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NFL: Ranking The 0-2 Teams

by Rodney Fisher
Carolina Panthers take on NY Giants to end
winless season. Photo credit NFL

We are in week 3 of the young NFL season and eight teams have started out 0-2. Two teams were in the playoffs just last season, while others are perennial division favorites that find themselves rebuilding or nursing some critical injuries on their roster. Then again, some of the teams are just that bad.

1. Washington Redskins - You could make the argument that their first two games was an extended preseason, since their best player RGIII has only played in two games back from surgery. The have been blown out the first half of both games, but seem to be able to put up points in the second half.

RFSN: DeSoto Eagles vs Cedar Hill Longhorns - Battle for Beltline 7pm

NFL: Indianapolis Colts Playing With House Money

Trent Richardson arrives at Colts facility after being traded
by the Cleveland Browns. Photo credit NFL

by Chad Jones

Per the 2011 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), a 'Minimum Team Cash Spending' provision mandates every team spends 89% of Cap Space over two  4 year windows, (2013-2016) & (2017-2020). 
Drew Brees stated on this CBA Provision in an E-Mail per Pro Football Talk:
"It doesn’t matter how high the cap is if they are only going to spend that much.  So with a minimum in place, it requires all teams to be at or above that minimum.  More money in players pockets.”

NFL: CenturyLink Field vs 49ers

Century Link field. Photo credit Seattle Seahawks

The Seattle Seahawks have a good team and a great home field crowd which leads to an amazing home field advantage.


by J.T.
One of the most anticipated matches of the year happened Week 2 when the Seahawks and 49ers linked up. This matchup highlighted two great defenses with explosive offenses. There has been Madden 25 commercials highlighting the teams dual threat star Quarterbacks respectively Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson. I waited all day for this one game and Breaking Bad (heck of an episode wasn’t it?) and boy was I pissed but I realized how tough it is to play the Seahawks at home and calmed down. Before I blew a gasket I remembered what happened to the Saints playing at CenturyLink Field in the playoffs in the fact that no team has beat them there since 2011 and it made me say one thing during this year’s playoffs no one wants to play them at home, I mean no one.

Boxing: Floyd Mayweather Is Still The One

Floyd Mayweather remains undefeated. Photo credit Showtime
by Kendrick Johnson

Leading up to his clash with Mexican Superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, boxing’s pound for pound king Floyd “Money” Mayweather told anyone who would listen September 14 would be easy work. For nearly all 16,000 in attendance, Mayweather’s latest masterpiece looked very easy as the “Money Man” rung up another victory while making a guaranteed $41.5 million.

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Vlog: NFL Picks for Week 2

by Rodney Fisher

I'm back everyone! New picks for the NFL Week 2. Again, the picks are for recreational purposes...or something like that.

Video after jump

WNBA: Delle Donne Game Winner Vs Mercury

Delle Donne and Brittney Griner. Photo credit WNBA
by J.T.

I was watching some WNBA last night because nothing else was on but it was also a Griner/Delle Donne matchup and as a fan of all sorts of basketball I can have time for that.
In the winding seconds with game tied at 68, Delle Donne got the ball at the top of the 3 point line isolated on Bonner; honestly she channeled her inner Dirk because I swear I thought I was looking at a female Dirk when she made her move.  She took a few dribbles did a nice left to right spin move to get separation and she cashed out leading the Sky to the victory (70-68).

Video after jump

NFL: Rise of the NFC West

NFC West
by J. T.

I know people will state the AFC North is the best division in football, some will argue the NFC East or NFC South is the best division and everybody would be able to make valid points to back their case but I’m not here to shoot down the other divisions, I’m here to marvel at the marvelous jump the NFC West has made within a short period of time.

Chicago Bulls: Silent, but Deadly (and hungry)

Chicago Bulls. Photo credit NBA 

by Mattman

Between free agency findings and signings that shook up the "power rankings" over the summer, a plethora of sustainability questions surrounding a two-time defending champ, and a new generation of influential NBA talent, there's something funky brewing out East.

