Month: May 2011 (Page 12 of 35)

Kevin Kolb-to-Cardinals a slam dunk?

May 19, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

After asking ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio what his “gut feel” is on where Kevin Kolb will end up next year, SI’s Peter King tweets that the Cardinals are “a slam dunk as much as you can have a slam dunk” to land Kolb.

Here’s the actual tweet:

Asked Sal gut feel where Kolb ends up. “Arizona … a slam dunk as much as you can have a slam dunk.” But only if Phl likes compensation.

The thing that will determine Philadelphia’s compensation is what the market will be like for Kolb once the lockout lifts. If Seattle, Arizona and Miami are all interested in Kolb, then the Eagles can pit the three teams against each other and drive up the price. But if the Cardinals are the only team that’s seriously interested, then Philly may have to settle for less than what they’re expecting in exchange for the veteran QB.

What the Seahawks need to do is drive up the price whether they’re interested or not. If Paolantonio’s “gut feel” is right and Kolb-to-Arizona is a slam dunk, then Seattle needs to make sure the Cardinals (their rivals in the NFC West) pay top dollar for the quarterback. They can always renege and pull their offer off the table if the Eagles get close to accepting it. (That may piss off Philadelphia but hey, the NFL is a business first and foremost.)

Where Kolb lands will be the question of the offseason once the owners and players stop d*cking fans around with this labor dispute.

External Sports, NFL

Arizona Cardinals Kevin Kolb Philadelphia Eagles Seattle Seahawks

Top 10 moments of the NBA Draft Lottery

May 19, 2011 / John Paulsen

External Sports, NBA, Video

Funny videos

LeBron single-handedly closes out Game 2

May 18, 2011 / John Paulsen

The game was tied 73-73 with 4:28 to play when LeBron James hit a three-pointer. He followed it up with a 14-foot jumper to give the Heat a five-point lead. After a Taj Gibson inside shot and two free throws from Dwyane Wade, LeBron scored on a putback and then hit a 20-footer to give Miami a nine-point lead with 0:47 to play, effectively pounding the final nail in the coffin.

LeBron posted 29 points, 10 rebounds, five assists and three steals, while Wade added 24 points and nine rebounds in the defensive slugfest. Derrick Rose had an off night, hitting just 7-of-23 shots for 21 points to go along with eight assists and six rebounds. What’s lost in all the talk about Chicago’s defense is that Miami’s defense is almost as good. They were terrific tonight in containing Rose and limiting the Bulls to just 34% shooting from the field. Chicago went a dreadful 3-for-20 from three-point range and made just 16-of-26 free throws.

And just like that, the Heat have regained control of the series, which moves to Miami on Sunday.

External Sports, NBA

2011 NBA Playoffs

Will John Beck be the Redskins’ starting quarterback in 2011?

May 18, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

Rotoworld has two interesting tidbits today on the quarterback situation in Washington:

John Beck is expected to enter training camp as the Redskins’ starting quarterback, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
“It will be his job to lose,” said Schefter, who is tight with coach Mike Shanahan after the two collaborated on a book in the late ’90s. Per Schefter, the Redskins bypassed QBs in the draft because they believe Beck is better than most of the group that was available in the middle of the first round. Beck doesn’t have a touchdown to show for his four NFL starts. He completed 27-of-48 passes (56.2 percent) for 300 yards (6.2 YPA) with a 2:2 TD-to-INT ratio against backups in last year’s preseason. Former Dolphins coach Cam Cameron has given up on Beck twice now, which leaves Shanahan as the 30-year-old’s lone backer.

And:

Free agent Rex Grossman appeared on ESPN 980 Radio Wednesday and said he is under the assumption that he will re-sign with the Redskins.
“I’m assuming that’s what’s going to happen,” he said. Grossman added that OC Kyle Shanahan and QBs coach Matt LaFleur personally asked him to throw with the Redskins’ receivers during the lockout. For now, we consider Grossman likely to be back in Washington to compete with John Beck. Most reporters covering the situation believe Beck will be ahead on the depth chart.

Am I the only one flabbergasted that people believe John Beck will be the Redskins’ starting quarterback next season? I get that this is all just speculation at this point, but I can’t be the only one who is raising an eyebrow to Mike Shanahan’s (potenital) madness here, right?

Beck isn’t without talent, but he didn’t exactly set the world on fire in Miami and I’m wondering what Shanahan sees in him to make him believe that he can start in Washington. I figured that Grossman, who Shanahan benched Donovan McNabb for last season, would be the favorite heading into training camp when the lockout lifts in the summer of 2032 – not Beck. (Assuming Grossman re-signs with the team, of course.)

But hey, what to do I know? Maybe Beck is the best fit for Shanahan’s offense and he just needed to find the right situation to succeed. Clearly the Redskins believe in him or else they would have drafted a signal caller in April, although they still could sign a veteran free agent like Vince Young when/if he becomes available later this summer.

Still, does anyone else envision Shanahan throwing a whole bunch of mediocre talent into a mixing bowl and just going week-by-week in terms of whom he starts at quarterback next year? Because I sure can…

External Sports, NFL

Donovan McNabb John Beck Mike Shanahan Rex Grossman Washington Redskins