Bleacher Report - Front Page

How Far Away Is Brandt Snedeker's First Major Victory?

Ron Juckett — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:41:15 -0400

Brandt Snedeker will win a major. In fact, his overall game is good enough to give him a chance at taking home all four.

A five-time winner on the PGA Tour in his career, Snedeker has five top-10 finishes in majors already.

Twice, he has finished tied for third. The first time was at the 2008 Masters, and he matched that last year at the Open Championship.

Snedeker does two things very well.

He can find the fairway off the tee and he can get his approaches on greens. In 2013, his 69.39 percent of fairways hit and 69.84 percent of greens are good for 10th and 13th, respectively, on tour.

However, he is very short off the tee. His average drive of 278.7 is 147th best this year.

Length, on the other hand, is not everything it is cracked up to be in a major. Accuracy is and—because he is so accurate—even with a lower iron in his hand, he has a better chance of getting in position to make two-putt pars.

Par is never a bad score on any hole at any major.

Whenever that magic week happens for Snedeker, however, the club that will make him a major champion will be his putter.

He does fine on fast greens, as he has a pair of top 10s at Augusta. If he gets into that zone where he can make everything—like he did last year at the Open Championship—he can putt his way to a low round and has the game to hold that score the rest of the championship.

When Snedeker upset Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy last year to win the FedEx Cup at the Tour Championship, he did it by hitting more than two-thirds of fairways and greens while playing the par-fours at 10-under.

If and when he breaks through, he will need to come close to hitting the same percentage of fairways and greens and be selectively aggressive enough to leave himself birdie chances on those par-four holes.

As to how far away he is to pulling this off, look no further than the next major, the United States Open at Merion.

Merion is a short precision course that plays right into his strength of finding and placing tee shots on the fairway. His best success this year has been at similar courses such as TPC Sawgrass, Riviera and his win at Pebble Beach.

Snedeker is not a player who is going to go out and shoot a low score on a Thursday and run away from the start. He is a player who will establish himself in a good position early and pounce.

If not Merion, then Augusta would be his next best chance. Snedeker has had success making putts on those lightning-fast greens and is long enough off the tee to put himself into good scoring position on all four par-fives.

His day is coming. He has all the skill to do it. It is just a question of when, not if.

*Statistics courtesy of PGATour.com and are current as of May 20, 2013

Notre Dame Football: Why Notre Dame Can't Afford to Lose Eddie Vanderdoes

Connor Killoren — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:40:00 -0400

A key catalyst of the current renaissance period Notre Dame undeniably finds itself in has been the development of a nationally renowned defensive line, though that attribute may receive a damaging body blow in the coming days.

It appears as if Eddie Vanderdoes, a 5-star defensive tackle who signed with the Irish on national signing day, may not be enrolling at Notre Dame.

The outlook of the situation is grim if you're a Notre Dame supporter, as neither the university nor the Vanderdoes family have given any official statements to either confirm or deny the rumors.

However, Sacramento Bee reporter Joe Davidson—the closest source to the Vanderdoes family—provided some meaningful insight on Monday evening.

I did get this from Vanderdoes family: grades, eligibility or conduct/character "is not and has never been an issue."
— Joe Davidson (@SacBee_JoeD) May 21, 2013

If indeed those areas of concern are not hangups in Vanderdoes' ability to enroll at Notre Dame, then the writing is on the wall: Vanderdoes has likely experienced a change of heart surrounding his collegiate destination.

Should that be the case, "surprise" shouldn't be a term that comes to mind.

On the morning of national signing day, Vanderdoes' parents informed Notre Dame of their son's decision but instructed officials to keep quiet on the matter, as to allow Vanderdoes the opportunity to enjoy his signing ceremony, which transpired in the evening hours.

Unfortunately, Notre Dame officials botched that request, as Vanderdoes was listed on the commitment list that afternoon during a media session on campus.

While that snafu surely was received unfavorably in the Vanderdoes household, it's unlikely that it was the singular reason for Vanderdoes' apparent change of heart. Yet it appears as if the rocky start to Vanderdoes' official relationship with Notre Dame may have been simply the beginning of what appears to be a rather complex situation.

Because the 6'2", 310-pound defensive lineman signed a letter of intent, he would need to be granted a release by Notre Dame to enroll at another school of his choice, and that's where the situation becomes murky.

There's no telling what decision the university would make in that regard, though if it were to deny Vanderdoes a release, Notre Dame would be viewed in a negative light in recruiting circles. And if that's the case, the Irish's recruiting abilities would likely suffer as a consequence.

The consequences wouldn't be limited to just recruiting, though.

On the field, the Irish would be significantly undermanned along the defensive line in 2014 without Vanderdoes.

It is widely expected that both nose guard Louis Nix and defensive end Stephon Tuitt will enter the 2014 NFL draft despite each having one more season of eligibility remaining following the 2013 season.

In fact, the guys over at WalterFootball.com have Tuitt (10th overall) and Nix (22nd overall) pegged as first-round selections.

That would leave the Irish with defensive ends Sheldon Day, Tony Springmann, Jarron Jones, Isaac Rochell and Jacob Matuska as the only available defensive linemen currently on the roster. Thus, the Irish coaching staff would be hard at work to add pieces along the defensive line in the 2014 class, which already includes end Andrew Trumbetti and tackle Jay Hayes.

What's even more alarming is the nose guard position.

Reserves Kona Schwenke and Tyler Stockton will each see their eligibility clocks expire after the 2013 season, leaving the cupboard bare assuming Nix enters the NFL draft. Because Vanderdoes was widely expected to assume the vacancy left behind by Nix, questions abound as to who will fill that role.

Clearly, the Vanderdoes situation has initiated a tidal wave of concerns to which answers are simply far and few between.

Tennessee Titans Running Back Breakdown: Evaluation and Depth Chart Analysis

Chad Minton — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:27:09 -0400

It's been a fluid situation at running back over the past few seasons for the Titans as they've constantly shuffled through backup running backs for Chris Johnson.

Last season the running game could not be relied upon, and it was a major factor into why the Titans slid to a 6-10 record.

For 2013 the running back situation seems to be a little bit more balanced to help out Jake Locker at quarterback.

Here's the breakdown at running back in the middle of the offseason.

Begin Slideshow

Arsenal Transfer News: Yaya Sanogo Confirms Desire to Join Gunners over Summer

Dan Talintyre — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:24:49 -0400

Arsenal have been given a huge boost ahead of the summer transfer window with the news that transfer target Yaya Sanogo is keen on joining the North London club.

The Ligue 2 striker—who was confirmed last week by Gunners boss Arsene Wenger as a transfer target—has publicly stated via Sky Sports that if he is to leave Auxerre this summer for England, he would relish the opportunity to play at Arsenal alongside some of the the best players in world football.

Sanogo was quoted as saying:

Arsenal could be a great club for me, I scored nine goals this season with Auxerre and they think I can improve my level in England. I am pleased to be following in the footsteps of Abou Diaby who came through Auxerre. There are many teams interested in me, but Arsenal is my choice...

The news is a huge boost for the Gunners, who will head into the summer transfer window with a strong budget and plans for many potential additions.

And whilst the signing of Sanogo isn't likely to attract a plethora of media attention, it is still a great move by Arsenal. As I noted earlier this week, it's a smart, savvy move by the Gunners for a striker with huge potential—making it a win-win situation for the North London club this summer.

Standing at 6'3", Sanogo has the size and physicality required to thrive in the English Premier League. Moreover, he has great skill on both feet and has a keen eye in front of the goal—shown most clearly in the seven goals that he scored in just two games earlier this season for Auxerre.

The Daily Mirror reports that Sanogo broke the French national under-16 goal scoring record, and has shown many of the attributes that great French and Arsenal striker Thierry Henry had at his age.

But perhaps the best part, for Arsenal, is the transfer cost.

The Gunners will only have to pay a small compensation fee to Auxerre for the striker, and when they do sign him, the striker's wages will be very minimal.

That, in turn, will still allow them to make whatever big moves they desire over the summer transfer window—meaning they can still make moves for the likes of Stevan Jovetic, Kevin Strootman or any others they desire to add to their squad.

Signing Sanogo isn't an exclusive transfer in that it will hinder their chances of landing one of their more-fancied targets.

And for next to nothing in terms of cost, it's seemingly a great deal for Arsenal.

Signing him is a low-risk deal that, potentially, could have very high rewards.

Hit me up on Twitter for more sports goodness: Follow @dantalintyre

Alabama Football: Players Most Likely to Be 1st Round Selections in 2014

Jesse Reed — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:56:15 -0400

Alabama football produces top NFL draft picks year in and year out—some of which go on to have stellar careers at the next level.

