Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 1336 of 1503)

Boston Blows

Remember when Boston teams and their fans were underdogs? Well, not anymore. After winning two of the last four World Series and sporting a payroll that only the Yankees can match, the Red Sox are public enemy #1 in Shawn Griffin’s book. As for the Patriots and Bill Belichick? Yep, Shawn’s sick of them too.

Wow to say the least, Shawn didn’t hold back his feelings in his rant. Any thoughts Boston or non-Boston fans?

Williams reinstated

Ricky Williams has been reinstated by the NFL and can now join the Dolphins immediately, although he wouldn’t be able to play until Monday November 26, when Miami takes on the Steelers. It’s unclear, however, if Cam Cameron and the Dolphins even want him back.

Brown is on injured reserve, leaving the Dolphins short on running backs. But they may decide to keep Williams inactive the rest of the season and then try to trade him.

In May, when discussing Williams’ most recent relapse, Cameron said it’s difficult to salvage the careers of troubled players.

“The easiest predictor of future behavior is previous behavior,” the coach said.

Dolphins general manager Randy Mueller is unlikely to lobby for Williams’ return. It was Mueller who traded Williams to Miami when both were with the Saints.

The article brings up a good point in that Mueller may force Cameron’s hand in brining Williams back. It appears by Cameron’s comments that he’s not entirely keen on welcoming Ricky back, but at 0-9, he doesn’t have a lot of leverage either. I doubt that any team would want to trade for him, but then again, maybe Miami is willing to give him up for a seventh rounder and a set of kicking tees. One team to keep an eye on is Tampa. They’re right in the mix of things in the NFC and Jon Gruden seems like the type to take on a personality such as Ricky Williams. They could sure use a running back too, with Cadillac Williams out for the year and Ernest Graham lacking long-term experience.

NFL Stock Chart Week 10

Instead of ranking the top and bottom five teams in the NFL this week, I figured I would do something a little different. So, below are five teams whose stock is up and five teams whose stock is down after Week 10.

Stock Up:

1. Jacksonville Jaguars (6-3)
It’s no surprise that Jacksonville won Sunday while racking up 166 yards on the ground. Clearly running the ball well goes hand in hand with their success. With the Colts second loss in back to back weeks, the Jags are now only one game behind Indy in the AFC South.

2. Green Bay Packers (8-1)
The Packers got a huge boost by not only rolling over the Vikings on Sunday, but also when Detroit lost to Arizona in the late games. The Pack now have a two game lead over the Lions in the NFC and have the beat up Panthers coming to town next.

3. Dallas Cowboys (8-1)
Much like Green Bay, the Cowboys not only won on Sunday, but also created some space between them and the Giants in the East. Dallas is now 3-0 in the division.

4. Tampa Bay Bucs (5-4)
There’s nothing like resting during the bye week and watching divisional opponents suffer in the process. With the Saints being shocked at home against the Rams and the Falcons beating the Panthers, the Bucs still hold a one game lead in the South.

5. San Diego Chargers (5-4)
Even though their offense was brutal, the win over Indy was huge. A trip to Jacksonville is on the docket, however, so it’ll be interesting to see if the Chargers can start showing any kind of consistency this season.

Stock Down:

1. Indianapolis Colts (7-2)
Thanks to a couple injuries to key players, the Colts all of a sudden have lost two straight and now only lead both Jacksonville and Tennessee by one game in the South. The Chiefs and Falcons over the next two weeks might be just what the doctor ordered.

2. New York Giants (6-3)
Not only did the G-Men lose at home to a rival on Sunday, but they’re also now two games behind in the division. With a trip to Detroit up next, NY can’t afford to lose ground in the Wild Card race.

3. Detroit Lions (6-3)
Similar to the Giants situation, the Lions are now two games behind the Packers in the North thanks to their embarrassing loss to the Cardinals. One of the Wild Card spots might be on the line this week in Detroit when the Giants come to town.

4. Carolina Panthers/New Orleans Saints (4-5)
Both of these teams took it on the chin last week with the Panthers losing at home to the Falcons and the Rams defeating the Saints in New Orleans. Good thing for both these teams, however, is that they play in the awful NFC South.

5. Tennessee Titans (6-3)
The Titans are still in pretty good shape with the Colts also losing over the weekend, but the Jaguars are now right back in the AFC South race as well. Did Tennessee’s defense just have an off day Sunday or did Jacksonville expose a weakness?

Pacman accepts plea deal

Adam “Pacman” Jones will reportedly accept a plea deal in return for testifying in court regarding a triple shooting that took place at a Las Vegas strip club earlier this year. Jones will plead no contest to one charge of conspiracy to commit disorderly conduct, which is a gross misdemeanor, in return for a promise to suspend a sentence of one year in country jail.

In addition to one year of probation, Jones must attend an anger management program, complete 200 hours of community service within a year and submit to random drug testing, according to the plea deal. Langford said Jones already is subject to drug testing under NFL rules.

Langford would not say if Jones knew the identity of a gunman who authorities say opened fire and wounded three people Feb. 19 outside the Minxx Gentlemen’s Club minutes after Jones and members of his entourage were involved in a melee inside.

Pacman better have to give up the identity of the shooter or else what’s the point? A woman was shot in the ear and a man is now paralyzed from the waist down because of what Pacman and his cronies did. Now he gets to accept a plea deal? He should have to give up the identity of the shooter (no doubt one of his boys, I’m sure) if he gets to accept a deal like this. I can’t imagine the court giving this puss bag a get out of jail free card without getting something useful out of him in return.

‘The Heart’ back with the Yankees

Catcher Jorge Posada has agreed to a four-year, $52 million contract extension with the New York Yankees and New York Post columnist Mike Vaccaro couldn’t be more pleased with the move.

Derek Jeter may be the nominal captain of the team. Any number of flashier players have posted all manner of flashier numbers through the years. But it has always been Posada who has represented the greater angels of the Yankees’ soul, bringing a daily professionalism to the ballpark that is as evident as facade in centerfield and The Bat out by the parking lot.

It was no wonder the Mets wanted to import Posada, why they were serious enough about doing that that the Yankees ultimately had to overpay to keep him. They saw in Posada precisely what was missing in their own clubhouse during the endgame of this terribly star-crossed season. They saw what they craved. He wore No. 20 for the Yankees.

And wears No. 20 still. Whatever else this offseason holds in store for the Yankees, that is a wonderful reality this morning. For the first time in a month and a half, the Yankees have answered back.

Posada had an outstanding season last year, hitting .338 with 20 home runs and 90 RBI. As Vaccaro noted in his column, Posada’s impact goes far beyond the numbers. He knows the organization, is a fan favorite, and with the Yankees likely to start injecting more youth in the pitching staff, Posada’s veteran experience will be much needed.

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