Month: January 2009 (Page 7 of 61)

      Dimitroff is classic example of why teams should hire from winning organizations

      January 28, 2009 /

      January 13, 2008 was officially the day the Atlanta Falcons turned their misfortunes around. No, that wasn’t the day they drafted Rookie of the Year Matt Ryan (that was April 26, 2008) or the date they signed free agent Michael Turner (March 2).

      January 13, 2008 was the day the Falcons hired former Patriots’ director of college scouting Thomas Dimitroff to be their next general manager. Without Dimitroff, there might not have been a Matt Ryan, Michael Turner or Mike Smith, who recently won the NFL’s AP Coach of the Year Award.

      On Wednesday, Dimitroff was named Sporting News magazine’s NFL Executive of the Year – and for good reason. Not only was he responsible for hiring Smith, signing Turner and drafting Ryan, but he was also behind trading overrated cornerback DeAngelo Hall to Oakland, releasing aging veterans Alge Crumpler, Rod Coleman and Warrick Dunn, as well as selecting Sam Baker, Curtis Lofton, Chevis Jackson, Harry Douglas and Kroy Biermann in last year’s draft, all of whom were major contributors as rookies in 2008.

      There’s no doubt the Falcons were in bad shape in 2007. Michael Vick was arrested and sent to federal prison because of dog fighting, Bobby Petrino quit in the middle of the night and ran back to the college ranks, and players like Hall started to act above the team. Making matters worse, late in the year it looked like Bill Parcells would join the team as the new general manager, but as it turns out he was only using the Falcons as leverage to get the Dolphins’ front office job.

      Heading into 2008, the Falcons needed a new general manager (Rich McKay was relegated to team president after the ’07 season), a new head coach and a new direction. So after the Parcells debacle, owner Arthur Blank hired Dimitroff, which turned out to be one of the best decisions Blank has made since buying the team in 2002.

      Looking back, it was no surprise Dimitroff had so much success in just his first year. He came from a winning organization in New England, so he knew what it took to build a winner elsewhere. He hired Mike Smith because he knew he had to have a coach he could work with in constructing personnel. He drafted Matt Ryan because he knew most Super Bowl-caliber teams needed a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback. He parted ways with Hall, Crumpler, Dunn and Coleman because he knew their production probably wasn’t going to match their contracts and the team needed a new core group of players. And finally, he built an offense first because he knew dome teams have advantage on that side of the ball and that Smith (the Jaguars’ former defensive coordinator) could do more with less in terms of the defense, at least in their first year until Dimitroff had the chance to bring in better defensive personnel.

      But it all comes back to Dimitroff’s previous success. He learned in New England what it takes on a day-to-day basis to win in the NFL. He had hands on experience in helping the Patriots win so when Atlanta came calling, he took that same formula and instilled it into the Falcons. And wouldn’t you know it – it worked.

      NFL

      Australian Open Semifinals Preview

      January 28, 2009 /

      roddickWe’re down to the final four days of the Australian Open. In a few short hours ESPN2 will air its live coverage of both the men’s and women’s semifinals. So far, the tournament has been both intense and heartwarming. Jelena Dokic, after being out of the game for almost a year because of struggles with her domineering father, has made it all the way to the quarterfinals in front of a home crowd. Andy Roddick, whom many had written off last year, knocked out third-seeded Novak Djokovic and advanced to his first Grand Slam semifinal in almost two years. I’ve previewed the four semifinal matches below:

      Women’s Semifinals

      Vera Zvonareva (7) vs. Dinara Safina (3)
      Zvonareva and Safina are just two of the eight million Russians who entered this tournament. However, along with countrywomen Elena Dementieva and injured Maria Sharapova, they happen to be the best. Whereas the talented (and pretty, pretty, pretty) Zvonareva has never advanced past a Grand Slam quarterfinal, Safina has been close to winning one a number of times. She’s coming off a semifinals loss to Serena Williams at the U.S. Open and would like nothing more than to win down under. Safina should take this one in straight sets.

      Elena Dementieva (4) vs. Serna Williams (2)
      Due to Jelena Jankovic’s poor showing at the Open, either Dinara Safina, Elena Dementieva, or Serena Williams will become the #1 ranked women’s player if they win this tournament. Dementieva is another one of those gifted players who has never won a Grand Slam despite getting extremely close over the years. Still, she won the gold medal in Beijing and made it to the semifinals at last year’s U.S. Open. Serena happened to win that tournament and has been playing beastly tennis in Australia. Expect this one to go three sets.

