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      Don’t buy what Irsay is selling – Luck will be the No. 1 pick.

      March 27, 2012 /

      Colts owner Jim Irsay said on Tuesday that it isn’t a foregone conclusion that his team will take Andrew Luck with the No. 1 pick in next month’s draft. Irsay also suggested that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny are in fact real, and Tiger Woods is a virgin.

      Here’s what Irsay said: “It’s up in the air. We have to look at this thing completely open-minded. You have two outstanding athletes, two great pure passers, two great guys from families that are incredible.”

      Every year around this time an owner, general manager, head coach, or talking head from the media reports that the sure-thing-No.1-overall-pick isn’t such a sure thing at all. I remember last year the Panthers weren’t going to take Cam Newton because they wanted to upgrade their defense. Marcell Dareus, Patrick Peterson, and even Da’Quan Bowers were thrown around as potential choices for Carolina at No. 1. But when the rubber met the road, the Panthers took the obvious choice in Newton.

      And so will Irsay and the Colts. (The obvious choice, that is – not Newton.) Irsay is right when he says that Luck and RGIII are two outstanding athletes and two pure passers. But Luck has been a slam-dunk to the Colts for months now and outside of the Stanford QB opting to join the Peace Corps or something, he’ll hold a blue and white No. 1 Indianapolis jersey come April 26.

      That said, even though I don’t believe a word of what Irsay is saying, by no means do I think he’s going about this situation the wrong way. Even if what you’re going to do is already a foregone conclusion, you still don’t tip your hand when it comes to the draft. Ever. Outside of hammering out a contract with Luck to ensure that he gets to camp on time, there’s no benefit for the Colts to announce their intentions at No. 1. And now that the NFL has a rookie salary structure, the negotiation process has become simplified, so the Colts have less to worry about when it comes to being able to sign Luck.

      Thus, if you’re Irsay, why not give the Redskins and other teams something to think about by suggesting that Luck won’t be your pick? It’s a benefit to keep everyone else on the back of their heels.

      But again, Andrew Luck will be an Indianapolis Colt come next month. I don’t care what Jim Irsay is saying right now.

      College Football, External Sports, NFL, NFL Draft

      Baseball’s Greatest Games: 2011 World Series – Game 6 Blu-ray Giveaway

      March 27, 2012 /

      There is an exclusive, invite-only club whose membership is limited to heart-stopping, history-making World Series home runs. That prestigious roster now includes David Freese and his 11th-inning leadoff, walk-off home run that provided a fitting finale to a spectacular Fall Classic.

      In Game 6 of the 2011 World Series, on the edge of elimination, the St. Louis Cardinals trailed five times, including by two runs in the ninth and in the 10th, each of those two times down to their last strike. The Cardinals comebacks were triggered by Freese, Lance Berkman and a resilient lineup. From Freese’ two-out, game-tying 9th inning triple, to Berkman’s 11th-inning game-tying single, to the final wondrous walk-off, all the drama, thrills and exhilaration of this Fall Classic masterpiece are here to enjoy for the first time in high definition on the new “Baseball’s Greatest Games: 2011 World Series – Game 6” Blu-ray!

      Direct from the Major League Baseball archives, this extraordinary television broadcast includes the quintessential making of an iconic moment, and one unforgettable baseball game available for the first time as both a DVD and Blu-ray!

      In support of its release, The Scores Report is giving one lucky winner a copy of the new Blu-ray. Click here to enter for your chance to win, and then be sure to follow us on Twitter and Facebook for updates on new contests and giveaways.

      CONTEST ENDS: April 18th

      Contests, MLB

      Bill Parcells would be the ultimate coup for the Saints

      March 26, 2012 /

      Leave it to Sean Payton to call the right audible at the line of scrimmage to put the Saints into scoring position.

