Fight Video: Watch Trevor Gillies handle Jon Mirasty for TKO victory

22 Oct
2012

When Jon Mirasty was with Vityaz of the KHL last season, he and his buddy Jeremy Yablonski laid waste to many a challenger as the pair, along with Kip Brennan and Nick Tarnasky, piled up a whopping 784 penalty minutes earning quite the reputation wherever they traveled.

Mirasty, Brennan and Tarnasky moved on from Vityaz over the summer, so to help replace all those fighting majors the team brought in noted goon Trevor Gillies. On Monday, Vityaz faced off against Mirasty's Barys. And while Yablonski did not suit up, Mirasty and Gillies did and the pair dropped the gloves just 2:28 into the opening period.

Via HockeyFights.com:

As you'll notice, Mirasty wasn't smiling this time around while getting punched in the face as Gillies earned the TKO. It's also pretty clear that Mirasty suffered some sort of head injury judging by his short skate to the penalty box and his lengthy, lengthy fight card.

The game was built up with the hope that old teammates, Yablonski and Mirasty, would take center stage, but Yablonski being out killed those thoughts. There's always next time as the two sides meet again on Dec. 3.

Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy

Tags: Brennan, , Jeremy Yablonski, Jon Mirasty, Kip Brennan, , Nick Tarnasky, , , TKO, Trevor Gillies, , waste
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Ball Don’t Lie’s 2012-13 NBA Season Previews: The Dallas Mavericks

22 Oct
2012

For the first time in two years we'll have an orthodox, full-length NBA season to look forward to. No lockout nonsense, and precious little obsession as to whether or not LeBron James will ever win the big one. He's won it, already, and our sanity as NBA followers is probably better off as a result. However big that shred of sanity is remains to be seen, following yet another offseason that once again proved that the NBA is full of Crazy McCrazytons that appear to take great delight in messing with us continually.

As a result of that offseason, and the impending regular season, why not mess with Ball Don't Lie's triptych of Kelly Dwyer, Dan Devine and Eric Freeman as they preview the 2012-13 season with alacrity, good cheer, and bad jokes.

We continue with the already disappointed Dallas Mavericks.

Kelly Dwyer's Kilt-Straightener

There is nothing new to this Dallas Mavericks team that hasn't been covered already in our discussion about Dallas' various offseason deals, and the team's announcement that Dirk Nowitzki would miss six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic surgery on his right knee. The Dallas Mavericks are hoping to sneak in the back door of the playoffs this season after a calculated personnel gamble went (relative to its potential peak) terribly wrong, all the while hoping to bide time to restock the roster during the 2013 offseason.

Even if we do appreciate the strengths of this roster, this turn of events is frustrating to note -- especially heading into the last two weeks of October, with every NBA team tied for first. It doesn't mean that anyone is writing off the Mavericks' 2012-13 turn, however. Far from it.

Things will go terribly, to start. Nowitzki's absence means the squad will badly struggle to create spacing, shots, and eventual scores. It's true that the team's November schedule (after October openers against the Lakers and Utah) doesn't appear to be all that tough, but also keep in mind that Nowitzki-less games against the likes of Golden State, Portland, Toronto, Cleveland, Chicago, Charlotte and Washington (OK, not Charlotte and Washington) are going to be evenly-matched at best and a loss on paper at worst. There is a real chance Dallas could dig out of this hole with a 5-11 record heading into December. And that might be charitable.

This is in the Western conference, as well, with a series of improving teams attempting to break through the (pro-rated) 45-win barrier Dallas and Utah established last year and glom onto a playoff spot. Luckily for Nowitzki's knee, Kevin Love's knuckles and Andrew Bogut's ankle (geez … look out: LaMarcus Aldridge's labrum) are keeping the Mavericks' hope afloat.

The point is to get to the All-Star break with a respectable record after 50 games, with at least 2400 minutes of data and game tape for Rick Carlisle's coaching staff (now missing yet another top assistant, with Terry Stotts taking over in Portland) and Mark Cuban's endless array of number crunchers to sift through. From there, knee-willing, Carlisle will attempt to surround Nowitzki with the sort of helpers he needs to succeed — winning about 20 out of 30 down the stretch to make this whole exercise worthwhile.

Was it worth it? The team's motivations have been obvious since December of 2011, when the franchise declined to re-sign Tyson Chandler; instead focusing on the depth the squad already had (in the form of Brendan Haywood and Lamar Odom) and attempting to hold serve for a lockout-shortened season until cap space and a shot at either Deron Williams or Dwight Howard set in come July.

Williams and Howard, famously in ways we're all sick of, signed elsewhere. The Mavericks did the smart thing in finding chopped up contracts from all areas — Elton Brand, O.J. Mayo, Chris Kaman, Darren Collison, Dahntay Jones — all fantastic role players for a team featuring a superstar or two. The problem being that the Dallas Mavericks only employ one superstar, and he's likely out until December. Well-meaning vets can often put you over the top, but this is asking quite a lot from this crew.

