Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 1179 of 1503)

      Boss says Yankees to target Sabathia, Burnett in the offseason

      August 29, 2008 /

      With his club fading fast, Hank Steinbrenner decided to turn his attention to offseason spending. Steinbrenner recently told Newsday that the Yankees will target pitchers CC Sabathia and A.J. Burnett in the offseason.

      CC Sabathia“Everybody’s looking at Sabathia and Burnett, not just us,” Steinbrenner said during Thursday’s game against the Red Sox. “We’ll see. The main concern is, are their arms going to be OK after this season?”

      Once again, Steinbrenner predicted a flurry of offseason activity to make improvements to a Yankees team that may miss the postseason for the first time in other than strike years since 1993.

      “It’s very frustrating. We haven’t given up on this year, but we’re definitely going to be better next year,” Steinbrenner said. “That I can promise.”

      I doubt Sabathia will return to the AL. He’s mopping up in the NL and has already stated that he likes to hit. But money talks, so it’ll be interesting to see how much the Yanks throw at the Brewers’ ace.

      It’s funny how teams would have rather burned their stadiums down than trade for Burnett at the deadline, but now (according to Steinbrenner at least) everybody is interested.

      Fantasy Baseball, MLB

      Illinois smelling upset over Missouri?

      August 29, 2008 /

      FOX Sports.com previewed the Illinois-Missouri game this Saturday. FOX thinks the Illini will keep it close.

      Chase DanielNo. 6 Missouri vs. No. 20 Illinois at St. Louis, — Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET

      Last year at this time, would you have believed that this matchup would be a battle between a future No. 1 Missouri and a Rose Bowl-bound Illinois? The Tigers won 40-34 after jumping out to a big early lead and then hanging on, and now they’re looking to make a big early statement as the potential star of the Big 12, or at least the North.

      On the other side, Illinois has far more rebounding to do and far more question marks, but this is still a strong team that’s looking to improve upon last year’s breakout success. It might be a big upset if the Illini can pull off the win, but it would be a huge feather in the Big Ten’s cap if it happens.
      Meanwhile, if the Big 12 really is supposed to be a challenger to the SEC in the best-conference-in-America argument, Mizzou can’t just win, but it has to win convincingly.

      It’s a BCS-game being played in August, and it’s one of the marquee non-conference games of 2008.
      This should be a better defensive battle than last year’s shootout, at least for the first half, and then the quarterbacks will take over. Both Daniel and Williams will be tremendous, but the Tiger defense will be a little bit better, and the offense will be more efficient when it needs to be.

      Prediction: Missouri 34 … Illinois 27

      I don’t see it – a close game, that is. I know this series is usually close and the Illini have an underrated defense, but who doesn’t like the Tigers’ explosive offense on the fast track of the Edward Jones Dome? I fully expect Daniel to stay away from corner Vontae Davis and exploit the rest of Illinois’ below average secondary.

      Missouri is currently 8.5-point favorites. I’ll say Tigers win by 10 at least.

      College Football

      No Strahan or Umenyiora – how will Giants’ defensive line cope?

      August 29, 2008 /

      In the weeks leading up to the kickoff the 2008 NFL Season, I’ll take a look at position groups that could potentially lift teams to new heights, or bury them and their postseason hopes. Today I take a look at how the New York Giants expect to cope without having Osi Umenyiora and Michael Strahan on their defensive line.

      Michael StrahanWhen the New York Giants selected defensive end Mathias Kiwanuka with the 32nd pick in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft, many eyebrows were raised at the pick. Why would the Giants take another defensive end when they already had Michael Strahan, Osi Umenyiora and Justin Tuck on the roster?

      After Strahan retired following the Giants’ Super Bowl victory in January and Umenyiora was lost for the 2008 season because of a knee injury, nobody is questioning New York’s decision to draft Kiwanuka now.

      Kiwanuka not only has the daunting task of having to transition from outside linebacker back to defensive end, but he also will attempt to fill the shoes of Umenyiora, a highly productive player who registered 52 tackles and five sacks last season.

      Playing opposite of Kiwanuka on the line will be Tuck, a promising fourth-year player who compiled 10 sacks last year as part of a rotation. While he’s shown plenty of upside, this will be the first time in Tuck’s career that he’ll be counted on as a full-time starter.

      Barry Cofield and Fred Robbins will man the interior of New York’s defensive line. Neither stands out as impact players, although Cofield did show promise in his rookie season when he compiled 44 tackles and 1.5 sacks.

