The Buffalo Bills are not expected to re-sign impending free-agent WR Roscoe Parrish this offseason because he has been injury-prone over the last few years.




(kffl.com)

The New York Giants already are stocking their roster for training camp this summer.

The Super Bowl champions announced Wednesday that they had signed as free agents eight players who spent all or part of this season on their practice squad.

The eight are defensive back Brandon Bing, running back Andre Brown, offensive lineman Selvish Capers, receivers Dan DePalma and Isaiah Stanback, defensive tackle Dwayne Hendricks, tight end Christian Hopkins, quarterback Ryan Perrilloux and defensive end DE Adrian Tracy.

Hendricks is the only one of the eight who played in a regular-season game, appearing in one.


(wsj.com)

We’ve gone surface level with our coverage of Yasmani Grandal up to this point, but now it’s time to go deeper. Our coverage to this point hardly qualifies as analysis, and that’s not a dig on us. There have been so many other aspects that needed analysis, Grandal has fallen through the cracks to this point. No more. It’s time for Grandal’s moment of glory. And let me assure you, there’s nothing more glorious than being the focus of an analysis piece here.

We can rehash Grandal’s prospect ranking all day, but I promised you substance. To get that, let’s start with his story.

While most American boys were concerned about Power Rangers and how far they could jump their bikes off ramps, Yasmani Grandal was waiting to find out his future. There are ways out of Cuba.  Many of them are unpleasant and dangerous. But there was a simple method back in 1998, a method Grandal’s family took. They essentially asked the Cuban and United States governments for permission.

Fourteen years ago, Grandal’s family applied for and won a lottery (the Cuban Special Migration Program), and his entire family was allowed to defect to the United States.  The program arose out of the U.S.-Cuban Migration Accords of 1994, and it allows Cuban nationals who otherwise would not qualify for asylum in the United States to participate in a lottery.  The lottery winner is chosen randomly, as was the case with Grandal and his family.  The program is no longer in existence today, and Grandal’s family was one of the last to be allowed to participate.

In a June 2010 article in the Palm Beach Post, Grandal said, “I think about what would have been if I stayed there.”  Things certainly would have been different.

His is a rare tale of a chance at a better life without the inherent danger most Cuban defectors face.  Rather than a life-threatening open-seas trip to Florida, Grandal and his family arrived with relative ease and safety in Florida.  Grandal was ten years old at the time.  He quickly went from a life in which he would go to sleep hungry to a life in which food was abundant, snacks were available, and life was easier.

“In Cuba, we woke up in the morning wondering what we were going to eat in the afternoon,” said Maria Gomez, who arrived in the U.S. on July 3, 1999 with husband Elieser, her parents and son Yasmani, now a star catcher for the University of Miami. “He got here where you could watch television all day in a nice air-conditioned house with tons of goodies to eat.”

Grandal adjusted nicely to the United States, built up his weight and began playing baseball.  By June of 2010, as he waited to find out what Major League team would draft him out of the University of Miami, Grandal was 6′ 2″, weighing 210 pounds.  He had become one of the best players in all of college baseball, a finalist for the Johnny Bench Award and the Golden Spikes Award.

Grandal struggled in his first two years of college ball hitting .234 and .299 respectively.   However, his Junior year proved to be his breakout season.  During that season, Grandal hit .422/.545/.754 with 14 home runs.  And these were just his stats at the plate.  Behind the plate, Grandal was just as good.  In his final year with the Hurricaines, Grandal threw out 40% of the runners trying to steal against him.  His arm will be as valuable as his bat at the Major League level.

The Cincinnati Reds took Yasmani Grandal 12th overall with the June 2010 draft.  As we know, he spent two minor league seasons with the Reds’ organization before being sent to San Diego in the Mat Latos trade.

In his two minor league seasons, which spanned two different Rookie League teams followed by Single-A ball; Double-A ball; and Triple-A ball, Grandal struck out in 22% of his plate appearances, but walked in 13% of those appearances.  He hit .303/.401/.488.  He’s shown some pop hitting 14 home runs in 105 games in 2011, but his real talent is his ability to put the ball where the fielders aren’t.  Part of his BAbip in the minor leagues is the lower-level fielding ability of many of the defenders, but much of Grandal’s numbers have to do with where he hits the ball.  His 2011 BAbip with the Reds’ Single-A affiliate was .359 in 56 games.  In 45 games with the Double-A affiliate, Grandal’s BAbip was .377.  Obviously that number will come back close to .300 when he hits the Major Leagues, but the trend is promising.  Grandal has been able to find the gaps throughout his minor league seasons.  Over the course of 113 combined games, he has hit 32 doubles.

Behind the plate, Grandal threw out 34% of runners in his minor league career thus far.  He had 19 passed balls in 2011, but just 5 combined between Double-A and Triple-A ball.