Until then, the Mavs are in a "what do you want me to say?"-situation. It's true that the team would be better with Chandler aboard, but it's also true they'll go into the 2013 offseason with nearly as much free cap space to surround Dirk with, with a free agent cast that could serve as a better depth-defying batch of providers than another lone superstar and crew of minimum contract wonders ever could. The team took a big chance, missed out, and now they're trying to recover.

What do you want them to say?

Projected record: 42-40

Fear Itself with Dan Devine

It is tonally appropriate that the NBA season tips off just before Halloween -- because on any given night, each and every one of the league's 30 teams can look downright frightening. Sometimes, that means your favorite team will act as their opposition's personal Freddy Krueger; sometimes, you will be the one suffering through the living nightmare. In preparation for Opening Night, BDL's Dan Devine considers what makes your team scary and what should make you scared.

What Makes You Scary: Rick Carlisle and a defense that survived last year's purge. One week ago, this section probably would've been titled something like "Dirk Nowitzki entering a season in shape and without a title hangover," but, well, y'know. Now, as Dallas heads into the season without its biggest gun, Mavericks fans looking for something else to hang their 10-gallon hats on should take a gander at the sideline, where owner Mark Cuban this summer re-upped one of the league's smartest tacticians.

Over the course of his first four years in Dallas, Rick Carlisle's teams won better than 63 percent of their games, and while the lion's share of the credit goes to the talent-stocked rosters he was handed, some should also be reserved for Carlisle's ability to consistently engineer floor spacing and balance in his motion-style offense, putting the myriad shooters Cuban's handed him in prime positions to consistently find quality looks in the half-court. Similarly, while much of the praise for Dallas' defensive improvement in Carlisle's first three years belongs to top-flight assistant Dwane Casey (now engineering a similar rise up the ranks in Toronto) and gifted mistake-eraser Tyson Chandler (now cleaning up messes in New York), it's worth noting that Carlisle helmed top-tier defenses before coming to Dallas, too -- all six of his Detroit Pistons and Indiana Pacers teams posted top-11 finishes in defensive efficiency, with three ('02-'03 Pistons, '03-'04 and '05-'06 Pacers) turning in top-five performances, according to NBA.com's stat tool.

So it shouldn't be especially stunning that, even without Casey and Chandler last season, the Mavs allowed the league's eighth-fewest points per 100 possessions; as we noted in saying so long to Dallas after their first-round loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the defense wasn't the problem. Whether the Mavs can again produce a top-10 defensive unit will depend largely on Carlisle's ability to get newly imported power forward Elton Brand (who anchored the back line of the league's No. 3 defense in Philadelphia last season) comfortable in Dallas' matchup zone system, on do-everything defender Shawn Marion continuing to wreak havoc on opponents at four different positions and on offseason acquisition Dahntay Jones being able to consistently contribute his brand of tough, physical on-ball defense on opposing wings off the bench. A pair of rookies -- versatile forward Jae Crowder (reportedly an advanced-for-his-age help defender) and shot-blocking center Bernard James (who's just at an advanced age) -- could play key roles, too.

The task of integrating a slew of new pieces (interesting and talented pieces, but still new ones) into Dallas' established framework is a daunting one, to be sure -- the Mavericks already looked to have hardly any margin for error in a competitive and improved Western Conference, and Nowitzki's injury all but eliminated what little they did have. (More on that in a moment.) But few are better equipped to adjust on the fly on both ends of the court than Carlisle, giving Dallas fans reason some reason for optimism.

What Should Make You Scared: Spending somewhere between one and two months without Dirk ready to carry the load. The Mavericks' chances of making their 13th consecutive postseason appearance took a considerable hit last Friday, when news broke that longtime franchise centerpiece Nowitzki had undergone arthroscopic surgery to offer some relief to his injured right knee. While the team's initial post-scope timetable pegged Dirk at four to six weeks away from resuming on-court activities, the Mavs over the weekend indicated they're optimistic he'll recover more quickly ... although "hope" and "optimism" are dicey words to associate with a 34-year-old 7-footer's return from the first knee surgery of his life, "quick healer" or no.

Let's assume, though, that the Mavericks' adjusted expectations are accurate, that Nowitzki is ready to get back on the court after three weeks and will miss only the first fortnight or so of the season, costing him the year's first seven (if he returns Monday, Nov. 12, against the Minnesota Timberwolves) or eight (if he comes back Wednesday, Nov. 14, against the Washington Wizards) games. And despite the fact that "get back on the court" is something of a nebulous turn of phrase -- "resuming on-court activities" doesn't necessarily mean "suiting up for a game" or even "fully participating in practices" -- let's further assume that he's back in uniform and going all-out by the middle of November. Even so: How quickly can we reasonably expect Dirk to play his way back to shape and sharpness?

