Iginla’s 3 points lift Flames by Jackets (AP)
Iginla’s 3 points lift Flames by Jackets (AP)
The Calgary Flames have been getting contributions from just about everyone this season. It was finally captain Jarome Iginla’s turn. Iginla broke out of an extended scoring slump with a goal and two assists in the Flames’ 6-3 victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Tuesday night. It was the first multipoint game of the season for Iginla, who had only four points in Calgary’s first…
Kiffin: Tide should be No. 1 over Gators (AP)
Tennessee coach Lane Kiffin says the AP Top 25 has it right — Alabama, not Florida, is the No. 1 team in the nation. He’s practically an expert. By vaulting over the Gators into the top spot in The Associated Press poll, the Crimson Tide set up the Vols’ second game against the No. 1 team in the nation this season.
U.S. World Cup viewership rises 41 percent (AP) ABC and ESPN are reporting a 41% increase in U.S. World Cup viewership since 2006. Sports betting may play a role. Read a comprehensive TitanBet Review to see what the buzz is about.
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The 10-man rotation, starring Ron Artest’s haircuts
The 10-man rotation, starring Ron Artest’s haircuts
A look around the league and the web that covers it. It’s also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren’t always listed in order of importance. That’s for you, dear reader, to figure out.C: How to Watch Sports. An infographic of every Ron Artest(notes) hairstyle from last season. Print immediately. PF: SBN. And here’s the highlights from Ron’s interview with ESPN the Magazine.SF: ProBasketballTalk. The first big game on next year’s schedule has leaked.SG: The Onion. “Several NBA Teams Interested in Shaq as a Person.”PG: HRO. Justin Timberlake will be the latest superstar to join the Heat. 6th: You Been Blinded. Twitter hates Daniel Tosh and LeBron James(notes) just about the same amount.7th: Uni Watch. If you collect old NBA stuff, check out these auctions. Some incredible finds.8th: TrueHoop. Amar’e Stoudemire’s(notes) search.9th: Salt City Hoops. Inside the Floppers’ Studio.10th: The Baseline. Get out of here, vuvuzelas.Got a link or tip for Ball Don’t Lie? Holler at me at trey.kerby (at) yahoo.com, or follow me on Twitter.
Oilers re-sign G Deslauriers for 1 year (AP)
The Edmonton Oilers re-signed goalie Jeff Deslauriers on Saturday, agreeing to a one-year contract. The 26-year-old Deslauriers was 16-28-4 last season with a 3.26 goals-against average and .901 save percentage, seeing extensive time after Nikolai Khabibulin injured his back. Edmonton drafted Deslauriers 31st overall in 2002.
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Liberty-Mercury Preview (AP)
Liberty-Mercury Preview (AP)
Winning two championships in three years wasn’t enough to keep Cappie Pondexter with the Phoenix Mercury. Now they look nothing like a title contender without her. Following an offseason trade which she wanted, Pondexter makes her return to Phoenix on Saturday night as she tries to help the New York Liberty extend her former team’s worst losing streak in seven years.
Suicide lines: Pierce coming back; Nuggets love ‘Melo
Each weekday morning, BDL serves up a handful of NBA-related stories to digest with your creme brulee. Steve Bulpett, Boston Herald: “Paul Pierce will remain a Celtic. The club has reached agreement with its captain on a new contract, according to sources. The deal is said to be for four years, with only the first three fully guaranteed. The papers cannot be signed or officially announced until next week. Pierce opted out of the final year of his previous contract and became an unrestricted free agent at 12:01 Thursday. But he took that route with the intention of re-signing with the Celtics in a deal that would help his own future and allow the club better maneuverability. The numbers were not available, but Pierce will in the 2010-11 season make significantly less that the $21,513,521 he was scheduled to receive. That will aid the Celtics’ position versus the luxury tax.”Benjamin Hochman, Denver Post: “The Should-Melo-sign? debate has consumed Denver sports talk this week, and the Nuggets did some talking of their own Thursday, even using the brow-raising ‘E’ word. Mark Warkentien, the team’s vice president of basketball operations, said by phone that he wants Carmelo Anthony(notes) to be like a John Elway. ‘Win a championship and play in one place forever,’ Warkentien said. ‘Bill Russell, David Robinson, you go to one place and you’re the brand. There’s a special category for that type of guy.’ Anthony is pondering a three-year contract extension worth around $65 million. The offer is good until next July 1. If Melo doesn’t sign, he will become a free agent that summer – the same time the owners and players are set to battle over a revised collective bargaining agreement, which could shake up the length and strength of player contracts. If Melo turns the team down this summer, the last resort could be trading him, a source told The Denver Post’s Mark Kiszla earlier this week.” John Reid, New Orleans Times-Picayune: “In a meeting last week, New Orleans Hornets Coach Monty Williams told forward Julian Wright(notes) that it would be beneficial for all of the team’s young players to play on its summer league team. Guards Darren Collison(notes) and Marcus Thornton(notes) will participate, along with draft picks Craig Brackins(notes) and Quincy Pondexter(notes), whom the Hornets acquired in a draft-night trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for their 11th