Category: External Sports (Page 431 of 821)

      Dolphins to start Pennington over Henne on Sunday

      November 10, 2010 /
      MIAMI - SEPTEMBER 21: Quarterback Chad Pennington #10 of the Miami Dolphins throws a pass against the Indianapolis Colts at Land Shark Stadium on September 21, 2009 in Miami, Florida. The Colts defeated the Dolphins 27-23. (Photo by Doug Benc/Getty Images)

      Looking for more consistency at the quarterback position, the Dolphins have decided to bench Chad Henne in favor of Chad Pennington for their game this Sunday against the Titans.

      Henne essentially won Miami’s starting quarterback job last year by completing just over 60% of his passes and compiling a 75.2 QB Rating. Those numbers aren’t great of course, but they were impressive for a quarterback in just his second season (his first as a full-time starter).

      But in eight starts this season, Henne has thrown eight touchdowns and 10 interceptions for the 4-4 Dolphins. His decision-making has been questionable at best and he’s thrown an inception in six straight games. He’s also failed to find Brandon Marshall in the red zone, as the receiver has just one touchdown on the year.

      Pennington led the Dolphins to the playoffs in 2008 (his first year in Miami), but he hasn’t attempted a pass since Week 3 of last year. He suffered a season-ending shoulder injury that required surgery, although he didn’t look sharp in any game before that. It was also the third time he’s had to have his shoulder operated on and this is a guy who never had a strong arm to begin with. Miami’s vertical passing game definitely takes a hit with this change.

      That said, Pennington is a crafty veteran that knows how to find open receivers and not force passes into coverage. He often takes what the defense gives him and at the very least, he won’t put the Dolphins in a bad position by turning the ball over. He may not win the game for Miami, but he won’t lose it either.

      External Sports, NFL

      The Yankees’ pursuit of Cliff Lee begins

      November 10, 2010 /
      Texas Rangers starting pitcher Cliff Lee pitches against the Baltimore Orioles in the fifth inning of their MLB American League baseball game in Arlington, Texas July 10, 2010. REUTERS/Mike Stone (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT BASEBALL)

      And so it begins.

      Tim Dierkes of MLB Trade Rumors (one of the greatest websites known to man) is reporting that the Yankees are flying into Arkansas on Wednesday to meet with Cliff Lee. After dinner, a movie and some not-so-harmless flirting, the Bombers hope to be doing the horizontal polka with Lee within the month.

      According to Rotoworld.com, Lee’s agent told the New York Daily News on Monday that he doesn’t anticipate his client signing quickly. Of course, he said this without seeing how many zeros will be attached to the Yankees’ offer, so things could change quickly.

      The Rangers still have a great shot to retain Lee, but as I’ve written several times before: they better pony up. That’s not to say that they have to match the Yankees’ asking price (they won’t, and neither will any other team), but they still have to make it worth Lee’s while to stay. He’s going to have another shot at a World Series title whether he stays with Texas or goes to New York, so money will certainly be a factor.

      Of course, the one thing the Yankees don’t have is the quiet lifestyle that Lee enjoys. He’s a great guy from the small town of Benton, Arkansas, so the big city lights of the Big Apple won’t to appeal to him like they would another free agent (or so one would think). Still, the opportunity to win a championship and become a gazillionaire may win out in the end.

      External Sports, MLB

      Defensive Team By Waiver Wire (DTBWW): Week 10

      November 10, 2010 /
      TAMPA, FL - DECEMBER 13: Running back Shonn Greene #23 of the New York Jets is tackled by Barrett Ruud #51 of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers during the game at Raymond James Stadium on December 13, 2009 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by J. Meric/Getty Images)

      The strategy behind DTBWW is that each week you pick up a defense that is playing against a bad offense (preferably at home). And each week you get pretty good numbers out of your DT position.

      Last season, my top pick averaged 9.8 fantasy points per game. My second pick averaged 9.1 and my third pick averaged 7.3. On the whole, DTBWW averaged 9.3 fantasy points per game, which equate to DT5 numbers — all for the price of a few waiver wire pickups. In 2008, my top two picks averaged DT6-type numbers. (Note: To calculate fantasy points, I use this scoring system.)

      Unlike Defensive Team By Committee (DTBC), which is for those owners who prefer low maintenance teams, DTBWW strategy allows fantasy owners to virtually ignore DTs on draft day and focus on picking up an extra RB/WR flier instead.

      To be eligible, defenses have to be available on the waiver wire in at least 40% of ESPN fantasy leagues.

      Let’s see how my Week 9 picks fared:

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      External Sports, Fantasy Football, NFL

      Report: Newton and his father admitted that money was involved in recruitment

      November 10, 2010 /
      AUBURN, AL - OCTOBER 23: Quarterback Cameron Newton of the Auburn Tigers celebrates after their 24-17 over the LSU Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium on October 23, 2010 in Auburn, Alabama. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

      You knew that when the first report came out about Cam Newton and the possibility that money was involved in his transfer from a community college to Auburn that more would eventually come out.

      And it has.

