Category: Rumors & Gossip (Page 120 of 225)

      Chula Vista Win Little League World Series

      August 30, 2009 /

      The Little League World Series finished today in dramatic fashion.  Now I can finally get new episodes of PTI.  A come from behind win brought the Chula Vista, CA team to the top of the boys’ baseball pile, defeating a tough team from Taipei.  I got this off of Sports Illustrated:

      With the U.S.-partisan crowd on their feet, Garcia closed out the victory by striking out Yu Chieh Kao, completing a comeback from a 3-0 deficit. The California fans yelled “USA! USA.”

      “We knew we could come back,” said the 13-year-old Garcia in between laughs with his teammates. “We always do.”

      They’re surely celebrating in the San Diego suburbs after California secured the fifth straight Little League championship for the United States.

      After a wild celebration around Garcia, the Californians invited Taiwan to accompany them on the customary victory lap around Lamade Stadium on a sun-splashed afternoon.

      It’s a nice display of sportsmanship from the Americans and overall it was a hard-fought tournament and there was some real great plays to see. But here’s my question, does anyone really care?

      I’m a big baseball fan, but the only reason I was aware of this was because it was all over ESPN this week. How is it that I can’t escape Little League baseball every year? While it’s understandable that the parents are all completely into this stuff, what about this should I, a busy average joe, find compelling?

      Bullz-Eye Sports Channel, General Sports, News, Rumors & Gossip, Television

      Jackson wants out

      August 29, 2009 /

      Speaking with Dime Magazine, Stephen Jackson confirmed that he has requested a trade to a playoff contender.

      “…but at this point, I’m 31 years old. I have four or five years left, I want to be in a situation where I can continually be in the playoffs and get another ring. So that’s where my mind is at now.”

      Jackson specifically mentioned Cleveland, any of the three teams in Texas and the Knicks as the teams he’d like to play for.

      Jackson averaged 20.7 points, 6.5 assists and 5.1 rebounds for the Warriors last season, but he is a volume shooter (41.8% career FG%). His Player Efficiency Rating (PER) has never been above 16.20 and never below 13.65, which reflects his inefficiency from the field. That said, he is an above average small forward and he can certainly help a contender.

      NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Broncos willing to listen to offers for Marshall

      August 27, 2009 /

      According to a report by the Denver Post, the Broncos are willing to listen to offers for receiver Brandon Marshall, as long as those offers include a first and a fourth round draft pick.

      The Broncos would listen for trade offers for Marshall if they included first- and fourth-round draft picks. But the buzz among the league executives contacted this week was that they would want to see if Marshall is healthy after undergoing hip surgery in the offseason.

      And a few of those personnel executives said they would have to explain to the team ownership that Marshall, despite his acquittal on misdemeanor battery charges in Atlanta earlier this month, is still considered one more brush with the law away from a substantial suspension by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

      In other words, despite their battle of wills, McDaniels and Marshall may need each other, at least for the time being. McDaniels needs a playmaker, the executives said, and Marshall needs to show he is full speed and ready to be a productive player, to get his wish to be traded.

      The article hits the nail on the head; Marshall needs to play ball (literally and figuratively) if he expects to get what he wants. He wants a new contract and/or to be traded, but he can’t have either of those things if he makes a stink in Denver, because the Broncos will be unwilling to give him more money and unable to deal him to another team.

      Marshall’s best course of action would be to get healthy, suit up, shut up and play. That way he shows good faith to the Broncos and proves to other teams that he’s worth the risk. As of now, he hasn’t even taking the time to learn the Broncos’ playbook and continues to speak out about wanting a new contract. Those things aren’t helping him.

      From a pure trade stand point, the compensation of a first and a fourth for a receiver of Marshall’s talent would be worth it for a team. But factor in his health and his off-field history, and the situation gets a lot more complicated.

      This certainly bears watching, but I don’t think the Broncos are going to get a 1st and a 4th for Marshall, and given his overall attitude this summer, teams will only trade for him if they’re getting a good deal. He’s practicing now, which is a good sign, and that makes him an interesting pick in the 4th or 5th round of fantasy drafts. While all of this drama has been going on, Eddie Royal has been working his tail off, and he may end up as the team’s top receiver. This would make him a great deal in the 5th or 6th.