overall pick, Cole Aldrich(notes), and veteran Morris Peterson(notes). Brackins and Pondexter will be added to the roster after the league approves the trade next week. However, despite Williams’ preference, Wright has decided not to participate. ‘You can’t make any of those guys play,’ Williams said Wednesday. ‘So it’s on him. It’s something that will tell me a lot about his approach.’” Dave McMenamin, ESPN: “The Lakers have opened discussions with free-agent swingman Mike Miller(notes), a source close to the situation said Thursday. Miller is a former NBA rookie of the year and sixth man of the year. He averaged 10.9 points on 50 percent shooting from the field and 48 percent shooting on 3-pointers for Washington last season, his 10th in the league. Miller would provide a sure outside stroke the Lakers have lacked and help shore up a bench unit that could lose up to 22.5 points a game in scoring if free agent reserves Shannon Brown(notes), Jordan Farmar(notes), Josh Powell(notes), D.J. Mbenga(notes) and Adam Morrison(notes) all leave for new horizons. Miller earned $9.8 million last season and would need to take a significant paycut to join the Lakers. With seven players under contract for next season and six roster spots to fill, the Lakers have begun to look to new personnel.” Mike Wells, Indianapolis Star: “The nickname ‘Born Ready’ is tattooed on Lance Stephenson’s(notes) right arm. He was anointed with that name by the public address announcer at Rucker Park in New York. He also starred in an online reality show of the same name. Stephenson appeared to be an eventual sure-fire lottery pick coming out of high school as New York City’s all-time leading scorer, but character issues on and off the court turned off some people. The Indiana Pacers are giving Stephenson, their second-round pick, a chance. But there’s a stipulation that comes with it. Stephenson has to be a model citizen because the Pacers will be watching him closely. The Pacers have spent the past few years cleaning up their public image and have no intention of letting one player set them back again. ‘Whoever said I have a bad attitude really doesn’t know me,’ Stephenson said Thursday. ‘I’m definitely a coachable player. That’s not me.’” Chris Tomasson, NBA FanHouse: “The drought has continued into free agency, with few top-line point guards available. The best available are Raymond Felton(notes), Derek Fisher(notes), Steve Blake(notes), Nate Robinson(notes), Chris Duhon(notes), Luke Ridnour(notes), Earl Watson(notes), Kyle Lowry(notes) and Jordan Farmar, with Felton and Fisher the only ones to have started 60 or more games last season. But Felton, of Charlotte, is looking for too much money and Fisher turns 36 next month and is likely to return to the Lakers. That is leaving Blake as a guy getting a lot more attention than one might expect. Sources say Blake, who averaged 7.3 points and 4.8 assists in 80 games last season with Portland and then with Clippers, is drawing the strongest interest from Orlando, New York and Toronto, with the Lakers and the Bobcats also being in the mix. With that in mind, Blake, 30, is said to be able to command a contract around the $4.93 million he made last season, something that might not be possible if it were a stronger point-guard class.” Michael Lee, Washington Post: “The Wizards likely won’t sign anyone right away, but on the first day of the free agent negotiating period, they reached out to several free agents to express interest in their services. According to multiple league sources, they have already contacted the representatives for Mike Miller, Josh Howard(notes), Josh Childress(notes), Travis Outlaw(notes), Rasual Butler(notes) and Ryan Gomes(notes), hoping to address their need for a veteran wing player. As it stands, Al Thornton(notes) and to a lesser extent, Nick Young(notes), are the only small forwards on the roster. Yi Jianlian(notes) could possibly play on the wing, but is probably better suited at power forward. Wizards owner Ted Leonsis wrote on his blog that the team ‘will be the tortoise’ and move slowly toward building a championship team, rather than put all of their hopes in luring a free agent that isn’t promised to go anywhere. ‘What happens to a fan base that has been promised a bunch of new max free agents, and then it doesn’t get them delivered?’ Leonsis writes. ‘It actually feels good to NOT be holding our collective breathe right now, doesn’t it?’ After getting Kirk Hinrich(notes), Yi and two draft picks, the Wizards don’t have much money left to make a major free agent acquisition. And, given the money that the so-called financially strapped owners have already started doling out, they could find themselves priced out in their pursuit of some of the players on their target list.” Jonathan Feigen, Houston Chronicle: “The Rockets did, however, get one meeting in Chicago on Thursday, with coach Rick Adelman going to dinner with Miller, who played for Adelman in Sacramento. Miller, who has visited with Rockets coaches before games between the teams and every summer in Las Vegas, also met with Cleveland Cavaliers representatives. The Rockets have not made an offer. ‘We’ve talked conceptually,’ said Mark Bartlestein, Miller’s agent. ‘We’ve talked about the concept of what we want to do. (Miller’s history with Adelman) definitely plays a role. He has great respect for Rick. I think (the meeting) is Rick trying to talk about vision, talk about Brad and his role there. Anything can happen fast, sure. I don’t know, we’ll see. Let them get through the night and then Daryl and I will talk, tomorrow.’”
