9.4 million guaranteed) </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Lawrence Timmons - Miami Dolphins - 2 year, $12 million</span></span> </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Lorenzo Alexander- Buffalo Bills - 2 year, $9 million</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Josh Martin - New York Jets - 2 years, $4.3 million</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Barkevious Mingo - Indianapolis Colts - 1 year, $2.5 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Laroy Reynolds - Atlanta Falcons - 1 year, $1.3 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Lerentee McCray - Jacksonville Jaguars - 1 year, $1 million</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Juilius Peppers - Carolina Panthers - 1 year, Details TBA</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Defensive Backs: </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">A.J. Bouye - Jacksonville Jaguars - 5 years, $67.5 million ($26 million guaranteed) </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Tony Jefferson - Baltimore Ravens - 4 years, $36 million ($14 million guaranteed)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Logan Ryan - Tennessee Titans - 3 years, $30 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Micah Hyde - Buffalo Bills - 5 years, $30 million ($14 million guaranteed) </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Captain Munnerlyn - Carolina Panthers - 4 years, $21 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Quintin Demps - Chicago Bears - 3 years, $13.5 million </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">D.J. Swearinger - Washington Redskins - 3 years, $13.5 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Nolan Carroll - Dallas Cowboys - 3 years, $10 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">D.J. Hayden - Detroit Lions - 1 year, $5.25 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Chris Conte - Tampa Bay Buccaneers - 2 years, $5 million ($2.5 million guaranteed) </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Brynden Trawick - Tennessee Titans - 2 years, $4.75 million ($3 million guaranteed) </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Nate Allen- Miami Dolphins - 1 year, $3.4 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Antoine Bethea - Arizona Cardinals - 3 years, Terms TBA</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Mike Adams- Carolina Panthers- 2 years, Terms TBA</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">JJ Wilcox- Tampa Bay Buccaneers- 2 years, Terms TBA</span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Special Teams: </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Jeff Locke - P - Indianapolis Colts - 2 years, $3.45 million ($1.25 million guaranteed) </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Phil Dawson- K - Arizona Cardinals - DETAILS TBA</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Robbie Gould- K - San Francisco 49ers - DETAILS TBA</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Steven Hauschka- K - Buffalo Bills - DETAILS TBA</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Connor Barth- K - Chicago Bears - 1 year, Terms TBA</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Chandler Catanzaro - K - New York Jets - Terms TBA</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><br /></i>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Other Notable Transactions</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li>Houston Texans trade QB Brock Osweiler and 2018 Second Round Pick to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a 2017 4th round pick. </li>
<li>Los Angeles Rams trade DE William Hayes and a seventh round pick to Miami in exchange for the Dolphins' sixth round pick.</li>
<li>Dolphins officially acquire Julius Thomas from the Jaguars while sending their 2017 seventh round pick to Jacksonville.</li>
<li>Miami also trades Tackle Branden Albert to Jacksonville for a 2018 seventh round pick.</li>
<li>Redskins fire GM Scot McCloughan after two seasons, citing alcohol abuse as one of the main reasons for the departure.</li>
<li>Running Back Kenneth Dixon was officially suspended first four games of 2017 season for violation of PED policy.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<li>The Indianapolis Colts have agreed to trade tight end Dwayne Allen to the New England Patriots. The Colts will also send a sixth-round pick to New England in exchange for a Patriots fourth-round pick.</li>
<li>The New England Patriots trade their 2017 1st/3rd round picks to the New Orleans Saints in exchange for WR Brandin Cooks and a 2017 4th rounder.</li>
<li>Carolina Panthers trade DE Kony Ealy and a 2017 3rd round pick to the New England Patriots in exchange for 2017 second round pick.</li>
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<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Arial;">RT Doug Free of the Dallas Cowboys informs team that he will be retiring, leaving a hole at the tackle position for the reigning division champs. </span></li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Rumor Central</i></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6NH5lcMhdpLTGuAJ5lJ7CSXuQezP_FfvX4KIagluwK2gJB0wkf_xnkBr4QFr-mCE9rAl0F6KEYsZxZBGKr7ofE61tW1xS1Fkwdr_3z7ZLKhD_oYC7qPlTN3kO06LaUZAKoFCoBrCaIGh/s1600/Brock_Osweiler_2016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" id="id_69bb_f8a2_9db9_26cf" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiA6NH5lcMhdpLTGuAJ5lJ7CSXuQezP_FfvX4KIagluwK2gJB0wkf_xnkBr4QFr-mCE9rAl0F6KEYsZxZBGKr7ofE61tW1xS1Fkwdr_3z7ZLKhD_oYC7qPlTN3kO06LaUZAKoFCoBrCaIGh/s1600/Brock_Osweiler_2016.JPG" style="height: auto; width: 250px;" /></a></div>
<ul>
<li>Many believe the riddance of Brock Osweiler signifies a landing spot for current Cowboys QB Tony Romo, who is now rumored to be traded after initial reports suggested he would be released. </li>
<li>UPDATE: Reports say Denver and Houston, both favorites to land Romo, will stay put and hold off on trade negotiations with Dallas in order to force the Cowboys hand.</li>
</ul>
<br />
<ul>
<li>Sticking on the Osweiler train, the Cleveland Browns absorbed Brock's contract and feel confident they're in better position to land Patriots QB Jimmy Garappolo. The feeling is strong in Cleveland that Osweiler wont be on the roster come draft day. </li>
</ul>
UPDATE: ESPN's Adam Schefter reports that Jimmy Garappolo is virtually a lock to be a New England Patriot for the long haul, citing he is untouchable to the Patriots organization and will not be saught after in trade deals.<br />
<ul>
<li>It's been a known fact that Kirk Cousins isn't the biggest fan of the Washington Redskins. In the recent days talks between the 49ers and Redskins about potentially shipping Kirk to be reunited with new HC Kyle Shanahan. Cousins supposedly asked Washington for a trade, but told it wasn't likely to happen. </li>
</ul>
UPDATE: Kirk Cousins signed a franchise tender on Friday morning, making him eligible to be traded, per multiple sources.<br />
<ul>
<li>Early Friday morning, Jimmy Garappolo's instagram account posted a "goodbye" post that gave away the impression he was traded. NFL Insider Ian Rapoport confirmed this to be a hoax. </li>
</ul>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>For immediate updates throughout free agency, follow Donnie Druin on Twitter @DonnieDruin </i></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-29068636143315199762017-02-20T09:55:00.001-08:002017-02-20T09:56:24.142-08:00An In-Depth Look at the Trade That Brought DeMarcus Cousins to New Orleans<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgon_r76Ho-Ehpg1fvlOsRHBSW3HKNpkTLLf726k3-VHeb5840wkXip1aakZUD4eFiI6ielUTf0Qrul2Kx-43jjdo1GARPzYpknC27CTHG2_2ml5I3yXERvVTMgInP8btQq_AOVmV4wHjAF/s1600/boogie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgon_r76Ho-Ehpg1fvlOsRHBSW3HKNpkTLLf726k3-VHeb5840wkXip1aakZUD4eFiI6ielUTf0Qrul2Kx-43jjdo1GARPzYpknC27CTHG2_2ml5I3yXERvVTMgInP8btQq_AOVmV4wHjAF/s640/boogie.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
On the night of the 66th annual NBA All-Star Game, it was the<br />
<a name='more'></a> Kevin Durant-Russell Westbrook saga that was expected to provide the drama we've all been anticipating. To the delight of many viewers, we got a simple give-and-go from Westbrook to Durant before an alley oop between the two. Benches cheered, social media exploded, and that was the end of it.<br />
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No trash talk, no shoving (John Wall got shoved by Russ, but we're not counting that) and no real visible hatred between the two. Not a single ounce of drama on the hardwood.<br />
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Instead, we got something better.<br />
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The Sacramento Kings have been Katy Perry-esc in the sense of their feelings towards DeMarcus Cousins: Hot and cold.At times the organization has shown support, at times they have not. Cousins, widely regarded as one of the best (if not the best) center in the league, has been giving trouble to Sacramento brass for awhile now. His character and behavior on the court has led to much frustration within the organization, with talk of Boogie being dealt dating all the way back to last year's NBA Draft.<br />
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However, on the NBA's biggest weekend, it was not a single event of theirs that made headlines or will be remembered. It's a big man headed to the big easy.<br />
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The trade was initially announced by Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski sometime after the game on Sunday night.<br />
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Trade breakdown:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Pelicans Receive:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">DeMarcus Cousins, Omri Casspi</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Kings Receive:</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Buddy Hield, Langston Galloway, Tyreke Evans,</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">2017 First (Top-3 Protected) AND Second Round Picks </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
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With the NBA's trade deadline nearing closer to the finish line on Thursday February 23rd at 3:00 PM Eastern Time, there's a tragically minor chance a bigger trade will be made in the closing moments. The Lakers came close to a deal for Boogie but refused to involve Brandon Ingram, and the Pistons had an offer rejected that reportedly involved Andre Drummond. Whichever way the pendulum swings, this deal can be franchise-shaping for either side, and will heavily be debated for years to come.<br />
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However, this trade was never supposed to happen.<br />
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New Orleans' newly beloved centerpiece, despite all the "problems" he caused, was not supposed to be traded. Vlade Divac, Sacramento's GM, came out publicly and stated that the Kings wanted to keep DeMarcus around for the long term.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;">"<span style="background-color: white; color: #48494a;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We're not trading DeMarcus ... we hope he's here for a long time"- Divac to ESPN on 2/6/17</span></span></span></blockquote>
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This message was repeated multiple times through multiple mediums for the past two weeks, a message that religiously insisted the future of the Kings franchise had DeMarcus Cousins' name branded to their team. This was even confirmed in the luring hours leading up to the All-Star game, according to <i>The Vertical. </i><br />
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Sacramento's unfaithfulness shined not only on a public platform, yet privately as well. Cousins and his representatives held face to face meetings before the public statements and were reportedly told multiple times that DeMarcus would remain a King.<br />
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In the midst of all the debris of commotion trickling from the front office, the true tragedy for Kings fans everywhere is Boogie wholeheartedly wanted to stay.<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "lyon" , "georgia" , serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">“For one, everyone knows I’m all about loyalty – I’m loyal to this... I was brought here, I believe in myself, I believe in my abilities. I’m committed to this team, this city – it’s been noted, and I don’t want it no other way. I want to be with one team my entire career; I want to finish my career here in Sacramento. That’s what it is.”- </span><i>Cousins to the Sacramento Bee on Saturday</i></span></blockquote>
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Quite obviously, this wasn't how Cousins foresaw relations with his former team working out. While trade rumors began to gain traction, DeMarcus' agent Jarinn Akana stated that his client would not be open to signing an extension with any team that chooses to trade for him, which provides an interesting shade of dilemma on the blockbuster deal.<br />
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Would Boogie refuse to sign an extension with New Orleans? <br />
<br />
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
<div dir="ltr" lang="en">
DeMarcus Cousins reaction as soon as he found out he had been traded to the New Orleans Pelicans. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DeMarcusCousins?src=hash">#DeMarcusCousins</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/NewOrleans?src=hash">#NewOrleans</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pelicans?src=hash">#Pelicans</a> <a href="https://t.co/SDKuE2ZEAY">pic.twitter.com/SDKuE2ZEAY</a></div>
— Manny Vieites (@manny_vieites) <a href="https://twitter.com/manny_vieites/status/833546633715576835">February 20, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script>
Cousins would be able to enter free agency in the summer of 2018, making his services available for New Orleans to last at least until then. Clearly those within the Pelicans front office feel confident to sway these feelings otherwise, but one cant help ponder the scenario of an upset Cousins not wanting to re-up with New Orleans. It's unlikely, but so was this deal. Is this what kept other teams from pursuing him?<br />
<br />
Setting aside personal conflict, Cousins now finds himself paired with former Kentucky teammate Anthony Davis, co-starring in what is now potentially the association's most feared front court. For years, analysts and fans alike have been screaming for both of these players to get some sort of help, yet nobody could have predicted the outcome in this fashion. The Pelicans now shift their focus on building a back-court to balance their attack.<br />
<br />
As for Sacramento, it's surprising to see a deal made with a few days left to spare. With such a big name on the market (even if he doesn't know he is) the Kings could have entertained a few more offers. The trade brings in Buddy Hield, one of the more promising yet inconsistent rookie guards out of last years draft class. The future isn't predictable for Galloway and Evans quite yet, although early reports indicate at least Galloway will be bought out of his current deal. The Kings riddance of Boogie means Willie Cauley-Stein will be moved to the center position, and the newly acquired draft pick will bring up hope of drafting the likes of Lonzo Ball in the upcoming NBA Draft.<br />
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<br />
With the recent turn of events in the Kings franchise, you'll be hard-pressed to find a willing soul with a level head to join their franchise. Simply put, Sacramento is arguably the worst-run franchise in sports. It's one thing to be consistently awful: This is the same team who once had Hassan Whiteside, Isiah Thomas along with Cousins on the same team and also drafted Jimmer Fredette over Kawhi Leonard and Klay Thompson. The inability to acquire DeMarcus Cousins with some form of talent was astounding.<br />
<br />
Yet it's another thing to conduct business the way that they do. People can ramble all day about how "this is the business side of basketball" in regards to the trade. What business lies to their most important (and LOYAL) client, face to face, about their future? The Sacramento Kings have lost any credibility they managed to scotch tape together over the past six/seven seasons. The front office is a dumpster fire, and most importantly they let their fans down by dumping the closest thing of a centerpiece to a franchise you could find away on a trade that essentially gives you pennies on the dollar.<br />
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<br />
DeMarcus wasn't a problem. He was never the problem. He wasn't a cancer to the locker room, he was part of a cancerous organization.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7v6_AQHLegnvliAvGa6EMhD89KYNsV0YSTPBhEtPCnDXv8SkXD9XiOLa34JNLdPkVzQ8or4mGzgJjjnh8ATR8an44IHkELBZJhrcvH_kQvGGM5fNRXrM7FxvEmXHTNueK4Y3oIya48-yI/s1600/DeMarcus-Cousins-STACK.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7v6_AQHLegnvliAvGa6EMhD89KYNsV0YSTPBhEtPCnDXv8SkXD9XiOLa34JNLdPkVzQ8or4mGzgJjjnh8ATR8an44IHkELBZJhrcvH_kQvGGM5fNRXrM7FxvEmXHTNueK4Y3oIya48-yI/s320/DeMarcus-Cousins-STACK.jpg" width="320" /></a>With Boogie's summer of 2018 still looming, the longevity of Cousins in New Orleans does carry some fog with it. Yet for now, Cousins has some time to get acquainted with his new surroundings before any big decisions go down in the big easy. At the end of the day, the Pelicans emerge as the clear victors of the deal. New Orleans gave up little real estate in exchange for the hottest house on the block. As for Sacramento, the Kings hit the reset button and are putting all their chips on acquiring/developing young talent.<br />
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There's been no official word from DeMarcus about the events following the All-Star game, although reports that stem close from Cousins relay that he is expected to fly back into New Orleans on Tuesday. Considering his expressed interest in staying with Sacramento and loyalty having a big role in his mindset, March 31st will be a special day for Boogie, as the Kings travel back to New Orleans to play the Pelicans.<br />
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And as the Kings are about to find out, revenge is best served with extra gumbo.<br />
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<i>Donnie Druin is an award-winning writer from the Arizona Newspaper Assocation. Follow him on Twitter @DonnieDruin for everything in the world of sports, or to scold him for criticizing Sacramento if he's never been there. </i><br />
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Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/sports/nba/sacramento-kings/kings-blog/article133678519.html#storylink=cpy</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-48767182159491331032017-01-25T06:39:00.000-08:002017-01-28T17:26:45.248-08:00How To Make The Pro Bowl Great Again<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bkNUwJPGPJHiFxjdoIrbTMB4XH7oGRdSpALAx9b9MfR55xohGsPIm2ulpz72YsfXEZUF8q9hDL1PoIThSjZZRWXRHf-azdC8zXOqCgqOATkxxGhwBFk_m149GMXLzGzSeaZGr0fUj_5z/s1600/kyle+rudolph.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9bkNUwJPGPJHiFxjdoIrbTMB4XH7oGRdSpALAx9b9MfR55xohGsPIm2ulpz72YsfXEZUF8q9hDL1PoIThSjZZRWXRHf-azdC8zXOqCgqOATkxxGhwBFk_m149GMXLzGzSeaZGr0fUj_5z/s400/kyle+rudolph.JPG" width="400" id="id_6189_844f_457b_c8ba" style="width: 400px; height: auto;"></a></div>
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For the first time since September 8th, there will not be a competitive football game played all week. Which only means one thing: It's Pro Bowl Week!<br>
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It's that time of year where all <strike>the best players in the league</strike> those who accept invites meet up in <strike>Honolulu</strike>, <strike>Miami</strike>, <strike>Glendale</strike>, Orlando for the annual <strike>flag football </strike> NFL All-Star game!<br>
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The Pro Bowl has received a lot of criticism as of late by fans, sports columnists and even players, noting that the game practically has no meaning to it. To put the overall feeling of the game in perspective, 37 players have declined invites to the Pro Bowl this season.<br>
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So why is this All-Star game lacking significance, in all area's of interest?<br>
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It all starts with the product on the field. The idea sounds great at first: Let's collect the best players from each conference and pin them against each other. The idea is pretty similar to a bored night playing Madden. This would be a great idea, except for the following:<br>
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1. The players don't play hard, and that's understandable. It's a meaningless exhibition game and more of a vacation for these guys. Why risk a serious tear or bone fracture on a game that has less value than the Senior Bowl in college?<br>
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2. Because of #1, fans don't want to watch. Why would one watch what is essentially a glorified flag football game with half-ass effort? I'm willing to bet a majority of fans have already seen their favorite team give that type of effort at some point during the season. It's hard to sell a bad product, even if the Rams and 49ers can do it. The last time people really enjoyed the Pro Bowl, Sean Taylor absolutely drilled a punter near the sideline.<br>
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<br>
As non-purposeful as this game looks, there is still hope to save the game.<br>
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Luckily for the 20 people that read this, absolutely nobody asked me for my opinion on how to spice things up.<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg657qrRv7iacke6W38sEJuekkCHMQsM2rrb4caqxPT2zUlHlqUtUe18DqP66Y5qhoooZm73_8she-ibzXC5CGPXY-AycKLhvcpCIcb6o_a-if43_6R8wXkQNLEqa0g4o0iiX1hTVjK12bz/s1600/Cam_Newton_passing_at_2014_Pro_Bow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg657qrRv7iacke6W38sEJuekkCHMQsM2rrb4caqxPT2zUlHlqUtUe18DqP66Y5qhoooZm73_8she-ibzXC5CGPXY-AycKLhvcpCIcb6o_a-if43_6R8wXkQNLEqa0g4o0iiX1hTVjK12bz/s320/Cam_Newton_passing_at_2014_Pro_Bow.jpg" width="320" id="id_61cf_9077_faf6_2874" style="width: 320px; height: auto;"></a><br>
Whether you're #MakeTheProBowlGreatAgain or #NotMyProBowl, the following are ideas to rejuvenate the NFL All-Star Game:<br>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Host it After the Super Bowl</span> </i></b><br>
