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Mike Renner of Pro Football Focus put out his list of the top candidates to break out in their second NFL season on ESPN this week and Pittsburgh Steelers running back Najee Harris didn’t make the cut.
Guys like San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance and New York Jets wide receiver Elijah Moore made the cut but Harris got left out. Why? I assume it is because compared to the rest of the names on this list, Harris had a huge rookie campaign. Harris finished fourth in the NFL last season with 1,200 rushing yards and in addition to 74 receptions for 467 receiving yards. Harris also had 10 total touchdowns.
But don’t think he still can’t make a huge leap this season. Pittsburgh has made significant improvements to the offensive line which should really help Harris improve on his 3.9 yards per carry. This will translate into more long runs and potentiall double-digit rushing scores.
Here’s where former University of Kentucky football stars are playing in the NFL.
Markus Golden and the other edge defenders for the Cardinals will face tough challenges. They face 8 of the league's top 12 tackles in 2022.
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2022-07-18T15:24:53Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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No breakout for Steelers RB Najee Harris according to ESPN
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https://sports.yahoo.com/no-breakout-steelers-rb-najee-134437513.html?src=rss
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STATELINE, Nev. -- After 18 NBA seasons, the last of which was with the Warriors and required more time in the training room than on the court, Andre Iguodala is pondering the obvious.
“I like basketball,” Iguodala told NBC Sports Bay Area on the latest episode of "Dubs Talk," recorded from the American Century Championship at Edgewood Tahoe Golf Course. “I actually like training, too. Summer training is probably the hardest thing. People don’t understand that to really get ready for a season what your body has to go through.
“I’m trying to reflect on the season, enjoy it, enjoy being a champion. And if that time comes ... I don’t know if it’s going to be a tough decision, but I’m ready for whatever.”
RELATED: Iguodala jokes with Lacob about whether he'll return to Dubs
But every young NBA player has a "vet,” someone who shows them the way. It’s tradition, and it can involve everything from fetching doughnuts to taking in sage advice. Poole acknowledged last season that his vet was Iguodala.
"Just asking questions and getting his insight," Poole said after Game 1 of the Finals. "Finding ways to learn from the film and my own team. Just trying to better myself as a player and the whole team."
“They’re supposed to be on college campuses learning about themselves, learning who they are as people, learning what they like, learning what they don't like,” he said on Finals Media Day. “Instead, they’re these guys making five-plus million dollars a year. Got all the pressures, the madness of having money and being in the spotlight.”
Two children are among the six people who died Friday evening in a massive crash after a Montana dust storm caused blackout conditions on Interstate 90.
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2022-07-18T15:57:53Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Andre Iguodala ponders Warriors return, not looking to take coaching route
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https://sports.yahoo.com/andre-iguodala-ponders-warriors-return-150552849.html?src=rss
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(Or maybe Johnson wasn’t the very last. More on that later.)
That ranking is determined by the Official World Golf Rankings, an organization overseen by members of the majors and primary professional tours — and an organization to which LIV is appealing for accreditation. The Asian Tour, which has received significant funding from LIV Golf, sponsored LIV’s application to the OWGR.
“OWGR points should be granted, and if we get the OWGR points, then everything else takes care of itself,” Norman said in a recent television interview.
During the Open, Henrik Stenson — the captain of the 2023 European Ryder Cup team — announced his upcoming schedule as “undecided,” and media reports Sunday night suggested that he was ready to jump to LIV and relinquish the Ryder Cup captaincy. Other rumors running around St. Andrews had notable Ryder Cup players and recent major champions preparing to make the jump in the coming weeks.
Dustin Johnson and other LIV players competed at St. Andrews, but for how much longer? (Michael Madrid/USA TODAY Sports)
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2022-07-18T15:58:24Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Will LIV golfers have a route into future majors?
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https://sports.yahoo.com/will-liv-golf-players-get-to-compete-in-future-majors-120948099.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/will-liv-golf-players-get-to-compete-in-future-majors-120948099.html?src=rss
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The Ohio State football program added the 19th member of its 2023 recruiting class on Sunday when 4-star tight end Jelani Thurman announced his commitment to the Buckeyes.
Out of 6-foot, 230-pounds, Thurman is ranked as the No. 9 tight end and 135th overall prospect in the 2023 recruiting cycle according to the 247Sports Composite Rankings. He makes the second tight end of the class, along with Ty Lockwood, who committed last August.
Though a Georgia product that had been considering Auburn and Alabama also, the race seemed to be between the Buckeyes and Michigan State as his other two final four schools. In the end, the pull to play for OSU and the relationships he’s built there was too much for the Spartans to get the nod.
The commitment keeps Ohio State on top of the 247Sports Composite Team Rankings for the 2023 class, but there’s still plenty of big fish out there and plenty of time to go.
Austin Dillon on Brad Keselowski: ‘I don’t talk to him’
Austin Dillon shed some light on the incident with Brad Keselowski saying 'I don't talk to him' when asked if he would talk to Keselowski this week.
Sabrina Carpenter's New Song *Seems* to Tell Her Side of the Olivia and Joshua Love Triangle Story
Sabrina Carpenter's new song "because i liked a boy" seems to tell her side of the story when it comes to the Olivia Rodrigo/Joshua Bassett love triangle drama.
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2022-07-18T16:38:35Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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BOOM! 4-star tight end Jelani Thurman commits to Ohio State
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https://sports.yahoo.com/boom-4-star-tight-end-204810221.html?src=rss
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Arkansas fans already knew it, but the college football world is on notice.
KJ Jefferson was named to the preseason watch list for the Maxwell Award Monday, one of 85 to start the season on list. The award is given to the player deemed the best in all of college football as chosen by a panel of coaches, broadcasters and writers.
Jefferson threw for 2,676 yards with 21 touchdowns and four interceptions to along with 664 yards and six yards last year in helping lead Arkansas to a 9-4 season, its most successful since 2011.
Semifinalists for the award will be named November 1 and that list will be trimmed three finalists on November 22. The winners will be announced December 8 as part of the College Football Awards Show.
The Razorbacks open the season September 3 at home against Cincinnati on ESPN.
NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour standings: Breaking down the top 10 in points after New Hampshire
Saturday‘s Whelen Manufactured in America 100 produced all the thrills fans and drivers have grown accustomed to every time the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour visits New Hampshire Motor Speedway. A furious battle between series veterans Patrick Emerling and Eric Goodale ended with the duo crashing on the frontstretch coming to the checkered flag, allowing Anthony […]
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2022-07-18T16:39:06Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Hogs quarterback KJ Jefferson named to Maxwell Award watch list
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https://sports.yahoo.com/hogs-quarterback-kj-jefferson-named-143806563.html?src=rss
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The Iowa Hawkeyes will be taking part in Big Ten Media Days on July 26 in Indianapolis. The event runs July 26 to July 27 from within Lucas Oil Stadium, the site of the Big Ten Championship game.
The Hawkeyes will be in attendance alongside half of the conference. July 26 will include Iowa, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, and Northwestern. July 27 will consist of Illinois, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, and Wisconsin.
The Hawkeyes will send four representatives to Indianapolis next week to discuss the upcoming 2022 college football season and field questions regarding all things to do with the team.
The crew heading to Indianapolis for B1G Media Day on July 26! #Hawkeyes pic.twitter.com/eYuTfrRNhP
Head coach Kirk Ferentz is the headline representative for the Iowa Hawkeyes. Alongside Ferentz will be linebacker Jack Campbell, safety Kaevon Merriweather, and tight end Sam Laporta.
One common denominator for all three players is that they are seniors for the Hawkeyes. These three have earned the right to get this experience and represent Iowa in front of all Big Ten teams, fans, and the country.
The three of them look to have big years for the Hawkeyes in a multitude of different ways. Campbell will be the leader of the Iowa defense and commanding things as one of the best linebackers in the nation. LaPorta is one of the best tight ends in the country and will look to continue his rocket ship-like ascension. Merriweather will get his crack at becoming one of the next Iowa safeties to put their stamp on a secondary known for interceptions.
Kirk Ferentz, Head Coach
Kirk Ferentz is the name and face of the program at Iowa. He has built the Hawkeyes into the national model of consistency and what it looks like to develop recruits into long-term players that succeed at not only Iowa, but the NFL as well. While at Iowa, Ferentz has gone178-110 with nine bowl wins, two Big Ten titles, and two appearances in the Big Ten Championship game in 2015 and 2021.
Jack Campbell, Linebacker
Jack Campbell, the senior from Cedar Falls, Iowa, led the nation with 143 tackles in 2021. He also defensed eight passes, picked off a pair of passes, scored one defensive touchdown and finished with 3.5 tackles for loss.
Keavon Merriweather, Safety
Kaevon Merriweather, a senior safety for the Hawkeyes, appeared in 14 games last season and posted 42 tackles, five pass deflections, and reeled in an interception. He will look to be part of what is expected to be another great secondary for Iowa.
Sam Laporta, Tight End
Sam Laporta, the senior tight end, reeled in a team-high 53 receptions and 670 receiving yards in 2021. He looks to build upon that year and make his mark as the next big Iowa tight end in a long line of greats.
Big Ten Media Days Takeaways
The Iowa Hawkeyes are sticking to their ways and sending their senior leadership as representatives. I think the biggest takeaway from this could be the clear evidence to fans that a lot of talent, leadership, and experience is returning. Iowa has a lot of talent coming back who have appeared in big games. These three are no strangers to the media spotlight or the big moment, and are ideal representatives to encapsulate the Iowa Hawkeyes.
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2022-07-18T16:39:13Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Iowa Hawkeyes announce 2022 Big Ten Media Day representatives
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https://sports.yahoo.com/iowa-hawkeyes-announce-2022-big-160122186.html?src=rss
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A quartet of players start in the running to be named college football’s best overall player.
One of the game’s top individual honors.
Watch list season got underway today with the release of of the Maxwell Award watch list. Given annually to the nation’s best player, there are four players from the Mountain West on this year’s iteration.
Fresno State quarterback Jake Haener leads the group in what is almost certain to be the first of many watch list appearances over the next two weeks. He led the Bulldogs to a ten-win season last year by completing 67.1% of his 490 pass attempts for 4,096 yards and 33 touchdowns, with an interception rate of 1.8%.
Utah State quarterback Logan Bonner also made the cut after leading the Aggies on a shocking run to the Mountain West title. He completed 62.8% of his passes and threw a single-season program record 36 touchdowns, tied for first in the conference, as well as 3,628 passing yards.
Boise State’s George Holani appears here despite being hampered by injuries in 2021. In nine games, he ran for 569 yards and a touchdown and caught 14 passes for 169 yards.
Reigning rushing champion Brad Roberts, Air Force’s brusing fullback, also earned a nod after leading the Mountain West with 1,357 yards on the ground, and chipping in 13 touchdowns, on a whopping 297 carries.
Last year’s Maxwell Award winner was Alabama’s Bryce Young.
San Diego State Football: Ranking 2022's Opposing Quarterbacks
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2022-07-18T16:39:19Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Mountain West Football: Four Players Named to Maxwell Award Watch List
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https://sports.yahoo.com/mountain-west-football-four-players-140713912.html?src=rss
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"I'M THE BEST PLAYER IN THE STATE": Michigan football commit, West Bloomfield WR Semaj Morgan: The closer on recruiting trail?
JUST WHAT YOU WANT: Why 4-star, MSU target Jalen Thompson's coach says he could be 'best DE ever' from Cass Tech
Michigan State wide receiver Jayden Reed, left, celebrates a touchdown with quarterback Payton Thorne during the second half of the 31-21 win over Pittsburgh in the Peach Bowl at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2021.
Michigan State's Jayden Reed, left, and quarterback Payton Thorne celebrate Reed's 20-yard touchdown catch on fourth down against Penn State during the fourth quarter Saturday, Nov. 27, 2021, in East Lansing, Mich. The Spartans won, 30-27.
Central Michigan running back Lew Nichols tries to evade Washington State defensive back Derrick Langford Jr. during the first half of the Sun Bowl in El Paso, Texas, on Friday, Dec. 31, 2021.
Western Michigan running back Sean Tyler (9) celebrates with teammates after running a kickoff back for a touchdown against Nevada during the first half of the Quick Lane Bowl on Monday, Dec. 27, 2021, at Ford Field.
Eastern Michigan receiver Hassan Beydoun is tackled vs. Pittsburgh in the Quick Lane Bowl, Dec. 26, 2019, in Detroit.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Michigan State, Michigan football represented on Maxwell Award list
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2022-07-18T16:39:57Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Two Michigan State, one Michigan football player on Maxwell Award watch list
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https://sports.yahoo.com/two-michigan-state-one-michigan-154834836.html?src=rss
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Bears 2022 training camp preview: Cornerbacks
The Bears cornerback room was arguably the weakest position group on the team in 2021. Aside from Jaylon Johnson, no other player was reliable and they were exposed often. It was a key focal point in free agency and the NFL Draft this offseason for general manager Ryan Poles. Now with new faces, the group could be vastly improved in 2022.
Here is our preview of the team’s cornerbacks.
Chicago Bears cornerback Jaylon Johnson (33) runs on the field during the first half of an NFL football game against the Detroit Lions, Sunday, Oct. 3, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Kamil Krzaczynski)
In 2021, Johnson took over as the team’s top cornerback after the release of Kyle Fuller in the offseason and though he had similar numbers from his rookie season, he showed signs of growth. Johnson had one interception last year and held quarterbacks to a completion percentage under 60 for the second consecutive season. He also took on the challenge of covering team’s top wide receivers with mixed results.
Johnson has shown the ability to be an excellent cornerback, but still has plenty of room for improvement. With a new system in place and new teammates, 2022 might be a make-or-break season.
Chicago Bears cornerback Kyler Gordon speaks at a news conference during the NFL football team’s rookie minicamp at Halas Hall in Lake Forest, Ill., Friday, May 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
The Bears showed just how serious they were about upgrading the cornerback position when they selected Kyler Gordon with their first selection of the 2022 NFL Draft. Gordon was ranked as one of the top cornerback prospects and fell to the second round out of the draft where the Bears were able to nab him.
Gordon was outstanding at the University of Washington, showing an impressive ability to stay with receivers. He also didn’t allow a single touchdown over his final two years in college. Though he missed the final few offseason practices, Gordon projects as the Bears other starting corner opposite Johnson.
Nov 27, 2016; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Ravens cornerback Tavon Young (36) reacts after a turnover in the fourth quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Evan Habeeb-USA TODAY Sports
The Bears outside cornerbacks had a rough season in 2021, but their nickel corners had an even worse year. That’s why Poles sought out free agent Tavon Young, formerly of the Baltimore Ravens. Young was one of the better nickel cornerbacks in the league, but injuries limited his playing time over the last few years. He rebounded in 2021 and playing on a one-year deal in Chicago, has a chance to revitalize his career.
Young has the pedigree to start at nickel corner, but will likely be battling a few incumbent Bears for the spot. Either way, his veteran presence should help stabilize the position.
Thomas Graham Jr. was an afterthought for much of last season, but his late-season performances are cause for optimism. Drafted in the sixth-round of the 2021 NFL Draft, Graham had a strong preseason, but was cut just before the regular season and spent much of the year on the practice squad. It wasn’t until December that he got elevated to the active roster and proceeded to have four passes defensed in just four games, along with 13 total tackles.
Now heading into camp, Graham will likely be battling Young for the starting nickel cornerback spot. He had a strong camp and preseason during his rookie year. Perhaps another one under a new regime pushes him over the top.
Chicago Bears cornerback Kindle Vildor (22) reacts after the Las Vegas Raiders made an incomplete pass during the second half of an NFL football game, Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/David Becker)
Heading into last season, Kindle Vildor was viewed as a possible breakout candidate after he had some flashes in his rookie season. Those hopes were dashed rather quickly as Vildor struggled for the entire season as a starting cornerback. He allowed six touchdowns and quarterbacks had a rating of 136.1 when targeting him. Vildor was one of the biggest disappointments for the Bears in 2021 and now faces an uphill battle entering his third season.
Depending on Gordon’s availability, Vildor could enter camp as the team’s other starting outside cornerback, but likely won’t be there for long. It’s fair to say he’s trending towards the bubble and he needs a strong camp to stay on the team.
Aug 28, 2021; Nashville, TN, USA; Chicago Bears cornerback Duke Shelley (20) makes a catch during warm ups during the first half at Nissan Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Steve Roberts-USA TODAY Sports
Another late-round draft pick from the Ryan Pace era, Duke Shelley is the longest-tenured cornerback on the roster. He saw the most playing time of his career in 2021, doubling his amount of snaps from the previous season. Shelley improved his numbers in 2021, notching 37 total tackles and three passes defensed. He also improved his completion percentage and opposing quarterback rating.
Even with those improvements, time is not on Shelley’s side. He’s firmly on the bubble at this point in his career and hasn’t done enough to warrant a consistent roster spot. Shelley does have some special teams value and has shown to tackle well, but he could be on the outs when September arrives.
BoPete Keyes
Chicago Bears defensive back BoPete Keyes warms up with teammates at the NFL football team’s practice facility in Lake Forest, Ill., Tuesday, May 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
BoPete Keyes enters his second season with the Bears. He signed late in the season last year and played just a few snaps in one game. Now having a full offseason with the Bears, he’ll have a chance to show what he can do but it likely won’t amount to a roster spot.
Aug 27, 2021; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; New York Jets cornerback Lamar Jackson (38) on the field prior to the game against the Philadelphia Eagles at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports
Sadly, Lamar Jackson is best known for not being the MVP quarterback of the Baltimore Ravens. He signed with the Bears early in the offseason and played in one game for the New York Jets last season, only on special teams.
Jayson Stanley
Nov 8, 2020; Orchard Park, New York, USA; Seattle Seahawks defensive back Jayson Stanley (29) jogs on the field prior to the game against the Buffalo Bills at Bills Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports
Jayson Stanley is the newest member of the cornerback group, signing just four weeks ago. He’s a converted wide receiver who spent the last couple of seasons with the Seattle Seahawks.
Greg Stroman Jr.
Jun 8, 2022; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears defensive back Greg Stroman Jr. warms up during organized team activities at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
Another free agent signee, Greg Stroman Jr. joins the Bears after three seasons in Washington. He saw plenty of playing time his rookie year, in 2018 but not much the next couple of seasons as he dealt with injuries.
Allie Green IV
Missouri defensive back Allie Green IV (24) warms up before playing Arkansas during an NCAA college football game Friday, Nov. 26, 2021, in Fayetteville, Ark. (AP Photo/Michael Woods)
Allie Green IV was an undrafted free agent signed out of Missouri. He’s competing with Stanley, Keyes, and Stroman for a roster spot.
While everyone is focused on Jevon Holland, the other safety can be an impact player.
In The Know Cooking
This homemade vegan bacon is worth trying
Everybody is obsessed with bacon, and this vegan twist on the classic strip is a must try.
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2022-07-18T17:18:48Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Bears 2022 training camp preview: Cornerbacks
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https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-2022-training-camp-preview-133008660.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/bears-2022-training-camp-preview-133008660.html?src=rss
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Nicolas Roesch
In Week 9 the Kansas City Chiefs will come off their bye week to host the Tennessee Titans on “Sunday Night Football”.
Tennessee handed the Chiefs their worst loss of the 2021 season, dominating them from start to finish with a 27-3 final score. The Titans got off to an 8-2 start and appeared to be the strongest team in the AFC, but stumbled a bit down the stretch, going 4-3 in their final seven games.
Their 12-5 overall record was still good enough to secure the No.1 overall seed in the AFC. Many people labeled the Titans as one of the weakest No. 1 seeds in recent memory. Unfortunately, for Tennessee, that was proven right after going one-and-done in the playoffs, losing to the Cincinnati Bengals in the divisional round.
The Titans lost a trio of former Pro Bowlers from their offense this offseason in receivers A.J. Brown, Julio Jones, and guard Rodger Saffold. To restore their ailing wide receiving corps, Tennessee traded for Robert Woods and drafted Treylon Burks in the first round.
Defensively the Titans will return most of their starters from 2021. They lost cornerback Janoris Jenkins, who played well last season, but they replaced him with second-round pick Roger McCreary who they are very high on.
Let’s take a look at some of the Titans’ key players and their outlooks heading into the regular season:
Photo by Wesley Hitt-Getty Images
Tannehill is entering his 10th NFL season and his fourth as the Titans’ starting quarterback. In 2021, he had his lowest touchdown passing total in four seasons with 21 and threw the second-most interceptions of his career with 14. He can still make plays with his legs, however, rushing for 270 yards and seven touchdowns last season.
Tannehill’s inconsistencies led to the Titans drafting quarterback Malik Willis in the third round of the 2022 NFL Draft. Barring an amazing training camp and preseason, Willis will likely spend his rookie season as Tannehill’s backup. With the arrival of Willis and the Titans having a potential out on Tannehill’s contract after the 2022 season, this could be his last year in Tennessee.
Credit: Jim Brown-USA TODAY Sports
Henry was by far and away leading the NFL in rushing in 2021 before breaking a bone in his foot, costing him the final nine games of the season. He returned for the Titans’ postseason game against the Bengals but wasn’t very effective, averaging just three yards per carry. He’ll be a full go for training camp and should see another heavy workload for Tennessee in 2022.
Henry has been the definition of a workhorse, averaging 300 carries per season from 2018-2021. During that time he led the NFL in rushing yards and touchdowns twice. Henry won NFL Offensive Player of the Year in 2020 after rushing for a career-high 2,027 yards. He is also a two-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection.
Guard Taylor Lewan
A former first-round pick in 2014, Lewan has been one of the best guards in the NFL for many years. In his career, he has blocked the way for two AFC rushing yards leaders (DeMarco Murray and Derrick Henry) and has been named to the Pro Bowl three times.
Unfortunately, Lewan has been on a string of bad luck, not having played an entire season since 2017. In 2019, he was suspended for four games after failing a drug test for a banned substance and in 2020 he tore his ACL, costing him 11 games.
OLB Harold Landry III
The Titans locked Landry up this offseason to a five-year, $87.5 million contract extension. He earned it after having a breakout 2021 season where he recorded 12 sacks, 21 QB hurries and 75 total tackles, all career highs.
Landry also earned the first Pro Bowl nod of his career in 2021. His 3,187 snaps played is the most by an edge rusher in the NFL since 2019. Landry’s combination of quickness and arm length makes him one of the most athletic outside linebackers in the league.
S Kevin Byard
Byard has quietly been one of the best safeties in the NFL during his six-year career. He is a two-time All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler and he led the league in interceptions in 2017 with eight. He may be coming off the best season of his career in 2021, earning a 90.5 grade from Pro Football Focus, the highest among all defensive backs.
Byard allowed a completion rate of just 51.7 percent and a passer rating of 68.7 when targeted last season. He also notched team-highs in tackles (88) and interceptions (five), while also adding 13 pass break-ups and two defensive touchdowns.
The Titans are in big need of playmakers in the passing game. They have one of the most unproven receiving corps in the league and although they signed tight end Austin Hooper this offseason, Hooper has been on a downward trend the last two seasons. It starts with Robert Woods, who has been a consistent and somewhat under-the-radar receiver over the last few years.
He will be faced with the challenges of coming off a midseason ACL tear and learning a new offensive system. Then there is rookie Trey Burks, a big, physical receiver who could make a big impact right off the bat. He raised some concerns during the team’s minicamp with complications due to his asthma, which will be something to monitor moving forward.
With the departure of Saffold, the left guard spot is up for grabs. Aaron Brewer and Jamarco Jones will battle it out for the starting gig, both of whom are NFL journeymen.
Finally, all eyes will be on Malik Willis. While all signs point to him sitting this season, he is undoubtedly the future of the Titans’ franchise. His athleticism and running ability will be easy for him to flash, but he has a lot of developing to do as a passer. He could see the field some as a rookie in the wildcat or if Ryan Tannehill runs into any issues during the season.
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2022-07-18T17:18:49Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Chiefs 2022 schedule preview, Week 9: Titans
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https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-2022-schedule-preview-week-154532400.html?src=rss
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The Heinz Field ketchup bottles are coming down originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
The vacuum bearing market size is projected to reach US$ 16.67 billion by 2028 from US$ 9.96 billion in 2021. It is expected to grow at a CAGR of 7.7% from 2022 to 2028New York, July 18, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Insight Partners published latest research study on “Vacuum Bearing Market Forecast to 2028 - COVID-19 Impact and Global Analysis By Type (Cylindrical Roller bearings, Tapered Roller Bearings, Spherical Roller Bearings, Thrust Roller Bearings, and Needle Roller Bearings), Application
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2022-07-18T17:19:28Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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The Heinz Field ketchup bottles are coming down
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https://sports.yahoo.com/heinz-field-ketchup-bottles-coming-153909387.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/heinz-field-ketchup-bottles-coming-153909387.html?src=rss
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It’s that time of the year again.
EA Sports’ latest iteration of the Madden video game franchise is set to reveal player ratings ahead of the launch of the game. With some new players in the fold for the Kansas City Chiefs on both sides of the ball, many are curious to see how the team will stack up to prior iterations in terms of player ratings.
Today, the developers of the game shared the top receiver ratings. For Chiefs fans, it might be a bit jarring compared to previous seasons, where Tyreek Hill was often one of the top receivers in the game. Now, the Chiefs’ highest overall rating at the receiver position is just an 80 overall from free-agent WR JuJu Smith-Schuster.
You can check out his full player ratings down below:
While Smith-Schuster carries the best overall grade of the position group for Kansas City, both Mecole Hardman (97) and Marquez Valdes-Scantling (95) beat Smith-Schuster (87) in terms of speed.
It’s not a huge shock to see the Madden ratings this low for the Chiefs’ receiver corps. They have a lot to prove this upcoming season without Hill in the fold and it remains to be seen who will emerge as the top receiving threats opposite Travis Kelce (who carries a 98 overall rating in Madden this year by the way). Let’s just hope that the Madden Ratings Adjustors are fair to this group as soon as they begin to prove their detractors wrong.
Counting down the Chiefs' single-season completion leaders
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2022-07-18T17:19:34Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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JuJu Smith-Schuster is Chiefs’ highest-rated WR in ‘Madden NFL 23’
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Coaching matters in the National Football League. The quarterback is the most important player on the field, but without a strong coaching staff, even the most talented ones can struggle. The successful combination of the two is a very significant driver of your franchise's long-term success.