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Ty Warren took those “Never stop learning” commercials to heart
Ty Warren took those “Never stop learning” commercials to heart
Ty Warren(notes), defensive lineman for the New England Patriots, will be skipping the first round of his team’s voluntary offseason workouts. He’s got a pretty good reason, though. He’s going back to Texas A&M to finally get a degree in his pocket. It becomes an even better reason when you listen to him explain why he’s doing it, too. It’s all about sending the right message to his three kids. “I try to put the kids in the best educational system possible and I think there is something to be said for their father, who has been blessed to play in the NFL and do something he’s loved to do, going back and finishing what he started. In the big picture, I think it’s important for me to do what I’m doing. I can sacrifice that bonus for that.” Oh yeah, that bonus he’s talking about? It’s a quarter of a million dollars. He’ll be giving that up, too, all in the name of sending the message to his kids that education is important. ESPNBoston.com’s Mike Reiss talked to Warren about his decision to make education his top offseason priority, and it’s hard to read it and not come out thinking, “Ty Warren seems like a pretty good guy.” And lest you think he’s somehow shorting his team by not going to the offseason workouts, I wouldn’t worry about that, either. “Working out has never been a problem of mine, I do it regardless. I’m self-motivated,” he said. “I’ve always been a working person. Ask anyone who knows me, I’ve been working and supporting my two siblings and now my own family since I was 13. No matter how much I have in the bank account, I’ll always work.” I can’t imagine the Patriots would have much of a problem with this, either. Warren’s a veteran player, one of the anchors on the Patriots defense, and has never been known as someone to slack off. If anything, this decision is just more evidence of that.
The Packers may be adopting a third/alternate jersey
The Green Bay Packers, who sport one of the most classic and distinctive looks in all of sports, appear to be giving into the alternate/third jersey temptation.There’s no word yet on what the alternate jersey will look like, though it’s expected to be unveiled on Friday. The rumors point to a throwback jersey, as opposed to a new design or an alternate color, which I consider good news. A throwback would be far less egregious than some trendy new black uniform, with a stylized font and green and gold trim.If they do go the throwback route, there are some slick options. The Packers actually wore blue in their earlier years, and I’d like to see a representation of one of the following sets of duds:I think the one on the right would have to be considered highly unlikely, though it would be awesome. The rumors first popped up on UniWatch, then here and here.For most teams, there’s nothing wrong with a third jersey, but when you have a look as distinctive and classic as the Packers, it feels a bit like messing with perfection. I’m not saying it’s a bad idea, but for whoever’s in charge of the design, the pressure’s on. The Packers’ look is not something to be trifled with.Gracias, National Football Post.
Ask an NFL’er: Obama’s health care push
President Barack Obama has intensified his push to get his health care bill passed by the end of March. Your thoughts, NFL person?Antonio Cromartie(notes), Cornerback, New York Jets “I, too, know what it’s like to have to pay for health care for a huge and diverse group of people, so I can relate to Obama on this. Pain in the ass, isn’t it, Prez?”Julius Peppers(notes), Defensive End, Chicago Bears “Oh, man. I know everyone’s worried about how we’re going to pay for this health care thing, but you should have me sooner. I probably could’ve gotten the Bears to pay for the whole damn thing.”Jay Cutler(notes), Quarterback, Chicago Bears “Would Obama’s new plan recognize ‘Unlikable Sulking Suckface’ as a real condition that requires medical treatment? Because I’d really like it if Obama’s plan covered ‘Unlikable Sulking Suckface’ as a real condition that required medical medical treatment.”Roger Goodell, NFL Commissioner “As someone who has fought long and hard to keep financial and medical assistance out of the hands of those who need it, let me say this. If it keeps these people from asking me for help, then I’m all for it.”Idea, obviously, borrowed from The Onion.
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BDL Hump Day Chat!
BDL Hump Day Chat!
