Yardbarker: All Sports

Blogging the Offseason: Seattle Mariners

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:22:00 -0500

Blogging the Offseason is a 30 team series in which I ask a blogging representative from each MLB team a series of ten questions about their desires and thoughts surrounding the offseason. Check out all of them here. Today's AL team is the Seattle Mariners and our guest is Griffin from the Mariners Blog, Sodo Mojo. 1. What do the Mariners need to do this offseason to truly make them a contender for the AL West crown in 2010? They have to sign or acquire a legitimate #2 starter, fig...

Andrus, Coghlan, McCutchen Highlight Topps Rookie All-Star Team

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:16:58 -0500

Chris Coghlan adds ToppsRookie All-Star Team to his off-season awards The Topps Company announces the 51st annual Topps Major League Rookie All-Star Team. The summary: 1B Travis Ishikawa, San Francisco (120 games, 9 HR, 39 RBI, .261) 2B Chris Getz, Chicago (A.L.) (107, 2, 31, .261) 3B Gordon Beckham, Chicago (A.L.) (103, 14, 63, .270) SS Elvis Andrus, Texas (145, 6, 40, .267) OF Chris Coghlan, Florida (128, 9, 47, .321) OF Andrew McCutchen, Pittsburgh (108, 12, 54, .286) OF Nolan Reimold, Baltimore (104, 15, 45, .279) C Omir Santos, New York (N.L.) (96, 7, 40, .260) RHP Tommy Hanson, Atlanta (127.2 IP, 11-4, 2.89, 116 K, 46 BB) LHP J.A. Happ, Philadelphia (166 IP, 12-4, 2.93, 119 K, 56 BB) The Topps Major League Rookie All-Star team began in 1959 with Willie McCovey being the first of 16 future Hall of Famers named to the squad (others include Johnny Bench, Rod Carew, Gary Carter, Carlton Fisk, Paul Molitor, Joe Morgan, Eddie Murray, Tony Perez, Kirby Puckett, Jim Rice, Cal Ripken, Ryne Sandberg, Tom Seaver, Ozzie Smith and Billy Williams). The Rookie All-Stars will each have a trophy on their 2010 trading card in Topps Baseball, with Series One due out in late January. Source: Topps OTHER NEWS FROM THE BUSINESS OF SPORTS NETWORK (THE BIZ OF FOOTBALL) Tony Dungy Leads New NFL Player Advisory Forum Jon Gruden Signs Mult-Year Extension with ESPN At Midseason, NFL TV Ratings Exceptionally Strong Boise St. Engages PR Firm in Attempt to Gain BCS Game Does the NFL Salary Cap Still Work? (THE BIZ OF HOCKEY) Relocating NHL Franchises to Canada Inside the Numbers: The 2009 Forbes NHL Valuations NHLPA Votes to Create Two Committees, Approves Donald Fehr to Assist in Exec. Dir. Search The NHL Works to Address Head Hits (THE BIZ OF BASKETBALL) TV Troubles for Bad NBA Teams Despite Economy Early NBA Attendance Only Down 2% Daktronics to Provide Massive Video Display for Amway Center (SPORTS BASH) Because It's Good For You: Rob Neyer Maury Brown is the Founder and President of the Business of Sports Network, which includes The Biz of Baseball, The Biz of Football, The Biz of Basketball and The Biz of Hockey. He is available for hire or freelance. Brown's full bio is here. He looks forward to your comments via email and can be contacted through the Business of Sports Network. Don't forget to register and log in on The Biz of Baseball site to get updates via your in-box, and see information only logged in members can see. Follow Maury Brown on Twitter Follow The Biz of Baseball on Twitter Follow the Business of Sports Network on Facebook

Referee Denies in Engaging in Consensual Fiving with Vince Young

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:06:27 -0500

After a kneel down to close the Titans win Monday night over the Texans, Vince Young appeared to exchange a high five with referee Jerome Boger. Knee-jerk alarmists piped up more conspiracy fantasies, even though the officiating in the game was horrid toward both teams. That and if there were some sort of agreement between Young and Boger, they most likely wouldn't be so brazen about being chummy on the field. Nevertheless, a statement had to be released on the matter. "It was no...

