Friday, February 24, 2012
If The Astros Want To Wear Their Colt .45s Throwbacks, They Will Have To Do It Without The Gun
The Houston Astros are scheduled to wear their Houston Colt .45s throwback uniforms twice during the upcoming season as part of the franchise's 50th anniversary. But according to 610 AM in Houston, Major League Baseball will not allow the Astros to use the gun that was originally depicted on the Colt .45s uniforms.
Of course, this is silly on several levels, but the biggest reason is because removing the gun doesn't change the name, Colt .45s, which is of course a gun.
But also consider the logo seen at right. Simply removing the gun ruins the entire logo. The C makes no sense without the gun, as it was designed specifically to be the smoke of the gun.
Last year, the Tampa Bay Rays changed their Tampa Smokers throwback unis when they removed the cigar from the original logo. Although in that case, the Rays made the decision on their own.
Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.
Join the conversation about this story »
See Also:
- Manny Ramirez Is Taking A Huge Paycut In His Return To Baseball
- How Major League Baseball Royally Screwed Up The Ryan Braun Suspension
- SPORTS CHART OF THE DAY: NBA Scoring Is Way Down This Season
Nick Spaling Pikka Rinne Mathieu Carle Lars Eller Hal Gill John Madden
Colts Can Move On From Peyton Manning And Sign Andrew Luck As Soon As Friday
The Indianapolis Colts can begin contract negotiations with presumed-to-be first overall pick Andrew Luck very soon, according to Pro Football Talk (via CBS Sports).
NFL spokesman Greg Aiello tells us that the Colts could sign the top pick as of Friday, after a pair of coin flips lock in the draft order.
Chances are slim that Indianapolis would actually sign Luck to a rookie deal so soon.
Considering that he's believed to be a once-in-a-lifetime prospect, though, it'll come at some point before the draft.
Such a move would likely absolve Colts owner Jim Irsay of some extra PR fallout by already having the next face of the franchise on the team prior to free agency.
It would also make it much easier for Peyton Manning to make the decision to leave.
Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.
Join the conversation about this story »
See Also:
- Jim Irsay Is Letting Peyton Choose Whether He Stays Or Goes
- Report: Peyton Manning Is Still Injured And He 'Can't Throw The Ball To His Left'
- Sorry Jets Fans, Vegas Says The Dolphins Are Favored To Land Peyton Manning
Petr Kalus Colton Gilies Justin Falk Robbie Eal Joe Callahan Bryan Allen
Washington Redskins Mock Draft: Full 7-Round Team Prediction
No team has provoked a wider scope of debate regarding its intentions in the 2012 NFL Draft than the Washington Redskins. While mock draft pundits can offer one unanimous prediction for most teams, it is not uncommon to see a mock draft containing four different projections for the Redskins.
One thing that is clear is that the Redskins need a quarterback. If Mike Shanahan is truly committed to patiently building the Redskins through youth, then he must find his quarterback in the draft.
Shanahan can choose between Baylor star Robert Griffin III, Texas A&M's Ryan Tannehill or even Oklahoma State's Brandon Weeden. But the Redskins coach must emerge from the draft with a clear plan at quarterback.
If the Redskins do turn to the instant gratification that a veteran as prolific as Peyton Manning could provide, they could then opt for LSU corner Morris Claiborne or his teammate, defensive tackle Michael Brockers, with the sixth pick overall.
The Redskins have eight selections in this draft and must also look to improve the overall quality of the depth on their roster.
Here is a list of projections for the Washington Redskins 2012 draft.
Source: http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1078397-washington-redskins-2012-mock-draft-7-round-predictions
Phoenix Coyotes San Jose Sharks New Jersey Devil New York Islanders New York Rangers Philadelphia Flyers
Here's The Jeremy Lin Rap Song Nobody Was Waiting For
Well, you knew somebody was eventually going to make a song about Jeremy Lin, but you might be surprised to hear that the first one we found was actually a rap song by somebody called Mega Ran. And it isn't the worst song we ever heard.
But even more impressive is that this song was uploaded to YouTube on February 8. That was just four days after Lin's first big game with the Knicks and just two days after his first start.
Here is the song...
Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.
Join the conversation about this story »
See Also:
- Knicks Vs. Heat: The Highlights You Won't See On SportsCenter
- If You Want This Jeremy Lin Basketball Card, It Will Cost You $50,000
- WATCH: A Nike Executive Talks About Capitalizing On Linsanity
John Madden Petr Kalus Colton Gilies Justin Falk Robbie Eal Joe Callahan
Thursday, February 23, 2012
Oregon Football: 5 Duck Players That Must Come Up Huge in 2012
For the past three years Oregon has continued to find a way to retool its offense and stay on top of the Pac-12 conference.
