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NCAA: Everett Golson No Longer at Notre Dame

by Rodney Fisher
Everett Golson no longer at Notre Dame. Photo credit ESPN
It has now been confirmed by Television station WNDU and the South Bend Tribune that Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson is no longer enrolled at the institution.

Rumors began to circulate Saturday night no Twitter, but now the school has hinted it is related to a resident life incident.

School official Dennis Brown stated to a local news station, "Federal and school privacy laws preclude us from issuing any further comment at this time."

More details to follow...

Follow Rodney Fisher on Twitter @RodneyRFisher


NBA Playoffs: Paul George Superstar?

by Rodney Fisher
Paul George dunks on Birdman. Photo credit NBA 
As the old saying goes, "the playoffs are were stars are born", Paul George of the Indiana Pacers may be this year's breakout NBA star.

George was selected 10th overall in the 2010 NBA draft from Fresno State. That year the draft was saturated with small forwards causing Paul to be selected after Wesley Johnson, Al-Farouq Aminu, and Gordon Hayward. The Indiana Pacers did there homework before drafting him. In his freshman year he was named one of the top 15 freshman scorers in the NCAA. His sophomore season, he became Fresno State's second most effiecent free throw shooter in history, but it was Paul's defense that caught the attention of the organization.

NFL: Jason Babin, IDP Sleeper?

by Arif Hasan
Justin Babin, IDP Sleeper? Photo credit NFL 
IDP scouting and advice is always hairy. Defensive players accumulate statistics sporadically and without a lot of reliability. Offensive players have dozens of statistics by which to measure their performance and become fantasy mavens, while defending players can accumulate good statistics regardless of their overall ability. As an example, Roman Harper and Dawan Landry both scored highly in tackle-heavy leagues, while Kerry Rhodes was not a starter in many leagues.

NFL: The Shrinking Middle Class

by Chad Jones

Kam Chancellor, part of a shrinking NFL Middle Class. Photo credit NFL

Agents, Executives & Veterans are quietly discussing the shrinking middle class in the NFL. Elite players still land lucrative deals, but $ 3-4 million per year players are endangered species. 

Accumulating Talent comes from two markets- The Draft (Wholesale) & Free Agency (Retail).

General Managers have stopped looking at what position money is spent, focusing on accumulating elite players. The draft is used to supplement, where under the rookie wage scale, talent is landed on 4 year affordable contracts. At the drafts conclusion, GMs assert each selection was the highest ranked player on their board. In reality, managing a salary cap requires a deviation from this approach, albeit marginally. 

NHL Playoffs: Penguins Goalie Change Has Proved Great

Marc-Audre Fleury. Photo credit NHL

When Dan Byslma announced that Tomas Vokoun, the backup for Marc-Audre Fleury would start in a must win game 5 against the Islanders, no one knew what was going to happen. Would people see a Fleury like Vokoun or will we see the Vokoun that allows very few goals during games? People have so far seen the Vokoun that has shut down lots and lots of shots.

NFL: The Future Impact of the 2013 QB Class: Part 3

(Zac Dysert #7) Photo Credit: zimbio.com
We will conclude the series in the realm of Mr. Irrelevant; the 7th round. There is no way any of these next 4 QBs win the starting job in their rookie season, but who's to say they won't have a bright future? Is Rivers on his way out? Have the Broncos found Manning's replacement? Do the 49ers plan on running the same offense even with a back-up QB? Should Matty Ice be feeling pressured to win? Let's find out.

Video: LeBron's OT buzzer-beating game-winner vs Pacers - Game 1

Another classic game from this years NBA Playoffs...


NFL: Geno Smith Next To Join Roc Nation with Jay-Z

Geno Smith signs with Jay-Z's Roc Nation Sports
Geno Smith joins RocNation, where he will be represented by NFLPA Certified Agent Kimberly Miale. From her profile at Madison Avenue Sports, Ms. Miale is, "A certified NFLPA contract advisor for Madison Avenue Sports and Entertainment in the football division. She represents, advises, counsels and assists players in the negotiation, execution and enforcement of player contracts with the NFL." 