This is one of the most common knocks on the game. Previously being played a week after the Super Bowl, this gave players playing in the Super Bowl the chance to participate in the game, which could possibly encourage other players to participate in the game as well.<br>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Get Fans More Involved </i></b></span><br>
This could be accomplished a number of ways. One idea would be to let the fans draft teams, either through social media polling (The NBA All-Star voting shows how "amazing" fans are at deciding All-Stars) or through a live draft of fans selected either randomly or a contest. If that doesn't butter your biscuit, giving the opportunity for a fan/fans to call plays during one series during the game would also be a fun way to get more interaction and interest.<br>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Have Back-ups Play Instead</i></b></span><br>
Now we're starting to dig deep up our sleeve as far as ideas go. Although back-up players doesn't sound extra enticing at first, just remember that 37 players declined their invitation this year, so we might be a lot closer than we think. These back-ups wouldn't necessarily be practice squad players (how cool would it be to be discovered in the All-Star game?) but some first string players and many second string players would have the opportunity to play. To entice these players to give a little effort, the prize for a win: A half-million dollar paycheck. Better quality of play= Better quality television.<br>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Have the Pro Bowl Count For Something</i></b></span><br>
Similar to what the MLB All-Star game used to incorporate, the NFL could have their own game have a little extra meaning for the following season. One idea that could work is having the winning conference have home-field advantage in the season opener the following year. Either have the Super Bowl be an automatic re-match for week one, or have inter-conference play for all of the first week. It may not be much to fight over in February, but home field advantage is always a luxury.<br>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Make Players Play Foreign Positions</i></b></span><br>
Aiding more towards the "Hold my beer" side of the scale, it's an odd yet fascinating idea that would be a lot more interesting than what the game already gives us. How awesome would it be to see Dontari Poe at quarterback throwing to Pat McAfee while Tom Brady covers him at corner? Great football? Probably not. Entertaining? You bet.<br>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Have Mascots And/Or Referee's Play</i></b></span><br>
There's not too much to this concept. I'm sure the fans would love to see something like this happen. Make a bad hit on a defenseless receiver call? Did you rule Dez didn't catch it? Strap that helmet on extra tight, Mr. Zebra. Prepare to be on SportsCenter. And how about those cocky mascots? Running all over those kids during halftime? Red Bird better make sure he has peripheral vision.<div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><font size="4"><i>Donnie Druin is an award-winning writer from the Arizona Newspaper Association. Follow him on Twitter @DonnieDruin for updates, opinions and everything else in the world of sports... Or to revoke his invite from the Pro Bowl. </i></font></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-45551421993808105542017-01-25T03:22:00.000-08:002017-01-25T03:22:50.524-08:00Antonio Brown Shouldn't Be Scapegoat In Pittsburgh, Deserves New Contract<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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After a season of twerking, custom cleats, and Facebook live videos, one would think that Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receiver Antonio Brown would've preferred to lay low following a loss in the AFC Championship.<br />
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Business is Boomin, at least for sports media outlets. </div>
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With Antonio entering the final year of his contract in 2017, all eyes have been on the five time Pro-Bowler as Brown seeks a new deal that would rightfully make him one of the top paid players at his position.<br />
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According to overthecap.com, Antonio Brown makes an average of $8,392,000 a season, ranking 20th out of all receivers. It's no question Antonio deserves to be compensated more than players like Allen Hurns, Tavon Austin, Pierre Garcon and Vincent Jackson. (full list available <a href="http://overthecap.com/position/wide-receiver/">here</a>). Brown's AFC North rival AJ Green makes nearly more than twice Brown's salary, clocking in with an average of $15 million a year.<br />
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I'm not sure about you, but I know a hell of a lot of people that would take Brown over Green.</div>
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Antonio has far and away established himself as one of the best receivers in the league, if not claiming the title of <i>the</i> best. To think that a player of his caliber would do more damage than charity for his team would be some form of blasphemy. </div>
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However, not everybody likes to think so. Even those with ties to the organization. </div>
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Just a few days removed from a 36-17 loss on Sunday, various national outlets (Bleacher Report, NBC Sports, CBS Sports just to name a few) spewed multiple reports of the Steelers organization reportedly holding concerns that Brown cares more about personal stats than team wins, with reports even stretching to say that Brown pouted due to not getting the ball after a DeAngelo Williams touchdown in Sunday's loss. </div>
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Antonio has even received criticism from local media, most notably from Mark Madden, a radio voice and columnist in the city of Pittsburgh.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>"You're never gonna win a championship with this guy" - </i>Mark Madden in reference to Antonio Brown</span></blockquote>
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Let's take five seconds and breathe before anything else asinine flows out of our mouths.<br />
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I'll go on record to say that Brown has his fair share of mental mishaps, whether it be drawing 15 yard flags for excessive celebrations or recording a post game speech for the whole world to see. Brown's production did see a decrease in 2016, and his impact did appear to take an ever-so-little turn on the down side.<br />
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Yet to call Antonio a distraction and citing his envious eyes for the stat sheet over wins is essentially branding the word "selfish" on #84.<br />
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Let's not forget, this is the same Antonio Brown who can be found blocking on run plays so others can score. The same Antonio Brown who takes time to spend moments with fans, inside and outside the stadium. The same Antonio Brown who ran circles around his current contract, and held out an approximate zero days even though he deserves more dough.<br />
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Brown even addressed this issue in an recent interview with ESPN's Jeremy Fowler on January 4th, saying "It's not all about stats" and referencing multiple times how he just wants to take home a Lombardi trophy. (You can read the article <a href="http://www.espn.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/90468/steelers-antonio-brown-on-legacy-its-not-all-about-stats">here</a>)<br />
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Pretty selfish, right?<br />
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In regards to reports of Antonio "pouting" after another teammate scored, those also appeared to be grasped out of thin air. Even Indianapolis Colts Punter Pat McAfee agrees:<br />
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NFL Network..owned/operated by the NFL..reported <a href="https://twitter.com/AntonioBrown">@AntonioBrown</a> was pouting after 1st td..so, lying 2 make superstars look bad is good 4 biz? <a href="https://t.co/wU4MxMd3Ng">pic.twitter.com/wU4MxMd3Ng</a></div>
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) <a href="https://twitter.com/PatMcAfeeShow/status/823979767498244096">January 24, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Clearly, you're able to see Brown hold his hands up in celebration in the shot. Also, with nearly 67,000 people in attendance and countless cameras from the CBS crew, surely SOMEBODY would have caught it and immediately exposed it.<br />
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There appears to be a collective outburst at Brown by almost everybody but his own father. Is this a product of fan frustration? So called "Journalists" searching for click bait? Whatever it may be, one thing is for sure: Antonio Brown is just as valuable as anybody else on the roster. Any player who has a "down" year and still makes First Team All-Pro for a third consecutive year has to be seen as a valuable asset. Brown has already cemented his legacy among the best to suit up in black and gold (spare the hate and phones with cords older fans, he's right up there with Swann, Stallworth and Ward already).<br />
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This off-season is sure to be a wild one for the reigning AFC North champions. With Le'Veon Bell's contract up, Big Ben thinking retirement and a defense that is still probably in zone coverage from Sunday's game, the Steelers will be a busy bunch. However, one of their top priorities will be ensuring Brown stays in the Steel City for the long haul.<br />
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Simply put, Antonio is the closest thing to reliable as you'll get. Brown hasn't missed a game since becoming a full time starter in 2013, tallying 100 catch seasons all four years and double digit touchdowns in all but one season. Brown commands double-team respect on almost every play, has elite hands and footwork, along with posing a danger on special teams as well.<br />
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Antonio also has no issues off the field, something that is a bit refreshing to say considering the past couple seasons. But more importantly, Brown loves to wear the black and gold. Antonio has great relationships with Roethlisberger, Tomlin, and Mr. Dan Rooney, all three vital being vital components to the organization.<br />
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Antonio loves Pittsburgh almost as much as city loves him.<br />
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You'd be a fool to not want a player at the caliber of Antonio Brown on your football team. Antonio is one of the best players in the league, fans, media members and fellow players all acknowledge this. Brown's "issues" are minor compared to those of Odell Beckham Jr and Dez Bryant, both equally talented when compared to Brown.<br />
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The organization has it's sights set on a Super Bowl run in the near future, and with a historical amount of projected cap space, it's likely Antonio Brown is signed to a long term deal this off-season.<br />
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All the nonsense about Antonio is just an example of a slow day in the office for some, and will hopefully be cleared soon. The goal is to get back to this point next year, hopefully avoiding or going over the roadblock known as the New England Patriots. AB is an essential part of this team, and should the Steelers recreate their magic this year, we'll only have one question for Antonio Brown:<br />
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<i>How's Business?<span style="font-size: large;"> </span></i><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Donnie Druin is an award-winning writer from the Arizona Newspaper Association. Follow him on Twitter @DonnieDruin for everything sports, or to suggest streaming his next article on Facebook Live.</span></i><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-35610580206049835882017-01-07T03:54:00.000-08:002017-01-07T17:03:15.087-08:00National Championship Preview: Alabama vs Clemson <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Who</b>: Alabama Crimson Tide vs Clemson Tigers</span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>What</b>: College Football Playoff National Championship Game</span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>When</b>: Monday, January 9th, 2017 at 8:00 PM Eastern Time</span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Where</b>: Raymond James Stadium in Tampa Bay, Florida</span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Line</b>: Alabama (6.5)</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Since the addition of the College Football Playoff, the postseason in NCAA football has become increasingly more, for lack of a better term, chaotic. 2016 was the third year of the new playoff system, and will feature the first ever rematch for a championship since championship games became established in 1992.</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;">The Road To The National Championship</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The 2016 season was seemingly harsh to everybody but Alabama. The Tide's road to Monday night, besides a narrow escape of a 48-43 victory against #19 Ole Miss on the road, has come in the fashion of ease and comfort. How impressive has Alabama been? Their last eight games of the season featured six top 20 ranked opponents. The lowest margin of victory? A 10-0 win at LSU. Alabama found a curious draw against Washington in their playoff game, and found themselves much closer to the Huskies than originally thought before pulling away late. Regardless, Alabama reigned supreme in a 24-7 win and now find themselves one win away from stockpiling yet another national championship trophy. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Clemson wasn't as fortunate as their counterparts were this season, as the Tigers often endured rocky times after touching Howard's rock. Notching wins against then ranked #3 Louisville and #12 Florida State added strength to their playoff argument, yet struggles against Troy, NC State and even dropping a game to Pitt at home gave little light to hopes of another shot at Alabama. However, the loss to the Panthers ended up being a blessing in disguise. Since that faithful day, the Tigers turned a complete 180 degrees on their season, and all of the built up anger and emotion was on display as the Tigers boat-raced #3 Ohio State last Saturday, 31-0. Clemson's team have come a long way since losing to Pittsburgh, as the Tigers look to address (and defeat) the elephant in the room. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i>How does each team stack up in all three phases of the game? Look no further, everything- and everybody, you need to know for Monday night:</i></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Offense</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><b>Alabama:</b></i></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Running the show for the Crimson Tide is freshman Jalen Hurts, a duel-threat quarterback that has arguably been Nick Saban's best signal caller since he arrived in Tuscaloosa. Hurts' stat-line doesn't exactly jump off the page (22 TD's, 9 INT's, 64.2 QBR) yet Hurts' ability to extend the play and use his mobility gives Alabama a dimension long needed at the quarterback position. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Bursting onto the national spotlight and likely will receive a lot of attention from Clemson's defense is halfback Bo Scarborough. Bo stands at 6'2" and 228 pounds, and indeed does run with the same power, speed and determination as another Bo who once upon a time played college ball in the same state. Scarborough, coming off a Peach Bowl MVP performance (9.5 yards per carry, 180 yards and 2 touchdowns), will share touches with fellow running back Damien Harris. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Alabama's aerial attack isn't groundbreaking nor showstopping (62nd among FBS schools in passing offense) but could benefit from all attention being focused on the run game. OJ Howard at the tight end position presents matchup nightmares for defenses, while wide receivers Calvin Ridley and ArDarius Stewart are more than capable of making big plays for the Tide, both over 700 yards each and 15 touchdowns on the season combined. Cam Robinson anchors another stellar Crimson Tide offensive line, one of the most reliable in the country.It is to note, however, that the Tide's offensive line has given up 24 sacks on the year, ranking 44th in the nation in pass protection. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Alabama's bread and butter is a physical, punishing brand of running football that sets the pass up perfectly when clicking on all cylinders. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: orange;"><i><b style="background-color: white;">Clemson</b></i></span>:</span> </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Deshaun Watson is the gun-slinger for a Tigers offense that is one of the best in the country. Watson, who is a back-to-back Davey O'Brien award winner, is one of the nation's most dangerous players when he has the ball. Watson stands tall at 6'3" but moves with agility and play-making ability at a premium to the quarterback position. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Watson is dangerous both through his arm and his feet, but more lethal when throwing the ball to wide receiver Mike Williams. Williams, arguably the best wide-out in the nation and future first round pick, is a big play kid who has the tools to not only go up and grab the ball, but the skills to make big plays after the catch as well. As lethal as Watson presents himself on the ground, halfback Wayne Gallman is often overlooked carrying the ball out of the backfield. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Although Wayne isn't the featured player of the offense, he's scored in all but two games the entire season. With special playmakers across the board for the Tigers, Clemson only needs an above-average offensive line in order to facilitate points. Keeping players like Watson upright and healthy is what the Tigers have managed to do up to this point, with no need to bully teams like Alabama does. The Tigers offense runs through Deshaun Watson in both passing and running the football. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><u>The Bottom Line</u></i></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Both offenses thrive off the play of their dual threat quarterbacks. While both Watson and Hurts are dangerous, both are known to be careless with the ball on more then one occasion. Watson has the higher upside and is more polished than Jalen Hurts, while also having more big-play threats around him. If this game turns to a shootout, I'll take my chances with the Tigers' offense. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Advantage: Clemson</span></i></span><br>
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<span style="color: #990000; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Alabama:</i></b></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Welcome to the Alabama portion of the program. The Tide's defense has been arguably Saban's most dominant squad during his coaching tenure. How good is this defense? They have scored 11 touchdowns purely on their side of the ball, while only giving up 15 the entire season. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Alabama's defense has limited nine of their opponents to ten points or less, while giving up an average of about twelve points per game. Conclusion? They're not <i>too</i> shabby. The oil to their defensive engine is the front seven. The Tide traditionally play a 4-3 defense, allowing their rush to come purely from their edge rushing defensive ends while also holding ground in the middle. Jonathan Allen, star defensive end for the Tide, took home honors such as </span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">SEC Defensive Player of the Year, Bednarik and Nagurski awards as best defensive player, while also being voted a unanimous All-American. </span></span><br>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Seven out of eleven players on this defense are graded in the top 25 nationally at their positions on Pro Football Focus. Alabama's secondary is nearly as good as the front seven as well, allowing the second-lowest QBR in the country. You can't run, you can't pass, you may not even be able to hide. </span></span><br>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 16px;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The best comparison for this defense is 11 food deprived wolves stumbling upon a wounded animal.</span></span><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqwv_JOxpEj11geYFlsom5PI2Wp1teGdw0WEB-Ppk-Ch44Y_2JtpQBYuHDylzKNrlcCN9Jnby-6S8o3BGRCn1rhyYgm_c2AYln_MfqpAJEdnNVMArxpMFS09MLe1563cbQmft8BW-kcaQ/s1600/tiger-paw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqqwv_JOxpEj11geYFlsom5PI2Wp1teGdw0WEB-Ppk-Ch44Y_2JtpQBYuHDylzKNrlcCN9Jnby-6S8o3BGRCn1rhyYgm_c2AYln_MfqpAJEdnNVMArxpMFS09MLe1563cbQmft8BW-kcaQ/s320/tiger-paw.jpg" width="320" id="id_e447_91ea_4c9b_a96f" style="width: 320px; height: auto;"></a><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: orange; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>Clemson:</i></b></span></span><br>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Although not at the holy level many are putting Alabama's defense on, the Tigers have quite the defense on their side of town as well, just ask Ohio State (<i style="font-size: 16px;">O-H-I-31-0</i>). Indeed the Tigers' defense has stepped up their play as of late, becoming one of the more aggressive and efficient squad's in the country (rank 7th in scoring defense, 8th in total defense). </span></span><br>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What we all thought was a top-notch OSU offense quickly turned into a laughing stock, mostly thanks in-part to the orange and white brick wall. Carlos Watkins plays at defensive tackle for Clemson and consistently wreaks havoc upfront, totaling 10.5 sacks and 44 total tackles this season alone. The Tigers also feature an extremely fast and poised group of linebackers. </span></span><br>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Players such as Kendall Joseph and Dorian O'Daniel at the linebacker spot excel at play recognition, and could potentially pose problems for Alabama's backfield. Alabama's defense is in a class of it's own, yet Clemson hoists a defense that is worthy of bragging for as well. </span></span><br>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><u>Bottom Line</u></i></span></span><br>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Both of these teams have defenses that are good enough to win a ball game. The only question with the defense of Alabama is if they are able to contain Deshaun Watson, as they have yet to see a quarterback than can do what he does since the last time these two teams met. I also do think Clemson has a better chance of limiting Alabama's opportunities, as opposed to vice-versa. That being said, the Crimson Tide have too many play-makers</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"> on that side of the ball for an offense to truly exploit them. </span><br>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Simply put: Clemson's defense is good, Alabama's is one for the record books.