      Men’s Semifinals

      Andy Roddick (7) vs. Roger Federer (2)
      Thank you, Andy Roddick. The fact that there is an American male in a Grand Slam semifinal is reason enough to celebrate. Why, you ask? Well, in the last two years an American has only once advanced to a men’s Grand Slam semifinal. That was Andy Roddick at the Australian Open in 2007. The same Andy Roddick who won the U.S. Open in 2003 and faced Roger Federer on consecutive occasions at Wimbledon, only to lose. Critics predicted Roddick would retire early and settle down with his supermodel fiancé. Thankfully, Roddick dropped 15 lbs. and got into tremendous shape. In the quarterfinals, Roddick bounced around in the 120-degree heat as if he enjoyed it. His opponent, Novak Djokovic, was forced to retire after four sets. Roddick is on his game, ladies and gentlemen. Though Federer is still struggling to find his own, he’s still Roger Federer. This match will be long, extremely competitive, and intense.

      Rafael Nadal (1) vs. Fernando Verdasco (14)
      Just who in the hell is Fernando Verdasco? Honestly, I’m not sure, but in his last two matches he’s beaten fourth-seeded Andy Murray and fifth-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. The 24 year-old Spaniard has a good serve and nice placement, but it is his speed that has gotten his this far. The kid doesn’t seem to tire and manages to chase down every ball. Unfortunately for Verdasco, Rafael Nadal is the quickest player on the Tour. He’s also the best in the sport and is at the height of his career. It’ll be tough for Verdasco to take him down but I wouldn’t doubt that he takes a set or two.

      Live coverage of the semifinals will begin tonight (Wednesday) at 9:30 PM ET on ESPN2.

      Tennis

      Carter-for-Szczerbiak swap still a possibility?

      January 28, 2009 /

      ‘Tis the season for NBA trade speculation. With the the contenders separated (for the most part, at least) from the pretenders, and the trade deadline fast approaching, the rumors are flying fast and furious. Chad Ford goes down the list of wings that might be on the move.

      Here are a couple of interesting names:

      Wally Szczerbiak, Cavs
      There are a lot of expiring contracts out there, but none gets more attention than Szczerbiak’s. The Cavs aren’t interested in cap room right now. They want a championship.

      Everyone in Cleveland is crossing their fingers that some desperate GM will pull a Chris Wallace and give away an All-Star for cap relief and late first-round picks. More often than not, it doesn’t happen. But with the economy turning sour and a scrum of teams trying to get under the cap in 2010, the Cavs might be able to pull it off.

      Chance of trade: 60 percent

      Vince Carter, Nets
      Going into the season, no one predicted that Carter, at the age of 32, would put up All-Star numbers on a rebuilding team. But he has played his heart out and, with Devin Harris, has made the Nets respectable. Which means it’s the perfect time for Rod Thorn and Kiki Vandeweghe to throw him a farewell party.

      Carter has garnered plenty of interest from a few championship contenders like Cleveland and Houston who see him as a nice veteran addition. The Nets should jump on any deal that gets them a combination of cap relief and picks. Getting the last three years and $51 million of his contract off their books has to be a priority right now.

      Chance of trade: 45 percent

      If the Nets want to get out from under Carter’s contract (which runs two more years at the tune of $33.6 million) now is the time to move him. He is playing All-Star caliber ball and, along with Devin Harris, has kept the Nets in the playoff hunt. The tough part about trading Carter is his age (32) and the fact that his contract extends through the 2010-11 season, so he’s not going to be attractive to teams looking to make a splash in the summer of 2010. Another big thing standing in the way for the Nets is the fact that they are very much in the playoff hunt. Do they want to throw the towel in on this season for future salary cap flexibility?

      A potential Szczerbiak-for-Carter swap is interesting on a couple of fronts. The Cavs’ biggest weakness right now is shooting guard (though they could use another young big man as well). They have Szczerbiak, Delonte West (who is injured) and Daniel Gibson (who is shooting under 40% from the field). Some might say that Carter will be a distraction, but at this point in his career, he seems to be willing to put aside his ego (and stats) to win a championship and LeBron James is one of those players whose stature creates an environment that makes it easy for guys to fall in line. Just look at Mo Williams. He and Michael Redd clashed last year in Milwaukee, but we haven’t heard any complaints out of him this season.

