May 4

Thunder 111, Grizzlies 102: Thunder Tie Series With Grizzlies With 111-102 Win

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Game 2 was different from the very start.

Kevin Durant scored 26 points and Oklahoma City clamped down on Randolph and frontcourt partner Marc Gasol to beat the Grizzlies 111-102 Tuesday night to even the Western Conference semifinals.

“There was a lot of pushing and grabbing and holding from both teams, but that’s the kind of game you like in the playoffs.”

“They attacked us and they were determined that they weren’t going to let Marc and Zach beat them,” Grizzlies forward Sam Young said. “They came out and every time Zach got the ball, they put so much pressure on them and contained him. Every time Marc got the ball, they made sure to bump him and pounded him and pounded him and it paid off.”

James Harden scored 21 points and fellow reserve Eric Maynor added 15 as Oklahoma City’s bench held a 48-29 scoring edge. All-Star point guard Russell Westbrook scored 24.

“It was a classic desperate team, more aggressiveteam,” cheap baseball hats new era Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said. “I say the desperate team usually wins, and they were the desperate team in their play, which was a sense of urgency and aggressiveness.

Randolph, facing frequent double teams and even a cheap mlb jerseys triple team early on, never really got going. He and Gasol were a combined 7 for 7 in the first quarter of Game 1, but made just one of seven attempts this time while Oklahoma City got out to a 28-17 lead after the first quarter.

“The first game, he really got it going early. It’s tough when he’s feeling good and he’s got the jump shot and his inside game,” Nick Collison said.

Memphis got within three in the second quarter before Oklahoma City extended its lead to 10 by halftime.

Harden hit three free throws — including one after Darrell Arthur was called for a technical for bumpinghim in retaliation — then turned a steal into a fast-break layup. Maynor’s third 3 gave Oklahoma City its first 20-point lead at 94-74 with 7:27 remaining, and Daequan Cook followed about a minute later with another 3 to bump the lead to 21.

When Maynor and Cook finally were pulled in favor of Durant and Westbrook with just under 5 minutes left, the pair got a standing ovation.

“That’s what they’ve done all year, and cheap nhl jerseys that’s why we are in this position, because they’ve done either a good job of catching up or extending leads,” Thunder coach Scott Brooks said. “I thought they were outstanding tonight.”

The Thunder lost Ibaka, their starting power blank new era snapback caps wholesale forward who blocked the most shots in the NBA in the regular season, to an apparent right knee injury with 2:09 remaining in the game. He hobbled to the locker room after fouling Conley and crashing to the floor along the baseline.

“When I was in the game, I was fine,” said Ibaka, Jerseys from china who had both ice on both knees in the locker room. “After a timeout, when I would stand up to go on the court, that’s when I would feel it.”

NOTES: The Grizzlies’ first offensive rebound didn’t come until cheap hats wholesale Gasol grabbed one with 24 seconds left in the first quarter, with his team down 11. … After the Thunder had lost at home in Game 1, Durant watched Monday night as Chicago and the Los Angeles Lakers followed suit but didn’t make too much of the developing trend. “I was just worried about us and how we could get better,” Durant said. … A fan, Roman Owen, hit a halfcourt shot in the break following the third quarter to win $20,000.

 

 

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May 3

On Horse Racing | Confessions of a Derby Handicapper: So Many Memorable Races, Too Many Forgettable Picks

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I had not only picked him to win in the pages of this newspaper, but I also had written an article that appeared that morning explaining why he was going to shock the world. Here Monarchos had just run the second-fastest winning time in Derby history and had paid a generous $23 for the faithful readers who had believed in me and risked a $2 bet. High-fives, knowing nods and hearty congratulations came my way in the press box. I did what any self-respecting horseplayer would do: I told myself cheap baseball hats new era I was a genius and muttered, “This game is easy,” under my breath.

It is true. I have been 0-for-the-First-Saturday-in-May ever since. For nearly a decade, I have been the one offering the knowing nod across the press box to the colleagues who picked the right horse. In fact, I’ve come to dread the sight of USA Today’s turf writer, Tom Pedulla, walking toward me each Wednesday before the Derby asking for my winner, which will be published with those of dozens of other handicappers in Friday’s editions of his paper. Is it not enough to blank new era snapback caps wholesale humiliate myself in these pages? Barbaro in 2003 and the undefeated Smarty Jones in 2004 in the runner-up slots for the same reason: I thought I could beat the favorite, because I thought I was a genius and this — handicapping horse races — was an easy game.

