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Friday, August 26, 2011
Bill Belichick wants the extra point to die
"Philosophically, plays that are non-plays shouldn't be in the game. I don't think it is good for the game. Extra points, when the odds are 99 percent range in extra points it is not a play. Let's move the ball back to the 15-20 yard line and not make it a tap in. Let them kick it. Same thing with the kickoff return, if you're just going to put the ball on the 20, put the ball on the 20."
(Applause.)
Given my druthers, I'd eliminate it completely -- I don't think you'd see a lot of kicks missed from the 15 or 20, either. It saves time, it speeds the game along, and the guy in the end-zone seats with the John 3:16 sign doesn't get time to prepare for his close-up.
This is the MJD plan: Let's just make touchdowns worth seven, and if someone wants to risk a point either way, they'll have the option to trot the ball out to the 2-point conversion spot, and they'll get eight points for their touchdown if they convert, six if they don't. Hell, I say we move that back, too. I think the 6-yard-line sounds about right.
I'm with him on the kickoff, too. I'll talk more about this later, but Belichick is right. If what the NFL wants is more touchbacks, then why go halfway? Put the ball on the 20. Put it on the 25 or 30 if you want to. I'm not saying I'm anti-kickoff, I'm just saying that if the league just wants drives to start at the 20, there are ways to do that that are more efficient.
Hmm. This Belichick character. I think he might be a smart one.
Other popular stories on Yahoo! Sports:
? Top college QBs who changed positions in the NFL
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? NFL draft bust blames his coach
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San Jose Sharks Lock Up Logan Couture for 2 Additional Years
As reported by Brodie Brazil of CSN, the San Jose Sharks and Logan Couture have agreed to a two-year contract extension that will keep the center in teal through the 2013-14 season. Couture, who will make $1.25 million this year, will make a combined $5.75 million in the the following two seasons.
Couture is a young centerman with skills on and off the puck. Sharks GM Doug Wilson was keen on keeping him in San Jose. In his first full season last year, Couture notched 32 goals, good for second most on the team.
Perhaps more important to the Sharks, though, is Couture's playoff production. Couture put up 14 points in 18 playoff games this past season. In the 2009-10 playoffs he was also an asset. After playing in only 25 regular season games, Couture contributed four goals to the Sharks cause in limited playing time.
The Sharks have struggled in the playoffs to get consistent production from their top six forwards. Hopefully, Couture's play will continue to help correct what has turned into the Sharks' fatal flaw.
It has been a busy offseason for the Sharks and GM Doug Wilson. However, the extension given to Couture will likely be considered his least controversial move—there's no denying the upside of the 22-year-old Couture.
Nicole Scherzinger Nicollette Sheridan Nikki Cox Nikki Reed Norah Jones
Chris Johnson?s holdout may have just gotten longer
He wanted money, they wanted to give him money, and as soon as they worked out the silly little issue of Johnson reporting to camp first, or the Titans giving him a contract first, it'd get done.
Maybe not.
According to ESPN's Adam Schefter, "highest-paid running back in the league" money might not be enough to get a deal signed. Johnson might be thinking more along the lines of "highest-paid person in the league."
While the Titans publicly stated they are willing to make Johnson the highest-paid running back in the NFL, those close to Johnson believe he should be paid as one of the top playmakers in the league -- not just for running backs, sources familiar with the situation told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.
Oh boy. Pretty much everyone agrees that the Titans need to step up and pay Johnson, but if he's asking for quarterback money, that complicates things.
As an example, DeAngelo Williams was the best running back available on this year's free agent market. He got a five-year deal worth $43 million, with $21 million of that guaranteed.
Peyton Manning, on the other hand, got a five-year deal worth $90 million, and if he wants it, he'll see every penny of that.
Now, I doubt that Johnson is expecting Peyton Manning money (but who knows, really), but that illustrates the difference we're talking about here. I'd have no problem making Johnson the best-paid RB in the league, but if the decision were up to me, and a running back wanted QB money? No chance.
Running backs just don't last long enough, and they're too easily replaceable. Not that you can just go out and replace a superstar like Chris Johnson, but you can go cheap and get way closer to elite production at running back than you can if you go cheap at quarterback. It just wouldn't make sense to tie up that kind of cap space with a running back.
Good news for fans of non-Titans AFC South teams. This could drag on for a while.
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Tottenham Hotspur V Manchester City: Nasri Set for Debut
Manchester City are set to give new signing Samir Nasri his debut at White Hart Lane following his �24m move from arsenal earlier in the week.
The France international playmaker will make his first appearance for City just a few miles away from the Emirates Stadium, where he spent three years as a Gunner.
Defensive midfielder Nigel de Jong is almost certain to miss out with a foot injury, but otherwise City boss Roberto Mancini has a fully fit squad to take to London.
Striker Carlos Tevez could also play some part after spending the summer trying to engineer a move away from the club. The Argentinian forward is still looking for match fitness, though he did come off the bench in last Sunday's win at Bolton, replacing compatriot Sergio Aguero.
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Special teamer Donnie Nickey goes off on the kickoff rules
Jim Wyatt of the Tennessean passed along a letter from NFL special teamer Donnie Nickey on Monday. Nickey's been a career special teamer after being drafted by the Titans in the fifth round of the 2003 draft. He became a free agent after last season, and has yet to find work for the upcoming season. Here's his letter.
Just a thought from an unemployed ex-Titan ? In today's economy industries need to be creating jobs. In the NFL, the new kickoff rule is eliminating jobs. The kickoff may as well be eliminated all together. For eight years I made my living covering kickoffs and I took pride in it. The kickoff may be the most violent play in all of sports but is one of the most exciting and game changing plays as well.
The first sign of the kickoff's extinction was the elimination of the four man wedge. That eliminated the need for a wedgebuster, which is how I earned my job. I think the NFL is destroying the true game of football and the physicality that America has grown to love. For someone who has never played the game to make so many changes unchecked is criminal. Paul Brown is rolling over in his grave because of all the changes made in the name of "player safety."
