HOUSTON (CBS HOUSTON) – Andre Johnson is the most notable face missing from the Houston Texans voluntary mini-camp.

“From my understanding, Andre might have wanted new money last year and they didn’t give it to him.” Travis Johnson told Mad Radio with Mike Meltser and Seth Payne Thursday.

“Andre is preparing…he’s working hard. I think he’s going to be here. There’s no scenario where he’s not going to be here. I don’t think he’s mad at the team at all.”

Travis Johnson, who is friends and knows many current and former Texans players doesn’t think it has changed Andre Johnson’s attitude.

“He’s not unhappy,” Johnson said. “Eleven years in you need a little bit of a break. He’s been at every OTA. He’s been at all the mini-camps. It’s time to, you know, do his own thing. Try and get better.”

Andre Johnson does not have to attend the current mini camps at Reliant Stadium right now because they are voluntary for all veterans.


(cbslocal.com)

1. Hindsight Being 20-20

One way we've been getting ready for NFL Draft day – and, yes, it's finally here – is reviewing past 49ers drafts and what the talking heads said about notable picks. We went as far back as 2007, when one expert smartly called Patrick Willis the NFL's "next great middle linebacker." With the time we have left, let's go back to '05, when No. 1 overall pick Alex Smith overshadowed the rest of San Francisco's class, including a third-round draft pick out of Miami. ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. wrote, "Frank Gore could help take some pressure off Smith as they mature together." Other observers went a few steps further. "Gore, the running back who kept Willis McGahee on the bench, would have been a first-round pick except for multiple knee injuries," noted NFLDraftScout.com at the time. Gore would be "out to prove college knee injuries won't prevent him from becoming a star," said USA Today in its report card.

Jim Harbaugh has said that Gore has "three more good years" left in the NFL.


(49ers.com)

Hours ahead of the start of the NFL draft on Thursday, former Cleveland Browns quarterback Bernie Kosar joined fans, friends and brewers at Winks in Beachwood for the inaugural taping of Bernie Beer, his namesake brown ale that's locally brewed and distributed.

Bernie Beer is brewed by The Hop View Brewing Co. at Cellar Rats Brewery in Madison, Ohio, under the name Bernie Beer Co. It was brewed with a goal of tapping it in time for the NFL draft.

Bernie Beer is a low-alcohol beer at 5.5 percent, and is low in IBUs (International Bitterness Units) at 20. Ed Thompkins of Heinen's, who was the impetus for launching the beer, says describes it as "a pale ale in amber ale's clothing."

Joel Sandrey of Cellar Rats Brewery says that they are hoping to have a can or bottle distribution ready for the start of the NFL season.

A portion of Bernie Beer sales will go to the non-profit Play It Forward organization, which was founded by Northeast Ohio businessman Scott A. Marincek. The group emphasizes good deeds over money and encourages people to inspire others to do random acts of kindness without expecting anything in return.


(clevelandleader.com)

Imagine, a five-on-five, single elimination, winner-takes-all contest open to anyone and offering a $500,000 grand prize for the last team standing.

Now imagine 32 teams consisting of former college stars, with each team having something of a regional/program flavor. One group features former college stars Hakim Warrick and Marshall Henderson (Team TYGTAL), another team has the stars of the 2010 Cornell Sweet 16 run, yet another contender contains the studs from legendary H.S. program St Anthony's (N.J.), and there is also a squad that reunites Villanova's 2009 Final Four team, including major names Scottie Reynolds, Dante Cunningham, Corey Fisher and more.

Today the qualifiers were announced.

And the team that UM fans will want to watch the most is the one knows as "Rep Your City"  as it will have former 'Canes Kenny, Kadji, Julian Gamble, & Garrius Adams among its key players.

Here is the full team profile:
Aquille "The Crimestopper" Carr has so many hits on his YouTube highlight video that you’d expect him to already be a household name across the country. Carr, a 5’6", 20 year old point guard who got his nickname because it’s said that crime in the streets of Baltimore came to a stop when he played his high school games, recently declared for the NBA draft after a stint in the D-League.