Bonus Giants notes: Boley, Pierce, Blackburn

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:44:52 -0500

Since it is almost Thanksgiving, and I am seemingly in a giving mood, here are a handful of leftover New York Giants notes for your Wednesday afternoon. Antonio Pierce is in Los Angeles to get a second opinion on the bulging disc in his neck. I can't imagine that is because he distrusts the Giants doctors. I don't blame him for seeking more information -- this type of injury could be one that threatens his career. Mathias Kiwanuka has a great, very comforting, quote recently a...

Your NFL Power Rankings: Week 11

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:00:00 -0500

NFL action in week 11 was filled with nail biters across the board and a couple of blowouts here and there in between. The Thanksgiving edition of the Power Rankings has many teams thankful for being in the playoff race at this point in the season especially the Jacksonville Jaguars, who in my opinion are the worst team out of the 6-4 bunch in the league…here are the rankings. 1. New Orleans Saints (10-0) – The ultimate test comes to town in the form of the Patriots this Sunday nigh...

The Bears are Finally Looking for a New Coach

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:20:06 -0500

To all those screaming for Lovie Smith’s head (I’m one of them), there is some good news out of Halas Hall. Or at least good rumors. According to Hub Arkush at 670 The Score, the Bears are putting out feelers for a new head coach: Someone in the Bears’ organization at a level above general manager [...]

So Close, And Yet So Ridiculous: Sixers Lose By One to Wizards in Weird-Ass Game

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 11:00:00 -0500

No matter what the outcome of tonight's game would turn out to be, I don't think too many of us expected a Sixers crunch time lineup of Lou Williams, Jrue Holiday, Thaddeus Young, Jason Smith and Samuel Dalembert. Oddly, though, those were probably the Sixers' five best offensive players on the court tonight, with Elton Brand and Andre Iguodala shooting a combined 3-19 from the field. There is much to talk about with this game, but first things first: Why, oh why, did you take th...

Ellis says his departure from Dallas stems from Phillips' decision

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:51:39 -0500

IRVING - Greg Ellis notched 20½ sacks for the Dallas Cowboys the last two seasons. So why will he line up at defensive end Thursday in the Oakland Raiders' 4-3 alignment instead of outside linebacker in the Cowboys' 3-4 scheme? Dallas saved $4.15 million in salary cap space when they cut Ellis in the offseason, but he suggested this week in a conference call that the decision mainly boiled down to coach Wade Phillips wanting to go with his guy. That would be third-year player Antho...

It’s Over Folks: Clausen's South Bend Home Sold

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:49:31 -0500

The CHICAGO TRIBUNE has news that will extinguish any talk of Jimmy Clausen coming back for his senior season at Notre Dame, with or without Charlie Weis. Century 21 real estate agent Kathye Currey reports to the CHICAGO TRIBUNE that Clausen’s home in South Bend has been sold: “It has an accepted offer on it right [...]

Arizona Cardinals Power Rankings Round Up: Week 11

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:48:51 -0500

The results are in and the Arizona Cardinals have received a boost in power rankings. Most of them are respectable and seem just right. The fox sports ranking however, I do not agree with. 11th was the worst out of the bunch and I don't see how the Broncos, Cowboys and Steelers should be ranked higher then the Cardinals, but that's just my opinion. Last week's average ranking was 8.4, this week the average ranking is 7.2. ESPN - 5th Getting Kurt Warner healthy has to be th...

Lions Try to Distract Fans From On-The-Field Beating

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:26:54 -0500

Turkey Day, like most days, hasn't been so kind to the Detroit Lions. They haven't won the annual game they host since 2003. Last year was particularly painful, having been defeated by the Titans 47-10 while scores of their own fans held up signs making some sort of Detroit bailout joke (hey, at least it slightly more current then). This year doesn't look any more promising. Despite Matt Stafford manhood-establishing performance last week against Cleveland, the Lions face a Pack...

