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Yuzuru Hanyu retires from figure skating: ‘I stopped wanting to be... U.S. women’s soccer team qualifies for 2024 Paris Olympics, beating... Faith Kipyegon, ‘the sniper,’ becomes greatest female mile champ...
Hugo Houle is second Canadian to win Tour de France stage, dedicates to brother originally appeared on NBCSports.com
Don McLean has listened for decades as people belted out his classic song “American Pie” at last call or at karaoke — and applauds you for the effort. “I’ve heard whole bars burst into this song when I’ve been across the room,” McLean tells The Associated Press from a tour bus heading to Des Moines, Iowa. “American Pie” is considered a masterpiece, voted among the top five Songs of the Century compiled by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts.
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2022-07-19T16:54:44Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Hugo Houle is second Canadian to win Tour de France stage, dedicates to brother
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https://sports.yahoo.com/hugo-houle-second-canadian-win-151444253.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/hugo-houle-second-canadian-win-151444253.html?src=rss
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Gould: New and improved special teams unit 'coming together' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Not only did the club hire special teams coordinator Brian Schneider, but John Lynch and Kyle Shanahan signed linebacker Oren Burks, wide receiver Ray-Ray McCloud and safety George Odum, who are all known specialists.
Gould has already noticed differences in the group through practices during organized team activities. The 18-year place kicker spoke to Matt Maiocco on the latest episode of "49ers Talk" and shared how Schneider has reinvigorated the group since his arrival.
“His philosophy of playing aggressive and techniques that we use are very similar to what we want to do on offense and defense,” Gould said. “Great to have three phases playing the exact same style of football, and he’s going bring a lot to the table to help guys get in the right match ups, get in the right scheme, put them in the right position to be successful.”
Schneider returned to coaching after a year hiatus to spend time with his family. The coordinator previously held the same position with the Seattle Seahawks from 2010-20, producing a group that ranked first in the NFL in takeaways (26), second in blocked kicks (24) and fifth in touchdowns scored (14).
Though his lengthy career, Gould has played opposite of Schneider’s coaching a great deal. The kicker believes that the changes he has already noticed will continue as the group gets closer to the start of the season, and Gould already has declared Schneider “one of the best coaches I’ve ever had.”
Gould also has noticed how much the group has changed with personnel additions, as well as returning players playing faster and with a “clear mind.” With the scheme change and free agent signings, the unit has potential for success and their talent will be used more than just on special teams.
“Oren Burks, that guy is just a technician when it comes to playing on special teams,” Gould said. “I think he fits exactly what we are trying to do. He plays really well on defense for us. George is going to bring a lot of speed, a lot of creativity from Indianapolis and how they played and bring that into our locker room and help with our techniques that we use.”
RELATED: Why Gould believes Lance is already 'a great leader' for 49ers
Some things in 2022 will remain the same as Gould will be working with punter Mitch Wishnowsky and long snapper Taybor Pepper for the third season in a row.
While the group still has a long way to go until the start of the season, Gould sees the group “coming together.”
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2022-07-19T17:07:50Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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49ers' improved special teams unit 'coming together,' Robbie Gould says
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https://sports.yahoo.com/49ers-improved-special-teams-unit-164745334.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/49ers-improved-special-teams-unit-164745334.html?src=rss
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Chiefs TE Travis Kelce named NFL’s top tight end by Touchdown Wire
Kansas City Chiefs TE Travis Kelce was rightfully crowned as the league’s top tight end in Touchdown Wire’s annual positional rankings.
Touchdown Wire’s Mark Schofield recently scribed a piece counting down the top-12 tight ends in the league heading into the 2022 NFL season. Using film study and statistical analysis, he came to the conclusion that Kelce was the No. 1 tight end in the league. It all starts with Kelce’s six-year stretch of production that is unlike any the NFL has seen at his position, but it also takes into account the fact that he has shown no signs of slowing down.
Here’s a look at what Schofield had to say about Kelce:
“Travis Kelce’s six year stretch of production at the tight end position is a marvel. For each of the past seasons, he has caught more than 80 passes for over 1,000 yards and at least four touchdowns. Last year was no exception. Despite all the woes from early in the year about the Kansas City Chiefs offense, Kelce caught another 92 passes for 1,125 yards and nine touchdowns.
Just an incredible string of production from him, and it shows no sign of slowing down.”
Perhaps the biggest thing that kept Kelce from the top spot of ESPN’s recent tight end rankings was his perceived ability as a blocker. They went so far as to say that George Kittle (who was ranked No. 1 over Kelce) would, “always have the blocking advantage over him.” That might be true, but Kelce is no slouch as a blocker either, which was recognized in Touchdown Wire’s rankings.
“Now, the knock on Kelce was always that he was not a “complete” tight end, and that he was not the blocker that players like Mark Andrews and George Kittle are. But to his credit, Kelce has become a more consistent blocker for the Chiefs over the past few years. . .”
We highly encourage you to visit Touchdown Wire’s article and check out some of the film clips shared. Not only do they lend credit to Kelce’s generational talent as a pass-catcher, but they show proof that he’s more than capable as a blocker as well.
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2022-07-19T17:08:20Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Chiefs TE Travis Kelce named NFL’s top tight end by Touchdown Wire
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https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-te-travis-kelce-named-134527474.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/chiefs-te-travis-kelce-named-134527474.html?src=rss
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Former Tennessee Titans quarterback Kerry Collins has dipped his toes into the coaching world. He will serve as the volunteer QB coach at Franklin High School in Tennessee this season.
Collins, who spent five seasons with the Titans from 2006-2010, recently spoke about his new job with Tyler Palmateer of Main Street Preps:
“This is my first foray into coaching. I’ve enjoyed it,” Collins said. “Being around quarterbacks and the offense and competing, using my football brain again has been fun. I’ve enjoyed getting to know the quarterbacks and imparting some of the extensive wisdom I’ve gotten over the years.”
A standout at Penn State University and 17-year NFL veteran, Collins, 49, noted that he’s looking forward to the excitement of playing under the Friday night lights after being accustomed to playing primarily on Sundays.
“I’m looking forward to getting into the excitement of a real game and Friday night football and all that entails. And just being around good kids. We have a lot of good kids on this roster and they worked hard. I’m excited for this season,” Collins added.
Before joining the Titans in 2006, Collins was the fifth overall selection of the Carolina Panthers in 1995.
After a 1998 season that saw him waived by the Panthers and signed by the New Orleans Saints, Collins signed with the New York Giants prior to the 1999 season, eventually leading the team to Super Bowl XXXV, where Big Blue lost to the Baltimore Ravens.
Collins’ best season with the Titans came in 2008, when he took over for an injured Vince Young. He threw for 2,676 yards and 12 touchdowns to seven picks, while also leading Tennessee to a 13-3 record and a first-round bye.
Collins finished his career with two Pro Bowl selections in 1996 and 2008, and was twice runner-up in the AP Comeback Player of the Year award.
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2022-07-19T17:08:32Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Ex-Titan Kerry Collins becomes high school football coach in Tennessee
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https://sports.yahoo.com/ex-titan-kerry-collins-becomes-160006951.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/ex-titan-kerry-collins-becomes-160006951.html?src=rss
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Steelers sign DT Doug Costin to 1-year contract,
On Tuesday, the Pittsburgh Steelers announced they had signed former Jacksonville Jaguars and USFL defensive tackle Doug Costin to a one-year contract. Costin was one of five former USFL defensive linemen the Steelers brought in for tryouts.
Costin is a PA kid and was born in West Chester. He played his college ball at Miami (OH), alma mater of former Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Costin spent time on the Jaguars and Cincinnati Bengals before playing last season on the Birmingham Stallions.
At 6-foot-2 and 295 pounds, Costin projects as a nose tackle in the Steelers scheme. He should compete with guys like Khalil and Carlos Davis for a spot on the roster.
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2022-07-19T17:09:35Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Steelers sign DT Doug Costin to 1-year contract,
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https://sports.yahoo.com/steelers-sign-dt-doug-costin-161908658.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/steelers-sign-dt-doug-costin-161908658.html?src=rss
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Texans TE Brevin Jordan qualifies as second-year breakout candidate
The Houston Texans’ five-man 2021 draft class has a chance to prove general manager Nick Caserio right.
Third-round quarterback Davis Mills and third-round receiver Nico Collins can ignite the passing game. Fifth-round linebacker Garret Wallow can become a special teams ace and excel in coverage on defense. Sixth-round defensive tackle Roy Lopez can build upon his success along the defensive line’s interior.
However, there is only one of the five who is a breakout candidate.
According to Michael Renner from Pro Football Focus, fifth-round tight end Brevin Jordan, who caught 20 passes for 178 yards and three touchdowns last year, comes in at No. 12 on their list of potential second-year breakout candidates.
What we did see from him, though, was an ability to create after the catch, a trait that’s becoming more and more coveted at the tight end position with the way modern offenses are trending. Jordan broke four tackles on those 20 catches and averaged 5.0 yards after the catch per reception.
The Miami product was always a player who was going to need some seasoning, as he was only 20 years old on draft day. Considering he was playing close to a starter workload by the end of last season, as well as the Texans’ limited number of receiving options, Jordan will have every opportunity to break out in 2022.
Jordan will have the advantage of playing for offensive coordinator Pep Hamilton, who deploys a tight end friendly offense. The 6-3, 245-pounder will have ample opportunity to showcase his talent and capitalize on plays designed for him.
Mills told reporters on June 14 during mandatory minicamp that he was enthused to work with Jordan as they go into their second NFL season together.
“He’s looked good obviously,” said Mills. “Showed some big-time play-making ability at the end of the last year and he still brings that into this year. We’re excited to see what he can do.”
If Jordan is breaking out in his second season, it can only mean that Mills is having a successful season, too.
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2022-07-19T17:09:41Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Texans TE Brevin Jordan qualifies as second-year breakout candidate
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https://sports.yahoo.com/texans-te-brevin-jordan-qualifies-160027011.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/texans-te-brevin-jordan-qualifies-160027011.html?src=rss
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USFL Offensive Player of the Year Darius Victor to work out with the Saints
Hey, this is interesting: the New Orleans Saints expect to work out free agent running back Darius Victor ahead of training camp, as first reported by ESPN’s Mike Triplett and confirmed by NewOrleans.Football’s Nick Underhill. Victor posted a dominant performance with the New Jersey Generals, running for 577 yards through 10 games and scoring 9 touchdown carries, which led the spring league and won him recognition as the USFL’s inaugural Offensive Player of the Year.
And he’s got some familiarity with New Orleans. Victor joined the Saints for training camp back in 2017, ranked behind Mark Ingram II, Alvin Kamara, and Adrian Peterson on the depth chart, and his position coach at the time (Joel Thomas, who interviewed for the head coaching job with his alma mater Idaho Vandals this offseason) is still on staff with the Saints. It makes sense that there would be some mutual interest here.
Running back is a priority for the Saints whether Alvin Kamara receives an NFL suspension or not; he could miss six games stemming from an arrest in Las Vegas earlier this year. Ingram missed some time with an injury after returning to New Orleans in a midseason trade last year, as did his backup Tony Jones Jr. Special teams ace Dwayne Washington hasn’t gotten many looks on offense, and while undrafted rookie Abram Smith has some promise he’s got an uphill battle ahead of him to make the roster. Adding a player like Victor to the mix makes sense. We’ll just have to see if the mutual interest materializes into a contract offer to Victor’s liking.
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2022-07-19T17:09:48Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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USFL Offensive Player of the Year Darius Victor to work out with the Saints
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https://sports.yahoo.com/usfl-offensive-player-darius-victor-155547258.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/usfl-offensive-player-darius-victor-155547258.html?src=rss
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Kansas City Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes was featured on ESPN’s “My Wish” series, where he granted a wish to 12-year-old Myka Eilers.
Eilers was diagnosed with pulmonary stenosis which required two open heart surgeries while she was still just an infant. Despite the possibility of more surgeries and complications down the line, Eilers has been thriving.
“I won’t stop,” Eilers said. “And I’ll always push myself.”
The Chiefs are Eilers’ favorite NFL team. Her brothers played football growing up and she wanted to learn to throw a ball and play. Now she quarterbacks her flag football team and has a dream to be the first woman to play in the NFL.
“He’s like my favorite player on the Chiefs,” Eilers said of Mahomes. “And I want to become a quarterback in the NFL.”
For her wish, Eilers wanted to meet her favorite team’s quarterback. Mahomes, of course, obliged.
KC Wolf showed up to surprise the unsuspecting Eilers with a note telling her she’d be traveling to Kansas City to meet Mahomes. She got to visit the team locker room where they surprise her with personalized Chiefs gear before hitting the practice field where she meets Mahomes, Brett Veach and Travis Kelce to play a little ball.
“Don’t take my spot, though,” Mahomes said to Eilers. “You can’t throw it too good.”
Well, she certainly had some good throws to Kelce, including one that Kelce caught over Mahomes.
Eilers even got a chance to break down some film with Mahomes, including his game-winning touchdown pass to Kelce in the divisional-round playoff game against the Buffalo Bills.
“How did you feel when you threw the touchdown?” Eilers asked.
“I was almost in shock,” Mahomes said. “I just ran to Travis and hugged him. I was just like, ‘Man, I love you. We’ll have this forever.'”
It’s a sentiment shared by Eilers after having her day with Mahomes.
Counting down the Chiefs' single-season punting yardage leaders
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2022-07-19T17:10:00Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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WATCH: Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes grants Myka Eilers’ wish on ESPN’s ‘My Wish’
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https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-chiefs-qb-patrick-mahomes-154500448.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-chiefs-qb-patrick-mahomes-154500448.html?src=rss
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This three-day span is tough for every sports bettor.
With the Major League Baseball season at the break and football still weeks away, the sports calendar is virtually empty other than the festivities that surround the All-Star Game. On Monday night was the Home Run Derby, which was won by Juan Soto in exciting fashion.
And on Tuesday night is the MLB All-Star Game itself as the stars of the National League and American League meet in Los Angeles. The NL is the home team and is a slight favorite at BetMGM at -115 on the moneyline. The AL, meanwhile, is -105 on the moneyline. On the run line, the NL is -1.5 with +165 odds with the AL at +1.5 (-200).
The total is listed at eight runs. The juice is slanted toward the under at -125 while the over has +105 odds.
The American League has dominated the All-Star Game in recent years, winning eight straight and 20 of the last 24 editions of the midsummer classic. Included in that eight-game winning streak for the AL are six victories in NL ballparks. A win on Tuesday night at Dodger Stadium would add another to that list.
Five of the last seven All-Star Games have been decided by two runs or fewer.
Both rosters are dominated by power hitters. The AL has New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, who leads the majors with 33 homers. Judge is in the two-hole for the AL behind Shohei Ohtani (19 HRs) and ahead of Rafael Devers (22 HRs), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (20 HRs), and Giancarlo Stanton (24 HRs) in the lineup.
The NL has Mookie Betts (20 HRs), Paul Goldschmidt (20 HRs) and Trea Turner (.306, 68 RBI) in the starting lineup and also can bring Kyle Schwarber (29 HRs), Austin Riley (27 HRs) and Pete Alonso (24 HRs) off the bench.
On the mound, the AL is starting Shane McClanahan of the Tampa Bay Rays, who leads baseball with a sparkling 1.71 ERA. On the other side is Dodgers legend Clayton Kershaw. The future Hall of Famer has an MVP, three Cy Youngs, five ERA titles and a World Series ring, but this is his first time starting in the All-Star Game.
Kershaw is not quite as dominant as he was earlier in his career, but the 34-year-old is having a stellar season. The lefty is 7-2 with a 2.13 ERA in 71.2 innings pitched. In his most recent outing, Kershaw had a perfect game into the eighth inning.
What else is there to bet on?
As previously mentioned, it’s a betting wasteland out there aside from the All-Star Game. You’ll have to look internationally toward sports like soccer and tennis if you’re looking for other action.
It’s also a good time to look ahead to the second half of the baseball season and reassess the favorites for World Series, MVP and plenty of other futures like divisional winners and various individual awards.
You can also dive in on football futures in both the NFL and at the college level.
I’ll side with recent history and take the American League at -105 and the under eight runs.
There have been eight or fewer runs scored in 12 of the last 15 MLB All-Star Games.
The MLB seasons brings a new opportunity for prospective fans to get hooked on America's pastime. But they'll have devote a good chunk of their time.
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2022-07-19T17:51:45Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Can the American League make it 9 straight in the MLB All-Star Game?
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https://sports.yahoo.com/the-daily-sweat-can-the-american-league-make-it-9-straight-in-the-mlb-all-star-game-124605277.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/the-daily-sweat-can-the-american-league-make-it-9-straight-in-the-mlb-all-star-game-124605277.html?src=rss
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It's a painful sight for Red Sox fans who remain upset that the team wasn't able to work out an extension with Betts and ultimately traded him out west in 2020.
"Absolutely, I just didn't get it," Betts told Gasper. "That's the argument. I didn't get it, so that's why I am where I am."
All-Star Sox third-baseman Rafael Devers is looking to sign a contract extension that would make him a "Red Sox for life" ahead of his free agency following the 2023 season, according to Jon Heyman of the New York Post. As of April, there was a gap of at least $100 million between Devers and the Red Sox in negotiations.
Xander Bogaerts has the chance to opt-out after this season. The Red Sox shortstop is a four-time Silver Slugger winner, four-time All-Star and two-time World Series champion. Bogaerts even has David Ortiz telling the Sox organization to "pay the man."
The two star infielders' contracts have loomed over the 2022 Red Sox season. In addition to Ortiz, retired Sox pitcher Jon Lester has expressed his opinion on the contract issues. Now, Betts added his perspective.
"You have to do what you want to do. Don't let anybody make you or force you to do anything that you don't want to do," Betts advised Bogaerts and Devers. "Do what you want to do. Do what's best for your family. There is no right or wrong. It's just the decision you make and then you live with that decision."
Tuesday's primary winners may not be known for days, since mail ballots won't be counted until Thursday.
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2022-07-19T18:07:20Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Mookie Betts shares insight into Dodgers trade, gives advice to Red Sox teammates
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https://sports.yahoo.com/mookie-betts-shares-insight-dodgers-173026475.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/mookie-betts-shares-insight-dodgers-173026475.html?src=rss
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Nick Saban, Bryce Young praise Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian
The SEC media days are taking place in Atlanta, Georgia this week.
In unsurprising fashion, the Texas Longhorns were the topic of a few conversations. Alabama head coach Nick Saban and starting quarterback Bryce Young were asked about Steve Sarkisian’s impact in Tuscaloosa and his tenure at Texas thus far among other things.
The duo had nothing but positive things to say about Texas’ second-year head coach and clearly have high hopes for what he will accomplish in Austin over the coming years.
Saban even went as far as tabbing him “one of the finest coaches we’ve ever had on staff,” while Young reflected on being recruited by Sarkisian at Alabama.
Alabama coach Nick Saban said Steve Sarkisian has done a good job in Austin and the game against Texas this season will be very challenging for his team
Nick Saban calls Steve Sarkisian “one of the finest coaches we’ve ever had on staff.”
Alabama quarterback Bryce Young told me he has "a lot of love for Coach Sarkisian. Sark was very instrumental in me going to Alabama because he recruited me. We have a tremendous amount of respect for him and Texas as a team."
Alabama football coach Nick Saban said he expects Texas football coach Steve Sarkisian to have a nationally ranked team in the future
Texas will host Alabama in Week 2 of the 2022 college football season and there will be no shortage of storylines to keep an eye on.
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2022-07-19T18:07:58Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Nick Saban, Bryce Young praise Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian
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https://sports.yahoo.com/nick-saban-bryce-young-praise-155634023.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/nick-saban-bryce-young-praise-155634023.html?src=rss
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ATLANTA — Nick Saban began his session at SEC media days by lamenting the fact that when he’s on vacation, he’s the prisoner of his wife’s to-do list — sweep, mop, take out the garbage. Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin showed up for his session proudly open-collared and without a tie, even though every other coach has always worn one.
These are men who crave control in every phase of their lives, not just their work. In the vast new landscape of NIL, they’re seeing the limits of their control, and they’re fighting back against their dwindling influence.
“I don't dislike name, image and likeness. I'm all for the players. I want our players to do well,” Saban said at his Tuesday morning session. “But there's got to be some uniformity and protocol of how name, image and likeness is implemented.”
Saban offhandedly noted that his Alabama players made $3 million in NIL revenues last year; Heisman trophy winner Bryce Young alone may have accounted for as much as a third of that. It’s a substantial total — $3 million more than players were (legally) receiving the prior year, of course — but it’s a small fraction of the $9.75 million Saban earned in salary last year.
The $3 million figure, Saban said, was the highest in college football last season — which may or may not be true, given the breadth of booster collectives now pooling funds for players — but it’s also likely to look as minuscule as pro athletes’ salaries of prior decades. Texas Tech announced Monday afternoon that its donors’ collective would sign up to 100 players to $25,000 annual deals, a total potential outlay of $2.5 million for that single endeavor alone.
That volume of money flowing, uncontrolled and unmonitored, into the Venmo accounts of college players — and through the hands of those entrusted to handle those funds — is what troubles college coaches, both because of the effect on the players themselves and, more importantly, the potential for even further disruption of the imbalance that already exists in college football.
“It's like a payroll in baseball. What teams win over a long period of time? Teams that have high payrolls and can pay players a lot. We're in a situation not any different than that,” Kiffin said. “I said day one, you legalize cheating, so get ready for the people that have the most money to get players. Now you have it. It is what it is.”
The rhetorical counterargument — if it’s legalized, it’s not cheating anymore — doesn’t matter as much as the fact that the gates are now wide open for money that might not have flowed into an underground economy. In the same way that legalization of sports gambling draws in new waves of gamblers, NIL gives a wider range of boosters a new, direct way to funnel money into their beloved program.
More money, more people, less control. It’s no surprise that coaches are regarding this new NIL landscape with a skeptical eye.
“The biggest concern is how does this impact and affect recruiting?” Saban said. “On the recruiting trail right now, there's a lot of people using this as inducements to go to their school by making promises as to whether they may or may not be able to keep in terms of what players are doing.”
“If you have boosters out there deciding who they're going to pay to come play, and the coach isn't involved in it, how does that work?” Kiffin said. “They could go pick who they want, pay him however much. Are the boosters going to tell you who to play, too? When they don't play, how is that going to work out?”
Both men framed their objections as questions, but both have an answer: more regulation, more oversight, more coach involvement in the NIL process.
“Ideally, if we're going to be in an NIL world,” Kiffin said, “it's going to get capped so that there's some way of controlling it and keeping playing fields close to the same. Otherwise, you're just going to have these glaring differences within Division I football. … Ideally I would think that the coach should be part of managing that.”
“There is no competitive sport anywhere that doesn't have guidelines on how they maintain some kind of competitive balance,” Saban said. “That's why they have rules in the NFL where you have a salary cap, you have difficult schedules if you have a successful season, you draft later if you have a successful season, you draft early if you have an unsuccessful season.”
Saban understands exactly how Alabama, of all teams, complaining about an unfair state of play comes across. So he framed his comments in a rising-tide-lifts-all-boats way, saying that NIL oversight would “create a competitive balance issue between the haves and have nots. We're one of the haves. Don't think that what I'm saying is a concern that we have at Alabama because we're one of the haves.”
It’s a compelling pair of arguments —we’re advocating regulation for the good of the game, and we’re just trying to protect the players — except both arguments sidestep the fact that pro athletes’ endorsement income isn’t counted against a salary cap. One year from now, Bryce Young will be able to sign whatever endorsement deals he wants, and not one nickel will count against the cap of whichever NFL team drafts him.
Kiffin’s concerns about overly optimistic agents filling a player’s head with dreams of playing time would hold more weight if coaches on the recruiting trail hadn’t already been doing exactly that since recruiting began. Fears of unscrupulous boosters or unethical money managers taking advantage of unaware and overwhelmed families are a problem — but again, that’s always been a problem in college athletics, just not an above-board one.
One potential form of salvation comes right from Saban’s own defense. Earlier this year, linebacker Will Anderson, a potential 2022 Heisman candidate, created the agency A3 with the express purpose of aiding players in navigating the complex world of NIL.
“I don’t know too much about NIL, I just know the deals I get help me and my family,” he said with a laugh. “With the whole NIL thing, it was kind of overwhelming at first, because you don’t know a lot of the verbiage and terminology when it comes to deals. So with A3, it’s going to help players such as myself, and younger players under me, come together with my advisory team to help go over contracts to take the load off your family to read over everything that’s going on.”
Over and above all the discussion about whether NIL is or isn’t ruining college athletics is this: It’s a marketplace, and a marketplace functions on demand. A player might get an NIL deal to join a team, but if he doesn’t perform, further deals aren’t likely to materialize. It’s why Young says he keeps his focus on what got him here.
“The biggest thing for me is having priorities,” he said. “Making sure the main thing is the main thing, making sure that whatever’s best for the team comes first, and whatever’s best for the individual, NIL-wise, comes second to that.”
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2022-07-19T18:08:04Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Nick Saban calls for NIL regulation in order to maintain a 'competitive balance' in college football
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https://sports.yahoo.com/nick-saban-calls-for-nil-regulation-in-order-to-maintain-a-competitive-balance-in-college-football-170138833.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/nick-saban-calls-for-nil-regulation-in-order-to-maintain-a-competitive-balance-in-college-football-170138833.html?src=rss
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Alabama head coach Nick Saban met with the press on Tuesday morning at SEC media days and was asked about his two losses to former Crimson Tide assistants in 2021.
Saban entered the 2021 season with an unblemished record going up against his former assistant coaches. By the time the clock struck zeroes on January 10, Saban’s record was 25-2 against his former guys.
That’s because his Crimson Tide lost to Jimbo Fisher and the Texas A&M Aggies in October and then again to Kirby Smart and Georgia in the national title game.
Fisher served as Saban’s offensive coordinator at LSU and Smart was the defensive coordinator at Alabama under Saban.
Saban was asked about those two losses on Tuesday:
Leading up to the January 10 national title game, Saban was 4-0 against Smart’s Bulldogs. But in each of those four games Georgia was in a great position to win. Those four games that Georgia lost accumulated a total of 240 minutes of football. Out of those 240 minutes, Georgia held the lead over Alabama for 171 of those minutes — 71% of the time, according to Sports Illustrated.
It felt like no matter how close Georgia came, Smart was never going to beat Alabama for as long as Saban was in Tuscaloosa. Questionable coaching decisions and silly mistakes haunted Georgia against the Tide for four years and you just got the sense that Alabama had UGA’s number.
Beating Saban in the national title was a huge milestone for Smart but was not surprising to Saban.
“This is not something that is surprising to me,” Saban continued.
“A lot of people are at really, really good schools. They’ve done a really, really good job. They’ve used their own personal imprint to maybe take a few things that they learned that we do that helped us be successful along with their imprint of what they want to do so they can have successful programs.
Georgia and Alabama are not slated to play again during the 2022 regular season, but don’t be surprised to see the two square off again for an epic rematch in the SEC Championship Game.
Ranking SEC head coaching jobs from worst to first
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2022-07-19T18:08:11Z
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Nick Saban on success of Kirby Smart, former Alabama assistants
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https://sports.yahoo.com/nick-saban-success-kirby-smart-153709671.html?src=rss
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Rams training camp preview: No concerns about LBs in 2022
The Rams made a big splash this offseason by signing Bobby Wagner to a five-year deal worth $50 million. It’s their first major move at inside linebacker in a long time, and it came one year after the team drafted Ernest Jones in the third round.
Wagner and Jones make for an intriguing tandem on the second level of the defense, leaving very few concerns about this position group – a stark contrast to last year and even the year before.
Here’s a look at where the linebacker group stands heading into this season.
There’s no debate here. Wagner and Jones are the only two roster locks at linebacker, and they’ll be the only two guys who play a good portion of the snaps at this position. How the Rams utilize these two studs remains to be seen, but Wagner and Jones are both capable of playing every snap in each game.
Expect to see them blitzing a bunch this season and lining up both off the ball and on the edge.
Howard was actually waived by the Rams this offseason, right before they got a deal done with Cooper Kupp. But his unemployment didn’t last long because the Rams brought him back after moving money around with Kupp’s deal.
It hasn’t yet been revealed how much Howard is getting on his new contract, but it’s probably close to what he was going to make on the restricted free agent tender ($2.54 million). Regardless, he should be on the team come September.
Christian Rozeboom
Anthony Hines
Jake Hummel
There are three other linebackers who will be battling for a spot on the roster – a spot that may not even be available if the Rams keep Wagner, Jones and Howard. Rozeboom played nine games with the Rams last season, all on special teams, so he could make the 53-man roster for his special teams value alone.
Hines and Hummel have a steeper climb to making the team. Hummel is an undrafted rookie and Hines was signed to a reserve/futures contract this offseason. It’ll be tough for either player to earn a roster spot.
Battle to watch: Howard vs. Rozeboom
While I strongly believe Howard will be on the 53-man roster, if anyone’s going to push him for a spot, it’s going to be Rozeboom. Howard still has the advantage and should be able to hold off Rozeboom, but it’s certainly a camp competition to watch this summer.
Starters: Wagner, Jones
Backup: Howard
For a team that hasn’t necessarily prioritized the inside linebacker position much over the last five years, it’s hard to see them keeping more than three this season. They’re going to use Wagner and Jones, and possibly Howard in the event of injury or when one of the two starters needs a rest.
There really isn’t much need for a fourth linebacker besides for special teams.
