With the first overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, the St. Louis Rams select... Heading into this year's NFL Draft, it was a no brainer Oklahoma QB and 2008 Heisman Trophy winner Sam Bradford was heading to St. Louis as the number one pick. In need of a quarterback to help turn the franchise around, anyone other than Bradford would be mind boggling. What wasn't known in the draft however, was where and when 2-time BCS champion Tim Tebow was going to be taken, which soon became the talk of the draft. With the 25th overall pick in the first round, the Denver Broncos not only took a chance on Tebow, but they also made the decision to take him over Notre Dame's Jimmy Claussen and Texas' Colt McCoy. Something no one seen coming.
Regarded as one of the best college quarterbacks of all-time, Tebow was one of the bigger stories coming into the draft, but he also turned out to be one of the bigger surprises as well by being selected as early as he was. A 25th pick in the first round was something no analyst had expected. In fact, many projected him to be a late 2nd round pick if not selected in the 3rd. Instead he lands to a franchise who's been in need of a leader since trading away their 2008 Pro Bowl QB Jay Cutler to Chicago in the 2009 offseason. And if you were to look up the word 'leader' in the dictionary, you would be greeted by a picture of none other than Mr. Tebow himself. After getting rid of Cutler last season and Brandon Marshall just weeks ago, Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels adds another question mark to his resume by targeting the highly doubted Florida QB. All of which has become part of a very questionable master plan by the young coach.
Although starting his rookie season is unlikely, Tebow will be competing alongside Kyle Orton and newly acquired Brady Quinn for the starting job. With someone who's as positive and good spirited as Tim Tebow is, it's hard to root against him. Which is why I wish nothing but the best for him and his career in the NFL. And if the fans of the home team couldn't jump on the bandwagon of their newest member any sooner, they did so by making his jersey the fastest-selling rookie jersey of all-time. Tebow's blue and orange Broncos jersey which somewhat resembles the same colors he donned with the Gators for 4 successful seasons, surpasses the previous record set by Mark Sanchez' Jets uni just a season ago. With his new throwing motion and mechanics, it'll be interesting to see how Tim Tebow adjusts to the NFL. Something many don't think he can do.
Jimenez' No-No - With the NFL Draft and a handful of other more significant sporting events going on such as the NBA & NHL Playoffs, not many fans were glued to their television when a Saturday night game took place in Atlanta between the home team Braves and the visiting Colorado Rockies. But little did we know that a baseball game just two weeks and 11-games into the season would steal all the headlines. At least in my book. A rare feat that was overlooked on April 17th, was the no-hitter thrown by Colorado's Ubaldo Jimenez. In a 4-0 win over the Braves, the 26-year old Dominican born right-hander who's entering his fifth season in the bigs, threw nine hit-less innings and collected all 27-outs to become the first player to throw a no-hitter in Rockies franchise history.
Capped off by a career high 128 pitches, Ubaldo managed to reach the century mark on the radar gun 3 times during the game and ended up striking out 7 batters while walking 6. 5 of which coming in the first 4 innings. His biggest transformation was made in the fifth inning when he switched from the windup to the stretch delivery. Backed by 4-runs of offensive support including a 2-out RBI single of his own, Jimenez logged the first no-hitter of the 2010 season, less than 20 games in. Although a no-hitter is a no-hitter, those thrown in April often tend to be more forgettable than those thrown in August or down the stretch and in the midst of a pennant race. Something the Rockies are expected to be in come the final month or so of the 2010 season.
Ubaldo's masterful gem finally put the Rockies on the no-hit map, after the team's first 18 seasons without one. It also couldn't have came at a better time, given the franchise is in need of as much motivation as possible after receiving the unfortunate news of it's team president Keli McGregor passing just days earlier. With the Rockies now off the hook in terms of ball clubs who've been yet to throw a no-hitter, only three teams out of the 30 big league ball clubs remain on the list. The New York Mets who lead the pack entering their 49th season, the San Diego Padres in their 42nd and the Tampa Bay Rays who are still young barely in their 13th season. But it's only a matter of time before another franchise is checked off the list. Question is, who will it be?
