Archive for August, 2016

Teddy Bridgewater To Miss Season, Tebow’s Baseball Tryout

FOOTBALL

Teddy BridgewaterMinnesota Vikings QB Teddy Bridgewater will miss the entire 2016 season after the results of his MRI revealed he has an ACL tear. The noncontact injury occurred during a preseason practice after dropping back for a pass. As a second year pro, Bridgewater was selected to the Pro Bowl last year, and was expected to help his team get to the playoffs this season. Vikings Coach Mike Zimmer was on the verge of tears discussing Bridgewaters’ injury but made it a point to show his confidence in backup Shaun Hill.

Former NFL QB Tim Tebow’s tryout with Major League Baseball was a mixed bag on Tuesday. According to insiders, it wasn’t his best showing, but a few teams might be interested in continuing to talk to him.  At 29 years old, Tebow is determined to make a comeback (as a baseball player). Good luck Tebow!

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Bosa And Chargers Finally Sign Deal, Trevor Siemian Starting QB For Denver

FOOTBALL

The Joey Bosa/San Diego Chargers ordeal is finally over. Bosa, the #3 pick in the 2016 NFL draft, finally signed his contract with the team. As reported earlier, the tension between Bosa and the Chargers turned pretty ugly when Bosa declined the Team’s offer of a $17 million signing bonus when only 85% of it was guaranteed in the first year. The details of the final 4 year $26 million dollar contract are complicated, but Bosa is now officially a San Diego Charger and, oh, btw, a very wealthy one. Let’s hope he performs like a #3 pick!

Trevor SiemianFormer NY Jets’ QB Mark Sanchez days in Denver may be over. Trevor Siemian, former QB for Northwestern and the seventh round pick in 2015, looks like he could be Peyton Manning’s successor. As of now, Siemian will open the season for the Denver Broncos on September 8th against the Carolina Panthers. Paxton Lynch, the Team’s #1 pick in this year’s draft, also has a shot to take the field, but that depends on when Coach Gary Kubiak thinks the rookie is ready to lead the Team.

 

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49er QB Colin Kaepernick Refuses To Stand During National Anthem, Romo Out Indefinitely

FOOTBALL

Colin Kaepernick The big news in pre-season football over the weekend was not about how any of the players performed on the field but about a player’s patriotism. The San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick refused to stand for the National Anthem Friday in a pre-season game against the Green Bay Packers. Kaep, who is biracial, claimed he was protesting police brutality and how the US treats black people. He said, “I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses black people and people of color.” He went on to say, “When there’s significant change and I feel like that flag represents what it’s supposed to represent, this country is representing people the way that it’s supposed to, I’ll stand.” While the NFL and the San Francisco 49ers confirmed it’s not required for athletes to stand, many, many, athletes and individuals took to social media criticizing Kaepernick for his unpatriotic actions. As just one example, Justin Pugh (the New York Giants’ lineman) stated Kaep’s actions were “disrespectful to all the men and women who put their lives on the line to protect this country”.

In more pre-season news, the Dallas Cowboys season may be in jeopardy unless they can come up with a suitable replacement for injured QB Tony Romo. Romo is out indefinitely with a broken bone in his back. Backup Dak Prescott was a 4th round pick but has performed well in the pre-season so it will be interesting to see how he fares in September with the pressure of games that truly matter.

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Romo Out With Injury, Elliott’s Solid Debut But Caught By TMZ, Raiders Las Vegas Trademark

FOOTBALL

Ezekiel ElliottThe Dallas Cowboys lost their pre-season game against the Seattle Seahawks Thursday night, which wouldn’t be that big of a deal other than the fact their quarterback Tony Romo left after only one series due to a back injury. Romo had back surgery in 2013 and missed 12 games last season with a broken collarbone. Romo had surgery on his collarbone in the off-season, and was reportedly in great shape coming into pre-season, but the injury Thursday night doesn’t bode well for the team. On the other hand, the 4th overall pick in this year’s draft, running back Ezekiel Elliott from Ohio State, had a solid debut and gave the Cowboy fans something to cheer about. That is, everyone except for Cowboys’ coach Jerry Jones. Jones saw a TMZ video of Elliott visiting a marijuana dispensary hours before the game and wasn’t too pleased. There was no sign he bought anything (marijuana is legal in Seattle) but Jones still wasn’t happy as the  substance is banned in the NFL.

The Oakland Raiders look pretty serious about their intention to relocate to Las Vegas. They recently filed for the trademark “Las Vegas Raiders”. Unfortunately, they should have thought of securing the trademark back in January when the owner was mulling the idea of a move. Six individuals have already filed for this trademark, so the U.S. Patent and  Trademark Office will have to sort it out. The trademark is a minor issue when it comes to moving a team. Among the many hurdles is securing financing and getting 24 of the 32 NFL teams to approve of the move.