You know the drill. Nothing is imminent, of course, but these sorts of subjects are bound to come up. Vinny Del Negro. Is he too hard on the referees? It’s a BDL Hump Day Chat! Trey from the Blowtorch is here, Bernie Bickerstaff won’t be here, and you can click the jump at 3 p.m. Eastern if you want to join in. (Note: If your comment doesn’t appear right away, rest assured, it shouldn’t. Comments are moderated, but because we like you and don’t want to limit contributions to a level that other large sites do, we’ll try to get to it. It might be a few minutes. It might be 20 minutes. Chill out. Eat some papaya.) <a href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=2f1eff7dc6" mce_href="http://www.coveritlive.com/mobile.php?option=com_mobile&task=viewaltcast&altcast_code=2f1eff7dc6" >BDL Hump Day Chat!</a>
Behind the Box Score, where the glasses aren’t helping, Kiki
New York 106, New Jersey 97 Yes, it was against the hapless Nets, and yes, it came on the heels of an embarrassing first half on that particular side of the ball, but … give it up for New York’s dee-fense! Just 36 points in the second half for New Jersey, as the Knicks stayed in a zone for most of the final 24. The Nets, even a quarter and a half on, still seemed confused by New York’s roaming. They went away from isolations for Devin Harris(notes), they made feeble attempts to get Brook Lopez(notes) the ball, and the small lineups that worked wonders for New Jersey in the first half were rendered useless by a defense that made no concessions for size or speed. David Lee(notes) and Al Harrington(notes) (the latter’s work came mainly in the first half) combined for 50 points in the win, but it was the once-a-fortnight efficient stylings of Larry Hughes(notes) that put New York over the top. 25 points, 20 in the second half, as the Nets seemed to have no clue how to guard him. He mainly pulls up for jumpers off the dribble, New Jersey. Once every 14 days, they go in. Also, I don’t want to pick on the guy, but games like these are why people have to slow down regarding Courtney Lee(notes). He played almost 40 minutes, and had his chances, but scored just four points while taking only five shots. Four turnovers, three assists, and five rebounds. The guy had a 10.7 PER last year at age 23, and was 24 entering this season. He’s old, for a second year player, and hardly setting the world on fire (yes, I’m aware of the injuries). This isn’t to say he won’t be a good rotation player and sometimes starter provided the situation is right, but this isn’t the future borderline All-Star some TV guys would have you believe. The “We want Nate!” chants? At first, I usually fall in favor of not cutting off your nose to spite your face. But if all accounts of Nate’s chirping are true, and he hasn’t gotten it this far into the game (the guy was drafted in 2005, after all), then he needs a little break. Don’t let them tell you that replacing Nate’s minutes with Hughes’ and/or Toney Douglas’(notes) has the Knicks winning three of four (even with Larry’s explosion on Sunday), but Robinson needs to get his head on straight. This is no surprise. Not because Nate-Rob is a punk. I don’t know. He might be. But when your first four years are spent in an organization like this? Where credibility and responsibility in all forms (be they across the board, in Isiah Thomas’ tenure; or defensively or with shot selection, in Mike D’Antoni’s run) are shoved aside? I can see how you might turn out to be sort of a prat. *** Los Angeles 108, Phoenix 88 The offense is improving (up to 12th, now), and while the defense fell a spot over the weekend, geez, the Los Angeles Lakers are third in defensive efficiency right now. Third. And they just held the Phoenix Suns (first in offense entering the game, at around 115 points scored per 100 possessions) only 99 points per 100 possessions on Sunday. That’s less than what the Chicago Bulls average. Concessions need to be made for Phoenix. They’ve had a rough go of it recently, and have been all around the Midwest, the Eastern Seaboard, Canada, back home, and off to El Lay just over the last week and a half. It hasn’t been an easy run, and it hasn’t been a fruitful run. Which is why this team seemed so dogged and perfect to start the season, knowing it would have to build up the wins early. The same, on the opposite tip, goes for the Lakers. They’ve left the home locker room, if memory serves, just once this year. And that was to head to the visitors’ room to play the Clippers. I’m not even sure they know what month it is. They’ve already played, I believe, 40 out of their season-long total of 41 home games. But even with a week’s practice and fewer frequent flyer miles for Alvin Gentry’s crew, who couldn’t see the Lakers doing this to the Suns again? Los Angeles just seemed quicker and longer on Sunday night. Phoenix looked small and slow, mostly small, and the Laker offense was humming. Great ball movement, 20 assists on 38 field goals; and yet no Laker had more than five assists. And the team leader in assists is a new forward who doesn’t fully know the offense, and was criticized incessantly last season (and for a few before that) for acting like a ballhog on two other teams. Kobe Bryant(notes) managed 26 points on only 16 shots. *** (Bobby Jackson(notes) and Pearl Harbor veterans. Pretty cool. Here’s a good read on the subject, if you’re interested.) Miami 115, Sacramento 102 The Heat’s offense established a nice buffer in the first half that Sacramento just couldn’t seem to break into. And while I’d like to give credit to Miami’s D for stopping the Kings from matching the Heat shot for shot in