NFL: NFC West Week 1 Reaction: Get Your Popcorn Ready

Marshawn Lynch and Frank Gore. Photo credit NFL 
by Chad Jones

San Francisco: Super Bowl Losers Curse Not an Issue
GM Trent Baalke, Coach Jim Harbaugh & unheralded executive Paraag Marathe lead one of footballs most innovative & successful organizations. In a primetime rematch with perennial contender Green Bay, San Francisco was well-prepared & executed it's game plan at a postseason level. In a week 1 filled with sloppy play & mental lapses across the league; San Francisco was firing on all cylinders. The running game never established except spots in the 3rd Quarter, which forced 2nd year starter Colin Kaepernick to take the stage. Credit also goes to Anquan Boldin, who delivered one of the best performances of his career.

NFL: NFC South Week 1 Reaction - Saints Marching In

New Orleans Saints beat the Atlanta Falcons. Photo credit NFL 
by Chad Jones
          
New Orleans: Defense in Big Easy? 
Sean Payton's return to the Big Easy reignited the Saints to a 23-17 Win v. Division Rival, & presumptive Super Bowl contender Atlanta. The offense remained dynamic & lethal in Payton's absence; and churned out 419 Yards on Sunday. It's Drew Brees' show, a big strike passing game that complements intermediate precision passing, and mixed in running opportunities. The true week 1 takeaway was the vastly improved Defensive performance. 

NFL: NFC North Week 1 Reaction - 3 Horse Race

Jay Cutler. Photo courtesy of NFL 
by Chad Jones
                 
Green Bay- Aaron Rodgers makes the Pack Favorites 
Over the past 4 seasons, Aaron Rodgers has led the Packers to 47 Wins against a mere 17 losses. It's built around Rodgers' execution of Mike McCarthy's scheme, whose talent covers up issues across the team. The first issue has been the offensive line. Starting a 4th Round Rookie Left Tackle & a 2012 Undrafted Free Agent at Right Tackle; many perceived issues would persist in 2013. Against a tough road opponent, protection was better than many anticipated. The concern that persists is the one dimensional offense, lacking a complementary running game despite a 2nd Round investment in Eddie Lacy. 

NFL: NFC East Week 1 Reaction- Chip Kelly's Arrival

by Chad Jones
Chip Kelly, Mike Vick. Photo courtesy of NFL

NFC East:
Cognizant that 10-11 wins carries the 'NFC Beast', preseason prognostications ranged. Consensus varied from the Redskins repeating, Giants rebounding, to 'America's Team' reemerging. What nobody believed was the mystery of Chip Kelly's arrival in Philadelphia with holdover Michael Vick would be a resounding success. The Eagles Monday Night Football performance, in particular the first half, has put the league on notice. 

2013 NFL Season Preview & Predictions

2013 NFL Season Preview and Predictions
by Statmark
I wrote my first NFL preview back in High School in 1991 which makes me a youngin to most experts and an old fogey to the whippersnappers. Regardless, I’ve been writing about football for a long time and have never made an effort to put it out beyond my inner circle of friends and to the masses. So we’ll see how this goes. When I did this post last year, I talked about the “inner hunger teams” of that came oh-so-close but fell just short are so frequently the most logical choice to go to the Super Bowl the following yet and conveniently enough, the 2011 Conference championship losers – the Ravens and 49ers – confirmed my statement by meeting in this past Super Bowl. So which two teams fall into that category this year? Ironically enough, those two teams BOTH fall into the NFC while the AFC has no one team that truly represents that “inner hunger”. The Patriots and Broncos (or more specifically, Brady and Manning) are perennial powerhouses that can’t replicate the desire of those teams that have never tasted the sweet sod of Super Bowl Sunday. However, in the NFC, we have both the Falcons and the Seahawks (and many might say the 49ers fall into that category as well, although as a general rule, the Super Bowl loser is LESS driven than a team that lost in the Conference Championship). 

NFL Preview: Power Rankings By Division

by Rodney Fisher
2013-14 NFL Preview Power Rankings

Now that the NFL season is upon us, it is now time for our NFL Power Rankings to return. We take a look at each division for our first list. The NFL has grown into a league of parity, which for fans is the best case scenario. In no other league can a bad team turn into a championship contender over one offseason. See the Washington Redskins last season for evidence.

For this list, we took a close look at the preseason for what it is worth. We took into account injuries, new coaches, new coordinators, and returning power teams.

