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      Patriots ruin Richard Seymor’s life, trade him to Oakland

      September 7, 2009 /

      The New England Patriots obviously have no soul.

      There’s just no other explanation as to why they traded defensive end Richard Seymour to the Oakland Raiders in exchange for a first round pick in 2011.

      From the Boston Globe:

      The stunning trade came just eight days before the Patriots open their season against Buffalo on “Monday Night Football.’’ The trade of the five-time Pro Bowl defensive end leaves just four players that have been with New England for all three of its Super Bowl championship seasons (2001, 2003, and 2004) – Tom Brady, Matt Light, Kevin Faulk, and Stephen Neal – while, in the short term, weakening the team’s pursuit of another title by breaking up one of the NFL’s elite defensive lines.

      This was the final season of the lucrative, $30-million-plus contract extension Seymour received in 2006, the last time he was entering the last year of his contract. He was set to make $3.685 million in base salary and carry a cap charge of $9.79 million this season.

      While my joking in the intro of this post would make it seem like I disagree with this move, I actually think it’s a brilliant trade for the Patriots. Seymour is still incredibly effective, but he can’t seem to stay healthy and his play has fallen off in recent years. Plus, he’s in the final year of his contract and there was no guarantee that a) Seymour would re-sign with the Pats and b) New England would even want him back at an inflated price.

      For as bad as the Raiders have been since their Super Bowl trip in 2002, the Pats could wind up picking in the top 10 come 2011. So not only did New England wind up getting a first round pick in exchange for Seymour, but they also found a trade partner that is notorious for picking high in drafts. (I realize there’s no guarantee that the Raiders will be bad in 2011, but if recent history is any indication, they should be picking near the top of the draft in two years.)

      For Oakland, Al Davis definitely upgraded his talent on the defensive side of the ball. But Seymour won’t be a difference maker on a team that is incredibly devoid of defensive playmakers outside of Nnamdi Asomugha and Kirk Morrison.

      NFL

      Shawne Merriman arrested for choking Tila Tequila

      September 6, 2009 /

      You read that right. Shawne Merriman is (or was) dating reality TV star Tila Tequila and was arrested on Sunday for assaulting her.

      Per ESPN…

      San Diego Chargers star outside linebacker Shawne Merriman was arrested Sunday and accused of choking and restraining his girlfriend, reality TV star Tila Tequila, as she tried to leave his suburban home.

      Tequila, 27, signed a citizen’s arrest warrant, charging Merriman with battery and false imprisonment, San Diego County Sheriff’s Lt. Gary Steadman said.

      Deputies responded about 3:45 a.m. to Merriman’s house in Poway, north of San Diego, after a woman called to say she was choked by the player and thrown to the ground when she tried to leave, Sheriff’s Department spokesman Jan Caldwell said at a news conference.

      Tequila, whose real name is Tila Nguyen, is best known for “A Shot at Love with Tila Tequila,” which ran for two seasons on MTV. The bisexual dating show featured men and women vying for Tequila’s affections. She has also modeled for Playboy and other men’s magazines.

      A few words of free, unsolicited advice for Mr. Merriman: 1) stop choking people, and 2) stop dating bisexual reality TV stars.

      If this incident doesn’t quickly “go away,” then Merriman could face another suspension for violating the NFL’s conduct policy.

      9/7 Update: Merriman denies any wrongdoing.

      News, NFL, Rumors & Gossip

      NBA preparing Twitter guidelines

      September 6, 2009 /

      According to Yahoo! Sports, the NBA is planning to provide guidelines for their players that are using the different social media outlets to communicate to fans.

      “Obviously, there is a happy medium between tweeting before the game and tweeting from our bench during the game,” Stern said by phone. “You want to make sure that pop culture doesn’t intrude on what brought us here, which is the game, and that we show the right respect for the game.”

      The NFL announced its own guidelines on Monday by restricting players, coaches and football operations personnel – or anyone representing them – from using social media networks like Twitter and Facebook from 90 minutes before kickoff to the end of traditional media interviews after games. NFL game officials are banned from using social media at all times.

      “We just need to make sure when it’s OK to Tweet and when it’s not OK to Tweet so it at least focuses around the game,” [Stern] said. “It would look unusual for a guy sitting on the bench to pick up his cell phone, and I think we can agree that he probably shouldn’t be writing e-mails. It’s not about Twitter; it’s about the line of communication. That’s what we’re focusing on.”

      It’s understandable why a team or a league would want their players to avoid “tweeting” during business hours. They’re being paid to do a job, not interact with fans. That said, Twitter is a social and marketing phenomenon, so when used correctly, it can enhance the fan’s experience. There’s no way for the league or team to filter a player’s comments, so the restrictions make sense.

      NBA, News

      Senator Curt Schilling?

      September 6, 2009 /

      Schilling

      Am I the only one who wants Curt Schilling to go away? It seems like every time I read about Schilling, he’s doing or saying something completely irritating. Like this: Schilling is considering running for Edward M. Kennedy’s vacated Senate seat. On August 25th, the beloved senator sadly passed away. Now, a former baseball player with a loud mouth thinks he would be a fitting replacement.

      “I’m not going to divulge the discussions, but I’ve been contacted by people whose opinion I give credence to and listen to, and I listened,” Schilling said.

      Asked whether he would run, Schilling said, “As of today, probably not.”

      “I don’t know, going forward,” Schilling said. “That’s a pretty big deal, from a commitment standpoint, not just for me but for my family.”

      After the interview, Schilling added to his comments with a statement he posted on his blog.

      “I do have some interest in the possibility,” Schilling wrote. “That being said to get to there, from where I am today, many many things would have to align themselves for that to truly happen. I am not going to comment further on the matter since at this point it would be speculation on top of speculation.”

      If Schilling were to give it a go, he would presumably run as a Republican — he supported President George W. Bush in the 2004 election, and he campaigned for Senator John McCain in the 2008 presidential race.

      I hope you’re excited, Massachusetts.

      Humor, MLB

      U.S. Open Update: Roddick, Sharapova, and Safina eliminated

      September 6, 2009 /

      Isner

      Competition just got interesting at the U.S. Open as Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova, and Dinara Safina have all been eliminated.

      Melanie Oudin’s face was flushed from a mix of exertion and excitement and maybe even a bit of bewilderment — “Yes, I DID beat Maria Sharapova!” running through her mind — when she stepped out of the U.S. Open locker room and saw Mom.

      Several hours later, on the same court, another unheralded American who has lived in Georgia pulled off another upset of a past U.S. Open champion: 55th-ranked John Isner pounded 38 aces and eliminated No. 5 Andy Roddick 7-6 (3), 6-3, 3-6, 5-7, 7-6 (5) to reach the fourth round at a major tournament for the first time.

      Keeping with the day’s theme, No. 1-seeded Dinara Safina exited, too, a 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (5) loser against 72nd-ranked Petra Kvitova of the Czech Republic. After escaping the first two rounds with poorly played three-set victories, Safina wasted three match points Saturday night and finished with nine double-faults and 39 total unforced errors. Her departure means the Williams sisters are the only members of the top five women left in the field

      On the plus side, at least Roddick was ousted by a fellow American. While I wanted to see Roddick take on Nadal in the final, I’m now completely rooting for this Isner character. The Georgia Bulldogs alum has yet to make his mark during his time on the ATP Tour. This looks like his chance.

      Oudin’s story is even more exciting. Not only did she eliminate Maria Sharapova, but she upset Elena Dementieva, a two-time Grand Slam finalist and the Beijing Olympics gold medalist, in the second round. For the sake of diversity, I hope she makes it to the finals.

      Tennis

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