      A day after reports surfaced that Newton had three instances of academic cheating while attending the University of Florida, ESPN.com is now saying that Newton and his father Cecil admitted in separate phone conversations to a pay-for-play plan while the quarterback was being recruited last year.

      Prior to Newton’s commitment to Auburn, one of the recruiters said Cecil Newton told him it would take “more than a scholarship” to bring his son to Mississippi State, a request the source said the school would not meet. Cecil Newton also referred the recruiter to a third person that would provide more specifics, the source said.

      After Newton committed to Auburn, another source said an emotional Cam Newton phoned another recruiter to express regret that he wouldn’t be going to Mississippi State, stating that his father Cecil had chosen Auburn for him because “the money was too much.”

      The NCAA is investigating allegations surrounding the Newtons in regards to the recruiting process. Cam Newton, who is having a Heisman-caliber season for No. 2 Auburn, declined comment.

      Couple things here:

      1) Investigations like this take a while to complete, so it’s doubtful that Newton and Auburn’s season will be affected by these reports. Don’t forget that it took many years for the NCAA to file sanctions against USC for the Reggie Bush fiasco, and by that time Bush already had a Heisman, millions of dollars in the NFL and a Super Bowl ring. I doubt this will impact Newton’s Heisman chances or Auburn’s national title hopes…right now.

      2) However, this isn’t good for Auburn because this is the first time they’re essentially being accused of any wrongdoing. If Mississippi State couldn’t land Newton, then how did Auburn? Did they pony up for his services or did Newton pick Auburn over Mississippi State the ol’ fashioned way (i.e. hookers. I’m just kidding…sort of.).

      3) Is there any hard evidence here? So far there’s a lot of conjecture, but nothing that would allow the NCAA to punish Newton and/or Auburn. Does anyone have tapes of the conversations between Newton, his father and Mississippi State? Because if not, then how is any of this going to get proven? There’s a lot of he said, she said at the moment but zero evidence.

      About the only thing that’s for sure is that this isn’t over. More reports and allegations are forthcoming and the water has only begun to boil.

      College Football, External Sports

      2010 College Football Week 11 Odds

      November 10, 2010 /
      University of South Carolina head coach Steve Spurrier (C) talks with his team during a time out against the University of Kentucky in the first half of play in their NCAA football game at Commonwealth Stadium in Lexington, Kentucky, October 16, 2010. REUTERS/John Sommers II (UNITED STATES - Tags: SPORT FOOTBALL)

      No. 19 Mississippi State @ No. 12 Alabama, 7:15PM ET
      This is an interesting matchup. On one side, Alabama feels as though their season is practically over after suffering their second lost of the year last Saturday. On the other side, Mississippi State, which has the same record as the Crimson Tide, is enjoying its best run in more than a decade. The Tide own a 72-18-3 record in this series and have won the last two meetings by a combined score of 63-10. The Bulldogs are double-digit underdogs in this one and if they want to show the world that they deserve to move up in the rankings, then pulling off an upset in Tuscaloosa this Saturday would suffice.
      CURRENT ODDS: ALABAMA –13.5

      No. 23 South Carolina @ No. 22 Florida, 7:15PM ET
      Is there a game on the Week 11 scoreboard that carries more weight than this one? The winner will play in the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta for a shot at an automatic BCS bowl berth. The Gamecocks are coming off an embarrassing 41-20 loss to Arkansas and have won just once in their last 19 tries against Florida (2005). They’ve also turned the ball over 11 times in their three losses and they have a penchant for folding down the stretch under Steve Spurrier. The Gators, on the other hand, have built a little momentum. After suffering three straight losses in the month of October, they’ve beaten Georgia and Vanderbilt the past two weeks and get the Gamecocks on their home turf. South Carolina could be walking into a buzz saw.
      CURRENT ODDS: FLORIDA –6.5

      No. 24 Kansas State @ No. 17 Missouri, 12:30PM ET
      You had the feeling that Missouri would eventually start to make its way back down the polls, but their loss last week was a punch to the gut. They led 17-3 at halftime against Texas Tech and then never scored another point as the Red Raiders came back to win, 24-17. With a win over the Wildcats on Saturday, the Tigers have a chance to claim sole possession of second place in the Big 12 North division. Kansas State only racked up nine passing yards in their 39-14 rout over Texas, as Daniel Thomas rushed for over 100 yards and two scores. This isn’t a very explosive team but K-State has a ton of weapons on the offensive side of the ball to pull off the upset this weekend in Columbia.
      CURRENT ODDS: MISSOURI –13

      Penn State @ No. 9 Ohio State, 3:30PM ET
      This game has taken on less meaning due to the Nittany Lions’ rebuilding year, but it’s still a solid Big Ten matchup. Ohio State has kind of been the forgotten team in the conference following its loss to Wisconsin two weeks ago. But the Buckeyes remain in the hunt for a Big Ten title along with Michigan State, Wisconsin and Iowa. That said, another loss and it’ll be all she wrote for OSU. They shouldn’t have much trouble disposing of a very average Penn State program but you never know. A win would make the Lions’ season.
      CURRENT ODDS: OHIO STATE -18

      2010 College Football Week 11 Opening Odds

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      College Football, External Sports

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