Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 364 of 1503)

      Albert Haynesworth once again skips conditioning test. Ok, now what?

      August 2, 2010 /
      ASHBURN, VA - JULY 29: Defensive lineman Albert Haynesworth walks back to the locker room after the Redskins first day of training camp on July 29, 2010 in Ashburn, Virginia. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)

      For the third straight day, Albert Haynesworth didn’t attempt Mike Shanahan’s “conditioning test” because of a sore knee.

      I use quotation marks around the words “conditioning test” because Shanahan is hardly trying to determine whether or not Haynesworth is in shape. There have already been several reports that have stated he’s in the best shape of his career and as I highlighted last week, these tests are more about punishment and less about running.

      But now that Haynesworth has missed almost a week’s worth of practice, is Shanahan satisfied? Does it really matter if Haynesworth passes this test or has Shanahan done enough to prove his point? Because in a couple of months, it’s not going to matter what Haynesworth said about his contract or how many sprints he ran in training camp. The only thing that will matter is whether or not he helps Shanahan and the Redskins win.

      At some point, Shanahan needs to take a negative situation and turn it into a positive. No matter how big of a pain he is at times, Haynesworth gives the Redskins their best chance to win and sooner or later, both he and Shanahan will have to move forward if everyone is going to get what they want in the end.

      External Sports, NFL

      From a football standpoint, Masoli well worth the risk for Ole’ Miss

      August 2, 2010 /
      PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 01: Quarterback Jeremiah Masoli #8 of the Oregon Ducks attempts a pass against the Ohio State Buckeyes at the 96th Rose Bowl game on January 1, 2010 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

      Last week, University of Mississippi head coach Houston Nutt sat at the roulette table of life down on his luck. He had just suffered another huge loss when Raymond Cotton decided to transfer and when he looked down at his chip stack, he realized his next play had to be all-in.

      Things haven’t really gone Nutt’s way over the past couple of months. Last year, many college football pundits thought that the Rebels would be a sleeper in the SEC West. But in their first real test of the season, they were beaten by South Carolina in Week 3 and stumbled to a 9-4 overall record, which included a 4-4 finish in the conference.

      Following the season, Nutt lost his starting quarterback when Jevan Snead surprisingly entered the NFL draft instead of returning for his junior year. That left Nathan Stanley to compete with Cotton (a highly touted underclassmen) for the Rebels’ starting quarterback job.

      But last week, Cotton decided to leave the program, which left the Rebels with Stanley and former junior college star Randall Mackey as the only other quarterbacks on scholarship.

      So Nutt decided to take a chance.

      Continue reading »

      College Football, External Sports

      Ozzie Guillen’s latest rant coming at the perfect time for White Sox

      August 2, 2010 /
      Chicago White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen sits in the dugout during the second inning against the Boston Red Sox at U.S. Cellular Field in Chicago on September 7, 2009. The White Sox won 5-1. UPI/Brian Kersey Photo via Newscom

      You know when Ozzie Guillen opens his mouth it’s going to be good. The guy is a walking quote and a magnet for controversy.

      In his latest rant against society, baseball and world in general, the White Sox skipper says that Asian players are given more privileges in the United States than Latinos. He also thinks it’s unfair that Japanese players are assigned translators when they come to America, but Latinos aren’t afforded the same luxury.

      “Very bad. I say, why do we have Japanese interpreters and we don’t have a Spanish one. I always say that. Why do they have that privilege and we don’t?” Guillen said Sunday before Chicago played the Oakland Athletics. “Don’t take this wrong, but they take advantage of us. We bring a Japanese player and they are very good and they bring all these privileges to them. We bring a Dominican kid … go to the minor leagues, good luck. Good luck. And it’s always going to be like that. It’s never going to change. But that’s the way it is.”

      He goes on.

      “And we had 17 Latinos and you know who the interpreter was? Oney. Why is that? Because we have Latino coaches? Because here he is? Why? I don’t have the answer,” Guillen said. “We’re in the United States, we don’t have to bring any coaches that speak Spanish to help anybody. You choose to come to this country and you better speak English.

      And on.

      “It’s just not the White Sox, it’s baseball,” he added. “We have a pitching coach that is Latino, but the pitching coach can’t talk about hitting with a Latino guy and that’s the way it is and we have to overcome all those [obstacles]. You know why? Because we’re hungry, we grow up the right way, we come here to compete.”

      And on.