that second quarter, the Kings had some good looks. They just couldn’t finish, and ended the quarter with only 19 points and 10-point deficit. And it was the Miami offense. It really was. 125 points per 100 possessions, 59 percent shooting, 26 made free throws, all sorts of good angles, good patience, and good finishes. On Sacramento’s end, Tyreke Evans(notes) looked every bit as impressive as his 30 points. The kid is finally heading to the rim! He added four rebounds, four assists, and only two turnovers — great for any player that has the ball in his hands that much, terrific for a rookie in any role. Jason Thompson(notes) and Andres Nocioni(notes) combined to miss 16 of 22 shots, however, and the Kings had no answer for Miami’s pinpoint passing (nothing fancy, just running plays), as the Heat finished with 30 assists on 41 field goals. At times, it was a clinic. 34 points on only 16 shots (finally) for Dwyane Wade(notes), who handed out 10 assists. Dorell Wright(notes) had 19 off the bench, along with five assists. *** Detroit 98, Washington 94 Fun towards the end, I suppose (all the intentional fouls and desperate three-pointers kind of slowed things down a bit), but this was an ugly game overall. I didn’t doubt John Kuester and Flip Saunders’ defense acumen entering this season. I just doubted the personnel they had to work with. And while both teams aren’t tearing it up defensively (both are below average), there is a distinct defensive tint to both squads. Only that late game batch of fouls and three-pointers turned this score into something respectable. Otherwise, lots of D, quite a few missed makeable shots for both sides (especially in the third quarter), and lots of free throws. Dull game. For Detroit? Props on making it a dull game. As Woj pointed out, this is not the rotation Kuester and Joe Dumars had in mind. For Washington? You have your guys. Caron Butler(notes) (20 and 10) finally came through with a Caron Butler-type outing, but Gilbert Arenas(notes) is floating, and it’s worth wondering aloud if the insistence on having Earl Boykins(notes) dominate the ball down the stretch is hurting this team. 18 and four assists with no turnovers in 26 minutes for Earl, he’s certainly contributing at an efficient clip, but what does it matter if better players can’t be themselves. Then again, is Gilbert Arenas himself? We guessed it would take at least a month for the real GA to pop back, and it’s been that long. The Pistons hit 24 free throws (though they missed 12), and that was the difference. Literally and figuratively. Rodney Stuckey(notes) finished well, most of the time, hitting for 25 points on 18 shots. Will Bynum(notes) was off from the floor but he got to the line, and while Charlie Villanueva(notes) missed seven of eight three-pointers (Washington had a hand in forcing him to shoot), he did score 18 points overall. Ben Wallace(notes) contributed in every area but making shots. Austin Daye’s(notes) turnaround jumpers held the Wizards at bay in the fourth quarter. Flip Saunders’ offenses, for years, have always been among the best at raking in assists per possession. Tonight? 15 dimes, all night. Not good. *** Cleveland 101, Milwaukee 86 A strange, strange game. The Bucks came out to a raucous crowd reception and proceeded to throw together a quick 10-point lead. They looked quicker, Andrew Bogut(notes) had himself a thunderous follow-dunk, and the Cavs seemed ready to take the afternoon off. Then the Bucks stopped hitting shots. The things you fire at the basket, from various angles and distances, hoping to have the ball go in the goal, subsequently providing points for your team. A 29-0 run for Cleveland. Give Cleveland’s defense credit, they made the Bucks work for absolutely nothing, but a whole lot of this fell on Milwaukee. They took iffy shots, they missed makeable shots, and they couldn’t get to the free throw line. Meanwhile, Delonte West(notes) was doing terrific things in delayed transition with the ball, finding open seams and taking advantage of crossmatches. The Cavaliers reserve guard may have embarrassed himself with his actions over the weekend, and while he didn’t exactly make up for it on Sunday, he did help the Cavs pull out a win. 21 points on nine shots in about 24 minutes. Also, LeBron James(notes) was dancing the entire game. Just making an ass of himself. We’re out of excuses for this guy. If he’s so desperate for attention on a random Sunday afternoon game in Milwaukee, then what hope is there for him to just be a stud on the court and secure with himself one the whistle blows? I’ll try to keep this relatively recent. Damon Jones(notes) danced. Antoine Walker(notes) danced, and Mark Jackson danced. Nick Van Exel danced. These are the players you’re acting like, LeBron. Magic Johnson didn’t dance. Michael Jordan didn’t dance. Kobe Bryant didn’t dance, Larry Bird didn’t dance, and Dr. J didn’t dance. These are the players whose games yours most resembles, LeBron. And it’s your damn fault that we’re walking away from a dominant win like this with me thinking of you more of a Damon Jones sort, than a Magic Johnson sort. Despite those 10 assists. Listen, the game is supposed to be fun. It’s OK to exult. You should be jumping through your skin when your teammates pull off something great. It is fun as hell to knock in a circus shot in Milwaukee, even if you’ve played in the Finals, in the Olympics, and have hit game-winners on national TV in the deep playoffs. The game is a joy. Believe me, I understand. But you have to find a balance. Otherwise, you’re in danger of turning off a couple of different generations of fans, all at once.