</span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Adam Griffith is the Tide's kicker, coming into the match-up 20-27 on the year. Griffith <i>can</i> be reliable, yet that may be too friendly of a term. A 74.1% of conversion isn't exactly what you want out of your kicker, especially going 3-for-7 on field goals from 40 yards and further. Griffith ranks outside the top 40 kickers out of all FBS schools. JK Scott, punter for Alabama, is third in the nation on average yards per punt (47.4), providing the Tide with a vital advantage in the game of field position. Bama's touchback percentage when kicking off sits right at 50% as well. </span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b><i><span style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Clemson:</span></i></b> </span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Greg Huegel is Clemson's place kicker, and to Griffith's credit, Huegel isn't much more to brag about. Actually, Huegel has a lower kicking percentage than Griffith (73.7%). Andy Teasdall, punter for the Tigers, also sits behind his Alabama counterpart in yards per attempt, kicking on average 38 yards. Kickoffs for Clemson also haven't been friendly, only reaching the end zone on kicks for 38% of the time. </span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><i><u>Bottom Line</u></i></span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Special Teams is so vastly overlooked in the game of football. You really only pay attention to it when you need it. In reality, special teams has just as much importance as any other facet of the game. Collectively, both teams surely have room for improvement in all areas, yet JK Scott is enough of a difference maker for field position to be key. If this game is as close as advertised, the better special teams unit typically pulls through, and in this case Alabama holds the slight edge. </span></span><br>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><br></span></span><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">Special Teams Advantage: Alabama</span></span></i></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, times new roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="background-color: white;"><b>How Clemson Can Win</b></span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Despite what a 24-7 scoreboard will show, Washington hung with Alabama right until the very end, and more importantly proved that the Tide weren't invincible. If Clemson wants to win, their first priority rests within stopping the rushing attack of Alabama. Successfully doing so will not only mean the damage of </span><span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Bo Scarborough is limited, but also puts the game in the hands of a freshman quarterback. Surely Jalen Hurts' weapons are more than capable of making splash plays, but a well paced run game for Alabama would essentially send title hopes down the drain for Clemson. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;">Offensively, spreading the ball and utilizing the entire field is just about the only way to move the football against this defense. Sure, run up the middle here and there just to keep the defense honest. However with Alabama allowing a mere 62 yards rushing per game, there's no sense in forcing a run game that is unlikely to unfold against this front seven. The Tigers are fortunate to have two elite playmakers in Deshaun Watson and Mike Williams on their offense. Let Williams stretch the defense deep downfield and get creative with giving Watson space, and Clemson really like their chances. </span><br>
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<span style="font-family: georgia, "times new roman", serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>How Alabama Can Win</b> </span></span><br>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Changing offensive coordinators a week before a national championship is almost unheard of, yet the Crimson Tide's offense took the "New Year, New Me" attitude to heart, changing coordinators as Steve </span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sarkisian takes over duties earlier than expected. If we're being honest, Lane Kiffin leaving might just be a blessing in disguise, as many have questioned his game plan/play-calling. The Tide's biggest key to victory will be simplifying things for Jalen Hurts. This translates to relying on his running backs to shoulder some of the load, while also keeping his reads/progressions simple and short. Hurts has the ability to hurt the defense with either his arm or legs, adding another dimension to an already stellar offense. Should Jalen play a mistake free game while being able to get the ball to his best playmakers, Alabama could have a real shot at repeating as national champions. </span></span><br>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Defensively, the Tide simply need to continue to do what they've achieved all year: Control the line of scrimmage. Alabama has the best front seven in all of the nation, while also being the most physical. With a player as gifted as Deshaun Watson, the first step in stopping him is controlling the line of scrimmage, thus not allowing plays to develop and having the defense dictate the flow of the game, rather than the Tiger's offense. </span></span><div><font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, serif"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="Georgia, Times New Roman, serif"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="Times" size="5"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Revenge, Or Repeat?</span></font></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times" size="5"><br></font></span></div><div><font face="Georgia"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">We were treated to a very special championship game last season. As dominating as Alabama was, Clemson came without four points of bringing home their first championship trophy since 1981. The second act of Alabama vs Clemson gives promise to be one of the best matchups we have seen in recent memory. This game pits one of the best motivators in the country in Dabo Swinney against Nick Saban, a man who is one win away from all but cementing his holy status among the sport. </span></font></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">The David vs Goliath narrative for this matchup is non-existent, and doesn't carry much value. The Tigers are just as good of a football team as the Crimson Tide are, and their play will show. Clemson has the better offense, Alabama has the better defense. This game will likely come down to its final minutes, with one team making a defensive stand. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: Georgia; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">To see Clemson win this football game should not be a shock to those that follow the sport. Yet through time and time again, the old saying of "Defense wins championships" ring true through every year. Nick Saban has only lost twice in games where he had multiple weeks to prepare, and with a legendary defense, it's hard to pick against the Crimson Tide. I'm trusting the better defense, and the preparation/adjustments of Coach Saban.</span></div><div><font face="Georgia"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="Georgia"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">I believe the Tide roll to victory in the ousting minutes of the contest. </span></font></div><div><font face="Georgia"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="Georgia" size="5"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">Alabama 24, Clemson 20</span></font></div><div><font face="Georgia"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></font></div><div><font face="Georgia"><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><br></span></font></div><div><span style="background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><font face="Times"><font size="4"><i>Donnie Druin is an award winning writer from the Arizona Newspaper Association. Follow him on Twitter @DonnieDruin for everything sports, or to question his credibility since his team can't hold a 14 point lead with seven minutes left in the Rose Bowl</i></font><br></font></span>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br></span></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-8584600940039054702016-12-29T10:02:00.000-08:002016-12-29T10:02:44.088-08:00To Play, or not to Play: A College Football Trend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Bowl games have forever been a staple of college football tradition dating back to 1902. It gives teams the opportunity to<a name='more'></a> travel and (typically) play a foreign opponent in one last final game to end their season on a high note. For seniors and those who will forego their last year in favor of the draft, it's one last time to strap up the pads with their brothers. </div>
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Or perhaps some don't feel like part of the family. </div>
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Leonard Fournette and Christian McCaffrey, both expected to be selected in late April for the 2017 NFL Draft, are only a few of the names of NCAA football players that will not be participating in their team's bowl game. </div>
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McCaffrey's statement: </div>
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<span style="color: #232323; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Very tough decision, but I have decided not to play in the Sun Bowl so I can begin my draft prep immediately... </span></span><span style="color: #232323; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thanks to all my teammates for their 100 percent support -- it means a lot to me. Go Cardinal!"</span></span></blockquote>
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To many players like McCaffrey and Fournette, the choice to skip their bowl games is a business decision. They're well aware of the risk of playing in what is simply a glorified exhibition game, and are not willing to put potential glory, fame and financial security for years to come on the line. </div>
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Simplify the issue by taking a business approach and removing the football element out of the topic, and it appears to be a no-brainer: Don't risk anything before you get the big promotion. However, that's not the shared opinion of an overwhelming majority in the collegiate sports world. </div>
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<span style="background-color: white;">Kynan Smith, a WR for the University of Kentucky Wildcats, is one of the many players who disagree with the choice to skip their final game of their careers. "</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; white-space: pre-wrap;">The way I see it is,</span><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> </span><span style="color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; white-space: pre-wrap;">if you go to battle with your team week after week and accomplish every teams goal which is to win and then go to the post season and decide that you don't want to participate in the bowl it's kind of selfish". You can follow Kynan on twitter @KynanSmith.</span></span></div>
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Smith's comments relay a message that mirrors the same stance many other players possess. Sure, Christian McCaffrey's teammates may support him, but to what extent? As a competitor, how does it look when your best player, the same one you call a brother and have fought with all season, decides to walk away before your final battle? A feeling such as disappointment comes to mind, and any player who feels as such cannot be blamed.</div>
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<span style="font-size: 12.8px;">This is supposed to be college football, where everything (on face value, at least) is all about pride, passion and tradition. The NCAA is supposed to represent a true form of sport, where players don't let money drive motivation.</span></div>
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But what do you do when your kids are doing just that? </div>
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It's a tough position to be put in. Although frowned upon by many, the NCAA nor the school have no true say in the player's decision, ultimately leaving a lose-lose situation for the institution and the governing board. </div>
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The problem isn't necessarily the immediate impact of players not playing in their bowl games. Surely fans will be disappointed not to see the likes of Leonard Fournette suit up come game time, however there are 41 bowl games that will be played this postseason: Money will be made. <span style="font-size: 12.8px;">Where the true problem rests, is in the future. Is this the beginning of a trend for players looking to further their careers in the NFL? What happens when a star quarterback with an injury riddled past decides to sit out a championship game? It's fair to assume a player wouldn't dare skip a College Football Playoff game, but we also assumed when these kids signed their letter of intent, they'd play every snap they could.</span></div>
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A sad reality for NCAA presidents is these kids don't just have goals for college. Sure, a national championship sounds great. You know what rings better to the ear of a broke college student? Millions of dollars and the title of "Professional football player".</div>
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However, those who actually reach their championship aspirations, much less their professional ones, remain a vastly small minority in comparison to the thousands of players in the college football today. This eases the minds of big decision makers within the NCAA, for the time being.</div>
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It's clear there is some needed change within the sport, and not just on the field. </div>
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As mentioned earlier in the article, 41 bowl games will have been played by the end of the postseason. Surely players value big bowl games such as the College Football Playoff, yet what value does a Belk Bowl or TaxSlayer Bowl present to players? The number, and integrity, of these bowl games have taken a huge hit. The importance of these should and will be discussed in the off-season, thanks to the seeds planted by players opting out of their final game.</div>
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College football is trending far past it's glory days. We no longer live in a time where players stay all four years and play for the opportunity to compete in the Rose Bowl. Welcome to the twenty-first century, where players announce their schools via Twitter and prioritize their decisions by either a branded swoosh or national television exposure. NCAA football has always been a sport of trends and parody, and if more players take after those who have decided not to play in their bowl games, the game will have dug itself a hole a little too far down the road.</div>
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That being said, college football is as thriving as ever. The new playoff system has opened up doors for many different avenues for debate, interest, and most importantly: money. In the grand scheme of things, the effects of players sitting out in minor bowl games will likely have little impact. </div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">However, similar to what we see in college basketball, the opportunity to live a life-long dream will never be overshadowed, no matter the circumstances. Those five star high school recruits have the same dreams that Fournette and McCaffrey do, and whether you like it or not, these amateur athletes are role models. It's unlikely to see a kid from Alabama decide to skip their game against Washington (May Nick Saban have mercy on your soul, son) but to many players across the nation, who have little to play for and everything to lose by getting hurt, it's a decision that has now been opened more freely. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 12.8px;">NCAA Football has become one of the most successful business' in the sports world. Don't be surprised when the players start making business decisions, too. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-family: inherit;">Donnie Druin is an award-winning sports writer from the Arizona Newspaper Association. Follow him on Twitter @DonnieDruin for updates and takes on everything in the realm of sports, or just to criticize him for skipping his last final in fear of hurting his grade</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">.</span></i></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-15264423524863189302016-11-16T09:46:00.004-08:002016-11-16T09:46:40.015-08:00NFL Wednesday Morning Thoughts: Week Ten<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Romo Passes Torch</b></span><br />
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For months now, the debate has raged on over who should take the reigns as starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys: Tony Romo or Dak Prescott? As divided as this country was during our most recent election, Jerry's World surely should have mirrored the chaos, even though it might not have shown. Even Mr. Jerry Jones himself has changed his thought process through the course of Dak's impressive 8-1 start. After stealing a win out of Pittsburgh last Sunday, the notorious and outspoken owner/general manager confirmed that Tony Romo would indeed ride the pine heading into this week's contest with the Baltimore Ravens.<br />
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Certainly not a easy process to swallow, Tony Romo had a choice to make: Put the team's best interest first, or stake your claim as the franchise's quarterback and make some serious noise behind the scenes. Extremely (this can't be emphasized enough) fortunate for the entire Cowboys organization, Tony decided to take the high road and not concede the starting position, yet allow the transition to truly happen. On Tuesday, Romo held a press conference and read from a letter he personally wrote, where he graciously accepted the circumstances and just wanted what was best for Dallas.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #232323; font-family: proxima-nova, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>"He's earned the right to be our quarterback," Romo said. "As hard as that is for me to say, he's earned that right."</i></span></span></blockquote>
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Surely as much as Romo has been thrashed by fans and media everywhere for his shortcomings on the field, this act of maturity and acceptance must be commended. How easy would it have been for a franchise quarterback to reject what was happening, and completely turn the mood gray, all while casting a negative shadow on his predecessor? Although we doubt this is the last time we'll see Romo play football, it is but a bitter taste to imagine him in another uniform. Put this man in the ring of honor already.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Steel Disappointing? Say Cheese!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Green Bay and Pittsburgh. Two of the league's most historic, successful franchises since the AFL-NFL merger in 1967. Fast forward to 2016, where both teams sit at 4-5 and their heads scratched furiously. Had you told someone both a Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger led team would combine for eight wins in ten weeks, they might have looked at you a bit odd. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-6u4jcwZ5YmHivZ4PSHz7zuWwGVKheGzRDQb_PGEpgDV4fPbJWaWlKL1E6T8lNzGUp4Nz6ImdZZAAUB2pmvl4KwJpeX23qUVEfjRmP002jwGg5kzjREw4BMviMKdfFY94DcIpfAh8hKO/s1600/ben-roethlisberger-inured-sidelines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf-6u4jcwZ5YmHivZ4PSHz7zuWwGVKheGzRDQb_PGEpgDV4fPbJWaWlKL1E6T8lNzGUp4Nz6ImdZZAAUB2pmvl4KwJpeX23qUVEfjRmP002jwGg5kzjREw4BMviMKdfFY94DcIpfAh8hKO/s320/ben-roethlisberger-inured-sidelines.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So what's to blame for the lack of success?</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In the Steel City, inconsistency plays a major role in what has been a roller-coaster season for Pittsburgh thus far. The defense is still trying to find itself in terms of identity, and the secondary has been just as useful as (insert bad example here). Offensively, injuries and just bad play have haunted a unit that was thought to have the capability to average 30 points per game. The #FireMikeTomlin train has gathered much momentum after another handful of disappointing showings against inferior teams, however there's a history of stability that suggests Tomlin wont be packing any bags, anytime soon.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9TgM0ldm4oKnBJnb7q18m1078_chAeou-kxVdHquq4SJ0CxnFslbLEyKhDj-ahKs0xoEIqBGxEtK0tC7EGNK4OMNlsLrXI7WYSzfyGdAvwBqWqFlpdIh9SX3Z6p28-budAhhgeRb7HFr/s1600/Aaron_rodgers_2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO9TgM0ldm4oKnBJnb7q18m1078_chAeou-kxVdHquq4SJ0CxnFslbLEyKhDj-ahKs0xoEIqBGxEtK0tC7EGNK4OMNlsLrXI7WYSzfyGdAvwBqWqFlpdIh9SX3Z6p28-budAhhgeRb7HFr/s1600/Aaron_rodgers_2014.jpg" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Travel up north to the frozen tundra, where Mr. Rodgers' neighborhood isn't so friendly. Sadly, it will take a little more than a "R-E-L-A-X" tweet to turn this ship around, something that couldn't be more evident after letting the Tennessee Titans hang a whopping 47 points on their defense. Many will point the finger to head coach (and Pittsburgh native, go figure) Mike McCarthy, whereas some would suggest the stockpile of injuries and lack of rushing attack have been the anchor of failure. While both the Steelers and Packers share similar stories, Green Bay is indeed more due for a change in it's coaching staff. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The beauty of an NFL season is that every game truly counts, and both Green Bay and Pittsburgh are still within a game of the division lead. With seven weeks left in the regular season, there remains plenty of time and football to ultimately decide both of these teams fate, where the possibility of seeing these two play on the first Sunday of February could be just as probable as both of them watching the playoffs from home. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Goff and Running</b></span><br />