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2022-07-19T18:56:58Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Rams training camp preview: No concerns about LBs in 2022
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There’s no set deadline for Robinson to rule on what punishment, if any, Watson should receive after 24 women accused him of sexual misconduct during massage therapy sessions while he played for the Houston Texans. Two Texas grand juries opted against indicting Watson, and the quarterback has reached settlements with 20 of the 24 accusers.
But he remains at risk of punishment from the NFL for potentially violating the personal conduct policy. Entering the disciplinary hearing, which took place during the final week of June, the NFL recommended a suspension of no shorter than a year, three people familiar with the process told USA TODAY Sports, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the situation. But Robinson doesn’t have to follow that recommendation, and terms of the collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and NFLPA allow either side to appeal the decision if they find it unsatisfactory.
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson drops back to pass during minicamp.
However, the NFL and Watson can make things easier on Robinson by agreeing to a settlement rather than waiting for a ruling that likely would displease at least one side. It’s hard to say how likely it is that such an agreement would take place, three people familiar with the case and proceedings of the disciplinary hearing told USA TODAY Sports, speaking on condition of anonymity because the process was still ongoing.
However, there are some around the league who believe both sides could benefit from a settlement, as holding out for a decision from Robinson carries risks for each party.
NFL's perspective
From an NFL perspective, a ban of at least a year is far from a lock, despite the recommendation.
The NFL’s argument focused on five different cases and the information gathered during the league’s own investigation into the complaints against Watson. Some of the evidence presented also came from media reports that revealed details of the alleged encounters between the quarterback and some of his accusers. However, none of the information revealed examples of sexual assault, force or violence, one person familiar with the case confirmed.
That seemingly weakens the league’s case for a suspension of at least a year because, according to the collective bargaining agreement, cases of "sexual assault involving physical force" carry a baseline punishment of a six-game suspension. So the lack of presented evidence of assault or force could put the league at risk of a scenario in which Robinson hands down a punishment that some would consider lenient. That would then set the NFL up for backlash that officials would surely want to avoid, especially given the league's track record of handling cases involving violence against women.
If unhappy with Robinson’s ruling, commissioner Roger Goodell could overturn her decision as part of the appeals process, as the collective bargaining agreement would allow him or a designee to issue the final ruling. Such a move, however, would set the league up for additional headaches. There’s a strong possibility the NFLPA would take legal action if Goodell were to overturn Robinson's ruling.
The NFLPA’s legal team argued during the disciplinary hearing that the NFL, in seeking such a harsh penalty for Watson, is guilty of operating under a double standard. The personal conduct policy states NFL owners "will be subject to more significant discipline" for violations. However, the NFLPA argued the league has shown grace to owners who have faced allegations of sexual misconduct.
Reaching a settlement that would include a suspension of anywhere from six to 10 games and a hefty financial penalty could help the NFL avoid embarrassment and ensure that Watson does not skate for his alleged conduct. Thus, the league could point to the games missed and financial losses that go beyond the missed game checks of 2022 – when Watson is scheduled to play on a paltry salary of just more than $1 million – and declare victory while reiterating its desire to send a strong message that sexual misconduct will not be tolerated.
MORE: Deshaun Watson settles all but four of 24 lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct
WHAT WE KNOW: Deshaun Watson's discipline hearing is complete. What's next.
Why settlement may be good for Watson
But why would Watson agree to a settlement? Why wouldn’t he hold out for Robinson’s decision, which many believe, because of the holes in the NFL’s case, will fall well short of the year-long recommendation?
A Robinson decision doesn’t necessarily mean finality. Remember, so long as Watson is given any form of punishment, Goodell could overrule Robinson and slap the quarterback with a year-long ban. Such a move would ensure this saga drags on much longer – something neither camp wants.
The NFLPA hasn’t hidden its intent for legal action if Goodell attempts to overturn Robinson’s ruling. However, Goodell and the league could ignore such threats and still aim to make an example of Watson while worrying about any potential legal battle at a later time. In that case, Watson could risk serving his potential punishment next season, when his salary jumps to $46 million. So the goal of avoiding hefty financial losses in 2023 could serve as motivation.
The unknown also could prompt Watson to consider settling with the NFL.
Although he has maintained his innocence and settled with the majority of the women filing civil suits against him, additional claims against the QB could still emerge. Last week, the Houston Texans settled with 30 women over claims related to Watson. That means there are at least six encounters whose details have not been shared publicly.
So Watson could face the risk of added punishment if additional allegations become public in the future. The NFL certainly has extended past suspensions following the emergence of new information. However, as part of a settlement, both parties could agree to closure that would protect Watson from the risk of double jeopardy in exchange for him accepting a slightly longer suspension than it’s believed Robinson would hand down.
Both sides want the Watson saga resolved as soon as possible, but it remains unclear when Robinson will make her decision. A settlement could ensure the wait doesn’t extend into training camp and potentially a portion of the season.
The perfect agreement seemingly is unattainable, but if each side manages to claim wins in key areas, the compromise could beat the alternatives.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Deshaun Watson settlement would be smartest move for Browns QB, NFL
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2022-07-19T18:57:10Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Settling Deshaun Watson case would be smart move for both QB, NFL | Opinion
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Former Patriots K Adam Vinatieri’s son commits to Ball State
A.J. Vinatieri has decided where he will continue his collegiate football career. The son of New England Patriots kicker Adam Vinatieri announced that he will play for Ball State in 2022.
The younger Vinatieri de-committed from UMass on July 1. The kicker and punter has a good chance at early playing time for Ball State. The Cardinals lost a good portion of their special teams unit following the 2021 season. Their kicker was a redshirt senior, while the punter committed to Minnesota following the 2021 season.
He was a three-star kicker as a recruit, and kicked a game-winning field goal for Zionsville High School last season, giving them a regional championship. It wouldn’t be a stretch to say that clutch genes run in the family.
Now, he will get a chance to follow in his father’s footsteps, and make a name for himself with a real shot at playing time.
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2022-07-19T20:09:10Z
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Former Patriots K Adam Vinatieri’s son commits to Ball State
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First-year LSU coach Brian Kelly may be new to the Tigers and the SEC, but the former Notre Dame head man knows talent when he sees it.
Kelly was up at SEC Media Days on Monday and had praise for a pair of former Arkansas players in particular. Greg Brooks Jr. and Joe Foucha started at safety and nickel for the Hogs last year before transferring to LSU. They’re both Louisiana natives.
“They have been outstanding additions to our program,” Kelly said. “I know many don’t like to see (transfers) happen within the league. I’m not crazy about it either.”
It’s the sort of transfer that used to be taboo. Now, in the age of the portal, it’s much more common. Arkansas started two defensive lineman from Missouri last year in Markell Utsey and Tre Williams.
The Razorbacks and Tigers meet in 2022 on November 12 in Fayetteville.
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2022-07-19T20:09:16Z
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Hogs-turned-Tigers excelling at LSU after leaving Arkansas
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KJ Jefferson named to Davey O’Brien Award watch list
KJ Jefferson may have been shafted in recent weeks in the SEC quarterback rankings by pundits. But people who matter know how good the Arkansas signal-caller is.
Jefferson was named to the Maxwell Award watch list earlier this week and on Tuesday was named to the same list for the Davey O’Brien Award watch list. The O’Brien Award is given to college football’s quarterback.
The Maxwell Award has a watch list of 85. The O’Brien Award watch list is just 35.
Jefferson helped Arkansas to a 9-4 record last year with a win over Penn State in the Outback Bowl as a capper. He threw for 2,676 yards with 21 touchdowns and four interceptions and ran for 664 yards and six touchdowns.
The award will be given on February 20.
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2022-07-19T20:09:22Z
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KJ Jefferson named to Davey O’Brien Award watch list
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Should LSU fans be worried about Brian Kelly’s lack of Louisiana recruits? | College Football Enquirer
Yahoo Sports’ Dan Wetzel and Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde discuss Brian Kelly’s first offseason as head coach at LSU, and debate if fans should be concerned about the lack of Louisiana recruits he has brought in so far.
DAN WETZEL: Big news, Brian Kelly likes Louisiana food, like everyone else on Earth.
PAT FORDE: Shocking.
DAN WETZEL: Crawfish, grilled oysters-- although grilled oysters maybe not the most popular one. I will give him this on the Boston, Midwestern, Louisiana accent. I do not believe that's why he said that family in tortured way.
PAT FORDE: Why did he?
DAN WETZEL: But when you switch places in the country, it's very-- it messes with you.
DAN WETZEL: I had a disastrously strong Boston accent when I was a kid. And I moved to the Midwest. And I can't pronounce anything. So the struggle is real. The struggle is real.
PAT FORDE: I think he was trying to put a little affectation on it. I'm not sure it was completely an involuntary (SOUTHERN ACCENT) family.
DAN WETZEL: No. He's a-- he was fraudulent on that. But it is confusing.
PAT FORDE: I'm sure.
DAN WETZEL: It's confusing. I don't know how bad his accent was as a kid. But he was on the North Shore. I don't know. But he made it through his first thing. You know, the interesting thing-- and he actually talked about this. He addressed the recruiting of LSU, which has been good.
He's got a top-10 class. And he's got plenty of chances to close that ranks, to move up. It's not out of the question LSU doesn't end up, at least around five or six or something like that in the rankings, which is not unbelievable, but good.
But they're not killing it with Louisiana players the way they usually did. Obviously, Archie Manning was the biggest go. But I don't think Arch was-- I don't care who you brought in as your coach. I don't think Arch was going to LSU.
DAN WETZEL: I guess they could have found somebody. But Kelly has gone out and got really good players from Indianapolis, and Minneapolis, and Baltimore and done a-- put a little twist of Long Beach, he went, like a little bit of the Notre Dame twist on the national thing. And I think he said, look, one of the things we talked about was, you know, maybe expanding out a little bit to get to picking-- get some guys.
And so he's got this national recruiting base. He's recruited everywhere and then obviously worked the South. But that's kind of where he's at. I mean, there isn't a whole lot to discuss with Brian Kelly. But that is the one big concern is, you know, why hasn't-- why haven't they cleaned up?
I think there are nine top-100 recruits from the state of Louisiana or about, depending on what recruiting system you want. And right now, Louisiana State has, I think, just one of them. So-- or there's 10, and [INAUDIBLE] has one. And a really good linebacker from Louisiana-- from Baton Rouge, Jayden Ausberry, might go to Notre Dame, which is kind of funny.
But, yeah. So I don't know. Do you take anything from the lack of Louisiana stars and just stars from elsewhere?
PAT FORDE: Nope. Next year at this time if it's the same situation, then yes. But first year, you've got to get things up and running. He is an outsider. Ed Orgeron played every, you know, Louisiana Cajun "eat mama's gumbo" card he possibly had. And Brian Kelly comes in with a completely different persona and approach.
And I think, yeah, he looked at [INAUDIBLE]. He's like, OK, we have relationships with these guys from Notre Dame. Let's go see if we can get them. And we'll build the relationships in Louisiana. And we'll see where they are in the 2024 class, probably more importantly than 2023.
I mean, yes, sure, you would like to get some of them. But I wouldn't press the panic button now that Brian Kelly can't recruit Louisiana. It just may take him a while to get going on it.
The Lions will hold a training camp practice session at Ford Field with all sorts of family-friendly activities available
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2022-07-19T20:09:28Z
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Should LSU fans be worried about Brian Kelly’s lack of Louisiana recruits? | College Football Enquirer
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EA Sports released ratings for wide receivers and tight ends on Monday, and while the New England Patriots were represented, they were not exactly held in high regard.
Two Patriots pass-catchers cracked the top 50, and one of them is not even technically a receiver. Tight end Hunter Henry made the list with an overall rating of 84. He was a key target for Mac Jones last season, finishing with 50 catches for 603 yards and nine touchdowns.
The rating is the latest in a line of good news that Henry has received over the past week. He made ESPN’s top 10 tight ends list on Friday, coming in at the 10th spot.
The other representative for the Patriots did not even play for the organization last season. DeVante Parker checked in as the 50th-highest rated pass-catcher on the list with an overall rating of 84.
Some of you may take Madden ratings seriously, while others may not put as much stock into it. Whatever the case may be, this illustrates that New England doesn’t have a go-to playmaker heading into 2022.
Former Patriots K Adam Vinatieri's son commits to Ball State
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2022-07-19T20:43:50Z
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Hunter Henry, DeVante Parker among 50 best pass-catchers in Madden 23
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Goldman signed a one-year deal with the Falcons on July 6. Former Bears GM Ryan Pace, who was fired following the 2021 season, is now working in the Falcons' front office, and has signed a number of former Bears players to suit up for Atlanta over the offseason.
It's always surprising when a player announces he's leaving the game before turning 30, but we've seen it happen before. Andrew Luck, former quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, retired after the 2018 season at just 29 years old, saying that the never-ending cycle of injuries and rehab had sucked the fun out of the game. In February, Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive lineman and Super Bowl champion Ali Marpet retired at 28 due to injury concerns. Additionally, 26-year-old safety Khari Willis retired from the Colts in June to pursue a career in religious ministry.
Goldman will now join that list of players who retired in their prime, though we don't know why he made that decision. Until he decides to speak publicly about it, his reasons will remain a mystery.
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2022-07-19T20:44:09Z
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Former Bears DT Eddie Goldman retires at 28, just 13 days after signing with Falcons
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PFF ranks Packers OLB Rashan Gary as NFL’s 49th best player entering 2022
Slowly but surely, Rashan Gary is starting to get recognized not only as one of the NFL’s top edge rushers but one of the best overall players in the game. Pro Football Focus ranked the Green Bay Packers edge rusher at 49th overall on their list of 50 best players in the NFL right now.
Last season, Gary posted career-highs of 9.5 sacks, 28 quarterback hits, and 47 tackles. After playing less than 50 percent of the snaps in his first two seasons, Gary saw an expanded role after Za’Darius Smith missed basically the entire season with a back injury.
Gary capitalized on the opportunity as his PFF stats were much more telling of his dominance. According to their data, Gary finished with the eighth highest pass-rushing grade among edge rushers during the regular season and ranked second behind Las Vegas’ Maxx Crosby in pressures. Crosby came in just behind Gary in PFF’s best players ranking at number 50.
So far, PFF has only revealed players 50-31. Adrian Amos is the other Packers player to receive a ranking thus far.
Gary is deserving of a ton of credit for his level of play in 2021. He started to live up to his first-round selection and is now considered a budding star about to enter the fourth year of his rookie contract. Those who questioned Gary’s 12th overall selection are no longer scratching their heads about the pick.
PFF’s Sam Monson wrote: “Gary was a raw prospect who had immense physical tools when the Packers drafted him in the first round, and last year, he realized all that potential in a major way. He recorded a 90.1 PFF pass-rushing grade while racking up 81 pressures over the course of the season and improving as the year went on. He could be even better in 2022.”
Green Bay will continue to lean on Gary as he comes into his own. His emergence as a premier pass rusher allowed them to release Za’Darius Smith during the offseason to clear necessary cap space. Gary is set to start the 2022 season opposite Preston Smith.
Due to how important rushing the passer has become over the years, the Packers will have to emphasize reaching a long-term deal with Gary. If he can have another season like he did in 2021, Gary will be a very rich man in the near future.
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2022-07-19T20:44:21Z
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PFF ranks Packers OLB Rashan Gary as NFL’s 49th best player entering 2022
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The Seahawks have a pair of qualified starting linebackers heading into the 2022 season, if not a star like Bobby Wagner.
Jordyn Brooks is taking over as the team’s new defensive playcaller and how well he does in that role will go a long way in determining just how good this Seattle defense will be.
Brooks took a huge step forward last season in every part of his game. Now he’s been recognized as one of the best tacklers in the league. EA Sports has ranked Brooks No. 4 in tackling ability among linebackers in their latest version of Madden, giving him a 95 rating.
Last season Brooks ranked second in the NFL with 184 combined tackles, trailing only Foye Oluokun (192).
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2022-07-19T20:44:51Z
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Seahawks LB Jordyn Brooks among top 5 tacklers in Madden 23
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After that, he will return to an Angels team that is 39-53, 20 ½ games out of first place, with a fallow farm system and a pair of players – franchise linchpin Mike Trout and oft-injured third baseman Anthony Rendon – already making more than $36 million a year.
They’ll gather to try again next year. Then, Ohtani can become a free agent.
CELEBRATION: At his last MLB All-Star Game, 42-year-old 'legend' Albert Pujols is the man of the hour
SHOWCASE: 2022 Home Run Derby was a magical night for baseball
Angels two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani has been one of MLB's best pitchers and hitters this season.
And suddenly, baseball will have a task on its hands that’s advanced from cheeky parlor game to a half-billion dollar game of poker:
How does one quantify all that Shohei Ohtani does? And how exactly do you compensate the game’s greatest two-way player since Babe Ruth?
'The player is intimidating'
Ohtani won 2021 AL MVP honors by hitting 46 home runs, posting a .965 OPS, striking out 156 batters in 130 1/3 innings and posting a 3.18 ERA that was 41% better than the league average. He may never match Ruth’s 714 home runs, but it’s increasingly safe to say Ohtani is doing the two-way thing better than anyone. Ruth, after all, was done as a pitcher at age 24, only once hitting more than 11 home runs in a season he pitched.
Beyond Ruth, a typical Ohtani year is a journey into baseball’s record book, past and present.
He steamed into this All-Star break with a different identity than the 2021 version, this time displaying greater dominance as a pitcher. He has won the last six games he started, striking out 58 and posting a 0.45 ERA over five weeks – all while smacking eight homers and posting a .964 OPS.
Ohtani has struck out at least 10 in four straight starts. Only Nolan Ryan has bettered that in Angels history.
Prefer a more modern metric? His 119-mph double in April is the hardest-hit ball by a left-handed hitter in Statcast’s eight-year history. Yes, he’s the lefty equivalent of Giancarlo Stanton.
“It’s almost like he’s two different players in a singular body,” says New York Mets first baseman Pete Alonso.
Yet he’s just one 28-year-old man, whose value ostensibly could be quantified by modern metrics. Good ol’ Wins Above Replacement, as measured by Baseball-Reference, says Ohtani has been worth exactly 20 WAR over his five seasons, with his MVP year worth 9 WAR (4.9 hitting, 4.1 pitching).
Still, there’s no quantifying his presence, for teammates or opponents.
“There’s an aspect where it’s not just the production because the actual player is intimidating,” says the Yankees’ Cole. “So, even if he’s cold at the plate, you don’t mess with him. Even if he’s had a couple bad outings, he’s still coming at you with a hundo and a split. And then he’s going to drop a bomb on you if he leads off. It is tough to quantify.
“But I’m not interested in quantifying it. I’m just interested in enjoying it when it’s not against the Yankees.”
Angels star Shohei Ohtani looks on during the Home Run Derby at Dodgers Stadium.
Those who see his act with regularity note how Ohtani’s ability to take care of his body is without peer, his discipline with diet, workouts and sleep keeping him finely honed. His catcher, Max Stassi, marvels at Ohtani’s staying power – did we mention he stole 26 bases in 2021? – given the physical rigors.
And it never seems to get old.
“We’re playing in Boston earlier this year,” Stassi recalls, “10th inning, he was on first, (scores), we win and then we had a 1 o’clock game the next day. Pitches seven shutout innings and I think his last pitch to Trevor Story was 98 mph.
“For him to pitch and hit and run and steal bases while he’s pitching – it’s like, ‘Hey man, slow down! Your pitch count!’”
Soon, life off the field will speed up for him.
'As much as he wants?'
Ohtani surprised the industry when he departed Japan, eschewed the lavish recruitment efforts from more notable franchises and signed with the Angels. He cited a comfort level with the club and the area that endures.
“I’ve been here for almost five years, and while I don’t go out a lot, when I do, fans recognize me and say hi,” Ohtani said through his interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. “It does feel like home to me.”
But the Angels cannot afford him the chance to contend, and soon may not be able to afford him, period.
The club’s $245 million signing of Rendon came after a 2019 season in which Ohtani did not pitch while recovering from Tommy John surgery and hit 18 home runs while getting on base at a .343 clip. Nice year, even if it wasn’t a break-the-bank display.
Ohtani also was just 24 years old.
He got back on the mound for two games in pandemic-shortened 2020 before roaring into his baseball prime a year later. Meanwhile, Rendon has had season-ending hip and wrist surgeries. Trout missed most of 2021 with a calf injury and won’t play Tuesday night because of ribcage inflammation.
The team still can’t pitch. It switched GMs last year. It switched managers this year, and then lost 24 of its next 36.
So. With a match made in Anaheim growing increasingly unlikely – and Ohtani would hit the market one year before Juan Soto – who wants this guy? And how much, exactly, does he get paid?
“I’m going to try to stay out of the man’s pocket,” says Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson. “But you gotta pay for everything. Ain’t nothing free.”
Says Trout: “I couldn’t even give you a number. He’s a once-in-a-lifetime talent. He could win the Cy Young or the MVP.”
Ohtani will come with far more than just the production. His status as an international star represents its own potential revenue stream for a club. His increasingly prominent place in the game’s history – statistically, orally – will bring its own perks.
“How we talk about Babe Ruth is how people will talk about Shohei Ohtani, a hundred years from now,” says Dodgers first baseman Freddie Freeman. “We can write how amazing he is, but I don’t think that’s enough for what he’s doing and what he deals with every single day outside of just being a baseball player. He has so much going on.”
Ohtani, indeed, is different, and to this day remains grateful that MLB provided him the canvas to showcase his two-way prowess.
“I just can’t thank everybody enough for accepting me doing the two-way thing, which wasn’t normal at the time, but everyone embraced it, including MLB and all the American fans,” he said Tuesday.
Ohtani is making $5.5 million this season, the last year of a two-year deal that covered his first and second arbitration-eligible seasons. Given the numbers he put up in the deal’s first year, it likely saved the Angels millions this year.
It won’t be so team-friendly in 2023, when Ohtani will bring to his final year of arbitration the most unique case in the system’s history, and likely doubles his salary.
After that? Good luck finding a range – $300 million? $400 million? Half of what Cole and Soto are worth, combined? – that’s appropriate. The industry is just now starting to anticipate the stakes.
“The value of one roster spot, frontline starter, middle-of-the-order bat, unbelievable teammate, unbelievable person,” the Angels’ Stassi says before offering a projection.
“As much as he wants, I guess?”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Shohei Ohtani contract: What is two-way star worth? Free agency nears
Mike Trout will miss the 2022 MLB All-Star Game in Los Angeles, but he announced that he will captain Team USA at the 2023 World Baseball Classic.
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2022-07-19T21:10:07Z
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How much is Shohei Ohtani worth? As Angels flail and star dominates, free agency draws nearer
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A key, creative piece of the 2023 NASCAR Cup Series schedule was revealed Tuesday afternoon amid the bustle of downtown Chicago, where plans for a street-circuit race on the streets in the Chicago Loop were officially announced.
Series officials and driver Bubba Wallace were joined by Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot and other dignitaries in setting the course for NASCAR Chicago Street Race Weekend on July 1-2. The Cup Series’ inaugural race on a temporary street circuit will share the weekend with a companion IMSA sports-car event, and it will be broadcast on NBC.
“Really excited about announcing that for the first time with our national series that we’ll be bringing it to a street course, and what better place to do it than downtown Chicago, such an iconic city,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing development and strategy. “You think about the history of sports there, the iconic monuments and facilities around Chicago, and the support that we’ve had around Chicago as well. Mix that in with the great racing that we’ve seen with our NASCAR Cup Series, certainly going to be a very special moment in the summer of 2023 as we go street-course racing for the first time with the series.”
The Chicago event fits the recently cast mold of innovative additions to the Cup Series schedule, following the lead of bringing back dirt-track racing at Bristol Motor Speedway and the first-ever Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum earlier this year in Los Angeles. NASCAR’s top division will run on city streets for the first time in proximity to many Windy City landmarks, including Grant Park, Buckingham Fountain and the edge of Soldier Field. Iconic street names — Michigan Avenue and Lake Shore Drive — will be a part of the 2.2-mile layout.
The course was first developed on the iRacing platform and was used in the eNASCAR Pro Invitational Series last year. When that virtual circuit was unveiled, Kennedy said that “as we look at future schedules, certainly have everything on the table.” Tuesday’s announcement means that the sim-racing feasibility study will soon have a real-life corollary.
“Certainly a lot of work by the team in coming up with not only the vision for the iRacing event to be able to prove out what the track would look like, but then ultimately, what the site plan looks like, what the events and activities will look like on the event weekend, which will look significantly different from what we’ve seen at a lot of some of our other events,” Kennedy said. “We’ll have a number of different music acts, you know, different entertainment options throughout the weekend. IMSA will be joining us with one of their series as well, leading into the Cup Series on Sunday.
“So, really excited about it. A lot of work by the team so far to get to where we’re at today; a lot of work to go before July 1st and 2nd of next year, though.”
NASCAR officials indicated that the rest of the Cup Series, Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series schedule would be released at a later date. Only a handful of Cup Series dates have been revealed for 2023. Tickets are on sale for the season-opening Daytona 500, scheduled for Feb. 19. A return to the LA Coliseum for the preseason Busch Light Clash exhibition is set for Feb. 5.
NASCAR president Steve Phelps, left, and executive Ben Kennedy in Downtown Chicago
Kennedy confirmed that the Chicago Street Race would replace Road America on the Independence Day weekend slot on the schedule. The 4.048-mile road course in Elkhart Lake, Wisconsin — some 150 miles north of Chicago — hosted the Cup Series the last two seasons.
Kennedy says he’s hopeful the event will replicate the festival atmosphere from previous racing weekends around the July 4 holiday.
“Certainly the city of Chicago comes alive in the summer. It certainly comes alive around July 4th, so we think it’s gonna be really special from that perspective,” Kennedy said. “On the Road America front, we won’t be going back with the Cup Series in 2023. They’ve been great partners. We’ve seen some great racing there over the past couple of years with the Cup Series. We’ve seen a great turnout from a fan base perspective. Unfortunately, won’t be going back with the Cup Series, but I’d say as far as the 2023 schedule goes, stay tuned for more on the Cup Series, Truck Series and Xfinity Series and look forward to sharing more on that here hopefully in the next month or so.”
NASCAR has an array of long-running connections to the Chicago area. A Cup Series event in 1956 joined the regular rotation of auto racing at Soldier Field, now home to the Chicago Bears. More recently, the 1.5-mile Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet hosted the Cup Series from 2001-2019.
NASCAR’s experience with street-circuit racing is more limited. The former NASCAR Southwest Tour competed on a temporary layout near the LA Coliseum from 1998-2000, and the former NASCAR Winston West circuit ran four street races in the Pacific Northwest from 1986-88 — two each in the Washington cities of Spokane and Tacoma.
The versatility of the Next Gen car that debuted this year in the NASCAR Cup Series, plus the proof of concept that emerged from the Los Angeles Clash, have prompted Kennedy and the sanctioning body’s schedule makers to take the show on the road — or in this case, the downtown streets.
“We’ve talked about this before, but it gives us the ability to go into new markets,” Kennedy said of the stadium-style Clash event, “I think street courses gives us that ability as well. That said, it’s important for us to keep the integrity that we’ve had in the schedule, right? Mile and a half, superspeedway, short tracks are all important to our schedule. Adding a street course to the schedule I think is going to continue to make it probably the most diverse motorsports schedule that exists out there today, and we’re really excited about that. But I think it gives us the ability, as we think on into the future to enter some of the new markets and look at some of our events in different ways.”
MORE: Get notified when tickets go on sale
NASCAR officials and other dignitaries announce the NASCAR Chicago Street Race Weekend.
Who will win the Chicago Street Race? - Powered By PickUp
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2022-07-19T21:58:25Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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NASCAR reveals Chicago Street Race on tap for 2023 Cup Series season's July 1-2 weekend
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NASCAR is back in the Chicago area.
The sanctioning body and the city of Chicago announced Tuesday that the Cup Series will have a street race in downtown Chicago around Grant Park on July 2, 2023. The race will be the first street course race in modern NASCAR history and will be the first race in the Chicago metro area since the closure of Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet after the 2019 season.
“Chicago’s streets are as iconic as our skyline and our reputation as a world-class sports city is indisputable,” Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said in an announcement. “I am thrilled to welcome our partners at NASCAR to Chicago for an event that will attract thousands of people to our city. Chicago’s world-class entertainment and hospitality industries, coupled with our city’s history as a conduit for sports talent, make us the perfect hosts for this unique event.”
The addition of the street race comes as the Cup Series is in its first season with an entirely new car version. The spec car was partially designed to handle better at tracks with both left and right turns, though it hasn’t delivered on its road course potential so far. The new car has produced largely pedestrian races at three road courses so far outside of a contact-filled final lap at Circuit of the Americas in March.
The lack of overall entertainment at road courses in 2022 isn’t an argument against the Chicago idea, however. NASCAR is also struggling with the new car’s ability to produce compelling racing at short tracks and changes to its aerodynamic features are relatively simple ways to improve the product. There are always things to work on during a car’s first year of implementation.
The track is also another test of NASCAR’s reliance on iRacing, an online racing simulation. The Chicago track layout has been available for users of the video game to try out for the past year. Its implementation appears similar to that of the reconfigured Atlanta Motor Speedway. NASCAR redesigned Atlanta to make it a mini-Daytona via iRacing simulations.
Goodbye Road America
Chicago’s presence in 2023 comes at the cost of another date on the Cup Series schedule as NASCAR isn’t expanding the already-packed schedule beyond 36 points races. And NASCAR confirmed Tuesday that Road America would lose its Cup race to make room for Chicago.