Carr will be passing the ball to a talented group of former teammates from 2 different D1 schools: Miami and Coppin State. Three of the best Hurricanes of recent years, Kenny Kadji (6'10" PF), Julian Gamble (6'11" C), and Garrius Adams (6'6" SF) bring height, athleticism, and big game experience to RYC. Former Coppin State standouts Akeem Ellis, who starred in his rookie season with the Rio Grande Vipers (D-League) and Tony Gallo, who has been playing professionally in Canada after averaging 17 ppg his senior year, is, like Carr, another explosive point guard, with a pick-pocket’s stealth on defense.  Rep Your City also boasts former Kansas State big man Jordan Henriquez and Akeem Williams, who led the UMASS-Lowell River Hawks in their jump to D1 this past season, scoring 2,000 points in his career. 6’8" PF Dartaye Ruffin was a key contributor to Drexel’s team for 4 years and was named to the CAA all-rookie team after his freshman season.

GM Matt Gibson, himself a former captain at D3 Lesley (Boston), spent the past season as a graduate assistant at Emerson College under former BC and Ohio State coach Jim O’Brien.  Gibson also contributes to Dime Magazine and will undoubtedly use some of the connections he’s made to garner more Fan support for Rep Your City going forward. With the talent and names on this Team, getting attention, and advancing, seem likely.


(stateoftheu.com)

Remember last season when Peter O'Brien clobbered the ball at two different levels and became the big breakout offensive prospect in the Yankees system? Well, he's actually been even better this year. His overall OPS last season was .893 (his first-half OPS in Charleston was a more-robust 1.012). This year's OPS is a whopping 1.068. Through 109 at-bats, O'Brien is hitting .330 with 10 home runs and nine doubles, and Newman said the Yankees have been happy with his work in right field. O'Brien is still mostly catching, but the Yankees have played him in right six times.

“He moves around OK (in the outfield)," Newman said. "Can really throw. Has a couple of outfield assists. ... Obviously Peter’s got serious power, and that might be another way for him to get (to the big leagues) for us.”

Last year the Yankees experimented with O'Brien at third base, but Newman said that's really a "last option" at this point. The Yankees believe it would simply take too long for O'Brien to fully learn the position. Catcher, right field and first base are apparently more realistic options for him going forward. The Yankees recognize they have some catching depth, and have a long-term catching contract already in place, so O'Brien will continue to move around.


(lohud.com)

Stephen Morris gave himself four days.

Four days to rest, four days to relax, four days to shift gears. His final season as Miami's quarterback was over, his final college game had been a disappointment and his career at Miami was over.

With that came a need for reflection and recovery.

Four days later, it was time to get to work.

Now the next chapter is here. The NFL Draft begins Thursday and while Morris doesn't know when his name will be called, he knows a new challenge is ahead.

"This is your dream," Morris said. "This is what you've been working for your whole life. It's the opportunity to play in the NFL. That just keeps me motivated."

Motivation has never been an issue for Morris. Especially now.

CLICK HERE TO CONTINUE THIS STORY BY CHRISTY CABRERA-CHIRINOS ON SUN-SENTINEL.COM


(sun-sentinel.com)

Join the Players Draft Party on the ACC Digital Network from 8 p.m. Thursday til the end of the first round for live-streaming commentary on the 2014 NFL draft. Panthers TE Greg Olsen joins Clinton Portis, Renaldo Wynn and host Jeff Fischel.





(charlotteobserver.com)

One position group the Tennessee Titans are expecting to take a huge leap is the linebacking corps. After showing flashes of talent, fourth-year player Colin McCarthy is expecting a fast turnaround.

“It was tough to be successful to say the least,” McCarthy told ESPN of last season. “A lot of linebackers battled with different things, and a lot of guys weren’t happy. But I think with the changes Ruston Webster made, bringing Coach (Ken) Whisenhunt, with the defensive coaches we have now, it’s a breath of fresh air. Guys are excited, me in particular.”