With Nick Hundley behind the play for 2012, and John Baker serving platoon duty, Grandal will likely start the season in Triple-A Tucson.  He has a shot at a September call-up, but barring any injuries to the Major League roster, Grandal is more likely to see a 2013 call-up.  The Padres have opened up their options behind the plate.  Hundley has been slowly building steam as a trade chip over the last season or so.  With Grandal waiting in the wings, it makes it easier for the Padres to consider a trade.

Whether we see Grandal in 2012 or 2013, the Padres seem very well-set in their catching situation with  player who was selected to the 2010 Collegiate Baseball First Team and the All ACC First team, was a member of the 2009 United States National Team, and was a finalist for both the Johnny Bench Award and Golden Spikes Award.


(chickenfriars.com)

Travis Benjamin, Marcus Forston, Jacory Harris, Lamar Miller, Sean Spence, Tommy Streeter, Olivier Vernon, Brandon Washington were all invited to the 2012 NFL Combine held in Indinapolis on February 22-28. There are a record 65 underclassmen invited, five of which are proCanes. Good luck to all eight!

With the NY Giants defeating the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl XLVI last night in Indianapolis, three player Super Bowl Rings were added to the proCane trophy case with starting safeties Antrel Rolle and Kenny Phillips winning rings along with defensive lineman practice squader Dwayne Hendricks as well. Congrats to all three players, but we must not forget Special Assistant Coach for the Giants and former proCane Jesse Armstead who also, as a result of the Giants’ victory, won a Super Bowl Ring yesterday.

CORRECTION: Bruce Johnson will also receive a Super Bowl ring. Despite not being on the NY Giants roster either on the active or IR roster, according to their website, Bruce Johnson will receive a ring. Several proCanes.com fans notified us that Bruce did post a message on Facebook to that effect. We thank everyone for their help in getting this figured out!

Our #snOMG snowpacolypse on Friday really dumped on Name.com, a local domain and website firm. The company released a spoof of a GoDaddy.com Super Bowl ad in which a nude model gets her body painted -- except the person being touched up is nearly naked Broncos running back Willis McGahee. Unfortunately for Name.com, the McGahee spot got snowed under -- but look below to watch it and the Go Daddy ad side by side.

Kylie is Andre’s Daughter.

The Titans believe they may have found a potential core player in Colin McCarthy. They figured they were going to take it slowly in developing their fourth round pick, but McCarthy, a football junkie, was intent on acclimating quickly. He was at the Titans’ facility when the coaches showed up every morning, he practiced hard and tried to absorb as much as he could from veteran Barrett Ruud. When Ruud missed time with injuries, McCarthy stepped in. He started seven games, showed excellent instincts, and made an impact.


(nationalfootballpost.com)

The Ravens will save $1.5 million on the salary cap with Williams' retirement. I wouldn't be surprised to see them add an inexpensive free agent veteran to replace Williams, or they could turn to a younger player, such as Anthony Allen or Damien Berry.

Berry, spent 2011 on the practice squad. 


(masnsports.com)

The Broncos' return to a 4-3 defense allowed D.J. Williams to return to his old WLB  spot. After missing the first three games with an elbow injury, Williams averaged seven tackles a game. He added five sacks, third-most on the team behind Von Miller and Elvis Dumervil.



(cbssports.com)

Antrel Rolle has been vocal all year long for the New York Giants becoming well known for his coined phrase ‘at the end of the day.’ It was an up-and-down year for Rolle even wanting out of New York by Week 15.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that No.26 was very honest when it came to his opinion on the most critical play of Super Bowl XLVI involving Wes Welker dropping a pass that was thrown to his opposite shoulder that he got his hands on but couldn’t haul in. Everyone has their own take on the play and who to blame for this one. Rolle gives some insight on how the New York Giants defense was not ready in terms of coverage on this particular play and really from the sound of it the Patriots missed a golden opportunity as noted by our staff here at SRI.

Antrel Rolle joined XX 1090 Sports Radio in San Diego with Darren Smith to discuss the feeling of being a Super Bowl champion, Tom Coughlin being a passionate head coach, Tom Coughlin’s speech over the weekend, Wes Welker’s crucial dropped pass late in the 4th quarter and defending Rob Gronkowski.

How does it feel 24 hours later?
“Oh man it feels outstanding. It feels outstanding and it’s something that no one can ever take away from you. It’s well deserved and we are just living it up right now. We are trying to soak in every bit of it and just we live it out to the fullest.”

What was it like over the weekend with Tom Coughlin preparing for this game?
“Coach Coughlin is amazing for us. He’s been amazing and most of all he is a very, very passionate guy. He’s a very passionate guy with a passionate attitude about coaching and that’s something we appreciate as players and that’s something we need as players. We are going to go out there and make sure we give it our all – give it our all – and give it our all for him and to make sure he will not be denied. Make sure we will not be denied and this is the outcome we got.”
What’s so special about Tom Coughlin’s speech? Did he deliver the speech of all speeches on Saturday night?
“It was just very personal. It was very personal and above all you know it came from the heart. It wasn’t about football. It wasn’t about us going out there and winning the game. It was about us as individuals. It was about us as men. It was about him as a man. I think that’s where we understood where the passion comes from deep inside.”

