Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 442 of 1503)

      Tiger Woods’ swing coach resigns

      May 11, 2010 /

      According to a report by Golf.com, Tiger Woods’ swing coach Hank Haney has decided to resign.

      Haney, who has coached Woods since 2004, has come under criticism during Woods’s recent struggles on the course. NBC commentator Johnny Miller said last week that Woods “should forget the Hank Haney stuff. It’s not working.” His former coach Butch Harmon also weighed in, telling the PGA Tour Network that Woods’s “game is in disarray.”

      Haney has defended his record with Woods. In a statement to The Golf Channel after Miller criticized his teaching, Haney said, “In the last two years, Tiger has won 44 percent of his tournaments and finished top three in 61 percent. In the two years before I started working with him, he won 24 percent and finished top three in 43 percent.”

      I don’t follow golf closely enough to chime in about whether or not Tiger’s game has fallen apart since Haney started coaching him. But I do know that Tiger has been through a ton of turmoil recently and who knows how that could have affected his game. No matter what the sport, coaches always have to deal with the mental aspect when working with players – not just the physical and fundamental.

      If Haney wasn’t doing a good job, I assume Woods would have fired him by now. Thus, his resignation probably had to deal with a lot of factors – not just Tiger’s performance on the links.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, Golf

      Are the Cowboys making a mistake by trading Carpenter for Barron?

      May 11, 2010 /

      In wake of the Cowboys’ decision to trade linebacker Bobby Carpenter to the Rams for offensive tackle Alex Barron, Gil Lebreton of the Dallas Star-Telegram writes that the ‘Boys are making a big mistake.

      Lebreton (via St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz) points out that Barron has committed 43 false start and 13 holding penalties in 74 NFL starts. He’s also allowed 16 sacks over the last two seasons, prompting Lebreton to write that Tony Romo will be scrambling an awful lot next season. Lebreton also makes the argument that the Cowboys could have gotten more for Carpenter, who could flourish playing in Steve Spagnuolo’s 4-3 defense.

      But what Lebreton fails to mention is that Barron isn’t a replacement for Doug Free at left tackle. For better or worse, Free is being counted on as the starter and Barron is viewed more as insurance in case Free (who is inexperienced as a starter) struggles in the early going. Barron also has experience playing right tackle, which is key considering Marc Colombo suffered a fractured fibula during the regular season last year.

      Lebreton has a point that the Cowboys probably could have gotten more in return for Carpenter than a lineman that they view as an insurance policy. But general managers aren’t stupid – they know when other teams have given up on a player and they’re not going to overpay. Teams knew that Carpenter wasn’t a great fit for Wade Phillips’ 3-4 defense and was likely to be dealt at some point during the offseason. Dallas had a need for an offensive tackle, so it pounced on the Barron trade. Is Barron a good player? He certainly hasn’t shown it so far. But maybe the trade will serve as a wake up call and he’ll elevate his game knowing that he’s now playing for a contender.

      Considering this is the same offseason in which Donovan McNabb was acquired for a second round pick, Jason Campbell a fourth and Santonio Holmes a fifth, this trade isn’t as bad as Lebreton makes it out to be. Even if Carpenter turns out to be a Pro Bowler down the road, it doesn’t mean that he would have had the same success in Dallas. Some players just aren’t a fit for certain schemes.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

      Cushing’s positive test was for hCG

      May 11, 2010 /

      According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, Brian Cushing’s positive drug test back in September of last year was for abnormally elevated levels of “hCG,” which is a non-steroidal substance produced naturally in the body.

      The problem is that it’s often taken by steroid users to restore testicular size after doing a cycle. Cushing claims that the positive test wasn’t due to steroids and while that may be technically true, the “hCG” may have been taken to mask his use of roids.

      If “hCG” sounds familiar, it’s because it’s the same thing Manny Ramirez was suspended for in 2009. It’s disappointing that athletes are still doping, but it’s reassuring that they’re being caught in both sports. We’d be naïve to believe that all athletes are clean, but at least when they’re caught, they’re being punished.