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After being drafted number one overall and sitting for ten weeks, the time has finally come. Jared Goff will officially be the starting quarterback for the Rams when they take on Miami. The road up to this point has proved to be interesting, to say the least. To put things in perspective: All the other rookie quarterbacks were allowed outside to play, except poor Jared Goff, who was grounded by coach Jeff Fisher.<br />
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The past ten weeks have been combated with philosophical differences. What do you do with a fresh, young and inexperienced quarterback chosen to lead the NFL's new franchise in Los Angeles? Do you let him soak everything in and learn as much as he can before throwing him to the wolves? Or do you feel the pressure of putting your unprepared golden child in front of fans who have waited decades to see their team play?<br />
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Coach Fisher has experience in this very same situation before. Legendary quarterback Steve McNair was once in the same position as Jared Goff, Fisher had decided to let McNair sit, and as time would tell, the move would pay off. Given the circumstances, Fisher does have a work of history to defend his decision. However, these two scenarios are vastly different in many respects.<br />
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Even more so interesting is the current situation left to Goff. Here you have the Los Angeles Rams coming off a win and sitting in third place in the NFC West at 4-5, trailing the lead by two games with the possibility of a wild card spot is still in the minds of Rams personnel. Although Case Keenum wasn't exactly putting big numbers up every week, why wait until now? Reports surfaced that Goff looked everything of the part of number one pick during 7 on 7 drills, yet struggles when full practice comes around. Questions have already arose, asking simply: Will this transpire an overly-anxious quarterback?<br />
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Unfortunately, we do not have the benefit of hindsight. Only Father Time knows the outcome of Jared Goff's NFL career, and I'm willing to bet he still won't reveal it to anybody, any time soon. So at 2:25 pm local time this Sunday, the Jared Goff era will officially start in Los Angeles, whether he's truly ready or not.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>When Extra Points Became Extra</b></span><br />
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The extra point, or commonly known as the point-after try (PAT) was once as guaranteed in life as death and taxes. Those simple times are no more, thanks to the competition committee pushing the line of scrimmage for PAT to the 15 yard line. Ever since this move, all hell has broken loose in the world of kicking and two different cleats for each foot. What was once a for-sure point has now been jeopardized slightly, yet enough to sound some alarms. While the pandemic of kickers purely missing is one issue, a new topic of discussion has received notoriety.<br />
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Just ask any Saints fan, they'll tell you from first hand experience. A player jumping over the long snapper to block a kick. This act, which is just as questionable as what the true definition of a catch is, has become more and more popular among players trying to accomplish only what Olympic hurdlers were thought to do. <br />
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How the play works is simple. When attempting to snap the ball back to the holder on a field goal attempt or punt, the long snapper cannot have a defender lined up directly over him to ensure the safety of the long snapper. Well, when nobody is allowed to touch you, why would you put any effort away from snapping the ball and bringing your head up, which is precisely what every long snapper does: leave their head down when snapping. This creates a blind spot, an unguarded area so to say. For years, this act has gone by harmless. Harmless, until someone exposes the gap and leaps where he gets an absolute clean shot at blocking the kick.<br />
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Now, there are rules pertaining to this jump. The player who is attempting the jump may not have ANY contact with the long snapper or use any player as a source to propel him over the line. This has been a hard feat to accomplish for anybody on any team- yet teams are starting to actually practice this play, and as you can see at the end of the Saints-Broncos game, it can win or lose football games.<br />
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So as a special teams unit, how do you block this? Common thinking suggests some effort from both guards are needed to either block the jumper or make the play illegal by having the jumping defender touch them.<br />
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The bigger question can be found pointed towards the league itself: What are you going to do about this?<br />
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It's very likely that this play will be outlawed in the coming years by the league. There's just too much that could go wrong from a player safety standpoint, and is also almost an unfair advantage for players to go through unblocked and prevent a game winning field goal simply because they can jump over a long snapper who's bent down. Unfair? You make the call. But something will be done to either alter the rule, or change it all together.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFjxGIV6Ty6OuWVZ1kfB_r_OnmwK9vnc_nJTLexqIlahuQMNb20KFfJ3Qhs0XQsH3Y9VrATPT0A3wHoRBStvDd03oIuwWYvxLFghOMD7D53GQx26FVx9xW-1bnxA8fxn9HKZmr9ccZBAD/s1600/bl.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWFjxGIV6Ty6OuWVZ1kfB_r_OnmwK9vnc_nJTLexqIlahuQMNb20KFfJ3Qhs0XQsH3Y9VrATPT0A3wHoRBStvDd03oIuwWYvxLFghOMD7D53GQx26FVx9xW-1bnxA8fxn9HKZmr9ccZBAD/s320/bl.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Number of the Week: 8</span><br />
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This is the number of kicks missed this season by former Minnesota Vikings kicker Blair Walsh. Walsh missed four field goal attempts and four extra points before being released by the team on Tuesday.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Quote of the Week: </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpKO5fCV3Lwkw2wxFQAal5PI-GnRNhGs6LTWAg7SqQ8gW_e4eMygAuJ5eOticFT7-_squAVr8J6aj2M9V-1zaBUZJ0vsCnlVC0qWURx_DWSPQ1DCs3W1ZOcAhjBT_JZ1ZBW3VRGWDC2h6/s1600/Earl-Thomas-Saints.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwpKO5fCV3Lwkw2wxFQAal5PI-GnRNhGs6LTWAg7SqQ8gW_e4eMygAuJ5eOticFT7-_squAVr8J6aj2M9V-1zaBUZJ0vsCnlVC0qWURx_DWSPQ1DCs3W1ZOcAhjBT_JZ1ZBW3VRGWDC2h6/s320/Earl-Thomas-Saints.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Probably one of the hardest I got hit in my career, for sure... (he's) like a missile." - New England Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski on the hit Earl Thomas delivered to him during Sunday Night Football.</i></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1f1f1f; font-family: proxima-nova, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_iNW4-aqc70vR_c5SXv1bV0hJOof-mHpQjXGc4NXbDw2t-GwanDvqbJ-x9SFtYKjddPcxKLh39keZnRMVurXaJ3hBfU-SDdlUXA_PSXGdWJkcet9nRdJL3RVXzA2sK_at_0HpBKObdYRB/s1600/twitter_bird_blue_on_white.png%2528mediaclass-base-page-main.d2c518cc99acd7f6b176d3cced63a653791dedb3%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_iNW4-aqc70vR_c5SXv1bV0hJOof-mHpQjXGc4NXbDw2t-GwanDvqbJ-x9SFtYKjddPcxKLh39keZnRMVurXaJ3hBfU-SDdlUXA_PSXGdWJkcet9nRdJL3RVXzA2sK_at_0HpBKObdYRB/s320/twitter_bird_blue_on_white.png%2528mediaclass-base-page-main.d2c518cc99acd7f6b176d3cced63a653791dedb3%2529.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;">Tweet of the Week:</span><br />
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<i style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-size: 26px; letter-spacing: 0.26px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Gronk, what's your favorite number? </span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-size: 26px; font-style: italic; letter-spacing: 0.26px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<i style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; letter-spacing: 0.26px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 26px; text-align: center;">
<i style="letter-spacing: 0.26px;">I don't think I have one. </i></div>
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<i style="letter-spacing: 0.26px;">HELP! HELP! GRONK DIDN'T SAY 69! GET A HELICOPTER IN HERE!"- @SportsPickle</i></div>
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<i style="letter-spacing: 0.26px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Donnie Druin is an award-winning writer from the Arizona Newspaper Association. Follow him on Twitter @DonnieDruin for all things football, or just to make fun of him for choosing Aaron Rodgers as his MVP earlier this season.<span style="font-size: 26px;"> </span></span></i></div>
</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-41276108256898947112016-11-02T01:18:00.000-07:002016-11-02T09:01:52.563-07:00NFL Wednesday Morning Thoughts: Week Eight <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0WcIpjE8pCpDjVDO4F5f6F7RbEOoHSc41tn5Taedj0RHFd6lkmxz3ip3UG-DUBt6TwR-CD3oDV-X9FF6NUjKK59OK5mNThWypKK_Y3VcMmDkbMxtHTkTjlpq0E9ZyTLrIbR9lgF7ZZ0b/s1600/dak-zeke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj0WcIpjE8pCpDjVDO4F5f6F7RbEOoHSc41tn5Taedj0RHFd6lkmxz3ip3UG-DUBt6TwR-CD3oDV-X9FF6NUjKK59OK5mNThWypKK_Y3VcMmDkbMxtHTkTjlpq0E9ZyTLrIbR9lgF7ZZ0b/s640/dak-zeke.jpg" width="640" id="id_e08e_4f69_e9d2_1b4d" style="width: 640px; height: auto;"></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>How Bout Dem Cowboys?</b></span><br>
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Flashback to when Dallas flew to Seattle to play in their preseason contest. A healthy, confident Tony Romo had his sights set on leading <i>his </i>Cowboys on another playoff run, maybe even win a Lombardi trophy in the process. This was how the story was supposed to go, that is, until a broken bone in Romo's back temporarily put those dreams on hold. </div>
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Until Dak Prescott picked those dreams up and ran with them.</div>
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The rookie quarterback has lead Dallas to the NFC's best record at 6-1 amid adversity. If Dallas is truly "America's Team", Prescott has undoubtedly earned Captain America recognition. Alongside the best offensive line in football combined with the hottest back in the league (Ezekiel Elliott, you might want to look him up) the Cowboys offense has made tremendous strides since their week one loss against the New York Giants. Yet one of the few unappreciated factors that has gotten Dallas to this point is the performance on defense, something defensive coordinator Rod Marinelli deserves tremendous praise for. Let's not forget that two seasons ago, this unit was supposed to be a joke of historical proportions. </div>
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Yet here we are, drinking coffee on a Wednesday morning following a key divisional win against Philadelphia on Sunday Night Football. Dallas holds a two game lead over everyone else in the NFC East, and behind the power of Ezekiel Elliott's running, only look to grow the gap from this point moving forward. When Romo returns and who should start is another issue for another article, but it's hard to imagine any decision being the wrong one considering how the team is performing. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0l4LgAlNUK_Lagklnai_6TyZZXvAex3MDVCAzzH6i7DX8zXDdagQZaTY_aNt7FNd6P_oTIyCu_noSooT63YOwUECdfh9ET9GhDgfLY1an8wGpbdD47S2JA92amb9x2FmPPTKH1t2PE3IG/s1600/Derek-Carr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="425" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0l4LgAlNUK_Lagklnai_6TyZZXvAex3MDVCAzzH6i7DX8zXDdagQZaTY_aNt7FNd6P_oTIyCu_noSooT63YOwUECdfh9ET9GhDgfLY1an8wGpbdD47S2JA92amb9x2FmPPTKH1t2PE3IG/s640/Derek-Carr.jpg" width="640" id="id_200_2b8f_125e_f92a" style="width: 640px; height: auto;"></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Derek Carr: Quarterback, Raider, MVP?</b> </span></div>
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You know how every year, there's always hype around Oakland and they always seem to find a way to fluster? Don't look now, but those Raiders are actually fulfilling the prophecy thus far. A surprising 6-2 record in arguably the toughest division in football? I'll buy it. The wins haven't all been pretty, however they all count in the W/L column as a win, and that's damn pretty in itself. The team's success up to this point can largely be attributed to the play of Derek Carr, and the numbers don't lie. 2321 passing yards (ranked 5th), 17 touchdowns (ranked 3rd) to just 3 interceptions and a 100.9 passer rating.</div>
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The progression of Carr has been remarkable to watch since his first start in the league. For his family, it's what brother David Carr might have been. For Raider Nation, it's what Jamarcus Russell should have been. In all honesty, with the young slew of quarterback talent in the NFL (Winston, Mariota, Wentz, Prescott, etc.) it's hard to make a case for any of those listed to be above Carr. Derek's play has indeed led Oakland to new heights, and has officially given 2016 the "playoffs or bust" title. </div>
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Another test awaits Carr and company as a Sunday Night Football match-up with fellow 6-2 team Denver will decide who controls the division, for now. Denver's defense remains one of the best in the league, and will provide a proven test for Oakland's offense. Even if a loss ensues for the Raiders, there's no doubting the impact of Derek Carr's presence on the field and what he does. With the help of Amari Cooper and Michael Crabtree, Carr has built quite the serious case for league MVP, something that hasn't been accomplished in Oakland since Rich Gannon was slinging the ball for the silver and black back in 2002. Should history repeat itself 14 years later, Oakland has to love the direction their third year signal-caller is taking them. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitk03FLS-3fzq0O1AsIDCOxI7Hh61hiVWTkl1bmr158eKH-7uOJT8gbyfeWd0VbCDfK8Uopt8ufPq2hSES_ABaSaf_jL8JopWdo-GS0FyP-0jVM-fAa6G-FkQ5TiUCyd0ouDgb0SCe2N7n/s1600/492084952_1280x720.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitk03FLS-3fzq0O1AsIDCOxI7Hh61hiVWTkl1bmr158eKH-7uOJT8gbyfeWd0VbCDfK8Uopt8ufPq2hSES_ABaSaf_jL8JopWdo-GS0FyP-0jVM-fAa6G-FkQ5TiUCyd0ouDgb0SCe2N7n/s320/492084952_1280x720.jpg" width="320" id="id_7033_8dd8_1bb8_5844" style="width: 320px; height: auto;"></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Down With Thursday Night Football</b></span></div>
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With all the hubbub of NFL ratings looming over the almighty shield that Roger Goodell will protect and defend at all costs, I'd imagine a conversation in the league office goes something like this:<br>
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"I wonder why viewership is down?"<br>
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"Hmm, I'm not sure. Hey I gotta cut this conversation short, the Jaguars/Titans game is about to start and I NEED to watch it". </div>
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Thursday Night Football has long been a joke in the world of football, however in 2016, the sad excuse of a prime-time game is really trying to out-do itself. With games such as Titans/Jaguars, Bengals/Dolphins and Patriots/Texans have been shown on Thursday night, is it too much to wonder where the league is going wrong? These games are supposed to be marquee match-ups. To put an analogy to the picture, the league is essentially trying to throw something at a wall until it sticks. Unfortunately, it's a rare occasion where the game actually follows through on the "hype" built by the league. </div>
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In all honesty, while the ratings are down, the league shouldn't be too worried. As long as fantasy football and money co-exist, and there's a player who's game is on Thursday night, people will watch.</div>
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However the product given to us as consumers on Thursday night's has been completely atrocious, and the league's slither of hope appears to rest on a Cowboys/Vikings matchup in December. Until then, fans are stuck watching week after week of intolerable football.</div>
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I don't pay for Thursday Night Football, but I sure as hell want my money back. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>It's Not You, It's Jamie</b></span></div>
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Everybody is still trying to decipher another one of Bill Belichick's "???" trades, yet this one might be the hardest of them all. News broke on Monday that New England will be shipping linebacker Jamie Collins, one of the Patriots better defensive players, to the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a compensatory third round pick. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMC_TuoCK4yVnPgu0Yg6EfW0MrOrrQtqjxGkM2GTSY5c3iqD_AyGDrThiDJclqkPjffka2-MtIySP-izAOOgJjx2o4a1F8rvAtjobNVjKoC_7uR0kWE7QO5nhN6BWAbE9RA47rWyqu-Dw/s1600/how-bill-belichick-built-the-defense-that-beat-peyton-manning-out-of-thin-air.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMC_TuoCK4yVnPgu0Yg6EfW0MrOrrQtqjxGkM2GTSY5c3iqD_AyGDrThiDJclqkPjffka2-MtIySP-izAOOgJjx2o4a1F8rvAtjobNVjKoC_7uR0kWE7QO5nhN6BWAbE9RA47rWyqu-Dw/s320/how-bill-belichick-built-the-defense-that-beat-peyton-manning-out-of-thin-air.jpg" width="320" id="id_e921_5223_8fc8_da14" style="width: 320px; height: auto;"></a>After trading Chandler Jones to Arizona earlier this year, the thought was to create cap space to sign Collins, who was in the final year of his rookie contract, to a long-term deal. After this most recent deal with Cleveland, nobody can truly evaluate the motivation of Belichick's move. The only reasonable explanation is the Patriots have something tricky planned up their sleeve, and that makes me feel uncomfortable. Or perhaps Belichick is still wound-up over those pesky tablets and acted upon his ill feelings. </div>
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In all seriousness, there are few signs to say what was truly the thought process behind the trade. The most favorable theory resides that Jamie asked for "Von Miller" money, and those obviously were the wrong words to blurt out at the negotiation table. </div>
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As unconventional as this trade may seem, it may actually come to a win-win scenario. Cleveland now has a piece they can build around in their front seven, and New England now has more cap space to sign Malcolm Butler, Dont'a Hightower or even bring in a free agent in the off-season. Time will tell if the Patriots are simply playing chess while we watch checkers, or if the Browns truly pulled the better end of the stick.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEindV7rV3HeLBFZvu99awauwgded8nyZcC0IYSPQk8-zEErr-wWOX_prrNWopcCfq1my2dmrcSBXx2F8aXw0nxpocl0M2N8gfI2-UZ3bcyW7RXfffJmzBY2E2RgoTnkEfTwRc39wCCkNEMN/s1600/nfl_penalty_flag.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="451" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEindV7rV3HeLBFZvu99awauwgded8nyZcC0IYSPQk8-zEErr-wWOX_prrNWopcCfq1my2dmrcSBXx2F8aXw0nxpocl0M2N8gfI2-UZ3bcyW7RXfffJmzBY2E2RgoTnkEfTwRc39wCCkNEMN/s640/nfl_penalty_flag.png" width="640" id="id_ac01_d53a_9520_3af0" style="width: 640px; height: auto;"></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Number of the Week: 23</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">This is the amount of penalties called against the Oakland Raiders in last Sunday's contest against Tampa Bay, breaking the all-time record for most penalties for one team in a game. </span><br>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Quote of the Week: </span><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppoKhee3mO9wcqmUnIGoA5MbFrcukMWnkBnkNeXeOW_uYgVbVJ2V0pUwbHCljXF-f2xFXJCRvElbBDlq9PUhXONS7XszfgQZdCeM_IrR11OA4MY6p9T69348kKTSPAmIzwUgLsqhohtZP/s1600/Josh_Norman.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppoKhee3mO9wcqmUnIGoA5MbFrcukMWnkBnkNeXeOW_uYgVbVJ2V0pUwbHCljXF-f2xFXJCRvElbBDlq9PUhXONS7XszfgQZdCeM_IrR11OA4MY6p9T69348kKTSPAmIzwUgLsqhohtZP/s400/Josh_Norman.jpg" width="300" id="id_589f_a60e_5500_2e22" style="width: 300px; height: auto;"></a><span style="font-size: large;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #141414; font-family: , "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Who’s No. 88?" Norman </span>asked<span style="color: #141414; font-family: , "georgia" , "times" , "times new roman" , serif;">, referring to official Brad Freeman. "He sucked. I’ll be honest with you, he was terrible. I feel some of the plays going on out there, I mean, it was terrible. It’s just how I’m feeling and how the team feels right now. It needs to be watched and reprimanded. They reprimand us, so what’s the reprimand for them?"</span></i></span></blockquote>
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- A very fired up Josh Norman, after a game where the Redskins lock-down cornerback was flagged on multiple plays. </div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Tweet of the Week: </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1wOLmO_DoYB_10YZcQ7ktrN6zFKvIVtCZpkoseaMXeOOW0TPobCzI2Wex79S7Hto4jqg86l90IcFRjZSxWdHXOyqMMSSfjxNUfi7p72Kq865BCjGzjmnFDle4vwXEXZtSk1xb3gIPxMAV/s1600/twitter_bird_blue_on_white.png%2528mediaclass-base-page-main.d2c518cc99acd7f6b176d3cced63a653791dedb3%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1wOLmO_DoYB_10YZcQ7ktrN6zFKvIVtCZpkoseaMXeOOW0TPobCzI2Wex79S7Hto4jqg86l90IcFRjZSxWdHXOyqMMSSfjxNUfi7p72Kq865BCjGzjmnFDle4vwXEXZtSk1xb3gIPxMAV/s200/twitter_bird_blue_on_white.png%2528mediaclass-base-page-main.d2c518cc99acd7f6b176d3cced63a653791dedb3%2529.jpg" width="200" id="id_f435_7128_a41b_fde" style="width: 200px; height: auto;"></a></span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">"Poor </span><span style="color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Jamie Collins</span><span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">.