McCarthy was expected to be the Titans middle linebacker last season before injuries and spotty play led to a major decrease in playing time.
Teammate Zach Brown agrees, “With our coaches now, we communicate a lot more [so] the players have a better time in communication with people. Last year everybody was just kind of looking out for himself. This year is different.”

Brown and McCarthy have both shown flashes of talent, but the Titans would be foolish to not look to add another player to the mix. With Brown moving inside, he may take time to adjust. Meanwhile, despite the talent he’s shown when healthy, McCarthy simply hasn’t been reliable enough to be the teams long-term option in the middle.

Coaching obviously played a huge role in the linebacker group’s struggles last season, with many players looking lost and out of place at times. A new staff brings new hope, which is something Brown says is already starting to spread throughout the locker-room.

“Everybody’s a team. You feel it in the building, the atmosphere has changed.”

Only time will tell if the optimism will lead to improved play, but one thing is certain: There will be no more excuses for this group in 2014.


(rantsports.com)

It took a little longer than anticipated, but New Orleans Saints star Jimmy Graham has filed a grievance through the NFL Players Association to challenge whether he should be considered a tight end or wide receiver for franchise-tag purposes.

The Saints placed the franchise tag on Graham in early March, and the NFL's management council ruled that he is a tight end, a position that has a mandatory tag salary of $7.05 million.

Graham, however, says he should be considered a receiver because he lined up for 67 percent of his snaps either out wide or in the slot in 2013. If he wins, his franchise-tag salary will vault to $12.3 million.

More importantly, the winner of this debate will gain significant leverage in long-term contract negotiations.

"We disagree, and the system exists for us to have the ability to file grievances in those cases," NFLPA executive director DeMaurice Smith said Wednesday. "And when we believe that there is a good basis to do so in order to protect our players, that's what this union does."



The next step in the process is for the players' association and the management council to agree on a neutral, third-party arbitrator. It's unclear how quickly the process will begin or when a hearing will be scheduled.

It's also unclear what motivated Graham to file the grievance at this time. But it could speed up negotiations between the Saints and Graham's agent, Jimmy Sexton, if both sides decide they want to reach an agreement before an arbitrator gets involved.

In past years, similar debates have sprung up with free-agent tight ends Jared Cook and Jermichael Finley and linebacker/defensive end Terrell Suggs. In each case, an agreement was reached before an arbitrator handed down a ruling.

The ultimate deadline hanging over Graham and the Saints is July 15. After that date, franchised players can sign one-year deals only.

That mid-July date served as the impetus for the Saints getting a deal done with their last franchise-tagged superstar, quarterback Drew Brees, in 2012. Owner Tom Benson and general manager Mickey Loomis have speculated that Graham's deal could follow a similar timetable, although both continually express optimism that a deal will be reached.

Graham almost certainly would become the highest-paid tight end in NFL history, surpassing the $9 million per year the New England Patriots gave Rob Gronkowski two years ago. What remains to be seen is whether Graham's salary will approach the $12 million range, putting him in line with a top-five or top-10 receiver.


(espn.com)

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell discussed the issue of HGH testing recently, saying that the NFL Players Association was raising “issues that are completely unrelated” to testing that have kept it from being implemented and that the union “needs to sign off on it.”

At a meeting with reporters on Wednesday afternoon in Manhattan, NFLPA Executive Director DeMaurice Smith and NFLPA President Eric Winston had a different point of view. They both say that the league is standing in the way of implementation of testing as the sides are in agreement on everything outside of the league’s desire to avoid neutral arbitration in cases involving players adjudicated criminally or civilly of violations of the drug policy and those involving players disciplined because of evidence other than a positive test.

Winston said Goodell’s insistence on being the final voice of any disputes is the only remaining sticking point.

“If [Goodell] wanted HGH testing as bad as he wants to retain his power, then we would have had testing last year,” Winston said. “At the end of the day, that’s what this is about. He wants to hold all the cards. He wants to be the judge, jury and executioner. The players aren’t going to go for an un-American system like that and I’m not going to allow them to go for an un-American system like that.”

