Category: News (Page 147 of 199)

WKNR staffer questioned about Edwards incident

Per Cleveland.com

WKNR staffer questioned: Sabrina Parr, a contributor to WKNR AM/850, is being questioned by police after giving her eyewitness account of the Edwards incident outside The View Wednesday morning on the station’s morning show with Tony Rizzo and Aaron Goldhammer.

“I’ve just been told it’s a police matter and they’re investigating further,” said station general manager Keith Williams.

Parr, who has discussed on air her on-off relationship with cornerback Brandon McDonald, said she saw Edwards punch Edward Givens after the bar closed. She said Edwards eavesdropped on Givens’ conversation with someone about James, and that he went over voluntarily and began telling Givens he would be nothing without James.

She said Edwards’ agent tried to get him in his car to leave. Instead, Edwards punched Givens.

Parr said she talked to Edwards earlier in the evening at the club and that he said disparaging things about the coaching staff and the quarterbacks. She said Edwards said he had no room for improvement and didn’t take any blame for his drops. She said she got into a disagreement with him about his views of how he was playing. Parr was the first eyewitness of the event to go on record.

All right, so let me get this straight — Ms. Parr (who is/was dating Brandon McDonald) argued with Edwards inside a bar about whether or not he was to blame for his drops. Then, after the bar closed, she saw Edwards go over to LeBron’s friend (Givens) and tell him he’d be nothing without LeBron. Then she claims she saw Edwards punch Givens.

All due respect to Ms. Parr, but I’ve been outside my fair share of bars at closing time and no one’s word should be trusted implicitly. If she’s admitting to arguing with Edwards inside the bar about his play, then it would appear that her eyewitness account outside of the bar could be called into question.

One thing is for sure — Braylon Edwards has to be happy to be out of Cleveland. He’s playing for a much better team and has an up-and-coming quarterback to work with. He is out of excuses. If he doesn’t make it with the Jets, then he’s probably a lost cause.

Fantasy Quick Hitters: Caddy, MBIII, Marshall and more

Bucs’ OC Greg Olson wants Caddy to be the featured back. Williams has been productive, but he’s injury-prone, and if the Bucs start giving him 25 touches a game, he’s probably going to break down. This is bad news for Derrick Ward in the short term, but in the long term, it might be a good thing. Ward could be the primary ballcarrier to close the season.

Brandon Marshall seems to be happy again. It’s amazing what a 4-0 start and a sick, game-winning TD catch will do for a guy. Marshall’s talent is undeniable, and it seems like he and HC Josh McDaniels have put the ill will behind them and have found a way to work together. Marshall’s upside is still limited somewhat by Kyle Orton (just ask Eddie Royal owners), but he has been productive of late and has worked his way back to being an every-week start in most formats.

Rashard Mendenhall should start this week. With Willie Parker likely out, look for another big game from Mendenhall as he faces the Lions’ 20th-ranked rush defense.

MBIII is back at practice. The Cowboys face the Chiefs this week, so it’s a nice matchup for the entire offense. Barber should be in most starting lineups, but Tashard Choice is likely to see a lot of work to keep Barber fresh. Choice has been productive, so there’s no reason not to use him.

Frank Gore on track to return in Week 7. The 49ers have a bye next week, so it looks like Sunday may be the last week that Glen Coffee is startable. He has a nice matchup with the 25th-ranked Falcons’ rush defense and should see plenty of work. Regardless, Gore owners should keep Coffee stashed as a handcuff.

Iverson could miss three weeks

Per the Memphis Commercial-Appeal

Allen Iverson will miss three weeks with a partial tear in his left hamstring, the Grizzlies announced before Wednesday’s preseason game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. That means Iverson will be sidelined for the rest of the preseason — and his availability for the team’s regular-season opener against the Detroit Pistons on Oct. 28 is in jeopardy.

Iverson suffered the injury coming to a jump stop during the team’s open intrasquad scrimmage at Birmingham Southern College on Sunday. He said the entire back of his leg turned “black and purple,” and he underwent an MRI on Wednesday morning that revealed the damage.

Ouch, that doesn’t sound good. The AI era in Memphis is off to an inauspicious start.

Fantasy Quick-Hitters: Westy, Eli, Braylon and more

Westbrook and McNabb to play. It looks like LeSean McCoy will eat into Westy’s touches, but he’s still a very good start against the Bucs’ sketchy defense. This should also be an upgrade for DeSean Jackson and even David Akers, who should see more opportunities now that McNabb is back under center.

Eli Manning sits out of practice. He’s looking like a game-time decision for Sunday. The good news is that he can’t make his foot worse by playing on it — it’s all about what kind of tolerance he has for the pain. I’d expect Manning to continue with the great season he’s having since mobility isn’t one of his strengths in the first place.

Giants want to involve Hakeem Nicks. On three targets, Nicks caught one pass for 54 yards and a TD in Week 4, while Mario Manningham went 1-43 on eight targets. Manningham is currently getting the lion’s share of looks, but he didn’t convert very well on Sunday. His conversion rate is now down to 56%, which is just mediocre. Nicks’ rate (43%) is even worse, but the Giants still want to get him involved in the offense. The only safe start for the Giants right now is Steve Smith.

Roy Williams (ribs) did not participate in practice on Wednesday. This an upgrade for the rest of the Cowboys’ receiving corps, and now Patrick Crayton looks like a decent start in most leagues while Sam Hurd becomes a sleeper with Williams sidelined. This hurts Tony Romo since he’ll have one fewer weapon to utilize, but he shouldn’t have trouble posting a nice fantasy line against the Chiefs. Keep an eye on Williams this week.

Braylon Edwards to start Monday night. You’d think they’d bring him around slowly, but the Jets don’t have a lot of options at WR now that Chansi Stuckey is gone. They’re going to take their new toy out for a spin. Will Braylon suddenly discover where his hands have been hiding the last year and a half? Only time will tell.

NBA News & Rumors: Lee, Aldridge, Ellis and the “sit down” rule

David Lee wooed by Blazers, but was worried about playing time. Portland offered $28 million over four years, but Lee didn’t think there were enough minutes to be had with LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden already on the front line. It looks as if Lee left $21 million in guaranteed money on the table to stay with the Knicks and play out the season. This is a big risk, but it may pay off next summer.

Blazers, Aldridge still talking extension. While it’s good to hear that negotiations aren’t at a standstill, it’s still worrisome that a deal has not yet been finalized. Aldridge is not a no-brainer max-contract guy, so right now, the Blazers are trying to convince his agent that Aldridge is not worth the max. This can be a tough pill to swallow, expecially with all those teams sitting on loads of cap space next summer. If Aldridge becomes a restricted free agent in 2010 and gets a max deal in the form of an offer sheet, then the Blazers will probably match. But it’s their job to get him for what they think he’s worth, and right now the franchise has the leverage.

Monta Ellis warming up to Stephen Curry.
Ellis was worried that Curry was just a shooter, but he’s shown the ability to create (specifically the nine assists he had in the Warriors’ first preseason game). I’m not sure why Ellis is so concerned with the team’s front office decisions, as he should be focused on having a bounce-back year after a fairly disastrous 2008-09 season. Curry and Ellis may face some matchup problems on the defensive end, but they have the potential to create as many problems for their opponents on the other end of the court.

LeBron not a fan of the “sit down” rule. I don’t blame him. He doesn’t want to see the emotion sucked out of the game, and that’s what this rule does. The league doesn’t want its players to block the view of the fans that pay thousands and thousands of dollars for premier seats, but there has to be a compromise here. Why not have a rule where the players can stand up to cheer a play but have to sit down within some set amount of time?

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