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      NBA’s 2010-11 cap number announced…

      April 16, 2010 /

      …and it’s quite a bit higher than originally projected.

      The New York Knicks and other teams hoarding salary-cap space got some good news Friday when they were told at the league’s Board of Governors meeting that the projected 2010-11 salary cap will be $56.1 million.

      That figure was $2 million to $3 million more than most teams had been expecting, and for the Knicks it ensures they have enough cap space this summer to sign two maximum-salary free agents.

      Other teams that will be positively affected by Friday’s news include the Nets, Heat, Wizards, Bulls, Clippers and Timberwolves.

      The NBA warned that the cap number might be as low as $50 million to $53 million, so this is good news for all the teams looking to cash in their cap space for a good free agent or two this summer. Check that — since they’re all way under the cap, it really doesn’t matter to those teams. It’s great news for the players, who will now find that there are now nine teams with at least $14 million in cap space heading into this summer. In essence, that’s an extra $22.5 million for just those nine teams. That list includes three playoff teams — Miami ($43.6 M, assuming Wade opts out), Chicago ($20.5 M) and Oklahoma City ($14.0 M).

      This news may not matter much to big name free agents like LeBron or Dwyane Wade, who are going to get max contracts no matter where they go, but second-tier players like David Lee or Rudy Gay should definitely benefit from the extra available money that will be thrown around.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Who will win the NBA Most Improved Player award?

      April 16, 2010 /

      When handicapping the NBA MIP award, I always like to look at the player’s original draft position. Here’s a table with the last 20 winners of the MIP award. Take a look:

      Notice anything? Only one MIP winner in the last 16 years (Tracy McGrady) was drafted in the first 12 picks.

      It appears that the voters don’t just look at overall improvement, they also take into account unexpected improvement.

      Looking at TrueHoop’s list of MIP candidates that received more than one vote from a panel of voters, here are draft positions for each player: Kevin Durant (2), Andrew Bogut (1), Corey Brewer (7), Joakim Noah (9), Josh Smith (17), Russell Westbrook (4), Aaron Brooks (26), Anderson Varejao (30), Channing Frye (8), Al Horford (3), Andray Blatche (49) and Zach Randolph (19).

      Can we safely cross Durant, Bogut, Noah, Westbrook, Frye and Horford off the list?

      Continue reading »

      Fantasy Basketball, NBA, NBA Draft, News, Rumors & Gossip

      Will a change of scenery do Ted Ginn Jr. good?

      April 16, 2010 /

      By trading for receiver Brandon Marshall earlier in the week, the Dolphins instantly made receiver Ted Ginn Jr. expendable. That’s why they shipped him to the 49ers on Friday in exchange for a fifth-round pick in next week’s draft.

      There’s no question that Ginn vastly upgrades the 49ers’ weak return game. In 16 games last season, the former top 10 pick racked up 1,296 yards on 52 kickoffs, including two touchdowns in a win over the Jets. He almost single-handily won that game for the Dolphins with 100 and 101-yard kickoff returns for touchdowns in the second half.

      But for all his playmaking ability as a returner, Ginn has failed to live up to expectations as a receiver. Ever since he was taken with the ninth overall pick in the 2007 draft, he has failed to make an impact as a receiver. Bigger, more physical corners abuse him at the line and can easily disrupt his route running. That often screws up the timing between him and his quarterback, thus limiting the opportunities he touches the ball in the passing game. He’s great in the open field, but getting the ball in his hands is often the problem.

      That said, Ginn leaves a crowded receiver corps in Miami to a rail-thin situation in San Francisco. He can work opposite intriguing youngster Michael Crabtree in the 49ers’ offense, or perhaps out of the slot so that the Niners can attempt to match him up against linebackers and safeties. (A matchup that Ginn will no doubt win based on his speed.)