The last time my Derby pick was part of any postrace discussion was when a colt named Giacomo passed 17 horses to win the 2005 Derby, shocking the world at odds of 50-1. Did I have him in cheap nhl jerseys my top three? No, but I should have. My son, Jack, was born three months earlier, and I had a hunch that fate was giving me a sign to pick his namesake. But did I? No. As Rick Bozich of The Louisville Courier-Journal kindly pointed out in a postrace column, I had picked Giacomo to finish dead last — 20th in a 20-horse field. Ever since, careful readers have noticed that the last-placed horse in my pre-Derby chart is accompanied by the comment “One of them has to finish last.”

First and foremost is that 3-year-old horses are the equivalent of human adolescents, and the Derby comes right in the midst of their puberty. They are getting bigger, filling out and learning the craft of racing. cheap mlb jerseys Some colts are precocious. Others are late bloomers. None of them have ever run as far as the Derby’s mile and a quarter, and only a few are even bred to not only endure but also to flourish at that distance.

There is also the fact that every owner wants to run in the Derby, which ensures a full field of 20 horses and transforms a footrace into something between a cavalry charge and a rodeo. Last year, Jerseys from china I was certain that Lookin at Lucky, the reigning Juvenile champion, would not only win the Derby but go on to sweep the Triple Crown. Preakness two weeks later and the Haskell and the Indiana Derby and was named the 3-year-old champion.

Why does it matter whether I pick the winner of the Kentucky Derby? It is in our human nature to want to be right. Besides, I spend an awful a lot of time studying pace and pedigree, reading about cheap hats wholesale workouts, absorbing speed figures. Is it too much to ask for that effort to be rewarded?

I will repeat this for however many Derbys it takes for my horse to finish first, so I can bask in those knowing nods once more and declare again, “I am, indeed, a genius.”

 

 

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May 3

With Ejection, Pierce Revisits Impulsive Past

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Since then, Pierce has become a respected leader, a champion, a finals most valuable player and a likely Hall of Famer. He is generally more cool-headed than the guy who was ejected from a first-round game against Indiana in 2005, and more conscious of potential consequences. His memory may be selective, however. Miami Heat. He said he let down his teammates. He vowed to “do a better job of keeping my composure.”

Composure may be in the eye of the beholder. Wholesale cheap snapback caps Pierce surely lost it six years ago, in a Game 6 against the Pacers, when he threw a forearm into Jamaal Tinsley in the final seconds of regulation. Pierce was ejected, but the Celtics won in overtime. Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. They won the championship in 2008, and Pierce was named M.V.P. of the series.

Pierce earned two technical fouls in 59 seconds, Wholesale cheap new era fitted caps both for reacting aggressively to hard fouls. The second technical, with seven minutes left, brought an automatic ejection.

“I was more disappointed at letting my teammates down,” Pierce said before practice at the University of Miami. He added: “When you put yourself in a situation that you can control and it hurts your team,

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that’s what I was most upset about. And I can’t do that. I’m too important to this team to be putting myself in that situation.”

“I’m definitely worried,” Pierce said of a possible suspension, “because if it’s a situation where it affects my team, then it was very selfish.”

The Celtics contended that Jones should have been Wholesale cheap new era fitted hats assessed a flagrant foul. The league agreed and on Monday reclassified his personal foul to a flagrant foul-1, while also rescinding Jones’s technical foul. The league also downgraded Jermaine O’Neal’s flagrant foul (issued in the third quarter) to a personal foul.

“I probably overreacted,” Pierce said. “I thought I was fouled Wholesale cheap new era snapback hats excessively on both plays, actually.” Doc Rivers characterized the Heat’s posture as “chippy,” a description that seemed almost complimentary. But the Celtics have generally been the ones applying the extra elbow or shoulder in recent years.

Rajon Rondo was hampered by early foul trouble and came apart in the fourth quarter after Pierce was ejected. Garnett, who usually leads the team in snarls and body checks, was a nonfactor, scoring only 6 points.

 

 

 

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May 3

Network executives explain why they keep tipping draft picks

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The biggest complaint we heard from readers during our NFL draft live blog on Thursday night was that ESPN and the NFL Network were tipping picks before they were being read by Roger Goodell. It’s something we’ve lamented in the past and was particularly egregious this year, most notably by Chris Berman (who himself was the subject of many complaints.)