Both men pointed to the league’s handling of the bounty case involving the Saints as an example of why they believe neutral arbitration is so important and Smith cited baseball’s acceptance of the process that led to a neutral arbitrator’s ruling in the Alex Rodriguez case as an example of how arbitration can work in a professional sports league. Smith said the union has “tremendous resolve” on the issue, which suggests a resolution that leads to the implementation HGH testing will remain out of reach as long as the arbitrator issue is outstanding.


(nbcsports.com)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Brewers slugger Ryan Braun should be ready to return from a right oblique strain in time for next week's series against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The outfielder hasn't played since April 26. Braun was hitting .318 with six homers and 18 RBIs when he was placed on the 15-day disabled list on May 3.

Braun took batting practice before the team's game Wednesday afternoon against Arizona. Manager Ron Roenicke says Braun should be ready when eligible to play his next game, Tuesday against NL Central-rival Pittsburgh.

Roenicke also says right-hander Marco Estrada was fine a day after the starter suffered a right leg cramp during a 7-5 loss to the Diamondbacks.


(ap.com)

SAN DIEGO -- It wasn't a 100th hit or 100th home run, but Yasmani Grandal nevertheless completed a milestone this week by catching back-to-back games for the first time this season on Monday and Tuesday.

Following reconstructive surgery on his right knee last Aug. 6, the Padres have been bringing Grandal along cautiously as they build up his strength and endurance. He had not caught consecutive games since before he was injured last July 7, and not only that, he worked above and beyond: Grandal caught all 12 innings of Monday night's game with the Royals and then he caught all 11 the following night with Kansas City.

Despite the extra duty, Grandal, who was not in Wednesday's lineup, was a happy man.

"It feels good," the catcher said. "My body is a little banged up, but the knee feels great."

Grandal expects to catch back-to-back games again this season. Rene Rivera, who has been behind the plate for each of Andrew Cashner's starts this year, again had that duty in Wednesday's rubber game with the Royals.

As for Grandal's body being a "little banged up", he said it was just the general soreness that goes along with his position.

"I didn't play for a whole year," he said. "So you get thumb soreness, hand soreness, little tweaks here and there. Your back, your legs ... typical of an athlete's body.

"But I get here early enough that by the time the game starts, I'm good to go. And when the adrenaline starts pumping, everything goes away."


(mlb.com)

Couple notes in the aftermath of Seantrel Henderson’s positive marijuana test at the NFL Combine: One departing UM senior said even beyond the marijuana use, it was disappointing that Henderson allowed himself to get out of shape before the draft… Some analysts now won't be surprised if Brandon Linder ends up being drafted before Henderson….

A UM official said the program tightened loopholes in its drug-testing program last season, reducing the chance of players obtaining “clear” urine tests from friends. A person involved in the UM program said the change has reduced marijuana use on the team but did not eradicate it.


(miamiherald.com)

NEWS UPDATE
Spence (knee/finger) has been participating in the Steelers' voluntary offseason workouts, the team's official site reports.

ROTOWIRE FANTASY ANALYSIS
More importantly, the report adds that the 2012 third-rounder is said to have a clean bill of health in advance of the Steelers' OTAs, which begin later this month. It remains to be seen whether or not Spence will emerge on the IDP radar this season, but at the very least, health permitting, it looks like he finally has a chance to bolster the team's inside linebacker corps.


(rotowire.com)

The Texans were a very different looking team in their first voluntary mini-camp practice Tuesday morning. Their helmets had no bull decals on them. The offense was wearing blue jerseys and the defense white, exactly the opposite of how they dressed under Gary Kubiak. And said jerseys were adorned with only numbers, not names.

There was no Matt Schaub under center, of course. And there was also no Andre Johnson, either. Schaub is an Oakland Raider now. Johnson remains a Texan – he’s still the face of the Texans going into his 12th season with the team – and he hasn’t publicly expressed any unhappiness about that fact despite last fall’s 2-14 disaster. O’Brien, asked for his take on Johnson’s absence, demurred, saying: “(Participation) is voluntary. We just coach who shows up.”