Going from the Patriots to the Browns would be like going from a Rolls-Royce to a toaster." -@AdamRank</span></i></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Donnie Druin is an award-winning sports writer from the Arizona Newspaper Association. Follow him on Twitter @DonnieDruin to keep updated on every sport you love, or just to scold him for another poor choice of "Tweet of the Week" because you can't drive a toaster, stupid. </i></span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-5248947269783745562016-10-19T02:50:00.000-07:002016-10-19T02:53:44.158-07:00Wednesday Morning Thoughts: NFL Week Six<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxGIkT077vAQaNKfQ0_Z0QIY4CSLObsqN5BUVv-7sccaFYEYHwnnzMYBXJmvtxqAWT0TbWgKP_ZEdRMF3zdkqWfg4vUxWrABsOZmIUw3a9KFtCmepIEq521oxH646nE_FWWi-ZjAeKM9Q/s1600/ben-roethlisberger-inured-sidelines.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDxGIkT077vAQaNKfQ0_Z0QIY4CSLObsqN5BUVv-7sccaFYEYHwnnzMYBXJmvtxqAWT0TbWgKP_ZEdRMF3zdkqWfg4vUxWrABsOZmIUw3a9KFtCmepIEq521oxH646nE_FWWi-ZjAeKM9Q/s640/ben-roethlisberger-inured-sidelines.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<u style="font-size: xx-large;">Ben There, Done That</u><br />
As much potential as the Pittsburgh Steelers have,<br />
<a name='more'></a> they can never quite reach the capable levels of legitimate Super Bowl contenders. Whether it be defense, suspensions, injuries, or even all the above, the Steelers as of recent seasons have came nowhere close to satisfying expectations. Even with the year long suspension of Martavis Bryant, the Ben/Brown/Bell trio was thought to be capable of bringing back a Lombardi Trophy to the steel city. Instead, the above players have yet to peak together as a unit, something the organization has/will be pouring many millions of dollars into. Old habits never die, and this saying came full circle on Sunday afternoon, where Ben Roethlisberger tore his meniscus in a 30-15 shocking upset to Miami. The injury has no set timetable, and while people within the organization are optimistic about recovery time, Steelers faithful can't help but feel this is just the same old song and dance. It's nobody's fault, nothing can truly prevent an injury from happening. Yet the broken record of a Steelers team not having it's best players on the field for a consistent amount of time is starting to get real old, real quick. By no means push the panic button, with a 4-2 record and a division lead there's no reason to. We'll see what Landry Jones can do as the knight in worn-out armor, yet with a red-hot Patriots team rolling into Pittsburgh and a divisional game against Baltimore after the bye, 4-4 is staring Mike Tomlin and company right in the eyes.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2XPP_HIQqf8qvU4jGtiCZp4NnPxJ22ujIMxNGI3YPr4XFQb04usfwF8db-lQqNK90ysH9jRANZ1zGbg1CLbgKofO7gHTrv4u0ZljiwXF7l2JMhqBiJ6EDOcMeSAgUbdF0SxDOcbc0xuFb/s1600/Ryan+Fitzpatrick.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2XPP_HIQqf8qvU4jGtiCZp4NnPxJ22ujIMxNGI3YPr4XFQb04usfwF8db-lQqNK90ysH9jRANZ1zGbg1CLbgKofO7gHTrv4u0ZljiwXF7l2JMhqBiJ6EDOcMeSAgUbdF0SxDOcbc0xuFb/s640/Ryan+Fitzpatrick.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>Fitzmagic's Dissapearing Act </u></span><br />
Come one! Come All! Come watch the AMAZING Ryan Fitzpatrick make 12 MILLION DOLLARS disappear, before New York's very eyes! Once viewed as a solid building block for a <i>win now </i>Super Bowl run in New York, Ryan Fitzpatrick has turned into, well, Geno Smith. See the problem with that, is the "J-E-T-S Jets Jets Jets!" already have one of those. Alongside Fitzpatrick and Smith are Christian Hackenberg/Bryce Petty, both yet to audition for the starting job. With a full ten games left in the season, New York's season is very much so up in the air at this point, as well as the present/future responsibilities at quarterback. So which direction should Todd Bowles and New York take? Do you force Fitzpatrick to play since he's the $12 million man? Does Geno Smith get a shot at redemption, or do you open the door for a guy like Hackenberg/Petty to make some noise? Thankfully, you and I are not in charge to make that decision, only to critique and/or criticize it down the road. However, this is the Big Apple we're dealing with, so any decision will reflect badly in regards to the media. Us as outsiders aren't too emotionally invested into this decision, we just NEVER want to watch another poor product of football like that, especially on prime-time television.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhxpatx3ZrLh20WfTrJP2oTBtChzsO7bmBK5iD4QsSOX2Qv_Y-8mb0dH06mcGq0r7G8Qryp6wteem1H7ASG_qXMq5NK_82V7py4W0aGo2pJBmzdg0sMWE0Ul4sUa09yBy1zMDWzKI1NAM/s1600/oakland-raiders-helmet.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwhxpatx3ZrLh20WfTrJP2oTBtChzsO7bmBK5iD4QsSOX2Qv_Y-8mb0dH06mcGq0r7G8Qryp6wteem1H7ASG_qXMq5NK_82V7py4W0aGo2pJBmzdg0sMWE0Ul4sUa09yBy1zMDWzKI1NAM/s320/oakland-raiders-helmet.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>Las Vegas Still a Gamble for Raiders, NFL</u></span><br />
The Oakland Raiders are one step closer to ditching California for Sin City, after securing funds that would give the Raiders $750 million from raised hotel tax in Las Vegas, Nevada. This was a crucial step in the process of relocation for Raiders owner Mark Davis, who will give updates on his stadium at the fall owner's meetings this week. Davis, who inherited powers from father/legend Al Davis after his passing a few years back, apparently does have his eyes set on a Las Vegas franchise after losing the race to Los Angeles with the Rams/Chargers. Although preliminary talks are only taking place now, the new stadium that would break ground is estimated to cost around $1.9 billion, and would realistically be moved into in two-three years. Sure enough there won't be a hard time filing the stadium, considering Las Vegas' hockey team, which still is not fully formed, has sold out season tickets already for the 2017-2018 season. Although nothing is official yet, it's a disappointment to watch a loyal fan base in Oakland lose their beloved Raiders, even if it isn't happening in the immediate future.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>Shady's Back</u></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpX_QGb15yYlV2PcSXzC13feU73RYFzt4P3cB7SvAax3acMuQCtv2oj8ihOhzhn6V5rKKupjmHJ4LlIIscow8h-x7WqqqXFJ_KwJkcTSTFME8DJk4UfIFVaiDSflAfvF3AyeQrOqY-vwd/s1600/LeSean+McCoy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLpX_QGb15yYlV2PcSXzC13feU73RYFzt4P3cB7SvAax3acMuQCtv2oj8ihOhzhn6V5rKKupjmHJ4LlIIscow8h-x7WqqqXFJ_KwJkcTSTFME8DJk4UfIFVaiDSflAfvF3AyeQrOqY-vwd/s320/LeSean+McCoy.jpg" width="320" /></a>Oh, what the miracles of a change of scenery can do. 2015 was a fluke season marred by injuries for LeSean McCoy, who to this point in 2016, has regained his "Shady McCoy" form from his old Philadelphia days, gashing defenses and leaving defenders in dust clouds. McCoy is second in the league in rushing yards (587), 5.6 yards per carry and six scores. Buffalo, a product of Rex Ryan's heavy rushing mindset, has given LeSean the much needed rejuvenation sought after the still-eye opening trade that sent him packing for Buffalo in exchange for linebacker Kiko Alonso (who's no longer with the team). Why Chip Kelly even entertained the thought of dealing one of the league's best backs is beyond comprehension, yet McCoy has been reaping the benefits of Kelly's mistake. With Buffalo sitting at 4-2, it's no coincidence the early season success can be attributed to the league's number one rushing attack.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94l8leUDzEfKv-kDbI1VdSsKNjAFofIV_RjZGSRqnSzWgJoFtWXNfjA-QygtJaIMdbxzZ_YjTTVo2anXfYy1RP26f5WT-yFvd9V3VLFlImuWlrk-d4PEl0Z7A6P7G6pSJcE6KF3SLknd_/s1600/Drew+Brees.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg94l8leUDzEfKv-kDbI1VdSsKNjAFofIV_RjZGSRqnSzWgJoFtWXNfjA-QygtJaIMdbxzZ_YjTTVo2anXfYy1RP26f5WT-yFvd9V3VLFlImuWlrk-d4PEl0Z7A6P7G6pSJcE6KF3SLknd_/s640/Drew+Brees.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-large;">Number of the Week: 15</span><br />
This is the number of 400 yard passing games thrown by Drew Brees in his career. Brees, who threw for number 15 on Sunday, passes Peyton Manning's all-time record for 400 yard passing games.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Quote of the Week*: </span><br />
*We actually have a tie between two!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUEjUmdZ6uYowq9iqOGKb5gYciiKy1OzIYnu5_Cmre-uCsT3GY17gt6RNkhUC-9HqoEh9lN4bkVcoN_FbN3ebGJWNQbcU2dWCH2D5AjbGgwy8cipL-zMUgSp8QiJBXeZmCyUTAUNMkX7CK/s1600/dc9e17e9c1590527810f6a7067003f98.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUEjUmdZ6uYowq9iqOGKb5gYciiKy1OzIYnu5_Cmre-uCsT3GY17gt6RNkhUC-9HqoEh9lN4bkVcoN_FbN3ebGJWNQbcU2dWCH2D5AjbGgwy8cipL-zMUgSp8QiJBXeZmCyUTAUNMkX7CK/s400/dc9e17e9c1590527810f6a7067003f98.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #48494a; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , "times" , serif;"><i style="font-size: x-large;">"We want to bring a Super Bowl championship back to the Bay Area" - </i>Oakland Raiders owner Mark Davis, who oddly enough is trying to move the Raiders out of the Bay Area.</span></blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLe18pcoIouW5XB10O0c7KQ2DfdIu8vOamwh77fRlevtjy2rNhbmvHTUkAog3sCPRdCUY6NIpkj2AOuGmJY9r4Qg13W-q6AccdnxCK0968SuT6D3239uLnHXJ_tW7ATOvGDp9V8qlEY-Gr/s1600/PatsNewcomers_FullSize.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLe18pcoIouW5XB10O0c7KQ2DfdIu8vOamwh77fRlevtjy2rNhbmvHTUkAog3sCPRdCUY6NIpkj2AOuGmJY9r4Qg13W-q6AccdnxCK0968SuT6D3239uLnHXJ_tW7ATOvGDp9V8qlEY-Gr/s320/PatsNewcomers_FullSize.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , sans-serif;"><i style="font-size: x-large;">"As you probably noticed, I’m done with the tablets. They’re just too undependable for me. I’m going to stick with pictures, which several of our other coaches do, as well, because there just isn’t enough consistency in the performance of the tablets. I just can’t take it anymore." </i></span><i style="color: #222222; font-family: Georgia, Times, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">- </i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "georgia" , "times" , sans-serif;">New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick, who is fed up with technology as he describes in a 700 word, 5 minute and 22 second rant about Microsoft Surface Tablets. </span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Tweet of the Week: </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0nessCKl7A_rPfJxrYsNkmgjBp2NyHw1Rh8qljFcFv487KAH7APxYSg7BA-EBGu6naw3mBzTIU0GgpJiqVrU2U6vPgjXc2jcJhM_aoC-HYvzBhX8lMouBnagTBMWeIeGqWTHGTnEWanO/s1600/twitter_bird_blue_on_white.png%2528mediaclass-base-page-main.d2c518cc99acd7f6b176d3cced63a653791dedb3%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgk0nessCKl7A_rPfJxrYsNkmgjBp2NyHw1Rh8qljFcFv487KAH7APxYSg7BA-EBGu6naw3mBzTIU0GgpJiqVrU2U6vPgjXc2jcJhM_aoC-HYvzBhX8lMouBnagTBMWeIeGqWTHGTnEWanO/s200/twitter_bird_blue_on_white.png%2528mediaclass-base-page-main.d2c518cc99acd7f6b176d3cced63a653791dedb3%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 26px; letter-spacing: 0.26px; white-space: pre-wrap;">"</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292f33; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 26px; letter-spacing: 0.26px; white-space: pre-wrap;">Greg Hardy is going to pursue an MMA career. It will be a very difficult career transition. It'll mark the first time he has to fight men." -<i>@TheFakeESPN</i></span></blockquote>
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<i>Donnie Druin is an award-winning writer from the Arizona Newspaper Association. Follow him on twitter @DonnieDruin to keep updated on everything in the world of sports, or just to remind him that Microsoft Surface tablets may still be great for personal use, despite Coach Belichick's thoughts</i>.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-75515801591755720472016-10-12T04:29:00.000-07:002016-10-12T04:35:48.528-07:00Wednesday Morning Thoughts: NFL Week Five<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUtaef02zwvp7e7CfiLSr01hD4beX7_4LORrFEXwx7zv6lf2Auigp4CkO4u-AOX0v7c_Krljku1esC-3oTW8c0-OMdtMw8mzBTJnTIrE2SMccyDv3XkbKtYcRShI5AEU2EDuoacQCT7ygZ/s1600/49erspanthersfootball-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUtaef02zwvp7e7CfiLSr01hD4beX7_4LORrFEXwx7zv6lf2Auigp4CkO4u-AOX0v7c_Krljku1esC-3oTW8c0-OMdtMw8mzBTJnTIrE2SMccyDv3XkbKtYcRShI5AEU2EDuoacQCT7ygZ/s1600/49erspanthersfootball-4.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>Kaepernick's Last Stand</u></span><br />
This moment was coming. It was inevitable. <br />
<a name='more'></a>Regardless of your thoughts and opinions on the controversial quarterback for San Francisco, we all knew that Colin Kaepernick would be named starting quarterback at some point in time for the San Francisco 49ers. It was a mere question of <i>when, </i>not <i>if</i>. We all knew (At least I hope nobody truly believed this) that Blaine Gabbert was not the answer at quarterback, despite Chip Kelly's desires. Truth be told, neither quarterback is good enough to consistently win games for a franchise, and that is where one of the many problems rest within the 49ers organization. However, Kaepernick's skill set is better suited to Kelly's offense. The future doesn't promise much for a happy ending between San Francisco and Colin, and the team is heavily favored to cut strings with him in the off-season. The good news for Kaepernick? He's taking over a team with a whole lot of dysfunction, and not a whole lot of expectations. Should Colin fail at turning the ship around, he'll just be right back at square one. The waiting game is the public's best interest in regards to criticizing Kaepernick. But for the sake of Bay Area faithful everywhere, losing had better be one of two things he doesn't stand for.<br />
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<a href="https://rukkus.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Minnesota-Vikings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://rukkus.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Minnesota-Vikings.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>Purple Reign</u></span><br />
The Minnesota Vikings remain the league's sole undefeated team after five weeks of competition.<br />
The above sentence is something you <i>maybe</i> expected to hear with a healthy Teddy Bridgewater and Adrian Peterson, yet sure as you-know-what nothing close to expectations after giving everything up but the kitchen sink to reel in... Sam Bradford? Minnesota's success thus far can be attributed to a defense that has allowed just 12.6 points per game in 2016, turning the league's elite to bench-warmers. If anything should be taken from the leading candidate for "surprise team of the year", it's that no matter how advanced offenses and schemes get, defense still reigns supreme over any other priority. Five games in, and it seems plausible that the Vikings could potentially run the table. Of course, a statement like that is far into the galaxy. However, that's a testament to a Vikings defense which is simply <i>that</i> impressive. Time will tell how far this team can go, but as of now, Minnesota is the best team in the NFL.<br />
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<a href="http://massmediatimeline.wikispaces.com/file/view/Monday-Night-Football-1.jpg/185804345/251x198/Monday-Night-Football-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://massmediatimeline.wikispaces.com/file/view/Monday-Night-Football-1.jpg/185804345/251x198/Monday-Night-Football-1.jpg" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>Monday Night Blues</u></span><br />
Through the first quarter of the season, NFL viewer ratings have sloped downwards and everybody begins to wonder why as they sit down to watch a depleted Panthers team take on an almost equally depleted Buccaneers team. ESPN's presentation of the beloved Monday Night Football has been setting records left and right- and not the good kind. Monday's contest earned a rating of 6.5, the lowest MNF rating of a week five matchup since ESPN acquired the rights to air in 2006. In September's week two contest, ESPN managed to post Monday Night Football's lowest week two rating- ever. According to Forbes.com, primetime football ratings have plummeted 14%. Viewership is down, yet looking at the schedule, it's easy to see why. NBC's Sunday Night Football has provided far more viewer satisfaction, due to simply better quality games. When I ask if you watched the two clowns go at it, you shouldn't have to think twice between our presidential candidates and the MNF game.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Number of the Week: 3 </b></span><br />
This is the number of teams in NFL history that have beaten the previous year's Super Bowl participants in back to back weeks. The Atlanta Falcons became the most recent team to do so after defeating Carolina and Denver on their way to a 4-1 record, while also hanging a 71 combined points on both defenses.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Quote of the Week: </b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: "georgia" , "droid serif" , serif;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">“Just when you think you’ve seen it all... something like that happens.”</span></i></span></blockquote>
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<a href="http://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/13/files/2015/12/mike-mccoy-nfl-denver-broncos-san-diego-chargers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://cdn.fansided.com/wp-content/blogs.dir/13/files/2015/12/mike-mccoy-nfl-denver-broncos-san-diego-chargers.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i><span style="font-size: large;">- San Diego Chargers Head Coach Mike McCoy, who's job is very much in jeaopardy after another heartbreaking loss on Sunday to Oakland. San Diego is 1-4 on the season.</span></i> </blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Tweet of the Week:</b></span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dT9MgUMvwXReteSa9Z-5Bh_Y8pOjpSmfut4mKP1sR7vliqKZGLnkaeC7anfpY7GYzhlJcEn8deMZSt-C5l8pVxgtbZ3mfXbnyQb1AS51ymZlg2YMkz8fbTh7iq6MyNBV9m4E4UHL9cHW/s1600/twitter_bird_blue_on_white.png%2528mediaclass-base-page-main.d2c518cc99acd7f6b176d3cced63a653791dedb3%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-dT9MgUMvwXReteSa9Z-5Bh_Y8pOjpSmfut4mKP1sR7vliqKZGLnkaeC7anfpY7GYzhlJcEn8deMZSt-C5l8pVxgtbZ3mfXbnyQb1AS51ymZlg2YMkz8fbTh7iq6MyNBV9m4E4UHL9cHW/s200/twitter_bird_blue_on_white.png%2528mediaclass-base-page-main.d2c518cc99acd7f6b176d3cced63a653791dedb3%2529.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a><span id="goog_2007064467"></span><span id="goog_2007064468"></span>"</i></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #1c2022; font-family: "helvetica" , "roboto" , "segoe ui" , "calibri" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>Paxton Lynch is struggling. He's going to get $100 million from the Texans one day." - @SportsPickle</i></span></span></blockquote>
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<i>Donnie Druin is an award-winning writer from the Arizona Newspaper Association. Follow him on Twitter @DonnieDruin for continuous coverage of the NFL, or just to scold him for missing last week's Wednesday Morning Thoughts.</i><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-7287723161810784572016-10-04T05:08:00.000-07:002016-10-04T05:08:23.907-07:00How the NBA is benefiting from Colin Kaepernick <i><br /></i>
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<i>Colin Kaepernick receives a bouquet of flowers with a note that reads "Colin, thank you for everything you've done for us. We appreciate your generosity.- Adam Silver, NBA Commissioner"</i><br />
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According to all (zero) of my sources, this probably never happened.<br />
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But it damn well should have.<br />
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We're now over a month removed from the knee that started it all. Typically in the game of football, a knee is a sign of running out the clock for a victory. In Colin's case, the world came undone.<br />
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Every media outlet, every follower on twitter and even your newly-found patriotic Aunt Sophie on Facebook was dialed in to what was going to happen next, eating up every detail possible as the story developed. Seemingly everyone had their opinions ready and eyes glued, and the NBA is no exception.<br />
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Flashback to July 13th, where the NBA's biggest stars in Lebron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwayne Wade and Chris Paul took center stage at the annual ESPY awards in an inspiring message to urge athletes to be more socially active on issues, specifically focused on racial ones.<br />
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<span style="font-family: "courier new" , "courier" , monospace; font-size: x-large;">"...</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #48494a;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">let's use this moment as a call to action to all professional athletes to educate ourselves, explore these issues, speak up, use our influence and renounce all violence and, most importantly, go back to our communities, invest our time, our resources, help rebuild them, help strengthen them, help change them. We all have to do better."- Lebron James</span></span></blockquote>
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And in this very moment, everybody nodded in unison to those words uttered by Lebron. For decades, fans had beaten the dead horse of athletes not using the platform given to them to stand against what's wrong and take a stand against any form of injustice. Looking back, Kaepernick's moment had been building for awhile, it just took a different sport and a different form of animal to shine.<br />
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After the death of Eric Garner, the iconic #ICantBreathe shirts were donned by many players in the NBA, reaching little-to-no resent from any community. It was a simple yet powerful way of showing support on an important social issue. Little dabbles of players making statements left and right, but no true ripple in the public waters compared to the splitting of ocean caused by Colin's knee.<br />
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In a league that's heavily dominated by African-American's, it's surely surprising that America's uproar didn't originate in the NBA, concerning social injustice. Lucky for Commissioner Silver, football is this country's pride and joy, so the media does a phenomenal job of resting the spotlight on the three letter shield. Ratings wise, this does haunt basketball in one respect. However, the NBA actually received a blessing in disguise by being in the shadow of the shield.<br />
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Let's not forget, the NFL is a business. The NBA is a business, and just like any other business, the two most important goals are making money, and maintaining a positive public perception. It's without doubt that the NFL took a hit with Kaepernick's stand, or lack-thereof. In a situation like this, there's no guide or manual on how handle public perception. Your best bet in this scenario is to make judgments and decisions based off prior examples, something the NFL didn't have, but the NBA <i>will</i>.<br />
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So instead of answering to the bell, the Association has the privilege of answering at the bell. In other words, there was a growing sense with all of our country's race problems that somewhere, something was going to happen. Lebron & friends made it evident this summer, that they were willing to take a stand for their beliefs.<br />
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Whether or not the NBA is on par to match the NFL's pre-game anthem attention is still up for debate. The Association does indeed have a rule (Article H) requiring players to stand while the national anthem is being played, with no solidified punishment put in place, at least for now.<br />
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About three weeks removed from the start of the regular season, the NBA and their players union sent a letter to all players expressing their desire to avoid any undesired controversy, stating <span style="font-family: "cnn" , "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 27px;">"</span><span style="line-height: 27px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">We will be working with your teams during training camp to get your thoughts and ideas." </span></span><br />
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Contrary to it's gridiron counterpart, the NBA has been at the forefront of progression on issues for quite sometime now. It's evident that the NBA recognizes they have the opportunity to work with their players on social issues, and even preliminary talks show more encouraging signs than what went down with Colin Kaepernick.<br />
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With the NBA preseason now underway, we're sure to see some spoilers on how a majority of players will handle everything going on. Regardless of the form of protest used, if any, it's clear the Association will have been well prepared for all and any attention during the Star Spangled Banner thanks in-part to the NFL media circus that has been the past month.<br />
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Congratulations Mr. Goodell, you finally did something of good nature, whether intentional or not.<br />
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The NBA season tips off on Tuesday, October 25th.<br />
