Monthly Archives: February 2017

Peterson hasn’t played since Week 1 because of the child abuse case

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The Miami Dolphins’ 28-13 defeat at the hands of the Baltimore Ravens wasn’t their only loss that day. Safety Louis Delmas had to be carted off during the fourth quarter with an apparent knee injury. Tests Monday revealed that he tore his ACL and will miss the rest of the season. Fox Sports reports that the team will place Delmas on injured reserve.

The Dolphins signed Delmas this offseason. He started 12 of the team’s 13 games this season and recorded 61 tackles and a sack. Delmas also scored on a pick six. Fourth-year defensive back Jimmy Wilson is expected to take Delmas’ place in the defense.

Watching the replay of the Browns 25-24 loss to the Colts last Sunday, the fact that he played so poorly even after having his job threatened just the week prior says to me that Hoyer has given it his best shot, but he just isn’t the guy for the job. Hell, he actually was worse this past Sunday, just on his numbers alone.

“Correct,” Vincent testified before arbitrator Harold Henderson, who spent 16 years at the NFL overseeing player and labor relations.

Game Mens Wayne Gretzky Jersey “And that is what you were conveying to Adrian?” asked Kessler.

Peterson hasn’t played since Week 1 because of the child abuse case. He was deactivated for Week 2, then placed on the NFL’s exempt/commissioner’s permission list. While on the exempt list, Peterson continued to receive pay and the Vikings were able to replace his spot on the 53-man roster. Still, Peterson has argued that he was told that his time on the list would count as “time served,” and that his understanding was that he would be reinstated upon the resolution of his legal obligations.

Nash then asked Vincent if he’s responsible, or has ever been responsible, in either assessing discipline for child abuse cases or evaluating discipline under the conduct policy.

Bengals’ Andrew Whitworth likely to test free agency

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“Cincinnati’s been wonderful and it’s been something that I enjoyed thoroughly. I loved the challenge and the opportunity and I still love it,” Whitworth told SiriusXM NFL Radio this week, via ESPN.com. “I’ve enjoyed our adventure together and I hope it continues, but for me, it’s just been one of those things. Being a mentor and a leader, I’ve always urged guys if you’re ever allowed to be a free agent to take advantage of that opportunity.”

It’s no surprise that the Bears are turning the page at quarterback. When general manager Ryan Pace and John Fox arrived in Chicago two offseason ago, they immediately — and unsuccessfully — shopped Cutler around the league. When backup Brian Hoyer showed initial promise as an injury fill-in last October, Fox made it clear that he would usurp Cutler’s starting job if he maintained that pace.

Although Cutler went on to reclaim the QB1 spot when Hoyer went down with a season-ending injury, he ended up missing the final six games with a labrum tear that required surgery to his throwing shoulder. Rapoport reported Friday that Cutler is continuing to rehab following surgery and is expected to pass a physical by March.

What is Cutler’s trade value in advance of his age-34 season?

The Bears couldn’t find a taker two years ago. He’s now coming off of the second-lowest passer rating of his career. He hasn’t played a full 16-game season since his first year in Chicago, back in 2009. He has been benched for Jimmy Clausen and statistically outplayed by several of his backups. Perhaps most problematic, he has feuded with multiple teammates and coaches.

In other words, the Bears will eventually release Cutler once they find his replacement.

Warren Sapp arrested for solicitation, assault following Super Bowl

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One of the NFL Network’s analysts has gotten into some hot water. Hall of Famer Warren Sapp was arrested Monday morning for soliciting a prostitute and for assault, according to Deadspin. The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that Sapp had been arrested.

The arrest, which was first reported by TMZ, occurred in Phoenix where the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders defensive tackle was on location covering Super Bowl XLIX. A sergeant with the Phoenix Police Department told Deadspin that Sapp was arrested for allegedly assaulting two women at a downtown hotel after an argument about money. The police picked up Sapp at the hotel early Monday morning and charged him with the two misdemeanors.

According to Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch, the NFL Network suspended Sapp indefinitely without pay. An NFL Network spokesperson stated that the suspension is pending the outcome of the ongoing police investigation. Sapp has also been removed from the network’s talent page. Deitsch later reported that his contract with the network has been terminated.