How much of a good view did you have on the Wes Welker dropped pass?
“Well actually there was a communication error on that play. That was guys playing two different coverages and we tried to relay the right coverage down, but once you’re locked in…you are locked in. We tried to relay the coverage a little too late. Some guys were playing one coverage while others were playing another, but through it all things like that happen. Things like that tend to get away from you in the game and we just thank god that Wes didn’t make that catch. It wasn’t their time. It wasn’t their time. Everyone has a fair…has a time where…they needed their time. Yesterday just wasn’t New England’s time. They’re an outstanding football team. One of the best football teams I have ever played against and I don’t like going up against them too much because I know what they bring to the table. With that being said we got to go out there and do what we need to do as a team. Go out there and be the best we can be.”

What was the big difference in Rob Gronkowski in this game?
“I really wasn’t too much focused on Gronkowski to be honest with you. I mean I don’t pay any more attention to him than I pay attention to any other opponent. I made sure I stayed focused on the guy who I was covering. I wasn’t on him very much. To be honest with you I didn’t pay that much attention to him.”


(sportsradiointerviews.com)

The Bears were questioned last season for not picking up massive tackle Bryant McKinnie after he was let go by the Minnesota Vikings. McKinnie went on to have a superb season as Baltimore’s left tackle, so the easy blast was that the Bears failed to grab a huge (literally) upgrade for their offensive line.

It’s not that simple. At the time it struck me as telling that Mike Tice, who was the Vikings head coach when they drafted McKinnie in Minnesota, wasn’t pounding the table to grab McKinnie again.

And a longtime NFC pro personnel executive said that McKinnie pulled himself together in Baltimore only after getting whacked in Minnesota and finding only sparse interest in the market initially. My source said flat out that he wouldn’t have taken a flyer on McKinnie.

The Ravens scored with the gamble on McKinnie, who was fat, a character risk, and had been sliding precipitously over the past couple of seasons. But the Bears, with a coach who knew him well, weren’t the only ones who passed.


(csnchiago.com)

The grappler-turned-big screen actor told Moviefone during a recent interview that he has definite plans to enter politics at some point, and that his ambitions could reach all the way to the White House.

Also read: Dwayne Johnson Grabs a Sword for "Monster Hunter's Survival Guide"

"Right now the best way that I can impact the world is through entertainment. One day, and that day will come, I can impact the world through politics," Johnson -- whose latest film, "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island," opens Friday -- tells the site. "The great news is that I am American, therefore I can become President."

Also read: Dwayne Johnson and Jerry Bruckheimer Get in the Ring With NBC

A farfetched notion? Maybe not so much. Fellow former pro wrestler Jesse Ventura served as the governor of Minnesota. (And then there was that former actor who did time at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. in the 1980s.) And, of course, Johnson has experience -- of a sort -- performing presidential duties, playing President Barack Obama (or, rather, "The Rock" Obama) on "Saturday Night Live."

Maybe he can end government gridlock with a headlock or two?


(reuters.com)

The clear-cut top player on ESPN.com's Any Era team is Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis, who has defined toughness for this generation of football.

Lewis' career has spanned over three decades and has featured him delivering bone-breaking hits, playing through pain and carrying a team to a Super Bowl. He has become the most feared and most respected player in the NFL.

This is why Lewis was the overwhelming top pick on ESPN's Any Era team in a poll of 20 Pro Football Hall of Famers and John Clayton, ESPN.com's senior writer who has covered the league for nearly four decades. The Any Era team is comprised of current players whose play, attitude and grit stand the test of time. When it comes to this test, Lewis stands alone. (Here's a full explanation of the project).

In my Q&A with Lewis, he was humbled by being named No. 1 on the Any Era team. "Because those are guys that I had a dream one day, to say, 'I want to be in the NFL. I want to be that, and leave a mark on it,'" Lewis said. "When you watch Jim Brown, he left a mark on the game by the way he played. And the difference of Jim Brown and all the others -- the Lynn Swanns and all the other people, it's pure effort -- that's it."

Here are explanations from three Hall of Fame players on why Lewis made the cut:

Jim Brown: “Ray Lewis embodies everything that a player should have and more because not only does he fulfill his role, but he helps everybody else on the team. He has a great heart, and his mental toughness is as good as it gets. You don’t want to have a physical tough guy without him being mentally tough and having heart, which means he can hang in there and give up a certain part of himself that other people are afraid to give up.”

Marcus Allen: “The passion Ray Lewis plays with is -- you’d have to search the dictionary for something really adequate. Words like extreme don’t measure how a guy like him loves the game of football and is willing to lay it on the line every day to be great.”

James Lofton: "There is an awareness when you play against Ray Lewis. When you are coming out of the huddle, if you are a QB or a ballcarrier, you try not to make eye contact with him. But you have to look at him, so you can figure out how the defense is aligned and looking at him is like looking into the face of fear -- you just have to look at it."


(espn.com)

Valentine's Day is right around the corner, and actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is revealing what it takes to win his heart.