Looking under the hood: New England Patriots @ New Orleans Saints

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:17:10 -0500

More photos » by Bill Haber - AP Browse more photos » Another Sunday gone by. Another division win in the books. An NFC opponent this coming Monday. With Rex "you're dissin' me by playing 60 minutes" Ryan and his silliness behind us, we can take a quick moment to relish the win but we really need to focus on our MNF trip to the Big Easy - land of Dixieland, Madi Gras, and the New Orle...

Danny freaks out Celtics Nation

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:15:00 -0500

“We have had internal discussions about (Iverson),” Ainge said yesterday, “but a decision like this has to be unanimous, and it wasn’t.” Among the questions surrounding Iverson are cost (not a problem after he was willing to go to the Grizzlies for $3.1 million), how much he could help a club and whether, in the case of a good team like the Celts, he’d be willing to come off the bench. “Those are all things to be considered, but we never got to the ...

Blogging the Offseason: Washington Nationals

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 10:10:00 -0500

Blogging the Offseason is a 30 team series in which I ask a blogging representative from each MLB team a series of ten questions about their desires and thoughts surrounding the offseason. Check out all of them here. Today's NL team is the Washington Nationals and our guest is Ed from the Nats Blog, Federal Baseball. 1. You mentioned you were in Arizona for the Arizona Fall League, were you there simply to suffice the man crush you have on Stephen Strasburg? Was the day they signed ...

Discussion: Marlon Byrd vs. Mike Cameron

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:49:09 -0500

More photos » by Luis Alvarez - AP Browse more photos » Yesterday, I posted an idea regarding a potential free agent signing for a Cubs bench position in 2010. Admittedly, this wasn't the most important possible addition to the roster for next year -- however, the Cubs had a very poor bench in 2009 and I still think Chad Tracy (at the right price) would be a good addition. Today, I'm going to analyze two play...

Does Brandon Roy Hate America?

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:00:44 -0500

by Marcel Mutoni / @marcel_mutoni That, more or less, is the question being asked by one columnist in Portland. You see, for whatever reason, Roy doesn’t stand with the rest of the team during “The Star-Spangled Banner” prior to every game, and this clearly means he’s a communist! Well, that or he’s a selfish person. Either way, he’s a bad guy. The floor is yours, John Canzano: It is not a political statement. It is not a protest. He said it is not intend...

2009 Draftee Report Card, Part Two: Middle Infielders

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 09:00:14 -0500

The Diamondbacks entered the 2009 draft with 4 extra draft picks in the first round and the 1/2 sandwich round, and came out of the draft with 37 out of 55 picks signed. Keith Law ranked the Dbacks as having the best draft in 2009, and other reviews of the Diamondbacks' draft have been positive as well. With so many quality players signed, this draft certainly has the potential to be the most productive draft the Diamondbacks have had in their short history, and the tea...

The Happy Gilmore golf shot is now illegal?

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:35:16 -0500

No, not in the good ‘ol USA, but our damn neighbors to the north. A Nova Scotia judge ruled that the Happy Gilmore swing “breached the standard of care owed to other players on the course”. I wish I was joking.Justice Arthur J. LeBlanc, in his decision, went on to trash an admittedly nontraditional but heretofore [...]

Miami Dolphins talking points: Bill Parcells’ purge continues with release of Matt Roth

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:25:45 -0500

When Wayne Huizenga gave Bill Parcells carte blanche to fix a the Dolphins' franchise, everyone with the organization feared for their jobs. Not much has changed as Parcells, Jeff Ireland and Tony Sparano continue to tinker with the team's roster year round. Linebacker Matt Roth is the latest victim of Parcells' plan ...

Red Sox Putting On A Full-Court Press To Acquire Halladay

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:15:00 -0500

From Mark Feinsand and Bill Madden: The Red Sox are "putting on a full-court press" to acquire Roy Halladay, according to a source, and are hoping to add the former Cy Young winner to the top of their rotation to go with Josh Beckett and Jon Lester. "They would love to get it wrapped up before the winter meetings (beginning Dec. 7)," the source said of the Red Sox, who made a big push to deal for Halladay last summer. The article goes on to speculate that Boston would pr...