      Speaking of punishment, this report doesn’t help Cushing’s case for keeping his ROY award. The AP is already considering having a re-vote and if his suspension really was due to his steroid use (or his masking of his steroid use), then voters are going to have a hard time not stripping the award from him.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

      Albert Haynesworth starting to irk teammates

      May 10, 2010 /

      Redskins’ owner Daniel Snyder signed Albert Haynesworth to a seven-year, $100 million contract in February of last year. It was the biggest payday for a defender in league history and so far, Snyder has undoubtedly not gotten what he paid for.

      But then again, Snyder is used to not getting what he paid for when it comes to signing free agents. It’s Haynesworth’s teammates that have been affected the most by his salty attitude this offseason, which includes him being a no-show at voluntary camp this past weekend.

      For the first time this offseason, some of the Redskin players are starting to show their frustration with Haynesworth. In a recent column by Mike Wise of the Washington Post, several of Haynesworth’s teammates spoke out about his absence at camp.

      “From what I’m told, he can play the end spot,” Daniels said. “I’ve called him and told him that. The thing is, we have 100 percent participation if he is here. It’s now 99. He’s got to be here.”

      “There is no room for negotiation at 4-12,” he added, speaking of the team’s woeful record last season. “I’m here, [London] Fletcher’s here, everybody’s here,” Daniels added. “He’s got to understand that. We need him to come here, be here and show these young guys that the veterans have bought in and that we want to win games.”

      “It says this is voluntary, but for us, what we went through last season after a 4-12 season, it’s mandatory,” Daniels said. “He should definitely be here. And it’s a shame he’s not.”

      While his teammates aren’t necessarily bashing him, their message is clear: Haynesworth needs to get his large frame to camp so that he and the rest of the Redskins can be on the same page heading into the season. If he’s not, then he’s not only hurting himself, but the entire team as well.

      Some have suggested that Haynesworth has a right to be angry. After all, when he signed his $100 million contract, the Redskins were playing the 4-3 – the defensive scheme that he prefers.

      But isn’t that the point? It shouldn’t be about what he prefers – it should be about what’s best for the team. Mike Shanahan has more than enough wins in this league to have proven that he knows what he’s doing and should be trusted. Haynesworth is proving that he’s a selfish player and if he wants to change that perception, then he needs to grow up and start earning his paycheck both as a player and as a teammate.

      External Sports, NFL

      Should Colts take a flier on JaMarcus Russell?

      May 10, 2010 /

      In his recent “2 Minute Blitz” video, Indianapolis Star columnist Bob Kravitz suggests that the Colts should take a chance on JaMarcus Russell. Kravitz lists the lack of options that the team has behind Peyton Manning and the possibility of Russell “seeing the light” while learning in a great organization as some of the reasons why the former No. 1 overall pick would be a fit in Indy.

      On the surface, the idea isn’t as far-fetched as some may think. Curtis Painter did nothing in his limited time last year to suggest that he could be a capable backup for Manning, nonetheless someone that the Colts could actually count on to win a came if Peyton were ever to get injured. (Throw on game film of Painter’s effort against the Jets last year if you disagree.) Plus, Manning and Russell are polar opposites, so maybe JaMarcabust could learn something from the hardest working quarterback in the game.

      That said, I’m one who believes that Russell will never get it. I think he wanted to parlay his junior season at LSU into a big payday in the NFL and that’s exactly what he did. With the backing of Al Davis, I think he knew he could do whatever he wanted and the checks were still going to come in the mail. I don’t think he wants it, nor do I think he ever will want it.

      If the Colts did sign him, I wouldn’t pooh-pooh their decision because Russell could stand to learn a lot from Manning. He needs to be in that kind of structured environment if he ever has a shot to make it in the NFL. In fact, Indianapolis might just be the best spot for him.

      But at the end of the day, a person can be in the right situation and still not change for the better. It would be up to Russell to make fundamental changes to improve his work ethic and I just don’t think he has the will, desire or dedication to do that.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