Olivier Vernon was the first proCane drafted in the 2012 NFL Draft going to the Miami Dolphins with the 9th pick of the 3rd Round 72nd pick overall.

Sean Spence followed Olivier Vernon by getting picked with the 23rd pick of the 3rd Round and 86th pick overall by the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Here is a list of the remaining proCanes eligible for the draft.

Lamar Miller RB - 3rd Round
Brandon Washington OG - 3rd-5th Round
Tommy Streeter WR - 3rd-5th Round
Travis Benjamin WR - 5th-7th Round
Chase Ford TE - 5th-7th Round
Marcus Forston DL - 5th-7th Round
Micanor Regis DL - 6th-7th Round
LaRon Byrd WR - 7th Round-Undrafted Free Agent
Adewale Ojomo DE - 7th Round-Undrafted Free Agent

-------------------

Jacory Harris QB - Undrafted Free Agent
Tyler Horn C - Undrafted Free Agent
Aldarius Johnson WR - Undrafted Free Agent
JoJo Nicolas DB/S - Undrafted Free Agent
Joel Figueroa OL - Undrafted Free Agent
Lee Chambers DB - Undrafted Free Agent
Chris Ivory LS - Undrafted Free Agent
Harland Gunn OL - Undrafted Free Agent
Mike Williams DB - Undrafted Free Agent
Andrew Smith DE - Undrafted Free Agent
Jordan Futch LB - Undrafted Free Agent

45. St. Louis Rams: Lamar Miller, Miami, RB: Steven Jackson is starting to slow down, so the time is right to add an explosive complementary runner to shoulder some of the offensive load.

58. Houston Texans: Tommy Streeter, Miami, WR: The Texans' receiving corps needs a legitimate vertical threat to alleviate some of the pressure on Andre Johnson. Streeter possesses the size and athleticism to create mismatches against one-on-one coverage.


(nfl.com)

Check out below all the 2012 draft-eligible proCanes and what rounds they are projected to go in.

Lamar Miller RB - 2nd Round
Sean Spence LB - 3rd-4th Round
Olivier Vernon DE/LB - 3rd-4th Round
Brandon Washington OG - 3rd-5th Round
Tommy Streeter WR - 3rd-5th Round
Travis Benjamin WR - 5th-7th Round
Chase Ford TE - 5th-7th Round
Marcus Forston DL - 5th-7th Round
Micanor Regis DL - 6th-7th Round
LaRon Byrd WR - 7th Round-Undrafted Free Agent
Adewale Ojomo DE - 7th Round-Undrafted Free Agent

-------------------

Jacory Harris QB - Undrafted Free Agent
Tyler Horn C - Undrafted Free Agent
Aldarius Johnson WR - Undrafted Free Agent
JoJo Nicolas DB/S - Undrafted Free Agent
Joel Figueroa OL - Undrafted Free Agent
Lee Chambers DB - Undrafted Free Agent
Chris Ivory LS - Undrafted Free Agent
Harland Gunn OL - Undrafted Free Agent
Mike Williams DB - Undrafted Free Agent
Andrew Smith DE - Undrafted Free Agent
Jordan Futch LB - Undrafted Free Agent

In his seven-round mock draft released Wednesday night, ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay projects seven Hurricanes will be chosen. They are Lamar Miller (2nd round, 59th overall to Green Bay), Olivier Vernon (3rd round, 80th overall to Arizona), Sean Spence (4th round, 124th overall to Buffalo), Tommy Streeter (5th round, 154th over New York Jets), Brandon Washington (5th, 159th overall to Pittsburgh), Marcus Forston (6th round, 176th overall to Jacksonville) and Travis Benjamin (6th round, 191st overall to Cincinnati). By comparison, McShay predicts nine players from national champion Alabama will be drafted, although five are projected to go in the first round.


(palmbeachpost.com)

TE Chase Ford, Miami (FL): Despite an underwhelming career at The U, Chase Ford may have a bright future in the NFL. At just shy of 6'7" and 255lbs, he ran a 4.75 in the 40 yard dash with a 33 inch vertical, and good agility measures. Most importantly, I watched him live during East-West Shrine practices and he made plays all over the place. This translated to the game itself as he hauled in a big seam pass, broke the tackles of two defenders that came at him simultaneously, and used his speed to create a bunch of yards after contact. He made so many big plays like that in practice that by the end, quarterbacks were looking for him. Watching his highlights from JUCO at Kilgore, you see the same play maker. The black hole in his record is his time with The U, but he would hardly be the first athlete in recent memory that they have failed to utilize or develop properly, that go on to be better pros than collegians.


(sun-sentinel.com)

GM Ruston Webster insists that he will only select a receiver if one has attributes that none of the WRs on the roster possess. Miami (Fla.) WR Tommy Streeter (6-5, 219) is fast, rangy and can provide the Titans with a target in red-zone situations. Of Tennessee's top five WRs, only one is taller than 6-1.


(cbssports.com)

Washington Redskins safety Brandon Meriweather was charged with driving under the influence after being pulled over Thursday morning in Arlington, Va., according to police.

Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck said the NFL player was pulled over shortly before 3 a.m. Thursday on Interstate 66 outside of Washington and failed a sobriety test after refusing a breath test. Sternbeck says the 28-year-old was arrested and taken to a county detention center before being released later Thursday.

Meriweather signed a two-year, $6 million deal with the Redskins in March after spending 2011 with the Chicago Bears.

The 28-year-old Meriweather was a first-round draft pick by New England in 2007 and was a two-time Pro Bowl player with the Patriots before he was cut at the end of last year's training camp.

He then signed with Chicago but was a disappointment with the Bears, losing his starting job early in the season.

The Redskins need help at safety after cutting the underperforming Oshiomogho Atogwe on Monday. The team also didn't re-sign safety LaRon Landry, who is recovering from an Achilles injury and became a free agent this week.


(espn.com)

A banner of WR Reggie Wayne has taken the place of one featuring former QB Peyton Manning outside of Lucas Oil Stadium. Manning's picture was removed Wednesday. A banner depicting DE/LB Robert Mathis is expected to replace one of former Colts TE Dallas Clark.




(cbssports.com)

Thursday’s first round was supposed to be a silent night for the Miami Hurricanes. Cell phones weren’t supposed to ring for any of the seniors and underclassmen who put their names in for the NFL Draft.

And it remained that way.

For the fourth year in a row, the first round came and went without a single Hurricane getting picked. But that didn’t mean some weren’t sitting around with their families, hoping, praying and anxiously waiting for the phone to ring.

“Two years ago, where did they think [Tim] Tebow was going? Didn’t they say he was going in the fourth or fifth round? He ended up in the first round. So, you never know,’’ said Tommy Streeter Sr., the father of receiver Tommy Streeter, before Thursday’s draft.

“They can slot you here, they can slot you there, and someone can surprise you and pick you up. So, I really don’t care what any experts say.’’

Draft experts Mel Kiper and Todd McShay of ESPN were pretty confident no Hurricanes would get picked Thursday. But they expect the phone to start ringing for them Friday when the second and third rounds get under way.

In his seven-round mock draft released Wednesday night, McShay projected seven Hurricanes would be chosen — the earliest being junior tailback Lamar Miller (second round, 59th overall, to Green Bay). After that McShay has defensive end Olivier Vernon going in the third round, 80th overall to Arizona. On Saturday, McShay thinks linebacker Sean Spence will go in the fourth round, 124th overall, to Buffalo; Streeter in the fifth round, 154th overall, to the New York Jets; offensive lineman Brandon Washington five picks later in the fifth round to Pittsburgh; defensive end Marcus Forston going in the sixth round, 176th overall, to Jacksonville; and receiver Travis Benjamin going 15 picks later in the sixth round to Cincinnati.

Some Hurricanes fans believe if Streeter is taken that low he will have made a mistake leaving school early. But his father strongly disagreed and said wherever his son is taken “is a blessing.’’

“It was the right decision 100 percent,’’ Streeter Sr. said. “A lot of people can say if he stayed one more year this might of happened, he could have gone higher. But you never know what could have happened. He could have gotten injured. You can’t wait on that. You make a decision and you move on.’’

Miller, who became UM’s first running back to break the 1,000-yard mark since Willis McGahee in 2002, was asked on an ESPN chat if his decision not to return for his senior year was based on avoiding injury.

“Not really,’’ Miller said. “I know that running backs have a short lifespan. I think I put myself in a good position to get drafted. I just wanted to take my talents to the next level and live my dream.”

Miller said he planned to spend Thursday night at his home watching the draft on TV. He said he would do the same Friday. “Some of my friends and family will be over," Miller said on the chat. “We’ll watch it, play dominoes and cards until I get that phone call.”

Streeter also will be surrounded by family. After Streeter worked out privately for the Dolphins and Patriots, his father said he had no clue which team would snap him up. But staying home and playing for the Dolphins wouldn’t be bad.

“If it works out like that, it would truly be a blessing,’’ Streeter Sr. said. “But we’re not going to put our hopes up high because we don’t want to have a letdown. We’re putting it in God’s hands. Whoever picks him, that’s where we’re going.

“But the anticipation. Man, that’s something.’’


(miamiherald.com)

MILFORD — Leave it to Vince Wilfork [stats] to hold a grudge. Seems he keeps a list of old offenders tucked away, going back to the 2004 draft.

Parked on Wilfork’s personal grudge list are the teams he thought were going to select him, only to pass him over. There’s quite a few on the list.
Hearing the Patriots [team stats] nose tackle recall his draft-day experience is actually pretty amusing. Eight years later, Wilfork laughs at the memory. It just wasn’t much fun that day. It seemed more like torture.

The way Wilfork, then a promising University of Miami standout, tells it, he woke up that morning believing he was going to be an Atlanta Falcon. Based on meetings, workouts and conversations, he was convinced he was going to hear his name called at No. 8 — a top-10 pick.

Only, it didn’t happen. The Falcons went with Virginia Tech corner DeAngelo Hall.

“They were talking every week in Atlanta about me coming,” Wilfork said before to his annual draft-day fund-raiser last night at Pinz, which benefits the Joslin Diabetes Center and Diabetes Research Institute. “Then it was Houston. Then it was Buffalo. Then it was Chicago. So I felt, ‘Well, if I don’t go to Atlanta, I’m going to Houston.’ Then, I didn’t go there.”

Houston had the No. 10 pick. The Texans also went with a cornerback — South Carolina’s Dunta Robinson — instead of the big nose tackle. When the Bears came to bat at No. 14, Wilfork figured his connecton with Bears coach Lovie Smith would seal that deal.

“I knew I was going to Chicago, because me and Lovie, we had a conversation beyond football. It was a personal conversation,” Wilfork said. “We met for a half an hour. So we connected. Then I thought for sure, I was going there. But then No. 14 came, and they picked Tommie Harris. So I’m going, ‘Holy crap, where do I go now? I have no clue.’ But at that moment, my wife was frustrated. I was frustrated.”

Then Wilfork did something he thought he’d never, ever do: He became a Dolphins fan. As a Miami player, that wasn’t supposed to happen. But when you’re desperate on draft day, anything’s possible.

“The one time I turned into a Dolphins fans, it was at (No. 19),” Wilfork said with a laugh. “I’m thinking, ‘Man, if there’s a chance for Miami to get a Florida guy, a Hurricane guy, they don’t draft Hurricanes, but maybe I’m the guy.’ But they picked Vernon Carey, my teammate.

“Now, I’m (ticked),” he said to laughter. “Of all the guys, you picked a Hurricane, and you picked him?”

Six Miami players were drafted in the first round; Carey, an offensive lineman, represented the fifth. That also didn’t please Big Vince. How could he be the last one taken of his teammates? He’d never live that down.