People go to NASCAR races to see wrecks. People go to football games to see long touchdowns and devastating hits. It's an injustice to the game and the men who have made their living covering kickoffs and sacrificing their bodies to have their jobs made obsolete. They might as well just have the kicker try to make it through the uprights on the kickoff for two points and the receiving team start at the fifteen or miss and start at the twenty.
Roger Goodell is hurting our game and eliminating jobs. Do NASCAR drivers get fined $100,000 for wrecking their cars? It's part of the sport. Come on Roger, America loves violence and the men who are lucky enough to be in the NFL love the game. Businessmen, lawyers, and insurance companies are turning football into flag football and preventing men like me from feeding my family.
With zero disrespect intended to Donnie Nickey, I disagree with a great deal of this. After the jump, I'll quibble with a few particular points.
Here we go.
In today's economy industries need to be creating jobs. In the NFL, the new kickoff rule is eliminating jobs.
No it's not. Gameday rosters will still be comprised of 45 men, whether or not there are kick returners and kick coverers among those 45. Someone will get those jobs. The amount of jobs available for NFL players is exactly the same today as it was last season (unless you count the new rule about the third quarterback not being inactive, in which case, you could say the rosters have grown by one).
Also, can we not say "eliminating jobs" and reference the economy like we're talking about sending 450,000 factory jobs to Taiwan or something? If we even were eliminating jobs -- and we're not -- it would be a very small handful of jobs, not some mass defection that could further cripple America's economy.
The kickoff may as well be eliminated all together.
I think the NFL is destroying the true game of football and the physicality that America has grown to love.
Yeah. A lot of people feel that way. In the long run, I don't think it's going to matter, though. By Week 4, I don't think anyone's going to be talking about the kickoff rule anymore, because the game's still going to be exciting, and there's still going to be a very high level of physicality. And by the end of the season, I don't think anyone's going to be sitting around saying, "I really didn't enjoy that season because it wasn't violent enough."
It seems like an issue now. In time, I don't believe it will. But we'll see.
People go to NASCAR races to see wrecks.
I'm not sure that's true. Maybe a small percentage, but by and large, I think most of a NASCAR crowd enjoys the spectacle, the competition, and the nuances and excitement of a race.
But I'll play along. Say there is a portion of NASCAR fans who show up just to see car crashes. How'd they enjoy this one? People will watch all kinds of violent things. People watch Bumfights. Just because there are people out there who feel jolly when they see a man's car flip seven times and smash into a wall at 170 mph doesn't mean that those fans must be courted.
I think there are purer reasons for watching a race, just like there's more to an MMA fight than a knockout head kick, and there's more to a hockey game than the fights. Hockey's a great example, in fact. Fights may be fun, but in the Olympics, when hockey somehow still exists without fights, we get some of the most exciting games in hockey history.
People go to football games to see long touchdowns and devastating hits.
I think that's a little bit reductive of NFL fans. A lot of people like short touchdowns, too. And a competitive, back-and-forth game. And rooting for their favorite teams. And all of it, really. We're not all just sitting around waiting for long touchdowns and devastating hits. There's a whole game there.
Businessmen, lawyers, and insurance companies are turning football into flag football and preventing men like me from feeding my family.
I empathize. I am sorry that you haven't found a spot on an NFL roster. I hope you do. Really.
I just don't agree with what you're saying. If someone wanted to argue that the kickoff wasn't any more dangerous than any other play in an NFL game, and had statistics to back that up, I'd listen. But the NFL believes it's a dangerous thing �-- one of the few they actually can control in a game -- and they're trying to do that.
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Michael Vick, Rex Grossman and 5 Headlines from Thursday's Preseason Games
For those of you who couldn't tear your eyes away from the newest "Jersey Shore," here are the headlines from tonight's three preseason NFL games (or as close to headlines as you can get with the preseason).
Between Michael Vick, Cam Newton and the Washington Redskins quarterback competition, the games at least provided some good television.
Without further ado, here are the five top stories from tonight's games.
Sara Spraker Sarah Gellman Sarah Michelle Gellar Sarah Mutch Sarah Polley
Thursday, August 25, 2011
The NFL Sunday Ticket is coming to the Playstation 3
Here's how it will work, via the official PlayStation blog.
At the start of the season, viewers who do not currently have access to DIRECTV will be able to subscribe to NFL SUNDAY TICKET at the season price of $339.95. Existing DIRECTV customers can access the service on their PS3 for an additional $50 and use the PS3 as an additional receiver for your home.
I never said it was a bargain.
Still, I know there are a lot of potential customers out there for whom cost isn't the issue. The issue was the dish. If you're in an apartment building, or you don't have the right view of the sky, the Sunday Ticket just wasn't an option. Now it is.
In happily coincidental news, the PlayStation people also just announced that their consoles will be dropping in price by $50. You can pick one up for $249 now.
Again, no one promised you that this would be cheap.
The grand total, if you're starting from scratch with no PS3 or no DirecTV, comes in at $588.95, but, you know, you also get a game console and a Blu-Ray player out of the deal. It's an option.
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Danny Woodhead?s head takes a blindside shot
This is New England Patriots running back/special teamer Danny Woodhead, looking to make a tackle on Bucs rookie kick returner Jock Sanders in Thursday night's preseason game.
What Woodhead is not looking for, however, was Bucs safety Devin Holland, who took advantage of that fact to try to use his head to cave in Danny Woodhead's head.
The good news? Danny Woodhead says he feels fine, though given the way he stumbled around after the hit, I'd have a hard time believing he didn't suffer at least a mild concussion. We'll keep an eye on his status for next Saturday's game against Detroit.
As for Devin Holland, undrafted rookie out of McNeese State, I'm sorry, but that's inexcusable. There are a lot of ways you can defend the guy -- he's a rookie, he's out there trying to make an impression on the coaches, etc. I'm not unsympathetic.
But there's no escaping the fact that he put his helmet into Danny Woodhead's helmet, and the league's not going to let that slide. He's a first-time offender (perhaps last time, too), so it won't be in the $20,000 range like it was for Ndamukong Suh, but it will be something.
