Month: September 2009 (Page 31 of 66)

      Umpires complain of verbal abuse after Angels-Red Sox game

      September 19, 2009 /

      Angels

      What with all the padding, you think MLB umpires would be able to take some ribbing. This past Wednesday, after Nick Green nearly struck out two times in one at-bat against Angels closer Brian Fuentes, manager Mike Scioscia and staff let the umpires have it. Umpires must pass through the visiting team’s dugout at Fenway to get to their locker room. It’s a stadium design unique to the ballpark and perfect for postgame confrontation.

      “Their deportment as we left the field, going through the Angels dugout, left a lot to be desired,” plate umpire Rick Reed told the Boston Herald. “We filed a report after the game and I would think there will be a coach or two over there that would be regretting his actions today.”

      Attempts by The Associated Press to reach the umpires for comment before and after Thursday night’s game were unsuccessful. A Fenway Park security guard who knocked on the door of their changing room before the game said they were unavailable because they were on a conference call with the commissioner’s office; after the game, a reporter’s request for an interview was similarly declined.

      With two outs, the bases loaded and the Angels leading 8-7, pinch-hitter Nick Green quickly fell behind 0-2 to closer Brian Fuentes and offered at the third pitch. But first base umpire Jeff Kellogg ruled he did not go around, and Green stayed in the box.

      Green then fouled off three pitches before taking three balls to walk in the tying run. The last was a knee-high fastball that had catcher Mike Napoli jumping out of his crouch in anticipation of a strikeout.

      Later, Reed commented that the pitch “very well could have been a strike.” Not a smart move, Rick. Look, I’m not even an Angels fan and I know Green should have been called “out” on at least one of those pitches. Mr. Magoo himself was in hysterics. Reed made matters worse when he admitted that Napoli’s “framing” of a pitch earlier in the count justified giving Green an advantage. Wow. You never hear umpires being this honest about skewing calls. There’s not a catcher in Major League Baseball that doesn’t frame pitches. Nevertheless, if they’re caught doing so, they should receive a warning. In my opinion, Reed’s decision to thereby “get back” at Napoli is even more inexcusable.

      Lastly, I think Mike Scioscia has the best “oh-no-you-didn’t-Blue” face in baseball.

      MLB

      Carlos Brown plays hero for Michigan this week

      September 19, 2009 /

      Last week, Michigan relied on emerging star, freshman quarterback Tate Forcier, to beat Notre Dame at the Big House. This week, it was a senior running back that stepped up.

      In the Wolverines’ 45-17 trouncing of Eastern Michigan on Saturday, Carlos Brown had a career day, rushing for 187 yards and two touchdowns, one of which was a 90-yard rumble in the second quarter to put Michigan up 24-10. The 90-yard jaunt was the third-longest run in Michigan history.

      Forcier, the hero last week, threw for only 68 yards on 7-of-13 passing. Of course, he didn’t have to do much as Brown (who had -3 rushing yards on four carries last week against Notre Dame) took over this game from the start.

      Eastern Michigan actually hung with UM in the second half thanks to an 11-yard touchdown run by Andy Schmitt to tie the game at 10-10, and a 5-yard Dwayne Priest touchdown run with just over two minutes remaining in the first half to cut the Wolverines’ lead to 24-17.

      But the more physical Michigan program started to wear Eastern down in the second half and the Eagles could do nothing to slow the Wolverines in the third quarter. By the time Denard Robinson scored on a 36-yard touchdown run with seven minutes left in the fourth, the game was already over.

      No. 25 Michigan (3-0) will open its Big Ten schedule next week at home (what schedule-maker did Rich Rodriguez have incriminating photos of to get four straight home games to open the 2009 season?) against Indiana before playing Michigan State and Iowa in back to back road games to kickoff play in October.

      College Football

      Pryor rebounds, uses dual threat skills to beat Toledo

      September 19, 2009 /

      One of the criticisms that Ohio State sophomore quarterback Terrelle Pryor faced after the Buckeyes’ loss to USC last Saturday in Columbus was that he didn’t use his legs enough to make plays. Not only that, but he was hesitant to throw the ball vertically and often settled for safe passes under 10 yards.