      There have been plenty of players that blossomed with a change of scenery and Ginn could be one of them, although San Francisco will have to find a way to utilize him as a deep threat. If not, at least the Niners didn’t part with a high draft pick and he’ll, at the very least, be able to boost their production in the return game.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

      Police officer in Big Ben case resigns; is there a third victim?

      April 16, 2010 /

      ESPN.com reports that the Georgia police offer who took the report the night Ben Roethlisberger was accused of sexually assaulting a 20-year-old female has decided to resign.

      In the same article, ESPN notes that there could also be another victim (which would be the third) of sexual assault involving Big Ben.

      Also revealed in the GBI reports released Thursday was the fact investigators wanted to talk with a woman about a separate incident reportedly involving Roethlisberger.

      The documents show that after the alleged assault in Milledgeville, a 16-year-old in a youth law enforcement program told authorities he knew about incidents involving Roethlisberger and a friend’s sister.

      Authorities repeatedly sought to interview the woman, who is in her early 20s, but she declined. The teen had said he believed the two-time Super Bowl winner twice made unwanted sexual advances toward the woman.

      I find it interesting that the police officer that took the first report has decided to resign. Per the article, the officer made derogatory comments about the accuser to other officers the night of the incident and was also photographed a little over a week after the incident with Roethlisberger, who was smiling in the photo. Did the officer resign out of guilt for doing something wrong or was he embarrassed about the photo?

      From the very first report until now, I’ve tried hard not to make accusations about what happened the night Big Ben was accused of sexual assault (uh, the second time he was accused of sexual assault). But this entire situation smells like a rotting corpse. Here’s a guy in Roethlisberger that has already been accused once of sexual assault and while wasn’t charged, he somehow managed to put himself right back into a similar situation less than a year later.

      How this sewer rat thought that inviting under aged females to a private VIP party in a college bar and getting them all drunk was a smart idea is beyond me. I don’t mean to speculate, but I think he’s incredibly lucky that he has surrounded himself with people that will cover for him. That said, I truly believe that this is one dumb individual, one that will likely put himself in a similar situation down the road. And once he does, let’s hope no one gets hurt and authorities can finally nail him on something. I realize he’s never been charged, but that doesn’t mean he’s innocent.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

      Man intentionally vomits on father & daughter at Phillies game

      April 16, 2010 /

      When you look up the words “class act” in the dictionary, this asswipe’s face should be staring back at you:

      Here’s the story from the Daily Times:

      Capt. Michael Vangelo and his 16- and 11-year-old girls drove down from the Lehigh Valley to watch the Phillies take on the Washington Nationals Wednesday night when the alleged assault occurred, police said.

      Vangelo, 43, says from the moment his family took their seats, a group of unruly men starting disturbing anyone near them.

      “They were yelling vulgarities, obscene language,” Vangelo said Thursday.

      “I had beer thrown on me and water and then one individual started spitting at the back of my daughter’s chair and he actually spit on my 11-year-old daughter,” he said.

      Vangelo went to report the men to ushers, who promptly ejected them from the game. The man says everything seemed fine until another fan got involved.

      That fan — identified by police as Matthew Clemens — was sitting with another, unrelated group of fans who were also disciplined for acting out when he allegedly did what Vangelo describes as the “most disgusting thing” he’s ever seen.

      Clemens, 21, positioned himself behind the 11-year-old’s chair, stuck his fingers down his throat and vomited on the girl and her father, police said.

      Clemens then began wailing on Vangelo after he pushed him away from the girl — hitting the off-duty officer in the head and neck, causing his ear to bleed, police said.

      Surrounding fans jumped in to help subdue Clemens before he was arrested.

      Not that they care, but if Philly fans were seeking a better rep, this chode just put them back a few hundred decades. It’s a shame that a man can’t take his family to a ballgame for less than $500 anymore. What’s worse is that even when he does pony up, he can’t enjoy the day because a couple of idiots can’t act like human beings around him and his family.

      Here’s hoping Clemens gets corn-holed in prison.

      MLB

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