Tami Donaldson Tamie Sheffield Tara Conner Tara Reed Tara Reid
The Kenos Score Valuable 'Buried Treasure' in a Hoarder's House (VIDEO)
Filed under: TV Replay
For years, Leslie and Leigh Keno watched as priceless treasures were brought to them on 'Antiques Roadshow.' Now they're hitting the road looking for 'Buried Treasure' (Wed., 8PM ET on FOX) on a new reality series.In the premiere, they looked at a violin potentially worth millions, a few Silver Age comic books and collectibles, and sifted through a hoard looking for family heirlooms. It was in the hoard that they found their most surprising discoveries.
Lily wanted the Kenos to come because she knew there were some valuable items in her mother's house, but even she had no idea what Liz had buried in there. In fact, Liz had no idea either. The Kenos uncovered five items from the mess, but that was enough to change their lives.
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Source: http://www.aoltv.com/2011/08/25/kenos-valuable-buried-treasure-in-hoarders-house-video/
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NBA's unpopularity contest of LeBron James's Heat and the Mavericks | Michael Solomon
Dallas Mavericks take a 3-2 lead to the court of King James in Miami for the final two games of the NBA finals
Choosing a team to root for in this year's NBA finals has been like deciding whether to let your daughter marry Arnold Schwarzenegger or Dominique Strauss-Kahn.
Seriously, what do you do if you can't stand the Heat ? or the Mavericks?
Consider Miami: the team's schadenfreude-ometer has been registering radioactive levels since last July, when LeBron James announced his decision to take his talents to South Beach. In one of the most unctuous hours in television history, James was not only ungrateful in spurning his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, but he also managed to insult New York and Chicago, with whom he had been flirting. As far as those three cities are concerned, there's a middle seat waiting in the Ninth Circle of Hell for "The Whore of Akron" (as Esquire writer Scott Raab has dubbed him) ? right between Judas and Brutus.
As the season unfolded, it looked as if James and Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh were a team of simony ? sorry, destiny ? but the pressure was clearly getting to them. After a one-point loss to the Chicago Bulls, King James and his court were reportedly crying in their locker room. Crying? With a 43-20 record? Even LBJ's old team, the Cavaliers, didn't get weepy this season, and they went on a 26-game losing streak, tied for the worst ever in American sports history.
But then you have the Dallas Mavericks, a team who look at the NBA's salary cap the same way Suri Cruise sees a shoe sale. In the past decade, the Mavs have spent $851m on players ? nearly a quarter-billion more than the Heat ? but they still don't have a championship to show for it.
Naturally that drought doesn't sit well with Dallas's eternally adolescent owner, Mark Cuban. The 52-year-old billionaire, who often makes Donald Trump seem shy, is at once the best and worst thing to happen to the NBA. While his on-court cheerleading is undoubtedly infectious ? he's not just the owner, he's a fan! ? Cuban's diatribes against the league and its officials have cost him nearly $2m in fines over the years ? including $250,000 after game five of the 2006 NBA finals against Miami. (Petulant show-off that he is, Cuban matches each fine with a donation to charity.)
But here's the funny thing: during this year's finals, Cuban has been silent. Either the NBA commissioner David Stern finally found a diplomatic solution to the Cuban Whistle Crisis, or Cuban himself wisely found the mute button and decided to let his team's play speak for itself.
And it's working.
The ancient Mavericks, led by their 32-year-old warrior Dirk Nowitzki (who has played with a torn tendon in his left hand and despite a triple-digit fever in game four) now have a 3-2 lead over the Heat as the series heads back to Miami this weekend.
Dallas's aggressive defense and rainbow three-pointers have so utterly confounded the South Beach Cerberus of James, Wade and Bosh that LeBron looks like a lost puppy on the court. After calling game five "the biggest of my life", James actually stepped up ? particularly since Wade was hobbled with a hip injury in the first quarter ? and managed a triple double. But when the game was on the line, LBJ once again entered the Witness Protection Program. In the fourth quarter, he scored a whopping two points, bringing his final-quarter total in the series up to an astronomical eleven.
All of which has considerably diluted the Haterade that fans were drinking a week ago. The Mavericks without The Cuban Show are actually a likeable team of old-timers who deserve a champagne shampoo. And now that the Chosen One has become the Frozen One, cheering for the Heat almost feels like charity. Almost. Ether way, if they do win the title, it won't be because of LeBron. And that's a crying shame.
The last two games of the NBA season are to be played in Miami on Sunday and Tuesday (if a game seven is required).
Michael Solomon is the executive editor of Byliner and a former editor at The Daily Beast and ESPN Books.
guardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2011 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds
Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/blog/2011/jun/10/lebron-james-miami-heat-dallas-mavericks
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This is what Kyle Orton is up against in Denver
You can argue the merits of Kyle Orton as an NFL quarterback, but one thing he's unlikely to ever be called by anyone is "exciting." Tim Tebow, at the current moment, is certainly not a good NFL quarterback, but the way people get excited about him is, as highlighted in the above picture, sometimes a little bit past rational.
Orton went 2-for-6 for 37 yards in Denver's preseason opener against Dallas. Tebow went 6-for-7 for 91 yards. Those meaningless numbers aren't going to make things easier for anybody.
Gracias, Sportress of Blogitude, @CSLennon and Sports Pickle.
Leelee Sobieski Leighton Meester Leila Arcieri Lena Headey Leonor Varela
Wednesday, August 24, 2011
Double the touchbacks, half the fun?
If last night is any indication (and it's a small sample size, I grant you), we can expect the percentage of kickoffs to nearly double. Last year, 16 percent of kickoffs ended in touchbacks. Last night, 16 out of 51 kickoffs were kneeled on, for a total of 31.4%.
It wasn't all bad, though. Bryan Walters of the Chargers took one to the house, and Deji Karim of the Jaguars ripped off this beauty down to the Patriots 18.
It didn't feel much different, though. As I watched games, I never thought to myself, "Well, this seems boring, because we have too many touchbacks." But that's just me, and I don't necessarily agree with This Guy Gruden when he says that the kickoff is the most exciting play in a given game.
I guess it depended on which game you were watching, though. In the Arizona/Oakland game, only one kick of 11 went for a touchback. In the Baltimore/Philadelphia contest, there were seven kicks, with six of them touched back.