The Pittsburgh Steelers, under Mike Tomlin, are a perfect example. Tomlin joined the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2007, the fourth year of Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger's illustrious 18-year career with Pittsburgh. During the fifteen years Tomlin and Roethlisberger led Pittsburgh into battle, Roethlisberger became only the fifth player in history to throw for over 64,000 career yards. They won a Super Bowl together, while Tomlin set one of the most impressive records a coach can earn by registering 15 consecutive non-losing seasons.
Now with Roethlisberger retired, Tomlin marches the Steelers into a new era. But can he continue his streak with Mitch Trubisky under center?
Pittsburgh's problems extend past quarterback
Mike Tomlin has done a masterful job getting the most of his players during his career. However, coaches need players, and there are enough red flags on this roster to signal this is the season the bottom falls out for Pittsburgh. Here are three key metrics where Pittsburgh ranked at the bottom of the league that I think will highlight the challenges they will face this season.
Offensive Line (30th)
Explosive Play Rate (29th)
Defense (26th in EPA per rush allowed)
Pittsburgh's an auto-fade if you believe games are won in the trenches. Last season, the Steelers defense allowed a league-leading 143.8 yards rushing per game, and they didn't do much to improve in the offseason. They have gradually moved away from being the tough, physical team that will impose their will on their opponents and spent their top two draft picks on offensive skill position players for the second straight season.
Unfortunately, without a strong offensive line, those skill position players will have a tough time succeeding. Last season, RB Najee Harris was one of the league's leaders in broken tackles and was still held to only 29 yards in Pittsburgh's 42-21 playoff loss to Kansas City. The Steelers' free-agent signings of Mason Cole and James Daniels do little to improve the outlook of one of the worst offensive lines in football. The Steelers unit was recently ranked 30th by Sharp Football for this upcoming season.
PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 24: Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Mitchell Trubisky (10), running back Najee Harris (22), quarterback Kenny Pickett (8), and quarterback Chris Oladokun (5) take part in a drill during the team's OTA practice, Tuesday, May 24, 2022, in Pittsburgh, PA. (Photo by Brandon Sloter/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
That leads me to the most critical position on the field, the quarterback. Ben Roethlisberger had his limitations last season, but they will miss his experience. Putting Trubisky, a quarterback who has struggled with decision-making, behind this offensive line will be a problem. Even if Steelers offensive coordinator Matt Canada looks to roll Trubisky out of the pocket, it won't be easy with two tackles that rank outside the top 60 at their position. It's also not ideal for a rookie quarterback, so I don't expect the Steelers to move to Pickett early in an attempt to save the season.
Typically, when a team comes off a year where they ranked 28th in yards per play, the only way to go is up. But I am not sold that's going to be the case this season with the Steelers offense under either quarterback. In his rookie year, Pickett will likely have the same challenges as Trubisky.
Pittsburgh Steelers Under 7.5 wins (-110)
It's a good bet this season marks the end of an incredible run by Mike Tomlin. Based on projected win totals, the Steelers have the fourth-most difficult schedule. They open the season as 6.5-point dogs against the defending AFC champion Cincinnati Bengals. They also face the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the first six weeks. The Steelers are -200 to finish last in the AFC North and -375 to miss the playoffs.
The betting market is telling us this isn't a good football team, and I am willing to listen. Pittsburgh is the projected favorite in only four games the entire year, so having the total win set at 7.5 creates value on the under. I have watched Andy Reid go 4-12 in his last season in Philadelphia and also saw how a below-average quarterback room can make Bill Belichick look human. You can only coach them up so much. Betting against Mike Tomlin hasn't paid off in the past, but it's a new era in Pittsburgh. Mitch Trubisky, behind a poor offensive line, sounds like a good bet to go 7-10 or worse.
Stats provided by Clevanalytics, Sharp Football, PFF.com, Football Outsiders
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2022-07-18T17:19:41Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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NFL betting, odds: Why fading the Steelers is a must this season
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The Raiders are full of superstar talent on both sides of the ball. But arguably their best player is one that hasn’t even played a snap for them yet; Davante Adams.
An annual July tradition is for EA Sports to release their latest rankings for their upcoming Madden video game. And having a rating of “99” is reserved only for the best players in the NFL.
On Monday, the video game announced that Adams was part of the “99 Club” as he was the highest-ranked receiver in the NFL. Here is what the top-10 ranking looks for Madden 23:
Adams is coming off another All-Pro season, catching 123 passes for 1,553 yards and 11 touchdowns. It’s the most receptions and yards he has ever had in his career as he’s gotten better with age.
The Raiders are hopeful that he can post similar numbers in Las Vegas with his old college teammate in Derek Carr. But in the video game, we know for sure that Adams will be the top receiver in the NFL once again.
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2022-07-18T17:20:00Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Raiders WR Davante Adams highest-ranked receiver in Madden 23
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https://sports.yahoo.com/raiders-wr-davante-adams-highest-161204634.html?src=rss
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The Cleveland Browns, QB Deshaun Watson, the team’s fans and media members covering the team are hoping for a resolution of the disciplinary hearing for the quarterback. Judge Sue Robinson requested briefs be filed with her last week, two weeks after the completion of the hearing.
Many hoped that meant a decision would be rendered the week before training camp starts. While not surprising, it seems Robinson will be running on her own timeline.
Also, while not surprising, it looks like Watson and the NFLPA, which represented the QB during the hearing, could have another move up their sleeve. The CBA dictates that after Robinson’s ruling either side can appeal if she found a violation of the league’s policy. The decision in the appeal, back to the NFL and Roger Goodell, would then be final according to the CBA.
That doesn’t mean it would be final.
Tom Brady filed a lawsuit when his ‘Deflategate’ suspension was handed down. We detailed the results of that process here where Brady ended up serving the suspension but only after a full-year delay.
According to Charles Robinson, a federal lawsuit is the plan if Watson and the NFLPA do not agree with a lengthy suspension:
Charles Robinson also notes that Judge Robinson is not beholden to the training camp schedule and may be creating space for the two sides to negotiate a settlement.
If Watson is suspended a year and files a lawsuit, he may be eligible to play this season before the results of the lawsuit impact a future year. That decision will be up to a different judge wherever the case is filed.
While there is a lot of hope that there will be closure soon in the case, if the NFL gets what they want (a year suspension) they may have to deal with the results in federal court.
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2022-07-18T17:20:06Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Report: Watson, NFLPA plan federal lawsuit if suspended for a year
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https://sports.yahoo.com/report-watson-nflpa-plan-federal-163811039.html?src=rss
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Why Gould believes Lance is already 'a great leader' for 49ers originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Quarterback Trey Lance is 22 years old and has been a starter in only one season since he played his final high school game in the fall of 2017.
But the eldest member of the 49ers believes Lance already assumed a leadership role with the 49ers in the offseason before his expected first season as an NFL starter.
“He's a lot more mature than people think and/or know,” kicker Robbie Gould, 39, said of Lance on the latest episode of "49ers Talk." “He's a young kid. I think I started playing in the NFL when he was three, so it makes me feel a little bit older than normal.
“I think he looks more comfortable in the offense. I think he's a great leader in the locker room.”
The 49ers traded up to No. 3 overall to select Lance in the 2021 NFL Draft. He started two games last season as a rookie while serving as Jimmy Garoppolo’s backup. Garoppolo is expected to be medically cleared soon after undergoing shoulder surgery in March.
Coach Kyle Shanahan said recently he still expects Garoppolo to be traded before the start of the regular season to clear the way for Lance to take over as the starter.
The 49ers are scheduled to report to training camp in Santa Clara on July 26.
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2022-07-18T17:20:12Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Trey Lance already 'a great leader' in 49ers locker room, Robbie Gould says
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https://sports.yahoo.com/trey-lance-already-great-leader-164000093.html?src=rss
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Nothing makes winning in the NFL easier than having elite players. Stockpile enough of them, especially at key positions, and a team is going to be good. The NFL isn’t the NBA, where stars are everything, but every team in football wants as many elite players as possible.
The Green Bay Packers, despite losing receiver Davante Adams, still have elite players up and down the roster, at least according to the NFL.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler polled over 50 executives, coaches and players inside the NFL to discover who the league thinks are the elite players.
Of the major position groups on offense and defense, the Packers had a player mentioned in nine of the 11.
Here’s a breakdown of where the Packers ended up in the final poll/rankings:
Aaron Rodgers: No. 1
No suspense here. The NFL’s reigning two-time MVP took the top spot at quarterback after finishing No. 2 last year. Over the last two seasons, Rodgers has tossed 85 touchdown passes and nine interceptions while leading the NFL in passer rating and ESPN’s QBR.
Aaron Jones, No. 9
Another top 10 finish for Jones, who was eighth in the same rankings last year. For the third straight season. Jones produced at least 1,000 total yards and 10 total touchdowns. His value could skyrocket in 2022, especially if he’s given more freedom to make plays in the passing game. Also, it’s entirely possible that A.J. Dillon (1,116 total yards in 2021) could make this list next year.
Green Bay Packers offensive guard Elgton Jenkins (74)
Elgton Jenkins, No. 7
Jenkins played tackle out of necessity last season and will likely miss a chunk of this season while recovering from an ACL injury suffered in November last year, but he’s still rightfully regarded as one of the best interior linemen in football. He can play all three spots inside at a high level. One scouting director told ESPN that Jenkins “doesn’t have a big weakness.” It’s possible the Packers will move him back inside once everyone is healthy, but playing right tackle long-term is another viable option.
David Bakhtiari, No. 3
Missing all but a handful of snaps last season only dropped Bakhtiari one spot in the offensive tackle rankings, highlighting just how well-respected and highly regarded he is around the league. The five-time All-Pro is expected back by the start of training camp after dealing with a nightmare recovery from an ACL injury. If he returns close to 100 percent, the Packers will have arguably the top pass-blocking offensive tackle in football manning the blindside for Aaron Rodgers again in 2022.
Interior defensive lineman
Kenny Clark, No. 6
Finally, Clark is a top-10 player on this list. He’s the rare nose tackle who can move, stuff the run and rush the passer. It’d be hard to argue he should be ahead of any of the five players before him on the list, but landing in the top 10 of a stacked position group is impressive enough. With more talent around him in 2022, Clark could be even more destructive.
Green Bay Packers linebacker Rashan Gary (52)
Rashan Gary, receiving votes
Despite a breakout season in 2021, Gary didn’t get enough votes to be included in the top 10 or as an honorable mention. The guess here is that those inside the NFL need to see him do it at least another season before he’s widely considered to be an elite player. Fair enough. An elite athlete and tireless worker, Gary has all the tools of a player that will be great and stay great for a long time. Note: Gary came in at No. 8 on Touchdown Wire’s edge rusher list.
De’Vondre Campbell, honorable mention
He might have been a first-team All-Pro in 2021, but Campbell didn’t get enough votes to crack the top 10 and settled for an honorable mention, even behind Seattle’s Jordyn Brooks, who somehow came in at No. 10. Campbell suffered a similar fate as Rashan Gary: More than likely, the NFL wants to see him do it again. In Joe Barry’s defense, and playing behind the Packers defensive front, he certainly can. Note: Campbell came in at No. 8 on Touchdown Wire’s linebacker rankings.
Jaire Alexander, No. 3
Alexander, who missed the final 13 games of the regular season in 2021 with a shoulder injury, trailed only Jalen Ramsey and Marshon Lattimore in the rankings. One exec said Alexander is just “so smooth,” while another evaluator rattled off at least seven positive attributes to Alexander’s overall game. He’s a complete player with a shutdown corner profile. At Touchdown Wire, Alexander was the No. 2 perimeter cornerback.
Adrian Amos, honorable mention
One scout said Amos is “always in the right spot,” which is a great way of summing up his overall game. He’s reliable, rock solid in everything required of the position and always available. For whatever reason, Amos must not make enough splash plays to warrant the type of attention required for these lists and season awards. Note: Amos was also an honorable mention at Touchdown Wire.
Positions with no players
Receiver: No surprise here but some salt in the wound: Davante Adams was the No. 1 receiver in the rankings.
Tight end: Neither Robert Tonyan nor Marcedes Lewis received any votes. Tonyan is coming off an injury, while Lewis does the dirty work as a dominant inline blocker.
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2022-07-18T17:20:18Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Where did Packers players rank in ESPN’s position-by-position top 10 polls?
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If you tuned into the MLB draft on Sunday, you might have come to the conclusion that elite baseball ability is hereditary, like brown eyes or curly hair. Lacking the exposure that top NFL or NBA picks gain from college, most baseball draftees are unknown names. But in recent years, a lot of names coming off the board early have sounded familiar. This year’s top two draft picks prospect had instantly recognizable ones: Jackson Holliday and Druw Jones.
That's Jackson Holliday, son of the seven-time All-Star Matt Holliday, who the Baltimore Orioles selected with the No. 1 overall pick Sunday. And yes, Druw like Andruw Jones, who glided around in center field for all those great Atlanta Braves teams. Druw, his son, is an 18-year-old Georgia high schooler who plays — what else? — center field, and went to the Arizona Diamondbacks with the No. 2 pick.
Two more second-generation players — Justin Crawford and Cam Collier — went before pick No. 18.
That’s one year after Jack Leiter went No. 2 overall. Three years after Bobby Witt Jr. went No. 2 overall. And basically one development life cycle behind the rise of a young Toronto Blue Jays core that would have sounded just as terrifying in the 1990s — Guerrero, Bichette, Biggio.
What, exactly, are these major-league stars passing down to kids who are rising right to the top of the sport?
Second-generation stars are everywhere in MLB draft
It’s not surprising that professional athletes spawn more elite athletes. And it’s not uncommon in other sports. The difference with baseball seems to be a preponderance of well-known stars whose sons also become well-known stars, or at least prospects with that level of talent.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, for instance, is a second-generation NFL player, but his father only played one year in the league. The sons of the major leaguers are the offspring of Hall of Famers, All-Stars and history-making stars. A study by FiveThirtyEight in 2019 found that major-league progeny make the majors at a higher rate than the general population, and that their numbers are growing.
There are plenty of side-by-side GIFs to support the idea that junior stars might pick up motor skills, almost innately, from their fathers. Lance McCullers Jr.’s pitching motion, Vladimir Guerrero Jr.’s swing. But the fact that two of the towering stars of the generation — Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr. — exceeded the very successful careers of their fathers can make it hard to separate memorable cases from the long odds any player faces. Some current players, like Fernando Tatis Jr. and Cody Bellinger, are well on their way to doing that, but others will fall short.
It’s far from a given that the son of an MLB veteran will even be a pro, much less an All-Star. When Leiter was younger, his body simply hadn’t developed yet. And back then, the last name wasn’t helping matters.
“I was a later bloomer, and there were some people, like, this guy's Al Leiter's son. He should be the best pitcher on his team,” Leiter said this week as he represents the Rangers at the Futures Game. “And at 13 years old, I just wasn’t.”
Those who have watched second-generation players ascend to stardom view the mental edge as the most important. John Schneider, the new interim manager of the Toronto Blue Jays, oversaw their trio of rising sons — Guerrero Jr., Bo Bichette and Cavan Biggio — across several levels of the minors and then joined the big-league team as bench coach before his recent promotion.
Teams aren't choosing players because of this, but Rangers GM Chris Young told the Dallas Morning News the effects might be baked into the appeal of players like Jones and Holliday on the 2022 draft board.
Schneider agreed that nothing can stand in for talent. He described the second-generation boost as a head start, something that might help the natural ability shine through more readily.
“I think any father that played at a high level like these guys have just kind of instilled in their children how to go about their work, their development, their practice, their competitiveness, the way they view a game,” Schneider said. “I think it's kind of just second nature to them, which is a real advantage.”
Texas Rangers pitching prospect Jack Leiter was the No. 2 overall pick of the 2021 MLB draft. More second-generation stars are likely to be picked early in the 2022 draft. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong)
How MLB stars impart wisdom
To hear second-generation players tell it, their biggest and most helpful lessons aren’t articulated so much as absorbed via osmosis.
Schneider said the trait he recognized in Guerrero and company was simply an uncommon ease adapting to “the day to day ins and outs of professional baseball.”
“One of the things we really preach is trying to get these guys in a good routine — whether it's getting to the cage or getting in the weight room and getting to the training room,” Schneider said. “They were all pretty well-versed in that.”
Darren Baker — the son of Houston Astros manager Dusty Baker and a second base prospect for the Washington Nationals — said he built lasting friendships with players on his dad’s team without realizing it was happening. Now, he’s in regular touch with players like Gio Gonzalez, who sent him a new pair of shoes ahead of his Futures Game appearance. He called Joey Votto one of his best friends, and hits in the offseason with Barry Bonds.
Getting that sort of surround sound experience with major leaguers is almost as difficult to quantify as it is to replicate.
“You can definitely tell that they've been around the game,” Schneider said. “Just being in the clubhouse and I think having their fathers to talk to you about certain things kind of give them an advantage.”
It's worth noting that most sons of MLB stars have one very tangible advantage: Money, and access to training. It's an expensive sport to play, one that creates real barriers to entry for less privileged people.
Leiter, who was an acclaimed arm coming out of high school, had a bit of an advantage in being able to choose to go to college at Vanderbilt. He said his dad, who went pro straight out of high school, always accentuated the importance of academics and pursuing higher education.
As for his baseball education, he credited not only his father but his uncle (Mark Leiter) and cousin (Mark Leiter Jr.) as influences that have been helping him for as long as he can remember.
“It’s almost every conversation. Almost every person that you talk to that has played or currently plays at a high level, they'll tell you that the most important thing is just to focus on today,” Leiter said. “What can I do to get better today?”
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2022-07-18T17:31:54Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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MLB draft 2022: Jackson Holliday, Druw Jones go in first two picks as second-generation baseball stars take over
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LOS ANGELES — The Chicago Sky and Los Angeles Sparks continued WNBA regular season play on Thursday night at Crypto.com Arena after a short All-Star break and with less than a month left in the season, and the defending champion Sky took a 80-68 victory.
Chicago star Candace Parker, a Sparks icon before leaving in 2021 to go to her hometown team in free agency, led the Sky with 11 rebounds. Los Angeles' Chiney Ogwumike, inserted into the starting lineup on Thursday, finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds. Yahoo Sports talked to both players exclusively after the game.
Q&A with Chicago Sky forward Candace Parker
Chris Haynes: You’ve had quite the week.
Candace Parker: “It's a back-to-back game, then the All-Star [Game] one day, another game, fly cross country for a game [in L.A.] and then a game in Dallas. Yeah, they’re trying to kill us. But we’re still here.”
CH: Your team has a narrow lead at the top of the standings. What are you telling your team about finishing out the season strong?
CP: “Well, these are the games we got to take care of. We’ve been in a fortunate situation where we actually have a team. So we have different people that step up and carry us. So, I think it's just a testament to our team, but we still have to continue to try to get better and that’s my message.”
CH: You don’t have to carry the load like you once did. At what point in your career did you find it beneficial to allow others to take on more of a role?
CP: “I don't think it's allowing, I think it’s empowering. I mean, for me, I think if a team takes away one thing, then we're going to do something else. And you know, I think everyone on this team understands their value. Like tonight, I needed to rebound for us to be able to get into secondary breaks, or me moving the ball so we're able to get into our offense. So, I think we're past the stage where this person has to do this every single night. We just got to get it done and we do it as a unit.”
CH: How is it coming back to Los Angeles?
CP: “You know, it's still emotional a little bit. This is my second time playing in [Crypto.com Arena]. It's one of those things where I played here for so many years. This is a special place to me.”
CH: I have to ask: You’ve been mum about your plans after this season regarding whether you’re retiring or not. Do you know where you’re leaning at?
CP: “I don't know anything right now. But if you know me, I'm one of those people who if I can't adequately give my all to something or be the best version of myself, then I won't do it. And so I think that's where I'm at.”
Q&A with Los Angeles Sparks forward Chiney Ogwumike
Chris Haynes: You stepped into a non-starting role this season. I know that’s not ideal. You’ve shown you’re still productive after getting a double-double of 14 points and 13 rebounds [Thursday]. But you also have a blossoming future in broadcasting that you’ll eventually transition into full-time. How soon do you feel you’ll have to make a decision on pursuing your second career exclusively?
Chiney Ogwumike: “Well, my bosses at ESPN have been super supportive of me playing. It's funny because when I go on air, a lot of people tell me, ‘Hey, I’m watching the Sparks because you’re on the air.’ And I go into arenas and security guards are like, ‘Oh, hey, Miss ESPN.’ It’s just cool to have both worlds and I think they're starting to understand that. And also as a woman in this industry, it's hard to have a voice, especially if you're an analyst. And me playing currently gives credibility in a way that I don't really have to defend myself. When Malika [Andrews] introduces me as the two-time WNBA All-Star of the L.A. Sparks, people know I know my stuff. Whereas, it's not so easy or smooth for other women because people might question them. So I think one informs the other. But I honestly feel like I'm in bonus years of basketball. I’ve dealt with two major injuries. My role is different, and I feel like my purpose is different than when I entered the league.”
CH: Tell me about how your life has changed.
CO: “Well, it’s not easy to do two jobs. Last year, I was leaving practice and going straight to the booth and sitting down for like three hours on radio and then doing 'SportsCenter' late at night. It's not easy. But I think that people are excited to see me do both and it's that understanding that it’s not normal for this existence. There’s me, there's Candace [Parker] and there's a number of WNBA players at other networks. But I think it's just that joy that fans have when they approach me that keeps me going.”
CH: You were either the first or one of the first basketball players to pull off the dual role.
CO: “No, I think Jalen [Rose] said he was the first. I don't know where Jalen started, but you know Jalen claims everything. [Laughter].”
CH: What do you think of the pathway that you and Candace started for women?
CO: “It’s funny that we played Candace tonight. She's a legend in the game. She's doing it as well. I know I was likely first. My path is different because my people don't really know my story as much. I didn't come out of college with a lot of fanfare like Candace. So people had to learn how to say my name. People had to learn my story. People had to learn why I was afforded the position to sit in the seat I was in. But at the same time, I love that because I always say there are so many great people doing great work that is hidden in plain sight. And to be one of those that can help create pathways, I love it. My mom always says small drops of water make a mighty ocean. And I think those small drops of water are waking up at 3 a.m. in Connecticut and all the various ESPN platforms. Now you're seeing the ocean of so many people able to have this opportunity to broadcast.”
CH: Now that your second career is blowing up, do you envision a situation in the offseason where you might have to decide on whether to go all in on broadcasting?
CO: “Absolutely. You know, I think I have to make a decision. So far, the decision has been to do both. Me and Nneka [Ogwumike] still have this dream to win a championship together. So, I’m weighing both of those things. Also, I'm a woman, knowing how long you want to do this. But for me right now, I feel like I've got the best of both worlds. As long as I feel like I'm able to give, I'll continue to do and right now I'm surprising myself.”
Los Angeles Sparks forward Chiney Ogwumike talks about her dual role as a basketball player and TV host. (Meg Oliphant/Getty Images)
The Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) is entering the second half of the 2022 season with news of changes to the current and upcoming seasons.
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2022-07-18T17:41:01Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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WNBA: Candace Parker on balance with the Sky; Chiney Ogwumike on dual role as player and TV analyst
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The Victory Bell struck 14 on Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
NASCAR’s 2022 playoff picture became a little clearer at the “Magic Mile,” frustratingly so for some while being a tremendous relief for race winner Christopher Bell. Six races remain between now and the start of this year’s postseason on Labor Day Weekend at Darlington Raceway, with still plenty to sort out in that timeframe.
The ’22 Cup Series campaign has been a wild one, as unpredictable and raucous as anyone could have hoped in the maiden voyage for the sport’s landmark Next Gen racer. Fourteen different winners from seven different organizations across all three manufacturers have taken a trip to Victory Lane at least once this year — and arguably for the first time in the history of NASCAR’s playoff elimination format there’s a realistic scenario that one of them could wind up getting squeezed out of the 16-driver postseason field.
Bell has had a fine season to date, his best so far at the Cup level, but after sputtering out of the gates a bit to open the season, the No. 20 had to methodically claw its way back up the points standings from basically Circuit of The Americas onward. The Norman, Oklahoma, native entered this past weekend’s events eighth in the standings but still on the outside looking in with 13 drivers having already picked up wins. Everything about his season has now changed, as he’s now on essentially equal footing with his other two teammates currently provisionally locked in with wins — Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin — sitting at 2,008 playoff points to their 2,011 and 2,012 points, respectively.
MORE: Bell holds off Elliott for NH win | Playoff Watch
When it comes to racing at Loudon, every most winning drivers are just thrilled to be able to take home a giant lobster. For the ones who pick up their first win of the season there in the dead of summer at such a critical point in the postseason hunt, the real gift is just the ability to exhale.
“Yeah, I mean, it’s been stressful,” Bell said in his post-race press conference. “After the first couple races of the year, I kind of wrote off pointing our way into the championship, and then we had a stretch of really good races and kind of turned that around to like, ‘hey, we may be able to do this.’ And then you’ve got guys that kept winning, and the cutoff line kept creeping up and up and up, so it feels really good to hopefully get myself above that cutoff line by a couple spots.”
Some of that stress, however, has now shifted over to his teammate.
There’s no question Martin Truex Jr. has been among the best drivers on a near-consistent basis this year — in a season that’s been hard for anyone to build consistent momentum — currently leading the series in stage wins while sitting third in stage points and fourth in overall points. He is, however, winless.
After securing Saturday’s Busch Light Pole Award, Truex noted that he’s “not really that that worried about the playoffs. I think … we’ll be OK either way,” and for the first two stages of Sunday’s race anybody on the planet probably would’ve agreed with him. The No. 19 Toyota was as dominant as any car we’ve seen this year.
It was Truex’s race to lose, and he did. A two-tire call late in the final stage by crew chief James Small wound up being an incorrect decision, and the car that looked unstoppable all afternoon was suddenly unable to race its way back to the front, resulting in a fourth-place run.
The 2017 champ now sits directly on the bubble, the 16th and final driver in the current projected playoff field and 68 points ahead of Kevin Harvick, also winless.
It seems unfathomable that Truex, whose 12-1 odds to win the ’22 championship entering the weekend were ninth-best in the series, could miss the playoffs entirely. That’s the reality, however, and it just furthers the point that winning is everything in this sport.
The path to pointing his way in is still open, of course. There aren’t 16 winners yet and it seems likely that if we do hit that sweet number, he could be one of them. But he’s not the only elite driver in this position.