For a player (even an all-time great) whose game revolves so much around touch, feel and precision, re-establishing rhythm can take time; remember, it took Nowitzki about one-third of the lockout-shortened 2011-12 season to shake summer rust and get game-fit, as he averaged just 16.9 points and six rebounds on 44.7 percent shooting (including a scary 18.4 percent mark from 3-point range) in 20 games between Christmas Day and Feb. 1. If it takes anywhere near that long for Dirk to return to form after three weeks on the shelf following a couple of weeks of intermittent practicing and missed preseason games surrounding a pair of procedures to drain fluid from the knee, Dallas is in deep trouble.

Mavs backers will likely point to the fact that the team managed an 11-9 mark in last year's 20 substandard season-opening appearances, and actually won all three early-season games Nowitzki missed due to knee/conditioning problems. Going .500 or better while Dirk's gone and/or not quite himself figures to be a tougher task this time around, though. While last year's Mavs could rely on veterans with multiple years of experience in Carlisle's system like Jason Kidd, Jason Terry and Brendan Haywood to run the offense, create shots and backstop the defense, this season's squad features eight new faces and three (without Dirk, likely four) new starters, meaning the Mavericks won't yet be able to rely on established hallmarks of continuity, familiarity or execution to carry them to wins without their organizing principle. (Dallas' early schedule could be its saving grace -- eight of the Mavs' first 12 games come against teams that finished in the lottery last season, including a pair against the Charlotte Bobcats, always a sight for sore eyes/knees.)

As Rob Mahoney noted at SI.com's The Point Forward, the issue isn't only the loss of Nowitzki's individual production, but more that his absence upsets everything Dallas does offensively, screwing with spacing, allowing opponents to simplify their defensive game plans and requiring his supporting cast to offer greater production while facing increased attention. For a team whose offense fell off a cliff last year even with Dirk in the lineup -- from the league's eighth-most efficient offense in 2010-11 to No. 20 of 30 in '11-'12 -- and looks to again have few players who can create their own shots reliably enough to ease defensive pressure on teammates, things could get ugly quickly. Carlisle has one of the game's brightest offensive minds, but unless one of Dallas' role players takes a great leap forward when given the chance to see more of the ball (lookin' at you, Ovinton J'Anthony) or Dirk's ready to be the fire of old as soon as he tears off the warmups, the Mavericks' postseason hopes could be dead in the water.

(By the way: Stuff like this is why you go all-out to actually get that all-world playmaker your big man wanted, rather than miss the opportunity to "close the sale" -- not only because he can dish out those assists, but also because he can shoulder the scoring load when the German's ailing. Alas.)

Eric Freeman's Identity Crisis

There is no more important asset for a basketball team than talent, and yet the more loaded squad does not always win. What we've seen in recent seasons isn't only that the best team wins, but that the group with the clearest sense of self, from management down through the players, prevails. A team must not only be talented, but sure of its goals, present and future, and the best methods of obtaining them. Most NBA teams have trouble with their identity. Eric Freeman's Identity Crisis is a window into those struggles, the accomplishment of realizing a coherent identity, and the pitfalls of believing these issues to be solved.

Though retroactive narrativizing would have us believe otherwise, the Mavericks' 2011 title came as a shock to many. Few analysts considered them to be a serious title contender when the postseason began, and some (including me) even thought they'd lose in the first round. That's not to say that the Mavs were undeserving, or that the championship was a fluke. It just drastically changed the expectations and meaning of an aging squad that appeared to be heading into a transitional period.

Over the past two summers and last season, Dallas has gone about the same transition everyone expected them to prior to their title. Jason Kidd, Tyson Chandler, Jason Terry, and others have left in free agency, with new, younger, not-quite-as-effective replacements coming in. The currently hobbled Dirk Nowitzki remains the focal point, but his age isn't going to stop being an issue. The hope was that these developments would also allow the Mavericks to bring in another superstar, presumably either Dwight Howard or Deron Williams. And while those pursuits failed (because of Mark Cuban's absence or not) the strategy continues to make sense regardless of its outcomes.

What's changed is how we respond to that risk not panning out. What Cuban and Donnie Nelson realized — accurately, I believe — is that the age and pending free agency of so many of their championship-winning players would cause the Mavs' time at the top to be short-lived. Instead of feeling beholden to that group, they chased long-term relevance and a more effective transition from one period of contention to what they hope will be another. The trouble now is that, because it didn't quite work, it's unclear exactly what the Mavs are. The recency of their championship marks them out as a dangerous squad, but the amount of roster turnover, as well as their advancing age, would typically force them into a position of diminished relevance.

To be sure, the Mavericks are still very good, and should be better than last season if only because they'll have more days off and had more time to plan for the considerable changes in their lineup. But it's also not quite wrong to think their post-title developments have been a worst-case scenario: key players have left, with only decent players and no superstars arriving to help out.

The good news, of course, is that their championship wasn't a dream. While it's natural to hope that a ring is the beginning of a dominant period rather than the culmination of a great run, that achievement means enough to render the aftermath largely irrelevant. It should go without saying, but: even one championship is a major accomplishment. If the Mavericks don't quite know what they are right now or have a solid sense of where they're heading, at least they can rest easy knowing that their past ended as well as it possibly could have.