      There’s no denying that losing both Strahan and Umenyiora was devastating. The Giants demonstrated what a heavy pass-rush could do for an entire defense in the Super Bowl when they completely flustered Tom Brady and his offensive line. While young corner Aaron Ross is developing into a nice player, the rest of the secondary is average at best – especially after safety Gibril Wilson signed with Oakland this offseason – and will need the front seven to put pressure on opposing teams’ quarterbacks so they’re not vulnerable in coverage.

      New York GiantsNew York is going to need Kiwanuka and Tuck to provide the type of rush that Strahan and Umenyiora got last year in order for the defense to not be exposed in certain areas. Both ends have a ton of talent, but how will they do as full-time starters? Can they be as effective as every-down players as they were in a rotation last year? Defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo was outstanding in devising game plans last year to frustrate opposing teams, but a lot of what he does depends on his ends getting pressure.

      Time will tell if the Giants will sink or swim without the two ends that helped them when a Super Bowl last season.

      NFL

      NFL Officially reinstates Adam Jones

      August 28, 2008 /

      Adam “Pacman No More” Jones has officially been reinstated into the NFL.

      Here’s what Jones had to say about getting reinstated: “It feels good man, you know, to get a second chance and I just have to take advantage of it. First and foremost, I don’t want to let myself down, definitely my little girl down. I’m thankful for Jerry, the fans in Dallas and my teammates for believing in me. I need to keep doing what I’ve been doing to get reinstated staying with myself and my teammates and staying away form those knuckleheads and just stay focused.”

      Did you think this day would come? “I never thought it would take this long but I’m just glad I’m getting another chance.”

      I’m sure Tennessee Titan fans can’t wait to see Jones help the Cowboys make the playoffs. What a joke that would be if he plays well this year. The Titans use a top 10 pick to draft him, he barely plays, gets kicked out of the league and then Tennessee winds up trading him for a warm blanket and some milk because that’s all they can get in compensation.

      What a rip off.

      JP’s Fantasy Spin: This is a boost to the Dallas defense, not so much for Jones’ cover skills (he’s actually having problems adjusting to the Cowboys’ zone scheme), but for his ability in the return game. The Cowboys now have a very dangerous punt and kickoff return man.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Is wide out still a concern for 49ers?

      August 28, 2008 /

      In the weeks leading up to the kickoff the 2008 NFL Season, I’ll take a look at position groups that could potentially lift teams to new heights, or bury them and their postseason hopes. Today I break down the San Francisco 49ers’ receiving corps.

      It would be an understatement to say that San Francisco 49ers fans long for the days when Jerry Rice, John Taylor and Terrell Owens lined up at wide receiver. Ever since the 49ers traded Owens after the 2003 season, they’ve had a void at wide out. Actually, a Grand Cannon-sized hole might be a better description.

      After signing longtime St. Louis Rams’ great Isaac Bruce and veteran Bryant Johnson (Cardinals) this offseason, as well as selecting Jason Hill and Josh Morgan in the past two drafts, the 49ers hope they’ve finally solved their issues at wide receiver.

      But have they?

      Bruce is still adding to an already fantastic career, but one has to wonder how much he has left in the tank. Still, he’s a viable starter, knows new offensive coordinator Mike Martz’s offense and will provide veteran leadership in the locker room. As of now, he’s penciled in as one of the two starters.

      But the other two positions appear to be wide open with Hill, Morgan, Johnson, Arnaz Battle and Ashley Lelie all vying for playing time. Johnson and Battle have battled injuries this preseason, which have given youngsters Morgan and Hill opportunities to turn some heads.

      Morgan hauled in five passes for 114 yards and a touchdown in the Niners’ second preseason game, so the spot opposite Bruce looks like his to lose. Hill might have the inside track for the No. 3 receiver role after catching four passes for 94 yards and a touchdown in San Fran’s third preseason game. A former third round pick in 2007, Hill has outstanding speed and excellent height. Both he and Morgan have more upside than Lelie, who might not even make the roster.

      A trio of Bruce, Morgan and Hill won’t keep defensive coordinators up at night, but the x-factor is Martz’s offense. It made Kevin Curtis and Mike Furrey into playmakers and might do the same for Morgan and Hill. Martz likes to confuse opponents by making defenders jump underneath routes and then throwing over top of them. The goal is for receivers to find open space, make the catch and get up field. The system doesn’t require superstars at the receiver position, which is a plus for the Niners because they don’t have any.

      If quarterback J.T. O’Sullivan can step up and play well in Martz’s system, it shouldn’t matter who the receivers are as long as they’re not dropping passes. Time will tell if the 49ers have finally solved their issues at receiver, or if fans will spend yet another offseason begging for more help at the position.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