Directly above and below him in the standings are Ryan Blaney and Harvick, respectively, who have combined for 27 victories since 2018. Both Truex and Harvick netted top fives at Loudon, and both walked away frustrated. Harvick, believe it or not, actually lost ground despite the quality result. There’s truly a sense of “win-or-bust” right now.
The No. 12 Team Penske driver is safest among them, but it’s almost jaw-dropping that a driver currently third in points and fighting to claim a Regular Season Championship with six races to go could theoretically be left off the playoff grid a month and a half from now.
Ryan Blaney looking off into the distance
Of course, like we just mentioned — all three are elite drivers. They could all win before Darlington (heck, it’s not even the most unreasonable notion to think they could split the six remaining trophies just among themselves), and then what happens? A whole new can of worms.
We’ve known all along since the birth of this playoff system in 2014 that the possibility of more than 16 winners would result in a driver who “clinched” a playoff spot with a win earlier in the season having that position wrestled out of his hands by a fellow winning driver with more points.
And wouldn’t you know it — there’s a chance that if one more driver wins and then Harvick wins to become lucky No. 16, he could bump out Stewart-Haas Racing teammate and Phoenix winner Chase Briscoe, currently the driver with the fewest points among winners.
There’s no denying that at least one driver and possibly two from the group of current one-time winners — Kyle Larson, Kyle Busch, Bell, Alex Bowman, Austin Cindric, Kurt Busch, Daniel Suárez, Tyler Reddick and Briscoe — along with Blaney, Harvick and Truex could miss the playoffs. Just a matter of who, and how many.
The six regular-season races remaining are anything but routine or straightforward, featuring a track with just three turns (Pocono), an infield road course (Indianapolis), a 2-mile behemoth where speed is king (Michigan), a 0.75-mile “action track” (Richmond), the fastest road course we go to (Watkins Glen) and for the icing on the cake to lock in the field of 16, the most unpredictable track on the schedule — Daytona.
Blaney is the defending winner at both Michigan and Daytona, and as the highest among the winless drivers, he’s probably going to get the most sleep among any of them over the coming weeks. Truex won Richmond last year and has been an ace on road courses in the past, but the Virginia race last year came a month later — in the playoffs — and at night, where this year’s will be an afternoon special. Toyota as a whole has self-admittedly struck out on road-course setups this year as well, so it’s anything but a lock that Truex will strike at Indy or The Glen. Harvick can win anywhere — and has 12 total wins at the remaining six tracks — but the No. 4, while competitive all season, has seemed to be a tick off a winning pace in ’22.
What these tracks really offer, however, is for the remainder of drivers currently on the wrong side of the bubble a chance for a last-ditch strike to finagle their way into a crowded field.
A group of cars race at Daytona
Six of the eight drivers next in line under Harvick have won at Daytona previously (Aric Almirola, Erik Jones, Austin Dillon, Michael McDowell, Justin Haley and Ricky Stenhouse Jr.) while the other two (Chris Buescher and Bubba Wallace) always seem to be in the mix at the front of the field late at the World Center of Racing, including a Duel victory for the No. 17 during this year’s lead up to the Daytona 500.
Road courses always offer the potential for a wild-card winner, of course. And Buescher, himself, knows that Pocono can be an unexpected gateway to the playoffs with his sole career victory coming there during his 2016 rookie year and clinching his only playoff appearance to date.
This is all to say: we’ve got a long way to go before we know for sure who’s going to be in the playoffs. The only drivers that shouldn’t be squirming in their seats right now are those with two-plus wins and the only thing we can count on right now in mid-July is that a month and a half from now we’ll be saying “I can’t believe ____ missed the playoffs!”
And no driver wants to be the one to fill in that blank.
Julio Rodríguez's leaping catch
Julio Rodríguez covers ground back to the wall in center field to take away extra-bases from Adolis García with a leaping catch
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2022-07-18T18:35:51Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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As playoff spots come off the board, one thing is clear - big names will be left out
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Brian Kelly on future of Notre Dame: "It's not been high on my list of things to think about. I've been trying to correct my slice the last two weeks. Notre Dame is still a coveted university. They'll land in a good position whether stay independent or join another conference."
Deion Sanders will donate half of his salary to make sure Jackson State's renovations to its football facility will be completed on time.
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2022-07-18T19:06:41Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Brian Kelly shares thoughts about Notre Dame conference argument
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The Arizona Cardinals will face some top tight ends in the 2022 season. It will be a challenge, but they believe they have the linebackers and safeties capable of covering them.
Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield gives us the NFL’s top 12 tight ends entering this season. The Cardinals will face six of them and one of them twice.
No. 1 Travis Kelce, Kansas City Chiefs
Linebacker Isaiah Simmons will get tested right off the bat. The league’s best tight end is in town in Week 1, as the Cardinals host the Chiefs in their season opener.
Kelce had 91 receptions for 1,125 yards and nine touchdowns last season.
In two career games against Arizona, Kelce has 13 receptions for 156 yards and no touchdowns.
No. 2 George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
Kittle is no stranger to the Cardinals. Arizona faces the Niners twice a season. They will see Kittle in Week 11 in Mexico and in Week 18 to end the regular season.
Playing in 14 games last season, many of them in which he was banged up, he had 71 receptions for 910 yards and six scores.
In eight career games against the Cardinals, he has 35 catches for 518 yards and two touchdowns.
No. 4 Darren Waller, Las Vegas Raiders
After facing Kelce in Week 1, the Cardinals get no rest from the tight end position. They will face Waller and the Raiders in Week 2 on the road.
In 11 games last season, Waller caught 55 passes for 665 yards and two touchdowns.
He appeared in one game against the Cardinals but did not catch a pass.
No. 5 Kyle Pitts, Atlanta Falcons
Pitts put together a 1,000-yard rookie season in 2021. He caught 68 passes for 1,026 yards but only one touchdown.
When the Cardinals travel to Atlanta to face the Falcons in Week 17, it will be the first time facing Pitts.
No. 6 Dallas Goedert, Philadelphia Eagles
Goedert and the Eagles come to town in Week 5. His play is what made Zach Ertz expendable in Philly.
He had 56 catches for 830 yards and four touchdowns in 2021.
He has played the Cardinals once in his career, catching four passes for 39 yards in 2020.
No. 8 Hunter Henry, New England Patriots
In his first season with the Pats last season, he had 50 receptions for 603 yards and nine touchdowns.
He and the Pats face the Cardinals at State Farm Stadium in a Monday night game in Week 14.
He has never faced the Cardinals.
Ken Walker named Seahawks’ breakout fantasy football candidate for 2022
According to Mike Dugar at the Athletic, running back Ken Walker is the team's fantasy breakout candidate this year.
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2022-07-18T19:11:31Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Cardinals set to face 6 of NFL’s top TEs in 2022
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Every player coming from college football to the NFL has that singular moment when they realize that they’ve made it to the big leagues and that the game is on an entirely different level.
Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce recently recalled his “Welcome to the NFL” moment on Twitter. Former Chiefs S Bernard Pollard Jr. was re-living some of his glory days by sharing some clips on Twitter from his time at Purdue. One play, in particular, stuck out to Kelce.
Kelce had been in the league for a full year before his “Welcome to the NFL” happened as he didn’t play during his rookie season due to a knee injury. In the first game of the 2014 NFL season against the Tennessee Titans, Kelce was targeted by Chiefs QB Alex Smith five times. Pollard Jr., in what would be the final season of his nine-year NFL career, delivered a crushing blow against Kelce on a slant route that left a lasting impression.
The two discussed the play further on Twitter:
In 2016, Kelce went in-depth on the moment in a piece about playing the tight end position on The Player’s Tribune:
“Well, my first NFL game was against the Titans, and I came out of the gate hot. Made my first catch. Incredible feeling, really. Then, two plays later it looked like I was about to make my second catch. I was running a slant across the middle of the field. I knew that was my assignment. You know who else knew that was my assignment? Bernard Pollard, one of the hardest hitting safeties in the NFL. As soon as I caught the ball, I was looking upfield and Bernard absolutely leveled me. Put his helmet right in my sternum. I was flat on my back and the ball popped out. Fortunately it was just ruled an incompletion rather than a fumble, but I got the point. You have to really get rocked like that a few times to develop the senses you need to avoid the big shots. Once you really get popped, you don’t want it to happen again. I mean, it will, but you don’t want it to.”
And without further ado, here is the hit in question:
Pollard’s hit might have inspired Kelce to become better at avoiding big hits and tackles altogether. Last season, Kelce led the NFL in broken tackle rate according to Football Outsiders, avoiding tackles at nearly a 30% clip.
#Bills LB Tyrel Dodson using lessons learned from former teammate:
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2022-07-18T19:11:44Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Chiefs TE Travis Kelce recalls ‘Welcome to the NFL’ hit from Bernard Pollard Jr.
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https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-te-travis-kelce-recalls-174737642.html?src=rss
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Joseph was going to have to work to take snaps away from veterans Anthony Brown and Jourdan Lewis early on last year, but any chance of that was thwarted when Joseph injured his groin late in the preseason. On top of some rumored attendance and focus missteps in the offseason, the second-round pick became an afterthought in the club’s secondary as Trevon Diggs, Brown and Lewis all put together career years. But that doesn’t mean that Joseph doesn’t have talent, and that intriguing “what if” landed him on ESPN’s list of potential second-year breakout candidates for 2022.
Joseph checks in at No. 9 on the list.
Of course, Joseph’s 2022 is up in the air as he was identified as a person of interest for being in a car where a gunman shot and killed a young man in Dallas. Joseph was not arrested, but there is the possibility the NFL decides to impose a suspension regardless.
For now, though, Joseph is preparing for training camp just like the rest of his teammates after missing some offseason work due to a “minor injury“.
Brown is entering the final year of a three-year second contract. Combined with Joseph’s draft pedigree, it would behoove the club to give Joseph the opportunity to prove what he can do on the field, provided he convinces them he’s going to be able to stay out of trouble when off it.
The early returns were favorable, but the NFL is littered with unrealized dreams from players who once flashed potential. Joseph will need to control his circumstances moving forward if he is to avoid being another cautionary tale.
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2022-07-18T19:11:50Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Cowboys CB Kelvin Joseph named breakout candidate in 2022
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https://sports.yahoo.com/cowboys-cb-kelvin-joseph-named-174652622.html?src=rss
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The Baltimore Ravens suffered numerous injuries over the course of the 2021 season. Even before the start of the year, the team lost multiple key contributors, including running backs JK Dobbins, Gus Edwards and Marcus Peters to torn ACLs.
On Monday, NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport provided an update on the recovery of Dobbins and where he stands in regards to his potential status for Week 1 of the 2022 season. He relayed information from a source that said that the third-year running back is “no sure thing” for Week 1. Rapoport made it clear that there haven’t been any setbacks, but that his injury was a serious one.
Many expected Dobbins to be one of the breakout stars of the 2021 NFL season after coming off of a rookie year in which he led all running backs with 6.0 yards per carry while breaking Baltimore’s rookie touchdown record. He didn’t get the chance to show what he was capable of to follow up his sensational first season, but should have that chance at some point in 2022, regardless of if he starts the year on the PUP list or not.
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2022-07-18T19:12:15Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Ian Rapoport provides update on Ravens RB JK Dobbins
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A Los Angeles judge privately told lawyers he would renege on a promise and imprison Roman Polanski for sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl in 1977, a former prosecutor testified, setting the stage for the renowned director to flee the U.S. as a fugitive. A previously sealed transcript obtained by The Associated Press late Sunday of testimony by retired Deputy District Attorney Roger Gunson supports Polanski’s claim that he fled on the eve of sentencing in 1978 because he didn’t think he was getting a fair deal. Gunson said during closed-door testimony in 2010 that the judge broke a promise to let Polanski go free after state prison officials had determined he shouldn't serve hard time.
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2022-07-18T19:12:28Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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James White injury: Latest update on Patriots RB as training camp nears
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On Monday, former UNC football standout Ryan Switzer announced he has retired from the NFL.
The former Tar Heel wide receiver played in 41 games across three seasons in the NFL. He played one year with the Dallas Cowboys and two with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He last played in live-game action in 2019.
Switzer had been on the Cleveland Browns roster for the last two years but did not see live-game action. He suffered multiple injuries over the last few years that continued to set him back.
Switzer made his announcement via Twitter on Monday morning.
During his time at UNC, Switzer set multiple records. He holds programs records in career receptions (244) and yards (2,907).
Switzer was also a dynamic returner, scoring five punt return touchdowns and earning All-American honors as a freshman. He ended his career with a program record seven return touchdowns. That is also fourth best in NCAA Division 1 history.
After his UNC career was up, Switzer was selected in the fourth round by the Cowboys in 2017.
Our friends at @TheDraftWire recently named #Chiefs WR Skyy Moore as one of their top rookie targets in fantasy football for 2022.
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2022-07-18T19:13:37Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Ryan Switzer announces retirement from NFL
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The 2022 SEC media days are taking place July 18-21 and SEC Network is televising the annual event in Atlanta, Georgia .
First-year LSU head coach Brian Kelly met with media Monday. Tennessee will play at LSU Oct. 8.
Kelly was asked how he views LSU from a physical readiness and the Tigers’ quarterback situation.
“I think our numbers look pretty good,” Kelly said of LSU. “Our GPS numbers show a fitness that will have us prepared for Florida State. We trained outside all summer. We have two more days this week, then we’re off. We finish up our summer program with two more days of training this week, today counting. Yeah, we’re healthy. I think our kids would tell you they feel as good as they’ve ever felt. Our numbers look really good across the board.
“Then as it relates to the quarterbacks, it’s similar to what I have said to a number of people that asked about the quarterback situation. We’re really going to have to set the offensive structure and its installation to the skill set of the particular players. Number one, they got to take care of the football. Number two, they have to get the ball to play-makers. I have play-makers on offense that are already in place. They’ve got to get the ball to the play-makers. Number three, they’ve got to make plays, that quarterback. The ultimate decision-making on who that quarterback is, he’ll have to hit those three notes. I think all of these guys can do that. We’ll have to put them in that position so we can evaluate that.”
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2022-07-18T19:23:39Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Brian Kelly details LSU’s physical readiness, offensive structure, installation to players’ skill sets
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SEC Media Days officially began at the College Football Hall of Fame in downtown Atlanta on Monday, and Tigers fans didn’t have to wait long to hear from their new head man.
LSU coach Brian Kelly was the first to take the podium this week, and as he noted in his opening monologue, it’s the first conference media days he has participated in since he was at Cincinnati in 2009 as Notre Dame is an independent school.
There’s a lot of uncertainty surrounding his first team in Baton Rouge, but there’s also a lot of optimism. This is a talented roster, which Kelly reiterated several times on Monday, and he’s expected to bring this team back to national competitiveness in short order.
Here were the highlights from Kelly’s press conference.
On restoring 'championship quality' to LSU
There’s no mistaking the expectations in Baton Rouge. The Tigers’ last three coaches have won national titles, and Kelly made the jump to the SEC to do the same. He also said the opportunity to be a part of what is arguably the best league in college football was a tough one to turn down.
“It’s a chance to be a part of this incredible conference,” he said. “I’ve never been in many of the venues… Auburn, Kyle Field, the Swamp in my 32 years (as a coach)”
Kelly has come close to a national title twice, but he hasn’t been able to capture one yet. He’ll hope that changes as he takes over an LSU program with no shortage of resources.
One of this team’s biggest questions surrounds the starting quarterback battle between [autotag]Myles Brennan[/autotag], [autotag]Jayden Daniels[/autotag], [autotag]Garrett Nussmeier[/autotag] and [autotag]Walker Howard[/autotag].
It didn’t take long for Kelly to be asked where things stand, and he offered praise for all four while reiterating that the spring was mostly about laying the foundation of the offense rather than tailoring it to any passer’s specific skillset.
Translation: Kelly is staying mum on the quarterback battle heading into fall camp, and the competition likely remains open. When asked what the starter needs to be able to do, Kelly kept things pretty straightforward.
“I’ve got playmakers on offense,” he said. “They’ve got to get the ball to the playmakers.”
On competing in the name, image and likeness landscape
It feels like college football has changed overnight considering the impact that recent changes allowing players to profit from NIL have had. Recruiting has become a bidding war — that is if it wasn’t already.
There have been some concerns among fans that LSU is lagging behind in terms of its NIL collective, but Kelly quickly brushed off those concerns Monday.
“I don’t know that we don’t have as many funds… I feel very comfortable, quite honestly, as I stand here talking to you that what we’re doing with NIL is as competitive as anyone else,” he said. “I don’t think that’s the place of NIL anyways. I don’t feel hamstrung by that.”I don’t think we’re being outbid by anyone.”
Only time will tell how programs will approach NIL deals moving forward, but it doesn’t seem to be of much concern to Kelly.
On Kayshon Boutte earning No. 7
LSU announced last week that star receiver [autotag]Kayshon Boutte[/autotag] will carry on the tradition of the No. 7 jersey this fall. The number is generally given to one of the team’s top playmakers, often one from the state of Louisiana.
Boutte is working his way back with the team as he recovers from a broken ankle, and earlier this offseason, Kelly said he and Boutte still needed time to work on their relationship. It seems Boutte has built that trust, and Kelly said as much on Monday.
“That has to happen when trust has been formed,” he said.
On secondary depth/transfer portal additions
When Kelly took over last winter, the secondary was one of the most concerning position groups on the roster. As things stand in July, it’s a lot less worrisome thanks to several high-profile transfer portal addtions.
The Tigers added three corners with starting experience in [autotag]Jarrick Bernard-Converse[/autotag], [autotag]Mekhi Garner[/autotag] and [autotag]Sevyn Banks[/autotag], and they added a pair of Arkansas transfers in nickel [autotag]Greg Brooks Jr.[/autotag] and safety [autotag]Joe Foucha[/autotag].
Both originally hail from Louisiana, and Kelly said their additions have been huge both on and off the field.
“They have been outstanding additions to our program,” he said. “I know many don’t like to see (transfers) happen (within) the league and I’m not crazy about it, either. These are two Louisiana kids that wanted to play at LSU… they’ve been great additions.”
Kelly said that he’s very pleased with the depth in the secondary but that the starters in that group still have to go out on the field and prove it this fall.
On his fit at LSU
There’s no denying Kelly’s track record of success as a head coach, but some have questioned his cultural fit at LSU. Kelly is from Massachusetts and has coached in the midwest for most of his career. He’s never held a job south of the Mason-Dixon line.
But when asked about his fit in Baton Rouge, Kelly responded directly.
“I think fit is about the ability to run a program at the highest level, I’ve done it for 32 years… I’ve had success wherever I’ve been. I don’t think that needs to be geographical in a sense.”
He also poked fun at the viral video of what seemed to be his attempt at an affected southern accent.
“They love family, they love football, and they love food. That fits me,” he said. “Maybe I should’ve been in the south all along.”
On Notre Dame and potential conference realignment
Things have quieted down a bit on the conference realignment front, but a lot could hinge on the decision Kelly’s former program makes. There have been rumors that the Big Ten is after the Fighting Irish, but Kelly didn’t have much to say about that possibility.
“It’s probably not been high on my list of things to think about,” he said. “I’ve been trying to correct a slice for the last couple of weeks, and I haven’t had much success with that.”
Kelly did add that he thinks the team will be successful whether it lands in a conference or remain an independent.
On the season opener against Florida State
Kelly will begin his LSU tenure against a program he is very familiar against. His Notre Dame teams faced Florida State in three of the last four seasons.
“More than anything else the fight in that team… that has a lot to do with buy-in,” Kelly said when asked what he’s observed from the Seminoles. “You could see them playing harder and harder. This is a team now that has Mike (Norvell’s) stamp on it.”
It’s been a tough few seasons in Tallahassee, but Kelly said the fact that it’s the season opener may be an equalizer.
“You throw a lot of that stuff out because you know everyone’s going to be playing at their highest level in the opener.”
Still, he says his team isn’t overly focused on one game in a long season.
“If you’re training the team just for the first week, you’re never going to make it to December,” he said. “I think you have to be very intentional about how you train your team, how you practice.”
On recruiting the state of Louisiana
Kelly has already shown off his chops as a national recruiter since arriving in Baton Rouge, but there have been some concerns that he isn’t taking full advantage of the resources provided by the state of Louisiana, which LSU has historically dominated when it comes to recruiting.
He said that some early feedback he received based on his recruiting strategy indicated that the staff wasn’t extending itself far enough in the state of Louisiana, focusing on the New Orleans and Baton Rouge areas while allowing northern areas like Shreveport or Monroe to fall through the cracks.
“I think first and foremost making sure you evaluate the entire state of Louisiana… That doesnt mean you just take a kid from Louisiana because he’s from the state of Louisiana,” Kelly said.
There’s still some work to be done in that regard, but recent returns indicate that the staff is learning quickly how to reach in-state kids.
On keeping interim coach Brad Davis on staff
Coach Ed Orgeron’s departure meant that nearly his entire staff was let go. But not everyone shared that fate.
Offensive line coach (and one-game interim head coach) [autotag]Brad Davis[/autotag] was retained. Asked what led to that decision, Kelly said Davis’ stint as the interim showed a lot about his abilities as a leader.
“I got a chance to see him in a different capacity,” Kelly said. “I really loved his ability to reach players. I felt like if he could reach all those players, how well would he do for 15 to 18 players.”
He also said the fact that Davis formerly worked under now Arkansas head coach Sam Pittman, who was previously one of the nation’s best offensive line coaches, boosted Kelly’s confidence in him, as did his desire to remain a part of the program in Baton Rouge.
Every coach wants to get their guys in when they take a job, but there’s something to be said for at least maintaining some continuity in the relationships between the former staff and current players and recruits.
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2022-07-18T19:23:51Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Everything Brian Kelly said at SEC Media Days on Monday
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The 2022 Maxwell Award watch list has been revealed.
This award, named after Robert “Tiny” Maxwell, is given out annually to the person deemed the best college football player of the year by sportscasters, sportswriters, and coaches. 85 different players across the college football nation have been placed on this seasons watch list.
Two of those players are Georgia quarterback Stetson Bennett and tight end Brock Bowers.
The best all-around.@brockbowers17 & @StetsonIv have been named to the Maxwell Award Watch List!#GoDawgs pic.twitter.com/5dCpMLf1kY
Last year’s award went to Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, who has a chance to become only the third player ever to win the award two times.
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2022-07-18T19:23:58Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Georgia football places two on Maxwell Award watch list
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The Nebraska athletic department has finally announced who will join Head Football Coach Scott Frost at Big Ten Media Days in Indianapolis. The two-day event will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium on July 26th and 27th. The Huskers will participate in the festivities on the 26th with fellow Big Ten teams Indiana, Iowa, Marland, Michigan, Minnesota, and Northwestern. The 27th will see Illinois, Michigan State, Ohio State, Penn State, Purdue, Rutgers, and Wisconsin.
Cornerback Quinton Newsome, linebacker Garrett Nelson, and tight end Travis Vokolek are the players who have been chosen to make the trip to the annual event. The Huskers are the opening team of the conference festivities as they are scheduled to meet with the media at 10:00 am on Tuesday, July 26th.
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2022-07-18T19:24:10Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Nebraska announces 2022 Big Ten Media Day representatives
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https://sports.yahoo.com/nebraska-announces-2022-big-ten-183511256.html?src=rss
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Earlier this week, Will Backus of 247Sports projected every major 2022 award winner for the upcoming season.
The lone Badger mentioned was junior outside linebacker Nick Herbig, who was on the short list of defenders in contention for the Chuck Bednarik Award, which is essentially the College Football Defensive Player of the Year.
After breaking out as a sophomore, Herbig will become the face of Jim Leonhard’s defensive unit and assume the role of one of the premier pass-rushers in all of college football.
Last season, the 6-foot-2, 227-pound OLB totaled 57 tackles, 37 pressures, nine sacks, and six QB hits.
Per PFF, the Badgers’ star LB also had a 27.3% pass rush win rate which led all Big Ten edge rushers last season.
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2022-07-18T19:24:16Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Nick Herbig mentioned in CFB’s projected major 2022 award winners
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https://sports.yahoo.com/nick-herbig-mentioned-cfb-projected-182651738.html?src=rss
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Contact/Follow @michaelbraydaly and @MWCwire
Expect several quarterback duels in 2022.
12. Idaho State – Tyler Vander Waal or Hunter Hays
In his first season as Idaho State’s head coach, Charlie Ragle will need to sort out a complicated quarterback situation. In nine games last season, Hays passed for 1,066 yards and six touchdowns. Even if Hays beat out Vander Waal for the starting position, he will likely have to share snaps during the season.
The Lobos finished the 2021 season with a 3-9 record. One major reason why they finished with a losing record was inconsistency at the quarterback position. Kendrick transferred to New Mexico from Kansas and will have a serious opportunity to be the starting quarterback. Kendrick will need to outperform Chavez and Montes. The Lobos have a three-quarterback race and could use all three throughout the season.
When Terry Wilson Jr. missed time with an injury, Chavez and Montes filled in for Wilson. The two quarterbacks failed to win many games. The quarterback competition should be wide open for New Mexico. It could be Kendrick’s job for the taking.
10. Nevada – Nate Cox or Shane Illingworth
When the Wolf Pack had to replace Colin Kaepernick in 2011, it was difficult for the next quarterback to assume his role. The same can be said for the Wolf Pack’s 2022 quarterback, who will have to replace Carson Strong. Cox, who is 6-foot-9, will be in contention to win the starting job. He will be going up against 6-foot-6-inch Illingworth. The winner of this battle will have a tough task to carry the offense.
Under first-year head coach Timmy Chang, Hawaii will hope to get back to a winning record for the first time since 2019. Hawaii will lean on Schager’s experience within the program to see if he can lead the team in 2022. Hawaii has options at quarterback because they can opt to go with Cooper at quarterback. Cooper transferred from Washington State in January and will be an option for the Rainbow Warriors.
After a 2-10 season in 2021, UNLV will hope to find a reliable quarterback option. Friel played in nine games as a freshman and he struggled throughout the season. Friel will try to hold on to his job. Sophomore Doug Brumfield saw some playing time in 2021 and he will be in line to compete for the starting job. Friel and Brumfield will have to compete with Tennessee transfer Harrison Bailey, who played the last two seasons at Tennessee.
