Archive for April, 2016

Goff/Wentz Go #1,#2 In NFL Draft, Tunsil Slides After Tweet, Broncos Grab Lynch, Hawks Defeat Celtics

NFL

Jared GoffTo no one’s surprise, the Los Angeles Rams picked  QB Jared Goff from the University of California Berkeley as the #1 pick in the NFL Draft. And, again to no surprise, Carson Wentz went #2 to the Philadelphia Eagles. There was a bit of drama in the evening when someone posted a tweet of Ole Miss Offensive Tackle, Laremy Tunsil with a gas mask on smoking something through a tube. Earlier in the week Tunsil was projected to go as one of the top picks but after the tweet came out Thursday night, Tunsil’s prospects kept dropping. On the 13th pick of the night, however, the Miami Dolphins weighed the risks/reward and picked him up.

In another interesting move of the night, the Denver Broncos traded up from the 31st pick to #26 to grab Memphis quarterback Paxton Lynch. With the pick, the Broncos likely ended their pursuit of 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick.

NBA

In playoff news, the Atlanta Hawks advance to round 2 by eliminating the Boston Celtics in game 6. They are now gearing up to take on Lebron and the Cavs. Hawks 104, Celtics 92.

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Curry-Less Warriors Advance To 2nd Round, NFL Draft Thursday Night

NBA

Steph CurryAll eyes were on the Curry-less Golden State Warriors Game 5 against the Houston Rockets. With a win, the Warriors would advance to the second round of the playoffs and give Steph Curry some much needed rest to heal his injury. The Warriors didn’t just win this game, they destroyed the Rockets. The Warriors will play the winner of the Portland Trailblazers vs Los Angeles Clippers matchup. Warriors 114,  Rockets 81.

NFL

After months of mock drafts, NFL Draft day is finally upon us. NCAA football stars are hoping to secure their place in the National Football League. While being drafted certainly isn’t the only hope of becoming a successful professional football player (Tony Romo, Arian Foster and Antonio Gates, just to name a few, were all signed as free agents), getting drafted in the first round can make an enormous difference in your starting salary. This year, the Los Angeles Rams have the first overall pick after making a major trade with the Tennessee Titans. The Rams are widely expected to draft a quarterback, as are the Philadelphia Eagles who have the second overall pick. The top candidates at QB are Jared Goff of the University of California, Berkeley and Carson Wentz of North Dakota State. Last year’s first two picks were also quarterbacks- Jameis Winston of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Marcus Mariota of the Tennessee Titans.

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Clippers Lose Griffin & Paul, Brees Criticizes Goodell, Bradford Blindsided

NBA

And just like that, the team who had the greatest chance of challenging the Golden State Warriors in the West has found their postseason in jeopardy. The Los Angeles Clippers have lost two huge players. Power Forward Blake Griffin aggravated a quadriceps injury on Monday and will miss any further games this season. Things aren’t too much better for Chris Paul, who just underwent surgery for his fractured right hand. Paul could be ready to return by the Conference Finals or NBA Finals. Unfortunately for him, the Clippers haven’t ever made it to either in the history of the franchise. The Clippers are currently 2-2 against the Portland Trail Blazers.

NFL

A lot of people aren’t happy about Tom Brady’s recent re-suspension in the NFL. Among them is New Orleans quarterback Drew Brees. In reference to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell, a man who has the final say in most any NFL investigation, trial and disciplinary action, Brees recently told Sports Illustrated, “He is judge, jury and executioner when it comes to all the discipline. I’m not going to trust any league-led investigation when it comes to anything. It’s not transparent.”  As to the NFL taking the case to the Federal appeals court in the first place, Brees had this to say: “I think this was an issue again where the commissioner’s authority was challenged and the league is gonna do whatever they can to make sure they know that he is in position to make these types of unilateral decisions, and there’s nothing anybody can do about it.”

Sam BradfordQB Sam Bradford felt blindsided by the Philadelphia Eagles when they traded up to get the #2 pick in the draft (and presumably grabbing a QB, maybe Carson Wentz). Bradford’s agent, Tom Condon wants the team to release him from his contract so he can find a new team where he won’t be a “lame duck” just waiting for the rookie to take his spot.

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Curry Back In 2 Weeks, Chris Paul Breaks Hand, Griffin Sprains Knee, Lakers Fire Scott, Brady’s Suspension Held

NBA

Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry got his MRI on Monday, revealing a Grade 1 sprain on his knee, suffered when Curry slipped during the Warriors’ Game 4 victory against the Houston Rockets. The sprain is the lowest sprain possible, so all things considered— Curry lucked out. Even so, he’ll be out at least two weeks, which could pave the way for him returning sometime in Round 2. Curry has already missed two full playoff games with a sprained ankle. The Warriors won one of those games and lost the other.

In other injury related news, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Chris Paul fractured his right hand during their loss to the Portland Trailblazers.  It appears as if Paul will be out for the rest of the playoffs. Not long after Paul left the game, the Clippers’ Blake Griffin suffered a quad injury and there’s a chance he may miss the next playoff game. These injuries are certainly going to make the Clippers run in the playoffs much more difficult.