SI.com’s media analyst, Richard Deitsch, agrees with this and asked two network producers about why they continue to tip picks by showing players on the phone and having reporters announce their findings early. Both producers candidly acknowledged the problem but stopped short of vowing to do anything about it:

Jay Rothman, ESPN lead producer on NFL draft:

You are there to document this live news event, as it is unfolding live before your eyes. But I question it too. Is it the right thing we are doing? From an execution standpoint, if you look at the amount of time that each team actually took once they were on the clock, I promise you the first 10 picks were each less than five minutes.

One school of thought is it’s reality TV, you are in the

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moment, and it’s the nature of the immediacy, so yes, you are getting tipped and the announcement of the pick is just a formality and a kiss-off. That’s one scenario, and that allows you to get ahead of the team on the clock. The other scenario would be no cameras allowed in the green room and players are not allowed to have a phone. When the pick is made, we all get the pick and then you are analyzing the player. We then use that 10-minute clock for analysis of the player.

Eric Weinberger, NFL Network executive producer:

It’s a news story we are following. We want to show the moment these kids’ lives are changed and that moment is when the team calls them to let them know where they have been selected. Sometimes it takes six to seven minutes for that kid to even get off the phone and greet the commissioner. Maybe we have to change that part of the format, if we want the first time they hear about it, or if they react and cry like Mark Ingram(Wholesale cheap snapback capsnotes). But that is the system that is in place. The system is the team calls the players first, and at that point, it’s there and it is a news story like any other news story. It’s the moment you win the award. But we talk about it a lot. I get the same emails you get and see all the tweets. It does seem at times the commissioner’s announcement is secondary.”

Though I have plenty of problems with draft coverage (cough, BERMAN, cough), both ESPN and NFLN should be commended for pulling off the difficult task of making a thoroughly unexciting event exciting. There’s no good reason the draft should be as entertaining as it is and it’s a credit to ESPN, which originated coverage in the 1980s, that the event can hold our attention for hours at a time.

The tipping picks has to go, though. Both Wholesale cheap new era fitted capsmen act like their hands are tied on the issue, but they’re the ones who make the decision to continue doing it. It’s like when Goodell apologizes for the lockout and thinks we don’t realize that he’s the one leading the charge. Reading between the lines, Rothman and Weinberger realize that people have a problem with it but believe their coverage is augmented by including the shots of the phone calls.

They have a point. Rothman presents the bleak Wholesale cheap new era fitted hatsscenario of analysts talking about picks for 10 minutes rather than going to green room shots. Nice scare tactic. He may as well have said “if we don’t have cameras in the green room, I’m just going to let Berman talk for 10 straight minutes.”

Why does the camera have to be banned from the green room, though? This isn’t an all or nothing thing. The problem isn’t the presence of the camera, it’s that directors cut to it the instant Julio Jones’(notes) phone rings. There can be a healthy balance here.

How? Ban the phones in the green room. Why does a team need to call a player two minutes before the pick is announced? If we’re all in agreement that the draft serves as a marketing tool and revenue generator for the NFL, then there’s no reason to put perfunctory conversation ahead of suspense Wholesale cheap new era snapback hatsfor the viewer. Whether Andy Reid talks to his new offensive lineman at 8:04 p.m. or 8:09 p.m. isn’t going to make a difference.

Don’t count on it, though. The owners and GMs want to make a good impression early and the agents like the camera time and attention for their players. And if there’s one thing we’ve learned from the pasttwo months of the lockout it’s that when owners, coaches, players and fans are in the equation, one side gets shut out every time.

 

 

 

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Apr 29

Jake Locker goes to Tennessee Titans with eighth pick in NFL Draft

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From the snap to the throw, Locker’s mechanics are as well-developed as those of any quarterback in this draft class. Drops back quickly and smoothly in three-, five- and seven-step drops, and blank new era snapback hats wholesale transitions well to get the right leverage for the throw. Has an array of playfakes, and uses play action well. Compact delivery gives him the timing advantage. Absolutely has the arm to make any throw — Locker was drafted twice cheap nba jerseys by the Los Angeles Angels as a pitcher whose fastball has been clocked at 95 mph, and signed a deal in 2009 that let him continue to play football.

Supremely gifted as a runner in a Steve Young sense — not only can he get outside to make the sprint-option throw; he’s also a legitimate threat to break tackles downfield and make considerable gains. Far more accurate and comfortable on the run as a passer. High-character player who is very coachable, though the results don’t always reflect it.