7. Toledo – Dequan Finn
After an appearance in the 2021 Bahamas Bowl, Toledo is ready to have Finn take another step forward in 2022. Finn was fourth in the MAC in passing efficiency with a 149.3 rating in 2021. He will look to improve on his 2,067 passing yards and 18 touchdowns. Finn managed to limit turnovers as he threw only two interceptions. Look for Finn to play conservative and limit interceptions in 2022.
After four seasons at Hawaii, Cordeiro decided to stay in the Mountain West for one more season. Now that Cordeiro is San Jose State’s quarterback for 2022, he will be expected to help San Jose State win games. In 2021, the Spartans lost to San Diego State. With Cordeiro at quarterback, the hope is that he will be able to get the Spartans over the hump.
5. Arizona – Jayden de Laura
After two seasons at Washington State, de Laura transferred to Arizona in January. Arizona had a crowded quarterback room in 2021 and de Laura will provide stability to the position. The Wildcats had five quarterbacks make appearances in 2021. The lack of trust in their quarterbacks led to a 1-11 overall record.
2021 was Daniels’ breakout season as Air Force’s quarterback. He led the Falcons to a 10-3 overall record in 2021. When Air Force played San Diego State in October 2021, Daniels had trouble throwing the ball but he rushed for 50 yards against the Aztecs. Daniels wants to have a better performance against San Diego State in 2022.
Boise State finished the 2021 season with a 7-5 record in Andy Avalos’s first season. Bachmeier had to make adjustments in a new offense and he managed to pass for 3,079 yards, 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Bachmeier will flourish in his second season in the offense.
Haener nearly left Fresno State and returned to Washington before he decided to come back to Fresno for one final season. In Fresno State’s 10-point win over San Diego State in October 2021, threw for more than 300 yards with one touchdown. He played an important role in that win and the entire season. Haener will be an impactful part of Fresno State’s 2022 season.
1. Utah – Cameron Rising
Rising was a part of Utah’s magical 2021 season. The Utes nearly won the Rose Bowl, but fell short against Ohio State. Rising passed for 2,493 yards, 20 touchdowns, and five interceptions in 2021. San Diego State will need to plan for Rising to play a major role in Utah’s offense on Sept. 17.
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2022-07-18T19:24:42Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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San Diego State Football: Ranking 2022’s Opposing Quarterbacks
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https://sports.yahoo.com/san-diego-state-football-ranking-140041529.html?src=rss
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The College Football Playoff format has been a topic of conversation around the sport for quite some time now.
The current four-team format was put into place in 2014 and has received mixed reviews since.
Many argue expanding the playoff to more teams would decrease the value of the regular season. Part of what makes college football so special is how important every game on the schedule is from start to finish.
The majority of semifinal matchups have resulted in blowouts. Only three of 16 semifinal games stayed within one score. Many believe adding more teams into the fold would just create more lopsided scores.
On the flip side, giving more teams a chance to play for a national title could create more intrigue for the regular season. Having as many teams playing in contention for as long as possible would be great for the sport. It may help create more parody across the nation and help level the playing field.
Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian voiced his opinion in favor of expanding the College Football Playoff this week at the Texas High School Coaches Association Convention.
Steve Sarkisian on his support for an expanded College Football Playoff: pic.twitter.com/cuImb03z0W
— Nick Harris (@RivalsNick) July 17, 2022
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2022-07-18T19:24:48Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Steve Sarkisian voices his opinion in favor of an expanded playoff
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https://sports.yahoo.com/steve-sarkisian-voices-opinion-favor-180546283.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/steve-sarkisian-voices-opinion-favor-180546283.html?src=rss
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It’s been just under three weeks since Kevin Durant requested a trade away from the Brooklyn Nets, but despite a flurry of activity across the league, Durant still remains with the organization and the Nets are reportedly unhappy with the trade packages that have been offered so far.
There’s a growing belief that both Durant and Irving could be back to start the season in Brooklyn if the Nets are unable to make a fair deal – but according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the team is still actively working on trading Durant.
“The Nets are still trying to find a deal for Kevin Durant. I think if Kevin Durant came to Brooklyn and said ‘hey, I’ve changed my mind, I want to be here, I’m committed to this,’ well of course they would want him to stay. But if Kevin Durant’s not doing that, you’re still trying to trade him. You want players who want to be there, you don’t want the environment to be filled with players who are unhappy, who don’t want to be a part of it.”
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2022-07-18T20:39:04Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Adrian Wojnarowski shares the latest on the Kevin Durant trade situation
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https://sports.yahoo.com/adrian-wojnarowski-shares-latest-kevin-140357555.html?src=rss
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MLB Draft Day 2: Start time, best players available and day 1 winners originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Atlanta Braves select Bainbridge Island's JR Ritchie in Major League Baseball draft
The defending World Series champions selected the right-handed pitcher 35th overall in the Major League Baseball draft.
The former Boone County clerk’s campaign has raised $170,000 more than the race’s second-highest fundraiser, according to reports with the Federal Elections Commission.
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2022-07-18T20:39:29Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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MLB Draft Day 2: Start time, best players available and day 1 winners
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https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb-draft-day-2-start-180000066.html?src=rss
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Deebo Samuel somehow not in Madden NFL 23 top 10 receiver rankings
Deebo disrespect? All-Pro somehow not a top-10 Madden receiver originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
49ers fans excited to play with Deebo Samuel in the latest Madden might be surprised -- or downright appalled -- by the wide receiver’s rating in the video game.
There were quite a few head scratchers in the Madden NFL 23 wide receiver rankings released Monday, but one that certainly got people talking was Samuel’s 89 overall rating.
The score ties Samuel as the game’s 13th-best receiver, along with DK Metcalf and Chris Godwin, despite a 2021 campaign that saw him become a bonafide star and first-team All-Pro.
Samuel’s notable omission from Madden 23’s top 10 came after the 49ers “wide back” set the NFL record for most rushing touchdowns by a receiver in the regular season (8) and led the league in yards per reception (18.2).
Beating out Samuel for Madden 23’s top 10 are Davante Adams (99), Cooper Kupp (98), Tyreek Hill (97), DeAndre Hopkins (96), Stefon Diggs (95), Justin Jefferson (93), Mike Evans (92), Keenan Allen (91), Terry McLaurin (91) and Amari Cooper (90).
Samuel does rank in Madden’s top 10 receivers in other subcategories, most notably in jumping rating (tied for No. 2), kick return rating (tied for No. 2), toughness rating (tied for No. 1), spectacular catch rating (tied for No. 3), short route running rating (tied for No. 2) and release rating (No. 2).
Despite the offseason drama surrounding Samuel and his looming 49ers contract extension, a trade request from the receiver hasn't been granted by San Francisco and he figures to be a key part of their offense this season under presumed starting quarterback Trey Lance.
Samuel's production last season helped catapult the 49ers all the way to the NFC Championship Game and earned him consideration for offensive player of the year, but it’s clear that Madden viewed a handful of other NFL receivers above the All-Pro.
Hopefully Samuel’s snub from the top 10 list can inspire another record-breaking season from the receiver this year.
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2022-07-18T20:50:39Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Deebo Samuel somehow not in Madden NFL 23 top 10 receiver rankings
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Green Bay Packers running back A.J. Dillon doesn’t just truck tacklers and random baseball mascots into smithereens. He’s also becoming quite the fan favorite in the Wisconsin areas by connecting with fans across the state in a variety of ways.
On Monday, Dillon paused a commercial shoot he was filming and surprised fans doing a stadium tour at Lambeau Field. Fully dressed in his green and gold uniform, Dillon stopped to talk with the excited tour-goers and took photos with kids and families for a few minutes before resuming his other responsibilities inside the stadium.
In the background of the video, someone (possibly the tour guide) says, “That, folks, is someone you don’t want to tackle.” Elvis the Kingfish found that out the hard way in Kenosha this past weekend.
This moment is one perk of doing a tour of Lambeau Field; there’s always a chance of randomly running into a player in the facility. On this occasion, Dillon went out of his way to make sure he made a lasting memory for this lucky group of fans.
Dillon, a second-round pick of the Packers in 2020, broke out in a big way during his second season in 2021. He rushed for a team-high 803 yards, caught 34 passes, scored seven total touchdowns and produced over 1,100 total yards.
Poll: Who gets more touches in 2022, Aaron Jones or A.J. Dillon?
Packers RB A.J. Dillon wants to be an 'APB, all-purpose back'
A.J. Dillon's legs stole the show at Packers charity softball event
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2022-07-18T20:51:29Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Packers RB A.J. Dillon surprises fans during Lambeau Field tour
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Green Bay Packers wide receiver Amari Rodgers is hoping his hard work will pay off as he enters his second season. Last year’s third-round pick is feeling recharged heading into 2022 and has spent the offseason working out with teammate Eric Stokes. Rodgers posted a photo to his Twitter with a caption that stated the two had been training together since March.
Since March we been locked in pushing each other . . You get out what you put in, Can’t wait to see you thrive family🤞🏾💯 @_jamane_ pic.twitter.com/YsotpdeF9l
Rodgers and Stokes were a part of the same draft class but saw two very different rookie seasons. Stokes was easily the Packers’ most successful rookie in 2021 and is viewed as a “budding star” by the team. After Green Bay selected Stokes with the 29th pick, he went on to start in 14 games. According to Pro Football Focus, he was one of the most productive rookie corners in the league last season. Stokes ranked first among rookie corners in completion rate and pass break-ups among guys who played at least 300 snaps.
Alternatively, Rodgers’ rookie season was much more of a disappointment. He finished with four catches for 45 yards and had one carry for 11 yards while appearing in just 10 percent of the team’s offensive snaps. Rodgers played a larger role on special teams but did not provide much of a boost as the primary return man, totaling 166 yards on 20 punt returns and 199 yards on 11 kickoff returns.
Rodgers recently admitted that his final year at Clemson and the pre-draft process impacted his first season.
“It’s the longest season I ever played,” Rodgers said via Alberto Camargo of the Knoxville News Sentinel. “I didn’t really have a break; it was like two years straight of football. So, you know, I feel like it kind of took a toll on me mentally and physically towards the end of the year.”
Rodgers is feeling much better heading into his second season after a big focus of the offseason was getting his body right. In June, he stated that he’s lost about six pounds and also dropped four percent in body fat.
Now you can add working alongside Stokes to the equation, which should be a benefit to Rodgers. Stokes is set to be an impactful starter in the upcoming season, while Rodgers will be competing in what is now a much more open wide receiver competition.
The Packers will hope Stokes’ success in Year 1 was able to rub off on Rodgers this offseason, so he can go on to be much more productive in Year 2.
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2022-07-18T20:51:36Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Packers WR Amari Rodgers working out with Eric Stokes during offseason
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PFF believes this Patriots player can take big step in Year 2
The New England Patriots’ 2021 draft class proved to be a highly successful one last season. From Mac Jones to Rhamondre Stevenson, many of the draft selections contributed right away. This included defensive tackle Christian Barmore, who showed the NFL what he could do early on.
Barmore recorded 46 tackles and 1.5 sacks on the season. The former Alabama star was a key piece of New England’s defensive line. Many believe that he will be able to improve upon his rookie year after a successful season under his belt.
As the season progressed, he looked more comfortable on the line. He recorded five tackles in the season finale against the Miami Dolphins and had his first sack of the season the week prior against the Jacksonville Jaguars on January 2.
PFF’s Mike Renner believes that Barmore will be able to translate a solid rookie season into a successful sophomore campaign.
The Patriots would be pleased with another big season from Barmore, as they look to continue to develop the defensive tackle position. Inconsistency at the position has plagued them in recent seasons. Barmore has a chance to become that key piece the organization has been looking for at the position. The AFC as a conference has strong running back talent. Having a piece like Barmore is important defensively as he can help close the gaps, and make things difficult in red zone situations.
We still have yet to see how this season plays out, of course. However, Barmore may be in good shape to have another big year. He will be an intriguing player to watch, as he looks to build upon that rookie season.
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2022-07-18T20:51:42Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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PFF believes this Patriots player can take big step in Year 2
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https://sports.yahoo.com/pff-believes-patriots-player-big-203120229.html?src=rss
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Rams DL Bobby Brown suspended 6 games for PED violation
The Los Angeles Rams will be without defensive lineman Bobby Brown for the first six games of the regular season. He violated the league’s policy on performance enhancing drugs and has been suspended without pay for six games.
Brown can still participate in training camp and all preseason games but he will not be on the 53-man roster for the start of the season. The Rams selected him in the fourth round of last year’s draft out of Texas A&M.
Rams DL Bobby Brown has been suspended without pay for the first 6 games of the 2022 season for violating the NFL Policy on Performance-Enhancing Substances
Brown played in 10 games last season but made just one tackle, playing 22 total snaps on defense. He was expected to be the Rams’ fourth or fifth defensive lineman on the depth chart but will now have to wait until Week 8 to play due to the team’s Week 7 bye.
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2022-07-18T20:51:54Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Rams DL Bobby Brown suspended 6 games for PED violation
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ATLANTA — Brian Kelly has clearly learned a thing or two about staying in your cultural lane. In his first words at SEC Media Days — “Good afternoon” — he spoke with the Massachusetts accent of his birth, not the Foghorn Leghorn Cajun atrocity he attempted in his first public appearance as the Tigers’ head coach back in December.
Getting LSU to a championship level has proven much easier than keeping it there. Ever since Nick Saban arrived on campus, LSU has suffered through a strange run of feast or famine, championship or catastrophe. Saban won in the 2003 season and soon after left for the NFL. Les Miles won in 2007 and lost in the title game to Alabama in 2011. Ed Orgeron led one of the great offenses in college football history to the 2019 season title … and was gone, thanks to a drop-off in performance and a chaotic behind-the-scenes operation, less than two years later.
His 2022 class had only 15 members, but it included two five-star commitments (per Rivals) in Howard and defensive end Quency Wiggins. Only Texas A&M, Alabama and Georgia have more.
But all the optimism in the state of Louisiana won’t put a single point on the board in September. Although Kelly hasn’t ever coached in the SEC — he mentioned Monday that he’s looking forward to visiting the Swamp and the Plains for the first time — he’s felt the conference’s muscle. Alabama obliterated Notre Dame 42-14 in the 2012 season’s national championship game, and again knocked off the Irish 31-14 in the 2021 season Rose Bowl.
He’ll get a chance for revenge, of a sort, when LSU travels to Tuscaloosa on Oct. 22. He’ll also run the SEC gauntlet — Auburn, Florida, Arkansas and Texas A&M are all road games — in a serious case of careful-what-you-wish-for. If Kelly’s able to wrangle a winning record out of that schedule in 2022, he’ll quickly find out that nobody in Louisiana cares how he speaks or how he dances.
Brian Kelly, LSU football players speak at SEC Media Days 2022: Live updates
The suspect and three other people are dead after a shooting inside Greenwood Park Mall in Indiana on Sunday evening. Two people are injured.
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2022-07-18T21:54:27Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Brian Kelly is settling in at LSU without an accent
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Rutgers football head coach Greg Schiano will be joined by three senior impact players for Big Ten Media Days in late July. The trio of tight end Johnny Langan, defensive back Avery Young and punter Adam Korsak will join their head coach for the annual conference event.
Big Ten Media Days will be at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on July 26-27.
The annual event allows national media as well as beat reporters to interact with players and head coaches from across the Big Ten.
The player representatives for Rutgers showcases the rebuilding talent on the Scarlet Knights. Korsak is an All-American on multiple lists and Langan as well as Young are both considered among the best at their position in the Big Ten.
Schiano will speak to the media on July 27. His slot is scheduled at 11:45 AM ET. The entirety of Big Ten Media Days and full coverage of the two-day event will be available on the Big Ten Network.
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2022-07-18T21:54:28Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Greg Schiano, three seniors to represent Rutgers football at the Big Ten Media Days
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https://sports.yahoo.com/greg-schiano-three-seniors-represent-183145643.html?src=rss
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Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin calls Arkansas a “rivalry,” “exciting”
The 2021 Arkansas and Ole Miss football game was one for the ages. And one that has the Rebels coach calling the Razorbacks a legitimate rival.
Kiffin took the dais at SEC Media Days on Monday to dish on all things Rebels football. At one point, he was asked about last year’s 52-51 Ole Miss win, which went to the final play of the game.
“It just shows you can’t predict year-to-year or week-to-week,” Kiffin said. “You have no idea how games are going to go. That game was completely different than the year before with them in a low scoring game. It’s an exciting rivalry and one that means a lot to the fans, as well.”
The Rebels finished the season 10-3 and 6-2 in the SEC while Arkansas was 9-4 and 4-4 in league play. They’re scheduled to meet this year on November 19 in Fayetteville.
Kiffin also had words of admiration for Arkansas coach Sam Pittman.
“To see the turnaround Coach Pittman did is really amazing.”
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2022-07-18T21:54:29Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Ole Miss coach Lane Kiffin calls Arkansas a “rivalry,” “exciting”
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https://sports.yahoo.com/ole-miss-coach-lane-kiffin-201531358.html?src=rss
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ATLANTA (AP) The Southeastern Conference is a leading player in the dramatic changes to the national football landscape. New Louisiana State coach Brian Kelly likens them to a game of musical chairs, and warns there's not enough chairs for every school.
''That's the current state of college football,'' Kelly said Monday at SEC media days, a high-pressure game to find a desired conference.
Might the SEC have interest in another power grab? SEC commissioner Greg Sankey didn't go that far: ''It is a compliment that people from all across the country and all across the globe want to be a part of the Southeastern Conference.''
''There's no sense of urgency in our league, no panic and reaction to others' decisions,'' Sankey said. ''We know who we are. We are confident in our collective strength, and we are uniquely positioned to continue to provide remarkable experiences, educationally and athletically, along with world-class support to student-athletes.''
''When you go to places, you've been to USC, all these different places, you see how passionate fans are about certain things, what matters, rivalries,'' he said. ''For those to be dismantled for money is kind of a shame.''
''You know, they've been playing in great conferences and against great opponents,'' Kiffin said of the four schools. ''I mean, I just say how it is. I don't know that there's a huge jump into the Big Ten. I think going to the SEC is a whole another animal. ... Said it for a long time: The SEC just means more. And it does. It's different, it's ahead of the game.''
''I'll let you make the comparisons between us and our colleagues as it relates to national championship success in football,'' Sankey said.
''In this environment, I'm proud to say in my view, I think in the view of our entire membership, the Southeastern Conference is stronger now than at any other time in our history,'' Sankey said.
''We know who we are,'' he said. ''We're confident in our success. We're really looking forward to the expansion and being at 16 teams. Don't feel pressured to just operate at a number. But we'll watch what happens around us and be thoughtful but be nimble.''
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2022-07-18T21:54:35Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Sankey says SEC won't panic over conference expansion race
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The B's signed 2021 sixth-round draft pick Ryan Mast to a three-year entry-level contract with an NHL salary cap hit of $850,000. He tallied 31 points (nine goals, 22 assists) in 59 games for the OHL's Sarnia Sting last season.
Boston's other signing is a one-year, two-way deal for center Matt Filipe. His contract carries a $787,500 cap hit in the NHL. He posted 17 points (seven goals, 10 assists) in 59 games for the AHL's Providence Bruins in 2021-22.
What are the Capitals’ options for forward lines after Strome signing?
The Capitals have a handful of options now at forward and that might be a good thing.
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2022-07-18T22:12:58Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Bruins announce two free agent signings, one entry-level contract
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How Wiseman, Warriors' young core played in summer league originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Everybody deserves some summer R & R right now, especially the NBA champions. The regular season is long gone. So are the playoffs, and the Warriors' latest title now is in the rearview mirror.
The last phase of games was the 2022 NBA Summer League, which ended for Golden State on Sunday in Las Vegas with an 87-77 loss to the Washington Wizards.
Both of the Warriors' top draft picks, Patrick Baldwin Jr. and Ryan Rollins, weren't able to participate in summer league games. The Warriors are taking the long route with Baldwin, putting him through drills but keeping him out of game action for now until his ankle, which he dislocated at the start of his senior season in high school, is fully recovered. Rollins currently has a boot on his right leg after his physical showed a stress fracture in his right foot, but everything has been deemed as "precautionary" with the former Toledo guard.
Gui Santos, the Warriors' final pick in this year's draft, did show some offensive upside. The 20-year-old Brazilian scored 23 points in his first summer league game, and in seven games between the California Classic and Las Vegas, Santos averaged 10.9 points per game and shot 38 percent from 3-point range.
In reality, the summer belonged to the Warriors' future Big Three in James Wiseman, Jonathan Kuminga and Moses Moody, the franchise's top picks from the 2020 and 2021 draft. Now that summer league is all wrapped up, let's take a look at how all three performed, starting with Wiseman's long-awaited return.
The first number to know when talking about Wiseman's summer league performance is four.
Wiseman played three games in college. He played three G League games last season before his surgically-repaired knee began swelling, shutting him down for the rest of the season. In Las Vegas, Wiseman played four straight games with zero setbacks. That's a win in its own right.
Over his four games played, Wiseman averaged 10.5 points and 5.5 rebounds while playing just under 20 minutes per game. That's how much he played Sunday, in three quarters. The 7-footer also averaged 2.0 blocks per game and showcased his two-way ability as a disruptor on both sides of the ball with an eye-opening sequence at the end of the first half in his final game of the summer.
As the summer went on, Wiseman only got better, and Warriors coach Jama Mahlalela thought the 21-year-old saved his best for last.
"It just bodes well for the rest of his summer," Mahlalela said Sunday night. "He can now do development work and not do rehab work. That's a fundamentally different thing for him and we're just as a coaching staff and organization excited for that process and for him to learn and grow and come into training camp a different player, because he's actually had a summer where he can work."
Kuminga's first game this summer was a disappointment, one that even had Draymond Green shaking his head. The 19-year-old looked disengaged, frustrated and had bad body language while struggling on the floor and scoring only four points.
At the same time, he had just come off celebrating a championship, went home to the Congo for the first time in eight years and was supposed to compete for his national team before visa complications got in the way. Following that slow start, Kuminga came out with a vengeance in his next game and averaged 24.3 points in his final three contests.
Not many players -- at any age -- can pull off a move with this much ease and this much power.
JK hit the spin cycle and the slam 😤pic.twitter.com/4nI7od59O2
Even with his tough start to the summer, Kuminga's 19.3 points per game in Las Vegas ranked fourth among all players. He was far from perfect. He also had plenty of flashes that show why the Warriors and the rest of the league are so high on Kumimga's untapped potential.
Three spots ahead of Kuminga on the top scorer's list in Las Vegas was Moody. The second-year pro led all players in Vegas by averaging 27.5 points. That also was only in two games.
Moody dropped 2ï¸âƒ£0ï¸âƒ£ in the first half 👀 pic.twitter.com/zdnkYEcRzc
Between the Warriors' three recent lottery picks, Moody is the most reliable and pro ready. We should know more about where Kuminga and Wiseman stand in that regard after training camp and as the regular season progresses. But Steve Kerr showed he trusts Moody in key situations during the Western Conference finals with Gary Payton II out.
Already, Moody is seen as an extremely smart player. In Vegas, he proved he can take the leap offensively as well. That will be key for Year 2, and the Warriors know he won't stop working just because games are on pause for a while now.
Sixers summer league: Takeaways on Isaiah Joe, Michael Foster Jr. and more
With summer league wrapped up for the Sixers, here are five takeaways on the team's games in Salt Lake City and Las Vegas. By Noah Levick
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2022-07-18T22:13:11Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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How James Wiseman, Warriors' young core played in 2022 NBA Summer League
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https://sports.yahoo.com/james-wiseman-warriors-young-core-182942742.html?src=rss
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The New England Patriots head into the 2022 season looking to add to the building block of success that was 2021. Patriots center David Andrews is focused and ready with training camp beginning very shortly.
Andrews drove the pace car at Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He was able to talk to reporters in between the excitement and offered a glimpse into his mindset heading into the eighth training camp of his career.
He has been through many facets of NFL life, from early playoff exits to Super Bowl wins, so he knows what it takes to reach an elite level. He also knows that this iteration of the Patriots has a lot of work to do before the season opener at Miami, as transcribed by Dakota Randall of NESN.com.
The Patriots have a daunting 2022 schedule, with the Ravens, Packers, Raiders, and Bengals all part of the itinerary. Keeping momentum will be important in what is sure to be a crowded AFC East. With a new-look roster, establishing that momentum may prove to be a daunting task initially.
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2022-07-18T22:33:43Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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David Andrews knows Patriots have work ahead of them in 2022
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https://sports.yahoo.com/david-andrews-knows-patriots-ahead-205526519.html?src=rss
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Charles Robinson & Dan Wetzel take a look at Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson as he approaches his final season on a rookie contract. Charles outlines why the Ravens' lack of offensive depth could put a harsh spotlight on Jackson's unclear contract future.
CHARLES ROBINSON: Baltimore Ravens-- the only thing to me with the Ravens, I think, that is really important here is if Lamar Jackson-- if there's not a contract extension that gets done-- and now supposedly there have been some talks heading toward training camp. It doesn't sound to me like it's been as hot and heavy as it needed to be.
But that said, I look at the roster around him. Man, there's from a wide receiver standpoint, not a whole lot there. From a running back standpoint, I don't think the depth is reliable. OK. Tight end standpoint, great. You got Mark Andrews.
I sit there and I look at that offense. And there's no way in hell do I think that if a contract isn't done, it is going to become a massive distraction over the course of the season. And here's why. There is a chance that given the pieces around him, Lamar Jackson doesn't have a banner season.
A, he's got to stay healthy and be on the field the entire season. B, he can't be healthy and be on the field the entire season and play anything less than a top five, six, seven quarterback. OK.
If he's like fringe top 10, if he's in there-- if he's good but not great, it's going to be a, wait a minute. This is like a $50 million a year quarterback. It's going to be a problem all season long in terms of how the media looks at this. It's going to-- people are going to talk about it. They're going to ask about it. Nobody's going to want to answer the questions.
And I think there's a chance, and a too large a percentage chance, that it goes completely the wrong way. He gets hurt or plays at a subpar level. And then it turns into just the malignant situation of Baker Mayfield in Cleveland, where all of a sudden Cleveland's like, oh [BLEEP], maybe we don't want to do an extension here.
DAN WETZEL: Wow. I don't-- I don't know about that. I think Lamar is going to be fine.
CHARLES ROBINSON: OK.
DAN WETZEL: I think they redesigned the offense so the offense is Lamar Jackson and giving him space to run, space to be creative, a little less constrained or we got to feed this receiver. We've got to keep this guy happy. We've got Lamar Jackson, get out the way.