The historic Wisconsin road course is one of the most iconic in North America. It has hosted Cup Series races for the past two seasons and was billed as NASCAR’s new July 4 weekend tradition less than two years ago. NASCAR itself didn’t shy away from the glowing hyperbole after Road America’s first Cup race in 2021 as the track saw massive crowds.
The hyperbole and fan attendance doesn’t appear enough to keep the Cup Series at Road America, however. And that’s a shame. The idea of a Chicago street race is a worth exploration. Just like its Clash experiment at the Los Angeles Coliseum, NASCAR needs to get out of its comfort zone and try different things to attract and keep younger fans as roughly 80% of its television audience is age 50 or older.
But adding the Chicago street race at the expense of Road America is a mistake. Road America was a natural fit for the Cup Series after years of second-tier Xfinity Series races at the track and the fans in and around Wisconsin clearly supported it.
The move away from Road America and the addition of a second race at Atlanta despite longstanding attendance issues there are clear signs that at-track attendance isn’t a primary focus for NASCAR. With a new television contract looming in 2025, NASCAR appears singularly focused on how it can follow the 10-year, $4.4 billion deal it signed with Fox and NBC with another comparable agreement. And keeping its overall TV audience stable while growing the share of viewers under 50 is pivotal to its new deal.
NASCAR's Cup Series will race in downtown Chicago in 2023. (Photo by James Gilbert/Getty Images)
4 tracks in 5 years for July 4 weekend
The arrival of the Chicago street course and its official date means NASCAR will be at a fourth different track over the last five July 4 weekends.
Daytona had long been the traditional July 4 host but NASCAR decided to move the second Cup Series race at the track to the final regular season race of the season after the 2019 season. Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Brickyard 400 got the spot for 2020, but a move away from the historic Indianapolis oval quashed that idea after just one season.
That’s where Road America came in. The 4-mile track is known for having thousands of fans camp out for race weekends and the relatively cool summer weather made for a seemingly perfect July 4 marriage with NASCAR.
Alas, Chicago came along. Again. NASCAR started construction on the Chicagoland Speedway in the late 1990s and opened the track in 2001. The 1.5-mile oval produced some pretty compelling racing as its pavement wore out but didn't even make it two decades on the calendar before NASCAR had other ideas. It's now the site of warehouses.
Will the Chicago street race make it half as long as Chicagoland Speedway did? We'll find out over the rest of the 2020s.
Eliminate back pain from the office with these Amazon finds on sale now
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2022-07-19T21:58:44Z
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NASCAR adds Chicago street course race to 2023 Cup Series schedule
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Another Auburn defensive target is set to announce his commitment in early August.
This time, it’s Louisiana linebacker Jaiden Ausberry, who most recently visited the Auburn Tigers on June 3. The four-star 2023 target plans to announce his commitment on Aug. 4 at 6:30 p.m. CT.
Unfortunately, Ausberry is another target that seems unlikely for Auburn to secure. 247Sports currently has seven predictions out for him, all of which point to him heading to South Bend, Indiana, to play for the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. There could still be a small hope, however, as 247Sports also notes on his recruitment page that Auburn is one of four schools that Ausberry is “warm” on.
It would be unfortunate if Auburn were to miss out on Ausberry, as they are likely to soon miss out on another defensive recruiting target in North Carolina-born defensive lineman Daevin Hobbs. It would be an unfortunate hit to Bryan Harsin’s recruiting class if he was unable to land both of them, so it will be interesting to see what Ausberry decides on his recruitment date in a few weeks.
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2022-07-19T22:01:45Z
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Auburn 2023 linebacker target to announce commitment in August
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The U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday was expected to pass legislation protecting gay marriage rights, after the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v. Wade imperiled similar precedents that protected rights to same-sex relations and contraception. The bill establishes federal protections for gay marriage and prohibits anyone from denying the validity of a marriage based on the race or sex of the couple. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler sponsored the bill after the federal right to an abortion was overturned when the Supreme Court struck down its landmark 1973 Roe v. Wade ruling.
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2022-07-19T22:01:52Z
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Big 12 and Pac-12 Realignment Merger Isn’t Happening. Now What? Daily Cavalcade
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ATLANTA (AP) Nick Saban has been vocal about his issues with the status quo in name, image and likeness deals and their use in recruiting.
''The biggest concern is how does this impact and affect recruiting?'' he said Tuesday at the Southeastern Conference Media Days. ''On the recruiting trail right now, there's a lot of people using this as inducements to go to their school by making promises they may or may not be able to keep in terms of what players are doing.
''I think that is what can create a competitive balance issue between the haves and have-nots. We're one of the haves. Don't think that what I'm saying is a concern that we have at Alabama because we're one of the haves.''
''I think they both kind of illustrate the frustration of how things are right now,'' Mississippi State coach Mike Leach said. ''It's not sustainable, so something's going to change.''
Leach says as things stand ''college athletes have more privileges than anybody at any other professional level.''
''Go up to your next favorite NFL guy, say: `Hey, I heard in the NFL they're going to have unmitigated free agency, 365, 24/7. And, by the way, there's not going to be any salary cap or draft, you're just going to have bidding wars,''' Leach said. ''Just watch the expression on their face. Don't look at anything else or write down any notes because the expression on their face will be well worth it.''
''I don't feel like I'm a finished product by any means,'' Young said. ''I have a lot of stuff I want to keep getting better at.
''The way I look at it, it's an award that celebrates the past, which is an honor, but it doesn't entitle me to anything in the future.''
South Carolina released a hype video on social media of Beamer ahead of his appearance at the podium. It showed Beamer swaggering into a team meeting room to Soulja Boy's ''Turn My Swag On'' earlier Tuesday in Columbia. Players wiped his brow, handed him a Gamecocks cap (which he placed on backward) and some shades.
''Walked in, changed clothes, knocked it out in three takes,'' he said later in Atlanta. ''Had a lot of fun doing it as well. I was a little bit taken aback because one of our players thought I needed to hear the song so I knew what the song was and I knew what the words were. I'm not that old. I know who Soulja Boy is. I know some of the words to that song. It was an easy ask.''
''It's all about moving the ball,'' Lea said. ''One way to do that is with a mobile quarterback. Mike Wright is one of the best in the country in that respect.
''We want him to develop as a total quarterback, which he is. He's demonstrated leadership abilities, too. We're excited for him to enter the fall as our starting quarterback. He knows that he has to earn that every day. That's part of our covenant.''
''I'm a big fashion guy,'' he said, giving a shout-out to his suit guy.
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2022-07-19T22:02:29Z
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Saban: Alabama players topped $3 million in NIL money
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Indianapolis Colts linebacker Darius Leonard was ranked at No. 43 overall in Pro Football Focus’ top-50 players list ahead of the 2022 season.
It isn’t clear how many linebackers will wind up being ranked ahead of Leonard as PFF releases the rest of the list each day, but it’s likely going to be in the top two or three players at the position.
Here’s what they had to say about Leonard’s ranking:
Leonard probably won’t be happy about that ranking. It’s likely that at least Fred Warner is going to be ranked ahead of him on this list, just considering where Leonard currently sits.
The Maniac wound up being an All-Pro First-Team selection for the third time in his career despite dealing with a bu ankle for the majority of the 2021 season.
Leonard underwent back surgery this offseason and could miss some time during training camp but is expected to be ready for Week 1 of the regular season where this ranking is surely going to be used as bulletin board material.
Colts' training camp preview: 1 player to watch from each position
The Saints wrapped up their draft class signings just in time for rookies to report to training camp. Second-round choice Alontae Taylor signed his contract Tuesday, via a photo tweeted by Nick Underhill of neworleans.football. The Saints previously signed first-round selections Chris Olave and Trevor Penning, fifth-rounder D'Marco Jackson and sixth-rounder Jordan Jackson. Taylor was [more]
MAJURO, Marshall Islands, July 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GasLog Partners LP (“GasLog Partners” or the “Partnership”) (NYSE: GLOP) today announced that its financial results for the second quarter of 2022 will be released before the market opens on Thursday, July 28, 2022. GasLog Partners will host a conference call to discuss its results for the second quarter of 2022 at 8.00 a.m. EDT (3.00 p.m. EEST) on Thursday, July 28, 2022. The Partnership’s senior management will review the operational
The FDA authorized the vaccine last week, but the manufactured doses were still awaiting quality testing before they could be released. Advisers to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on Tuesday voted unanimously to recommend use of the vaccine, and rollout of the shots can begin once the agency's director signs off on that recommendation.
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2022-07-19T22:28:31Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Colts’ Darius Leonard ranked 43rd in PFF’s top-50 players
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Could viral video from Deebo's trainer hint at 49ers extension? originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
With the 49ers set to report to training camp next Tuesday, Deebo Samuel is still waiting for a new contract.
There’s a chance he might not have to wait too much longer.
It's possible that could be a sign things are moving closer to Samuel agreeing to a long-term deal with San Francisco.
Samuel, entering the season on the final year of his rookie deal, made noise in the offseason by reportedly requesting a trade from the 49ers. But the possibility of San Francisco sending the "wide-back" away in a trade significantly decreased after he wasn't moved during the NFL draft.
"I’d be a fool to trade him,” 49ers general manager John Lynch said during the annual Dwight Clark Legacy Series in June.
As Lynch knows, Samuel's 1,770 total yards and 14 touchdowns last season would be difficult to replace, especially as second-year quarterback Trey Lance takes over under center. But if the sweaty video from Samuel's trainer is any indication, both sides just might be happy with a new deal soon.
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2022-07-19T22:28:37Z
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Deebo Samuel, 49ers could be nearing contract extension, trainer hints
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Why Cowherd sees Jimmy G as NFL's 'most underrated player' originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The Fox Sports analyst heaped praise upon the beleaguered 49ers quarterback during “The Herd” on Monday, aghast that Garoppolo’s trade market hasn’t exploded this offseason as his team looks to move him.
“We all have these moments where you think something and nobody else thinks it,” Cowherd said. “And you know, I think Jimmy Garoppolo [has] now become the most underrated player in the NFL -- by a mile.”
Cowherd laid out his argument: Garoppolo has just one year left on his current five-year, $137.5 million contract, and his $24.2 million base salary for the upcoming season isn’t all guaranteed money.
“So if you sign him, you're not invested for years," Cowherd mused. "... That's way under market."
And between teams that need a starting-caliber quarterback this upcoming season and those that might need one in the future, Cowherd can’t figure out why Garoppolo isn’t worth a chance.
Cowherd, of course, was referencing the 49ers’ divisional playoff game against the Green Bay Packers last season, which saw San Francisco win a hard-fought battle in the snow thanks to a blocked-punt touchdown followed by a game-winning field goal.
But what about Garoppolo’s health? The veteran signal-caller suffered a torn ACL during Week 3 in 2018 that forced him to miss the rest of the season, and a high ankle sprain saw him sidelined for a considerable amount of games in 2020.
A calf injury resulted in Garoppolo missing one game last season, then he played through both a thumb tear and shoulder injury to help the 49ers return to the NFC Championship Game.
“This, ‘He’s never available,’ is nonsense,” Cowherd argued. “In the Super Bowl year, he played 19 of 19 games.
“Folks, what you don’t want to be [as] a quarterback is incompetent, chaotic, uncoachable. He’s incredibly coachable. He’s an all-star in the locker room. He was available in 95 percent of the games last year and in the Super Bowl year was upright for all of them. And there’s no market for him?”
Cowherd called Garoppolo’s current situation “silly.” The quarterback had shoulder surgery in March, putting a damper on any offseason trade talks. Garoppolo reportedly began throwing weeks ago, but there’s still nothing on the trade front as San Francisco looks to deal their veteran quarterback and move on toward the future with second-year pro Trey Lance.
No interest in a player who led the league in yards per completion under Kyle Shanahan’s run-heavy offense and “wins playoff games” is incomprehensible to Cowherd.
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2022-07-19T22:29:14Z
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Jimmy Garoppolo is NFL's 'most underrated player,' Colin Cowherd believes
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Just under the wire for training camp, Josh McDaniels nabbed another familiar face. His name is Isaiah Zuber and he spent the better part of the past two years in New England under McDaniels.
Zuber went undrafted out of Mississippi State in 2020 and was signed by the Patriots. Following camp, he was signed to the practice squad where he remained all that season and was elevated four times, with four touches for 50 yards.
He would return for the 2021 offseason and training camp, but was waived in the final cuts and signed onto the 49ers practice squad. From there he spent time on the practice squads of the Browns and Jets.
This offseason he was drafted in the 13th round by the USFL’s Houston Gamblers where his five touchdown reception led the league.
Prior to transferring to Miss St as a fifth year senior, the 6-0, 190-pounder had consecutive 50-catch season at Kansas State totaling 1129 receiving yards with nine touchdowns. He also returned 12 kicks for 189 yards.
He joins the likes of RB Brandon Bolden, FB Jakob Johnson, and QB Jarrett Stidham as former Patriots players reuniting with McDaniels in Las Vegas.
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2022-07-19T22:30:23Z
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Raiders sign former Patriots receiver Isaiah Zuber
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New Orleans Saints head coach Sean Payton on the sidelines during the second half against the Atlanta Falcons at the Caesars Superdome.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Sean Payton opens up on his expected eventual return as NFL coach
Moves of this sort always convince some people that the worst is over, and it's clear sailing to the upside, but that could be taking a big leap of faith.
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2022-07-19T22:30:29Z
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Sean Payton believes he'll be an NFL coach again, but 'no way to predict' which team he would lead
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All eyes will be on the wide receiver room and the stockpiled talent on defense, but the status of several important players returning from injury has a strong case for being the top storyline as the Green Bay Packers open training camp in a week’s time.
The offense – and specifically the offensive line – have major question marks regarding who will be available for the regular season.
Here are some of the major players with uncertain statuses or otherwise returning from a big injury to start training camp:
The timeline: Bakhtiari tore his ACL on New Year’s Eve of 2020, missed the playoffs, started the 2021 season on the PUP list and didn’t return until the season finale, only to sit out the Packers’ playoff defeat due to lingering recovery issues. More on his recovery timeline can be found here. The team held him out of the offseason workout program in hopes of having him at full strength to open training camp. Now, Bakhtiari’s status is the No. 1 storyline to start camp. What a boost it would be if the five-time All-Pro can resume manning the left tackle spot. But it’d be a punch to the gut if the injury lingers and is still affecting his on-field availability. Yosh Nijman would be the likely starter at left tackle if Bakhtiari is unavailable.
Status: Uncertain
(AP Photo/Jim Mone)
Jenkins, the Packers’ starter at left tackle in place of Bakhtiari, tore his ACL in late November during a loss to the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. He missed the final seven games of the season and may miss more to open 2022. Jenkins weighs over 310 pounds, plays a position requiring explosive movements and is a franchise cornerstone, so there will be no rush back. He’d be the likely starter at right tackle if healthy, and Bakhtiari and Jenkins could be one of the best tackle combos in football. Nijman, Royce Newman and Sean Rhyan would be the most likely starters at right tackle if Jenkins misses time to open 2022. A veteran addition is also possible.
Green Bay Packers cornerback Jaire Alexander (23)
Alexander injured his shoulder making a tackle against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 4 and missed the rest of the regular season. He did return for the Packers’ playoff loss to the 49ers but played only a handful of passing snaps in coverage. His missed tackle on Deebo Samuel set up the 49ers’ game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter. However, the Packers are confident he is fully recovered and will have no limitations to start the 2022 season. The All-Pro will return to lead what could be the NFL’s best secondary.
Status: Healthy
Tonyan tore his ACL following a catch during the second half of the Packers’ win over the Arizona Cardinals in late October. He missed the final 10 games of the season and isn’t guaranteed to be back for the start of training camp. There is optimism, however, that Tonyan could be ready for the regular season. The Packers lack depth at tight end and need Tonyan’s receiving ability, especially in the red zone and middle of the field. He’s the best pure pass-catcher at the position on the roster. Tyler Davis might be the best bet to play Tonyan’s role, although Josiah Deguara should be expected to pick up more slack in the passing game.
Hill injured his ACL while returning a kickoff during the Packers’ win over the Cardinals in late October. Like Tonyan, he missed the final 10 games of the season. A rookie in 2021, Hill produced explosive playmaking moments in the preseason and flashed real long-term potential before the injury. His production as a kick returner was minimal. If healthy, he is the front runner to be the No. 3 running back behind Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon. If not, Patrick Taylor and the two undrafted rookies (BJ Baylor, Tyler Goodson) have a real shot at the 53.
Myers’ rookie season was wrecked by injuries. First, an injured finger that took on an infection cost him a game. Then, he suffered a significant knee injury that cost him 10 more games. Myers talked about the injuries in more depth here, but he is recovered and will be ready for camp. The Packers relied on Lucas Patrick to play center in his absence, but Patrick is now in Chicago. There isn’t a clear-cut favorite to back up Myers opening camp. In Year 2, Myers will wear braces on his knees to protect against injuries.
Cobb injured a core muscle while scoring a touchdown against the Los Angeles Rams in late November and missed the final five games. He returned against the 49ers but didn’t catch a pass on just one target. The Packers brought him back on a restructured deal, so he’ll get another shot to be a productive target for Aaron Rodgers. More than likely, he’ll be a starter alongside Allen Lazard.
Ramsey suffered a significant ankle injury during a training camp practice in early August of last year and was placed on injured reserve, ending his season. The Packers viewed him as a valuable player, both in terms of backup potential behind the edge rushers and as a do-it-all option on special teams. Ramsey should be available to start camp. His return could provide a boost for Rich Bisaccia on the third unit and the competitive level behind Rashan Gary and Preston Smith at edge rusher.
IRYNA BALACHUK - TUESDAY, 19 JULY 2022, 08:28 Russian occupying forces continue to fire on the small part of Luhansk Oblast that remains under the control of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The Russians attempted to advance on four fronts, but the Ukrainian forces repelled most of their attacks.
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Donbas Blocked or Another Facebook "Sin"
The full-scale invasion by the russian federation on February, 24 posed new challenges for the authorities in their communication with society. In the context of the flooding fake news and blocked media in the temporarily occupied territories, with the enemy's information and psychological special operations, Ukrainian society needed most accessible, understandable, and, most importantly, credible source of information.
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2022-07-19T22:30:42Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Status of players returning from injury is top storyline for Packers entering training camp
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Texas A&M is hoping to catch fire on the recruiting trail as they enter the final stretch heading into the fall months, and with the infamous annual Aggie pool party attended by a number of high-profile 2023 and 2024 recruits occurring at the end of the month, a flood of commitments may ensue.
Overall, official campus visits remain the best way to gauge a recruit’s interest in a program, no matter where prediction models favor them beforehand, which brings us to one of the top wide receiver prospects in the 2023 class, Shelton Sampson Jr., who announced his official visit to Texas A&M which is set for July 30th and will be officially attending the Aggie pool party. Sampson Jr. is going into his senior season at Catholic High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he helped lead Catholic to a 12-1 record, and the Louisiana division 1 state title.
🚨NEW🚨 5-star WR Shelton Sampson Jr. is set to return to Texas A&M on July 30th👍
More from @samspiegs (On3+): https://t.co/bGWYv22EGa pic.twitter.com/wQQRKV336k
After announcing his Top 6 schools on April 18th which include Alabama, Michigan, LSU, Oregon, Florida State, and Texas A&M, he’s taken official visits to Florida State on June 10th, and Alabama on June 17th, which gives the Aggies coaching staff the opportunity to sell themselves and perhaps be the final visit for one of the most talented offensive players in the class.
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2022-07-19T23:50:32Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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2023 5-Star WR Shelton Sampson Jr. sets visit date to Texas A&M
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https://sports.yahoo.com/2023-5-star-wr-shelton-231331913.html?src=rss
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Aggies head football coach Jimbo Fisher spoke to the Texas Highschool Coaches Association convention in San Antonio over the weekend, and in his talk he addressed the College Football Playoff and how expansion would be good for the sport as a whole.
“At the end of the year you have five, six, seven, eight teams vying to get in that playoff, and everyone else is kind of pushed out. If you had 12 or 16 teams going into the playoff, you would have 25 or 30 teams at the end of the year that have a chance, the excitement around college football… and didn’t we just find out in baseball, the last team in that just won the national championship in college baseball…. It’s only good for the game”
Fisher also offered insight into when the playoff expansion could happen.
“It all goes back to TV contracts and money, when that expands is when the TV contract renews, they’re not going to give more content for the same money. When that thing renews watch the playoff go to 12 or 16 teams”
Texas A&M coach Jimbo Fisher expects College Football Playoff to expand to 12 or 16 teams when current contract expires following the 2025 season #THSCA pic.twitter.com/tddCNbTSl4
— Joseph Duarte (@Joseph_Duarte) July 18, 2022
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2022-07-19T23:50:45Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Jimbo Fisher is for expanding the College Football Playoff
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https://sports.yahoo.com/jimbo-fisher-expanding-college-football-230603432.html?src=rss
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ESPN’s Bill Connelly previewed the SEC East on Monday, and he had quite a bit to say about the Florida Gators, as one may expect.
Connelly tackled several big questions surrounding the top programs in the conference, and one of them was how long Gator Nation could expect it to take for Billy Napier to succeed in Gainesville? The answer isn’t so simple, but he’s expecting it to take a bit longer than most that fill the Swamp on Saturdays would like to hear.
“The Gators could indeed be positioned to make a leap next year. This year? Hard to say,” Connely said.
Florida’s offense might actually be in a better spot right now than it was last year at this time, but the defense has much to prove. Eight of the twelve returning players on defense were freshmen last year, and the youth showed on the field. Connelly pointed to Ventrell Miller and Jaydon Hill returning as difference makers for this year, but he also said that the sophomores need to take a big leap for the team to be competitive against the conference’s best.
If Gervon Dexter and Co. can shake off the Todd Grantham funk quickly enough, Florida could impress quicker than expected. Offensively, the line is in better shape than it was last year. Napier brought in O'Cyrus Torrence from Louisiana to help lead that front and has Montrell Johnson to lead the running backs room. Of course, Anthony Richardson has the biggest ceiling of anyone on the team, and Napier’s job is to help him control his raw talent and turn it into something consistent. If Richardson gets it together, Florida should be able to put up some gaudy numbers.
Napier lost three of his first four with ULL, but the Ragin’ Cajuns won six of the next eight and wound up winning the Sun Belt West title that season. Florida’s got far more talent to work with, but the SEC East isn’t exactly a walk in the park.
Connelly’s SP+ projections have Florida finishing third in the East this year, ahead of Kentucky and behind Tennessee.
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2022-07-19T23:50:51Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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How long does ESPN think it will take Billy Napier to find success?
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https://sports.yahoo.com/long-does-espn-think-billy-223325440.html?src=rss
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“Go up to your next favorite NFL guy, say: `Hey, I heard in the NFL they’re going to have unmitigated free agency, 365, 24/7. And, by the way, there’s not going to be any salary cap or draft, you’re just going to have bidding wars,”‘ Leach said. “Just watch the expression on their face. Don’t look at anything else or write down any notes because the expression on their face will be well worth it.”
Nick Saban: Alabama players topped $3 million in NIL money originally appeared on NBCSports.com
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2022-07-19T23:51:03Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Nick Saban: Alabama players topped $3 million in NIL money
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https://sports.yahoo.com/nick-saban-alabama-players-topped-224425642.html?src=rss
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We’re getting closer and closer to the 2022 college football season folks, and the arrival of the annual SEC media days is the first sign that the best months of the year are on the horizon.
Aside from Aggies head coach Jimbo Fisher and Alabama head coach Nick Saban’s mid-May verbal battle royale based on Saban’s comments regarding A&M’s NIL usage in recruiting methods for their 2022 class, much of the college football landscape has been digesting the news of future conference realignments and expansions for nearly every power 5 conference in the country. With moves already being made, including UCLA and USC leaving the Pac-12 for the Big 10, and most notably, Texas And Oklahoma making the move to the SEC from the Big 12, which could happen as soon as the 2024 season.
The first day of SEC media days kicked off with the panel featuring Commissioner Greg Sankey, LSU head coach Brian Kelly, Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin, and Missouri head coach Eliah Drinkwitz, all bringing three players each to discuss the upcoming season in detail.
Leading off the day at the podium, Sankey answered questions regarding NIL regulation, SEC’s standing in college football, and of course, conference realignment and expansion, stating “The Southeastern Conference is stronger now than ever before in our history” and adding that “The best days of the Southeastern Conference still remain ahead”. In his most definitive quote of the day, Sankey opined “We are a super league, this is a super league” and noted that the future of additions of Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC “trumps” the additions of UCLA and USC to the Big Ten, exuding tremendous confidence for the future of the conference with so many questions still to be answered. As the three coaches began answering questions of their own throughout the day, here are the most quotes:
Brian Kelly on his thoughts on conference realignment: "Musical chairs and the music is going to stop here, and you won't have a place at the table. I think that's scary for a lot of institutions."
"There are not enough chairs for everybody. That's the current state of CFB."
— TexAgs (@TexAgs) July 18, 2022
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin: "I don't know if there is a huge jump into the Big Ten. The SEC is a whole different animal."
On Texas and Oklahoma: "They're coming to the SEC. That's a big challenge… The coaches have to deal with it and get ready for a different world"
Ole Miss head coach Lane Kiffin on USC and UCLA joining the Big Ten: "The SEC is the top of everything. People are always trying to chase the SEC and figure it out. I don't know the history behind that, but I would guess the SEC starting those unique moves is what started it."
For Texas A&M, Head coach Jimbo Fisher, Demani Richardson, Layden Robinson, and Ainias Smith are set to speak at 11:30 AM on Thursday, July 21st on the SEC Network.
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2022-07-19T23:51:16Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Realignment takes center stage at SEC media days
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https://sports.yahoo.com/realignment-takes-center-stage-sec-214711287.html?src=rss
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Another day of watch list season included another watch list to include Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford. Clifford was included on the watch list for the Davey O’Brien Award on Tuesday.
The Davey O’Brien Award is presented annually to the nation’s top quarterback as determined by the Davey O’Brien Foundation.
Clifford is looking to become just the third quarterback in school history to receive the award. Past Penn State winners of the Davey O’Brien Award include Todd Blackledge in 1982 and Kerry Collins in 1994. Blackledge was the second recipient of the Davey O’Brien Award since the award shifted to a focus solely on quarterbacks in 1981 (BYU’s Jim McMahon won the first award after the change).
Previous winners of the Davey O’Brien Award include Steve Young, Doug Flutie, Vinny Testaverde, Troy Aikman, Peyton Manning, Vince Young, Tim Tebow, Johnny Manziel, Baker Mayfield, and Joe Burrow. Last year;’s winner of the award was Bryce Young of Alabama.
The last Big Ten quarterback to win the award was Troy Smith of Ohio State in 2006. No other Big Ten program has more than one Davey O’Brien Award winner besides Iowa (Chuck Long in 1985 and Brad Banks in 2002) and Penn State, although one was won when Penn State was an independent (and Nebraska‘s Eric Crouch won the award while playing in the Big 12).
Clifford was also named to the Maxwell Award watch list earlier this week.
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2022-07-19T23:51:22Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Sean Clifford named to Davey O’Brien Award watch list
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https://sports.yahoo.com/sean-clifford-named-davey-o-224933699.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/sean-clifford-named-davey-o-224933699.html?src=rss
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College football’s watch list season is officially underway, and Penn State quarterback Sean Clifford is already making an appearance on one of the more notable individual award’s watch list.
Clifford was among the players mentioned on the watch list for the Maxwell Award, presented by the Maxwell Football Club. The award is presented annually to college football’s most outstanding player as determined by The Maxwell Football Club.
Penn State has a strong history with the Maxwell Award with seven all-time winners of the award. Previous Maxwell Award winners from Penn State include Richie Lucas (1959), Glenn Ressler (1964), Mike Reid (1969), John Cappelletti (1973), Chuck Fusina (1978), Kerry Collins (1994), and Larry Johnson (2002). Johnson is also the most recent player from a Big Ten school to win the award, giving the conference a surprising 20-year drought it is looking to end this fall.
Penn State is tied with Notre Dame for the most all-time Maxwell aWard winners with seven each.
Last year’s winner of the Maxwell Award was Alabama quarterback Bryce Young. Young was the fifth player from Alabama to win the award. Alabama’s first Maxwell Award winner was A.J. McCarron in 2013.
Alex Morgan followed British Open champ Cam Smith’s lead and measured margaritas in the CONCACAF trophy
That's a whole lot of margaritas.
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2022-07-19T23:51:29Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Sean Clifford named to Maxwell Award watch list
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https://sports.yahoo.com/sean-clifford-named-maxwell-award-223627782.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/sean-clifford-named-maxwell-award-223627782.html?src=rss
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Miami Dolphins quarterback Teddy Bridgewater wants football players to know what it has taken for them to achieve the levels they have reached.
And it has nothing to do with playing the role of a street gangsta.
The veteran quarterback took to Instagram and delivered a strong and stern message to people of all ages who love to play the game.
Another message with a purpose is below:
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2022-07-19T23:51:42Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Teddy Bridgewater is tired of football players portraying ‘gangsta roles’
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https://sports.yahoo.com/teddy-bridgewater-tired-football-players-222440846.html?src=rss
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Projecting Chargers’ edge defender depth chart in 2022
Today, the focus is on how the edge defender room will look heading into 2022.
