Sports Quote of the Day:
"Success isn't something that just happens - success is learned, success is practiced and then it is shared." ~ Sparky Anderson, MLB Manager (Won World Series with Cincinnati Reds, National League and Detroit Tigers, American League)
How 'bout them Chicago Blackhawks? Zucker's OT goal gets Wild back in series.
By Jess Myers, The Sports Xchange
When Minnesota Wild fans envisioned new faces leading them in to the playoffs, they likely were thinking of high-priced free agents Zach Parise and Ryan Suter.
And while they both played a role in the franchise's first playoff win in a half-decade, it was the truly new faces -- rookies Jason Zucker and Charlie Coyle -- who made the biggest differences.
Zucker scored 2:15 into overtime Sunday, lifting the Wild to a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 3 of their opening-round playoff series.
Zucker's shot from the goal line to the left of the Chicago net found a tiny gap behind goalie Corey Crawford. Minnesota dominated for long stretches but needed overtime for its first playoff win since 2008.
Chicago leads the best-of-seven series 2-1. Game 4 is Tuesday, again at the Xcel Energy Center.
The game-winner seemed like a just reward for Zucker, who had a shot clank the crossbar in overtime during the series opener, a 2-1 Blackhawks win in Chicago.
"You never deserve anything. You've got to work for everything," Zucker said when asked if he deserved to get his first career playoff goal after coming so close two games ago. "I just tried keeping the puck on net and tried keeping at it, and this one happened to go in for me."
The Wild broke a 1-1 tie early in the third period when Parise's rising backhand shot, after a pretty setup pass from Coyle, sailed into the upper right corner of the net, eluding Crawford's glove. It was the first goal of the playoffs for Parise, who played a key role in the New Jersey Devils' march to the Stanley Cup finals last season before signing with his hometown team as an unrestricted free agent in July.
Parise had seven shots on goal -- most of them low -- in the Wild's 5-2 loss in Chicago on Friday, when he was unable to get one past Crawford.
"Charlie did a good job of getting in there on the forecheck, and I didn't know that he knew I was there," Parise said. "He made a really nice pass in front of the net, and I just wanted to get it upstairs. I've done enough trying to get it through on the ice, so I was going to try to go upstairs."
Trailing 2-1, the Blackhawks controlled the puck for much of the final five minutes in the third and finally tied the game with 2:46 remaining. A Duncan Keith slap shot from 40 feet out deflected off a Wild defender and past goalie Josh Harding, who finished with 25 saves.
Minnesota was much more physical in Game 3, finishing its checks after getting dominated for much of the first two games.
"Every game's different. Every shift's different. Momentum is important come playoff time," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "When you lose the momentum, you need to try and get it back as soon as you can. It's tough you got the crowd against you, and in a hostile environment, you need to try to stem it as quickly as you can."
Chicago dominated long stretches of the first period and took the early 1-0 lead on Johnny Oduya's first goal of the playoffs. With Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews occupying the defense on both sides of the net, Patrick Kane was able to zip a pass to Oduya, who shot from high in the left circle, through a crowd and past Harding at 13:26 of the first period.
Minnesota finally gave the eager and noisy crowd a reason to roar at 18:30 of the first period. Cal Clutterbuck got a shot on Crawford, and Pierre-Marc Bouchard was able to backhand the rebound high into the upper right corner of the net. It was also the first goal of the playoffs for Bouchard, who is the only member of the Wild who played 10 years ago, the last time Minnesota won a playoff series.
"Certainly this is something we can build off of," Wild coach Mike Yeo said, impressed with the way his team bounced back from a 5-2 loss in Game 2. "I think we did a good job after Game 2 of taking what we needed from that game and finding a way to raise our level and be a better team."
Both goalies were making their third start of the playoffs, which was not a surprise for Chicago, which had Crawford start regularly during the regular season. Harding's presence in net was unexpected, after he started just three games and was on injured reserve for 33 games, dealing with the effects of multiple sclerosis that was diagnosed during the NHL lockout.
Niklas Backstrom, who started 41 of 48 regular-season games for the Wild, was hurt in warmups prior to the first playoff game and has not played since.
Crawford finished with 34 saves for the Blackhawks, who won the first two games of the series in Chicago.
NOTES: Sunday's game was the first time the Wild have hosted a game in May in nearly a decade. On May 12, 2003, the Ducks beat Minnesota 2-0 in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, a series that Anaheim swept 4-0. ... Center Dave Bolland and goaltender Ray Emery both made the trip to Minnesota, but neither one was in uniform for the Blackhawks on Sunday. Bolland is recovering from a groin injury, and Emery has a lower-body ailment. Neither has suited up in the playoffs. ... Minnesota's AHL affiliate, the Houston Aeros, played its last game ever on Saturday, a 7-0 loss to the Grand Rapids Griffins. The Aeros are moving to Des Moines in the offseason and will be renamed the Iowa Wild. The parent club called up forwards Jake Dowell, Stephane Veilleux and Mikael Granlund from the Aeros after the Saturday game. Veilleux played Sunday, while Granlund and Dowell were healthy scratches.
And while they both played a role in the franchise's first playoff win in a half-decade, it was the truly new faces -- rookies Jason Zucker and Charlie Coyle -- who made the biggest differences.
Zucker scored 2:15 into overtime Sunday, lifting the Wild to a 3-2 win over the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 3 of their opening-round playoff series.
Zucker's shot from the goal line to the left of the Chicago net found a tiny gap behind goalie Corey Crawford. Minnesota dominated for long stretches but needed overtime for its first playoff win since 2008.