Game to pay attention: Magic vs. Suns
Orlando at Phoenix Have I picked the Suns quite a bit in these game previews? Sure. They’re a fun team to watch, they’re a surprising team thus far (on pace for 56 wins after most prognosticators had them around the .500 mark for 2009-10), and they’ve had some pretty worthy and/or just as fun to watch opponents this season. Topping that is the fact that the Suns are playing at home for the first time in a week, and just the second time in 16 days. Adding to that is not only Orlando’s prominence on the national stage, but the team’s continued (from year to year to year) ability to win heaps of road games. Usually more than most other teams of their ilk, whatever their ilk should be that particular year. And the Suns are the only undefeated home team this year. So even though there are 11 games on tonight (comment away!), and even though the Suns have a less-than-stellar percentage when I direct you their way (to watch, mind you, not to wager), you gots to go with this one, righto? It’s on ESPN, as well. So, most can watch. And if Kevin Calabro and/or Hubie Brown are involved, you won’t have to watch with the volume down. Have a great weekend, my lovelies. Orlando Magic: 17-5, 92.4 possessions per game (16th), 110.6 points scored per 100 possessions (fifth), 104 points allowed per 100 possessions (ninth). Phoenix Suns: 15-7, 95.5 possessions per game (fourth), 114.1 points scored per 100 possessions (first), 110.8 points allowed per 100 possessions (26th). All statistics courtesy basketball-reference.com.
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Thrashers win on late Afinogenov goal (AP)
Thrashers win on late Afinogenov goal (AP)
Maxim Afinogenov scored with six seconds remaining in the third period to give the Atlanta Thrashers a 4-3 win over the Florida Panthers for their fourth consecutive victory. It was the fifth straight loss for the Panthers. Afinogenov knocked in a 15-footer for his 11th goal off a pass from Nik Antropov, beating Florida goaltender Scott Clemmensen.
The 10 biggest professional football flops of the last decade
Time is running short on the last year of the ’00s, so it’s time to dive into the daunting task of ranking the NFL’s best of the decade. Best what? Best everything. We’re going with a series of top 10 lists, and if something miraculous happens between now and December 31st, well, we’ll just have to catch it at the end of 2019. 10. Ed Hochuli’s quick whistle against the Chargers. Hochuli’s mistake here was unique in that it was directly, inarguably responsible for one team beating another, and there was no one in the stadium who disagreed that the wrong call was made. There was just nothing anyone could do about it. For some reason, Ed Hochuli just decided to blow his whistle randomly. It might be higher up on the list if history didn’t right itself, with the Chargers eventually beating down the Broncos later in the season and claiming their rightful division title. 9. Everything David Boston(notes) did after 2001. Once upon a time, David Boston was about to set a new mold for the ideal NFL wide receiver. He had the frame of a chiseled defensive end, but with the height and speed of a prototypical receiver. You were particularly excited about the David Boston era if you were playing fantasy football back then. He was a genetic (or chemical) freak. But then he signed a big free agent deal with the Chargers, and David Boston turned into an oversized version of Charles Rogers(notes). He stopped producing, steroids were mentioned more than once, and Boston was rarely heard from again. 8. Janet Jackson’s halftime show (of skin). An incident that lasted less than a second currently has a Wikipedia entry of nearly 4,500 words. You don’t need me to tell you what happened, but it was a desperate and sad attempt to create buzz for her new album, and even as an act of exhibitionism, it was a complete failure. We saw just the briefest flash of breast, with the nipple covered. Basically, it was nothing you couldn’t see about 83 times in any video on MTV. That didn’t stop it from causing one of the biggest, most confusing and most frightening media uproars of the decade, though. 7. The Patriots attempt at 19-0. I don’t want to label an 18-1 season as a “flop,” but I really wanted to see history happen. Going undefeated in the modern, parity-driven NFL is regarded as so impossible that I thought it would’ve been neat to see it happen in my lifetime. The Patriots were 13-point favorites in the Super Bowl, too. It could’ve happened. It should’ve happened. Then David Tyree(notes) and his magical helmet had to go and ruin everything. 