Bosa enters this season still as one of the league’s most premier pass rushers. Despite being double-teamed on 23% of his defensive snaps, Bosa still managed to produce his fourth double-digit-sack season (10.5) and a career-high seven forced fumbles while adding 68 pressures and 49 hurries in 2021. In five seasons, Bosa has won Defensive Rookie of the Year and made four Pro Bowls.
Quarterbacks, the past few seasons, had to worry about Bosa coming off the edge whenever they faced the Chargers. But now, they will have another terror in their faces in Mack, who was acquired via trade. Mack was limited to just seven games this past season as a foot injury put him on the injured reserve. Still, the 30-year-old managed to produce 22 pressures and six sacks. Between his time with the Raiders and Bears, Mack has a resume that includes the 2016 Defensive Player of the Year, three All-Pro selections, six Pro Bowl nods and four straight years with double-digit sacks from 2015 through 2018.
Last season, Los Angeles ranked 19th in pressure rate overall, and on third-and-longs, the team ranked 25th in pressure rate. Now, with Mack’s explosive power and burst and Bosa’s athleticism and hand usage to threaten blockers, these numbers should improve drastically.
Chris Rumph II
As a rookie, Rumph played 176 snaps, which he turned into 19 tackles, four quarterback pressures, two hits, and one sack. Rumph showed flashes of athleticism, lateral quickness, and secondary effort and range. However, his lean frame and lack of play strength led to him being engulfed at the point of attack far more often than not. That is why Rumph has made the point to get stronger and bigger this offseason. Entering the league, Rumph was 235 pounds, but on the team’s website, he’s now listed as 244 pounds. With the additional weight and strength and the pressure packages with the personnel in place coupled with his athletic ability, look for there to be an uptick in production from Rumph in Year 2.
Van Noy was signed post-draft to bring more depth to the position, and a championship pedigree with two Super Bowl rings. With position versatility being highly coveted in Staley’s system, it’s something that Van Noy brings to the table, with his ability to rush the passer off the edge while playing the inside linebacker position. Van Noy has amassed at least 20 pressures and four sacks in the past five seasons. Further, his 83.9 coverage grade in 2022 was the highest among all linebackers, per Pro Football Focus.
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2022-07-20T00:03:52Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Projecting Chargers’ edge defender depth chart in 2022
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https://sports.yahoo.com/projecting-chargers-edge-defender-depth-204806285.html?src=rss
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Joc doesn't think Giants have enough to trade for Soto originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Washington Nationals superstar Juan Soto is the kind of player every single MLB team should trade the farm for.
But not every team has a farm the Nationals would consider a fair price for the 23-year-old outfielder.
The Giants, by all accounts, have a healthy minor league system with several top 100 prospects who are highly regarded. But are the likes of Marco Luciano, Kyle Harrison and Luis Matos enough to get the Nationals to the table?
Joc Pederson, one of two players representing the Giants in the 2022 MLB All-Star Game at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, isn't sure San Francisco has what it would take to get Soto in orange and black.
“I don’t think we have enough players to go after Soto,” Pederson said (H/T The San Francisco Chronicle's John Shea). “It’s going to take two farm systems to get him. Logan (Webb), Yaz (Mike Yastrzemski), LaMonte (Wade Jr.), Joey (Bart), the whole team.”
Backing up Pederson's feelings, Baseball America -- one of the pre-eminent prospect websites -- compiled a list of the top 10 teams with the prospects required to trade for Soto. The Giants were not among those 10 teams.
Even worse for the Giants and their fans, Baseball America believes the Los Angeles Dodgers are best equipped to put together a package of players suitable enough for the Nationals to trade Soto.
While Pederson was matter-of-fact about the Giants' chances, starting pitcher Carlos Rodón was more diplomatic about the whole scenario.
“I think it’d be great. I think it would be amazing if we could put something together to get him,” Rodón said via Shea. “He’s a hell of a player, that’s for sure.”
RELATED: Miguel Cabrera blockbuster could hint at Giants' package for Soto
A player of Soto's age and ability rarely, if ever, hits the trade market. It's going to take an unprecedented package of prospects and possibly major-league level players in order to pry him away from the Nationals. And that's before signing him to what might be the largest contract in MLB history. Soto reportedly rejected a 15-year, $440 million contract offer from Washington, prompting all the trade talk.
The Giants are likely to want a seat at the table when the Nationals decide to trade him. Whether they have enough to be one of the final teams at the table remains to be seen. But Pederson isn't betting on it.
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2022-07-20T00:12:21Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Juan Soto trade: Giants don't have enough to land star, Joc Pederson believes
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https://sports.yahoo.com/juan-soto-trade-giants-dont-011247101.html?src=rss
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Steph approves of Morgan's 'night night' celly after USWNT win originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
The "Night Night" celebration is taking the sports world by storm.
Claimed by Steph Curry after winning his fourth championship a month ago with the Warriors, athletes of all ages are adding the celebration into their own repertoires. You can add United States Women's National Team (USWNT) legend Alex Morgan to that list.
Following the USWNT's 1-0 victory over Canada to win the CONCACAF Women's Championship, Morgan posted a picture of her emulating the celebration on her Instagram account, simply captioned "Night Night". On her Instagram story, she highlighted the post while also tagging Steph.
On Instagram, Curry responded to Morgan's post by congratulating Morgan and the rest of the USWNT for securing a spot in the 2024 Olympics. Morgan converted a penalty in the 78th minute to seal the game for the U.S.
For context, Canada defeated the U.S., 1-0, during the 2020 Olympic semifinal on a late penalty, marking the first time Canada has beaten the U.S. in 20 years. Canada eventually won gold, with the U.S. taking bronze.
With more and more legendary "night night" celebrations seemingly popping up every day, it looks like Curry didn't only change the game of basketball, but also the celebration game.
Charlotte FC to play English Premier League’s Chelsea at Bank of America Stadium
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2022-07-20T00:12:28Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Steph Curry approves of Alex Morgan's iconic 'night night' celebration
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https://sports.yahoo.com/steph-curry-approves-alex-morgans-195001644.html?src=rss
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South Carolina's Dawn Staley has called out ESPN and its ESPY awards show for not inviting national player of the year Aliyah Boston to its ceremonies on Wednesday night. Staley mused publicly on social media how the people who planning the ceremonies decided “it was a great idea not to invite” the woman who won several national awards as one of the best players in women's college basketball last season. Boston, a 6-foot-5 rising senior, captured the Wooden Award and AP honors as player of the year.
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2022-07-20T00:12:34Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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How Warriors roster looks after anticipated JaMychal Green signing
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Florida sophomore quarterback Anthony Richardson has been named to the Maxwell Award watch list.
The Maxwell Award has been presented to the nation’s most outstanding player by the Maxwell Football Club every year since 1937. Richardson is looking to become the third player in Florida Gators history to win the Maxwell Award, with Danny Wuerffel (1996) and Tim Tebow (2007 & 2008) — the only Gators to win the award.
Despite being named to the Maxwell Award watch list, Richardson was left off the Davey O’Brien watch list, the award given out to the nation’s top quarterback.
Richardson is expected to enter the season as Florida’s QB1, with last year’s starter Emory Jones transferring to Arizona State. It’s understandable the Davey O’Brien selection committee left Richardson off their list, with the Gators quarterback’s ability to be the sole signal caller a question mark outside of Gainesville.
Richardson recently announced that he will stop using his trademarked nickname “AR-15” because of its association with the assault rifle used in mass shootings across the country.
Richardson appeared in eight games last season totaling 529 passing yards and 401 rushing yards. He was the first Gators quarterback named to the All-SEC Freshman team since 2014. His 152 passing yards and 115 rushing yards against USF made him the first player in FBS in the last 25 seasons to rush for 100-plus yards and throw for 150-plus yards while completing every pass he threw in the game (3/3).
The Florida Gators kick off the 2022 football season on Saturday, September 3 at 7:00 p.m. EDT on ESPN.
That's four Gators in the first three rounds! Brandon Sproat has been drafted by the New York Mets.
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2022-07-20T01:34:50Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Anthony Richardson named to the Maxwell Award watch list
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https://sports.yahoo.com/anthony-richardson-named-maxwell-award-233044083.html?src=rss
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The Indianapolis Colts are officially one week away from the start of training camp with veterans set to report July 26.
Among those veterans will be the linebackers led by Darius Leonard and Bobby Okereke. The Colts didn’t make too many changes to the linebacker room outside of adding a veteran special teamer and two intriguing undrafted rookie free agents following the 2022 NFL draft.
Here’s our preview for the linebacker position entering training camp:
There’s not much more to say about Leonard that fans don’t already know. He’s one of the most productive and impactful linebackers in the NFL entering his fifth season in the league. What Colts fans need to know is that The Maniac underwent surgery this offseason and could miss some time during training camp. He’s expected to be ready for Week 1, but it’s best to look at this with a cautiously optimistic approach.
This is a big year for Okereke, who enters training camp on the final year of his rookie deal. He took over the full-time starting MIKE role in 2021 following the departure of Anthony Walker. Okereke has the potential to be an above-average linebacker in the NFL given his length and athleticism. He’s solid in coverage and has the range necessary to be in the middle of the defense.
The former seventh-round pick got a nice extension during the offseason, signing a three-year deal. While Franklin doesn’t see that much work on the defensive side of the ball—his main impact comes on special teams—he was third on the team in snaps at linebacker during the 2021 season. Franklin’s roster spot is safe after signing a new deal and should continue to make an impact on special teams as one of its captains.
Like Okereke, Speed enters a contract year in the final year of his rookie deal. He has spent the last three seasons working mostly on special teams and in a depth role as the backup to Darius Leonard. That role will continue and potentially grow a smidge while Leonard rehabs from offseason surgery. It will be interesting to see if the Colts give him more work on the defensive side of the ball given his potential.
King was signed during the offseason after spending the majority of his career working as a special teams mainstay with the New England Patriots. After Jordan Glasgow was waived due to a failed physical, it opened up a spot on the roster. King will be looking to secure that final spot because of his special teams work but will have some stiff competition from a pair of young undrafted free agents.
Weatherford signed with the Colts as an undrafted rookie free agent following the 2022 NFL draft out of Miami University (OH). One of the undrafted free agents with a chance of making the roster, Weatherford had a strong spring to build off of after letting his athleticism do the work. He has to earn that spot on the roster, but Weatherford is one of the rookies to watch closely throughout camp and the preseason games.
Like Weatherford, Domann had a strong spring after signing with the Colts as an undrafted free agent out of Nebraska. He was one of the top undrafted rookies in the 2022 class and will be competing for the final spot in the linebacker room with four others. Those final two spots after the first four players on the list will be composed of a strong competition that includes Domann.
Forrest Rhyne
An undrafted free agent coming out of Villanova, Rhyne will have a tougher time making the roster. The Colts certainly have some intrigue in him given that they signed him after the draft, but he’ll have to make some loud noise during camp to secure one of the final spots in the room.
James Skalski
Skalski comes from a premier program in Clemson, but he was an older prospect and one that doesn’t boast elite athleticism. He likely profiles more as a two-down thumper with the ability to contribute on special teams. It will be hard for him to make the roster, but there may be a spot on the practice squad for him if he doesn’t make it.
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2022-07-20T01:39:17Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Colts’ 2022 training camp preview: Linebackers
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https://sports.yahoo.com/colts-2022-training-camp-preview-235643549.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/colts-2022-training-camp-preview-235643549.html?src=rss
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Rapoport: Michael Thomas expected to be cleared at some point before 2022 season
NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reports that New Orleans Saints wide receiver Michael Thomas is expected to be cleared at some point before the 2022 NFL season. This game is streaming live on the Yahoo Sports mobile app, or on NFL Network
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2022-07-20T01:39:42Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Rapoport: Michael Thomas expected to be cleared at some point before 2022 season
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https://sports.yahoo.com/rapoport-michael-thomas-expected-cleared-000147623.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/rapoport-michael-thomas-expected-cleared-000147623.html?src=rss
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How teammates learned Joc is perfect Giants fit in first half originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
SAN FRANCISCO -- The Giants-Dodgers rivalry is still intense between the lines and for the fans, but inside the clubhouse, there’s an understanding that business comes first.
President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi came to the Giants after a successful stint as Dodgers general manager, and his hand-picked manager is a man he got to know well while both worked for the rival. Gabe Kapler immediately plucked a hitting coach, Justin Viele, out of the Dodgers' minor league system.
One of Viele’s first projects was Donovan Solano, who went from Triple-A with the Dodgers to Silver Slugger with the Giants. Alex Wood spent five seasons with the Dodgers before signing in San Francisco, and Darin Ruf also has Dodgers ties.
It’s becoming common to see crossover, but Joc Pederson still stands out. At 748 games, he trails only Dusty Baker (1,117) for most games with the Los Angeles Dodgers before making his debut with the San Francisco Giants.
Pederson is from Palo Alto and had already played nearly 100 games against the Giants when he signed a one-year, $6 million deal in March. He knew them well, and he said there have been no real surprises about the organization now that he knows the inner workings.
“It’s a lot of good guys, a really good clubhouse. I love being here,” Pederson said. “It’s a great group of guys, but I think I had a pretty good idea of that just by playing them so much and seeing the culture they did have.”
Pederson has been a huge part of that culture this season, but also the Giants’ best hitter. With 17 homers and .848 OPS, he has made his second All-Star team.
The Giants knew Pederson would crush right-handed pitching, but when they signed him, there was some curiosity about how he would fit. He came with the bat flips and pearls and a general sense of flair that doesn’t often accompany the Orange and Black, but teammates rave about Pederson’s work behind the scenes and in the clubhouse.
Tonight, Pederson will represent the Giants by starting in the All-Star Game. His teammates will be watching, and many spent weeks talking about how they hoped this would happen for a player who has been the perfect fit. Here’s what they said about Pederson’s impact in the first half and what they’ve learned about him after so many years of watching him on the other side:
First baseman Brandon Belt: “Yeah, I thought he was going to be a lot more douchey just from watching him from across the field for so long. I’m kidding, he's been great. He really fits in this clubhouse perfectly. He's a great personality, a good teammate. If you were to go out and build someone to fit in this clubhouse, I think it would probably be him.
“He just kind of fits in perfectly. He's goofy, a little bit, and he likes to have fun, and I think that kind of brings an element to our team that is needed at times, for sure. He keeps it light. I try to do the same thing, but that's just who he is. He likes to have fun and I think that makes other people like to have fun as well.
"And just sitting there talking to him about hitting in general, I think we have a lot of the same philosophies. You know, I like to think of myself as a hitting genius and if he's thinking the same, that means he's a hitting genius as well. But no, he absolutely has a high baseball IQ. He's a really good ballplayer."
President of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi: "Some of this probably just comes from his maturity and investment as a player, but when he first came up in 2015, he was 22 years old [and] I think most of our conversations were banter, joking around, talking about fantasy football. We've had more conversations this year just about the team, what he's seeing, what he thinks we need, what he's seeing around the game. He's really a student of the game in a way that maybe people don't realize because they kind of see his facetious public persona a little bit more.
“That's been fun. He really cares about the game, he cares about this team, he follows things around baseball, the trade market. I mean, a lot of times when we make a move, whether it's a waiver claim [or something else], I get a message from him before we announce anything. I think he's kind of just doing it like, 'I knew before you think I did.'"
Manager Gabe Kapler: “He’s way more thoughtful than he was when he was younger. I think he really understands the way the game works, he understands game strategy very well. He is a pro, in that I think he wants to have a chance to face lefties and play every day, but he’s learned that that might not be best for even him. Even leaving aside what’s best for the team [it’s] getting him off his feet, giving him a little bit of a blow, avoiding the nastiest lefties in the league -- man, I think he really buys into that and gets that and we’re seeing the results of it.
“It’s not to say that he wouldn’t have great numbers if he was in there against [Arizona Diamondbacks' Joe] Mantiply when he came into the game or starting against [Los Angeles’ Julio] Urias or whoever, I just think he understands that part of the reason he’s collected the numbers that he’s collected so far is that he’s been put in a good position to succeed. And he appreciates and buys into that and that goes a long way for a coaching staff.”
Shortstop Brandon Crawford: "I think what you see is what you get with Joc. I had a pretty good idea of how he was just playing against him when he was in L.A. The first time we ever talked off of the field was both of our first All-Star Game in 2015, and he was exactly how you would expect. Nothing has really surprised me.
“I just think he does such a great job of being the same guy no matter what's going on. Obviously he's having a good year so it's easy to be in a good mood, but I think he would be like that no matter how he's doing.”
Hitting coach Justin Viele: "I was in L.A., but I was never really around him, so I didn't know the person, know the baseball player. I just knew that he hit a bunch of homers and took big, aggressive swings. I definitely didn't think he had the IQ on the field and the instincts that he has, and he's just a straight winner. He is obsessed with winning. He makes me want to win more, he makes me want to watch the game a little bit closer and in more detail. He's on everything: Catcher pop times, catchers blocking pitches, outfielders throwing to the right bases. He's on all the little things like that and that's really cool. That just shows you that he's a winner.”
Right-hander John Brebbia: "Playing against him, I came to essentially dislike Joc, purely because my relationship with him was that I had to pitch to him and he's a very good hitter. But he's just this big, nice, happy guy -- that happens to rake. I don't want to say I'm surprised or unsurprised because I never really put any thought to what his personality was like, but it was a really funny perspective for me to get.
“I went from, ‘I hate this guy, I really don't want to deal with this guy, he's a good hitter’ to now I actually know who he is. He's our good hitter now. And I've gotten to know his personality and it's like, 'Oh, yeah he's great.' He's just happy. He's always kind of in a good mood. Sure, he's mad if he gets out and no one likes losing, but he has a steady, positive presence. Whether we're going through good patches or bad patches, he always seems to be the same. From a veteran leadership standpoint, that means a lot."
Outfielder Darin Ruf: “When you played against him he seemed very chill, very Cali, very relaxed, kind of fun, and that's kind of the way he is. The person who you play against is the person you get. He's a very solid teammate, very encouraging. Obviously he's really talented, but I think he has a ton of baseball smarts too.
“He spoke up in one of our hitters meetings recently about the importance of baserunning. Obviously we all know about that, but it was just to highlight that we're not hitting as many homers this year as last year, so we have to focus on the little things to try to score more runs and be more competitive in games.”
Outfielder Austin Slater: "I think what the fans see is a lot of what we see in here. He's very genuine and authentic, so it's just been a ton of fun to play with him. He brings a lot of energy, keeps it light. Sometimes you see that on the field and you're like, 'Maybe they're not the same in the clubhouse,' but he's Joc through and through."
Outfielder LaMonte Wade Jr.: "You always watched him and you always knew that he played a different style of baseball, having fun and stuff like that, and everything that you saw is the same as what we see here. He has a lot of fun, but he also does take the job very seriously and he works hard at it. But he does like to have a lot of fun, which is what you need in the clubhouse.
“He's been a really good teammate, someone who is going to make you laugh but is also a guy that you can pick his brain. He's played for a while and knows what he's doing, so he has some good advice that he shares with a lot of people.”
Catcher Curt Casali: "I remember I played against him in the minor leagues when he was with Chattanooga and I was with Montgomery [in Double-A], and I thought he swung the hardest I had ever seen anybody swing in my entire life. It scared me how hard he swung, so I always wanted to kind of get to know him just because I admired him and how he played.
“He's a pro. He does it in a different way, he wears his uniform a little bit differently, he doesn't own a comb, but he takes the game seriously and I appreciate how he goes about his work. He kind of puts off the vibe of goofball -- and he definitely is -- but he can separate it."
Right-hander Logan Webb: “Personally, I hated facing him. Every time I would either go 3-0 or he would hit the first pitch very hard somewhere. He brings a special vibe to a clubhouse. It’s very unorthodox, obviously, as you can see, he’s got the bleached blonde hair. But for me it’s been cool to see how calm he is all the time. No situation fazes him. We saw that in the playoffs every year, he’s always calm. He’s a big-time player in big-time moments and it’s really cool for me to see every day. It’s fun to watch. Now that I see him in person and I’ve gotten to know him, those big moments in the playoffs make sense.”
Right-hander Alex Cobb: "Obviously he's a pretty big personality within the game and you watch him from afar and see what he's done, and he's always in the spotlight, whether it was Home Run Derbies early on and then the World Series. I have friends in different clubhouses that he's been in, mostly in Atlanta last year, and they've really credited him with changing the culture in the clubhouse and bringing the club together. You don't really understand how that is possible for somebody to have that type of impact and then you get to play with him and you see what type of contagious personality he has.
“In every room he goes into, people are laughing, whether it's with him or at him. He's just a fun personality to be around and just a wonderful teammate. I don't think he gets the credit for how baseball-savvy he is. He understands the game really well. He kind of puts on this big, dumb, hard-hitting, left-fielder [persona] that just swings hard and that's it, but he actually has a really good understanding of baseball smarts and how to play the game.
“What he did in the first half was incredible to watch. It was electric, and it's a huge reason why we're still in the position that we're in and within striking distance."
She hinted at what she was doing instead on her Instagram.
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2022-07-20T01:43:31Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Joc Pederson a perfect Giants fit, teammates learned in first half
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https://sports.yahoo.com/joc-pederson-perfect-giants-fit-071426842.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/joc-pederson-perfect-giants-fit-071426842.html?src=rss
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American baseball catcher
It doesn't look like Jonathan Papelbon will be tuning in to ESPN's new Derek Jeter docuseries.
ESPN released "The Captain," a seven-part documentary covering the life and career of the New York Yankees' legendary shortstop, on Monday night. That's the same documentary ESPN promoted by trolling Red Sox fans with a billboard right outside Fenway Park.
He doubled down with a hilarious photoshop of ESPN's "The Captain" advertisement with former Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek replacing Jeter.
"7 episodes of A-Rod getting his [expletive] kicked," the fake promo reads.
Can’t wait to watch! pic.twitter.com/bTyBKp8afG
Varitek became the Red Sox' captain in Dec. 2004. He and Papelbon were teammates in Boston from 2005-11.
Jeter, named the Yankees' captain in 2003, was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2020.
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2022-07-20T01:43:38Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Jonathan Papelbon trolls ESPN over new Derek Jeter docuseries
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https://sports.yahoo.com/jonathan-papelbon-trolls-espn-over-235900473.html?src=rss
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Pocono Raceway will host the second NASCAR flat track race in as many weeks, but this course does not bear a lot of similarities to New Hampshire Motor Speedway other than the minimal banking. Three distinct corners and lengths of straightaways make this a study in compromise and drivers are rarely happy for two-thirds of their lap.
A little bit of a lot of things can go into the recipe for handicapping this track. Flat courses often behave like road courses and the patience required to ease into the corners is like the intermediate, flat tracks and short, flat tracks, but ultimately it comes down to who has run best on the Tricky Triangle.
With Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s oval configuration no longer on the schedule, Pocono is one of the few tracks that we pretty much handicap on its own and now that this place hosts only a single race, that is going to get increasingly difficult. For now, however, we have a pair of doubleheaders from 2020 and 2021 to consider.
We've said it a few times and eventually will be right: This may be the best opportunity Harvick has to win and get in the playoffs because he has eight top-fives in his last 12 Pocono starts, including a win and second-place finish in 2020. (33)
Elliott is the hottest driver on the circuit right now with four consecutive results of first or second. Pocono has been kind to Hendrick Motorsports (HMS) in the past, but Elliott has only one top-10 in the last two seasons there. (78)
Larson swept the top-10 at Pocono last year and has a fifth from 2019 to give him a three-race streak. He nearly padded his wins total in the Sunday race of 2021 with a second to the No. 18. (25)
Blaney finished on the cusp of fifth in both races of last year's doubleheader. The team knows they need to win and Blaney did just that on this track in 2017, but that is one of only two top-fives there. (67)
In last year's Sunday half of the doubleheader, Hamlin snapped a six-race streak of top-10s at Pocono. A pair of wins in the past three seasons trump that 14th-place finish, however. (4)
Byron started strong last week but faded. He recovered to finish 11th, but that is the 11th time in the last 12 races he's been outside the top-10. (11)
One of Harvick's biggest rivals for the win this week - a win that would advance either of them into playoff consideration - will be his teammate Almirola with a worst of 16th in his last six Pocono starts. (75)
8. Martin Truex, Jr.
Truex has been hard to handicap for the past couple of years. Whenever we forget about him, he finds the right setup and has a dominant day like at New Hampshire. (53)
Logano failed to crack the top 20 in the 2020 doubleheader at Pocono. Last year, he swept the top 10, so we are left to wonder exactly where he will finish this week. (50)
This has not traditionally been a good track for Chastain with a career-best of 24th. In six races there, he's alternated results in the 20s with some in the 30s. He's never had this kind of momentum before, however. (35)
Pocono is a track on which it seems a switch flips and then racers run well for a time. Reddick finished 11th and ninth in last year's doubleheader. (41)
Keselowski earned his first top-10 on an unrestricted oval in 2022 last week in New Hampshire. Pocono is another flat track that could tip the balance in his favor. (18)
Cindric's four-race, top-10 streak ended last week in New Hampshire, but with a 13th-place finish, he now has six consecutive top-15s. (70)
Suarez is gunning for his third straight top-10 and sixth consecutive top-15 this week on a track where he finished 13th and 15th last year. (7)
In his last nine Pocono races, Busch has earned only two top-10s, but one of these was a sixth in the Saturday portion of last year's doubleheader and he's coming off a strong run at New Hampshire. (9)
Wallace had one of his best-ever efforts on an unrestricted oval last week with a third-place finish in New Hampshire. Last year, he finished fourth in one of Pocono's two races. (80)
The pressure is off Bell's shoulders for now, which is great considering that he's been outside the top 15 in his last three Pocono starts. (61)
Dillon has been consistent at Pocono with his last five results ranging between 13th and 21st. That's not great, but given his recent bad luck, he'll take it. (30)
Buescher scored his first, and so far only, win at Pocono in 2016 in a weather-shortened race. He hasn't been in the top-five since, but does have a 10th in the Saturday portion of the 2020 doubleheader. (46)
McDowell has sporadic top-10s on a variety of unrestricted ovals. One of these was a 10th in the Saturday race in 2020. (64)
From the Bristol dirt race through the Coke 600, Bowman scored five top-10s in six starts. He hasn't had another in the last six races. (57)
Three of Stenhouse's last four Pocono attempts ended in the mid-teens, so look for a result in that range. Don't get sucked in if he qualifies well, he's fallen back from top-10 starts in his last three races there. (72)
Haley finished 27th in his only Pocono start last year, so you should probably look at his 2022 record instead. He's been 24th or better in his last six attempts. (22)
It is highly likely that Busch's contract situation is proving to be a distraction for both him and the team. It's rare to see him go 0-5 in terms of top-10s. (15)
Last year was the first time Briscoe raced at Pocono in the senior series. He finished 24th on Saturday and 21st on Sunday to show reasonable strength and remarkable consistency. (27)
Pocono is a quirky track that is hard to learn. In four Truck Series races, however, he's swept the top-10 with a best of fourth in 2020. (86)
Don't be surprised if Jones beats this prediction: Four of his last seven races on this track ended in top-fives and this is a drivers' track where technique is a big part of the equation. (38)
Custer got off to a relatively strong start on this track with a 16th and 17th in 2020's doubleheader. Last year he was outside the top 20 in both starts. (88)
If one drops out the pack racing lottery finish of 10th at Atlanta, Burton has been in the mid-20s since Gateway - and that still shows a lot of improvement for this rookie driver. (44)
If LaJoie avoids trouble on Sunday, he should finish in the mid-20s. Four of his last five Pocono attempts landed between 21st and 26th. (82)
Last week did not go very well for Dillon and he is riding a two-race streak of finishes outside the top 25. In 10 Pocono starts, he's beaten that mark seven times. (84)
Ware was respectable in last year's races with a 25th on Saturday and 28th on Sunday. This is a track on which he can find clean air and work on his race craft. (90)
Gragson gets a second opportunity to race in the Cup Series, but since this will be his first attempt on a flat track, it may be best to wait and see how he performs in practice before making a wager. (73)
34. JJ Yeley
Yeley was not entered in last year's Pocono doubleheader, but he was on the cusp of 30th in both 2020 races. That is the ballpark he'll play in this week. (89)
It may take some attrition, but McLeod is capable of finishing in the top 30 for the M&Ms 400 this year. In the 2021 doubleheader he scored a 29th and a 30th. (87)
In five starts on this track, Bilicki has not yet cracked the top 30. He came closest in the first race of the 2020 doubleheader. (85)
Cheat Sheet: Enjoy Illinois 300 [Gateway]
Ambetter 301 [New Hampshire]
Ruoff Mortgage 500k [Phoenix 1]
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2022-07-20T02:52:58Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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M&Ms 400 Cheat Sheet
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https://sports.yahoo.com/m-ms-400-cheat-sheet-001734990.html?src=rss
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(via @19problemz/Instagram)
There was more good news on the Deebo Samuel front via the wide receiver’s Instagram feed Tuesday. Samuel posted a story on Instagram from the arrival gate at San Francisco International Airport. The 49ers report for camp Tuesday, July 26.
Samuel still doesn’t have a long-term contract worked out, and his arrival in the Bay doesn’t necessarily guarantee he’s heading to Santa Clara for training camp. Nor does it guarantee he’s going to hammer out a contract.
However, the fact he’s in the Bay Area seven days before camp is definitely encouraging. He stands to lose money if he starts missing camp days so it would behoove him to at least show up and participate on a limited basis the way he did for mandatory minicamp.