Seemingly every year, the Ducks have entered the season with question marks but have found a way to overcome offseason losses and changes.
This year, the Ducks will enter the offseason without LaMichael James, the school's all-time leading rusher, and Darron Thomas, a two-year starter that only lost three games at Oregon.
With a shot at a fourth straight conference title, here is a look at five Oregon players that must step up for the Ducks to defend their title.
Joe Penkala is a B/R National Featured Columnist who covers college football. You can contact him @joepenkala.
Justin Falk Robbie Eal Joe Callahan Bryan Allen Mark Cullen Baltimore Orioles
Is The Cover Of Pro Football Weekly Racist?
Pro Football Weekly put Andrew Luck and Robert Griffin III on the cover of its NFL Draft preview with the words "BLACK" and "WHITE" scrolled across the page.
Media arbiter Jim Romensko wrote about it today.
It seems racist because the joke is that Luck wearing black while Griffin is wearing white, thus the magazine implicitly defines each player by their race.
Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.
Join the conversation about this story »
See Also:
- Jim Irsay Is Letting Peyton Choose Whether He Stays Or Goes
- Ron Jaworski Gets Canned From Monday Night Football
- Tim Tebow Has Gone Back To College To Get Better In The NFL
A.J. Burnett Steve Garrison Phil Hughes Damaso Marte Mariano Rivera Kerry Wood
A Mind-Blowing Statistic About How Dominant The Miami Heat Have Been This Season
The Miami Heat have led by double-digits in 28 of their 33 games.
They've led by 15 or more points in 22 of their 33 games.
And they've led by 20 or more points in nearly half (16 out of 33) of their games.
Only the Chicago Bulls can begin to match that, leading by 20+ in 15 of their 35 games, and 10+ in 26 of 35.
The Heat aren't simply beating teams, they're pounding people.
When LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh joined forces in the summer of 2010, everyone envisioned a radical juggernaut — a team so talented that the magnitude of its dominance would be unprecedented.
But despite winning 58 games last year and making the NBA Finals, the Heat's lack of utter dominance made it seem like they were a failure. They were simply a very good team, not a transcendent one, and that wasn't enough.
Now, they're destroying people in a way that corresponds to their perceived talent. LeBron James is having one of the best individual seasons in the history of the NBA. Role players like Shane Battier, Norris Cole, and Mike Miller and giving Miami some much-needed depth. And as the rest of the league is struggling through the condensed schedule, the Heat are thriving.
Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.
Join the conversation about this story »
See Also:
- LeBron James Is Quietly Having One Of The Best Seasons In NBA History
- SHOCK RUMOR: LeBron James Drinks Appletinis
- SPORTS CHART OF THE DAY: Ticket Prices To See Jeremy Lin Face LeBron James Tonight Are Skyrocketing
Toronto Blue Jays chicago blackhawks columbus blue jackets detroit red wings nashville predators St Louis Blues
Wednesday Rumor Talk
• Washington D Roman Hamrlik was a healthy scratch Wednesday in Ottawa. The Canucks are looking for a blueliner for the stretch drive along with St. Louis and may have interest.
• Confirm or deny: The Predators have held talks with the Jackets about Nash.
• The Canes haven’t had any talks with D Bryan Allen or D Jaroslav Spacek. So they’re still in play at the moment.
more including the current asking price for Rick Nash and Jeff Carter…
Source: http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/hockey/comments/wednesday_rumor_talk/
Martin Erat Marcel Goc Jamie Lundmark Nick Spaling Pikka Rinne Mathieu Carle
Jeremy Lin Has Already Turned Down Millions Of Dollars In Endorsements
Although his star power is at its highest right now, Jeremy Lin and his handlers are turning down multi-million dollar endorsement deals left and right, according to the New York Post.
“Jeremy’s agent, Roger Montgomery, has had over 1,000 e-mails from companies who want to strike endorsement deals with him,” said a source.
“There’s been so much interest, and so many people reaching out, it is overwhelming. They’re working to build a team to handle all this, and hiring marketing and p.r. executives."
The companies trying to land Lin as a spokesperson include a wireless phone company and a luxury watchmaker, according to the NYP.
Considering that Lin's agent did look a bit surprised at his client's overnight stardom during an interview with CNBC, it makes sense that they are considering all of their options before jumping on any potential deal.
As for endorsements already in tow, Nike has plans to launch a signature Lin shoe and accompanying ad campaign soon.
Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.
