Author: John Paulsen (Page 681 of 937)

      Antonio Gates still feeling the pain

      August 12, 2008 /

      All-Pro tight end and fantasy stud Antonio Gates is coming off toe surgery, and he’s not recovering as quickly as he’d like.

      Before the rest of the team practiced in the afternoon, Gates ran routes in the morning – taking off and stopping and catching passes and appearing to be close to his All-Pro form.

      “It looks better than it feels,” Gates said later. “ . . . It’s not as comfortable as it looks. I got through it. The pain is tolerable.”

      Gates is still feeling a high level of discomfort in his left big toe. And even though he’s been told by the medical staff that setbacks and stalling is normal, he is extremely frustrated with his level of improvement.

      “It’s about the same as it was last week,” he said. “My whole thing is I want to see progress, and I want to see it fast.”

      He went as far as to say if the Chargers had a game that counted this week, he “would dress and try to play.” He still believes he will play in the Sept. 7 season opener.

      But he reiterated his earlier vow not to return before he is entirely ready.

      Gates is still a top 4 TE (Witten, Winslow and Gonzo are the other three) but right now, he has the most question marks surrounding him. Will he be ready for the opener? Will his toe heal completely at some point in the season? Is this something that is going to bother or limit his production?

      I love Gates and I’m an advocate of having a weapon at the TE spot, but if I’m drafting right now, I’d rather have Chris Cooley in the 7th (or Todd Heap/Vernon Davis in the 8th/9th) than Gates in the 4th/5th.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      May-Treanor/Walsh dispatch Cuba

      August 12, 2008 /

      America’s beach volleyball sweethearts, Misty May-Treanor (right) and Kerri Walsh, took care of business in their second match of the Games, defeating Cuba in two games, 21-15 and 21-16. It was a business-like, efficient win for the seemingly unbeatable pair, who have now won 103 straight matches.

      The match was never in doubt, and that was reflected in the announcing. We found out how both May and Walsh met their respective husbands. (It turns out Walsh actually met her husband at the scrimmage where she played with May for the first time. Talk about kismet!) We learned about how Walsh lost her wedding band during the duo’s first match in Bejing and how it was found by a volunteer who was sifting through the sand after the night’s matches were complete. And we found out that both May and Walsh want to start families after this tournament and how these Olympics might be their last.

      The loss came on the same day (in the U.S., anyway) that the Cuban women’s indoor volleyball team crushed Team USA. I wonder if there is any kind of rivalry between indoor and beach given how much attention the latter is getting these days.

      For May-Treanor/Walsh, next up is Norway, and that match will be televised in primetime Wednesday night. Then the duo will move on to a single-elimination tournament.

      Television, The Olympics

      Cavs pursuing Mo Williams?

      August 11, 2008 /

      This is one of those rumor-of-a-rumor stories, but the Cavs could be talking with the Bucks about point guard Mo Williams.

      A league source said the Cavs might be pursuing Bucks point guard Mo Williams. All the details aren’t known, but the Cavs, Bucks and Oklahoma City (formerly Seattle) are reportedly involved.

      If Williams is headed to the Cavs, however, would Delonte West be included in such a deal? He’s a restricted free agent who has been a regular at Cleveland Clinic Courts for much of the summer. It wouldn’t make any sense to have Williams and West on the same roster since both expects to be starters.

      Some have questioned how Redd would have fit in with superstar LeBron James. The same questions could be asked about Williams, who is a prolific scorer who is used to getting his shots.

      He’s shredded the Cavs over the years. He’s not known as being a top defender, even though he boasts quickness and speed.

      He averaged 17.2 points and 6.3 assists and shot 48 percent from the field and 39 percent from behind the 3-point arc last season.

      I love these stories. The Cavs “might” be pursuing Mo Williams? That could be said about any player and any team.

      Anyway, as a Bucks fan, I’d really like to see how Mo and Michael Redd respond to new head coach Scott Skiles before jettisoning either of them. Neither is a great defender, but if Skiles can at least get them to put forth the necessary effort on that end of the court, the Bucks would quickly become a playoff contender.

      From the Cavs point of view, Mo would be a pretty nice fit. He’s a terrific scorer and a capable playmaker, and his salary isn’t bad for the production he brings.

      8/12 Update: The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel’s Bucks Blog is reporting that a three-way deal (involving the Cavs) for Mo is indeed in the works. Reportedly, the Bucks are targeting Luke Ridnour of the newly-founded Oklahoma City franchise. I’m not sure what the Bucks are thinking here, unless they are certain that Scott Skiles and Mo Williams can’t co-exist. Ridnour has proven to be a backup in this league, and while he’s a pass-first point guard, he isn’t known at all for his defense.

      Fantasy Basketball, General Sports, NBA, Rumors & Gossip

      Bobby Engram to miss 6-8 weeks

      August 11, 2008 /

      Just when I start touting him as a nice sleeper pick at wide receiver in PPR leagues, Bobby Engram goes and injures his shoulder.

      The Seahawks’ injury situation has gone from aggravating to roster altering, because leading receiver Bobby Engram will miss six to eight weeks with a cracked bone in his shoulder…

      Engram, who caught a franchise-record 94 passes last season, was injured after making the first catch of the game in the team’s 34-17 victory against the Minnesota Vikings on Friday night. The injury will force the club to carry Engram on its 53-man roster even though he isn’t expected to play until the after the bye week Sept. 28.

      I still like Engram, but instead of looking for him in the 8th or 9th round, start looking to draft him in the 10th-12th. He’s a pro, so he should settle back in as Matt Hasselbeck’s favorite target once he returns to action.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      Bullz-Eye’s 2008 Fantasy Football Preview

      August 11, 2008 /

      “It’s the most wonderful time of the year….”

      Andy Williams first sung those words back in 1963, and he was talking about Christmastime. For football fans, specifically fantasy football fans, August is Christmas. Instead of snow falling from the sky, fantasy football owners are trying to digest all the little bits of information that flitter past them. (No two are the same, by the way.) Instead of presents under the tree, they’re hoping to unwrap that one late-round flier who will turn into a top 10 performer (without finding any first-round busts in their stockings, of course). If they don’t get what they want, they can always go to the returns desk (a.k.a. the waiver wire) and try to find something better.

      See the entire preview after the jump.

      Fantasy Football, NFL

      « Older posts Newer posts »

      © 2026 The Scores Report – The National Sports Blog

      Theme by Anders Noren — Up ↑