Don't call Jimenez' stellar performance a fluke either, as he went on to win his next starts by giving up only 3 runs combined. So far this season Jimenez has won all five of his starts, while posting a jaw dropping 0.79 ERA. All numbers that could make for a great Cy Young race within the NL West alone between San Francisco's Tim Lincecum and Arizona's Dan Haren. Sorry L.A. and San Diego.
Intimidation can often play a big role in sports, but no sport favors one player intimidating another than those in baseball. Whether it's a pitcher afraid of a certain hitter or vice-versa. And to help their case, players of the home team are greeted at the plate or out of the bullpen with a 30-second intro song of their choice. Whether it's the likes of Eric Gagne who was introduced coming out of the bullpen at Chavez Ravine/Dodger Stadium with Guns N' Roses' 'Welcome to the Jungle' blasting out of the speakers as he made his way to the mound to close a game in the 9th inning, or New York Yankee Alex Rodriguez stepping up to the plate with a Jay-Z song bumping in the background. And then there's those who select a song that relates to their name.
Take Cincinnati Reds third-baseman Scott Rolen for example, who makes his visit to the batters box to Limp Bizkit's "Rollin". Or former big league pitcher Mike Myers who came out of the bullpen to the theme song of the horror movie Halloween. Now to me, those all make sense. One song a number of players have recently been introduced at the plate to however, is raising quite a few eyebrows, including mine. Whether they're not afraid to share their soft side or they're just expressing their not so secret interest in Disney's Hannah Montana, the truth may never be told. That's right, Florida Marlins center fielder Cameron Maybin and New York Yankees designated-hitter Nick Johnson have both made trips to the plate this season with yep, you guessed it -- the young female pop mogul Miley Cyrus' hit song "Party in the USA." Now if this was woman's softball I can understand, but the Major League's? Playing in the big apple, it was only a matter of time before Yankee DH Nick Johnson was asked about his song selection. Johnson says the song is a favorite of his four-year old daughter who often watches her father play from the stands, but Johnson also admitted he likes the song as well by saying, "I'll get up in the family room and sing it. It's got a good twist to it." I'm guessing he's joking about the last part, but Maybin on the other hand has no excuse. As the 31-year old Johnson can use his daughter as an excuse for the decision to choose "Party in the USA" as his walk up music, Maybin can't do the same considering he's only 23 and doesn't have any kids. Maybe Hannah Montana is his little sister's favorite TV show? Neh, I'm not buying that. But as cheesy as the song is for a grown man to step up to the plate to, at least Maybin can get away with it given he plays for the Marlins who own a fan base or the lack there of who are infamous for not showing up to support their team. Johnson was a member of the Marlins last season, so maybe it's a clubhouse thing?
The Buddy System - With Donovan McNabb now in Washington, could we be in store for a T.O. - McNabb reunion? According to sources, the Redskins and their new quarterback have begun to consider signing veteran wide-receiver Terrell Owens, who teams have shown little interest in this offseason and is still a free-agent seeking a place to play. After a shaky relationship between both players who were often seen feuding on a daily basis in the city of Brotherly Love from 2004-2005, McNabb has begun encouraging his new organization to consider signing the 6-time Pro Bowler. And with a new team who lacks the talent in the wide-receiver department that McNabb had in Philly, T.O. to the nation's capital sounds like a perfect nesting ground.
According to Owen's agent, the discussion of once again playing alongside one another began when the two were on set to film an episode of Spike TV's 'Pro's vs. Joe's'. An episode that brought back memories of the two, as McNabb was seen connecting to Owens in the end-zone just like old times. But with a new coach and sheriff in town, would Mike Shannahan be able to handle a relationship like the one McNabb and Owens have, in only his first year in Washington? Owens' agent also said, "The two are buddies again." But how long will that last, before they begin bumping heads if the they end up playing for the same team again? Thanks to T.O.'s offseason arrival to Philadelphia in 2004, McNabb had his best season statistically as he went on to become the first quarterback in league history to throw for over 30 touchdowns and less than 10 interceptions in a single season. The Eagles went on to the Superbowl for the first time since 1980, where they lost to the New England Patriots 24-21.
