Training Camp Reports with Tony Lombardi from Ravens24x7.com

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• A fan of the Ravens (yes, I can be a fan and also be realistic), the Orioles (in 3 years they are in the playoffs), the Terps (Lady Terps), the "U" (football), an avid sports fan that can speak on any sport at any time even Nascar and the NHL
  

Aaron Wilson of the Carroll County Times reports Ravens cornerback Dominique Foxworth has turn his ACL and will be likely lost for the season.

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So finally after what seemed forever the Orioles have their manager. Buck Showalter will being August 3rd vs the Angles. Friend of the ROB LONG SHOW Tony Pente wrote an interesting article at Orioles Hangout (Click here).


Based on his sources its seemed Buck has a lot of control as to the future direction of the Orioles. On the surface that would seem like a good thing, but it also seems that the front office of this organization can't get together on anything still to this day.

If the sources in Tony's article are correct...the GM of the Orioles did not want to hire Buck Showalter. Andy McPhail wanted Eric Wedge. As much as I like the hiring of Showalter, this is still a problem in my eyes. Andy McPhail was brought in to run the organization yet can't hire the people he wants? Does this happen for every Free Agent signing? Every trade offer? Still to this day?


How does McPhail work with Showalter when they both know Buck was not Andy's first choice. Does that even matter? If you are Owner Peter Angelos and you are no longer happy with McPhail's way, then why not just make a change?

Maybe Paul Blair was right all along....none of it matters "until you get better people making decisions" within the organization. Andy McPhail made some "great" trades, but that has not been enough.


The Orioles have some good young talented players that have drastically under performed at the major league level this year. Lets hope Buck Showalter is allowed to come in and clean house...coaches, players, trainers, ballboys....who ever Buck says needs to go...gets gone. Have someone follow behind him with pink slips and when he point at someone hand them a slip. All coaches that have been here for more then a year should be fired. They can interview again but lets start fresh. Anything short of that will just be more of the same.


KZ

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The Baltimore Orioles have hired ESPN analyst Buck Showalter as their next manager, a source confirmed Thursday.

Showalter's first game as manager will be Tuesday, Aug. 3 against the Los Angeles Angels, the first game of a seven-game homestand.

The Orioles, as of Thursday a major league-worst 31-70, fired manager Dave Trembley on June 4 and replaced him with interim manager Juan Samuel.

Former Indians manager Eric Wedge, former Texas Rangers and New York Mets manager Bobby Valentine, former Orioles catcher Rick Dempsey and Samuel interviewed for the job.

Showalter, 54, is 882-833 as a major league manager. He was named Manager of the Year twice, in 1994 with the Yankees and in 2004 with the Rangers. He helped rebuild the Yankees into a power after a down period and he was the primary builder of the fledgling Arizona Diamondbacks in 1997; that team won the World Series with Bob Brenley at the helm in 2001, a year after he was fired.

In 2004, he led the Rangers to 89 wins, 19 more than when he took over two years earlier.

source: ESPN.com

Finally! This is a good hire. Will it make a difference this year? Maybe not, but having the rest of this season for the new manager to evaluate his club will give him and the organization a running start to the off-season.

KZ

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Starting today and hopefully continuing every Monday evening, I will dive into a top ten list...with Ravens camp starting tomorrow naturally I present my "what am I looking for at Ravens Camp" top 10...starting at 10 and working my way down...

10. Who is the Kicker: Billy Cundiff or Shane Graham? Usually the incumbent has the advantage but Graham is historically better and I would not categorize Cundiff as lights out.


9.  Acceptance: With so much noise about Bulger, how does he fit in? How do he and Flacco interact?


8. PUP: Who goes on it? Reed, Washington, Webb...all three. Harbaugh mentions he expects all three to start the year on it. I have my doubts...


7. Paul Kruger: He was on an off-season program to bulk up and he seemingly has. Now can the 2009 2nd rounder be a contributor in 2010.


6. Jason Phillips: He is the forgotten man. Drafted with the intention of being IR'ed for 2009, has he healed enough to show the Ravens and the fans why he was worth doing that for. He could be a sleeper at camp if healthy.


5. TOY SHED: How do the Ravens handle the new offensive weaponry at their disposal. I know we won't see everything they have up their sleeves, but I am very interested how the new TE's are worked in.


4. The Kelly's, Kelly Gregg and Kelly Talavou: You have heard me say it before, I wonder if he is fully recovered and ready to be the "Buddy Lee" we all remember. The DL is crowded this year with the drafting of Cody and Jones, as well as the addition of Redding, I wonder if there is enough room on the roster for one or both. They kept Mr. Talavou on the active roster all year in 2009 for fear someone else would grab him if they didn't. Defensive Line is a position to watch.


3. Mark Clayton: Almost the forgotten man on this team. I think many are surprised he is still a Raven after bringing in Boldin and Stallworth. Last year the team started with only 4 active WR's on the roster. With Boldin, Stallworth and Mason seemingly locks, how many WR's are kept this year. David Reed the 5th rounder made a positive impression during OTA's, Marcus Smith (a special teams ace) returns from injury, Demetrius Williams is still a Raven as well as 2009 training camp star Justin Harper. I think the Ravens finally have the weapons to let Mark Clayton do what I think would be his best position which is to play in the slot.


2. Terrell Suggs: All eyes my friend will be on you this camp. After saying he wouldn't have another off-season like 2009, many Ravens fans were disappointed with Mr. Suggs lack of OTA participation. This will lead to many wondering if T-Sizz is in shape and ready to go. Will he be an everyday participant during training camp and will he be able to achieve double-digit sacks like in his first two seasons as a Raven.


1. Coach Harbaugh: Success has come quick. Two seasons, two playoff appearances, but the honeymoon would seen to be over. The pressure is on to get to the Super Bowl in 2010. Now the players seem to be chirping more, which sometimes can be the cover of a bigger issue.

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Twitter is becoming a great source for up to the minute info, but can be a pain with all the tweets...so here is a quick summary of what I have seen about the Ravens on Twitter...

We start with Jason La Canfora of the NFL Network:

So, to summarize Sergio Kindle's situation - he is still in hospital after bad fall. Situation is serious and he will not be traveling to Baltimore for several weeks. A source close to the player said the head injuries from his fall require continued observation but the plan is for him to play football this season. Obviously, he is going to miss a lot of time and at his press conference today Coach Harbaugh said the team intends to sign the 2nd round pick and will take every precaution with the LB when he is able to report. Obviously, thoughts and prayers are with Sergio Kindle and his family through his long recovery.


Next we have Aaron Wilson:

Fabian Washington said his surgically repaired knee feels great. He says he's ready to go. Hopes to not be on PUP list. Fabian Washington: "I hope to be full-go. Tonight I should get a pretty good clue of what training camp is going to be for me." Fabian Washington said he worked out with Dexter McCluster, Domonique Rodgers-Cromartie, Mike Jenkins at IMG in Bradenton. Lardarius webb says his knee feels good doesn't know if hell be on pup list though.


Harbaugh said fractured skull for kindle will miss camp can't travel for weeks. Harbs says reed, fabian, webb expected to be on pup.



Sergio Kindle was staying at a friend's house, took a wrong turn in the dark when he fell down the steps, according to Harbaugh.

And Finally Mike Duffy from BaltimoreRavens.com

Lardarius Webb says his knee is "feeling fine" but isn't sure if he'll be on PUP to start camp. "I hope to do as much as possible."

Coach Harbaugh said Sergio Kindle is not going to be @ training camp at all. Has not talked to kindle but did talk to his father.

First #Ravens player to arrive at camp is Arthur Jones.

  

Harbaugh has not talked to Jared Gaither but expects him to report to camp on Tuesday. Said Gaither has worked with orthotics.



One more following up a topic today on the ROB LONG SHOW...this in from Chris Mortensen..

While Ravens have been a popular pick, news on Ed Reed and now Sergio Kindle just makes you wonder....

KZ

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After the first day of his football camp, Ravens safety said repeatedly that he wants more support from the Ravens as he recovers from hip injury according to Jamison Hensley of the Baltimore Sun.

"I haven't had the support from the other side as you think has been there," Reed said. "If I don't say it now, it won't ever get said."

"It's like a marriage," Reed said. "There are going to be disagreements. You got to work with that person. When it starts to get too much, you got to pull back [and ask] 'Is it worth it or should I take a pay cut and be on another team?"

Reed clarified that he didn't ask the Ravens for a new contract this year but he did last year.

"The word I got was: 'We're comfortable with where we're at,'" Reed said. "Yes, you would be comfortable with the plays that I'm making on the field and paying me what you're paying me."

"There are six, seven players in front of me [financially] at my position that I honestly wouldn't let hold my jock, and I don't even wear one," Reed said.

"If it was up to me, I would retire here," Reed said. "Does it always happen? No."

Reed also said he will start camp on the PUP list(Physically unable to perform).  

"Like I told my coach, I'm preparing myself to try to come back for that first game," Reed said. "But who's to say it's going to be the first game against the Jets or the first game in October, November for December. I honestly don't know."

Story courtesy of Redzone.org

KZ

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Normally I'd let a little thing like Chris Tillman being sent down to AAA pass by the wire without a word, but I just don't get this club.


At this point it goes well beyond who the next manager is...this club needs to get blown up from the inside out.

Start with whoever you wish...the Owner, the GM, the Coaches...but start.


Two examples in the last month:

Player A: 7.03 ERA, 1.60 WHIP , 1 WIN and 18 Strikeouts in 23 innings

Player B: 7.92 ERA, 1.88 WHIP, 1 WIN and 12 Strikeouts in 25 innings

Which player gets sent down over and over again...with 29 wins and era's over 7 does it even matter...Let Tillman, Matusz, Arrieta, Hernandez, Berken and hopefully soon Britton learn at the Major League level. NO MORE UP AND DOWN...either they make it or they don't....dominating AAA for another start or two does nothing.


If the coaches at AAA can fix them then why are those coaches not with the big club...because its obvious to me the ORIOLES MAJOR LEAGUE coaches can't get through to the players right now...its a joke!

Oh and one more thing...thanks for ruining JOSH BELL's development...if he was ready to come up to the MAJORS, here is a free idea for you....PLAY HIM!


Who's the next manager?....that is the least of the problems.

KZ

P.S: Pitcher B (Chris Tillman) was sent down today.

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So I will admit I was a bit bored today. It's a week or so before training camp starts, the Orioles are still with 29 wins.


So what does KZ do when he is bored? What else, I mock draft lol. So I wanted to share a Fantasy Football Mock Draft I did today. 10 teams, I picked 8th where you start a QB, 2 RB's, 2 WR's a TE, a Flex (RB or WR) a Kicker and a Defense...PPR  (point per reception) league.


As you may know I am still a traditional RB, RB drafter, meaning I like to take 2 Running Backs with my first two picks...but something happened in this draft, that may, I repeat may have me thinking different this year.

What happened is that Andre Johnson (admitted man crush) was available at pick 8.

Its a ppr league, if I pass on him to take Michael Turner, I leave up to 90 points on the board. So I select him, then in round 2...a WR run starts with Moss and Wayne taken before me...so its Fitzgerald or a RB like Mendenhall or Greene...again same issue, if I take a RB then I leave maybe 70 points on the board...I take a chance and sure up my WR core and worry about the RB's for later....



The draft is below you can see how I did...but late first round picks in 2010 may have to consider WR's early and RB's in rounds 3 thru 6...hmmmm...who would have thunk it.

BTW...still do not take a QB early unless Bress or Rodgers is there in round 2...and yes ROB I still took Cutler :)

Round: 1
(1) Team ramsay - Chris Johnson RB 
(2) Team Curran - Adrian Peterson RB 
(3) Team Awesome - Maurice Jones-Drew RB 
(4) Team Sharbel - Ray Rice RB 
(5) Team Murray - Steven Jackson RB 
(6) Team Levy - Frank Gore RB 
(7) Team Comer - Aaron Rodgers QB 
** (8) Team KZ - Andre Johnson WR 
(9) Team Widner - Drew Brees QB 
(10) My Team - Michael Turner RB 

Round: 2
(11) My Team - Randy Moss WR 
(12) Team Widner - Reggie Wayne WR 
** (13) Team KZ - Larry Fitzgerald WR 
(14) Team Comer - Shonn Greene RB 
(15) Team Levy - Roddy White WR 
(16) Team Murray - Rashard Mendenhall RB 
(17) Team Sharbel - Peyton Manning QB 
(18) Team Awesome - DeAngelo Williams RB 
(19) Team Curran - Tom Brady QB 
(20) Team ramsay - Cedric Benson RB 

Round: 3
(21) Team ramsay - Brandon Marshall WR 
(22) Team Curran - Calvin Johnson WR 
(23) Team Awesome - Miles Austin WR 
(24) Team Sharbel - DeSean Jackson WR 
(25) Team Murray - Greg Jennings WR 
(26) Team Levy - Jamaal Charles RB 
(27) Team Comer - Ryan Mathews RB 
** (28) Team KZ - Marques Colston WR 
(29) Team Widner - Ryan Grant RB 
(30) My Team - Sidney Rice WR 

Round: 4
(31) My Team - Jonathan Stewart RB 
(32) Team Widner - Knowshon Moreno RB 
** (33) Team KZ - Pierre Thomas RB 
(34) Team Comer - Dallas Clark TE 
(35) Team Levy - Steve Smith WR 
(36) Team Murray - Anquan Boldin WR 
(37) Team Sharbel - Beanie Wells RB 
(38) Team Awesome - Matt Schaub QB 
(39) Team Curran - Matt Forte RB 
(40) Team ramsay - LeSean McCoy RB 

Round: 5
(41) Team ramsay - Philip Rivers QB 
(42) Team Curran - Steve Smith WR 
(43) Team Awesome - Antonio Gates TE 
(44) Team Sharbel - Michael Crabtree WR 
(45) Team Murray - Joseph Addai RB 
(46) Team Levy - Tony Romo QB 
(47) Team Comer - Ronnie Brown RB 
** (48) Team KZ - Felix Jones RB 
(49) Team Widner - Chad Ochocinco WR 
(50) My Team - Percy Harvin WR 

Round: 6
(51) My Team - Brett Favre QB 
(52) Team Widner - Ricky Williams RB 
** (53) Team KZ - Jason Witten TE 
(54) Team Comer - Mike Sims-Walker WR 
(55) Team Levy - Jahvid Best RB 
(56) Team Murray - Vernon Davis TE 
(57) Team Sharbel - Dwayne Bowe WR 
(58) Team Awesome - Jerome Harrison RB 
(59) Team Curran - Brandon Jacobs RB 
(60) Team ramsay - Hines Ward WR 

Round: 7
(61) Team ramsay - Brent Celek TE 
(62) Team Curran - Tony Gonzalez TE 
(63) Team Awesome - Donald Driver WR 
(64) Team Sharbel - Vincent Jackson WR 
(65) Team Murray - Reggie Bush RB 
(66) Team Levy - Jermichael Finley TE 
(67) Team Comer - Jeremy Maclin WR 
** (68) Team KZ - Fred Jackson RB 
(69) Team Widner - Thomas Jones RB 
(70) My Team - Marion Barber RB 

Round: 8
(71) My Team - Hakeem Nicks WR 
(72) Team Widner - Owen Daniels TE 
** (73) Team KZ - Justin Forsett RB 
(74) Team Comer - C.J. Spiller RB 
(75) Team Levy - Mike Wallace WR 
(76) Team Murray - Joe Flacco QB 
(77) Team Sharbel - Clinton Portis RB 
(78) Team Awesome - Steve Breaston WR 
(79) Team Curran - Pierre Garcon WR 
(80) Team ramsay - Santana Moss WR 

Round: 9
(81) Team ramsay - Darren McFadden RB 
(82) Team Curran - T.J. Houshmandzadeh WR 
(83) Team Awesome - Kellen Winslow TE 
(84) Team Sharbel - Braylon Edwards WR 
(85) Team Murray - Robert Meachem WR 
(86) Team Levy - Ben Tate RB 
(87) Team Comer - Jets D/ST D/ST 
** (88) Team KZ - Jay Cutler QB 
(89) Team Widner - Lee Evans WR 
(90) My Team - Santonio Holmes WR 

Round: 10
(91) My Team - Chris Cooley TE 
(92) Team Widner - Michael Bush RB 
** (93) Team KZ - Donovan McNabb QB 
(94) Team Comer - Antonio Bryant WR 
(95) Team Levy - Dez Bryant WR 
(96) Team Murray - Donald Brown RB 
(97) Team Sharbel - Cadillac Williams RB 
(98) Team Awesome - Matt Ryan QB 
(99) Team Curran - Eli Manning QB 
(100) Team ramsay - Darren Sproles RB 

Round: 11
(101) Team ramsay - Kevin Kolb QB 
(102) Team Curran - Johnny Knox WR 
(103) Team Awesome - Eagles D/ST D/ST 
(104) Team Sharbel - Montario Hardesty RB 
(105) Team Murray - LaDainian Tomlinson RB 
(106) Team Levy - Devin Aromashodu WR 
(107) Team Comer - Leon Washington RB 
** (108) Team KZ - Kenny Britt WR 
(109) Team Widner - Packers D/ST D/ST 
(110) My Team - Ravens D/ST D/ST 