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<i>Donnie Druin is an award-winning sports writer from the Arizona Newspaper Association. Follow him on Twitter @DonnieDruin to stay updated on everything going on in the world of sports, or to scold him for sitting on his couch while the national anthem plays on television.</i>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-63086189945579736462016-09-28T03:03:00.000-07:002016-09-28T03:06:06.319-07:00Wednesday Morning Thoughts: NFL Week Three<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>Carson Wentz: Savior of the Cheese-steak </u></span><br />
If you didn't know any better, you'd thought the second coming of Jesus is the rookie quarterback in the city of brotherly love. Yet the love Carson Wentz has received after leading the Eagles to their ninth ever 3-0 start in team history is far more than brotherly, it's divine-like.<br />
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How much love? Well, Eagles faithful, <i>dare they say</i>, would go as far as to call it <i>Super.</i> Indeed, an impressive rookie debut for Wentz already has Philadelphia convinced of it's Super Bowl caliber team, especially after a 34-3 thumping given to Pittsburgh on Sunday evening. Holy defenders of the green and white will cling to the cliche "A win is a win" and will happily assist you to look no further than the win/loss column. Of course they will, there hasn't been this much buzz around the franchise since the 2011 "Dream Team" (Yes, we're still laughing over this).<br />
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There is no doubting the success of Carson Wentz so far, and how impressive the young man has looked in many areas of his game. Surely the Los Angeles Rams are peeking over the fence and starting to wonder with their own Jared Goff, taken before Wentz. However, similar to everything else in the National Football League, he will be figured out. Defensive coordinators love playing against rookie quarterbacks almost as much as they love studying the tape on them. Game film does not lie, and as the weeks continue to come, so does the tape. Not to say Wentz will be completely shut down or turn to a putrid gun-slinger, but if it's too good to be true in the NFL, it usually is.<br />
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For now, the hype around Wentz should and will continue to grow. He's an exciting young quarterback trying to lead a team in a division title, and hopefully more. Be wary though, young padawan, because in any game, things can turn ugly in the blink of an eye.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>Back again, Mr. Watt?</u></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU6LVBQEVwhw_gWDS2s6pAMNZ8I1mD_EkByGJg6Nt9UGyWWu1nFI-uMlQszw03nh1ImPD2HxBGTuF7Ln2a4kicH26y_FwTzXQyc7PbrL4oREM2IEjiVyaM3Pb9GttIywHUxE6hj5Fx9b56/s1600/brian-cushing-j.j.-watt-best-defensive-player-ever.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU6LVBQEVwhw_gWDS2s6pAMNZ8I1mD_EkByGJg6Nt9UGyWWu1nFI-uMlQszw03nh1ImPD2HxBGTuF7Ln2a4kicH26y_FwTzXQyc7PbrL4oREM2IEjiVyaM3Pb9GttIywHUxE6hj5Fx9b56/s400/brian-cushing-j.j.-watt-best-defensive-player-ever.jpg" width="400" /></a>News broke on Tuesday night of Houston Texans defensive lineman J.J. Watt re-injuring his back, forcing the Texans to place the reigning Defensive Player of the Year on Injured Reserve. Watt will miss his a game for the first time in his six year career when Houston plays host to Tennessee on Sunday. Although eligible to return in eight weeks, a source close to the Texans told ESPN "It doesn't look good", giving little hope to a potential return. With Houston sitting on a 2-1 record, and their best defensive player out for extended time, many question if this team is able to hold up.<br />
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That's right, everything is bigger in Texas, including the pressure for Brock Osweiler.<br />
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The coming weeks will be "put up or shut up" weeks for Osweiler and the Texans organization. Simply put, we'll see if Brock is worth every penny of his $72 million dollar contract. The true mark of a quarterback does not boil down to just leading an offense, but leading an entire team.<br />
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Jadeveon Clowney will also see his fair share of responsibility shouldered, as the former number one overall pick is finally healthy, with all eyes are fixated on Jadeveon to produce.<br />
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How will Houston respond? Surely losing arguably the best player in the league will take a toll. However, anybody in Texas who doesn't attend the church of Jerry Jones still has faith in their Texans to pull through. In a few weeks time (hindsight is fantastic in analysis), we'll see the true colors of this Houston team. For now, things aren't going to plan, and the recent news of J.J. Watt has everybody saying: Houston, we have a problem.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJTQ5X5Fg-z_m128ceG9NdN0RlNP6X7BPGAkAZpNJ-cdiWbKo0vB-ppWCRUUTJkauz2yYMn5gA2fHl8XX2k51Px1S6_H2c_mjuwHcwRznLWDdIrVk__HJZwGfgtnUPx8IIaFs5yI5cKljm/s1600/459082056-e1416515543384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJTQ5X5Fg-z_m128ceG9NdN0RlNP6X7BPGAkAZpNJ-cdiWbKo0vB-ppWCRUUTJkauz2yYMn5gA2fHl8XX2k51Px1S6_H2c_mjuwHcwRznLWDdIrVk__HJZwGfgtnUPx8IIaFs5yI5cKljm/s320/459082056-e1416515543384.jpg" width="320" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>No Star-Gazing Just Yet</u></span><br />
Through three weeks of professional football, these are your top three leading rushers: LeGarrette Blount, Isaiah Crowell, Ezekiel Elliot.<br />
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Through three weeks of professional football, not preseason, these are your top three leading receivers: Marvin Jones, Stefon Diggs, Jarvis Landry.<br />
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Okay class, put your hand up if you had any of these players in your top three of the respective categories.<br />
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Put your hands down, you liars.<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">O Julio, Julio, wherefore art thou Julio?- </span>Any Fantasy Football player</i></blockquote>
By this stage in the season, we had all pinned Antonio Brown, Julio Jones and Odell Beckham Jr to be well on their way to record breaking seasons. As of September 28th, only Antonio has somewhat held his end of the bargain up, and I mean <i>somewhat.</i><br />
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By now, we figured Todd Gurley would continue his string of dominance. Fast forward to the present, where we're all scratching our heads and wondering if we did anything wrong to deserve this cruel, unjust and flat out unordinary punishment of non-productivity.<br />
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This begs the question: Why? Why is this happening? But to dive deeper, one must ask "how?".<br />
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Conspiracy theorists will attribute this early season phenomena to a sign of down year for these players. That's the only possible explanation to them. Fantasy football freaks will tell you that it's absolute horse-radish, and some other stuff my readers can't see.<br />
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In reality, there really is no solidified answer. Educated guesses point to a nagging injury and rise of a rushing attack in Atlanta for Julio Jones' case. Some will say Antonio Brown is paying the price for the absence of Martavis Bryant by facing double coverage on nearly every play. Others will point to Odell Beckham Jr being flat out-shined by Sterling Shepard. Rumor has it, Todd Gurley is suffering from box-stuffed defenses and a non existent aerial attack.<br />
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Whatever the case may be, the stars are certainly not shining in the sky of football thus far. We're only approaching the beginning of week four, which means we're in prime position to overreact. It's highly doubtful that Marvin Jones will end up as the league's leader in reception yards, or LeGarrette Blount will still claim his spot atop the list of leading rushers. Surely these studs will come around, so don't put that tin foil hat on quite yet.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Number of the Week: 5</span><br />
At least one team that has started 3-0 has missed the playoffs for five years running now, and also represents the five undefeated teams left in the NFL.<br />
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Baltimore, Denver, New England, Minnesota and Philadelphia: No pressure guys.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Quote of the Week: </span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: x-large;">"In 5 to 10 U will be retiring and they will be taking my measurements for something you will never be #HOFER"- </span>Ravens WR and savage Steve Smith, who responded to "Old man" comments from rookie defensive back Jalen Ramsey following their game on Sunday.</i></blockquote>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Tweet of the Week: </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">"</span> <span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Prepare for a 3 month long Twitter beef between </span><span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">Odell Beckham</span><span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"> and the field goal practice </span><span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;">net</span></span><span style="color: #292f33; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> he lost a fight with."- @MikeTanier</span></span></span></blockquote>
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<i>Donnie Druin is an award-winning writer from the Arizona Newspaper Association. Follow him on Twitter @DonnieDruin for updates and opinions on everything in the world of football, or just to yell at him for his terrible word play, puns and dad jokes. </i><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-62965924721927743042016-09-21T02:12:00.000-07:002016-09-21T02:12:27.513-07:00Wednesday Morning Thoughts: NFL Week Two<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>Sleepless in Seattle</u></span><br />
Jimmy Graham still thinks he's in New Orleans, a putrid offensive line, an at-best committee back field and now what appears to be an ankle problem with Russell Wilson. After a last second come-from-behind victory in Miami in week one, and a third straight loss to the Rams, are the Seahawks problems real? Don't smash that panic button quite yet. However as Seattle looks to avoid a 1-2 start for the second straight year, it's not too early to read into the tea leaves. With Arizona the heavy favorite to take the NFC West crown, it will take a hefty turnaround and a leave of absence from the injury bug for this offense to truly get into the division race. Fortunate enough, the 12th man can still lay claim to one of the league's best defenses, and that's surely enough to carry them into a playoff spot (See 2015 Denver Broncos for example). Only going into the third week, overreaction season is well underway, but these issues seem a tad far from a minor bump in the road.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9zPGf3JU5B-FHXLkcVedlm65AaMY8Nggjddc5FK588wLi1xZ-7ynRQUIGvrbR4C5br66q-8Qp-TxqZAUGTLXxAtTVTFKiCE0igktFJ8EdKwGO_GwnHEIPYQaN_Cvt2cdiVFudUDEtLnxl/s1600/jay-cutler-on-bench.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9zPGf3JU5B-FHXLkcVedlm65AaMY8Nggjddc5FK588wLi1xZ-7ynRQUIGvrbR4C5br66q-8Qp-TxqZAUGTLXxAtTVTFKiCE0igktFJ8EdKwGO_GwnHEIPYQaN_Cvt2cdiVFudUDEtLnxl/s320/jay-cutler-on-bench.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>That Team Cray, Ain't it Jay?</u></span><br />
Much to the dismay of the Chicago Bears front office, Jay Cutler indeed does not ball so hard. Yet with his 7 year, $126.7 million (38 guaranteed) contract extension just two years ago, you'd think Kanye and Jay-Z would've thrown him on a hook. Cutler once looked promising as a young Denver Bronco, even into his early years with Chicago held some vision of future success. But all the doubt, hate and bashing came to fruition on Monday Night Football for the whole world to watch. With <i>that </i>(I'm not going to reward him by calling it a performance) Jay Cutler is quite possibly the most overpaid quarterback in the history of the National Football League. Besides his just flat awful play, Cutler, by far, has the worst attitude of any quarterback at any level I have ever seen. In fact, Cutler should return every penny given to him by the Bears' organization, before he gets charged with robbery. Simply put, I wouldn't trust Jay to pass the biscuits at the dinner table. The excuses are done for Jay Cutler. Your time in this league has been nothing short of disgusting. Chicago's lack of success isn't to be all pinned on Cutler, but if you have the privilege of calling yourself an NFL quarterback and a hundred million dollar man, <i>at least</i> act like you're a leader, at least do that for everybody. The city that at one point in time always had your back and defended you has officially turned on you. If Jay is still able to call himself a Chicago Bear by this time next year, the city of Chicago will be more than windy.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><u>Let's Make it Official</u></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0MXh1DHGcipkm3rGDVjiiHcrWtfIUrbvbDELyNdcJgAIaXsARk2wyYMNFeD1rO3BdyAw0JJfbI2d990H9p9d0YfRGcyil8100PO6CXU9RZL8lnAbosW2tzFZbNrODhfC1AnECzca-Wmb/s1600/yahoo-replacement-refs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO0MXh1DHGcipkm3rGDVjiiHcrWtfIUrbvbDELyNdcJgAIaXsARk2wyYMNFeD1rO3BdyAw0JJfbI2d990H9p9d0YfRGcyil8100PO6CXU9RZL8lnAbosW2tzFZbNrODhfC1AnECzca-Wmb/s320/yahoo-replacement-refs.jpg" width="320" /></a>We really shouldn't be whining since replacement officials could be perched and ready to swoop in at any time, but boy, what in the world is going on with officiating? Can we stop fining players for celebrations in the end zone? Someone tell the zebras it's a game, and games are supposed to be fun when you're winning. Additionally, stop fining players odd amounts of money for showing their support of a cause (i.e. commemorative 9/11 cleats). If the league can't make money off it, they'll make money of the players wearing it. Also, I hope the league knows that this money is minute to the players' contracts. Like Antonio Brown said, "It ain't nothin to a boss". Now lets get to real issues. Can we know what a catch is, please? It doesn't matter if a player needs to do a front-flip to show possession of the ball, we just need a definitive way to define a catch. Another thing, coming out days later and admitting a call was missed does no good for anybody. Don't say sorry if you don't mean it. You have high definition replay from multiple angles, USE IT. What a shame this practice of looking at a play extensively and <i>still </i>not getting a call correct has come. Already two weeks into a season and controversy erupts, let's clean it up before things get Hail-Mary-In-Seattle messy.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Number of the Week: 45</span><br />
45 percent is the number given to the Cleveland Browns to land the number one overall pick in the NFL's 2017 Draft, according to ESPN Stats and Information. Only two weeks into the season with a record of 0-2, this percentage wasn't attained by a team last season until week 13. The team right below the Browns? The Jacksonville Jaguars, sitting at a mere 10%.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Quote of the Week: </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>"I'm a football coach, not a doctor. The medical staff is the medical staff. I coach the team, medical people handle the injuries.They don't call plays, I don't do surgery. We have a great deal there, (it) works out good." - </i>The always wonderful <b>Bill Belichick</b>, on answering questions about his quarterback situation heading into Thursday Night Football.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">Tweet of the Week: </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">"</span><span style="background-color: #f5f8fa; color: #292f33; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">Pretty cool that some of those Eagles players wanted to fist-bump the national anthem. Can't see who would be upset by that.</span></i>" <span style="font-size: large;">@<b>SportsPickle</b></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Donnie Druin is an award-winning writer from the Arizona Newspaper Association, and apparently only shares his thoughts on Wednesday mornings. Follow him on twitter @DonnieDruin for updates on the sport you love, or just to tell him nobody cares about his thoughts on any day of the week.</i></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-22915521388272198532016-09-12T04:03:00.000-07:002016-09-12T04:03:07.398-07:00The Rise and Obsession of Fantasy Football <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOCy8mxj9ER6Iv1OzPred0EiL-babxgjP3mBcSRvjLdRWpDqaWOpeYqYw-MdcXvKEq5vyIvMDvZhwKZwBQ78c0z8IPJIojPhukRK6KUo9sW_568g7hyv2WUf9BvATEWvZEYJ-YF9AHVLC/s1600/NFL_Fantasy_Football_Hero.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBOCy8mxj9ER6Iv1OzPred0EiL-babxgjP3mBcSRvjLdRWpDqaWOpeYqYw-MdcXvKEq5vyIvMDvZhwKZwBQ78c0z8IPJIojPhukRK6KUo9sW_568g7hyv2WUf9BvATEWvZEYJ-YF9AHVLC/s640/NFL_Fantasy_Football_Hero.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's Week 16 in the National Football League, and there's three minutes left in the game. The kicker you own<br />
<a name='more'></a> on your fantasy football team is about to attempt a 50 yard field goal. His team is up 35-7, and about to add more cushion than needed onto a huge lead. To him, this kick is just another routine snap, hold, and swing of the leg. However, this kick is everything to you. Should that ball split the uprights, your kicker gains an extra five points, putting you on-top of your virtual opponent and sealing your fate as champion of your league.<br />
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While the kicker is busy high-fiving teammates as he nonchalantly makes his way to the bench, you're pouring up champagne and sending snapchats to your fellow-but-now inferior league members. All those late night studying trends in players and researching roster moves has finally paid off. Welcome to the club, champ.<br />
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"Fantasy Life" is a book written by ESPN's Senior Fantasy Football Analyst Matthew Berry. His book dives into the cultural phenomena that is fantasy football, including many crazy stories revolved around it. Stories of swapping players after a sudden death, a pastor who cheated in his league, and almost anything else fathomable are mentioned in the text.<br />
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Point being: This game has infiltrated everybody from every walk of life. Peyton Manning himself said during his career he received more mail about fantasy football than anything else.<br />
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Fantasy football has taken the nation by storm, and today is almost as important to fans as the actual games being played. It's long been a tradition of fanatics who follow the sport religiously, yet has only grew into a giant, money-making monster as of late.<br />
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To understand the beast, we must first understand it's origins.<br />
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What is known as modern day fantasy football originated as an idea in a New York state hotel room by a man the name of Wilfred Winkenbach, <span style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">an Oakland, California businessman/minor partner in the Raiders organization. Winkenbach, with the help of a few others, established a </span></span><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">rule-book</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"> and basis for what is today's standard of fantasy football. The </span></span><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">inaugural league, which consisted of journalists and affiliates of the AFL, held it's first draft in 1963. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">A few years down the road, the idea was spread from it's league members onto their friends and social gatherings. The popularity of the game grew slowly but surely, and in 1997 CBS launched their own public fantasy football site. By 2000, every major sports site had created their very own version. The NFL, even the league itself, adopted this game officially in 2010 by creating their own game.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">So why is this so popular? What turned this hobby into an obsession? </span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span>
<span style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">It's nature. Whether you realize it or not, we as a human race love competition almost as much as we love our egos and the satisfaction of winning. There's just something extra special about ending your rival's win streak, or staking claim to being the best team in your league. What's more satisfying than winning a prize or bragging rights over people you know, with a team that YOU hand-picked?</span></span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: inherit; line-height: 22.4px;">Fantasy sports allow ordinary people to play the role of General Manager by assembling a team of hand-picked players and having free reign on them, with the abilities to decide who "starts" and who's on the "bench", releasing or adding free agent players, and trading with other teams as you compete in a league with other Average Joe's such as yourself. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik1nlMMreeZo-4bJSr6azINJbV2OMG4wgQRzOq1Z-6RgQXocD6ECYrmK2JoxLndF3u8m4Erad-CbMwvEA-BwDclPDTGB8G-6Jyx6aHJceglHVpf1_Wffbjint_R43sUDuyUcAvYk1m8H8O/s1600/fantasyfootball.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik1nlMMreeZo-4bJSr6azINJbV2OMG4wgQRzOq1Z-6RgQXocD6ECYrmK2JoxLndF3u8m4Erad-CbMwvEA-BwDclPDTGB8G-6Jyx6aHJceglHVpf1_Wffbjint_R43sUDuyUcAvYk1m8H8O/s320/fantasyfootball.gif" width="260" /></a><span style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><br /></span></span></span></span><span style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">See, competing in fantasy football allows the player to live out their dream of having total control of a sports team, a dream that many avid sports followers have always had. Who hasn't sat on the couch and played armchair quarterback? How many times have you taken to Facebook or Twitter to comment on a move made by a team? Us as spectators consume so much of this product, we start to convince ourselves that <i>we know what's best. </i></span></span></span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.4px;">The game has seen growth in popularity thanks in part to the relationships it builds between people. Friends, family and co-workers alike are able to unite and do something together, building a bond (or doing the EXACT opposite) by obsessing over statistics, waiver wires and weekly projections. </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.4px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; line-height: 22.4px;">It's also created a path for people from all walks of life to get an understanding of the game. Although there may appear to be a lot that goes into a season's worth of work as a fantasy team owner, it can all be broken down into simple goals and objectives. By doing this, almost anybody can pick up on basic positions, terminology and players simply gazing at an app on a weekly basis. </span><br />
<span style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.4px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.4px;">As much as a fairy tale fantasy football appears to be, the true dominant rise and prominence of the game has nothing to do with your family's league with Uncle Stan, four time reigning champ. No, you see advertisements everywhere showcasing America's new darling for one thing, and one thing only:</span></span><br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.4px;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">"Cash Rules Everything Around Me"</span><span style="font-size: large;">- Wu-Tang Clan</span></i></span></span></blockquote>
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In 2015, the average person spent $465 dollars on fantasy sports. Take that number, and multiply it by the 75 million people in North America who played in 2015, and you see just how big this industry is. Draft Kings and Fan Duel, the two heavyweight Daily Fantasy Sports companies in the U.S., combined to make over $5 billion in 2015, a year in which both companies shared a triple digit growth rate in revenue.<br />
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While recent laws against gambling and other controversies have cast a shadow in fantasy sports' latest fad, there's no question that 2016 will again prove to be another profitable year. Even in the standard fantasy realm, giants such as ESPN, Yahoo! and NFL.com continue to bring in millions each season.<br />
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Fantasy football isn't real, but the revenue generated by it sure is.<br />
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That's why from August 2015 to January 2016, over a quarter-billion dollars ($264.1 million) was spent on advertisements solely on NFL broadcasts for Draft Kings/Fan Duel, advertisements that ran over 62,000 times during that stretch. That's why so many pour their last pennies into their hopes on Antonio Brown having a big game, or their gut feeling about Allen Robinson.<br />
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Essentially, fantasy sports has become part of America's pop culture obsession, almost synonymous with the Kardashians. Guys, don't kid yourselves. The same way teenage girls idolize Justin Bieber, is the same way you idolize a 53 man roster every Sunday.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>To call the sport of football in this country a cult is almost an insult. No, it's much more impressive than that.</i></span><br />