MLB: The Biggest Surprises Of The 2013 Season So Far

Are the Yankees the biggest surprise of 2013? Photo credit MLB


The Success of the Yankees and the Red Sox

Before the 2013 season began many experts predicted a tough season ahead for the New York Yankees. Who could blame them? A series of injuries left a depleted Yankees squad without stars, but as the first stage of the season has proved, lack of stars doesn't necessarily equal lack of quality. For the batters consistency has been the key to their success. Other than possibly Robinson Cano, nobody has really stood out with the bat, but at the same time they don't have a starter who is struggling, its a strange situation that seems to be working with a strong rotation to keep the opponent's run totals low. Hiroki Kuroda has had an incredible start, in 9 starts the 38 year old has a 1.99 ERA and a 6-2 record. C.C. Sabathia and Andy Pettite are performing to a high level as usual, and outside of his last 2 starts

2013 NBA Draft Lottery Order - Cavaliers Get First Pick - Dan Gilbert Reacts

2013 NBA Draft Lottery Order. Photo credit NBA 
The Cleveland Cavaliers get the 1st pick in the upcoming draft...again. They way the lottery works, only the first three picks are selected. The rest of the picks follow in order by worst to best regular season record.

Cavs owner Dan Gilbert said via twitter: "On plane back from NYC. Did that just happen? Again! @Cavs will be force in east for years to come. Happy for best fans in world: Cavs fans!"

Here is the official order:

Podcast: 5G Sports Talk "Turning up the Heat"

Join 5G Sports Talk as they discuss the hot topics in sports...

New episode of Dogg Pound Sports

Tonight's podcast on RFSN will focus on the Knicks demise in 6 to the Pacers, Spurs manhandling the Grizz, recapping the NHL playoffs and we will get into the ever evolving Mario Williams drama.

Be sure to follow Moose of the Dogg Pound on twitter: @MooseDPS

Dogg Pound Sports: Where Real Sports Talk Lives

NFL: New York Giants Justin Pugh

by Chad Jones

Justin Pugh. Photo credit NFL
When Tom Coughlin was hired in 2004, he drafted future son-in-law Chris Snee 34th in the Manning Draft. San Diego demanded this selection, but the Giants refused to surrender it. Snee has been a stalwart for the past Decade. 

Jim Fassell was fired because the Team lost toughness. While fantasy leagues pay attention to wide receivers, the foundation is the Offensive Line. Coughlin molded a Super Bowl caliber Line by 2007, and the unit combined with pass rushers became Road Warriors. Remember- the high octane Patriots entered XLII 18-0, but the Giants came out victorious by sheer will, unity & physical play. Eli gets the credit, but it was the Line Groups. 

NFL: Dallas Cowboys Offseason- Tom Condon Wins

by Chad Jones

Photo credit CBS

Entering the offseason $ 25 Million over the salary cap, contract restructuring was critical. Transitioning to a 4-3 Under Defense, comprehensively addressing the cap dilemma was the preeminent concern. 

Taking a broad overview, the major cap figures consisted of predominantly guaranteed money. Cuts wouldn't open cap room, but rather would result in predominantly Dead Money. 

NFL: Breaking Down the Future Impact of the 2013 QB Class: Part 2

(Tyler Wilson) Photo credit: silverandblackpride.com 
Despite the next four QBs that I will break down were selected in the 4th round, there is still a future starting QB among them. That being said, there are still other questions. Why did Chip Kelly draft Matt Barkley? Why did Nassib slip so far? Will Tyler Wilson start over Matt Flynn? Have the Steelers lost faith in Big Ben? Well, let's dive in.

NFL: Breaking Down the Future Impact of the QB Class of 2013 - Part One

By Derrik Klassen
2013 NFL Rookie Draft Class. Photo credit NFL
This past NFL Draft's QB class was widely proclaimed to be "weak", but, contrary to common belief, they will have an impact next season. Geno Smith was almost unanimously said to be the top QB, so why wasn't he the first QB taken? Why would the Bills take EJ Manuel instead? Will Glennon take over for Josh Freeman? I am going to break down the first three QBs selected in part one of this three part series.

NLH Playoffs: Sidney Crosby is Back


Sidney Crosby's hat trick gives Penguins 2-0 series lead. Photo credit NHL
Sidney Crosby is back everyone. He is now the hottest player on the planet for the NHL and the favorite to win the Hart Trophy. He showed that last night by having a hat trick in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. Crosby now has 6 goals in these playoffs.

NFL: Rebuilding the Oakland Raiders - Blueprint

by Chad Jones
Reggie McKenzie leads the charge to rebuild the Oakland Raiders. Photo credit NFL
Reggie McKenzie enters year two as General Manager, a pivotal season for the future of the Franchise. Looking at the players cut this offseason, what remains is a roster of unknown commodities. No players were protected, it was a methodical process that took into account performance in correlation to compensation. Overpaid veterans were released (Tommy Kelly & Richard Seymour) and former top draft picks were kicked to the curb (Darrius Heyward-Bey, Rolando McClain & Michael Huff).