Chicago leads the best-of-seven series 2-1. Game 4 is Tuesday, again at the Xcel Energy Center.
The game-winner seemed like a just reward for Zucker, who had a shot clank the crossbar in overtime during the series opener, a 2-1 Blackhawks win in Chicago.
"You never deserve anything. You've got to work for everything," Zucker said when asked if he deserved to get his first career playoff goal after coming so close two games ago. "I just tried keeping the puck on net and tried keeping at it, and this one happened to go in for me."
The Wild broke a 1-1 tie early in the third period when Parise's rising backhand shot, after a pretty setup pass from Coyle, sailed into the upper right corner of the net, eluding Crawford's glove. It was the first goal of the playoffs for Parise, who played a key role in the New Jersey Devils' march to the Stanley Cup finals last season before signing with his hometown team as an unrestricted free agent in July.
Parise had seven shots on goal -- most of them low -- in the Wild's 5-2 loss in Chicago on Friday, when he was unable to get one past Crawford.
"Charlie did a good job of getting in there on the forecheck, and I didn't know that he knew I was there," Parise said. "He made a really nice pass in front of the net, and I just wanted to get it upstairs. I've done enough trying to get it through on the ice, so I was going to try to go upstairs."
Trailing 2-1, the Blackhawks controlled the puck for much of the final five minutes in the third and finally tied the game with 2:46 remaining. A Duncan Keith slap shot from 40 feet out deflected off a Wild defender and past goalie Josh Harding, who finished with 25 saves.
Minnesota was much more physical in Game 3, finishing its checks after getting dominated for much of the first two games.
"Every game's different. Every shift's different. Momentum is important come playoff time," Chicago coach Joel Quenneville said. "When you lose the momentum, you need to try and get it back as soon as you can. It's tough you got the crowd against you, and in a hostile environment, you need to try to stem it as quickly as you can."
Chicago dominated long stretches of the first period and took the early 1-0 lead on Johnny Oduya's first goal of the playoffs. With Marian Hossa and Jonathan Toews occupying the defense on both sides of the net, Patrick Kane was able to zip a pass to Oduya, who shot from high in the left circle, through a crowd and past Harding at 13:26 of the first period.
Minnesota finally gave the eager and noisy crowd a reason to roar at 18:30 of the first period. Cal Clutterbuck got a shot on Crawford, and Pierre-Marc Bouchard was able to backhand the rebound high into the upper right corner of the net. It was also the first goal of the playoffs for Bouchard, who is the only member of the Wild who played 10 years ago, the last time Minnesota won a playoff series.
"Certainly this is something we can build off of," Wild coach Mike Yeo said, impressed with the way his team bounced back from a 5-2 loss in Game 2. "I think we did a good job after Game 2 of taking what we needed from that game and finding a way to raise our level and be a better team."
Both goalies were making their third start of the playoffs, which was not a surprise for Chicago, which had Crawford start regularly during the regular season. Harding's presence in net was unexpected, after he started just three games and was on injured reserve for 33 games, dealing with the effects of multiple sclerosis that was diagnosed during the NHL lockout.
Niklas Backstrom, who started 41 of 48 regular-season games for the Wild, was hurt in warmups prior to the first playoff game and has not played since.
Crawford finished with 34 saves for the Blackhawks, who won the first two games of the series in Chicago.
NOTES: Sunday's game was the first time the Wild have hosted a game in May in nearly a decade. On May 12, 2003, the Ducks beat Minnesota 2-0 in Game 2 of the Western Conference finals, a series that Anaheim swept 4-0. ... Center Dave Bolland and goaltender Ray Emery both made the trip to Minnesota, but neither one was in uniform for the Blackhawks on Sunday. Bolland is recovering from a groin injury, and Emery has a lower-body ailment. Neither has suited up in the playoffs. ... Minnesota's AHL affiliate, the Houston Aeros, played its last game ever on Saturday, a 7-0 loss to the Grand Rapids Griffins. The Aeros are moving to Des Moines in the offseason and will be renamed the Iowa Wild. The parent club called up forwards Jake Dowell, Stephane Veilleux and Mikael Granlund from the Aeros after the Saturday game. Veilleux played Sunday, while Granlund and Dowell were healthy scratches.
Kentucky Derby 2013 : Orb wins the Run for the Roses.
Sporting News; Contributing: Associated Press
Joel Rosario celebrates after riding Orb to victory in the 139th Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs Saturday, May 4, 2013, in Louisville, Ky. (AP Photo/David Goldman)
Orb has won the 139th Kentucky Derby.
Joel Rosario guided Orb through a tight pack on the home stretch Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Ky., for trainer Shug McGaughey's first victory in the Triple Crown's opening race.
"I was so far behind and I just let him be calm and let him be relaxed and he was available to do it all," Rosario said.
"I was so far behind and I just let him be calm and let him be relaxed and he was available to do it all," Rosario said.
Orb is almost certain to be among the favorites as he chases the second leg of a Triple Crown in two weeks. On May 18, Orb will be at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore for the Preakness Stakes. The race lasts 1 3/16 miles.
Orb outran the field of 19 horses in just over two minutes. He's the newest contender for a Triple Crown in thoroughbred racing.
The Preakness follows in two weeks and the Belmont Stakes is June 8. The last horse to sweep all three races was Affirmed in 1978.
When the field turned for home on the cool, overcast Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs, Normandy Invasion grabbed the lead while Orb was gearing up. But in the deep stretch, Orb prevailed, carrying Rosario to his first Derby win.