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We're talking about a sport that dominates the attention of television viewers from Thursday through Monday. We're talking about a five day stretch of all levels of football claiming the top spot on your priority list. We're talking clothing, video games, magazines, books, decor, even cable television shows and edible food themed for the team of your choosing.<br />
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We're talking about a game and an organization that stole Sundays away from the church. You want honesty? Should the United States ever adopted an official religion, it'd be: <i>you guessed it. </i>If football is the church, fantasy football is Sunday School.<br />
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Corporations such as ESPN and NFL Network understand this. That's why an abundance of fantasy podcasts, shows and articles are uploaded/shown on a daily basis. Fantasy football is a whole new sub-genre of the sport, allowing for a whole new media and presentation to be shown. Writers such as Matthew Berry and Michael Fabiano have claimed their stake in this industry as fantasy experts, proving just how far the market, and importance, have come.<br />
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This can also be seen in how football is watched by us, the consumer.<br />
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The game, and how we watch it, has changed. Gone are the days of our eyes solely fixated on that television for hours upon hours. Sure, it's on all day, but you bet your ass that our fantasy apps are open to a scoreboard that updates the action in real time (the laptop is charged and ready, just in-case). Even though your hometown team is on and you'd love to watch, <i>one of your fantasy running backs are on the one yard line, ready to score. </i>Our favorite teams now don't all wear the same jersey, but you picked them on the same team. You could care less if the Falcons are up 56-0, you just need Julio Jones to get one more catch. We cheer for individuals now Grandpa, sorry you didn't get the memo.<br />
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In a virtual sense, football has gone from alphabet to numbers. It's not about X's and O's anymore, it's about points per reception and yards after catch. After a 50 yard bomb to a player you have, what's your first thought? "That's another six points! 1 for the catch, 5 for the yards!". When a player is injured, compassion isn't our first reaction. Our first reaction is a mind full of expletives and to grab our phone to see how we're going to replace him on our team. When a player performs well, he's a hot commodity on the waiver wire. When he doesn't score enough points, we view him as garbage, trash, like he's nothing. Nobody studies zone coverage or blocking schemes anymore, we study bye-weeks and mock draft positions, because that's the expectation. To fantasy players, the Super Bowl is played even before the real playoffs begin.<br />
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So what does the future of fantasy football hold?<br />
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The duration of life for fantasy football is almost a certainty, nearly up there with death and taxes, for multiple reasons. It's fun, it's competitive, and as long as the game of football is around, there will be a market for it. The advancements of modern day technology benefit fantasy sports by the day, allowing the player to feel closer and more involved with his team full of players. I'm sure by 2050 there will be 4k resolution holograms of life-sized players that we're able to control and watch, but for now, fantasy football apps should do (as long as they don't crash, and I'm looking dead into your eyes, ESPN).<br />
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Despite the cold hard cash brought in and spent, it's meant to be leisure for guys and girls who just love the game. It's something to take our stresses and minds out of our lives for short periods of time. So enjoy every touchdown, every 100 yard bonus and every start/sit article on your quest for championship honors this season. Yet don't forget to enjoy the action on the gridiron as well, checking in on a game winning field goal is just as important.<br />
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<i>But only if he makes it, because the champagne is ready and so are some over-due snapchats to celebrate a fantasy football championship. </i><br />
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<i>Donnie Druin is an award-winning sports writer from the Arizona Newspaper Association, and mediocre fantasy football player. Follow him on Twitter @DonnieDruin for updates and hot takes on everything football related, or just to ask how much he lost by this week. </i><br />
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<span style="color: #252525;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 22.4px;"><br /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-90737208617715670302016-08-29T02:53:00.000-07:002016-08-29T09:34:08.625-07:002016 NFL Season Award Predictions<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI4u2BGU5xrGy2IapLMPyNfZcJNYFjYew4iAfKc3r7CEV1leiktCmb2ckFDZQK_y4Zu__tZr6Dto2ST14wl3yRdRDhMI8SjFUucldZmFtLkFVO62V99gHa_wwrWyr_P1ifNBZkiNfkXpON/s1600/Cam-Newton-intro.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" id="id_2a6f_c741_b38e_d47" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI4u2BGU5xrGy2IapLMPyNfZcJNYFjYew4iAfKc3r7CEV1leiktCmb2ckFDZQK_y4Zu__tZr6Dto2ST14wl3yRdRDhMI8SjFUucldZmFtLkFVO62V99gHa_wwrWyr_P1ifNBZkiNfkXpON/s640/Cam-Newton-intro.jpg" style="height: auto; width: 640px;" width="640" /></a></div>
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As the start of the 2016 season slowly but surely continues to crawl its way to it's opening moments, expectations for<br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a> all 32 teams remain the same: A Lombardi Trophy. Unfortunately, only one team is destined to fulfill this goal. However, there are a number of awards at seasons end that await a winner.<br />
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These honors, while not as highly sought after as a championship, still hold a tremendous value in the players community. If a Super Bowl is the gold medal standard, an MVP award surely takes home silver.<br />
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Can Cam Newton repeat his Superman heroics to grab back-to-back league MVP awards and be the first player to do so since Peyton Manning did in 08-09?<br />
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Can anyone dethrone early favorite Ezekiel Elliott as offensive Rookie of the Year?<br />
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Who rebounds from 2015 and grabs the prestigious honor of Comeback Player of the Year?<br />
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NFL Awards Predictions:<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">AP Offensive Rookie of the Year- <i>Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Dallas Cowboys</i></span></b></div>
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span></b>
At this point in the preseason, Elliott is far and away the favorite to take home offensive rookie of the year. Even Vegas oddsmakers agree, putting Zeke at a -110 odds to win the honors. In his sole action against Seattle, Elliott displayed everything that was advertised as a top-five pick, flashing both agility, power, and even excellent pass protection. Elliott has quite the expectations piled on his pads, as the injury to Tony Romo only furthers the reliance of Zeke to run crazy on opposing defenses. However, given Elliott's skill set and running behind the league's best offensive line, to see anybody else win the award will be quite the surprise.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>AP Defensive Rookie of the Year</b>- <i><b>Robert Nkemdiche, DT, Arizona Cardinals</b></i></span></div>
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Robert Nkemdiche was a top five talent in last May's NFL Draft. Unfortunately, a horrible off the field track record caused Robert to free fall on many teams' draft boards, at least until Arizona was on the clock. Despite his troubles off the gridiron, it was a high ankle sprain that kept Nkemdiche away from action until Arizona's third preseason game, where he was finally able to flash his playmaking ability. Nkemdiche is far and away one of the most dominant talents in his draft class, and provides the Cardinals with a force to clog lanes and disrupt harmony between the two tackles. Given Arizona's solidified depth at the defensive line, Robert isn't projected to have the same impact as other rookies in the likes of Jalen Ramsey, Karl Joseph, etc. With a support cast to usher in Nkemdiche into the professional side of football, Robert's issues relating to anything but football won't cause any issues. When it comes down to X's and O's, Robert is as promising as any other young defensive player in the game, and we will be seeing his number in the backfield for years to come.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>AP Comeback Player of the Year- <i>Le'Veon Bell, RB, Pittsburgh Steelers</i></b></span></div>
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Despite missing significant time due to failed/missed drug tests, the true travesty of Bell missing games belongs to his injury history. Bell has proved to be one of the premier backs in the game today. However, Le'Veon has yet to start/finish a full season, mostly thanks in-part to his health (missed 3 games in 2013 for mid foot sprain, missed playoff game with hyper-extended knee in 2014 and missed 10 games due to a torn MCL in 2015). While questions always surround players following a major surgery, Le'Veon cleared any questions in his preseason debut against New Orleans. "Juice" told reporters that his knee "feels crazy strong" and, oddly enogh, should benefit from his suspension, giving him further time to re-assure the health of his knee. Bell's extraordinary vision, cutting and hands make him one of the more coveted backs in the NFL, and playing in a contract year, Le'Veon Bell will be on a mission to rebound in dominant fashion.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>AP Offensive Player of the Year</b>- <b><i>Julio Jones, WR, Atlanta Falcons</i></b></span></div>
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Julio Jones has been one of the most dominant wide receivers since his arrival in 2011. His big frame (6'3", 220 lbs), freakish athleticism and hands are what makes him virtually impossible to keep quiet on a week-to-week basis. We can debate all day who is better between Jones and Pittsburgh's Antonio Brown, yet we're better off leaving them tied for first. With this in mind, Jones managed to lead the league in receptions (136), receiving yards (1871) and yards after catch (620). While durability concerns have haunted Jones previously, Julio managed to stay healthy for all 16 games in 2015. Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan stated Jones was capable of reaching 2,000 yards in a single season, something never done before in the history of the league, and even Julio himself agreed. Jones receives plenty of targets and nine times out of ten converts them, leaving the magical number of 2,000 a goal for 2016. Fully capable of doing so, should Jones accomplish this feat, he'll surely lock this award up for good.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>AP Defensive Player of the Year- <i>J.J. Watt, DE, Houston Texans</i></b></span></div>
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Although there are many players that could win this honor, it would be flat-out disrespectful to not have J.J. Watt winning this award. Should Watt do just that, J.J. would have the most all-time awards in this category (4) and would be the first player ever to receive it three years in a row. There is no particular set of words to describe Watt, as the terms not-human, freak of nature and unstoppable have been worn thin when describing the league's sack leader last season. Watt is best described as a player you would create when playing <i>Madden NFL</i>. Big, strong, huge muscles and 99 overall attributes for each category. Watt is a match-up nightmare for every team he faces, and is versatile enough to move down the defensive line and still be the best player on the field. Watt checks all the boxes of what you want out of a player, in terms of size, athleticism, motor and ability to find the football. To make matters even more fun for offensive coordinators, J.J. has no apparent weaknesses. 2016 is poised to be another status-quo year for the NFL's biggest, baddest wolf in the forest.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>AP Most Valuable Player- <i>Aaron Rodgers, QB, Green Bay Packers</i></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">To quote the great Stephen A. Smith, "Aaron Rodgers is a <i>baaaaaaad, bad mann</i>." 2015 was a result of a down year for Rodgers, as a banged up Packers squad failed to win the division for the first time since 2010. However 2016 brings a new light, with Jordy Nelson back from a torn ACL and a rushing attack that really can't be as inconsistent as last year's appeared. Rodgers, since he took over after the Brett Favre-era in Green Bay, has been nothing short of the absolute best quarterback in the league. Aaron has pin-point precision, arm strength to get the ball down the field, mobility, pocket presence, etc. You name it, he's got it. Although not quite the runner Cam Newton is, nor possessing the heavenly-high football IQ of Peyton Manning or raw arm strength of Colin Kaepernick, Rodgers is a far more complete quarterback than a vast majority of the league. With a full arsenal at his dispensary, Mr. Rodgers neighborhood should be well on his way to rebounding in MVP-like form. </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><i>Other Award Predictions:</i></b></span><br />
<b>AP Coach of the Year- </b><i>Bruce Arians, Arizona Cardinals</i><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>NFL.com Fantasy Player of the Year</b>- Antonio Brown, Pittsburgh Steelers</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>FedEx Air Player of the Year- </b>Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>FedEx Ground Player of the Year- </b>Todd Gurley, Los Angeles Rams</span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Pepsi NEXT Rookie of the Year- </b>Ezekiel Elliott, Dallas Cowboys </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Donnie Druin is an award winning sports writer from the Arizona Newspaper Association. Follow him on twitter @DonnieDruin for the latest updates on all the sports you love, or just to tell him why he's so wrong. </i></span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-7486327635143055002016-07-01T04:34:00.001-07:002016-08-15T01:24:11.022-07:00NBA Free Agency Tracker<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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There's an old saying about basketball: "Ball don't sleep".<br />
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As of late, those words have come to fruition. <br />
<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a>Within a span of twelve days, we've crowned a new champion, welcomed a new draft class, and have now started free agency. In the heart of baseball season and football season inching closer and closer, what fantastic scheduling for the NBA to keep basketball on the minds of people across the sports world. Not to mention, NBA Summer League starts July 2nd. </div>
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However it's time for the circus of basketball: NBA Free Agency. You have the traditional clowns that shell money out to players who don't deserve it with teams jumping through hoops in hopes of landing their championship piece, all in the midst of chaos. </div>
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Will Kevin Durant bolt and leave the Thunder? Is this the year LA and New York regain momentum as prime destinations? Who can jockey their team back into serious title talk? Every question deserves an answer, and the summer of 2016 will speak anytime now. </div>
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">NBA Free Agency is officially underway, and here's what you need to know:</span></i></div>
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<li>The Salary Cap- For 2016, the cap for the league is at $94.1 million, a $24 million jump from last year's $70 million cap. This means teams like the Lakers, who have $60 million in cap space, could essentially sign two players to a max-deal. In comparison, a team like the Clippers, who have a mere $15 million in cap space, will struggle to lure any big name players worth those pennies.</li>
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<li>When Can Deals Become Official?- Although Free Agency technically started at 12:01 AM eastern time on Friday, <b>deals cannot become official until July 7</b>. Although most times deals are verbally agreed and kept well before the deadline, it is important to note that a deal is not official until ink hits the dotted line (i.e. google search DeAndre Jordan during last year's free agency). </li>
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<li>What is a max deal?- "<span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">The maximum amount of money a player can sign for is based on the number of years that player has played and the total of the salary cap. The maximum salary of a player with <b>6 or fewer years of experience is either $9,000,000 or 25% of the total salary cap</b> (2013–14: $14,670,000), whichever is greater. For a player with <b>7–9 years of experience, the maximum is $11,000,000 or 30% of the cap</b> (2013–14: $17,603,700), and for a player with <b>10+ years of experience, the maximum is $14,000,000 or 35% of the cap</b> (2013–2014: $20,537,650).</span><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-cbafaq_14-0" style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 11.2px; line-height: 1; unicode-bidi: isolate; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NBA_salary_cap#cite_note-cbafaq-14" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;">[14]</a></sup><span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"> There is an exception to this rule: a player is able to sign a contract for 105% of his previous contract, even if the new contract is higher than the league limit." - Wikipedia </span></li>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;"> For this offseason, the max contract for a veteran of 10+ years will be starting at $30.8 million per year.</span></span><br />
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<li><span style="color: #252525; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px;">Players WILL be overpaid- Basketball money is ridiculous, and the contracts show it. Every year, there's always a handful of players that receive more money than the general managers of social media believe they should've gotten. Teams need to spend their money, and when you have an excess of cash with fewer options (let's just pick a random franchise: The Los Angeles Lakers) you're forced to pay more than other teams would. </span></span></li>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Signed Players:</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large; line-height: 22.4px;"><i>These are players who have officially signed contracts with their respective clubs. Unsigned players and players with a current offer-sheet that can still be matched are not included. This list is organized by position, and followed by <u>total</u> dollar amount of contract.</i></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><i><u>Point Guards</u></i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Mike Conley- Memphis Grizzlies- 5 years, $153 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Matthe Dellavedova- Milwaukee Bucks- 4 years, $38.4 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Jeremy Lin- Brooklyn Nets- 3 years, $36 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Austin Rivers- Los Angeles Clippers- 3 years, $35 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">D.J. Augustin- Orlando Magic- 4 years, $29 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Rajon Rondo- Chicago Bulls- 2 years, $28 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Jerryd Bayless- Philadelphia 76ers- 3 years, $27 million </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Ish Smith- Detroit Pistons- 3 years, $18 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Ramon Sessions- Charlotte Hornets- 2 years, $12.5 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Deron Williams- Dallas Mavericks- 1 year, $10 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Langston Galloway- New Orleans Pelicans- 2 year, $10 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Seth Curry- Dallas Mavericks- 2 years, $6 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Brandon Jennings- New York Knicks- 1 year, $5 million</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Demar Derozan- Toronto Rapters- 5 years, $139 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Bradley Beal- Washington Wizards- 5 years, $128 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Evan Fournier- Orlando Magic- 5 years, $85 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Allen Crabbe- Portland Trail Blazers- 4 years, $75 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Kent Bazemore- Atlanta Hawks- 4 years, $70 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Eric Gordon- Houston Rockets- 4 year, $53 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Jordan Clarkson- Los Angeles Lakers- 4 years, $50 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Tyler Johnson- Miami Heat- 4 years, $50 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Courtney Lee- New York Knicks- 4 years, $48 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Dwayne Wade- Chicago Bulls- 2 years, $47.5 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Jamal Crawford- Los Angeles Clippers- 3 years, $42 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Arron Afflalo- Sacremento Kings- 2 years, $25 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Joe Johnson- Utah Jazz- 2 years, $22 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Gerald Henderson- Philadelphia 76ers- 2 years, $18 million</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;">Manu Ginobili- San Antonio Spurs- 1 year, $14 million</span>
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Leandro Barbosa- Phoenix Suns- 2 years, $8 million</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><i><u>Small Forwards </u></i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Nicolas Batum- Charlotte Hornets- 5 years, $120 million</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Lebron James- Cleveland Cavaliers- 3 years, $100 million</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Chandler Parsons- Memphis Grizzlies- 4 years, $94 million</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Harrison Barnes- Dallas Mavericks- 4 years, $94 million</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Luol Deng- Los Angeles Lakers- 4 years, $72 million</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Evan Turner- Portland Trail Blazers- 4 years, $70 million</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Marvin Williams- Charlotte Hornets- 4 years, $54.5 million</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Kevin Durant- Golden State Warriors- 2 years, $54 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Solomon Hill- New Orleans Pelicans- 4 years, $52 million </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Jared Dudley- Phoenix Suns- 3 year, $30 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Wesley Johnson- Los Angeles Clippers- 3 years, $18 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Festus Ezeli- Portland Trail Blazers- 2 years, $15 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Jeff Green- Orlando Magic- 1 year, $15 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Matt Barnes- Sacramento Kings- 2 years, $12 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Richard Jefferson- Cleveland Cavaliers- 2 years, $5 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><i><u>Power Forwards</u></i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Ryan Anderson- Houston Rockets- 4 years, $80 million</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Jon Leuer- Detroit Pistons- 4 years, $42 million</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Meyers Leonard- Portland Trail Blazers- 4 years, $41 million</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Dirk Nowitzki- Dallas Mavericks- 2 years, $40 million</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Dwight Powell- Dallas Mavericks- 4 years, $37 million</span></span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: normal;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Pau Gasol- San Antonio Spurs- 2 years, $30+ million</span></span><span style="color: black; font-family: "times new roman"; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Mirza Teletovic- Milwaukee Bucks- 3 years, $30 million</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Darrell Arthur- Denver Nuggets- 3 years, $23 million</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Trevor Booker- Brooklyn Nets- 2 years, $18 million</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jason Smith- Washington Wizards- 3 years, $16 million</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Jared Sullinger- Toronto Rapters- 1 year, $6 million</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Derrick Williams- Miami Heat- 1 year, $5 million</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">David West- Golden State Warriors- 1 year, $1.29 million</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 22.4px;"><span style="color: black; line-height: normal;">James McAdoo- Golden State Warriors- 1 year, $980,000</span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><i><u><br /></u></i></span></span>
