Author: Anthony Stalter (Page 707 of 1503)

      Giants’ minor league prospect a murder suspect

      September 21, 2009 /

      According to a report by the San Jose Mercury News, Giants’ minor league prospect Angel Villalona is the prime suspect in the shooting death of a man in the Dominican Republic.

      The news devastated Giants officials, who have invested significant time and money in the 19-year-old first baseman. Villalona’s $2.1 million bonus was a franchise record when the Giants signed him in 2006. He was considered one of baseball’s elite power-hitting prospects, and his signing signaled a shift in priorities to rebuild the farm system.

      Dominican police told the Associated Press that Villalona turned himself in 12 hours after Mario Felix de Jesus Velete was fatally shot at a bar Saturday night in the coastal city of La Romana. Villalona will appear in court today and could face up to 20 years in prison.

      Not sound insensitive after a man lost his life, but in keeping things related to sports this would be a massive blow to the Giants if Villalona were guilty of this crime. We’re talking about an organization that is completely devoid of hitting prospects outside of catcher Buster Posey and Villalona has drawn comparisons to Miguel Cabrera. (Outside of the fact that Villalona has shown little to no plate discipline so far in the minors.)

      But let’s not jump to any conclusions. This could be a misunderstanding and Villalona had nothing to do with the shooting. We’ll have to wait for more details to emerge.

      MLB

      Falcons lose first round pick Jerry for the season

      September 21, 2009 /

      The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is reporting that defensive tackle Peria Jerry, who was the Falcons first round pick in April, will miss the rest of the season after suffering a knee injury in a win over the Panthers on Sunday.

      This might not sound like a significant loss given that Jerry was a rookie and defensive tackles are rarely in the limelight, but this is a blow to the Falcons’ defensive line. Jerry was quickly emerging as a solid interior pass-rusher and offered a nice complement to John Abraham and Jonathan Babineaux on Atlanta’s D-line.

      The Falcons rotate their defensive linemen on game days, so Trey Lewis, Thomas Johnson and Vance Walker will all see playing time at the tackle position next to Babineaux. Unfortunately, none of the three provide the pass rush that Jerry does, although maybe the big-bodied Lewis (who was impressive as a rookie in 2007 before a knee injury sidelined him for the entire ’08 season) can help the Falcons fix a leaky run-defense that is allowing 5.1 YPC.

      This is a bad time for the Falcons to lose a pass rusher with a trip to New England and a pissed-off Patriots team on the docket.

      NFL

      Will Brady Quinn eventually be benched in Cleveland?

      September 21, 2009 /

      One of the knocks on Brady Quinn entering the 2007 NFL Draft was that he lacked the arm strength to zip the ball into tight coverage on passes longer than 10 yards. To a lesser degree, his accuracy and footwork were also questioned.

      One thing Quinn rarely received criticism for was his ability to run a pro offense after studying under Charlie Weis at Notre Dame for two years. But so far, that’s one of the main factors playing into whether or not he’s long for the Browns’ starting quarterback job.

      Said head coach Eric Mangini via the Canton Repository following the Browns’ embarrassing 27-6 loss to the Broncos on Sunday: “There were definitely some opportunities for him to get the ball to receivers that were open. There were some plays where I thought he had nice throws, but it’s consistency, it’s consistency, it’s consistency…first quarter, second quarter, third quarter, fourth quarter.”

      While Mangini’s comments were hardly an indication that a change is coming, that doesn’t sound like a head coach that completely backs his starting quarterback. And whether it was semantics or not, Mangini was the one that waited the entire preseason before naming Quinn the starter, which raises the question of how long he’ll stick with the young QB if Quinn continues down the path he’s on.

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      NFL

      College Football Week 4 Odds & Point Spreads

      September 21, 2009 /

      Odds makers have released the point spreads for Week 4 in college football. Below are a list of odds for the top 25 teams and a quick-hit look at some of the marquee matchups.

      No. 9 Miami at No. 11 Virginia Tech, Saturday 3:30PM ET
      Quarterback Jacory Harris and head coach Randy Shannon have made the Canes relevant again in college football. Following wins over two ranked opponents (Florida State and Georgia Tech, respectively), Miami gets another challenge this week in Blacksburg. In their meeting last year, the Canes edged the Hokies 16-14 at Dolphin Stadium, but the last time these two programs squared off in Blacksburg, VA Tech rolled to a 44-14 victory.
      Opening Odds: Miami –2.5.

      Illinois at No. 13 Ohio State, Saturday, 3:30PM ET
      The Buckeyes open their Big Ten schedule on Saturday when they host the Illini in Columbus. OSU rebounded from their loss to USC two weeks ago by dropping Toledo 38-0 last weekend. Illinois earned its first win of the year by trouncing Illinois State 45-17, although Missouri handed the Illini a 37-9 beating the week prior. The last time these two teams met in Columbus, Illinois shocked Ohio State 28-21 thanks to quarterback Juice Williams’ four touchdown passes.
      Opening Odds: Ohio State –14.5.

      No. 1 Florida at Kentucky, Saturday, 6:00PM ET
      Is this a letdown week for the Gators? The No. 1 team in the nation will make its first road trip of the season after starting the year 3-0 at home. Florida will take on a 2-0 Kentucky team that has a lot of confidence after beating Louisville in a thrilling 31-27 contest in Lexington last Saturday. The Gators hammered Rich Brooks’ Wildcats 63-5 in Gainesville last season, although Kentucky made things respectable with Florida two years ago in Lexington before falling 45-37.
      Opening Odds: Florida –22.

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      College Football

      NFL Morning After Reactions: Patriots, Titans, Cowboys & more

      September 21, 2009 /

      Here’s a look at what local NFL beat writers and columnists have to say following their teams’ performance on Sunday.

      – Steve Serby of the New York Post writes that Jets’ rookie quarterback Mark Sanchez “outswaggered” the Pats’ Tom Brady.

      – Gil LeBreton of the Star-Telegram writes that the Cowboys’ offense spoiled Jerry Jones’ new stadium party.

      – Mike Mulligan of the Chicago Sun-Times says that Jay Cutler’s signature game saved the Bears from defeat on Sunday.

      – Damon Hack of SI.com says that the Patriots showed a rare loss of composure in their defeat to the Jets.

      – David Climer of the Tennessean compiles a list of troubling signs for the 0-2 Titans.

      – Tim Sullivan of the San Diego Union-Tribune wonders if the Chargers can be fixed after their loss to the Ravens and their near-loss to the Raiders in Week 1.

      – Tom Oates of Madison.com writes that the Packers’ offensive line (which struggled mightily on Sunday against the Bengals) could ruin the season for Green Bay.

      – Thomas Boswell of the Washington Post can’t help but think that head coach Jim Zorn has low expectations for the Redskins.

      – Never afraid to hand out criticism, Jason Whitlock of the Kansas City Star writes that the Chiefs coaching performance against the Raiders was embarrassing.

      NFL

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