Limited Youth Nick Foles Jersey This is not Sapp’s first run-in with the law. In 2010 he was charged with domestic battery for allegedly choking a woman before Super Bowl XLIV in Miami. Those charges were later dropped. Sapp was also arrested in 2014 for alleged domestic battery in Miami.

Limited Youth Morgan Rielly Jersey Of course, if anybody could, it would probably be the ridiculously steady Mountaineers. Satterfield has put together a unified squad that combines a high ceiling with a really high floor.

Perhaps best of all, App State misses both Arkansas State and Troy on the conference schedule. (Well, that’s “best of all” for the Mountaineers, but not necessarily for football fans.) And none of their four conference road opponents projects better than 113th in S&P+. (I assume Idaho will be better than the projected 119th, but App State is still an obvious favorite there.)

Saints’ Junior Galette accused of false imprisonment, sexual abuse

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New Orleans Saints linebacker Junior Galette has been sued by a woman who claims that he physically and emotionally abused her during their two-year relationship, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. The civil lawsuit stems from an incident on Jan. 4 involving the woman, Galette and several other Saints players during which she asserts that she was a victim of sexual assault.

The woman accuses the linebacker of “false imprisonment and human trafficking, virtually keeping her a prisoner, controlling her contact with others, including her mother, and checking her phone to keep tabs on her communications.” According to a petition filed by her attorney, the woman is seeking unspecified monetary damages and has requested a jury trial.

Elite Womens Bruce Boudreau Jersey Further complicating matters is the fact that Peterson is still under contract with the Vikings in the final season of a six-year, $86.2 million contract that will pay him $12.75 million in 2016. Minnesota has indicated it wants him back, but he remains in limbo as he and his family weigh their options.

“I know there are a lot of people in the organization who want me back, but then again, I know the ones who don’t. It’s a difficult transition, and it’s not just about me. I have a wife who was able to sit back and see how people in Minnesota said this and said that, how media in Minnesota took the head of the situation with my child, and were digging into things that weren’t even relevant.”

Authentic Womens Justin Coleman Jersey With hurt feelings involved, the situation becomes increasingly murky. When Peterson was last healthy, he finished with 1,266 rushing yards in 14 games in the 2013 season. In 2012, he earned MVP honors with a monstrous 2,097 yards and a 6.0 yards per carry.

Chicago is aiming to keep the love fest going while fans get their first glimpse of life at the top under the Arizona sun.

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The Cubs still have a nearly flawless roster, and there are ascending players all over the place. Kyle Schwarber will, hopefully, return for his first full season and is likely to be deployed as an unorthodox and highly dangerous leadoff hitter. The big concern, as has been pointed out many times, is a regression from the rotation in production, health, or both. It’s a legit concern, but one that most teams share.

The path to breaking the Curse of 109 is far from wide open. But the Cubs could hardly be better positioned for a repeat.

Los Angeles Dodgers: The 10-man rotation.

DeAndre Hopkins Authentic Jersey The first thing that should be acknowledged is that by virtue of being the last team written about in this series, the Dodgers indeed own the best February forecast in my system. It’s not really a big surprise — Fangraphs tells a similar story, as do the newly released PECOTA projections at Baseball Prospectus.

Kedric Golston Kids Jersey My spreadsheet loves the Dodgers’ run prevention outlook. My preliminary forecast has them allowing 47 fewer runs than the Cubs, the second-stingiest team entering spring training. Offensive forecasts tend to be a lot more stable in these kinds of exercises than defense-and-pitching forecasts. But that’s an impressive baseline from which to start.

Long-suffering no more, Chicago is aiming to keep the love fest going while fans get their first glimpse of life at the top under the Arizona sun.
“There is an open dialogue there,” he said. “I believe we will have talks. I don’t think it’s really my No.1 priority. I want to focus on my health and coming into camp and being well rested and in as good a shape as I possibly can.”