The "Journey 2: The Mysterious Island" star tells CNN that it's all in the potential paramour's sense of humor.

"Here's what you've got to do: you've got to be independent, and you've got to have a sense of self," Johnson, 39, says. "You've got to have a great sense of humor."

But the true test? "You've got to laugh at my jokes," he says. "Like, that's the key."

Interested ladies may have acquired the key, but they shouldn't expect the actor to lock down a relationship just yet.

"You don’t get me to settle down," he laughs. "Not me, no. I'm a rolling stone." Perhaps in a few years, ladies...


(cnn.com)

INDIANAPOLIS­ — After emerging as an emotional leader for the Giants down the stretch of the season, safety Antrel Rolle seemed almost drained and overwhelmed immediately following their dramatic Super Bowl victory.

“This is the only reason I came to New York,’’ said Rolle, a former Cardinal. “My mother will tell you, I care less about money, I care less about a ring, I care less about a parade, the only think I care about is us going out there and giving 120 percent and let’s see what the outcome will be. No one can take this away from us, no matter what. They can say what they want to say, they can put us down, they can say we got lucky, they can say we won because [Rob] Gronkowski was hurt. We’re going to hear it all, but at the end of the day we are champions.’’

Rolle promised a few days before Super Bowl XLVI if the Giants won, he would unveil a brand-new T-shirt from his collection of designer shirts available on his website, rollegear.com. He planned on the shirt saying, “At the end of the day,’’ in honor of the phrase he used during the season to punctuate almost every sentence he uttered.

There was no crowing by Rolle after the Giants defense again got quarterback Tom Brady out of his rhythm and held the Patriots far below their usual offensive output. The player who stated during the season the Giants would beat the Redskins 95 out of 100 times, the player who tried to rally the troops after the terrible second loss to the Redskins by insisting every player get out on the practice field, the player who days before the Super Bowl boldly declared, “We will not be denied,’’ was introspective after slaying the Patriots, 21-17.

“I can’t tell you I had this vision,’’ Rolle said. “I can tell you I had this vision of us going out there and being the best that we can be, making sure we’re the most prepared team possible. If outcome with us giving 100 percent wasn’t this, I think we’d all be satisfied with that. We could take that on our shoulders. We knew we had a lot more to give than we had been previously giving.’’


(nypost.com)

CB Brandon Harris, the team's second-round pick, was expected to contribute immediately, but he appeared in just seven games, mostly on special teams. Harris still figures in the Texans' long-term plans, but he'll need to assert himself in training camp to stay in the picture.



(cbssports.com)

Middle linebacker Curtis Lofton is a potential free agent, although I expect the Falcons to make a strong attempt to keep him. The Falcons are in pretty good shape on the outside with Sean Weatherspoon and Stephen Nicholas as returning starters. Spencer Adkins and Akeem Dent provide some depth, but the Falcons aren't likely to bring back veteran Mike Peterson.

He dealt with injuries last season and will be an unrestricted free agent. Peterson was valuable because he was experienced and versatile. But Crowder has those same traits and is younger.


(espn.com)

Ryan Braun, the reigning NL MVP, has been conspicuously missing from the Brewers' marketing ads as the club waits to see if he will be suspended for the first 50 games of the 2012 season for a reported positive drug test. He appealed that ruling and we are 18 days into the prescribed 25-day period for the arbitration panel to render its verdict.

But the Brewers did release today a sneak peak at the cover of their 2012 media guide and Braun is featured, though from a back view as he and Carlos Gomez greet Nyjer Morgan after Morgan's game-winning hit in Game 5 of the NLDS vs. Arizona.

And, no, the three players did not carry their celebration into the parking lot outside of Miller Park. The ballpark was super-imposed behind the players to display the NL Central championship banner that was displayed after the Brewers claimed the division for the first time.

We usually have to wait for spring training to see who's on the cover so we thank the crack Brewers media relations staff for letting us get this sneak preview.

Pitchers and catchers report in 12 days!


(jsonline.com)

ST. LOUIS, Mo. - The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that they have agreed to terms with veteran infielder Alex Cora on a minor league contract for the upcoming 2012 season. The deal includes a non-roster invite to the Cardinals Major League Spring Training camp.

Cora, 36, is a veteran of 12-plus seasons in the majors with the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cleveland, Boston, the New York Mets, Texas and Washington.

The left-handed hitting Cora has compiled a career batting mark of .243 with 35 home runs, 286 RBI and 47 stolen bases in 1,273 games played. He appeared in 91 games for the Nationals last season, making appearances at all four infield positions, including 16 starts at third base. Cora has played the majority of his career at the middle infield positions, making 616 career appearances at shortstop and 530 at second base.

A native of Caguas, Puerto Rico, Cora played for Team Puerto Rico and its manager Jose Oquendo during the 2009 World Baseball Classic. Cora was a member of the World Champion Boston Red Sox in 2007.

The Cardinals will open their 2012 Spring Training camp on February 18 with reporting date for pitchers and catchers and their first workout is set for the following day. The team currently has 39 roster players and 20 non-roster invitees set to report.