Round: 12
(111) My Team - Tim Hightower RB 
(112) Team Widner - Chester Taylor RB 
** (113) Team KZ - Jerricho Cotchery WR 
(114) Team Comer - Visanthe Shiancoe TE 
(115) Team Levy - Derrick Mason WR 
(116) Team Murray - Cowboys D/ST D/ST 
(117) Team Sharbel - Zach Miller TE 
(118) Team Awesome - Laurence Maroney RB 
(119) Team Curran - Ben Roethlisberger QB 
(120) Team ramsay - Chaz Schilens WR 

Round: 13
(121) Team ramsay - Early Doucet WR 
(122) Team Curran - 49ers D/ST D/ST 
(123) Team Awesome - Bernard Berrian WR 
(124) Team Sharbel - Vince Young QB 
(125) Team Murray - Ahmad Bradshaw RB 
(126) Team Levy - Matthew Stafford QB 
(127) Team Comer - Willis McGahee RB 
** (128) Team KZ - Wes Welker WR 
(129) Team Widner - Arian Foster RB 
(130) My Team - Chad Henne QB 

Round: 14
(131) My Team - Nate Kaeding K 
(132) Team Widner - Correll Buckhalter RB 
** (133) Team KZ - Steelers D/ST D/ST 
(134) Team Comer - Devery Henderson WR 
(135) Team Levy - Steve Slaton RB 
(136) Team Murray - Stephen Gostkowski K 
(137) Team Sharbel - Saints D/ST D/ST 
(138) Team Awesome - Ryan Longwell K 
(139) Team Curran - Kevin Smith RB 
(140) Team ramsay - Vikings D/ST D/ST 

Round: 15
(141) Team ramsay - Marshawn Lynch RB 
(142) Team Curran - Derrick Ward RB 
(143) Team Awesome - Bengals D/ST D/ST 
(144) Team Sharbel - Rob Bironas K 
(145) Team Murray - Josh Morgan WR 
(146) Team Levy - Chargers D/ST D/ST 
(147) Team Comer - David Akers K 
** (148) Team KZ - Garrett Hartley K 
(149) Team Widner - Mason Crosby K 
(150) My Team - Greg Olsen TE 

Round: 16
(151) My Team - Austin Collie WR 
(152) Team Widner - Nate Burleson WR 
** (153) Team KZ - Bernard Scott RB 
(154) Team Comer - David Garrard QB 
(155) Team Levy - Robbie Gould K 
(156) Team Murray - Rashad Jennings RB 
(157) Team Sharbel - Kevin Walter WR 
(158) Team Awesome - Golden Tate WR 
(159) Team Curran - Matt Prater K 
(160) Team ramsay - Jay Feely K

KZ

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Citing "to win" LeBron James will leave Cleveland and head to South Beach and join Wade, Bosh and the Miami Heat.

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To Quote Lee Corso, "Not so fast my friend"

These comments just hit the wire...

Today the NFL and the NFLPA held their first formal collective bargaining session since February. The talks were primarily about the NFL's proposal to expand the regular season to 18 games.

Baltimore Ravens LB Ray Lewis and New England Patriots QB Tom Brady reacted to the proposal on the NFLPA's web site:

Ray Lewis said, �Don�t get me wrong, I love the game of football. If fans want to show their love, they should let everyone know that we are not machines. I�ve been blessed to play this game for so long, but it�s time to start thinking about what legacy and impact changes like this will leave for the players of tomorrow and us after we retire. I know our fans may not like preseason games and I don�t like all of them, but swapping two preseason games for two end-of-season games�when players already play hurt�comes at a huge cost for the player and the team. I know our Union is on top of it and players need to stay in touch with the Union and our Executive Director to stay informed.�


Tom Brady said, �I�ve taken part in several postseason runs where we have played 20 games. The long-term impact this game has on our bodies is well documented. Look no further than the players that came before we did. Each player today has to play three years in order to earn five years of post-career health care. Our Union has done a great job of raising the awareness on these issues and will make the right decision for us players, the game and the fans.�

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Manny Machado - SS

Miami Brito HS, Sr.

• Birthdate: 7/6/92
• Height: 6'3"
• Weight: 190lbs.
• Bats: Right
• Throws: Right
• Scout's report filed: 3/18/10

Scouting Report

Hitting ability: Machado is swinging the bat very well, with authority. He led Team USA in hitting last summer

Power: He has the chance to have good power.

Running speed: He's run well in the past, though he might slow down as he matures.

Base running: He's fine on the base-paths.

Arm strength: He's got plenty of arm for his position.

Fielding: He makes the plays he can get to.

Range: This is the question, whether he'll have enough range to stay at shortstop as he gets bigger and stronger.

Physical Description: A big, strong athletic high school shortstop in the Miami area, Machado obviously draws young Alex Rodriguez comparisons.

Medical Update: Healthy.

Strengths: Big, strong, looks the part, plenty of tools, especially with the bat.

Weaknesses: Already pretty big, he may not be able to stay at shortstop in the long-term.

Summary: Machado entered the season as the top high school position player and has done nothing to diminish that evaluation. Big and athletic, he can do just about everything on the baseball field, with the ability to hit for plenty of average and some power as he matures. He's got more than enough arm to play shortstop and is fine there for now, though there is some concern he'll outgrow the position. Even if he does, he'd be just fine at third, both in terms of handling the position defensively and providing the kind of offense teams look for at the hot corner. Regardless of his position, Machado is primed to be one of the earliest names taken off the board in June.

KZ

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The Baltimore Orioles lost another game today. This time 5 - 2 to the Toronto Blue Jays. OK nothing new there, I know. Here is what is new.

With help from the AP I saw this...

Baltimore took a 2-1 in the sixth when Cesar Izturis doubled and Julio Lugo and Nick Markakis hit RBI singles.Toronto tied it in the bottom half Hill drove Tillman's first pitch over the wall in left for his eighth homer and second in as many days. Four of Hill's past five hits have been home runs.

"Tillman goes out there, he's got a 2-1 lead and he throws an 87 mile an hour fastball to try and get the first pitch over to a guy who's an All-Star second baseman," Trembley said. "You've got to do better than that."

Tillman, recalled from Triple-A Norfolk before the game, made his first start of the season, allowing two runs and six hits in 5 2/3 innings. He walked two and struck out three."I thought I was OK," Tillman said. "I didn't think I was great, I didn't think I was bad."

Here was Tillman's line...Tillman is 22 years old by the way...

Pitchers	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	HR	PC-ST	ERA
C Tillman	5.2	6	2	2	2	3	2	96-60	3.18

So here is my question. Atkins and Lugo show lack of hustle and not a word is said. Batters continue to swing at poor pitches, fail to move runners up and the team is worst in the league with runners in scoring position, but not once has our manager thrown anyone under the bus...ever.

So today Dave Trembley chooses he has had enough, its not him its the players and he chooses Chris Tillman to be road-kill.


Trembley went on to say..."I've really run out of things to say," Trembley said. "I've juggled the lineup, I've put different guys in there. We have really prepared our guys as best as we possibly can and it just hasn't happened for us."

You could have left it there Dave. Sounds like a manager that has had it with this team. Well I have had it with him...again.

KZ

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For only the 4th time this year the Baltimore Orioles scored 7 or more runs in a game, beating the Twins 7 - 3 in the first of two games today. Adam Jones who has been in a season long slump was removed from the lead-off spot in the order and moved to the two-hole and responded by going 2 for 5 with a RBI. O's game 1 box score below.

Baltimore Orioles
Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	#P	AVG	OBP	SLG
J Lugo 2B	5	0	3	1	0	0	10	.244	.295	.244
A Jones CF	5	0	2	1	0	0	16	.225	.248	.357
N Markakis RF	4	1	2	3	1	0	20	.319	.418	.487
M Tejada 3B	5	0	0	0	0	0	22	.304	.351	.471
T Wigginton DH	5	0	1	1	0	1	22	.293	.377	.674
M Wieters C	5	1	1	0	0	2	17	.274	.336	.425
G Atkins 1B	4	0	0	0	0	1	12	.259	.284	.318
N Reimold LF	3	2	1	0	1	1	15	.197	.303	.342
C Izturis SS	3	3	2	1	1	0	15	.238	.282	.263

So with the team scoring 7 runs in a win why would Manager Dave Trembley come back with this lineup in game two?

Baltimore Orioles
Hitters	AB	R	H	RBI	BB	SO	#P	AVG	OBP	SLG
J Lugo SS	4	0	0	0	0	2	11	.222	.271	.222
N Markakis RF	4	0	0	0	0	1	15	.308	.406	.470
M Wieters DH-C	4	0	1	0	0	2	19	.273	.333	.418
M Tejada 3B	3	0	0	0	0	0	11	.295	.342	.457
T Wigginton 2B	3	0	0	0	0	1	11	.284	.367	.653
L Scott LF	3	1	1	1	0	1	8	.183	.256	.390
A Jones CF	3	0	1	0	0	0	9	.227	.250	.356
R Hughes 1B	3	0	0	0	0	2	12	.237	.310	.289
C Tatum C	2	0	0	0	0	0	8	.067	.067	.067
a-G Atkins PH	1	0	0	0	0	0	1	.256	.281	.314
M Hendrickson P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000
M Albers P	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	.000	.000	.000

As you can see the top 6 hitters for game one, played in game two yet only Tejada and Wigginton are in the same spot in the order. Jones who had to be feeling better about himself after game one was dropped to the 7th spot in the order (behind Luke Scott who came into the game hitting under 182). The O's lost 6 - 1. Scott Baker pitched a gem stiking out 8 only giving up 3 hits in 8 innings of work.

I have to wonder way out loud...

Did the club look at the lineup for game two and sigh?

Did Jones, who must have felt great back in the two-hole (where the majority of his career success hitting has been) think...why did I get dropped 5 spots after going 2 for 5?

I never played on the major league level, but played long enough and now have coached enough to know you go with what works. Game one worked...I would think the team was deflated a bit when they saw the lineup card.

I really don't get why he changed anything outside of starting Tatum and Hughes. Yes Luke Scott hit a HR but he is hitting 183.

I just don't understand it! At minimum keep the top 6 as they were...stop trying to be the smartest man in the room Mr. Trembley. In fact stop managing period, this team will never move forward with Dave Trembley as its manager. This year was suppose to be about wins and losses....well the losses are getting the better of it. Use any crutch you with to defend the manager. Roberts, Pie...youth, I'm done with it.

Guys don't hustle and nothing happens, not once, but twice...maybe he saw the second time. Guys are not put into the right spots at the right times. Pitching moves stink! Now the batting order can't be left alone after 7 runs. As JoJo said..."Get Out, Leave"

KZ

P.S. yes I am ashamed of the JoJo quote.

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Depending on how you look at the NFL DRAFT, the 2010 version is either just starting or just ended. Now NFL teams get to open their presents under the tree. So let’s take a look back at how some NFL teams faired in 2010 and then dare I say it, a quick look ahead to the 2011 draft.

Three teams that got the 2010 draft right:

Seattle Seahawks

Russell Okung and Earl Thomas were both top 10 values and immediately become starters. Golden Tate in the slot I think is a good fit. Anthony McCoy is a terrific risk/reward pick in the 6th. Plus in getting LenDale White and Leon Washington for picks they upgraded the RB position. They knew their needs and went to fill them.

San Francisco 49’ers

Anthony Davis, Mike Iupati and Taylor Mays, if they had stopped there most would have been thrilled. You then add Navorro Bowman in the 3rd and Anthony Dixon in the 6th. A great day by the bay.

 

Oakland Raiders

As much as I trashed them last year, I have to give them Kudos this year. Bruce Campbell was long rumored as being the Raiders selection and he was, but in the 4th round not the 1st. Rolando McClain was the best LB in the draft, Lamarr Houston was a scout favorite and has a bright future ahead of him and adding Veldheer and Campbell to the OLINE made this a super weekend for the Raiders.

Three teams that got it wrong:

Jacksonville Jaguars

They reached for their top 3 picks. Alualu who I think will be a really good player, but not at 10 overall. Trade down and get additional picks or get a pass rusher. I just did not understand their plan from the first pick and it never got better to me.

Kansas City Chiefs

Eric Berry is a home run, but after that the draft fell flat to me. McCluster and Arenas are both reaches to me. Both are undersized and slower than expected. I actually liked their last few picks ( Asamoah, Moeaki and Sheffield) but the misses in rounds 2 and 3 I just can’t get over.

Washington Redskins

Getting Donovan McNabb is a win for them, but taking Trent Williams over Russell Okung is a huge huge risk to me. A month ago Williams was though of more as a RT prospect then a LT prospect. RT’s are not taken at 4th overall. They didn’t have a pick til the 4th round after picking in round 1.

Three Teams that just get it:

New England, Pittsburgh and Baltimore just know how to run a draft. New England moves up and down and then still gets the players they want and they got another second rounder from Carolina in 2011. The Steelers are just as smart knowing that they may struggle a bit offensively with Holmes gone and Big Ben out 4 to 6 weeks, they went DEFENSE in a big way after getting the best center in the draft in round 1. Baltimore always seems to have players fall to them. Kindle and Cody were both first round graded then fell to the second and Dickson and Pitta were 3rd round grades, with Pitta taken in the 4th.

 

OK so let’s take a quick look at 2011:

The Quarterback class will be a good one:

Jake Locker (Washington) will be the number one over pick, Andrew Luck from Stanford (should he come out) could be a top 10 guy along with Ryan Mallet (Arkansas) in the top 15. Those three will lead a very deep Q B class.

Skill guys will shine:

Mark Ingram (Alabama) and Ryan Williams (VT) lead the Running Back class, that will also include DeMarco Murray (Oklahoma) and Evan Royster (Penn State). If you like the BIG receiver then 2011 is the draft for you. No less than 12 wideouts who are 6’2” or taller will be drafted in the first three rounds next year. Led by AJ Green (Georgia), Julio Jones (Alabama), Michael Floyd (Notre Dame) and Jonathan Baldwin (Pittsburgh) this will be one of the deepest WR drafts ever.

OT’s are always going to be needed:

2011 will be no different with maybe up to 7 Offensive Tackles going in round 1. Look for Gabe Carimi (Wisconsin), Joseph Barksdale (LSU), Jason Pinkston (Pitt), Anthony Costanzo (BC), Nate Potter (Boise State) and Nate Solder (Colorado) lead the way.

Defensive minded:

Greg Romeus – DE Pitt, Patrick Peterson – CB LSU, Andrew Bailey – DT Miami, Cameron Heyward – DE Ohio State, Marvin Austin – DT UNC, Robert Quinn – DE UNC, Ras-I Dowling – CB UVA, Curtis Brown – CB Texas, DeAndre McDaniel – S Clemson, Kendrick Austin – DT Hampton, Cliff Matthews – DE S. Carolina, Michael Morgan – OLB USC, Price Amukamara – CB Nebraska, Greg Jones – LB Michigan State and Jeremy Beal – DE Oklahoma are some of the top names to watch out for.

KZ

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Well I have come full circle on this draft. I started with Demaryius Thomas going to the Ravens, then waffled a bit, but I return to my first thought. This is a very deep draft, especially at CB and D-LINE. The Ravens can address those needs later in the draft.

The draft to me hinges on 4 spots. Spot one is Kansas City, do they start to sure up their OLINE with a tackle or do they go with Eric Berry at 5? Spot 2 is always the Oakland Raiders, do they make another major reach to the land of the turtle and grab Bruce Campbell or do they grab Trent Williams or Anthony Davis? Spot 3 is not a team but a player, Jimmy Clausen will be the second QB off the board but where? Buffalo, SF or does he fall until a team trades back into the 1st round to get him? Spot 4 is Houston, Do they take a CB or a RB? this changes the bottom of the draft greatly. This should be fun!

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KZ�s Tuesday Topics

 

Top Local Story of the Week

 

Baltimore fell to 1-6 with its fourth straight loss yesterday. The Orioles have scored only 20 runs this season, including three in their last three games.

Asked if he might shuffle a lineup that includes slumping Adam Jones (.233), Nick Markakis (.143) and Miguel Tejada (.207), Trembley said, "Yeah, I may do something, maybe just to show a different look."

 

How about we pick it out of a hat? This team is lifeless. No fire at all from the Manager or the players. The base-running mistakes seem like a yearly occurrence. I don�t see a leader on the field or in the clubhouse with this team. How about this for a lineup?

 

Pie � LF

Markakis � RF

Weiters � C

Jones � CF

Tejada � 3B

Atkins � 1B

Reimold � DH

Turner � 2B

Izturis � SS

 

The starting pitching hasn�t been that bad, but 2.85 runs per game just are not going to do it. Everyone says it�s early, no need to panic. Hmmm, I see�anyone remember 1988? At 0 � 6 was there room to panic�well this team is only one win better. To be .500 this year the Orioles have to play .857 ball at some point during the season and then play .500 the rest of the way. This was supposed to be the year where it mattered what happens on the field. Well I and the fans are treating it that way. Even only 7 games in, we demand change.

