With OTAs, everyone can look good playing in shorts without real pressure. But coaches and journalists can now see these guys in person and on the practice field, and the early reports are enthusiastic when it comes to Robert Griffin III.
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Kevin Durant leads Oklahoma City to a 2-2 tie with the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.
Durant is treating the postseason like an extension of his barnstorming tour last summer, when he lit up playgrounds from Harlem to L.A. In the first round of the playoffs, he beat the Mavericks with a game-winner. In the second round, he beat the Lakers with two. And in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on Saturday night, when the Spurs cut the deficit to four points in the fourth quarter, Durant embarked on an unforgettable onslaught that cements his status among the NBA’s elite closers.
He scored 16 consecutive points, with a torrent of fadeaways and turnaround jumpers, plus a floater in the lane and an ally-oop from the baseline. He burned through two San Antonio defenders, first Kawhi Leonard and then Stephen Jackson, and when he was done the de facto NBA Finals were tied 2-2. “I just try to take it on, try not to be nervous,” Durant said. “Sometimes it’s nerve-racking playing those games like that. But I just try to calm down and go with my instincts.”
So much for the Spurs being invincible.
This shouldn’t be surprising, however, as we have two excellent teams battling for a spot in the Finals. Now we’ll see if the Spurs can get it back together in Game 5.
I’m actually pretty surprised by this.
Jacksonville Jaguars first-round draft pick receiver Justin Blackmon was arrested on an aggravated DUI charge Sunday after authorities in Oklahoma said he had three times the legal limit of alcohol in his system.
The former Oklahoma State star smelled of alcohol when an officer pulled him over shortly after 3 a.m., Stillwater police spokesman Capt. Randy Dickerson said.
Blackmon agreed to take a breathalyzer test and blew a .24 — three times the legal limit of .08, Dickerson said.
Blackmon struck me as someone who had it together heading into the draft, so this boneheaded mistake seems out of character. The Jaguars can’t be happy about it. Let’s hope it’s an isolated incident.
Check out this awesome slideshow of photos from the 1800s featuring baseball players and their wild uniforms and mustaches.
Jason Cole of Yahoo Sports is reporting that the NFL has a “ledger” showing earnings for New Orleans Saints players in the bounty program, which includes payments of $1,000 for cart-offs, $400 for hard hits and $100 deductions for mental errors.
According to sources, the NFL showed portions of the ledger during meetings with some of those who have been investigated in the scandal.
“The players clearly knew what was going each week with the payments,” a source told Yahoo! Sports. In fact, multiple sources admitted that Saints defensive players would regularly encourage teammates to put money earned from the bounty system back into the pool. It’s unclear if that was to increase the potential winnings or eventually use the money for some other purpose.
Regardless of whether the money was paid out or not, the mere implication of a cash payment for such plays is considered a violation of league rules.
As Cole points out in his article, the ledger doesn’t necessarily prove that there was an actual transaction between Gregg Williams (or Joe Vitt, or Sean Payton) and the Saints players. But it is strong evidence that a bounty program did exist. That said, Williams has already apologized for his actions in New Orleans so it’s not as if anyone is debating whether or not the Saints had a bounty program in place. The ledger only adds fuel to a fire that’s already 20 feet high.
Of course, the NFLPA is trying to put a spin on the situation by suggesting the ledger isn’t really evidence. Says spokesman George Atallah via text message: “I guess it either qualifies as evidence, which means fair due process was violated because [the] players didn’t get to see it before they were punished or it is not hard evidence because they didn’t get to see it and cross examine the validity of that piece of evidence.”
Well said Prosecutor Atallah.
Should Goodell have shown Vilma evidence before suspending him? Probably, which is why many deem Goodell a dictator. If he had evidence that Vilma participated in the bounty program, why not show the linebacker the proof before suspending him for the entire season? Because Goodell wanted to demonstrate that he’s the one with all the power?
Still, go back two years ago when Goodell asked Williams and Payton whether or not they were running a bounty program, and they lied to his face by telling him no. If the Saints didn’t violate any rules, Williams, Payton and Vilma would be getting ready for the upcoming season. After all, let’s not lose focus of the issue at hand.
It’ll be interesting to see what piece of evidence comes out next, because you know there will be more to emerge. Whether or not Vilma will look like a fool for pressing the issue is the question.
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