Category: External Sports (Page 190 of 821)

Players open to mediation via court, but are the owners?

April 7, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

It appears as though the players are willing to head back to mediation under federal court, but but it remains to be seen if the owners are prepared to do the same thing.

A day after Judge Susan Nelson urged both parties to return to mediation as she takes a couple of weeks to decide a ruling on the lockout case, a lawyer representing the players wrote her a letter saying that their side is willing to do just that.

Two people “familiar with the case” also told the AP that the NFL sent its own letter to lawyers for the players, although the people spoke on condition of anonymity because “they were not authorized to reveal the letter’s contents.” However, one person did tell the AP that the letter proposed that the two sides resume talks with federal mediator George Cohen.

Once again, it looks like the two sides are prepared to butt heads. The players are willing to go back to mediation, but under federal court. The owners are willing to go back to mediation, but under George Cohen. The two sides can’t seem to agree on anything and we’re no closer to a resolution (or there being football next year) than we were when the players decertified on March 11.

It’s amazing that when the two sides can finally agree to something (mediation in this case), they disagree on something else and throw up another hurdle to overcome.

External Sports, NFL

2011 NFL lockout NFL lockout owners vs players

Who is the best overall wing in the NBA?

April 7, 2011 / John Paulsen

Follow John on Twitter.

For an explanation of my methodology, check out my point guard post from yesterday. The only difference with the wings is that I found a way to account for a full season of Opponent PER and Net Defense stats for those players that were traded, so we won’t see the outliers that we saw in the point guard study.

Below is a chart of the Top 52 wings in the NBA. I took the Top 48 in terms of Efficiency Per Game and then added four players (Marcus Thornton, Tony Allen, Ron Artest and Ben Gordon) that I was interested in studying. As always, click on the chart to see a bigger version.

External Sports, Fantasy Basketball, NBA

2010-11 NBA season statistical studies

South Carolina suspends quarterback Stephen Garcia…again.

April 7, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

South Carolina quarterback Stephen Garcia can’t seem to stay out of trouble.

For the fifth time since coming to South Carolina in January 2007 and the second time this spring, the Gamecocks’ QB has been suspended – only this time it’s indefinite according to USA Today. The university isn’t saying why they’ve suspended him, but Garcia told the AP that it wasn’t because of any arrests, nor was it drug or alcohol related.

So let’s see: No drugs, no alcohol, no arrests. Outside of academic cheating or low grades, what else could a college athlete be suspended for? (Check that – I don’t want to know.)

Actually, it doesn’t really matter what he was suspended for this time. I’m all for giving people second and even third chances, but considering this is the fifth time that Garcia has been suspended, maybe Steve Spurrier should just give him the boot for good. There comes a time when it’s obvious that a person is just taking advantage of his or her situation because they know they won’t be held accountable for their actions. If this was a one-time thing, the program should reach out and offer its hand. But five times? He’s been suspended five times? See ya.

Of course, that’s easy for me to say when I don’t have to worry about competing in the SEC. Garcia threw for 3,059 yards and 20 touchdowns in 14 starts last year, leading the Gamecocks to a SEC East title. If Garcia were done for good, sophomore Connor Shaw would have to shoulder the responsibility of running South Carolina’s offense. There’s no question that losing Garcia would be a blow to the Gamecocks’ chances of competing again next season.

College Football, External Sports

stepehen garcia kicked off team stepehen garcia suspended stepehen garcia suspension Stephen Garcia

Bonds trial wrapping up without him seeing the witness stand

April 7, 2011 / Anthony Stalter

Three years after he was first indicated, Barry Bonds’ perjury trial is finally nearing its conclusion.

Charged with three counts of lying to a grand jury and one count of obstruction of justice, Bonds’ trial has lasted nearly three weeks. And as the jury is set to dilberate, it’s interesting that Bonds’ defense team rested their case on Wednesday without calling any witnesses – not even Bonds.

Now, that could be viewed in a couple of different ways. Maybe his defense team feels so confident about their case that they don’t need to put Bonds on the stand. Maybe they don’t want him to contradict anything that anyone else has said up to this point, or screw the pooch when he’s cross-examined by the prosecution.

Or maybe because if they put him on the stand, they know he would have to lie under oath. Or explain to a jury why he allowed someone to inject something into his body that he wasn’t 100% clear (no pun intended) about what it was or what it was intended to do. Or why he never stopped taking the substance when his head grew to the size of a grapefruit and he looked like the Incredible Hulk.

Yeah, I wouldn’t have put Bonds on the stand either.

As I wrote on Wednesday, I firmly believe that he’ll avoid jail time. If Tammy Thomas received house arrest and probation for similar charges in her BALCO scandal, then Barry freaking Bonds isn’t going to prison over his. In the end, I imagine that people will view this as a big waste of time and money.

External Sports, MLB

barry bonds case barry bonds secret tape Barry Bonds steroids Barry Bonds trial