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      Police issue felony warrants for the arrests of Aqib Talib and his mother

      March 29, 2011 /
      Tampa Bay Buccaneers corner back Aqib Talib (R) runs after intercepting a pass meant for Washington Redskins Santana Moss (89) during 4th quarter of their NFL football game in Landover, Maryland October 4, 2009. REUTERS/Andrew Cameron (UNITED STATES SPORT FOOTBALL)

      Texas police have issued felony warrants for the arrests of Bucs’ cornerback Aqib Talib and his mother, Okolo “Momma Be Packin’ Heat” Talib. (I’m kidding – that’s not her real nickname. I actually don’t know what her real nickname is. Probably “O” or something.)

      According to the St. Petersburg Times, Talib could face five to 20 years in prison after he turns himself in for the second-degree felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. Talib’s mother was also charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and surrendered to police on Tuesday. The warrants stem from an incident that occurred on March 21 in which Talib allegedly opened fire on his sister’s boyfriend outside her home in Texas.

      As I wrote yesterday when this news first broke, it sounds like Talib was trying to defend his family. He and his mother do have the right to bear arms (assuming the weapons were registered, of course) and if he felt that his life or the lives of those around him were in danger then maybe he should have fired the gun. Who knows? I wasn’t there and therefore can’t pass judgment.

      That said, Talib is fortunate that he didn’t kill an innocent bystander by firing the weapon while trying to hit his sister’s boyfriend. He may wind up going to jail a la Michael Vick and Plaxico Burress because he didn’t think before he reacted. (Again though, I wasn’t there so I’m just basing everything off the published reports.)

      We’ll see how everything plays out but this kid is in some serious trouble. Whether or not he broke any laws and will face punishment in court is uncertain at this point. But the NFL will monitor the situation and if he is charged, Talib can expect a suspension.

      External Sports, NFL

      Your quick and dirty Final Four preview

      March 29, 2011 /
      Butler Bulldogs head coach Brad Stevens encourages his team playing against the Florida Gators in the second half during their NCAA Southeast Regional college basketball game in New Orleans, March 26, 2011. REUTERS/Sean Gardner (UNITED STATES – Tags: SPORT BASKETBALL)

      Butler vs. VCU

      Spread: Butler -2.5; Sagarin: Butler -1.45; Pomeroy: Butler 55.3%
      Butler is the slight favorite, and if this game comes down to the final few possessions, I have to give the Bulldogs the edge due to their amazing ability (fortune?) to triumph in close games. However, Butler has only won their four tournament games by a total of 13 points, so they have hardly been as dominating as the Rams, who have beaten #1 Kansas, #3 Purdue, #6 Georgetown and #11 USC by an average of 14.8 points. Their lone tight game was against #10 Florida State, which went to overtime.

      The key for the Rams has been their lights-out three-point shooting. They have hit 44% of their attempts in the tourney, after shooting just 36% during the season. Will this hot shooting continue in a football stadium against Butler, which very good at defending the three-point line (32.4%)? If the Rams hit 40%+ from long range, they have a chance for a 10- to 15-point win, especially if they use their depth to press, something that has rattled the Bulldogs in this tournament.

      My pick: VCU

      Kentucky vs. UConn

      Spread: UK -2; Sagarin: UK -2.32; Pomeroy: UK 58.4%
      After watching UConn play in a tough environment against both SDSU and Arizona, there’s no doubt that the Huskies are mentally tough enough to leave Houston with a title. Kentucky has the more talented rotation, but the key to this game will be how the Wildcats defend Kemba Walker and Jeremy Lamb. Against both SDSU and Arizona, Walker carried the Huskies early, but at some point in the second half, Lamb stepped up with several big shots to help to put those two games away.

      If you go with the “best player on the floor” argument, UConn probably has the edge because of Walker. He’s lightning quick and can usually get a good look at the basket whenever he wants. The Wildcats have more balance, with four players averaging double-digits and two more averaging 7.9 ppg or more. Brandon Knight has hit some clutch shots and UConn hasn’t had to wrangle a guard of his caliber so far in the tournament.

      In the end, the Wildcats have the edge. They own the 4th-best Pomeroy rating and look more like a national championship-caliber squad with their elite (#7) offensive efficiency and more than capable defense (#20). That said, if Walker and/or Lamb get hot, this will be a close game.

      My pick: Kentucky

      College Basketball, External Sports, March Madness

      Erik Ainge: “I would’ve made Charlie Sheen look like Miss Daisy.”

      March 29, 2011 /

      Jets’ quarterback Erik Ainge recently opened up about a drug problem that he has apparently had since he was 11. In an exclusive interview with ESPN’s Rich Cimini, Ainge admitted that he needed to get help before his addiction killed him.

      Ainge says that he was addicted to the hardest of drugs – heroin, cocaine and alcohol – and said that at the height of his problems he “would’ve made Charlie Sheen look like Miss Daisy.” (Apparently Miss Daisy wasn’t doing crack and heroin in the back of that car? Not sure if that reference applies, but I’ll cut Ainge some slack and move on.)

      Ainge isn’t the only human being to suffer from drug problems and he certainly won’t be the last. If he stays sober, then good for him. He knew he needed help and he sought it. There are many people who never reach out and they wind up six feet under, so hopefully Ainge won’t be among those who have suffered a fatal ending.

      As he said in the video, maybe him going public with his issue will help those who suffer from similar addictions.

      External Sports, NFL

      MLB Sleepers: Who will be this year’s Giants, Rangers, Reds, Rays and Padres?

      March 29, 2011 /

      Sleepers can come in a variety of forms. Not all of them win the World Series, or their division, or even make the postseason for that matter. But all sleepers do have one thing in common: They do something unexpected.

      The five sleepers listed below all did something unexpected in 2010. Let’s recap.

      Giants: The team that seemingly came out of nowhere to win the World Series on the strength of their young pitching and a bunch of hitters that got red-hot at the right time.

      Rangers: The team that everyone knew had talent to reach the postseason but were still hesitant about predicting them to win the division.

      Reds: The youngish team that everyone knew would eventually compete, but were surprised to see that “eventually” meant 2010.

      Rays: The team that people knew had the talent to reach the postseason but still stuck them behind the Yankees and even Red Sox in the division.

      Padres: The team that nobody thought would challenge for a postseason berth and would have been the surprise of the year had they not collapsed down the stretch run.

      So who are this year’s Giants, Rangers, Padres, Reds and Rays? I’m glad you asked.

      The 2011 Giants: Oakland A’s
      The strength of Oakland’s club is its young pitching, led by four pitchers in Gio Gonzalez, Brett Anderson, Trevor Cahill and Dallas Braden, who are all 27 or younger. If that sounds familiar, it’s because the Giants won the World Series last year with four pitchers (Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, Jonathan Sanchez and Madison Bumgarner) who were all 27 or younger. The Giants also had an offense that would hardly keep opposing pitchers up at night but after GM Brian Sabean re-signed Juan Uribe and added guys like Cody Ross and Pat Burrell during the year, it was enough to be dangerous. Just like SF’s offense last year, Oakland’s bats aren’t going to scare anyone but after the offseason additions that Billy Beane made this offseason (Hideki Matsui, Josh Willingham and David DeJesus) they’re enough to be dangerous. And just like the Giants, if they can reach the postseason (where pitching matters most), the A’s might be able to do some damage.

      Continue reading »

      External Sports, MLB

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