Cons: Wildly inconsistent as a passer, Locker can go from truly magnificent to hide-your-eyes awful and back again in the same game — sometimes, in the same series. Was asked to carry the load as a pseudo-spread quarterback under Tyrone Willingham, showed promise under Steve Sarkisian in their first year together, but regressed in a lot of areas in 2010, which could indicate that he still has major gaps in the cheap snapback caps wholesale understanding of more complex offenses.

Locker telegraphs his reads far too often and will lock on to his first read far too easily. While he has decent functional mobility in the pocket, he’s still learning the finer points of cheap new era hats Wholesale being a pocket passer — he tends to get jumpy when he can’t bail out and his decision-making reflects that, as does his accuracy. Showed the same kinds of inconsistencies at the Senior Bowl that he did throughout his Washington career. Showed a better spin on the ball after working with Ken O’Brien.

Conclusion: The McNabb comparison is a point of nhl jerseys from china reference for estimated NFL completion percentage (McNabb’s was 49.1 percent in 1999), but Locker is as tough to place with a current NFL player as any in this draft. The chasm between his raw physical tools and inconsistency as a passer leaves him as a project quarterback well worth the risk, but with mechanical danger signs all over the place. Not a guy you’re going to want to see as an cheap hats wholesale NFL starter right away, Locker will have to sit and learn at the NFL level — and that process may be lengthened if he’s drafted by a team with a precision passing offense. He might be better off with an offensive coordinator who prefers a vertical attack.

 

 

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Apr 28

Going up? The biggest risers in the 2011 draft

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The draft analysis game is subjective at best, and there are many things the media doesn’t know (or can’t reveal) about this or that draft prospect. Often by the time NFL teams are rating their players and putting together their big boards based on information they already have, the media horde is just catching up to what’s going on. As a result, the guy who’s firmly entrenched on every NFL board with scouting grades by late January could move up and down the media mock drafts like a jumping bean until draft day. These names are by no means conclusive, but based on the array of information we’ve seen from all sorts of sources, here are 10 players who seem to have seen their stock rise in the last year.

Andy Dalton, QB, TCU

It’s amazing what intangibles and “quarterback wins” will do. Dalton ran a spread offense at TCU and was buttressed heavily in his alleged win total of 42 by one of the best defenses in the nation at any level of college ball, but no player has risen up more mocks and analyst draft boards than Dalton. The winning attitude and mindset? Unquestionably present. But the tools Dalton uses on the field aren’t always as sharp as they need to be at the next level — he struggles to consistently make throws downfield with posts and in the seams, and when he’s running right Wholesale cheap new era fitted caps before he throws, he’s often doing it to cut the field in half and minimize his reads. From a tape perspective, Dalton’s more like a second-rounder, but I’ve seen mock drafts by professional analysts that have him as high as eighth overall to the Tennessee Titans. It’s mystifying.

Colin Kaepernick, QB, Nevada

Now, here’s an interesting cat. Kaepernick just blew it up in Chris Ault’s Pistol offense, becoming the only quarterback in NCAA history to pass for over 10,000 yards and run for over 4,000. He may look like a run-option quarterback to those who discount the Pistol as a gimmick offense, but watch the tape a little closer and watch how he keeps his eyes downfield even when playing read-run. He’s got a slightly funky throwing motion, Wholesale cheap snapback caps but can absolutely make all the NFL throws — a former standout pitcher, Kaepernick has a rocket arm, but can dial it back for throws requiring more timing. Postseason performances have him as a solid second-round prospect, but don’t be surprised if he’s the fast riser on Thursday and a lot of people are adding his name to their spell-check somewhere in the first round.

Danny Watkins, OG, Baylor

Before the Senior Bowl, Watkins was best known for his amateur fire-fighting exploits in his home of British Columbia. But the man who replaced Jason Smith(notes) at left tackle at Baylor kicked inside to guard and blew people away with his natural affinity for the position. Watkins is 27 years old, and he’s only played American football for four years, but his tape shows an amazingly strong player in his upper and lower body, and he’s got enough agility to get to the second level and make people feel pain. Mike Pouncey will be the first pure guard gone in his draft, but don’t be at all surprised if Watkins goes late in the first round.

