Monthly Archives: August 2017

New York Giants

Hurricane Harvey: Cowboys offer to host Texans in final preseason game

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The Cowboys have had discussions with the Texans about moving next week’s scheduled preseason game between the teams from Houston to Arlington in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

ESPN reported Cowboys executive Stephen Jones has been in contact with his Texans counterparts about the possibility. According to the Houston Chronicle, no decisions have been made and both teams are continuing to monitor the situation.

“Following a review, we concluded there was insufficient evidence to support a finding that there was a violation of the personal conduct policy,” league spokesman Brian McCarthy said in a statement.

Lee got into an argument with his girlfriend at Governors Ball Music Festival on Randall’s Island in New York earlier this summer before forcibly being pulled away by Williams, who was trying to keep the peace. A bystander captured the confrontation on video and shared it on Twitter.

Jets coach Todd Bowles said after the incident that Lee would not be reprimanded by the team.

Lee, 22, was selected by the Jets with the No. 20 overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft and recorded 73 tackles in 13 games as a rookie last season.

Joeckel was a bust at both tackle and guard for the Jaguars, which put him firmly in reclamation project territory. The going rate for those players is around $3 million with about $1.5 million guaranteed, which made Joeckel’s contract shocking at $8 million. More shocking was that the contract came from the Seahawks, who have traditionally bypassed spending on the line.seahawks_101

New York Giants

LaVar Ball forfeited Big Ballers AAU game because he thought the refs were cheating

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Limited Youth Dominik Hasek Jersey A LaVar Ball-coached Big Ballers AAU team forfeited a playoff game at the Double Pump Best of Summer Tournament in Anaheim on Saturday. In a video recorded at the game, you can hear Ball yell out two profanities, the latter of which earned him a technical foul. His response was to pull his team off the court.

We appreciate all the attention that our game against the Big Ballers has brought to us. While we don’t agree with the one-sided videos his program has produced or agree that there was cheating going on, Mr. Ball is entitled to his own opinion. I am proud of the way our boys competed, stayed focused, and respected the game.
Full highlights of the game before the forfeit can be seen here:

R.J. Barrett is the best prospect of his age in the world and carries Canadian basketball’s hopes and dreams on his shoulders.

The NBA did something fans have been requesting for years: The league will grant fewer timeouts and limit timeouts in endgame situations more tightly. This is huge! I’m a little sad that this spells the end of the farcical 20-second timeout — all timeouts will be 75 seconds now, which means all timeouts will be three minutes. Teams can only use two timeouts in the final three minutes of a game, which is the biggest change. This is all good for the flow of the game. Good job, NBA Board of Governors!

One more major Board of Governors reform: The trade deadline will now fall on the second Thursday of February to precede All-Star Weekend. No more Boogie Cousins Post All-Star Trade News situations.
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Two years ago, the Thunder wouldn’t let Dion Waiters wear No. 13, James Harden’s old number. No one really knew why — it’s not like OKC was going to retire it or something. Regardless, Paul George will be wearing No. 13 in OKC.

New York Giants

Kyle Korver, Cavaliers agree to 3-year, $22 million deal, per report

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Kyle Korver and the Cleveland Cavaliers have agreed to a three-year deal worth $22 million, according to The Vertical’s Shams Charania. Korver was traded to the Cavaliers in January, and it looks like the 36-year-old will spend some of the final years of his career there.
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Since Hardaway is a restricted free agent, the Hawks now have two days to decide whether they want to match his offer sheet and keep him in Atlanta. If they decline to do so, only then will Hardaway join the Knicks officially.

Womens CM Punk Jersey Hardaway broke out with Atlanta last season, averaging career highs in points (14.5), field goal shooting (45.5 percent), minutes (27.3), assists (2.3) and three-pointers (1.9). It was a promising development for the 25-year-old, who only played 51 games last year.

Amusingly, Hardaway was a Knick just two seasons ago, only for them to trade him for Jerian Grant straight up. Grant will make $1.7 million next season and isn’t nearly as good as Hardaway. The Knicks could have just kept Hardaway, but now they’re left trying to re-sign him after dealing him away.