Then his phone rang within minutes of hearing Carey’s name. Berj Najarian, the Pats director of football administration, was calling with Bill Belichick on the line.

“He said, ‘How do you feel about being a New England Patriot?’ I said, ‘I don’t know where you’re at, but I’m ready,’ ” said Wilfork, finally taken at No. 21. “Then I got off the phone, and I asked my wife, ‘Where’s New England? Is that like, New London?’ We didn’t know.

“When we figured out it was Boston, that was great. I’m a Celtics [team stats] fan. That was going to be huge. I grew up a Celtics fan. But ever since that day, everyone who passed me up, I held grudges.”

As for being the last Hurricanes player to go, Wilfork eventually got the last laugh on that one, too.

“I was the first one to get a Super Bowl ring, I know that,” Wilfork said with a smile. “Some of them are still chasing that ring. I just know I wouldn’t change a thing to save my life.”


(weei.com)

The San Francisco Giants have placed first baseman/outfielder Aubrey Huff on the 15-day disabled list with an anxiety disorder.

"He's gotten some treatment and will continue to get treatment," manager Bruce Bochy told the San Francisco Chronicle before Wednesday's 4-2 loss to the Reds.

Huff, who is expected to rejoin the team this weekend in San Francisco, has had his ups and downs. In 2010, he was part of a rollicking clubhouse in San Francisco, becoming known for his red rally thong as well as his bat as he helped the Giants to a World Series championship.

"He keeps everyone loose in the clubhouse and he reminds us all the time to have fun," teammate Barry Zito told the Chronicle. " I'm not sure what to make of this."

Nor is Bochy, who said he spoke with Huff on Wednesday, but could not say whether the anxiety was baseball-related or about personal matters. "I don't know if he knows. It could be both," Bochy said.

Huff's wife Baubi filed for divorce this Jan. 12. The couple has two young sons. Huff's father was murdered in Texas when he was six years old.
Huff, 35, was plugged in at second base for the first time in his major league career last Saturday by Bochy. He committed a damaging error late in a loss to the Mets, then reportedly left the team for his home in Tampa.

Huff was seventh in MVP voting in 2010 when he hit .290 with 26 homers and 86 RBI and drove in eight more runs in the postseason. But his 2010 season was sandwiched by off years in 2009 (.241, 15 homers) and 2011 (.246, 12 homers), after he re-signed a two-year, $22 million deal to remain with San Francisco.

It took time for Huff to get into shape in 2011. Despite a three-homer, six-RBI game in early June, his OPS fell 215 points to .676, last among MLB first basemen.

In 12 games this season Huff was 6-for-33 with one home run.

Huff is hardly the first major leaguer to suffer from anxiety. Jimmy Piersall's story was made into a 1957 film, Fear Strikes Out. More recently, 2009 AL Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke and 2010 NL MVP Joey Votto have been sidelined due to anxiety.


(usatoday.com)

Miami's Lamar Miller stopped by ESPN.com earlier Wednesday to chat with fans on the eve of the NFL draft. The running back is a potential second-round pick this weekend. A complete transcript of his conversation is available here.

Some highlights ...
• Tino (Ft Lauderdale): Was the possibility of getting hurt and possibly ending your career your main reason for coming out early?
• Lamar Miller (3:21 PM): Not really. I know that RBs have a short lifespan. I think I put myself in a good position to get drafted. I just wanted to take my talents to the next level and live my dream.

• James (IL): Which nfl team did you root for growing up?
• Lamar Miller (3:23 PM): Growing up, I always rooted for the Cowboys because of Deion Sanders, Emmitt Smith and Michael Irvin. Those are some guys I admired.

• Kevin (CT): draft day plans?
• Lamar Miller (3:28 PM): I will be at my mom's house. Some of my friends and family will be over. We'll watch it, play dominoes and cards until I get that phone call.

• Kevin (CT): biggest ACC rivalries with FSU...what are those games like?
• Lamar Miller (3:31 PM): Everybody gets motivated, no matter what the records are. Nobody wants to lose the rivalry game. Everyone brings their A game and brings it to the table.

• Rodrigo (Miami): How does it feel to be the first 1000+ yard rusher at the University of Miami since 2002 when Willis did it? Thanks for making CANES NATION proud
• Lamar Miller (3:32 PM): It was a blessing. That was one of my goals that I put out before the season. I wanted to get 1,000 yards. That was something that I worked hard to get. It was a blessing to be one of the only RBs to do that at Miami.


(espn.com)

The 2012 NFL draft begins tomorrow and, for a special few, all the hard work and dedication will be rewarded when they hear their names called by Commissioner Roger Goodell in the first hours Thursday night.

As a former No. 2 overall draft pick, I decided after I retired that one thing I could do is help guys grow as men and as football players. I’ve since started a company called Xtreme Procision, that specializes in the fundamentals of football.

Every year I take one or two young men and I help prepare them for their pro days and the NFL Combine. This year I had the pleasure of training two outstanding young men, Jordan Futch a linebacker out of Miami and Jared Green out of Virginia.

Futch is big, strong and smart. I hope that he realizes his dreams and gets a chance to play on Sundays. If a team takes a chance on him, I believe he can earn a starting position in the league. He has unlimited potential as a linebacker or even a rush end.

Green is especially interesting to me because I used to see him in the locker room all the time at Redskins Park. He is special to me because his dad was my mentor as well as my teammate--Darrell Green, Mr. Redskin himself.

Jared Green would be in the locker room dribbling his basketball and asking me questions while I was at my locker. Who would’ve thought I’d be training him and preparing him twelve years later?

Jared was always a special kid to me. He was always polite and eager to learn. I was pleasantly surprised to reconnect with him as a man. Those qualities are still very much part of him.

Jared has been living and training with me for the last several months. We have been doing drills and workouts twice a day. He’s like a sponge. He picks it up everything I show him so quickly. But hey, he is D. Green’s son. I guess I should’ve expected that.

We have worked morning and night with a laser focus. He has motivated me to join the workouts.

He is fast. I mean 4.3 for the 40 fast. He is strong. We do three to four sets of 225 on the bench. We have worked hand and footwork. He is a 6’1” wide receiver, with nice hands. He is an impressive prospect coming into this years draft.

As the draft approaches I pray for success for both these young men who have learned from me. I’m always humbled by these outstanding men and I too learn from them. There’s a whole lot of give and take.

I believe both Jordan and Jared will be drafted and will have careers in the NFL. Whether they end up like Jared’s dad and have Hall of Fame careers or not, I know these guys are ready for a much more important game-- life.

Good luck guys, and congratulations on all your hard work. I’m very proud of you both.


(washingtonpost.com)

Denver Broncos running back Willis McGahee and his girlfriend, track and field star Marshevet Hooker are expecting their first child together. According to our sources, that would be Willis’ 9th child.




(terezowens.com)

AGAWAM – The Boy Scouts have produced future leaders in this country for decades. Among those the organization can claim is a boy who grew up in Florida and later became a leader on the gridiron, Patriots captain and defensive lineman Vince Wilfork.

Wilfork was the keynote speaker on Wednesday night as the Western Massachusetts Council of the Boy Scouts of America convened for their annual Distinguished Citizen Award gala at Chez Josef. Tuesday’s dinner is the largest fundraising event for the organization.

Wilfork said his experience as a Scout was an important one and helped develop skills he uses today while anchoring the New England Patriots’ defensive line.

“Being a Scout is a hands-on thing,” Wilfork said. “They teach you to become an adult. It was definitely a fun time in my life. I think it’ll make these guys better men as they grow up.”

Thursday night, players talented enough to be selected in the first round will hear their names called by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell. The 2012 draft class is reportedly stocked with a great deal of defensive talent, which bodes well for the Patriots, who have perceived holes to fill on that side of the ball.

As a captain and veteran heading into his ninth NFL season, Wilfork has some words of advice for possible future Patriots.

“Each one of those young men needs to understand that that is a life-changing moment,” Wilfork said of the draft. “Whoever gets a chance to be a part of this league should know that it’s a privilege.”

Wilfork was selected 21st overall in the 2004 NFL draft. On that April afternoon, he became the fifth member from perennial collegiate powerhouse Miami to be drafted in the first round.

Wilfork’s selection saw one of his longest-standing childhood dreams fulfilled. From an early age, the now-hulking lineman was hooked on the sport.

“I remember growing up, 4 years old and telling my father that this is what I wanted to do,” he said. “And now 30 years later, and nine years into the league, it’s an amazing feeling. It was a dream I had as a youngster, and my dream came true.”

Wednesday night’s Distinguished Citizen Award honoree was AAA of the Pioneer Valley President and CEO, Chris Mensing.

“It’s a wonderful honor,” Mensing said. “I just feel very blessed to be honored and thought of in this way.”

Mensing, though not a Scout growing up, equated the skills he attained and experienced he face through youth sports to the organization.

The Western Mass. Council, BSA, serves Hampden, Hampshire, Franklin and Berkshire counties. Some 7,200 youth participated in the Boy Scouts in Western Massachusetts in 2011.


(masslive.com)

Under his old contract, Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma was due to earn a base salary of $5.4 million in 2012.  Per a source with knowledge of Vilma’s new contract, his compensation has dropped to $2.6 million.

That’s a difference (abacus engaged) of $2.8 million.

The good news, if there is any, for Vilma is that if he should get bad news from the league office in the form of a suspension, only $1.6 million will be exposed to the forfeiture of game checks.  He received a signing bonus of $1 million and the rest as base salary.

If suspended, he’ll lose more than $94,000 per game.  Under his old contract, he would have lost $317,000 per game.

Then again, he’s also losing nearly $3 million off the top.

The new contract undoubtedly has no connection to his role, whatever his role may have been, in the bounty scandal.  Instead, it’s a reflection of his current age, health, abilities, and the market for veteran linebackers.


(profootballtalk.com)

CINCINNATI -- Former Bengals linebacker Nate Webster was convicted Wednesday of sex-related charges involving the teenage daughter of a former assistant coach for the Cincinnati team.

A jury in Cincinnati found Webster, 34, guilty of four counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. Jurors found him not guilty of three other charges: gross sexual imposition, sexual battery and a fifth count of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor. The jury deliberated for about six hours before reaching the verdict.

Prosecutors say Webster had sexual contact with the girl in 2009 when she was 15 and threatened to harm her if she told anyone. Webster admits having sex with the girl the next year, when she was 16, the legal age of consent in Ohio, but denies that the sexual relations began earlier than that.

Webster was taken into custody after the verdict.

"We obviously are disappointed with the verdict in some respects," Webster's attorney, Gregory Samms said after court. He said they plan to file an appeal after sentencing, but said he could not comment on specific issues being considered for the appeal.

Samms said that the girl lied when she said she was 15 at the time she and Webster began having sex. Prosecutors said Webster told police that he had sex with the girl when she was 15 and played tapes of those interviews in court, but Samms said Webster was mistaken about the dates in his earlier statements.

Assistant Hamilton County Prosecutor Seth Tieger declined to comment on the verdict or other aspects of the case prior to sentencing, scheduled for June 6.

The prosecutor's office said Webster could be sentenced to up to 20 years in prison. Webster could have faced up to 36½ years in prison if he had been convicted on all counts.

The former Bengals player turned down a proposed plea deal prior to the trial that would have required him to serve four years in prison, a prosecutor's spokesman said.

Webster played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers from 2000-03 and for the Bengals in 2004-05. He finished his career with the Denver Broncos from 2006-08.