My guess is that we're going to see the percentage climb even higher as we get into the regular season. Last night gave us a bunch of kickers who won't be an opening day rosters, and we also saw a lot of kicks taken out of the endzone by young guys who need to make an impression.
They're just touchbacks. It's part of our new football reality. If it helps keep players safe, then in the end, it's a small sacrifice.
Lisa Snowdon Liz Phair Lokelani McMichael Lori Heuring Lorri Bagley
Dwayne Wade to join the Colonel and Jose Canseco breaks up on Twitter | Planet Sport
KFC and Dwayne Wade; the Dirk Nowitzki tribute; Jose Canseco on Twitter; Thomas Bjorn headlines and Hope Solo's new friends
USA: Canseco's tweet nothings fall on deaf ears
The former Major League Baseball star Jose Canseco has been indulging in a very public meltdown on Twitter, reports NBC, breaking up with long-term girlfriend Leila Shennib and then using the medium to try and find someone new, all in short, often badly spelt sentences ...
The pair had been dating for almost two years when Shennib said she broke up with the player, who famously published a book claiming 85% of major league players took steroids. The break-up occurring after he "did [her] dirty" ? a reference to specific events she did not wish to reveal further.
Canesco was angry and in now-deleted tweets got it off his chest, beginning with: "Be careful with woman who show off there tits and ass and think that's a career," moving on to: "I will never forget or forgive what u said to me leila ur evil," before posting her telephone number, prompting a considerable number of hate messages from fans.
Inevitably there was also philosophy: "love makes fools out of all us especially me"; desperation: "Leila will you marry me please" and finally pity: "I made a total fool of myself for someone who never even cared about me. what an idiot I am."
But like any love-sick teenager he soon bounced back and as a pro-athlete he managed it without a protracted period locked in his bedroom weeping to a soundtrack of the Smiths and Joy Division either: "Would love to meet a nice holesome midwest girl here in chicago. We play tomorrow night at 7 pm in zion if anyone is out there for me."
Sadly, there appear to have been few responses as soon after @ashleyarizona, a female twitterer, announced to her followers that she had been messaged by Canseco: "lmao [laughing my ass off] jose canseco hit on me via DM." Fortunately she took a screen-grab as an example Canseco himself may wish to consult on just where he is going wrong with the ladies. "Ur hot baby" it read.
KFC not too chicken to offer Dwayne Wade NBA switch
Florida's Sun-Sentinel reports that Miami Heat's Dwayne Wade has received an intriguing job proposal, as the NBA lockout continues, an offer of the chance to switch baskets for buckets.
Wade had tweeted "Any 1 hiring?" when the lock out became official, prompting Kentucky Fried Chicken general manager John Cywinski to offer him a job. The fast-food chain said it would donate $250,000 to its Colonel's Scholars education programme in Wade's name if he agreed to work at a local KFC drive-thru window. Wade had previously worked at one of the company's restaurants in Chicago as a teenager.
"We couldn't help but notice your recent tweet about looking for a new line of work in light of the lockout," Cywinski's letter said. "We're always looking for folks with precisely your qualifications ? initiative, teamwork and the ability to make buckets in a hurry."
"We've always been proud to call you a former KFC employee and, it goes without saying we'd love to have you back on our team dishing out the World's Best Chicken, like you dish out assists on the court."
Wade has yet to reveal whether he will make his reacquaintance with the colonels' secret recipe or not.
Fan takes the bottom line for Dirk Nowitzki
The celebrations in Dallas after the Mavericks clinched the NBA Championship seem destined never to be forgotten, literally in one case as a fan's find idle promises came back to haunt him. In the case of Derek Dilday, in tattooist's ink. On his arse.
"Once they got to the finals, especially against the Miami Heat, I may have got a little too excited and posted on Facebook that I would get Dirk Nowitzki's face tatted on my ass if they won it all," he told the Dallas Observer.
"When Dirk lifted the Larry O'Brien and the MVP trophy it was the greatest sports moment of my life. I sports-cried, called a high school friend that does tattoos and have been on a Dallas Mavericks championship high ever since," he continued.
The Observer headed the piece with the descriptive and amusing headline: "Why I Got This Tattoo of Dirk Nowitzki On My Ass (As If It's Not Obvious)" accompanied it with a picture of Nowitzki's face disarmingly looming out of a right buttock and closed, gloriously with Dilday's own cheerful sign-off: "Now I realise that I will be sitting on a big German man's face for the rest of my life."
Denmark: Dane's Open banners prove one big Byawn
A fairytale start for Thomas Bjorn at the Open created the potential for an extraordinary comeback story. One, it seems, that the media believed was not going to last. How else to explain headline writers across the world all using their bankers after only one day's play?
"Bjorn Again!" trumpeted big bold letters in papers from Belfast to Sydney and Glasgow to Los Angeles and Auckland, as sports editors made the best of an opportunity that comes only with a Thomas or a Borg. With the latter now 55 years old, they dutifully flung the big typeface at Thomas with gleeful abandon.
With two exceptions. Congratulations to the Vancouver Sun for going with "Bjorn Supremacy". And, intriguingly, to the Danish press where, consumed by the Tour de France, Bjorn was barely to be seen at all. Instead, Ekstra Bladet went for drama and theatre, perhaps in a bid to pull in cycling fans put off by golf's staid image, announcing: "Bjorn takes revenge on cursed hole."
Brazil US goalkeeper's charms keep Brazilians tweeting
The USA beat Brazil on penalties in a nail-biting quarter-final this week on their way to tomorrow's Women's World Cup final, but far from turning on their defeated side, some of the Brazilian press took an upbeat angle after the game.
Under the headline "The Beauty who once again stopped Brazil" O Globo waxed lyrical about US goalkeeper Hope Solo. She was the "beautiful green-eyed goalie who has charmed journalists," said the paper alongside a fulsome profile.
Journo do Brasil joined in, explaining that although Solo was "one of the reasons for the Brazilian's departure from the Women's World Cup," she also "charmed everyone on Twitter, not so much for her talent in goal, but mainly for her beauty. Even the Brazilians could not get angry with the goalie."