Three members of last year's national championship team were selected in Round 1 of this past draft—Dee Milliner, Chance Warmack and D.J. Fluker. They went No. 9, No. 10 and No. 11, respectively, and all three will be asked to play big roles for their new teams as rookies.

This year's team features a handful players who certainly have first-round talent. Here are the players from the 2013 Alabama football program who have the best chance to be selected in Round 1 of the 2014 NFL draft.

Cyrus Kouandjio, Offensive Tackle

I know what you're all thinking.

Alabama producing first-round offensive linemen? Surely you jest!

In all seriousness, however, Kouandjio may end up becoming a better professional offensive lineman than Fluker and Warmack.

Blessed with prototypical size, the 6'6", 311-pound Kouandjio was phenomenal as a sophomore last season as Alabama's starting left tackle. He allowed only 3.5 sacks in 2012 (h/t rolltide.com) and is still developing his technique.

NFL Network's Albert Breer listed him as one of his top players to watch this upcoming season:

It'll be interesting to see if Kouandjio ends up becoming the first offensive tackle to be taken off the board in 2014. He'll likely be contending with Jake Matthews out of Texas A&M and Taylor Lewan out of Michigan.

C.J. Mosley, Outside Linebacker

Mosley will be a highly coveted linebacker heading into the 2014 NFL draft.

His ability to play in any scheme makes him extremely valuable, as more and more NFL teams have been moving to what they call "multiple" schemes on the defensive side of the ball.

A strong pass-rusher off the edge, Mosley is already a skilled 3-4 outside linebacker adept at dropping back into coverage—a rarity for prospects heading into the NFL.

Bleacher Report NFL draft Featured Columnist Wes Stueve was impressed when he took a closer look at Mosley's tape recently:

All his natural talent combined with the intelligence Stueve mentioned will surely earn him a first-round selection in the 2014 NFL draft.

Adrian Hubbard, Outside Linebacker

Hubbard has shown flashes of brilliance in his first two seasons at Alabama, and he'll really have a chance to shine this year as a featured player for Nick Saban's defense.

At 6'6" and 248 pounds, Hubbard possesses more of a prototypical 3-4 outside linebacker frame than Mosley.

He showed the speed and power last year to get to the quarterback, registering seven sacks, 11 tackles for loss, four quarterback hurries and three forced fumbles.

NFL teams will fall in love with Hubbard's strength at the point of attack. He's not just a flashy edge-rusher who will run himself out of plays upfield. Instead, given proper coaching, Hubbard has the ability to turn into an elite pass-rusher in the NFL.

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78

What's Taking Miami Heat Fans so Long to Get to the Game?

Jesse Dorsey — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:53:48 -0400

As the Miami Heat seem to be in the best position to win the 2013 NBA Championship and their second title in as many years, the question remains: Why don't Heat fans (in visible areas at least) show up on time?

It's a complaint as old as this Heat team, it seems.

While they do sell out playoff games and have ranked in the top three in attendance in each of the past three seasons (they were 15th in the league the season before LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined), nobody will call this group among the tops in NBA fanbases.

Just take a look at their most recent playoff game, a closeout game mind you, against the Chicago Bulls on a Wednesday evening. There's the ever-present sight of the free giveaways slung across the backs of seats, waiting for ticket owners to come claim them.

It's a common sight in Miami, and it's been happening for a few years now.

In an attempt to mask the fact that there are so many empty seats at the start of each half, the seats are dressed up in white, usually in the form of a towel to wave around or a shirt shimmied over the back.

Excellent job by the Heat matching the white shirts with the color of the seats so its tougher to notice how many empty seats there are
— Evan Roberts (@JoeandEvan) May 11, 2011

Good call on Heat to lay T-Shirts on the seats this time. Harder to tell how empty it is in here.
— Tom Haberstroh (@tomhaberstroh) May 15, 2013

That way, when viewed within the context of a "white-out" among the rest of the fans wearing white, it won't look as if there are entire chunks missing out of the crowd.

The only problem is that people notice, and they complain about the de facto representatives of the best basketball team in the NBA.

The huge number of empty good seats in #Miami at the start of Heat games continues to be ridiculous!
— InsideHoops.com (@InsideHoops) May 11, 2011

Seeing just about the amount of empty seats at the #Heat game I expected. Looks like a mid season promotional night game.
— Richard Camillucci (@RichCami) May 15, 2013

S/O to all those heat fans #emptyseats
— Max Vaundry (@mvaundry22) May 16, 2013

It's not just the first half, either. Oftentimes you'll see ticket holders struggle to get back to their seats in time for the start of the second half.

Who knows, maybe the beer line is a bit too long or everybody's going to use the restroom. Or maybe they just don't care that much.

The heat easily have the worst fans in the NBA. Over 4mins into the 2nd half and there still is empty seats.
— The Renaissance Man (@PeedyFly) May 16, 2013

Do Heat fans even watch the game when they go to see the Heat play? There is always so many empty seats #FairWeatherFans
— Charlie Dunn (@chuckdirty4) May 16, 2013

There's often a complaint that the expensive seats at Staples Center in Los Angeles are there for rich people to buy and be seen amongst the famous people scattered throughout the crowd.

While that's a legitimate gripe that basketball fans have about the Lakers, at least those people are usually in their seats when the game starts.

So what is the deal with Heat fans that sit in the lower bowl?

Obviously there's some of that Los Angeles-style desire to be seen, but why show up so late and why take so long to return to seats before the start of the second half?

Plenty of diehard Heat fans reside in Miami and around the country; that's not the problem. There's a reason they have a loud arena for 36 of the 48 minutes throughout a basketball game. Upper-deck seats are filled and fans are screaming to see this team win.

As far as the lower-bowl coin-droppers are concerned, I'm sure to some extent traffic can be blamed. It's an arena in the middle of a large city—but then again so is nearly every other arena in the NBA.

There's a simple solution to that problem, and it's just to leave your house earlier.

There's got to be something different plaguing your run-of-the-mill Heat fan, whether it be indifference, or just a general acceptance that missing a few minutes isn't going to be a big deal.

The only bit of wisdom that I could offer has nothing to do with a solution; it's just an observation. If one of the greatest teams in the history of the NBA isn't going to get people to show up on time, then nothing will.

WWE Monday Night Raw, May 20: GSM's Analysis and Aftermath

Graham 'GSM' Matthews — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:52:32 -0400

A mere 24 hours removed from an exhilarating Extreme Rules pay-per-view, this week's WWE Monday Night Raw provided all the aftermath from the event and much more. From the re-debut of Curtis Axel to a handful of well-wrestled matches, there's no doubt that this episode set the stage for weeks to come.

Here, I will analyze each significant segment presented on the show. I will also provide a combination of predictions and wishful thinking about what I hope to see in the coming weeks.

Ryback Challenged WWE Champion John Cena to an Ambulance Match at WWE Payback

Great promo from Ryback to kick off the show. This was the best mic work Ryback has shown since turning heel and the promo garnered good heat from the live crowd.

He challenged WWE champion John Cena to an Ambulance match at WWE Payback next week while also targeting the audience, which was long overdue. The feud between Cena and Ryback was lacking something prior to Extreme Rules, so here's hoping this segment was a sign that the rivalry will be improving from this point forward.

The Miz and Chris Jericho def. Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett and Fandango w/Summer Rae

Throwaway tag team match with The Miz and Chris Jericho defeating Intercontinental champion Wade Barrett and Fandango. If my memory serves me correctly, this was the first time Jericho and Miz have teamed together in over three years, so I was excited for their pairing.

However, the in-ring work left a lot to be desired, as Fandango's distraction at ringside was more obnoxious than it was effective in getting him heat. Miz pinning Barrett was logical in putting him back in title contention, but the thought of Barrett being buried and treated as an afterthought once again this week is disconcerting.

Speaking of Barrett, the intro to his new entrance music is awesome, but the rest of the theme sounds rather generic.

Sheamus def. Titus O'Neil

Nice match between Sheamus and Titus O'Neil. It looked like it was going to be a squash match from the start, but O'Neil more than held his own against Sheamus.

Not only that, but the fact that O'Neil also received an entrance made him look like an equal to The Celtic Warrior. Sure, the former NXT rookie ultimately came up short, but he definitely had an impressive showing against the former World Heavyweight champion.

Paul Heyman Reveals Curtis Axel as His Latest Client

Brilliant booking with Paul Heyman revealing Curits Axel as his latest client. I realize that many people (myself included) were hoping that the newest client would be a returning Rob Van Dam, but what good would that have done?

