Monthly Archives: August 2017

Houston Texans

Ravens give John Harbaugh 1-year contract extension

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Mike Tomlin isn’t the only coach in the AFC North to get a contract extension this year.

The Ravens announced Monday they have extended John Harbaugh’s contract through the 2019 season. His previous deal was set to expire following the 2018 season. The Ravens also gave Harbaugh a one-year extension in December of 2016.

Harbaugh is 85-59 and 10-5 in the postseason during his nine seasons as the Ravens coach and his 85 wins are the fifth-most in the NFL since he took over. Since winning Super Bowl XLVII, the Ravens are just 31-33 and went 8-8 last season.

The Ravens have struggled with injuries the last two seasons and that has continued this year with quarterback Joe Flacco yet to participate in the preseason with a back injury. Harbaugh announced Monday that linebacker Albert McClellan, a special teams ace, is done for the year with a torn ACL.

The Steelers gave Tomlin a two-year extension through 2020 earlier this month.

Olson was signed just last week to assist backup Ryan Mallett after news of veteran Joe Flacco’s back injury emerged. Dustin Vaughan also remains on Baltimore’s roster at quarterback.

Woodrum, 24, signed with the Giants as an undrafted free agent last year following his college career at Liberty. He was cut by New York after the rookie minicamp and later spent time with the Colts, Bears and Bills. Buffalo released him May 24.seahawks_162

Houston Texans

Zaza Pachulia returns to Warriors on 1-year deal, $3.5 million, per report

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Zaza Pachulia will return to the Warriors on a one-year, $3.5 million deal, according to USA Today’s Sam Amick. Pachulia will play in his 15th year in the NBA and his second with the Warriors after winning the NBA Finals in 2017 as the starting center for Golden State.
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Pachulia played in 70 games last season, starting all 70. He averaged 6.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.9 assists per game. While there could have been more desirable options for the Warriors, maybe even JaVale McGee, this allows Golden State to keep their starting core together.
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The Warriors have had a nice summer and have been able to keep their key bench pieces together including Andre Iguodala and Shaun Livingston. A big part of that is because Kevin Durant took a serious pay cut to keep this team together. The rest of the league has been making moves to catch up the Warriors but the Warriors are making all the right moves as well to keep their distance.

At some point the Celtics were going to have to reckon with the star tax and factor that into their accounting. Under those parameters, Ainge had every right to continue saying no, even if he said yes a bunch of times and teams still didn’t pull the trigger on deals. In that, he may have been fortunate.

That left free agency and this is where Ainge has truly made his most aggressive moves. He went hard after Kevin Durant only to come up short. (It doesn’t matter where he finished. There are no consolation prizes in free agency.) He did, however, get Al Horford, beating out several other teams in the process. That was a coup that took the Celtics from a playoff team to a conference finalist.

Houston Texans

it appeared Cleveland wasn’t going to pay up.

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After proving his worth in the 2015 NBA Finals, Thompson wanted to get paid. As the Cavaliers took a blow after losing both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love to injury, the tenacious rebounder proved his worth on basketball’s biggest stage, cleaning the glass and outhustling opponents to push the Warriors to six games.

But despite his blue-collar performance, it appeared Cleveland wasn’t going to pay up. The Cavaliers had offered a five-year, $80 million contract while Thompson was looking for the then-$94 million max.

Brett Howden Limited Jersey So Thompson did what any Rich Paul-managed client would do: he held out. He didn’t report for training camp and even missed a few preseason games, prompting LeBron to call for both sides to get a deal done. Eventually — on Oct. 22 — the Cavaliers signed Thompson to a five-year, $82 million deal, making him the league’s sixth-highest-paid power forward at equal salary to Draymond Green.

Does the NBA attempt Mexico City anyway, drawn by the allure of a massive market? Does it try Louisville or Hampton Roads or Anaheim? Does it try another city in Mexico? One NBA team employee told me Monterrey — a state capitol in northern Mexico and home to the third-largest metropolitan area in the country — is viewed by some as a better location, even if Mexico City remains an option for the future.
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Regardless of the final decision, though, the NBA must decide which city can best host another franchise.

Houston Texans

‘NBA 2K18’ rates LeBron James higher than Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard

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LeBron James will start the season ranked higher than Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard and Steph Curry in NBA 2K18. His 97 overall rating was announced in a group picture with Dwyane Wade, who will start out as an 84 overall.

The betting line had Curry’s lowest score for any single round over/under 76.5. He shot under that on both days. Golfer Steve Wheatcroft said there was no chance in hell he’d break 76. He ate those words.

This is pretty cool! And unlike Michael Jordan or Tim Tebow he didn’t leave his original sport to test the waters of another. This is just some casual offseason fun. We’ve seen video of him playing golf against the likes of Barack Obama before, but we’ve never seen him perform like this in front of a crowd.