This is the time the 49ers like to get their long-term contracts done though so the date of Samuel’s arrival in San Francisco isn’t insignificant. It at least points toward things moving in the right direction. With a slew of other things indicating that the frost between Samuel and the 49ers is thawing, it’s hard not to view his presence in the Bay Area as a positive for the club.
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2022-07-20T03:14:41Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Deebo Samuel back in Bay Area 1 week before training camp
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https://sports.yahoo.com/deebo-samuel-back-bay-area-024949900.html?src=rss
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Mark Andrews ranked No. 3 among NFL tight ends by Touchdown Wire
It’s always been mindboggling how the NFL let Mark Andrews slip into the third round of the 2018 NFL draft. Equally as mindboggling is that the Baltimore Ravens took a tight end in the first round that wasn’t Mark Andrews.
The Ravens selected Hayden Hurst No. 25 overall in the 2018 NFL draft, 61 spots ahead of where they took Andrews in the third round at No. 86 overall. Just goes to show that player evaluation is never an exact science and teams miss all the time.
In their careers, Andrews has 138 more receptions, 2,162 more yards, and 17H more touchdowns than Hurst in their four years. Hurst has been solid since leaving the Ravens but is now on his third team, joining Super Boal runner-up Cincinnati. Andrews, however, is on a big-time contract with his original team and is considered one of the best tight ends in the NFL. Mark Schofield had Mark Andrews at No. 3 in Touchdown Wire’s top 12 tight ends in the NFL heading into 2022.
Were it not for the presence of the next two players on our list, Baltimore Ravens tight end Mark Andrews might be the most important — and best — tight end in the game. Andrews handles a number of roles in the Baltimore offense, from being perhaps the focal point of their passing game as well as a key contributor to their diverse running schemes. – Schofield, Touchdown Wire
Finding a good to great tight end in the NFL has become almost as difficult as finding a great quarterback. With teams becoming so pass-oriented at all levels of football, the dual-threat tight end, someone who can block and catch with equal effectiveness, is becoming increasingly scarce.
Though he plays tight end, Mark Andrews is the No. 1 target in the Baltimore Ravens passing attack for quarterback Lamar Jackson. Andrews led the Ravens in targets, receptions, yards, and touchdowns in 2021, and the player that was No. 2 on the team, Marquise Brown, was traded to Arizona this spring. There’s an expectation that Rashod Bateman will take a step forward in his second season, but the ball will continue to go to Mark Andrews regularly.
Andrews comes in behind Travis Kelce and George Kittle, the two guys that have been considered the best tight ends in the NFL for several years now. But with how good Andrews was last year, he’s on the verge of joining Kelce and Kittle in the top tier of tight ends in the NFL.
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2022-07-20T03:14:48Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Mark Andrews ranked No. 3 among NFL tight ends by Touchdown Wire
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https://sports.yahoo.com/mark-andrews-ranked-no-3-013652671.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/mark-andrews-ranked-no-3-013652671.html?src=rss
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How to Watch the Women’s 400m hurdles at 2022 World Track and Field Championships originally appeared on NBCSports.com
Amazon has unveiled the official trailer for its highly anticipated Prime Video U.K. docuseries “All or Nothing: Arsenal.” The series, which tells the inside story of the British football club’s rollercoaster 2021/22 season, will launch on Prime Video on Aug. 4 in more than 240 countries and territories. Episodes 1-3 will launched Aug. 4, and […]
2022 World Track and Field Champs: Venezuela's Yulimar Rojas leapt to her third straight triple jump title on Monday night, while Tori Franklin ended a U.S. drought by claiming bronze.
Red Sox ace Chris Sale undergoes surgery on broken pinkie
Red Sox pitcher Chris Sale underwent successful surgery on his left pinkie, the team said Monday.
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2022-07-20T03:19:27Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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How to Watch the Women’s 400m hurdles at 2022 World Track and Field Championships
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https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-women-400m-hurdles-2022-155108345.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/watch-women-400m-hurdles-2022-155108345.html?src=rss
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Anybody who pays much attention to the NFL already knows that the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have one of the league’s best linebacker tandems in Lavonte David and Devin White.
That fact was reinforced Tuesday when EA Sports released more of their player ratings for this year’s “Madden NFL 23” video game, with both David and White making their top-10 list at linebacker.
David’s overall rating of 92 makes him the third-best linebacker in this year’s game, while Devin White took the No. 10 spot with a rating of 85.
This year’s edition of “Madden” is set to release on August 19th.
Eminem’s daughter, Hailie Jade, along with her best friend since second grade, Brittany Ednie,...
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2022-07-20T04:50:24Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Bucs’ Lavonte David, Devin White among top 10 linebackers in ‘Madden NFL 23’
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https://sports.yahoo.com/bucs-lavonte-david-devin-white-031645560.html?src=rss
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However, when listing out 10 NFL records that he believes could be broken during the 2022 season, Bryan DeArdo of CBS Sports mentioned the current longest field goal in NFL history by Tucker. However, he mentions that the record could be broken by Tucker himself, saying that there’s no reason to doubt that Baltimore’s kicker could attempt a 67-yarder.
“The Ravens’ All-Pro kicker hit a 66-yarder last year, so there’s no reason to doubt that Tucker would try a 67-yarder if the opportunity presents itself this season. Tucker, a rookie when the Ravens won the 2012 Super Bowl, is coming off arguably his best season to date. He made nearly 95% of his field goals last year, included making each of his six kicks that were at least 50 yards.”
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2022-07-20T04:50:30Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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CBS Sports believes NFL record held by Ravens K Justin Tucker could fall in 2022
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https://sports.yahoo.com/cbs-sports-believes-nfl-record-035543459.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/cbs-sports-believes-nfl-record-035543459.html?src=rss
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After one of Baltimore’s mandatory minicamp practices, Baltimore cornerback Marlon Humphrey was asked about if he felt weighed down because it felt like he had to do more to make up for some of the injuries that the team suffered on defense. He said that wasn’t the case, and praised the Ravens’ fighting spirit to win throughout the last few games of the year.
“No. I think we were definitely fighting a lot last year. Even the games [where] it seemed like we won, we were really always on our heels it seemed like. But, I didn’t feel anything substantial. I think the injuries eventually did catch up to us. But, I think … even to the last game I felt – I wasn’t out there – but I felt like the guys were still fighting to win that game whether we made it into the playoffs or not. But to answer your question, I didn’t feel anything significant.”
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2022-07-20T04:50:49Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Ravens CB Marlon Humphrey discusses team’s injuries during 2021 season
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https://sports.yahoo.com/ravens-cb-marlon-humphrey-discusses-035934177.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/ravens-cb-marlon-humphrey-discusses-035934177.html?src=rss
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Report: Jimmy Garoppolo will be fully cleared in the middle of August originally appeared on Pro Football Talk
The 117th edition of the El Paso County Fair will run through this Saturday, July 23. It’s happening in the small town of Calhan, where less than 1,000 people live, but the fair itself brings in more than 25,000 people every year. Those people are coming from cities like the Springs, or from other small, rural communities nearby.
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2022-07-20T04:51:02Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Report: Jimmy Garoppolo will be fully cleared in the middle of August
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https://sports.yahoo.com/report-jimmy-garoppolo-fully-cleared-034329230.html?src=rss
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The rookies are back and ready to take action as they arrive to the Under Armour Performance Center for the start of training camp. pic.twitter.com/3qQ4EEaR04
NFL training camps are starting to kick off across the league, with rookies reporting for their first opportunity to earn a roster spot at the pro level.
The Baltimore Ravens have long been regarded as one of the league’s best front offices, and they proved worthy of that consideration yet again this offseason, landing one of the most promising groups of rookies from the 2022 NFL draft.
Watch the video above to see the Ravens’ rookies report for training camp to prepare for the 2022 season.
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2022-07-20T04:51:08Z
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WATCH: Ravens rookies report for 1st NFL training camp
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The All-Star Game showcased what baseball has become — home runs, strikeouts and offense-killing shifts. The National League didn’t have a hit between the first and eighth innings of Tuesday night’s 3-2 loss, its ninth in a row. There were 22 strikeouts, including the final three batters on 10 pitches by the American League's Emmanuel Clase in a game that lasted 3 hours, 11 minutes despite just 13 hits, five walks, two hit batters and one runner reaching on a error.
Waffle fries, horchata ice cream, pickle snacks, a fan-favorite sunscreen, the list goes on...View Entire Post ›
Bruce Willis Revisits Famous 'Die Hard' Location to Celebrate Film's 34th Anniversary
Bruce Willis returned to the top of the building that served as Nakatomi Plaza in "Die Hard" to celebrate the 34th anniversary of the film's release.
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2022-07-20T04:51:33Z
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Giancarlo Stanton, Byron Buxton power American League to ninth straight All-Star Game win
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For months, athletics fans have been anticipating the men's 400 meter hurdles at the World Championships, believing it would be another showdown between Norway's Karsten Warholm and American Rai Benjamin. At the Tokyo Olympics last year, Warholm broke the world record to win gold with Benjamin winning silver in a time that also broke the world record.
As Warholm dealt with injury over the past year and Benjamin missed three weeks of training this spring due to COVID-19, Brazil's Alison Dos Santos, the bronze medalist from Tokyo, put together a stellar season on the Diamond League circuit.
In the penultimate track event of Tuesday night, Jake Wightman of Great Britain pulled off a stunning win in the men's 1500 meters in 3:29.23
Two other medals were awarded Tuesday night: Australia's Eleanor Patterson won women's high jump with a clearance of 2.02 meters (6 feet, 7.5 inches), and Slovenia's Kristjan Čeh won men's discus with a best effort of 71.13 meters (233-4.5).
Former Vice President Mike Pence has endorsed Arizona GOP gubernatorial candidate Karrin Taylor Robson, putting him at odds with former President Donald Trump.
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2022-07-20T06:21:41Z
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Alison Dos Santos outduels Americans in 400 hurdles
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“There's so many guys that somebody else will say from the outside, ‘Oh you’re just a power hitter.’ I feel like I don't gotta limit myself to what you want me to be.”
Seattle Mariners rookie Julio Rodriguez caught everyone's attention at MLB's All-Star Game festivities. (AP Photo/Jae C. Hong )
Soto won the Derby — and the rumors surrounding his uncertain future won the news cycle — but Rodríguez won the night. (He also, self-reported, used to regularly beat Soto at "Call of Duty." “If he says that he was better than me, he’s lying.”)
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2022-07-20T06:22:00Z
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What you'll remember about the 2022 MLB All-Star Game? A star was born, and his name is Julio Rodriguez
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There is a popular misconception that basketball before the modern era was slow, unwatchable and played by non-athletes with little skill.
Perhaps at least some of that was true before the start of the shot clock era in 1954, but by the time the Boston Celtics rose to dominance in the late 1950s, that was anything but the case — and not just with the Celtics.
Boston more than any team in the late ’50s and 1960s popularized a fast-paced, athletic version of the sport that would leave many modern players gasping for air. And that was why the Celtics — particularly Olympic athlete Bill Russell — played such a style.
Eventually, the rest of the league caught on and stole their thunder as is so often the case. But don’t let those who are speaking out of ignorance tell you the game was soft, slow or unskilled.
As evidence, we humbly submit this frame-corrected and colorized version of Bill Russell and his Celtics putting the hurt on opponents at high speed, and with all the flashy passes, deft shots and complex plays you would expect to see today, courtesy of Foobas Sports.
Our Tom E. Curran continues his summer project with the unveiling of Nos. 40-31 of his subjective ranking of the Top 50 athletes in Boston sports over the past 50 years. Where does Patriot legend Steve Grogan fall on the list?
Police announced the arrest of a stabbing suspect at the San Francisco International Airport on Tuesday, four days after a bomb threat evacuation.
The U.S. Senate on Tuesday confirmed the nomination of South Carolina jurist Michelle Childs — recently under consideration for a slot on the U.S. Supreme Court — to sit on the federal court typically seen as a proving ground for the nation’s highest bench. Senators, including a number of Republicans, voted 64 to 34 to approve Childs’ nomination to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. The Senate Judiciary Committee voted 17-5 earlier this year to advance her nomination.
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2022-07-20T07:52:57Z
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Bill Russell’s Boston Celtics were anything but slow and unskilled — and we have the proof
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The Guardians' three representatives in Tuesday night's MLB All-Star Game — third baseman Jose Ramirez, second baseman Andres Gimenez and closer Emmanuel Clase — all played a role in the American League's 3-2 win.
Here's a rundown of everything Ramirez, Gimenez and Clase did in the All-Star Game.
Once-prominent and now-disbarred South Carolina attorney Alex Murdaugh is briefly leaving jail Wednesday for a bond hearing on murder charge s in the shootings of his wife and son 13 months ago. Murdaugh has been behind bars since October, charged with financial crimes and several other misdeeds that were uncovered after the killings of his wife Maggie, 52, and their 22-year-old son, Paul, at the family's Colleton County hunting estate in June 2021. Murdaugh, 54, was indicted last week on two counts of murder and two counts of possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
The Ohio State shortstop is heading to Houston as the No. 373 overall pick in the 2022 MLB draft.
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2022-07-20T10:55:24Z
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2022 MLB All-Star Game: How Andres Gimenez, Jose Ramirez, Emmanuel Clase fared
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WEST PALM BEACH — About 18 months ago, Greg Norman sold his home on Jupiter Island and ranch in northwest Colorado and was headed back to his native Australia.
That's when he was presented with a business model for a new golf league.
Norman then took a few months to look it over, tweak it, and decided he was not leaving the United States. The only problem ...
"My wife Kiki said to me, 'You know we're homeless,'" he said.
So Norman got on Zillow and looked at homes in Old Palm in Palm Beach Gardens.
"We walk around the house, my wife is walking around like this," Norman said giving a thumbs up sign. "I said to the owner 'How much do you want for the house?' I offered him more than his asking price. I said, 'Close the deal. Close it right now. Cash.' "
Minutes later Norman was on the steps of his private plane, headed to Colorado, negotiating the final deal. He paid $12.2 million for his new home after pocketing $55.1 million for the Jupiter Island home and $52 million for the ranch in Meeker, Colo.
"It's crazy, you can't make this s--- up," he said.
Recent: Greg Norman on DOJ investigating PGA Tour: 'A testament to (the Tour's) stupidity'
More Coverage: 'It was very petty': Greg Norman excluded from Open Championship events
Looking Ahead: LIV Golf eyes 2023 with 14 events and a new name
Tiger on Greg Norman: Tiger Woods agrees with decision to not invite Greg Norman to Open Championship because of LIV Golf
Norman, who successfully developed golf courses around the world after a Hall of Fame playing career in which he won more than 90 tournaments worldwide, including two Open Championships, is now on a new adventure — the controversial LIV Golf Series.
The office, though, is temporary. Norman has reserved about 30,000 square feet of space in a building being built adjacent to the one LIV is in now. He envisions it becoming LIV's main headquarters with 216 employees.
Along with the vision — and the view — has come the backlash for being the CEO of a league not only challenging the PGA Tour but one financially backed by Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund.
This week, I sat down with Norman for an exclusive interview about the controversial series and covered topics ranging from the politics of LIV Golf and its future, to the backlash from the PGA Tour and its players to Norman's own legacy.
Here is our Q&A with Norman:
Building LIV Golf
Q: When did you first think about starting a new league?
A: In 1994, '95 I wanted to start one because I knew being a global player at that time golf had an opportunity. There was virgin space sitting there available for the players to have an equity stake in growing another tour for their own right. I always fought for players' independent rights for decades.
Kerry Packer in Australia was one of my best friends. I saw what Kerry did for cricket and thought, 'My God, if he can do that for cricket, look at where it is today with franchise values in India in the billions of dollars for team cricket.' So I got a lot of this education and foresight very early on in my career and I knew I could move the needle because of my playing ability and my personality.
Q: Was recruiting players to join LIV easier or more difficult than you envisioned?
A: I thought it wasn't either one. It wasn't difficult because once you sat down with the players, walking through the business model and seeing the opportunity from a franchise perspective, looking into the future was easy. Getting them to understand the business model and their agents was the difficult part. Once they grasped hold of it, done. Bingo.
Q: Was the PGA Tour ripe for someone to come along and start a rival tour?
A: 100 percent. They rested on their laurels thinking they're the only game in town, they're the monopolist, they can control the game and this is the way it's going to be. From a player's perspective I've always said the Tour works for us, we don't work for the Tour. And I was in the minority with that voice.
Q: Did you envision this level of backlash from the Tour?
A: I knew their game plan before it even started because of what happened in '94 and '95. Obviously the game is a little different because of the financial backer we have, because of the players looking at it in a different prism, the fans are looking at it in a different prism. I think the PGA Tour, I actually feel sorry for them because they've really hurt themselves by the rhetoric they've been spreading.
I've taken the high road. OK, you want to say these stupid things, go right ahead. Our business model has stood up to the players and they absolutely love it. Our product has stood up to the players and the fans and they absolutely love it.
Q: Your reaction to the Department of Justice investigating whether the PGA Tour engaged in anticompetitive behavior in the fight with LIV Golf?
A: They brought it on themselves. We haven't done anything other than putting together a business model and giving independent contractors a right to earn a living doing something else, as well as still being a member of the PGA Tour. The entire business model from the ground up was built to coexist within the ecosystem of golf, coexist within the majors, coexist with the DP World Tour, coexist with the PGA Tour. Allowing the players to play here and play there.
That is a testament to their stupidity, quite honestly. Instead of sitting down and taking a phone call from us and just say, 'hey, work this out. We can do it.' It's an easy fix it's ridiculous.
PORTLAND, OREGON - JUNE 28: Pat Perez, Talor Gooch, Greg Norman, CEO and commissioner of LIV Golf, Team Captain Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed of 4 Aces GC smile during the LIV Golf Invitational - Portland Welcome Party at Redd on June 28, 2022 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via Getty Images)
Professional team golf
Q: Where did the team aspect come from?
A: We did a 12-month survey on a global basis, "What do the fans want?" Part of that survey was me going to the Ryder Cup and seeing that fan engagement from a team perspective and I said, 'This is what it's all about. This is what we got to do.' Right there and then I knew it. The fan survey came back saying that we want to see more team golf.
The players want the individual side from a competitive standpoint, we need that. But how do you integrate and bring in more fan engagement, you create the team side. How do you create a team? You bring in a principal player, give them a franchise to build themselves. The league owns 75 percent and they own 25 percent. A healthy team, a healthy league, no different then any other league, NFL, NBA, cricket. We're going to monitor and help them build their team value.
Q: So the ultimate goal is for 12 teams to run themselves, do their own marketing, sell their own sponsorships?
A: Yeah, absolutely. (It's the principal player's) responsibility to manage that team. You have to bring in the people. You have to bring in the management. We'll oversee that and we'll help. And that's how you build this value. The number of players that are principal players today that are excited about the opportunity is just incredible. To see them engaging with our internal team is infectious.
Now when you see Carlos Ortiz holing a 40 footer (in Portland) and the team members erupting and making more money than they've ever made in one tournament, that's what it's all about. ... And wives and significant others coming up to me and saying, 'I've never seen my husband so happy.' This is the stuff these people don't see or hear.
Q: How confident are you that you'll be able to sell these teams?
A: I'm very confident. Understanding that it's never been done before in golf and understanding the popularity of golf on a global basis and understanding the virgin space sitting there and the lost opportunities the PGA Tour hasn't taken control of ... I think the chances of ultimate success are very high. The fans are embracing it after six rounds of golf, the energy level within is enough to say I'm very, very confident it's going to be an easy product to get out there.
'Firestorm' of controversy
Q: Your reaction to the players who have been outspoken against LIV?
A: Shame on (those) who create this firestorm of controversy when you look within their own system when they got 23 odd sponsors who do $40-plus billion dollars of business with Saudi Arabia. C'mon, seriously? If you're going to go down this path just be ready to accept you're going to get some stuff coming back your way. And it's not hard to find it.
Billy Horschel made this comment about the hypocrisy of the (LIV) players. I'm sorry for Billy for saying that because I've sat down with Billy Horschel, I've talked to him ... just be true to yourself when you're making those comments. Because he has seen what LIV is all about.
Q: So with the money coming from Saudi Arabia you knew there would be backlash?
A: Let's just take Saudi money away from it, it was going to happen irrespective because you're going up against a monopolist. If it was a hedge fund out of New York, would it be any different? Maybe, because it was U.S. money. I can't answer that question because it's not the case. But I will say, the business model, because it's disrupting a monopolist, it would have happened.
Q: Did you ever hesitate one bit because of where the money is coming from?
A: Me, no. Why? Because I've been to Saudi Arabia. I've been building golf courses in Saudi Arabia. I was part of the internal change in their culture to some small, small degree because golf is a force for good on a global basis.
When I see the good the game of golf is doing within the country, it's no different than Vietnam. Pick a country where I've built a golf course I can tell you point blank the value golf has brought to that country. We are building multiple golf courses in Vietnam. Vietnam is a third-world communist country. Vietnam recognizes golf and its free market capitalism has been a godsend to them. It's just exploded in that country and created a 6-to-1 tourism dollar improvement. And Saudi Arabia is doing the same thing, using the game of golf as a force for good to open their country up to tourism.
It's just insanity to me people sit back and try to hurt the development of the game of golf though political or whatever reasons. It just disappoints me so much because I see the true value of what golf has done on a global basis.
Q: What was your reaction when Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee called for your removal from the World Golf Hall of Fame?
A: I find it laughable. Has Brandel Chamblee ever been to Saudi Arabia? Has he ever built a golf course in a third world country? He's a paid talking bobblehead. That's all he is. He's got my phone number. He's never picked up a phone and asked me a question. Sadly, you're making yourself look like a jerk. It's like water off a duck's back to me.
LIV-ing in the pro golf ecosystem
Q: Do you believe LIV golfers will earn World Golf Ranking points?
A: We have abided by all the technical rules committee's requests. We checked all the boxes. Our strength of field is there. The criteria for the ask is there. I hope as an independent organization they remain independent for benefit of growing the game of golf. They've done it for other tours.
NORTH PLAINS, OREGON - JUNE 27: A general view of signage during a practice round prior to the LIV Golf Invitational - Portland at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club on June 27, 2022 in North Plains, Oregon. (Photo by Steve Dykes/LIV Golf/via Getty Images)
Q: Two events in, has it exceeded your expectations?
A: Going into Centurion, my expectation was, OK, we're not really in London, we're at a golf course. Was it a great recognized golf course? Not really. How are we going to be received? We were received really well. So I would give London on a scale of 1 to 10, I'd give it a 7.5.
Then we're getting ready for Portland and we're all very nervous about Portland because of the Oregonian attitude toward Saudis. The elephant in the room, right? We had letters from the 11 mayors against us. From our CSR (corporate social responsibility) we got rejection, rejection, rejection. OK, this is going to be an interesting week.
We go in there expecting the worst and it turned out to be 11 out of 10 because the fans spoke. It was about the game of golf. It wasn't about Saudi money. It was about Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson. Portland, the northwest, was starved for golf. It was a resounding success. I walked three holes every day with the fans. I'm signing autographs and I'm going, 'Oh my gosh, this is real.'
Q: Do you need a stronger field than two in the top 20 and about 20 of the top 100?
A: We have more announcements coming. Out of respect to The Open we're not going to make any announcement this week.
Q: Where do you stand on players?
A: We've closed the shop (with 48 players). We're closed going into 2023.
Q: If a player in the top 10 approaches you in December what will you do?
A: That is a great problem to have and we will discuss it internally to figure out what needs to be done if anything. I've always respected and honored the first movers and I'm not going to disrupt them.
Future of LIV Golf
Q: Can you ever see a merger with the PGA Tour like we saw with the AFL and NFL, or the ABA and the NBA?
A: 100 percent I do. (PGA Tour commissioner) Jay Monahan, if he had the decency to take our meetings right from the get-go none of this stuff would be in place today. The game of golf would be in a much better place. The Tour would be in a much better place. European golf would be in a much better place.
In the world of business if you got a competitor coming to challenge you, understand what your competitor's got by sitting down and signing an NDA, having a conversation and see (what) works for us.
It just baffles me they haven't even had the decency to do it. We opened the door for them a couple of times and they didn't want to come in.
Q: Are you worried this will tarnish your image?
A: I answer that this way, unless you truly understand the business model and the good LIV is going to do for the game of golf, then don't even bring that up. Maybe my legacy had always meant to be this. My legacy on the golf course was: I love to play the game of golf, I could put bums on seats, I could hit a white golf ball from point A to point B better than most. And I was proud of doing it.
Maybe the lost opportunity in the game of golf has been brought to another place because of my vision, my belief, my commitment. And it's not just me — I have executives from all around the world, they're not involved with sports but they're the smartest business people I've ever been around — it's just because I'm the CEO. I'm extremely proud of it. It doesn't bother me how people have their opinions because they don't know the facts.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Greg Norman on LIV Golf, PGA Tour 'firestorm,' more in exclusive Q&A
Bob Baffert returns to the Haskell, which he's won nine times, after a 90-day suspension for an equine Kentucky Derby positive drug test.
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Exclusive Q&A: Greg Norman's vision for LIV Golf, PGA Tour players creating 'firestorm of controversy,' and more
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MLB All-Star Game: MVP winners, trophy, prizes originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
It’s baseball fans’ favorite time of summer: The 2022 MLB All-Star Game is here, promising a spectacle with some of the greatest baseball players of today. This year’s managers will be the Atlanta Braves’ Brian Snitker and Dusty Baker of the Houston Astros, re-creating last season’s World Series match-up (as is customary) when the Braves beat the Astros. Looking to watch the MLB All-Star Game live this year? Read on for everything you need to know about the Midsummer Classic, including TV broadc
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2022-07-20T12:09:37Z
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MLB All-Star Game: MVP winners, trophy, prizes
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Alex Zietlow
The NASCAR Cup Series will visit Chicago next year — and it’ll make history when it does.
“This is a top-three market for us, worldwide frankly, for NASCAR fans,” Ben Kennedy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing development and strategy, told reporters with a cluster of Chicago skyscrapers behind him. “It was important from that perspective. Certainly the city’s support has been fantastic. For us to be able to do our very first street race in downtown Chicago is just going to be a spectacle for fans to see.”
Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota cars are on display in Chicago on Tuesday ahead of the announcement of the NASCAR street race coming to the city in 2023.
“Listen, when we did the esports (event), it was like a love letter to the city of Chicago,” Chicago mayor Lori Lightfoot told reporters on Tuesday. “So why not take advantage of the opportunity to break through the noise and let a worldwide audience see the beauty and splendor of our city from the perspective of a NASCAR race?”
Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace said that making a bold move like this is important to the future of NASCAR.
“It’s exciting,” Wallace said. “I think as Mayor Lightfoot said earlier, being in this city, bringing NASCAR to this demographic, we talk about how representation matters, and I think exposing this sport to this area, downtown, with so much to do around while the race is going on is super important.”
He continued: “You’re going to get that next Bubba Wallace that’s sitting in the stands like I was when I was nine years old to be like, ‘Hey, I want to do this one day, but I want to be better.’ And I’m going to tell them, good luck.”
Interest among Americans in F1 has boomed in recent years. The race series, which for decades has been a worldwide phenomenon, is among the fastest growing sports in the U.S.
Some of that hype is thanks to a wildly popular Netflix documentary on F1 racing that first aired in 2019, Drive to Survive. Some of that is because ESPN re-picked up the sport on its networks in 2018. (Per Yahoo, ESPN’s networks averaged 930,000 viewers for F1 races in 2021 after scoring an average audience of 608,000 viewers in 2020. It notched more U.S. viewers ages 18-49 than NASCAR’s race at Darlington in May.)
But a lot of the success F1 has enjoyed comes from the sport itself, what with how open-wheeled cars zoom around street courses and do so in bustling metropolises filled with young people. And it appears that NASCAR is trying to emulate that in its own way.
“I’d say of all the changes, this is our boldest change in the schedule,” Kennedy said. “We’ve said, and it’s been pretty synonymous when we announce the schedules, that we want to be bold and innovative and we think about new venues and new concepts that we’re going to. This is No. 1 on the list for us right now, and it’s certainly going to be the most anticipated event of our season and one of the biggest sport events in our country in 2023.”
NASCAR Chicago Street Race Course
NASCAR’s proposed course for its street race in Chicago next year.
In a series that has competition cautions, dominance looks different and it was Tony Stewart's ability to restart that handed him a third SRX dirt track win in as many starts.
Leah Pruett earned her first Top Fuel victory for Tony Stewart Racing, the NHRA team owned by her husband. Pruett won the Mile High Nationals.
UAE Team Emirates reduced to four after Rafal Majka abandons Emotional Hugo Houle dedicates stage win to late brother Remaining list of teams and riders after 16 Tour stages Daily stage profiles, timings and how to follow on TV WorldTour: Men's team-by-team guide to the season
Porsche faces uphill drive to share listing
STORY: Porsche is driving towards a share listing.But Reuters sources say it may have to accept a big discount.Initial expectations had been high.Some valued the luxury car maker at almost $82 billion.But now people involved say a big markdown may be needed to ensure a successful debut for the shares.That’s partly just down to timing, with the listing coming amid war, recession worries and energy shortages.One said Porsche might now have to settle for around $60 billion as a result.This week the Volkswagen-owned brand outlined its business plans to investors.Executives said the firm was “financially resilient” and well-prepared for whatever happens next.But some investors have their doubts.One top-20 VW shareholder told Reuters it wasn’t keen on the IPO plan.That’s because only a small amount of stock will be sold, giving shareholders little influence.Porsche is pressing ahead though.It’s thought the IPO could be set for around the end of the third quarter.A lot is riding on it for the firm.It wants 80% of its sales to be electric cars by 2030, and that requires billions of euros of investment in new vehicles.A discounted share sale wasn’t what Porsche had in mind at all.