Tags: court, , , , , , task
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Sunday Scene, Week 7: Maurice Jones-Drew limps out of Oakland

21 Oct
2012
by in General

The image over on the right? Yeah, that's the worst.

That would be Maurice Jones-Drew on the sideline, supported by crutches, not playing football.

MJD suffered a left foot injury on the first play from scrimmage in Jacksonville's loss to Oakland on Sunday, exiting after his second carry. He spent an eternity on a bench, getting taped and de-taped, but was eventually carted to the locker room for additional maintenance. While there, he presumably picked up Rashad Jennings in all of his fantasy leagues.

When Jones-Drew emerged in the second half, he was out of uniform, looking crushed. His foot was in a boot. We don't yet know the exact nature of MJD's malfunction, but this doesn't have the look of a minor issue. If you own him in fantasy, Sunday afternoon was unusually painful.

Jennings clearly becomes a mandatory add. He's available in 80 percent of Yahoo! leagues, so most of you can make a play for his services. We've had a few false alarms with Jennings over the years, but this sure seems to be an actionable event. Rashad gained 102 yards on 28 touches against the Raiders (seven catches included), finding the end zone on a five-yard run in the second quarter. He's not perfect MJD replacement, but he's talented enough to perhaps pay 90 cents on the dollar.

The Jaguars have a few appealing match-ups remaining on the schedule (Indianapolis, Tennessee, Buffalo), games in which a healthy Jones-Drew would be a top-five fantasy option. If MJD's injury is of the multi-week variety, you'll want Jennings on your roster.

[Monday update: Well, the early word is in on Jones-Drew's foot, and it's not great news. He'll definitely miss the Week 8 match-up with Green Bay, and could in fact be out for an extended period, per his head coach. It's a mid-foot injury. Fantasy-wise, the advice remains the same: Add Jennings wherever you can.]

As if losing Jones-Drew wasn't painful enough, Jacksonville also had to turn to backup QB Chad Henne on Sunday. He checked in when Blaine Gabbert exited with a left shoulder injury. Henne then did many of the usual Henne things, finishing 9-for-20 with 70 yards and no TDs, and the Jags dropped a game in which they held a 14-point second-half lead.

The Raiders didn't deliver an offensive clinic, but they did enough to beat a bad team. Darren McFadden averaged less than 3.0 YPC for the fifth time this season, rushing for just 53 yards on 19 carries. Carson Palmer passed for 298 yards and one TD, and he poached a one-yard rushing score from DMC (easily my least favorite moment of the day. Let us not speak of it again).

At halftime of the Saints-Bucs game, Drew Brees was on pace to throw for over 600 yards, and various single-game passing records seemed to be at risk. But when all the stats were in, Tampa quarterback Josh Freeman actually delivered the greater yardage total. Freeman went 24-for-42 against New Orleans, passing for 420 yards and three scores. He should have had a fourth TD, but Vincent Jackson couldn't quite make it to the goal line on this long catch. (Hit that link. You just don't see many 95-yard non-scoring plays). And Freeman probably should have had a fifth TD when he found Mike Williams in the back of the end zone on the game's final play, but ... well, the NFL rulebook can be cruel. Right call, weird rule.

Freeman's huge performance wasn't really much of a surprise, because someone puts up a big number against the Saints every week. Incredibly enough, the New Orleans defense has yet to hold any opponent below 24 points or 420 total yards this season. The Bucs rolled up 28 and 513 in Week 7. Peyton Manning & Co. will feast next Sunday.

We should note that Doug Martin had a useful day for Tampa, rushing for 85 yards and one TD on 16 carries, adding three catches for 37 yards. But Martin's owners were no doubt livid when LeGarrette Blount took back-to-back-to-back goal line carries following V-Jax's long reception. Blount did nothin' with his opportunities, as he was stuffed, re-stuffed and re-re-stuffed.

Here's how that nonsense looked in the box score play-by-play...

Chris Johnson had a monster first half at Buffalo, then followed with a respectable final two quarters. CJ finished just five rushing yards shy of 200 and he found the end zone twice. He could have actually had a much bigger fantasy day, but 230-pound Jamie Harper vultured a pair of one-yard scores.

"I don't think I've ever had a bad game against [Buffalo]," said Johnson after the game. That comment may have been the understatement of the day. In three career games against the Bills, CJ has rushed for 480 yards(!) and six TDs, catching 11 passes for 107 yards.

Fred Jackson and CJ Spiller again split the backfield work for Buffalo, finishing with 17 and 18 touches respectively. Jackson gained 120 total yards and crossed the goal line once, while Spiller picked up 102 without scoring. Scott Chandler had a quiet day (2-15-0), notable because the Titans' defense has been destroyed by opposing tight ends all year.

Andrew Luck's name isn't exactly the first that comes to mind when we think of dual-threat QBs, but the kid offers sneaky value via the ground game. He ran for a pair of short scores in the win over Cleveland on Sunday, and has now totaled 29.5 year-to-date fantasy points as a rusher. Luck ran for 957 yards and seven scores in his three-year collegiate career, so the rushing contributions aren't completely unexpected. Vick Ballard and Delone Carter combined for 125 yards on 31 carries against the Browns, but neither broke the plane.