Jared Spurgeon Authentic Jersey Curry finished 148th overall out of 156 players. His driving accuracy was 3.85 percent above average; his driving distance was seven yards below average; and his greens in regulation percentage was just 2.78 percent below average at 44 percent. None of that would be good for a pro golfer on tour, but it’s not embarrassing at all 鈥?especially not for an active pro player in another sport.

Steph Curry is a special athlete. To win an MVP award in the NBA is an incredible feat. To win it twice almost never happens. To also be really good at golf is pretty freaking unfair. What are you bad at Steph Curry? TELL US. This guy can do it all, yet six teams picked another player over him in the 2009 NBA draft. What were they thinking?

Houston Texans

Broncos vs. 49ers 2017: Time, TV channel, and how to watch online

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The Denver Broncos are on the road to face the San Francisco 49ers for Week 2 of the 2017 NFL preseason. The late game Saturday doesn’t kickoff until 10 p.m. ET, but there will be plenty of reasons to stay awake to catch this AFC-NFC showdown.

The game will air nationally on NFL Network. Fans can also tune in via Watch NFL Network or the NFL Moblie app.

Denver doesn’t appear any closer to finalizing its starting quarterback, and neither Trevor Siemian nor Paxton Lynch stood out as the clear No. 1 in their first preseason game against the Bears. Siemian was fine in his first contest, going 6-of-7 for 51 yards. Lynch wasn’t drastically different on paper, finishing the day 6-of-9 for 42 yards, but it was his demeanor that was of concern.

“It’s a situation where I have another year and they can make me play it out,” Davis said via Kelsey Riggs of WCNC.

And Davis was disappointed in those who blamed him — and harassed his wife on Twitter — for the team’s decision to move on from former general manager Dave Gettleman.

“I think that’s an unfair statement,” Davis said via Riggs. “I think that’s something that you guys are giving us too much credit. We’re not that important in the grand scheme of things, and ultimately Mr. Richardson made a decision and it’s something that we’re all going to live with.”

Davis, despite his age, has been reliable for the Panthers. Over the past five seasons, he’s missed exactly two games. He even played in Super Bowl 50 with a fractured arm that he suffered during the NFC Championship win over the Arizona Cardinals following the 2015 season.

The Panthers last signed Davis to a two-year, $17.75 million extension before the 2015 season.

Davis has been named to the Pro Bowl twice, in 2015 and 2016, and he was named a first-team All-Pro for the 2015 season.

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Houston Texans

NHL trade deadline: Ben Bishop dealt to unlikely suitor Kings

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Ben Bishop’s pending unrestricted free agency meant he’d likely finish the season in a different zip code. It wasn’t expected to be 90210.
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Read the letter in its entirety here.

For years, the NHL and Glendale politicians have been at odds over Gila River Arena. The city in 2015 canceled its arena management deal with the Coyotes, effectively ending all public subsidies the team was receiving. The franchise has since said it is no longer financially viable to play at the arena due to its inconvenient proximity to the majority of its fans and sponsors.

The Coyotes are the third-least valuable franchise in the league at $240 million, according to a 2016 valuation by Forbes, and have ranked in the bottom three in the NHL every year since 2007. That leads to perennial rumors about relocation, heightened by recent pushes by Quebec City and Seattle to add a franchise.

The NHL, though, has remained bullish in keeping the franchise in Arizona under stable ownership with Andrew Barroway and Anthony LeBlanc, who bought the team in 2013.
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In the letter, Bettman reaffirmed the league’s commitment to keeping the franchise in the region by way of building a new Phoenix area, but said Glendale is not economically capable of supporting a successful NHL franchise.

Senate Bill 1149, sponsored by Sen. Bob Worsley, R-Mesa, recently advanced out of the Senate committee but is facing unfavorable odds of approval in the house.

Houston Texans

we’ve been here with Hall of Famers Johnny Bench and Jimmie Foxx

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Infield coach Mike Sarbaugh and scout Trey Hendricks in the Dominican working with Carlos Santana at third base.
Total games played at third in the majors: 26

Heck, we’ve been here with Hall of Famers Johnny Bench and Jimmie Foxx, with uninspiring results. It’s really, really, really, really, really, really, really, really hard to play third base without a lot of previous experience as a middle infielder. There are notable success stories with catchers, but they almost always had infield experience in the minors.

Ali Marpet Jersey Freeman succeeding at third would be unprecedented, at least when it comes to players from the last decade.

The reason the Braves are trying this is because they are enjoying the punishing bat of Matt Adams, who has spent the last two months hitting like Not Matt Adams, and my money is on one of the two scenarios occurring:

West worked his first full-time season in MLB in 1978 (please retire, Joe) and was given the title of crew chief in 2003. Hernandez has been in the league as long as West was when he was given the promotion. Longitude isn’t a good measure of effectiveness, but it’s likely utilized by MLB and it’s one of the best available until or if umpire evaluations get leaked (@Snowden).