Prince Amukamara, CB, Nebraska

During the 2007 combine, it seemed that everyone was talking about one defensive back as a guy who was going to have to transition from cornerback to safety — this kid Wholesale cheap new era fitted hats simply couldn’t trail speed receivers and might struggle in space. That player’s name? Darrelle Revis(notes). Whoops! Amukamara isn’t quite as talented as Revis, but the similar complaints about his skill set make no more sense — this is a pure speed cornerback with exciting agility and some of the best potential of any player in this class. It seems that other eyes are catching up, as the Fresh Prince has risen on many mocks from late first round to top 10.

D.J. Williams(notes), TE, Arkansas

Pay no attention to that fourth-round grade on the board on that recent ESPN Bill Parcells special — Williams has been gaining traction since a Senior Bowl in which he showed that he may have the best hands of any receiver in his class, no matter the position. He’s a little small to be a pure blocking tight end, and some teams may have trouble thinking outside the box with a move tight end in the first two rounds, but it only takes Wholesale cheap new era snapback hats one team to get the value of this Chris Cooley(notes)-style player.

Julio Jones, WR, Alabama

Before an incendiary performance at the scouting combine, in which he set the pace in every drill despite a broken foot he didn’t even want to tell anyone about, Jones moved from the middle first round in a lot of minds to a virtually guaranteed top-10 spot. Factor in the fact that he also played part of the 2010 season with a broken hand. This is a power receiver with a great desire to play — imagine Terrell Owens(notes) without all the drama, and you may have his ultimate upside.

Tyron Smith, OT, USC

Smith played right tackle for the Trojans at 280 pounds, but bulked up to 307 in time for his workouts. He’s a potential pick in a lot of ways — he’d be making a pretty big jump from right to left, he’s just 20 years old, and he’s never actually played on that 27 extra pounds, but in an NFL that demands agility at every position, Smith’s pure athleticism has seen him shoot up into the top 10 in most mocks.

Derek Sherrod, OT, Mississippi State

Another under-the-radar performer who caught a great buzz at the Senior Bowl, Sherrod may turn out to be the most immediately pro-ready tackle in this draft — he does all the little things well, can kick over to the right side seamlessly, and plays with more of a nasty streak than people give him credit for. Currently projected as a low first-round pick, Sherrod boosted up to there and may head up even further.

Phil Taylor, DT, Baylor

Senior Bowl yet again — anyone else want to decline that invitation? Yeah, we didn’t think so. At 6-foot-4 and over 330 pounds, Taylor amazed in practice by showing the kind of quickness and agility you’d expect to see from a 290-pounds wide, three-tech pass-rushing tackle. You could almost see guys like Rex Ryan, Dom Capers and Mike Nolan, who make their bones on linemen who can play different roles in multi-faceted lines,

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imagining what Taylor might look like for them. Now an almost certain first-round pick.

Muhammad Wilkerson, DT, Temple

Temple isn’t a “small school” per se (I tend to think of Division III schools when I think of that label), but the buzz around Wilkerson is unusual for a guy playing interior and five-tech end/tackle for a less-heralded program. But when people started seeing Wilkerson coming off the edge in pressure situations with astounding quickness for his size (6-foot-4, 315 pounds), he shot right past similar players from bigger schools. Don’t be surprised if he’s a late first-rounder.

 

 

 

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Apr 26

The worst No. 7 pick ever? Choosing biggest busts by draft order

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There’s an annual debate as to which player was the biggest No. 1 draft bust in history. But what about the guys who went No. 7? Should their NFL failures not be celebrated? To remedy this, Shutdown Corner looked back through the past 25 years of draft history and selected the biggest busts at every drafting slot from No. 1 through No. 10. Think of it as an all-time mock draft of ineptitude.

1. JaMarcus Russell(notes), QB, Oakland Raiders, 2007

Russell seduced scouts with his size and arm strength, traits that were great enough to obscure Wholesale Cheap guuci snapback hats other obvious facts about him, like his lack of work ethic. It’s great to show up to pro day and throw the ball 70 yards down field, but to do so while overweight (like Russell did in his LSU workout) should have been a red flag. Unlike some other players on this list, Russell’s bust wasn’t a surprise. It was more of an inevitability.

Honorable mention: Alex Smith (2005), Tim Couch (1999), Steve Emtman (1992)

2. Ryan Leaf, QB, San Diego Chargers, 1997

Leaf won his first two games as Chargers quarterback while Peyton Manning(notes) began 0-2, a start which led to this being written in the Sept. 14, 1998 edition of the Boston Globe:

For those Indy fans keeping score, that’s six interceptions in two weeks for the 22-year-old phenom, whom the Colts selected with the first overall pick in this year’s draft.

