One game stood out above all others this week. It had 99 points, over 1000 yards of offense, crucial turnovers and quarterback mastery. Peyton Manning’s Denver Broncos are a known commodity, but not many expected The Dallas Cowboys to keep up with them. On the back of a truly elite performance by Tony Romo, however, they did just that, rallying from 15 points down in the third quarter to take an incredible 48-41 lead. Their maligned defence couldn’t hold it...
Don’t snark, this is not as bad a game as it looks. Brian Hoyer is finally living up to some of the expectations he had as a backup in New England. He’s playing well enough that Cleveland may have to trade him under the ‘Trent Richardson Precedent’. Buffalo, meanwhile, have toppled the Panthers and Ravens already, so they can’t be underestimated (as if anyone can in this league). None of the...
What’s going wrong with the 49ers? They annihilated the Packers, but have only scored 10 points in the past two games. Now Aldon Smith, a man/beast with 37 sacks since 2011, is out indefinitely with what I’ll politely call ‘personal troubles’. St Louis is pretty decent, but their showing against Dallas was not.
So, if the Cleveland Browns are tanking after the Trent Richardson trade, they aren’t doing a very good job of it. Down to their third string QB, the Browns rallied for a late win over Minnesota. Mental. Miami had a late win over Atlanta, thanks to Ryan Tannehill, and Cincinnati won in a strange finish over Green Bay. Plus some other stuff happened:
Last Week: 11-5
Kansas City Chiefs (2-0) at Philadelphia Eagles (1-1)
Andy Reid vs Chip Kelly. The old master returns to face his successor. It’s Obi-Wan vs Vader, only with a greater risk of heart disease. Chip Kelly’s fast paced offence turned heads week one, but the flaws were exposed against San Diego. Running that many plays that quickly means that your defence is spending...
Tell ya what? The Jets were actually kinda decent last week. Though the result, to be honest, was more a story of Tampa Bay being disappointing. It was only a late penalty that saved them. Geno Smith will get the start again this week against a Patriots team struggling for receivers and coming off of a narrow, late win against Buffalo. The Brady/Belichick combo has made something out of nothing before, and with Amendola and Gronk both probably out...
Man, what a way to start the season. This is a replay of the AFC Divisional Championship last year, where Joe Flacco famously threw that incredible Hail Mary touchdown to propel the Ravens into the Superbowl – which they won. Peyton and his Broncos get their shot at revenge earlier than expected...
Last Season: 10-6 (Lost in NFC Wildcard)
Key Player: Robert Griffin III (QB). He single-handedly reinvigorated this team. Plus he sells more jerseys than anyone else.
New England Patriots
Last Season: 12-4 (Lost in AFC Championship Match)
Key Player: Rob Gronkowski (TE). Suddenly the Man Who Is Party has become Tom Brady’s most...
Look, the guy’s an injured rookie. They don’t come much more obscure than that. I can hardly put him any higher can I?
He’s shaved off the luscious locks, but Gabbert looks as much of a liability as ever. The Jags don’t exactly have anyone else though, so he’s safe for now at number 31. If it were a list of cool names though, he’d be top 5 (Drew Brees at 1, of course).
Amidst all the dirty steroid talk that hogs baseball headlines, one of the true nice guys in sport marked an exceptional milestone. Ichiro Suzuki’s line drive into left field was his 4000th hit in a career spanning both Japanese and Major League Baseball. Those Japanese League hits won’t count in the MLB record books, obviously, but it is worth noting that with the rules on international free agents what they were when he began, the American Majors were not really an option. That was until a few tweaks in the laws allowed him to sign with Seattle as a 27 year old, and Suzuki quickly...
In the grand stage show of professional sports, Alex Rodriguez is one of the bad guys. But as scathing as I have been about the guy in the past (I take none of it back) and despite what Major League Baseball may have thought, Alex Rodriguez is still good for the game. Because plays a crucial role, one that no great story can do without. He plays the villain.
FIBA Oceania Men’s Basketball Championships
Australia, as expected, came out on top in the two game series to claim the Oceania Men’s Basketball Championship. A 70-59 win in Auckland gave the Aussie Boomers the advantage, and they hammered it home with a 76-53 win in Canberra.
Look, I understand that baseball needs to be clamping down on drug cheats. They are a permanent stain on the game, and the recent Biogenesis bans are a good step forward. But I cannot help but feel that they are doing this more for the reputation of the MLB than for the interests of the game. They want to show that they’re stamping down on cheaters, but they don’t want the bad PR that comes with exposing such frauds. So they’ve tried to do both. And as the great Ron Swanson once said: It is better to whole ass one thing than to half-ass two...
Injury is the bane of the professional athlete. Greg Oden knows this better than anyone. He once had the basketball world at his fingertips, but persistent injuries have kept him from ever getting close to his potential. His is a tragic story of wasted talent, but there may be a redemptive turn in his tale yet.
