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      Marshawn Lynch wants out of Buffalo?

      April 4, 2010 /

      According to the Buffalo News, Bills running back Marshawn Lynch would like to be traded this offseason.

      Has he demanded a trade? I don’t know. His agent has not returned calls from The Buffalo News. But word within the locker room is he would not be disappointed at all if he were shipped elsewhere.

      The problem, of course, is Lynch damaged his own trade value by getting suspended for the first four games of last season due to off-the-field problems. The trade market for Lynch is depressed. Everyone in the NFL loves the physical tools Lynch brings to the field. But if he runs afoul of the law again in a noteworthy way, he would face a suspension even longer than four games.

      What could the Bills fetch for Lynch? Not a great return considering he was the 12th overall pick in the draft in 2007. It would depend on whether there were more than one team interested. Willis McGahee, who had a tad more production than Lynch through three seasons and no baggage, fetched a third-rounder. McGahee was coming off a 990-yard rushing season when he was dealt. Lynch had 450 last season. So a fourth-rounder might be the best the Bills could get, if there were an eager suitor.

      I always find it humorous when a player wants to be traded, yet he’s done everything in his power to ruin whatever trade value he has. The Bills would be better off keeping Lynch and hoping he turns his act around then dumping him for a fourth round pick. Of course, ridding themselves of a headache probably sounds pretty good to them too.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      NFL

      Butler, Duke to meet on Monday

      April 3, 2010 /

      The Butler/MSU game was tied at halftime and tight the whole way, but Butler managed a late lead against the Spartans and held on to win. The Bulldogs shot just 31% from the field, but outscored Michigan State by seven at the free throw line and forced 16 turnovers, which offset the poor accuracy from the field. Butler held on to win, 52-50.

      Gordon Hayward led the Bulldogs with 19 points and nine rebounds. Butler played the stretch without Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard, who were sidelined with leg spasms and a concussion, respectively.

      In the late game, the Blue Devils built an eight-point lead by dominating the glass and hitting their threes, and pulled away in the second half behind their “Big Three” — Jon Scheyer (23), Kyle Singler (21) and Nolan Smith (19). Brian Zoubek controlled the glass on both ends of the floor, posting six points and 10 rebounds.

      Monday night’s matchup will be touted as a David versus Goliath affair, but Duke and Butler are pretty similar in the way they play. Both teams hang their hats on good man-to-man half court defense and efficient, ball-control offense. It should be a low-scoring, tight game. I expect that Duke will be favored by five or six, but Butler is fully capable of pulling the upset. I’m sure the crowd will be pulling for the Bulldogs.

      College Basketball, March Madness

      Is the Yankees’ outfield in trouble?

      April 3, 2010 /

      Although they inked traded for the young, talented Curtis Granderson to a five-year deal over the offseason, the Yankees’ outfield situation looks shakier upon further examination. Ken Rosenthal, for one, thinks the team may need to start shopping for another outfielder.

      On the eve of the season opener, some in the industry already are wondering how long the Yankees would tolerate sub-par production from outfielders Randy Winn and Marcus Thames.

      The Yankees’ starting left fielder, Brett Gardner, is not yet established as a major-league hitter. An injury to center fielder Curtis Granderson or right fielder Nick Swisher would leave the Yankees further exposed.

      Neither Winn, a switch-hitter, nor Thames, a right-handed hitter, had a good spring. Winn, 35, had a batting/on-base/slugging line of .224/.255/.265. Thames, 33, was even worse, hitting .135/.182/.269. Both had about 50 at-bats.

      If you’re a Yankee fan, this must be a bit scary, as Winn’s best days are far behind him and Marcus James Thames is rarely impressive at the plate. Although the Yankees are only spending $2 million total on these bench players, I wonder if letting go of Melky Cabrera was the right idea.


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      MLB

      Writers Q&A: The Final Four questions

      April 3, 2010 /

      I’m going to pretend I work for ESPN and answer the questions that the Worldwide Leader asked its college basketball writers.

      What are you most looking forward to Saturday?

      Seeing just what kind of crowd Butler is able to draw and whether or not it helps Bulldogs beat Michigan State. Final Four crowds are notoriously corporate and laid back, so if the Butler faithful (and the newly converted) can create some real home court atmosphere, it will make things tough for Michigan State. I’ll also be watching how the Bulldogs handle playing in a dome; they’re used to playing in smaller gyms and fieldhouses in the Horizon League.

      At the end of the day, whose performance will we be talking about?

      There are a long list of possibilities, but Nolan Smith is playing excellent basketball of late. He’s the only Duke guard that will be able to get into the lane and create his own shot, and his floater will be very useful against West Virginia’s zone. And for all of the talk of Jon Scheyer’s “clutch-ness,” Smith isn’t afraid to take the big shot either.

      Butler-Michigan State: Who wins and why?

      Despite the Spartans’ experience, I think the Bulldogs win a tight one. They’ve already beat two teams (Syracuse, K-State) that are better than Michigan State, so they appear to be the better team. The question is — can they put all the distractions and the sheer magnitude of the game behind them and just play ball? I think they can.

      Duke-West Virginia: Who wins and why?

      I have a feeling this game will be nip-and-tuck the entire way with the Blue Devils pulling away at the end with a big three and excellent free throw shooting. Even though it was a 2-3, Baylor’s zone will get Duke ready to face the Mountaineers’ 1-3-1. I don’t expect West Virginia to continue to shoot the three like they did against Kentucky — Duke is excellent at guarding the arc.

      Be sure to check back around tip-off — I’ll be tweeting during both games.

      College Basketball, March Madness

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