Josh Gordon delivered another Devery Henderson-style game for Cleveland, catching two passes for 59 yards and a score, dropping another ball that should have gone for a TD. Brandon Weeden had his second turnover-free outing of the season, passing for 256 yards and two touchdowns against Indy, but it wasn't enough. The Browns never managed to get anything going on the ground; Trent Richardson struggled for a half with his rib injury, carrying eight times for eight yards, then sat after the break due to ineffectiveness. He apparently did not aggravate the rib issue, if his head coach can be believed. Let's hope that's the case. But bad is bad, whatever the reason.

The Ravens were pummeled by the Texans in Week 7, as severely as the Texans were beaten by the Packers in Week 6. Baltimore was out-scored 43-13 and out-gained in total yardage, 420 to 176. The Texans defense accounted for nine points (safety, pick-six), plus they sacked Joe Flacco four times and intercepted him twice (both on tipped passes).

"Sometimes you get thrown outta the bar," said John Harbaugh in his postgame comments. So, so true.

If anyone can explain why Arian Foster was still on the field for Houston in the fourth quarter, with his team leading 36-13, I'd love to hear it. That seemed a little risky, but it certainly worked out well for Foster's owners. Arian finished with 103 scrimmage yards and two TDs on 20 touches. Andre Johnson gave us a decent fantasy line, too (9-for-86), something you can take to the trade market. And Matt Schaub threw the non-block of the day, at the 2:50 mark in this clip.

Adrian Peterson was a highlight machine on Sunday against Arizona, running over and around the Cards all afternoon, ultimately delivering 153 yards on 23 carries. Check the tape on his 13-yard rushing TD. That thing is straight from the '08 files. Almost unfair. It's a good thing for the Vikes that AP was dominant in Week 7, because Christian Ponder offered little help. He completed just eight passes to Minnesota receivers and two to Cardinals defenders, finishing with only 58 passing yards and a 35.5 rating. Percy Harvin owners should be ecstatic that their guy caught four balls for 37 yards and a score. He owned nearly all the receiving stats.

LaRod Stephens-Howling, not William Powell, was the primary back for Arizona this week, and he overcame both a tricky match-up and an unimpressive O-line. LSH gained 149 scrimmage yards on 24 touches, crossing the goal line on a three-yard score in the second quarter. He's a teacup running back (5-foot-7, 185), not a player from whom you'd expect a huge workload, but he's obviously the Cards back to own right now (if you insist on owning one).

Once again, Steven Jackson and Daryl Richardson shared backfield responsibilities for the Rams, with moderately useful results. S-Jax rushed for 57 yards and a score on 12 carries, while Richardson had 11 touches for 79 yards. For now, you should think of both players as low-yield flex options. Without an injury (which we never root for) or a trade (which we sometimes root for, but rarely happens), this situation will remain a mess. Brandon Gibson caught five more balls for St. Louis, gaining 60 yards. He's an even lower-yield flex, though the Week 8 match-up with New England is interesting.

Aaron Rodgers had exactly the sort of day you envisioned when you drafted him, completing 30 of 37 throws for 342 yards and three scores, two of which went to Randall Cobb. Rodgers' final touchdown pass, a 39-yarder to Cobb, required weapons-grade precision. Look at this thing. That's evil. Sprinting left, then firing an on-target missile. Go outside, right now, and try to make that pass. [Expletive] Aaron [expletive] Rodgers.

If you're tired of listening to fantasy gurus hyping RG3, slobbering over his highlights, then maybe you'll enjoy hearing from a few opposing defensive players. Here's a sampling of comments from various Giants, discussing Griffin (via Mike Garafolo):

"Man, that sonofabitch is legit, ain't he?" Umenyiora told USA TODAY Sports.

[...]

"He's faster than I thought he was," Pierre-Paul said. "Very fast."

Said defensive tackle Chris Canty, "He's faster in person than he is on tape. There's nothing you can do to simulate it. You try. But he's unbelievably fast and he presents another element to the offense. ... You've got to face him in person to understand what you're dealing with."

And here's just one more, because it's so good...

"He takes away your enthusiasm for the game a little bit when you play a play perfectly and he still has the 4.3 speed to outrun guys and make plays," Tuck said. "I don't think there's anybody in the league like him."

Repeat: "He takes away your enthusiasm for the game." That's Justin Tuck talking, gamers — a man with great enthusiasm.

Griffin passed for 258 yards and two scores against the champs, adding another 89 yards on the ground. The 30-yard pass he completed to Santana Moss for a late go-ahead TD was excellent, but the scrambling play he made to keep the drive alive on fourth-and-10 was better.