(mlb.com)

Scroll to the 5-minute mark.

With the NY Giants defeating the New England Patriots in the Super Bowl XLVI last night in Indianapolis, three player Super Bowl Rings were added to the proCane trophy case with starting safeties Antrel Rolle and Kenny Phillips winning rings along with defensive lineman practice squader Dwayne Hendricks as well. Congrats to all three players, but we must not forget Special Assistant Coach for the Giants and former proCane Jesse Armstead who also, as a result of the Giants’ victory, won a Super Bowl Ring yesterday.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Cortez Kennedy crashed into the Pro Football Hall of Fame the same way he used to crash into people who tried to block the old Miami Hurricane.

Full speed.

“I’ve never been happier,’’ he said. “Well, maybe when we won big games at UM. Or in Seattle. But I’m on top of the world right now for sure.’’
He added jauntily, “Imagine — lil’ ol’ boy from Wilson, Arkansas."

Lil’ ol’ boy isn’t so lil — 298 pounds when he played defensive tackle for first UM and then the Seahawks for 11 seasons, and maybe a lil’ more now.

However big he gets, he won’t outgrow his accomplishments. Kennedy has been a credit to his old hometown, his family, his university and his Seahawks all the time he was bull-rushing past people.

“Coach Dennis Erickson used to tell us good things will keep happening if you keep hustling,’’ Kennedy said. “I don’t know if anything will ever be bigger than winning that ’89 national championship at Miami, but this is nice, real nice.’’

It will get nicer and nicer. Making the Hall is a life-changer. People start wanting to do things for you. Then the main thing you have to worry about is staying out of trouble.

I don’t know that that will be a problem for Kennedy. He has always had a fine head on him. And now he stands alongside Randy White and Mean Joe Greene and Bob Lilly among the greatest defensive tackles of all time.

Oh, yes, another DT, Chris Doleman, was voted in along with Kennedy by the Hall committee. We came out grinning after also picking Jack Butler, Dermontti Dawson, Curtis Martin and Willie Roaf in a 7 hour 48 minute marathon.

FALLING SHORT
It wasn’t that great for candidates who finally fell by the voting wayside — Bill Parcells, Jerome Bettis, Tim Brown, Cris Carter, Eddie DeBartolo, Kevin Greene, Charles Haley, Andre Reed, Will Shields, Aeneas Williams and Dick Stanfel. A lot of those just have to go on waiting.
No DT ever made more Pro Bowls than Kennedy’s eight. It was just what Erickson predicted for him early on. To be sure, Kennedy has known heartbreak, too. He changed his uniform number from 96 to 92 for his ’92 season with the Seahawks, to honor his friend and fellow Hurricane, Jerome Brown, after Brown died in a car accident.

But making this Hall of Fame never seemed like anything more than a matter of time for the ebullient buster from Wilson, Ark.

He blew through UM like, well, like a hurricane to become one of the most pro-productive of Erickson’s Canes. The Seattle Seahawks snatched him up as the third player in the ’90 NFL Draft, and he took it from there.

He played in eight consecutive Pro Bowls. He also joined Kenny Easley as the only Seahawks to be named NFL Defensive Player of the Year (’92).

GOOD CITIZEN
One more thing needs to be said about Kennedy. And that is this. Good citizenship is not even remotely a qualification for the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Hall spokesmen go out of their way to emphasize that they deal with on-field football only.

But Kennedy has done it both ways, as a good soldier on grass and an upstanding citizen away from it. He hasn’t been one of those iron-headed saps who figure all they have to do is throw a few guys into the grandstand. Maybe that doesn’t count with the Hall of Fame, but it does with me.


(miamiherald.com)

The Titans believe they may have found a potential core player to build their defense around in Colin McCarthy.

McCarthy acclimated himself quickly when Barrett Ruud missed time with injuries, starting seven games and recording 68 tackles and three forced fumbles. According to Pro Football Focus, McCarthy checked in as the NFL's No. 31 inside linebacker. He is fully expected to open next season as a starter in Tennessee's 4-3 alignment.


(rotoworld.com)

WR Devin Hester is due a $1.646 million salary and $250,000 roster bonus and likely will be a fourth receiver and return man. Is his position worth this? With two years left on his deal, saving around $650,000 under the cap wouldn't be worth the lynch mob that would form outside Halas Hall if he were cut. He is good trade bait, though.



(cbssports.com)

Former Hahnville High School standout LaRon Byrd had an impressive week of practice leading up to the 2012 East-West Shrine All-Star game.

Byrd, who only caught 11 passes for 125 yards and one score after a coaching change at Miami (Fla.), caught a three-yard touchdown pass from Southern Mississippi quarterback Austin Davis in the 24-17 West victory over the East squad in the all-star classic.

After struggling during the Tuesday practice session Byrd came back to have two excellent practices leading up to the game and he caught the eyes of pro scouts with his excellent size, his very good eye-hand coordination and his ability to get good separation from defensive backs downfield.