Indeed, the hashtag #goleiraeualinda, or "beautiful American goalie" was the No1 topic on Twitter in Brazil at the time and, although Journo did note that Daiane Menezes Rodrigues, who scored an own goal and missed a penalty, may be the villain of the piece, the fans had already adopted a new hero. "Hi Solo, my name is Bruno, live in Brazil. Marry me? Goalkeeper beautiful! Go United States!" enthused one new convert.
Germany Neuer makes tentative peace with Bayern fans
Goalkeeper Manuel Neuer received a hostile welcome from five Bayern Munich fan groups, who were incensed at their side signing a player who was not only playing for, but is also a self-confessed fan of, arch-rivals Schalke 04, reports Bild.
Last week Neuer met the groups involved in an attempt to find a way forward. The details of what was discussed have not been made clear, but Bayern's chief executive Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was unimpressed, saying he has run out of patience with the fans. President Uli Hoeness, meanwhile, looked to play down the situation: "I think it does not make much sense to shout one's mouth off. I think most fans have grasped what is at stake."
The fans later released a statement, which may point to a calmer future. "If Manuel Neuer observes the rules of conduct and maintains a respectful distance [from us], there will be no more organised demonstrations against him."
Follow Giles Richards on Twitter: @giles_richards
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Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/2011/jul/16/dwayne-wade-dirk-nowitzki-canseco
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US Open Tennis 2011: Why This Is Most Intriguing Championship Yet
The 2011 U.S. Open may be the most intriguing championships that we have seen in a long time.
While there is a lot that can and will happen on the court, there is also a plethora of off-court issues, injuries and other potential storylines that make this U.S. Open one of the more dramatic that I can remember in a while.
The biggest story on the women?s side so far has been Serena Williams and the high ranking that the USTA gave her. Williams is ranked No. 28, which means that she has to go through a significantly hard field if she wants to win the tournament.
If she makes it as far as the third round that means she will be paired up with a top-seeded player. Two players that could potentially end up facing Williams in round three are Caroline Wozniacki, who is rated No.1, or the always dangerous No. 3 seeded Maria Sharapova.
On the men?s side of the brackets things are even more intense.
The favorite going into the match was Novak Djokovic, who is arguably the best player in the world right now, but he suffered a shoulder injury and immense fatigue in a recent tournament final, and ended up dropping out.
The big question on the men?s side is Djokovic?s health and how it will affect him in the U.S. Open.
If he is able to overcome, there is no doubting that he has a chance at winning the whole thing. Rafael Nadal will be his biggest competition though, and if Djokovic isn?t healthy, quite frankly he stands no chance against the dominant Nadal.
These are just two of the major storylines that you can see take place at the 2011 U.S. Open.
I recommend that you tune in, and stay here with Bleacher Report for all the coverage you need.
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Fake Brett Favre has descended upon Green Bay
The unidentified gentleman, who bears a slight resemblance to the Packers legend, has been seen in the stands at team practices posing for pictures with fans. (See picture at right.) One restaurant owner told The Green Bay Press-Gazette that the same man came in recently and signed autographs in Favre's name.
Favre's travel coordinator says the Packers legend hasn't been in Green Bay since the Minnesota Vikings played there last season.
Besides the obvious "Favre has a travel coordinator?" question, the most pressing issue is this: How can Green Bay be considered the greatest football town in America if its fans are fooled by a guy who kinda, sorta looks like Brett Favre? The guy in the picture above doesn't even have any stubble! And there's no perpetual world-weary "woe is me" look on his face. Was that guy even having any fun or acting like a little kid out there?
Like Favre would show up at a random bar or sit in the stands at training camp wearing his own jersey. Was he in Crocs? Taking random cell phone pictures? Was ESPN's Rachel Nichols shadowing him? For that matter, don't the fans know that Favre usually doesn't show up until the fourth week of training camp anyway?
Christina DaRe Christina Milian Christina Ricci Chyler Leigh Ciara
NFL: Trading Tim Tebow Would Be the Dumbest Move in Denver Broncos History
Tim Tebow trade talk is old news. Before the end of last season, NBC Sports had circulated rumors that the Broncos might be interested in trading Tebow after newly named head of football operations, John Elway, carelessly called Tebow a bad quarterback.
Within hours, Elway had reversed his story, lauding Tebow as "a very good football player, and if anyone can turn themselves into a great quarterback, Tim can."
The Tebowmania that has spread like wildfire around the league puts the Broncos in a precarious situation with their popular first-round draft pick.
The Broncos will not trade Tebow this season, and it could be several seasons before a trade would even be dreamed about...and all of the reasons are not football related.
Kristin Cavallari Kristin Kreuk Kristy Swanson Kylie Bax Lacey Chabert
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Colts owner Jim Irsay to make donation to stage collapse victims
Five days ago, 70 mph winds took down a stage at the Indiana State Fair, killing five people and injuring dozens of others before a scheduled concert by country band Sugarland.
A fund for the victims has collected almost $60,000. I applaud Irsay and the Colts for doing their part to push that total higher. In addition to the $1 for every ticket, the Colts will have a moment of silence before kickoff, and throughout the game, encourage fans to donate $10 to the fund by texting the word "FAIR" to 27722.
You can do that now, in fact. Text "FAIR" to 27722, reply with "YES" when you're prompted for confirmation, and it'll add $10 to your phone bill. And if you're in the area, why not help make sure Lucas Oil Stadium is filled on Friday night?
Angelina Jolie Anna Faris Anna Friel Anna Kournikova Anna Paquin
Alex Rodriguez: Gambling Scandal Is One Final Strike for Baseball's Prima Donna
Alex Rodriguez is drawing the attention of Major League Baseball, again. He is proving that he can't take a hint, again. And he is taking the patience of baseball fans to the limits, again.
ESPN reports the Yankees star third baseman is going to meet with Major League Baseball officials on his alleged involvement in an underground poker game.
The report insinuates the meeting is nothing more than a slap on the wrist for Rodriguez. They simply want to warn him of the ills of some of the company he keeps.