 

Top National Story of the Week

 

Tiger Woods returns to competitive golf�Yes he finished 4th at the Masters, but who cares? If you love Golf, it was relevant again. People were watching again and even after the long layoff and all the �trouble� there was Tiger Woods in his red Nike shirt ready to make a run in the final round. He fell short, congrats to Phil Michelson who has had a trying year himself, for putting his distractions behind him for 4 days and taking the green jacket.

 

I have heard many �pundits� criticize Tiger for his play, for his lack of focus and for his verbal �abuse� even if he was abusing himself. OK get close to the screen so you can �hear this��HE IS TIGER WOODS�HE FINISHED 4th...AT THE MASTERS�AND AS FAR AS THE ABUSE GOES�THAT�S BEEN TIGER SINCE HE BECAME A GOLFER�get over it! The problem here is too many people wanted him to fail and he didn�t. He showed he can take a punch, take time off�change in a phone booth and still whip most of their candy asses on any given day�

 

Nice to have you back TIGER!

 

 

Top Under the Radar Story of the Week

 

For me it�s the LA Lakers�so much so the LA LAKERS fans are now nervous. They may not admit it, but they are. The LAKERS are limping into the playoffs. With only 2 games left in the regular season, 2 games that Kobe Bryant won�t play in, the LAKERS are 4 � 6 in their last 10 games. Andrew Bynum is not 100 percent, neither is KOBE. I have heard LAKERS fans say all year, talk to us in June�I sure will�I just wonder if we will be watching the LAKERS at that time�

Sports Person(s) of the Week

BARRY BONDS�said this� he is "proud" of Cardinals hitting coach Mark McGwire for admitting his use of performance-enhancing drugs. "I have a really good friendship with Mark McGwire. I'm proud of him," the 45-year-old Bonds, back in the Bay Area for a reunion at AT&T Park of the Giants' 2000 NL West champion team, said when asked what he thought of McGwire's January admission. "We've had a great relationship throughout our entire lives and throughout our career. I'm proud of what he did. I'm happy for him."

Ok pause to put your head in your hand and shake it�

Now back to reading�Barry, Barry, Barry�there is an old saying if you don�t have anything nice to say, then keep your mouth shut. Mr. Bonds you should adhere to that statement when asked anything about baseball. �PROUD� of him�really�you thought about it and came up with proud. I truly don�t know what else to say.

Except this�Bonds was the greatest baseball player I have ever seen. I just wish now that is acceptable to have taken PED�s and still come back to the game, that he would come clean.

 

The Silliest (to be nice) Person(s) in Sports for the Week

 

Gary Bettman�yes I am going to pick on the NHL. I know you are shocked but the NHL playoffs start on Wednesday and I was looking at the TV schedule and noticed the first nationally televised game is on Saturday at 1pm on NBC. Versus once again has most of the playoffs on. This is a totally different subject for another time. So Saturday at 1pm the Bruins visit the Sabers�good game right? WRONG�guess who else plays that day�Montreal visits Washington. Mr. Bettman, please for the love of everything holy in the world fire you marketing agency, your scheduling agency and yourself. The Canadians one of the, if not the most storied franchise in the NHL vs the Capitals and the best player in the NHL and you can�t figure out a way to make that the national TV game? Somebody please sell MR. BETTMAN a clue�

 

You are going against the NBA playoffs starting soon, MLB just started, the NFL draft is a week away�you need an event...you need star power�you need a clue!

 

I can be reached by responding to this blog, I�d be happy to help and I am sure I am cheaper than the people you are paying.

 

Five things you need to know...

 

• If Hank Aaron and Joe Torre never had to step out of the batter's box during their playing days, baseball commissioner Bud Selig doesn't see why Dustin Pedroia and Derek Jeter have to be any different. In response to a question about umpire Joe West's public criticism of the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, Selig said Monday that Major League Baseball is looking at ways to keep play moving at a reasonable rate. "It's the pace of the game is what one has to look at," said Selig, who attended the grand opening of the Minnesota Twins' new ballpark. "The sport is so popular now that we just ought to do everything we can to make sure we're doing what we can." Last week West told the Record of New Jersey that the Yankees and Red Sox were "pathetic and embarrassing" for dragging out games during their season-opening series. The public criticism rankled members of both teams, who routinely play games on national television that last longer than the typical contest. Tell Mr. West to but a sock in it�if the umpires want the game to move along there are mechanisms in place to do so. Who woke Bud up to get his comment?

• Organizers of the Little Caesars Pizza Bowl say they have a deal that will pit Big Ten and Mid-American conference teams against each other yearly through 2013. The fact that there are too many bowls is a problem but these deals are a bigger one. Why can't we rank the bowls worst to first so each bowl has the best matchup regardless of conference? That would make sense sorry!

• Dana White may not have liked it, but what Anderson Silva did at UFC 112, may have actually helped the sport. How you may ask? Well with so much press about Anderson�s toying with his opponent Demian Maia, or his maybe crude and unusual behavior, people like me went to see what the fuss was about. I mean it�s a fight which Silva won and won easily. I am even writing about it. I admit I am not a MMA fan but as they say there is no such thing as bad publicity.
  

• Big Ben goes in front of the Commish today. A day after the DA said there wasn�t enough to charge him with a crime; Ben Roethlisberger now will need to plead his case to Roger Goodell. Goodell must show consistency here and suspend him for a game or two. For the record, the DA said he didn�t have enough to convict him on rape charges. He didn�t say Ben was a boy scout. It will be an interesting day. One Steeler already gone could Ben be next...rumors are swirling...
  

• After battling his way past injury and into the lineup this spring, Brian Roberts landed on the disabled list Monday. Roberts strained an abdominal muscle sliding into second base Friday night but hoped to avoid going on the shelf. I know they brought in Julio Lugo, but the Orioles acted too slowly on this one and should have brought in Felipe Lopez when Roberts back flared up. I am not saying the injuries are related, but they should have seen it coming.

 

 

Five things maybe only KZ finds interesting...

• Less than two days after helping UConn win its second straight national championship, Tina Charles was selected first by the Connecticut Sun in the WNBA draft on Thursday.

• Tom Watson, who won the 1982 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and contended for much of last week's Masters, will play in this year's U.S. Open thanks to a special exemption from the United States Golf Association.

• Nascar is still racing�just thought you�d like to know. Jimmy Johnson is still in first place. Ryan Newman won the last race. You are welcome.
• Terry Bradshaw...amen! http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=5079693&categoryid=2459789

• The consensus top prospect for the this June's MLB Draft is College of Southern Nevada catcher Bryce Harper, and the Nationals, who own the top pick, apparently agree. According to a report on MASNSports.com, the Nationals, barring an injury or drastic change, will take the 17-year-old with the first pick. The Nats reportedly view Harper as being "head and shoulders" above anyone else in the draft and think he could reach the majors in less than three years.

 

As you know I am a NFL draft nut�Over the previous weeks I posted my top 5 prospects by position with some sleeper and busts�as the draft gets closer I will start to give some clues and views to how the draft will turn out. I a FINAL Mock on the day before the draft�

This week�6 guys the Ravens may take or should consider with pick 25�with a quick pro and con for each�

Terrance Cody: Run stuffer who collapses the pocket, but works in a phone booth.

Jared Odrick: knows how to penetrate and get up the field, but must bulk up and be better against the run.

Demaryius Thomas: Great size and speed, very physical, but needs to run better routes.

Brian Price: Very quick and tough, very productive, but is as good as he will get.

Devin McCourty: Fast and a sure handed tackler, but must use hands better at the line of scrimmage.

Jerry Hughes: Terrific speed and explosion off the edge, relentless pass rusher, but struggles against the run.

KZ

I hope you have enjoyed these Tuesday Topics�this will be the last one for a while�thanks for reading.

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MOCK 3 of 4...last Mock will come out the day before the draft...but as of today I have the first round and Ravens draft looking like this...

DRAFT ORDER	DRAFT NEEDS	PICK
1. St. Louis (1-15)	Q B, WR, DT, TE, OLB	Sam Bradford - Oklahoma - Q B
2. Detroit (2-14)	CB, DT, DE, OT, WR, RB	Ndamukong Suh - Nebraska - DT
3. Tampa Bay (3-13)	WR, S, DE, DT, G, CB	Gerald McCoy - Oklahoma - DT
4. Washington (4-12)	QB, OT, RB, G, DE	Russell Okung - Oklahoma State - OT
5. Kansas City (4-12)	S, LT, WR, RB, LB, NT	Brian Bulaga - Iowa - OT
6. Seattle (5-11)	LT, Q B, DE, RB, FS	Trent Williams - Oklahoma - OT
7. Cleveland (5-11)	Q B, RB, DB, OLB, WR, TE	Eric Berry - Tennesse - S
8. Oakland (5-11)	LT, Q B, DT, LB, S	Anthony Davis - Rutgers - OT
9. Buffalo (6-10)	Q B, LT, WR, OLB	Jimmy Clausen - Norte Dame - Q B
10. Jacksonville (7-9)	DE, OLB, CB, RB, WR	Joe Hayden - Florida - CB
11. Denver (from Chicago 7-9)	WR?, OL, DE, Q B, DT	Rolando McClain - Alabama - MLB
12. Miami (7-9)	WR, ILB, NT, OLB, S	Dan Williams - Tennessee - DT
13. San Francisco (8-8)	RT, G, DE, DB	Derrick Morgan - Georgia Tech - DE
14. Seattle (from Denver 8-8)	LT, Q B, DE, RB, FS	CJ Spiller - Clemson - RB
15. New York Giants (8-8)	MLB, DL, DB, RT, RB	Sean Weatherspoon - Missouri - OLB
16. Tennessee (8-8)	OLB, DE, CB, WR, S	Brandon Graham - Michigan - OLB/DE
17. San Francisco (from Carolina 8-8)	RT, G, DE, DB	Mike Iupati - Idaho - G
18. Pittsburgh (9-7)	DB, OL, DT, RB	Earl Thomas - Texas - DB
19. Atlanta (9-7)	DE, CB, OL, LB, WR	Everson Griffen - USC - DE
20. Houston (9-7)	RB, S, DT, CB, C	Kyle Wilson - Boise State - CB
21. Cincinnati (10-6)	WR, TE, G, LB	Dez Bryant - Oklahoma State - WR
22. New England (10-6)	DE, OLB, RB, WR, OL	Sergio Kindle - Texas - DE/OLB
23. Green Bay (11-5)	OT, S, RB, LB, CB	Bruce Campbell - Maryland - OT
24. Philadelphia (11-5)	FS, OLB, DE, RB, CB	Taylor Mays - USC - S
25. Baltimore (9-7)	WR, TE, DB, DE	Terrance Cody - Alabama - DT
26. Arizona (10-6)	LT, DT, CB, OLB, Q B	Charles Brown - USC - OT
27. Dallas (11-5)	LT, WR, FS, LB, CB	Demarius Thomas - Georgia Tech - WR
28. San Diego (13-3)	RB, OT, OLB, DT, WR	Ryan Mathews - Fresno State - RB
29. New York Jets (9-7)	WR, DE, S, NT	Jason Pierre - Paul - USF - DE
30. Minnesota (12-4)	CB, G/C, DT, MLB, OLB	Markice Pouncey - Florida - G/C
31. Indianapolis (14-2)	OT, ILB, DL, CB, Q B	Brian Price - UCLA - DT
32. New Orleans (13-3)	OLB, DT, S	Carlos Dunlap - Florida - DE/OLB
RAVENS DRAFT
1/25 - Cody - DT Alabama
2/57 - Dickerson - TE Pittsburgh
5/156 - Jeff Byers - G/C USC
5/157 - Marcus Easly - WR UConn
6/194 - Dane Fletcher, DE/OLB, Montana State

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Redskins get McNabb from Eagles for 37th overall pick plus a 3rd or 4th round pick, based on performance.The Kevin Kolb era has begun in Philly!

You wanted it...you got it Philadelphia. You wanted him traded he is traded but you don;t trade him within the division! DUMB! This one may haunt them Eagles for a long time.

OUT WITH THE OLD!

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OK, time to point out the pink elephant in the room.


What if Matt Wieters in a major league dud?

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Miguel Angel Cuellar Santana (May 8, 1937 - April 2, 2010), best known as Mike Cuellar [coo-el'lyar] was a former left-handed pitcher who spent most of his career with the Baltimore Orioles. He shared the American League's Cy Young Award in 1969, and won 20 games four times from 1969 to 1974 as the Orioles captured five division titles. Cuellar, nicknamed "Crazy Horse" while with the Orioles, ranks among Baltimore's top five career leaders in wins (143), strikeouts (1011), shutouts (30) and innings pitched (2028), and trails only Dave McNally among left-handers in wins and shutouts.

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The Orioles have agreed to acquire utility infielder Julio Lugo from the St. Louis Cardinals for a player to be named, a team source confirmed.


The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports the deal first but due to monetary issues the deal was pending approval by the commissioner's office. Lugo still has $8.6 million left on his contract that's being paid by the Red Sox. The Sox then traded Lugo to the Cardinals last July with Boston assuming all of his contract.

The Orioles will pay Lugo the major league minimum.

Lugo is a .271 lifetime hitter and maybe more importantly a .965 lifetime fielder. Last year in 257 plate appearances Lugo hit .280.

Lugo can play 2B, SS and 3B. He also can be an emergency outfielder.

You would think this means Robert Andino's days in Baltimore are numbered.

KZ

***Update*** The Orioles have made the Julio Lugo move official and to make room for Lugo on the major league roster, Baltimore designated INF Michael Aubrey for assignment.

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KZ�s Tuesday Topics

Top Local Story of the Week

The Baltimore Orioles have said now is the time for the team to start winning. The next step forward must be taken! It�s no longer acceptable to have second half collapses, to be under 500, to be what they have been for the last 12 years. That is great! Here is what looks like your opening day 25 � man roster:

Pitchers

Kevin Millwood
Jeremy Guthrie
Brian Matusz
Brad Bergesen
David Hernandez

Mike Gonzalez
Jim Johnson
Mark Hendrickson
Matt Albers
Cla Meredith
Will Ohman
Jason Berken
Koji Uehara (DL)

Catchers

Matt Wieters
Craig Tatum

Infielders

Brian Roberts
Miguel Tejada
Garrett Atkins
Cesar Izturis
Ty Wigginton
Robert Andino

Outfielders

Nick Markakis
Adam Jones
Nolan Reimold
Felix Pie
Luke Scott

This is fine to me and about right. I�ll admit I know nothing about Craig Tatum but if they say he was a better defensive catcher then Moeller, I will take their word for it.

Top National Story of the Week

Final Four is set!! Who had Butler vs. Michigan State and West Virginia vs. Duke? Let�s start with Butler. They are playing a home game first of all. They are the underdog naturally, but let�s remember this was a 5 seed not a 12 seed. Butlers, enrollment 4,500, plays in the gym where they filmed the basketball classic "Hoosiers" (who wants to bet Gene Hackman gets interviewed this weekend) and is making its first Final Four appearance. The Bulldogs play Michigan State on Saturday, which is making its sixth and perhaps most unexpected trip in the past 12 years. The other game features West Virginia, making its first appearance since 1959, against the Duke Blue Devils, who hadn't made it since 2004 � a long time by their standards.

HICKORY!!! GO BULLDOGS!

Top Under the Radar Story of the Week

The Woman�s Final Four also set�

I know you probably are not watching these games, I mean why should you when UCONN is going to win it anyway. Well this year�s final four has some intrigue. UConn plays Baylor in one semi-final and Stanford plays Oklahoma in the other. That�s a pretty good final four folks. UConn and its 76 game winning streak vs. Upstart Baylor Bears team with the future of womans basketball Brittney Griner (who set an NCAA tourney record for blocked shots. That game is 9pm Sunday and you have to tune into this one if you are a basketball fan of any kind. In the other semi-final Stanford who was the last team to beat UCONN and played them pretty tough earlier this year goes up again Oklahoma, who were suppose to be a bit down this year after the Paris sisters graduated, but coach Sherri Coale has them back in the final four. Nyeshia Stevenson is a star and this team also has Big Ben�s baby sister and the Dreams daughter. This will be a great weekend of college basketball�men�s and women�s.

Sports Person(s) of the Week

Arnold Palmer is 80 and has seen just about everything. So when he said this�"It's up to him to do and say whatever he feels he needs to do to redeem the situation, put it in the proper place," Palmer said. "My opinion, as I said ... I was going to keep to myself. But I suppose the best thing he could do would be open up and just let you guys shoot at him. And that's just my thought." Good thought Arnie, good thought. It�s a shame Tiger won�t listen.