One NFC East regional scout told me he was impressed with Byrd’s size and how well he handled the coaching change and what it did to his production total.

"LaRon is someone we have a lot of interest in," the NFL scout said. "He is a big receiver, he gives the quarterback a big target to find downfield and LaRon is also a good route runner. He certainly is someone we would have an interest in late in the draft and he handled the change in coaching and their philosophy toward what they wanted to do on offense extremely well. After a rough day earlier in the week LaRon has really practiced well. You can’t coach size and physicality and he has both of those features as a wideout."


(heraldguide.com)

The Miami-based negligence lawsuit against the NFL added more than three dozen former players as plaintiffs Friday, with former Miami Hurricane running back Najeh Davenport the most recognizable face in a collection of otherwise obscure retired jocks.

The suit is one of at least 20 legal actions the NFL faces nationwide. They all allege that the nation’s most successful sports league for decades ignored evidence that repeated head injuries suffered while playing football leads to serious health issues later in life, including memory loss, migraine headaches and depression.

The NFL argues that player safety has long been a priority, and that any allegation that it intentionally sought to mislead players about health risks is without merit.

Davenport, fellow Cane Santonio Thomas and ex-Dolphin Omare Lowe are among the latest to join the fight. They added their names to a complaint filed by more than 100 ex-players and their wives — including former Fins Mark Duper, Oronde Gadsden, Patrick Surtain, Lamar Thomas and Woody Bennett.

Daniel Stubbs, 47, also joined the lawsuit. Stubbs is a former NFL defensive end that played from 1988 through 1999 for the Philadelphia Eagles, San Francisco 49ers, Cincinnati Bengals, and the Dallas Cowboys.


(miamiherald.com)

T Orlando Franklin was thrust into the starting lineup as a rookie and had a season typical of a rookie -- some highs (effective run blocking) and lows (struggles against speed pass rushers, particularly in losses to Detroit, New England and Buffalo).




(cbssports.com)

A burgundy football jersey with gold trim hangs in Richard Sharpstein’s law office on Brickell Avenue, one block from Miami’s waterfront. A black marker’s scrawl winds across the jersey’s No. 21: “Thank you for everything.” The wavy lines of an autograph sit below.

Sean Taylor.

While the sporting world counts down the hours until the start of Sunday’s Super Bowl, family and friends of the onetime Washington Redskins superstar face a much longer wait for justice to be done.

Four years, two months and five days have drifted past since intruders awakened Taylor at 1:40 a.m. in his four-bedroom Palmetto Bay, Fla., home. The intruders kicked in the door of the master bedroom. Jackie Garcia, Taylor’s girlfriend, clutched their 18-month-old daughter under the bed.

Taylor grabbed a machete. One intruder fired twice. A bullet pierced Taylor’s right thigh and femoral artery, then exited through a tiny hole and stopped in his lower left thigh. Twenty-seven hours later, the 24-year-old safety died.

The autopsy report later noted, among a dozen tattoos, two verses of Psalm 23 inked on Taylor’s left shoulder:

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.”

Five young men were charged with first-degree murder, but their trials have been delayed continuously. Since the first one was scheduled for April of 2008, the trial has been postponed 14 times. Defense attorneys shuffled. A gag order from 11th Judicial Circuit Judge Dennis J. Murphy banned attorneys, law enforcement and others connected to the case from discussing it with the media.

The latest try is April 16. Eric Rivera, 17 years old during the murder, is scheduled for trial then. The trials of three other defendants — Timmy Lee Brown, Jason Scott Mitchell and Charles Wardlow — will follow. The fifth man, Venjah Hunte, accepted a plea bargain but attempted to back out. His sentencing is scheduled for April 5.

Reminders of a life
As legal gridlock continues, the lives of those close to Taylor are littered with reminders of the hole left by the bullet. They talk about Taylor as if he is still alive.

Each day, Mr. Sharpstein looks at the jersey. Taylor gave it to him in 2006 after the lawyer and longtime family friend helped get an aggravated assault charge dropped as part of a negotiated plea bargain. Mr. Sharpstein remembers Taylor’s habit of saying “Mr. and Mrs. Sharpstein” and a shyness that mixed with distaste for speaking about himself.

The stab of disbelief from a 5 a.m. phone call to Mr. Sharpstein from Pedro Taylor, Sean’s father, that his son had been shot lingers, too.
Pedro Taylor, the police chief in Florida City, Fla., didn’t respond to multiple requests for comment. Donna Junor, Sean’s mother, declined to comment.

Sometimes Mr. Sharpstein pulls out a photo of a smiling Taylor he keeps in a desk drawer. The photo and jersey remind him of life’s fragility and unpredictability. He thinks nothing can fill the hole Taylor’s death left in so many lives, and he thinks about the “lifelong torture” Pedro Taylor faces. Those thoughts often turn to Mr. Sharpstein’s family.

“Sometimes [Taylor] talks to me,” Mr. Sharpstein said, “and tells me it’s time to go home, to get out.”

The gag order prevents Mr. Sharpstein from speaking about the trial.