Of course, New York’s front office is different now that team president Phil Jackson is out. Still, it’s as Knicks-y a thing as anyone could dream up.

It’s our practice at this time that when the case is in active litigation we don’t comment, Louise N. Smith, one of the lawyers representing Hayes told SB Nation. But, I think the lawsuit speaks for itself.

Nzinga Shaw, the Hawks’ Chief Diversity & Inclusion Officer, said via email that Samuel Hayes is a former security manager at Philips Arena. He was terminated for poor performance and his claims are baseless. We will defend vigorously.

New York Giants

DeRozan was somewhat of a raw talent when he entered the NBA in 2009

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And the fans and press weren’t the only ones obsessively tracking what was going on either. Most of the pros were too. Even the best in the world at that WGC in Akron wanted to know what was happening over on the West Coast. Jordan Spieth tracked it and praised Steph’s success.

Limited Youth Mike Bibby Jersey Jason Day said, I think it’s pretty special for a two-time MVP to be able to shoot 74 at a pro event and beat other pros. I mean, we play our whole lives and the guy plays basketball and he beats some of the pros. It’s very impressive to see.

At a time when the three-point shot wasn’t nearly as valued as it is now, J.J. Redick was a specialist. He still is, but his savvy approach to the game has endeared him across the league as one the best veterans to have on a roster: case-in-point — the Sixers gave him $23 million next season to hit threes and mentor their young guys.

DeRozan was somewhat of a raw talent when he entered the NBA in 2009. He was a freak athlete who used that athleticism to his advantage on both ends of the floor. Now, the Raptors’ guard is the best mid-range shooter in the NBA, one of the league’s best finishers and an All-Star starter.

The one glowing exception is Andre Drummond, who is simultaneously the Pistons’ best asset and most maddening player. Van Gundy honestly doesn’t seem to like Drummond much. We keep waiting for his name to pop into trade rumors for real. Drummond is still the type of player GMs are willing to get fired for: a big prospect who could change the nature of the league if he ever puts it all together. Van Gundy must see that, even as Drummond is a bit of a nightmare for coaches due to his inconsistency and the gaping holes in his game.

New York Giants

Bears claim former Buccaneers 2nd-round pick Roberto Aguayo

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Kicker Roberto Aguayo had a rough week, but things started looking up today. The former Buccaneers second-round pick was claimed off the waiver wire by the Bears on Sunday, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.

Aguayo was waived by the Buccaneers on Saturday following an abysmal performance in Tampa Bay’s preseason loss to the Bengals. Aguayo missed a field goal and an extra point in the Bucs’ preseason opener.

The second-year kicker had a difficult rookie season. He converted just 71 percent of his field goal attempts, which was the worst percentage in the league. His performance led to the Buccaneers bringing in some veteran competition for Aguayo this offseason in Nick Folk.

Jaycee Horn is expected to commit to one of three teams: South Carolina, Alabama, or Tennessee. The Gamecocks are the consensus favorite on the 247Sports Crystal Ball for the No. 21 cornerback in the country. Bama’s Bama and thus can’t be counted out. Tennessee appeared out of the race but isn’t, so we’ll see where the chips fall.

Horn plays on defense, but he has hands that make it pretty clear he’s Joe’s son:

If Horn commits to South Carolina, he’ll be a key piece in what looks like a promising Will Muschamp rebuild. The Gamecocks’ 2017 class was only eighth in the SEC, but it was 21st in the country and included elite cornerback Jamyest Williams. The Cocks’ 2018 class has a headliner in four-star QB Dakereon Joyner, and it’s currently 24th nationally. They’re the favorite for elite defensive tackle Rick Sandidge, too.

The Gamecocks have a ways to go, but they’re collecting talent. Horn would be an excellent addition to their cause.redskins_103_0fcebec1621a3e75-180x180

New York Giants

Leon Draisaitl extension: Oilers facing cap crunch, other questions

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It’s not quite the chicken and the egg, but when it comes to Leon Draisaitl, plenty of questions have persisted as to what kind of production the 21-year-old forward could produce if left in the barn without super-center Connor McDavid.