(espn.com)

Sean Spence, OLB, Miami: Spence could be the next great linebacker to come out of the U, following in the footsteps of Ray Lewis, D.J. Williams and others. Sean Spence is a guy with very solid leadership qualities, physical ability and a great football IQ. Standing at just under 6’0 and weighing around 230 lbs., he is slightly undersized for an NFL OLB but he makes up for it with his play. Great decision maker, plays sideline to sideline and has a lot of pop on his tackle for his small size. The Raiders are in need of a linebacker and might look to Spence for help.

Working out? Willis McGahee didn't start really doing it until his third year of playing football.

In the NFL.

"It was just something that I had to get off my butt and do," the Denver Broncos running back said. "When you're younger, it's OK [not to]. You can get away with just relaxing and not doing anything. But the older you get, it becomes harder, and I realized the more you work out, [playing] becomes easier. It puts years on your life."

McGahee -- along with several other NFL stars -- is trying to spread that message through the NFL's Play 60 program, which encourages everyone to exercise for an hour a day. The program also provides workout classes with NFL players in select cities (McGahee spoke to Playbook last weekend from Equinox fitness club in Miami Beach).

And McGahee is happy to spread the word of working out's benefits to everyone.

"[It's] exciting just working out," McGahee said, "showing people you've got to be in shape and be able to do certain things so you won't be sitting around the house and just chilling."

McGahee clearly hasn't been just chilling; through personal training that involves some MMA, the South Florida resident and former University of Miami star is entering his 10th year in the league. McGahee, who played for the Buffalo Bills and Baltimore Ravens earlier in his career, is looking forward to his second season on a Broncos team that has high hopes after acquiring Peyton Manning.

"[Working out has] kept me going," McGahee, 30, said. "I'm still running with these young guys. It shows a lot of what I do to prepare myself and get my body right for the situation."

The Play 60 program runs through this weekend. Classes in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami and New York are available here; proceeds go to the United Way and the Play 60 program.


(espn.com)

[Editor's Note: Here at NFL Spin Zone, we have put together a series of 2012 NFL Draft prospect interviews to give our viewers a more in-depth look at a handful of the players who could end up with their team next season. The latest draft prospect interview features Miami Hurricanes offensive guard Brandon Washington. 

Chris Boyle: Talk about how you’re feeling with just a few days before the NFL Draft.
Brandon Washington: I feel good just having the opportunity to be talked about in the draft. It’s a blessing. I’m kind of overwhelmed just thinking about things.

Boyle: What separates you from the other guards in this draft class?
Washington: My ambition. I continue to work hard. I know some guys at the combine take off, and they don’t work out anymore. They feel like their name’s already high and that, for sure, they’re going to be this pick, that pick, and for sure go in the in the first round. I think my ambition and the way I work about it allows me to continue going because I know I’m not one of the big-name guys, and I won’t be in the first round or whatnot. That’s why I train.

Boyle: You decided to skip your senior season at Miami. What made you decide that now is the right time to enter the draft?
Washington: I feel ready for the pro level … Most importantly, I was ready to be successful. I’m ready to take care of my family.

Boyle: You grew up in a relatively poor part of Miami, known as Overtown. How did that background shape who you are today?
Washington: It was rough, trying to stay out of trouble and stay in school. It made me who I am today because I could have easily been one who ended up dead or in jail … Growing up in that neighborhood, everybody had, well not everybody, but some people had two parents. Most people had a single parent at home and they were able to get everything they ever wanted. So by them being my friends, I wanted what they had so I could feel like they were my friends.

There’s a saying there that says “get how you live”; how you see the dope transactions, the hand-to-hand doping and the money that’s traveling. You want to get how you live. And how you see it, you’ve got to get it like that too. If you see people selling drugs or robbing to wear the latest shoes, and you want the same, you’ve got to do the same to get it.

But I felt, in the end, that it wasn’t me. I knew I didn’t want to do that for a living. I told myself that I would do something and run with it. I wanted to take care of my mom, my brothers and my sisters. It was so rough living that neighborhood trying to go to school, sleep and hear gunshots and know what’s going on. I had a mindset early to know what I wanted to be in life. I didn’t want to be what everybody else was being.

Boyle: Have you lost any friends from childhood?
Washington: “Plenty; to death or jail.”

Boyle: When you were growing up, was there a specific event that was a turning point for you?
Washington: I can remember back when I had wanted a pair of shoes. My mom told me no. I wanted them really bad because all my friends had them. To me, it was like ‘great, he got ‘em.’ I didn’t want to feel left out because my mom couldn’t buy them, but I knew I couldn’t be selfish. I told myself one day I was going to do something to make enough money where I could take care of my mom, take care of my brothers and we’d all get pairs of shoes.

Boyle: You must have some kind of a shoe fetish?
Washington: Oh, yeah.

Boyle: When you get your first paycheck from the NFL, what kind of shoes are you going to buy?
Washington: I’m going to buy 10 pairs. I gotta get 10 pairs.

Boyle: 10 pairs of Nikes? Or Jordans? Or something else?
Washington: A mixture of both.

Boyle: Your mother is a big influence in your life. How has she done so, and how are you going to take care of her once you get to the next level?
Washington: She’s the turning point of my life; knowing her struggle and how hard she fought to make sure we had breakfast in the morning and dinner that same night. She means everything. The first thing I’m going to really do when I get my first check is give her a house. I’ve got to get her a house. I’ve got to show her I appreciate her.

Boyle: Has it always been your dream to play in the NFL? Have you always grown up around football?
Washington: I didn’t. I started playing football my freshman year of high school. I had a growth spurt in my life, and I came back to the area and everybody was like ‘Who are you? What are you doing over here?’ or whatever because I got so big … I got introduced to a couple of high schools and a couple of coaches saw that I could throw the ball and saw me do shake moves, juke moves and whatnot and told me, ‘Come to this school. Come to this school. Come to this school.’ I didn’t know what to do.

My freshman year was my first time playing organized football; I just used to play with my friends. It was my first time wearing a helmet; my first time putting pads on. Putting on shoulder pads, I felt like the first two weeks to a month I struggled doing that. My friend was picking on me like, ‘You don’t know how to do this. You don’t know how to do that.’ I was like, ‘This is my first time.’ It was so hard and so rough. The hair in my helmet used to just stick to my face.

I used to tell everyone, ‘I quit’. I would quit like three times a week but then I’d always come back. Sometimes in practice, we would practice so hard and the coach used to say, ‘Football ain’t for everybody,’ and I would say, ‘It ain’t for me.’ Sometimes they would say, ‘Football separates men from boys,’ and I said ‘I guess I’ll remain a boy then.’ There were things like that, but I’m happy I stuck at it; now where I’m at.

It never was the dream, though. I just knew that I wanted to do something that made me money so I’d be able to show my family that I appreciate them. I could remember as a little boy I would tell myself I’m a home-team fan.

I love the Dolphins. They’re not my favorite team, but since they’re my home team, I like them. I remember telling myself that I was going to try out for the Dolphins. I never even processed going through high school and college to get to the NFL. I just thought I’d try out for a team, and then I found out about high school football and I was like, ‘What?’ I got the chance, because I was always big [as a kid], and it went by the pound. So I was like, ‘Yo, I could play football with being this size?’ And that’s when I thought I’d play high school football.

My freshman year, I played defensive tackle and I felt like my sophomore year, I had to come back strong. I’ve got to keep getting better and better. So, I hit the offseason training real fast on my own and with the team doing afterschool program workouts by myself and with my position coach.

Boyle: If you started as a defensive tackle, how did you end up on the offensive line?
Washington: My freshman season, we had won a district game to go into the playoffs and, that same game, we lost both our starting guards. My head coach came up to me and said to me, ‘We need you to play both ways.’ I was like, ‘Man, I don’t want to play offensive line,’ because growing up, if you played offensive line, you were sorry and you couldn’t really play football.

I was like, ‘Man, I don’t want to play offensive line because I’m not sorry and I came up with that mindset.’ My defensive line coach come up to me and said, ‘Do it for the team. Be a team guy. It’s just going to help you in the long run.’ So when I finally did it, I was wearing No. 99 my freshman year because I played defensive tackle, but on game day when I came into the locker room, No. 72 was in my locker. I was like ‘Man, I want my same number. I’m not playing until I wear my number.’ And they said I couldn’t wear No. 99 on offense. I was like, ‘Well, I ain’t playing then.’

I was going home, and my head coach came in and explained the whole thing to me. I ended up playing guard that year, and then in my sophomore season, I came back and they said, ‘We’re going to have you play tackle.’ They said you’ve got to go both ways. And I was like, ‘No, I want my No. 99 back or I ain’t playing.’ They explained the whole thing to me again. Even my defensive line coach was saying to do it for the team and I was surprised … I said I could help the team by playing, so that’s why I did it.”

Boyle: Do you think the change in positions helped in your overall maturity?
Washington: Oh yeah, most definitely. I had so many roles on the team and had so many people look up to me for doing that. We had a wide receiver who helped at defensive back. We had a running back who played linebacker. That matured me. I had so many roles, and I had to execute those roles for my team to win.

Boyle: You moved to New York after you graduated high school before attending the University of Miami? How did that come about?
Washington: I’m still not sure. There are a lot of people who wonder why I did it; why it went down like that. But, it was supposed to be for my grades. But it really wasn’t for my grades. The university wanted to hold me in like a greyshirt area. When I got there, it was hell, man. I wanted to go back home. It was my first time away from my family. It was real hell … It said New York, but it was New Berlin which was like four hours from New York City, an hour from Syracuse. It was in the middle of nowhere. I had nothing to do. I just didn’t like it at all.

Boyle: What was the most difficult part about being away from your family for that long?
Washington: The whole process was difficult because I never did it. And then it starts snowing and you’ve got nobody you feel more comfortable to talk to or nobody that you feel more comfortable to just be there with you. It was frustrating. I would call my mom on the phone and she would tell me to do what I got to do and finish.

Boyle: You played three seasons at Miami, but none more adventurous as this past season with the Nevin Shapiro scandal early on. Was it really a distraction in the locker room, and have you ever had any kind of contact with Shapiro?
Washington: It was most definitely a distraction because we had fought so hard that preseason and that offseason training camp because we knew we could be a successful team. And then it came up and slapped us in our face, and it was like ‘Wow.’ But, everybody trained the same way, and everybody got the same treatment from the staff. So, everything was cool but, at the same time, we weren’t winning no games and dealing with the distraction.

I never met Nevin Shapiro. I never saw him face-to-face. I heard things, though, but I never met him.

Boyle: The U has a proud lineage of NFL players. Talk about being part of a program with so many great players and some of those who helped you along the way to your own professional career.
Washington: It’s a winning tradition. It’s a team with so many first-round draft picks, so many guys in the NFL. So, you kind of want to win for those guys because they set the foundation for you. You want to try to keep it going, but football’s not played the same. It’s different now. There’s so much you have to worry about and do right. We kind of fell short. But, it’s a good family. Guys come back and talk to you.

I met Vernon Carey, who helped me a lot. He would say like, ‘Man, it’s a man’s game. You’ve got to put food on the table for your family. Everybody’s got to eat. It’s a man’s game, so have your mind ready now that you came out early and there’s no turning back now. You made that decision, and you’ve got to keep going forward.’ Most important, everybody tells me it’s a man’s game but I feel like I’m a man.

Boyle: What teams have you visited with, and what teams have given you an indication that you might be their guy?
Washington: I’ve visited Carolina. I worked out for the Philadelphia Eagles. I worked out for the Miami Dolphins. I’ve conversated with the Houston Texans. I’ve conversated with the Denver Broncos. If I was going to say the teams that have shown the most interest, I’ve converstated with Pittsburgh and Baltimore as well, but I’d say the teams that have shown the most interest have been Pittsburgh and Carolina.