Years ago, Ralph Ortega asked Mr. Sharpstein to represent Taylor. Mr. Ortega, a mortgage broker, was an assistant football coach and mentor to Taylor at Gulliver Preparatory School.

“He was not quite like a son,” Mr. Ortega said, “but something close.”

Taylor and Mr. Ortega’s son, Buck, both started at Gulliver Preparatory midway through their sophomore years. They were about the same height and weight. Both were quiet. They loved fishing. A fast friendship developed.

The first sailfish Buck Ortega caught came with Taylor off Key Largo, Fla., when they were sophomores. A few days ago, Buck Ortega pulled out a photo of the 80-pound sailfish. Taylor smiled back at him from the photo.

“Look how little we were,” Buck Ortega told his wife, Emily.

He laughed.

‘Scary how good’

Today, Buck Ortega runs a chain of health clubs near Fayetteville, Ark., after stints with four NFL teams at tight end. He doesn’t follow the legal gymnastics in Miami much, but Taylor comes to mind often. Big hits or big returns in football games on television spur those memories.

“Watching him play was like artwork,” Buck Ortega said. “Sean had a one-upper for everything [on the field]. It was the truth. He was that good. It was scary how good he was.”

Buck Ortega tries not to think about the murder. But that day lurks, like a photo he can’t erase.

Each April 1, Buck Ortega calls Pedro Taylor for Sean’s birthday.

“I’m thinking about you,” Buck Ortega tells him.

Those thoughts are difficult for Ralph Ortega to escape. Every two weeks, he eats lunch at Walter’s Coffee Shop in Palmetto Bay. Taylor’s jersey and picture hang on the wall. So does the jersey of Derrick Thomas, the Kansas City Chiefs linebacker from Miami who died after a car accident in 2000.

Taylor’s old house sits six miles away, an 11-minute drive if traffic is right.

Visions of Taylor on the football field return first. Like his first spring game at Gulliver Preparatory. Ralph Ortega, an All-America linebacker at the University of Florida before playing six seasons in the NFL, doubted Taylor was the team’s best player but then experienced an epiphany.

After the game, Ralph Ortega pulled Taylor aside and told the youngster he could be special. Beyond high school special.

“There’s something with the way you move,” Ralph Ortega said.

Taylor’s face lit up.
Steve Howey was at that game. Then Gulliver Preparatory’s head coach, he moved across Florida to St. John Neumann Catholic High School in Naples as the school’s football coach and athletic director.

Every once in a while, Mr. Howey thinks of calling Taylor. Reality intercedes a second or two later. Taylor is gone. Mr. Howey finally had to delete Taylor’s number from his cellphone.

Each class of freshman football players, particularly the youngsters with uncanny size or wingspans, brings Taylor to mind. Maybe, Mr. Howey thinks, this one is the next Sean Taylor.

Whenever Mr. Howey visits a new town, he stops by sports memorabilia shops to see if they have items connected to Taylor. Mr. Howey has already hit every shop around Naples. Twenty-five dollars bought Taylor’s rookie card. Mr. Howey hasn’t discovered any of Taylor’s game-worn jerseys from the Redskins or the University of Miami yet. Anything Taylor is prized.

That’s who Mr. Howey thinks of when he drives east toward Miami. The five men charged in the murder allegedly drove the same way. Mr. Howey figures they have regrets, sitting in Miami-Dade County jail cells as the legal process creeps forward.

“They took a real special person from this world,” Mr. Howey said. “It hurts to think about his loss, dying the way he did. I love talking about him. I really loved the kid. I think the world of him.”

Mr. Howey’s memorabilia collection includes pictures from Taylor’s days at Gulliver Preparatory and the University of Miami. There’s the picture Taylor autographed after signing with the University of Miami that reads, “Good call, coach.” Another is an enlarged shot that ran in the Naples Daily News.

In a double-overtime game for Gulliver Preparatory against Immokalee, Mr. Howey decided to go for the two-point conversion and win. The ball, of course, went to Taylor. The picture shows Taylor diving toward the end zone, maybe five feet in the air, his arms and legs straight out, the football leading the way.

Taylor looks as if he’s flying.


(washingtontimes.com)

Experience isn’t everything—at least it wasn't during last night’s Madden Bowl XVIII. Defending champs Maurice Jones-Drew, Patrick Willis and Arian Foster lost to NFL rookies Robert Griffin III, LaMichael James and Justin Blackmon. But the Cinderella story ended quickly, as Tim Tebow, Drew Brees and Jimmy Graham took out the rookies to claim the Madden Bowl Title.

OK, it wasn’t the Super Bowl, but the star power burned just as bright, as NFL icons like Michael Irvin and Jerry Rice made their way to the Bud Light Hotel in downtown Indianapolis. The championship game ended in Super Bowl fashion with Tebow, Brees and Graham taking the win right under the fingers—or the controllers—of the rookies. The champs won Tebow-style with a fourth quarter comeback. It’s unclear whether they gathered for a “Tebowing” team photo, but simply imagining it is awesome enough.

