Category: External Sports (Page 300 of 821)
Depending on what slot he was taken at, Washington quarterback Jake Locker passed on anywhere from $36-72 million when he decided to stay in school for his senior season. Still, if he played well in 2010, that money would have been waiting for him in the 2011 NFL Draft.
The problem is that he didn’t play well. After completing 230 of 395 pass attempts for 2,800 yards with 21 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as a junior, he struggled while completing just 184 of 332 attempts for 2,265 yards with 17 touchdowns and nine picks as a senior. Now, according to recent projections, it looks like he may fall into the second or third round.
From FOX Sports’ Adam Caplan:
What I liked: You can clearly see his outstanding athleticism. Locker, like many of the quarterbacks here this week, throws fairly well on the run. He is better passing outside of the pocket. He also has pretty good arm strength.
What needs improvement: His release point is going to need to be adjusted in the NFL. Locker rarely made two solid or accurate throws in a row, which is a troubling sign. Too many of his passes sailed high or away from his intended receiver. The ball simply does not come out of his throwing hand well — which is alarming.
Round projection: Third.
While ESPN’s Todd McShay continues to be high on Locker, some have referred to his accuracy as “terrible” while others believe that he’ll never be a starting quarterback at the pro level.
That said, isn’t it a little premature to say whether or not he’ll struggle in the NFL? After all, he hasn’t had his Pro Day yet and the scouting combine is still a couple of weeks away. In fact, the Senior Bowl hasn’t even been played yet, so if Locker impresses over these next couple of months he could improve his draft stock greatly.
If most pundits thought that he was a top-5 pick last year, then obviously he has the tools to be a first-rounder (unless of course those pundits off about him last year, which wouldn’t be surprising). Let’s hold off before we deem this kid the next Brian Brohm.
Really. Dude just dunks himself through the hoop. He’s lucky he didn’t dislocate a joint.
If the Cardinals couldn’t re-sign Albert Pujols and hoped, at the very least, they could trade him in a blockbuster deal then they’re out of luck. That’s because Pujols would exercise his no-trade clause on any potential deal.
From ESPN’s Buster Olney:
The Cardinals have never really pursued any of that trade discussion.
But no matter what happens in the last days of negotiations before Pujols arrives at the Cardinals’ camp in spring training, the slugger will not be traded.
The understanding within the St. Louis front office is that Pujols will not accept any trade going forward, according to sources. He has the right to veto any trade proposal, and would do so.
This means there are only two possible results in the negotiations in the Pujols talks: Either he signs a contract extension with the Cardinals, or he will become a free agent this coming fall.
As Olney points out, the Cardinals’ choices in this situation are expensive in different ways. If they sign him, his new contract will be in the neighborhood of 10 years and $275 million. If they can’t come to terms with Albert, then the backlash from fans will be enormous.
This is why most fans complain about there not being a salary cap in baseball. It’s not easy for mid-market teams like St. Louis to just say, “You want $300 million, Albert? Done.” The Cardinals have an entire roster to think about and they don’t have the payroll flexibility like the Yankees or Red Sox do. They’re stuck. Either they pay Pujols and potentially are cash-strapped for the next 10 years, or they let him walk and hope fans won’t burn down Busch Stadium.
It’s not like Pujols isn’t worth the money. If any current player is worth $300 million, it’s him. He’s the best pure hitter in the game and no disrespect to players like Matt Holliday, but Pujols is also the Cardinals’ lineup. But again, they continue to be faced with a huge dilemma when it comes to their payroll options.
Former UFC middleweight champion Rich Franklin broke down the UFC 126 main event between Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort for HeavyMMA.com.
No one may be more qualified to discuss the UFC 126 main event between UFC middleweight titleholder Anderson Silva and Vitor Belfort than Rich Franklin.
The former UFC middleweight champion has fought and lost to both Silva and Belfort and has studied them in preparation for those fights. Franklin would be considered an expert if called into court to testify about the match up.
“They’re similar because they’re both Brazilian and they’re both southpaws and both have a win over me,” jokingly said Franklin. “They’re both effective strikers. They’re both fast and use good footwork and all of that kind of stuff.”
While both primarily strikers who possess ground games, Silva and Belfort are different kinds of strikers. Silva employs kicks from the outside and needs distance to execute his craft. Belfort is more effective in the pocket unleashing combinations with his hands.
“Stylistically, on their feet, they’re different fighters. They’re both effective in their own rights,” said Franklin via conference call on Thursday. “It’s going to be interesting to see who’s going to come into the ring if this ends up being a stand up fight how this is going to play out stylistically.”
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