"Orb! Has come in with giants strides in the center of the track. It is Orb in front, down to the wire, Orb has won the Kentucky Derby!" — Larry Collmus, NBC race announcer, as the Kentucky Derby finished
"Shug McGaughey — I'm so happy for him," Rosario said.
McGaughey, a Lexington, Ky., native and Hall of Fame trainer, hadn't saddled a horse for the Derby since 2002. Hi best finish was in 1989 with Easy Goer, which finished second.
"It means everything to me," McGaughey said. "I always dreamed of this day and it finally came.
"I'm thrilled to death for (the owners), thrilled to death for the people who put so much time into this horse, and, of course, I'm thrilled to death for me," he said.
The Derby was the fifth consecutive victory for Orb, who won the Florida Derby and Fountain of Youth Stakes in his two previous starts.
Long shot Golden Soul was second with Revolutionary third.
Normandy Invasion faded to fourth.
Orb, the 5-1 favorite, ran the 1¼ miles in 2:02.89. Orb paid $12.80, $7.40 and $5.40.
Golden Soul returned $38.60 and $19.40 while Revolutionary paid $5.40 to show.
Golden Soul returned $38.60 and $19.40 while Revolutionary paid $5.40 to show.
Rosie Napravnik rode Mylute to a fifth-place finish, the best ever by a female jockey in the Derby.
Todd Pletcher had a record-tying five runners. Revolutionary was the best of the "Todd Squad," followed by Charming Kitten (ninth), Overanalyze (11th), Palace Malice (12th) and Verrazano (14th).
Goldencents, owned in part by Rick Pitino, coach of Louisville's NCAA Tournament basketball champions, finished a 17th. His jockey, Kevin Krigger, was trying to become the first black rider to win the race since 1902.
D. Wayne Lukas, who won the Derby four times and would have been the oldest trainer to saddle a winner, sent out two runners. Oxbow, with three-time Derby winning jockey Gary Stevens aboard, finished sixth. Will Take Charge was eighth.
Lines of Battle from Ireland finished seventh, denying European champion trainer Aidan O'Brien the international victory.
Rain ended just before post time. Orb and Revolutionary went off as co-favorites at 6-1 on a track that was muddy but tightly packed for the Run for the Roses.
Precipitation fell throughout the day, raising speculation about which of the 19 horses would be able to handle the slop at Churchill Downs.
Orb surged among bettors moments before the horses load into the gate. With $33.7 million wagered, more money had come in on Revolutionary but Orb backers made a late move.
Revolutionary went off with Derby winner Calvin Borel in the saddle.
Palace Malice set a fast pace at the half mile and led heading into the far turn.
Steady showers for most of the day stopped, bringing many out from under cover and livening up the Derby atmosphere.
Hanging cloud cover didn't stop many from discarding plastic ponchos and hat covers, which began piling up around the grandstand. Judging from those blowing on their hands, gloves might've been a nice idea as temperatures dropped into the 50s.
Women trying to brave the cool temperatures in sleeveless dresses probably would welcome jackets.
Precipitation fell throughout the day, raising speculation about which of the 19 horses would be able to handle the slop at Churchill Downs.
Orb surged among bettors moments before the horses load into the gate. With $33.7 million wagered, more money had come in on Revolutionary but Orb backers made a late move.
Revolutionary went off with Derby winner Calvin Borel in the saddle.
Palace Malice set a fast pace at the half mile and led heading into the far turn.
Steady showers for most of the day stopped, bringing many out from under cover and livening up the Derby atmosphere.
Hanging cloud cover didn't stop many from discarding plastic ponchos and hat covers, which began piling up around the grandstand. Judging from those blowing on their hands, gloves might've been a nice idea as temperatures dropped into the 50s.
Women trying to brave the cool temperatures in sleeveless dresses probably would welcome jackets.
Order of finish
1. Orb; $12.80, $7.40 and $5.40
2. Golden Soul; $38.60 and $19.40
3. Revolutionary; $5.40
4. Normandy Invasion
5. Mylute
6. Oxbow
7. Lines of Battle
8. Will Take Charge
9. Charming Kitten
10. Giant Finish
11. Overanalyze
12. Palace Malice
13. Java's War
14. Verrazano
15. Itsmyluckyday
16. Frac Daddy
17. Goldencents
18. Vyjack
19. Falling Sky
NBA-Highlights of Sunday's NBA playoff games.
2. Golden Soul; $38.60 and $19.40
3. Revolutionary; $5.40
4. Normandy Invasion
5. Mylute
6. Oxbow
7. Lines of Battle
8. Will Take Charge
9. Charming Kitten
10. Giant Finish
11. Overanalyze
12. Palace Malice
13. Java's War
14. Verrazano
15. Itsmyluckyday
16. Frac Daddy
17. Goldencents
18. Vyjack
19. Falling Sky
NBA-Highlights of Sunday's NBA playoff games.
Reuters
Thunder 93, Grizzlies 91
Kevin Durant had 35 points, 15 rebounds and six assists and nailed the go-ahead shot with 11.1 seconds left as top-seeded Oklahoma City rallied to upend visiting Memphis in the opening game of the Western Conference semi-finals.
The fifth-seeded Grizzlies led 90-87 with 1:07 to play but committed two costly turnovers in the final 18 seconds and were unable to get a shot off before the buzzer after Quincy Pondexter intentionally missed a free throw with 1.6 seconds left.