[? Now ?] will that work, I don't know. But I think they have a ton of faith in Lamar Jackson. This is a little bit of a throwback of the offense to a couple of years ago.
So very interesting. I'm not going to make a statement that this is [INAUDIBLE]. Lamar Jackson is going to win the MVP again. But I think this offense is more-- they realize that we're going to build-- everything is going to go through Lamar Jackson, and we mean it this time.
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2022-07-18T22:34:02Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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How Lamar Jackson's contract year could become a huge distraction
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https://sports.yahoo.com/lamar-jacksons-contract-could-become-215902966.html?src=rss
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Pharaoh Brown is banking on himself in 2022.
The 6-6, 258-pound tight end met with reporters during mandatory minicamp on June 14 and was unabashed about what he believed he could accomplish in his third season with the Houston Texans.
“I feel like I can accomplish a lot this year,” Brown said. “Really just taking it day by day, one-day focus for me. I’m comfortable. I’ve been meeting with the quarterbacks all year, so getting on the same page with them is really big. Just knowing where they want me to be, where I want to be. The game has just slowed down understanding all the fine line details. That’s going to help me be an All-Pro this year.”
Brown having an All-Pro season would be historic as he would be the first Texans tight end in team history to earn the honor. Not even Owen Daniels was able to achieve first-team All-Pro, even though he had two Pro Bowl seasons in 2008 and 2012.
What Daniels was able to do was have the best season for a tight end in 2008. The former 2006 fourth-round pick from Wisconsin caught 70 passes for 862 yards and two touchdowns. Daniels would catch more in 2012 with six, but the catches and receiving yards are still franchise single-season records.
Brown’s best season was when he caught 23 passes for 171 yards through his 15 games, 12 of which he started.
For Brown to approach Daniels’ numbers, he will need to play the season’s full complement of games as Daniels did in 2008 with 16. Brown gets the advantage of an extra game.
Daniels averaged 4.4 catches a game and had a 12.3 yards per reception in 2008. The best game of Brown’s career was in Week 1 when he caught four passes for 67 yards in a 37-21 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars at NRG Stadium. Brown will effectively need to repeat his career game every time he suits up for Houston in 2022. The catches would put him at 68, just two shy of Daniels’ 70, but the yardage would reach 1,139 and set a new franchise record for tight ends.
In addition to playing in a tight end friendly offense schemed by offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, Brown has been working with the quarterbacks in the offseason to ensure he is on the same page.
“I think he’s looked extremely well this offseason,” quarterback Davis Mills said June 14. “He’s running some really good routes. Has a really good first step, has been really explosive this offseason. I’m looking forward to getting out on the field with him.”
If the Texans are able to get Brown to play at a high level, it would give them an effective tight end, which can only benefit Mills as he makes his case as Houston’s answer under center.
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2022-07-18T22:34:40Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Can Pharaoh Brown have best season for a tight end in Texans history?
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https://sports.yahoo.com/pharaoh-brown-best-season-tight-221113320.html?src=rss
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Rob Gronkowski insists that he's done with football. Those closest to him aren't convinced.
First, it was his agent Drew Rosenhaus, who told ESPN's Adam Schefter in June that "he wouldn’t be surprised if Rob comes back during the season or next season.” Now it's Gronk's girlfriend.
Camille Kostek addressed her boyfriend's retirement status while speaking for a Sports Illustrated Swimsuit feature published on Monday. She's not buying it.
“I am an honest lady," Costek said. "And honestly, in my heart, I didn’t feel like this one is a forever one. So, I think maybe he’ll come back again. I feel like him and Tom [Brady] are just having fun like, ‘Retired, not retired, retired, not retired.’”
If you're counting, that's Gronkowski's business confidante and his closest personal partner betting on his return to the football field. What does Gronkowski have to say? He's answering Brady's phone calls if the Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback reaches out. But he won't be convinced to return to the NFL.
"I'm done with football and I'm stepping my feet into the business world, the business ventures and seeing where I can find my place," Gronkowski told ESPN's Mike Reiss last week. ...
"I would obviously answer the greatest quarterback of all time and ask him how he's doing and tell him I'm doing good. But I wouldn't go back to football, no."
Gronk surely understands if the public — and those closest to him — don't necessarily take what he says too seriously. It's part of his charm. Also, Gronkowski's stepped out of retirement before for the chance to play again with Brady. The decision paid dividends with a fourth Super Bowl ring.
Meanwhile, Gronkowski's decision to wait deep into the offseason to announce his retirement raised speculation that his heart might not be into calling it quits — that it could be part of a larger negotiation ploy with the Bucs. Also, Brady unretired, so why not Gronk?
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 10: Rob Gronkowski and Camille Kostek attend the 2021 ESPY Awards at Rooftop At Pier 17 on July 10, 2021 in New York City. (Photo by Kevin Mazur/Getty Images)
On the other hand, Gronk has all the reasons in the world to stay off the field. There's nothing left for him to accomplish in the NFL. He's a four-time Super Bowl champion stepping away from the game as the greatest tight end to ever play. If he truly is done, his invitation to Canton should be waiting in five years.
At 33 years old, he's done significant damage to his body with concussions, broken bones and ligament tears among the ailments to sideline him during his career. Meanwhile, he's been wise with his money. Gronkowski confirmed reports in 2018 that he hasn't touched any of the salary he's made in the NFL, that he's instead lived off his endorsement money. If true through 2021, that means Gronkowski's stockpiled $70-plus million in career salary that he's presumably put to work in investments.
And like he said to Reiss. He's got other business ventures to pursue. He appears to be in no dire need of a paycheck.
So what will Gronkowski do? It remains a matter of wait-and-see even if Gronkowski insists that he's done. If Week 1 arrives and he's not in a Bucs uniform, only then will folks truly start to believe that he's actually called it quits.
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2022-07-18T22:34:52Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Rob Gronkowski's girlfriend doesn't believe he'll stay retired
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https://sports.yahoo.com/rob-gronkowskis-girlfriend-doesnt-believe-hell-stay-retired-220222806.html?src=rss
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Steelers work out five USFL defensive linemen originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
OF Jud Fabian selected 67th overall in 2022 MLB draft
After returning to Florida for another year, Jud Fabian has been drafted in the second round by the Baltimore Orioles.
Brisker was half of one of the best safety duos in the country last season.
Average gas prices in the U.S. could fall as low as $4 a gallon in the coming weeks after pushing above $5 in mid-June, a White House official said over the weekend. However, those "low" prices might...
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2022-07-18T22:34:59Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Steelers work out five USFL defensive linemen
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Getting a Wild Card spot is more of a wild chance than ever before.
The AFC North has some transition as Joe Burrow’s Cincinnati Bengals made it to the Super Bowl while the Pittsburgh Steelers are trying to figure out what is next after Ben Roethlisberger’s retirement.
Health is the top priority for the Baltimore Ravens, who finished last in the division in 2021. The team struggled after most of their running backs and secondary went down last year and fell apart when Lamar Jackson was injured. The injury to JK Dobbins put more pressure on Jackson to shoulder the load in the running game.
Earlier today, Ian Rapoport reported that Dobbins might not be ready for Week 1 only for the Ravens back to quote tweet the NFL Network reporter to dispute that report:
To his credit, Rapoport retweeted Dobbins and addressed the issue as it happened on the Pat McAfee Show stating he was confident in his source:
Baltimore has two tough games to start the season including hosting the Tennesee Titans in Week 1 on Thursday Night Football and visiting the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday Night Football the following week. Both teams made the playoffs in 2021 with the Titans holding the top seed in the AFC.
A healthy Dobbins would be helpful early in the year for Baltimore, time will tell whether Rapoport’s source ends up being right or if Dobbins is telling the truth about his health.
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2022-07-19T00:14:07Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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AFC North Watch: Ravens RB JK Dobbins disputes injury concern report
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Injuries have not helped his cause, and it appears that he will be dealing with that hip injury as he enters 2021, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss.
White re-signed with the Patriots this offseason on a one-year, $5 million contract. He looks to make an impact in a crowded running back room, headlined by Damien Harris and Rhamondre Stevenson.
White has been a key part of the Patriots’ backfield over the course of his career. He has tallied 3,278 receiving yards and 1,278 rushing yards in eight seasons with New England. The former Super Bowl MVP has seen his production decline over the past couple of seasons.
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2022-07-19T00:14:57Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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RB James White still hobbled by 2021 hip injury with camp nearing
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Training camp for the Jacksonville Jaguars will take place in a little less than a week and it appears their players have done a great job of staying in shape and bonding during their pre-camp break. We’ve seen social media post of both players from the offensive and defensive sides of the ball, which could mean the team will have no problem with picking up where they left off last month.
The latest group to link up were the skill players on the offensive side of the ball, as several receivers, tight ends, and even a fellow quarterback linked up with Trevor Lawrence to do some bonding in The Bahamas recently.
Among those who specifically joined Lawrence were receivers Christian Kirk, Marvin Jones Jr., Laquon Treadwell, Marvin Jones Jr., Marvin Hall, Tim Jones, and Jeff Cotton Jr. Tight ends Evan Engram, Dan Arnold, Luke Farrell, and Chris Manhertz were there, too, as well as backup quarterback C.J. Beathard.
Lawrence’s trip with the team came after he told Jags Wire last week that he had something planned with the receivers this week. While he didn’t say where the team would be meeting he did say they would be hanging out together in the process.
“I’ve been able to work with Laviska [Shenault],” Lawrence said last week when asked about his most recent workouts. “We’re both pretty much in Jacksonville full-time, so he’s been a guy that’s been around and we’ve got in some work. Jamal Agnew came out for the last workout, too. He’s back healthy, so it’s been nice to see him running around. Then with the other guys, we’re actually set up to all meet for a couple of days this coming week. We’re going to get together and work out and just kind of hang out for a couple of days and try to build that chemistry a little bit before camp starts.”
Lawrence will be looking to take another step this season after the Jags had a disastrous 2021 season under Urban Meyer. However, with a year under his belt that allowed him to start in every game, he seems to be doing everything right to start camp off fast.
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2022-07-19T00:15:10Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Trevor Lawrence, Jags skill players bonding after linking up at Bahamas
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Third-year Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin took part in media days Monday.
Following his appearance on the main stage, Kiffin joined the “Paul Finebaum Show.”
Finebaum asked Kiffin if he is concerned about the future of college football.
“Are you concerned, because you’re still a very young coach, having done it as much as you have, that there is going to be a disconnect at some point,” Finebaum asked Kiffin. “Somebody compared college football today to NASCAR, saying that it’s going to get overly commercialized and there will be a disconnect with the average fan that is tired of hearing about money. He wants to watch the football games.”
Kiffin said he could see that happening to the sport.
“I can see that as an issue, the direction that it’s headed,” Kiffin told Finebuam. “Also with the portal and guys moving so much, so it’s kind of like, alright, I don’t even know these new players versus I have been watching this guy for years and stuff. I could definitely see that. I have not thought about that part.”
Three Ohio State football players appeared among the 85 named to the Maxwell Award watch list. #GoBucks
Just a few days before a scheduled appearance in Atlanta as part of the 2022 SEC Media Days, University of Florida quarterback Anthony Richardson announced a change to his personal brand.
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2022-07-19T00:15:48Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Paul Finebaum, Lane Kiffin discuss future of college football, possible disconnect with fans
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Conference media days are in full swing this month, and the Big Ten’s football media days are coming quickly. Penn State will be represented in Indianapolis next week by head coach James Franklin and three senior leaders on the roster.
Penn State confirmed it will be represented next week by quarterback Sean Clifford, safety Ji'Ayir Brown, and defensive tackle PJ Mustipher in addition to Franklin. The player reps should come as no surprise as each are considered the veteran leaders of the team on both sides of the football.
Clifford made the decision to return for a sixth season of football, taking full advantage of the extra year granted to all student-athletes impacted by the changes to the college sports schedule as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Mustipher also made the decision to return for another season, although his decision was influenced in part by suffering a season-ending injury last season.
When are 2022 Big Ten football media days?
Brown also made a decision to return for another season after having a solid 2021 campaign that saw him lead the team in interceptions. But with Jaquan Brisker and Tariq Castro-Fields off to the NFL, Brown will be one of the top veterans returning to the secondary this season.
Big Ten Network will be airing live coverage of the Big Ten Kickoff next week for the two-day event. Penn State’s representatives, including Franklin, are scheduled to meet with the media on Wednesday, July 27.
Penn State begins its 2022 season on Thursday, September 1 with a Big Ten road game at Purdue.
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2022-07-19T00:15:54Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Penn State confirms player representatives for Big Ten Kickoff
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Ramirez – 16 HR: Batting right-handed, Cleveland's star consistently drilled balls into the left field bleachers but that's probably not going to be enough to hold off Soto.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2022 Home Run Derby live: Pete Alonso moves on, Julio Rodriguez shines
Two-time defending Home Run Derby champion Pete Alonso needed bonus time, but the New York Mets' slugger was able to keep alive his hopes of being the first player to three-peat with a 20-19 victory over Atlanta's Ronald Acuña Jr. Alonso — the Derby's second seed — trailed by two going into bonus time, but he hit a 423-foot shot to center field with 31 seconds remaining to advance. Alonso had only five the first minute before warming up.
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2022-07-19T01:18:52Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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2022 MLB Home Run Derby live updates: Pete Alonso advances, rookie Julio Rodriguez putting on a show in LA
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He went on to throw 10 1/3 innings for Cleveland after being claimed off waivers in 2021 but only made one big league appearance in 2022 for the Guardians that lasted just one-third of an inning.
Young has logged 32 innings as a reliever in Triple-A this season with a 3.66 ERA but shows promise with a 35.6 percent strikeout rate compared to a 5.3 percent walk rate. He’s known to give up the long ball, however, made evident by his 1.41 home runs per nine innings allowed and 23.8 percent home run to fly ball rate.
Those numbers were enough to convince the Giants to replace Fletcher on the 40-man with Young. Fletcher was just claimed off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates last week and will stay in the Giants organization as depth -- yet another arm that could end up making an appearance in the bullpen later this season.
The Nationals drafted Elijah Green fifth overall in the MLB Draft on Sunday, making him a key part of their organizations future.
Guy Lipscomb is a Franklin native who led Belmont to the Ohio Valley Conference regular season championship.
The Giants made a surprising move, selecting two-way college pitcher/first baseman Reggie Crawford.
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2022-07-19T01:19:04Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Giants acquire left-handed pitcher Alex Young in trade with Guardians
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The number of runners finishing in elite times has surged in races from the 800 to the 10,000 meters.
Sprinkle, who was playing at UC Santa Barbara, is one of the highest drafted players ever out of the Coachella Valley at 131st overall
The 2022 MLB Home Run Derby is upon us. Heres a look at how scoring works and how rounds are broken down at the annual slugfest.
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2022-07-19T01:19:11Z
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White Sox' second-round pick Peyton Pallette ready to join the team
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Charles Robinson & Dan Wetzel take a look at the 2022 Las Vegas Raiders. The team added new head coach Josh McDaniels and star wideout Davante Adams, yet many are predicting this team to finish last in an absolutely loaded AFC West. Charles & Dan explain why this Raiders team should be taken seriously.
Eighth-seed Albert Pujols pulled off the biggest surprise of the first round, defeating No. 1 seed Kyle Schwarber in overtime. Pujols had a total of 20 homers, including seven in the extra round. Pujols, who played for the Dodgers part of last season, was the sentimental favorite among the players and fans.
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2022-07-19T01:55:23Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Why you shouldn't sleep on the 2022 Las Vegas Raiders
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Angels star Shohei Ohtani, left, and Washington Nationals star Juan Soto. (Sarah Stier / Getty Images; Patrick Semansky / Associated Press)
Shohei Ohtani walks on the field after warming up before Saturday's game against the Dodgers. (Alex Gallardo / Associated Press)
Just a few weeks ago, Ohtani hinted at the Angels’ struggles after a win, noting that he felt he needed to pitch deep into a game because the bullpen was short-handed and the offense wouldn’t produce without Trout in the lineup. That night, Ohtani had 13 strikeouts across eight scoreless innings. The night before, he drove in eight of the Angels’ 11 runs in a loss.
Instead, they should figure out what it would take to keep Ohtani in Anaheim long-term, if anything, and offer him that. If not, they should trade him to avoid facing the strong possibility of losing him for nothing after next season.
Ohtani is a singular asset. With a $5.5 million salary this season, he’s the biggest bargain in North American professional sports. He’s an All-Star as a pitcher and hitter. He’s a marquee attraction with a rabid fan base in Japan. That combination is tantalizing for World Series contenders. His value will never be higher than now, a season and a half before free agency.
But he’s encountered significant injuries that, coupled with his workload the last two seasons, could reduce the price teams are willing to pay, whether it’s via trade or in free agency.
There are valid counters for the Angels to not trade Ohtani. He's a reason to buy a ticket to the ballpark. He provides advertisement dollars from Japan. Most importantly, team projections can be wildly inaccurate. Who is to say the Angels, with a roster featuring top-end talent, won't compete for a playoff spot next season? Look at the Baltimore Orioles this summer.
But the Angels haven't been a legitimate contender since Ohtani showed up in 2018, and the haul they would receive for Ohtani could bolster the farm system with elite prospects for a future push. While Soto is slated for free agency after the 2024 season, Ohtani will hit the market after next season. That’s two Octobers, two opportunities for a playoff team to ride Ohtani’s unique ability to a title. The Angels aren’t in position reach those heights this season. Chances are they won’t be next year either. It’s time to make a choice.
Washington's Juan Soto advanced to the final with a 16-15 victory over St. Louis slugger and sentimental favorite Albert Pujols. The 42-year-old Pujols averaged 395 feet on his homers while 23-year-old Soto averaged 424 feet.
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2022-07-19T02:50:00Z
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Commentary: Angels should follow Nationals' Juan Soto blueprint with Shohei Ohtani
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Julio Rodriguez didn't technically win the 2022 MLB Home Run Derby, but it's hard to not call him a winner after Monday.
The Seattle Mariners outfielder, the overwhelming favorite to win AL Rookie of the Year, came up short in the final with a loss to Washington Nationals star Juan Soto, but managed to double his salary this season just by reaching that far.
As USA Today's Bob Nightengale noted after the event, the $750,000 payout Rodriguez receives as runner-up is more money than he will receive from the Mariners this season, as Rodriguez is being paid the $700,000 MLB minimum salary, like every other rookie.
The money was well earned. Soto might have taken home the title, but Rodriguez had far more home runs across all three rounds with 81 to Soto's 53, though those numbers are a little skewed. Soto hit second in every round as the higher seed while Rodriguez hit first each round, allowing him to use the full amount of time allotted.
Rodriguez started the day with 32 homers, more than any other player would hit in a single round the whole event.
Rodriguez, who would have been the youngest-ever Home Run Derby winner by two years, didn't seem too upset about missing out on the title, especially with his fellow Dominican phenom winning the prize:
"I feel like that was pretty cool that basically the trophy just stayed in our country and if you know that we breathe baseball there. Being on this stage and representing our country, that was really special for us. That was basically the coolest thing we talked about."
Win or not, the performance continues a dream rookie season for Rodriguez. The 21-year-old is hitting .275/.337/.477 (a 134 OPS+) with 16 homers, 21 stolen bases and 53 runs while playing center field for the Mariners every night. His efforts currently have the Mariners on a 14-game win streak, and in contention for their first playoff appearance since 2001, another year they had a pretty good rookie.
Julio Rodriguez is looking like a future superstar. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
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2022-07-19T04:20:47Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Home Run Derby: Mariners phenom Julio Rodriguez doubles salary in 1 night as runner-up
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Juan Soto's future is the talk of MLB All-Star weekend, but his present now includes a Home Run Derby title.
Soto entered the All-Star break in dramatic fashion, as it was reported Saturday that Soto had turned down a 15-year, $440 million contract extension offer from the Nationals, who would start taking trade calls on one of the game's brightest young stars. Soto did his best to deflect the talk during All-Star media availability, with his agent Scott Boras lingering beside him, and did the same as he received the trophy.
The semifinal was Rodriguez's true moment of arrival, as he took down two-time defending champion Pete Alonso with 31 homers to 23. Rodriguez set a high bar going first, showing off the kind of pull power the Derby often rewards.
Soto's route was less impressive, eeking out an 18-17 win over Jose Ramirez then advancing to face one of his idols in Albert Pujols. He beat the Dominican legend 16-15, needing to use much of his bonus time to clear the bar. It was all love at the end of the semifinal, though.
Juan Soto bet heavily on his own talent and health by turning down a massive, long-term contract extension from the Washington Nationals. The 23-year-old Soto hit 53 total homers, beating each of his three opponents by one homer while hitting second each time in the midseason power showcase.
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2022-07-19T04:20:53Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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2022 MLB Home Run Derby: Juan Soto top Julio Rodriguez to continue dramatic week
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Allen, who has the fastest time in the world in the 110-meter hurdles this year, was disqualified from Sunday night's final for a false start – leaping out of the blocks too quickly by only one-thousandth of a second.
USA’s Devon Allen won his semifinal heat of the men's 110 hurdles, but was disqualified for a false start in the final of the World Athletics Championships.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Devon Allen false start: Why Eagles WR was DQ'd at world championships
'90 Day Fiancé's Larissa Reveals She Doesn't Have a Belly Button Due to Botched Plastic Surgery
‘90 Day Fiancé's Larissa Dos Santos Lima opens up about the botched plastic surgery procedure that left her without a belly button. The reality star shares the details on Instagram of what happened during her procedure that took place a year ago, and why she’s deciding to speak out now.
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2022-07-19T04:20:59Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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'Punished for being TOO FAST': Devon Allen's false start at world championships, explained
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In another sign that the Ohio State football team will be taking the field sooner rather than later for some good ‘ole fashioned American college football, the players that will be representing the Buckeyes along with head coach Chris Holtmann were announced on Monday.
According to a release from the Big Ten, Ohio State’s turn at the podium will take place on Wednesday, July 27, with Day taking the stage last from 12:30 to 12:45 pm. After that, the following players will be on hand to field questions from reporters in a separate media engagement.
Ronnie Hickman, Safety
Tune in to the Big Ten Network beginning on Tuesday, July 26, to catch the first day of Big Ten media days, then follow it through Wednesday to watch live and receive updates on what Ohio State head coach Ryan Day and the three players have to say.
Ohio State football recruiting class of 2022 scouting report: Carson Hinzman #GoBucks
Three Ohio State Buckeyes — C.J. Stroud, TreVeyon Henderson, Jaxon Smith-Njigba — enter the season on the Maxwell Award watch list.
A documentary on the historic Moeller vs. Princeton football rivalry will debut in Mariemont on Aug. 10.
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2022-07-19T04:28:50Z
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C.J. Stroud leads three player contingent representing Ohio State at Big Ten media days
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Training camp is fast approaching, which means this year’s addition of Madden NFL will be released sooner rather than later. Ahead of its release date, every year the video game franchise will spend days dropping the overall ratings of players throughout the league.
On Monday, the initial ratings were revealed for wide receivers and tight ends. No Ravens’ wide receiver made the video game franchise’s top 10 list. However when it came to tight ends, a fan-favorite in Baltimore was ranked as a top-three tight end.
Baltimore tight end Mark Andrews received a 93 overall ranking, good for the No. 3 spot at his position. Andrews moved up one spot from last year, when he was the No. 4 tight end in the game, swapping with former Ravens’ and current Las Vegas Raiders tight end Darren Waller.
A big portion of why Andrews is ranked highly in Madden is because of certain individual ratings. The tight end has a 98 awareness, 95 catch, 90 acceleration and 86 speed. His “spectacular catch” and “catch in traffic” rating are both an 89. Tight ends Travis Kelce (98) and George Kittle (97) were the two tight ends ranked ahead of Andrews.
Andrews is one of the best tight ends in the NFL, and his play on the field since he has entered the league in 2018 backs that up. Through his first four seasons, Andrews notched 263 receptions for 3,466 yards and 29 touchdowns on 389 targets. Andrews was selected to the NFL Pro Bowl and was a First-Team AP All-Pro in 2021.
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2022-07-19T05:07:24Z
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Ravens TE Mark Andrews receives high rating in Madden NFL 23
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On July 18, the Pittsburgh Steelers tried out former Nebraska Cornhuskers defensive end Freedom Akinmoladun, according to ESPN’s Field Yates.
Akinmoladun spent four seasons with the Cornhuskers (2015-2018). During that span, he recorded 106 total tackles, 16.0 tackles for loss, and 11.0 sacks.
Akinmoladun was not selected in the 2019 NFL Draft. He was signed by the New York Giants as an undrafted free agent, but he did not make the 53-man roster.
Akinmoladun was then signed by the Cincinnati Bengals. He spent two years with the Bengals, and he appeared in four games.
In 2021, Akinmoladun appeared in one game for the New York Jets recording two tackles.
In 2022, he played for the Philadelphia Stars in the USFL. Across 10 games, he had 23 combined tackles, four tackles for loss, and three sacks.
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2022-07-19T05:07:37Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Steelers Work Out Former Nebraska DE Freedom Akinmoladun
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The preposterous proposition came closer to reality on Monday when the Chicago Cubs selected McGwire's son Mason McGwire in the eighth round of the MLB draft. He's not a slugger like his dad, but a pitcher from Capistrano Valley High School in Southern California.
Whether he actually joins the Cubs is yet to be determined. He's committed to play for the University of Oklahoma, but could end up joining the Cubs if the price is right. MLB values his eighth-round draft slot at roughly $189,000. The Cubs will likely have to exceed that number to keep him out of Norman.
A 6-4, 190-pound right-hander, Mason sports a 92 mph fastball that's increased in velocity and a split-finger changeup. Perfect Game rates him as California's third-best right-handed prospect and the 28th-best in the nation.
His father Mark, of course, played for the Oakland A's and the St. Louis Cardinals. He made his biggest headlines in a Cardinals uniform, where he battled Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa in the now-infamous 1998 home run race that's become the face of baseball's steroid era. McGwire broke the single-season home run record that season with 70 only to be eclipsed by Barry Bonds' 73 in 2001.