The bad news for Washington — well, aside from the fact that the 'Skins lost on Sunday, because they lost control of Victor Cruz — is that Fred Davis suffered an Achilles injury, and it's believed to be a season-ender. With Davis out and Pierre Garcon hobbled, there's a clear opportunity for Moss to return to fantasy relevance. He caught a pair of touchdown passes in Week 7, though he also lost a fumble that effectively ended the game (denying us more RG3 ridiculousness). Chris Cooley is expected to return to the 'Skins, replacing Davis.

The Pats and Jets delivered an exciting game on Sunday, loaded with mistakes. Rex Ryan's team has really made me hate the AFC. I'm done with that conference. Next season, I'm playing nothing but NFC-only leagues.

As much as I'd like to ignore every Jets game forever, I'm duty-bound to report on injuries. Shonn Greene was walloped by Brandon Spikes in the fourth quarter on Sunday, taking a shot to the helmet, and he remained down for a moment. Eventually Greene plodded off the field, but he was definitely dinged. Joe McKnight took over in New York's backfield, delivering a Greene-like 3.3 yards per carry.

After his team's home loss to Dallas in Week 7, Cam Newton was kind of a rambling mess in his presser. That's him pictured on the right, wearing the wookiee-fur sweater. You can listen to his full comments via this link. Here's the mopiest moment:

"The past couple of games have been the same script, by the same director. It's kind of getting boring. It always comes down to the end, when we have our opportunities. ... I sound like a broken record, and I just keep — this taste, this vibe — I'm not buying it, man. And I don't know what it is, but something's gonna have to change. Something's gonna have to change real fast in order for us to make that next step."

So he's just not right. Cam also referred to a reporter as "sweetheart," because if he's gonna dress like your creepy junior high principal then he might as well talk like him, too.

There are no easy answers for the Panthers at the moment, and I have no idea why they gave DeAngelo Williams that huge pile of guaranteed money if they don't intend to use him. DeAngelo carried just twice against Cowboys, gaining four yards. He had only six carries in Week 5. All Carolina backs are off the board next week, as the team travels to Chicago.

EARLY ADDS FOR WEEK 8

QB Sam Bradford, St. Louis (vs. NE)
QB Josh Freeman, Tampa Bay (at Min)
QB Christian Ponder, Minnesota (vs. TB)
QB Carson Palmer, Oakland (at KC)
RB Rashad Jennings, Jacksonville (at GB)
RB LaRod Stephens-Howling, Arizona (vs. SF)
RB Daryl Richardson, St. Louis (vs. NE)
RB Shane Vereen, New England (at STL)
RB Kendall Hunter, San Francisco (at Ari)
WR Santana Moss, Washington (at Pit)
WR Leonard Hankerson, Washington (at Pit)
WR Davone Bess, Miami (at NYJ)
WR Brandon Gibson, St. Louis (vs. NE)
WR Andre Roberts, Arizona (vs. SF)
WR Vincent Brown (IR), San Diego (at Cle)
TE Brandon Myers, Oakland (at KC)

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Max Scherzer parties with custom mismatched goggles for his mismatched eyes

19 Oct
2012

It hasn't been hard to spot Detroit Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer in the middle of all the team's champagne celebrations this month. The right-hander, who has heterochromia iridum (two different colored eyes), was recently gifted with a pair of mismatched goggles by his girlfriend Erica May.  Scherzer attracted attention after wearing them for the ALDS party over Oakland and then donned them again when the Tigers clinched a berth in the World Series on Thursday night.

If someone started mass producing these for sale, it's safe to say they'd move a few in Motown. Scherzer was sterling in the 8-1 clinching victory over the New York Yankees in Game 4 of the ALCS, striking out 10 and allowing only one run over 5 2/3 innings. This will be the first World Series for the 28-year-old and it could come against a team Scherzer is pretty familiar with if the St. Louis Cardinals can close out their win in the NLCS. Scherzer grew up in the St. Louis area and played college ball at Mizzou.

Scherzer's eyes have inspired a lookalike bobblehead doll, a parody Twitter account and a spot on the list of famous people with heterochromia.  His two-toned peers include Mila Kunis, Jane Seymour and Dan Akroyd, though Scherzer's case is so pronounced that he stands out from almost every one on that list.

He's probably the only one with a custom pair of champagne goggles, too.

Make sure all your bases are covered this postseason ...
Follow @bigleaguestew, @KevinKaduk and the BLS Facebook page!

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Tags: champagne, girlfriend, , , , ,
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Greg Salas, pair of Rams offensive linemen earning increased practice squad salaries

18 Oct
2012

Following the final roster cuts before the start of the 2012 regular season, the New England Patriots acquired wide receiver Greg Salas from the St. Louis Rams. The transaction made sense as the price to acquire Salas was cheap (late-round draft choice in 2015), the Patriots have the league's oldest receiving corps (average age of 29.9 years), and he caught 27 passes for 264 yards while playing for Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels as a fourth-round pick out of the University of Hawaii by the Rams in 2011.