First, we need to have a talk. The thousands and billions of times that Hernandez has probably screwed your favorite team over really, truly, honestly is not at issue here. The problem is that if for years Hernandez was passed up on for opportunities like a crew chief title or a World Series gig in 12 years despite his relatively good internal evaluations, then MLB’s ingrained racism is probably to blame.

Houston Texans

Dallas Keuchel on Astros’ deadline moves: ‘Disappointment is a little bit of an understatement’

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Game Youth Shaquille O’Neal Jersey The Astros are just fine when it comes to making the postseason this year. They have a 16-game lead in the AL West and are 11 1/2 games in front of the Yankees when it comes to the entire American League.

Most importantly, Disney is planning on running the entire sports operation with the technology of BAMTech — formerly a part of MLB Advanced Media. Disney officially bought a majority stake in the company with a fresh $1.58 billion investment.

In much of the coverage of the Pats’ planes, it was noted that they are the first NFL team to buy their own plane for team use (which may be an incorrect statement).

However, even if they were the first NFL team to buy a private plane — much less two private planes — the Cleveland Indians would like to remind everybody that New England is definitely not the first team from any sport, real or fake, to have a private plane.

Who could forget the Indian Express from Major League? The rickety old Douglas DC-3 propeller plane that ferried Wild Thing and the rest to and from games is one of a kind.

It might not measure up to the fully kitted out pair of jets the Patriots will use this season, but it’s far more memorable than any polished, corporate planes.

The Patriots have the last laugh for now, though, because well … here.

Game Youth Nick Bjugstad Jersey The more important silver lining, though, is that Correa’s injury won’t affect the Astros’ plans for the season in any real way, so Houston fans can rest easy knowing that no drastic measures need to be taken to secure a spot on the playoffs.

Miami Dolphins

Chargers LB Denzel Perryman to miss start of season, report says

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The Chargers apparently will start the season with a shorthanded defense.

Linebacker Denzel Perryman is expected to miss the start of the regular season after sustaining an ankle injury in the team’s preseason opener against the Seahawks, NFL Media reported

The Browns coach understands the issues at stake and respects players’ rights to protest, but he doesn’t want to see any members of his squad kneeling during the national anthem.

“I think everybody has a right to do, and I get it, but the national anthem means a lot to myself personally, the organization and our football team,” Jackson said, via the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “I hope — again I can’t speak, I haven’t really talked to our team about it — I would hope that we don’t have those issues.”

The protests first started by former 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick last season were recently echoed after the events this weekend in Charlottesville, Va. Seahawks defensive end Michael Bennett remained on the team’s bench with a towel over his head during the national anthem Sunday night, and Raiders running back Marshawn Lynch sat on a water cooler while eating a banana during the anthem Saturday night.

The Ravens have that complicated schedule after the bye, in the final seven weeks, so they need to jump out to a good start (it helped them last year when they started 3-0). The first three games before that Steelers game in Baltimore — including the London game against another questionable Jaguars team — are eminently winnable. If they can springboard from overseas into a home win against an arch-rival, they’re going to be in great shape.

True, their roster has to get better: they suffered some significant free-agent losses, and Steve Smith retired. For any of this to happen, they’ll have to have a heck of a draft and have their free-agent moves so far pay off.

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Houston Texans

Both teams are in the thick of the AL wild-card race and can’t afford to lose ground to another team in that crowded field.

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Mens Darren McFadden Jersey Maybe Raines wasn’t considered a sure-fire Hall of Famer because … well, I’m not sure why. He belongs, and he was an easy decision on my ballot last winter (SN contributor Ryan Spaeder wrote last December why Raines had a slam-dunk case). One thing that was heartening, though, was watching BBWAA voters come around to Raines’ case.

Mens Anthony Rizzo Jersey A massive push on social media especially Twitter the past couple years, spearheaded by Jonah Keri, provided enough momentum to get Raines into Cooperstown, and Raines singled out Keri in his speech.

Today I want to thank him so very much for his support and for him getting me getting that name out there. You know, there’s a lot of things that I was able to do that I didn’t even know myself. This guy told me about stats that, I’m like, did I do that? Not only that, you know, we’ve become really great friends.

It was a very cool moment, in a very cool weekend of celebrating Tim Raines.

Sean Rodriguez, playing his first game for the Pirates since they reacquired him from the Braves in a trade Saturday, had a storybook return to PNC Park with an extra-inning walk-off homer to beat the Padres in 12 innings.

Both teams are in the thick of the AL wild-card race and can’t afford to lose ground to another team in that crowded field. The Orioles go with Dylan Bundy (10-8, 4.24 ERA) against Angels right-hander J.C. Ramirez (10-9, 4.03).

What he has done with this year is succeed. A big portion of that has to do with his new slider, but also a change to exclusively pitch from the stretch.

My first outing of the year I just felt terrible out of the wind-up and I was just, like, since I’m in the bullpen, I’m just going to go out of the stretch and that’s why I did it, Peacock explained. I was pitching well and I just kept doing it.