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2022-07-19T05:51:31Z
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Cubs select Mark McGwire's son Mason in MLB draft
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Washington star Juan Soto tosses his bat after defeating Cleveland's José Ramírez in the first round of the MLB All-Star home run derby on Monday. Soto went on to win the derby, hitting a total of 53 home runs. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
Albert Pujols, of the St. Louis Cardinals, left, is hugged by teammates during the MLB All-Star Home Run Derby at Dodger Stadium on Monday. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
New York Mets star Pete Alonso bats during during the home run derby at Dodger Stadium on Monday. (Jae C. Hong / Associated Press)
Who is the highest-paid MLB player? The top MLB salaries, ranked
Max Scherzer signed a three-year, $130-million contract, making him the highest-paid pitcher in MLB history by annual salary before the 2022 season.
Louisville catcher Dalton Rushing is headed to the LA Dodgers after being selected in the MLB Draft with the 40th pick.
2022 Horse Racing Scores
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2022-07-19T05:51:44Z
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Juan Soto defeats Julio Rodríguez in thrilling home run derby at Dodger Stadium
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Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer makes Maxwell Award watch list
Michael Mayer was one of the go-to receiving options for Notre Dame in 2021. There is reason to believe he will be just as good, if not better, in 2022. Therefore, it only made sense for him to make the Maxwell Award watch list. The award, which goes to the best player in college football, has been given to a Notre Dame player seven times, most recently Manti Te'o in 2012.
During his sophomore season in 2021, Mayer’s 71 receptions were an Irish record for a tight end. He also set program records for yards (840) and touchdowns (seven) by a tight end. He averaged 70.0 yards to lead the Irish in receiving yards a game. All of this led him to being named Third Team All-American.
The Irish are scheduled to face 12 players who also have been named to the watch list in 2022, including three in their season opener at Ohio State and two in the finale at USC.
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2022-07-19T06:27:11Z
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Notre Dame tight end Michael Mayer makes Maxwell Award watch list
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The only way NBC reportedly would agree to such an arrangement would be if it also took on broadcasts of a Power Five conference. With the SEC’s future firmly with ESPN and the Big Ten about to announce a lucrative deal with Fox, the Big 12 has emerged as the likely frontrunner for NBC. The Big 12’s current media deal also has an expiration year of 2025.
Whether Notre Dame ends up remaining independent or not, it better move quickly. We are at a tipping point in college football, which now is being driven almost, if not entirely by media deals. The last thing the Irish want is to be left behind in all of this dealing and thus possibly put its future as a legitimate contender at risk.
Best of luck to everyone involved with this decision. It may not be pretty, but it has to get done.
In an apparent reference to the Big Ten's reach into California, Greg Sankey said the SEC won't be pushed into an expansion competition.
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2022-07-19T06:27:17Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Notre Dame wants $75 million in media rights fees to stay independent
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Can the PAC-12 rebuild itself without lowering standards?
The PAC-12 has quality options for a post- UCLA and USC conference, if it permits itself to consider them.
San Francisco, CA – The PAC-12 is enduring the NCAA sports conference equivalent of a sudden prostate cancer diagnosis. The conference will be battling to survive with its dignity intact.
Vanity has been the PAC-12’s source of strength for decades. Righteousness meant that several qualified expansion candidates found themselves perennially on the outside, knocking on the conference’s door, to no avail, despite having worthy attributes.
Vanity, however, can also be an organization’s undoing.
Blockbuster Video, at its peak, boasted that 21% of revenues came from late fees. Out of vanity, it dismissed new competitor Netflix which didn’t charge late fees. It didn’t see the forest for the trees.
If the PAC-12 is not blinded by its own righteousness, it could recognize that there are a few truly worthy candidates that could augment the conference.
In the past 10 years, SDSU has emerged as true Power-Five material.
Among the CSU’s, San Diego State University is in a league of its own in academia, research and athletics. San Diego is a great So-Cal destination, and the university hosts excellent venues including Tony Gwynn Stadium, Viejas Arena, and now Snapdragon Stadium.
As a testament to its athletics progress, Kawhi Leonard, Stephen Strasburg, and Xander Schauffele are all products of Aztecs sports.
Another Power Five emergent program (which recently got a break with the BIG-12) is Brigham Young University. BYU, like San Diego State, was never given a serious look by the PAC-12. Yet, the Cougars can compete; they have great venues, and their academics are solid.
If BYU were able to bid farewell to the BIG-12, the university could favor of a less hectic travel schedule and focus on the Western half of the United States. It would be far less stressful on student athletes. This last minute-move could be ideal for Brigham Young, and it’s probable that Athletic Director Tom Holmoe would favor the move.
San Diego State and Brigham Young University might just offer the PAC-12 the opportunity to maintain its high standards and dignity.
Both teams might be accepted by the rest of the conference, if a few matters could be tolerated.
SDSU is a C.S.U., and that might be hard for California snobs in the PAC-12 to accept. Nonetheless, SDSU is in line with- or superior to- Washington State and Oregon State, and it is on par with Arizona State. Surprising to some: SDSU now has stricter academics than several of the U.C. schools.
It might be prudent for the PAC-12 to invite the cream of the California State University crop, to join its ranks.
Under our hypothetical scenario, the PAC-12 would also need to exhibit tolerance toward Brigham Young University whose faith-based values might irk Cal and Stanford students, athletes and alumni. These universities are architecting a new woke world order. If the PAC-12 tolerated the Mormon university, it would make for excellent sports competition and quality rivalry.
With the Aztecs and Cougars, the PAC-12 could potentially tally similar NCAA Tournament seeds and AP-Top 25 results- or even improved results.
Now, if the PAC-12 wanted to further augment itself in a manner that might strengthen it: two more augmentations could help. The PAC-12 could choose a hybrid Gonzaga / Hawaii for basketball and olympic sports / football only. It could also select Air Force, whose values are in line with the PAC-12.
In this scenario, a new PAC-14 with SDSU, BYU, Air Force, and Gonzaga / Hawaii would make for an interesting, high quality conference.
It is not inconceivable that UCLA and USC could encounter hardship from traveling to the East Coast repeatedly, which may not be all it is cracked up to be. The Bruins and Trojans might also be surprised to discover that they may not be champions in a mega BIG-10, due to player fatigue and fiercer competition. They might struggle for middling status. In the case of a PAC reversion, a new PAC-16, with the aforementioned additions could be robust.
There is opportunity in times of chaos. The PAC-12, could maintain its strength, prestige and competitive spirit with these careful additions.
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2022-07-19T06:27:24Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Saving the PAC-12: One Interesting Possibility
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So it's odd that the Charlotte Hornets All-Star wore the number on his jersey for the first two seasons of his NBA career. He won't moving forward. The Athletic's Shams Charania reports that Ball has been granted approval to switch to No. 1 starting next season.
"I ain't supposed to wear 2 ever again in my life," Ball told reporters. "I promise you. If I see a 2, I don't know what I'm gonna do for real. I ain't gonna lie to you. ...
"I ain't never been 2. It's just weird out there, for real. It just don't feel like you're playing for real. I don't know who this is. I don't know who No. 2 is."
Why Ball didn't wear No. 1 from the start
When he arrived, Malik Monk was a Hornet and claimed No. 1 for himself. Monk left the Hornets to play for the Los Angeles Lakers last season. Per Charlotte's WCNC, Ball applied to switch numbers upon Monk's exit last offseason, but missed a deadline. He didn't make that mistake twice.
So No. 1 was claimed, but the question remains: why did he wear No. 2 if he loathes it so much? Or does any number that isn't No. 1 elicit the same disdain? Also, if No. 2 is so vile, what does that say about Ball's thoughts on his brother Lonzo?
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2022-07-19T07:17:20Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Hornets All-Star LaMelo Ball reportedly making long-awaited jersey switch from No. 2
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The Dodgers' Freddie Freeman waves to his friends and family in the stands after hitting a solo home run against the Angels on Saturday night at Angel Stadium. (Alex Gallardo / Associated Press)
“I think the fans knew I needed the love to get me through it,” he said. “Anybody who has been on a job for a long time and goes to a new job, it’s difficult, and what the Dodgers and the Dodgers' fan base has done for me and my family … that’s why I’ve been able to compartmentalize. … Once I get to the field, it's been great. ... [The] guys in the clubhouse, they’re a special group. Just happy to be part of it.”
He's compartmentalized, all right. And yeah, he’s playing like he’s pretty darn happy.
He comes into the All-Star Game as the best player on the NL's best team and one of the hottest hitters in recent history.
“It’s been a heck of a ride these first four months,” he acknowledged, and, man, he’s good at handling the turbulence. “It’s not that hard to me. It's just outside noise. I don’t really have social media, so I don’t see what’s going on. I know there’s a lot of things going on, but I feel good, I feel great where I am. … I’m having a blast. … Things are kind of falling into place the last couple of weeks, and it’s showing on the field.”
It's also showing in little glimpses of a personality that even the most hardened Dodgers fans could find charming. Who knows, they might end up liking him for more than just his bat.
Then there’s Charlie, his 5-year-old son who was playing video games in the clubhouse Monday and was thrilled that his father would now be on the All-Star team in a future video game version of "MLB: The Show."
Led by Jackson Holliday, the top of the MLB draft was centered around prep prospects.
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2022-07-19T07:22:19Z
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Plaschke: Dry eyes and renewed focus — Freddie Freeman is finally a Dodger
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Exciting Eagles newcomer takes a top spot on list of most important players originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
The Eagles had the 25th-ranked passing offense in the NFL last season but most people expect them to be considerably better in 2022.
A.J. Brown is the reason why.
Think about it. Who else did the Eagles add on that side of the ball this offseason? Sure, Zach Pascal is a solid addition as depth player but the Eagles are basically bringing back the same offense that ranked 25th in passing last year but this time with Brown. And we all expect to see a big jump.
That’s how important his draft-day addition was for the Eagles.
Plenty of folks thought the Eagles were going to use one of their first-round picks on a receiver and they kind of did. They used the 18th-overall pick in a trade to acquire Brown and then gave him a four-year deal worth $100 million, $57 million of which is guaranteed.
It was a huge splash. It was a huge surprise.
And pretty soon we’ll see how much it all pays off.
Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni is clearly excited about the move. General manager Howie Roseman on draft night told a story that he and Sirianni sat down to watch game tape of Brown when they were thinking about trading for him. Halfway through the first game, Sirianni got up and said he had already seen enough. He told Roseman he was going to get something to eat.
“Yeah, excited to have him on this team,” Sirianni said. “He plays with great play strength. This guy, this is a strong man. He's quick for a big guy, and he catches everything. Those are things that really stick out from his tape. There's no projection there. It's like, ‘Well, this is what he's going to be in the NFL.’ No, you've seen it. You've seen it for three years now. And it's just exciting to put on his tape and watch him.
Brown, who recently turned just 25, was a second-round pick by the Titans out of Ole Miss back in 2019. In his first three NFL seasons, Brown has 185 catches for 2,995 yards and 24 touchdowns. The only other players to put up those numbers in the last three years: Davante Adams, Stefan Diggs, Travis Kelce, Cooper Kupp, Tyreek Hill, Tyler Lockett, D.K. Metcalf and Mike Evans. Brown is in elite company.
And at 6-foot-1, 226 pounds, Browns is big and strong and powerful and fast. He can play outside and in the slot. And he’s known as one of the better receivers in the NFL after the catch.
He’s just the type of player who can unlock the potential of quarterback Jalen Hurts and of Sirianni’s offense.
Brown’s best season came in 2020 when he caught 70 passes for 1,075 yards and 11 touchdowns on the way to a Pro Bowl appearance. But he’s been a dynamic player throughout his three seasons in the NFL.
Although he played just 13 games last season, Brown ranked as the No. 5 overall receiver in the NFL, according to ProFootballFocus.
Brown and Hurts have been very close since Brown’s recruiting visit to Alabama and the two have stayed close throughout the years. Even though they never officially practice together until Brown became an Eagle, Hurts has thrown to his best friend plenty of times before. The two are looking forward to playing together in 2022.
“I see a guy (Hurts) who is talented, believes in himself, has a strong arm, he’s on time,” Brown said. “This is all just coming from me all the times we’ve worked together. I think the sky’s the limit for him.
“I’m going to go to bat for him every Sunday because he’s my friend. It’s a different mentality you bring when you’re playing for somebody that’s important to you. It’s not about yourself no more. You’re playing for someone else. I’m going to go above and beyond for him and this team.”
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2022-07-19T11:11:42Z
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Eagles 2022 season: A.J. Brown on list of most important players
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10 Eagles veterans on roster bubble as training camp nears originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
When the Eagles report for training camp next week, several veterans will be fighting for their roster spots.
Training camp is always full of competition and the Eagles’ training camp in 2022 will be no different. While every rookie will be looking to prove themselves this summer, there are veterans who have to prove themselves again too.
Here are 10 Eagles veterans on the roster bubble as training camp is set to begin:
TE J.J. Arcega-Whiteside: As he enters his fourth NFL season, JJAW is no longer protected by his rookie contract, meaning it is finally financially viable to cut him. In his three NFL seasons, Arcega-Whiteside has obviously been a disappointment. The 2019 second-round pick has just 16 catches for 290 yards and 1 touchdown in his career. He found a role as a blocking receiver last season, which led to his position change this offseason. But now he faces an uphill battle to make the roster at a brand new position. The Eagles’ coaching staff really likes JJAW and give him credit for embracing his role as a blocker and special teamer last season. But it’s going to take more than that for him to make the roster in 2022.
OT Le’Raven Clark: The 29-year-old Clark was a third-round pick out of Texas Tech back in 2016 and after spending his first four seasons with the Colts, joined the Eagles in 2021. Coming off a torn Achilles that ended his 2020 season early, Clark played in four games last season and started one in his first season with the Eagles. He signed a contract extension through the 2022 season and will serve as a backup swing tackle if he makes the team. But the Eagles still have Andre Dillard and Jack Driscoll on the team as top backup options. Clark has a real shot to be on the roster but his chances would improve if the Eagles are able to trade former first-rounder Dillard, which still seems like a possibility.
LB Patrick Johnson: The 24-year-old was a seventh-round pick out of Tulane last season. He made the roster and played in all 17 games (started 2 games) as a rookie. His primary role was as a special teamer; he played just 111 snaps on defense throughout the season. The Eagles like Johnson’s versatility and his ability on special teams but they also drafted Kyron Johnson this season and those two will be battling for the backup SAM position behind Haason Reddick. There’s no guarantee Patrick Johnson makes the roster for a second straight season, especially considering the additions of Kyron Johnson, Kyzir White and Nakobe Dean in the linebacker room.
CB Jimmy Moreland: The Eagles claimed the veteran defensive back in May and he comes to Philadelphia with some significant experience. Moreland, 26, has played in 37 career games with 10 starts. He made those 10 starts with Washington from 2019-20 as a seventh-round pick out of JMU. Moreland has played most of his time in the NFL as a nickel cornerback, so he’ll presumably be battling for the backup nickel job against Josiah Scott, who has been with the Eagles for a full season. So Moreland has more NFL experience but Scott has more experience in the Eagles’ defense under Jonathan Gannon.
OG Sua Opeta: The Eagles signed Opeta as a UDFA out of Weber State back in 2019 and OL coach Jeff Stoutland has molded Opeta into a legitimate backup. But even after moving on from Nate Herbig, the Eagles have a lot of depth on their line, including rookie Cam Jurgens, Jack Driscoll, Kayode Awosika, Josh Sills, Jack Anderson and William Dunkle inside. Opeta has played in 18 games (4 starts) and even started the playoff game in January. He’s likely going to be on the roster but it’s not guaranteed.
P Arryn Siposs: The Eagles don’t have another punter on their roster but Siposs is coming off an up-and-down first season as their punter and really struggled down the stretch. Just because the Eagles don’t have a guy in camp to replace him, it doesn’t mean they couldn’t sign someone if Siposs struggles this summer. While Siposs is a huge part of the field goal unit as the holder, he has to be a punter first and foremost. Maybe the Eagles ride it out with him either way, but they should probably keep their options open if he begins to sputter again.
DT Marlon Tuipulotu: The sixth-round pick out of USC played in just five games as a rookie and didn’t stand out much. In April, the Eagles drafted Jordan Davis, which means they have a four-deep rotation at DT with Fletcher Cox, Javon Hargrave, Davis and Milton Williams. Could the Eagles keep five defensive tackles? Sure. But even if they do, there’s no guarantee Tuipulotu would be the fifth. They also have UDFA Noah Elliss and Marvin Wilson, who was a UDFA last spring.
S K’Von Wallace: In his two NFL seasons, the former fourth-round pick from Clemson has played in 28 games with 6 starts but has yet to solidify his place on the Eagles’ defense. He’s had his chances to play — even early last season — but has struggled to stay healthy. Now, Wallace is entering Year 3 and his roster spot isn’t a lock. The Eagles have Anthony Harris, Marcus Epps and Jaquiski Tartt ahead of Wallace on the depth chart. And if they keep just four safeties, would that spot perhaps go to special teams standout Andre Chachere over Wallace? It’s not a crazy thought.
WR Greg Ward Jr.: There’s some writing on the wall already. A couple years ago, Ward led the Eagles with 53 receptions in 2020. But last year, Ward saw his role reduced significantly. He went from playing 70% of the Eagles’ offensive snaps down to 22%. Ward was a restricted free agent and despite not tendering him, the Eagles reached an agreement to keep him around this season. But his roster spot isn’t solidified and the additions of A.J. Brown and Zach Pascal have pushed him even further down the depth chart. He’s meant a lot to the Eagles over the last few years but this could be Ward’s final summer with the team.
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2022-07-19T11:11:48Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Eagles training camp 2022: 10 veterans on roster bubble
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National League All-Star manager Brian Snitker told USA TODAY Sports he will ask Pujols to address the team before the game, but hadn't told Pujols yet.
“I had no idea but I’ll be ready now that you told me!’’ Pujols said. “I’m not shy. I’ll talk to them," Pujols said. "I’m going to let them know that you better appreciate this because it could be your last.
“I just learned so much from him," Cron said. “I don't know if I would be here without that whole situation. It all worked out perfectly.
“To do what he’s done, for the amount of time he’s been in the game is pretty wild,’’ France said. "t’s unbelievable.’’
“I’m a big Albert Pujols fan and I'm still watching his swing to this day,’’ said Judge. "Getting the chance to share the same field with him is going to be an honor.
“My first All-Star Game was the last one for Tony Gwynn and Cal Ripken Jr., and that made it so special,” Pujols said. "Getting to see how those guys were idolized and admired for the way that they played the game always stuck with me.
For those on the field Tuesday with Pujols, it'll be an event they never forget.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Albert Pujols' final MLB All-Star Game is special for everyone in LA
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2022-07-19T11:42:30Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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At his last MLB All-Star Game, 42-year-old 'legend' Albert Pujols is the man of the hour
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The 49ers blew a fourth-quarter lead in the NFC championship game to the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams didn't take the lead until 1:46 remained. One play could have turned it. During that game, the third overall pick of the draft — who cost San Francisco three first-round picks and a third-rounder in a trade — was one of two 49ers players to not play a single snap. There are plenty of 2021 rookies who could have made the one play the 49ers needed to seal that win and go to the Super Bowl.
And a year after drafting Trey Lance, the 49ers' situation is still awkward.
The 49ers went to an NFC championship game with Garoppolo and the easiest prediction of the offseason seemed to be that he'd be traded. Garoppolo had what amounted to a farewell media conference. When you give up a fortune to draft a quarterback third overall, he's not sitting multiple years. It was highly unusual Lance sat most of last season. But the 49ers never got that trade done in the offseason. Garoppolo underwent shoulder surgery and that might have scared teams a bit. Teams with quarterback needs ended up settling on players like Marcus Mariota, Mitchell Trubisky and Drew Lock. There weren't any interested suitors left. The 49ers had a quarterback with a $24.2 million salary, no spot for him on their roster and no chance to trade him anywhere else. And, the 49ers barely missed going to a Super Bowl with Garoppolo just a few months ago. Lance might not be any good. We don't have any idea yet.
Maybe there will be a temptation to keep Garoppolo. Lance could struggle in camp or early in the season. Then again, Lance could struggle because he has Garoppolo over his shoulder. Most likely, Garoppolo will be traded to a team that takes on an injury at quarterback or he'll be cut, but it hasn't happened yet.
Yeah, it's complicated.
The quarterback weirdness is happening atop a roster that should feel like it can win a Super Bowl. The 49ers came agonizingly close last season, leading 17-7 going into the fourth quarter against the Rams. They likely would have beat the Rams if safety Jaquiski Tartt had caught a Matthew Stafford pass thrown right at him. The 49ers got that far (and to a Super Bowl at the end of the 2019 season) with Garoppolo, who has proven to be a fine game manager but not a transcendent quarterback. The 49ers have to feel like they can be very good with average quarterback play. If Lance is special, there's championship (dynasty?) upside.
San Francisco 49ers quarterback Trey Lance, left, celebrates after throwing a touchdown pass to Deebo Samuel, middle, last season. (AP Photo/John Hefti)
The 49ers can run the ball regardless of who is at running back, a tradition started by Mike Shanahan and passed down to his son and 49ers coach Kyle Shanahan. The running game was really interesting when receiver Deebo Samuel lined up in the backfield. Samuel was unhappy during the offseason but is still on the 49ers roster, and last year he emerged as one of the best players in football. The defense was perhaps the best in the NFL down the stretch last season. There's a lot to like.
The list of things to like includes Lance's potential. He started two games last season and while he was inconsistent, he also had moments that showed off his tremendous arm strength and movement skills.
Introducing the Trey Lance to Deebo Samuel connection 🙌 pic.twitter.com/7Rsgcc0zyM
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) January 2, 2022
Lance has an upside that Garoppolo doesn't have. Yet, the 49ers have had a lot of success with Garoppolo being a mostly efficient quarterback who can run the offense exactly the way Shanahan wants. He can get the ball out quickly to the team's playmakers like Samuel, Brandon Aiyuk and tight end George Kittle. The offense will change with Lance (assuming it'll be Lance), and there's no guarantee it'll be a better formula for the 49ers.
Either way, the 49ers are one of the most fascinating teams heading into this season. The biggest problem is that anything short of another NFC championship game will feel like a step back.
The lack of a Jimmy Garoppolo trade hurt. His cap hit of $26.95 million was on the books all offseason when the 49ers could have been taking advantage of Trey Lance's rookie deal and signing some outside help. But the 49ers didn't want to lose Garoppolo for nothing, which is understandable. Cornerback Charvarius Ward was signed from the Kansas City Chiefs on a surprising three-year, $40.5 million deal. That's a lot for Ward, who has been a good but not great corner, but clearly the 49ers think he can reach an elite level. San Francisco lost guard Laken Tomlinson and defensive tackle D.J. Jones on huge deals to other teams. The 49ers didn't spend more than $3.2 million per year (which went to S George Odum) on any other outside free agent. The draft was light due to the Lance trade. The 49ers' top picks were USC edge rusher Drake Jackson in the second round, then LSU RB Tyrion Davis-Price and SMU WR Danny Gray in the third. The latter two didn't seem like obvious needs, though perhaps San Francisco uses Davis-Price as their physical back after whiffing on the Trey Sermon pick last year. Free agency and the draft were underwhelming and largely due to Garoppolo's contract and the trade for Lance, respectively. The biggest blow of the offseason might be losing seven-time Pro Bowl center Alex Mack, who retired. There are many questions on the interior of the 49ers' offensive line.
Trey Lance has been debated and doubted a lot for a quarterback who has thrown just 71 NFL passes. Here's what we know: Lance was a tremendous college player at North Dakota State, he was good enough to be the third pick in the draft, he had some promising moments as a rookie (he also was hampered by a finger injury most of the season) and he has gotten some good reviews during offseason practices.
"Defending him has been tough," defensive coordinator DeMeco Ryans said, via 49ersWebzone. "He's putting the ball on the money every time he throws it. The accuracy is there. The deep ball is there. To show whatever he wants, he can zip it in there and make a lot of plays. So I'm excited for Trey and what he can do."
Praise from within the team during the offseason means little, and maybe Lance will prove to be overwhelmed in his big jump from FCS football to the NFL. He didn't look great in his first start against the Arizona Cardinals, though the game plan of Lance doing it all with his legs wasn't ideal. He looked much better in a late-season start against the Houston Texans, throwing for 249 yards and a 116 passer rating. It's time for the 49ers to find out if Lance can be a championship-level quarterback.
The 49ers' win total at BetMGM is 9.5, and the odds on the over are -140. That means a lot of people are betting on a double-digit win season from San Francisco. There's no reason that can't happen, as long as Trey Lance is as good as Jimmy Garoppolo was last season. It's a little tougher to punch a ticket on the 49ers as division champs at +190 because the Rams look good again, but the odds are OK. For a decent longshot, Lance to win MVP at 40-to-1 might be worth betting. You can tell yourself a story in which that ticket cashes.
From Yahoo's Scott Pianowski: "Brandon Aiyuk was drafted before Deebo Samuel in most fantasy leagues last year. This summer, Samuel is going about 90 picks earlier. The value hunter in me is going to focus on Aiyuk.
"I love Samuel’s real-life game, but it could be difficult for him to return value on a Yahoo ADP of 20.4. Samuel surely won’t run as much as he did last year — he’s made it clear to the Niners he wants to scale back the hybrid role — and the offense might be less proactive throwing the ball as inexperienced quarterback Trey Lance gets his feet wet.
"Meanwhile, fantasy managers would be buying Aiyuk at an interesting time, after a down year and with a juicy discount baked in. While last year’s rankings look silly in retrospect, let’s be mindful that Aiyuk still has plenty of plausible upside. See if you can land him around his current Yahoo ADP of 109.9."
In an 11-game stretch that started with a prime-time win over the Rams and lasted through a divisional round playoff win over the Green Bay Packers, the 49ers defense allowed 285 yards per game. Only one team (Buffalo Bills) allowed fewer than 305.9 yards per game last regular season. The 49ers allowed 327 or fewer yards in 10 of 11 games. The 49ers defense faltered when it mattered most in the fourth quarter of the NFC title game, but they still held the eventual Super Bowl champs to seven points through three quarters. San Francisco's defense wasn't just good over the last half of the season, it might have been the best in football. There are some exceptional players, like edge rusher Nick Bosa, defensive lineman Arik Armstead, linebacker Fred Warner and safety Jimmie Ward, with some good complementary players too. The 49ers believe Charvarius Ward can be a true No. 1 cornerback, based on the contract they gave him. On top of it, coordinator DeMeco Ryans returns after he got some head-coaching interest in the offseason. The 49ers might be a top-five defense again.
