Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 402 of 1503)

      The fallout from Steve Smith’s broken arm

      June 22, 2010 /

      Is it just me or am I the only one that thinks it’s hilarious that Steve Smith broke his arm playing in an adult flag football league over the weekend? It’s not funny that he broke his arm for the second time in less than 10 months or that he’ll miss all of training camp, but just the thought of having to play against him in a flag game is humorous to me.

      “I OWNED YOU ON THAT PLAY!”

      “I know you did – you’re Steve f***ing Smith. You play in the National Football League and I play on weekend’s for Mike O’Shannon’s Pub & Grille.”

      Truth be told, how he suffered the injury isn’t that important. While it certainly could have been avoided had he not been playing in a meaningless game of YMCA flag football, at least he wasn’t riding a motorcycle without a helmet or driving home drunk after a night at the strip club. He could have suffered an injury weight lifting, playing basketball or even golfing at a teammate’s charity event.

      Either way the arm is still broken. Assuming he doesn’t suffer any setbacks, he should be ready to go by the first week of the regular season.

      But while the injury isn’t a long-term concern (at least not right now, anyway), it does have a ripple affect for Smith and his teammates.

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, NFL

      Federer averts disaster in first round of Wimbledon

      June 22, 2010 /

      Six-time champion Roger Federer avoided a major upset at Wimbledon on Monday by overcoming a two-set deficit to beat Alejandro Falla 5-7, 4-6, 6-4, 7-6 (1), 6-0.

      From FOX Sports:

      “I live another day,” Federer said. “This one is one I should have lost. That’s sometimes how grass-court tennis works.”

      The 60th-ranked Falla had lost all 11 sets in his previous four matches against Federer, but the Colombian played brilliant tennis to take charge of the match. The turnaround came in the fourth set with Falla serving for the match and three points from victory, when Federer broke for only the second time.

      Federer played his best after that. It’s the third time in a row he has won after losing the first two sets at a Grand Slam event, but the close call was a new experience in such an early round.

      “You definitely feel uncomfortable,” Federer said. “For me it’s not normal to be down two sets to love. Especially at Wimbledon and early on in Grand Slams, it’s something I’m not quite used to.”

      The victory was the first time since 2001 that Federer has been pushed to five set at Wimbledon before the final. The last time was against Pete Sampras when he beat him in the Round of 16.

      External Sports, Tennis

      Cedric Benson, the Bengals, and a new contract

      June 21, 2010 /

      Thus far, the relationship between Cedric Benson and the Cincinnati Bengals has been picture perfect. Both were desperate at the time they started dating, but a bond has developed between the two through that desperation, and now the couple is on the verge of a long-term commitment.

      But before the Bengals proceed any further, they should keep in mind what Benson did to his former lover.

      Roughly five hours and 300 miles down the road in a small city called Chicago lies the remains of Benson’s previous NFL relationship. The Bears made him the fourth overall pick in the 2005 draft and what followed was tears, heartache and embarrassment.

      Granted, a lot has changed since Benson and the Bears parted ways in 2008. He cleaned up his act and then managed to rush for 747 yards and two touchdowns in limited action for Cincinnati in the ‘08. He followed up that campaign with a career year last season, rushing for 1,251 yards and six touchdowns on 301 carries (4.2 YPC).

      Now Benson wants a new contract. He isn’t demanding one, but with his current deal set to expire at the end of the 2010 season, he would like some financial security from the Bengals, who are entertaining the idea of giving him a long-term extension.

      But before they do, they should keep in mind that history often has a way of repeating itself. The Bears paid Benson handsomely in ’05 after making him a top 5 pick and he thanked them with his Curtis Enis-type production on the field and Pacman Jones-esqe behavior off it. That doesn’t mean he hasn’t changed or that he’ll make fools out of the Bengals too, but let’s keep in mind that he’s only rushed for over 1,000 yards once in his career.

      All the reports out of Cincinnati this offseason have been positive about Benson, who is only 27 and has little wear and tear on his threads. But giving him a contract extension now without having him prove himself for one more year is a risky proposition. I realize the Bengals want to reap the rewards of giving him a second chance, but he has to come to grips that his shaky past doesn’t lend for a lot trust between him and any team – not even the one that he has helped.