Boyle: You mentioned the Dolphins. Is that the dream at the back of your mind – to play for the home team again?
Washington: Most definitely. If I ended up in my home town, it would be wonderful. But, at the same time, I kind of want to be able to flap my arms out … and get away from our house where the kids and grandkids can spend a weekend up at my place, wherever I’m stationed at. It kind of goes both ways, but then again, you think about it – I could play my whole career in Miami.

Boyle: And finally, what are your plans for draft day?
Washington: I’m going to be at my house. We invited the family and friends over. I’ll probably watch the first round, but I’m said to be picked up in the second or third round, I probably won’t watch. I’ll probably just wait for a phone call.

Boyle: Are you anxious at all about the draft? What will you do as you wait for the phone call, if not watch the draft?
Washington: I’m probably going to shoot basketball, play pool, go walk the beach, walk the sand … and see my grandmother.


(nflspinzone.com)

CLEVELAND - It's been almost 20 years since Bernie Kosar took a snap for the Cleveland Browns. The Boardman standout won his place in Browns fans’ heart when he figured out that his favorite team, the Browns, could get him in the little-used 1985 NFL supplemental draft.

Kosar is still very active in northeast Ohio. He is involved with the Browns, but less than he was when Eric Mangini was head coach. His influence is picking up steam once again.

"The way the draft goes now, this is the best chance for optimism,” said Kosar about this year’s NFL Draft. “Whether we liked the trade or not last year, we have three of the first 37 picks, four picks in the top 75. There's a lot of really good football players and just because you don't know them, sometimes give them a chance. I remember last year some of the pessimism on Jabaal Sheard. Not a lot of people knew who he was. He wasn't a household name."

Kosar is looking for a difference maker.

"I think we like to see the same stuff really transpire this year, having the opportunity to get some more guys that could add to the nucleus of this team, because our division, Pittsburgh and Baltimore, have had an awesome run for the last decade,” Kosar said. “But hopefully they're getting older. This is a young man's game. We can replenish it and rebuild with youth through the draft."

Kosar even has his hands in the Gladiators and became close with Cavs owner Dan Gilbert. He has seen some hard times, going through a divorce and bankruptcy. Through it all, he is still one of Cleveland's favorite sons.

On newsnet5.com and NewsChannel5, Bernie talks in his exclusive interview with sports director Andy Baskin about all of these topics and more. He discusses who is a better owner, Randy Lerner or Gilbert? If he wishes he was in the same shoes as Broncos general manger John Elway? Or does he think the Browns are going in the right direction?


(newsnet5.com)

WEDNESDAY, APR. 25: Miami Heat star and NBA three-point champ James Jones will be in Bermuda to help teach a basketball camp this summer.

Jones will take part in the Dibia Athletic Development Elite Basketball Skills Camp scheduled for August 6 to 10 at the Sandys 360 Centre.

Camp organizer Steven Simons said this is a fantastic opportunity for Bermuda’s young basketball enthusiasts.

He said having Jones here is “unique.

“This is huge. I think the last time we had an NBA player come to Bermuda for a camp like this was when I was 10 or 11-years-old and that was (Chicago Bulls player) Craig Hodges.”

Simons attended those camps at MSA, which were organized by Dr Freddie Evans.

Simons said he remembers the huge impact it had upon him to be able to rub shoulders with Hodges and helped create a love of the game that has seen him play for the Bermuda men’s national basketball team.

“That was so huge, especially being in Bermuda where we don’t have access to NBA players. We only get to see them on TV, but to have one here, teaching kids hands-on, is huge.”

Impact

Simons pointed out Jones’ impact could be even bigger since they are likely to be one of the playoff favourites.

“He could potentially be the NBA champion by the time he gets here considering how well the Miami Heat are playing.

Simons said those attending the basketball camp could glean much from a player the calibre of James.

“Most young basketball players are striving to be in the NBA so they can get that unique outlook from somebody who is actually there through hard work. He wasn’t a first round draft pick but he’s ended up as NBA three-point champion and he’s playing regular minutes for the Miami Heat.

“With all his experience and his know-how, it would be great to get across to the kids.”

Simons said his friend Brandon Okpalobi, who is helping put on the camp through Dibia Athletic Development, played with Jones at the University of Miami.

“He has maintained a good relationship with him since, so he reached out to James and asked him if he would be interested. James has a brother-in-law in Bermuda, so that helps.”

Okpalobi, founder and CEO of Dibia Athletic Development, said: “The youth of our community are our most important asset. Dibia Athletic Development is an organization dedicated to helping athletes overcome daily obstacles by educating them on the principles of life, while providing basketball instruction.

“Dibia Athletic Development provides elite basketball training to athletes worldwide to help them maximize their full potential. Through intense training, players develop the necessary skills to excel on the basketball court; these skills also transcend to players’ personal development.

“I have dedicated my career to helping young people develop physically, mentally, and spiritually through athletics. I am as excited about the advancement of Dibia Athletic Development Elite Skills Basketball Camps and the benefits it provides for children.”

The camp currently costs $400 for the week, but Simons is hopeful a title sponsor will step forward to help reduce the costs and make it more affordable for families.

Registration details will be announced shortly. Simons said: “We’re hoping to have 100 kids attend the camp.”


(bermudasun.bm)

We have our Aubrey Huff answer: The Giants placed Huff on the 15-day disabled list Wednesday afternoon because the veteran has had what manager Bruce Bochy called “an episode of anxiety.” Huff left the team Monday morning and has been getting treatment.

Bochy said he expected Huff to rejoin the team Friday in San Francisco. But to avoid playing shorthanded for further games, the club purchased the contract of Triple-A infielder Joaquin Arias and placed Huff on the DL.

Bochy spoke with Huff on Wednesday afternoon after days of exchanging text messages. Asked if Huff’s anxiety was related to personal or baseball problems, Bochy said: “I don’t know if he even knows. It could be both.”

“We are always going to do all we can to help the player,” Bochy said. “That’s the case with Aubrey.”

The immediate reaction that I saw on Twitter was, well, pretty snarky. I don’t think that’s the appropriate response here. Regardless of how much money someone makes or how famous they are, some people just can’t function when they go through something like this. I personally know several people who have dealt with anxiety issues — it can be a hard thing to go through.

It’s not unusual in baseball, either. The Reds’ Joey Votto left the team in 2009 because he was “totally overwhelmed” with grief and anxiety after the death of his father. Zack Greinke also has dealt with social anxiety disorder, as have many other big leaguers.

“Absolutely,” Bochy said when asked if this is easier to deal with than it used to be. “I’m sure it was there when we played but we probably weren’t as likely to talk about it openly. These players deal with different pressures of life, whether it’s home, personal or on the ball field.”

Bochy said he “thought this could be a possibility” when Huff left the team. But as the Giants took the field Wednesday (they have since retreated to the clubhouse because of rain), most the team did not know what specifically was wrong with Huff.

They’re finding out at the moment, I’m sure.

Bochy said he expects Huff to be with the team during his stint on the disabled list.


(sfgate.com)

PALM BEACH COUNTY, Fla. - Danny Valencia has become a fixture in the Minnesota Twins lineup, playing every day at third base.  

He's looking to build on the 15 home runs he hit last season.  "Just pretty much trying to use the whole field.  I feel I'm doing my best, and I'm being most successful, when I'm using right field, and I don't want to get away from that," Valencia told ESPN 760's Joe Girvan.  

Growing up in Boca Raton, the former University of Miami standout developed the power to leave any ballpark.  He's also trying to get better in the field.  

"I've been working hard on my defense.  I'm happy, you know, I feel like I've been making some good strides.  I feel pretty good out there," Valencia said.  

Improvements aside, the 27-year-old says he's not really big on personal goals.  "I feel if the team has a lot of success, and we win, you know, and we get back to the playoffs, I feel individual success will have to be there so, you know, obviously it's cliché to say it, but the team goals are more important than my individual ones."  

Long before he made the big leagues, Valencia was a star at Spanish River High School and he's still giving back to the Sharks.  

Said Spanish River baseball head coach Bill Harvey, "He's been really nice to us here at Spanish River -- helped us out as far as equipment goes.  Bought our baseball hats for us this year, so we're styling some New Era Major League caps this year, so we're certainly looking good.  So, we appreciate all that Danny does for us."  

Sharks shortstop Cody Meyer is also appreciative.  "It means a lot 'cause, I mean, we've had guys that we've know go up to the pros, and you see 'em.  They don't give back to the community, and it just means a lot to see someone that actually thinks about us -- the little guys down here."


(wptv.com)

REGINA -- Sinorice Moss is looking to kick-start his football career in the CFL.

The receiver who earned a Super Bowl ring with the 2007 New York Giants signed was among three import players to agree to terms with the Saskatchewan Roughriders on Tuesday. The others were offensive lineman Johan Asiata and linebacker Daniel Sheffield.

The five-foot-eight, 185-pound Moss was a second-round pick (44th overall) of the Giants in the 2006 NFL draft. The Miami native spent five seasons with New York, registering 39 catches for 421 yards and three touchdowns.

Moss played his college football at Miami, finishing with 68 receptions for 1,106 yards and nine touchdowns.

The six-foot-four, 300-pound Asiata spent time the last three seasons on the Chicago Bears practice squad after his college career at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas.

The six-foot-four, 210-pound Sheffield played three seasons at Troy University, lining up at safety and linebacker. He accumulated 147 career defensive tackles, 2.5 sacks and one interception.

The Riders also released import receiver Ernie Wheelwright on Tuesday.


(tsn.ca)

More than 30 players from Palm Beach County were on NFL rosters last season.

Additional help is on the way with at least four or five local products likely to be selected when the seven-round NFL Draft begins Thursday night.
Among that group is Travis Benjamin, the Miami Hurricanes receiver by way of Glades Central, where he's known in his hometown as the "Belle Glade Blur."

Benjamin's 40-yard time (4.36 seconds) was the second fastest at the NFL Combine and, in the estimation of one noted draft analyst, sizes up well against his former UM teammate Tommy Streeter, the Hurricanes' leading receiver last season.

"He's a flier, a great athlete, tremendously fast," ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. said of Benjamin. "And when you think about what he can do in the return game, he might give you a little more early on while Streeter is developing Down the road, Streeter may be the better pure receiver, but I think the versatility that Benjamin provides will help him."

How much it will help Benjamin in the draft is hard to gauge. ESPN lists him as the 172nd-best prospect in the draft, which would put him somewhere in the fifth or sixth round.

Benjamin, who at 172 pounds is one of the lightest players in the draft, has been working out in Boca Raton with former NFL great Cris Carter with little idea when he will be picked.

"It's all over the place," said Benjamin, only one of six UM players to have 2,000 career receiving yards. "Some people are talking about the second or third [round] and other people are talking about fourth, fifth or sixth. My expectations don't matter. They're the ones picking me."


(palmbeachpost.com)

Someone in the criminal case of former Bengal Nathaniel “Nate” Webster is a major liar.

Webster’s attorneys argued to jurors Tuesday the liar is his accuser, who said she began having sex with Webster in the fall of 2009 when she was 15 and Webster was 31.

“This is a fantasy story of someone who is infatuated with an older man and makes this up. This cannot be true,” Gregory Samms, one of Webster’s attorneys, said of the accuser.

But Hamilton County prosecutors said the liar is Webster who, they told jurors, lied to everyone including police about having sex with the girl. Webster only changed his story to admit he had sex with her after police played him secretly recorded conversations he had with the girl when he admitted he had sex with her in the fall of 2009 when she was 15.