All five players were overpaid relative to performance. Salary cap wise, 5 of the largest 7 2013 figures will be dead money from Cuts. It's a complete overhaul that consists of drafting, developing and retaining core players. Herein lies the process of the Raiders contending for AFC West Titles in the seasons forthcoming.

MLB: Zack Greinke Returns for the Dodgers

Zack Greinke Returns

On April 11 in a game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres, Padres outfielder Carlos Quentin was hit by a pitch thrown by Dodgers pitcher Zack Greinke. In retaliation to what he thought was an intentional attack, Quentin bull-rushed the mound, leading to a benches-clearing brawl between the teams that left Greinke with a broken left collarbone.

NBA Playoffs: Miami Heat Advance to the Eastern Conference Finals Over Chicago Bulls

Miami Heat advance to Eastern Conference Finals
The Chicago Bulls did not go without a fight. They overcame an 18 point defecit in the first half to go into halftime ahead 53-47. The Miami Heat would return to form to beat the Bulls and officially end there season 94-91.

NFL: Ex-Browns WR/KR Josh Cribbs Signs With Raiders

Josh Cribbs was passed up by a few teams this off-season due to his knee not being fully healthy. Considering the Raiders are desperate, they jumped on the opportunity to land the specialist. Cribbs isn't a huge WR threat anymore, technically he never truly was, but will Oakland give him plenty of snaps at WR? With the atrociously weak WR corps that the Raiders have, Cribbs may end up with 70+ touches in that offense. Since the only 2 decent WRs returning to the Raiders are Jacoby Ford and Denarius Moore, Cribbs' only other major competition will be rookie WRs such as Connor Vernon and Sam McGuffie.

Podcast: NBA Draft, NFL, Tim Donaghy, and LaDell Williams

Don't miss the LIVE broadcast of RFSportsRadio at 9pm CST/ 10pm EST

  • Ex-NBA Referee Tim Donaghy
  • Pro Boxer LaDell Williams
  • NFL talk with Scott King of FootballExtraPoints.com
  • NBA Draft Combine with Kels Dayton of RoundballDaily.com
  • Plus your live calls at 646-915-9130

NFL Draft Player Profile: Tajh Boyd of Clemson

Tajh Boyd of Clemson
Tajh Boyd's performance in the bowl game against LSU was one of the most memorable and outstanding outings by any player last season. Then again, how many of us remember his performance against Duke? It was definitely one of his more disappointing performances. The Boyd that we saw tear up LSU is certainly not the same Boyd we see every week and he will not live up to his hype next season.

NFL: Victor Cruz - Anatomy of a Negotiation




Victor Cruz making the most of opportunities. Photo credit NFL 
Victor Cruz was like many undrafted players, an unknown commodity with huge ambitions. The Patterson, New Jersey product initially signed with Abu Toppin of Reliance Sports Management (RSM). As an Undrafted Free Agent (UDFA) with the hometown club, Cruz burst onto the scene in his first preseason, but was relegated to Injured Reserve.


After a breakout 82 catch  2011 campaign, Cruz hired Malik Shareef for representation, and heralded marketing firm IMG Worldwide for off the field opportunities. Cruz delivered another strong 2012 season, becoming Eli Manning's goto wideout. Earning $ 540,000 in base salary, Cruz's production exceeded his compensation significantly.

NBA Playoffs: Spurs Dominate Warriors at Home, Series 3-2

After allowing the young Golden State Warriors outrun them in Oakland, the San Antonio Spurs bounce back with their most convincing win in the series 109-91. The Spurs now have a 3-2 series lead.

Spurs take 3-2 series lead over Warriors. Photo credit NBA
The key to the Spurs win: Energy and Effort

Tony Parker: "Our energy was good. We got the 50-50 ball [and] that was huge for us tonight. It was a tough turnaround for us in game 4. We missed an opportunity at the end and we realize that. Tonight we played for 48 minutes."

NBA Playoffs: Pacers take 3-1 Series Lead Over Cold Knicks

Pacers take a 3-1 Series Lead over NY Knicks
The second round of the NBA playoffs rolls on as the Indiana Pacers now find themselves one victory away from advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Carmelo Anthony continued his poor shooting, 9-26, from the floor and Jason Kidd as yet to make a point since before the NFL draft. Iman Shumpert, who was questionable to play, did not score in the 16 minutes he played. The Knicks have not been able to get any offense going since game 2.

NHL Playoffs: Penguins Power Play Key Factor Against Ottawa Senators


           
Penguins Need Power Plays to Win. Photo credit NHL

 The Pittsburgh Penguins have had one of the top Power Plays in the NHL all season long. They proved that in the first round series against the Islanders. The biggest test is awaiting them, as they play the Senators who have one of the best Penalty Kills in the NHL.