      Fantasy Football, NFL, Rumors & Gossip

      Grizzlies make an offer to AI

      August 27, 2009 /

      It’s that time of year in the NBA. Free agency is winding down, training camps are still a few weeks away and the news is generally slow.

      So when the worst team in the league makes an offer — doesn’t sign, mind you, only makes an offer — to a 34-year-old former MVP whose best years are behind him, it becomes the lead story on ESPN’s NBA page.

      Iverson is one of the most high profile, unrestricted free agents remaining on the market, and there were reports in recent days that he was leaning hardest toward reuniting with his old coach, Larry Brown, with the Charlotte Bobcats.

      But the Bobcats are for sale and are under severe financial constraints, and Iverson’s other strongest suitor — the Miami Heat — is already more than $3 million into luxury tax territory and has not been willing thus far to make Iverson a substantial financial offer.

      Memphis is approximately $3.5 million under the salary cap for the 2009-10 season and thus could easily outbid Charlotte and Miami for the services of the 10-time All-Star, whom Grizzlies owner Michael Heisley sees as a strong gate attraction.

      Iverson could help a contender, but his stint in Detroit leaves the impression that he doesn’t play well with others. This is why teams like Charlotte and Memphis are in the running for his services.

      NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      How Nick Van Exel once had 23 assists in a game

      August 26, 2009 /

      Per Deadspin…

      Not long ago, we brought you the story of a stat-padding NBA scorekeeper who, one day in 1997, awarded 23 assists to Lakers guard Nick Van Exel, mostly for the hell of it. That was Alex. (He is now an officer in the Navy and asks that I not use his last name.) From 1995 to 1998, he headed up the Vancouver Grizzlies’ stat crew.

      Alex quickly found that a scorekeeper is given broad discretion over two categories: assists and blocks (steals and rebounds are also open to some interpretation, though not a lot). “In the NBA, an assist is a pass leading directly to a basket,” he says. “That’s inherently subjective. What does that really mean in practice? The definition is massively variable according to who you talk to. The Jazz guys were pretty open about their liberalities. … John Stockton averaged 10 assists. Is that legit? It’s legit because they entered it. If he’s another guy, would he get 10? Probably not.”

      The bias is plain to see. Just look at the home-road splits. Last season, home teams leaguewide scored 101.58 points per game; road teams, 98.32. That’s to be expected: Teams play better at home. What’s surprising is that assists and blocks rise disproportionately for home teams — assists by nearly 8 percent, blocks by more than 15 percent. Last year’s Nuggets averaged 25 assists at home, only 19.4 on the road. They recorded 7.3 blocks per game at home and just 4.7 outside Denver. (Hell, Chris Andersen swatted 117 shots in 38 games at home against only 58 blocks in 33 games on the road. It was as if he stepped into the Pepsi Center and suddenly turned into Larry Nance.) The reason? People like Alex.

      Then Alex discusses the Nick Van Exel Incident…

      Alex decided to act out. “I was sort of disgruntled,” he says. “I loved the game. I don’t want the numbers to be meaningless, and I felt they were becoming meaningless because of how stats were kept. So I decided, I’m gonna do this totally immature thing and see what happens. It was childish. The Lakers are in town. We’re gonna lose. Fuck it. He’s getting a shitload of assists.” If you were to watch the game today, you’d see some “comically bad assists.” Alex’s fingerprints are all over the box score. He gave Van Exel everything. “Van Exel would pass from the top of the three-point line to someone on the wing who’d hold the ball for five seconds, dribble, then make a move to the basket. Assist, Van Exel.”

      Why would a team inflate its stats?

      “Teams have a legitimate, vested interest in stats being inflated, just like the league does,” Alex says. “Ten assists is way more interesting than eight assists. As humans, those are more appealing and interesting numbers. The NBA benefits and every team benefits from bigger, flashier numbers.”

      While this isn’t on the level of PEDs, it’s certainly troubling to read about the way a statistician can fudge the numbers to make certain players look better.

      And it will definitely make me think twice when I’m setting my fantasy lineup for the night. Go with the guy playing at home.

      NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

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