As great as that would have been, RVD is a veteran and doesn't need Heyman to get over in WWE. There's always another place and time for RVD to return, whereas putting Axel in this role helps build toward the future.

The repackaging of the former Michael McGillicutty has been highly anticipated for a number of years now, so I'm happy to see it finally come to fruition in such a fashion. We weren't able to hear from Axel all that much during his confrontation with Triple H, but any issues he has on the mic (similar to Brock Lesnar) can be covered by Heyman.

Big E Langston w/AJ Lee def. Alberto Del Rio w/Ricardo Rodriguez

Decent match between Big E Langston and Alberto Del Rio. The match wasn't anything special, but it highlighted Langston's in-ring abilities nicely.

I was pleasantly surprised to see Langston score the upset victory over Del Rio, which should be treated as a major deal. Being a former World champion, Del Rio loses nothing from losing to Langston and has enough to credibility to quickly rebound from it.

AJ Lee def. Layla

Typical Divas match with AJ Lee defeating Layla. There were a few clunky spots, but they were able to put together a nice matchup on the whole.

Both women are two of the best in the division at the moment, so I would have liked to have seen the bout go a bit longer than two minutes. Of course, it seemed as if the sole focus of this match was to put over AJ's new devastating finishing maneuver.

When should we expect to see AJ finally receive her shot at Kaitlyn's Divas Championship?

Cody Rhodes def. Zack Ryder; Ryback Ambushes Ryder

Brief match with Cody Rhodes defeating Zack Ryder. Neither Superstar received an entrance, so that alone showed that the bout was insignificant before it even started.

It was nice to see Rhodes score a rare win on Raw, but any momentum he gained from the victory was quickly overshadowed by Ryback's decimation of Ryder moments later. However, I'm not complaining, as I found Ryback's ambush of The Long Island Iced Z to be very well done and established him as a legitimate threat and a force to be reckoned with.

United States and WWE Tag Team Champions The Shield def. Kofi Kingston and Team Hell No

Excellent match with United States and WWE Tag Team champions The Shield defeating Kofi Kingston and Team Hell No. They kept a consistent pace throughout the bout and provided plenty of exciting spots.

The true MVP of this bout was clearly Daniel Bryan, who showed aggressive antics for the first time in a great while. The Shield victory helps rebuild the prestige of the belts the group now holds while also teasing tension between Kane and Bryan.

I wouldn't mind seeing Bryan turn heel, as long as he doesn't feud with Kane for the millionth time shortly thereafter.

Randy Orton def. Jack Swagger w/Zeb Colter

Solid match between Randy Orton and Jack Swagger. These two have worked with one another countless times before, but the match didn't feel stale.

Their good chemistry led them to a well-wrestled match that received a substantial amount of time. I could have done without Orton winning yet again, but Swagger still managed to look strong in defeat after controlling most of the match.

Curtis Axel def. Triple H by Forfeit

Good match between Triple H and Curtis Axel. Axel didn't get in enough offense against HHH to look like his equal, but the fact he was chosen as The Game's opponent for his first match on Raw in over three years made the match feel somewhat special.

Admittedly, I was a bit intrigued by Triple H's apparent health issue and it was a good cliffhanger to close the show, but it's hard to get excited about another Triple H return. He gets injured, returns, wins a match, loses a match and then leaves again.

It's the same cycle over and over again, so it's safe to say that he'll be back by SummerSlam.

Some may same that the angle surrounding HHH took focus off of Axel, but I was completely content with it, as it was a unique way of allowing Axel to defeat The Game while also saving the actual finish for a later date. However, officials should have made it clear on television that Axel was awarded the victory rather than force viewers to visit the website in order to find out for themselves.

Overall Show

Overall, a great show that provided plenty of aftermath from Extreme Rules while also moving forward with the build to next month's WWE Payback event. That being said, it would have been nice for WWE to address some of the unanswered angles (the controversial finish to the Last Man Standing and "I Quit" matches) from this past Sunday's pay-per-view.

Nonetheless, this was probably the best episode of Raw in recent weeks that gave me hope for future editions. Surprisingly enough, the absences of World Heavyweight champion Dolph Ziggler, Big Show, Mark Henry, CM Punk and even WWE Champion John Cena actually worked to WWE's advantage and allowed some of the other rising stars (Ryback, Curtis Axel, Big E Langston) to steal the spotlight for a change.

GSM out.

Visit my website at Next Era Wrestling and listen to my wrestling radio talk show SAVE US GSM every Wednesday night at 10 p.m. ET.

Follow @SAVE_US_GSM

Giro d'Italia 2013: Stage 16 Doesn't Change Vincenzo Nibali's Prospects

Ryan Rudnansky — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:46:16 -0400

Vincenzo Nibali may have placed 12th in Stage 16 of the 2013 Giro d'Italia on Tuesday, but that doesn't change the fact that he's the best rider in the race, or the fact that he still has a solid lead overall.

Nibali, ranked No. 5 in the world in 2013 by CyclingRanking.com, is largely considered to be the most imposing rider in the field in this year's race. Coming into the event, the Italian had won the Tirreno–Adriatico and Giro del Trentino.

Even after finishing 14 seconds behind Stage 16 winner Benat Intxausti on Tuesday, Nibali leads the pack by 1 minute and 26 seconds with five stages to go.

Team Sky reportedly is attempting to use a collective approach in the remaining mountain stages on Thursday and Friday, according to CyclingNews.com. That appears to be the team's, and the field's, best bet.

In fact, according to the report, Team Sky leader Rigoberto Uran's compatriot, Fabio Parra, has urged the remaining 12 Colombians in the race to join forces to stop Nibali.

Of course, the strategy's moot. Nibali's own team, Astana, has done a pretty good job of setting the Italian up for victory. His large lead at the moment is proof. Plus, you can't say there hasn't been a bit of teamwork before to try to knock him off, and it hasn't stopped him from succeeding.

In the snowy and foggy conditions at the 15th stage, such formidable figures as Uran, Cadel Evans and Mauro Santambrogio did everything they could to put pressure on Nibali, but he's been nearly flawless throughout the race. The only hope was that the conditions would get to him in the 15th, but that didn't happen.

Anything can happen down the stretch, particularly in the mountain stages, but given the way Nibali has been racing, it's hard to imagine a shocking upset when all is said and done.

Expect the 28-year-old from Messina to cruise to victory.

Jose Bautista Received an MLB Lifetime Pass and He Wants You to Check It out

Gabe Zaldivar — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:43:50 -0400

Jose Bautista is now a card-carrying member of the cool club.

As BuzzFeed reports, the Toronto Blue Jays outfielder posted the following image to his Instagram feed, showing off his brand-new "MLB Lifetime Pass":

Feelings of intense jealousy are indeed normal and will surely overcome you when looking at what is essentially a free ticket to any ballpark for Bautista's entire life.

As for the impetus behind Bautista garnering the best card one could possibly hold, I am at a loss. As noted on the card, it is awarded by the commissioner "in appreciation of long and meritorious service."

So was Jamie Moyer not around the day they were handing these things out?

I will keep you updated if I get word on why Bautista was bestowed with baseball's version of the "one ring to rule them all" from Lord of the Rings.

Many will point to Bryce Harper's Chipotle card or the Subway version Jarvis Jones received around the NFL draft for similarity, but such comparisons would be foolish.

BuzzFeed breaks down how rare this particular card is: "These cards have been presented to players, umpires, scouts and other friends of MLB as far back as the 1930s, and grants owners and a guest access to any Major League baseball game as long as they live."

Their list of lucky recipients includes people like Joe DiMaggio and the people who suffered through the Iran Hostage Crisis.

Rogers Hornsby and Thurman Munson both laid claim to the vaunted card, and Bob Gibson has one, too.

You only need to take a look at some of the comments on his Instagram feed to get just a hint of how popular Joey Bats just became. Suddenly, the world wants to be that lucky "guest" who is squired into a random ballpark one day.

Of course, Bautista hardly gets to use the card because he is in the middle of a successful career, one that has seen him play with the Baltimore Orioles, Tampa Bay Rays, Kansas City Royals, Pittsburgh Pirates and Blue Jays.

In nine-plus seasons, Bautista has hit 192 home runs and driven in 525 runs. At some point, he will walk away and get to saunter into any stadium in the land and enjoy watching other people do the work.