Marc Gasol had 20 points and 10 rebounds and Zach Randolph had 18 points and 10 boards for Memphis, which hurt itself by going 14-of-24 from the free-throw line.
The Thunder caught the Grizzlies at 84 on Durant's short jumper with 3:46 remaining but Memphis rebounded to take a 90-87 lead on Gasol's basket with 1:07 left.
Memphis still had a one-point lead when Derek Fisher made a steal with 17.9 seconds left to set up Durant's go-ahead hoop, and the Grizzlies turned the ball over again on Gasol's bad pass with 3.5 seconds remaining.
Oklahoma City's Reggie Jackson hit two free throws with 2.9 seconds left but fouled Pondexter while he was attempting a tying three-pointer.
Pondexter missed the first, made the second and his intentional miss was eventually corralled by Gasol but the contest ended prior to Gasol's desperate shot.
- - -
Pacers 102, Knicks 95
David West scored 20 points and Paul George added 19 as visiting Indiana took Game One from New York in the Eastern Conference semi-finals.
Roy Hibbert collected 14 points, eight rebounds and five blocks and Lance Stephenson had 11 points and 13 rebounds for the third-seeded Pacers, who took back homecourt advantage in the best-of-seven series.
Carmelo Anthony scored 27 points on 10-of-28 shooting and Raymond Felton had 18 for the Knicks in the physical battle. The teams combined for 42 personal fouls.
New York trailed 81-65 to start the fourth quarter but Anthony scored six consecutive points as the Knicks chipped away before falling short.
Game Two is on Tuesday in New York.
(Editing by Gene Cherry)
NBA-Highlights of Saturday's playoff games.
Reuters
Bulls 99 Nets 93
Joakim Noah had 24 points, 14 rebounds and six blocked shots to lead the injury-ravaged Bulls over the host Nets in Game Seven to clinch their Eastern Conference first-round series.
Marco Belinelli also scored 24 points and Carlos Boozer added 17 as fifth-seeded Chicago advances to face the top-seeded Miami Heat in the conference semi-finals, which begin Monday in Miami.
Bulls forward Luol Deng missed his second straight game because of illness and was hospitalized in Chicago and point guard Kirk Hinrich (calf) missed his third consecutive contest.
Deron Williams scored 24 points, Brook Lopez added 21 and Gerald Wallace tallied 19 for the fourth-seeded Nets. Brooklyn won back-to-back games to force a Game Seven, but never led in the finale.
The Nets trailed by 10 points with 7:07 remaining and were able to pull within 97-93 on a three-pointer by Williams with 26.6 seconds left.
Belinelli hit two free throws to push the margin to six but Williams and Joe Johnson missed three-pointers on Brooklyn's next possession as Chicago sealed its improbable victory.
Noah had 16 points on 8-of-11 shooting in the first half as the Bulls took a surprising 61-44 halftime lead.
Brooklyn rebounded to pull within four midway through the third quarter, before Chicago took an 82-75 advantage into the final stanza.
(Editing by Ben Everill)
Fans boo, leave early as Floyd Mayweather Jr. reverts to 'boring' style against Robert Guerrero.
By Martin Rogers
Floyd Mayweather is known to turn a phrase and has described himself as "greatest of all-time," "pound-for-pound king," and "ultimate entertainer."
A case could be made for the first two self-given monikers after his dominant win over Robert Guerrero at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, but the third was proven an utter fallacy. Ultimate entertainment this was not, due to both Mayweather's total dominance and his defense-oriented gameplan.
A case could be made for the first two self-given monikers after his dominant win over Robert Guerrero at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday, but the third was proven an utter fallacy. Ultimate entertainment this was not, due to both Mayweather's total dominance and his defense-oriented gameplan.
Toward the end of the fight boos could be heard from the crowd, yells of "boring" raining down from different sections of the arena. By the midway point of the final round, many had voted with their feet, making their way up to the exits with their backs turned to the ring.
While Mayweather had too much class for a game but overmatched Guerrero, the lack of drama and absence of a knockout was not enough to appease some, who'd clearly hoped for more thrills and spills in exchange for tickets priced in the high hundreds or low thousands.
"All I want to do is give the fans exciting fights," Mayweather said. "I feel bad I didn't give the fans the knockout. I was looking for it."
The boos were somewhat harsh, whatever way you look at it. Yahoo! Sports scored the bout 119-109, giving Guerrero just a single round, while the judges ruled the contest 117-111. It was a mauling, a blowout and deconstruction of a four-weight world champion.
It is not Mayweather's fault that he doesn't have the kind of current opposition who may bring out the best in him; though that has to be qualified by the reality that he wields executive and supreme power over his choice of opponents and cherry-picks contenders he feels will pose no threat.
Similarly, it is hard to fault a man who prioritizes his personal safety.
With five fights now left in his contract, and likely his career, his legacy will partly be shaped by his performances in the bouts that follow. A perception that his fights are boring could certainly harm the fondness with which he is remembered in the fight game, if not his place on the all-time rankings.
The boos were somewhat harsh, whatever way you look at it. Yahoo! Sports scored the bout 119-109, giving Guerrero just a single round, while the judges ruled the contest 117-111. It was a mauling, a blowout and deconstruction of a four-weight world champion.
It is not Mayweather's fault that he doesn't have the kind of current opposition who may bring out the best in him; though that has to be qualified by the reality that he wields executive and supreme power over his choice of opponents and cherry-picks contenders he feels will pose no threat.
Similarly, it is hard to fault a man who prioritizes his personal safety.
