One day after the Patriots were slaughtered at home by Pittsburgh, the NFL announced New England will be playing a game next season in London. Last season, the Giants beat the Dolphins 13-10, and earlier this year New Orleans beat San Diego, 37-32. Both games were played at Wembley Stadium in front of sold out crowds of over 83,000.
The Pats will be playing in the third annual UK game, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on October 25, 2009. The Bucs will be the "home team", meaning the Patriots still get to play eight games at Gillette Stadium next season.
Last season, the NFL announced they will hold an annual game in England at least through the 2010 season. The Patriots are 7-5 so far this year, one game behind the New York Jets. The Buccaneers are 9-3 and tied with Carolina atop the NFC South.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Sunday, November 30, 2008
THREE EXPIRING CONTRACTS MOST LIKELY TO GET TRADED
Last week, TNT analyst Charles Barkley took a shot at LeBron James by suggesting that the superstar needs to "shut the hell up" about leaving Cleveland in the summer of 2010. While James has been fueling the speculation that he will ditch the Cavs for the spotlight of New York, nobody really knows what is going to happen in the free-agent bonanza in two years.
Some teams have already begun wheeling and dealing to free up cap space for the future. The Pistons sent former NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups to Denver for Allen Iverson (and his expiring contract), and the Knicks traded for Cuttino Mobley, Tim Thomas, and Al Harrington, all of whom have contracts that expire after next season.
Here is a quick look at three players with expiring deals who may get dealt before the NBA's trade deadline this February.
1. SHAWN MARION - Heat
Marion, who came to Miami in the Shaquille O'Neal trade, is making $17,800,000 this season. While it has long been speculated that Carlos Boozer might be on the club's radar, thus leading Miami to keep Marion on the books until the end of the season, that is certainly not a done deal. The Heat may want to deal Marion and take back players who's deals have another year on them. That way, when Dwyane Wade is set to leave in July, 2010, the Heat will have plenty of space under the salary cap to re-sign their superstar guard.
2. WALLY SZCZERBIAK - Cavaliers
Szczerbiak is making a ridiculous $13, 275,000 this season playing along side LeBron James.
And James is the reason that Cleveland will probably deal him before February's deadline. With the speculation that King James' future will take him out of Ohio and into a bigger market, it would behoove the Cavs to load up on talent and make a push for the title now. Szczerbiak was overwhelmingly voted, in a recent issue of ESPN The Magazine, as the worst defensive player in the NBA. As the Celtics proved last season, defense wins in the playoffs, so Cleveland may want to sure up that side of the ball. And since Wally's deal is up after the season, there should be plenty of teams willing to take him back, then let him walk at the end of the year.
3. ANDRE MILLER - 76'ers
The 76'ers will really only make Miller available in trades if they fall out of playoff contention, and nobody truly expects that to happen. The point guard, who came to Philly when AI was shipped to the Nuggets, is making $10,333,334 for the year. The Sixers slow start, they are 7-9 and in last place in the Atlantic Division, as well as the team's scoring issues could push Philadelphia to shop Miller should they continue to struggle. The signing of Elton Brand this past offseason means the Sixers won't be a part of the madness in 2010, so dealing the 32-year-old for younger players might make some sense.
Other players with expiring contracts include Jason Kidd ($21,372,000), Allen Iverson ($20,840,625), Lamar Odom ($14,148,596), and Rasheed Wallace ($13,930,000). Here is a list of players with contracts that expire in 2009, and 2010.
Some teams have already begun wheeling and dealing to free up cap space for the future. The Pistons sent former NBA Finals MVP Chauncey Billups to Denver for Allen Iverson (and his expiring contract), and the Knicks traded for Cuttino Mobley, Tim Thomas, and Al Harrington, all of whom have contracts that expire after next season.
Here is a quick look at three players with expiring deals who may get dealt before the NBA's trade deadline this February.
1. SHAWN MARION - HeatMarion, who came to Miami in the Shaquille O'Neal trade, is making $17,800,000 this season. While it has long been speculated that Carlos Boozer might be on the club's radar, thus leading Miami to keep Marion on the books until the end of the season, that is certainly not a done deal. The Heat may want to deal Marion and take back players who's deals have another year on them. That way, when Dwyane Wade is set to leave in July, 2010, the Heat will have plenty of space under the salary cap to re-sign their superstar guard.
2. WALLY SZCZERBIAK - Cavaliers
Szczerbiak is making a ridiculous $13, 275,000 this season playing along side LeBron James.
And James is the reason that Cleveland will probably deal him before February's deadline. With the speculation that King James' future will take him out of Ohio and into a bigger market, it would behoove the Cavs to load up on talent and make a push for the title now. Szczerbiak was overwhelmingly voted, in a recent issue of ESPN The Magazine, as the worst defensive player in the NBA. As the Celtics proved last season, defense wins in the playoffs, so Cleveland may want to sure up that side of the ball. And since Wally's deal is up after the season, there should be plenty of teams willing to take him back, then let him walk at the end of the year.