Historically, Johnson has always shown up with the rarest of exceptions, so it seemed odd he would be missing on the first day with a new coach, his fourth in Houston. He was drafted before Dom Capers’ second season, played here for Gary Kubiak’s entire run and answered to the interim man Wade Phillips for the final three games in 2013.


(chron.com)

UM people certainly weren’t shocked today to hear of ESPN’s report that Seantrel Henderson tested positive for marijuana at the NFL Combine.

UM’s frustration with Henderson could be summed up this way: The staff thought he had the ability to dominate every play and he simply didn’t do it because he wasn’t serious enough about his craft and capable or willing to change his behavior, including a pattern of bad decisions, immaturity and lack of discipline.

One UM person said the belief internally was some of his behavioral patterns probably result from the fact that he had young parents (his father, a rapper in the Minneapolis area, was a teenager when Seantrel was born) and believe he didn’t learn discipline at home.

But ultimately, Henderson is responsible for his own actions, which likely have cost him a ton of money in his first NFL contract.


(miamiherald.com)

PITTSBURGH -- Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said Sean Spence has been given "a clean bill of health" and that the inside linebacker could figure into the team's plans this season.

"We can't wait to watch him take the next step in this process," Tomlin said Monday, "which is play football."

Spence, a third-round draft pick in 2012, hasn't played since sustaining a career-threatening knee injury in the Steelers' final preseason game his rookie season. Linebackers coach Keith Butler said last year that it would be a "miracle" if Spence played again after he shredded several ligaments and suffered nerve damage in his knee.

But Spence is working out with his teammates in Pittsburgh's offseason program, and he is a candidate to contribute at a position where the Steelers could use an impact player.

"I'm not going to assume he's starting from ground zero," Tomlin said. "These haven't been empty days for him since he's been here in terms of the rehabilitation process and what's he's been able to do in terms of learning our system."

The Steelers drafted Spence with the hopes that the former Miami Hurricanes standout would become a long-term starter at inside linebacker. Tomlin said it is too early to tell how much Spence will be able to do on the field or whether he will be the player he was before the injury.




(espn.com)

NFL teams were notified late last week that Miami Hurricanes right tackle Seantrel Henderson tested positive at the scouting combine for smoking marijuana, multiple league sources told ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter.

Henderson, who has elite abilities, already had been removed from some draft boards due to the fact that he revealed at the Senior Bowl that suspensions at Miami were related to failed drug tests.

"I was partying a little bit too much at times," Henderson told The Miami Herald in January before the Senior Bowl when asked to explain his three suspensions at UM. "I had got into trouble a couple of times for marijuana. I just put all that behind me."

He also cut short his UM pro day workout for scouts in April, with Henderson's agent saying that he was dehydrated and felt sick.

Other players in the past have tested positive at the combine and gone on to have successful NFL careers.

Henderson started in only 26 of the 43 games he played with the Hurricanes.




(espn.com)

Ranking every draft choice in Texans history was an interesting – not to mention impossible – undertaking.

Many draft choices never made the team. Some made the team but contributed little. Injuries hampered the careers of others.

A lot of draft choices were ranked based on their potential because they haven’t been with the Texans long enough.

Ranking the worst was easy because some premium picks turned out to be huge busts. Remember a pair of third-round picks – defensive tackle Charles Hill in 2002 and outside linebacker Sam Montgomery in 2013?

Ranking the best was easy.

For instance, nobody can make a legitimate argument against receiver Andre Johnson, the third overall pick in 2003, being the best draft choice in Texans history. He’s the first Texans player who’ll have a bona-fide chance to make the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

No one can dispute defensive end J.J. Watt – after only three seasons – ranking behind Johnson. Watt’s impact has been so profound he has to be second because he’s considered the best defensive player in the NFL.

After Johnson and Watt, it gets dicey.

Performance, honors and longevity impacted the rankings of players three through 10.