With five fights now left in his contract, and likely his career, his legacy will partly be shaped by his performances in the bouts that follow. A perception that his fights are boring could certainly harm the fondness with which he is remembered in the fight game, if not his place on the all-time rankings.
Boxing needs showmanship and electric performances more than ever, and the public audience may start to feel that the flamboyance and flashiness should extend further than the obligatory all-access shows and into the ring.
Changing his fight style would not only be a shift in tactics for Mayweather, it would represent a fundamental shift in his boxing philosophy.
With foot speed that enables him to skip out of the way of most punches thrown at him, he may be hard-pressed to convince himself to stand in the pocket and willingly receive punishment merely to please the audience.
"The less you get hit in the sport, the longer you last," he said. "We've got five more to go. Let's do it."
Another night, another fight, another routine victory for Floyd Mayweather. But with the commitment of a $200 million Showtime deal, this contest, and the crowd's reaction to it, will give him some food for thought.
National Football Post Sunday Blitz.
By Dan Pompei
Something is going on with cornerbacks in the NFL.
“There has been a lot of discussion about cornerbacks,” said Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff, who traded up in the first round to take Desmond Trufant, and then used a second round pick on another cornerback in Robert Alford.
By my count, the Falcons are at least 18 teams have acquired one or more cornerback in the offseason who they intend to start when the season opens. Fifteen of those teams have acquired a probable starting cornerback who can be listed at 6-0 or taller.
For some of this, we can thank Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks. The success the Seahawks had with tall, press and run corners Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner has forced a lot of teams to rethink the position.
“There are a lot of defensive coordinators and head coaches and general managers who are tired of seeing their corners out jumped and outmuscled for balls by big receivers,” Dimitroff said. “So there has been a wave of consideration for approaching it like Seattle does with bigger, athletic corners who can get up and jam and run and do the jump ball thing.”
It isn’t that teams still don’t want highly athletic, fluid cornerbacks with the ability to cover quick receivers all over the field in man to man. But there aren’t enough of those players out there. So rather than trying to play with a 5-10 corner who isn’t quick enough or big enough to do everything a game plan may call for, some teams are going with a different style of cornerback, and ultimately, a different style of coverage.
It is easier to find big corners who can press and drop into zone than it is to find quick footed, loose hipped corners with the size and strength to muscle up against receivers like Julio Jones and Calvin Johnson. Sherman was a fifth round pick; Browner never was drafted, and the Seahawks picked him up after a stint in the CFL.
Some cornerbacks who play a similar style that were chosen late in the draft include Tharold Simon (fifth round by the Seahawks), Micah Hyde (fifth round by the Packers) and Jeremy Harris (seventh round by the Jaguars).
And some of those big press corners went early, too. The Vikings took Xavier Rhodes with the 25th overall pick. The Bucs chose Johnthan Banks with the 43rd selection. The Redskins went for David Amerson on pick 51. The Titans took Blidi Wreh-Wilson with the 70th pick.
Some thought Rhodes would be chosen about 10 picks higher. But taking him in the early teens may have been too high, given that scouts see him as rigid and somewhat inefficient in terms of coverage skills.
Despite the trend to bigger corners, not every team put a high value on Rhodes. The Falcons took Trufant ahead of him. “He doesn’t fit every team,” said one regional scout who did extensive work on Rhodes. “He can play press, beat him off the line and then fall back into zone. But can he be a guy who can play off and stick with a quick receiver? If we’re all going to what Seattle is doing with DBs, he’s the ideal. But you don’t always have to pay a premium for that player.”
Rhodes is perfect for what the Vikings want. “We like the big press corners,” Minnesota general manager Rick Spielman said. “That’s why we have Chris Cook and A.J. Jefferson. Even though people say we’re a Tampa 2, we don’t play a lot of Tampa 2. Having those types of corners, especially with the quarterbacks and receivers we have to face in the NFC North division, helps you match up physically. Getting a guy like that definitely helps.”
Going with players like Rhodes could be the best hope to defend the new breed of wide receiver in the NFL. And as a result, the cornerback position is changing.
My Sunday Best: Undrafted Players
Was it just me or were there a lot of solid prospects who went undrafted this year? Here, with a little help from my front office friends, are my Sunday best college free agents.
QB--Tyler Bray, Chiefs. If he had been a little more disciplined off the field, he would have been drafted, maybe as high as the third round. Some thought he had the best arm in his class. Honorable mention goes to Matt Scott of the Jags.
RB— Miguel Maysonnet, Eagles. This was a highly productive small school player who needs to prove he can make a step up against better competition. Ray Graham signing with the Texans also was a nice pickup, as was Michael Ford with the Bears.
FB— Zach Line, Vikings. He is a player who can carry the ball as well as block. Vikings coaches are going to love his toughness.
WR-- Russell Shephard, Eagles. He may not be a special talent, but Shepard knows how to get open and catch. He is capable of carving out a role.
WR—Zach Rogers, Jets. He got lost in the shuffle at Tennessee, but he can run and is competitive. He could blossom in the NFL.
TE-- Joseph Fauria, Lions. The Lions like to throw, and he is a tall tight end who can catch. Fauria has the athleticism to stick.
OT—Xavier Nixon, Redskins. He probably would have been a third or fourth round pick, but he failed a lot of physicals, according to one front office man. He has the athleticism to become a left tackle if stays healthy, works hard and adds strength.