3. ANDRE MILLER - 76'ersThe 76'ers will really only make Miller available in trades if they fall out of playoff contention, and nobody truly expects that to happen. The point guard, who came to Philly when AI was shipped to the Nuggets, is making $10,333,334 for the year. The Sixers slow start, they are 7-9 and in last place in the Atlantic Division, as well as the team's scoring issues could push Philadelphia to shop Miller should they continue to struggle. The signing of Elton Brand this past offseason means the Sixers won't be a part of the madness in 2010, so dealing the 32-year-old for younger players might make some sense.
Other players with expiring contracts include Jason Kidd ($21,372,000), Allen Iverson ($20,840,625), Lamar Odom ($14,148,596), and Rasheed Wallace ($13,930,000). Here is a list of players with contracts that expire in 2009, and 2010.
MARK'S WEEK 13 PICKS
BUFFALO -6
baltimore -6
indianapolis -7.5
GREEN BAY -1
miami -9.5
TAMPA BAY -1
new york giants -4.5
SAN DIEGO +1
OAKLAND -5
pittsburgh E
denver +8
chicago +1.5
jacksonville +2.5
baltimore -6
indianapolis -7.5
GREEN BAY -1
miami -9.5
TAMPA BAY -1
new york giants -4.5
SAN DIEGO +1
OAKLAND -5
pittsburgh E
denver +8
chicago +1.5
jacksonville +2.5
EVAN'S WEEK 13 PICKS
Just in the nick of time. Here are my picks for the week 13 slate of games.
San Francisco at Buffalo (-6)
Baltimore at Cincinnati (+6)
Indianapolis at Cleveland (+7.5)
Carolina at Green Bay (-1)
Miami at St. Louis (+9.5)
New Orleans at Tampa Bay (-1)
NY Giants at Washington (+4.5)
Atlanta at San Diego (+1)
Kansas City at Oakland (-5)
Pittsburgh at New England (E)
Denver at NY Jets (-8)
Chicago at Minnesota (-1.5)
Jacksonville at Houston (-2.5)
San Francisco at Buffalo (-6)
Baltimore at Cincinnati (+6)
Indianapolis at Cleveland (+7.5)
Carolina at Green Bay (-1)
Miami at St. Louis (+9.5)
New Orleans at Tampa Bay (-1)
NY Giants at Washington (+4.5)
Atlanta at San Diego (+1)
Kansas City at Oakland (-5)
Pittsburgh at New England (E)
Denver at NY Jets (-8)
Chicago at Minnesota (-1.5)
Jacksonville at Houston (-2.5)
Saturday, November 29, 2008
CAN THE BRUINS KEEP IT UP?
The Bruins debuted new third jerseys yesterday in their post-Thanksgiving thrashing of the New York Islanders. Five third period goals propelled Boston to another victory, giving the team 10 wins in it's last 12 games. At 15-4-4, the B's are six points ahead of Montreal for the lead in the Northeast division (34 points to 28), and trail only the New York Rangers, by two points, in the Eastern Conference.
Bruins fans are pleased, to say the least. But this hot start, coupled with the team's struggles in recent seasons, beg the question: can they keep it up?
While there is no doubt Tim Thomas will cool off a little bit at some point, there is no reason why the Bruins can't continue to win, and make a serious run at Lord Stanley's Cup in 2009. This year's club has something that Bruins teams of the recent past have not had: Multiple scoring threats. Last year, Boston went on long scoring droughts, unable to put the puck in the net with any consistency. Thats not the case anymore. Through 23 games this season, the Bruins have scored 79 goals, good for third in the NHL. Marc Savard's 30 points put him in a tie for the second most in the league, and his 22 assists are also the second most in the entire NHL. All this comes with Patrice Bergeron still working his way back from a terrible concussion that cost him almost all of last season, and without Chuck Kobasew and Marco Sturm for long stretches because of injury. The emergence of Phil Kessel has been huge, as has the strong play of rookie forward Blake Wheeler, who has seven goals and four assists and is a plus 10 so far this year.
Defensively, the B's are just as strong, if not stronger. Zdeno Chara, the team's captain, is a force to be reckoned with in his own end, as is Dennis Wideman, who came to Boston in a trade with the St. Louis Blues (for Brad Boyes) two seasons ago. While Andrew Ferrence recovers from a broken leg, rookie Matt Hunwick has stepped in and done a great for Boston. The black and gold have allowed just 50 goals on the season, and only a measly 2.17 goals per game. Minnesota (2.14) is the only club that gives up fewer goals per game than the Bruins.
And of course, there is Milan Lucic, who's emergence this season has been nothing short of amazing. The twenty year old winger does whatever the team needs. He fights--his bout with Mike Komisarek of the Canadiens cost the Montreal defenseman a month with a shoulder injury--and he lights the lamp as well. In last week's 3-2 Bruins win over the Canadiens, Montreal tough guy Georges Laracque shadowed Lucic the entire game, and the Bruins' winger was getting booed and jeered throughout the game (because of his KO of Komisarek). Yet when the B's trailed 1-0 in the second, Lucic was there to tip in a great pass from Phil Kessel to tie the game at one. Oh yeah, and through 23 games he leads the league in hits as well.