Cubs management is keeping news of any conversations between them and Arrieta’s agent, Scott Boras, close to the vest. One good thing right now is there is no deadline to stop talking. Some players would rather not negotiate in season, but Arrieta indicated he would be fine talking about it whenever he’s asked, and general manager Jed Hoyer indicated there are no lines in the sand here. Both sides remain amicable and somewhat optimistic.

Texans have a Brock Osweiler problem to fix this offseason

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The Houston Texans followed the perfect formula to beat the New England Patriots in the playoffs last month. Tom Brady was pressured often by the Houston defense, the Patriots turned the ball over three times, and the Texans controlled time of possession. Yet Houston still lost, 34-16, and the Patriots went on to win the Super Bowl.

It wasn’t a mystery why the Texans couldn’t keep pace with the Patriots: The offense was awful and struggled all year. Two days after losing to the Patriots, the Texans parted ways with offensive coordinator George Godsey, but the coach wasn’t the biggest problem.

The spotlight is squarely on the quarterback position where the play of Brock Osweiler, the team’s biggest offseason acquisition, was a disaster in 2016.

Despite spending big money in March to upgrade the offense, the unit was one of the NFL’s worst and couldn’t manage a single play of 20 yards or more against the Patriots.

The Browns have an obvious need at quarterback, but Kiper predicts that Cleveland will select defensive end Myles Garrett with the first overall pick. Kiper notes the Browns could use the top pick on a quarterback or trade it away to acquire a veteran signal caller, but says Garrett is the most sensible pick here.

“But Garrett is, right now, clearly the No. 1 player in this draft class and would be an immediate help at a position where having an elite player on a rookie contract is like stealing,” Kiper says.

Garrett is the overwhelming favorite to go to the Browns with the top pick in almost 99 percent of mock drafts right now.

Kubiak was still shaking his head at the Broncos’ 2016 run game.

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Griffin gave everything he had to make it work in Cleveland, but injury derailed his season. Though he returned and led the Browns to their final win, he was concussed in that game. To ask a quarterback who can’t stay healthy to carry a franchise is asking too much. Griffin would do well to join a team where he’s not the focal point and can merely be one part of the whole in trying to restore his career.

Frederik Andersen Authentic Jersey Michael Floyd on joining the Patriots: “The whole team took me in like I’ve been playing there since Week 1. The whole team is positive and encouraging people.”
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“When I did, obviously because of the decision that I made, they made that decision. I went home from work and I felt bad about everything. I felt bad from the beginning, knowing I was in trouble, and I knew there was going to be some punishment. I just felt terrible.”

Floyd showed remorse throughout the interview, at one point saying he “100 percent” wished the incident didn’t happen so he could’ve stayed in Arizona for the remainder of the season instead of going to New England and winning the Super Bowl (he was a healthy scratch for the game).

Even with time to think about it, to step away, to stop and smell the proverbial roses for a few weeks, it still gnaws at former Denver Broncos coach Gary Kubiak.

Because in virtually all of his time as an offensive coordinator and head coach in the NFL, one given was Kubiak’s offenses running the ball successfully. As in anytime, anywhere.

The pinnacle of the success — Terrell Davis — was selected to the Hall of Fame a couple of weeks ago. But just days before Davis was rewarded for being the rarest kind of player, Kubiak was still shaking his head at the Broncos’ 2016 run game.

2017 NHL All-Star Game: The best photos from the Skills Competition

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The NHL did a fantastic job on Saturday night showing off just how fun its sport could be when it let its players and their families let loose and have fun.

It¡¯s the only event of the season where you¡¯ll see a Coyotes goalie hugging a Canucks forward; the only event where a 2¡¯0 tall child will score on the world¡¯s best goalie. And it¡¯s the only NHL event where Snoop Dogg will force NBC to apologize to its viewers.

The Atlantic Division may have won the event, but the fans won more. Without further ado, here¡¯s a collection of our favorite images from the NHL All-Star Game Skills Competition. All photos were published by Getty Images and the USA Today.

Elite Womens Kurt Warner Jersey Things haven¡¯t come together for McNeill, the only first-round pick left in the system below the NHL level. He¡¯s got size and some skill, but it¡¯s hard to gauge his NHL prospects when he¡¯s spending a fourth straight season in the AHL and passed waivers unclaimed in October.