I am not sure, but last I checked, Alex Rodriguez was a grown man. Yet, he continues to abuse the slack that he has already been given. This should be the most beloved baseball player in the nation. The fact that he is not is a testament to the follies he has endured off the field.
Strike 1: Alex Rodriguez admits in 2009 that he indeed used steroids while he was with the Texas Rangers. This is after denying such use in a Katie Couric interview in 2007. He is forbidden to have contact with cousin, Yuri Sucart.
Strike 2: Rodriguez is seen hanging out with Sucart, a former supplier of performance enhancing drugs, in the summer of 2011. The Yankees allow Rodriguez to do so, as long as Sucrt is not around baseball facilities.
Strike 3: Reports surface that Rodriguez was involved in underground poker games. One of which allegedly contained cocaine use, and nearly turned violent.
Alex Rodriguez is a world-class athlete. He is paid millions to do what he loves to do for a living. We would all sell our souls if that was the extent of it.
He is also famous, enjoys the best things in life, including the hottest of women. The only thing that is asked of him is to stay clear of shady areas, and shadier characters.
Rodriguez has proved time and again that he is incapable of doing so. MLB will once again slap his little wrist and make him promise to be good. Something tells me this is not the last we here of Rodriguez carousing with an unsavory element.
At some point, it will all catch up to him. I will care little for what his punishment is at that point. He has finally struck out with this fan.
Denise Richards Desiree Dymond Diane Kruger Dido Diora Baird
Draft bust Vernon Gholston believes that Rex Ryan never gave him a chance
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Current Chicago Bears and former New York Jets defensive end Vernon Gholston wasn't content with having a bad enough day after the New York Giants beat the Bears in a 41-13 thrashing. After the game, Gholston had a few pops for Jets head coach Rex Ryan, a man whom Gholston believes never gave him a fair shake.
"I heard how he was perceiving me before the [2008] draft, before he knew me, and I was the same way -- I wasn't hoping for him to be [my] first coach of the Jets when I was there, either," Gholston said.
Selected sixth overall in the 2008 NFL draft out of Ohio State in the Jets' pre-Ryan administration, Gholston has been one of the biggest draft busts in recent NFL history; he has never recorded a sack in his NFL career, he has just five starts in three seasons, and according to Football Outsiders' metrics, he was involved in just nine total defensive plays last season. That's not per-snap participation, mind you ? that's the number of plays in 2010 in which Gholston actually made any sort of impact. Nine.
Add in the fact that�Gholston was inactive for all three of the Jets' postseason games in the 2010 season, and it was not a surprise that the Jets released him in early March.�Gholston signed with the Bears in late July.
And according to Gholston, that series of moves�was�more about Ryan failing to see his talent than anything else.
Saying that his departure from the Jets was a "needed move," Gholston sounded quite entitled when discussing his status under Ryan. "Being a first-round pick, you would have hoped for more [of a chance]," he said. "Rex made a comment to me when he first came in that he thought I wasn't liked by the guys on the team, then once he got there he saw that wasn't the case. Those perceptions kind of determine the outcome, and it's sad to say.
"Teams are always looking for talent, and to say I don't have talent is a far stretch," he continued. "It's all about getting a fair shot and time in the system. With the Jets, it was constant position change and coaching change. There was no stability. I never really had that with the Jets."
Hmm. Well, that's one way to look at it. Another way to look at it is that Gholston came out of Ohio State as a freakish athlete and a very underdeveloped football player. He never got the hang of the NFL, and while it's true of some players that they need a better scheme fit for their talents before they can turn it on, it's the rare player who washes out in a Rex Ryan defense and goes on to succeed elsewhere.
Gholston's more personal comments about Ryan are another matter, because Ryan had put a lot of thought into the player's future when he took the Jets' head-coaching position before the 2010 season. From his May 2011 book, Play Like You Mean It:
It's like how I've been dealing with Vernon Gholston ? people were thinking it would be easy for me to get rid of him. Truth be told, I didn't like the kid coming out of college. He's a good athlete and a smart guy, but I thought he was a phony. We had him come to Baltimore, and I just didn't believe in him. �I even told [former Jets coach Eric] Mangini not to draft him. Well, suddenly he was on my team, and I was going to have to work with him. I was not just going to give up on him ? that's too easy. I thought, "He's one of my guys now, and I'll be damned if he's going to feel like that. He's going to know that I'm in his corner and I'm trying like hell to get him to play better."
I want him to see everything I'm about, so all those pictures I painted of him in 2008 ? you know what I'm going to do? The same thing I did with the paint over the window in my office. I'm taking it down.
Ryan also talked about improving the on-field environment for Gholston:
Two guys I dumped in a hurry were tight end Chris Baker and linebacker Eric Barton ? [Barton's] idea of trying to motivate Vernon Gholston was to rip the guy, yelling at him all the time that he wasn't giving enough effort, that he wasn't playing hard, that he wasn't measuring up. That's not showing respect. Those guys never respected the guys they played with.
Whatever you may or may not like about Rex Ryan, there is one absolutely true thing about the man. He connects with his players ? indeed, any players ? in a rare fashion. I remember hearing at the 2010 scouting combine that several of the draft prospects were asked which NFL coach they'd most like to play for ? and Ryan won in a landslide. In addition, you have to look at Ryan's particular genius for extracting the best out of defensive players with his complex and aggressive schemes.
If Gholston didn't buy what Ryan was selling, he was in the minority ? that's pretty clear. If he couldn't make it there, can he make it anywhere?
Julie Berry K. D. Aubert Karen Carreno Karolína Kurková Kasey Chambers
Drama Behind the Scenes on 'Good Christian Belles'
Filed under: TV News, Celebrities and Gossip
The drama on ABC's new primetime soap 'Good Christian Belles' (aka 'G.C.B.') is seeping from in front of the camera to behind-the-scenes.According to Deadline, executive producer Darren Star is at the center of a fallout. ABC Studios has barred Star from going to the set and his 'G.C.B.' office. In addition to being banned from the set, Star has been asked not to speak to writer and fellow executive producer Robert Harling and showrunners Aaron Harberts and Gretchen Berg.
However, Star continues to be involved with the series.