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2022-07-20T12:09:44Z
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NASCAR sets a date with history in Chicago for first street race. Here’s the course
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Cup Series will not return to Road America in 2023 NASCAR waves green flag on 2023 Chicago street race NASCAR Power Rankings: Chase Elliott remains No. 1
Toyota, JGR make contingency plans while still trying to sign Kyle Busch originally appeared on NBCSports.com
The Sarajevo Film Festival has set Ruben Östlund’s Triangle Of Sadness as its opening night film for its 28th edition, which kicks off on August 12. The film was the winner of the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival in May. Swedish director Östlund, who was president of Sarajevo’s Jury Competition program a few […]
Tennessee will play Colorado in Nashville.
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2022-07-20T12:09:50Z
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Toyota, JGR make contingency plans while still trying to sign Kyle Busch
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American League outfielder Giancarlo Stanton celebrates after being named Ted Williams most valuable player.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Giancarlo Stanton wins MLB All-Star Game MVP in hometown Los Angeles
Yankees slugger Giancarlo Stanton and Minnesota's Byron Buxton hit back-to-back home runs to key the American League's 3-2 victory in the 92nd Major League Baseball All-Star Game on Tuesday.
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2022-07-20T12:26:54Z
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Hollywood moment: Giancarlo Stanton wins MLB All-Star Game MVP in hometown Los Angeles
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https://sports.yahoo.com/hollywood-moment-giancarlo-stanton-wins-061758684.html?src=rss
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How comfortable are you feeling about your MLB preseason win total bets? Lots of teams across baseball have records at the All-Star break that are in line with their BetMGM win totals. But there are also a number of teams who are clearly heading toward either the over or the under. If you have an over bet on a team like the Yankees or an under bet on a team like the Angels, don't start counting your money just yet. But you should be very confident your bet will hit.
Teams streaking toward the over
Preseason win total: 91.5
The best team in baseball is easily on its way to an over in 2022. The Yankees are the only team in baseball with more than 60 wins at the All-Star break and is also the only team in baseball sniffing a .700 winning percentage. New York also has the best run differential in baseball (+199), has an MVP candidate in the outfield in Aaron Judge and no starting pitcher with an ERA over 4.00.
The Yankees and Aaron Judge had one of the highest MLB win totals before the season and are still set to easily hit the over. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
The Orioles are proof of how tough the AL East is right now. Baltimore finished the first half of the season on a heater and is still in last place despite having a .500 record. If you held an Orioles over ticket, you’re still extremely happy. Baltimore needs to win just 17 more games after the All-Star break to cash that bet. That should be easily doable, even if the Orioles can’t get out of the East cellar.
The hottest team in baseball is still nine games back of the AL West lead. But it’s a fun time to be a Mariners fan right now. Seattle hasn’t lost since July 1 when it fell 3-1 to Oakland to drop to 37-42 on the season. The Mariners have won 15 straight since that game and are in position to make the playoffs and hit their over total in 2022. Seattle needs to go 34-35 over its final 69 games to hit the over.
Mets fans are probably apprehensive that their team is appearing in this column. But New York needs to win just 31 of its final 69 games to hit the over. That should happen, right? Like the Yankees, the Mets have been powered by a fantastic pitching staff. And unlike the Yankees, the Mets haven’t gotten a lot from their two best pitchers so far. Max Scherzer has thrown just 69 innings while while Jacob DeGrom hasn’t thrown an inning yet.
The Twins entered the All-Star break with a two-game lead in the AL Central and needing to go 32-36 over the rest of the season to hit the over. With a schedule that includes a lot of its disappointing Central foes in August and September, that should be a doable achievement.
Teams barreling toward the under
Los Angeles is more than 20 games outside the division lead and has already made a managerial change this year. The move from Joe Maddon to Phil Nevin hasn’t worked. The Angels were 27-29 with Maddon and are 12-24 under Nevin. The Angels are poised to yet again waste a season with both Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani on the roster. What a disaster.
The Angels are way below .500 despite having both Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani. (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
The under was in play for the Reds before May began. Cincinnati went 3-18 over the first month of the season and lost four more games before finally winning its fourth game of the season. Cincy is a game out of fourth place in the NL Central thanks to the Cubs’ incompetence, but it’s going to take a miraculous second-half surge to sniff the over.
White Sox manager Tony La Russa has baffled players and fans with a few of his intentional walk decisions this year as he manages one of the most disappointing teams in baseball. The White Sox are .500 despite Dylan Cease’s 150 strikeouts in 104.2 innings and another good season from rock-solid 1B Jose Abreu.
The Royals entered the 2022 season as a team that could flirt with .500 if its young pitching talent took a step forward. The opposite has happened. The Royals can’t pitch, aren’t very good at hitting the ball either and became the laughingstock of baseball over the last week after 10 players couldn’t play in Toronto because they weren’t vaccinated.
Washington had the fifth-lowest win total ahead of the season and entered the All-Star break with the fewest wins of any team in baseball. The Nationals boast Juan Soto and not much else on the roster and could be trading Soto in the relatively near future if it doesn’t want to pony up on a big money extension for its star. Trade or no trade, the Nationals need to restock the team.
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2022-07-20T12:27:00Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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MLB win totals: Who are the biggest overachievers and underachievers so far in 2022?
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https://sports.yahoo.com/mlb-win-totals-who-are-the-biggest-overachievers-and-underachievers-so-far-in-2022-115343874.html?src=rss
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The stimulus here is not simply Merrifield’s unwillingness to take a vaccine, but rather the strained words that followed in what was intended to be an explanation.
It fell far short of that.
Merrifield is one of 10 Royals players who rejected the COVID-19 vaccination requirement to enter Canada and participate in a series in Toronto last weekend. All deserve the scrutiny that ensued, but Merrifield separated himself from the other nine with a stunning admission:
Trade me, and I just might reconsider.
His vaccination stance, he explained, “might change down the road — something happens and I happen to get on a team that has a chance to go play in Canada in the postseason (and) maybe that changes.”
In case you missed the essence of that: Merrifield will go one step further to be on the field for a contending team than he would to be on the field for the organization that currently signs his paychecks. The argument in this column is not that Merrifield owes the Royals anything more after his dozen years in the organization — but doesn’t he at least owe them the same he’s willing to provide, um, team-to-be-determined?
What we should have read into that remark is that Merrifield is not only willing to accept a trade but eager to seek one — he’ll go against his principles to embrace one, in fact, if you can call shunning a needle a principle. He’s not dumb — there’s a reason he elected to broadcast that stance to the rest of the baseball world.
This might be a problem in the Kansas City clubhouse, but it won’t be a problem in yours.
It’s certainly worth noting that he apologized for that comment, both publicly on a local radio program on 610 Sports and privately to Royals general manager J.J. Picollo and president of baseball operations Dayton Moore. It did not come out the way he intended it, he said.
But he did not walk back the gist of the comment that irked Royals management most, because that part remains true, and he still would like the rest of the league to know it — he is still willing to reconsider his vaccination stance if he’s playing for a contender. To be clear, that would include the Royals, if they were in contention, but we all know the Royals are not.
During his radio appearance, Merrifield seemed intent on making it clear he still loves Kansas City.
I believe him. I don’t think Merrifield hates Kansas City. Never did. I don’t think he hates the Royals organization. I don’t think he hates management, his teammates, nor the fans. His actions over the past seven years back him up there.
I think Merrifield hates losing. I think he’s tired of losing. I think he hates the possibility that by the time the Royals are done losing, his best years will be behind him. The patience, to put it more simply, has run out.
That piece is understandable, actually. But once the exhaustion reaches a point that he is only willing to take every step possible to be available after checking the standings, a separation must follow. That’s not all-in. It’s looking for the best out.
He has one now.
And so do the Royals.
The timing isn’t convenient — Merrifield’s trade value has quite possibly never been lower, with a WAR below zero in 2022. But there is at least some interest on the market for him, and need I remind you that Carlos Santana returned a package of two players?
Merrifield might not net Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar, Jake Odorizzi and Jeremy Jeffress, but it’s not like he will net a bag of peanuts, either. Only a year ago, he led the American League in stolen bases and doubles. In his six full seasons with the Royals, he has led the league in hits twice and stolen bases three times. He’s represented them in the All-Star Game in 2019 and 2021. His positional versatility will be a favorable asset.
In the post-World Series Kansas City, Merrifield has been the exception to otherwise bad baseball teams. Two topped 100 losses, and all the while he provided the redeemable quality of a player who you knew would give everything he had.
He’s still willing to do whatever it takes — even if that means receiving a vaccination.
Just for somebody else.
A Binance.US representative pointed to recent reports that rival exchange Coinbase is shuttering its affiliate program.
Mother Speaks Out After Sesame Place Incident Went Viral On Social Media
Jan Carabeo reports.
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2022-07-20T12:27:07Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Why it’s time for the Kansas City Royals to trade Whit Merrifield
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https://sports.yahoo.com/why-time-kansas-city-royals-100000971.html?src=rss
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The Indianapolis Colts have a full 90-man roster going into the final week before the start of training camp and a number of those players are getting their first taste of the NFL life as rookies.
Though these rookies didn’t have to go through a modified offseason training program as the last two rookie classes did, first-year players always need some time to adjust to their new life.
The Colts have several rookies on the roster entering training camp. Eight of them were selected in the 2022 NFL draft while the other 17 were signed as undrafted rookie free agents following the draft.
Even though the streak of having an undrafted rookie on the Week 1 roster was snapped in 2021, there’s a solid chance that streak gets going again in 2022 as there are several intriguing names to keep an eye on.
Starting with the draft picks, here are the rookies on the Colts roster entering training camp:
The first selection for the Colts in the draft, Pierce was taken with the No. 53 overall pick after the front office traded back from its initial pick at No. 42 overall. Pierce is coming in looking to compete for a starting role opposite Michael Pittman Jr. in the wide receiver room and has a good chance of making an immediate impact.
In the trade with the Washington Commanders that involved Carson Wentz, the Colts added an extra third-round pick. That pick (No. 73 overall) turned into Woods. Arguably the most athletic tight end to ever come out of the draft, Woods can be an incredible mismatch in the offense. It may take some time for that to happen, the sky is the limit for Woods.
During their draft-day trade with the Minnesota Vikings, the Colts added the No. 77 overall pick to their slate of selections. That turned into the team selecting Raimann, who could eventually take over as the starting left tackle. Given the fact that he just started playing left tackle two years ago and the fact that he’ll be 25 years old in September, we may want to temper expectations a little bit. But he’s a smart player with elite athleticism so the optimism surrounding his potential is warranted.
One of the crown jewels of the draft class, the Colts had to have Cross so badly that they traded back into the third round in order to get him. The Colts gave up a 2022 fifth-round pick (No. 179 overall) and a 2023 third-round pick so they could move up to No. 96 overall. It’s a good thing they did because Cross is now in line to take over for the retired Khari Willis, who announced the shocking move following the draft.
With their first selection on Day 3 of the draft, the Colts added an intriguing project to the defensive line. Johnson comes from a smaller school in Missouri State, and he’s an older prospect. But there is plenty of intrigue considering his size and athleticism. Johnson may be more of a long-term play like Grover Stewart was, but there is potential with this pick.
As a part of the trade with the Vikings, the Colts picked up an extra sixth-round pick. They used that pick (No. 192 overall) on a player they’ve wanted for a long time. Ogletree is an older prospect coming from a small school, but his athleticism and catch radius are two elite traits that cannot be taught. They like him so much that there’s a chance he forces the Colts to keep four tight ends on the roster when it comes to roster cuts.
Don’t be surprised if Brooks is a surprise standout during training camp and the preseason. He slipped to the sixth round of the draft likely due to his size, late collegiate production and final draft age. But the Colts may have found a gem given his potential. According to Pro Football Focus, Brooks had the best Pass Rush Win Rate (19.3%), Run Defense Stop Rate (13.1%), Pass Rush Grade (90.4), True Pass Set Grade (92.3) and True Pass Set Win Rate (37%) in the 2022 draft class. His 69.9 Run Defense Grade wasn’t too shabby either.
A versatile defender out of Yale, Thomas is an interesting selection in the seventh round. At 6-foot-1 and 196 pounds, Thomas lined up at both safety and linebacker for the Bulldogs during his career. Boasting elite athleticism, the Colts are going to try him out at cornerback. Thomas is on the fringe of the roster entering camp—most seventh-round picks are—but there is enough intrigue here to keep an eye on him as a sleeper.
QB Jack Coan (UDFA)
Coan is the first stop on our tour of the undrafted rookie free agents. He joined the Colts following the draft out of Notre Dame after spending the first four years of his college career at Wisconsin. In 2021, Coan completed 65.5% of his passes for 3,150 passing yards, 25 touchdowns and seven interceptions for the Fighting Irish.
RB D'vonte Price (UDFA)
Price joined the Colts this offseason coming out of Florida International where he spent five years. At 6-foot-1 and 210 pounds, Price ran a 4.38 in the 40-yard dash after posting some moderate production numbers at FIU.
RB C.J. Verdell (UDFA)
Had it not been for missing 11 games over his final two seasons—nine in 2021 due to a fractured fibula and dislocated ankle—Verdell probably would have been a mid-round pick in the draft. He was having a strong senior season through five games, taking 78 carries for 406 rushing yards and six rushing touchdowns before the injury. He’s an interesting player battling for the final spot in the backfield.
WR Michael Young Jr. (UDFA)
Coming from the same school as second-round pick Alec Pierce, the undrafted Young Jr. doesn’t have elite athletic traits and switched from cornerback to wide receiver during his final three years in college. He’s a project at the position so it’s hard to imagine he’ll make the roster.
WR Ethan Fernea (UDFA)
Fernea is an interesting signing in the sense that he totaled 239 scrimmage yards and three total touchdowns during his four-year career at UCLA. He played wide receiver his first three seasons and transferred to running back for his senior campaign.
WR Samson Nacua (UDFA)
Nacua has a bit of an advantage over the rest of the UDFA wide receivers as he comes in at 6-foot-2 while posting a 4.50 in the 40-yard dash. He spent the first four years of his career at Utah before transferring to BYU for his final season. Across five seasons, Nacua totaled 103 receptions for 1,344 yards and 14 touchdowns.
WR Kekoa Crawford (UDFA)
At six feet and 192 pounds, Crawford ran a 4.51 in the 40-yard dash. The undrafted rookie out of California recorded 40 receptions for 513 yards but failed to score a touchdown during his fifth collegiate season.
OT Ryan Van Demark (UDFA)
Demark is an undrafted rookie we’ve been touting since he signed with the Colts following the draft. Among the UDFAs, he has one of the strongest chances to make the roster. Demark received a hefty signing bonus from the Colts, indicating that there’s a good chance he makes the roster as the final offensive lineman. He’s an older prospect, but he meets many of the thresholds the Colts look for in tackles and has experience at both spots. He played 34 games at left tackle and nine games at right tackle in college.
G Josh Seltzner (UDFA)
Seltzner may find it difficult to make the roster, but his movement skills and athleticism on the interior could lead him to a practice squad spot.
C Wesley French (UDFA)
French is an elite athlete on the interior while boasting some long arms for a center. He’s dealt with injuries throughout his collegiate career and is likely headed toward the practice squad. His athleticism is intriguing enough to keep him around there.
DE Scott Patchan (UDFA)
At 6-foot-4 and 251 pounds, Patchan has 33-inch arms and posted a 4.70 in the 40-yard dash. Between Colorado State and Miami (FL), he totaled 19.5 sacks since his collegiate career started in 2015.
LB Sterling Weatherford (UDFA)
If you’ve been following along this offseason, you know about Weatherford. A safety-turned-linebacker after he signed with the Colts, Weatherford is an elite athlete who posted 23 passes defended, four interceptions and 10.5 tackles for loss during his 41-game career at Miami (OH). He impressed during the spring practices and has a chance to make the roster.
LB Jojo Domann (UDFA)
One of the top undrafted rookie free agents, Domann is also coming off of a strong spring outing. At 6-foot-1 and 228 pounds, the Nebraska product posted a 4.62 in the 40-yard dash and a 6.88 in the three-cone drill. He’ll be 25 years old when camp arrives but was projected as a mid-round pick entering the draft.
LB James Skalski (UDFA)
A sixth-year senior out of Clemson, Skalski boasts good athleticism even though he might be a bit limited due to his height and arm length. He was a special teams standout and that’s likely where he would need to make a difference if he’s going to make the roster.
LB Forrest Rhyne (UDFA)
The Villanova product will find it difficult to make the roster given his moderate size and athleticism. In his final season, Rhyne posted 152 tackles (50 solo) and 8.5 tackles for loss.
CB Dallis Flowers (UDFA)
Flowers was an older prospect coming out of the Division-II Pittsburg State. With that said, he boasts elite size and speed, and is the only undrafted rookie cornerback currently on the Colts roster.
S Trevor Denbow (UDFA)
A linebacker/safety hybrid, Denbow is likely to work mostly at the latter position. He has solid athleticism but would probably profile more as a box safety than he would a rangy free safety. During his 43-game career at SMU, Denbow registered 183 total tackles (122 solo), 13.5, 3.5 sacks, three interceptions and eight passes defended.
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2022-07-20T13:49:36Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Colts’ training camp preview: Who are the 2022 rookies?
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https://sports.yahoo.com/colts-training-camp-preview-2022-131329615.html?src=rss
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For years, the Green Bay Packers struggled to assemble the right pieces around Pro Bowl defensive lineman Kenny Clark, who consistently dominated but rarely got enough help.
The lingering issue appears to be rectified entering the 2022 season.
The Packers’ best-kept secret this year? The depth and talent of the defensive line overall.
General manager Brian Gutekunst attacked the position group this offseason, signing veteran Jarran Reed and using a first-round pick on Georgia’s Devonte Wyatt and a seventh-round pick on Miami’s Jonathan Ford.
Reed, Wyatt and Ford provide another talent infusion for a group that already features Clark, Dean Lowry and 2021 fifth-round pick TJ Slaton.
“We have a lot of depth,” Clark said last month. “It’s going to be a good thing for us, just to keep us fresh. It’s hard to stop any one of us when we come on the field on third down and rush the passer and have our legs under us. It’s hard for an offensive line to stop us.”
Reed has played in 89 career games, is always available, has flashed elite pass-rushing production (10.5 sacks in 2018) and can play all three downs and any spot up front in the Packers scheme.
Wyatt, the 28th overall pick, was a lynchpin player for Georgia’s historically great defense. His explosiveness off the ball and lateral quickness made him a menace against the run. And all of his athletic traits help provide incredible potential as an interior pass-rusher, especially in scenarios where he’ll be playing next to Clark. Overall, Wyatt is exactly what line coach Jerry Montgomery was looking for in a third-down disruptor.
Ford was a 40-game starter at Miami. He’s a mountain of a man at 6-5 and over 330 pounds, giving the Packers another gap-plugger who can take some pressure off Clark as a nose tackle.
Clark’s dominance is well-established. He’s highly regarded around the league because he’s a rare player. The league just doesn’t have many disruptive nose tackles who can withstand the rigors of interior run defense and collapse the pocket on quarterbacks. Clark can. And he has over many consecutive seasons.
Lowry’s incredible productivity in 2021 came out of nowhere. A struggling pass-rusher for much of his career, Lowry produced a career-high 42 total pressures and four batted passes over 425 pass-rushing snaps last season. His combination of length and power are assets. And he played more to his strengths in 2021.
Don’t forget about Slaton. He flashed some ability as a rookie, and the Packers think he’s “lightyears ahead” of where he was a year ago. Montgomery said he can be a dominant run defender. A big step from Slaton in 2022 could make him a mainstay in the middle of the base defense and a key part of what the Packers do on early downs.
Green Bay will now go into this season with at least five solid players along the defensive line, and as many as six or seven if Ford or Jack Heflin are able to crack the rotation. The group could set an incredibly strong foundation for a defense that is as good on paper as any in football.
“Most talent I’ve been a part of since I’ve been here,” Clark said. “We’re going to be as good as we want to be.”
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2022-07-20T13:49:48Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Defensive line talent is Packers’ best-kept secret entering 2022
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https://sports.yahoo.com/defensive-line-talent-packers-best-132113528.html?src=rss
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DeVante Parker's apparent jersey number change should please Edelman originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
The New England Patriots' trade of N'Keal Harry has led to a jersey number shuffle in Foxboro, it appears.
Wide receiver DeVante Parker briefly posted a photo of his Patriots locker on his Instagram story Tuesday that seems to confirm he has changed his jersey number from No. 11 to No. 1.
Parker is still listed as No. 11 on New England's official roster, but that likely will be updated when the Patriots begin training camp next week.
No. 1 became available when the Patriots traded Harry to the Chicago Bears last week.
Parker has worn No. 11 his entire NFL career, and the number is in his Instagram and Twitter handles (@devanteparker11). So, why the switch to No. 1?
It's possible Parker changed numbers out of deference to wide receiver Julian Edelman, who retired after the 2020 season as one of the best wide receivers in team history. Edelman jokingly lamented Parker initially taking No. 11 when he came to the Patriots in April, so we're sure he wouldn't mind his number going unused for the second consecutive year. (For the record, No. 11 went unused for seven years after quarterback Drew Bledsoe vacated the number following the 2001 season).
And if you're a conspiracy theorist, Parker's switch also opens up the possibility of Edelman coming out of retirement to take his old number with the Patriots -- although that seems unlikely for now.
Jersey number theories aside, Parker enters training camp with high expectations as a potential deep threat for quarterback Mac Jones. The 29-year-old caught 40 passes for 515 yards and two touchdowns in just 10 games last season but is four seasons removed from a stellar 2019 campaign in which he posted 1,202 receiving yards and nine touchdowns on 72 catches.
DeVante Parker appears to be switching jersey number from 11 to 1
With N'Keal Harry gone, DeVante Parker has claimed his old jersey number: 1
Two members of the New England Patriots were among the 50 highest-rated pass-catchers in Madden 23
It's been a year since the Bucks locked down the 2021 NBA championship. Take a look back at the remarkable journey to get there.
The Giants haven’t given their fans much to celebrate in recent seasons, but this season they’re celebrating some great years of the past. Today the Giants announced that they’ll play two “legacy games” this season, in which they’ll play in the uniforms from their great teams of the 1980s and 1990s, when they won two [more]
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2022-07-20T13:49:54Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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DeVante Parker's Patriots jersey number swap should make Julian Edelman happy
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https://sports.yahoo.com/devante-parkers-patriots-jersey-number-125500814.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/devante-parkers-patriots-jersey-number-125500814.html?src=rss
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Thomas Morstead
14 years into his NFL career, Miami Dolphins punter Thomas Morstead is accustomed to life as a professional football player.
The former SMU Mustang spent 12 seasons as a member of the New Orleans Saints, and his 2021 season was split between the New York Jets and Atlanta Falcons for seven games a piece. Still, last season, at 35 years old, he averaged 47.2 yards and 42 net yards per attempt.
Now, after signing a one-year deal this offseason worth $1.27 million, he’s coming to South Florida to play his home games at Hard Rock Stadium, where he once helped the Saints win a Super Bowl over the Indianapolis Colts as a rookie.
Luckily for both sides, a deal was rather easy to come by.
“I just made it clear what I was wanting to play for, and I don’t think they thought that was the case,” Morstead told me. “I made it clear that I didn’t want the finances to be an impediment to me coming here. I felt like the team has a good shot to have a good team. It’s a nice place to play, and to be a part of a new coaching staff that’s trying to build its identity and culture, I don’t know. There were just a lot of things about it that were exciting to me.”
During his limited time away from the football field, he spends as much time as he can with his family or working out. It’s that physical part of his game that helped him get to this level, and it’s not something he plans on stopping.
“Once I got into a college program four days a week, it kind of shocked my system,” Morstead said. “I guess I never trained like that…The ball started going farther and higher, and it just felt like a direct correlation. So I just keep after it…Obviously, I think it’s been a huge reason for my success.”
In a new system, 14 years into his career, Morstead is still looking at the challenges of the NFL the same way. He’s won a Super Bowl, been named a Second-team All-Pro and played in a Pro Bowl. What more is there to do as a professional punter?
“Well [all of that] was like in my first for years,” he said. “I just love being part of it. We get very well compensated to play a kid’s game, and I just love doing all the aspects of what it takes to be great. It’s an awesome opportunity for me to demonstrate professional excellence for my kids. Their old enough where they kind of know what’s going on now which is really cool.
“I guess if I just look myself in the mirror one day and just don’t want to do it anymore, if I’m not excited about it, I’ll just have to be honest with myself about that… I love the training and the grind of the season. Being counted on by your teammates and by an organization in big moments, there’s nothing like it… If I feel like I’m better than the average guy in the league and can add value to a team, then I’m excited about that.”
This year’s training camp presents Morstead with a challenge that he’s only taken on twice in the past – compete for his job.
As a rookie in 2009, he was tasked with beating out veteran punter Glenn Pakulak, who had a decent season with the Saints in 2008, and he did just that. Then, it wasn’t until 2020, his final year with New Orleans, that he would battle again, this time with Blake Gillikin. Morstead won that as well, as Gillikin was placed on injured reserve before eventually claiming the job in 2021 after Morstead’s release in March.
This offseason, the Dolphins signed undrafted punter Tommy Heatherly to participate in a camp battle with the veteran for the job. A battle is something that Morstead understands and welcomes, especially at this point in his career, but he doesn’t necessarily view it as a competition.
“I’m not really competing with anybody,” he said. “If Tommy can show that he’s a promising player and show that he can be consistently a good punter, any team’s gonna keep a rookie that shows that because they’re cheap and young, and you can build around that. So, I certainly have to outperform him in almost every way, and that’ll be the case for the rest of my career, and that’s great. I look forward to that challenge. I’m certainly aware of how he’s punting in practice, but, at the end of the day, I know that if I’m doing the things that I’m capable of doing consistently, it doesn’t really matter.
“That’s not a knock on him or anybody else I’ve competed against. It’s just- if I’m doing what I do at the level that I’m capable of and doing that consistently, I’m gonna have a job.”
One conversation that has been brought up recently in the NFL due to Ryan Tannehill’s comments about helping rookie quarterback Malik Willis has been whether or not a veteran should be willing to help a player gunning for their job. And, in the case of Morstead and Heatherly, while they may appear to be fighting for a job, Morstead says he’s always willing to help his teammate.
“Look, I promised myself a long time ago that I would always mentor whoever was around me whether it was another kicker, punter, snapper or young player,” he said. “I just feel like whenever your time’s over to be playing, it’ll be over regardless. Being stingy with what you know and how you go about things is not the way I would do things… Every time, ‘Hey, listen, I’m here for you. If you need anything, I’ll be happy to be as big or little a resource as you want me to be, or not at all if you’re not into that.’ Smart young players, typically, even if they’re trying to kick your butt every day in practice, they’re gonna take as much info in as they can and learn as much as they can.”
When it comes to what Morstead will do on the field at least through training camp, his duties will likely be kept to punting and holding. In the past, he’s kicked off, but he hasn’t done so consistently since 2014. Even when it comes to fakes, that’s not something that’s really been part of his repertoire. He’s willing to try it if they ask him to, but it’s not something he’s asking for.
“Look, whatever coach wants me to do, I’m happy to do,” he said. “I don’t have an ego about it. There’s not part of me that’s like, ‘Man, I really want to run a fake, so I can do something sweet and different.’ I just want to do my job, and if that’s me throwing a football at some point, or running a football at some point, so be it. I’d be excited to do it.”
Morstead actually talked about one poor fake punt attempt back in 2014 against the Dallas Cowboys that the defense needed only 10 men on the field to stop. On fourth-and-9, from their own 40-yard line, Morstead received the snap, faked a hand-off to the right-side gunner, rolled out to the right and was brought down behind the line of scrimmage with the ball still in his possession.
“Well, if I’m gonna be honest with you I didn’t want to run that one,” he said. “We didn’t have a check out of it. We were down 14 points with 7.5 minutes left in the game. Coach [Sean] Payton actually apologized to me on the sideline after we made that call because it just was not the right time for it, obviously.”
Now, in Miami, just as he had during his stops in New Orleans, New York and Atlanta, Mostead is focused on doing whatever he can to help the team succeed. That’s one of many commendable aspects of his personality that will make watching him battle for his job this summer pretty entertaining, even if he doesn’t view it as a competition.
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2022-07-20T13:50:20Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Dolphins P Thomas Morstead is the consummate professional, even when competing for his job
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Kelce still deserves a top spot on list of most important Eagles originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Jason Kelce is 34 now, entering his 12th NFL season and the Eagles just used a second-round pick to draft his replacement. But this isn’t a push-him-out-the-door scenario. As long as Kelce wants to keep playing and as long as he’s one of the best centers in the NFL, he has a job with the Eagles.
But it’s very possible 2022 will be his final season in the NFL.
It feels weird to even think about the Eagles beginning a season without their All-Pro center but that’s the reality the Eagles are facing in the not-so-distant future. In the present, Kelce is still one of the best and most important players on the roster.