Actually, they chose him over another 22-year-old “can’t-miss” kid named Ryan Leaf.

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Manning was supposed to be the one with more savvy.

Leaf would only win two more games in the rest of his career, 139 fewer than Manning.

Honorable mention: Charles Rogers (2003), Quentin Coryatt (1992)

3. Andre Wadsworth, DE, Arizona Cardinals, 1998

You were expecting Akili Smith or Heath Shuler? Both would have been fine choices here, but Wholesale cheap New Era 59Fifty caps we’re giving the nod to Wadsworth, the former Florida State standout who only lasted three years in the league after being taken after Manning and Leaf in the ’98 draft. Though injuries derailed the defensive end, who only had eight sacks during his time in Arizona, his agents didn’t help either. Wadsworth held out until the day before the 1998 season opener and refused to sign a one-year, $512,000 tender three years later. He never played in the league again.

Honorable mention: Smith (1999), Shuler (1995), Bruce Pickens (1991), Alonzo Highsmith (1987)

4. Peter Warrick, WR, Cincinnati Bengals, 2000

The biggest star in the 2000 national championship game between Virginia Tech and Florida State wasn’t Michael Vick(notes). It was Florida State receiver Peter Warrick, who caught six balls for 163 yards and two touchdowns and scored on a 59-yard punt return. He had flashes of that brilliance in the pros, but they were too few and far between. Warrick bounced around some professional minor leagues before hanging it up for good in 2009.

Honorable mention: Mike D. Williams (2002), Michael Westbrook (1995)

5. Curtis Enis, RB, Chicago Bears, 1998

Like Blair Thomas, Ki-Jana Carter and D.J. Dozier before him, Enis kept up the grand tradition of Penn State running back busts. In three seasons with the Bears, Enis rushed for 1,500 yards and four touchdowns. He joins fellow 1998 top-five Wholesale Cheap LV snapback hatspicks Leaf and Wadsworth on our list.

Honorable mention: Trev Alberts (1994), Mike Junkin (1987)

6. Lawrence Phillips, RB, St. Louis Rams, 1996

The St. Louis Rams couldn’t resist. The team knew Phillips was trouble — he had been arrested during Nebraska’s run to the national championship for throwing his girlfriend down a flight of stairs — yet took him at No. 6 anyway. He did manage 14 touchdowns in his brief NFL career, a total which will eventually be exceeded by his number of years in prison. The former star running back is serving a 31-year sentence for a variety of offenses, including choking another girlfriend and running his car into a group of youths at a pickup football game.

Honorable mention: Pacman Jones (2005), Kelly Stouffer (1987)

7. Andre Ware, QB, Detroit Lions, 1990

Ware was a bust not because of injury or character or attitude but because he wasn’t all that great an NFL prospect to begin with. The seventh pick of the 1990 draft set 29 NCAA records in his final season at the University of Houston while helming the team’s prolific run-and-shoot offense. It didn’t translate to the NFL. Like David Klinger before him and Colt Brennan(notes) after him, Ware was a product of a great system who couldn’t replicate his success against professional defenses. He had five touchdown passes in his career, one fewer than he had in a single 1989 game against SMU.

Honorable mention: Troy Williamson(notes) (2005), Mike Wholesale cheap new era snapbacke caps Mamula (1995), Reggie Rogers (1987),

8. David Terrell, WR, Chicago Bears, 2001

If Terrell was half as good as he thought he was, he’d still be in the NFL instead of flaming out after burning bridges and dropping passes during his five NFL seasons.

Honorable mention: None

9. Tommy Vardell, RB, Cleveland Browns, 1992

When your nickname is “Touchdown” there are bound to be some unrealistic expectations that accompany your NFL career. Though the former Stanford star was hardly a JaMarcus-esque bust in the NFL, he never lived up to his billing as a scoring machine.