6. The Tuck Rule. What bothers me most about the Tuck Rule is that it still exists in the NFL rule books. After the disaster in the 2002 playoff game between the Patriots and the Raiders, everyone sort of assumed that the NFL would wait a bit, let the heat die down, and then quietly change the rule, but that’s never happened. As it stands now, it’s incumbent on the official to determine if a forward motion of a quarterback’s arm was an intent to pass, or if he changed his mind, attempted to tuck the ball away and just lost control of it. Nine years later, no one’s figured out a better way to do things. 5. NFL broadcast issues. The NFL Network itself is great. That they have the rights to Thursday night games, and much of the country gets shut out from watching them, is not so great. In fact, it’s inexcusable. The league’s own instrument is responsible for depriving people of their product, and on paper, that just seems like a really, really bad idea. The Sunday Ticket Package has similar issues, in that the product itself is fantastic, but the fact that’s is only available to DirecTV subscribers and costs up to $400 is borderline criminal. 4. Daniel Snyder’s tenure as Redskins owner. Snyder bought the Redskins in 1999, and since then, he’s been running the Redskins like a miniature, billionaire Matt Millen without the awesome mustache. His approach to football excellence has been to bring in the most expensive free agents, whether or not they were any good or fit the team’s scheme (on the rare occasions that they’ve had one). It’s all come to a head this season, with Snyder taking an unprecedented amount of criticism from fans and media. 3. ESPN’s unrelenting attempts to involve non-football people in their coverage of football. It started in 2000 with Dennis Miller in the Monday Night Football booth, and the reviews were mixed, but it ultimately failed. In 2003, Rush Limbaugh got a spot on ESPN Sunday Countdown, and that crashed and burned in about a week. Then Tony Kornheiser got a turn in the Monday Night booth in 2006, and everyone got a headache. If you’ve learned anything from the ’00s, ESPN, I hope it’s that you should keep entertainers separate from your football analysts. I fear that the ’10s will bring us Zac Efron, Gallagher and the little kid in “The Blind Side” as ESPN football analysts. 2. The XFL. It wasn’t an NFL flop, but it was a flop of professional football, if I can use that term loosely. Vince McMahon, professional wrestling impresario, decided to launch a football league, and with the WWE’s marketing and entertainment minds behind it, it didn’t seem like a terrible idea. And ultimately, it wasn’t doomed by any of the wacky ideas or intense focus on cheerleaders; it was doomed by awful, awful football. If you saw two touchdowns in a game, you were lucky. Television ratings for the XFL were lower than the average blood alcohol level of the viewers at home, and it died after a single year. 1. Matt Millen as Detroit General Manager. Millen became Detroit’s general manager in 2001 based on the strength of his performance as a broadcast analyst. This is a lot like hiring someone to teach music at Julliard because they once appeared on “American Idol.” We don’t have the space or the heart to go over all of Millen’s bad decisions, but the Lions went 31-97 on his watch. How they won 31 remains a mystery. Millen is back where he belongs, in the broadcast booth where he can’t hurt anyone. Comments, criticisms, omissions, and your own top ten lists are encouraged in the comments below.
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Tony Gonzalez and his wife get naked for PETA
Tony Gonzalez and his wife get naked for PETA
The Atlanta Falcons were once home to maybe the least animal-friendly player in NFL history, and now they might be home to the most animal-friendly player in NFL history. Falcons tight end Tony Gonzalez and his wife October are appearing nude in an anti-fur ad for PETA, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals. Nope. Definitely no fur there. Tony, a committed vegan, definitely believes in the cause. “We should be protecting animals, not sacrificing their lives for the sake of fashion or luxury,” says Tony Gonzalez(notes). “October and I have changed many of our habits in light of the inhumane treatment of animals that occurs not only in the fur industry but also on factory farms.” If you’d like to join Tony in his anti-fur campaign, you can yourself over to the PETA website and sign a pledge to be fur-free. I’m considering it, but I’m waiting for a smuttier series of photos. I think that might really awaken me to the cause.
Good news, Browns fans: You’re about to become the Patriots!