In 2021, Kelce started all 17 games, including the meaningless regular season finale. He played just the first snap in that game to extend his consecutive starts streak to 122 regular season games. It’s the longest streak by an NFL center since Chris Myers started 123 from 2007-14 so Kelce will pass him soon. And Kelce’s 122 games is the fifth-longest streak in Eagles history:
Jon Runyan (2000-08): 144
Herm Edwards (1977-85: 135
Jerry Sisemore (1974-82): 127
Randy Logan (1973-81): 124
Jason Kelce (2014-21): 122
So if Kelce is able to — knock on wood — start every game this season, he’d be in second place on the Eagles’ all-time list. Of course, this streak wouldn’t mean anything if Kelce wasn’t a great player and he absolutely is. Since this streak started, Kelce has made all five of his career Pro Bowls and all four of his career first-team All-Pro nods.
Last season was just the second in his career when he was a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro in the same year. He’s had seven combined seasons with at least one of those honors. And because he plays a position without individual statistics, those accolades will go a long way to solidifying his Hall of Fame resume.
But there’s time for that down the road. In 2022, Kelce is still the Eagles’ starting center and the engine to what many consider the best offensive line in football.
You can argue that Kelce is less important this season because of the addition of Cam Jurgens, whom the Eagles drafted with the 51st overall pick. Jurgens figures to be an upgrade over Nate Herbig at the backup center position and would presumably shorten up the drop-off from C1 to C2. But Kelce, in addition to playing the role of starting center, will also be tasked with helping to mentor his young understudy and prepare him for the day he takes over.
As the Eagles gear up for a season with playoff expectations, a lot of their success will be dependent on the play of quarterback Jalen Hurts. The relationship between quarterback and center is an important one. Kelce’s presence gives Hurts the best chance of succeeding.
And aside from his play and his role helping Hurts, it’s hard to quantify what Kelce means to the Eagles. But last December, running back Boston Scott summed it up pretty well.
Scott watched Kelce fight through an injury — one of many he’s played through over the years — to return to a game against the Giants. He became emotional as he talked about Kelce.
"He’s the embodiment of this team," Scott said in December. "He’s the embodiment, in my opinion, of Philadelphia. Just gritty, nasty, you know what I’m saying? You might knock him down, but he’s going to get right back up.
"It really hurts me because guys like that have been in the league for such a long time. You don’t know how many years they have left."
There’s a reason Nick Sirianni sent Kelce a keg of beer, encouraging the 34-year-old to come back for one more season. If that’s the trick, keep them coming.
Continuing our countdown of the 25 most important Eagles with No. 4: receiver A.J. Brown. By Dave Zangaro
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2022-07-20T13:50:26Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Eagles 2022 season: Jason Kelce on list of most important players
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How will Eagles respond to astronomical expectations? originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
Pro Football Focus ranked their roster 7th-best in the entire NFL. ESPN declared that they had the 2nd-best offseason in the league. NFL.com called them one of the six most-improved teams in the league. When league officials sat down to dole out prime-time games, nobody got more.
Things have changed around here.
Expectations for the Eagles are astronomical this year, and that’s an entirely new position for a team that snuck up on the rest of the NFL the second half of last year.
The Eagles were one of the NFL’s surprise teams in 2021. They were projected to win 6 ½ games and finish last in the NFC East, and they won nine games and reached the playoffs under a rookie head coach and a 1st-year full-time starting quarterback.
Only three teams, all in the AFC, had a larger differential between projected 2021 wins and regular-season wins: The Bengals (6 ½, won 10) Raiders (7, won 10) and Titans (9, won 12).
This year, the Eagles aren’t going to sneak up on anybody.
They’re now considered by everybody a threat in the NFC, and living up to lofty expectations never seems as easy as coming out of nowhere and surprising people.
This is one of the biggest challenges facing Nick Sirianni this year. To get his team to ignore the hype. To get his team to ignore all the praise. To get his team to continue doing all the things that made them a playoff team in the first place.
And he knows it.
“I think the message is exactly the same as far as how we prepare and everything like that,” Sirianni said in a recent interview. “It’s just noticing the fact that, ‘Hey, there’s going to be a lot of people telling you how good you are.’ Probably more so. How good you could be.
“But it’s still ‘could be.’ The same amount of work is going to be required regardless if you have high expectations or low expectations. You have to work. How many times have we seen the team that starts off really hot, then maybe buys into the hype? I’m very conscious of that.”
Sirianni is keenly aware of the changing circumstances surrounding his team, and this is going to be a big part of his messaging to his players this year.
That they need to keep that same hunger and that same work ethic that got them to the playoffs against all expectations last year.
We’ve all seen what happens when a team starts believing the hype.
“I think the message is exactly the same as far as how we prepare and everything like that,” Sirianni said. “It is just noticing the fact that there are going to be a lot of people telling you how good you are, or probably moreso, how good you could be — but that is still ‘could be.’ So the same amount of work is going to be required regardless of if you have high expectations or low expectations. You have to work.”
Think about some of the most disappointing Eagles teams of recent years.
The 2005 team, coming off the Super Bowl season, was projected to win 11 ½ games, according to the Vegas sportsbooks. They went 6-10 under the weight of the Terrell Owens drama.
The over-under for the 2011 Dream Team was 10 ½ wins, and they went 8-8 after a 4-8 start, and a year later the Eagles were picked to win 10 games, and they went 4-12.
That was Andy Reid’s last season, and the same thing happened in 2015 with Chip Kelly’s last team. Projected to go 10-6 and went 7-9 – although he was fired before that seventh win.
Just two years ago the Vegas oddsmakers set the over-under at 9 ½, and the Eagles went 4-11-1.
Being picked to do this and that is no guarantee it’s going to happen. In fact, it makes it even harder.
There were different reasons for all those unexpected collapses, but one common theme for most underachieving teams is that they start to believe their press clippings.
Sirianni’s biggest job this year is making sure that doesn’t happen.
“How many times have we seen a team start off really hot and then maybe buy into the hype?” he said. “I am very conscious of that. I know what some of these guy are hearing and what they are hearing from outside noise. Whether it is media, whether it is friends, whether it is family members. So the message is, ‘Well, if we want to do what we want to do, and you want to win the first game and then move on from that, then we have to be committed to the process of how we work again.’
“And that is high-detail meetings. It isn’t just a plan of, ‘Hey we have to work.’ We have a very specific plan, like high-detail meetings, starting with the coaches. Scripting the job description clear every single time. High detail on them as well. Full speed to the snap in walkthrough. High intensity at practice. And a commitment to how we get better at the core values every single day.”
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2022-07-20T13:50:32Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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How will Eagles respond to astronomical expectations?
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5 Eagles heading into 2022 poised for Pro Bowl jump originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia
In a long hallway in the NovaCare Complex, the Eagles honor every member of their team who has ever made a Pro Bowl.
Last year, there were a few new additions to the list as Darius Slay, Javon Hargrave, Josh Sweat and Jake Elliott were all first-time Eagles Pro Bowlers. Slay had been a Pro Bowler before with the Lions but the other three were first-timers.
And there are still plenty of candidates on this team to make their first career Pro Bowl in 2022. Here they are in order of most to least likely:
Both of the Eagles’ starting tackles were snubbed by the Pro Bowl last season. But Lane Johnson has made the team three times before so he’s not eligible for this list. Mailata, 25, played at a Pro Bowl level in 2021 in his first full season as a starter and is still getting better. It really feels like it’s just a matter of time before he gets the recognition. As long as he stays healthy and doesn’t regress, he feels like the best bet to make the Pro Bowl in 2022. Heck, ProFootballFocus said Mailata graded out as the third-best tackle in football behind just Trent Williams and Tyron Smith.
Both Williams and Smith made the Pro Bowl roster last year in the NFC and were joined by Tristan Wirfs, D.J. Humphries, Brian O’Neill and Duane Brown. Mailata should have a good shot at replacing one of those guys in 2022 if he plays like he did last season.
It’s somewhat surprising but Reddick has not yet been named to a Pro Bowl roster despite having 23 1/2 sacks over the last two seasons. There’s some projection based on how Reddick will fit into Jonathan Gannon’s defense but he’ll be asked to do what he does best: Rush the passer. Few have done that as well as Reddick over the last couple of NFL seasons. Just four players have had more sacks than Reddick over the last two seasons.
Despite being the top vote-getter at the outside linebacker position in the NFL, Reddick was a first-alternate and missed making the roster. He was behind Chandler Jones, Robert Quinn and Shaquil Barrett, three very god players. While Quinn and Barrett are back with their respective teams, Jones left the NFC as a free agent, signing with the Raiders.
After beginning last season sharing snaps with Zach Ertz, Goedert showed his ability to be a true TE1 after the Eagles traded Ertz to Arizona. From that point on, Goedert had 41 catches for 614 yards and 2 touchdowns. That’s a 1,000-yard pace. On talent alone, Goedert is already a Pro Bowl caliber tight end. The idea here is that with a full season as the Eagles’ top tight end, he’ll finally get that type of recognition. Sometimes the blocking duties of tight ends are overlooked but Goedert is a true dual threat and was PFF’s No. 2 tight end last year, tied with George Kittle.
The NFC’s Pro Bowl tight ends in 2021 were Kittle and rookie Kyle Pitts. That’s the problem for Goedert. Both of those guys are back in 2022 and should still be on the top of their games. That means it might not be easy for Goedert to crack the roster but he’ll put himself squarely in the conversation.
4. Miles Sanders
Every time we talk about Sanders, it starts with health. He’s had a bunch of injuries — plenty of flukey ones — but he needs to stay healthy to have any chance of being a Pro Bowler. When he’s on the field, Sanders is pretty good. The 25-year-old averaged 5.5 yards per carry last season. That was a career high and despite not scoring a touchdown last year — that feels flukey too — he’s the Eagles’ most productive running back. His production in the pass game peaked in 2019 when he had 500 yards through the air. We don’t expect him to get back there but a bump up from 26/158 from the 2021 season would help.
The NFC’s Pro Bowl running backs from last season were Dalvin Cook, James Conner and Alvin Kamara. All three of those running backs have bigger respective roles with their teams but Kamara could be facing a suspension of six games stemming from an arrest during Pro Bowl weekend in Vegas.
5. DeVonta Smith
The No. 10 overall pick from the 2021 season had a pretty good rookie campaign. As the No. 1 option in the Eagles’ offense last season, Smith caught 64 passes for 916 yards and 5 touchdowns. You could argue that the presence of A.J. Brown might hurt Smith’s numbers, but you could also argue that Brown will warrant enough attention to give Smith a chance to get open. After facing all top corners as a rookie, Smith will presumably be facing more CB2s in 2022 and that’s with a year in the league already under his belt. His numbers will need to improve to get into the Pro Bowl.
The NFC’s Pro Bowl receivers from last season were Cooper Kupp, Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson, Deebo Samuel, Mike Evans and CeeDee Lamb. Jefferson and Samuel replaced Kupp and Adams. That’s why there were so many on that list. Even with Adams out of the conference (he’s with the Raiders now) there is plenty of talent at the receiver position in the NFC. But Smith ought to have a chance if he continues to improve.
Honorable mentions: Nakobe Dean, Landon Dickerson, Jalen Hurts, Kyzir White
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2022-07-20T13:50:39Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Eagles training camp 2022: 5 Eagles poised for Pro Bowl jump
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All-American college football player, professional football player, offensive lineman
All-American college football player, professional football player, defensive lineman, defensive end
Smith’s lengthy social media post a few weeks ago – he slammed the efforts of supporters who campaigned for Boselli…then ultimately threw shade on Boselli’s worthiness as a Hall of Famer – marked an intriguing twist on Boselli’s path to Canton.
“Let me start with this: I have the utmost respect for Bruce Smith,” Boselli said during a Zoom conference on Tuesday. “We had some great battles. Top 100 player. One of the greatest to ever play the game. I respect him. And I respect every guy who ever played the game. It’s a tough game to play, and we battle each other. He was one of the greats of the game, and I played against several greats.
“And…the way I look at it, anyone wants to go and watch the tape, to go watch what I did on the field, my play, I think, speaks for itself.”
Former Jacksonville Jaguar offensive tackle Tony Boselli talk to the media during the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2022 Induction Announcement after the NFL Honors program.
The late, great Deacon Jones used to joke to incoming Hall of Famers that they need not get too comfortable with their new status because “we’ve been known to send some back.”
No, this isn’t that, despite the objections that Smith – the NFL’s all-time sack leader – expressed on Instagram. Smith contended that Boselli’s campaign was built on the left tackle’s dominant performance when matched against him during a 1996 AFC wild-card playoff upset. That game certainly was mentioned each year in the marathon selection committee meeting when Boselli’s case was discussed. It should have been; it was a signature game for Boselli. Yet as someone in the room as a member of the 49-member selection committee, it didn’t strike me as the foundation of the case for Boselli.
Smith missed it on that point, although it surely has irked him to be asked repeatedly over the years about his matchups against Boselli, including the playoff encounter when the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year was held without a sack. Smith, even years since retiring as one of the most decorated players ever, is a man of immense pride. But it was still unnecessary to slam Boselli’s selection.
The "Groundhog Day"-type debates didn’t revolve solely around Smith. They kept circling back to longevity, as Boselli lasted just seven seasons and played 91 games, his career derailed by shoulder injuries.
Bottom line is that Boselli’s career was good enough to convince the committee to nab him for a 2022 class that includes LeRoy Butler, Richard Seymour, Cliff Branch, Bryant Young, Sam Mills, Art McNally and Dick Vermeil. The class will be officially enshrined on Aug. 6.
Finally. Boselli was chosen after advancing as a finalist six times.
“It was hard,” Boselli reflected. “The first year, I had no real expectations. I was just happy to be a finalist, kind of like a young team being happy to just be in the playoffs. But after that, especially after I found out I was in the top 10, I’m thinking if I’m in the top 10 and five guys get in, I should be in the next five. I was in the top 10 every year, and it kept going and going.
“I knew the big thing, the elephant in the room, was the length of my career.”
It probably helped that Terrell Davis was selected with the 2017 class. Like Boselli, Davis played just seven seasons (78 games) before his career was doomed by injuries. Davis had three dominating seasons, leading the Broncos to back-to-back Super Bowl crowns, winning a Super Bowl MVP award and leaving a mark with a 2,000-yard season. Boselli’s impact was tougher to measure, although he came out of USC as his franchise’s first draft pick (No. 2 overall, 1995). He was selected to the 1990s All-Decade team and earned three consecutive first-team All-Pro selections, before the injuries hit.
Yet Boselli’s wait for his Hall call gets only so much sympathy. Charles Haley, with five Super Bowls, was also a six-time finalist. John Lynch, John Stallworth and Andre Reed, Smith’s former teammate, were eight-time finalists. Lynn Swann was a finalist 14 times before getting in. And only in the past two years did star 70s-era receivers Drew Pearson and Harold Carmichael earn selections as senior finalists.
“A lot of people talk about, ‘There must be a better process, this is wrong, that is wrong.’ I disagree,” Boselli said. “It should be hard. Obviously, it’s going to be subjective on some level, especially when you’re talking about an offensive lineman, because there’s no real stats. But...I respect the process.”
As for the drama ignited by Smith’s social media post, Boselli has been publicly low-key. He recalled how he was on the West Coast when the firestorm began, his phone blowing up with text messages from friends on the East Coast.
“I didn’t know what they were talking about,” he said. “When I read it, it was, ‘I’m going to call Bruce.’ So, Bruce and I had a conversation. I’m going to keep that private. We had a good conversation. We’re good. And I’m going to move forward and look forward to seeing him in Canton.”
Here’s to joining the fraternity – and with some extra spice for good measure.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Tony Boselli takes high road to Hall of Fame after Bruce Smith's barb
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2022-07-20T13:51:42Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Tony Boselli takes high road to Hall of Fame after Bruce Smith's unnecessary barb | Opinion
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Cincinnati Bengals legends Willie Anderson and Isaac Curtis will join Paul Brown, Anthony Muñoz, Ken Anderson and Ken Riley in the team’s Ring of Honor.
These first two of four inductees were voted on by season ticket members and announced Wednesday.
Anderson spent 1996-2007 with the Bengals and was one of the best right tackles of his generation and a Hall of Fame candidate. Curtis, 1973-1984 as one of the best wideouts in team history and ranks third in team history with 7,101 receiving yards and 20 100-yard games, plus fourth with 53 receiving touchdowns.
“This organization is pretty much built on how well their (offensive) lineman play. For the fans to pick that, to me that was an honor,” Anderson said, according to Geoff Hobson of Bengals.com. “The best player in team history is an offensive lineman and a guy who set the standard for me and the rest of the guys individually and as a group to follow.”
“These are two of our finest all-time players,” Bengals President Mike Brown said. “Willie was as good a right offensive tackle as you could draw up. He had it all — strength, movement and attitude. Isaac had incredible speed along with great hands. This is evidence for how our fans felt about Isaac during his career. They knew he was special. The Bengals are fortunate to have both of these outstanding players in the Ring of Honor.”
Fifteen players were on the ballot this year:
The team will pick the other two names and this second class will get enshrined during the team’s Sept. 29 primetime against the Miami Dolphins.
The Buccaneers had to replace both of their starting guards this offseason and they filled one of the spot on the right side of the line by trading for Shaq Mason. Left guard hasn’t been settled yet, however. Aaron Stinnie, second-round pick Luke Goedeke, Robert Hainsey, and Nick Leverett are all in the mix as [more]
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2022-07-20T13:51:55Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Willie Anderson and Isaac Curtis join Bengals Ring of Honor
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The New York Giants are the latest NFL team to debut an alternate uniform and helmet for the 2022 season. The Giants unveiled their “Legacy” uniforms for the upcoming campaign, throwbacks to their classic look from the 1980s.
The uniforms are just part of what the Giants are calling their two “Legacy Games” of the 2022 season. On October 2 when the Giants host the Chicago Bears, and then on December 4 when the Giants host the Washington Commanders, the end zones at MetLife Stadium will be painted in the style of Super Bowl XXI, and select fans will receive throwback pennants:
Legacy Games will include Super Bowl XXI throwback end zones, giveaways & exclusive content pic.twitter.com/MUAlDavMHq
As part of the campaign, the Giants are the latest team to take advantage of the NFL’s new policy on multiple helmets. New York will wear their “classic helmet” in these two games:
Navy helmet. White facemask. Scarlet stripe. pic.twitter.com/XOM9RalzIH
The Giants join the Carolina Panthers, the Houston Texans, New Orleans Saints, Cincinnati Bengals and New England Patriots as teams that announced alternate helmets for the upcoming season.
Lincoln senior La'Darion Dudley threw a 16.80 meter in the AAU Club National Championship in Orlando for Spartan Chosen.
During his media session on Tuesday, wide receivers coach Tyler Grisham was high on a freshman receiver who has impressed players on both sides of the ball during summer workouts.
The New York Giants are thin at tight end which means there will be some key training camp battles and some tough cutdown day(s) decisions.
The speaker of the Wisconsin State Assembly said former President Trump called him last week to try to convince Republicans in the state to decertify Wisconsin’s 2020 presidential election results. Speaker Robin Vos told the Milwaukee-based ABC affiliate WISN that Trump called him after the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled that most ballot drop boxes were…
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2022-07-20T13:52:01Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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New York Giants unveil “Legacy” uniforms for the 2022 season
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Give the Milwaukee Brewers credit – they swung for the fences on the third and final day of the Major League Baseball draft on Tuesday.
Starting with third baseman Luke Adams in the 12th round, then following up with right-hander Zane Petty in the 13th, third baseman Ethan Lege in the 16th round, catcher Brady Neal in the 17th, pitcher-infielder Jurrangelo Cijntje in the 18th and right-hander Jaden Noot in the 19th, the Brewers took a chance by selecting a crop of talented players who are believed to have strong to very strong commitments to major college programs.
Adams (Michigan State), Petty (Texas Tech), Lege (Mississippi), Neal (LSU), Cijntje (Mississippi State) and Noot (LSU) comprise a group that is heavy on talent but will prove challenging to sign considering the players' leverage as well as the fact the signing deadline is a mere 12 days away – and one day before the MLB trading deadline.
Milwaukee has an overall pool of $7,070,900 to sign its picks, a pool that ranks as the 22nd-largest in MLB.
"Obviously, those guys have excellent college commitments and strong commitments to those schools," Tod Johnson, vice president of domestic scouting, said. "So, it’ll be difficult, but you never know. We’ll have conversations and see which direction it goes.
"We’ll see how it plays out over the next 12 days. It’s going to be quicker than usual, for sure."
Cijintje, a native of the Netherlands, is a fascinating prospect in that he can throw with both arms and is also a switch-hitter.
Breaking down the Brewers' entire class:
• 15 of their 20 picks were either college or junior-college players;
• 11 were pitchers (eight RHP, two LHP and one SHP in Cijntje);
• Six infielders (three shortstops and three third basemen);
• Four catchers;
• Zero outfielders.
"I don’t think there’s an overarching strategy other than trying to get as many good players as we can," Johnson said of the organization's approach to the entire class.
"A good blend from a positional perspective. Arms and bats, and the bats are kind of a good mix – we drafted three catchers, so we’re not uncomfortable with that. (Junior-college) guys, I wouldn’t say they were specifically a target but we’re certainly comfortable in that market.
"I think we talked a lot about contact, and the guys we took even today were guys we feel like have a good chance to make consistent contact at the next level."
Following is a closer look at each of Milwaukee's final 10 picks.
Wagoner didn't pitch in college this past season – Johnson said it was neither medically nor injury related but wouldn't elaborate further – but went 2-3 with a 3.49 ERA in 18 appearances (three starts) with Eastern Michigan in 2021. He struck out 53 batters in 49 innings.
"It’s a really good arm, good body," Johnson said. "We like the pitch mix. Has the chance to be a starter but has the stuff to work out of the ‘pen as well. Didn’t pitch this year but is pitching (in the Cape Cod League) now and throwing pretty well.
"He went a little bit under the radar because he didn’t pitch at Eastern Michigan this year, so we felt like there was good value there. We actually talked to him a couple times on Day 2, too, in the latter part of the day.
"We weren’t sure how far he would last if we let him go (past the 11th)."
Brewers Day 1 MLB draft coverage: Brewers pick a college shortstop in the first round of the MLB draft, Eric Brown out of Coastal Carolina
Brewers Day 2 MLB draft coverage: On the second day of the MLB draft, Brewers select more middle position players with strong contact skills
"It’s an interesting profile," Johnson said. "Cold-weather guy. He’s currently playing in a college summer league and he’s performing well, so that’s a really good sign. We feel like he has a pretty exciting bat profile that we want to get a chance to develop.
"We’ll definitely try to keep him on the dirt and make him a third baseman. He’s pretty good over there, pretty athletic, but if there’s a fallback there, it’s right field. But we’ll definitely give him a shot to stick at third."
Zane Petty of Corsicana High School in Texas was the Brewers' pick in the 13th round of the draft Tuesday. He has committed to pitch next season at Texas Tech.
A 6-0, 165-pounder from Corsicana (Texas) High School, Petty caught the eye of Brewers area scout Mark Muzzi early, helping set the stage for his selection.
Now comes the question of whether he'll sign.
"We’ll have conversations with them over the next 12 days to see which direction it goes," said Johnson. "I think Zane’s really interesting. He’s a pretty athletic projection-type, right-handed pitcher. Somebody with really good ingredients, a really good frame to add weight and strength to, and a really good arm action we think will eventually throw a lot harder.
"Tech does a really good job of getting guys to campus there so it won’t be easy."
He's developed quite a bit since then and is coming off being named the Golden Gophers' Dave Winfield Pitcher of the Year Award winner this past season when he went 2-3 with a 3.91 ERA in 14 appearances (13 starts) and struck out 90 in 73 ⅔ innings.
Maldonado started his collegiate career at a different Big Ten school – Illinois.
"Aidan’s had a journey," Johnson said. "The things we liked about him in high school are still there, though. He’s still got a good arm, a good delivery. He’s had some assorted medical issues and other stuff and has landed back at Minnesota. We’re excited to be able to grab him there and more than likely sign him this time."
And, yes, he's named after the legendary Satchel Paige.
"Another JUCO guy and another catcher, and also somebody that is a high-contact guy," said Johnson.
The 17-year-old Neal, who played at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, is a left-handed-hitting catcher who has committed to LSU, which boasts the No. 1 overall recruiting class heading into next season.
He's considered to be one of the best high school catchers in this year's draft, but the fact he slipped to the third day might seal his decision to play collegiately.
18th round: Jurrangelo Cijntje, SHP
That's right – the native of the Netherlands who played this past season at Champagnat Catholic School in Hialeah, Florida, can throw with either arm.
He's a natural lefty but his stuff is better from the right side.
Cijntje, also a switch-hitter, is committed to play next season at Mississippi State.
"First and foremost, he’s an amazing athlete," said Johnson. "To be able to pitch like he does with both hands – at the Draft Combine he was up to 96 right-handed and in the low 90s left-handed – and I don’t know that every team sees it this way, but he’s also a very good infielder. He shows incredible body control and hands and actions on the infield and has a pretty good left-handed swing.
"His right-handed swing will probably take a little more work to get there. So, should we sign him, we’ll explore a lot of different options with him, potentially. I think the pitching thing is probably what’s gotten him to be the most famous, but I wouldn’t rule out him potentially making some waves as a position player, whether he goes to college and tries to do it or signs with us."
19th round: Jaden Noot, RHP
Big, strong and hard-throwing, Noot comes from Sierra Canyon High School in Oak Park, California, and is committed to LSU.
It's unlikely the Brewers will be able to sign him.
20th round: Noah Hall, RHP
A fourth-year junior, Hall went 3-5 with a 4.34 ERA in 15 games (12 starts) for the Gamecocks in 2022.
He struck out 78 in 76⅔ innings.
Hall was mostly a reliever his first two seasons in college, which were spent at Appalachian State.
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Brewers swing for the fences on Day 3 of the MLB Draft
Every team has players who become all-stars after leaving. Like Jorge López, here are some ex-Brewers who went on to the Midsummer Classic.
Moms still stressed about shortage despite more baby formula shipping to U.S.
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2022-07-20T13:58:05Z
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Brewers swing for the fences on Day 3 of draft, including taking switch-throwing phenom
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https://sports.yahoo.com/brewers-wrapping-third-final-day-194019935.html?src=rss
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Blackpink's Jennie sparks cultural appropriation accusations for sporting cornrows
Blackpink’s Jennie has been accused of cultural appropriation for appearing with cornrows in the teaser trailer for HBO’s “The Idol.” The HBO drama series stars singer The Weeknd (Abel Tesfaye), who plays a secret cult leader, and actor Lily-Rose Depp, who plays a wannabe pop singer. In one particular scene of the trailer, Jennie can be spotted sporting cornrows while playing the part of a backup dancer.
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2022-07-20T15:16:31Z
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NBA Player Andrew Wiggins Shares Rare Glimpse Into His All-Star Life as a Girl Dad
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Phillips kicked off the ACC's football media festivities with a stump speech and question-and-answer session that could have been delivered two generations ago.
"Any new structure of the NCAA must serve the many, not a collective few,” Phillips said. “We are not the professional ranks. This isn't the NFL- or NBA-Lite. This shouldn't be a winner-take-all or zero-sum structure. College sports have never been elitist or singularly commercial."
In the last year the SEC and Big Ten have expanded their future ranks to 16, raided two conferences (Big 12 and Pac-12) for its biggest athletic brands and are poised to make $50 million, $60 million, maybe $80 million more per school than the ACC in media revenue alone.
They are being pushed by two dueling television behemoths (Fox and ESPN) who don’t see the establishment of a “NFL-Lite” as a bad thing considering the NFL itself is the biggest and most profitable entertainment property in the country.
"Singularly commercial" is today's reality. Phillips talked about avoiding gated communities in college athletics while claiming the ACC is on the desired side of that gate.
“All neighborhoods need to be healthy,” Phillips said. “It’s not good for college athletics if they’re not. We understand where those two leagues are. No one is ignoring that. We’re all trying to find ways to close that gap."
ACC commissioner Jim Phillips speak to the media during the ACC Football Kickoff on Jul 20, 2022. (David Jensen/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
It’s not Phillips' fault that the ACC is saddled with a disastrously long and comparatively revenue-poor media deal. He’s been on the job just 18 months. His predecessor, John Swofford, negotiated that contract at the behest of school presidents that wanted extended calm (it runs through 2036) rather than constant risk and renegotiations.
The ACC doled out $35-38 million per school in fiscal 2021 and that won’t change much over the next 14 years. The SEC and Big Ten, meanwhile, are projected to hit $100 million per school later this decade.
So maybe the only option for Phillips is to try to beg for mercy and harken back to some sepia-toned vision of what college athletics supposedly used to be. Student-athletes. Local competition. Shared values. All for one and one for all.
And it was the ACC which just this year voted against a 12-team playoff plan that included six automatic bids, which would have not just assured access and importance to football in the ACC, Big 12 and Pac-12, but at least one representative from the AAC or Mountain West or even Phillips’ old Mid American Conference.
Nothing would have helped “all neighborhoods” like that playoff plan. It would have all but guaranteed that a future 13-0 Northern Illinois team would make the field — the way the Huskies reached a BCS Orange Bowl after a perfect 2012 season.
That was January. Now SEC commissioner Greg Sankey is theorizing that no automatic bids should be set aside in the future playoff, which may only feature eight teams (i.e. the majority of whom — surprise, surprise — will likely come from the SEC and Big Ten).