Honorable mention: Reggie Williams(notes) (2004), Tom Knight (1997)

10. Matt Leinart(notes), QB, Arizona Cardinals, 2006

Technically, the jury is still out on Leinart. Realistically, not so much. The thing is,

 

Leinart may have been considered an even bigger bust had he come out of school after his junior season, when he would have been the likely No. 1 pick in the 2005 draft. Instead, he came back, slipped to No. 10 after his USC Trojans lost in the national championship game to Vince Young(notes) and Texas, and was relegated to the bench during Kurt Warner’s(notes) epic NFL swansong. Once Warner retired, Leinart was the presumed Cardinals starter but was passed on the depth chart by Derek Anderson(notes) and eventually cut by the team prior to last season. He signed on with the Texans and didn’t play a single snap in all of 2010.

 

 

 

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Apr 22

Willis’ Birdie Run Brings Him Heritage Lead

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Willis entered The Heritage seeking answers to his poor putting and had planned to park his longtime, Scotty Cameron model. As he walked to the range Thursday morning, though Willis just couldn’t go through with it and asked his caddie to “go back to my car and get ‘Old Faithful.’”

“Obviously, very excited about putting this well, and having a chance to making the cheap nhl jerseys cut for a change,” Willis said.

Luke Donald, No. 3 in the world, led a group at 67 in a round slowed by a rain delay of 2 hours, 16 minutes. Because of the delay, 18 players were unable to finish before dark.

That might be a tall order if Willis’ maintains thecheap nhl jerseys putting touch he showed in the first round.

The putting problems surfaced this season as Willis has made only two cuts in eightJerseys from china tournaments, shooting 78-78 last week for an early exit in the Texas Open. He’s 177th in the tour’s putting rankings and got fed up giving away strokes on the green.

Willis was on a full-out search for a winning replacement putter this week. He brought four putters with him, had three more made at Harbour Town and had his father ship in three more. Willis was ready to go with a belly putter he used in Tuesday’s practice round and in warmups before his starting time. Suddenly, Willis’ resolve disappeared and “Old Faithful” was back.

Willis wasn’t so confident in his last-second choice after missing a simple 12-footer for birdie on cheap mlb jerseys the first hole. His game — and attitude — changed for good on the next hole when Willis made an 8-foot birdie putt to start his run. “I said, ‘Wow, maybe I can make a putt,’” Willis recalled.

“I made putts today that I normally don’t make,” he said.

Donald, who won the Match Play Championship in February, is the highest ranked player in the field. He did little to hurt his chance for No. 1, rallying from a sluggish start with three birdies over his final six holes.

Defending champion Jim Furyk and reigning U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell, fifth in the world, were in a pack at 68. Ernie Els, 15th in the rankings, had a difficult start on a course he traditionally plays well with seven top 10s in 11 appearances. Els switched to a belly putter for the first round and struggled to a 75. Els also incurred a two-stroke penalty on his nex-to-last hole, the eighth, for testing the playing surface by raking a bunker of his footprints before his shot.

In all, seven of the world’s top 20 players teed off in what could be blank new era snapback caps wholesale the final Heritage. The tournament, a PGA Tour fixture since 1969, is searching for a title sponsor, something both the tour and event organizers called essential for keeping the springtime tradition on the golf schedule. John Daly caused an early morning stir with three birdies his first six holes to take the lead. Bogeys on the seventh and ninth holes dropped him back. He finished with a 70. … Brian Davis returned to Harbour Town with a 68. Davis called a two-shot penalty on himself in last year’s playoff with Furyk when he touched a loose reed with his takeaway. … Matt Bettencourt’s 65 came only days after he totaled his car in a highway wreck on the trip from his home in Upstate South Carolina. Bettencourt said he hit a camper top that fell off the car in front of him on I-26 and he had no choice but to brace for impact. He and his wife, Kim, were not cheap hats wholesale hurt.

 

 

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Apr 21

Yankees 6, Blue Jays 2: Yankees’ Colon Throws Back Clock and Pushes Past Blue Jays

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Colon was eager to pitch, eager to continue a remarkable comeback tale that has left opposing hitters befuddled and the Yankees enthralled. His ascension from faded star to valuable contributor reached its apex at Rogers Centre, where Colon pitched six and two-thirds stellar innings in the Yankees’ 6-2 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

By that, he means a year and a half ago, after an injury-ravaged season with the White Soxcheap baseball hats new era , Colon contemplated retirement. Six months ago, he was out of professional baseball. Three months ago, he impressed Tony Pena, the Yankees’ bench coach, enough during winter ball in the Dominican Republic to earn a minor-league deal. Phil Hughes landed on the disabled list. Joba Chamberlain massaged his right shoulder. His eyes danced as he discussed a “very special” night, which ended with his packing away his cleats for exhibition back home in the Dominican Republic, a memory of his first victory since May 26, 2009.