MLB: Jose Fernandez, The Incredible Story

Jose Fernandez


March 20, 2008. That was the day Jose Fernandez's life changed forever.

Three unsuccessful attempts at fleeing Cuba had left Fernandez, his mother and his sister without much hope of joining their father in the United States.

"The first time I couldn't get [To America]." Fernandez said, not long after he'd been drafted. "The second time, they caught me 10 miles away from Miami. When they sent me back, they took me out of school and didn't let me play baseball."

NFL Draft Player Profile: Brett Hundley of UCLA

We are all aware that the 2014 class of QBs is absolutely loaded. Brett Hundley is a big time contributor as to why this specific class is being hyped up. Last season, Hundley lead UCLA to the PAC-12 Championship game as a True Freshman.If I had to select one of last season's Freshman QBs to be the future of my franchise, I'd take Hundley in a heart beat and never look back.

(Hundley #17) Photo credit: CitySyllabus
Hundley measures in at a solid 6'3" and about 220 Lbs. While 6'3" isn't amazing height, it's certainly not a liability and 220 Lbs. is a perfect weight matched with his height. In terms of his mechanics, his throwing motion is a bit wide and when he goes to throw the deep ball, he has to wind up for it. That wind up time will allow the DB to catch up almost every time. Although, Hundley assesses the entire field before making throws and waits for plays to develop correctly, as opposed to pre-maturely forcing passes. Although, when under pressure, he doesn't have quick reactions to evade an oncoming pass rusher. Hundley won't evade the immediate pass rush threats, but if he notices the pocket collapsing, he is a threat to run for a huge gain.

Podcast: 5G Sports Talk "Turning up the heat"

Another podcast from the 5G Sports Team...

Listen to The Greg DeMarco Show, featuring Arena Chicks CEO Amber O’Neal and DeMarcette Lucky #7 Allie Parker!

Listen to The Greg DeMarco Show, featuring Arena Chicks CEO Amber O’Neal and DeMarcette Lucky #7 Allie Parker!

Arena Chicks CEO Amber O’Neal spent over 45 minutes with Greg DeMarco & Patrick O’Dowd, discussing a wide range of topics. Amber’s candid and honest nature shines during this interview, and you can guarantee that she’ll be back on the program in the near future!



Topics covered:
-Amber founding Arena Chicks and her vision for the future of her product
-Las Vegas’s WOW Wrestling and Amber’s role as one half of the tag team champions with Santana Garrett
-Amber’s thoughts on Shine Wrestling and her upcoming debut with the promotion
-Premiere Wrestling Xperience’s relationship with Ring of Honor and her upcoming appearances
-Her main goal of becoming a Woman of Honor in ROH
-Her thoughts on Reby Sky

NFL Draft Player Profile: Chaz Sutton of South Carolina

(Sutton #90) Photo credit to independentmail.com
Chaz Sutton wreaks havoc from all points on the defensive front. Sutton has lined up, and dominated, from the 1-Tech through 5-tech positions as well as Outside Line Backer. Being able to disrupt the offensive line from all different angles and positions adds a phenomenal amount of versatility to his skill-set. A player of his versatility would fit well into a Hybrid Multiple-Front defense such as the Ravens. He would play similarly to Haloti Ngata as he is moved around between the 3-tech, 5-tech, and sometimes even the 1-tech.

MLB: Top Rookie Pitchers to Watch

Justin Grimm having great rookie season. Photo credit TexasRangers
The baseball season is now in full swing. There have been some shocks, but generally the season has panned out how most thought it would. One of the surprises has been the performances of the rookie pitchers who are showing a glimpse of the future of pitching in the big leagues. This isn't even including Matt Harvey, who only just missed out on being classified as a rookie.

FXP - Denver Broncos: The Peyton Manning Effect


Is Peyton Manning all you need?
Two years ago, Denver had its season end in a 45-10 beat down at Foxboro, Massachusetts and Denver entered the offseason with the much-maligned Tim Tebow as their starting quarterback.  However, after a very intense courting period, Denver’s Executive VP of Football Operations, John Elway, announced that Denver would be bringing in free agent Peyton Manning, signaling in a new era in Denver.  Manning rewarded Elway, and the fans, with one of his best seasons ever, passing for over 4600 yards and 37 touchdowns, leading the Broncos to the playoffs where they lost to Baltimore.  Though last season did not end as planned, the Broncos, and their fans, have plenty reason for optimism this season.