OT—Chris Faulk, Browns. There were a surprising number of tackle prospects with talent who went undrafted, including Nick Becton (Chargers), Luke Marquardt (49ers) and Emmett Cleary (Colts). Faulk might have been a pretty high pick if he had not blown out his knee and missed most of the 2012 season.
G—Alvin Bailey, Seahawks. He showed his athleticism in workouts, but some NFL scouts question if it translates to the field. One front office man said he thought he would go in the fourth round.
G—Mike Golic Jr., Steelers. He may be a long shot, but his competiveness and toughness will serve him well in camp. If he gets a break, he will take advantage of it.
C—Graham Pocic, Texans. NFL personnel men I spoke with said they thought he would go in the fourth or fifth round. Pocic might be a man without a position, as teams are unsure if he is a center, guard or tackle. He could become a backup at all five line positions.
DE--Lerentee McCray, Broncos. He is a tweener but has some athleticism and potential to be a situational pass rusher and special teams player.
DE—Wes Horton, Panthers. The defensive ends were picked pretty clean in the draft. Horton has an NFL body but needs to show he knows what to do with it.
DT—Kwame Geathers, Chargers. The scouts I spoke with about Geathers must have been higher on him than many, because I thought he’d be off the board in the fourth round. He isn’t going to make plays, but he’s tough to move with his size.
DT—T.J. Barnes, Jaguars. This big space eater came on last season, and if he continues to develop he can help the Jags.
OLB—Chase Thomas, Saints. His stock dropped as the draft process went on, but he had some good tape and could develop in Rob Ryan’s defense.
OLB—Brandon McGee, Cowboys. His lack of size is why he wasn’t drafted, but he has the instincts, energy and suddenness to be a hit on special teams, at the very least.
MLB/ILB—Kevin Reddick, Saints. It wouldn’t have been a surprise to see him picked as high as the third round. He was a pretty good college player and he has the skills to translate.
S—Rontez Miles, Jets. He probably would have been drafted if not for running a 4.59 40 yard dash at the combine. After that, there were questions about whether or not Miles was a strong safety only.
S-- Robert Lester, Panthers. NFL teams liked his instincts but questioned his play speed. Lester is one of those guys who makes plays though.
CB—Daxton Swanson, Colts. Small school corners like him have a history of developing and playing well in the NFL. Swanson doesn’t have ideal size, but he could be a nickel defender who plays over the slot.
CB—Aaron Hester, Broncos. With his size and ability to press, Hester should stick in Denver or somewhere else. The key is fitting him in the right scheme.
Things I Didn’t Used To Know
*The Browns’ draft board was arranged alphabetically, which is very unorthodox and can make it difficult to make decisions on the fly. Front office men around the league were buzzing about the unusual board last week. Also noteworthy is that the Browns did not allow the majority of their scouts in the draft room. But they are not the only team that locks out scouts.
*Justin Blackmon’s four game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy points to the big picture problem with Blackmon. The word out of EverBank Field is the Jaguars have found him to be too easily distracted. He loses focus and lacks consistency. And it has affected his performance. The Jags’ new regime likes Blackmon’s talent. But will the Jaguars ever see him realize it?
One Man Yelp: Total Recall
I love a great American success story. They don’t come much greater than Arnold Schwarzenegger’s. Poor kid from Austria comes to America as a weightlifter. Becomes the greatest bodybuilder in history. Parlays his muscles into becoming the most renown action movie leading man of a generation. Marries a Kennedy. And then he becomes governor of the country’s largest state.
Schwarzenegger tells his story with seemingly total recall in Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story. It’s probably too much recall, more than 1,300 pages on my Ipad version and 646 pages in print. And a lot of those pages are filled with Schwarzenegger bravado and chest beating. But there are a lot of good anecdotes, and a lot of honesty in these pages.
He even comes clean on his affair with the housekeeper that resulted in a son and the separation from his wife Maria, taking full responsibility for his actions in a chapter entitled “The Secret.” “It was one of those stupid things that I promised myself never to do,” he write. “My whole life I never had anything going with anyone who worked for me. This happened in 1996 when Maria and the kids were away on holiday and I was in town finishing Batman and Robin. Mildred [the housekeeper] had been working in our household for five years, and all of a sudden we were alone in the guest house.”
The incident casts a different light on Schwarzenegger, no doubt. But he remains a fascinating man.
Here were some of my favorite tidbits from the book:
*His childhood home was a stone and brick building that used coal ovens for heat. There was no plumbing, no shower, and the nearest well was almost a quarter mile away.
*As a boy he would buy dozens of ice cream cones for one schilling, then sell them for three. Then, he started panhandling. A good day would net 100 schillings.
*When Schwarzenegger began bodybuilding as a teenager and had posters of other bodybuilders on his walls, his mother was concerned about why he didn’t have posters of girls on his walls.
*When he and Maria were looking for a home in Beverly Hills, a real estate agent took them to a property that once belonged to actress Gloria Swanson. In the basement was a tunnel that led to a nearby house. Maria’s grandfather Joseph Kennedy had used that tunnel many times during a long running affair with Swanson in the 1920s.
*At one point, the Schwarzenneger house included a John McCain poster on the front door and a life sized President Obama cutout in the living room. Schwarzenegger, a Republican, and his wife, a Democrat, raised one Democrat, one Republican and two independents.
People have called Schwarzenneger many things. But I don’t think he can be called uninteresting.
Hot Reads
*Everything you wanted to know about almost every player in the 2013 draft is here.
*Nice read from the talented Seth Wickersham on where Tom Brady is in his career and his life.
*Hey Geno Smith, if the draft was your agent’s fault, will the interception be your receiver’s fault?