Morning Prowl: Miguel Cabrera's Non-Tradability, Giving Away Edwin Jackson, and Casper Wells Interviewed

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 08:00:21 -0500

by Paul Battaglia - AP Miguel Cabrera tries to bounce a baseball on his knee the same number of times his name has popped up in trade rumors this week. View full size photo » We've heard from Lynn Henning, who believes the Tigers could trade Miguel Cabrera to the Red Sox. We've heard from John Lowe, who thinks Cabrera's contract makes a deal difficult to pull off. (Buster Olney concurs, as do...

Chicago Cubs: Looking Forward to 2010 ... The Reserves and Rumored Additions

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 02:00:00 -0500

Monday it was the Starting Eight. Tuesday it was Lou Piniella's Pitching Staff and the third and final part on the CCO's look at the early projections for 2010 ... The Reserves and Rumored Additions. The Cubs' off-season appears to be centered on where (and when) Jim Hendry will trade Milton Bradley ... as well as how much of the remaining two years and more than $21 million the Cubs will have to send to his new team. Tampa remains the most likely destination for Pat Burrell...

Jimmy Johnson has suggestion to build Roy Williams confidence

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:22:57 -0500

Mention Roy Williams' name these days, and brace yourself for a round of criticism or advice. Put former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson in the advice category. Johnson recalled how Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin, in his second training camp, seemed to drop everything thrown in his direction. The decision was made to pull back on routes the Cowboys asked Irvin to run. They let him do what he did best then added the more problematic routes as his confidence returned. He advocates a sim...

Kenyon Martin Says Bruce Ratner to Blame for Sorry Nets

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 00:02:42 -0500

Kenyon Martin played for the New Jersey Nets six years ago and was around Bruce Ratner briefly but that doesn’t mean K-Mart can’t take shots at the Nets Owner. Kenyon says if you need somebody to blame for New Jersey’s overall decline, including the 0-14 start, point your fingers at Ratner. Julian Garcia of the NY [...]

Jon Runyan Hits a Different Campaign Trail First

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 22:08:00 -0500

Below is the official statement of John Runyan regarding his decision to sign with the San Diego Chargers for the remainder of the NFL season and its impact on his plans to seek the Republican nomination for the US House of Representatives in NJ's 3rd Congressional District: "Yesterday, I received an offer to pursue my professional dream of winning a Super Bowl, and have decided to sign with the San Diego Chargers for the remainder of this season through the playoffs. Win or lose, t...

Update on Jimmy Clausen: One Black Eye, Assailant Allegedly Shoved His Date

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:05:05 -0500

Here’s the latest version of the Clausen story, from the official ND source. According to a University source, Clausen was at C.J.’s Pub with friends, family and a “date.” A man shoved his date as he left the bar. Clausen pushed the man with “his hand landing in the neck area.” The guy punched him [...]

PETA: UGA Should Use Robot Bulldog As Mascot

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:07:19 -0500

In the wake of UGA VII’s recent death, PETA blogger Logan Scherer has a novel suggestion about the direction the University of Georgia should take on its mascot. To help end the crisis—and UGA’s string of preventable mascot deaths—we’re asking the University to honor Uga VII by replacing him with an animatronic or solely using their [...]

Video: Ron Artest On Jimmy Kimmel Live In Only His Boxer Shorts

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 12:00:30 -0500

The back story on this is pretty interesting. According to several people in the Houston Rockets organization Ron Ron would often show up on the team bus with nothing on except his boxers. The funny thing is sometimes executives or VIPs the team are trying to impress would be allowed to ride the [...]

Alicia Sacramone now dating Brady Quinn

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 09:39:32 -0500

So it looks like Olympic gymnast Alicia Sacramone has moved from amateurs to the pros. She is no longer dating Brown University’s Eric Hunt, instead opting for the stellar good looks of one Brady Quinn. As she herself confirmed in an interview: USA Gymnastics: I hear you’ve been attending a lot of Cleveland Browns football games [...]

Alicia Sacramone Says She’s Dating Brady Quinn

Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:03:08 -0500

Brady Quinn’s finally moving up in the world. After tossing only 3 total TDs in his NFL career so far, the Browns QB burned the Lions’ defense for 4 TD tosses last Sunday. Sure, Cleveland still lost on the final play of the game, but you gotta start somewhere. And now Brady has some new toned, [...]