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Source: http://www.aoltv.com/2011/08/23/drama-behind-the-scenes-on-good-christian-belles/
Kirsten Dunst Krista Allen Kristanna Loken Kristen Bell Kristin Cavallari
Depth charge: Tebow drops to third QB in Broncos? win over Bills
When the Denver Broncos' 2011 post-lockout season began, the undeniable primary point of contention among fans, media, and others following the team was the battle between Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow. While Orton had proven to be a reliable starter through the previous two seasons, Tebow ? one of two Denver first-round picks in 2010 ? had captured the attention of the fan base in ways that few rookies could ever claim by performing well after Orton suffered a rib injury late in a lost season for the franchise.
[Fantasy Football: Sign up and play]
The team's new administrative duo of executive vice president of football operations John Elway and head coach John Fox initially made the decision to try and trade Orton to the Miami Dolphins, a move that eventually failed for a number of reasons. Denver teammates talked about the "Tebow thing" and how it could affect the team ? the perception that in backing the younger player, the Broncos' brain trust could be sending the message that the end goal was less about winning now and more about franchise development over time ? not what your current players ever want to hear.
But with Orton remaining in Denver at least for the short term, there was an unforeseen factor ready to make the team's quarterback choices a bit more varied and confusing. While the Orton-Tebow debate raged on, third-string quarterback Brady Quinn, the Cleveland Browns' first-round pick in 2007, surprised just about everybody in creation by having a remarkable training camp.
And in Denver's 24-10 win Saturday over the Buffalo Bills, the Broncos reversed the order of appearance post-starter, leading to widespread speculation that Quinn had leapfrogged Tebow on the depth chart, both now and in future. The on-field performances seemed to bear this out. After Orton finished an outstanding first-half performance (10 of 13 for 135 yards and a touchdown), Quinn followed with nearly equivalent stats (10 of 16 for 130 yards, a touchdown and an interception). Tebow, for his part, got some mop-up duty with one 10-yard pass in two attempts.
Quinn showed some of his physical limitations in the performance ? he's not a strong-armed passer and tends to push the ball at times ? but for a head coach in Fox who once made it to the Super Bowl with Jake Delhomme as his primary starter, pure physical attributes aren't always the most important. Command of the offense may be point one.
It's not known for sure that Saturday's appearance order will manifest itself in the Broncos' long-term depth chart ? preseason spots are notoriously variable and coaches will try just about anything in a compressed-timeframe season such as this one ? but the quarterback that most fans would love to see at the top of the pecking order seems to be falling the wrong way.
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? Late wife's wish for NFL labor peace
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Tamala Jones Tami Donaldson Tamie Sheffield Tara Conner Tara Reed
The Worst Starting Quarterback for Each NFL Franchise
It’s a well-known fact that Joe Montana is the best starting quarterback in the history of the San Francisco 49ers.
The worst starting signal caller? Ah, now there’s a debate.
Each franchise at one point or another has had a consistent head man behind center. However, there are times, due to injury or bad coaching judgment, that it has been saddled with a dog of a QB that can’t pass muster at his position.
Here is a look at the worst starting quarterback in each team’s history.
All statistics gathered courtesy of www.profootball-reference.com and www.nfl.com.
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/816989-the-worst-starting-qbs-for-each-franchise
Jordana Brewster Josie Maran Joss Stone Jules Asner Julia Stiles
Monday, August 22, 2011
Fire Mike Quade: An Open Letter to Tom Ricketts and the Chicago Cubs
Mr. Ricketts,
I don't like Mike Quade. I don't know what it is with him, but I simply can't find a way to like him. When he took over for the Cubs after Lou Piniella's departure, he seemed tough and gritty.
I think it seemed that way because Pinella just became so lazy toward the end of his tenure. When the Cubs signed Quade, I thought it was the right move. I thought it was smart of the Ricketts to not just go with Sandberg, but what seemed to be the best move for the club. Well, I think my logic was wrong.
Ryne Sandberg was the logical choice. I understand that Quade had worked many years before in the minor leagues, and that experience was the major selling point. Sandberg though wasn't too shabby of a manager himself. He was the 2010 Pacific League Manager of the Year and had much success climbing up the ranks of the Cubs' minor league system.
The other important thing to note is that if the Cubs are going to go into the direction of using their farm system (Castro, Barney, Cashner), so why not sign Sandberg? He had all that success essentially raising these players. If Sandberg would have taken over the Cubs, he would have most likely already have an established comfort level with players coming up from the minors.
The Ricketts went with the right move initially. Mike Quade showed much promise with the success he displayed toward the end of the 2010 season, but from what it seems, it was a fluke. Maybe I am just another angry Cubs fan after yet another disappointing season. With the removal of Jim Hendry and likely Carlos Zambrano, I believe no other time poses a better opportunity to bring back Ryno to take over the helm.
Megan Ewing Megan Fox Melania Trump Melissa George Melissa Howard
NFL announces a super-awesome fan appreciation program!
Well, they're all really sorry about that. And to make it up to you, 90 of you might get a free jersey and get to (gasp) run out onto a real NFL field! Just like the grown-ups do!
That's the plan the NFL announced Monday. Each team is going to give 90 personalized jerseys to supporters, and some teams will allow those 90 fans to run onto the field, through the tunnel, with the players, before a preseason game. Other teams will just have some kind of a pregame ceremony, which I hope is fervidly booed.
More from the AP:
When the agreement to end the lockout was reached last month, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell acknowledged that "we have some work to do to make sure (fans) understand we are sorry for the frustration we put them through over the last six months."
"We have to make sure we understand our bond with our fans is probably the primary issue all of us need to focus on, whether you're a player or you're an owner," he added.
Yeah, totally. That's why we so greatly appreciate that a tiny number of us will be selected to receive small trinkets and have the incredible honor of running onto your playing field, like we're at a child's birthday party at McDonald's and we get to go play in the balls with the real Ronald McDonald.
Even better that it happens during a preseason game, which you've spent the last year telling everyone that we absolutely loathed. Thanks for letting us share in what you admit is overpriced and meaningless! That's all we've ever really wanted; to be placated like children.