      Granted, winning solves everything, but that’s why the Carter trade might work. If the Cavs add Vinsanity and they break through and win a title (or at least make it to the Finals), the franchise is far more likely to retain LeBron next summer. But they run the risk of the trade not working and squandering their chance to sign a second big-name free agent in 2010 (assuming they’re able to re-sign LeBron). It’s sort of a Catch-22.

      Word out of Cleveland is that they are happy with the status quo, but if they can make a Pau Gasol-type trade and acquire a great player for an expiring contract and a late first round draft pick or two, they’ll pull the trigger. And with the way Carter is playing, a Szczerbiak-for-Carter is in that ballpark.

      But I don’t think the two teams will make a deal unless the Nets believe that the Cavs’ acquisition of Carter will ultimately backfire. Since New Jersey is one of the potential suitors for LeBron it behooves them to do everything they can to keep the Cavs from winning a title in the next two seasons. Do they believe that Carter will help or hinder LeBron’s quest?

      I think we may very well see Szczerbiak on the move, but probably not to the Nets. After all, the Nets already rejected the offer once, and since then Carter looks better and Wally looks worse.

      It would be surprising if the Cavs don’t move Szczerbiak at all. Right now, I don’t think they’d be favored if they faced the Lakers in the Finals or maybe even the Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals. If they can find a good player who doesn’t have major character issues and whose contract does not run into the 2010-11 season, they should pull the trigger.

      NBA, Rumors & Gossip

      Pay attention! #1 Duke visits #4 Wake Forest tonight on ESPN

      January 28, 2009 /

      In one of those easy-to-miss-if-you’re-not-paying-attention weekday games, #1 Duke travels to Winston-Salem to face #4 Wake Forest in a big-time ACC showdown. The Blue Devils need to contain dynamic guard Jeff Teague and do their best to battle the Demon Deacons’ big men — James Johnson, Al-Farouq Aminu and Chas McFarland — in the paint. With improved play from 7’1″ center Brian Zoubek, Duke now has some extra beef down low.

      The Demon Deacons have the home court advantage, but Duke is still a slight favorite, at least according to the Las Vegas oddsmakers. Wake Forest lost last week at home to Virginia Tech, but looked great in a Jan. 11 home win against North Carolina. Kyle Singler leads the Blue Devils in scoring (16.5 ppg), but lately it has been Gerald Henderson leading the way. He has averaged 21.0 points on 64% shooting over the last five games, so the Demon Deacons would be wise to account for him.

      The game is on ESPN tonight at 7 PM.

      College Basketball, Television, Video

      Is Elton Brand on the trading block?

      January 28, 2009 /

      The answer is yes, according to Chad Ford’s sources. Here’s exactly what Ford said in a recent chat.

      …from what my sources around the league are saying, Brand is available. The question is, given how poorly he’s played this year and his huge contract, does anyone want him?

      When asked a different question (about the Heat), Ford also mentioned Brand.

      I think they have to see whether they can pry Boozer or Elton Brand for Marion. I think both are possible and both are better long term fits than O’Neal. The one positive for O’Neal is that he’s off the books in 2010. That gives the Heat LOTS of cap space in the summer of 2010. Of all the markets trying to clear cap … Miami is one of the most desirable for NBA free agents. The fact that Wade and Michael Beasley are there won’t hurt recruiting either.

      The Heat have seemingly moved away from signing a power forward like Boozer or Brand because they think that it is Beasley’s natural position. Offensively, he can play either forward position, but defensively, he’s going to have a tough time covering opposing small forwards. So that would seem to cross Miami off a list of possible destinations for Brand though the two sides have had a long romance. Brand signed an offer sheet with the Heat when he first became a restricted free agent and the Clippers matched.

      Given the way that Brand has played this season (PER: 14.63, #33 amongst power forwards), I’m sure teams are hesitant to take on the four years and $66 million remaining on his contract. The main problem is his accuracy from the field. Brand is a career 50% shooter, yet he has only made 45% of his shots this season. His blocks are down as well, so one wonders if he has lost some of his athleticism. Of course, he’s been injured so he has only appeared in 25 games and the Sixers have been playing pretty well without him.

      It will be interesting to see if Philly moves him before the trade deadline. If they do, it will be a 180-degree shift from last offseason when everyone (including me) was praising the franchise for acquiring Brand. For the record, after his Achilles injury, I didn’t see Brand as a “max” player, but the Sixers needed to pony up to pry him away from the Clippers and the Warriors. It looks like they took a risk and it hasn’t paid off, at least not yet.

      Now the question is — will someone else roll the dice on Elton?

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, Rumors & Gossip

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