On Sunday, the Los Angeles Lakers fired head coach Byron Scott, following two of the worst seasons in franchise history. This last season, AKA- Kobe Bryant’s farewell tour, the team went 17-65, a far cry from a winning record, and in stark contrast to fellow California team the Golden State Warrior’s historic season record of 73-9. Now the Lakers are looking for a new coach, but Lakers GM thinks the search will be relatively quick. “[C]ertainly I don’t anticipate this dragging into the summer. We’d like to get it done,” he told Time Warner Cable SportsNet. One possible candidate to replace Scott is Golden State Warriors’ assistant coach Luke Walton. Walton was a forward for the Lakers for nine seasons. While Walton is on the Lakers’ radar, any such deal would likely wait until the NBA playoffs have concluded.

 

NFL

Tom BradyJudges reinstated Tom Brady’s deflategate four game suspension. With the ruling, the US Court of Appeals sided with Roger Goodell and the NFL. Brady and Co. will appeal again but it’s very likely Brady’s backup, Jimmy Garoppolo will replace him at the beginning of the season.

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Warriors Win Game 4 But Curry Out With Sprained Knee, Spurs Advance To 2nd Round, Redskins Grab Norman

NBA

Steph CurryThe Golden State Warriors finally got Steph Curry back for Game 4 of the playoffs. Curry sat out Games 2 and 3 with a sprained right ankle. But the reunion was short lived. Warriors fans watched in horror as Curry slid to the ground and grabbed his knee, wincing in pain. He apparently slipped on a wet spot on the court. The result is a sprained knee. He’s undergoing an MRI to determine how the seriousness of the injury. While the Warriors aren’t the same without their biggest superstar, they are not slouches either. They annihilated the Houston Rockets, putting Golden State at 3-1 for the series. Game 5 is Wednesday. Golden State 121, Houston 94.

Shortly into the second quarter of Game 4 between the San Antonio Spurs and Memphis Grizzlies series, the lights went out in the Grizzlies’ stadium, delaying the game for about 20 minutes. If Memphis fans didn’t take that as a bad omen, they probably should have. The Spurs dominated the home team, giving them their fourth consecutive win. They’re the first team to advance to Round 2 of the playoffs. Next, they’ll face off against the winner of the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks series, which the Thunder are currently leading 3-1.  San Antonio 116, Memphis 95

NFL

No one saw this coming. The Carolina Panthers used their franchise tag on cornerback Josh Norman, but abruptly rescinded the tag late last week. The Panthers and Norman hadn’t yet been able to agree to a long term contract, but they would have had until July to do so. Instead, they cut ties with the player, and gained a 2017 compensatory draft pick in the process. Norman was as shocked as anybody else by the maneuver. “I got sideswiped — I didn’t see it coming,” Norman said. The Panthers insist it was a business decision. But don’t feel too badly for Norman. Shortly after he hit free agency, the Washington Redskins swooped in, threw a pile of money at him, and added the defensive star to their roster. His five year deal is worth up to $75 million, $36.5 million of it guaranteed over the first two years. He’s now the highest paid cornerback in the league.

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Warriors Lose Game 3, Arrieta’s No-Hitter, Prince’s Memorable SB Halftime Show

NBA

The Curry-less Golden State Warriors lost game 3 against the Houston Rockets on a James Harden jump shot with only 2.7 seconds left. With the Warriors leading the series 2-1, the big question is will Steph Curry be back on the court for Game 4 on Sunday. Rockets 97, Warriors 96.

MLB

The Cubs’ Jake Arrieta has certainly come a long way in 3 years. On Thursday he threw his second career no-hitter with a 16-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds. Last season he not only threw a no-hitter but also won a Cy Young Award. What is so inspiring about this story is 3 years ago while Arrieta was pitching for the Baltimore Orioles, he was playing so poorly he was sent down to the Minors.

PRINCE

Prince 2We couldn’t let this day go by without remembering one of the greatest musicians/artists of all time. Prince died on Thursday, April 22nd at the age of 57. He will be sorely missed. Here’s a clip of his incredible halftime performance at Super Bowl XLI. Enjoy the Brilliance of this icon.

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Cavs Good Playoff Start, Olympic Torch Lit, Schilling Fired For Offensive Remarks

NBA

The Cleveland Cavaliers are off to a good start this postseason. In their first playoff game against the Detroit Pistons, LeBron James, Kevin Love and Kyrie Irving put up 81 combined points for the victory. In Game 2, the team made a combined 20 three-pointers, matching the NBA playoff record for threes in a game. J.R. Smith had 7 of those. The Cavs are 2-0 in their series against Detroit. Cleveland 107, Detroit 90.