The Silliest (to be nice) Person(s) in Sports for the Week

PHILADELPHIA EAGLES�whether it�s the fans or the organization; I hope you get what you want! I hope you trade Donovan McNabb! I hope you hand the keys to Kevin Kolb. I mean Kolb is the latest greatest next HOF Quarterback. He of the 2 career starts, a win and a loss, games where he threw for over 327 yards in each game. Has anyone in Philly looked at his 2 starts�I mean really look at them. Against New Orleans he threw for 391 yards with 2 TD�s and 3 Interceptions. The eagles lost 48 � 22, While Kolb put up spectacular numbers on the day (31 of 51), the effort was largely amassed during garbage time and had no real impact on the game's outcome. In Kolb�s second start the Eagles beat the KC Chiefs 34 � 14 where he threw for 327 yards and 2 TD�s and no interceptions. Folks it was the Chiefs who had one of the worst passing defenses in the league. They finished 22nd in the league allowing an average of 232 yards a game, the same KC Chiefs that gave up 307 yards to Joe Flacco in week 1. So by all means kick McNabb to the curb�put all your eggs in the Kolb basket. As a wise person once said be careful what you wish for.

Good Luck with that Philadelphia!

Five things you need to know...

• An expanded 96-team NCAA men's basketball tournament starting in 2011, the subject of much debate during the current incarnation of March Madness, is considered "probable" by Big Ten conference commissioner Jim Delany. This is a terrible idea�terrible�the tourney is perfect!

• Pro Bowl linebacker DeMeco Ryans and the Houston Texans agreed to a six-year, $48 million deal that makes him one of the game's highest paid linebackers and ties him to the franchise through the 2015 season, according to sources. The deal includes $21.75 million guaranteed and $26.3 million in the first three years of the contract, according to sources. Ryans is one of the top MLB�s in football and this is a deal the Texans had to get done.

• Someone needs to wake up the Caps before the playoffs start�and quick.

• Tiger Woods returns to golf next week at the Masters�I really don�t have much to say about this except its about time and I hope he wins. I truly hope he wins, but really I just wanted to post this picture I found funny.

• Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, accused of assaulting a female college student in Georgia, and did not report to the team's offseason workouts. Team spokesman Dave Lockett said Roethlisberger will not work out with his teammates this week. Some, but not all, of the Steelers' most experienced players began the conditioning and weightlifting program on Monday. Less-experienced players began working out two weeks ago. The Steelers do not start on-field practicing until April 19, when most players are expected to be on hand. The team apparently believes it would be a distraction for Roethlisberger to be working out at this time. An investigation into the Georgia case is ongoing. (AP) If you truly did nothing wrong Big Ben, why are you hiding?

Five things maybe only KZ finds interesting...

• Kevin Millar made an impression in Cubs camp, but he ultimately was the odd-man out when Chad Tracy was awarded the final roster spot. Could this be end of the Millar for the 38-year-old Millar, a career .274 hitter who batted .242 this spring? "I've had as much fun as I could and played as hard as I could with limited ability. Do I feel this is the end? I'd say no," Millar said via MLB.com. The Cubs may have done Millar a favor by cutting him Tuesday, giving him a chance to find another team before rosters are finalized over the weekend. T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com reports the Rangers have no interest in Millar. I know one person reading this who will shed a tear.

• The New Jersey Nets' brown bag summit is over. Nets chief executive Brett Yormark had a roughly 30-minute "brown bag" lunch on Tuesday with a fan he confronted last week after the man wore a paper bag over his head to protest the NBA team's dismal season. McDonald's provided the hamburgers, fries and salads and the brown bags for Yormark, two members of the Nets' radio broadcasting team and brothers Chris and Rob Lisi of Middletown. Yormark exchanged words and pointed his finger at Chris Lisi a week ago Monday during the Nets' loss to the Miami Heat. He defended his actions the next day, saying he was standing up for a team that at the time was in danger of setting the NBA record for fewest wins in a season (9-73). This dude gets it..good for him turning around what could have been an ugly situation

• Jimmy Johnson finished 9th this week at Martinsville but finally took over first place in the standing�yep my confusion continues.

• Ford�s Field hosts the Frozen Four April 8th thru the 10th. Boston College beat Yale 9 � 7 to get in, Miami (Ohio) beat Michigan 3 � 2 in double OT, while Wisconsin beat St. Cloud 5 � 3 for the third of four number one seeds in the semi-finals. The only party crasher is R.I.T who beat New Hampshire to advance as a four seed into the semis.

• HBK, the Show Stopper, the Main Event, Mr. Wrestlemania, Shawn Michaels lost to the Undertaker Sunday at Wrestlemania 26, thus ending his career.
  

As you know I am a NFL draft nut�Over the previous weeks I posted my top 5 prospects by position with some sleeper and busts�as the draft gets closer I will start to give some clues and views to how the draft will turn out. I will post 3 more Mocks, one in Late March, one in early April and the last on the day before the draft�

PICK 6: Seattle Seahawks

Up until the trade for Whitehurst (still a head-scratcher) this was one of the possible landing spots for Jimmy Clausen but it seems now the Seahawks will focus on their other needs namely OT, RB and DE. Also having the 14th pick in the first round really gives Seattle a lot of play with this pick. If Clausen goes 4th to Washington, you have to assume that either Okung or Bugula are still on the board which makes this an easy pick. If Clausen is passed up at 4 and Washington take Okung (which they should if he is there) then we get a little more complicated. Trent Williams or Anthony Davis would fit here�it seems a bit early for Spiller but that would solve a need and also Derrick Morgan is a slight reach here. I think they go with the best OT on the board here and hope Spiller is around at 14.

Pick 7: Cleveland Browns

If Eric Berry is still available he is the pick period. If Berry is gone, they could select Joe Hayden at DB is clearly a major need for them. Clausen is a possibility but highly unlikely with the issues they have had at selecting Quarterbacks. Outside shot at selecting Spiller.

Pick 8: Oakland Raiders

Ahhh, the turning point in the draft. Anyone that says they know what Oakland will do is well delusional. Oakland could do anything under the sun here. Bruce Campbell, Taylor Mays and Pierre-Paul all fit the Raiders profile of athletic freaks at their respected positions. Oakland�s biggest need is OT and Q B, but they are not taking a Quarterback! I think Anthony Davis makes the most sense here, but its Oakland so it is anyone�s guess.

Pick 9: Buffalo Bills

The biggest needs for the Bills are a Left Tackle, a Quarterback and a Wide Receiver. So Clausen is a possibility here as well if he is on the board. Trent Williams or Anthony Davis would certainly help out the OLINE and Dez Bryant is a small possibility here, but probably a bit early. If Clausen is available it may be too hard to pass him up but the best move would be the best OT left which could be Trent Williams.

Pick 10: Jacksonville Jaguars

TIM TEBOW will NOT be the selection here no matter how badly the owner may want him. The Jags addressed their DE need with Aaron Kampman�s signing, plus they drafted Derrick Harvey in 2008 and don�t want to give up on him yet. So that leaves OLB and CB as the most glaring needs. Joe Hayden is a possibility here. It seems a bit early for Brandon Graham the best OLB in the draft. They could still go with Derrick Morgan or Pierre-Paul for added depth at DE, but that would be a lot of money tied up at one position. I think if Hayden is there he is the pick, otherwise the Jags will try and trade down.

KZ

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A bit different this week. The NFL draft is less then a month away, so I thought I would release my second NFL MOCK DRAFT for 2010...my 3rd and last MOCK will come out the night before the draft on April 21st...so 3 more weeks.

How qualified am I to release a mock draft? Well some would say I am not...lol but as a member of the Fantasy Sports Writers Association and ranked by...thehuddlereport.com. This is my third year being scored. Well here it is MOCK DRAFT 2 by Ken Zalis.

DRAFT ORDER	DRAFT NEEDS	PICK
1. St. Louis (1-15)	Q B, WR, DT, TE, OLB	Sam Bradford - Oklahoma
2. Detroit (2-14)	CB, DT, DE, OT, WR, RB	Ndamukong Suh - Nebraska
3. Tampa Bay (3-13)	WR, S, DE, DT, G, CB	Gerald McCoy - Oklahoma
4. Washington (4-12)	QB, OT, RB, G, DE	Russell Okung - Oklahoma State
5. Kansas City (4-12)	S, LT, WR, RB, LB, NT	Brian Bulaga - Iowa
6. Seattle (5-11)	LT, Q B, DE, RB, FS	Trent Williams - Oklahoma
7. Cleveland (5-11)	Q B, RB, DB, OLB, WR, TE	Eric Berry - Tennesse
8. Oakland (5-11)	LT, Q B, DT, LB, S	Anthony Davis - Rutgers
9. Buffalo (6-10)	Q B, LT, WR, OLB	Jimmy Clausen - Norte Dame
10. Jacksonville (7-9)	DE, OLB, RB, CB, WR	Joe Hayden - Florida
11, Denver (from Chicago 7-9)	WR?, OL, DE, Q B, DT	Dez Bryant - Oklahoma State
12. Miami (7-9)	WR, ILB, NT, OLB, S	Dan Williams - Tennessee
13. San Francisco (8-8)	RT, G, DE, DB	Derrick Morgan - Georgia Tech
14. Seattle (from Denver 8-8)	LT, Q B, DE, RB, FS	CJ Spiller - Clemson
15. New York Giants (8-8)	MLB, DL, DB, RT, RB	Rolando McClain - Alabama
16. Tennessee (8-8)	OLB, DE, CB, WR, S	Sergio Kindle - Texas
17. San Francisco (from Carolina 8-8)	RT, G, DE, DB	Mike Iupati - Idaho
18. Pittsburgh (9-7)	CB, OT, DT, RB	Kyle Wilson - Boise State
19. Atlanta (9-7)	DE, CB, OL, LB, WR	Everson Griffen - USC
20. Houston (9-7)	RB, S, DT, CB, C	Earl Thomas - Texas
21. Cincinnati (10-6)	WR, TE, G, LB	Jermaine Gresham - OSU
22. New England (10-6)	DE, OLB, RB, WR, OL	Brandon Graham - Michigan
23. Green Bay (11-5)	OT, S, RB, LB, CB	Bruce Campbell - Maryland
24. Philadelphia (11-5)	FS, OLB, DE, RB, CB	Taylor Mays - USC
25. Baltimore (9-7)	WR, TE, DB, DE	Terrance Cody - Alabama
26. Arizona (10-6)	LT, DT, CB, OLB, Q B	Charles Brown - USC
27. Dallas (11-5)	LT, WR, FS, LB, CB	Roger Saffold - Indiana
28. San Diego (13-3)	RB, OT, OLB, DT, WR	Ryan Mathews - Fresno State
29. New York Jets (9-7)	WR, DE, S, NT	Jason Pierre - Paul - USF
30. Minnesota (12-4)	CB, G/C, DT, MLB, OLB	Markice Pouncey - Florida
31. Indianapolis (14-2)	OT, ILB, DE, CB, Q B	Brian Price - UCLA
32. New Orleans (13-3)	OLB, DT, S	Sean Weatherspoon - Missouri

On Thursday, the regular TOPICS format will be published this week.

KZ

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Wrestlemania 26

March 28, 2010 at The University of Phoenix Stadium

7pm

Yes I am a wrestling fan. I have been since about the age of 5. I am looking forward to this year's Wrestlemania for a few reasons. First my son who just turned 6 has requested for his birthday that he gets to watch the show. Second HBK/Taker was so great last year I can't imagine what they will do to top it, but I know they will try. Lastly It's the best PPV card I have seen in a decade.

As my good friend R O B L O N G likes to say�there are two types of people in the world. �Those who like wrestling and those that admit they like wrestling.� On to the matches�

WWE Championship Match

-Batista (c) vs. John Cena

There has been some pretty good build up to this one. Batista has done some of his best mic work ever leading up to this match. I admit, I am not a Cena fan as I am over the age of 16, my son who is 6 and will be watching his first Wrestlemania Sunday, naturally loves him. I hate to say it but I can't see a way Cena does not win this. This should be a brutal match will a lot of out of the ring spots.

World Heavyweight Championship Match

-Chris Jericho (c) vs. Edge

If HBK and Taker do not steal the show, this one should. Two of the five or so best workers in the industry. Edge finishes his triumphant return with a victory over Jericho, via the "SPEAR". Expect a lot of false endings in this one.

Streak vs Career No Count Out, No DQ Match

-The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels

Can I ask for a tie here? I want neither to end. I just can't see HBK's last match being against Taker. It has to be against HHH doesn't it? Either way if these two come even close to what they did last year, it's going to be a classic and worth the price of the entire PPV. I just see some kind of strange ending to this one. You can't end the STREAK and you can't end HBK's Career.

Money In The Bank Ladder Match

-Participants: MVP, Christian, Evan Bourne, Kane, Dolph Ziggler, Shelton Benjamin, Jack Swagger, Matt Hardy, Drew McIntyre and Kofi Kingston.

First of all this is way too many men for this match. Can't we do without Kane and Hardy here? Christian deserves the push so naturally he won't win. I think it can only be Ziggler or McIntyre picking up the win here. Kofi will be the crowd favorite but he had his moment in the sun with the Orton program.

No Holds Barred Singles Match

-Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon

Hopefully this is a short one�please please please. I see Vince trying to screw Bret yet again in this one. I am sure he will hand select someone from the back to do most of his �wrestling�. In the end Bret gets the win with a hand from SCSA? Just a hunch.

Singles Match

-Triple H vs. Sheamus

Sheamus must win this one. HHH needs a feud and a long term one, a victory here makes Sheamus look weak and the WWE needs a heel right now, with Orton slowly turning face (about time too). Don't be surprised if we start to see a Sheamus /McIntyre unit emerge and Sheamus gets the win with outside help.

Unified Tag Team Championship Match

-Big Show and The Miz (c's) vs. John Morrison and R-Truth

There should be lots of great spots in this one with Morrison and Truth dominating most of the match. In the end ShowMiz gets the out of nowhere victory.

Triple Threat Match

-Randy Orton vs. Ted DiBiase vs. Cody Rhodes

Orton is very simply the best in the business right now. WWE needs Orton to win here and at the same time start to rip DiBiase and Rhodes apart. I see an Orton RKO on Rhodes when Rhodes and DiBiase distract each other.

Singles Match: If Mysterio loses, he must join the Straight Edge Society

-Rey Mysterio vs CM Punk

God I hope this match is the first of the night...just so we can get it over with. In order for CM PUNK's story line to be legit, Rey must lose and join the Straight Edge Society. Hopefully the ending can be something like Rey goes for the 619 but PUNK catches him and delivers the GTS. No I am not a fan of either guy, but at least the Punk story line is interesting right now.

Overall this is one of the best Wrestlemania cards in years. WWE should be able to knock his one out of the park. I am sure there will be a few surprises along the way. Enjoy the show everyone!

KZ

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KZ�s Tuesday Topics

 

Top Local Story of the Week

 

Michigan State�s Buzzer-Beater ousts the Maryland Terps from the NCAA Tournament. I�d write more but I am too depressed. The Terps were out-rebounded almost 2 to 1 and Michigan State has too many open looks all day including that last buzzer beater. A promising season ends in bitter disappointment.

Top National Story of the Week

 

Tiger Woods will return to the PGA tour at the Masters. Finally he wants to play GOLF. I mean how else is going to afford the sex clinics.

Top Under the Radar Story of the Week

Wladimir Klitschko knocked out Eddie Chambers in the 12th and final round to retain his WBO and IBF heavyweight belts Saturday night. The taller, heavier Klitschko dominated the fight and ended it with a left hook 5 seconds before the final bell. The American went down heavily and needed a couple of minutes to recover. The referee never bothered to count. The 33-year-old Ukrainian improved to 53-3 and scored his 48th KO. Chambers lost for the second time in 37 fights. Quick name the WBA and WBC Heavyweight Champions.

 

Sports Person(s) of the Week

All-Star catcher Joe Mauer and Minnesota completed an eight-year, $184 million deal, a contract which will inevitably be hailed within baseball as an example that teams like the Twins do have a chance to keep their homegrown talent. The deal, which includes a full no-trade clause, ranks in scope with only Alex Rodriguez's 10-year, $275 million contract and Derek Jeter's 10-year, $189 million contract.

This deal is good for the GAME of BASEBALL.

 

The Silliest (to be nice) Person(s) in Sports for the Week

State police are investigating the stabbing of two men during a fight between members of the St. Bonaventure and Jamestown Community College basketball teams. Troopers say the fight occurred around 3 a.m. ET Sunday on the St. Bonaventure campus in Olean, 60 miles south of Buffalo. Police say two 20-year-old men, James Chatmon and Rameek Boyd, were treated at a hospital and released. Authorities say no one has been arrested but the investigation is continuing. Boyd is a member of JCC's Cattaraugus campus team. Chatmon was dismissed from the team for academic reasons. Investigators say the names of the St. Bonaventure players involved aren't being released yet. The coaches of both teams declined to comment about the fight. (AP)

Five things you need to know...

• The NFL will permanently reposition umpires to the offensive backfield beginning with the upcoming 2010 season, in a move designed to protect its most vulnerable on-field officials, the league confirmed Sunday at the annual owners meetings. Outgoing vice president of officiating Mike Pereira and his successor, Carl Johnson, revealed the plans Sunday in an interview. A league official added that the competition committee unanimously recommended the move last week but it had not been yet publicly announced. The change does not require a vote of ownership and only commissioner Roger Goodell could reverse the decision.

