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      Mike Holmgren declines offer from Seahawks

      December 20, 2009 /

      ESPN.com is reporting that Mike Holmgren has declined the Seahawks’ offer for a senior leadership position.

      “I sincerely thank Paul Allen and Tod for all their support over the years,” Holmgren said in a statement. “I thank them for reaching out to me and we conclude these discussions as friends.”

      Holmgren has also been interested in joining the Cleveland Browns. He spent two days meeting with Browns owner Randy Lerner earlier this week.

      Holmgren said on his radio show in Seattle on Friday that he planned to give Lerner an answer “sooner than later” but added there was no definite timetable. It may have accelerated after he declined an offer to rejoin the Seahawks.

      “It’s a wonderful opportunity for anybody,” Holmgren said of his visit to Cleveland. “It’s about as good a job situation as you could ask for in this business.”

      One would think that Holmgren either wants a bigger role, more money or more power. If that’s the case, he’s going to get those three things in Cleveland, which probably means he has made up his mind to join the Browns.

      NFL

      Cowboys end Saints’ run at perfection

      December 20, 2009 /

      Here are five, quick-hit observations from the Cowboys’ 24-17 upset over the Saints on Saturday night.

      1. The Saints might be a team of destiny, but they’re not perfect.
      There’s a reason why there have only been two undefeated teams in the history of the NFL: Because it’s freaking hard to run the table. It doesn’t matter that the Cowboys had lost two in a row or have always struggled in December under Wade Phillips; they had a great chance coming into Saturday night because the law of averages were eventually going to catch up with the Saints. And that’s exactly what happened.

      2. The Saints have a problem defensively.
      Three weeks ago when the Saints narrowly escaped Washington with a win, I noted that they better get healthy defensively or else they would have problems down the road. Not having DT Sedrick Ellis really hurt the Saints tonight, as Dallas churned out 145 yards on the ground and seized control of the game in the first half. New coordinator Gregg Williams has done a great job turning around the New Orleans’ defense, but this is not a unit that can overcome injuries and win a Super Bowl. They’re just not that deep.

      3. Jermon Bushrod had a tough night.
      Not to pile it on, but every defensive end that lined up across from Saints’ right tackle Jermon Bushrod abused him tonight. DeMarcus Ware was beating him so bad to the outside that on the final play of the game, Bushrod just fell over because he couldn’t get into his backpedal quick enough. (The play resulted in Drew Brees fumbling, which sealed the win for Dallas.) If Phillips’ defense can play with that much aggressiveness, energy and focus in the playoffs, the Cowboys are going to be a tough out.

      Continue reading »

      NFL

      Yankees update: A-Rod avoids surgery, Nick Johnson returns to club

      December 19, 2009 /

      Turns out, Alex Rodriguez won’t need that hip surgery after all. Shortly after admitting to steroid use in February, team doctors told Rodriguez to expect reconstructive surgery at the end of 2009 to repair his torn labrum. In a stroke of luck for both Rodriguez and the Yankees, he’s now escaped missing a potential ten weeks from the new season.

      Rodriguez had surgery last March for torn cartilage and missed the first month of the season. At the time, Dr. Marc Philippon, who performed the operation, thought Rodriguez would need a more extensive procedure in the offseason.

      But Philippon recently examined Rodriguez, and an MRI test helped show the three-time MVP had properly healed. The doctor told A-Rod that he was A-OK on Monday.

      Otherwise, Rodriguez probably would’ve been “having surgery today,” he said at a Yankee Stadium news conference to formally introduce Curtis Granderson.

      The conspiracy theorist in me wonders if he was every really hurt. I’ve never heard of an athlete avoiding surgery on a torn labrum. Remember, Mike Lowell had the same problem. He desperately needed the surgery.

      In other news, slugger Nick Johnson is returning to the Yankees after agreeing to a one-year, $5.5 million contract. Johnson began his career with the team in 2001.

      Johnson must pass a physical for the agreement to be finalized. He can earn about $1 million more in performance bonuses next year, and the deal includes a 2011 mutual option for at least $5.5 million with possible escalators.