*LeSean McCoy can’t beat Michael Vick in a foot race. But as long as he can beat London Fletcher in a foot race, it’s all good.
*If Matt Cassel taught Tom Brady everything he knows, he is a much better coach than quarterback.
David Ragan steals last-lap victory at Talladega.
By
National Football Post Sunday Blitz.
By Dan Pompei
Something is going on with cornerbacks in the NFL.
“There has been a lot of discussion about cornerbacks,” said Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff, who traded up in the first round to take Desmond Trufant, and then used a second round pick on another cornerback in Robert Alford.
By my count, the Falcons are at least 18 teams have acquired one or more cornerback in the offseason who they intend to start when the season opens. Fifteen of those teams have acquired a probable starting cornerback who can be listed at 6-0 or taller.
For some of this, we can thank Pete Carroll and the Seattle Seahawks. The success the Seahawks had with tall, press and run corners Richard Sherman and Brandon Browner has forced a lot of teams to rethink the position.
“There are a lot of defensive coordinators and head coaches and general managers who are tired of seeing their corners out jumped and outmuscled for balls by big receivers,” Dimitroff said. “So there has been a wave of consideration for approaching it like Seattle does with bigger, athletic corners who can get up and jam and run and do the jump ball thing.”
It isn’t that teams still don’t want highly athletic, fluid cornerbacks with the ability to cover quick receivers all over the field in man to man. But there aren’t enough of those players out there. So rather than trying to play with a 5-10 corner who isn’t quick enough or big enough to do everything a game plan may call for, some teams are going with a different style of cornerback, and ultimately, a different style of coverage.
It is easier to find big corners who can press and drop into zone than it is to find quick footed, loose hipped corners with the size and strength to muscle up against receivers like Julio Jones and Calvin Johnson. Sherman was a fifth round pick; Browner never was drafted, and the Seahawks picked him up after a stint in the CFL.
Some cornerbacks who play a similar style that were chosen late in the draft include Tharold Simon (fifth round by the Seahawks), Micah Hyde (fifth round by the Packers) and Jeremy Harris (seventh round by the Jaguars).
And some of those big press corners went early, too. The Vikings took Xavier Rhodes with the 25th overall pick. The Bucs chose Johnthan Banks with the 43rd selection. The Redskins went for David Amerson on pick 51. The Titans took Blidi Wreh-Wilson with the 70th pick.
Some thought Rhodes would be chosen about 10 picks higher. But taking him in the early teens may have been too high, given that scouts see him as rigid and somewhat inefficient in terms of coverage skills.
Despite the trend to bigger corners, not every team put a high value on Rhodes. The Falcons took Trufant ahead of him. “He doesn’t fit every team,” said one regional scout who did extensive work on Rhodes. “He can play press, beat him off the line and then fall back into zone. But can he be a guy who can play off and stick with a quick receiver? If we’re all going to what Seattle is doing with DBs, he’s the ideal. But you don’t always have to pay a premium for that player.”
Rhodes is perfect for what the Vikings want. “We like the big press corners,” Minnesota general manager Rick Spielman said. “That’s why we have Chris Cook and A.J. Jefferson. Even though people say we’re a Tampa 2, we don’t play a lot of Tampa 2. Having those types of corners, especially with the quarterbacks and receivers we have to face in the NFC North division, helps you match up physically. Getting a guy like that definitely helps.”
Going with players like Rhodes could be the best hope to defend the new breed of wide receiver in the NFL. And as a result, the cornerback position is changing.
My Sunday Best: Undrafted Players
Was it just me or were there a lot of solid prospects who went undrafted this year? Here, with a little help from my front office friends, are my Sunday best college free agents.
QB--Tyler Bray, Chiefs. If he had been a little more disciplined off the field, he would have been drafted, maybe as high as the third round. Some thought he had the best arm in his class. Honorable mention goes to Matt Scott of the Jags.
RB— Miguel Maysonnet, Eagles. This was a highly productive small school player who needs to prove he can make a step up against better competition. Ray Graham signing with the Texans also was a nice pickup, as was Michael Ford with the Bears.
FB— Zach Line, Vikings. He is a player who can carry the ball as well as block. Vikings coaches are going to love his toughness.
WR-- Russell Shephard, Eagles. He may not be a special talent, but Shepard knows how to get open and catch. He is capable of carving out a role.
WR—Zach Rogers, Jets. He got lost in the shuffle at Tennessee, but he can run and is competitive. He could blossom in the NFL.
TE-- Joseph Fauria, Lions. The Lions like to throw, and he is a tall tight end who can catch. Fauria has the athleticism to stick.
OT—Xavier Nixon, Redskins. He probably would have been a third or fourth round pick, but he failed a lot of physicals, according to one front office man. He has the athleticism to become a left tackle if stays healthy, works hard and adds strength.
OT—Chris Faulk, Browns. There were a surprising number of tackle prospects with talent who went undrafted, including Nick Becton (Chargers), Luke Marquardt (49ers) and Emmett Cleary (Colts). Faulk might have been a pretty high pick if he had not blown out his knee and missed most of the 2012 season.
G—Alvin Bailey, Seahawks. He showed his athleticism in workouts, but some NFL scouts question if it translates to the field. One front office man said he thought he would go in the fourth round.
G—Mike Golic Jr., Steelers. He may be a long shot, but his competiveness and toughness will serve him well in camp. If he gets a break, he will take advantage of it.