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Lochte Joins Dancing With Stars, Hope Solo Suspended, Ole Miss Coach Fakes Funeral, Chargers Pull Offer To Bosa

OLYMPICS

Dancing with the starsApparently the whole Ryan Lochte story isn’t exactly what’s been reported. According to new reports, Lochte didn’t ransack a gas station. He and his posse did urinate in the bushes and destroy a poster, but that’s all. Two security guards at the station, pulled guns and took $50 in cash, but their previous claim they were held up by fake policemen was false. Lochte’s reputation may never be the same after his “exaggeration”, but he may have a chance to redeem himself this Fall. According to news outlets, Lochte will appear in the next rendition of Dancing with the Stars airing on Sept. 12th.

Goalie Hope Solo was suspended for six months by US Soccer for calling Sweden “a bunch of cowards”. At 35 years old, Solo also had her contract terminated by the US National Team. US Soccer President stated: “Taking into consideration the past incidents involving Hope, as well as the private conversations we’ve had requiring her to conduct herself in a manner befitting a U.S. national team member, U.S. Soccer determined this is the appropriate disciplinary action.”

FOOTBALL

Coaches try all sorts of motivating tactics but Ole Miss’ football coach took an unusual route. He faked his own funeral to show his players what he would want said about him when the time comes. We’ll see how well this strategy worked when the season begins.

In NFL news, the San Diego Chargers pulled their offer to first round draft pick Joey Bosa. Bosa, a defensive end from Ohio State, was the #3 pick in the 2016 draft. If he had agreed to the contract with the Team, he would have received (according to the Chargers) a signing bonus larger than any rookie in the last two years. According to reports, one point of contention was Bosa wanted 100% of his $17 million signing bonus while the Chargers wanted to grant him 85% at signing and the rest in March. NFL rules state Bosa can not be traded to another team at this point as he would have had to sign his contract with the Chargers by August 8th in order for San Diego to trade him.  Looks like Bosa didn’t anticipate the Chargers tough stance!

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Saga Of Todd Marinovich, Michigan Loses 3 Players And One Over A Barbecue

FOOTBALL

For anyone old enough to remember former USC superstar quarterback Todd Marinovich, the sad saga continues. He was recently found naked in a neighbors yard and arrested for drug possession. Marinovich was drafted by the Oakland Raiders in 1991 with the 24th pick (ahead of Brett Favre) but after multiple failed drug tests even the Hair drug test offered by https://hairfollicledrugtest.info/, was released after on only a few games. The fascinating and upsetting story of Marinovich was captured in a Sports Illustrated story from 1988 describing Todd’s fathers obsession with turning him into a star athlete:

“He is, in a real sense, America’s first test-tube athlete. He has never eaten a Big Mac or an Oreo or a Ding Dong. When he went to birthday parties as a kid, he would take his own cake and ice cream to avoid sugar and refined white flour. He would eat homemade catsup, prepared with honey. He did consume beef but not the kind injected with hormones. He ate only unprocessed dairy products. He teethed on frozen kidney. When Todd was one month old, Marv was already working on his son’s physical conditioning. He stretched his hamstrings. Pushups were next.”

MichiganIn college football, the University of Michigan has lost three recruits in the last two days. On Monday, after losing defensive tackle Leonard Taylor, Aubrey Solomon, a defensive lineman, decommitted after a thank you note mistake. The recruit was sent a thank you note for a barbecue he never attended and took the slight personally. He said it was “heartbreaking” to be so high on their list and then be confused with someone else. On Wednesday, yet another player, offensive lineman Jalil Irvin also decommitted claiming he needed more time to discuss the decision with his mom and coaches.

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Kobe Bryant’s $100 Million VC Fund & 8/24 Day, Wilson Shuns NC For Wedding, Lochte Loses Sponsorship

NBA

Kobe BryantKobe Bryant is making the most of his retirement from basketball. On Monday he announced his partnership in a $100 million media and technology venture capital fund called BryantStibel (with partner Jeff Stibel).

In more Kobe news, Los Angeles declared 8/24 as Kobe Bryant day. 8 and 24 are the two jersey numbers Kobe wore during his 20 years and 5 NBA Championships with the Lakers. LA City Councilmember Jose Huizar stated, “For 20 years, we were all the beneficiaries of Kobe’s incredible talent and legendary work ethic, and on 8-24 we’ll gather to say, ‘Thank you, Mamba.’”