Although the idea of reuniting Owens and McNabb remains a rumor, could it be best for the team? In most cases I would say no, but given the two have recent history and have shown they can be a deadly duo in the passing game, I say yes. There's no doubt T.O. is a cancer to the team wherever he goes, but given McNabb's been through it all before, it's nothing he can't handle. Besides, the Redskins current receiving corps highlighted by Santonio Moss isn't expected to do the job alone, so I say take a shot at acquiring T.O. regardless of the troubles he brings to the sidelines and into the locker room. And it's not like he'll be asking for much, granted no other team has dished him an offer to this point.
Make My Day - With the first round of the NBA Playoffs already underway, commissioner David Stern has become one of if not the most busiest man in the league for dishing out fines and suspensions for those in need. Take Kevin Garnett for example who was issues a 1-game suspension earlier this week for throwing an elbow that connected to the face of Miami's Quinton Richardson after a sideline scuffle between the Heat and Celtics. And then there's the $35,000 fine that Lakers head coach Phil Jackson received for his comments towards how the refs were treating Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant like a superstar, sending him to the foul-line every other trip down the court. Stern has had his hands full as of late by trying to defend his officials, whether it means dishing out fines or suspensions to whoever speaks out and criticizes their officiating, player or coach.
Stern, who's been atop the throne as the commissioner for 26-years now says he wishes he done this 20-years ago when Pat Riley and Phil Jackson first started the trend of questioning calls on behalf of the refs. Two decades later, it looks like he's is finally ready to take charge. A message was sent out to the entire league by David Stern himself who tried giving his best Clint Eastwood impression by saying, "If someone wants to try me in the rest of these playoffs, make my day." Stern's 5-foot nothing physique might not scare anyone off, but his commitment to fine you $30,000 big ones might do the trick. And if that doesn't, threatening to suspend you for a game when everything including a championship is at stake, surely will.
Head coach of the defending Eastern Conference champions Orlando Magic - Stan Van Gundy recently made the news by criticizing not the officiating of the NBA, but rather the length of the playoffs. Stan Van commented that the first round takes longer than three weeks and that there's too many off days in between games. Although his comments aren't expected to lead to a fine, they could however, lead to a quicker, more fast pasted playoffs, right? Wrong. Whether or not the fans, players and coaches agree with the many days off in between games, the league brings in more money by stretching out the length of each series. After all, they did change the playoffs from a best of five to the best of seven for a reason... The Benjamin$.
One thing the NBA is planning to change however, is the voting process for who makes it into the Basketball Hall of Fame. Supposedly the league is trying to become more "transparent" and "fan friendly" by letting fans be the ones who make the decision and vote for whoever they feel is most deserving of a spot with the game's all-time greats. & If you ask me, aside from letting fans get complete control of who gets to play and make it onto the All-Star team considering it's a popularity contest, this is one of Stern's worse decisions yet.
Just another chapter to the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry - Before finishing the 2009 season strong with 28 home runs and 99 runs batted in, Boston Red Sox designated hitter David Ortiz began the season on a sluggish note. And similar to his slow start last season, Big Papi has already shown struggles early on to start his 2010 campaign. Through his first 11-games, Ortiz has a whopping 6-hits in 41-at bats and owns a batting average of .146. But if things on-the-field aren't frustrating enough for the 5-time All-Star, maybe those off-the-field are. Adding fuel to the fire of the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry, is New York's very own businessman and hip-hop mogul Jay-Z, who is suing Ortiz for opening a nightclub in his native country of the Dominican Republic and naming it "Forty-Forty." A name that Jay-Z thinks is a bit too close to his sports lounges which carry the name "The 40/40 Club."