“He confessed to these dates,” Assistant Prosecutor Seth Tieger told jurors, who watched and heard Webster’s taped statements to police.
After his arrest, though, Webster said he was wrong on the dates and admitted he had sex with the girl after she turned 16, the age of consent in Ohio.

A conviction could send Webster to prison for more than 30 years. He rejected a pretrial plea bargain that would have sent him to prison for four years.

The trial, which started last week, accuses Webster of sexual touching, sexual battery and five counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.


(cincinnati.com)

Denver running back Willis McGahee: He will likely get a backfield partner early in the draft. McGahee is 30 and was nicked up a lot last season. He was fantastic, but will be best served if the Broncos get him some help.




(espn.com)

As she sat in the audience holding her mother’s hand for support, the accuser of former Bengal Nathaniel “Nate” Webster listened to his attorney verbally rip her and her family apart.

“She had her own personal hell at home,” Gregory Samms, Webster’s Florida attorney, told a Hamilton County jury Tuesday.

“No one else in this world trusts that girl. Do you trust her?”

Webster was charged with sexual battery, sexual touching and five counts of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor, after the Symmes Township girl said she was 15 when a sexual relationship started with the former pro football player.

Samms focused his scorched-earth attack on the girl, now age 18, and her family, suggesting evidence showed she’d been abused.
He also noted evidence showed the accuser told others she dated NFL players Ray Lewis and Willis McGahee who, like Webster, attended the University of Miami.

“This is a fantasy story of someone who is infatuated with an older man and makes this up. This cannot be true,” Samms said of the accuser.
It continued with Samms’ attack on prosecutors who he said were unethically manipulating information during the trial to “build your careers off of his back,” he said pointing at Assistant Prosecutors Katie Burroughs and Seth Tieger.

“(Prosecutor) Joe Deters is going to run for election and say, ‘I convicted Nate Webster.’ Is that what justice is? To win at all costs?” Samms asked.
Samms could do nothing else, Tieger said, but attack others in the case because the evidence surely will convict his client.

“You cannot overcome a taped confession,” Tieger told jurors.

When questioned by police last year, Webster initially denied he had sex with the girl. But after police played tapes his accuser secretly recorded, Webster admitted he had sex with her.

The issue is if he had sex with her in the fall of 2009 when she was 15. In his taped statement to police, played for jurors during the trial, the-married Webster said he had. But after his arrest, he said he was mistaken and had sex with her after she turned 16, Ohio’s age on consent.
“Not only does he cheat (commit adultery) but he has an intense sexual relationship with an underage girl who is the daughter” of a friend, Tieger said. “The only thing he cared about was his own sexual satisfaction.”

Before the trial started, Webster rejected a proposed plea deal that would have resulted in him being sent to prison for four years. The charges against him can send him to prison for more than 30 years.

The eight-woman, four-man jury before Common Pleas Court Judge Ralph “Ted” Winkler began deliberating just after lunch Tuesday but was sent home without a verdict. Deliberations resume today.


(cincinnati.com)

Eric Winston is the new guy on the Chiefs’ offensive line, but he’s already working on a side role as the group’s social director.

Winston came to the Chiefs from Houston, where the Texans had one of the league’s best offensive lines. He credits not only the ability of the five starters but the off-field togetherness of the whole group.

“We were successful in Houston because a lot of those guys not only practiced together, but we did a lot of stuff off the field,’’ said Winston, signed by the Chiefs last month as a free agent to be their starter at right tackle. “We did a lot of dinners together. We did a lot of things, just little events. We’d go bowling, whatever it was.

“That’s important because there are going to be times where you’ve got to tell the guy next to you something he probably doesn’t want to hear, and vice versa, they’re going to have to tell me stuff I don’t want to hear. It’s hard to do that if you’re not close, if you’re not friends, if you don’t have that personal relationship. That’s something I’m trying to cultivate here.’’

The Chiefs led the NFL in rushing in 2010, a testament in part to the play of their offensive line. But the group’s performance fell off last year.
The Chiefs are hoping to revitalize their line by adding Winston, 28, and promoting Rodney Hudson, their second-round draft pick last year, to replace retiring veteran Casey Wiegmann at center.

That leaves left guard Ryan Lilja, 30, as the old man of the bunch.

“I’ll try to be what Jeff Saturday was for me with the Colts and what Casey and what Brian Waters were for me here,’’ Lilja said. “That’s the guy that helps guys try to be better. Better players, better workers, better studiers. I’m not saying I’m the best at all those things, but I can help guys with all those things. I can tell the young guys how long the season is and how important it is to take care of your body. Guys need to hear that stuff, and I can pass along those nuggets of information.’’

Winston is the newest member of the line, but he’s second in NFL experience behind Lilja. The other starters are Branden Albert at left tackle and Jon Asamoah at right guard.

So there’s not a lot of experience on the line. Winston and Hudson will be in their first season as starters for the Chiefs, Asamoah his second.

“Ryan Lilja is going to be our leader in that room,’’ Winston said. “He’s a veteran guy. He’s won a Super Bowl before. He knows how to do it. But you’ve also got guys like Jon Asamoah and Branden Albert who are young players but I think are going to be really good players. Obviously, (Rodney) Hudson is going to have to fill some big shoes for (Casey) Wiegmann. I see no reason we can’t build that same kind of continuity and that same kind of leadership and everything that goes into being a top offensive line in this league.

“Already, in a week, you can already kind of see that forming.’’

Winston has to find his place in that beyond leading outings to restaurants and bowling alleys. In Houston, he was frequently quoted in the media but said he wasn’t always the loudest in the offensive line meetings.

“I might have been the mouthpiece, but I don’t know if I was the vocal leader,’’ he said. “For me, it’s just getting to know them and for them getting to know me. You don’t handpick leaders. You’ve always got a clown, always got a guy that keeps the room light. You’ve always got the guys that are going to do 100 percent all the time. Everyone has their roles. I don’t look at it like this guy has to be the leader in everything.

“Everyone is going to fit in where he’s going to fit in. That’s the best way to go about it. If you start forcing guys into roles, you won’t have that same mesh that you need to.’’


(kansascity.com)

TAMPA, Fla., Apr 24, 2012 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- NFL defensive lineman Calais Campbell of the Arizona Cardinals professional football franchise announced today that he has signed with Centurion Strategies, a high-level marketing, advertising and public relations firm.

"The players I surround myself with off the field are just as important as my teammates on Sundays," said Campbell. "Centurion's team has proved they are dedicated to producing results with speed and integrity, and I look forward to working with them."

The four-year veteran finished the 2011 season with a career-best eight sacks and two forced fumbles, leading his team's defense. In March 2012, Calais received the franchise tag from the Arizona Cardinals. He is founder of the CRC Foundation, an organization named after his late father that assists with the development of young people by empowering them with quality life skills. As a result of his hard work in the community, Calais was named the Arizona Cardinals 2011 Walter Payton Man of the Year.

"Calais is one of sports' brightest young stars," said Michael Bilello, president and CEO of Centurion Strategies. "We are excited that he chose Centurion Strategies as his agency of record and anticipate success as we continue to surround him with opportunities that showcase both his athletic successes and community achievements."

About Centurion Strategies

Centurion Strategies is not your typical marketing, advertising and PR team. We break ranks to deliver fast and effective results for clients, on time and within budget. Visit Centurion Strategies at: www.centurion-strategies.com .


(marketwatch.com)

Chris Perez struggled in the ninth inning against the Royals on Tuesday, but escaped with his seventh save of the season.

Perez surrendered a run on a couple of hits in this one, but got Jeff Francoeur to ground into a fielder's choice to end the game. He's now saved seven straight after his blow up on Opening Day, and appears safe in the closer's role for the time being.


(rotoworld.com)

A baseball source confirmed an Associated Press report Monday that management and the players' union requested arbitrator Shyam Das to withhold his written report on Ryan Braun's successful appeal of a positive drug test while they continue to work on changes to the collection process.

Under the Major League Baseball drug policy, the arbitrator is supposed to submit a written opinion within 30 days of awarding an appeal. Das ruled on Feb. 23 in favor of the Milwaukee Brewers all-star leftfielder, who appealed a pending 50-game suspension for a positive test for a banned substance at the start of the playoffs last fall.

Das ruled in favor because of a 40-hour delay by collector Dino Laurenzi Jr. in shipping Braun's urine sample to the testing lab in Montreal. That ruling prompted management and the players' union to begin tightening rules in the drug agreement for shipping samples.

The AP report said once an agreement is reached on the changes, Das' decision could be allowed to stand without a written explanation. The baseball source said it had not yet been determined if that would be the case.

Under the MLB drug agreement, an arbitrator's written report is not made public so whether Das submits one or not, his further explanation would remain confidential. The entire process was supposed to be confidential, but news of Braun's positive test result leaked to the media and the entire episode played out publicly.

AP reported that changes already have been made to the collection process to avoid another dispute such as the one with Braun. After collecting Braun's sample last Oct. 1, Laurenzi took it home because there were no FedEx offices within 50 miles of Miller Park that shipped on Saturday. Laurenzi did not ship the sample until the following Monday, a delay that became the crux of Braun's successful appeal.

Das heard two days of testimony in New York in late January and eventually ruled in Braun's favor primarily because of the 40-hour delay in shipping, which he considered questionable.


(jsonline.com)

CLEVELAND — When Chris Perez blew a save on Opening Day, Northeast Ohio fans were ready to rip off his Indians uniform and trade him for Luis Valbuena.

Since then, Perez has had six chances to save games and has succeeded six times, allowing no runs, three hits and two walks in 6 1/3 innings. Perez cleaned up on the Tribe’s trip to Kansas City, Seattle and Oakland, picking up five saves, including three on consecutive nights.

So was Perez in danger of being overworked?

“Things even out in the course of the season,” manager Manny Acta said Tuesday. “When your team is losing, the closer is fresh and well rested. If you’re winning, he’s going to have to pitch a lot.”

Perez is 4-for-4 in one-run saves, 1-for-1 in two-run saves, 0-for-1 in three-run saves and 1-for-1 in four-run saves (the tying run was on deck).
“But we manage him so he doesn’t pitch more than three days in a row, unless there’s an emergency. If you’re winning and fatigue becomes an issue, you deal with that,” Acta said.

Most relievers thrive on work. Pitching two or three days in a row can sharpen a closer’s command and usually has little effect on his velocity or the movement of his pitches. Of course, there are exceptions, and even the most durable closer has limits.

But that’s why baseball teams have managers and pitching coaches. All relievers are monitored for signs of a tired arm.

“We look at how many times they’re up, and we go by pitches thrown,” Acta said. “We check with them every day.”

Perez wasn’t the only Tribe reliever to benefit from the nine-game trip that ended Sunday. The relief corps posted an aggregate earned-run average of 0.92 on the trip, giving up just two runs in 19 2/3 innings.

Yet because of an unproductive season-opening homestand, the bullpen ranks 10th in the American League with a 4.58 ERA (down from 6.51).


(therepublic.com)

Padres catcher prospect Yasmani Grandal has been on the 7-day DL at Triple-A Tucson since April 9 because of a hamstring pull, reports The San Diego Union-Tribune. He is expected to return shortly, however. Grandal is batting .500 (6 for 12) with one RBI and two doubles in four games before getting hurt.


(fantasysp.com)

The Redskins plan on starting WR Leonard Hankerson opposite of Pierre Garcon. Garcon will play split end, which would slide Hankerson in at flanker. The 2011 third-round pick would be getting the nod over Josh Morgan, who would be shuffled into a reserve role that could result in some time in the slot.