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><i><u><br /></u></i></span></span>
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;"><i><u>Centers</u></i></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 22.4px;">Andre Drummond- Detroit Pistons- 5 years, $130 million</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 22.4px;">Al Horford- Boston Celtics- 4 years, $113 million</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 22.4px;">Hassan Whiteside- Miami Heat- 4 years, $98 million</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 22.4px;">Joakim Noah- New York Knicks- 4 years, $72 million</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 22.4px;">Dwight Howard- Atlanta Hawks- 3 years, $70.5 million</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 22.4px;">Bismack Biyombo- Orlando Magic- 4 years, $70 million</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 22.4px;">Ian Mahinmi- Washington Wizards- 4 years, $64 million</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; line-height: 22.4px;">Timofey Mozgov- Los Angeles Lakers- 4 years, $64 million</span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Al Jefferson- Indiana Pacers- 3 years, $30 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Cole Aldrich- Minnesota Timberwolves- 3 years, $22 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Boban Marjanovic- Detroit Pistons- 3 years, $21 million</span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;">Jordan Hill- Minnesota Timberwolves- 2 years, $8 million</span>
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Roy Hibbert- Charlotte Hornets- 1 year, $5 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Nene- Houston Rockets- 1 year, $2.9 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Zaza Pachulia- Golden State Warriors- $2.9 million</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 22.4px;">Marreese Speights- Los Angeles Clippers- $1.4 million</span></span></div>
</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-43777848516482360622016-06-24T06:37:00.000-07:002016-06-24T06:37:30.749-07:002016 NBA Draft Recap<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlNh4JjH40IPDhl9Xyuod56NC_hZ5iX2bMyEmo8sEbMLjt3K-JQA5B29Utt3ibaU0lZY28lLz1dKq8-r1FYzTKoEeg7HFqn4EfVeFtGLpOEfAr3tr_oEXPIbNBGnZQTKq3r8WF2bizvzw/s1600/ben+simmons.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlNh4JjH40IPDhl9Xyuod56NC_hZ5iX2bMyEmo8sEbMLjt3K-JQA5B29Utt3ibaU0lZY28lLz1dKq8-r1FYzTKoEeg7HFqn4EfVeFtGLpOEfAr3tr_oEXPIbNBGnZQTKq3r8WF2bizvzw/s640/ben+simmons.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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Just four days removed from a Lebron James block that led Cleveland back to the promise land, the NBA Draft took center stage on Thursday night. <br />
<a name='more'></a>As expected, draft night is met with a full stomach of anxiety and anticipation that's commonly shared with fans and teams. The excitement of adding young talent mixed with the high-stakes drama of making or breaking your organization's future is what makes draft night so special in the association.<br />
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Couldn't make it?<br />
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No worries, we've got you covered. Here's what you missed (and didn't) on Thursday night:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The Obvious </b></span><br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">We Saw it Coming</span></u><br />
Ben Simmons and Brandon Ingram were the presumptive #1 and #2 picks, respectively. Simmons is just another toy in the Philadelphia 76ers assembly line of what was their third straight year with a top-3 pick, and Brandon Ingram is off to a Lakers organization that has promise with it's young core of Jordan Clarkson, D'Angelo Russell and Julius Randle, but hasn't quite been the same since owner Dr. Jerry Buss passed away. Regardless of either situation, both players have the potential to help right the ship and sail in the winning direction.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFJ-wDjMMxacbm9bk2WMZlZxe8RdcoYQFzBM1caJPJ_eNOJs_NHZEA4DVLvHwP0aow6fquwE9-fIVWgTOjIcdnnZKRC6K4n1aJr5eNx7aSFxvrBozC6fI3ugMpOpYbAA2383Hg6msR9MM/s1600/thon-maker-draft-2016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaFJ-wDjMMxacbm9bk2WMZlZxe8RdcoYQFzBM1caJPJ_eNOJs_NHZEA4DVLvHwP0aow6fquwE9-fIVWgTOjIcdnnZKRC6K4n1aJr5eNx7aSFxvrBozC6fI3ugMpOpYbAA2383Hg6msR9MM/s200/thon-maker-draft-2016.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<u><span style="font-size: large;">Reach For The Sky!</span></u><br />
With all sorts of different opinions on the scouting of players, where a player should land, value wise, can be spread across a wide range of guesses. This can lead to many debates for many players and their ultimate worth, but yet there is always a common pick that is deemed as a "reach", where a team selects a prospect much earlier than anticipated. And your "Reacher of the Year" goes to...<br />
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The Milwaukee Bucks! With the 10th overall pick, Milwaukee dusted off the ol' step ladder and climbed a step or five to select Thon Maker, a power forward out of Australia. Maker was widely acknowledged as MAYBE a lottery pick-end of first round selection, however, the Bucks thought otherwise and gobbled him up before anyone else could take a chance. Time will tell if Maker, who does indeed have exceptional handles and rim protection for his position, will pan out to be worthy of top-ten pick status. We just can't shake the possibility of Milwaukee trading down to gain more and still have the player they so desperately wanted.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>The Surprises</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
Now that we've passed the "gimme" picks of the draft, we arrive at the not-so-obvious portion of the program. This portion is also known as "every single thing that happened after the second pick". Going into the draft, we had an idea of how disorganized and chaotic the draft board would be, but nothing close to what actually took place.<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Boston Holds on to #3</span></u><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMPiUY74j4CfLz-ClNtI6jn6M39k7StqUNz6TpBUJIlO0hYFYBskRkZDHn7oMJdZm6Lfbt-X6n4kBJUuzM5HZycfPKShguqCJqa5rwF1ABt9qzs-WQaMtKVTPve47b25Pg3wJJojvLbYHK/s1600/danny-ainge.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMPiUY74j4CfLz-ClNtI6jn6M39k7StqUNz6TpBUJIlO0hYFYBskRkZDHn7oMJdZm6Lfbt-X6n4kBJUuzM5HZycfPKShguqCJqa5rwF1ABt9qzs-WQaMtKVTPve47b25Pg3wJJojvLbYHK/s320/danny-ainge.jpeg" width="320" /></a>Holding the third overall pick were the Boston Celtics, who were heavily favored to trade the pick away for a mountain of reasons, most notably due to already being stockpiled on picks (eight in the next three years along with the original 8 Boston had this year) and the always added interest of teams wanting to trade up. However, the Celtics decided to decline all volunteers to take the pick, and added Jaylen Brown, a 6'7" forward from Cal. In case you're wondering, Boston fans did indeed boo the pick at their own draft party.<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">International Men of Mystery</span></u><br />
The NBA has made an exceptional effort to make basketball a global game, and what better way to help their cause than calling the name of an international player with seemingly each pick? This was the case on Thursday night, as 16 foreign players were announced at the podium, eight of which were selected in the first round. This tied for second-most all time for international players taken in the draft, including the lowest total of US born players (16) taken in the first round since 1973.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Trades, Trades, and More Trades </b></span><br />
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If you're a newcomer to the NBA Draft, the NBA, or simply the sport of basketball, you will learn that NBA Draft Day trades come hot and heavy throughout the course of the evening. Sometimes it can be a tad overwhelming to keep track of, and is very easy to get lost in the mix of, say, exchanging second rounders for protected first rounders three years into the future. Some trades are minor, while others are bigger than expected, and the draft once again didn't fail to disappoint.<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">OKC Comes out on top of Biggest Trade of the Draft</span></u><br />
Oddly enough, the most impactful trade of the night wasn't highlighted by a pick, but a once highly-valued defensive prowess. Oklahoma City dealt Serge Ibaka to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasova and 11th overall pick Domantas Sabonis.<br />
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Ibaka, who was once considered one of the top defensive players in the league at his position, found himself as a simple role player for the Thunder after his declining play the past couple years. Magically, Orlando was not only accepting enough to take Ibaka on their squad, but would also ship some of their most valued pieces in return. Victor Oladipo now gives OKC the two-guard they've been thirsting for, and also creates more cap room to lure back Kevin Durant in free agency. Should Ibaka return to his true form, the Thunder still climb out of this trade victorious.<br />
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<u><span style="font-size: large;">Suns Don't Choose Between, They Choose Both</span></u><br />
After another disappointing season in the desert, Phoenix was more than delighted to receive both the number four and thirteen pick. Their interests met at the notion of adding a big man, but split as which one to choose at number four: Dragan Bender or Marquese Chriss. Very rarely is a team able to reel off two prospects they want, yet the Suns managed to do just that, taking Bender at #4 and trading up to take Chriss at #8, acquiring the pick from Sacramento in exchange for their 28th and 2020 second rounder from Detroit, plus the rights to guard Bogdan Bogdanovic. Both are highly thought of within the Suns organization, and Phoenix looks forward to utilizing their new front-court additions. The Suns hope they can move on from the Morris twins debacle, and certainly Thursday night was an indication they are in the right direction.<br />
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If you wish to view the full NBA Draft Board and all 60 picks, you can do so by clicking <a href="http://www.si.com/nba/2016/06/23/2016-nba-draft-results-trades-picks" target="_blank">here</a> to go to Sports Illustrated's site.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-18288247650651086222016-06-13T06:07:00.002-07:002016-06-13T06:07:59.696-07:00Penguins Take Flight, Win Fourth Stanley Cup <br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #262525; font-family: Arial; line-height: 32px;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a name='more'></a>"You grow up thinking about this stuff, getting to raise that Cup," Murray said. "[The Cup] was a lot heavier than I thought it was. What a moment. I'll never forget this day for the rest of my life."</b></span></span></blockquote>
The Pittsburgh Penguins 2015-2016 season wasn't scripted for them to win their fourth Stanley Cup.<br />
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It wasn't scripted for them to run the table and win the Eastern Conference Championship.<br />
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Actually, these guys weren't even supposed to make the playoffs.<br />
<br />
Welcome to the City of Champions (also sometimes referred to as Pittsburgh) where Iron City beer is holy water, and expectations are sky high. It's a blue collar city that takes pride in it's sports teams. Priests in town know better than to have service go any longer than 12:00, the Steelers kickoff at 1:00. Simply put, Pittsburgh is a "championship or bust" town.<br />
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And for the past six years, every Penguins season has been exactly that: <i>Bust. </i><br />
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Last winning a title in 2009, the closest Sidney Crosby and company have come to hoisting the holiest trophy in all of sports, Lord Stanley's Cup, was in 2012, where Pittsburgh was properly swept 4-0 by the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Finals. Since Pittsburgh's last cup run in 2009, each season has been seemingly filled with frustration through the entire organization, and the start of this season provided nothing new.<br />
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Flashback to December 12th of last year: The Penguins sat in 12th place in the East, playing a disappointing brand of hockey with everyone across the league had writing off Pittsburgh's chances. After firing Mike Johnston, Mike Sullivan was given the nod as Head Coach. With perhaps some foreshadowing, Sullivan stepped in and made his intentions clear:<br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>"<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">The challenge is to take a group of great players and become a great team. We’re going to establish an identity that’s clear. We’re going to play to that identity. We’re going to try and have an unwavering focus so that we don’t get distracted. We’re going to try and play that way each and every night.” - Mike Sullivan on Dec. 12</span></b></span></blockquote>
With Sullivan having his work cut out for him, he rightfully turned the Penguins season into a playoff one, a season of hope.<br />
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Even with the incredible turnaround, questions still surrounded the Penguins before their postseason began. Phil Kessel, acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the prior off-season, had been virtually invisible. Marc Andre-Fleury was injured with a concussion as the regular season ended, and the Penguins star-players in the likes of Crosby and Malkin were expected to disappear during the postseason once again.<br />
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On paper, they were supposed to be the <i>same old Penguins</i>.<br />
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Throw the paper out, hockey is played on ice. These Penguins are on a mission. After a 4-1 series win against the New York Rangers, a team who had previously knocked Pittsburgh out the past two seasons, the Penguins proceeded to defeat the Washington Capitals, President's Trophy winners and heavy favorites to win it all. Analysts claimed if anybody could match the speed of Pittsburgh, it would be the team to fight the Penguins for a spot in the Stanley Cup Final: The Tampa Bay Lightning.<br />
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Similar to all season, Pittsburgh again faced adversity. Matt Murray was struggling in net and in the middle of a goalie controversy, Evgeni Malkin was only seen on the back of a milk carton with the words "missing", and turnovers became a dangerous habit. However, just like before, the Penguins rose to the occasion, and after a thrilling seven game series, were knocking on the door of another championship.<br />
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Now, we can finally fast forward to the present. After grabbing a 3-1 series lead and proving to be the superior team against San Jose, all the stars were lined up for Pittsburgh to clinch a championship at home, something that hasn't been done by any professional sports team in the steel city since 1960. However, destiny would have other ideas, as the Stanley Cup wasn't quite ready to emerge from it's protective case.<br />
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As history would have it, on Sunday night, Patric Hornqvist would rifle the puck into an empty net to give Pittsburgh a 3-1 lead, and ultimately invited a Stanley Cup celebration after the buzzer sounded. Exactly seven years to the date of their last championship clinching victory (6/12/09) and six months after the hire of coach Sullivan (12/12/15), the Penguins were Stanley Cup Champions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhyOIk4BxzkrWJm_M8Vx0pE9teQuB-oSJ5KbDenthqHVE559CxVNo9gam3Wl-mM8iPkU9jWmYFwU0qK9JPmyxLkN4eAuoyeSXEeiOZpaMJ2tY9UgOuNf-EU8tuL5x8dLq7W3wk9z9n3dV/s1600/0%252C%252C19325978_303%252C00.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnhyOIk4BxzkrWJm_M8Vx0pE9teQuB-oSJ5KbDenthqHVE559CxVNo9gam3Wl-mM8iPkU9jWmYFwU0qK9JPmyxLkN4eAuoyeSXEeiOZpaMJ2tY9UgOuNf-EU8tuL5x8dLq7W3wk9z9n3dV/s640/0%252C%252C19325978_303%252C00.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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The bench cleared, hugs and handshakes were exchanged, t-shirts and hats were given out, and Pittsburgh finally had an answer to all the questions. The actual weight of the Cup is 35 pounds, yet is nowhere near the weight of pressure taken off the Penguins shoulders, for poetic justice, after a long seven years, was served. The questions about Sidney Crosby's legacy and leadership, the questions surrounding the depth of this team, the questions of who should start in goal, can all be answered by a simple two-handed raise of a trophy over the shoulders.<br />
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For such a long time, the believers of these Penguins were only found in the mirrors of the locker room. Yet it was in that very locker room afterwards that was full of champagne and joyous singing where this Pittsburgh team learned, they were the only ones that needed to believe.<br />
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Out of the four Stanley Cups that now have been won for Pittsburgh, the latest one tastes the sweetest, and the trials/tribulations can attest to that.<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11605145118985686849noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2601907246189105063.post-83716409405978799932016-06-10T11:23:00.004-07:002016-06-10T12:02:03.810-07:00Remembering Ali <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lm9kuk9PgfDwOEfQc2PEmWlBo2OM_c_XbSABSMbtGxM-rN3F-hiTKInNuOywhVBWyr77L1toCyWK_JjXvEoCSxrib74JWt8qE0qXnedjEo9Fj359-muB19mIy1HqKbEKQDaxxnCOM481/s1600/la-muhammad-ali11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0lm9kuk9PgfDwOEfQc2PEmWlBo2OM_c_XbSABSMbtGxM-rN3F-hiTKInNuOywhVBWyr77L1toCyWK_JjXvEoCSxrib74JWt8qE0qXnedjEo9Fj359-muB19mIy1HqKbEKQDaxxnCOM481/s400/la-muhammad-ali11.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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For as long as mankind has walked this planet, there is a rather exclusive number of men and women that have left everlasting legacies on the world they once inhabited. A legacy so empowering, so defying, that the loss of this figure left the earth standing still on it's very own axles.<br />
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On June 3rd, 2016, the world once again stood still.</div>
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See, Muhammad Ali doesn't lose. Don't let the five losses on Ali's record deceive you, the Louisville Lip refused to acknowledge any of that nonsense. Not when he captured an Olympic gold medal at the age of 18, not on his own death-bed at the age of 74. Ali's vocabulary was more colorful than a rainbow , yet "defeat" was nowhere in his oral arsenal.<br />
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<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">"I'm young; I'm handsome; I'm fast. I</span></i></span> </blockquote>
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<span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #333333; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; line-height: 22px;"><i><span style="font-size: x-large;">can't possibly be beat."</span></i></span></blockquote>
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He defeated Sonny Liston. He defeated Joe Frazier. He defeated George Foreman. Social injustice, the U.S. Judicial System, racism, religious bashing, you name it, Muhammad Ali beat it. Even his bout with Parkinson's disease lasted a strong 32 years.</div>
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As great as Ali was, Father Time loses to nobody, not even the (anointed and self-proclaimed) Greatest of All Time. Such an odd feeling, to watch a man who lived in immortality, to be exposed as an ordinary human being. To be one of us. </div>
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Ali's death took to the liking of his jabs, dodges, and poetic rhymes: Perfectly timed.<br />
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For as violent as some portray the sport of boxing to be, the greatest to ever lace the gloves up had quite the contrasting views. In a time where our country is under heavy debate for practically everything moral, from bathrooms to religion, the passing of Muhammad Ali brings us back to his own ideals of peace, equality and freedom. Because not only is Ali a hero in the realm of boxing, but also in the ring of social justice as well.<br />
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We're talking about a man who lost three of his <i>prime </i>boxing years after he refused to be drafted in the United States military, who at the time was involved in the Vietnam War. A man who represented his country in the Olympics, brought home a gold medal and was <i>still</i> denied service at a restaurant, due to the color of his skin. A man who even had the FBI/NSA monitor all of his communication.<br />
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With all of the social flaws of his era, the only true way for Ali to convey his message was through the form of boxing.<br />
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And my, did we hear him loud and clear.<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;"><i>"Rumble, young man, rumble"</i></span></blockquote>
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Though Ali wasn't as giant as the other heavyweight greats such as Frazier and Liston, what separated Muhammad from the pack was his speed. His hands left lighting in the dust. Ali often gained an advantage with a barrage of unstoppable punches, repeated over and over again. His footwork was magical, using his quick feet not only to slither his way around the ring to trap his opponent in a corner, but to also escape from the danger of punches as well. Should someone have the privilege to reach within striking distance of Ali, his ability to duck and elude swings with his upper body was second to none, and was on display often due to Ali's defensive style, which held his hands vastly lower than a typical fighter.<br />
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However, as Ali conquered the art of boxing, he is truly remembered for being an entertainer.You'll never come across someone so loud, so confident, so bold as Muhammad Ali. Yelling at his opponents during the fight, standing over their defeated corpse after a knockout, and even destroying the media for ever doubting him, that's what made Ali "showtime". Was Ali cocky? Cocky is an understatement. He mastered and perfected the craft of psychological warfare. His interviews and press conferences were cant-miss television, as Ali would boast about himself and trash his next victim, more often times than not, standing only a few feet away. His confidence was through the roof, so high in fact, that he would even predict what round his opponent would fall to him in. The scary part? Ali was right more times than not.<br />
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Of course Muhammad Ali was cocky. He was a showboat, he was a loudmouth. Yet nobody was able to silence him in the ring, and Ali knew that. When it comes to entertainment value, Floyd Mayweather would never come close. In fact, if Muhammad Ali were to box in this generation of fighters, Ali would <i>obliterate </i>Mayweather's Pay-Per-View records, and any other record that stood in his way.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white; border: 0px; color: #2c2c2c; font-family: "pt sans" , sans-serif; line-height: 26px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: large;"><i>"Joe Frazier is so ugly that when he cries, the tears turn around and go down the back of his head"</i></span></span><br />
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Undoubtedly so, Ali is the greatest boxer to ever step between the ropes. Very seldom is an athlete agreed upon to be the greatest by fans and athletes of the sport, a trait sought after by many, but failed to grasp by all but one. As if settling for the greatest boxer of all time wasn't enough for the champion, many hold him to be one of the greatest athletes to ever grace the planet. And surely, if you were to ask Ali himself, he'd give you a million reasons as to why it's true.<br />
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Muhammad Ali was simply more than just a fighter. He was a caring, compassionate human being. Ali stood up to the establishment in an era where it was highly dangerous for a person of his color, religion, and social stature to do so. He was the voice of so many people who had none, the man who could inspire everybody and anybody, to stand up for what was right, to stand up for themselves, giving hope to those with none at all. The most recognizable man around the world, an icon not only for sports, but for humanity as well.<br />
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And so today, the world stands still as we lay to rest a legend gone too soon. Muhammad Ali has created an ever-lasting legacy on earth, with visuals of his superhero-like aura and echos of his words that will carry for generations to come.<br />
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Because he made all of us want to float like a butterfly, and sting like a bee. </div>
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