Since first opening its doors in New York City in 2003, Jay-Z has been co-owner of "The 40/40 Club" and has since then migrated the brand to other locations such as Atlantic City, Chicago and Las Vegas. Jay-Z and company also plan to expand their upscale sports venues overseas in both Tokyo and Macau. However, Ortiz' native homeland of Santo Domingo was never part of the plans. Nor is he on the V.I.P list considering he plays for the Boston Red Sox who just so happen to be arch rivals of Hova's beloved Yankees... At least not anymore anyways. When being asked where he came up with the name of his club, Jay-Z said "The 40/40 club in baseball is as executive as it gets." Of coarse referring to the rare club of those who hit 40-home runs and steal 40-stolen bases in a single season. A rare feat only four players in Major League history have accomplished -- Jose Canseco (1988), Barry Bonds (1996), Alex Rodriguez (1998) and Alfonzo Soriano (2006).
The achievement is something Ortiz would know nothing about, given he's one of the slowest guys on the playing field and only has 10 stolen bases throughout his entire 13-year career. My guess is when first coming up with the name, Big Papi was referring to 40-home runs and 40-hot dogs. Or perhaps 40-cervezas? Either way, Ortiz is in a world of trouble both on the baseball diamond and soon enough in the courtroom. What I'd really like to know is, whether or not Jay would have decided to take Derek Jeter or A-Rod to court if they did the same thing. Now that I highly doubt...
One of the NBA's youngest players has already blossomed into one of the league's best. His name? Kevin Durant. Prior to the start of the NBA Playoffs, both Kevin Durant and LeBron James were neck and neck in the running for the NBA scoring tittle. But with a healthy playoff run more important than a personal achievement, the Cavs decided to sit their ring leader - James for the team's final 4 games. And with the help of LeBron sitting sidelined, Durant became the youngest player in NBA history to win the scoring tittle. With LeBron's decision to sit on the bench for the team's final handful of games, without an injury has caused controversy. With NBA commissioner David Stern well aware of James' health and the good money fans in Cleveland are paying to see their star player, Stern says the issue of healthy players sitting at the end of the regular season will be discussed.
Regardless of his decision, no one could be more happy about LeBron sitting out than Durant himself who was given a few extra games to extend his stat sheet and make NBA history. Although James didn't take the chance of jeopardizing his team's playoff run, he might have jeopardized his chances of winning back-to-back MVP awards. Many sports writers with votes have made it clear that they wouldn't vote for a guy who's sitting on the bench healthy, opposed to a guy who's still busting his ass. Besides, both players are heading to the playoffs and mean an equal amount to their team's hopes. And if Durant's 30.1 points per game don't win him the coveted MVP award, his contribution for helping the Oklahoma City Thunder complete the sixth biggest turnaround in NBA history with a 27-game improvement from last season should do the trick. Prior to game 1 of Durant's Thunder visiting the number one seeded Los Angeles Lakers in Hollywood, the young star played victim in a battle of words with Lakers head coach Phil Jackson. In a ploy to get to the head of the young Durantula, Jackson commented that the refs were letting Durant camp out at the foul line and were already treating him like a superstar. Jackson was later fined $35,000 for his comments, but not before Durant fired back by saying Jackson disrespected him. Despite his costly outburst, the Zen Master accomplished exactly what he had planned, by getting to the head of KD and causing him to reply with some words of his own. If his comments affected Durant in the playoffs, all would've been accomplished by the mastermind of Jackson. And after the first two games in L.A. going to the Lakers, it looks like something is bothering him.
Ironically, this all comes weeks after Boston Celtics center Kevin Garnett expressed his opinion on Durant. "I thought we was playing Michael fuckin Jordan tonight the way he was getting the whistle. He damn near shot more free-throws than our whole team." Those comments came after a home loss in Boston that saw Durant finish 15-for-15 at the line, in route of scoring 37 points. Coincidentally the player KG referred Durant to is a former player under Phil Jackson. So far this series, L.A.'s Ron Artest has been able to keep Durant to a minimum, including only 24 points in Durant's first career playoff game. With another new haircut, this time gold hair dye, Artest lets it be known that there's only one thing on his mind and that's winning it all. With the Thunder losing game 2 by a close score of 95-92, I see the Oklahoma City crowd being the deciding factor in game 3. Go Lakers! For similar posts featuring Kevin Durant, check out one of my older blog's - Durant's Gone Streaking
Just a little over a year ago on April 2nd of 2009, the Denver Broncos made the biggest splash in the NFL offseason by trading their 2008 Pro-Bowl Quarterback to the Chicago Bears in exchange for a mediocre Kyle Orton and a handful of draft picks. And now that we're in the 2010 offseason, just a week prior to the first day of the 2010 NFL Draft, the Broncos put their name in the hat for the biggest offseason move yet again. Yesterday afternoon it was announced that the Broncos had traded their 26-year old WR Brandon Marshall to the Miami Dolphins. In return, the Broncos acquired Miami's 2nd-Round picks in both the 2010 and 2011 NFL Drafts.