Hit me up on Twitter, especially if you have a spare MLB Lifetime Card: Follow @gabezal

Robert Griffin III Is the Featured NFL Player in New EA Sports Game System Promo

John Bibb — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:40:59 -0400

Of all the players and teams in the NFL, video game giant Electronic Arts (EA) Sports unveiled their latest version of sports gaming May 21 featuring Robert Griffin III. In the video game trailer, RG3 evades the defense of the team's rival Dallas Cowboys to showcase the all-new, next-generation engine Ignite.

Andrew Wilson, the head of EA Sports, made the announcement during the Microsoft Xbox One launch event and a transcript was available on the EA Sports website.

“All four will launch in the next 12 months. All four will be revolutionary. And all four will fundamentally change the way you play,” Wilson boasted.

With the announcement of the engine Ignite, Wilson humanized the entire gaming process.

"Athletes in EA Sports next-gen games will be able to make intelligent decisions with human-like reaction times," the statement read. "Players are alive with contextual awareness and instincts--thinking, anticipating, and reacting--just like real athletes, and players are conscious of their environment."

The Ignite engine feature will be available for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 game systems and featured in video games such as Madden NFL 25, FIFA 14, NBA Live and UFC.

The entire promotional video release shows only two NFL teams, the Redskins at home against the Cowboys, and prominently features RG3 and the team's offense during a home game.

In the 90-second promo video, which was inter-cut with other sports video game highlights, RG3 is shown in marvelous detail taking a snap, side-stepping a defender, moving through the line of scrimmage, avoiding tackles and stiff-arming a Cowboys defender before diving headfirst into the end zone.

With the announcement, Wilson also praised the game system's newest and greatest features—human-like intelligence, the individual players awareness and instincts.

"EA Sports Ignite computes four times more calculations per second than previous consoles, unlocking nearly infinite potential for how players think, and enabling them to make more difficult decisions faster."

For any fan of the Redskins or more specifically RG3, it certainly paints a positive portrait of the Redskins and quite frankly, would be a bit of an embarrassment to the Cowboys' team, their defense and their fans.

Robert Griffin III has an endorsement contract with EA Sports and Castrol Motor Oil, Subway, Gatorade, EvoShield and Adidas, all signed before taking a single snap in his rookie season in 2012.

RG3 and his relationship with Adidas garnered media attention just weeks after his surgery to repair his knee in early January. The Adidas ad campaign featuring RG3, titled "All In For Week 1," had some people questioning whether the NFL offensive rookie of 2012 was rushing his rehabilitation after surgery.

This mini-controversy caused RG3 to issue a statement one day after the ad's release to reassure fans that he was not coming back before he had completely healed from his injury.

He posted the following message on his Twitter account:

With the latest video game promotional release, RG3 can continue to focus on his rehab and not have to worry about the animated version of him and how it may worry people and his return for his sophomore season in good health.

In the EA Sports video highlight released today, he looks exceptionally agile, athletic and mobile. All games aside and more importantly for Redskins fans, 2013 can bring about a season of excitement with a ton of expectations for RG3 and for last year's NFC East division champions as well.

Follow on Twitter @JohnBibb and view previous Bleacher Report articles I have written on the Washington Redskins here.

Philadelphia Phillies: Mismanagement Has Rendered the Club Insignificant

Pete Dymeck — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:37:21 -0400

Such a Herculean task it is to dissect the Philadelphia Phillies nowadays.

Nearly two months into the season, the Phillies continue to hug a sub-.500 record. Meanwhile, the front office continues to debate on whether or not their supposed plan is being implemented appropriately.

Whatever plan general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. has for this club is not working. Simply put, he is at the forefront of the blame while skipper Charlie Manuel should be ousted for his debilitated decision-making.

A perfect example of the adverse decision-making on behalf of the Phillies skipper can be seen Tuesday night, when the Fightins square off against the Miami Marlins.

In 13 innings versus the Phils, Marlins pitcher Jose Fernandez has yet to allow a run scored while giving up just three hits. Of those three hits Fernandez has permitted, two came off the bat of the switch-hitting utility man Freddy Galvis.

Despite the small sample size, it is evident that Galvis has had the most success any Phillie has had against Fernandez to date. However, he will be on the bench in this affair.

Instead, outfielder Delmon Young will get the nod.

Young is baseball's version of Napoleon Dynamite when it comes to defense. He is also struggling to stay above the Mendoza Line, batting-wise.

It's not like Amaro Jr. and Manuel have to be committed to Young. After all, Young is on a one-year contract worth a thrifty $750,000.

So what gives?

At the end of the day, the Phillies' decision to sit Galvis against Fernandez in favor of D. Young is representative of the porous decision-making the club has made over the course of the last two seasons.

Naysayer's with pie-in-the-sky attitudes will point out that the Phillies are a good series or two away from overtaking first place in the National League East.

Never mind their record against sub-.500 clubs as opposed to clubs with winning records.

Never mind the fact they have yet to take on the Washington Nationals.

Let's get one thing clear: The Phillies are in decline. Anybody who says otherwise is likely to still believe in the Tooth Fairy.

The window of opportunity to repeat the feat from 2008 closed in 2011. The door slammed shut when the Phillies gave up a 2-1 series lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. The nails were hammered in the coffin when the Phillies surged late last year only to have their postseason hopes dashed in a series sweep at the hands of the Houston Astros.

In-game mismanagement by Manuel coupled with questionable personnel decisions from Amaro Jr. have rendered the Phillies insignificant.

The sad reality is that the organization continues to string its fanbase along in similar fashion to the Philadelphia 76ers. After trading for center Andrew Bynum (and his two bad knees), Sixers ownership led fans down a path, all season long, to think that Bynum could play at some point.

As everyone knows, Bynum never debuted.

The Phillies will not make the playoffs, either.

The point is that the Phillies organization has made terrible decision after terrible decision. Sure, hindsight is always 20/20. Unfortunately, some of the moves the Phillies have made were called into question at the time they occurred.

For instance, the decision to trade Vance Worley and prospect Trevor May to Minnesota has turned out to be atrocious. Sure, Worley has been horrible for the Twins, but nobody could have forecast that at the time. So long as May develops into a serviceable No. 4 or 5 pitcher in the majors, the Twins soundly defeated the Phillies in this trade.

One has to wonder: Whose bright idea was it to trade arms for Major League Baseball's leader in ground-ball rate?

Regardless, the doom and gloom in South Philly is real. Fans oblivious to the mismanagement of this club can continue to think the Phillies have a shot to contend. Those who understand reality will just sit back, elbows crossed, and watch everything unfold for the worst.

Prior to the start of the season, many with realistic expectations believed the Phillies were an above-.500 club with a decent chance at cracking the postseason, even in the NL East.

Those expectations have now been altered. More likely than not, one can expect the Phillies to finish with a losing record for the first time since 2002. That was the year when Nelly's "Hot in Herre" could be heard on every radio station in America, George W. Bush was still in his first term as president and the United States had not yet invaded Saddam Hussein's Iraq.

As Charlie Chapman once said: "In the end, everything is a gag." Words couldn't speak truer for the current state of the Phillies.

New York Giants: 5 Biggest Questions Heading into Training Camp

Chris Landers — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:35:03 -0400

"Frustrating" is just about the only word to describe the 2012-2013 season for the New York Giants.

The team started strong only to fade down the home stretch amid a tough closing schedule—a pattern that's become all too familiar over the past few seasons. The potential seemed to be there for another run at a Super Bowl, but injuries, sloppy play and a downright abysmal defense prevented even a playoff berth.

But a new day has dawned in the NFL as training camp is just a couple months away, so let's put last year in the rearview and turn our attention towards the upcoming year. The Giants will look to climb back to the top of the NFC East, a division with a lot of unknown variables—from the Chip Kelly experiment in Philadelphia to the health of RGIII and Tony Romo—with which to contend.

Despite plenty of talent and an intriguing draft conducted by Jerry Reese and company, Big Blue also have some questions to answer in the months leading up to kickoff in September.

Begin Slideshow

Michael Jordan Announces Bobcats Intend to Become Charlotte Hornets

Alex Kay — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:23:34 -0400

After nine years of misery, failure and heartbreak, the Charlotte Bobcats intend to change their nickname to the Hornets.

Michael Jordan, team owner and one of the greatest winners in NBA history, made the announcement at a press conference on Tuesday evening.

The switch won’t happen immediately, with Jordan revealing the franchise won’t be officially known as the Charlotte Hornets until the 2014-15 season, according to the timeline NBA Deputy Commissioner Adam Silver outlines (via USAToday.com).

Rumbling for this change began back in January, when Charlotte conducted a Harris Interactive poll (via ESPN) to gauge local interest in reverting to the Hornets. The results were never released, but seem evident by the pending transformation.