I really wish they wouldn't even bother. I mean, we're all going to come crawling back to your game like the spineless, brainwashed jellyfish we are. Please don't single out 90 of us and fool us into giving up what's left of our dignity by accepting your little prize.
We all value your product enough that we'll let you jerk us around however you wish, and we'll sit there and take it. We've all made peace with that, so let's just get on with it.
Liz Phair Lokelani McMichael Lori Heuring Lorri Bagley Lucy Liu
College Football: How Every Top 20 Team Could Be Upset in the First Week!
If you asked a sober college football fan to name one of the reasons they love sports, they will probably not name the BCS but will name upsets as one of their many reasons they love this great sport. The upset is the reason most of us love college football because you really never know what is going to happen. We can never really be prepared for the upset because none of us are smart enough to predict them. So, to prepare you for the first week of upsets, I made a case for how every top 20 team could get upset. It will not happen, but if it does, you cannot say you were not prepared!
Kirsten Dunst Krista Allen Kristanna Loken Kristen Bell Kristin Cavallari
Rex Ryan opens training camp with a new tattoo
UPDATE: Tuesday in a special video message on the team's Facebook page,�Rex revealed the meaning of the new tattoo.
My new tat means 'Believe in yourself'. Which I've got no problem doing.
Profound.
Those two sentences made up the entire contents of the six-second video. If that's the tattoo's only purpose, I'd argue that it was unnecessary. Anyone who watches Rex Ryan speak for six seconds can easily tell that he believes in himself quite a bit.
---
The New York Jets officially opened training camp Monday morning, and to mark the occasion, Mark Higgins, the Jets' executive vice president of business operations, tweeted the following regarding head coach Rex Ryan.
And the image ...
Rex Ryan is 48 years old. If that tattoo is real, Rex is sort of ahead of his time. In 2041, there will be a lot of 48-year-old men with that same tattoo, but for them, it will probably be because 30 years prior, they had 12 Red Bull and vodkas at an Evanescence concert, and decided that that tattoo was the perfect way to cap off the night.
In a way, I admire Rex's new ink, though. I say if you want some sort of vaguely tribal nonsense on your leg, then go for it. It might not be age appropriate. It might not be conventional behavior. But when has conventional ever been Rex Ryan's style? And why should it be? Do you, coach.
The only surprise here is that, given Rex's annual Super Bowl prediction, he didn't go the Jason Terry route and get the Lombardi Trophy inked into his leg.
Gracias, Deadspin.
Audrina Patridge Autumn Reeser Avril Lavigne Bali Rodriguez Bar Refaeli
Does the NFL have a fan violence problem?
Saturday night, those real problems and football merged in a tragic way when two men were shot and another was seriously beaten at Candlestick Park after the 49ers/Raiders game. That's not the entire list of violent acts, either. If you don't believe me, spend a couple of minutes on YouTube searching for "49ers Raiders Fight." There's no shortage of brand new material.
There's this from SFGate.com, too:
At Candlestick, the violence on Saturday appeared to be widespread, occurring around the stadium and parking lot during and after the game, several fans said Sunday in online postings.
"We saw at least seven major fights and heard of others that we didn't see," said a fan using the handle "raidermomo_1964" on SFGate.com. Another fan, "littlecat8," wrote that "it was difficult to enjoy the game" because of the many fights.
The league hasn't said anything about the violence. Does it need to? Are we looking at just a couple of isolated incidents, or is this a problem the league needs to step in and deal with?
One San Francisco columnist, Scott Oster, puts the onus to act on the league. He wants more money for security at games, transparency from the league and the teams on exactly what happened Saturday night, and, among other things, the possible suspension of rivalry games.
That last one, I think, is taking things a little too far, but that the NFL could step in and make it its issue is a fair notion. Ultimately, I think it comes down to individual teams. It's their city, their stadium, their gameday experience -- it's on them to make it a safe, welcoming atmosphere. Some teams do a better job of that than others. The ones that need help, the NFL should step in and help. "This is how Safe City X does it. Here's what you need to do, and if you need money to help out with that, here it is."
Money is the one thing that shouldn't be an issue. NFL teams make money. The NFL as a whole makes money. It's there. If you don't want to use it to pay a star running back, fine, but you have to spend enough of it to make your gameday atmosphere feel more like a fun, safe event, and less like attending a cockfight in an abandoned warehouse.
I'd love to hear about your experiences in the comments -- what stadiums you go to, what the atmosphere is like there, both good and bad. Have you ever felt like you were in physical danger? What teams do a good job, and what teams don't?
Bridget Moynahan Britney Spears Brittany Daniel Brittany Lee Brittany Murphy
Garrett bans hazing in Dallas, except for his helmet star restrictions
"The young guys are part of our team," Garrett�said to reporters,�"and they certainly need to get themselves acclimated in a lot of different ways, and our veteran players are in charge of welcoming them to the NFL in a very positive way."
"There's not going to be anything demeaning in any way that a rookie has to do. We don't believe in that."
An admirable sentiment, to be sure. When rookies like Dez Bryant last year or Tyron Smith this year are drafted and expected to contribute immediately, having them serve as errand boys after practice doesn't fit in with the "we're all in this together" mentality. Jacksonville Jaguars coach Jack Del Rio made a similar ban with his team.
There's only one problem with Garrett's new rule of equality: hazing is still very much alive and well in Big D and the champion of the cause is none other than the coach himself. Earlier this month, Garrett issued a decree that all rookies, from first-round picks to undrafted free agents, would not have the Cowboys star on their helmets until they earned the privilege.
"This team has been around 51 years, and it's a great tradition," he said at the time. "You have to earn the right to wear that star, and we're very clear with the players about that. Just because you sign with the Dallas Cowboys doesn't mean you earned that thing yet."
Hazing isn't just carrying pads or getting a crazy haircut or getting ice water dumped on your head. Denying rookies the same star worn by everyone else on the team (including new free-agent acquisitions who have been with Dallas for the same amount of time as the rookies) is less juvenile and humiliating but an equal mark of initiation. And no amount of coaching double-speak is going to change that.
Kate Bosworth Kate Groombridge Kate Hudson Kate Mara Kate Moss
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