      Johnson, a first baseman, will become replace Matsui as the Yankees’ DH and Melky Cabrera appears likely to take over from Damon in left. Johnson hit a combined .291 for Washington and Florida last season with eight homers, 62 RBIs, 99 walks, a .426 on-base percentage and a .405 slugging percentage. He figures to bat second for the Yankees behind Derek Jeter.

      Nick Johnson, really? The guy has been hurt most of his career. The Yankees should have stuck with Hideki Matsui, a sure bet who signed with the Angels for only half a million more than what Johnson will receive.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      MLB

      Texas holds off UNC, Duke rolls

      December 19, 2009 /

      #2Texas/#10 UNC was an up-and-down affair, but the difference in the game was the Longhorns’ dominance on the glass. Texas outrebounded North Carolina, 60-41, and grabbed an eye-popping 29 offensive rebounds en route to a 103-90 win. So despite being outshot 48% to 41% by the Tar Heels, Texas got an additional 12 attempts. Dexter Pittman (23-15) was amazing down low, but Damion James (25-15) actually led Texas in scoring. They have a terrific front line, but from a national championship perspective, they are a little shaky in the backcourt. Texas needs freshmen Avery Bradley and J’Covan Brown to mature quickly. (Note: This was the first game played at Cowboys Stadium. Attendance: 38,052.)

      #7 Duke rolled over #15 Gonzaga, 76-41. This was a pretty brutal offensive game in the first half. The Bulldogs only mustered 17 points in the first twenty minutes. For the game, they shot a miserable 28%, which is a credit to Duke’s defense. The Blue Devils don’t have a pure point guard, but they have a couple of seasoned guys — Jon Scheyer (20-5-8, two steals) and Nolan Smith (24-3-3) — who can both handle the ball, initiate the offense, and shoot it. I don’t see Duke contending for a national championship unless one or more of their younger players step up. The top five players in terms of minutes were guys from last year’s team, which was Top 10, but lost their best athlete, Gerald Henderson.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      College Basketball

      What’s it like to be an MLB general manger? Ask Alex Anthopoulos.

      December 19, 2009 /

      Blue Jays GM

      MLB.com has a cool interview up right now with Toronto Blue Jays General Manger Alex Anthopoulos. He fields questions from site users detailing the Roy Halladay deal and future prospects. I’ve posted some of the highlights below. Check out the full interview here.

      Alex Anthopoulos: Glad to be communicating one on one with the fans. Excited to hear your questions. Looking forward to answering some of your questions.

      budski23: Alex, you are in your early 30’s, and you are a GM of an MLB team. Be honest with me, was there a time this week where you said to yourself, “Oh my gosh, I just traded Roy Halladay!!!” Is part of this a little unreal to you right now? Sounds like an amazing ride!

      whit201: Now that it has been confirmed that Cito [Gaston] is only back for one year, have you started to think about who the next skipper would be? Would you think about someone that is already on the staff or in the organization or would you look outside?

      Anthopoulos: It’s something that we’re going to start to examine when we get to Spring Training. My first order of business with respect to this is to talk to the other 29 GMs and a few other select former GM to get their feedback on their process of hiring managers. In doing so, I’m going to ask for the recommendations from each organization and start to compile a list. I plan on using every method to gather information on every candidate whether it is front office, clubhouse guys, players, other coaches in the process. We’re fortunate enough to have a season where we can do the homework on all the candidates.

      youtubber: I noticed at the press conference that you said [Kyle] Drabek would start at Double-A New Hampshire. Don’t you think he is at least ready for Triple-A [Las] Vegas? Curious on why you thought that right away.

      Anthopoulos: You know right now without having Drabek in camp our thought is that he starts in Double-A because he finished there. That being said, if he will have the opportunity to compete in Spring Training whether it is for the Major League team or for the Triple-A rotation. We are certainly not putting any restrictions on where he starts — that will be up to him.

      Anthopoulos is just a 33-year-old with an economics degree. Don’t give up hope, kids. I suggest reading the whole interview. He gives great insight into what it’s like being a young GM making huge decisions.

      MLB

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