But it’s a question that probably will go unanswered for quite some time now.

On Wednesday, the Edmonton Oilers signed Draisaitl, a restricted free agent, to an eight-year, $68 million deal. It was a max-term extension, matching the eight-year deal Edmonton gave McDavid earlier this summer.

I was just going to relate a metaphor, and I was at the game, Siboko told Sporting News Canada. His name was already in my mind, and he scored four goals. It was just something I was playing around with the beat, and it just came together like that.

The song, and accompanying music video, were posted on YouTube Feb. 16, roughly four months after Matthews’ historic debut, a four-goal outburst against the Senators. The video has over 230,000 plays. The SoundCloud track on SVDM’s page has over 68,000 plays.

It was better to have two TV sets next to each other on this late April night, since two incredible games finished within minutes of each other.
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First off, the Capitals barely escaped elimination. Sergei Fedorov scored with five minutes left in regulation, with his team outshooting the opposition 24 to 15 and out-hitting them 46 to 30.

Elite Mens Bill Ranford Jersey As for the sixth-seeded Canes, they scored twice in final 80 seconds to wrap up a win. Jussi Jokinen ripped a one-timer and Eric Staal wristed one past Martin Brodeur within 48 seconds of each other.

New York Giants

I am very much Team Six Years compared to Team Three Months.

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Quintana is young, and he’s been excellent far longer than he’s been mysterious. The Cubs are trusting their scouts, and that strategy paid off with a World Series last year.

On the other hand, I’m also wary of any pitcher who starts to struggle in this new, uncharted era of the low seams. While Quintana’s struggles aren’t explicitly tied to an increased home run rate (although it is the highest of his career), I’m far less comfortable with the idea that a pitcher will reclaim his success just because he had success to begin with. The walk rate is most certainly up. The efficiency is down. It could be a blip, but what if it isn’t?

Tebow, the Heisman Trophy- and national title-winning quarterback from Florida, is in the midst of the same transition. Drafted by the Broncos in 2010, Tebow didn’t play in an NFL game after 2012, and he formally left the league when he signed to play ball with the Mets in September 2016. After a brief, poor-hitting stint in the Arizona Fall League last year, Tebow started playing in-season minor league ball this year.

Authentic Kids Nikolaj Ehlers Jersey Dammit, Orioles, why are you still … anyway, even when you get to some of the stragglers in the second wild card, they usually follow a pattern of having at least two solid-to-fantastic starters, though the third one can be a little bit less intimidating.

The Astros can counter with Dallas Keuchel, Charlie Morton, and Lance McCullers. Maybe Brad Peacock or Mike Fiers slot in somewhere. That’s not bad. That’s not panic time. Move the hands on the clock back, please.

Authentic Kids Paul Goldschmidt Jersey But it’s not as intimidating as some of the other postseason rotations, and that’s before you acknowledge that the front three have lost time to injuries this year. It might be prudent to anticipate a scenario in which one or two pitchers don’t pitch as much in October.

New York Giants

2017 Home Run Derby odds: Giancarlo Stanton looks to defend title as betting favorite

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With 61 home runs in last year’s Home Run Derby, Giancarlo Stanton set the all-time record for the most home runs in a single derby. Stanton will try to follow up that performance with another dominant one this Monday night in the 2017 Home Run Derby in Miami, Florida.

Elite Kids Zemgus Girgensons Jersey Giancarlo Stanton is a +165 betting favorite to win the award in his home park at sportsbooks monitored by OddsShark.com. Known best for both his towering home runs and his proneness to injury, Stanton has managed to stay healthy so far in 2017, translating to an impressive stat line of 60 runs, 58 RBI, and 26 home runs.

The White Sox were on the wrong end of a sweep coming out of the break, dropping three straight at home to the Seattle Mariners. Chicago is on the opposite side of the spectrum from the Dodgers overall, coming into this series in the midst of a 1-7 slump and with the worst record in the American League at 38-52.