The debate regarding the “team of the ’00s” remains open for a while longer, but the Cleveland Browns don’t really factor into that one. Sorry if I burst any bubbles there. “Team of the ’10s,” though? Eric Mangini has some thoughts on that. He told the Boston Globe that he sees “remarkable similarities” between the 2010 Browns and the 2000 Patriots. “It was top-heavy financially, there were tough decisions that had to be made, and we didn’t have much success that first year. There are remarkable similarities between the situations.”I don’t think we won any popularity contests there. You can look at the clips. The other thing is that with the staff we had, the approach we had, we kept getting better, but it took a while. At one point in that second year, we were 1-3, but we didn’t change the approach, and then we went on a streak.”That wasn’t a function of getting hot. It was a function of two years of work. You don’t know when that moment will strike, but they’ve been rolling since.” Tough decisions to be made? No success? Not winning any popularity contests? Check, check and check. A staff that stuck to the system and kept seeing improvements in the team? Well, we’ll see. Truthfully, Mangini’s notion of the Browns right having a Patriots-like future isn’t that crazy. It’s easy to poke fun at the Browns now (which is why I enjoy it so much), but who can predict what’s going to happen from week-to-week in the NFL, let alone year-to-year? And decade-to-decade? Who knows? The London Dentists might be the team of the 2010s. Anyway, if you’re a Browns fan planning to take part in the big protest on Monday night, feel free, and I hope it makes you feel better. Keep in mind, though, that the team is trying, and someone there does have a long-term vision. Not all bad teams enjoy such luxuries.Gracias, Pro Football Talk.
Counterpoint: Pros outweighed the cons on Belichick’s 4th and 2
As Chase noted earlier in his post criticizing Bill Belichick for “The Decision,” Belichick took a beating from the media after last night’s game.Rodney Harrison(notes), who still calls the Patriots “we,” verbally put the boots to Belichick from the NBC post-game show. Tony Dungy, maybe the friendliest guy on the planet, lambasted him for it, too. Over on ESPN, Trent Dilfer(notes) absolutely murdered Belichick for the call.I’m going to respectfully disagree with Chase, Harrison, Dungy and Dilfer. I think “The Decision” was the right one.Before we start, I just want you to know that I loathe the man. I think he’s cheated, and I think he’d bite his own mother’s left leg off in exchange for a win. Or even a first down. It brings me no joy to defend Bill Belichick.The fact is, though, that the pros outweigh the cons here. Yes, he ended up giving Peyton Manning(notes) a short field, and yes, he showed “a lack of faith in his defense.” I would suggest that Peyton Manning was going to score a touchdown there, whether it was from the Patriots 28, or his own 38. Belichick knows how good Manning is, and he knows how good his defense is. If you had to put your money on one unit, would you take the Colts’ passing game, or the Patriots’ pass defense?As for showing “a lack of faith in his defense,” you can call it that if you’d like, but I prefer to call it “being realistic about the situation.” What, are we worried about hurting the defense’s feelings? Awwww. If they don’t like it, they can feel free to get better. Maybe there would be more faith in them in they didn’t give up, oh, I don’t know, just as an example … 327 yards and four touchdowns to Manning.Belichick had a chance to put the game on ice and keep the ball out of Peyton Manning’s hands. All they had to do was complete a simple little play that they’ve run successfully about 28 million times. If Kevin Faulk(notes) doesn’t bobble the pass right at the sticks, Bill Belichick is a genius this morning. I think Faulk might have gotten the first down anyway. We couldn’t find out for sure because the Patriots couldn’t challenge after having burned all their timeouts (if you want to criticize Belichick for something, I’d start there). They got burned because they couldn’t execute a play that Tom Brady(notes) and Kevin Faulk can normally execute in their sleep. At what point would you ever bet against Tom Brady being able to get a ball to Kevin Faulk for a two-yard gain?The raw statistical data backs up the decision to go for it, too. The following comes from Advanced NFL Stats, an excellent site that tracks “In-Game Win Probability” based on stats accumulated and in-game situations. Here’s what they came up with, and you can get a more detailed explanation here. WP = Win Probability.With 2:00 left and the Colts with only one timeout, a successful conversion wins the game for all practical purposes. A 4th and 2 conversion would be successful 60% of the time. Historically, in a situation with 2:00 left and needing a TD to either win or tie, teams get the TD 53% of the time from that field position. The total WP for the 4th down conversion attempt would therefore be:(0.60 * 1) + (0.40 * (1-0.53)) = 0.79 WPA punt from the 28 typically nets 38 yards, starting the Colts at their own 34. Teams historically get the TD 30% of the time in that situation. So the punt gives the Pats about a 0.70 WP.Statistically, the better decision would be to go for it, and by a good amount.At the end of the day, it was an unconventional call that’s easy to question, given how things turned out. Belichick, though, has made a hall-of-fame career and built his own legend around making decisions just like that one. That way of thinking is what makes him great. If he wasn’t willing to take those risks or do the unconventional thing, he wouldn’t be Bill Belichick, future hall of famer and NFL coaching legend. He’d be Bill Belichick, that doofus that the Browns hired once a long time ago.Even if you think it was a bad call, it was still a very Bill Belichick call, meaning that it went against the grain, defied traditional football logic and went for the jugular. Most of the time in the past, when Belichick’s made such a call, it’s worked out. Last night’s didn’t.It happens. If the Colts and Patriots happen to meet again in the playoffs, and that exact same situation comes up, it will again be the right call to go for it.