      But in OSU’s 38-0 beat down of Toledo on Saturday, Pryor resembled the quarterback that Buckeye fans envisioned he would be last week. He racked up 110 rushing yards and a touchdown on 12 carries while also throwing for 262 yards and three TDs on 17-of-28 passing.

      Granted, Pryor did throw two interceptions, but he threw passes of 76, 28, 15, 13 and 12 yards to six different receivers. His 76-yard touchdown pass to Dane Sanzenbacher on the Buckeyes’ third offensive play from scrimmage set the tone for the rest of the game.

      This is the Terrelle Pryor that the Buckeyes need to see more of, especially in big games. While it’s nice to see him rack up these kinds of numbers against any opponent, as he continues to develop as a quarterback he needs to trust his arm and legs to make things happen against elite competition.

      This was a nice bounce back game for both Pryor and Ohio State. They’ll host Illinois next week in their Big Ten opener before facing Indiana on the road on October 3 and Wisconsin at home on October 10.

      College Football

      Jahvid is the Best Heisman candidate nobody is talking about

      September 19, 2009 /

      While unranked Minnesota did its best to try and knock off No. 8 California at TCF Bank Stadium on Saturday, the Golden Gophers eventually fell victim to a 35-21 defeat and another dazzling performance by Bears running back Jahvid Best.

      While players like Florida’s Tim Tebow, Texas’ Colt McCoy and before he was injured, Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford are receiving more Heisman attention, Best remains the one candidate that nobody seems to be talking about, yet could emerge out of nowhere to win the award in 2009.

      Best was outstanding in Cal’s win on Saturday, racking up 131 yards and five touchdowns on 26 carries. While Minnesota did a great job bottling Best up in the second half (he only rushed for 17 yards in the second half, compared to the 114 yards he produced first), his two touchdown runs in the fourth quarter sealed the victory for the Bears.

      What’s most impressive about Best is his patience. He allows running lanes to appear and once they do, he uses his quickness and explosion to get up field and into open space. And once he does reach open field, he’s virtually impossible to catch unless defenders take the right angles.

      Another thing that’s so impressive about Best is that even when he’s bottled up, he still finds ways to gain positive yards. There were several times throughout the game on Saturday where he could have been held for no gain, yet he fell forward for two or three yards to set his team up in a positive situation for the next play. He’s fun to watch and he’s going to give Tebow and McCoy a run for their money in this year’s Heisman race.

      I can’t talk about this game without mentioning how impressive Minnesota receiver Eric Decker is. He was the Gophers’ offense today, hauling in eight passes for 119 yards and two touchdowns. His touchdown grab early in the second quarter when he leaped in the air and managed to get one foot down knowing that he would take a hit (and he took a massive hit) was incredible. When he left the game due to an ankle injury late in the fourth quarter, Minnesota QB Adam Weber was completely lost.

      If Decker can stay healthy, he’s the type of receiver that pro teams love to place in the slot. He fits that Brandon Stokley, Brian Finneran mold to a T.

      College Football

      The world of tennis is in disarray

      September 19, 2009 /

      Del Potro

      This last U.S. Open was both entertaining and dramatic. Kim Clijsters and Juan Martin del Potro, both underdogs, captured the Grand Slam championship in their respective competitions. Getting the most press, however, was Serena Williams’ tirade against a lineswoman. (Serena was later fined $10,000.) Tennis had been fairly stable the past few years in terms of competition, top players, and sportsmanship. As of the U.S. Open, however, that sentiment is changing:

      – Roger Federer, of all people, was docked $1,500 for using profanity while arguing with the chair umpire open during the men’s final. Was the expletive in Swiss-German?

      – Led by Radek Stepanek and Tomas Berdych, the Czech Republic have reached their first Davis Cup final in 29 years after beating Marin Cilic and Lovro Zovko of Croatia in doubles.

      – Spain also advanced into the Davis Cup finals, only without the services of Rafael Nadal. Spain owes a big thank you to Feliciano Lopez and Tommy Robredo. To his credit, Nadal is still suffering from abdominal pain.

      – Can you believe Juan Martin del Potro is only the seventh male not named Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal to win a Grand Slam in the last seven years? Crazy. The others were Andre Agassi, Gaston Gaudio, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Marat Safin, Andy Roddick, and Novak Djokovic. In breaking it down that means, between those 28 Grand Slams, only nine champions have been crowned.

      Tennis

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