Salas was inactive for the first two games of the regular season before he was waived by the Patriots to free up a roster spot for Deion Branch. Salas was re-signed to the practice squad on Sept. 20 at a rate of $8,800 per week ($149,600 over a full season), much higher than the $5,700 per week practice squad salary minimum. Two weeks later, the Patriots increased Salas' practice squad salary to the same $465,000 rate he had been earning while on the 53-man roster.

According to a source with knowledge of the situation, an undisclosed club attempted to sign Salas to their 53-man roster, prompting the Patriots to raise his salary.

Paying a practice squad player at an active roster rate is nothing new to the Patriots. At one point during the 2011 season nearly all of the players on the eight-man practice squad were being paid above the minimum, including current active roster center/guard Nick McDonald and current practice squad players Matt Kopa, Alex Silvestro and Malcolm Williams. This season, Kopa is earning $8,820 per week ($149,940 rate), the same rate that center/guard Thomas Austin had been earning prior to his release. Austin is currently on the Carolina Panthers' 53-man roster.

Rams Investing In Developmental Offensive Linemen

The Rams were not the team that attempted to poach Salas, but they are currently paying a pair of practice squad offensive linemen at an increased rate. Brandon Washington, a fifth-round pick out of the University of Miami by the Philadelphia Eagles, has been earning a practice squad rate of $9,500 per week ($161,500 over a full 17-week season) since joining the Rams in Week 1. The 6-foot-3, 320-pound Washington played left guard before moving to left tackle for the Hurricanes, but is viewed as a guard prospect at the NFL level.

In addition to Washington, the Rams are paying offensive tackle Ty Nsekhe at an increased rate. The 6-foot-8, 325-pound Nsekhe played his college ball at Texas State and had arena league stints with the Corpus Christi Sharks, Dallas Vigilantes, Philadelphia Soul and San Antonio Talons from 2009 to 2012 before he was signed by the Indianapolis Colts on Aug. 1. Nsekhe was waived by the Colts and claimed by the Rams and appeared in 15 snaps (eight on offense, seven on special teams) in two of the three games he on the 53-man roster before he was waived and re-signed to the practice squad.

When initially re-signed to the practice squad, the Rams began paying Nsekhe at the same $9,500 per week rate that Washington had been receiving, but that was quickly bumped up to $22,900 per week ($389,300 over a full season), $41.18 per week less than the 26-year-old had been earning on the 53-man roster. Several clubs had been interested in Nsekhe when the Rams waived him and increasing his rate should help keep him in Earth City.

Other Practice Squad Players Earning Increased Rates

Minnesota Vikings running back Jordan Todman - $10,000 per week ($170,000)
New Orleans Saints wide receiver Andy Tanner - $7,000 per week ($119,000)
New York Jets tight end Hayden Smith - $6,875 per week ($116,875)
Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver B.J. Cunningham - $6,000 per week ($102,000)
Seattle Seahawks quarterback Josh Portis - $6,700 per week ($113,900)

At the beginning of the season, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had been paying defensive end Markus White at a practice squad rate of $299,999. White re-joined the Washington Redskins' 53-man roster (by doing so, White was guaranteed three game checks totaling $82,059) before he was released and rejoined the Buccaneers practice squad, where he spent four days before being elevated to their 53-man roster on Oct. 13. (White was waived on Thursday.)

As noted by Shutdown Corner this week, Baltimore Ravens inside linebacker Josh Bynes had been earning an increased salary while on the team's practice squad.

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7-on-7: Special injured running back edition, featuring Richardson, Bradshaw

18 Oct
2012
by in General

Let's begin with an encouraging quote from Browns rookie Trent Richardson, who was sidelined for a stretch in Week 6 with a rib issue. These were his thoughts on Wednesday, after putting in a limited practice:

"I'm going to try not to let the coaches tell me I can't play," Richardson said after practice. "I want to be out there. I want to be out there with my team. I want to be out there fighting with them, playing every down with them. They usually see me, so in my head, most definitely, I'm playing."

It's clearly a nice sign that Richardson was able to put in some work, mid-week. Cleveland has the Colts on deck, so the match-up is plenty friendly. Indianapolis currently ranks No. 29 against the run, allowing 159.0 rushing yards per game and 5.0 per carry. If Richardson can't handle a full workload, Montario Hardesty will be a factor.

Ahmad Bradshaw is again dealing with some foot problems, of as-yet-unknown severity. Bradshaw is coming off a pair of excellent games, so this is particularly unwelcome news. He didn't practice on Wednesday, so you'll want to pay close attention to the end-of-week reports. We should note that Andre Brown has returned to practice, having sufficiently recovered from his concussion. David Wilson would be in the mix as well, if Bradshaw's issues persist.

Neither Rashard Mendenhall nor Isaac Redman practiced on Wednesday, and the pair is considered questionable for the upcoming Sunday night game at Cincinnati. You'll recall that Pittsburgh's O-line is also banged up (Pouncey, Gilbert), so things aren't looking great for that offense at the moment. The Mendenhall and Redman issues don't seem severe, so there's reason to believe one or both should be good to go.