The Broncos and their now former talented young wide-receiver haven't always seen eye-to-eye, as Marshall and Broncos head coach Josh McDaniels have had numerous altercations, one including Marshall being benched for the final game of the regular season last year, for failing to arrive for a physical therapy session on time. The Broncos went on to lose the game and ended up missing the playoffs for the fourth straight year. Something else Marshall and the Broncos organization failed to get on the same page about, was their agreement to a long-term contract Marshall had been seeking. A multi-year deal was something the Dolphins had no problem agreeing to, as both ends agreed to a 4-year, $47.5 million dollar deal hours after the trade. The near $50 million dollar deal makes it the richest WR contract in NFL history.
With the acquisition of Marshall, who has caught 100-receptions in three consecutive seasons, the Dolphins are now a threat in both the ground and air attack. Most notably known for executing the wild-cat offense/formation, the Dolphins now have someone who can scare off a defense when passing. After all, Marshall's 2009 season total of 10-touchdown receptions is just two less than the total of the entire 2009 Dolphins team that finished with only 12. Marshall's presence in the AFC East will also guarantee a match-up with New York Jets' CB Darrelle Revis not once, but twice a year. When being asked about facing his new rival and the 2009 AFC Defensive Player of the Year, Marshall joked around by saying, "What's the island called, Revis Island? I just got married, maybe we'll honeymoon there."
Referring to Revis' self-proclaimed nickname for his spot on the playing field "Revis Island" for his ability to play one-on-one with opposing receivers. As Marshall is regarded as one of the top receivers in the game today, Revis is regarded as the best cornerback in the NFL. With both players now in the same division as well as on opposite ends, the match-up between the two is one that many including myself are looking forward to. With Marshall now out of the Mile High City and Brady Quinn in, it'll be interested to see where the team goes from here. Whether or not they're rebuilding is yet to be known, given Marshall is still young himself. But even with the bright young WR now playing elsewhere, will the result turn out to be positive, similar to results of the Cutler trade?
With the way Marshall acted in last year's training camp, batting down passes and punting balls, I'm surprised anyone was willing to make a trade for him. But he did make up for it by contributing to a lot of Denver's early season success. With 5-years on his contract, Miami is praying Marshall doesn't decide to bring that same attitude with him.
As we learned in one of my older posts -- Big Ben's Big Mistake, Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger was in a world of trouble with the law. But as it turns out, the 28-year old quarterback will not be charged after all, for his alleged sexual assault case which took place in Milledgesville, Georgia just over a month ago. Although Roethlisberger will not be facing jail time like many including myself think he deserves considering he's been ducking and dodging a handful of off-the-field incidents since being drafted by the Steelers in '04, the results of whether or not NFL commissioner Roger Goodell will discipline Big Ben are not yet known. With those results pending, former QB and Steeler great Terry Bradshaw spoke out, calling the relationship between the two "No good." Bradshaw also went on to say, "Ben doesn't like me and I'm learning not to like him, but he needs to realize who he is."