Join the conversation about this story »
See Also:
- Jeremy Lin Asks The Taiwanese Media To Leave His Family Alone
- Jeremy Lin Doesn't Think It Is Fair That Fans Are Booing Kim Kardashian's Ex-Husband
- The Nets Admit That Jealousy Of Jeremy Lin Motivated Them To Beat The Knicks
John Madden Petr Kalus Colton Gilies Justin Falk Robbie Eal Joe Callahan
Cleveland Indians Preview 2012: Will This Be Michael Brantley's Breakout Year?
Despite being a relative disappointment to this point in his career, 2012 could very well see Michael Brantley come into his own as a major league outfielder.
For someone who looked like he was on the fast-track to becoming the next Kenny Lofton, Michael Brantley hasn't had the best start to his career. After being one type of hitter in the minor leagues, Brantley has often times looked like a completely different batter at the major league level.
Check out his splits:
Minors, averaged to 155 G: .303/.388/.377 slash line, .765 OPS, .361 wOBA (119 wRC+), 4 HR, 61 RBI, 44 SB, 102 R, 11.8 BB%, 8.8 K%, 4.3 Simple WAR
Majors, averaged to 155 G: .265/.316/.359 slash line, .675 OPS (88 OPS+), .301 wOBA (85 wRC+), 7 HR, 57 RBI, 19 SB, 80 R, 6.8 BB%, 14.1 K%, 0.2 fWAR
The outlook doesn't improve all that much according to Bill James' 2012 season projections:
Bill James Projection, averaged to 155 G: .268/.332/.358 slash line, .690 OPS, 309 wOBA, 7 HR, 56 RBI, 27 SB, 91 R, 8.6 BB%, 12.1 K%, 2.2 Simple WAR
Obviously, no player maintains their exact minor league performance level when they move up to the majors, but in Brantley's case, I feel like his stats all changed too much. He went from someone who walked more than he struck out to striking out over twice as much as he walked. He's also seen his stolen base rate cut in half and his offensive production decline about 17 percent.
Even if Bill James projections come to pass and Brantley is an average player, I still think he's capable of more. With a few adjustments, this may become his breakout year.
The first step is to move him to center field. He hasn't rated positively there in his young big-league career, but he has a big fan in Keith Law. If Law, who is paid good money to be informed on these players, feels like Brantley deserves a shot in center, I'm willing to give it to him; his bat plays much better in center field anyway.
As for Grady Sizemore, I'd just move him to left field in this scenario. A less demanding defensive position just may keep him healthy. At this point in his career, Sizemore shouldn't be playing center field anyway. Luckily for the Tribe, they have a player like Brantley who just may be capable of handling the position.
The other big thing Brantley needs to do is make adjustments to major league pitching. If he were to stop striking out as much as he's been and start drawing more walks again, his value would shoot up.
In the Bill James projections, adjusting his K% to 9.0% and his BB% to 9.5% takes him from a borderline starter (2.2 Simple WAR) to a surefire starter (2.8 Simple WAR). Plus, if Brantley's new-found power holds (10 HR instead of 7), he'd be all the way up to a 3.2 Simple WAR.
It may not be much, but if Brantley made it to the three-win player level, he'd be a solid major league player entering his age-25 season. Brantley is just now approaching his prime, so it's not outrageous to think he may pull off these adjustments and become a legitimate big-league center fielder.
Considering the poor return the rest of the CC Sabathia trade has yielded so far, the Indians' front office and their fans are certainly hoping this is Brantley's breakout season.
He's got the tools. Now, he just has to put them all together.
Steve Garrison Phil Hughes Damaso Marte Mariano Rivera Kerry Wood Francisco Cervelli
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
The Ex-ESPN Editor Who Wrote The Offensive Jeremy Lin Headline Has Explained Himself In A Heartfelt Statement
Anthony Federico, the editor ESPN fired after his "Chink In The Armor" headline was used in reference to Jeremy Lin and the New York Knicks, has released a statement on Twitter (via Jimmy Traina).
Federico takes full responsibility for his action, calling it "a lapse in judgment and not a racist pun." He apologizes to Lin, adding, "If those who vilify me would take a deeper look at my life they would see that I am the exact opposite of how some are portraying me."
Here's Federico's full statement:
I wrote the headline in reference to the tone of the column and not to Jeremy Lin’s race. It was a lapse in judgment and not a racist pun. It was an awful editorial omission and it cost me my job.
I owe an apology to Jeremy Lin and all people offended. I am truly sorry.
Actions speak louder than words. My words may have hurt people in that moment but my actions have always helped people. If those who vilify me would take a deeper look at my life they would see that I am the exact opposite of how some are portraying me.