Lets get to the 2013-14 NFL Preseason Power Rankings:

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Lamar Odom: Flesh and Blood

by Matt Silverston


Say what you want about Lamar Odom, and go ahead and criticize his lifestyle and the choices he's made, but I will never hesitate to stand up for those human beings who suffer from addiction and mental illness.

Given that Odom's story as well as his whereabouts are uncertain and up-in-the-air at this time, the biggest issue at stake here is so much more than money, a reality TV drama, or a basketball hoop. His future livelihood as a healthy, spirited human being is under attack and in immediate jeopardy.

NFL: 49ers and Chiefs swap disappointing 1st round receivers

by J.T. 
Alex Smith of Kansas City Chiefs. Photo courtesy of USA Today

The 49ers and Chiefs can’t stop dealing with each other can they? Both teams were back at it after coming together during the off season to make a swap.
Alex Smith for two 2nd round picks was the deal months ago that brought the two teams together and Monday they came together to trade disappointing 1st round receivers, The 49ers send 2012 1st round pick A.J. Jenkins to the Chiefs for their 2011 1st round pick Jonathan Baldwin.

NFL: A.J. Jenkins you are next up

by J.T.
A.J. Jenkins of the San Francisco 49ers. Photo credit NFL 

49ers star receiver tore his achilles and more than likely will be
out for the season the majority of the season. Crabtree finally claimed his spot as the 9ers number 1 receiver last year, being the first receiver to get over 1,000 receiving yards for the 9ers since Terrell Owens.

With injury comes opportunity for other players

2013 Fantasy Football Rankings: Defense/Special Teams

by Rodney Fisher
2013 Fantasy Football Rankings Defense

Why not save the rest for last? Drafting the right defense may seem like the best function of auto-draft, but some research could make the difference. You should look for defenses and special teams that can score points. Do they have a speedy return guy? Do they have some studs in the secondary or can the frontline cause turnovers? Another strategy is to look at the division the defense will play in. If you can hit on a defense that plays against poor offensive competition or young quarterbacks, you may have your diamond in the rough.

Here is our rankings for defense/special teams:

NBA: Monta Ellis' Dallas Ties

by Rodney Fisher
Monta Ellis of the Dallas Mavericks

The Dallas Mavericks introduced their new and improved roster to season ticket holders and media. After fielding a few questions and making statements, we learned that the team's biggest free agent aquisition of the offseason, Monta Ellis, has deep Dallas ties.

Pau Gasol: Black Swan or Discolored Goose?


by Matt Silverston

The good news for Pau Gasol is that its already halfway through August, and the Lakers haven't started shopping him around the league yet (at least not openly).

The bad news for Pau is that the keyword in the previous phrase was "yet."

2013 Fantasy Football Rankings: TE

by Rodney Fisher
2013 Fantasy Football Rankings TE. Photo credit NFL 

The tight end position has become the secret weapon for fantasy league winners. The players at the position have become more versatile with the routes that they can run. If you get a TE that gets a lot of targets from the quarterback against the right defense, you can get an easy "W" in a head-to-head league. Look for red zone threats when you make your selection in the draft.

Here is our rankings for TE:

2014 MLB Free Agents: Catcher

Brian Mcann will be one of many 2014 free agents. Photo credit MLB 
by Chad Jones


An inside look at the upcoming free agent market for catchers. 

Brian McCann -30- Atlanta Braves 
Enters Free Agency relatively young with durability issues. In many ways represents a link to the old Braves, starting his career as John Smoltz's personal catcher. Moving forward, the Braves have Evan Gattis & highly touted prospect Christian Betancourt in the pipeline. 

2013 Fantasy Football Rankings: QB

by Rodney Fisher
2013 Fantasy Football Rankings: QB. Photo credit NFL 

Quarterbacks seem to wake up and throw 4,000 yards in a season. The difference between each will be the amount of touchdowns they can score. When you add in the duel threat athletes like RGIII or Colin Kaepernick, the position on your fantasy team can be critical to finishing first or worst.

Here is our rankings for QBs:

NFL: RGIII Benched For Kirk Cousins' Audition

RG3 and Kirk Cousins. Photo credit NFL 
by Chad Jones

Two years into a 5 Year $ 35 Million deal, Mike Shanahan's Redskins accumulated 11 Wins & 21 Losses. At 2011's conclusion, fans were frustrated, and many lobbied for Owner Daniel Snyder to cut the cord. Exercising restraint, Shanahan was retained into year 3 of the seismic rebuild. 