(fantasysp.com)

It’s rare that a contract restructure means a pay cut. Usually, it’s simply a matter of shifting base salary into signing-bonus money to help a team’s salary cap. Players generally end up making the same amount they were supposed to in a given year, but getting the money as a signing bonus gives them more time to collect interest.

But the case of New Orleans middle linebacker Jonathan Vilma is anything but ordinary. Vilma, who is facing a possible suspension for his role in the Saints’ bounty program, took a pay cut when he restructured his contract recently.

Vilma’s new deal includes a $1 million signing bonus, but his base salary dropped from $5.4 million to $3.3 million for 2012. The Saints also added a $600,000 roster bonus, which might not come into play, if Vilma is suspended. The deal also kept a $100,000 workout bonus. In short, the cash value of Vilma’s deal for this year, dropped from $5.5 million to $3.3 million. For the Saints, the important thing is that Vilma’s cap figure for this year dropped from $7.6 million to $4.9 million.

Vilma didn't have to take a cut for 2013, but some things were adjusted. His cap figure dropped from $8.6 million to $8.1 million. Vilma’s 2013 base salary was lowered from $5.9 million to $4.8 million, but he can recoup that money because the new deal includes a $1.1 million roster bonus.


(espn.com)

CINCINNATI -- Witnesses testified Monday that a teen who accused Nate Webster of sexually assaulting her peppered the former Bengal's cell phone with calls and texts.

Jennifer Webster, the defendant's wife, testified that some of the girl's claims were inaccurate because her husband or their SUV was not in Cincinnati when the teen testified she'd had sex with him.

She also testified that she'd warned the girl to stay away from her house after finding her scantily clad in the family's front yard.

"I just knew something wasn't right," Jennifer Webster said.

Jennifer Webster testified that she never allowed the girl to babysit and that she'd lied about her age, claiming to be 17 years old, not 15.

Nate Webster admits he had sex with the girl after she turned 16, which is the age of legal consent in Ohio, but he says nothing sexual happened prior to that.

Elizabeth Turner, who lived for a time with the Websters, said the teen frequently called Nate Webster's phone, but others sometimes answered for him.

Webster's brother-in-law said the teen got angry if the phone wasn't answered.

"She just kept calling, and once you don't pick up the phone she gets aggressive with it," said Evont Flanders. "She takes it to another level, she'll show up knocking at your door, peeking in your windows. She'll take it to a whole other level."

Flanders said he answered Webster's phone sometimes because the teen supplied him with marijuana.

"She would already have a joint rolled for me before I purchased the weed from her," Flanders said.

Neighbor Maurice Anderson said the teen approached him and others at a barbeque and told them a story none of them believed.

"She said her father had molested her on an occasion and had taken her to be tested for STDs three times before she was 13," Anderson said.

Closing arguments are set for Tuesday morning.


(wlwt.com)

In a comprehensive look at the media coverage of the upcoming NFL draft, Richard Deitsch of SI.com makes mention of the tenuous status of NFL Network (for now) analyst Warren Sapp.

Deitsch writes that Sapp isn’t assigned to the draft.  NFL Network executive producer Eric Weinberger tells Deitsch that the decision has nothing to do with Sapp’s comments from last month outing Saints tight end Jeremy Shockey as the bounty whistleblower.

Sapp is currently on the NFLN schedule through May, according to Deitsch.  Two weeks ago, Greg Bedard of the Boston Globe reported that Sapp hadn’t appeared on NFL Network since the Shockey incident, and that Sapp’s contract “likely” won’t be renewed after it expires in August.


(profootballtalk.com)

CINCINNATI, OH (FOX19) - The defense wrapped up witness testimony on Monday in the teen sex trial surrounding former Bengal Nate Webster.
Throughout the day, the defense kept coming back to a few main arguments.

One of those arguments sought to show that the teen had not babysat for the Websters as her family had alleged.

All family members questioned that were living in the house in 2009 denied any knowledge of the teen babysitting including Webster's wife and his brother-in-law. Webster's wife says she had help from family members and a woman who she had hired to help with childcare and would not have needed the teen to babysit.

The girlfriend of one of Nate Webster's brother-in-laws says she went clubbing with the teen on a number of occasions, saying the teen picked her up and allegedly used a fake I.D. to get into a downtown club.

The defense also argued that Nate Webster was not the one contacting the teen, but that it was in fact other family members using his cell phone.  One of Nate's two brother-in-laws living with him at the time says he often called the teen to get marijuana.

"When you were living in Ohio you would use Nate's phone?" Samms asked Evont Flanders, also known as "Red Man".

"Always," he replied.

The defense also brought up witness testimony of alleged abuse.

"She said that her father had molested her on an occasion," a neighbor recalled.

That neighbor, however, says he did not believe the teen's story.

The prosecution later questioned the adult why, if that is what he heard, he did not take that information to the teen's father.

"There's no need for me to alarm someone to a lie," he responded.

The prosecution did not stop there. They also questioned the testimony that Nate did not call the teen on his cell phone.
"All of you used the phone but Nate did not?" prosecuting attorney Katie Burroughs asked.

"Nate ain't no phone person," Evont replied.

"It wouldn't be unusual that you'd have 582 phone contacts with your ‘dealer' in those last four months of the year?" Burroughs questioned.
"Right," Evont Flanders responded.

The prosecution also questioned the two brother-in-laws about their living arrangements, bringing up the fact that they not only lived in Webster's home but that they often relied on him for money.

While on the stand, Nate's wife also testified that her family was never in Ohio at any point in August of 2009; a timeframe during which the teen had initially alleged to have had sex with Webster.

Webster's wife also testified that Nate does in fact suffer from memory loss allegedly related to sports injuries.


(fox19.com)

Danny Valencia belted his first homer of the season in Monday's loss to the Red Sox.

It was a two-run shot in the fourth inning that tied up the game at the time. Valencia hasn't bounced back from last year's disappointing showing yet, as he's hitting just .220 thus far with only five extra-base hits. He's not much of a mixed league option.


(rotoworld.com)

In certain quarters, you’ve heard and read that Aubrey Huff shouldn’t be too severely criticized for his gaffe at second base the other night in New York. Hey, he’s a first baseman. Can’t expect him to make that play.

Total nonsense.

If you’re a baseball player and you’re suddenly at second base, it doesn’t matter if you haven’t played it before. You start thinking like a second baseman. It’s not all that difficult, especially when it comes to “what happens if there’s a grounder to short?” Please. It couldn’t be simpler.

Thank goodness the Giants’ broadcasters took the proper stance on this. “Unbelievable,” Jon Miller said on the KNBR airwaves. “Huff acted as if he’s never seen a big-league game. You would think that he would know he’s got to go cover second base on a ground ball to short.”

Mike Krukow wasn’t terribly critical at the time, on Comcast, but he unloaded this morning on the Murph & Mac show: “Come on, what the hell’s he thinking about? You can’t defend that. That’s a brain-dead play. Unacceptable. He’s a baseball player. Cover the bag.”

For some reason, clueless critics peg the Giants’ broadcasters as “homers.” Couldn’t be further from the truth. They’re enthusiastic as all hell, but they don’t try to cover up a ridiculous mistake. Appreciate the truth-telling.


(sfgate.com)

MILWAUKEE (AP) – Ryan Braun broke out of his slump with a homer and three hits, Zack Greinke remained unbeaten at Miller Park the Milwaukee Brewers held off the Houston Astros 6-5 on Monday night.

Braun also singled in a run and doubled to end a 2-for-20 slide. Greinke struck out a season-high nine in six solid innings to improve to 13-0 at home with Milwaukee, which won its 10th straight against the Astros.

Greinke handed Jose Veras a 6-2 lead to start the seventh, but five of the next six Astros batters reached base. Houston scored three runs on four hits, including Brian Bogusevic's two-run triple, before Veras struck out Jose Altuve and got pinch-hitter Matt Downs to ground out to end the inning.


(usatoday.com)

CHICAGO -- An MRI on Jon Jay's sprained right shoulder Monday showed no structural damage, confirming what the outfielder and Cardinals had thought all along.

Jay did not play in the Cards' 3-2 loss on Monday and plans to begin working his way back into the lineup Tuesday. He suffered the injury Thursday when he jammed his shoulder into the outfield wall in St. Louis.

Jay -- who underwent the MRI early Monday before meeting the team in Chicago -- said how he feels day to day will determine how quickly he returns. Jay said now that he knows everything is structurally sound, he'll look at the injury as a bruise and "just deal with it."

"[Making sure there was no added damage] was the biggest thing with the MRI, and that's why I was happy with the results," Jay said. "I can't mess it up any more so I can continue to push it, which is what I wanted to hear."

Both Jay and Matheny said there is no timetable for the outfielder's return.

"We'll wait and see what we hear tomorrow," Matheny said. "Just try not to get too far ahead in the expectations."

Jay is hitting .349 with two homers and four RBIs on the year.


(mlb.com)

Brandon Belt and Brett Pill started the two games of tonight’s doubleheader at first base. Manager Bruce Bochy said Aubrey Huff was not with the team because of personal reasons. Bochy said Huff texted him this morning saying he leave.

“Something very, very important came up with his family, an emergency, and he had to go home,” Bochy said.

I know the timing of this seems odd. Huff is badly slumping and coming off the embarrassment of his play at second base in Saturday’s loss, but there is no evidence now to suggest this is anything but a family emergency.

Bochy said Huff is expected back in Cincinnati, by tomorrow, the manager hopes.


(sfgate.com)

Player Name: Tommy Streeter
School: Miami
Height: 6’4”
Weight: 219 lbs
40 Time: 4.40

Streeter is the classic freak wide receiver that has all of the tools and potential of a first-round pick, but boasts the experience and production of a mid-rounder. He’s a classic boom-or-bust candidate.

Strengths
Has great size and length for the position. Can really separate from corners easily and get back behind the defense, due to his nice combination of length and speed. Has the height and vertical to go up over his defender and get the ball at it’s highest point. Will win most jump balls. Is a true red-zone asset and can make all the catches that will be asked of him near the goal-line. Has flashed the ability to make plays with his legs and add on yards after the catch. Shows good concentration and focus. Will go over the middle and make the tough catch. Good combine showing and a seemingly limitless ceiling.

Weaknesses
Very inexperienced and pretty one-dimensional. Still very raw. Hands and route-running are far from consistent. Needs to work on his fundamentals and understanding the game. Doesn’t possess much versatility. Not the quickest receiver. Doesn’t have the best acceleration initially.

Overall
Major project player at the next level. Has a beautiful blend of size, speed, and tools, but he has very little experience and will need to really work on route-running and catching the ball at the next level. He’ll be a mid-rounder due to his talent and upside, but whoever drafts him should know he isn’t likely to be anything more than a one-dimensional vertical threat for the first couple years in the league.

After a record 14 consecutive seasons with at least one player chosen in the first round of the NFL Draft, the University of Miami was saved from totally whiffing in 2009 by low-profile linebacker Spencer Adkins — the third selection in the sixth round by the Atlanta Falcons.

“It’s all about hard work and dedication,” Adkins, who has 15 NFL tackles in three seasons, said that day. “I’m a good dude and good things happen to good people."

Sometimes, yes.

Sometimes, no.

The newest version of the NFL Draft, Thursday through Saturday at Radio City Music Hall in New York City, will undoubtedly include a flurry of Miami Hurricanes at one point or another — though most, if not all, of those Canes are expected to be drafted the final two days.

Last April, after a 7-6 season, eight Canes were drafted. Now, after another substandard campaign (6-6) in 2011, as many as nine — maybe more — Canes could be celebrating by the end of the weekend.

“Nine guys from Miami?” ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay said when asked by The Miami Herald on a national conference call his assessment of some of them. “I have to sit here and count.”