They would see that on the day of the incident I got a call from a friend – who happens to be homeless – and rushed to his aid. He was collapsed on the side of the road due to exposure and hunger. They would see how I picked him up and got him a hotel room and fed him. They would see I used my vacation time last year to volunteer in the orphanages of Haiti. They would see how I ‘adopted’ an elderly Alzheimer’s patient and visited him every week for a year. They would see that every winter I organize a coat drive for those less fortunate in New Haven. They would see how I raised $10,000 for a friend in need when his kids were born four months premature. They would see how I have worked in soup kitchens and convalescent homes since I was a kid. They would see my actions speak louder than my words. They would see that these acts were not done for my glory, but for God’s. They would see that each day I live and will continue to live a life of joy and service.
It never has been or will be my intention to hurt anyone.
I wrote thousands and thousands and thousands of headlines in my five years at ESPN. There never was a problem with any of them and I was consistently praised as an employee – both personally and professionally. Two weeks prior to the incident I had my first column published on espnW.com. My career was taking off. Why would I throw that all away with a racist pun? This was an honest mistake.
It is also crucial that people know that the writer of the column had nothing to do with the headline. I wrote it and now I take responsibility for it.
I am actually a Knicks fan and an ardent supporter of Jeremy Lin. Not surprisingly, he has handled the entire situation with grace and class.
Now I have to find a new job and move on with my life.
My solace in this is that ‘all things work together for good for those who love the Lord.’ I praise God equally in the good times and the bad times.
-Anthony Federico
anthonyfederico9@gmail.com
Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.
Join the conversation about this story »
See Also:
- SPORTS CHART OF THE DAY: Jeremy Lin's Popularity Has Already Soared Past The Peak Of Tebowmania
- Jeremy Lin Is On The Cover Of Sports Illustrated For The Second Week In A Row
- Jeremy Lin Has Already Turned Down Millions Of Dollars In Endorsements
Brian Wilson Eli Whiteside Mike Fontenot Brett Pill Pat Burrell Jhan Marinez
BCS statement on today’s meetings says nothing; but don’t be discouraged
Los Angeles Dodgers Minnesota Twins New York Yankees Oakland Athletics Seattle Mariners Tampa Bay Rays
Wings About To Extend Bertuzzi
Bertuzzi’s agent, Pat Morris, told the Free Press today that “we’re working at it, and getting closer.” The sides have been talking for the past month.
Bertuzzi, 37, is in the last of a two-year deal that’s averaged $1,937,500. His new deal is for closer to $2.2 million a season, and is backloaded.
continued
Source: http://www.kuklaskorner.com/index.php/hockey/comments/wings_about_to_extend_bertuzzi/
St. Louis Cardinals Washington Nationals Jonathan Albaladejo Andrew Brackman A.J. Burnett Steve Garrison
You'll Never Believe Which Athletes Have Been On The Cover Of Sports Illustrated Less Than Jeremy Lin
Jeremy Lin is on the cover of Sports Illustrated for the second-straight week.
In less than a month, he's joined the small group of athletes who've landed on multiple covers.
In fact, many of the world's biggest stars have yet to grace the cover as many times as Lin.
And some of them will shock you.
Derrick Rose (1)
Novak Djokovic (0)
C.C. Sabathia (1)
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.
See Also:
- Jeremy Lin Is On The Cover Of Sports Illustrated For The Second Week In A Row
- Jeremy Lin Asks The Taiwanese Media To Leave His Family Alone
- Jeremy Lin Doesn't Think It Is Fair That Fans Are Booing Kim Kardashian's Ex-Husband
Philadelphia Flyers Pittsburgh Penguins Boston Bruins Buffalo Sabres Montreal Canadiens Ottawa Senators
Jeremy Lin Is Renting A $2.3 Million Condo In The Financial District
Last week, Jeremy Lin sub-leased an apartment in Westchester County for $3,800 a month.
Now, according to the New York Post, via Curbed, he's renting another two-bedroom apartment in the W Hotel in NYC's Financial District.
The condo is 1,182 square-feet, is fully furnished, and the Post says he's probably paying between $3,600 to $8,900 a month.
The condo was on the market for $2.315 million before the owner decided to rent it to Lin.
The entrance hallway
Lin's bedroom
The bathroom
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
Please follow Sports Page on Twitter and Facebook.
See Also:
- This Is The Exact Date When The Knicks Linning Streak Will End
- All Three New York City Tabloids Run Same Jeremy Lin Headline Following Knicks Loss
- Here Are This Week's Winners And Losers In Sports
Matt Martin Frans Nielsen Dwayne Roloson Jon Sim Jason Arnott David Clarkson