Well, that was a bust. Only three major trades came through on deadline day, and none were especially exciting. Still, a number of teams have enhanced or damaged their season’s prospects, if mostly via their own inactivity. Here’s the breakdown of this morning’s moves:
Welcome to the inaugural edition of 'The Dugout' - a weekly update on the US sporting scene. Like 'The Bench' over in the NRL section, only American. Hence the name. You geddit? 'Dugout'? Aw forget it.
First up this week: Chicago White Sox pitching ace Jake Peavy has been traded to Boston in a three team deal also including Detroit. Tigers get Jose Iglesias, White Sox get Avisail Garcia and a couple of Red Sox prospects, while Peavy trades his White Sox in for Red ones. This is a huge boost for the Boston rotation as they try to hold off Tampa Bay and the Yankees down the stretch. Peavy, who is contracted through next year with an option for 2015, was 8-4 for the season for Chicago with a 4.28 ERA. He is a three time all-star, who has impressed pitching in what is considered a hitter’s ballpark in Chicago. The MLB trade deadline expires at the exact conclusion of the month of July, check back tomorrow for all the late deals and reaction.
Elsewhere, Brian Wilson (not the same guy from the Beach Boys) has signed a 1 year deal with the LA Dodgers as he tries to restart his career after serious injury. Wilson had 171 saves as San Francisco closer, and played a key role in the 2010 World Series, but hasn’t pitched since the start of the 2012 season. Most people will recognise him by the more-than-notable beard that he sports. It is a very fine beard...
If you didn’t catch the big news from Major League Baseball this week, Milwaukee star and former MVP Ryan Braun has been suspended for the remainder of this season, a total of 65 games, in yet another embarrassing steroid saga for the sport. We’re continually told that the steroid era is over, that these scumrats can’t get away with it any longer, but the dark shadow of PEDs still lingers like a bad smell. Players all stress that they’d rather these highly publicised scandals than nothing, because it means that the cheats are being smoked out, but it’s still a dagger to the heart of a great sport. The MLB needs to be commended for their efforts here, but as Mike the Cleaner would have said, “No more half measures”. 65 games is a slap on the wrist for this guy.
Ryan Braun is a superstar in baseball. He was the National League MVP in 2011, Rookie of the Year in 2007. He led the league in home runs last season. Plus he’s always been a really likeable guy, an All-American type, much sought after endorser; “The Hebrew Hammer” is an icon in the Jewish and Wisconsin communities. He even opened restaurant with Green Bay Packers Quarterback Aaron Rodgers (probably the only current sportsman in Wisconsin more popular than himself). Like any top ball player since the steroid era, he was often the subject of doping talks, which he vehemently and confidently denied. Then in 2012 he was banned for 50 games for PED use. Not many saw that coming...
The All Star break has arrived for Major League Baseball, a time to reflect on the wonderful performances and achievements of the first half of the season; from breakthrough stars to established legends still at their peak. These are players that make America’s pastime what it is. And after all, who doesn't enjoy baseball? Because if you didn’t like Moneyball, you loved Bull Durham, and if not Bull Durham, then The Natural, or The Sandlot, or Angels in the Outfield, or A League of their Own, or Field of Dreams, and so on and so forth and etc. Anyway, right now I want to focus on the breakout stars. Because right now we have a core group of them that are set to reinvigorate the world of baseball for years to come.
Every now and then a selection of rookies emerges into the top grade that will set the tone for a generation of superstars. The 1984 NFL draft pool is one such example, the 2003 NBA draft pool another. Baseball is experiencing this at the moment, with a number of 20-22 year old players breaking through into the majors and not just playing well, but absolutely dominating players whom they no doubt grew up watching and admiring. And it’s not just the pure ability of these guys that is so amazing, but the breadth of their abilities. Outfielders Mike Trout (LA Angels) and Bryce Harper (Washington Nationals) are leading the pack...
Steven Adams got his first taste of NBA basketball this week, playing for Oklahoma City's Summer League team. The Summer League is very much a developmental competition, with rosters full of rookies, D-League players and free agents. Nonetheless, 7 of the past 8 NBA Rookies of the Year plied their trade in Summer League play before their breakout seasons. OKC went on to win the Orlando tourney (there is another one in Vegas, with different teams, currently in progress), but we're gonna look specifically at Steven Adams, and what he can take out of this first major step towards NBA success.
The draft pick that OKC used to pick Adams was one of three acquired from Houston in the James Harden trade, which most Thunder fans will tell you is starting to look like an absolute bust for them. For the reigning NBA Sixth Man of the Year (plus change) OKC got back Kevin Martin (now a free agent), Jeremy Lamb, Steven Adams, and two future non-lottery draft picks. So, besides Lamb, Adams is the best chance that Oklahoma City have of salvaging that trade.
Luckily, Adams has all of the natural abilities needed to be a success as an NBA centre. He is very tall, around 7 foot depending on the source, and has an enormous 7'5" wingspan. He is also an above average athlete for a big guy, who can run the floor. These natural advantages make him a valuable project player, although more technical areas of his game need some refinement before he can be a full time contributor in the big time. OKC have their share of centres right now, so this is no issue for them. They will look to develop Adams into...
