Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 525 of 1503)

      What’s next for Joey Porter?

      February 12, 2010 /

      After publicly stating that he would never wear a Dolphins jersey again, Joey Porter got his wish on Friday when Miami officially released the aging linebacker. The Dolphins are now off the hook for the $4.8 million that Porter was scheduled to make in 2010.

      Porter stated publicly last week that he wouldn’t mind playing for the Chargers, Cardinals or 49ers, although Arizona probably makes the most sense given that its coaching staff is most familiar with the outside ‘backer. Plus, I don’t see Mike Singletary and Porter meshing in San Francisco.

      In the end, Porter may wind up settling for whatever team shows interest. He turns 33 in March, can only play in a 3-4 and brings baggage to the table in the form of his attitude. Plus, this offseason should be quieter than usual because teams are preparing for a potential lockout in 2011, so there may not be a big market for him. (Not that there would be anyway, given that he’s not an every down player any more.)

      Porter essentially picked the worst offseason to open his mouth and cause waves, although teams are always in need of pass-rushers so he’ll land somewhere. Personally, I think Porter deserves the Raiders, but that’s just me.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

      Men’s luger dies following training accident

      February 12, 2010 /

      In news that will certainly cast a sobering mood over the opening ceremonies in Vancouver tonight, a 21-year-old men’s luger from the former Soviet republic of Georgia died on Friday after crashing during training for the 2010 Winter Olympic games.

      According to ESPN.com, Nomar Kumaritashvili lost control of his sled, went over the track wall and struck an unpadded steel pole near the finish line at Whistler Sliding Center. Rescue workers rushed to his aid within seconds and he was quickly airlifted to a trauma center before losing his life sometime thereafter.

      It’s unclear how fast Kumaritashvili was going, but the ESPN.com report states that many sliders have reached over 90 mph on the course. The track (pictured above) is considered the world’s fastest and many Olympians have complained that the course is unsafe. Some also questioned whether or not competitors from smaller nations like Kumaritashvili’s had enough time to prepare for the dangerous track.

      The remainder of the men’s training has obviously been canceled for the day.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      News, The Olympics

      Giants, Lincecum avoid arbitration with two-year agreement

      February 12, 2010 /

      The Giants have reached a two-year, $23 million contract with ace Tim Lincecum, which allows the two sides to avoid an arbitration hearing that was scheduled for today.

      According to ESPN.com, Lincecum will receive $8 million this year and $13 million in 2011, as well as a $2 million signing bonus. He also has a chance to earn performance and award bonuses, although no details have been provided on what those incentives are.

      This is great news for both sides, as arbitration hearings can sometimes get messy between team and player. Lincecum had filed for $13 million in arbitration, which would have broke Ryan Howard’s mark of $10 million in 2008. The Giants submitted $8 million for Lincecum, which was viewed by many to be a lowball offer for a two-time All-Star and Cy Young winner. Lincecum also owns a 40-17 record and a 2.90 ERA with 676 strikeouts in only three seasons.

      After overpaying for Barry Zito, Aaron Rowand and Edgar Renteria (just to name a few) offer the last couple of seasons, the Giants made the right decision coming to an agreement with Lincecum before the hearing. Along with Pablo Sandoval, Lincecum is the face of the franchise and the ace of a fantastic pitching rotation that also features emerging star Matt Cain, top prospect Madison Bumgarner and 27-year-old Jonathan Sanchez, who threw a no-hitter in 2009.

      Now that they have come to terms with Lincecum, the Giants can focus on what hopes to be a successful 2010 campaign. They have enough pitching to challenge for a postseason berth, but their offense has been among the league’s worst for several years now. The club hopes that the moves they made this offseason (i.e. signing free agents Mark DeRosa and Aubrey Huff, as well as re-signing Freddy Sanchez and Juan Uribe) will be enough to get the Giants back into the postseason.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      MLB

      Is Julius Peppers worth a huge contract?

      February 12, 2010 /

      There’s no doubt that Julius Peppers will cash in on this year’s free agent market and in what should be a quieter-than-usual offseason, the defensive end would certainly be a huge catch.

      But the question that all interested parties will inevitably be faced with is: Is Peppers even worth the price tag?

      Peppers can be explosive at the point of attack and uses his speed to get off the edge to create havoc in an opponent’s backfield. He has great size and speed and can use a variety of techniques to disengage blockers and pressure the pocket. He’s also a better run defender than people give him credit for and simply put, he’s an athletic freak.

      That’s the good, but here’s the bad. He has been known to take plays off, he’s highly inconsistent, and he can be unmotivated at times. He also just turned 30 and is the same player that virtually took an entire season off in 2007 when he finished with just 2.5 sacks (by far a career low) in 14 games.

      Consider these stats from RevengeoftheBirds.com:

      Age 32 is a bit of a brick wall for defensive ends. Twenty-nine defensive ends are in the top 50 for career sacks. Those ends averaged 10 sacks at age 30, 9.8 sacks at age 31, but only 7.3 sacks at age 32. Only eight of those 29 reached double digit sacks at 32 and four were Bruce Smith, Reggie White, Michael Strahan and Chris Doleman-four of the top five leaders in career sacks. They totaled 54.5 sacks at age 32. The remaining 24 totaled 150 sacks and averaged just 6.3 at age 32.

      Peppers is the best free agent on the market and given the position he plays, he might wind up becoming the highest paid defensive player in the league this offseason. But let’s assume that he’s the norm and not the exception when it comes to defensive ends. Is he worth the hefty price tag? Is it worth it for some team to fork over millions of dollars when he might only be productive for the next two years? Sure, he may average 10 sacks over the next two years, but what happens after that?

      I realize all of this is hypothetical, but given Peppers’ history of inconsistent play, age, and price tag, he might not be worth a long-term investment in the end. In fact, he probably won’t be.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

      Is Donovan McNabb worth a first round pick?

      February 12, 2010 /

      One of the hot topics this offseason will be whether or not the Eagles will trade one or two of their quarterbacks. Michael Vick is the most likely candidate to be dealt, but there’s also a possibility that Philly commits to Kevin Kolb and thus makes Donovan McNabb available as well.

      According to ESPN’s Sal Paolantonio, the Eagles have told teams that both McNabb and Kolb are not available for trade, although it’s likely that the team is just saying that to maintain its leverage. Considering McNabb is 33, injury prone and consistently comes up short in the playoffs, there’s no doubt that Andy Reid will at least listen to offers for the veteran QB. Three years ago, the Eagles asked for two first round picks in exchange for McNabb and while he has diminished value today, the team reportedly still wants at least a first rounder.

      But is McNabb worth a first round pick? Well, that depends on what team it is. If the Bills or Rams are interested, then no, he isn’t. Neither Buffalo nor St. Louis is one Donovan McNabb away from competing, so acquiring a 33-year-old quarterback in exchange for a high draft pick would be unwise. Either one of those teams would be better off going with Vick, who is a low-risk, high-reward option at this point in his career because he could be had for a low draft pick.

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      NFL

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