Staff ace Jose Quintana was traded away to the Chicago Cubs for prospects, and more assets are expected to be shipped out of town before the trade deadline. Chicago is 3-9 in its last 12 games as a home underdog.

Elite Kids Jacob Josefson Jersey Tuesday night’s total is set at 8.5 runs at online sports betting sites. The UNDER is 14-6-1 in Clayton Kershaw’s last 21 road starts.

After this two-game stint in Chicago, the Dodgers return home for a favorable home stand that includes series against the Atlanta Braves, Minnesota Twins, and San Francisco Giants. This series wraps up Wednesday night with a matchup between Kenta Maeda and Carlos Rodon.

Philadelphia Eagles

Browns schedule 2017: Cleveland faces AFC North gauntlet in first four weeks

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There’s nowhere to go but up for the Cleveland Browns.

How far is questionable. Cleveland is coming off a 1-15 year in Hue Jackson’s first season as head coach. Can the Browns somehow have a .500 or better record in September and December? That was the key to a 10-6 season in 2007. Cleveland will know if that’s even remotely possible after an early-season AFC North round robin.

The Giants defense showed improvement last season, but the ground game was putrid and that resulted in mistakes by Eli Manning. If the G-Men can find a running game and the defense continues to make strides, they might score double digits in the win category. If the ground game is still nonexistent, the 9-7 prediction might be optimistic.

But for Russell, that’s not much redundant at all. Because neither he nor Lin is a pure point guard, he foresees a versatile, ball-sharing backcourt.

“I think it’s a go,” Russell told Sporting News last week at Gatorade’s Athlete of the Year event. “We just go. Whoever gets the ball, let’s run. I complement his game, he complements my game. He’s not a point guard, he’s not a shooting guard. I’m not a point guard, I’m not a shooting guard. I think we’re just basketball players trying to make the best of it.”

Russell averaged 15.6 points (on 40.2 percent shooting) and 4.8 assists last season for the Lakers, but was deemed expendable by the Lakers once it was clear the team would draft point guard Lonzo Ball. He had a rocky two seasons in Los Angeles, but says he bears no ill feelings toward his former team.

“It’s past,” Russell said. “I learned a lot and now I am moving on to a new opportunity. The situation is, you’re with one team and you go to another team and it is completely different. Brooklyn has been open arms from Day One for me, so I am looking forward to it.”
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New York Giants

Diamondbacks can’t get (or go) anywhere with brazen stadium shakedown

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The Diamondbacks and Major League Baseball are not shy about the extortion scheme they’re running.

Kids Eric Weddle Jersey The team has taken Maricopa County (Ariz.) to court to get it to pay $187 million, give or take a few bucks, for expensive repairs and upgrades to Chase Field, which opened in 1998. The team is using the age-old threat of leaving Phoenix if it doesn’t get the money. MLB commissioner Rob Manfred is providing the muscle.
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Who cares if their plot is weak? (The why is simple.) The chutzpah is tremendous to watch, in a the-nerve-of-these-guys-is-breathtaking way.

Borzello was directed to head down to Mesa, Ariz. and work with Willson Contreras, the organization’s then-23-year-old catcher. He had been participating in the Arizona Fall League after compiling a .324/.404/.466 slash line in 120 games in Double-A.

Once Borzello settled into his seat to watch the prospect, his plans nearly changed. In Contreras’ first at-bat, he pulled his hamstring; Epstein subsequently told Borzello he could go home. But the longtime instructor, who previously coached with the New York Yankees (1996-2006) and Los Angeles Dodgers (2007-10), said he understood the importance of learning about Contreras, along with introducing him to the mental side of the action, like scouting reports.

It was as Gibson passed my spot that I started to realize the beauty of this day. This parade of legends gave the fans who made the pilgrimage to Cooperstown the opportunity to do two things. First, it gave them a chance to reminisce, to tell stories and to revel in the memories of these players who helped tell the stories of their life as a baseball fan.