      Roger Goodell is trying to punish the Saints for their “bounty program” and Payton is about to turn the entire situation into a positive for his team. How so? ESPN’s Chris Mortensen reported earlier today that Payton has approached Bill Parcells about coaching the Saints during his year-long suspension, which starts April 1. While the NFL Network’s Jason La Canfora considers a Parcells-Saints union “unlikely,” FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer reports that Payton will meet with Parcells this week. Parcells has been out of the league since 2006, but he’s known as one of the best talent evaluators the NFL has ever seen.

      Parcells and a ready-made Super Bowl contender? So much for being punished.
      In Parcells, not only would the Saints land a Super Bowl-winning head coach to fill in for Payton, but they’d also have a tremendous talent evaluator study their roster for a year. If you’re a musician, that would be like having Mozart playing your songs while simultaneously giving you helpful hints to improve your music for years to come.

      While there are probably a number of hurdles that the Saints would have to jump to bring Parcells in, it seems like a great fit for both sides. After all, Parcells’ skin starts to crawl if he’s in one place too long, so knowing that this is just a one-year stint he could try to win one more Super Bowl before calling it quits for good. Hey, why not if you’re him? He’s one of those guys that need to stay busy and he’s constantly looking for the next big thing.

      That next big thing could be the New Orleans Saints, who would essentially cancel out the punishment that was levied by Goodell last week if they can land the “Big Tuna.”

      External Sports, NFL

      Tiger now favored to win The Masters?

      March 26, 2012 /

      It’s been a long time, but Tiger Woods has finally won another PGA Tour event. Now the buzz shifts to The Masters, and Tiger is already listed as the favorite.

      William Hill has Woods listed as the 4-1 favorite to win his fifth Masters title, with Rory McIlroy close behind at 5-1. Other bookies have similar odds, with Ladbrokes quoting the same numbers as William Hill. Paddy Power and Coral both have Woods as the 7-2 favorite with McIlroy next at 9-2.

      If he puts like he did this past weekend, Tiger will probably be a force at Augusta. Perhaps we’ll see an incredible rivalry with Rory McIlroy after all.

      Golf

      Saints claim they’re not getting rid of Vilma but their actions say otherwise

      March 25, 2012 /

      Mickey Loomis says that middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma is “still
      a big part of our team,”       but the Saints’ latest signing would suggest that the GM is blowing smoke.

      The Saints signed free agent middle linebacker Curtis Lofton to a five-year deal on Saturday night and while the financial terms have yet to be released, chances are the former Falcon is being paid like a starter. (After all, he was the defensive captain for the past four years in Atlanta.)

      My point is that the Saints didn’t sign him as an insurance policy for Vilma, or for emergency starts. Some have suggested that new defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo could use Lofton on the outside, but that’s a dangerous proposition for the Saints. L0fton is a solid two-down “thumper” in the middle of a 4-3 and that’s where he needs to play in order to be successful. Granted, he has improved his coverage skills since his rookie year in ‘08, but pass defense will never be one of his strengths. Thus, to expect him to hang with tight ends and running backs as a strong-side ‘backer isn’t a realistic option. (To strengthen my point, let me point out that the Falcons have been re-signing their own players left and right this offseason and yet decided to let Lofton walk. That’s because they plan to play more nickel under new DC Mike Nolan and thus, Lofton wasn’t worth the money to essentially be a two-down run-stuffer.)

      Which leads me back to Vilma. Despite what Loomis says, there’s still a very good chance that Vilma has played his final down in New Orleans. The Saints will probably wait until they know the severity of his punishment for his involvement in the team’s “bounty program” before they do anything. But I doubt we’ll see Vilma and Lofton lining up in the same linebacker corps next season.

      If Vilma is suspended for half the season, the Saints could try to trade him for a late round pick. I doubt another team would bite with Lofton already on the roster, but it’s worth it for the Saints to try and see. And if he’s only suspended four games, Vilma’s trade value obviously goes up, so there’s no reason to release him now.

      But either way, Lofton is the team’s long-term answer at middle linebacker. Don’t let the Saints fool you into thinking otherwise.

      External Sports, NFL

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