Shanahan consummated a trade, moving from 6th to 2nd overall in the 2012 Draft to select Robert Griffin III. 

2013 Fantasy Football Rankings: WR

2013 Fantasy Football Rankings WR. Photo credit NFL 

by Rodney Fisher

The wide receiver position is deep this season. There are always going to be the big names at the top of the list, but don't be surprised if there are some sleepers. The NFL has become a more pass oriented league and most defenses lack a good secondary.

This year we took a close look at the WRs that finished the season well and stand to benefit from stabilty in the offensive huddle. Here are the top WRs:

NFL: Rex Ryan's Hot Seat

NY Jets Rex Ryan on the hot seat. Photo credit NFL 
by Chad Jones 

Enter Rex Ryan's world, the gregarious Coach enters his 5th season in New York, overseeing an organizational transition, what most would call a rebuild. Owner Woody Johnson fired General Manager Mike Tannenbaum of a disappointing 6-10 campaign. The proverbial scapegoat, Johnson searched for the next GM with one caveat- Rex Ryan would be retained as Head Coach in 2013. 

After high profile candidates turned down Johnson's overtures & generous offers, John Idzik Jr was hired to lead a, "Collaborative Consensus-Building Process." In many ways, Idzik represents a shift in NFL Circles, not your prototypical 'Football Guy', Idzik is deeply analytical & well-spoken. Idzik graduated Magna Cum Laude & Phi Betta Keppa from Dartmouth College with a degree in Mathematics. He later earned a Masters Degree from Duke University. He chooses his words carefully, and weighs decisions from a cost-benefit vantage point, not coming across as affable or endearing, but rather as a capable professional.

2013 Fantasy Football Rankings: RB

2013 Fantasy Football Rankings - RBs. Photo credit NFL 
by Rodney Fisher

NFL fantasy football has become the game within the game for sports fans. We get to not only root for our teams, but we spend our Sunday's flipping to every other game or, if you are more advanced, your watching multiple games at once. As leagues and fantasy GMs become more complex in preparation for the upcoming season we felt we needed to play our part.

Our annual fantasy football rankings report is ready to go. We start off with the most important position in this year's fantasy football draft, running back.

Boxing: LaDell "The Closer" Williams Webisode Trailer

Follow LaDell Williams as he rises through the boxing ranks to get a title shot. This new webisode series will chronicle want it takes outside of the ring to be a champion.

Video after jump

NCAA: Johnny Manziel - Rolexes, Mercedes and Ego

by Chad Jones
Johnny Manziel living large. Photo credit @jmanziel2

Envy is the worst of the deadliest sins, as it doesn't even feel good temporarily. I don't criticize Johnny Manziel because of resentment, I do so to juxtapose Johnny's recent transgressions with prior athletes. 

Three weeks after receiving the Heisman, Johnny Manziel & sister Mari received Rolex watches for Christmas. Mari Manziel Tweeted: Matching Watches @jmanziel2 #Twinsies with an Instagram Photo attached. 

In reality they weren't matching, Johnny got gold & Mari diamonds. The younger Manziel was flabbergasted when twitter followers berated her about the opulent display, replying via Twitter: 

NCAA: Big 12 Preview with SuiteSports.com


By Joe Parello  @HerewegoJoe

Offense is king in America's heartland, and the Big 12 features some of America's most explosive attacks.


Seven of the conference's 10 teams (Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, Oklahoma, Texas, Texas Tech and West Virginia) ranked in the top-25 nationally for scoring offense, but does anybody play enough defense to win a national championship?

That will certainly be the big question for conference contenders this season, and with quarterback questions at Oklahoma, WVU and Kansas State, several offenses could take steps back as well. The conference may not have a bona-fide national favorite, but only Kansas looks like a lost cause, with nine teams all chasing a bowl game.

Click Here For The Full Story

NBA: Greg Oden is back, Miami Heat have a new big man!

by J.T.
Greg Oden Returns With The Heat. Photo credit NBA 

Former 1st pick of the 2007 Greg Oden has finally returned to the NBA and he will be taking his talents down to South Beach.