C—Graham Pocic, Texans. NFL personnel men I spoke with said they thought he would go in the fourth or fifth round. Pocic might be a man without a position, as teams are unsure if he is a center, guard or tackle. He could become a backup at all five line positions.
DE--Lerentee McCray, Broncos. He is a tweener but has some athleticism and potential to be a situational pass rusher and special teams player.
DE—Wes Horton, Panthers. The defensive ends were picked pretty clean in the draft. Horton has an NFL body but needs to show he knows what to do with it.
DT—Kwame Geathers, Chargers. The scouts I spoke with about Geathers must have been higher on him than many, because I thought he’d be off the board in the fourth round. He isn’t going to make plays, but he’s tough to move with his size.
DT—T.J. Barnes, Jaguars. This big space eater came on last season, and if he continues to develop he can help the Jags.
OLB—Chase Thomas, Saints. His stock dropped as the draft process went on, but he had some good tape and could develop in Rob Ryan’s defense.
OLB—Brandon McGee, Cowboys. His lack of size is why he wasn’t drafted, but he has the instincts, energy and suddenness to be a hit on special teams, at the very least.
MLB/ILB—Kevin Reddick, Saints. It wouldn’t have been a surprise to see him picked as high as the third round. He was a pretty good college player and he has the skills to translate.
S—Rontez Miles, Jets. He probably would have been drafted if not for running a 4.59 40 yard dash at the combine. After that, there were questions about whether or not Miles was a strong safety only.
S-- Robert Lester, Panthers. NFL teams liked his instincts but questioned his play speed. Lester is one of those guys who makes plays though.
CB—Daxton Swanson, Colts. Small school corners like him have a history of developing and playing well in the NFL. Swanson doesn’t have ideal size, but he could be a nickel defender who plays over the slot.
CB—Aaron Hester, Broncos. With his size and ability to press, Hester should stick in Denver or somewhere else. The key is fitting him in the right scheme.
Things I Didn’t Used To Know
*The Browns’ draft board was arranged alphabetically, which is very unorthodox and can make it difficult to make decisions on the fly. Front office men around the league were buzzing about the unusual board last week. Also noteworthy is that the Browns did not allow the majority of their scouts in the draft room. But they are not the only team that locks out scouts.
*Justin Blackmon’s four game suspension for violating the league’s substance abuse policy points to the big picture problem with Blackmon. The word out of EverBank Field is the Jaguars have found him to be too easily distracted. He loses focus and lacks consistency. And it has affected his performance. The Jags’ new regime likes Blackmon’s talent. But will the Jaguars ever see him realize it?
One Man Yelp: Total Recall
I love a great American success story. They don’t come much greater than Arnold Schwarzenegger’s. Poor kid from Austria comes to America as a weightlifter. Becomes the greatest bodybuilder in history. Parlays his muscles into becoming the most renown action movie leading man of a generation. Marries a Kennedy. And then he becomes governor of the country’s largest state.
Schwarzenegger tells his story with seemingly total recall in Total Recall: My Unbelievably True Life Story. It’s probably too much recall, more than 1,300 pages on my Ipad version and 646 pages in print. And a lot of those pages are filled with Schwarzenegger bravado and chest beating. But there are a lot of good anecdotes, and a lot of honesty in these pages.
He even comes clean on his affair with the housekeeper that resulted in a son and the separation from his wife Maria, taking full responsibility for his actions in a chapter entitled “The Secret.” “It was one of those stupid things that I promised myself never to do,” he write. “My whole life I never had anything going with anyone who worked for me. This happened in 1996 when Maria and the kids were away on holiday and I was in town finishing Batman and Robin. Mildred [the housekeeper] had been working in our household for five years, and all of a sudden we were alone in the guest house.”
The incident casts a different light on Schwarzenegger, no doubt. But he remains a fascinating man.
Here were some of my favorite tidbits from the book:
*His childhood home was a stone and brick building that used coal ovens for heat. There was no plumbing, no shower, and the nearest well was almost a quarter mile away.
*As a boy he would buy dozens of ice cream cones for one schilling, then sell them for three. Then, he started panhandling. A good day would net 100 schillings.
*When Schwarzenegger began bodybuilding as a teenager and had posters of other bodybuilders on his walls, his mother was concerned about why he didn’t have posters of girls on his walls.
*When he and Maria were looking for a home in Beverly Hills, a real estate agent took them to a property that once belonged to actress Gloria Swanson. In the basement was a tunnel that led to a nearby house. Maria’s grandfather Joseph Kennedy had used that tunnel many times during a long running affair with Swanson in the 1920s.
*At one point, the Schwarzenneger house included a John McCain poster on the front door and a life sized President Obama cutout in the living room. Schwarzenegger, a Republican, and his wife, a Democrat, raised one Democrat, one Republican and two independents.
People have called Schwarzenneger many things. But I don’t think he can be called uninteresting.
Hot Reads
*Everything you wanted to know about almost every player in the 2013 draft is here.
*Nice read from the talented Seth Wickersham on where Tom Brady is in his career and his life.
*A poll shows great support for the Redskins name. The majority of poll responders presumably where Whiteskins, Blackskins and Yellowskins.
*Hey Geno Smith, if the draft was your agent’s fault, will the interception be your receiver’s fault?
*LeSean McCoy can’t beat Michael Vick in a foot race. But as long as he can beat London Fletcher in a foot race, it’s all good.
*If Matt Cassel taught Tom Brady everything he knows, he is a much better coach than quarterback.
David Ragan steals last-lap victory at Talladega.
By
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