With the league remaining in control of the Hornets name (as per ESPN), this process was easy for Jordan to start and should be easy to follow through with.

The name swap was an obvious one, as the Hornets played in Charlotte from 1988 through 2002, when the team uprooted and moved to New Orleans under then-owner George Shinn.

Tom Benson purchased the New Orleans Hornets from the league in 2012, and he immediately decided to change the franchise’s moniker to something more local. He eventually settled on the Pelicans—as the team is now officially known.

Benson even admitted that the Hornets belonged to Charlotte, saying:

“The Hornets name came from Charlotte. That fits in with Charlotte. It doesn’t fit into New Orleans, La., or our area here. The Hornets don’t mean anything here.”

For most of the original Charlotte Hornets lifetime, they were one of the more popular franchises in the league and sold out a majority of their games.

Players like Larry Johnson, Alonzo Mourning, Glen Rice and Muggsy Bogues helped the organization to make seven playoff runs in its 14 years of existence, but the Hornets never were able to get past the conference semifinals.

It seems they’ll get another crack at that when this young squad, led by recent lottery picks Kemba Walker and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, finally rebrands and can shed the failures of the Bobcats.

The current Charlotte franchise has an overall record of 243-465 during the regular season and 0-4 in the playoffs. The Bobcats put together arguably the worst campaign in NBA history, when the 2011-12 squad went just 7-59, a .106 winning percentage.

The team has employed five head coaches and is actively searching for its sixth, while never putting a player on an All-Star or All-NBA team.

Hopefully for Charlotte basketball fans, that dismal reign ends when the Hornets return to town and give this downtrodden franchise some much-needed hope.

San Diego Chargers Sign Max Starks to a 1-Year Deal

Marcelo Villa — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:23:30 -0400

The San Diego Chargers signed veteran left tackle Max Starks, formerly of the Pittsburgh Steelers, to a one-year deal on Tuesday, as reported by Michael Gehlken of UT San Diego.

Starks, a 10-year veteran, started all 16 games at left tackle for the Steelers last year and has been a major piece of Pittsburgh's offensive line during the team's successful postseason runs in the last decade.

After the team signed Dwight Freeney last Saturday, it didn't seem likely that there would be any cap room left for a veteran left tackle of Stark's caliber. However, GM Tom Telesco has found a way to add a formidable player to protect Philip Rivers' blindside this season.

Starks tweeted the news of his signing with San Diego earlier today:

After adding Starks, San Diego also announced it had parted ways with offensive tackle Kevin Haslam.

Starks and King Dunlap will likely be the top two candidates competing for the starting job, but Starks' experience should prevail.

Looking at this offensive line and how it has changed from a year ago, Telesco has done an impressive job maneuvering the team's salary cap and adding personnel the team desperately needed.

Starks will not only become a reliable option to plug in at the left tackle spot, but his experience could very well prove useful in the development of first-round pick D.J. Fluker.

Initially, Nick Hardwick and Jeromey Clary were slated to be the team's only experienced players on the offensive line. After the draft and free agency, the Chargers have added a wealth of experience in the addition of players like Starks, Chad Rinehart, Rich Ohrnberger and Dunlap.

Andre Ethier Gets Ejected from Game, Stares Down Umpire

Ken Dorset — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:23:05 -0400

Andre Ethier got ejected during the eighth inning of the Dodgers’ 3-1 win over the Brewers on Monday night and decided to stare down the umpire on his way out.

Watch out, we got a badass over here.

Lakers Rumors: Most Ideal Trade Partners for LA to Trade Up in Draft

Maxwell Ogden — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:16:16 -0400

According to Sam Amico of Fox Sports Ohio, the Los Angeles Lakers are looking to trade into the first round of the 2013 NBA draft. Amico's sources state that at the heart of a potential deal could be none other than walking rumor mill Pau Gasol.

The question is, who would be the most ideal trade partners for L.A. to move up in the draft?

As it presently stands, the Lakers will not have the opportunity to draft a prospect until the 18th pick of the second round. They traded their first-round draft choice to the Phoenix Suns as a part of the Steve Nash trade and have thus found themselves in familiar territory.

The Lakers haven't picked in the first round since 2009, when they traded their selection, Toney Douglas, to the New York Knicks for a second-rounder and cash.

Furthermore, L.A. hasn't drafted in the first round and kept their pick since 2007. That was the year in which they landed Javaris Crittenton, whom they traded in the midst of his rookie season as a part of the Pau Gasol deal.

So when did they actually draft in the first round and hold on to their pick?

The last time the Lakers drafted in the first round and kept their selection for at least one season was 2006, when they landed Jordan Farmar. Farmar proceeded to be a key player on two Lakers title teams.

In case you were wondering why the Lakers have no youth or athleticism, that recap should answer all of your questions—so who could help them cure those woes?

Atlanta Hawks (No. 17 and No. 18)

The Atlanta Hawks are a team in instant rebuild mode, as they have the necessary cap space to build a contender but hardly anyone left on their roster. If there is one player worth noting, however, it's power forward Al Horford, who is in dire need of a dominant center alongside him.

Enter Pau Gasol.

Gasol and the Hawks have been linked before, as there were rumors circulating that he could be dealt in exchange for Josh Smith. Now, Atlanta could acquire the Spaniard for the low price of one or two mid-first-round draft choices.

Areas in which Atlanta is unlikely to find greater value than Gasol—a Hall of Fame power forward that can still take over games.

For a Hawks team that has hardly anything but youth under contract, the idea of losing draft choices isn't so devastating. They have two second-rounders, but more importantly, they have mountains of cap space.

Even with the acquisition of Gasol, they could land at least one more superstar.

As for the Lakers, they need to acquire young, athletic legs, and there are likely to be those types of players at No. 17 and No. 18. Even if they are to fail in acquiring an elite prospect, they'll create athletic depth on a roster that needs just that.

Since 2005, the No. 17 pick has produced the likes of Danny Granger, Roy Hibbert, Jrue Holiday and Iman Shumpert. intrigued?

Minnesota Timberwolves (No. 9 and No. 26)

The Minnesota Timberwolves have been linked to Pau Gasol for quite some time now. As for how long they've had interest, the T-Wolves were reported to be in pursuit of Gasol via trade during the summer of 2012.

Why not now?

This is one of the weakest drafts in recent memory, and there's a strong possibility that Minnesota fails to land a player anywhere close to Gasol's caliber at No. 9. With a healthy Kevin Love, Andrei Kirilenko and Ricky Rubio, there's also a core in place to make a push for the postseason.

All they need is the superstar to put them over the edge.

Gasol can be that player, as he remains one of the most dynamic big men in the NBA. On top of being able to pass out of the post, he's still a nightly double-double threat that's a significantly better defender than Nikola Pekovic.

The question here is simple—do you want to build a title contender or hope that a player from this year's weak draft pans out? Also, why wouldn't you want to placate your franchise point guard by acquiring one of his countrymen?

The intrigue is present.

If L.A. were to play its cards right, it could work its way into the top 10 and land one of the better players in this draft. That isn't too powerful of a statement, but the Lakers need athletes along the perimeter and local product Shabazz Muhammad instantly comes to mind.

Regardless of which route they take, moving into the first round to land an athletic playmaker is a necessity here, and landing the No. 26 pick wouldn't be out of the question.

Washington Wizards (No. 8)

The Washington Wizards are one player away from becoming a scary team in the Eastern Conference. If you don't believe that, then stop allowing reputations to confuse you and check the facts.

Washington was eighth in scoring defense, ninth in rebounding and went 24-25 once John Wall returned from his injury—all of that came without an interior scoring presence.

By adding Pau Gasol, Washington would instantly become a playoff team and be able to compete against a rather pedestrian Eastern Conference. Overcoming the Miami Heat is another topic, but entering the postseason is the next step for this team.

As for their possibilities at No. 8, why take a player that could be Gasol, Alex Len, when you can have the actual player?

For the Lakers, a trade into the top 10 would open up their possibilities and enable them to land one of the draft's premier athletes. That includes the potential to select anyone from Anthony Bennett to Shabazz Muhammad, thus improving their flat-footed forward spots.

For a Lakers team that may be willing to part ways with one of our generation's greatest, it's all about maximizing value.

Grizzlies vs. Spurs Game 2: Live Score, Highlights and Analysis

Tristan Thornburgh — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:15:52 -0400

Can the Grizzlies' Zach Randolph bounce back, or will he continue to look like the player who was once traded for Quentin Richardson in a straight-up one-for-one swap?