11 UP?

McShay then went on to name 11 Hurricanes — some of them “on the fringe” or “sleepers,” such as tight end Chase Ford, defensive tackle Micanor Regis, receiver LaRon Byrd and defensive end Adewale Ojomo; other more definites, though lower in the process, such as defensive tackle Marcus Forston and offensive lineman Brandon Washington; others whose projections cover a hefty range, such as defensive end Olivier Vernon and receivers Travis Benjamin and Tommy Streeter; and the more solid mainstays of running back Lamar Miller and linebacker Sean Spence.

In all, he said he wouldn’t be shocked if nine Hurricanes were drafted, but that “a safe bet is seven.”

Miller has been projected to go highest, anywhere from the start to end of the second round, with Spence also projected by some to go in the second round.

“He belongs in the late second round — maybe Green Bay, New York Giants, teams looking for more depth and potential from a big-play, home run hitter,” McShay said of Miller. “His speed — it’s all about cut and go. He’s a guy who heats up more than any running back in this class. … The 1.53-second 10-yard split is the fastest first 10 yards of any running back.”

‘MOST INTRIGUING’
While McShay called Vernon “the most intriguing” UM draft prospect and said he is a “better player than maybe the perception,” fellow analyst Mel Kiper Jr. said Benjamin was his “very intriguing” Hurricane.

“He’s the kind of kid that can probably give you a little bit more in terms of overall versatility. … He’s a flyer and a great athlete — tremendously fast,” Kiper said. “And when you think about what he can do in the return game, he might give you a little bit more early on while Streeter is developing as a pure receiver.”

UM’s draft-eligible players — including the five underclassmen who declared early (Miller, Streeter, Forston, Vernon and Washington) — are trying to drown out the prognosticators.

FEELING THE DRAFT
“Every round is realistic,” said Streeter, who could go anywhere from Day 2 (second and third rounds) to Day 3 (fourth through seventh rounds) of the draft. “You really don’t know until draft day. I’m just praying and controlling what I can, and leave everything else in God’s hands.”

And this, from Benjamin: “It’s all over the place. Some people are talking maybe second or third; some people are talking fourth, fifth, sixth.
“My expectations don’t matter.”

No wonder UM quarterback Jacory Harris, who is not projected to be drafted, scoffed when told last month that analysts are saying there’s no way he’ll be picked.

“I don’t deal with it,” Harris said. “Two years ago [Kiper] was saying I was a second-round quarterback and now it’s, ‘I won’t get drafted.’ It really doesn’t matter. People change their opinions. He’s an NFL analyst. He’s not a scout or somebody that’s going to be making the decision.

“I’ve seen success. I’ve seen failure. I’ve had the opportunity to be on both ends of the stick. I don’t regret one thing that has happened to me at the University of Miami because all of it has helped me to get to this moment right here.”

PRESSING ON
Even Spence, described by Kiper as undersized at 5-11 ½ and 229 pounds, but “one of the best tackling linebackers in this draft,” has been highly criticized for only managing 12 reps of 225 pounds at the combine in Indianapolis. Spence said he sustained a deep bone bruise in his left shoulder during the Senior Bowl and usually bench-pressed 19 reps.

“In Indianapolis, I wanted to compete and they told us we had to compete,” he said at UM’s Pro Day. “Unfortunately, I pushed out 12, but I know I can do more once I get healthy and back to my old self.”

He was asked how frustrating it was to know that so much emphasis is put on Pro Day.

“It makes me feel like I shouldn’t have played football,” the good-natured Spence answered sarcastically, but with a grin. “I should have just worked on the combine and been a workout warrior.

“I just focus on what I can control.”


(miamiherald.com)

CINCINNATI, OH (FOX19) - For the first time jurors heard from the defendant himself in the teen sex trial involving former Bengal Nate Webster. Friday the prosecution played a police recording where Webster admitted to having a sexual relationship with the teen.

"That's why I was trying to be so secretive, I knew … I knew. Every time I had sex with her I said ‘Man, this is going to come to bite me…" Webster stated on the tape.

In the beginning of the tape Webster denies a sexual relationship with the teen, but then changes his story after police present phone records.

"She is telling the truth when she says she's been having sexual intercourse with you," Hamilton County Police Detective Bryan Pitchford is heard asking in the tape.

"Yes," Webster responds.  

"Since she's been 15 that's all true," Pitchford later asks.

"That part," Webster acknowledged.

In the tape, Webster says the relationship was "breaking the law".  He also argued that it was the teen who pursued the relationship, calling her a compulsive liar.

The defense, however, argued the detectives lead Webster with their questioning about dates and ages.

"Nate also went on, on a number of occasions … would tell you he didn't know how old she was, correct?" the defense attorney asked. 

"Correct," responded Pitchford on the stand.

The defense argued Webster's recollection may have been impaired.

"Did you ask him if he had any health problems? Or memory problems? Or head problems or anything like that?" the attorney asked.  "No, mam," Pitchford responded.

The defense attorney went on to state Webster suffers from post concussion syndrome and that he receives disability from the NFL for the condition.

The defense also argued Webster may have misunderstood the law when he confessed to breaking it, saying he may have been thinking 18 was the age of consent in Ohio rather than actual age of 16.  

When the defense asked if detectives explained the law to Webster, Pitchford responded that he did not believe he did.
The defense is expected to wrap up their witness testimony on Monday.

Following Pitchford, the defense called three additional witnesses to the stand. The witnesses included a mother and son who had interacted with the alleged victim's family following an incident where the teen allegedly helped steal marijuana from Webster's vehicle. The final witness was a friend of Webster who also takes care of the defendant's property.


(fox19.com)

The Sioux Falls Storm moved to 7-0 after a 76-49 dismantling of the Nebraska Danger (2-5) Saturday night.

Quarterback Chris Dixon II led the Storm with a 20 for 27 passing performance with 248 yards and six touchdowns.  Carl Sims had six receptions for 95 yards and two touchdowns while James Terry caught five passes for 49 yards and two touchdowns in his return to the Sioux Falls Arena.  Korey Williams was voted Player of the Game after five receptions for 38 yards and a touchdown.  He also added 76 yards and a touchdown on two kick returns.  On the ground, Dixon II had six attempts with 61 yards and three touchdowns.

For the Danger, Rocky Hinds was 22 for 38 with 190 yards and four touchdowns.  Three of the touchdown passes went to Corey Surrency while Kayne Farquharson added six catches for 68 yards and a touchdown.  Pig Brown led the team with 6 tackles (all solo)

Defensively, Kenneth Akridge had eight tackles (six solo) and one of three Storm interceptions.  Stewart Franks and Kwaheem Smith had the other two.  The lone sack of the game was split between Jeremiah Price and Sean Kelly.

The Storm are on the road next week and will travel to face the Omaha Beef on April 28 at 7:05 p.m.


(ksfy.com)

Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis won't be called to testify in the ongoing trial of former NFL linebacker Nate Webster, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Lewis had been subpoenaed as a defense witness earlier this week. It was never revealed why Lewis was originally called as a witness or what information he was expected to present for the defense. Lewis and Webster were both linebackers at the University of Miami in the 1990s.

Webster, a nine-year veteran who played for the Bengals in 2004 and 2005, is facing sex-related charges involving the teenage daughter of a former Cincinnati assistant coach.


(espn.com)

New Orleans Saints linebacker Jonathan Vilma restructured his contract, even though he is likely to be suspended for several games for his role in the team's bounty program.

NFL.com reported Vilma is expected to be suspended between two and eight games and that the Saints have been stocking up on free-agent linebackers in anticipation of Vilma's suspension.

Terms of Vilma's new deal with the Saints were not disclosed.

Jeff Pash, the league's executive vice president and general counsel, said on Friday that player punishments were coming for those involved in the bounty program.

Vilma, a three-time Pro Bowler, can play all three linebacker positions. But the team has already recently signed David Hawthorne and Curtis Lofton in case Vilma receives a hefty suspension. Lofton mostly plays middle linebacker, the same position Vilma usually plays.

The suspensions could be announced next week.


(cbssports.com)

49ers running back Frank Gore will join receiver Randy Moss in missing the team's voluntary workouts, according to comments made by coach Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh told KNBR-AM in San Francisco about Gore's absence, the San Francisco Chronicle reported Saturday. Harbaugh also said that kicker David Akers and center Jonathan Goodwin would miss the offseason program, explaining that the three players do not live nearby and have commitments to their families. Safety Dashon Goldson, who has yet to sign the franchise tag placed on him by the team, will not participate in the program either, Harbaugh said. Gore, 28, is currently under contract through 2014 after receiving a three-year contract extension worth as much as $21 million last August.


(yardbarker.com)

Launching golf balls in the Bay area now instead of footballs, Vinny Testaverde has never been happier, 25 years after arriving as a Tampa Bay Buccaneers savior.

As he approaches the silver anniversary of his selection as the first overall pick in the 1987 NFL draft, the 48-year-old Testaverde harbors no bitterness toward the organization or any Bucs fan who booed him lustily through six tumultuous seasons in Tampa.

"It was tough, but even when I was going through it, I was telling myself, this is a good learning experience,'' said Testaverde, a scratch golfer who enjoys playing the most challenging courses in Florida. "You can either walk away, or you can button up your chin strap and your laces and get back out there.

"A lot of guys seem to walk away, while others find a way to get through it and the adversity makes them better. I felt like it made me a better quarterback when I went to some different teams and had success.''

After winning the Heisman Trophy at the University of Miami, Testaverde was the obvious pick in 1987 for the Bucs, who were coming off consecutive 2-14 seasons under Leeman Bennett.

New coach Ray Perkins was eager to work with Testaverde, who signed a six-year deal a few weeks before the draft and sat behind veteran quarterback Steve DeBerg until late in his rookie season. Testaverde's first pro start came on Dec. 6, 1987 at New Orleans, where he threw for 369 yards and two touchdowns, running for another score in a 44-34 loss to the Saints.

"It was the most incredible day of football in my life,'' said former Bucs defensive tackle Dan Sileo, also Testaverde's teammate on the 1986 Hurricanes. "He looked spectacular. Vinny Testaverde is still the best quarterback talent I've ever seen coming out of college.''

Despite Testaverde's size, strength and strapping right arm, he went 24-48 as a starting quarterback for the Buccaneers before leaving as a free agent after the 1992 season.

With little talent around him, Testaverde became the focal point for disgruntled Tampa Bay fans who wouldn't see a winning team until five years after Testaverde's departure to Cleveland.

"As you look back, you realize it was the wrong time and the wrong team for Vinny in Tampa,'' said long-time NFL personnel executive Tim Ruskell, who joined the Bucs as a regional scout in Testaverde's rookie season. "He was brought in to fix something that wasn't fixable. But as the teams around him improved, he got better.''

Testaverde played for six other NFL clubs, and when his 21-year career ended with the 2007 Panthers, he found himself near the top of the league career passing charts in several categories.

"My career started out a little rough in Tampa,'' said Testaverde, who is raising two girls and a boy with Mitzi, his wife of 21 years. "But in the end, my time here probably allowed me to play longer and focus more because I became mentally tough.''

Testaverde's most enjoyable NFL season came in 1998, when the workout warrior who grew up in Elmont, N.Y., helped the Jets to a 12-4 record and a berth in the AFC title game at Denver, where New York held a 10-0 halftime lead before losing 23-10.

Interceptions plagued Testaverde throughout his pro career, but he persevered while winning 90 of 214 career starts.