• Alabama's Nick Saban had home-field advantage on his side in winning the inaugural Bobby Bowden national collegiate coach of the year award. Saban was presented the award by the Over the Mountain Touchdown Club of Birmingham during a ceremony Sunday night. Bowden, a Birmingham native who retired after last season -- his 34th coaching career at Florida State -- also was in attendance. Saban led the Crimson Tide to a national championship, setting a school record with 14 victories. Also, running back Mark Ingram became the program's first Heisman Trophy winner.

• Houston coach Tom Penders plans to resign, according to local reports. Citing unidentified sources, KRIV-TV and The Houston Chronicle reported Penders' decision to step down came after a meeting Sunday with athletic director Mack Rhoades.  The newspaper and the television station reported Penders will announce his resignation Monday. Houston reached the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1992, but lost to Maryland 89-77 in the first round of the Midwest Regional on Friday night. The 64-year-old Penders was 121-77 in six seasons at Houston. In more than 30 years as a head coach, including stints at Texas, Rhode Island, George Washington, Fordham and Columbia, Penders has won 648 games. 61% winning percentage at Houston and being forced out�ridiculous.

• Johnson finally knocked Bristol off his to-do list, plowing from sixth to first in just three laps Sunday to grab his first career victory at the revered Tennessee track. Jimmie Johnson's win at Bristol was the 50th of his career. He became the fourth-fastest driver to reach that mark. It was Johnson's third win of the season. I guess the golden horseshoe was working well again Mr. Harvick. Btw JJ has won 3 of 5 races this year and yet is still 3rd in the standings. No one else in the top 5 has won a race. Dumbest scoring system EVER!

• The United Football League (UFL) has been actively trying to convince the NFL to invest in the junior league in hopes of gaining a valuable senior partner, as well as other investors, according to sources. Hate to say I told you so, but�the UFL will someday be the NFL�s minor leagues. The NFL would be smart to buy into the league and make the league a farm system of sorts.

 

 

Five things maybe only KZ finds interesting...

• The Lady Terps won their second straight NIT game Sunday beating East Carolina 87 � 52. The Lady Terps will now play Providence game on Thursday night at 7PM at the Comcast Center. Providence was 7 � 9 in the Big East this year. The Terps reached the Sweet 16 on the NIT with Sunday�s win. Jump on the bandwagon now everyone, this team is going to be special next year. Plus the more they win the more we get to see Emery Wallace on the Terps sideline.

• "The NBA will not take disciplinary action against Jazz coach Jerry Sloan following Sloan's run-in with referee Michael Smith at the end of Friday's loss in Phoenix. A league spokesman shared the decision Sunday ... Sloan was ejected with 0.2 seconds remaining Friday after an exchange in which he raised a forearm to Smith's chest and bumped or blocked the referee with it. Sloan said after the game he was afraid of getting hit and that he had a history with Smith." (Salt Lake Tribune) As a wide friend recently said to me. They don�t give out technical fouls or fines when you are right.

• NFL owners to vote on new OT rules this week. Some may ask why? Well here is the reason�Since 1994, 59.8 percent of teams winning the overtime coin toss wound up winning the game, and 34.4 percent of games have been won on the first possession of the extra period, with 26.8 percent being won on the first possession with a field goal. The year is significant because it was in '94 that kickoffs were moved back from the 35 to the 30. Another factor was the improved accuracy and range of field-goal kickers, allowing for shorter and shorter game-winning drives in overtime. Polian cited statistics that said that from 1974-93, kickers hit on 54.8 percent of their field-goal attempts from 40-49 yards, and 32.9 percent of tries from 50-plus. Since 1994, those numbers have risen to 68.6 percent and 51.4 percent, respectively. "This rule allows the defense to play defense, because if you hold them to a field goal, you�ve got a shot," Polian said. "So it does allow you to play defense � It actually forces you to play defense. As opposed to long kickoff return, first down, no yardage; second down, short yardage; third down, long pass, pass interference; Field goal, game over. This forces you to play defense. If you can�t play defense, you�re going to get scored upon." One thing I thought was important to ask was why this wasn't being voted upon for all games, rather than just playoff games. Polian's answer was simple: The NFLPA was against extending overtimes out, and with player safety in mind, they decided to limit snaps where they could while making advancements. Maybe I am over thinking this but if the system working when they kicked off from the 35, why not just move it back to the 30 for the playoffs like it was before 1994. I know, I know�too simple. 
• Kelli Johnson of CSNWashington.com reports according to her sources Redskins DT Albert Haynesworth showed up Monday to Redskins offseason workouts for orientation but hasn't been back since. He�s got his mind on his money and his money on his mind.
• Adam Schefter of ESPN reports via Twitter the NFL has chosen New Orleans for its 2011 annual meeting. Let�s all go!

As you know I am a NFL draft nut�Over the previous weeks I posted my top 5 prospects by position with some sleeper and busts�as the draft gets closer I will start to give some clues and views to how the draft will turn out. I will post 3 more Mocks, one in Late March, one in early April and the last on the day before the draft�

Pick 1: St. Louis Rams

The Rams have many needs, a QB, WR, DT, TE and OLB to name a few. Ideally the Rams would love to trade down, but that is almost impossible with the first pick. Most have Sam Bradford going here. If you read the tea leaves it seems to be headed that way. I think the Rams are in a tough spot, because I really don�t think Bradford or Clausen are worthy of this pick and for that matter a first round pick. We don�t even know if Bradford is healthy. If I am the GM here I take Suh and worry about a QB later in the draft, maybe a Tebow at the top of round 2 or a Pike later on. If Bradford is the pick they will be picking 1st again next year and for that matter years to come. I go one more year with Bulger and Boller and hope to get a top 5 pick in 2011 and a chance a Jake Locker.

Pick 2: Detroit Lions

This would seem like the easiest pick in the draft. Rams take Bradford, you take Suh. If the Rams take Suh you take McCoy. Here is the kicker, the Lions Quarterbacks were sacked 43 times in 2009. Janson and Backus are aging veterans and Cherilus is still learning. Plus they brought in Corey Williams at DT. I protect my investment and grab Russell Okung from Oklahoma State. I know the Tackles will be tough to pass up, especially for a defensive minded head coach, but it could be the smartest thing they could do.

Pick 3: Tampa Bay Bucs

In the scenario I made with the first 2 picks Tampa�s job is easy they take McCoy. I believe no matter what happens in picks 1 and 2 that Suh or McCoy will be there and Tampa will grab one of them. If Suh and McCoy go 1, 2 then Tampa grabs Eric Berry. Tampa�s first round seems pretty easy to me.

Pick 4: Washington Redskins

Redskins fans must not even know what to do with having a draft pick and all but yet they hold one of the keys to the draft. There is a lot of talk about Jimmy Clausen being selected here, which would be a huge mistake. Clausen who I actually think is the best QB in this year�s draft is nowhere near a 4th pick value. So let�s assume Bradford, Sub and McCoy are taken 1 thru 3. Again the smart move is to take Russell Okung and solidify your offensive line. Currently the Skins have three OT�s on the roster, Stephen Heyer, Clint Oldenberg and William Robinson. Strikes fear in you doesn�t it? They need an OT, if Russell is gone then take Brian Bulaga, but get a tackle. They won�t draft a DT or a Safety I can promise you that. If they take Clausen it�s a huge mistake because their OLINE is in shambles.

Pick 5: Kansas City Chiefs

KC�s most glaring needs are OT and S�so KC you have it easy. If Russell is there you take him. If Russell is gone, you select Berry. Easy Peasy�It�s really that simple, I�d love to write more about this pick but no reason to. It�s a cut and dry type selection.

KZ

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The Baltimore Ravens signed DE/DT Cory Redding to a two-year deal today.


Here is what John Clayton wrote about him last year:

Lions defensive tackle Cory Redding has been traded to Seattle for linebacker Julian Peterson. The Lions also are sending the Seahawks a fifth-round draft choice to complete the deal. Redding signed a seven-year, $47.8 million contract to stay in Detroit in 2007, when the team decided to move him from defensive end. Former Lions coach Rod Marinelli believed Redding would be able to help the "three-technique" defensive tackle format. Though Redding didn't produce the desired sacks, he is considered a talented, developing player who is still in his prime.

This would be a move to counter the loss of Dwan Edwards and Justin Bannan it would seen. Redding was a 3rd round pick on the Detroit Lions in 2003.

KZ

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Somewhere along the way I became the resident MD hater. I am not sure how or why, but I am and I play the part well, but let's get one thing perfectly clear. I AM A MARYLAND TERP BASKETBALL FAN! Always have been, always will be and not just of the Lady's, who won again today (yes its the NIT but they won and they are very young). My favorite player of all-time is Dutch Morley...that's right! Many of you have no clue who that is, but he was my guy. So I go way way back as a Terp fan. Open my closet and there is no doubt. What I am no longer a defender of is Gary Williams!


I was a fan of Mr. Williams, so much so that I defended him to everyone who doubted him til 2008. After the 2008 season I just couldn't do it anymore. I mean I tried but I did not have it in me anymore. I mean it is not all his fault but when you are the coach that is who the fingers have to be pointed at. I think he is great coach for the record, but sometimes great is not enough.

So what happened in 2008? Well the Maryland Terps who Gary Williams resurrected when taking over in 1986 from a lost program to a team that would go to the NCAA Tourney 11 straight years from 1994 thru 2004. A coach that got the Terps to 2 straight final fours and in 2002 a National Championship. A coach that someday without a doubt will be in the HOF. In 2008 they went to their 3rd NIT in four years. that meant that since they won a National Championship MY Terps had as many NIT appearances as NCAA appearances, that to me was unacceptable and quite frankly undefendable.


I could not longer do as Coach Williams loves to do, recite his resume anytime things got tough. I could no longer say that the recruiting classes that were so highly rated just didn't work out. I could no longer say he built a program from almost nothing to a National Champion and a perennial NCAA team. I could no longer say well at least they always go to the NCAA's. Lets be real. with out the miracle run by Gilcrist in 2004 and the 2 must need wins last year, we are talking about a team that based on the regular season would have been 5 out of 8 years in the NIT.

So let's review. Since the National Championship season, the Terps have been to the NCAA Tourney 5 out of 8 years, have been to the sweet 16 only once (2003) but have won 10 straight 1st round games in the NCAA Tourney. They have not been past the the 2nd round in their past 4 NCAA appearances. Maybe Gary has spoiled me, but that just is not good enough anymore. IT SHOULDN'T BE EITHER!

I know Gary has earned the right to leave when he is good and ready and know he will never be fired, but just getting to the Touney and winning a game is no longer good enough for this Terp fan. Its no longer good enough when you are the Co-ACC champ to lose in the 1st round of the ACC tourney and its no longer acceptable when you are the 4 seed to not get to the sweet 16...as a TERP FAN I WANT MORE, I NEED MORE, I NOW EXPECT MORE.

And yes today was heartbreaking. I mean I never saw that run coming...but in the end what did them in all day long, did them in again...No Defense. As for Vasquez...great career, great last shot...top 10 Terp all-time for sure...not going to debate here where in your top 10 he is, but outside of 2 games last year to get his team into the NCAA Tourney, team wise his career does not measure up...not even to Gilchrist.


KZ

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NCAA STYLE


10 Things that wouldn't shock me if they happened in the Tourney this year!

1. If Duke got knocked out before the sweet 16...let's face it the Duke big men are, well, not very good. Louisville if they play well could knock them off.
2. Morgan State keeps the game vs West Virginia close..WV is not that deep.
3. Vermont does the unthinkable and beat the CUSE...it is going to happen at some point...this is Vermont...not I never heard of this school A and M right?
4. More then one 13 seed wins in round one...
5. Two or more double digit seeds make the Sweet 16...
6. NO ACC teams in the SWEET 16...DUKE is a ONE, but after that MD is the highest seeded ACC team...
7. No BIG EAST teams in the FINAL FOUR...best conference? maybe most beat up conference...
8. Temple and Richmond make a long runs...A 10 was pretty good this year and both teams played legit out of conference schedules.
9. The SEC lays a big egg..
10. Houston beat Maryland...sorry had to say it...so ask yourself would it really shock you?

10 players you may not have heard of:

1. Ryan Wittman - Cornell...the kid can flat out shoot the lights out.
2. Quincy Poindecter - Washington...19 ppg and 7.5 rpg
3. Darington Hobson - New Mexico...Mr. Everything
4. Jerome Randle - Cal...in range when he gets in the gym
5. Alex Franklin - Sienna...a double-double waiting to happen
6. LaceDarius Dunn - Baylor...special
7. Kevin Anderson - Richmond...don't let him get rolling...
8. Randy Culpepper - UTEP...has struggled lately
9. Jordan Crawford - Xavier...remember him? Lebrun James does
10. Jimmer Fredette - BYU...21 points a game and shoots 45% from three.

Let the games begin

KZ

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ROB LONG SHOW�s NCAA FEARLESS FORECAST:

 

ROB LONG:

PREDICTION: No ACC teams in the Elite 8!

 

PHIL the SUPER PRODUCER:

FINAL 4: Kansas, Syracuse, Villanova and Kentucky

UPSET(s): Siena over Purdue

PREDICTION: FIVE Big East teams in the Elite 8

 

KZ:

FINAL 4: Kansas, Kansas State, Baylor and Kentucky

UPSET(s): Georgia Tech beats Ohio State in round 2, SDSU over Tennessee

PREDICTION: Two 13 seeds win a first round game and Vermont beats Syracuse (hey its gonna happen one day)

ANNE:

FINAL 4: Michigan State, Kansas State, Villanova and Kentucky

UPSET(s): Murray State over Vandy

PREDICTION: Big East will have FOUR teams in the Sweet 16

So there you have it...our Final 4 and some predictions...please share yours!

KZ

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KZ�s Tuesday Topics

Top Local Story of the Week

MORGAN STATE wins MEAC

Morgan State dedicated its season to a stricken teammate. Then the Bears went out and honored him by ensuring they'll end the year on college basketball's grandest stage: the NCAA tournament. They claimed their second straight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship by beating South Carolina State 68-61 on Saturday behind 18 points and 10 rebounds from tournament MVP Kevin Thompson. League player of the year Reggie Holmes added 17 points for the top-seeded Bears (27-9), who shot 53 percent to overcome 20 turnovers and avenged their only regular-season conference loss by becoming the first repeat MEAC champion since Hampton in 2001 and '02.

Last year's title meant redemption for Coach Todd Bozeman. This one has an even deeper significance for the program: to honor redshirt freshman Anthony Anderson, who was diagnosed with leukemia in October and stayed back in Baltimore for chemotherapy. The players are wearing patches with his No. 4 on their jerseys, an idea proposed by Holmes. Before the Bears left for Winston-Salem, they visited Anderson in the hospital, and Bozeman said the player told him that he was getting out Monday and was planning to attend their NCAA tournament game -- as long as they made the field, of course. "This is what he wanted," said league rookie of the year DeWayne Jackson, Anderson's roommate. "We were going to give him what he wanted." Khalif Toombs had 15 points to lead the third-seeded Bulldogs (18-14), who were denied their first NCAA berth since 2003 after shooting 31 percent and committing 19 turnovers. Morgan State held South Carolina State without a field goal for nearly 6 minutes and used a 13-2 run to take a 44-34 lead with 11 1/2 minutes left, then went 5 for 6 from the line in the final 2 minutes to seal it. Seemingly every time the Bulldogs threatened to get back in it, the Bears dumped the ball into Thompson and let him do the dirty work underneath. Midway through the half, South Carolina State twice made it a six-point game -- and each time, Thompson responded with baskets in the paint. "We just couldn't get stops. That was the bottom line," Bulldogs coach Tim Carter said. "I thought they did a very good job of going to their strengths, which is Thompson. ... We just couldn't stop Thompson down the stretch." Jackson scored 12 points and Joe Davis added 10 for the Bears. Their next stop: another trip to the NCAA tournament, perhaps as a No. 15 seed again -- just as they were when they were routed 82-54 last year by Oklahoma. "Blake Griffin worked [Thompson] over," Bozeman said, adding that his big man "worked hard all summer, and you see the results of it." Playing in its third straight league title game, Morgan State entered with an unofficial RPI of 105. The field of 65 has become familiar territory for Bozeman, who was named the MEAC coach of the year for the third straight season. He took California to three tournaments before resigning in 1996 amid an NCAA investigation. Shortly after the buzzer sounded, the coach donned a championship cap and danced alongside the line of Morgan State cheerleaders. "This is my fifth time, and it never gets old," Bozeman said. "Once you drink from that cup, you want to drink from it all the time." South Carolina State snapped the Bears' 11-game winning streak by beating them 71-68 last month in Baltimore. Jason Flagler, who scored 24 in that game, finished with 12 this time on 4-of-13 shooting while Darnell Porter also scored 12 points. "They messed up one of my goals � I wanted to go undefeated in the MEAC," Holmes said. "They made us cry, and I told [teammates], 'This is our last chance to get them back.' �For a while, South Carolina State looked tired -- and understandably so, after needing overtime to upset second-seeded Delaware State in a semifinal some 15 hours earlier. The Bulldogs missed 15 of their first 18 shots while Morgan State used an early 16-5 run fueled by four 3-pointers to take its first double-figure lead, 20-10. But South Carolina State reeled off 11 straight points to temporarily tighten the game up. "Anybody would feel a little fatigued after an overtime game, but we can't use that as (the excuse) for the loss," Flagler said. "It's not your body that comes into play. It's all mental. You can say we were fatigued, but it really was mental." (AP)

One has to now wonder how long Coach Bozeman will remain at Morgan. He has proven to be a master recruiter, a program builder and a winner.