After a 105-83 blowout loss in Game 1, Memphis will look to tie up the series against the San Antonio Spurs tonight in the Western Conference Finals.

The big story for the Spurs in Game 1 was their stellar defense. They were able to stop Randolph completely, limiting Z-Bo to just two points and seven rebounds on 1-of-8 shooting. Has San Antonio discovered the blueprint to slow down Randolph?

After a Game 1 performance in which point guard Mike Conley scored 14 points on 12 shots and center Marc Gasol scored 15 points on 16 shots, the Grizzlies will need to play a more efficient brand of basketball to keep up with the Spurs' tight-run ship.

The scariest thing from Memphis' perspective going forward is that Spurs star Tim Duncan scored just six points in Game 1, and you can be sure he'll be a bigger factor on the offensive end for the remainder of the series.

The Grizzlies have been in this position before, but the Spurs are the best team they've faced in the playoffs to date.

Game 2 tips off at 9 p.m. ET tonight on ESPN.

Stanford Football: Keys for Cardinal to Repeat as Pac-12 Champions

John Rozum — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:15:32 -0400

The Stanford Cardinal are coming off a third consecutive BCS bowl game appearance and their first conference title since 1999.

Coach David Shaw has proven to be the perfect successor to Jim Harbaugh. Plus, Stanford didn't miss a step last season even though Andrew Luck was gone.

As for the 2013 campaign, Shaw brings in the No. 57 (Scout.com) and No. 63 (Rivals.com) ranked recruiting class. Even though that's not on par with conference foes Oregon, USC and UCLA, don't expect Stanford to just slide back this season.

To that end, let's check out how Shaw's crew can repeat as Pac-12 champs.

Note: Full view of Stanford's depth chart courtesy of GoStanford.com.

Rely on a dynamic ground game

With Stepfan Taylor out of the equation, Stanford has to keep its rushing attack moving.

Anthony Wilkerson must take the reins and simply attack the line of scrimmage. After averaging 4.5 yards per rush in 2012, Wilkerson briefly brought back the potential displayed in 2010. The Cardinal will need him to consistently produce as the season unfolds.

Elsewhere, Tyler Gaffney is back.

According to Kyle Kensing of SaturdayBlitz.com via Sports Illustrated, Gaffney was playing minor league baseball in 2012. Nevertheless, the guy accounted for 704 rushing yards and 11 scores between 2010 and 2011.

Feeding a sound mixture of Wilkerson and Gaffney allows the Cardinal to run a variety of plays geared toward controlling the trenches.

Defense...and more defense

There are three guys coach Shaw and Co. can always count on heading into the 2013 campaign.

First is linebacker Shayne Skov.

He logged 146 tackles through his first two college seasons, but then missed most of 2011 due to injury. Fortunately Skov returned nicely in 2012, recording 81 tackles, and Kevin Gemmell of ESPN.com believes he is Stanford's most important player:

There is no debate, however, about what Skov means to this team. Before his season-ending knee injury at Arizona in 2011, he was slotted as a potential first-round draft pick. He returned in 2012 and was very good. But not quite back to where he was pre-injury.

He is now. And that bodes very well for one of the top defensive units in the country.

The next guy that must keep producing is Ben Gardner.

Between 2011 and 2012 Gardner racked up 24.5 tackles for loss, 12 of which were sacks, and defended seven passes. His knack for disrupting the backfield is a great complement to Skov in the front seven.

Finally, there is safety Ed Reynolds, whose ability to change the field position on turnovers creates a huge competitive advantage.

Reynolds picked off six passes last season and returned them for 301 yards and three touchdowns. This ability to swing the momentum and instantly change any game gives Stanford a chance regardless of the second-half situation.

Turnover Minimization

Winning the turnover battle is one primary aspect that allowed Stanford to take the Pac-12 title.

Finishing the year at plus-nine, the Cardinal ranked No. 26 in turnover margin. Quarterback Kevin Hogan only tossed three picks the six games where he contributed the most, not to mention putting up a 71.7 completion percentage.

Provided Hogan continues to develop and set up the play-action, Stanford gains a favorable edge by establishing balance.

The pass rush will get pressure to force fumbles, and the coverage will make plays on the ball for interceptions. As a result, Hogan and Co. must capitalize accordingly or simply reduce turnovers to play the field-position game.

Regardless, sticking to a physical philosophy on each side of the line of scrimmage will propel Stanford ahead of its conference competition.

Boston Bruins vs. New York Rangers Game 3: Live Score, Updates & Analysis

Isaac Smith — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:15:01 -0400

The New York Rangers host the Boston Bruins in Game 3 (in progress) of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday night.

This is a must-win game for the Rangers, as they are down 2-0 to the Bruins in the best-of-seven-series. A loss here would almost assuredly crush any hopes of the Rangers making a comeback in this series.

Can the Rangers defend home ice in Game 3 or will the Bruins take a 3-0 stranglehold on the series?

Tune in to this live blog during tonight's Game 3 for scoring updates and analysis.

Boston Bruins 0, New York Rangers 0. First period.

Big 12 Baseball Tournament 2013: Updated Schedule of Dates and Times

Rob Goldberg — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:14:47 -0400

The Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championships will still take place, although the dates and the format have changed.

After a devastating tornado caused massive damage in Oklahoma City this week, the league decided to push back the start from Wednesday to Thursday. While there was a discussion about whether to cancel the tournament altogether, local leaders asked the Big 12 to keep it alive (via ESPN).

The event will still take place in Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark in Oklahoma City, although it will no longer by a double-elimination tournament as previously scheduled. Instead, there will be two pools with the winner of each playing each other for the title.

One pool includes Kansas State, Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Baylor. Whoever comes out of that group will face the winner of Oklahoma State, West Virginia, Kansas and TCU, who will compete in the second pool.

Here is a full look at the schedule for the upcoming games (via OKCallSports.org).

Thursday, May 23

Game	Time (ET)	TV
Pool 1
No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 5 Baylor	10 a.m.	Fox College Sports
No. 1 Kansas State vs. No. 8 Texas Tech	1:30 p.m.	Fox College Sports
Pool 2
No. 3 West Virginia vs. No. 6 Kansas	5 p.m.	Fox College Sports
No. 2 Oklahoma State vs. No. 7 TCU	8:30 p.m.	Fox College Sports

Friday, May 24

Game	Time (ET)	TV
Pool 1
No. 4 Oklahoma vs. No. 8 Texas Tech	10 a.m.	Fox College Sports
No. 1 Kansas State vs. No. 5 Baylor	1:30 p.m.	Fox College Sports
Pool 2
No. 3 West Virginia vs. No. 7 TCU	5 p.m.	Fox College Sports
No. 2 Oklahoma State vs. No. 6 Kansas	8:30 p.m.	Fox College Sports

Saturday, May 25

Game	Time (ET)	TV
Pool 1
No. 5 Baylor vs. No. 8 Texas Tech	10 a.m.	Fox College Sports
No. 1 Kansas State vs. No. 4 Oklahoma	1:30 p.m.	Fox College Sports
Pool 2
No. 2 Oklahoma State vs. No. 3 West Virginia	5 p.m.	Fox College Sports
No. 6 Kansas vs. No. 7 TCU	8:30 p.m.	Fox College Sports

Sunday, May 26

Championship Game	Time (ET)	TV
Pool 1 Winner vs. Pool 2 Winner	2 p.m.	FSN

Teams to Watch

Kansas State

The Big 12 regular-season champions are the obvious favorites heading into this tournament. However, this format will make things harder as it leaves little room for error.

Jake Matthys is easily the best pitcher on the roster and should continue to dominate like he has throughout the year. However, the question will be if the rest of the staff can pick up the slack and make sure the Wildcats keep winning.

There are a lot of great hitters in this lineup, but even they could have a hard time keeping up on the scoreboard if the pitchers do not come through in one of the games.

Oklahoma State

The second-best hitting team in the conference also has a deep rotation of pitchers, which is a good recipe for success.

Between Zach Fish and Tanner Krietemeier, the Cowboys have a great middle of the batting order that is capable of bringing in runs with timely hits. As long as the other hitters get on base, the offense is as strong as they come.

If Oklahoma State can continue to play as well as it has in recent weeks, it will be able to win the conference tournament for the first time since 2004.

TCU

If there is going to be a major upset in this tournament, TCU could be the team to do it. The Horned Frogs struggled in their first year in the Big 12, but they have come on strong lately and are as hot as any team in the field.

The team has won seven of the last 10 games and is capable of winning the three or four games necessary to get the championship.

Additionally, TCU has one of the best pitching staffs in the conference. In Big 12 games, the squad led the conference with a 2.47 ERA thanks mostly to the contributions of Preston Morrison and Alex Young.