Tight end Owen Daniels was voted to two Pro Bowls during an eight-year career that ended with him ranking second to Johnson in career receptions.

Defensive end Mario Williams became the team’s career sack leader during his six years with the Texans before Buffalo made him the highest-paid defensive player in history.

Left tackle Duane Brown has been voted to the last two Pro Bowls and is still going strong. If inside linebacker Brian Cushing bounces back from back-to-back seasons ruined by knee injuries, he’s got a chance to move up in subsequent rankings.

Middle linebacker DeMeco Ryans and right tackle Eric Winston were selected in the second and third rounds in 2006, the best draft in team history.

Chester Pitts, a second-round pick in 2002, played tackle and guard during an impressive career.

Even though cornerback Kareem Jackson has been a lightning rod for controversy since being a first-round pick in 2010, he’s improved as a player, and he’s been durable entering his fifth season.


(chron.com)

Yasmani Grandal cracked a three-run homer off Yordano Ventura in Monday's 6-5, 12-inning win against the Royals.

He was hitless in his other three at-bats, but managed to draw a walk. Grandal has extra-base hits in four consecutive games, accumulating three doubles and two homers over that time. The 25-year-old backstop hasn't displayed much rust in his return from August ACL surgery. Grandal is slashing .254/.338/.465 with three homers and 10 RBI through 71 at-bats.


(rotoworld.com)

Besides visiting Denver, Cleveland, the Dolphins and Carolina, UM’s Stephen Morris did private workouts for Indianapolis, Tampa Bay and Chicago.






(miamiherald.com)

Three teams invited UM’s Seantrel Henderson for pre-draft visits at their offices: Miami, San Francisco and Cincinnati.





(miamiherald.com)

Browns WR/PR Travis Benjamin (knee) is a candidate to open training camp on the active/PUP list.

Benjamin wasn't cleared to participate in OTAs this week and is still recovering from November ACL surgery. He won't be ready to return until training camp at the earliest. Benjamin will compete for the Browns' punt return job when healthy.


(rotoworld.com)

An anonymous NFL scout said, on a pure talent basis, Miami T Seantrel Henderson compares to Auburn's Greg Robinson.

"He has the talent to be right there behind the Auburn kid (Greg Robinson)," said the scout. "He's amazingly athletic." That's the good news. Here's the bad: "He's got a big, beautiful body but he didn't play with a sense of urgency," another scout said. "He quit on the (pro day) workout. I thought he was a lazy butt down there at the Senior Bowl. I'm not much for taking them dogs myself." The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that Henderson admitted to scouts that his multiple suspensions were due to marijuana use, leading a third scout to say this: "Off the board. Dope, dope and more dope. He needs help."


(rotoworld.com)

At the Titans first practice of any kind under Ken Whisenhunt and his staff, Colin McCarthy gashed the bridge of his nose.

"I hit Collin Mooney, he was running the ball and I gave him a nice little pop and he gave me a pop," McCarthy said on my Nashville radio show, The Midday 180. So it was a good introduction to the minicamp for me."

A gash on the bridge of the nose is a hard thing for a football player to get healed up so long as he keeps putting his helmet on.

J.J. Watt of the Texans had such an issue with it last season he considered plastic surgery to resolve it heading forward.

But McCarthy took a different tact.

"Hopefully I'll have a bloody face all season, have a major intimidation factor going for me there," he said. "If it starts to heal up, I might just kind of crack it open myself just to keep it going."

A bloody face in the NFL gets photographed. A lot. Watt and Brian Cushing have had a ton of such pictures displayed prominently.

McCarthy's got a head start on the rest of the league to be the NFL's bloody face of 2014.


(espn.com)

If anyone on the Heat’s roster is well suited for an entire week on the shelf between playoff games, then it’s three-point specialist James Jones.

This season, Jones went 31 consecutive games without logging a single minute. From Jan. 18 to March 26, he watched every game the Heat played from the bench. Most nights, Jones was in a suit. Sometimes he dressed. Every time, he just watched and waited.