Top National Story of the Week

MARCH MADNESS�NCAA TOURNEY STYLE...ENOUGH SAID!

The Midwest looks to be a mine-field for any team trying to make it out. So much for rewarding the overall number one seed. Those Duke conspiracy theorists will have a lot to talk about as seemingly Duke has the easiest road to the final four of all the number one seeds. I think the selection committee felt bad for the PAC 10, because the only reason Cal is in this year is because they play in a �big 6� conference, their resume was weak at best. Florida over Mississippi State?, I don�t get that one. Virginia Tech has been told two years in a row to play a tougher schedule and yet they have not learned yet. Although I still think they had a better case then Florida, Utah State and Cal. For those that think the tourney should be expanded�I say forget about that. This is as perfect a system as there is. There will always be a team or two or three right on the edge, but do those teams really have a shot to win it all? No they don�t�so why water this event down, keep it one of the best events sports has to offer just the way it is.

And this just in�Maryland sophomore backup forward Jin Soo Kim Choi is the first Korean scholarship basketball player in NCAA history. � Staying with the Terps, coach Gary Williams has won eight consecutive first-round games. Mike Huguenin is a Yahoo! Sports college sports editor. Send Mike a question or comment for potential use in a future column or webcast. Mike�Mike�yo Mike..Soo left the team months ago�just saying. Experts�ha!

Top Under the Radar Story of the Week

NASCAR driver Kurt Busch has lost his drag racing debut. Busch was sent home Sunday in the opening round of eliminations at the NHRA Gatornationals. Busch raced in the Super Gas division of the Sportsman class. His 1970 Dodge Challenger sputtered shortly after takeoff and covered the 1,000-foot drag strip in 10.10 seconds, a bumper behind Wes Neely's 1967 Chevrolet Camaro. Busch raced in the 9.90-second division, meaning he was a bit off the projected pace. Busch, taking advantage of an off week in NASCAR's Sprint Cup Series, was the event's star attraction. He spent much of the four-day event shaking hands, signing autographs and posing for pictures. He made only two runs: a qualifying pass Sunday morning and the elimination race nearly eight hours later. Well with Jimmy Johnson now seemingly slowing down, might as well try something new.

Sports Person(s) of the Week

Sometimes you find a story that you just have to share�here is one from Kevin Blackistone�

Before the girls were allowed to break up for the night after the team dinner in Costa Rica on Thursday, they were read an email to them from the States that had just arrived. It began:

"Ladies, I am not the type to go out of my way unless something totally compels me to do so. Today, it did ...You can imagine how amazing I think what you all did after the Haiti game was and how much it means to me, and to this country."

The email's author was one of the girls' idols, decorated U.S. women's national team star Abby Wambach . The girls made up the U.S. under-17 soccer team that was kicking off play in the CONCACAF (Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football) championship tournament in Alajuela, Costa Rica.

But what Wambach came to admire so much about her admirers was that those admirers were mere girls no more. They were, instead, all grown, teaching life lessons of their own. This was their first.

Because it happened on a field of play it was called sportsmanship. But that it happened under the circumstances it did, we should all recognize it as that transcendent human quality called compassion.

The U.S. team was playing Haiti, after all, a team of girls from an unlucky country that two months ago was dealt another unlucky hand, an earthquake that killed more than 200,000. All of them arrived in Costa Rica homeless. One goalkeeper, Madeline Delice, came newly orphaned. The Haitian Federation's soccer headquarters in the center of Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince collapsed and 32 people inside were killed. �I was really amazed that they would play," U.S. goalie Bree Heaberlin told me Saturday by phone of her thoughts just a few weeks ago upon learning that her team's first opponents would be from that devastated Caribbean country.

Bree said she and her teammates started strategizing almost immediately about how to handle the Haitian girls. They weren't thinking of what kind of offense to run or how to shutdown Haiti's leading scorer. They were thinking about what they could do as a team to help the Haitian girls ease what must have been, Bree and her teammates thought, an unimaginable pain.

"A lot of my teammates talked about doing a fundraiser or something to help them," Bree said.

U.S. Soccer caught wind of the girls' concerns and stepped in to help them. They decided to collect as much soccer gear and clothing and toiletries and whatever else they could pack up and carry to Costa Rica as gifts to their Haitian counterparts as they could.

"I got my high school team and my club team to donate toothpaste and toothbrushes and goalie gloves and cleats," said Bree, a St. Petersburg, Fla., native.

They divided up the gifts into individual backpacks for each of the girls on the Haitian team and took off for Costa Rica.

It wasn't much of a contest, of course. The U.S. team was rested and prepared. The Haitian team was drained and, obviously, distracted.

The U.S. went up 1-0 after 92 seconds. It was 2-0 at the 13th minute and 4-0 at the half. The last goal came in stoppage time and made the final tally 9-0.

"It definitely wasn't a good feeling," Bree recounted as the final whistle sounded. "Nobody was thinking about the game."

And now no one who saw it end will ever forget it.

"When the [final] whistle blew," Bree recalled, "I walked to midfield with my teammates to shake hands with the Haitian team, and as I did I looked downfield and saw their goalie was laying on the ground, crying."

The emotion of everything toppled Alexandra Coby.

Coby's coach was the first to reach her side. Bree was the second. Bree's teammates were in tow.

"We started walking to her. Her coach helped her up," Bree said, "and I opened my arms and hugged her.

"She was crying and I started crying," Bree said. "And all my teammates began crying.

"Nobody spoke any French," Bree said of Haiti's native language. "We communicated with a nod and a smile."

Bree said it didn't last more than a minute and a half. But there is no doubt they all will carry the moment for the rest of their lives.

Wambach's email continued:

"It is rare to have moments like that show up, but even more rare to actually do the right thing when they arise. It takes people who think outside of themselves to do what you all did. I believe it truly shows one's character. And to do it in the way you did was simply one of the most gracious things I've seen in a long time."

U.S. Soccer snapped a photo of their victorious team in the locker room after its 9-0 win over Haiti. The young women looked as if they'd lost.

Bree said they saw the Haitian team again on Friday. Bree and her teammates were leaving the pitch after beating the Cayman Islands and the Haitian team was waiting to come on to play Costa Rica. They all hugged again.

Wambach's email concluded:

"Honestly, today I feel very proud to be an American. It gives me something to strive towards. It gives me strength in knowing that what I do every day will be taken over by good people that respect this life and game.

"The example that you all showed is exactly the kind of thing that makes this game so special. We have the ability to do so much. Keep up the good work, and keep making us proud. You all are an inspiration."

Haiti lost 2-0 on Friday to Costa Rica and was eliminated from the championship. The U.S. women remained undefeated and are two wins from making the finals, which will guarantee them a spot in their world cup this summer in Trinidad and Tobago.

But before all the young women's teams depart Costa Rica this week, the U.S. team will see the Haitians at least once more. It will be when it delivers its gifts of goodwill, exercising the life-affirming act of humanity once more. By Kevin Blackistone

The Silliest (to be nice) Person in Sports for the Week

Rich Cimini of the New YorkDaily News reports there was a coin toss, after all -- just like the Jets said there would be. But the Giants won the toss and won the right to host the first regular-season game at the new Meadowlands stadium, Gary Myers is reporting for the Daily News. The coin toss apparently was held this morning at the league office with no team representatives present. This is a weird turn of events, considering the NFL refused yesterday to acknowledge that a coin toss was going to take place to settle the dispute. Ok so it�s not a person but this is just silly.

And also�

MarkCraig of the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports a league source told the Star Tribune the Vikings made a similar offer to the one LaDainian Tomlinson accepted with the Jets.

"Tomlinson wanted to go a team that he thought had a chance to compete for the championship," according to agent Tom Condon. "He wanted to go where he had a chance to have a significant role, and so with the Jets, he also was going to be very familiar with the offensive system" run by former Chargers assistant Brian Schottenheimer. This just proves that most professional athletes are either liars or delusional. If you truly think that the Jets are closer then the Vikings to a Championship, I really can�t help you. The Jets backed into the playoffs because the Indy team laid down for them. The Vikings were one of the two best teams in the NFC last year. So LT2 let�s call it what it is�you didn�t want to play second fiddle to AP and think you may have a shot to play more behind Shonn Greene. See was that so hard.

Five things you need to know...

• According to sources, an idea has been kicked around the Phillies' organization internally, with discussions about proposing a swap of slugger Ryan Howard for St. Louis superstar Albert Pujols. Now this is interesting�But why not if you are the Phillies. Pujols could be the greatest player ever if you look at the numbers.

• Baltimore Orioles second baseman Brian Roberts is returning to Baltimore to see a specialist for an ailing back that has kept him out of games this spring. "I'm just going there to see a back doctor and just make sure we're progressing in a way we need to be and if we need to ramp it up and do anything else, then we will," Roberts after taking infield practice with the team on Sunday morning. This is about a week or two late in my opinion. Now there is work he got an epidural for his herniated disc. This just does not heal itself and the Orioles are looking at a season long issue.

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• LT2 chooses the Jets over the Vikings. LT2 is an upgrade over Thomas Jones how? I think someone in New York has played too much Fantasy Football.
• Brian Matusz threw 5 Innings Sunday against the Phillies A team giving up 3 hits and 1 run with striking out 2 and walking none. It was the longest outing of any Orioles pitcher this spring. Adam Jones and Nick Markakis both had 2 hits. I just thought we all needed some good news about them Orioles. Bergeson threw better on Monday.

• NHL scoring leader Alex Ovechkin was ejected from Sunday�s game after receiving a five-minute major and a game misconduct in the first period for driving Chicago's Brian Campbell into the boards from behind. Ovechkin raced up the ice and knocked Campbell into the boards behind the net at 7:44 of the opening period on Sunday. Campbell stayed down for several minutes before he was able to leave the ice with a trainer at his side and head to the locker room. It was a good call. The best player in the NHL needs to be careful here as he is starting to hear the D word�Dirty. Ovechkin was suspended for 2 games by the NHL, but here is the problem, Ovechkin is changing what a hockey player is and does. He is faster and stronger then the stars of old and plays with a powerful style that will eventually change the way officials look at penalties. He is just that much better than everyone else. This hit while penalty worthy wasn�t that bad. It just wasn�t.

Five things maybe only KZ finds interesting...

• New York Jets coach Rex Ryan underwent a weight-loss procedure Saturday to help him fight obesity. Do you think they could put a band around his mouth as well?

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• Pete Sampras and Andre Agassi, in what began as an attempt at levity during a charity doubles match, launched their legendary rivalry into uncharted waters over the weekend in Indian Wells, Calif. Sampras, teamed with Roger Federer, and Agassi, alongside Rafael Nadal, gave a new twist to a decades-old exchange in the Hit for Haiti charity fundraiser at the BNP Paribas Open. With the one-set match even at 4-4 on Friday night, Sampras and Federer took a 40-love lead in the ninth game, with Sampras appearing to put a little extra on his serves. All of the players were wearing microphone headsets. "You always have to go get serious, huh, Pete?'' Agassi asked to the delight of a laughing crowd. 

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• Two years without a victory -- the longest drought of his career, Ernie Els played the final 23 holes without a bogey on the Blue Monster and closed with a 6-under 66 for a four-shot victory over Charl Schwartzel. If you win and no one knows it, does it still count?

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• David Beckham will miss the World Cup and most if not all the Los Angeles Galaxy season after tearing his left Achilles tendon Sunday while playing for AC Milan. His international career for England is all but over. It remains to be seen how much he'll have left for the Galaxy and Major League Soccer. I feel bad for Becks but this is not a huge loss for England.

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• DIRECTV and Versus settled their differences and signed a new agreement effective Monday March 15, 2010. Hockey and Tour de France fans rejoice.

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As you know I am a NFL draft nut�I won�t do a mock draft until after the NFL combine in Feb, but I will each week run down my top 5 players by position with a line or 2 of commentary�Each week I will do one or two positions until my mock comes out. This week�

Five top CB�s and S�s in this year�s NFL Draft:

CB�s

1. Joe Haden � Florida
2. Kyle Wilson � Boise State
3. Devin McCourty � Rutgers
4. Perrish Cox - Oklahoma State
5. Chris Cook � Virginia

Sleeper: Akwasi Owusu-Ansah � Indiana (PA)

Bust: Javier Arenas � Alabama

Safeties

1. Eric Berry � Tennessee
2. Taylor Mays � USC
3. Earl Thomas � Texas
4. Chad Jones � LSU
5. Myron Rolle � Florida State

Sleeper: Barry Church � Toledo

Bust: Larry Asante - Nebraska

KZ

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Without listening to an "expert" here is what jumped out at me:

• California is an 8 seed? How are these these guys in the tourney to begin with. I mean its great you played...Syracuse, Ohio State, New Mexico and Kansas but here is a novel idea...beat someone. I mean you lost 2 out of 3 times to Washington and yet Washington is the PAC-10 Tourney champ and only an 11 seed. I don't get it. Washington had less losses and at least beat Texas A and M.

• Virginia Tech didn't get in...again! Wake and Clemson did...VT beat Clemson and Wake this year btw...the committee I guess is saying you have to finish the season better then 2 - 4 and need to beat someone in non-conference play in the top 50. Wakes victories over Gonzaga, Richmond and Xavier must have pushed them ahead. Clemson finished 3 - 3 down the stretch and beat Butler. VT simply has to play a better non-conference schedule.

• Siena over Purdue will be everyone's upset special.

• Hold the phone..Florida got in as a 10 seed...please...they beat only Tennessee in conference. They finished 9 - 7 in a week SEC...lost to Mississippi State in the SEC tourney...WOW...I don't get that one...I guess beating FSU and Michigan State early were enough.
• Utah State beats BYU this year and NO ONE else...VT should have been in over them...closer I look VT has a legit beef.
  
• Maryland gets a 4 seed but has to play a hot Houston team...could set up a MD vs Michigan State game...we have seen those before.

• First ONE seed out is Syracuse...don't love the draw. Duke a close second.
• 5 vs 12 upset...Cornell over Temple

• Lowest seed to win a game...13...look at those games...a 13 seed is gonna win a game...
• Sleeper teams...Baylor, Texas A&M, Butler, BYU and Marquette.
  
• Quick final 4...Kansas, Kentucky, Baylor, Kansas State...3 Big 12 teams? Well that's not happening lol...

KZ

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According to several sources, the Ravens have reached a two-year agreement in principle with Derrick Mason. Welcome back!!

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KZ�s Tuesday Topics

 

Top Local Story of the Week

Anquan Boldin is a Baltimore Raven The Arizona Cardinals have traded receiver Anquan Boldin to the Baltimore Ravens for third and fourth round draft picks. The Ravens also received Arizona's fifth-round draft pick in 2010. Boldin, who was entering the final year of his contract, agreed to a three-year, $25 million extension with the Ravens, ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter reported. He has four years, $28 million left on his contract. The extension includes $10 million in guaranteed money. Ravens fans rejoice you have a legit number one receiver. This was a great first step in revitalizing the receiving core but more need to be done. The Stallworth signing looks better now, but I still think he is a number 3 at best on a good team and the Ravens are a good team. Bringing back Mason would be a great step as well, but I think the Ravens still should look to draft a WR in the first two rounds of the NFL draft. I would prefer a 1st rounder myself. Let�s not leave the job half done, once and for all I hope the Ravens complete the WR revitalization.

 

Top National Story of the Week

 

The Ed Block Courage Award is an annual award presented to selected players in the National Football League (NFL), who are voted by their teammates as role models of inspiration, sportsmanship, and courage. Named in memory of Ed Block, a much-beloved humanitarian and trainer for the Baltimore Colts, the award is administered by the Ed Block Courage Award Foundation. Sponsorship proceeds promote the prevention of child abuse by raising awareness of the epidemic and assisting agencies who provide for the care and treatment of abused children. Multiple organizations, including the American Kennel Club and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, have said they think it's inappropriate for Vick, a convicted felon who admits that he ran a dog fighting ring, to be honored as a role model. The Ed Block Courage Award Foundation is concerned that protests of Vick's presence could cause problems, and the added security and nixing of the autograph signing is the result.