Oden hasn't played since the 2009-10 season, so a lot of people are curious to see if Oden's body can hold up during a NBA season and to see how effective he can be on the court on both ends.

NBA: LeBron James For President

LeBron James NBAPA President? Photo credit NBA 
by Rodney Fisher

LeBron James has recently mentioned that he would be interested in becoming the next president of the NBA Players Association. Should LeBron take on the task of representing every NBA player and this point in his career?

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Boxing: Knockout Kings II

by Kendrick Johnson
Knockout Kings 2 Event. Photo credit Kendrick Johnson

“Knockout Kings II” was an excellent seven-fight card at AT&T Center presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Leija-Battah Promotions. Very rarely in the sport of boxing these days does a card deliver from top to bottom like the one put on by Golden Boy and Leija-Battah.
 
The Showtime television portion of the show kicked off with up and coming and undefeated welterweight prospect, Keith “One Time” Thurman, fighting for his career’s first interim world title. Thurman (21-0, 19 KOs) faced off against a fellow undefeated warrior Argentine Diego Chaves (22-0, 18 KOs), who unlike most of Thurman’s opponents to this point, was a game fighter who didn’t back down from the heavy hitting Thurman.

NBA: Beat The Heat - Chasing The Formula

by Matt Silverston



The Miami Heat obviously have a lot to be happy about.  Three straight years of Eastern conference dominance coupled with two titles alongside two MVP trophies proves that Miami is the cream of the NBA's crop, and rightfully so, analysts and critics can't talk NBA without talking Heat basketball.

NBA: Miller Signing Helps Shooting Deprived Grizzlies

Mike Miller returns. Photo credit NBA 
by J.T. 

Mike Miller fresh off of being amnestied by the Miami Heat, he has returned to familiar pastures as he has comeback to the Memphis Grizzlies for his 2nd run.

NBA: J.J. Redick Responds To "Malicious Media Reports"

New Los Angeles Clippers guard J.J. Redick took to twitter defend himself against an article posted by MediaTakeOut.com.

Here is what he had to say via @JJRedick

NCAA: Kliff Kingsbury the King of Lubbock

by Kendrick Johnson
Kliff Kingsbury returns to Texas Tech. Photo credit Kendrick Johnson
    With a fractured fan base thanks to the controversial exit of Mike Leach and the unconventional hiring of Tommy Tuberville, the powers that be at Texas Tech had no choice but to swing for the fences when deciding on their next football coach. Mad fans in Raider Nation have been upset over the last couple of years in part, due to seeing the Red Raiders go from being consistent Big 12 championship contenders to falling to three year in a row of sub .500 football in conference play.

NBA: Top 10 Dunks from Summer League Las Vegas

by Rodney Fisher
Ben McLemore dunk in Summer League play. Photo credit NBA 
I think dunks are always in season, so here are the top 10 dunks from the NBA Summer League this year.

NFL Training Camp: Miami Dolphins Preview

Miami Dolphins training camp.Photo credit NFL 
by Chad Jones

Ryan Tannehill is oozing with talent & upside, and displayed tremendous feel in the pocket & arm talent in year 1. The issue was consistency, which could be expected given his relative inexperience. Remember, Tannehill started 20 games in his Collegiate Career after converting from Wide Receiver, where he spent his early years in College Station.

Tannehill is truly the 'Other Quarterback', sitting in Miami listening to the national media wax poetically about fellow 2012 Rookies Andrew Luck, Robert Griffin III & Russell Wilson. The Dolphins are committed to taking the next step as an organization, and it starts with Tannehill. He has the talent, and is now surrounded by a mix of weapons to catalyze the process. 

NFL Training Camp: Dallas Cowboys Offensive Preview

by Chad Jones
Dallas Cowboys Dez Bryant and Tony Romo
A year from today, Gavin Escobar will be appearing on national television shows to preview Cowboys Camp, and will be considered a matchup nightmare across the NFL. His value won't be exclusively in production, but in his ability to transform the Cowboys offense into a dynamic attack. Jason Garrett is an adept schemer that has learned from some of the brightest minds in football. While he won't be responsible for play calling, he will be integral to preparing the offense for each opponent.