Will Deebo Samuel be satisfied with 49ers?
Samuel had a monster 2021 season, with 1,770 yards from scrimmage and 14 touchdowns. His dalliance with running back means you're going to hear the term "the next Deebo Samuel" for years to come whenever a big receiver lines up in the backfield. But then Samuel expressed displeasure with the 49ers and requested a trade. The 49ers did the smart thing and resisted.
"He's just too good of a player," 49ers GM John Lynch said, according to NFL.com.
Samuel attended the team's mandatory minicamp after skipping OTAs, but he wasn't seen doing any on-field work and his presence doesn't mean he's content. He wants a new contract and reports have said he might be unhappy with his role as a part-time running back. The 49ers need to resolve the issue if they want to be a contender this season, because Samuel has emerged as a difference maker on offense. They would take a big step back without Samuel.
The 49ers are loaded. Trent Williams is the best tackle in football, and one of the best ever. George Kittle, Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel are fantastic playmakers in the passing game, and some combination of Elijah Mitchell and rookie Tyrion Davis-Price will run for a lot of yards. The defense was dominant for most of last season. What if Trey Lance lives up to the hype he had a year ago? Lance has the physical skills to be a superstar, and maybe that happens right away. If it does, the 49ers could win a Super Bowl. They came within a play or two of doing it last season, and Lance has a much higher ceiling than Jimmy Garoppolo.
It's hard to know what the 49ers' endgame is with Jimmy Garoppolo. A trade would be ideal, but it might not happen. The Carolina Panthers' trade for Baker Mayfield eliminated yet another option. The 49ers don't want to cut Garoppolo, but keeping him on the roster into the season could set up a potentially damaging situation. The 49ers know they can win a lot of games with Jimmy G and it would be tempting to make a make a switch if Trey Lance struggles early on. Lance knows all that too, and who knows how that affects a young first-time starter? It's also worth noting that the 49ers wouldn't have even been a playoff team last season had they not pulled out a dramatic Week 18 win at the Rams; the Saints would have gotten the final NFC spot if the 49ers lost that game. There wouldn't be much buzz about San Francisco without that win and the postseason run that followed. Roster-wise there really aren't many questions — maybe the offensive line struggles due to questions at guard and center, perhaps the cornerback situation isn't as settled as San Francisco hopes it is, the Deebo Samuel situation could get messy — but the 49ers' season seems to rest on one position. And if Lance fails miserably, last year's trade could set the 49ers back a long way.
I believe in Trey Lance. His rookie season was an anomaly; most top-five picks play right away but the 49ers never found a reason to make the change. That doesn't mean Lance can't play. We've barely seen him, and some of the things we saw last season were very good. I think he has a nice breakout and the 49ers have a very good season. I couldn't rank them higher due to the uncertainty about Lance and Deebo Samuel (I also worry I'm overrating them based on a playoff run when they needed an overtime Week 18 win to get in the postseason), but it wouldn't surprise me if the 49ers are a top-five team. I can see them in the same spot as last season, finishing second in the NFC West and being the most dangerous wild-card team in the field.
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2022-07-19T13:19:15Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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2022 NFL Preview: 49ers shift gears with Trey Lance at QB
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They certainly delivered last season during their postseason run, and plenty of fans tuned in to see them play. According to Sports Media Watch, three Rams games were among the 10 most-watched sporting events of 2022 so far. They also played four of the top 14 games in terms of viewership and five of the top 18.
Here’s where each of those games ranked inside the top 20:
1. Super Bowl LVI vs. Bengals
2. NFC Championship vs. 49ers
6. NFC divisional round vs. Buccaneers
14. NFC wild card vs. Cardinals
18. Week 18 vs. 49ers
It’s no surprise that the Super Bowl was at the top, drawing 99.18 million viewers. The NFC title game against the 49ers was also a thriller, and that game drew 50.23 million viewers – more than the AFC championship between the Chiefs and Bengals, which had 47.85 million people tuning in.
The NFL dominated this ratings poll, grabbing all of the top 14 spots, with the college football national championship coming in at No. 15. And despite the NBA season being in full swing in 2022, including the playoffs, the league’s top-rated game was Game 6 of the NBA Finals, which ranked 30th.
Rams training camp preview: Who will step up at OLB to replace Von Miller?
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2022-07-19T13:19:21Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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3 Rams games among 10 most-watched sporting events of 2022 so far
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Next up at No. 8 is cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who will be looking to take the next step toward becoming an elite cornerback in the NFL.
Following the release of Kyle Fuller, Johnson stepped into the starting cornerback role in his second season. There wasn’t much to love about the secondary, but Johnson was certainly the bright spot. As the Bears’ new CB1, he found himself going against some of the best wide receivers in the league, and he certainly held his own. In fact, opposing teams tried their hardest to throw away from Johnson, taking advantage of the likes of Kindle Vildor and avoiding challenging the young up-and-coming Johnson.
Johnson was targeted 72 times and allowed 43 receptions for 564 yards and allowed a passer rating of 101.9. He finished the season with 46 total tackles, 9 pass breakups, 1 forced fumble and his first-career interception. While Johnson hasn’t been mentioned among the league’s top lockdown cornerbacks, his sophomore performance showed he has the potential to get there. Look no further than when he was shadowing former Packers wideout Davante Adams and doing a good job defending him before Green Bay moved Adams to the slot.
As the Bears transition to a new defense, Johnson is someone who should benefit from Matt Eberflus and Alan Williams’ new scheme, which will ask him to be physical and play press. Chicago also bolstered their secondary this offseason, starting with the addition of top rookie cornerback Kyler Gordon. Like Johnson, Gordon is expected to start immediately as a rookie on the outside. Sure, teams will likely avoid Johnson as often as possible. But Gordon promises to be a significant upgrade over the likes of Kindle Vildor and Artie Burns, which should be beneficial to everyone. The Bears also improved the slot cornerback position, where newcomer Tavon Young and Thomas Graham Jr. will compete for the starting role.
Eberflus’ new defensive scheme promises to be simpler and more straightforward, which will allow his players to just play the game. One of the key areas in an Eberflus defense is forcing turnovers, something Johnson has struggled with in his first two seasons. He has just one interception and one forced fumble in that span. That’ll be a focus for Johnson this season as he looks to take the next step forward.
Big question: Is Johnson ready to be an elite cornerback?
There’s no doubt that Johnson is the team’s top cornerback heading into the 2022 season, but is this finally the year where he takes his game to an elite level? Johnson has been solid in his first two years in the league, starting immediately as a rookie and excelling in the CB1 role in his second year. But he’s going to need to improve in some areas if he hopes to get to that elite status.
One of the areas he needs to improve in to become that elite cornerback is forcing turnovers, which is something he’s done just twice in his young career. Johnson has just one interception and one forced fumble during those first two seasons. While Johnson has excelled in zone coverage — which is good news with Eberflus taking over — he’s had his struggles in man coverage, something he’s going to need to improve if he hopes to be considered among the best. While Johnson has faced some of the league’s top wideouts, he’s going to need to improve that 101.9 allowed passer rating.
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2022-07-19T13:19:27Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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30 Most Important Bears of 2022: No. 8 Jaylon Johnson
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Asante Samuel has strong take on Tom Brady-Bill Belichick debate
Former New England Patriots cornerback Asante Samuel has not been shy about criticizing head coach Bill Belichick, and he added to his criticisms of his former coach on Wednesday.
The Tom Brady-Bill Belichick debate has been a strong one ever since the two parted ways following the 2020 season. Samuel took a strong stance on the debate of who was most important during the Patriots’ dynasty, siding with Brady.
Here’s what he said on the “I Am Athlete” podcast.
Samuel played five seasons for New England. He won two Super Bowls with the organization during that timeframe. He played for the Philadelphia Eagles and Atlanta Falcons following his time with the Patriots.
Samuel tallied 434 total tackles and 51 interceptions, including six returns for a touchdown, in what was a productive career.
Strong arguments could be made for both sides of the debate. We certainly know where Samuel stands on this topic.
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2022-07-19T13:19:40Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Asante Samuel has strong take on Tom Brady-Bill Belichick debate
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https://sports.yahoo.com/asante-samuel-strong-tom-brady-122615198.html?src=rss
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Ranking the NFC West’s running back rooms entering 2022
The NFC West has been known in the past for great running backs. Players like Marshawn Lynch, Frank Gore, David Johnson, Todd Gurley and Steven Jackson have been among the best in the league playing in the division.
But in 2021, not a single running back in the NFC West rushed for 1,000 yards.
That doesn’t mean that the running back rooms in the division are bad. They are pretty good.
How do the four teams in the division rank with their running back rooms?
1. Arizona Cardinals (James Conner, Darrel Williams, Eno Benjamin)
Both Conner and Williams had more than 1,000 total yards from scrimmage in 2021. Benjamin has been the talk of the offseason for the team.
San Francisco’s Elijah Mitchell is the best back in the division entering the season, but Williams is more accomplished and steady than Jeff Wilson.
2. San Francisco 49ers (Elijah Mitchell, Jeff Wilson, Trey Sermon)
Head coach Kyle Shanahan’s running scheme is the best in the NFL. He turns every late-round or undrafted running back into a productive player before injuries limit playing time.
Mitchell was a sixth-round rookie and led the division in rushing. Wilson had a strange foot injury last offseason but has shown he can have big games. Sermon has the promise to be a workhorse but just couldn’t crack the playing rotation.
3. Los Angeles Rams (Cam Akers, Darrell Henderson, Jake Funk/Kyren Williams)
Akers played only one game last season after tearing his Achilles but will be fully healthy this year. Darrell Henderson has had back-to-back 600-yard seasons.
4. Seattle Seahawks (Charis Carson, Rashaad Penny, Kenneth Walker)
I want to make it clear that if Carson is healthy and Penny even is close to how he played to finish last season, they have the best running back room in the division by far.
Penny had 135 or more rushing yards in four of the final five games of the season and led the NFL in yards per rush with 6.3.
Carson was one of the league’s best backs but he has not yet been able to fully recover from a neck injury.
Penny’s career has been inconsistent and injury-filled. There is promise for Walker, a rookie this season, but with the uncertainty of Carson and only Penny’s flash late last season, Seattle can’t be any higher than the bottom right now.
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2022-07-19T13:20:18Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Ranking the NFC West’s running back rooms entering 2022
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https://sports.yahoo.com/ranking-nfc-west-running-back-123736428.html?src=rss
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Saints plan to work out USFL offensive player of the year Darius Victor originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
MADISON, Wis., July 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Alliant Energy Corporation (NASDAQ: LNT) has scheduled its second quarter 2022 earnings release for Thursday, August 4th, after market close. A conference call to review the year-end results is scheduled for Friday, August 5th at 9 a.m. CT. Alliant Energy will webcast the event live at www.alliantenergy.com/investors. The call is open to the public and will be hosted by John Larsen, Chair, President and CEO; and Robert Durian, Executive Vice Presi
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2022-07-19T13:20:30Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Saints plan to work out USFL offensive player of the year Darius Victor
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https://sports.yahoo.com/saints-plan-usfl-offensive-player-124922446.html?src=rss
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We are into the dog days of July, meaning we will officially have Wisconsin football back in our lives next month.
With fall camp just around the corner, oddsmakers are working tirelessly to project how teams across the country will perform in terms of wins and losses.
Tipico Sportsbook recently released their win totals for the upcoming 2022 college football season, with the Wisconsin Badgers’ win total set at 8.5.
UW enters the fall as the betting favorite to win the Big Ten West Division after a disappointing 9-4 season where they failed to make it to Indianapolis for the second straight season.
Coach Chryst has since revitalized his coaching staff and made several critical additions through the transfer portal, positioning UW for another run at the Big Ten West.
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2022-07-19T13:36:00Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Tipico Announces 2022 Win Total for Wisconsin Football
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The Los Angeles Rams boast a formidable starting defensive line unit that features Aaron Donald, Greg Gaines, and A’Shawn Robinson. But behind Donald, Gaines, and Robinson, the Rams are lacking depth along the defensive front.
The lack of depth stems from Sebastian Joseph-Day departing in free agency, signing with the Los Angeles Chargers. The recent news of Bobby Brown being suspended for the first six games of the upcoming campaign due to a PED violation hurts the depth even more, leaving the defensive line thin.
With the Rams needing some help on the defensive line, here are four players they should consider signing ahead of the 2022 season.
Linval Joseph
Greg Gaines has proven himself to be a mainstay on the defensive line for the Rams after notching career-best marks in combined tackles (55), sacks (4.5), and tackles for loss (4) in 2021. That being said, Los Angeles could use another interior defender that can clog running lanes.
Joseph might be turning 34 years old in October, but he showed in 2021 that he still has some gas left in the tank. The two-time Pro Bowler accrued 57 combined tackles, three tackles for loss, and one sack in 12 starts for the Los Angeles Chargers a season ago.
Throughout last season, Joseph was on the field for 47.4 percent of the defensive snaps for the Chargers, rotating on the interior with Jerry Tillery, Christian Covington, and Justin Jones. Adding Joseph would give the Rams a stout run defender that can rotate behind Gaines at nose tackle.
Similar to their secondary, the Rams prefer to have defensive linemen that are versatile enough to play multiple positions. Richardson is an interesting defensive lineman that could provide depth at nearly every spot in the trenches.
Richardson would likely spend most of his time at defensive end behind Donald and Robinson, but he could move to the interior in obvious passing situations. The former first-round selection spent last season with the Minnesota Vikings where he posted 39 combined tackles, six tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks.
An injury to Donald, Robinson, or Gaines could prove to be detrimental to the Rams in 2022 if they stand pat with their current depth chart. Bringing in a veteran like Richardson would give Los Angeles plenty of versatility on the defensive front behind their starting unit.
There are some massive human beings in the NFL and Danny Shelton is one of them. Shelton is another former first-round pick on the open market that spent last year with the New York Giants following a one-year stint with the Detroit Lions in 2020.
After operating as a nose tackle for the Cleveland Browns from 2015 to 2017, Shelton’s most productive years came with the New England Patriots from 2018 to 2019. The Washington product helped the Patriots defeat the Rams in the Super Bowl in 2018 while providing formidable defense in the interior.
Shelton operated as a depth option in 2021 on the Giants and he would do the same for the Rams in 2022. A nose tackle duo of Gaines and Shelton would be solid following the untimely suspension of Brown before training camp begins.
Once again, versatility is a trait that the Rams are fond of on both sides of the ball. If Los Angeles elects to browse the open market for depth on the defensive line, finding a player that can play multiple positions could be prioritized.
Williams isn’t a household name, but he’s put together solid campaigns for the Detroit Lions in the past two seasons. Williams has been deployed as a defensive end and a defensive tackle, giving the Rams someone that could potentially be a resourceful depth option.
Before joining the Lions in 2020, Williams’ best season came in 2019 with the Chicago Bears when he recorded 42 combined tackles, five tackles for loss, and six sacks. Despite totaling only 1.5 sacks in the previous two years, getting a chance to play alongside Donald, Robinson, Gaines, and Leonard Floyd could give Williams an opportunity to showcase more of his pass-rushing chops.
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2022-07-19T15:15:06Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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4 defensive linemen the Rams could sign to provide depth in 2022
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https://sports.yahoo.com/4-defensive-linemen-rams-could-140651668.html?src=rss
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Broncos Wire’s 90-man offseason roster series continues today with a look at eighth-year running back Melvin Gordon, No. 25.
Before the Broncos: Gordon (6-1, 215 pounds) was picked by the San Diego (now Los Angeles) Chargers in the first round of the 2015 NFL draft out of Wisconsin. He went on to spend five years with the Chargers, totaling 6,113 yards from scrimmage and scoring 47 touchdowns in 67 games (62 starts).
Broncos tenure: After earning two Pro Bowl nods in San Diego/L.A., Gordon signed a two-year contract with the Broncos in 2020. Over the last two seasons, Gordon has totaled 2,275 yards from scrimmage while scoring 20 touchdowns. Denver re-signed him to a one-year extension this offseason.
Chances to make the 53-man roster: Gordon’s considered a lock to make the team and he’s expected to continue sharing touches with teammate Javonte Williams this season. Gordon and Williams were a productive one-two punch for the Broncos last year, so there’s no reason to change a working formula.
Will Melvin Gordon enter top-10 Broncos' all-time rushing list this season? - Powered By PickUp
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2022-07-19T15:15:19Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Broncos offseason roster: No. 25, RB Melvin Gordon
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https://sports.yahoo.com/broncos-offseason-roster-no-25-120004665.html?src=rss
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The Carolina Panthers unveiled new black helmets on Tuesday. According to the team’s website, the helmets will be paired with their all-black uniforms during the 2022 season:
details in the dark
The Panthers are the latest team to take advantage of the NFL’s new policy on teams having multiple helmets during a given season. In previous seasons, the league required players to wear the same helmet throughout the season for safety reasons, with the belief that it was safer for a player to be fitted with one helmet properly.
The Panthers are the latest team to take advantage of the NFL’s new stance on alternate helmets. The Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots are other teams that announced alternate helmets for the upcoming season.
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2022-07-19T15:15:25Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Carolina Panthers unveil new black helmets
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https://sports.yahoo.com/carolina-panthers-unveil-black-helmets-131546381.html?src=rss
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When Kansas City Chiefs star tight end Travis Kelce played his first game on offense in his second season in the NFL, he was the victim of a “welcome to the NFL” hit by former Tennessee Titans defensive back, Bernard Pollard.
Pollard was reflecting on some of the better plays of his career on social media last week, which prompted Kelce to remind him that Pollard had popped him in Week 1 of the 2014 campaign.
Prior to his back-and-forth with Pollard on Twitter, Kelce spoke about the aforementioned play in an article for The Players’ Tribune back in 2016.
Here’s a look at the play Pollard and Kelce are referencing.
“Well, my first NFL game was against the Titans, and I came out of the gate hot,” Kelce recalled. “Made my first catch. Incredible feeling, really. Then, two plays later it looked like I was about to make my second catch. I was running a slant across the middle of the field. I knew that was my assignment. You know who else knew that was my assignment? Bernard Pollard, one of the hardest hitting safeties in the NFL. As soon as I caught the ball, I was looking upfield and Bernard absolutely leveled me. Put his helmet right in my sternum. I was flat on my back and the ball popped out. Fortunately it was just ruled an incompletion rather than a fumble, but I got the point. You have to really get rocked like that a few times to develop the senses you need to avoid the big shots. Once you really get popped, you don’t want it to happen again. I mean, it will, but you don’t want it to.”
Tennessee went on to lose that game, 26-10, and Kelce reeled in three catches for 49 yards in the winning effort. Meanwhile, Pollard would play in just four more games the rest of the season before landing on injured reserve.
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2022-07-19T15:15:31Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Chiefs’ Travis Kelce recalls getting laid out by ex-Titan Bernard Pollard in 2014
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https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-travis-kelce-recalls-getting-140233376.html?src=rss
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Colts’ training camp preview: 1 player to watch from each position
The Indianapolis Colts are just over a week away from the start of training camp at the Grand Park Sports Campus in Westfield.
Coming off of the late-season collapse, the Colts made several changes to the roster this offseason. They swapped quarterbacks, likely upgrading from Carson Wentz to Matt Ryan. They added defensive end Yannick Ngakoue and cornerback Stephon Gilmore to go with a class of eight draft picks.
With training camp just around the corner, here is one player from each position to watch:
For the fifth season in a row, the Colts will have a new starting quarterback. Following the failed Carson Wentz experiment in 2021, the Colts found a way to bring Ryan in for a fraction of the price. What will be interesting when it comes to Ryan is how quickly he picks up the offense when the pads come on.
He was already impressing during the spring workouts, connecting with several of his receiving options on a consistent basis. It will be interesting so see if Ryan can get off to a quicker start than his predecessors, and much of that development will take place during training camp.
While Jonathan Taylor and Nyheim Hines are likely to be stars of training camp again, it will be interesting to see how Lindsay does. After two 1,000-yard seasons to begin his career, Lindsay wasn’t the same back in 2021. Across two teams in the Texans and Dolphins, Lindsay averaged just 2.8 yards per carry. Maybe it was the environment and a change of scenery with a strong offensive line was needed. But Lindsay is the favorite for the No. 3 role entering camp.
With the first four spots locked down in the wide receiver room, Patmon will be gunning for that No. 5 spot on the depth chart. He hasn’t done much since being drafted in 2020 but being a sixth-round pick, the expectations weren’t all that high. Now, he enters a crucial Year 3 with a chance to prove his worth as the favorite for that No. 5 role in the wide receiver room.
Even if Jelani Woods’ role may not be all that big during his rookie season, he’s still a lock to make the roster. Ogletree, on the other hand, doesn’t have that same luxury. However, the Colts have been impressed with the rookie tight end and he could force them to keep four tight ends on the active roster.
Among the vacant spots on the offensive line that are up for grabs, the right guard position will be one to watch. With Mark Glowinski now in New York, the job is Pinter’s to lose. He’s the favorite entering camp considering the Colts drafted him in 2020 so that he may one day take over this spot. But he still has to earn it, and if rookie Bernhard Raimann doesn’t win the starting left tackle role, he will provide more competition for Pinter.
Finally getting a full offseason to work after missing all of it during his rookie season, Odeyingbo is expected to make a much bigger impact than he did during the second half of his rookie campaign. The versatile second-year pass rusher is going to work both from the edge and the three-technique defensive tackle spot and could be one of the biggest X-factors for the Colts in 2022.
Weatherford was one of the many undrafted rookie free agents to join the roster this offseason, and he quickly made an impression during the spring. Moving from the safety positon to linebacker, Weatherford has a strong chance to make the roster if he continues to carry that momentum into camp.
One way or another, the battle for the No. 3 cornerback role is going to produce a player with a strong role in the secondary. Facyson will be battling with third-year cornerback Isaiah Rodgers for the role, and both of them are coming off of a strong showing in the spring. Facyson has the most experience in Gus Bradley’s scheme so that could give him a leg-up in the competition.
Get used to hearing this name because we are likely going to mention it a few times over the next month. Cross was a third-round pick that the Colts traded up for at the end of Day 2 and is expected to take over for Khari Willis following the latter’s retirement. It’s only a matter of time before Cross is given the starting role. The main question is when that will be.
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2022-07-19T15:15:37Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Colts’ training camp preview: 1 player to watch from each position
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https://sports.yahoo.com/colts-training-camp-preview-1-145129039.html?src=rss
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Detroit’s rough 2021 season on the field was reflected in the revenue the Lions generated from tickets sold.
The latest reported gate revenue compiled by Sportico shows the Lions in dead last in the NFL. Detroit generated just $51 million in gate receipts in the 2021 season, a year where the Lions finished 3-13-1 after opening the season 0-10-1.
Reporter Kurt Badenhausen noted on Twitter that price differences in tickets are the primary driver. As an example, the Raiders finished 25th in total tickets sold but generated the most ticket revenue due to the high prices at their new Allegiant Field in Las Vegas. AFC teams also had an extra home date on the 17-game schedule.
The Lions remain one of the NFL’s cheapest tickets. Fans can attend home games at Ford Field for an average ticket of $91.89, and ownership did not increase the price on season tickets for the 2022 season.
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2022-07-19T15:16:21Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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The Lions finished last in the NFL in ticket revenue for 2021
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https://sports.yahoo.com/lions-finished-last-nfl-ticket-133101592.html?src=rss
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Congratulations are in order for Browns defensive end Myles Garrett. “Flash” is the newest member of the Madden 99 Club.
The ratings for the EDGE players in the latest installment of the seminal football video game series from EA Sports, Madden NFL 23, came out on Tuesday morning. Garrett joined the rarefied air of those players earning a 99 overall rating.
Hall of Famer and fellow Madden 99 Club member Bruce Smith presented Garrett with the ceremonial chain and trophy as Garrett worked out.
“It’s about dang time I started out the season as one of the 99 members,” Garrett said with a smile.
The full roster ratings for Madden NFL 23 will be revealed later this week.
Tim Flossie, a state championship football coach at Buchtel High School, is remembered for his love of his players and passion for the game.
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2022-07-19T15:16:34Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Myles Garrett earns a place in the exclusive Madden 99 Club
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https://sports.yahoo.com/myles-garrett-earns-place-exclusive-131303342.html?src=rss
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Adrian Amos might be underrated just everywhere in the NFL world, but the folks at Pro Football Focus have always appropriately appreciated the work of the Green Bay Packers safety.
Amos, who has never made a Pro Bowl, checked in as the PFF’s 40th best player overall entering the 2022 season.
PFF’s Sam Monson said Amos is “one of the most underrated players in the game and has a real argument to be seen as the league’s best safety.”
Last season, Amos produced 93 tackles (trailing only De’Vondre Campbell in Green Bay), two interceptions and eight pass breakups.
Statline sound familiar? It should. During each of his three seasons in Green Bay, Amos has created at least 80 tackles, eight passes defensed and two interceptions.
The boxscore doesn’t always show just how reliable Amos is on a game-to-game, year-by-year basis.
Per PFF’s grading, Amos has never graded out at lower than 69.6. His average over the last five years is 82.7, making him one of the most consistent and well-regarded players at PFF since 2018.
Amos has played at least 1,000 defensive snaps in five of his seven NFL seasons, highlighting his incredible availability. He can play deep as a free safety, in the box as a strong safety and everywhere in between, and he’s adept in coverage, against the run and as a tackler.
Amos, who signed with the Packers as a free agent in 2019, is entering the final year of his deal in 2022. His deal will void after this season. Another strong year without injury will give the Packers all the incentive they need to bring him back on a new deal.
Amos wasn’t the only Packers defender to check in among PFF’s first 10 players on the top 50 list. Edge rusher Rashan Gary, a breakout star in 2021, ranked No. 49.
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2022-07-19T15:16:59Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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PFF ranks Packers S Adrian Amos as NFL’s 40th best player entering 2022
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https://sports.yahoo.com/pff-ranks-packers-adrian-amos-133931010.html?src=rss
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The opening of SoFi Stadium in 2020 didn’t go according to plan. The COVID-19 pandemic prevented a single fan from attending a Rams game at the brand new stadium, causing the team to play all of their home contests in an empty building.
But in 2021, fans poured into SoFi Stadium to see the new-look team play in person, led by quarterback Matthew Stafford. The result? A ton of ticket sales and revenue generated from fans attending Rams games.