Each year, the Ed Block Courage Awards honors those National Football League players who exemplify commitments to the principles of sportsmanship and courage. Recipients are selected by their teammates for team effort, as well as individual performance. Courage Houses offer programs that promote a healing, informative and preventive curriculum. The children who receive care from the Courage Houses are children who have belonged to a "family in crisis" and are in dire need of professional therapy, guidance, nurturing, general support, mental health counseling, vocational/educational training and abusive behavior management therapy.

The Ed Block Courage Award Foundation directly helps the Courage Houses better reach their goals by providing the facilities with access to unique programs and services, grant opportunities with corporate and individual philanthropists, marketing and educational tools and much more. Vick has made several appearances on behalf of the Humane Society of the United States, one of whose top executives will accompany him tonight to the awards dinner at Martin's West.

"I'll keep [doing volunteer work] for the rest of my career, and even when football is over," Vick said. "Everybody thinks I'm doing this to get back in people's good graces, but that's not the issue.

"I'll do this as long as you and I are alive."

Vick was nominated for the Ed Block award by his Philadelphia teammates. One player from each NFL team is singled out annually at the banquet for his inspiration, courage and sportsmanship.

Asked whether he felt he deserves the honor, Vick, who served a 21-month prison sentence, replied, "This award was voted amongst my peers. They put me in this position, and that's why I'm here."

He was voted to receive the award by his teammates as were 31 other NFL players including the Ravens Dawan Landry. To protest this guy during this award ceremony is bush. The Humane Society sent a representative to accompany Mr. Vick. I have said it before PETA is a cult and a gutless one at that. They can�t see the big picture here. It�s the KIDS you misguided souls! Mr. Vick did a bad thing�ok, get over it. He paid his debt and is trying to make amends and events like this are good for Mr. Vick. PETA and those like them see it as an opportunity to get their voices heard at the expense of the KIDS, and it�s a shame.

 

 

Top Under the Radar Story of the Week

 

German police say a heavily armed group has stormed a poker tournament at a Berlin luxury hotel and made off with a jackpot. Several people were slightly injured when they panicked and fled. A police spokesman says four robbers wearing disguises forced employees at the Berlin Grand Hyatt to hand over money, and then managed to escape. One report quoted witnesses as saying the robbers were armed with automatic weapons, machetes and hand grenades. Police declined to give details, including how much money the men got away with. The jackpot for the tournament stood at more than a million dollars, according to a European Poker Tour Web site. Finally, some excitement in watching poker. No one was seriously hurt in the attach.

 

Sports Person of the Week

Grant Catalino! Who is he? Well let me tell you. Terps junior attackman Grant Catalino scored with 1 minute, 50 seconds left in the four-minute, sudden-death overtime to halt a valiant comeback attempt by Duke, as No. 7 Maryland defeated the No. 6 Blue Devils, 11-10, in the Konica Minolta Face-Off Classic at M&T Bank Stadium Saturday. It was Grant�s 5th goal of the game. Any Terp that hits a shot or scores a goal to beat Duke can be my sports person of the week anytime. Duke rallied with three goals in the last 4:22 of regulation to send the game into overtime, thanks largely to some lazy passes by Maryland, particularly Catalino, whose lob pass contributed to Will McKee's game-tying goal with 13 seconds remaining. In overtime, McKee had the ball outside the crease when he took a major hit from Maryland midfielder Bryn Holmes that separated him from the ball. Maryland long-pole midfielder Brian Farrell picked up the ball near the restraining line and ran about 40 yards before passing to midfielder Dean Hart. He then dished off to Catalino, who finished. (The Baltimore Sun contributed to this article)

 

The Silliest (to be nice) Person in Sports for the Week

 

TMZ.com reports the woman accusing Ben Roethlisberger of sexual assault was "hysterical" when she spoke with police ... this according to a source at the Milledgeville Police Department. We're told Ben's accuser arrived at the P.D. with three other women. According to a source at the police department, Ben's accuser was extremely emotional and looked like she had been crying for hours. Ben's agent, Ryan Tollner, said on Friday, "we are skeptical of motive." Our source begged to differ, saying Ben's accuser did not look like a girl who was making it up. Roethlisberger has not been charged. On a side note even though no charges have been made against Roethlisberger, he has hired famed attorney Ed Garland. Things that make you go hmmmm. Now the DA wants DNA samples...

 

Five things you need to know...

 

• Todd Porter of the Canton Repository reports former Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith would love to play for the Browns.  �He would crawl from Baltimore right now to be able to play in Cleveland,� Smith�s agent Ralph Cindrich said in a phone interview. �That�s clearly where his heart is. That�s where his love is. He has a great relationship in Baltimore and with the fans as long as I don�t muck it up too much. He has a great relationship with (Baltimore General Manager) Ozzie Newsome. �It�s just that this is where home is. In the offseason, he tells me, �Get me home.� � This isn�t a question of if Smith wants to play for the Browns. It is a matter of whether or not the new regime in Cleveland wants Smith.  And if so, at what price? Well, apparently Seneca Wallace was a better choice for them. Hmmm.

• The University of Maryland football team will play Notre Dame in 2011 at FedEx Field, the school announced today. The Terps' game against the Fighting Irish -- the second meeting between the programs -- is scheduled for Nov. 12, 2011 at the Washington Redskins' stadium in Landover. "This is great for our program and our profile," Maryland coach Ralph Friedgen said in a news release. "This is a game our fans will be really excited about and our players will enjoy." Notre Dame will be the home team for that game because the Fighting Irish have an agreement to play at FedEx Field on that date. Well its better than playing Middle Tennessee State that�s for sure

• Minnesota Twins reliever Joe Nathan has been diagnosed with a torn ligament in his right elbow, leaving the team without a proven closer less than a month from Opening Day. Nathan has a torn ulnar collateral ligament and will decide whether to have surgery within two weeks, the team said. The Minneapolis Star Tribune first reported the injury. The team announced Nathan has a "significant tear," but will not immediately opt for surgery. He will rest and rehab the elbow over the next one to two weeks, then determine whether he can pitch with the injury. Nathan may get a second opinion from Dr. James Andrews, the surgeon who operated on his elbow last October to remove bone chips. Surgery would likely cost Nathan all of the 2010 season. UT OH!

• University of Maryland senior guard Greivis Vasquez was named today as Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year and Maryland's Gary Williams was named the ACC Coach of the Year. Greivis is also among the five players named to The Sporting News' first team All-America squad. Vasquez was recognized for "finding his way back from a dreadful start" and dominating "opponents with his scoring, passing and will to win." Other players -- all guards -- recognized are: Oklahoma State's James Anderson, Villanova's Scottie Reynolds, Ohio State's Evan Turner and Kentucky's John Wall.

• The Orioles are 1 � 6 in pre-season games so far. Brian Roberts is still at least a week away from playing in a game and O�s pitchers are throwing a lot of pitches early in games. Panic? Of course not its spring training, but as March starts to ramp up I wonder how patient Orioles fans will remain. I still think the Roberts injury is more serious then the club is letting on. With a brutal schedule in the first month of the season I wonder how the club would look at a slow start. Felipe Lopez is still a free agent btw�just saying.

• Matt Wieters will be on the cover of Sports Illustrated that is released on Wednesday.  Wieters becomes the first Oriole in more than 13 years to grace the cover of SI.

 

 

Five things maybe only KZ finds interesting...

• Reebok Canada is offering a $10,000 reward, no questions asked, for the return of the stick and gloves Sidney Crosby used to score in overtime in Canada's Olympic championship victory over the United States. The equipment disappeared after Crosby tossed his stick and ripped off his gloves to celebrate. Hockey Canada says all of the equipment was collected and was being put into the players' bags when it was noticed Crosby's stick and glove were missing. "The stick and glove are priceless," Len Rhodes, vice president and general manager for Reebok Hockey CCM, said Saturday night. "There's absolutely no substitute for that exact stick and glove." Reebok has set up an e-mail hotline for people to send in tips. Hockey Canada also is trying to figure out what happened and security officers are reviewing video that shows people leaving the rink with sticks.

• The Davis Cup run for the United States is over in the first round. Novak Djokovic withstood 24 aces and outlasted John Isner 7-5, 3-6, 6-3, 6-7(6), 6-4 on Sunday, giving Serbia a clinching 3-1 lead against an American team looking for its 33rd Davis Cup title. In the last rubber, Sam Querrey beat Viktor Troicki 7-5, 6-2 to make the final score 3-2. USA Tennis needs a major upgrade.

• The UConn women's team just earned their 72nd win -- topping the record of another Geno Auriemma-coached team, the 70 straight wins of the 2001-03 Huskies. This may be the greatest run in the modern era of sports and because its Woman�s Basketball its not getting the play it should. You have to check this team out!

• According to Tribune News Services, Donovan Mcnabb and Terrell Owens will be playing on the same team again..This time however, the sport will be basketball. Don and Terrell will make an appearance on the new season of Spike TV�s Pros vs. Joes..This particular episode features current NFL players that played college ball against former NBA stars..The matchup will feature Syracuse alum Mcnabb, Tennessee-Chattanooga alum Terrell Owens, and Kent St. standout Antonio Gates vs. Hakeem �The Dream� Olajuwon, Kenny �The Jet� Smith and Rick �Silver� Fox.

• U.S. Olympic gold medalists Lindsey Vonn, Shaun White and Seth Wescott are the latest athletes to grace the Wheaties box. Minnesota-based General Mills Inc. says the three Olympians will each get their own orange cereal box. Vonn will be the first female alpine skier to appear, and White and Wescott will be the first snowboard and snowboard cross athletes to earn the coveted spot. Vonn, a native of Burnsville, Minn., posted a picture of herself with her Wheaties box on her Facebook page Thursday morning. She wrote that it was an honor to be included. Separately, Vonn's sponsor Red Bull announced that her image would appear on limited-edition six-packs of the energy drink.
  

• Marion Jones will join the Tulsa Shock�.yes that Marion Jones!

 

As you know I am a NFL draft nut�I won�t do a mock draft until after the NFL combine in Feb, but I will each week run down my top 5 players by position with a line or 2 of commentary�Each week I will do one or two positions until my mock comes out. This week�

Five top OLB�s and ILB�s in this year�s NFL Draft:

OLB�s

1. Brandon Graham � Michigan � I also had him listed as a DE
2. Sean Weatherspoon � Missouri
3. Sergio Kindle - Texas
4. Navorro Bowman � Penn State
5. Jerry Hughes - TCU

ILB�s

1. Rolando McClain � Alabama
2. Brandon Spikes � Florida
3. Darryl Washington � TCU
4. Sean Lee � Penn State
5. Darryl Sharpton � Miami

Sleeper(s) � Koa Misi � Utah, Adrian Tracey � William and Mary, Roddrick Muckelroy -Texas

 

Bust(s) � Thaddeus Gibson � Ohio State, Donald Butler - Washington

 

KZ

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Via Kffl.com a team by team account of todays fast and furious action.

Arizona Cardinals

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Cardinals | Trade Boldin
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:35:01 -0800

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the Arizona Cardinals traded WR Anquan Boldin and a 2010 fifth-round draft pick to the Baltimore Ravens Friday, March 5, in exchange for third- and fourth-round picks in the 2010 NFL Draft.

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Atlanta Falcons

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Falcons | Robinson agrees to terms
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:57:35 -0800

Updating previous reports, Adam Schefter, of ESPN, reports the Atlanta Falcons have agreed to terms on a six-year deal with unrestricted free-agent CB Dunta Robinson (Texans). Financial terms were not disclosed.

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Baltimore Ravens

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Ravens | Boldin agrees to extension
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:28:19 -0800

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the Baltimore Ravens agreed to a four-year, $28 million extension with newly acquired WR Anquan Boldin Friday, March 5.

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Ravens | Acquire Boldin
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:27:26 -0800

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the Baltimore Ravens acquired WR Anquan Boldin and a 2010 fifth-round pick from the Arizona Cardinals Friday, March 5, in exchange for third- and fourth-round picks in the 2010 NFL Draft.

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Carolina Panthers

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Panthers | Diggs, Johnson released
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:34:20 -0800

Panthers.com reports the Carolina Panthers have released LBs Na'il Diggs and Landon Johnson.

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Panthers | Delhomme officially released
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:31:07 -0800

Updating a previous report, Panthers.com reports the Carolina Panthers have released QB Jake Delhomme.

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Panthers | Kemoeatu released
Thu, 04 Mar 2010 23:28:12 -0800

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the Carolina Panthers have released DT Ma'ake Kemoeatu.

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Chicago Bears

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Bears | Peppers agrees to terms
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:56:48 -0800

ESPNews reports the Chicago Bears have agreed to terms with unrestricted free-agent DE Julius Peppers (Panthers). Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

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Bears | Taylor signed
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:57:17 -0800

Adam Schefter, of ESPN, reports the Chicago Bears have signed unrestricted free-agent RB Chester Taylor (Vikings) to a four-year deal worth $12.5 million. Taylor will receive $7 million guaranteed in the first year of the contract.

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Bears | Manumaleuna agrees to terms
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:07:28 -0800

Jeff Dickerson, of ESPNChicago.com, reports the Chicago Bears have agreed to terms with unrestricted free-agent TE Brandon Manumaleuna (Chargers) on a five-year deal, according to a source. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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Cleveland Browns

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Browns | C. Williams traded
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:33:19 -0800

John Niyo, of The Detroit News, reports the Cleveland Browns have traded DL Corey Williams and a seventh-round draft choice to the Detroit Lions for a fifth-round draft choice.

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Denver Broncos

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Broncos | Agree to principle to re-sign with Lloyd, Hochstein
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:24:57 -0800

DenverBroncos.com reports the Denver Broncos have agreed in principle to re-sign unrestricted free-agent WR Brandon Lloyd and OG Russ Hochstein. Terms of the agreements were not disclosed.

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Broncos | Agree on one-year deal with J. Arrington
Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:42:16 -0800

Mike Klis, of The Denver Post, reports the Denver Broncos have agreed to terms on a one-year contract with free-agent RB J.J. Arrington (Broncos)

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Detroit Lions

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Lions | G. Jackson released
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 13:12:23 -0800

Tom Kowalski, of MLive.com, reports the Detroit Lions have released DT Grady Jackson.

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Lions | Ciurciu re-signed
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:48:03 -0800

Nicholas J. Cotsonika, of the Detroit Free Press, reports the Detroit Lions have re-signed unrestricted free-agent LB Vinny Ciurciu to a one-year deal. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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Lions | Heller re-signed
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:41:54 -0800

Nicholas J. Cotsonika, of the Detroit Free Press, reports the Detroit Lions have re-signed unrestricted free-agent TE Will Heller. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

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Lions | Jansen re-signed
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:53:53 -0800

Nicholas J. Cotsonika, of the Detroit Free Press, reports the Detroit Lions have re-signed unrestricted free-agent OT Jon Jansen to a one-year deal worth $850,000.

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Lions | C. Williams acquired
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:28:00 -0800

John Niyo, of The Detroit News, reports the Detroit Lions have acquired DL Corey Williams and a seventh-round draft choice from the Cleveland Browns for a fifth-round draft choice.

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Lions | Vanden Bosch agrees to terms
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:03:56 -0800

Kevin Seifert, of ESPN.com, reports the Detroit Lions have agreed to terms with unrestricted free-agent DE Kyle Vanden Bosch (Titans) on a four-year deal. Financial terms were not disclosed. Vanden Bosch confirmed the agreement during a radio interview.

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Lions | Agree to deal with Burleson
Thu, 04 Mar 2010 22:57:11 -0800

Adam Caplan, of Scout.com, reports the Detroit Lions have agreed to terms on a deal with free-agent WR Nate Burleson (Seahawks), according to a source. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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Green Bay Packers

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Packers | Clifton re-signs to three-year deal
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:38:43 -0800

ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the Green Bay Packers have re-signed free-agent OT Chad Clifton to a three-year contract worth $20 million. The deal includes $7.5 million in guarantees.

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Packers | Giordano and Montgomery released
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 15:47:33 -0800

The Green Bay Packers have announced the release of S Matt Giordano and DE Mike Montgomery.

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Houston Texans

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Texans | Turk re-signs with team
Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:23:27 -0800

Aaron Wilson, of the National Football Post, reports the Houston Texans have re-signed free-agent P Matt Turk to a one-year deal, according to his agent, David Canter.

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Indianapolis Colts

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Colts | Brackett agree to terms
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:05:02 -0800

Adam Schefter, of ESPN, reports the Indianapolis Colts have agreed to terms with unrestricted free-agent LB Gary Brackett (Colts) on a five-year deal, according to a source. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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Kansas City Chiefs

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Chiefs | Battle re-signed
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:45:30 -0800

The Kansas City Chiefs have announced they have re-signed free-agent RB Jackie Battle. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

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Miami Dolphins

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Dolphins | Dansby signs five-year deal
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:50:43 -0800

Sports 620 KTAR's John Gambadoro reports free-agent LB Karlos Dansby (Cardinals) has signed a five-year deal with the Miami Dolphins. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

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Dolphins | Three players released
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:13:51 -0800

Tim Graham, of ESPN.com, reports the Miami Dolphins have released LB Joey Porter, LB Akin Ayodele and FS Gibril Wilson.