His career is at something of a crossroads, and there¡¯s a good chance the Blackhawks end up trading him before the deadline on Feb. 28. He hasn¡¯t demanded one, but the Blackhawks don¡¯t seem interested in him and they might as well try to recoup some value if they can. Maybe they¡¯ll tack him onto a larger deal as a bonus flier for another team.
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One worrisome sign is that McNeill¡¯s numbers have declined this season. He¡¯s recorded six goals and 19 assists in 45 games, which is down from 25 goals and 23 assists in 64 games last season. He¡¯s clearly ready for a shot at the NHL based on his comments to The Athletic, so you imagine he¡¯s going to get one eventually. It just probably won¡¯t come in Chicago.

Magic has been highly critical of the Lakers’ front office

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In recent years, Magic’s criticism of Jim Buss has been direct and withering. In the past, he has called for him to relinquish power, criticized his decisions to hire Mike Brown and Mike D’Antoni, ripped him for failing to land marquee superstars. (Of course, he also once suggested that trading for Dwight Howard and Steve Nash should put Buss in the running for Executive of the Year.)
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But overall, Magic has been highly critical of the Lakers’ front office. So when Jim Buss called Johnson last Thursday, naturally, he wanted to know his intentions.
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Magic told Jim he was there to help, that he stood by his criticisms from the past but hoped they could move forward without that baggage. The answer and Johnson’s tone disarmed Buss. It was as close to a d¨¦tente as the two men, both 57 years old, had reached in years.

Buss agreed and asked to schedule a meeting after the All-Star break where he and general manager Mitch Kupchak could explain their decision-making over the past few seasons.

“I’m taking Magic at face value, that he’s here to help,” Jim Buss told ESPN. “He’s one of the greatest basketball players of all time. Who wouldn’t value his opinion? I’m excited to work with Magic for years to come.”

Of Kevin Love’s 115 3-point field goals, 113 have been assisted (98 percent), the highest percentage in the league among 25 players with 100 makes this season. LeBron James has assisted on 59 of those 115 3s, while the rest of the Cavaliers have assisted on 54.

That means 51 percent of Love’s 3s are coming directly off passes from James. The only higher percentages of a teammate’s 3s assisted on this season are James Harden to Ryan Anderson (65 percent), John Wall to Bradley Beal (65 percent) and James Harden to Trevor Ariza (56 percent).

He won the NFC Championship Game

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The Patriots are champs, after what was statistically the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history. With a second-half low win probability of 0.4 percent, no team has ever overcome a deeper deficit than Tom Brady and the Pats did tonight:

Authentic Womens Myles Turner Jersey A quick impression, without having looked at the coaches¡¯ film, of what the Pats did on that regulation-ending drive and what they did here in overtime: They¡¯re spreading the Falcons out, with a lot of combo routes and crossing routes. Brady making quicker decisions. Made it tougher for the Falcons to clog the middle and to force Brady to hold the ball.

The Steelers led Super Bowl XIII 21-14 in the first half, nearly putting the game over the total by halftime. Pittsburgh extended its lead to 35-17 with less than 7 minutes to go. Dallas mounted a rally to cut the lead back to 4, but not enough to cover the 3.5-point spread. Dallas scored its final touchdown with 26 seconds remaining to cut the lead to 35-31. Perhaps if the two-point conversion rule had existed, Dallas would have gone for two to make it a three-point deficit and provide a miracle backdoor cover, but the NFL did not adopt the two-point conversion until 1994.

Authentic Womens Kayvon Webster Jersey Seeing a pattern here? Again, the favorite covered relatively easily, but the total was in doubt late. Trailing 27-10 late in the fourth quarter, Denver moved the ball to the Cowboys 11-yard line. After a couple negative plays, Denver faced a fourth-and-23 from the Cowboys 24 with less than four minutes remaining. Rather than kick the field goal which would have put the game over the total, Denver opted to go for it, throwing an incomplete pass to seal the under.

Matt Ryan won the MVP. He won the Offensive Player of the Year award. He won the NFC Championship Game.

Unfortunately, he might be remembered most this season for the game he lost.

It also may fuel their fire going into the 2017 season.