NFL

Many athletes feel it’s their responsibility to use their fame to heighten social awareness. Seattle Seahawks’ QB Russell Wilson switched the location of his wedding to singer Ciara from North Carolina to London in order to bring awareness to North Carolina’s transgender bathroom law. As a refresher, the NC law states people using restrooms in public schools and government buildings need to use the bathroom corresponding to the sex stated on their birth certificate.

OLYMPICS

Disgraced swimmer Ryan Lochte has been dropped by four of his major sponsors (Speedo, Ralph Lauren, Airweave and Gentle Hair Removal) after admitting he “exaggerated” his story of getting robbed at gunpoint after a night out at the Olympics.

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US Men’s/Women’s Team Cruise To Gold, Neymar’s Kick Wins Gold For Brazil, Curry’s Used Mouthguard Sells At Auction

OLYMPICS

The US Women’s basketball team looked unbeatable from the moment they stepped on the court last week. Fast forward to the Finals and they were still unbeatable and untouchable with an easy win (101-72) over Spain to grab the Gold. The Women’s Team beat their opponents all week by an average of 40 points per game, so crushing Spain in the Final wasn’t a surprise.

The US Men’s basketball team also brought home the Gold. They didn’t look quite as dominant as the women’s team during the week, but with the leadership of Coach K (his third gold medal in 3 Olympic games), the gold-medal game against Serbia was a blowout from the start of the second quarter. US 96, Serbia 66.

NeymarIn the men’s soccer final, Brazil’s Neymar shot the winning penalty kick against Germany in the gold medal game giving Brazil it’s first Gold medal. Neymar had been criticized all week for his commitment to the Team, so when he dropped to his knees after his winning kick, the country erupted in celebration.

Click here for more unforgettable stories (and there certainly were many) from the Rio Olympics.

OTHER

In other, non Olympic news, Steph Curry’s mouthguard was just sold at auction for $3,200. Oh, and did I mention it’s a USED mouthguard. Very odd.

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Lochte And Friends Scandal, Bolt Fastest Man, Eaton World’s Greatest Athlete, Maroulis Historic Wrestling Win

OLYMPICS

The bizarre story of swimmer Ryan Lochte and three other teammates getting robbed at gunpoint by fake police now appears to be fabricated. Lochte’s teammates, Gunnar Bentz and Jack Conger, recanted the story after they were pulled from their flight back to the US. The police also found video from the gas station where the swimmers claimed they were held up, showing Lochte and friends trashing the bathroom and refusing to pay the damages. The swimmers haven’t been formally indicted yet but this story was an embarrassment for the Rio police and for the reputation of the US Team. For more on Ryan Lochte’s self-absorption and bad behavior, read Washington Post’s Sally Jenkins piece.

Usain BoltIn more uplifting news, Jamaica’s Usain Bolt cemented his legacy as the greatest sprinter of all time by winning the 200 meter gold medal on Thursday night. With eight Olympic Gold medals, no one has come close to his legacy on the track. Andre De Grasse of Canada (who brought home the Silver) pushed Bolt a bit in the semi’s but didn’t challenge him in the final. Bolt has now won Gold in the 100 and 200 meters in the last three Olympics. Truly a stunning feat!

Winning the Olympic Decathlon signifies all-around athletic greatness but winning 2 years in a row as the United States’ Ashton Eaton did, is certainly an incredible accomplishment. The Decathlon consists of 10 different track and field events and the winner is considered the “worlds greatest athlete”.

Helen Maroulis stunned Japan’s three time Olympic Gold medalist Saori Yoshida and made history by securing the first ever US Women’s Wrestling Gold.

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US Swimmers Bizarre Story, US Women’s Historical Sweep, Men & Women’s bball In Semis

OLYMPICS

In a bizarre story, two US swimmers, Jack Conger and Gunnar Bentz,  have been detained by Brazilian authorities for discrepancies with their story about getting robbed at gunpoint while returning to the Olympic village. Teammate, Ryan Lochte would have been detained as well but had already left for the US. This story is still developing.

Brianna RollinsUS Track and Field had a big night on Wednesday. For the first time in Olympic history, three teammates swept the 100 meter hurdles. The US women, Brianna Rollins, Nia Ali and Kristi Castlin, took home the Gold, Silver and Bronze respectively and sent a wave of excitement through the crowd as no other Nation has accomplished this feat.

The US men’s basketball team have been heavy favorites but haven’t completely played up to their potential in the last 3 games (even though they’ve still managed to win). With a decisive 27 point victory Wednesday night against Argentina, the Team looks primed (and will need to be at their best) for the semi-final matchup with Spain on Friday night.

The US women’s basketball team continues to dominate their opponents and will head into the semi’s against France on Thursday.

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