All of this, plus the incredible play of goalie Tim Thomas, has put the Bruins in position to get a high seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs this April. Tonight's game against defending Cup Champion Detroit should be a good measuring stick to see how far along the Bruins truly are. A win would be huge for the confidence of this young team. While it's still very early in the season, the Bruins are certainly on the right track to reclaim some of the glory of the Big Bad Bruins.
Bruins fans are pleased, to say the least. But this hot start, coupled with the team's struggles in recent seasons, beg the question: can they keep it up?
While there is no doubt Tim Thomas will cool off a little bit at some point, there is no reason why the Bruins can't continue to win, and make a serious run at Lord Stanley's Cup in 2009. This year's club has something that Bruins teams of the recent past have not had: Multiple scoring threats. Last year, Boston went on long scoring droughts, unable to put the puck in the net with any consistency. Thats not the case anymore. Through 23 games this season, the Bruins have scored 79 goals, good for third in the NHL. Marc Savard's 30 points put him in a tie for the second most in the league, and his 22 assists are also the second most in the entire NHL. All this comes with Patrice Bergeron still working his way back from a terrible concussion that cost him almost all of last season, and without Chuck Kobasew and Marco Sturm for long stretches because of injury. The emergence of Phil Kessel has been huge, as has the strong play of rookie forward Blake Wheeler, who has seven goals and four assists and is a plus 10 so far this year.
Defensively, the B's are just as strong, if not stronger. Zdeno Chara, the team's captain, is a force to be reckoned with in his own end, as is Dennis Wideman, who came to Boston in a trade with the St. Louis Blues (for Brad Boyes) two seasons ago. While Andrew Ferrence recovers from a broken leg, rookie Matt Hunwick has stepped in and done a great for Boston. The black and gold have allowed just 50 goals on the season, and only a measly 2.17 goals per game. Minnesota (2.14) is the only club that gives up fewer goals per game than the Bruins.
And of course, there is Milan Lucic, who's emergence this season has been nothing short of amazing. The twenty year old winger does whatever the team needs. He fights--his bout with Mike Komisarek of the Canadiens cost the Montreal defenseman a month with a shoulder injury--and he lights the lamp as well. In last week's 3-2 Bruins win over the Canadiens, Montreal tough guy Georges Laracque shadowed Lucic the entire game, and the Bruins' winger was getting booed and jeered throughout the game (because of his KO of Komisarek). Yet when the B's trailed 1-0 in the second, Lucic was there to tip in a great pass from Phil Kessel to tie the game at one. Oh yeah, and through 23 games he leads the league in hits as well.
All of this, plus the incredible play of goalie Tim Thomas, has put the Bruins in position to get a high seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs this April. Tonight's game against defending Cup Champion Detroit should be a good measuring stick to see how far along the Bruins truly are. A win would be huge for the confidence of this young team. While it's still very early in the season, the Bruins are certainly on the right track to reclaim some of the glory of the Big Bad Bruins.
Friday, November 28, 2008
RED SOX SET TO SIGN TAZAWA
Junichi Tazawa, a 22-year-old pitcher from Yokohama , Japan Boston
The right-hander played last season with the Nippon Oil of the Japanese Industrial League, a
league specifically for amateur players. He told Japanese professional teams not to draft him so he could pursue a deal with a team in Major League Baseball. In his final start for
The Red Sox reportedly offered Tazawa slightly less money than the Rangers, but the righty wanted the chance to play on a team with one of his idols, Matsuzaka. Reports say that the Red Sox offer was for $6 million over three seasons.
This looks like a nice signing for
While this isn't the big splash that many have been expecting from the Red Sox, it is certainly a very nice signing that should help the team's chances in 2009. They are expected to announce the signing as early as December 1.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
LIGHT AND CROWDER FINED, NOT SUSPENDED
Great news for the Patriots, as Matt Light will be in uniform on Sunday when New England takes on AFC rival Pittsburgh at Gillette Stadium. Light and Channing Crowder of the Miami Dolphins got into a fight during the Pats win last week, and both were ejected from the game.
The NFL elected to fine each player $15,000, but did not issue suspensions for either player. The confrontation occurred in the fourth quarter, while Light was blocking Crowder during Stephen Gostkowski's 30-yard field goal. The NFL's investigation found that while Light did punch Crowder multiple times, Crowder instigated the fight by constantly trash talking (hence the grin as he ran away from Light).
Having Light in the lineup will be huge next week against the Steelers, the NFL leaders in sacks.
The NFL elected to fine each player $15,000, but did not issue suspensions for either player. The confrontation occurred in the fourth quarter, while Light was blocking Crowder during Stephen Gostkowski's 30-yard field goal. The NFL's investigation found that while Light did punch Crowder multiple times, Crowder instigated the fight by constantly trash talking (hence the grin as he ran away from Light).
Having Light in the lineup will be huge next week against the Steelers, the NFL leaders in sacks.
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