OLYMPICS

The 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro are still a good three and a half months away, but the torch was lit at 5 a.m. Thursday morning.  About 12,000 athletes will eventually carry the torch. Next week the torch arrives in Brazil and will be taken through almost 600 cities and towns, reaching about 90% of Brazil’s population. The Opening Ceremony will take place on August 5th.

MLB

Curt Schilling 2Former Boston Red Sox pitcher and ESPN baseball analyst Curt Shilling was fired by the network after making controversial remarks on Facebook. Shilling’s post was in reference to recent laws in multiple states that prevent transgendered people from using the public restroom of their choice.  “A man is a man no matter what they call themselves… Now you need laws telling us differently? Pathetic,’’ Shilling posted on the social network. This didn’t sit well with ESPN or Disney, its parent company. “ESPN is an inclusive company. Curt Schilling has been advised that his conduct was unacceptable and his employment with ESPN has been terminated,” the network said in a statement.

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UFC Fighter McGregor Retiring, Rosenhaus Drops Manziel, Strahan To GMA

UFC

UFC fighter Conor McGregor announced on Twitter he’s retiring early. “I’ve decided to retire young. Thanks for the cheese. See ya’s later,” the unceremonious tweet read. McGregor is 27 years old and has an incredible UFC record of 7-1, having just lost his first championship fight on March 5th . He’s been MIA since making the tweet, and his spokesman couldn’t be reached. The President of the UFC announced on Tuesday that McGregor has been pulled from the main event of an upcoming UFC spectacle in Las Vegas because he was unwilling to participate in mandatory promotional preparations for the fight. “Conor did not want to come to Las Vegas and film the commercial and be a part of the marketing. He’s in Iceland training,” UFC president Dana White said. “Is Conor retiring? Only he can answer that question. I don’t know.” McGregor made history in December by knocking out Jose Aldo, one of the best MMA fighters, in just 13 seconds. Whether McGregor really intends on retiring is still totally unclear.

NFL

Former Cleveland Browns Quarterback Johnny Manziel just can’t stay out of the news. Nike announced they ended their endorsement deal with Manziel. The quarterback was recently released by the Browns for off-the-field issues, and was then dropped by his agent. There’s also a grand jury investigation in Dallas going on now to determine if Manziel assaulted his girlfriend. Sound bad? It’s not over. Manziel was just dropped by his second agent in two months and that’s with an agent, Drew Rosenhaus, who hasn’t fired a single player in 27 years. Manziel has a five-day window to seek treatment if he wants to stay with Rosenhaus. Manziel has never been apologetic about his partying ways, nor has he ever made much of anything happen on an NFL field. If he doesn’t change quickly, his career will be over, virtually before it even began.

OTHER

Michael StrahanFormer New York Giants’ Defensive End, Michael Strahan is leaving his gig as co-host on “Live With Kelly and Michael” and joining the cast of Good Morning America. The producers are hoping Strahan boosts their declining viewership.

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Curry-less Warriors Win, RB Hillman Remains In Denver

NBA

Steph Curry, Klay ThompsonThe Golden State Warriors made do without Steph Curry Monday night, as they faced the Houston Rockets in Game 2 of their series. Curry rolled his ankle in Game 1 and was questionable for last night. After warming up a bit before the game, Curry bowed out, changing into street clothes and cheering from the sidelines as his teammates took over. Klay Thompson came away with a career-tying 34 points. Golden State 115, Houston 106.

NFL

The Denver  Broncos are retaining one more familiar face in running back Ronnie Hillman, who the team just resigned to a one-year deal. Hillman led the team in rushing last year, though he eventually took a backseat to CJ Anderson, who the Broncos retained as well, matching an $18 million offer from the Miami Dolphins. Despite the excitement surrounding Anderson, Hillman goes into the offseason as Denver’s number one back. In other words, it’s still his job to lose.

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Warriors Win Big Game 1, Curry Rolls Ankle, Cavs Cruise To Game 1 Victory

NBA

Steph Curry 2The Golden State Warriors started their playoff run with a bang, crushing the Houston Rockets in Game 1 of the Western Conference Playoffs. By the end of the first quarter, the Rockets were down 33-15, and it only got worse. Reigning MVP Steph Curry was in good form the first half, scoring 24 points. But with two minutes to go in the half, Curry rolled his ankle and had to limp off to the locker room. While he came back in the third quarter, he wasn’t quite the same. He skipped practice the next day and is now questionable for game 2 of the Warriors-Rockets series on Monday. On the bright side, if Curry doesn’t play game 2, he’ll have a four day rest before Game 3 on Thursday. Golden State 104, Houston 78.

In a somewhat closer game, the Cleveland Cavaliers overtook the Detroit Pistons by just 5 points Sunday. LeBron James kept the momentum going, with 11 assists and 22 points, but it was teammates Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love who had the best day. Irving scored a team-high 31 points, and Love— in only his fifth postseason game ever– put up 28 points. The Pistons did everything to hang on, but ultimate fell short. The Pistons were 3-1 in the two teams’ regular season matchups earlier this season. Cleveland 106, Detroit 101

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