With these pitchers on the hill, anything is possible.

Note: All stats courtesy of Big12Sports.com.

Follow @TheRobGoldberg

Jose Canseco Proves He Will Do Anything for Publicity

Richard Langford — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:11:47 -0400

Jose Canseco loves being the center of attention. This isn't earth-shattering news. The former slugger has gone to great lengths to keep himself in the limelight over the years.

And he hasn't tired of this pursuit yet.

At 48, Canseco is going to hit the diamond again. This time with the independent Fort Worth Cats. Canseco will be player/coach for the opening eight-game homestand for the Cats.

This is just one of his many current interests, in a long line of interests he's adopted since last stepping onto a major league field.

He was one of the big reasons that steroids in baseball came to the public's attention. He's been on TV with appearances, like his work, on Celebrity Apprentice.

He's had an MMA bout with a 7'1" giant who Jose spent most of the short night running from.

It has also included boxing–sort of. His twin brother Ozzie showed up in his place when he was likely too busy thinking of other ways to get attention.

He's done ads for beer while talking about steroids.

He's done ads for steroids where he doesn't talk about beer.

Then, of course, there is the endless stream of quotes that all deserve their own little piece of attention.

And, despite not having played in the majors since 2001, he is showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, it didn't even seem possible, but Canseco is working harder than ever to stay in the limelight.

Let's just check in on the recent comings and goings of the first player to ever hit 40 home runs and steal 40 bases in the same season.

There is his upcoming return to baseball.

For any of those concerned that Jose may again try to substitute his brother in his place once again, this seems to be out of the question. The Cats play the Edinburg Roadrunners in their opening series. The Roadrunners are managed by none other than Ozzie Canseco.

As we've come to expect with the diverse Canseco, this is just the tip of the iceberg. He has more than one pot boiling, as he is intent on using social media for all it's worth.

Canseco has had a running feud with NBA-great Shaquille O'Neal. Much to the apparent chagrin of Canseco, nothing has come of this feud. Recently, Canseco has been busy tweeting at O'Neal to try and lure him into the octagon:

As if playing and managing baseball while calling out seven-foot giants isn't enough, Canseco is also writing forewords to novels.

And not just any novels, but Air Force Gator 2: The Scales of Justice.

Amazon describes the state of the novel's central figure as such: "Once a desperate and alcoholic whoremonger, the alligator pilot has finally found peace."

So, how did Canseco wind up writing the foreword for this book? Yep, via Twitter:

I honestly can't think of a better person to write a foreword for a book about an alcoholic pilot alligator than Jose Canseco.

It's pretty clear Canseco isn't going to go gently into that good night, and I, for one, am glad.

UFC Contender Chris Weidman Almost Signed With Bellator Before Contract Betrayal

McKinley Noble — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:05:40 -0400

Bellator MMA is currently fighting to keep Eddie Alvarez on their roster, but he's not the only top talent that's had contract issues with the company.

According to The New York Post, Chris Weidman very nearly found himself trapped in a Bellator contract of his own.

Back in 2011, just after an undefeated two-year four-fight stint in Ring of Combat, Weidman nearly signed up with the minor league MMA promotion, which was just about to run three back-to-back-to-back seasons on MTV2.

Fortunately for Weidman, he said that a last-minute glance at the paperwork revealed a clause in the contract that could've extended it "to three or four years"—despite the fact that Bellator that told the All-American wrestling star it would be a maximum of two years:

I felt like I was betrayed by them. They never told me that. It was a little sneaky.

I was so upset. I was so let down. I was excited to go to Bellator... Everything happens for a reason. Thank God I took my time and didn't just rush into it.

And as they say, the rest is history.

Weidman's refusal to sign with Bellator paved the way for his UFC debut against Alessio Sakara in March 2011, which was quickly followed by a four-fight winning steak over Mark Munoz, Demian Maia, Tom Lawlor and Jesse Bongfeldt.

Now, Weidman is scheduled to challenge Anderson Silva for the UFC Middleweight Championship, despite having fewer professional MMA bouts than "The Spider" has title defenses.

That match goes down during the main event of UFC 162 on July 6 at Las Vegas' MGM Grand Garden Arena, where Weidman will attempt to become the very first fighter to ever hand Silva a defeat inside the UFC Octagon.

If Weidman does pull out a victory, it'll be on the short list for the greatest upset in MMA history.

However, the betting books are giving the champion surprisingly low odds at retaining his title (via BestFightOdds), where Silva opened as a relatively small 4-to-1 favorite.

McKinley Noble is an MMA conspiracy theorist. His work has appeared in NVision, PC World, Macworld, GamePro, 1UP, MMA Mania and The L.A. Times.

Penn State Football: Power Ranking the 5 Most Memorable Plays in PSU History

Colin Tansits — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:04:26 -0400

Penn State football has a rich tradition that stretches through past years and generations.

Fathers, sons, grandfathers and all different families that flock to Beaver Stadium can agree on at least one thing: Penn State.

Over the years the football program has seen many memorable moments, plays and milestones.

Even with the dark cloud still hovering near Happy Valley as the dust settles from the Sandusky scandal that stunned the nation, those memorable plays and moments on the field still remain.

So as the college football world sits in limbo between spring practices and summer minicamps, let’s take a look into the past.

Here is a list of the most memorable plays in Penn State football history, ranked by impact and significance.

Begin Slideshow

New York City Football Club: Creating Uniforms for the MLS Expansion Franchise

Adam Hirshfield — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:03:53 -0400

It's a big day for Major League Soccer, as the league has announced that it will be adding a 20th team for the start of the 2015 season in New York City.

Manchester City FC and the New York Yankees have teamed up to bring us the club that will be known as New York City Football Club (or, presumably, NYC FC).

“We proudly welcome two of the most prestigious professional global sports organizations to Major League Soccer,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber said Tuesday in a league statement:

This is a transformational development that will elevate the league to new heights in this country. The New York area is home to more than 19 million people, and we look forward to an intense crosstown rivalry between New York City Football Club and the New York Red Bulls that will captivate this great city.

There are still plenty of questions to be decided before the club begins to take form. Where will they play? How do their neighbors, the Red Bulls, feel about the expansion? Which big-name players and coaches—either domestic or foreign—will they lure to the team?

But perhaps the most fascinating issue to be worked out is that of the uniforms.

Most major clubs have new versions of their kits released each season, often with minor style tweaks, slight color or design changes or even new sponsors.

But with an expansion team on the way, we're starting with a fresh slate.

So, without further ado (and using the amazing design blog "Soccer Without Context" as inspiration), here's one adaptation of what the new NYC FC kits might look like:

Both home and away jerseys feature the Umbro brand that currently manufactures the Man City uniforms. They both also feature the pinstripes of their parent club, the Yankees, though in rather different styles.

In terms of color, much like the two super-clubs that came together to produce NYC FC, it makes sense to combine the sky blue of Citizens with the darker navy blue of the Bronx Bombers.

There are obviously plenty of sponsorship options—another issue for MLS to work out over the next two years—but the New York Stock Exchange (home) and Saks Fifth Avenue (away) seem appropriate.

The badge or logo will likely be designed over the next several months. But for the purposes of this exercise, I incorporated the logo of F.C. New York, a franchise that played in the USL Professional Division and National Premier Soccer Leagues in 2011 and 2012, respectively.

So what do you think? Do you like these options? How should they be changed? What will NYC FC look like when they take to the pitch in the spring of 2015?

Indy 500 2013: Highlighting Hottest Racers Heading into Prestigious Event

Jesse Reed — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:02:51 -0400

The Indianapolis 500, also known as "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing," is one of the most hallowed motorsports events in the world. Even the most casual of fans makes it a point to tune in when the world's best take to the starting grid every May at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

This year's field is loaded with top talent, from top to bottom.

Past champions, rising stars and veteran mainstays will compete for the right to chug a bottle of milk and take home the Borg-Warner Trophy.

Dario Franchitti won the event a year ago—his third career Indy 500 victory. He and Helio Castroneves will be seeking their fourth wins this upcoming Sunday, but there are a few hot drivers who will surely give them, and the rest of the field, a tough challenge.