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New England Patriots

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Patriots | Wilfork signs five-year deal
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:13:04 -0800

ESPN's Michael Smith reports the New England Patriots have signed franchise free-agent DT Vince Wilfork to a five-year, $40 million contract. The deal includes an $18 million signing bonus and $25 million in guarantees.

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Patriots | Banta-Cain re-signed
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 12:06:39 -0800

Patriots.com reports the New England Patriots have re-signed unrestricted free-agent LB Tully Banta-Cain to a three-year deal. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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New York Jets

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Jets | T. Jones officially released
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:12:42 -0800

The New York Jets have announced they have officially released RB Thomas Jones.

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Jets | Strickland released
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:43:32 -0800

Tim Graham, of ESPN.com, reports the New York Jets have released CB Donald Strickland.

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Jets | Acquire Cromartie
Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:39:14 -0800

Updating a previous item, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the San Diego Chargers have traded CB Antonio Cromartie to the New York Jets. The Chargers will get a third-round draft pick in the 2011 NFL Draft that could turn into a second-round draft pick based on Cromartie's playing time and the Jets' performance.

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Oakland Raiders

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Raiders | Barnes re-signs
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 16:07:01 -0800

David White, of the San Francisco Chronicle, reports the Oakland Raiders have re-signed free-agent OT Khalif Barnes to a one-year deal, according to a league source. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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Philadelphia Eagles

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Eagles | Witherspoon released
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 14:05:47 -0800

Adam Caplan, of Scout.com, reports the Philadelphia Eagles have released LB Will Witherspoon.

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Eagles | Weaver agrees to terms
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:11:41 -0800

Jeff McLane, of the Philadelphia Inquirer, reports the Philadelphia Eagles have agreed to terms with restricted free-agent FB Leonard Weaver on a three-year deal worth $11 million, according to a source. The deal includes $6.5 million in guaranteed money.

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San Diego Chargers

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Chargers | Boone re-signed
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:22:08 -0800

The San Diego Chargers have announced they have re-signed unrestricted free-agent DT Alfonso Boone to a two-year deal. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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Chargers | Wilson re-signed
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 07:39:26 -0800

John Clayton, of ESPN, reports the San Diego Chargers have re-signed free-agent TE Kris Wilson to a two-year deal worth $1.7 million, according to a source.

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Chargers | Trade Cromartie to the Jets
Thu, 04 Mar 2010 19:37:39 -0800

Updating a previous item, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports the San Diego Chargers have traded CB Antonio Cromartie to the New York Jets. The Chargers will get a third-round draft pick in the 2011 NFL Draft that could turn into a second-round draft pick based on Cromartie's playing time and the Jets' performance.

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St. Louis Rams

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Rams | Dahl re-signed
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:47:36 -0800

Jim Thomas, of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, reports the St. Louis Rams have re-signed restricted free-agent FS Craig Dahl to a three-year deal. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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Rams | Feeley signed
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 11:10:58 -0800

SIRIUS NFL Radio reports the St. Louis Rams have signed unrestricted free-agent QB A.J. Feeley (Panthers) to a two-year contract. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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Washington Redskins

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Redskins | M. Williams re-signed
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:48:49 -0800

Rick Maese, of The Washington Post, reports the Washington Redskins have re-signed unrestricted free-agent OT Mike D. Williams, according to a source. Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

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Redskins | Daniels re-signed
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 09:43:25 -0800

Jason Reid, of The Washington Post, reports the Washington Redskins have re-signed unrestricted free-agent DE Phillip Daniels to a two-year deal. He will receive a base salary of $912,000 in 2010 and $1 million in 2011. The deal also included a $250,000 signing bonus.

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Redskins | Alexander agrees to terms
Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:14:54 -0800

Alex Marvez, of FOXSports.com, reports the Washington Redskins have agreed to terms with restricted free-agent LB Lorenzo Alexander on a three-year deal, according to a source. Financial terms were not disclosed.

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Adam Schefter of ESPN reports via Twitter reports the Cardinals traded WR Anquan Boldin and a 2010 fifth-round pick to Baltimore for Ravens 2010 third- and fourth-round picks. Also Boldin agree to a 4 year $28 million dollar contract.

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I usually do 4 of these...this one after the combine, then one in 2 weeks, another one the first week in April and then a final one the Day of the Draft...

DRAFT ORDER	DRAFT NEEDS	PICK
1. St. Louis (1-15)	Q B, WR, DT, TE, OLB	Gerald McCoy - Oklahoma
2. Detroit (2-14)	CB, DT, DE, OT, WR, RB	Ndamukong Suh - Nebraska
3. Tampa Bay (3-13)	WR, S, DE, DT, G, CB	Eric Berry - Tennessee
4. Washington (4-12)	QB, OT, RB, G, DE	Russell Okung - Oklahoma State
5. Kansas City (4-12)	S, LT, WR, RB, LB, NT	Anthony Davis - Rutgers
6. Seattle (5-11)	LT, Q B, DE, RB, FS	Sam Bradford - Oklahoma
7. Cleveland (5-11)	Q B, RB, DB, OLB, WE, TE	Joe Hayden - Florida
8. Oakland (5-11)	LT, Q B, DT, LB, S	Jason Pierre - Paul - USF
9. Buffalo (6-10)	Q B, LT, WR, OLB	Jimmy Clausen - Norte Dame
10. Jacksonville (7-9)	DE, OLB, RB, Q B, WR	Derrick Morgan - Georgia Tech
11, Denver (from Chicago 7-9)	WR?, OL, DE, Q B, DT	Dez Bryant - Oklahoma State
12. Miami (7-9)	WR, ILB, NT, OLB, S	Rolando McClain - Alabama
13. San Francisco (8-8)	RT, G, DE, DB	Trent Williams - Oklahoma
14. Seattle (from Denver 8-8)	LT, Q B, DE, RB, FS	CJ Spiller - Clemson
15. New York Giants (8-8)	MLB, DL, DB, RT, RB	Brian Price - UCLA
16. Tennessee (8-8)	OLB, DE, CB, WR, S	Everson Griffen - USC
17. San Francisco (from Carolina 8-8)	RT, G, DE, DB	Mike Iupati - Idaho
18. Pittsburgh (9-7)	CB, OT, DT, RB	Brian Bulaga - Iowa
19. Atlanta (9-7)	DE, CB, OL, LB, WR	Carlos Dunlap - Florida
20. Houston (9-7)	RB, S, DT, CB, C	Brian Price - UCLA
21. Cincinnati (10-6)	WR, TE, G, LB	Arrelious Benn - Illinois
22. New England (10-6)	DE, OLB, RB, WR, OL	Brandon Graham - Michigan
23. Green Bay (11-5)	OT, S, RB, LB, CB	Bruce Campbell - Maryland
24. Philadelphia (11-5)	FS, OLB, DE, RB, CB	Taylor Mays - USC
25. Baltimore (9-7)	WR, TE, DB, DE	Demaryius Thomas - Georgia Tech
26. Arizona (10-6)	LT, DT, CB, OLB, Q B	Dan Williams - Tennessee
27. Dallas (11-5)	LT, WR, FS, LB, CB	Earl Thomas - Texas
28. San Diego (13-3)	RB, OT, OLB, DT, WR	Ryan Matthews - Fresno State
29. New York Jets (9-7)	WR, DE, S, NT	Sergio Kindle - Texas
30. Minnesota (12-4)	CB, G/C, DT, MLB, OLB	Kyle Wilson - Boise State
31. Indianapolis (14-2)	OT, ILB, DE, CB, Q B	Jared Odrick - Penn State
32. New Orleans (13-3)	OLB, DT, S	Sean Witherspoon - Missouri

I do the mocks based on what I think will happen...not what should.

Lots of talk of Hayden falling fast on many boards, I think once he has his pro-day he moves back up.

Great depth in this years draft, so many people who are graded as first rounders will be taken maybe as low as the top of the 3rd round this year.

KZ

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KZ's Tuesday Topics

Top Local Story of the Week

The Maryland Terrapins Men's Basketball team has, well let's call it ho-hum week of basketball. Wednesday night they beat Clemson after coming back from a 15 point deficit. Then Saturday they waited around for 4 hours and decided to give everyone their monies worth by beating VT in a thrilling Double Overtime contest. In that game Greivis Vasquez scored 41. The win clinched the Terps at least 2nd place in the ACC and a first round bye in next weekend's ACC Tourney. Those wins set up tomorrow's matchup with Duke for the ACC crown. Its senior night as the Comcast Center will bid farewell to Landon Milbourne, Eric Hayes and Greivis Vasquez. Tip is 9pm...get there early as the game is sold out and the festivities start around 8pm. The game is also for ACC player of the year as Greivis, Kyle Singler and Jon Scheyer get to make their last pitch for the award. GO TERPS!

Top National Story of the Week

Canada wins OT thriller for the Olympic Gold Medal over the USA

Sid the kid Crosby finally allowed a country to breathe.

Crosby won it when he whipped a shot past U.S. goalie Ryan Miller 7:40 into overtime after the U.S. had tied it with 24.4 seconds left in regulation. This was a terrific hockey game. Shot were about even 39 to 36, there were only 8 penalty minutes total, 4 from each team. There was skill and drama on display at its best. It was such a great tourney it's a shame the euphoria over hockey won't last. There will be a slight positive movement in the games popularity, but that will last until March 18th and March Madness takes over. Then Opening Day, then the NFL Draft, the NBA playoffs and so on. I still don't get Versus btw.

Also the NHL brand of Hockey is different then what we just watched for 2 weeks. Look at the box scores for this week of the NHL and tell me how many games will only have 8 minutes of penalties. The one NHL game last night had 16 for a reference point. The game of Hockey can be a beautiful display of athleticism but the average fan won't get that watching the NHL. Until the league decides to clean up the game and the Commish and the owners start making decisions that move the league forward instead of holding it back, Hockey will also be an afterthought for most sports fans. So enjoy the 2 weeks of popularity...fleeting as it is.

Top Under the Radar Story of the Week

A jury found an Iowa man guilty Tuesday of first-degree murder in the shooting of a nationally known high school football coach. It took the jury 24 hours over four days to reach its decision, finding Mark Becker, 24, guilty in the June 24, 2009, killing of Aplington-Parkersburg coach Ed Thomas. Sentencing is scheduled for 11 a.m. ET April 14. The verdict reading was briefly held up as members of Thomas' family drove from Des Moines, where they had been lobbying for a bill, named after Thomas. The bill would require hospitals to communicate with law enforcement agencies when a suspect who should be in custody is scheduled to be released from the hospital. Becker gunned down Thomas, 58, in the school's makeshift weight room in front of students, shooting him at least six times before walking away. Becker told police that Thomas was Satan and that the coach had been tormenting him. The shooting was especially shocking to Parkersburg residents because Thomas was known both for producing winning teams and for leading the community of 1,800. He amassed a 292-84 record and two state titles in 37 seasons as a head coach -- 34 of them at Aplington-Parkersburg -- and coached four players who have played in the NFL. He also was a leader in rebuilding Parkersburg after nearly one-third of the town was wiped out in May 2008 by a tornado that killed six people.

The trial largely centered on Becker's mental status on the day of the shooting. Prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed that Becker shot Thomas and that Becker suffered from paranoid schizophrenia that caused him to have intense hallucinations and delusions. But prosecutors Scott Brown and Andy Prosser repeatedly argued that that mental illness was not equal to insanity. The defense, represented by public defenders Susan Flander and Derek Jones, countered with witnesses who testified that Becker didn't understand what he was doing and couldn't distinguish right from wrong. It became clear during seven days of testimony that the killing could have been thwarted if Becker hadn't been released from the psychiatric ward of a Waterloo hospital. He was admitted to the psychiatric ward -- his third hospitalization in eight months -- on June 20 after he allegedly broke out the windows of a Cedar Falls man's house and accused the man of trying to hypnotize him. Becker then led police on a chase that reached speeds of 90 mph before he hit a deer and surrendered to Butler County Sheriff Jason Johnson.

He was released from the hospital June 23, and the next morning he drove to the high school and killed Thomas. The issue of Becker's sanity took up the last two days of testimony, as the defense and prosecution introduced competing witnesses. Defense psychiatrist Phillip Resnick, of Cleveland, said Becker believed Satan had possessed Thomas and that he was doing the community a favor -- and freeing Parkersburg's children -- by killing the coach. Resnick and others who interviewed Becker about his mental status said Becker suffered from such intense delusions that he incorrectly believed Thomas and the members of Becker's old football team were sexually assaulting him, and that Thomas was trying to make Becker into a "sex slave."

Maryland-based psychiatrist Michael Spodak, hired by the prosecution, agreed Becker suffered from severe mental problems, including paranoid schizophrenia, but said he still understood right and wrong. Spodak said Becker took rational measures to avoid detection on the morning of the shooting: He hid his gun while he was driving, told passersby that he was searching for Thomas in order to volunteer for the city's tornado relief efforts and made it a point to avoid shooting the teenagers in the weight room.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

Sports Person of the Week

Another race, another victory for Jimmie Johnson and yet another round of griping about the NASCAR champion's dominance. Clearly JJ is the best driver in NASCAR right now. He has won 2 out of the 3 races this year and 4 straight Cup Chases. Last week after his victory a rival driver said JJ had a "golden horseshoe stuck up his ass" Kevin Harvick also claimed you "can't get around how lucky they are"

Here is what is lucky Mr. Harvick. It's lucky that you sit atop the Cup Standings after 3 races without winning a race, whereas Jimmy Johnson sits in 5th place after winning 2 of the first 3 races. Someday someone will explain this system to me.

The Silliest (to be nice) Person in Sports for the Week

The fallout from Tiger  Woods' sex scandal has been immense. He already has had three sponsors drop him -- Accenture, AT&T and, most recently, Gatorade -- while other companies like Gillette have suspended promotions of Woods while he takes his break from golf. When he does return, he will have a different logo on his golf bag, replacing AT&T, if he can find a deal. Tiger just play Golf; the average person does not care about your personal life. The fallout is not because you cheated, it's because you stopped doing the one thing the sponsors paid you to do...PLAY GOLF!

Five things you need to know...

• Brian Roberts to miss a week to 10 days rehabbing his sore back. This is not good! Backs have a way of not getting better fast. They also go out at the slightest wrong movement. The Orioles are downplaying this...I would be calling Felipe Lopez pronto.

• LeBron James filed paperwork to switch from No. 23 to No. 6, the Cleveland Plain Dealer reported on Monday. He beat a Wednesday deadline to make the request. The All-Star said in November that he was thinking of giving up 23 out of respect for his hero Michael Jordan. The cynic in me wonders if this is just a marketing ploy.

• Erin Andrews will also compete in Dancing with the Stars starting March 22nd. Enough said.

• NFL Free Agency starts Friday. Pepper and Dansby are the names that are getting the most attention, but the Ravens need to figure out a way to get Duanta Robinson in purple. I know there are crazy rules this year but you can negotiate with anyone at any time after Midnight Thursday. For the Ravens you just can't sign a player right away. So Ravens, get a deal done, but wait to announce it until you are allowed. Webb won't be back until week 6 at the earliest, this is a must have.

• Combine ends today with the DB's on the field. I have heard a lot of discussion on the combine this week and its lack of true purpose. Wrong Wrong Wrong! Now I agree that the 40 yard dash and the Bench press are way over-hyped and have little to do with being a football player on the field. Strength and Speed sure but without pads...no. The position drills as well as the 3 cone and shuttle drills are extremely valuable to evaluators. The interaction that the teams get with the potential draftees over the week is priceless. The "made for TV" may not be the best indication of how someone will perform on the field, but if you watch the entire process it's a great way to break a tie.

Five things maybe only KZ finds interesting...

• South Africans are proudly declaring themselves just about ready, 100 days before they host the World Cup. Not a big Soccer guy. I will watch the World Cup though; this will be as entertaining as the Olympic Hockey tourney was.

• Bill James apparently isn't buying into the Orioles youth movement. In his latest Young Talent Inventory, he ranks the Orioles inventory of young major league players 20th in the major leagues -- only four spaces better than last season. "The Orioles are making extremely good progress in their young position players," he explained in an e-mail blast, "but their failure to develop hard-throwing young pitchers has been a disappointment. Their top five: Nick Markakis, Adam Jones, Matt Wieters, Brian Matusz and Nolan Reimold." Hmmm, interesting take Bill. Matusz, Tillman, Bergeson, Arrieta, Patton, Hernandez, Berken, Britton and so on...yep great point Bill.

• Wrestlemania is March 28th, which means we are less than 4 weeks away. I don't know about you but if the WWE can't make this year's event the greatest Wrestlemania ever, well then Vince McMahon has lost his touch. HBK vs. Undertaker, Batista vs. Cena, Edge vs. Jericho, Bret Hart vs. Vinny Mac, HHH vs. Shemus, Orton vs. Legacy , the Money in the Bank match plus a few others I am sure. Who wants to go watch with Rob and I?