After his six-year crucible in Tampa, Testaverde earned two Pro Bowl berths and ended up with 275 TD passes, two more than Joe Montana.
"Looking back at my career, I'd say, man, it was a lot of fun,'' said Testaverde. "If somebody would take me back today, I'd go out there again. I've got no regrets being drafted by the Bucs, and I understand the frustration of Buc fans back then. They wanted a winner, and when you don't win, the quarterback and the head coach bear the brunt of it.''

On most days, Testaverde can be found on the driving range at Old Memorial, honing his golf skills with the same dedication that sustained him through 21 NFL seasons.

"Vinny's a big asset to this community,'' said Tampa golf pro and broadcaster Gary Koch. "I don't know another golfer that works at the game any harder. And at his age, he looks like he could still suit up at quarterback.''

Testaverde still works out every day, but for Sileo, he'll always be that remarkable 6-foot-5 physical specimen who astonished Miami teammates by running a 4.7 and squatting 500 pounds.

"He may not be a Hall of Famer, but when you play 21 years, you're in the longevity Hall of Fame,'' Sileo said. "Vinny acquired a lot of mental toughness by being beat up in his years in Tampa and he was a better quarterback in his mid-30s."


(tbo.com)

INDIANAPOLIS — It’s a rare sight, indeed, in April.

Veteran wide receiver Reggie Wayne usually spends this time of year at his home near Miami, working out at his old stomping grounds at “The U.”

But there was Wayne last week, addressing reporters in the locker room at the Indianapolis Colts’ training facility. And he seemed just as surprised to be there as anyone.

“Right now this playbook is Greek to me,” Wayne said. “I don’t speak Greek. So I gotta be here to figure it out.”

Wayne is one of the few familiar faces still dotting the roster.

An 11-year veteran, he said he feels almost like a rookie again.

The Colts have a new head coach in Chuck Pagano, whom Wayne played for during his college days at Miami, and a new offensive coordinator in Bruce Arians.

The latter served as the quarterbacks coach in Indianapolis from 1998 to 2000. He left to join a Cleveland Browns staff that also included Pagano and later tutored Ben Roethlisberger for his first eight seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Some elements of Arians’ offense likely will be familiar to Colts fans.

His system includes some similarities to the attack Peyton Manning became a star in under long-time offensive coordinator Tom Moore.

But there will be plenty of differences, too.

“Every night I’m looking in my playbook feeling like I’m studying for the bar,” Wayne said. “I don’t know what that feeling is, but it’s got to feel something like this.”

Among the changes Arians is expected to install: A greater emphasis on the power running game and the moving of wide receivers around the field from play to play.

Wayne spent his previous 11 seasons in Indianapolis lining up exclusively on Manning’s left side. He even famously told quarterback Dan Orlovsky to “throw left” each day he walked past his locker after Orlovsky became the starter late last season.

Wayne won’t be saying the same phrase to Andrew Luck, the Stanford quarterback likely to be selected as Manning’s replacement in three days with the first overall pick in the NFL draft.

“Now, I’m moving around, thank God,” Wayne said. “Can you believe that? I am moving around. First time in 11 years, man.”

Wayne isn’t the only one. Austin Collie, used primarily in the slot during his first three NFL seasons, now will see more time on the outside.

He said he’s looking forward to the opportunity.

He also said there’s no reason to worry the Colts can’t get enough work done without Luck, or whomever the rookie quarterback will be, in the house.

Veteran Drew Stanton has organized throwing sessions with the receivers for the past two weeks, and Indianapolis begins a voluntary minicamp on Tuesday.

Collie said it’s essential the Colts make the most of their time together.

“We can get a lot done,” he said. “Starting to learn the playbook, and we’ve gotta get that done first before we get done anything else. Whether there’s a (rookie) quarterback here, or whether there’s not, that’s something you can do individually or do as a (receiver) group. That’s what this time’s for, and that’s what we’re working on trying to do.”

Pierre Garcon signed a big free-agent contract with the Washington Redskins and likely will catch passes from Heisman Trophy winner Robert Griffin III next year. Anthony Gonzalez joined the rival New England Patriots as a free agent, and Blair White was released last week.

That will cut into the Colts’ depth at receiver, but there are some new faces on board as well.

Speedster Donnie Avery was added as a free agent during the offseason, and third-year man Quan Cosby will get a long look after joining the roster late last year. Undrafted rookies Jarred Fayson and Jeremy Ross also are in the mix after spending last season on other teams’ practice squads.

It’s a largely untested group, and more new faces could be on the way through the draft. But Collie said change isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

“Starting fresh is kind of nice,” he said. “New faces, new coaching staff, I think it kind of lights a fire under everybody.”

So should the words of pundits such as ESPN’s draft guru Mel Kiper. He said last week that Luck might struggle to “survive” with Indianapolis’ personnel, likening the Colts’ roster to “an expansion team.”

Wayne has heard similar dire projections, but he said the expectations inside the locker room remain the same.

“Nothing’s changed,” he said. “What’s supposed to change? Same intensity. Go out and win ballgames. Figure out the way to get it done. Do whatever it takes to win. Nothing’s changed. Still pro athletes. Still want to win. So keep marching.”


(heraldbulletin.com)

Walnut, USA – World-leading and stadium record marks by Brittney Reese in the women’s Long Jump and Frenchman Jamale Aarrass in the Mile along with a brisk but windy 100m run by Walter Dix were among the highlights of the three-day Mt. San Antonio College Relays which concluded Saturday (21) at Hilmer Lodge Stadium.

Warm temperatures that approached 30 C. produced other quick sprint marks. In the women’s 100m, Lauryn Williams won in 11.17 to edge Michelle Ahye (TRI), who was second in 11.19, and Me’Lisa Barber (11.20). Leslie Cole defeated Blessing Okagbare (NGR) to win the women's 200m, 22.63 to 22.70.


(iaaf.org)

PITTSBURGH -- Outfielder Jon Jay left the Cardinals on Sunday to return to St. Louis, where he will undergo an MRI as part of a reexamination of his right shoulder. Jay, who is nursing a sprained right shoulder, was experiencing more soreness on Sunday.

"I didn't hear that he was worse today. I didn't hear that he was better today," manager Mike Matheny said, attempting to characterize the setback. "I think it was a situation where they weren't that excited about where he is right now."

Jay had been encouraged by his progress since Thursday, when he jammed his arm into the center-field wall in an attempt to make a catch. Jay came out of that game, and his only appearance since came as a pinch-runner on Saturday.

Jay resumed some light baseball activities on Saturday and was scheduled to take batting practice and test his arm throwing on Sunday morning. Despite a setback in the progress, Matheny didn't rule out Jay rejoining the team on Monday in Chicago. He also did not make the assumption that this means Jay is headed for the disabled list.

"Everybody is still optimistic," Matheny said. "It sounded like they were hoping he'd be a little further along than he was, and to just make sure they didn't miss anything, [we wanted to] get him back home and looked at by our guys again to make sure he is where he should be."

Jay, who has never been on the Major League DL, already had X-rays on his shoulder. Those came back showing no structural damage.

With Jay unavailable on Sunday, the Cardinals were forced to play with a short bench. Matheny did, however, have the benefit of having Skip Schumaker available again. Schumaker passed all the tests he needed to to assure Matheny that his side soreness had subsided. Like Jay, Schumaker had exited a game after running into the outfield wall.

"I felt better today," said Schumaker, who delivered a pinch-hit single in the ninth. "I feel like I'm good enough to play. If I wasn't, I would tell them. I'm not in a spot where I want to jeopardize a really good team, especially with a short bench as it is."


(mlb.com)

Shoulder fatigue has caused Chicago Cubs setup man Kerry Wood to hit their 15-day disabled list.  To replace Wood on their roster, the Cubs recalled left-handed reliever Scott Maine.

Wood, who hasn’t pitched since April 13, recently received a cortisone shot in his shoulder to help ease the discomfort.  While Cubs manager Dale Sveum said that Wood felt better following the injection, Chicago ultimately decided to play it safe with the veteran right-hander.

Wood didn’t seem to be right as he started the season off allowing three hits, three walks and three earned runs over his first four appearances spanning only 2 1/3 innings.  Chicago is hoping a short period of rest does Wood well, as the veteran is eligible to come off the Cubs DL as soon as April 28.

Entering 2012, Maine had spent parts of two seasons with the Cubs.  Most of Maine’s work has come at the minor league level where the left-hander maintained an ERA and WHIP of 3.29 and 1.339 with 10.4 SO/9 and 4.1 BB/9 over his six seasons.


(calltothepen.com)

Chris Perez said he may appeal a $750 fine he was given for a tweet following the April 14 dispute between the Indians and Royals.

Perez's tweet read, "Huge team win tonight, time for a sweep of the Royals. It's not 'Our Time,' it's TribeTime. P.S. You hit us, we hit you. Period." Joe Garagiola Jr., MLB's dean of discipline, said the tweet, "demonstrated a reckless disregard for the players on both clubs," but Perez disagrees, also noting that Jack Hannahan was ejected during the game but only was fined $500. "How do you justify that? [Hannahan] got thrown out of the game for being aggressive and instigating and he got fined less than I did?" Perez said. "But I showed reckless disregard for safety? I just don't understand." Perez was not suspended for his actions.


(rotoworld.com)

NEW YORK -- Aubrey Huff found himself in an impossible position Saturday, and of course, the baseball found him there. Huff, a career corner infielder and outfielder, made his first appearance at second base on Saturday and wound up involved in a play that helped decide the game.

The Giants were one man short on Saturday due to the continued unavailability of infielder Ryan Theriot, and manager Bruce Bochy had scant choice in selecting a late-game contingency plan. He settled on Huff, largely because the 13-year veteran had a rich history at both first base and third base.

Huff took his position at second in the bottom of the ninth inning after the Giants had clawed back to tie it at 4 in the top half. And he made one putout -- at first base on a bunt -- before ending up in the crosshairs. The game situation was tense, with two men on base and one out, when Huff took center stage.

Pinch-hitter Justin Turner hit a grounder to shortstop Emmanuel Burriss, who immediately looked to second hoping to turn a double play. But Huff wasn't there, forcing Burriss to check his throw and go to first, where the umpire ruled that the ball arrived a half-second behind the runner.

For the Giants, though, the play was just an example of trying the make the best of a bad situation.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Bochy said following his team's 5-4 loss. "We were down, and we were going to try to get our best bats up there to tie the game or take the lead. Theriot's not here, and we talked about this yesterday that Huff would be the guy [at second base]. You're hoping it doesn't hurt you."

Huff, who had played in 1,640 games before his Saturday appearance at second base, said that he would gladly play wherever the team needed him and wherever the situation dictated.

"I'll play catcher if they want me to," Huff said. "I play for the organization. If they tell me what to do, I'll do it. It's not really something I can say no to."
And despite how the play looked, Huff may not have had much of a chance. He was shaded closer to first base, and he would've had to beat Ruben Tejada in a footrace to second base. Huff said he didn't have a chance to win that race because his first step -- and first instinct -- was to go toward first.

"It's just my natural instinct," he said. "My whole life, if the ball gets hit to my right, I'm going to first. That was my first move. I mean, I knew where I was, but that's just my natural instinct my whole career."

As Bochy noted, the Giants didn't have many options. They had shuffled their lineup to get in some pinch-hitters during the top half of the ninth inning, and Theriot was in transit to Citi Field due to an illness. That left Huff at second base, and it also left the Giants scrambling to make a play.

"Where he was playing, he had a long way to go," said Bochy of Huff's positioning at second. "We were hoping to just go to first. We didn't pick it up soon enough, but still, I thought [Turner] was out. That's what I was arguing. I haven't seen [the replay], but if you get him, you get him. He's out."


(mlb.com)