No doubt Jones-Drew and his team of former champions went home unsatisfied. The three-time All-Pro running back previously talked up his Madden game saying, “I’m still the Madden champ. Nobody’s beaten me one-on-one yet.” Right. His one-on-one streak might still be alive, but there’s no question who went home happy last night.


(gamer.stack.com)

We'll I'm off and running ...literally.

Lauryn Williams got to compete in the same meet as her sister Erikka, who is nine years younger and a freshman at South Alabama, recently.

Last week the 2012 season began for me in Birmingham, AL. The new Crossplex there is state of the art and I was excited to open up in such a nice facility. With a fast track and feeling fit it I was set to start off with a bang.

Some technical errors, more than likely because I was just so excited, caused me to have two less-than-stellar starts. In the 60m you don't have a whole lot of room for error and the mistakes cost me dearly but I felt FAST and am optimistic this week will go better.

It was neat to be in the same competition venue with my youngest sister for the first time. Erikka is the youngest of 8 and a freshman in college at University of South Alabama.

With us being 9 years apart and eligible to compete in the same arena I feel old!! Yet, the other day a guy in high school hit on me so I must still look young, LOL!!

Maturity and experience haven't cured me of new season jitters but hopefully I got rid of all them last week and can put together a good race for my first professional meet tomorrow.

I am in Boston for New Balance Indoor Grand Prix. I race Saturday but it will be televised 2/5/12 2:00 PM on ESPN2. Tune in for what I hope to be the 1st victory of many on the road to London!


(universalsports.com)

A couple of weeks ago , James Jones said he would decline the automatic invitation to defend his three-point title during All-Star weekend in Orlando.

Jones changed his mind, however, and has chosen to make the short trip.

(Nor did it hurt that the league has raised the participation reward).

Jones is shooting 42.9 percent from three for the season, but has been out of the rotation of late.

Mike Miller, who has been in the contest twice, doesn’t expect to get an invite, though he is 12-of-22 from three since returning from hernia surgery.


(palmbeachpost.com)

By the time Milwaukee Brewers pitchers and catchers take the field for their first spring training workout two weeks from today, they'll know how big a setback they'll have to overcome to repeat as NL Central Division champions.

Do they merely have to replace Prince Fielder's 38 home runs and 128 runs batted in, after the free agent signed with Detroit last month? Or do they also have to try to survive until Memorial Day without reigning NL Most Valuable Player Ryan Braun?

The Brewers could learn this week whether Braun wins his appeal of a positive test for a performance-enhancing drug during last October's playoffs. Braun's appeal was heard Jan. 19-20 in New York and Tom Haudricourt of the Milwaukee Sentinel Journal reports MLB's Joint Drug Agreement specifies that a ruling is to be made within 25 days of the opening of the hearing. That would be next Sunday, Feb. 12.

A written opinion should come within 30 days of the hearing, so it's possible there'll no announcement until then. Either way, the Brewers should know before the start of spring training whether Braun must serve a 50-game suspension.

Braun originally was scheduled to attend the Brewers' fan convention Jan. 29, but the club decided to excuse him from the festivities a few days beforehand.

Brewer diehards remain excited about the season, as evidenced by the record crowd of 12,000-plus at the "On Deck" event at a downtown convention center. Offseason ticket sales are on a record pace, portending an all-time attendance record following last year's 3.071 million.

Replacing the two men who last year combined to provide 38% of the team's home runs (71 of the 185) and 33% of its runs batted in (231 of 693) could make the team's first 50 games a struggle.

There are no sure-fire replacements for either. The Brewers say they want to give prospect Mat Gamel a legitimate shot as Fielder's replacement at first. Once rated among the Brewers' top three prospects, Gamel struggled in three brief trials in Milwaukee. The left-hand hitter, originally a third baseman, batted just .222 with five homers in a total of 171 at-bats, but has hit consistently in the minors.

Right-fielder Corey Hart has agreed to work at first this spring to spell Gamel 30 games or so against tough left-handers. Former Giant Travis Ishikawa comes to camp as a non-roster invitee.

If Braun is suspended, there's a new uncertainty in left-field. Can newly-signed Japanese veteran Norichika Aoki, three-time Japan Central League batting champion, handle the job in his absence? If not, the effective center-field platoon of Nyjer Morgan and Carlos Gomez will be broken up and Morgan will play left every day.

The sports winter has been depressing enough in Wisconsin, with the Packers' early exit from the NFL playoffs and the University of Wisconsin Badgers' loss in the Rose Bowl. Now comes the decision that could impact whether the blahs extend to spring.


(usatoday.com)

The Cardinals are close to signing Alex Cora to a minor league contract reports MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez. The team didn't confirm that a deal was close. Cora is a Scott Boras client.

Earlier this month we learned that the 36-year-old infielder intended to play in 2012, though he was drawing interest as a coach. Cora hit just .224/.287/.276 in 172 plate appearances with the Nationals last season while playing all four infield spots.


(mlbtraderumors.com)