Now the ACC is trying to claim some moral high ground, as it sees its two chief competitors begin erecting a gated community inside the gated community? It is a bit hard to swallow.
Look, Phillips is trying to wring every last drop of revenue out of every last stone he can find. He inherited this mess. A preseason talk is a preseason talk. Action is action.
It’s just that there is no indication that such a thing will happen. Less than a year ago, the ACC joined a loosely aligned three-conference “Alliance” to further its goals. The Big Ten quickly turned traitor and gutted the Pac-12 anyway, an act of disloyalty the ACC apparently didn't see coming.
Well, it better. Because sticking up for the bowl industry or some mid-major volleyball program doesn't seem like a winning path.
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2022-07-20T16:34:27Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Amid backstabbing and shaky college football reality, ACC commish Jim Phillips just wants everyone to get along
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https://sports.yahoo.com/acc-jim-phillips-shifting-college-football-landscape-162324438.html?src=rss
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On Wednesday it was announced the junior Blake Corum made the watch list for the Doak Walker Award. Just on Monday, it was announced that Corum made the Maxwell Award watch list for the most outstanding player in football.
The Doak Walker Award is given to the nation’s premier running back. The award was established in 1989 and it is the only major collegiate football award that requires all candidates to be in good academic standing and on schedule to graduate within one year of other students of the same classification.
Corum is coming off a season where he rushed for 952 yards and 11 scores on the ground. The junior also caught for 141 yards thru the air and one score. Even while missing some time due to an ankle sprain, he still was awarded as an All-Big Ten selection in 2021. Now that Hassan Haskins has left for the NFL, Corum is expected to produce at a high level for the Wolverines in 2022.
The only other Michigan running back that has won the Doak Walker Award was Chris Perry back in 2003.
You can see the other candidates below.
Post spring edition: Ranking the Big Ten's running backs
Cissoko is the fourth player to commit to playing with the Ignite next season.
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2022-07-20T16:34:34Z
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Blake Corum made the Doak Walker Award watch list
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https://sports.yahoo.com/blake-corum-made-doak-walker-152102251.html?src=rss
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USC head football coach Lincoln Riley, left, and USC Athletic Director Mike Bohn, right, during a press conference at the Coliseum on Monday, Nov. 29, 2021 in Los Angeles, CA. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times)
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal speaks during a news conference on signing day for college football, Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2022, in Coral Gables, Fla. (AP Photo/Lynne Sladky)
Florida fell off a cliff in its final season under Dan Mullen. UF won 29 games in Mullen’s first three seasons, but put forth an embarrassing effort in 2021 while rival Georgia won a national championship.
In his 21 seasons, Gary Patterson helped guide TCU’s transition from Conference USA to the Mountain West and into the Big 12. Along the way, TCU won one C-USA title, four Mountain West titles, a share of the Big 12 title, 17 bowl appearances, six top-10 finishes and 11 seasons with double-digit victories.
Kelly discussed a variety of topics during his press conference on Monday.
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2022-07-20T16:34:35Z
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College football's first-year head coaches with the most to prove in 2022
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https://sports.yahoo.com/college-footballs-first-year-head-coaches-with-the-most-to-prove-in-2022-142146761.html?src=rss
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P. J. Fleck
Greg Schiano is starting to develop quite a coaching tree, with three of his former assistants now head coaches at the Power Five level.
Miami head coach Mario Cristobal, Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck and Boston College head coach Jeff Hafley are all former Rutgers assistants under Schiano who are now very successful – and high-profile – Power Five head coaches.
On Monday night, Schiano appeared on WQAM in south Florida with host Larry Blustein. He was asked about his coaching tree, which Schiano said is now starting to make him feel old.
“It’s funny, I was always the youngest this, the youngest that. And now I’m getting to be one of the older guys. I don’t know how that happened. But I do take pride,” Schiano told Blustein about his former assistants now becoming head coaches.
“Mario is a dear friend and I was really happy for him when he got back to the University of Miami. He had a great situation out at Oregon but Miami is home for Mario and he’s doing a great job. As is P.J. Fleck out at Minnesota. P.J. – you know, you can tell, early on I could Mario was going to be a head coach, P.J. was going to be a head coach. Those guys are special, they have that it factor. Other than the days we are playing against them or recruiting them, I’m always rooting for them.”
Rutgers opens the season at Halfley’s Boston College.
Schiano touched on a number of topics in his interview with Blustein, who is a highly-respected source on Florida football news and recruiting. In the interview, Schiano talked about the importance of recruiting nationally within the Big Ten blueprint but also in keeping up the program’s strong ties to Florida.
Rutgers currently has five Florida commits in the class of 2023.
There was an explosion at the Hoover Dam Tuesday after a transformer caught fire.
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2022-07-20T16:34:48Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Greg Schiano talks coaching tree with Mario Cristobal, P.J. Fleck: ‘Those guys are special’
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https://sports.yahoo.com/greg-schiano-talks-coaching-tree-143654683.html?src=rss
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One of the most noteworthy, and even eye-popping, events of Auburn football’s offseason was the mass exodus of assistant coaches and athletes from the program.
Head coach Bryan Harsin’s staff will be almost completely revamped heading into 2022, as three new coaches enter the program, while two will take on different roles. The roster will also have a new look, as 18 players transferred away from the program at the conclusion of last season.
Does all of this shape-shifting mean that we are seeing the fall of Auburn football? Time will tell, but we could also be seeing the opposite.
Harsin is a coach that wants to succeed in the most comfortable way possible. In order to do that, he will demand that everyone around his program perform up to his standards. This mindset could create a new culture with Auburn football and will be instrumental for success.
In a recent appearance on local radio show “Sportscall”, ESPN’s Laura Rutledge says that she feels that the more comfortable Harsin is, the better that Auburn Football will be.
“If you are the leader of something, and the people around you are not necessarily who you are familiar with or where you feel most comfortable, or not necessarily going along with the things that you are trying to implement, then you are not going to have that much success,” Rutledge said. “So I actually commend him for surrounding himself with people who he really wants to be surrounded by. I think that it will allow leadership to come across a little bit better with the players that are still there.”
She also feels that this season’s roster will a similar mindset to Harsin, which will make the buy-in process easier to obtain.
“Now you have players that, hopefully, that want to be there and that understand what is required from an Auburn football player under Bryan Harsin,” Rutledge said. “As long as that is the case, then we will be able to see what that looks like next season.”
Harsin, as well as three player representatives, are scheduled to take their turns at SEC Media Days on Thursday morning. Coverage of SEC Media Days can be seen on the SEC Network.
Navigating the best, worst, and most realistic scenarios for Auburn Football
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2022-07-20T16:34:54Z
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Harsin looks to translate “comfort” into “winning” in 2022
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https://sports.yahoo.com/harsin-looks-translate-comfort-winning-145602789.html?src=rss
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Mountain West Football: Four Players Named to Doak Walker Award Watch List
Once again, a quartet of running backs from the Mountain West are in the mix to be college football’s top running back.
Can anyone run their way to glory?
Day three of watch list season turned to the Doak Walker Award this morning. Given annually to college football’s best running back, there are four players from the Mountain West on this year’s iteration.
Boise State’s George Holani lands on this list for the third year in a row despite being hampered by injuries in 2021. Though he was limited to nine games, the Broncos running back finished with 569 yards and one touchdown on 119 carries.
Titus Swen played second fiddle to Xazavian Valladay at Wyoming last year, but he earned a nod on this list, as well, after finishing seventh in the Mountain West with 785 yards and seven touchdowns on just 132 carries, the fewest of any player who finished 2021 in the top ten by rushing. According to Pro Football Focus, he also led all qualifying conference running backs with an overall grade of 86.0.
Jordan Mims, like Swen, also spent most of last year at Fresno State in a timeshare. When Ronnie Rivers was slowed by injuries, though, he made the most of the presented opportunities by rushing for 710 yards and catching 25 passes for 324 yards, finding the end zone ten times in all.
Utah State’s Calvin Tyler Jr. proved he could be a force when healthy last year, leading the Aggies with 911 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. That included four different 100-yard performances, including a career-high 132 yards against Air Force and 120 in the Jimmy Kimmel LA Bowl victory over Oregon State.
One surprising omission from the group? Air Force’s Brad Roberts, the Mountain West’s rushing champion last season. He shouldered a heavy load for the Falcons with 297 carries, the most among running back in the conference since 2018, but ran for 1,357 yards and 13 touchdowns while helping the team win ten games.
Last year’s Doak Walker Award winner was Michigan State’s Kenneth Walker III.
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2022-07-20T16:35:07Z
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Mountain West Football: Four Players Named to Doak Walker Award Watch List
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Although the Irish already have a fantastic haul for their 2023 recruiting class, Marcus Freeman is still looking for a few prospects to finish out the class. One of those resides in Freeman’s former home, Ohio, as Notre Dame has offered a scholarship to Lakota West defensive back Ben Minich.
At six-foot-one-inch and 185-pounds, Minich totaled 45 tackles with 2 interceptions during his junior year. The Irish now join schools like Oklahoma, Stanford, Wake Forest, Kentucky and others in the recruitment of Minich.
It seems like Minich is one of those diamonds in the rough, as his recruitment hasn’t been quite the same as some of the other Irish prospects. The Sooners offered just under a month ago and now holding two major offers more could be on the way.
This relationship with Minich is just starting and with a big senior campaign he could blow up. Good to know the Irish were in on him fairly early.
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2022-07-20T16:35:13Z
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Notre Dame offers Ohio 2023 four-star defensive back
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https://sports.yahoo.com/notre-dame-offers-ohio-2023-155954444.html?src=rss
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LOS ANGELES — For a second, it looked like Albert Pujols had actually done it.
With the National League down 3-2 and a runner on first base, the future Hall of Famer launched a fly ball with the kind of helium seen at Monday's Home Run Derby, after receiving a standing ovation from Dodger Stadium. It would have been the dream ending of an All-Star break that has been partially dominated by Pujols tributes, interviews and mentions.
But it wasn't. It was a 333-foot, pinch-hit flyout to Andrew Benintendi, and there would be no sticking around for Pujols for even another inning.
Pujols was done, after fielding dozens of questions, hitting 35 homers in the Home Run Derby and maybe four or five Special Moments™ over the course of two days. After the AL held the NL scoreless for the rest of the game to win 3-2, all that was left were memories for the players who got one last chance to play alongside the St. Louis Cardinals slugger, or at least be near him.
"We got to talk, get a few [pieces of] advice and swing tips," starting catcher Willson Contreras said after the game. "I wish he could play forever, but that's impossible. One thing I know for sure is that those kinds of personalities, you want them to hang out around baseball because they're going to help a lot of young players and help the game grow."
That sentiment was an echo of countless Latin American players and former teammates Monday and Tuesday.
"I've watched him since I was a kid growing up. He's very special. He was then and he is now," Vladimir Guerrero Jr. said through an interpreter. "It's like a father-son relationship. Every time we have a chance, his advice is unbelievable, so I try to take everything that I can from him."
Albert Pujols went 0-for-1 in the All-Star Game, but was still the star of the All-Star Game. (Photo by Daniel Shirey/MLB Photos via Getty Images)
"Being able to share this experience with Albert Pujols," Luis Castillo said through an interpreter when asked for his favorite All-Star memory. "He's an All-Star, an All-Star for all of us in the Latino community. The way he inspires us, the way he's shown us how to play the game. We're always going to have that."
"I'm giving him a lot of credit," Mike Trout said. "He's been there since Day 1 and when I got to the big leagues, it's stuff that he taught me, the routine, how to become a professional, nothing but the best."
Words like those, and the cheers of Dodger Stadium any time the spotlight shined on Pujols, were more than enough to explain why MLB would add a rule allowing the commissioner to place aging legends on the All-Star rosters (Miguel Cabrera, who plans to continue playing after this year, got the same honor on the AL side).
No memory may last longer than one timeout during the Derby, when just about every All-Star on the field mobbed Pujols when the man might have just wanted a drink of water.
The experience mattered for those players, and it mattered for Pujols.
"I was pretty emotional," Pujols said on Tuesday. "I tried to hide it, because I was still an athlete needing to go out there and compete, but it's probably going to be one of the top moments of my career."
Whether there will be any more top moments is up to Pujols, and the rest of the Cardinals, whom he joined last offseason for one last ride. He had a slow first half, hitting .215/.301/.376 with six home runs while playing mostly as a designated hitter, but has promised a better second half.
Pujols is 11 home runs away from catching Alex Rodriguez for fourth on the all-time home run list and 15 home runs away from joining Barry Bonds, Hank Aaron and Babe Ruth in the 700 club. He has already passed Willie Mays for third on the total bases list, and needs 36 to catch Stan Musial (6,134). He is 86 hits away from Carl Yastrzemski for eighth on this hits leaderboard.
Some of those milestones matter more than others, and none are probably more compelling than a potential deep playoff run for the 50-44 Cardinals, who are a half-game behind the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the NL Central.
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2022-07-20T16:47:30Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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How an All-Star break turned into a showcase for Albert Pujols' legacy
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In April, Kansas City Chiefs general manager Brett Veach struck an optimistic tone when asked about contract negotiations with left tackle Orlando Brown Jr.
The Chiefs put the franchise tag on Brown, which means he’d be paid $16.7 million for the upcoming season. But Brown hasn’t signed that tender, and he and the Chiefs failed to reach agreement on a long-term contract before last Friday’s deadline.
After the deadline passed, it was reported the Chiefs offered Brown $91 million over five years. The NFL Network’s Mike Garafalo said that included a sixth year at more than $40 million “strictly to inflate the average annual value to the top of the market. That year would’ve never been meant to be paid.”
Because Brown is unsigned, he likely won’t be at training camp when it opens later this month.
The NFL Network’s Jeffri Chadiha talked with Andrew Siciliano this week on “NFL Now,” and shared the Chiefs were vexed about how the contract talks went with Brown.
“There was frustration and there was disappointment,” Chadiha said. “They really like Orlando Brown Jr., they love having him be a part of this team, but the money he was asking for was too high for them. They feel like they don’t want to not have stability at left tackle here, but they also don’t want to pay top-of-the-market money for a player that they don’t think is the best player at his position in the NFL.
Chadiha also talked a bit about the reasons for the Chiefs’ slow start last season. He mentioned how the Chiefs want “their finances to be right” and ”they want to get back to guys who want to be here.”
Here is the clip, via Nick Jacobs of KSHB (Ch. 41):
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2022-07-20T16:47:36Z
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Chiefs reportedly frustrated with Orlando Brown Jr. over how contract talks went down
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Green signed a deal in free agency with the Denver Nuggets ahead of the shortened 2020-21 season. He made his Nuggets debut on New Year’s Day in 2021, and eight games later -- funny enough, after a 114-104 Denver win over Golden State, Jokić was ready to give him a lifetime deal.
RELATED: Warriors' expected JaMychal Green signing shows patience, prudence
Green's attitude appears to be a perfect fit for the Warriors' championship culture.
Grafton native Jack Choate, who starred at Westborough High School and Assumption University, was drafted in the ninth round of the Major League Baseball Draft by the San Francisco Giants, 286th overall.
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2022-07-20T16:48:08Z
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Nikola Jokic's amazing praise for Warriors' JaMychal Green after eight games
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Andrew Janocko
At No. 7 is quarterbacks coach Andrew Janocko, who will play an instrumental role in Justin Fields’ development this season.
Position: Quarterbacks coach
For the last seven seasons, Janocko served in a variety of coaching roles with the Minnesota Vikings, including quality control coach, assistant offensive line coach, and wide receivers coach. But in 2021, he was promoted to the team’s quarterbacks coach, working notably with entrenched starter Kirk Cousins. The Vikings quarterback is a vested veteran at this point and has been putting up Pro Bowl-caliber numbers for a while now. That didn’t change in 2021 when he threw for 4,221 yards and 33 touchdowns with just six interceptions. He also had a 103 quarterback rating, his third consecutive season with a rating of over 100. The best stat from 2021 for Cousins, however, might be that his interception percentage dropped to the lowest in his career at 1.2 percent.
It’s difficult to measure just how much Janocko influenced Cousins, but his teammates lauded the quarterback early last season. “I haven’t seen Kirk play like this in a long time. He’s playing great football right now.” Said defensive end Everson Griffen. His former head coach Mike Zimmer, who wasn’t always complimentary of him, added to the praise. “I think he’s playing outstanding. But not only that, he’s playing with a lot of confidence. I really appreciate the leadership that he’s been doing lately. It’s been so much better, something he wanted to work on. He’s done a great job with that.”
The Vikings only won eight games in 2021, but it’s hard to fault Cousins for last season’s shortcomings. Janocko played a hand in Cousins’ success last year but will be more instrumental in his new quarterback’s development.
Janocko’s next project will be Fields, who is already showing signs of improvement after his rookie season during the offseason program. Fields is changing his footwork and adjusting his release thanks to the coaching from Janocko and new offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. Janocko has been impressed by Fields thus far in pretty much way possible. He appreciates Fields’ desire to outwork everyone in the building and has seen how intelligent he is with processing the new offense.
During the 2021 season, it was fairly evident Fields wasn’t getting the proper coaching needed to develop at the NFL level. With Janocko now in the building and in his ear, the hope is Fields can take a leap towards becoming a franchise quarterback with not only the right scheme in place, but the right coaches behind him.
Big question: Will Janocko help Fields become a star QB?
There are other specific questions we could ask, such as if Janocko will help Fields improve with ball security. Or if his coaching can help Fields get rid of the ball at the right time? But fans want to know if Janocko can help the second-year signal caller put all of that together to become a star passer in the NFL. The truth is we don’t have a good sense of direction yet.
Janocko is entering his second season as a quarterbacks coach and his one starter was already an established veteran. Sure, Cousins improved in some areas, but what will it look like with Fields, a quarterback who is still young in his development? Janocko already worked with one rookie quarterback in Minnesota last year, with little to no results.
Quarterback Kellen Mond, a 2021 third-round pick out of Texas A&M, failed to make an impression on the coaching staff and spent most of the year as an inactive participant on gamedays. He was even passed up for a starting opportunity when Cousins was on the COVID-19 list. Mond’s inability to climb the depth chart isn’t Janocko’s fault and he’s not on Fields’ level as a quarterback, either.
Both Janocko and Fields are saying the right things and evidence of the quarterback’s development is there. Time will tell whether or not Janocko had a lasting impact but the groundwork is already being laid.
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2022-07-20T16:51:57Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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30 Most Important Bears of 2022: No. 7 Andrew Janocko
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https://sports.yahoo.com/30-most-important-bears-2022-133042762.html?src=rss
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Cameron Dicker
Riley Dixon
American football kicker
Training camps are right around the corner in the NFL, which means we’ll soon have football on our television screens again. It seems like forever ago that the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cincinnati Bengals in the Super Bowl, but the reigning champions have their sights set on defending their title in 2022.
Throughout the offseason, the Rams made a flurry of moves, most notably adding Allen Robinson and Bobby Wagner. While those two guys aren’t at risk of having limited playing time in the upcoming season, there will be a handful of position battles taking place at training camp for Los Angeles.
With mere days until training camp begins for the Rams, let’s take a look at six training camp battles that fans should keep close tabs on.
Punter: Riley Dixon vs. Cameron Dicker
Let’s get things started with an electric punter battle (yes, punters are people too). Johnny Hekker was released by the Rams earlier this offseason after spending 10 seasons with the organization, cementing himself as one of the premier punters in the NFL during that span.
Following Hekker’s release, Los Angeles signed Riley Dixon and inked a deal with undrafted rookie Cameron Dicker to compete for the vacant punter job. Dixon has six years of experience in the NFL (two with the Denver Broncos, four with the New York Giants), while Dicker was a highly regarded kicker entering the 2022 NFL draft.
Despite spending most of his time placekicking in college at Texas, Dicker did some punting in his final two years at the collegiate level. With Matt Gay holding down the kicker spot, it will be interesting to see how things shake out at the punter position between Dixon and Dicker at training camp, especially with the team looking to fill the big shoes left behind by Hekker.
Starting right guard: Logan Bruss vs. Tremayne Anchrum Jr. vs. Bobby Evans
Rams fans are accustomed to having to wait for the franchise to make their first selection in drafts in recent years due to them leaning on proven players instead of taking a chance on rookies in earlier rounds. The first pick that Los Angeles made in this year’s draft was Logan Bruss out of Wisconsin with the 104th overall pick in the third round.
Even though Bruss has the least amount of experience of the bunch, he’s expected to compete for the starting right guard spot alongside Tremayne Anchrum Jr. and Bobby Evans after Austin Corbett departed in free agency. If I were to make a guess, the battle will come down to either Bruss or Anchrum when it’s all said and done.
The Rams’ offensive line will undergo a few alterations from a season ago, with Andrew Whitworth retiring and Corbett leaving for the Carolina Panthers in free agency. Joseph Noteboom is locked into the starting left tackle position to replace Whitworth and only time will tell if it will be Bruss, Anchrum, or Evans starting next to Rob Havenstein on the right side of the offensive line in 2022.
Starting safety: Taylor Rapp vs. Nick Scott
To some people, it may seem like a lock that Taylor Rapp will start at strong safety again for the Rams in 2022. But with Los Angeles adding plenty of defensive backs in recent drafts, and the emergence of Nick Scott at the end of last season, Rapp’s starting job is far from a guarantee.
When Rapp went down with an injury that sidelined him for the first three postseason games for the Rams last season, Scott stepped into the starting lineup. Scott would perform admirably in his place, posting 14 combined tackles, three pass breakups, and an interception on Tom Brady in the divisional round that prevented the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from scoring more points in the first half.
Also, Scott proved that he can be relied upon in a starting role, logging 100 percent of the defensive snaps for the Rams in the team’s four playoff games (including the Super Bowl). We’ve seen Rapp hold down the starting job at strong safety — when he’s healthy — in recent years, but Scott could perform well enough during training camp to unseat him entering the 2022 campaign.
No. 2 tight end: Kendall Blanton vs. Brycen Hopkins vs. Jacob Harris
Tyler Higbee is still recovering from a knee injury that prevented him from suiting up in the Super Bowl versus the Bengals back in February. But once he’s fully recovered, Higbee figures to return to being the No. 1 tight end for Matthew Stafford to target in 2022.
Amid Higbee’s absence in the final two playoff contests last season, Kendall Blanton took on a larger role in the offense. Blanton responded by hauling in five passes for 57 yards in the NFC title game against the San Francisco 49ers, including a couple of vital receptions that helped the Rams advance to the Super Bowl, while he didn’t receive a single target against the Bengals.
Even with his quiet performance in the Super Bowl, Blanton should have the edge over Brycen Hopkins and Jacob Harris to be the team’s No. 2 tight end in 2022. That being said, the Rams did spend fourth-round picks on Hopkins and Harris in recent drafts, so they’ll likely get plenty of opportunities to compete with Blanton in training camp.
No. 3 cornerback: Robert Rochell vs. David Long Jr. vs. Decobie Durant vs. Derion Kendrick
Jalen Ramsey is still the best cornerback in the NFL and the Rams were able to acquire Troy Hill during the 2022 NFL draft, giving the team a familiar face at cornerback. Darious Williams is no longer with the organization, so Ramsey and Hill figure to be penned in for the top two spots at cornerback.
Behind Ramsey and Hill, the Rams have a plethora of defensive backs that could compete for the No. 3 spot. Robert Rochell is entering his second year, David Long Jr. was the nickel cornerback to begin last season, Decobie Durant was the team’s fourth-round selection in this year’s draft, and Derion Kendrick was selected in the sixth round of this year’s draft.
Even though Long has the most experience of the group, I’d imagine the Rams want to see what they have in the younger guys in Rochell, Durant, and Kendrick. If you were to tell me that you’re from the future and that one of the rookies will win the No. 3 spot on the depth chart at cornerback, I wouldn’t be shocked one bit.
No. 4 wide receiver: Tutu Atwell vs. Ben Skowronek
The wide receiver position is not one that lacks talent for the Rams entering the 2022 season. Cooper Kupp is returning following his historic season in 2021, Robinson should become a formidable No. 2 option alongside Kupp, and Van Jefferson should still possess a decent-sized role in the team’s aerial attack.
With the Rams needing depth options behind those three guys, Tutu Atwell and Ben Skowronek will compete for snaps in their sophomore campaigns. It was a disappointing rookie season for Atwell, especially as a second-round pick, as he failed to record a single statistic on offense.
Meanwhile, Skowronek saw an increased role in the latter portion of last season when Robert Woods was ruled out for the rest of the season. Skowronek struggled with drops during his time on the field, and with his fellow second-year teammate receiving praise throughout the offseason, I’d be shocked if Atwell isn’t the No. 4 wideout on the depth chart this year, though, he’ll have to earn it during training camp.
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2022-07-20T16:52:03Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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6 training camp battles to watch for the Rams
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https://sports.yahoo.com/6-training-camp-battles-watch-155854936.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/6-training-camp-battles-watch-155854936.html?src=rss
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FILE - San Francisco 49ers offensive tackle Trent Williams (71) plays against the Tennessee Titans during an NFL football game, on Dec. 23, 2021, in Nashville, Tenn. Willams was named to The Associated Press 2021 NFL All-Pro Team, announced Friday, Jan. 14, 2022.(AP Photo/John Amis, File)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Highest-paid offensive tackle in NFL? Ranking position by 2022 salary
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2022-07-20T16:53:27Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Who is the highest-paid offensive tackle in the NFL? See 2022 salary rankings
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https://sports.yahoo.com/highest-paid-offensive-tackle-nfl-144825946.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/highest-paid-offensive-tackle-nfl-144825946.html?src=rss
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Patriots RBs given surprisingly low ratings in 'Madden NFL 23' game originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
EA Sports is releasing new player ratings for its new "Madden NFL 23" videogame this week, and Wednesday's position reveal was running backs.
Tennessee Titans star Derrick Henry is unsurprisingly the top-ranked running back with a 97 out of 100 rating. Henry missed a huge chunk of last season with a foot injury, but it's hard to ignore his production when healthy over the last few years. Nick Chubb of the Cleveland Browns and Christian McCaffrey of the Carolina Panthers round out the top three, in that order.
You probably noticed the New England Patriots didn't have a running back in the top 10, despite having arguably the deepest and most talented depth chart at the position.
Damien Harris is the top-rated Patriots running back in the new "Madden" game, but he received a surprisingly low 82 rating. Harris averaged 4.6 yards per carry and his 15 rushing touchdowns were tied for the second-most in the league last season. Rhamondre Stevenson had a fantastic second half of his rookie campaign, but it wasn't enough for the "Madden" developers to give him a rating above 75. He'll start the game at 73 overall.
Harris is not among the top 20 highest-rated running backs in "Madden", while Stevenson is outside the top 40. That seems a little disrespectful, right?
Here's a roundup of Patriots running back player ratings in "Madden NFL 23".
Damien Harris: 82 out of 100
James White: 76
Rhamondre Stevenson: 73
J.J. Taylor: 69
Pierre Strong: 68
Kevin Harris: 61
Player ratings are changed throughout the season as EA Sports rolls out roster updates on a weekly basis, so if Patriots running backs such as Harris and Stevenson meet or exceed expectations in 2022, you can bet they won't be at 82 and 73 ratings, respectively, by the end of the year.
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2022-07-20T16:53:59Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Madden NFL 23 ratings: Patriots running backs given surprisingly low numbers
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https://sports.yahoo.com/madden-nfl-23-ratings-patriots-163858552.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/madden-nfl-23-ratings-patriots-163858552.html?src=rss
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Picking an overrated player, as our NFL Wire network just did this week, is a difficult task. Doing it right requires a strong understanding of the outside assessment of the team and its players while also factoring in a strong opinion on the actual value of individual players.
My attempt at the exercise brought me to safety Darnell Savage, a first-round pick with incredible physical attributes who flashed as an elite player for at least half a season in 2020 but also struggled at times as a young player and again over a full season in 2021.
Here was my full explanation of picking Savage:
This was a tough one. We actually picked Savage as the team’s breakout player in 2022, so also having him as the “most overrated” is a little tough to square. But it’s truly tough to know where Savage’s career is heading after a disappointing third season. He’s fast as the wind, and the Packers think he can be a versatile playmaker, but there’s been too many missed opportunities, too many missed tackles and too many big plays allowed, especially last season. If everything comes together, Savage could be a Pro Bowler. But there’s also a chance he’s just a really fast defensive back with some warts that won’t go away. The Packers have and can win with Savage, but will he reach his potential as one of the game’s best safeties? Who knows.
Savage could become an elite player. He was highly regarded (and rightfully so) after playing at a truly high level to end the 2020 season, so we know he can get there. But can he return to that level after a rocky third season in which he missed too many plays, coverages and tackles? There’s no doubting his combination of skills. Maybe there was a learning curve in Joe Barry’s defense, and he’ll improve during his second season in the scheme. Maybe, in Year 4 as a starter, the lightbulb will come on and stay on, and Savage will make this all look silly.
It’s a big season for him. The Packers picked up his fifth-year option, meaning he’s under contract through the 2023 season. But for Green Bay’s defense to reach elite levels, Savage must play better. He could tip the scales from good to great for the entire group.
So, who do you think is the Packers’ most overrated player entering 2022? Let us know in our poll, in the comments section or on Twitter.
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2022-07-20T16:54:30Z
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sports.yahoo.com
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Who is the Packers’ most overrated player right now?
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https://sports.yahoo.com/packers-most-overrated-player-now-134534065.html?src=rss
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https://sports.yahoo.com/packers-most-overrated-player-now-134534065.html?src=rss
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