In the span of five days, the Yankees have received superb starting pitching performances from Freddy Garcia and Colon, two former aces who arrived in spring training as nonroster invitees. Garcia, who won 12 games last season for the White Sox, was more of a known commodity. Colon was not, having last pitched in the majors on July 24, 2009.

“We’ve seen him do it since Day 1 of spring training,” Manager Joe Girardi said. “Jerseys from china To me, it’s really who he is. This is not something that he wasn’t before.”

In discussing Colon’s expected contributions Wednesday, Girardi said he was more curious about his stamina than his repertory. Colon, after all, has been delighting the Yankees since his first bullpen session Jerseys from china of the spring, when Girardi marveled at his command. C. C. Sabathia, who fired cheap nhl jerseys seven scoreless against Minnesota on April 5. That has put added stress on the bullpen, which entered Wednesday having pitched the third-most innings (57) in the American League.

The Yankees staked Colon to a 1-0 lead before he even threw a pitch, blank new era snapback caps wholesale and two more runs scored in the second. Arencibia’s homer off a hanging slider cut the Yankees’ lead to 3-1, and from there, Colon made an adjustment. Every breaking ball he threw from then on darted down or out of the zone, away from the middle of the plate.

Colon’s first strikeout, of Travis Snider, came on what has become his signature pitch, a wicked two-seam fastball that starts at a left-handed hitter’s belt buckle before zipping across the inside corner. Martin praised the depth and movement cheap hats wholesale of that pitch, calling it imperative to his success. Alex Rodriguez, who returned to the lineup after missing two games with a sore right oblique, interpreted.

 

 

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Apr 21

Capitals 4, Rangers 3 (Double Overtime): Capitals Pounce on a Ranger Mistake

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The Rangers lost pivotal Game 4 of their Stanley Cup playoff series with the Washington Capitals after 32 minutes 36 seconds of overtime on a broken play — a miscommunication between Rangers forward Marian Gaborik and goalie Henrik Lundqvist — that allowed Washington’s Jason Chimera to finish a furious comeback.

It was the first time all season the Rangers had lost a game after holding a second-intermission lead, a 29-game streak. It was also the first time all season that the Capitals had come back from a 3-0 deficit.

Chimera broke into the Rangers’ zone after taking a short pass from Marcus Johansson, who scored two cheap baseball hats new eraof Washington’s three unanswered third-period goals. Chimera fired the puck, but his shot was muffled by the stick of defenseman Bryan McCabe. The puck slid into a no-man’s land between Lundqvist and McCabe and Chimera, who had tied each other up.

As Chimera glided across the ice on one knee in celebration and his teammates poured over the boards to mob him, Lundqvist knelt, staring into his gaping net, motionless and in disbelief.

Lundqvist patiently elaborated when asked again what happened.  “I go out to try to freeze the puck, and I don’t think Gabby sees me going out there,” he said. “It was a miscommunication. It all happened pretty fast.”

“I shot it and it hit someone and the puck was just laying there for me to tap in,” he said. “I couldn’t miss it.”

At 11:02 of the first overtime, Lundqvist pulled off the save of the series, coming out to the edge of his crease to rob Alex Ovechkin of a decisive breakaway with a glove save.

It had all seemed so easy in the second period, when the Rangers scored twice in seven seconds and the crowd was roaring.

There is no question that Capitals Coach Bruce Boudreau heard, after goading Ranger fans Monday in a Washington radio interview with the contention that they were not as loud as the fans at the Verizon Center.

The Capitals tied the score with 7:53 left cheap nhl jerseys in regulation Jerseys from china when Johansson shot from the blue line past Lundqvist. That followed goals 57 seconds apart earlier in the period by Alexander Semin and Johansson.

Anisimov broke a scoreless draw with a shot from behind cheap mlb jerseys the net that bounced past Washington goalie Michal Neuvirth (36 saves) at 5:24 of the second period.

The party was on and the Garden sounded like the inside of a hangar as a jet airliner took off.

Dubinsky’s, seven seconds later, was blank new era snapback caps wholesale his second in two games. The first came with 99 seconds left in Game 3, the decisive goal in a 3-2 victory on Sunday that put the Rangers back in this series.

But the Capitals showed the resiliency that had been missing in recent playoff cheap hats wholesale collapses.

Chris Botta contributed reporting.

 

 

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