      “I’m the only one to teach the Latinos about not to use,” he said. “I’m the only one and Major League Baseball doesn’t [care]. All they care about — how many times I argue with the umpires, what I say to the media. But I’m the only one in baseball to come up to the Latino kids and say not to use this and I don’t get any credit for that.

      There’s more, which you can read at ESPN.com, but you get the crux of his argument.

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, MLB

      Maybe Darrelle Revis should just trade places with Nnamdi Asomugha

      August 2, 2010 /
      HEMPSTEAD, NY - JANUARY 10: Darrelle Revis of the New York Jets poses for a portrait on January 10, 2007 at the Jets training complex in Hempstead, New York. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)

      If being the highest paid cornerback in the NFL is so important to Darrelle Revis, then maybe he should switch places with Nnamdi Asomugha. I’m sure Asomugha wouldn’t mind making a little less for the chance to play for a Super Bowl-caliber team.

      In some respects, you can’t blame Revis for playing hardball with the Jets – a team that has always been regarded as a cheap organization. But considering they’re not being cheap when it comes to his new contract, what more does he want from them?

      They offered him a contract that would have made him a Jet for life. But he rejected it. They also offered him a short-term, Band-aid fix and the opportunity to talk again at the end of the season about a long-term deal.

      But he didn’t want that either.

      Even though the Jets offered him a deal that would have made him the highest paid defender in team history, it’s still not enough for Revis, who has decided not to report to camp until he receives what he wants. And what he wants is not only a new deal, but to also be the highest paid cornerback in the league. That means that the Jets will have to come up with more than the $15.1 million a year that the Raiders are currently paying Asomugha.

      Let’s rewind. The Jets are willing to make Revis a very, very rich man and set him up with a long-term deal, but because the contract won’t make him the highest paid in the league, he doesn’t want it.

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, NFL

      Cardinals land Westbrook, Padres Ludwick in deadline deal

      July 31, 2010 /
      July 26, 2010 - Cleveland, OHIO, UNITED STATES - epa02262280 Jake Westbrook of the Cleveland Indians delivers a pitch against the New York Yankees in the first inning of their game at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, 26 July 2010.

      In a three-team deal involving the Cardinals, Padres and Indians, St. Louis acquired starter Jake Westbrook, San Diego nabbed Ryan Ludwick and Cleveland received prospect Corey Kluber. The Cards also acquired prospect Nick Greenwood from the Padres.

      From MLB.com:

      “I’m excited,” Westbrook said. “I’m excited to go to a club contending for a playoff spot and pitch in some meaningful ballgames. That’s why you play the game, for a chance to get into the playoffs, and I’m looking forward to doing that.”

      Westbrook was so eager to get in the playoff chase that he actually forfeited some of the trade protection in his contract. He was set to receive a $2 million bonus if dealt, and that was a major roadblock in trade talks, given that Westbrook is already owed nearly $4 million in salary this season.

      But Westbrook agreed for that bonus to be lowered. The exact details were not announced, but the stipulation had to be approved by the Players Association.

      “It was one of the hold-ups for getting me traded,” Westbrook said of the bonus. “I don’t really want to comment on the details of that, but it was something. Any way that I could help out the Indians, I needed to do that, because I didn’t really feel like I honored my contract as well as I would have liked to, being hurt. It was in my best interest and the Indians’ best interest to do something like that.”

      I like this deal for all teams involved. The Cards lost Ludwick, but they’re going to save money (money they’re going to need to retain Albert Pujols) over the next two seasons and they added a workhorse Westbrook. He’s not a great arm at this point in his career, but St. Louis doesn’t need a great arm. They needed an upgrade at the backend of their rotation and that’s exactly what they got today in Westbrook.

      Remember when the discussion about the Padres was about whether or not they would trade Adrian Gonzalez at some point before the deadline? Now look at them. They strengthened their bench with Miguel Tejada and acquired an All-Star in Ludwick to boost their offense for the stretch run. Give San Diego’s front office credit – they’re going for it.

      According to his scouting report, Kluber lacks big upside, but he has a chance to be a solid back-end starter. The key to this deal for the Indians is that they save money by trading Westbrook’s contract. Westbrook wasn’t going to have a role in the Tribe’s future, so trading him now saves the club money and landing Kluber gives them a prospect that projects to being a cheap major league-caliber starter.

      It’s not often that three teams get exactly what they want out of a deal, but I think the Cardinals, Padres and Indians came pretty close today.

      External Sports, MLB

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