      If he proves himself this season, then the Bengals can drop to a knee. Until then, Cincy might want to proceed with caution.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

      Why the Titans have a leg up in the Chris Johnson holdout

      June 21, 2010 /

      There doesn’t appear to be a quick resolution to the Chris Johnson holdout situation in Tennessee. He doesn’t want to play this season for the $550,000 he’s scheduled to make and recent reports indicate that he wants $30 to 40 million guaranteed.

      The Titans’ stance is simple: They don’t want to negotiate a player’s contract after only two seasons. That includes any player, even one has valuable as Johnson.

      According to ESPN.com, the Titans have a good reason not to cave into Johnson’s demands:

      There’s an interesting angle to Johnson’s case, and it applies to any of the potential training camp holdouts this summer; namely, the 30 day rule. [Ed. note: Someone in the league office must love the number 30, given the 30 percent rule in effect this offseason as well]. The 30 day rule essentially forces holdouts back into camp 30 days before the first game of the regular season (Sept. 9 when the New Orleans Saints host the Minnesota Vikings), which this year works out to Aug. 10. If the player is not back with their team by that date, they lose a year of service, which may affect their free agency status depending on what happens with the new collective bargaining agreement.

      Given how productive he’s been in his first two seasons, I don’t blame Johnson for demanding more money. That said, I think I side with the Titans at this juncture.

      Let’s say they give into Johnson’s demands and re-work his contract. Let’s even say that they give him $40 million guaranteed; will he eventually ask for more money in a couple of years if he continues to play well?

      In the current landscape of the NFL, free agents make the most money and that’s often regardless of whether or not they’re the best at their position. Johnson wants to be the highest paid running back in the league, but even if the Titans honor his wishes, he likely won’t be the highest paid within two years. Then what happens? He asks for another raise? I know this is a hypothetical, but it’s something that the Titans have to think about.

      I think Johnson deserves a raise, but if you step into the Titans’ shoes, it’s hard to fault them for bulking on the idea of paying him now. Generally speaking, teams don’t even consider re-working a player’s contract until after they’ve been in the league for three years. Johnson is one year early on his contract demands.

      Of course, no player did what Johnson did in his second year either, making this situation incredibly tricky for both parties.

      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

      Is LaDainian Tomlinson done?

      June 21, 2010 /

      There seems to be two schools of thought on LaDainian Tomlinson at this point in his career: You either fall into the category that believes he has nothing left in the tank, or you think his declining production is in direct correlation to the Chargers’ poor run blocking over the past couple of years.

      At least one NFL general manager “with multiple Super Bowl rings” falls into the latter of the two categories.

      From the New York Post:

      “If you watch the films from the end of last year, the guy had nothing left,” a general manager with multiple Super Bowl rings said last week. “It’s not a knock on him personally. All those carries are going to catch up to anyone.”

      The above quote comes from one of New York Post columnist Bart Hubbuch’s most recent columns. Hubbuch also writes that, “it didn’t take a grizzled NFL scout to notice in the Jets’ recent workouts that Tomlinson just doesn’t look like the same player who terrified opposing defenses with his slippery moves and sublime hands for nine seasons with the Chargers.”

      Well, no kidding. LT will turn 31 in a couple of days and it’s not like the Chargers limited his carries earlier in his career. He was their workhorse for the better part of nine seasons and there’s certainly a lot of wear and tear on those tires.

      The question is, can he still be productive? In a two-back system, I think the answer is yes, especially consider that the Jets have a better O-line than the Chargers, although the loss of Alan Faneca certainly hurts. Assuming the Jets keep all of their backs fresh, LT can still be a valuable piece.

      That said, I highly doubt we’re going to see a resurgence here. Again, he’s on the wrong side of 30 and has been slowing down over the past two seasons. I still think he can be effective, but he might not come close to the 730 yards and 12 touchdowns that he produced last season. That doesn’t mean he can’t be a nice complement to Shonn Greene in New York’s running game.

      I think it’s a little early to stick a fork in him this season.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

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