As if the Big Ben incident isn't a big enough distraction to the organization, other off-the-field issues will be sure to plague the team as WR Santonio Holmes is being sued by woman in Florida who says she was attacked by Homes in an Orlando night club on March 7th. The Superbowl hero who caught the game winnings touchdown just 2 years ago not only has a civil lawsuit filed against him, but he also has a suspension waiting for him once the 2010-2011 NFL season begins. Holmes will be suspended for the teams first 4-games without pay by the NFL for violating the league's substance abuse policy. Well aware of the issue, the New York Jets decided to take a chance and have agreed to a trade sending the former Superbowl MVP to the Big Apple in exchange for a 5th round pick in this year's Draft.
Holmes, the recipient of the game winning touchdown pass in Superbowl XLIII has his own wide-stretched resume of off-the-field issues, having been arrested twice, once for disorderly conduct and domestic violence in 2006 and again in 2008 for possession of marijuana. Not to mention his most recent altercation where he threw a glass at a woman in an Orlando nightclub. By trading him, the team has proved to be fed up with his problems and are letting it be known that they now have a zero tolerance policy for such incidents. But could it also serve as a sign and a warning for Big Ben? After mutually agreeing with the Steelers that Roethlisberger's presence would be too much of a distraction when reports of his most recent legal issues first hit the airwaves, Ben reported to the team's training facility today for his first offseason workout with teammates.
It seems as if a spell has been cast upon the Pittsburgh Steelers and their players who can't seem to avoid running into trouble during the offseason. Last October, Pittsburgh's tight-end Matt Spaeth was being sited by police outside of a bar for urinating in public, when Steelers kicker Jeff Reed interfered and attempted to fight the officers. After resisting arrest, Reed was slapped with 40 hours of community service for disorderly conduct and public intoxication. All charges were dropped however, on the same day it was learned that Roethlisberger wouldn't be charged with sexual assault. So hats off to not one, but two of the Steelers franchise players for not only getting into trouble, but for getting away with it. It just goes to show what kind of winners there really is in Pittsburgh. When Roethlisberger isn't out on the field throwing passes, he's riding his crotch rocket and lurking for his next victim. And when Holmes isn't out catching balls, he's out throwing bottles at woman and taking naked pictures of himself in the shower. *Tisk Tisk*
MLB Rookie Watch Alert! - One of the league's top rookie stand-outs heading into Spring Training this season, was the Atlanta Braves number one prospect -- Jason Heyward. Selected 14th overall in the 2007 Major League Baseball Draft by the Braves, Heyward has been a player many have anticipated and have been on the look out for, for quite some time given his bright talent and lightning fast bat-speed. Those who follow prospects were already aware of his ability, but for those who still weren't familiar with the name 'Jason Heyward' were given a brief wake-up call when highlights of a 450-foot blast during a spring training exhibition game were shown all over ESPN and the rest of the world of sports. But although he made his presence known during Spring Training, the question of whether or not he could transcend his game to the regular season was soon answered.
After Braves skipper Bobby Cox gave news of his young outfielder making the Opening Day roster, Heyward needed only one at-bat to introduce himself to the big league's. In the first inning of the the Braves 2010 season opener against the Chicago Cubs, Heyward hit a 3-run homer off of Chicago's Carlos Zambrano. The long ball traveled an estimated 476 ft and ignited a roar throughout the crowd in Atlanta's Turner Field. Although a home-run in your first ever big league at-bat could be a memory for the ages, it could also be a backfire as fans can often tend to expect a long ball out of you every at-bat. With less than 2-weeks of big league experience under his belt, Heyward has already been compared to the great Hank Aaron and already dons the nickname "The Jay Hey Kid", similar to the great Willie Mays' nickname "The Say Hey Kid."
Being compared to someone like Hank Aaron in your first big league season could put quite the pressure on someone as young as Heyward is, not to mention in their first few games. But granted he's only 20 years old, Heyward has plenty of time to fill the shoes of some of the best players the game has ever seen. And with both 22-year old Aroldis Chapman of the Cincinnati Reds and 21-year old Steven Strasburg of the Washington Nationals starting the 2010 season in the Minor Leagues, all eyes are on Heyward at the moment for the Rookie of the Year Award. But don't be surprised if and when both young hurlers get the call up to play with the big boys, as they hope to make R.O.T.Y cases for themselves and give golden boy Jayson Heyward a run for his money.