According to Sportico, the Rams earned the fourth-most revenue from ticket sales last season, behind only the Raiders, 49ers and Patriots. The Cardinals ranked 28th on the list, in part because their stadium holds a smaller number of fans than most teams.
Exclusive from @sportico on NFL's internal gate revenue report: Raiders on top at $119M, Lions last at $51M.
1. LV
2. SF
5. NYG
28. AZ
31. WASH
32. DET https://t.co/K5AL8Gc7nJ
— Kurt Badenhausen (@kbadenhausen) July 19, 2022
The Rams should see even more demand for tickets in 2022, and there are two reasons for that. First, they’re the defending Super Bowl champions, and everyone will want to see them play after their magical 2021 season.
Second, their schedule is absolutely loaded. Just at home, they’ll face the Bills, Cowboys, 49ers, Raiders and Broncos. Their road schedule is even tougher, facing the Bucs, Saints, Chiefs, Packers and Chargers, but they obviously won’t generate any ticket revenue for those games.
The Las Vegas Raiders opened their $1.9 billion home, Allegiant Stadium, just ahead of the 2020 NFL season, but fans were barred from games for another 12 months, due to COVID-19. When fans did return in 2021, they paid a hefty price. The Raiders generated the NFL’s highest ticket revenue during the 2021 season, according […]
FORT WAYNE, Ind., July 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Vera Bradley Foundation for Breast Cancer (the "Foundation") today announced, after a national search, it has named Stephanie Scheele as its new Executive Director. Scheele has held the post of Chief Purpose and Communication Officer of Vera Bradley, Inc. (the “Company”) since October 2021, responsible for the Company’s enterprise-wide environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts, including oversight of the Vera Bradley Foundation for
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2022-07-19T15:17:05Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Rams ranked 4th in ticket revenue for 2021 season
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https://sports.yahoo.com/rams-ranked-4th-ticket-revenue-131950766.html?src=rss
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Today, we’ll turn our attention to the running backs, a group that includes some of the best players in the league.
14. Texans: Dameon Pierce/Marlon Mack
It’s been a while since Mack performed at a high level, as a torn Achilles in 2020 and the emergence of other players in 2021 has limited him to just seven games over the past two seasons. In 2018 and 2019, while in Indianapolis, however, Mack ran for under 2,000 yards at a 4.5 yards per carry clip. Those are no numbers to scoff at, and Texans coaches have been giving Mack rave reviews this offseason.
Pierce enters the league from Florida, where he was inexplicably underutilized for his entire career. The 218-pounder is a one-cut back with rare contact balance and surprising twitch given his size. I’d expect him to be the starter in a room full of career journeymen by the end of the season. With the Texans matchup coming in Week 4, however, Chargers fans should expect a heavier dose of a healthy Mack, with ample reps from Rex Burkhead, who dropped 149 yards and 2 TDs against the Bolts defense a season ago.
13. Chiefs: Clyde Edwards-Helaire/Ronald Jones
Leading rusher Darrel Williams is now in Arizona, leaving Edwards-Helaire and free agent acquisition Jones as the most likely candidates to take carries from Patrick Mahomes. The former LSU star has never really found a footing as a pro, and hip, ankle, and knee injuries haven’t helped him find any semblance of consistency. When healthy, Edwards-Helaire is a dual-threat back who will cause headaches for linebackers in coverage.
Jones comes to Kansas City after four seasons with the Buccaneers, where his role was diminished in 2021 due to a standout season from Leonard Fournette. He’s always been a favorite of preseason breakout lists and underrated player rankings because of his pure rushing talent, as well as recruiting and draft capital pedigree. With seven career fumbles, however, Jones will need to prove he can hold on to the rock if he wants to get most of the carries in KC.
12. Falcons: Cordarrelle Patterson/Tyler Allgeier
Atlanta is home to one of the strangest running back rooms in the league, as they’re led by return specialist Patterson, who more than doubled his previous career high with 153 carries last season. Now 31 years old, the question becomes when Father Time will come for Patterson, whose game has always relied on explosiveness.
After Mike Davis underperformed to the tune of 3.6 yards per carry in 2021, the Falcons cut bait and replaced him with BYU’s Allgeier in the fifth round. He fell that far because of a questionable pass game profile, as neither receiving nor pass protection are his strong suits. However, he’s an excellent zone runner with the build to bruise between the tackles and the vision to squeeze every yard out of his blocking. With a receiver as prolific as Patterson sharing the backfield with him, he doesn’t have to be a world-beater in that area. Expect him to take the early-down carries while Patterson comes in for passing and third-down situations.
11. Cardinals: James Conner/Eno Benjamin
Conner tied for second in rushing touchdowns last season despite only starting in six games, so you may be surprised to see the Cardinals unit ranked this low. However, Conner ranked third in the league in goal-line opportunities last season with 18, behind only Jonathan Taylor and Antonio Gibson. This offseason, Arizona brought in the aforementioned Darrel Williams, whose skill set suggests he’ll eat into those opportunities in 2022. Conner also only averaged 3.7 yards per carry, a career low. All this to say – Conner had a very good raw statistical season last year, but there’s reason to believe regression is coming, especially if he can’t complete a full slate of games, which he’s never done in his five-year career.
Behind Conner will be Williams and Benjamin, who will likely spend most of training camp in a heated battle for RB2. Benjamin hasn’t gotten many opportunities since being drafted in the 7th round in 2020. Still, guard Justin Pugh said that the third-year pro is the best outside zone runner on their roster this offseason and has improved his pass blocking skills tremendously. Kliff Kingsbury also told the team website that Benjamin’s running talent “has always been there” and that “he’s taken huge strides”.
10. Dolphins: Chase Edmonds/Raheem Mostert
From the Cardinals to a former Cardinal. Edmonds was Arizona’s most effective back on a per carry basis last season, averaging 5.1 a tote on 116 attempts. Still, Arizona elected to let him walk in favor of re-signing Conner. The 26-year-old took his talents to South Beach, where his fit in new coach Mike McDaniel’s offense is picture perfect. McDaniel comes from San Francisco, who ran the sixth-most zone runs last season. Your league leader in yards per attempt on zone runs in 2021? You guessed it, Chase Edmonds, with 5.8 per carry in 68 tries.
By the time the Chargers take on Miami in Week 14, Edmonds will likely be splitting early-down work with Mostert, who follows McDaniel from the 49ers but is coming off back-to-back injury-plagued seasons. In his last fully healthy season, the 30-year-old did take 137 carries for 772 yards and 8 TDs, nothing to sneeze at. Miami also has Sony Michel and Myles Gaskin under contract. Michel could rotate in on early downs, while Gaskin (if he makes the team) would eat into Edmonds’ pass-catching role.
9. Rams: Cam Akers/Darrell Henderson
After a stellar rookie campaign in 2020, many people had Akers circled as the next breakout star at RB. A torn Achilles has deferred those dreams, even with a ridiculous six-month recovery time that had Akers cleared to play by the playoffs. Reportedly 100% healthy with training camp on the horizon, Akers now seems poised to remind fans why he was considered highly entering 2021. He has star-level tools as both a runner and receiver and could pose a huge threat to the Chargers’ defense by the time Week 17 rolls around.
Beyond Akers, most carries will likely go to Henderson, who is also coming off an injury in 2021. The 2019 third-rounder has the added pressure of a contract year on a team that seems to have drafted his heir apparent in 5th rounder Kyren Williams, who will be limited for most of the fall due to offseason foot surgery. Henderson also has a nice blend of running and receiving ability, but I wonder if he’ll be used as more of a thumper for a Rams team that lacks a traditional one after trading Michel to the Dolphins. The other LA team also has a new running backs coach this season, so usage is subject to change and will likely heavily depend on training camp results.
8. 49ers: Elijah Mitchell/Jeff Wilson Jr.
If Mitchell was on any other team, I’d list him on his own, but the 49ers have become notorious for using five, six, even seven running backs in a season. Of those, Wilson seems the most likely to get a significant load of touches, but Trey Sermon, JaMycal Hasty, and rookie Tyrion Davis-Price will also be in the mix. It wouldn’t shock me if Davis-Price in particular has a big role by the Chargers game in Week 10, considering he has the speed and agility profile that Kyle Shanahan has historically preferred.
Back to Mitchell, the sixth round pick who cruised to 963 yards and 5 TDs on 4.7 yards per carry. Many people wrote the Louisiana product off because of the presence of Sermon, who was drafted three rounds earlier and had ample fans on Twitter after a stellar season at Ohio State. After averaging 5.3 yards per carry on first downs in 2021 and essentially powering the 49ers run game by himself because of injuries to every other major player, that’s not likely to happen again. Now, Mitchell did deal with durability issues as a rookie – his yards per carry dropped significantly between the first and second halves of games and he had injuries of his own that limited him to 11 games. He has reportedly been trying to get to a playing weight of 215, up from 201, to combat these issues, but there’s a chance the injury bug bites him again and he misses the Chargers contest. If that were to happen, don’t write off the other backs on this roster.
7. Jaguars: James Robinson/Travis Etienne
The tandem of Robinson and Etienne will have their fair share of injuries to overcome, but a healthy and productive season from both of them could end up making this ranking look foolish. For Robinson, he’ll have to bounce back from an Achilles tear suffered in Week 16 last season. Reports indicate he plans to be ready by Week 1, but it’s eminently possible that he’s limited for the Chargers game in Week 3, if not inactive entirely. When healthy, Robinson is among the most underrated backs in the league, even by his own coaching staff. You may remember that among the chaos of the Urban Meyer regime a season ago, Trevor Lawrence had to beg Meyer to put Robinson in the game to give them a better chance of competing.
Etienne will return from the dreaded Lisfranc injury, but it’s important to quantify the severity before throwing him in the graveyard of talented players whose careers have been stolen by the ailment. Etienne had surgery on a Lisfranc sprain, which indicates he didn’t fully tear the ligament, nor did he break any of the bones in the area from what I could find. This is the best-case scenario, as the players whose speed and explosiveness never recovered after a Lisfranc injury almost overwhelmingly suffered full tears or broken bones. For his part, Etienne says the injury is fully behind him. If that’s the case, and he shows the same burst he did at Clemson, he and Robinson could form quite the dynamic duo.
6. Raiders: Josh Jacobs/Kenyan Drake
Jacobs recently fell out of the top 10 running backs on Jeremy Fowler’s annual poll of NFL personnel, but don’t let that fool you. His absence from the rankings is primarily because of his lack of ability as a pass catcher, which has increasingly become an important skill for NFL backs. As a runner, however, the former first rounder is the real deal. He’s also coming off an 132 yard performance in the Week 18 game that knocked the Chargers out of the playoffs.
Drake will be the pass catcher for the Raiders and should be ready for the regular season after sustaining a broken ankle in December. He’ll first have to stave off rookie Zamir White, who also has the pass-catching chops to earn a role in a new-look Raiders offense under Josh McDaniels.
5. Seahawks: Rashaad Penny/Kenneth Walker III
Penny had arguably the best last five weeks of anyone in 2021, going over 130 yards in four out of five games and scoring 6 TDs. It was a long-awaited coming out party for the former first rounder, who has spent large swathes of his three seasons on the shelf due to injury. Seattle gave him a one-year deal to show his second-half emergence was the real deal, and he should take the majority of carries in 2022.
The selection of Walker in the second round raised some eyebrows, but I’m of the belief that it likely means that Chris Carson won’t be returning in a meaningful capacity following a neck injury that ended his 2021 campaign. The Doak Walker Award winner is best on counters, a play that offensive coordinator Shane Waldron can get creative with thanks to DK Metcalf’s blocking abilities and potential misdirection with Tyler Lockett and Dee Eskridge on end arounds. He also broke the most tackles of any college runner last season with 89, so smashing him between the tackles is always an option.
4. Broncos: Melvin Gordon/Javonte Williams
Williams seems to be the next “chosen one” at running back, but Denver brought back Gordon on a reduced contract to continue to ease the second-year pro into a feature role. To his credit, the former Charger has been plenty effective in orange, posting over 900 yards in both of his seasons as a Bronco. However, he did lose three fumbles last season. Denver seems to have primarily brought him back because of his skills as a pass protector while expecting him to take more of a backseat to Williams.
A fan favorite as a rookie, Williams led the NFL in broken tackles with 31 and had plenty of highlight-reel bulldozes through opposing defenses. The pass protection wasn’t terrible, but it also wasn’t at the level of Gordon, who has years of experience to draw off of. Williams also doesn’t yet possess elite vision on outside zone, a staple of the Broncos offense in 2021 and a favorite of new coach Nathaniel Hackett. Denver’s first-year head coach went as far as to say he was “enamored” with the concept in June. Despite this, Williams simply has the power to run defenders over even if he doesn’t yet have the vision to avoid them entirely. It’s a formidable duo.
3. Titans: Derrick Henry
It’s indicative of the direction the league is going in that this is the first non-committee entry on the list, but there’s really not anyone behind Henry worth talking about. Despite breaking a bone in his foot and missing nine games in 2021, reports suggest that not only is he fully healthy, but the injury represents a very low chance of reaggravation. That’s a big deal for a 28 year old back with a downright absurd amount of tread on his tires as an NFL player. If the foot injury was truly a fluke and not a sign that his body is breaking down, I’m hesitant to suggest that Henry is on the decline. Combine that with the fact that the Titans-Chargers game is in Week 15 and it’s a scary proposition. Henry has always punished teams later in the season, when defenses are more banged up and less willing to engage with his runaway semi truck running style. Expect Week 15 to be no different.
2. Browns: Nick Chubb/Kareem Hunt
For my money, Chubb is the best running back in the league, although the player clocking in at #1 on this list is right on his heels. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry on his way to 1,259 yards last season, good for second in the league. While he’s not a prolific receiver, he does tend to get better as the year goes on. Good news for LA, who will catch him in Week 4 as he ramps up. He’ll still be a force to be reckoned with, however, as he put up 161 yards and 2 TDs against the Chargers last October.
Hunt is the ideal complement to Chubb as a receiving-first back with shifty rushing abilities, although he’s been the subject of trade rumors this offseason. That’s primarily because D’Ernest Johnson has also shown plenty of skill, especially during the five-game Hunt missed due to a calf strain last season. Personally, I think the Browns will ride it out – it’s a contract year for Hunt, and they can just as easily get a compensatory pick for him by letting him walk in free agency next year. In the meantime, breaking up one of the best tandems in the league doesn’t make much sense.
1. Colts: Jonathan Taylor
Taylor led the league in attempts (332), yards (1,811), and TDs (18) last season on his way to first team All-Pro honors. NFL personnel ranked him the second-best back in the league in Fowler’s annual survey, behind only Derrick Henry, although the two players actually tied in first place votes. Described as the “total package” by one AFC scout, the scariest part about Taylor is that he’s likely only going to get better. Just 23 years old, the sky appears to be the limit for the former Wisconsin star, and he’ll undoubtedly be the main focus of the defensive gameplan when the Chargers travel to Indianapolis for Monday Night Football in Week 16.
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2022-07-19T15:17:12Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Ranking the running backs the Chargers will face in 2022
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https://sports.yahoo.com/ranking-running-backs-chargers-face-134135908.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/ranking-running-backs-chargers-face-134135908.html?src=rss
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The changing of the guard has begun for the Pittsburgh Steelers. On Monday the franchise began the physical process of converting Heinz Field over Acrisure Stadium as they began removing the massive Heinz Ketchup bottles from the scoreboard.
The Steelers and brokerage firm Acrisure agreed on a new 15-year naming rights deal recently which means after a 20-year run, the Steelers will no longer play at Heinz Field and instead it will be formally Acrisure Stadium, despite the fact most fans aren’t going to call it that.
Steelers President Art Rooney II had indicated the bottles might stay as part of an advertising agreement between the team and Kraft Heinz. Unfortunately it seems this isn’t going to happen as the Heinz sinage comes down.
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2022-07-19T15:17:24Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Steelers begin removing Heinz ketchup bottles from stadium
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https://sports.yahoo.com/steelers-begin-removing-heinz-ketchup-143336332.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/steelers-begin-removing-heinz-ketchup-143336332.html?src=rss
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The Seahawks are about as loaded at wide receiver as any team in the NFL. With D.K. Metcalf and Tyler Lockett at the top of their depth chart, Seattle has a superb 1-2 punch, with a bunch of quality backups behind them. While Metcalf is quickly becoming a household name, Lockett remains relatively underrated for his talent.
Some folks know how special he is, though. Lockett has been ranked among the league’s top slot receivers going into the 2022 season. He came in at No. 10 on Touchdown Wire’s list. He is particularly potent when running deep routes out of the slot, per Doug Farrar.
“Overall, Lockett caught 30 of 40 slot targets for 510 yards and three touchdowns. But on passes of 20 or more air yards, he was especially dangerous, with 12 catches for 408 yards, 299 air yards, and all three touchdowns. Only Cooper Kupp had more deep slot catches last season, and Kupp had far more opportunities, with 144 total slot targets.”
Lockett is heading into his eighth season in the NFL. He has posted at least 965 receiving yards and eight touchdowns four years in a row.
Seahawks receivers D.K. Metcalf, Tyler Lockett share support for women
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2022-07-19T15:17:43Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Tyler Lockett ranked among top slot receivers in the NFL
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https://sports.yahoo.com/tyler-lockett-ranked-among-top-133225882.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/tyler-lockett-ranked-among-top-133225882.html?src=rss
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Mountain West Football: Jake Haener, Logan Bonner Named To Davey O’Brien Award Watch List
The Fresno State Bulldogs and Utah State Aggies are represented among college football’s top quarterbacks for 2022.
Two solid contenders.
Watch list season continued this morning with the release of the Davey O’Brien Award’s quarterbacks to watch. Given annually to the nation’s best signal-caller, just two players from the Mountain West are among the 35 that could bring home one of college football’s highest individual honors.
After appearing on the list for the Maxwell Award yesterday, Fresno State’s Jake Haener and Utah State’s Logan Bonner both made the cut here, as well. Among Mountain West quarterbacks returning for 2022, Haener and Bonner were first and second last year in just about every major statistical category: Haener threw for 4,096 yards while Bonner finished with 3,628 and had the edge in passer rating (155.92 to 154.45), but Bonner had 36 passing touchdowns to Haener’s 33 and a slight edge in yards per attempt (8.5 to 8.4).
Last year’s Davey O’Brien Award winner was Alabama’s Bryce Young.
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2022-07-19T15:58:53Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Mountain West Football: Jake Haener, Logan Bonner Named To Davey O’Brien Award Watch List
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https://sports.yahoo.com/mountain-west-football-jake-haener-135929094.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/mountain-west-football-jake-haener-135929094.html?src=rss
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The stock market's long-term average growth rate is about 7% after inflation. Between 1928 and 2021, the average inflation-adjusted annual return on a three-month Treasury bill is 0.35%. If you invest $250 monthly at a 7% annual return, your money will grow to about $285,000 in 30 years.
Could he be a frontrunner?
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2022-07-19T16:02:55Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Backseat Bets: Who will win head-to-head at Pocono?
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https://sports.yahoo.com/backseat-bets-win-head-head-143402562.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/backseat-bets-win-head-head-143402562.html?src=rss
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So Valenzuela held an informal tryout. He asked the remaining guys if any of them had pitching experience. A sophomore, Anthony Gonsolin, raised his hand. He had pitched well in high school, although he had given up seven runs in a scant 6.1 innings off the mound as a freshman at St. Mary’s while making most of his starts as a position player.
“So I put him on the mound,” Valenzuela recalls now. “It looked like a position player trying to pitch, but it was electric. It was a great arm, and he threw a couple curveballs and I was like, wow. He just had a really good feel.”
And so Tony Gonsolin became a pitcher. Not the best pitcher on a staff that also featured future Cy Young Award winner Corbin Burnes, but certainly the best two-way player. Not bad for a kid who had half expected an Oakland team that had spent some time talking to him to take him out of high school, but ultimately went undrafted before college.
Eight years later, he would be an All-Star, leading all of baseball in wins — if you care about that kind of thing — while allowing the fewest hits, walks and home runs each game at the midpoint of the season.
“Did I think he was gonna be the best pitcher in baseball?” Valenzuela says. “I’m a little bit surprised. Am I surprised by his success? No. I mean, he's pretty special.”
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Tony Gonsolin throws during the first inning of a game against the St. Louis Cardinals on July 13, 2022, in St. Louis. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)
From anonymous to ace
Before this season, Gonsolin had a 10-5 career record with a 2.85 ERA, more than 2 1/2 strikeouts for every walk, and a fourth-place Rookie of the Year finish across three seasons while pitching for the perennial postseason-bound Los Angeles Dodgers. Impressive stuff. But if the casual fan had heard of him at all it was probably because of his fondness for felines.
At first it was the cat shirts he wore around spring training in 2019, before his first stint in the majors. When he pitched in the postseason the following year, Fox promoted him as “Part Man, Part Cat.” Last year — officially leaning in — he donned cat cleats complete with fur (they looked more like a toupee than a house pet). And by now, people are always asking Gonsolin — and his teammates — about the whole cat thing.
“He doesn’t talk about them a ton, but that’s definitely a thing,” Clayton Kershaw confirms. “He loves cats.”
But as unapologetically weird as Gonsolin has always been, the appeal has always been the potential, not the novelty. Undrafted again after his junior year of college — “rightfully so, I did not play well my junior year” — Gonsolin played in a wooden bat summer league, where Dodgers scout Paul Cogan discovered him (playing outfield) and asked if he would sign as an undrafted free agent. Gonsolin declined.
“I don't know,” he says now about why he passed up the chance to go pro. “I think just because I committed and all of our juniors were coming back. Just a good group of guys. I suppose it was just a fun spot to be at the time.”
The Dodgers still liked him after a successful senior year — he homered seven times while allowing just one — and signed him with an underslot offer in the ninth round of the 2016 draft and quickly sent him to their instructional league with a directive to add an offspeed pitch. He came away with a splitter that was bad, then inconsistent, then good, and is now great — moving his grip off the seams has added more slip, less spin, which generates more dramatic dropoff as it approaches the plate.
Over the past three years, he’s split time between the rotation and the bullpen, never throwing more than 56 innings in a season. Now a staple of a Dodgers’ starting rotation lacking a little more depth than in recent campaigns, he surpassed that number by mid-June. And along the way, has quietly become one of the most dominant pitchers in the game.
His evolution into a full-blown ace on a team with unmitigated October aspirations has required Gonsolin to become more efficient and the Dodgers to manage how much of a good thing they need every five days during the regular season.
The latter has required a continuous dialogue with manager Dave Roberts.
“He and I have a lot of conversations about how we use him, and it's not an indictment on him,” Roberts says about Gonsolin’s unofficial innings limit each start. “It's just trying to understand that we have a long way to go and so there might be things that he might disagree with, but understand that it's for the greater good for him and for us.”
Gonsolin says he and Roberts “got on the same page really quickly” this season, and in earning his skipper’s trust, the innings have inched up. Recently, he pitched into the eighth for the first time in his career. To get there, he needed not just a longer leash, but the ability to get outs quickly. Which is where Kershaw comes in.
“I don't think that Tony would be Tony if Clayton wouldn't have taken him under his wing,” Roberts says. And while the future Hall of Famer demurs, Gonsolin credits Kershaw with encouraging him to be more aggressive, to throw strikes early and let the defense help him to get early outs.
“He’s had the stuff since he’s been up here, so it’s just a matter of him honestly figuring out how to pitch every fifth day,” Kershaw says. “I think the biggest thing is he figured out how to pitch strikes with all four of his pitches. All four of his pitches are really good. So it makes for a really good pitcher.”
Inside the legend of 'Cat Man'
These days, Gonsolin has two cats: Blu and Tigger.
“Tigger is pretty outgoing, loves meeting new people. Not really scared of much. Very chill,” Gonsolin says. “Blu, on the other hand, is pretty timid around new people. Takes a little bit for him to warm up. But very talkative when it's just me, always meowing about something.”
Apologies for forcing the analogy, but if Gonsolin was a cat, he’d be Blu.
“If you just meet him, he can kind of come off a little standoffish, but he's not,” Valenzuela says. “He has a great heart and he means well, he's just really quiet. He just doesn't say much until you really kind of get to know him.”
“You know, he has his own style, and I don't know what style it is. It's just always different,” Roberts says. “The conversations you have are never free flowing. There are kind of awkward pauses.”
Of all the pitchers in Roberts’ rotation, who collectively have the best starting ERA in baseball, “He's probably the quirkiest of them all. But he's certainly got that quiet confidence.”
When Gonsolin says something, then, there’s real intention behind it. And this offseason — as he worked out during the shutdown to build strength and stamina, especially in the shoulder that had troubled him throughout last year — he said he was going to be an All-Star.
To his trainers.
“The goal is to get healthy, the goal is to feel good when I play catch, trust my shoulder to hold up. And if I can do all that stuff … then I'm going to be an All-Star.”
To his agent.
“My goal is to be an All-Star. That's the main priority. Like, obviously to help the team win and all that stuff, but if I'm helping the team win, I’m gonna hopefully be an All-Star along with that.”
And on Tuesday, in his home ballpark where he has given up only six runs in 48 innings this season, Gonsolin will be an All-Star.
“I kinda manifested it.”
First though, he’ll have to walk the red carpet. An occasion that calls for swapping out his iconic cat T-shirts for something a little more sophisticated. Like a custom suit courtesy of a teammate making his ninth appearance at the Midsummer Classic.
Kershaw says that when he was a young pitcher, Greg Maddux bought him a suit. It meant something to Kershaw, like the veteran was saying: Hey, you're gonna be here a while. You're gonna need this. Now the elder statesman himself, Kershaw wanted to carry on the tradition.
“I hope what it feels like to Tony is like, ‘Hey, you've earned this. You're gonna be wearing this for a while. You belong here,’” Kershaw says. “Either that or it’s just a nice suit. He’ll be looking good for All-Star.”
Maybe he can pair it with a cat tee.
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2022-07-19T16:16:43Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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A college tryout, cat shirts and a nasty splitter: How the Dodgers' Tony Gonsolin became an MLB All-Star
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https://sports.yahoo.com/a-college-tryout-cat-shirts-and-a-nasty-splitter-how-the-dodgers-tony-gonsolin-became-an-mlb-all-star-212731991.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/a-college-tryout-cat-shirts-and-a-nasty-splitter-how-the-dodgers-tony-gonsolin-became-an-mlb-all-star-212731991.html?src=rss
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