When he finally played, Jones stroked the first three-pointer he attempted.

“He is a different level,” Heat forward Shane Battier said. “I have never ever played with anyone like J.J. — to shoot like he can under any condition. You put that guy in, and you think he’s making the shot. That is not the norm. … That guy is really one in a million.”

Jones has honed his skill as a “cold shooter” through years of hard work, so stepping on the court Tuesday after seven days between the Heat’s first- and second-round series shouldn’t be very difficult. For everyone else, however, returning to the playoffs after such a long break will be a challenge.

The Heat’s first-round series ended Monday after four mostly uninspiring games against the Charlotte Bobcats. Meanwhile, the rest of the NBA playoffs have been captivating. Saturday featured three Game 7s. Two more will take place Sunday, including the conclusion to the first-round series between the Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors. The winner of that Game 7, which tips off at 1 p.m. at Toronto’s Air Canada Centre, gets a second-round series against the defending back-to-back champions.

The Nets won Friday night to force the NBA’s first-ever Game 7 on Canadian soil.

“Those teams are competing,” Jones said. “We don’t pick favorites. We’re fans of all the other series just like everyone else. We’re just going to prepare and worry about what we can control, which is our offense, our defense, our continuity and our consistency, and whoever we play, we just play them to the best of our ability.”

The Heat swept the Raptors 4-0 this season and lost all four of its games against the Nets. Of course, it would be misguided to draw any real conclusions from those lopsided numbers. The Raptors have enough athleticism, youth and size to give the Heat problems, and the Heat’s season series against the Nets couldn’t have been any more competitive. Three of the losses to Brooklyn were by a combined four points and the fourth game went into overtime.

“It doesn’t matter,” point guard Norris Cole said. “Playoffs are a totally different season. Records don’t matter, especially not with our team and having everybody together now. It won’t matter.”

Cole, a third-year player who has won every playoff series he has ever played (nine and counting), is understandably confident, but if the Heat’s second round in 2013 was any indication, then Game 1 of the Heat’s second-round series Tuesday presents a challenge unique to even the playoffs.

The Heat faced a similar scenario last year and, surprisingly, lost to the Chicago Bulls in Game 1 of its second-round series after a long break between rounds. The Bulls needed seven games to knock off the Nets in 2013, and had just one day between series. Despite the quick turnaround, the Bulls defeated the Heat 93-86 in Game 1. The Heat scored just 15 points in the first quarter.

Having learned from last year’s mistakes, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has approached his team’s weeklong break this time around similar to a football coach. The team conditioned and scrimmaged early in the week, and took the day off Saturday.

Also different this year: the team is expected to feature Jones off the bench. He will not be a focal point for the Heat, but his ready-made offense is valued by teammates, and his presence on the court also adds a measure of confidence, especially for LeBron James. Jones’ total plus-minus against the Bobcats was plus-46, and his per-game plus-minus average was 11.5. Both of those numbers led the team in the first round.

Equally noteworthy, if not redundant: the two-man combination of Jones and James featured the best plus-minus (plus-46) of any pairing against the Bobcats.

“We’ve come to expect that out of James,” Chris Bosh said. “He’s the best cold shooter I’ve ever seen. He just comes in and makes shots right away.

“He has kind of spoiled us a little bit in that aspect, just with his ability. He’s a pro’s pro.”


(miamiherald.com)

Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun went on the 15-day disabled list Saturday with a right oblique strain.

Braun hasn't played since April 26 because of the injury, and apparently the team decided a few days of rest wasn't going to be enough for him to recover.

It's a setback for Braun, who was looking for a bounceback season after missing most of last year with his Biogenesis scandal suspension.

The one positive is the time off should allow for a thumb injury that Braun's also been dealing with to heal as well.

Braun has put up a slash line of .318/.361/.591 with six home runs and 18 RBI this season.

Fellow outfielder Logan Schafer, who has been on the DL himself with a hamstring strain, was activated to take Braun's place on the roster.


(sportingnews.com)