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      Raiders officially release massive bust Russell

      May 6, 2010 /

      Al Davis has finally decided to cut the cord on JaMarcus Russell, who is currently competing with Ryan Leaf for biggest draft bust in NFL history. The 24-year-old quarterback was officially released on Thursday, just three seasons after he was selected as the top pick in the 2007 draft.

      Somewhere, Lane Kiffin is laughing. He was the one that urged Davis not to draft Russell in ’07, but against his head coach’s wishes, Al selected the LSU product anyway. Russell finishes his career in Oakland with a 7-18 record, a 52.1 completion percentage, an 18:33 touchdown-to-interception ratio and a 65.2 passer rating. Comparing the numbers, I think Craig Krenzel may have produced better numbers.

      At this point, there won’t be many teams (if any) lining up to sign the former first overall pick. Even a quarterback-hungry team like the Bills will likely stick with what they currently have on their roster, despite the fact that Russell can throw the ball the length of 87 football fields while sitting down. Everyone outside of Al Davis realizes that if a quarterback isn’t accurate, doesn’t want to work hard and takes half a season to get into shape, then it doesn’t matter how far he can throw.

      It seems as if Russell just wants to take his big payday from the NFL and walk off into the distance with it. And maybe that’s exactly what he should do.

      External Sports, NFL

      Second man arrested in Lawrence Taylor rape case

      May 6, 2010 /

      ESPN.com reports that a second man, Rasheed Davis, has been arrested in connection with the Lawrence Taylor rape case. According to the report, Davis brought the 16-year-old girl to Taylor’s hotel room in Ramapo, New York.

      A second man was arrested in the case, New York City police said. Rasheed Davis, a 36-year-old parolee, was arrested on charges of unlawful imprisonment, assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

      Police said Davis drove the girl, who had been staying with him in the Bronx for a few weeks, to the Holiday Inn and told her she had to have sex with Taylor. She said she refused, Taylor sexually assaulted her, then he paid her $300, which she gave to Davis, police said.

      Davis “struck the young girl with his fist, kicked her and brought her to the Holiday Inn against her will,” NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said.

      On the way back from Suffern, the girl sent text messages to her uncle spelling out what had happened, Browne said. The uncle then went to the NYPD, he said.

      New York City police alerted Ramapo authorities to what happened. Police then went to Taylor’s hotel room and arrested him.

      Sex with a 16-year-old cannot be consensual in New York state and if convicted, Taylor could spend up to four years in prison. It’s important to note that LT has not been charged with anything, but it appears as though that could change as more details from this story emerge.

      External Sports, NFL

      Lance Berkman willing to waive no-trade clause?

      May 6, 2010 /

      Long-time Astros first baseman Lance Berkman told the Houston Chronicle that he would be open to waiving his no-trade clause.

      “As a player, if they came to me and said, ‘Hey, we’ve got a deal to go to a contender,’ I’d take it. Heck, it’s only a three- or four-month deal. It’s not like I’m signing on for 10 years with another team.”

      “I would say yeah,” Berkman said. “I think it would benefit the organization, and in the end, it would be a benefit for whoever it is — whether it’s me, or Roy (Oswalt) or Carlos. I’m not saying we’re at the point where they should start pulling the plug on us, but they need to start thinking forward. If this thing keeps going like this, they’ve gotta do something.

      “If you’re running a team, you don’t want to get caught in baseball purgatory — where you’re not really getting young and you’re not really (competing). Where you’re in this deal where every year you’re signing a marginal veteran and you just never get in the mix.”

      Berkman is in the final year of his contract, but the Astros hold a $15 million option for 2011. He has stated that he wants to retire a Stro, but you can’t fault him for wanting to have a shot to contend elsewhere. He’s at the end of his career and while his numbers are declining, he’s still a productive player – one that would benefit from being surrounded by better talent around him.

      I wonder if a team like the Rangers would be a good fit. Justin Smoak isn’t even hitting his own weight right now, while Ryan Garko isn’t hitting Calista Flockhart’s weight. I won’t even begin to speculate what kind of a package Texas could put together in a trade for Berkman, but again, it would appear to be a nice fit for both parties.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, MLB

      NFL already preparing for a 2011 lockout

      May 6, 2010 /

      A report by the San Francisco Chronicle states that the NFL is already preparing for the possibility of a 2011 lockout, which includes buying a 25 percent stake in the United Football League.

      These are anxious times for those looking to latch on to the NFL. It’s also an interesting time for the teams, as they look ahead to the possibility of a lock out in 2011. Fringe players might become starters if there’s a long labor dispute. The NFL went with replacement players in 1987 during the last protracted labor stalemate.

      The league might already be making preparations and rumors are they are going to buy a 25 percent stake in the United Football League. The UFL, which now has five teams and plays six games in the fall, could become a feeder league along the line of NFL Europe. However, if there’s a long lockout, UFL players could possibly become NFL players overnight.

      I wonder what the backlash would be from fans if the league did enter a lockout next season. Ticket prices are already ridiculous and if there were no fantasy football, NFL Sunday Ticket, or gambling (well, there will always be gambling on football but it wouldn’t be what it is now if the league used replacement players), there would be outrage across the nation. The NFL is the most popular league in America, but considering how much owners and players already make, fans aren’t going to show them any sympathy in a down economy.

      It took steroids years before MLB recovered from its strike in 1994. Seeing as how football is a more popular game, I doubt it would take people very long to get over a lockout, but let’s hope we never have to find out either.


      Photo from fOTOGLIF

      External Sports, NFL

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