If Ed Werder can be believed on non-Favre matters, DeMarco Murray is apparently telling Dallas teammates that he'll return for the rematch against the Giants in Week 8. On behalf of Murray owners everywhere, I accept these terms. Felix Jones, of course, remains a solid single-serving play versus the Panthers.

Houston's Ben Tate (toe) practiced on Wednesday, and his head coach had some nice things to say:

Kubiak said [Tate] was "back to work full-time" and "had a really good day."

So that's nice. With Arian Foster on pace for something like 12,000 carries this season, Tate's return to health is key.

OK, that's enough RB news...

Saints tight end Jimmy Graham (ankle) didn't practice on Wednesday, and no one seems to be spreading much sunshine about his condition. This is a legit concern. Graham owners will clearly need to have a Plan B at their disposal. Here's a pile of TEs, for your review.

A bunch of Dwayne Bowe-to-the-Dolphins buzz popped up yesterday, connected to Yahoo!'s Jason Cole. However, Jason himself threw cold water on that specific rumor not long after it erupted. But then he tossed out this nugget...

...so if you're a fan of a receiver-starved team (Washington, Miami, St. Louis, et al), feel free to speculate. Bowe is headed for free agency, unless he gets the franchise tag again. The NFL trade deadline — which is typically a lot less active than your fantasy league's trade deadline — doesn't arrive until Tuesday, October 30.

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Ozzie Smith to auction Gold Gloves (Yahoo! Sports)

16 Oct
2012
LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. (AP) -- Hall of Famer Ozzie Smith is planning to auction his 13 Gold Gloves and a pair of World Series rings he received from the St. Louis Cardinals in retirement.
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V-Jax scores twice in blowout win over Chiefs – Vincent Jackson | TB

14 Oct
2012
Vincent Jackson caught four passes on a team-high eight targets for 66 yards and a pair of touchdowns to lead the Bucs to a 38-10 blowout victory over the Chiefs in Week 6.
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Josh Gordon makes another long-distance house call

14 Oct
2012
by in General

Josh Gordon's last three catches, as of this writing, have gone for 153 yards and three touchdowns. So the Cleveland rookie seems to be making the most of his opportunities.

Gordon caught a pair of TD passes in Week 5 against the Giants — the first went for 62 yards, the next for 20 — and he hauled in a 71-yard score on Sunday against Cincinnati. Highlight here.

Gordon sliced through a Bengals secondary that couldn't run with him (or chose not to), and then made a nifty one-handed catch on Brandon Weeden's throw. Nicely done.

This week, the Browns' receiving corps is without Mohamed Massaquoi (hamstring), Travis Benjamin (another hamstring) and Jordan Norwood (foot, IR), so the team will need whatever Gordon can give. He's clearly on the fantasy radar, available in 89 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

Of course Gordon is also a raw, first-year, 21-year-old wideout tied to a raw, first-year, 65-year-old quarterback, so we have to be careful not to oversell him as a fantasy asset. Still, you have to like what you've seen so far.

If you're among the very small percentage of fantasy owners who gave Gordon a start this week as a Hail Mary, please take a (premature) victory lap in comments...

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The Justin Verlander-Kate Upton rumors have been resurrected, thanks to Justin’s grandpa

12 Oct
2012

Weird. Of all the confidential things our grandfathers ever blurted out about us, we can't remember any of them being about secret dates with a supermodel.

Then again, we are not Justin Verlander and our grandfathers were never contacted by a celebrity website digging around for confirmation on personal details.

Seriously, that's what actually happened to Verlander's pop-pop when Celebuzz recently came knocking about the ever-persistent rumors that the Detroit Tigers ace and Sports Illustrated's current it-girl are an item. The site claims several family members have confirmed the news with gabby gramps chief among them.

[Related: Dominant Verlander give Tigers a trump card for playoffs]

From Celebuzz:

Verlander's grandfather, Richard Verlander Sr., told Celebuzz: "I heard he has been on dates with a Sports Illustrated girl. I saw a photo — she's beautiful.

"They make a good looking pair because he's a good looking man too," said his proud granddad.

"I do know he's on the dating scene. Justin is a fine boy and whoever he ends up with is lucky. He's not only a great baseball player, he's a great guy," he gushed.

The rumors started earlier this year when Verlander, 29, and Upton, 20, shared the set for a couple of video game commercials. They intensified when Upton, a Michigan native who graced the cover of this year's Sports Illustrated swimsuit edition, showed up in a Comerica Park luxury box for a game in July with one of Verlander's best pals. A few sightings during a September road trip to Chicago were also reported.

It's a little hard to believe the pair would be in serious dating mode, considering the hectic schedules that both are keeping as some of the hottest stars in their respective industries. But with Verlander pitching the Tigers into their second straight ALCS with a Game 5 gem against Oakland on Thursday night, the baseball world will get a few more opportunities to confirm the news itself by checking the luxury boxes during Verlander's starts. He's expected to start Games 3 and 7 against either the Yankees and Orioles.

Until then, anyone have a number for Justin's nana?

Big BLS H/N: Sportress of Blogitude

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