Push or Flop: Nazr Mohammed Ejected for Fouling LeBron James in Wild Game 3

Nazr Mohammed ejected after pushing Lebron James, Game 3
We can all agree it was a technical foul. This morning in most barbershops across the United States the debate heats up on whether LeBron James flopped in order to get the refs to eject Nazr Mohammed.

Chicago Bulls head coach Tom Thibodeaux added fuel to the flame in his postgame comments saying, "from my angle, I just say a guy basically flop, you know, and I'm going to leave it at that."

Podcast: 5G Sports Talk "Turning up the heat"

Check the latest podcast from 5G Sports Talk as they get into the NBA playoffs and some NFL news.

2013 NBA Draft Combine: Live Coverage and Participants

Full Coverage of the 2013 NBA Combine. Photo Credit HOOPSWORLD.com
RFSN is proud to announce that we will be in Chicago May 16-17 for the 2013 NBA Draft Combine. Stay tuned as will be broadcasting LIVE and bringing you interviews from the some of the top picks in the upcoming draft.

List of 2013 Participants:

NFL Draft Player Profile: Anthony Barr of UCLA

Photo Credit to  SBNation.coml

Barr has a quick twitch and explodes from the line off scrimmage. Offensive Lineman struggle to hold him at bay due to his ability to utilize his hands well and shed blocks. Most Offensive Lineman also have a problem with him around the edge. Not only does Barr burst off the line of scrimmage, he is also rather fast. Barr dominates when he bends the edge due to his graceful balance and quickness.

Sports Debate Podcast: Chris Paul vs Dwight Howard, Who Would You Rather Have?

Which would you rather have, Dwight Howard or Chris Paul?
Just in case you missed our heated Sports Debate this week, here is the podcast. We debate Chris Paul vs Dwight Howard and what four sports figures would be on the Mt. Rushmore for the Dallas Cowboys...

Football Extra Points: Fighting Irish will not lose a step in 2013

How good with Fighting Irish be in 2013. Photo credit UHND.com
Football Extra Points: Fighting Irish will not lose a step in 2013: Virtually no one outside of the Fighting Irish predicted that Notre Dame would have the season that they did last year. They finished with ...

Football Extra Points: Marcus Lattimore: 49ers Investing in the future

Can Marcus Latimore help the 49ers? Photo credit WashingtonPost
Football Extra Points: Marcus Lattimore: 49ers Investing in the future: After suffering two major season ending knee injuries in back-to-back seasons at South Carolina, Running Back Marcus Lattimore took the risk...

Suite Sports: Why You Need the Miami Heat

Heat are great for sports? Photo credit Miami Heat
Suite Sports: Why You Need the Miami Heat: By Joe Parello I must preface this by saying that I am a fair-weather Heat fan. I know this may sound redundant to some, but trust me...

George Karl Named 2012-13 NBA Coach of the Year

George Karl named NBA Coach of the Year. Photo credit Sports Illustrated
After 21 straight winning seasons in the NBA, Denver Nuggets head coach George Karl has been awarded Coach of the Year for 2012-13. The Nuggets had a league best home record this season of 38-3 and grabbed the number three seed in the Western Conference playoffs.

Miami Heat coach Eric Spoelstra finished second in voting.


How Many MVP Awards Can Lebron James Win?


LeBron James wins MVP award number four. Photo Credit SI.com
Officially, 120 of 121 NBA voters have decided that Lebron James was the MVP for the 2012-13 NBA season. This makes his fourth time winning in only five seasons, putting him in very elite company. How many MVP awards could LeBron James win?

Floyd "Money" Mayweather Defeats Robert Guerrero; 44-0

Mayweather remains undefeated. Photo Credit NYDailyNews
After a year absence from the boxing ring, Floyd Mayweather wins by unanimous decision over Robert Guerrero to remain undefeated.

The night started with Mayweather being led to the ring by Lil Wayne performing his hit song "No Worries". Indeed, there were no worries for The Money Team.

Mayweather looked as sharp as ever and gave fans in attendance and viewing by pay-per-view a show worth admission. Guerrero has now suffered only his second loss of his career.

This was the first fight of Floyd's 30-month contract with Showtime Boxing.

2013 NBA Playoffs Second Round Schedule

Second Round Playoff Schedule Released. Photo Credit NBA

Is 2013 The Asterisk Year For The NBA Championship?

Is The Road To Easy This Year? Photo Credit Miami Heat
Written by Rodney Fisher

Everyone knows that injuries happen in sports that change to future for better or worse for some teams. Never in the NBA has there been such a plethora of injuries to big stars on playoff teams that will directly influence who will be crowned 2013 NBA Champions. With that in mind, is this the year that needs an asterisk by the champion?