Here's the official start order for the big race, courtesy of the official website of the Indianapolis 500:

Start Position	Driver	Car
1	Ed Carpenter	20
2	Carlos Munoz	26
3	Marco Andretti	25
4	EJ Viso	5
5	AJ Allmendinger	2
6	Will Power	12
7	Ryan Hunter-Reay	1
8	Helio Castroneves	3
9	James Hinchcliffe	27
10	JR Hildebrand	4
11	Alex Tagliani	98
12	Tony Kanaan	11
13	Oriol Servia	22
14	Justin Wilson	19
15	Sebastien Bordais	7
16	Scott Dixon	9
17	Dario Franchitti	10
18	Takuma Sato	14
19	Charlie Kimball	83
20	James Jakes	16
21	Simon Pagenaud	77
22	Townsend Bell	60
23	Ryan Briscoe	8
24	Simona De Silvestro	78
25	Josef Newgarden	21
26	Graham Rahal	15
27	Sebastian Saavedra	6
28	Tristan Vautier	55
29	Ana Beatriz	18
30	Pippa Mann	63
31	Conor Daly	41
32	Buddy Lazier	91
33	Katherine Legge	81

Now it's time to take a look at the hottest drivers of the 2013 season heading into the Indy 500.

James Hinchcliffe

There have been four IndyCar Series races thus far in 2013, and Hinchcliffe has won two of them.

He's simply the hottest IndyCar racer in the world right now. He won at St. Petersburg and at Sau Paulo, defeating a loaded field on both occasions.

Hinchcliffe was unable to complete the race in his other two appearances after getting stranded at Birmingham and crashing out at Long Beach. Basically, the way he's running right now, it's a good bet he'll either win the Indy 500 or fail to finish.

At least he swings for the fences, right?

Ryan Hunter-Reay

Last year's top racer, Hunter-Reay won the Indy Grand Prix of Alabama last month and has been smoking hot in qualifying this year.

He won the No. 1 starting spot at Birmingham and at Sao Paulo, while earning the No. 2 spot in Long Beach. While it's true Hunter-Reay wasn't able to capitalize on his excellent starting position in two of those races, it's clear he and his crew have a car they like.

Alden Woods, a beat writer for IDS Sports, was at the track for Hunter-Reay's Fast Nine run and posted a nice clip featuring the pure speed he gets while on the track:

In five previous attempts, Hunter-Reay has never finished on the podium at Indianapolis. You can bet he's gunning hard for the chance to immortalize himself as an Indy 500 champ this year.

Takuma Sato

Sato earned his first career victory earlier this year at Long Beach in impressive fashion. He built up a nice lead in the latter half of the race and never let up.

It was also an historic win, as Sato became the first Japanese racer to win an IndyCar series race, per ESPN Motorsports:

In addition to his big win, Sato earned a podium finish at Sao Paulo, finishing in second place behind Hinchcliffe.

Sato and his crew really have things dialed in right now, and it'll take everyone's best effort to win this year's Indy 500. Starting from the No. 18 spot on the grid means Sato will need to race smart and fast from start to finish to come away with his second victory this year.

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78

Are Yankees Risking Spreading Empire Too Thin with MLS Team Ownership?

Joe Giglio — Tue, 21 May 2013 18:00:15 -0400

The announcement in the New York Times of a Major League Soccer team owned by Manchester City of the English Premier League and the New York Yankees made headlines on Tuesday afternoon, raising the stakes for soccer and sports in an already crowded New York sports business landscape.

While the involvement of Yankees ownership is intriguing from a business standpoint for both the baseball and soccer club, the investment should only lead to success for both sides. From the Yankee perspective, there's little that should cause fans to worry about a John Henry-Liverpool scenario.

No, the New York Yankees' ownership group isn't going to suddenly stop paying big money to baseball players in order to grow their stake in a startup soccer team.

Instead, look for the soccer team, known as the New York City Football Club, to play some games at Yankee Stadium and have their games televised on the YES Network.

I spoke to Chris Ravita, Soccer Editor for The Sports Network US, whose first opinion of the deal was that of a win-win for both the baseball and new startup soccer entity.

"My impression was the Yankees are on board predominantly for two functions: identify potential sponsorships by using their own brand equity, and also assist with the stadium development as they are quite familiar with the NYC landscape," said Ravita.

Furthermore, we spoke about the involvement of the YES Network, which outside of Brooklyn Nets games and a simulcast of Mike Francesa's sports talk show on WFAN in New York, is a channel without regular programming, especially in the baseball offseason.

"New York City Football Club on YES will contrast Red Bulls games on MSG quite nicely," Ravita explained.

At some point, an acquisition of this caliber was inevitable for Yankees ownership, due to the cost and magnitude of building the new Yankee Stadium in 2009. Simply put, the building is too spectacular, too much of a draw and too much of a grand stage to only be functioning for 81 home dates per season.

The soccer partnership is just an extension of Cotto-Foreman, The Pinstripe Bowl and Legends of the Summer at the new Yankee Stadium.

While it's easy to assume extra entities and commitments will detract from the overall tunnel vision of ownership to win baseball games and compete at the highest level in the AL East, the facts don't bear that out.

The growth of the New York Yankees' brand isn't just about baseball in 2013. As the majority soccer ownership group expounded on in a press release today (via MLB.com), the partnership works both ways.

"We are thrilled to contribute to the energy and growth of New York City Soccer," said Ferran Soriano, CEO of Manchester City Football Club. "In the Yankees, we have found the absolute best partner for developing a world-class sports organization and a winning team that will carry the New York City Football Club name with pride."

With the expansion of Manchester's soccer brand into the MLS, comes increased revenue and opportunities for the Yankees.

Of course, there is always a chance that the Yankees' stake becomes bigger and more pronounced as the years move along, taking away from their focus on the baseball team. Yet, despite the rising popularity of soccer in New York and in the Northeast, it doesn't make sense from a business standpoint to ever truly bite the hand that feeds the Yankee ownership.

In other words, don't expect the baseball team to suffer or be affected in the slightest.

Different organizations with less skilled and experienced baseball operations departments might have an issue if ownership was pulled in different directions from time to time.

With Brian Cashman and a capable baseball operations department in place—along with a minimum $189 million payroll—that won't be an issue for the New York Yankees' fanbase any time soon.

Is this a good move for the New York Yankees?

Comment below, follow me on Twitter or "Like" my Facebook page to talk all things baseball!

NBA Draft Lottery 2013: Live Results and Analysis

Tristan Thornburgh — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:59:48 -0400

For all of the NBA teams that didn't make it to the playoffs, the 2013 draft lottery is their time to shine.

Tuesday night, the ping-pong balls will be drawn and we'll know which NBA team gets to have the top overall selection in the June draft.

Nerlens Noel, Ben McLemore and Trey Burke are three prospects who have been mentioned as potential top picks, but who will make those top picks? Will a team leapfrog to the top spot?

Here is the list of teams entering the lottery, per NBA.com. The percentage next to each team represents the chance the team has at landing the No. 1 selection.

Utah Jazz: 0.5 percent
Dallas Mavericks: 0.6 percent
Toronto Raptors: 0.7 percent (pick is top-three protected; otherwise goes to OKC Thunder)
Philadelphia 76ers: 0.8 percent
Portland Trail Blazers: 1.1 percent
Minnesota Timberwolves: 1.7 percent
Washington Wizards: 3.5 percent
Detroit Pistons: 3.6 percent
Sacramento Kings: 6.3 percent
New Orleans Pelicans: 8.8 percent
Phoenix Suns: 11.9 percent
Cleveland Cavaliers: 15.6 percent
Charlotte Bobcats: 19.9 percent
Orlando Magic: 25 percent

The lottery begins at 8:30 p.m. ET tonight on ESPN.

Washington Nationals vs. SF Giants: Strasburg-Cain Live Score, Analysis

Kerry Miller — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:56:32 -0400

In the red corner, Washington Nationals phenom Stephen Strasburg toes the rubber in hopes of building on last week's eight-inning gem against his hometown Padres. Despite a 2.83 ERA and averaging nearly a strikeout per inning, Strasburg's record sits at 2-5 thanks in part to the sixth-lowest amount of run support in all of baseball.

In the orange corner, Matt Cain enters Tuesday night's game vs. the Nationals in dire need of a quality start. Cain's ERA is hovering in completely uncharted waters, at 5.43, which has led many to try to diagnose what the former ace is doing wrong.

Perhaps a start against the Nationals' light-hitting lineup is exactly what the doctor ordered. After all, teammate Ryan Vogelsong entered last night's game against the Nats with an ERA of 8.06 and went on to throw five scoreless innings before being forced to leave the game with a broken hand.

(At least Vogelsong broke his hand in the batter's box doing baseball things and not on a locker like Nationals reliever Ryan Mattheus did two nights ago.)

Are we headed for a pitchers' duel or a slugfest? Will the Giants inch closer to the top spot in the NL West, or will the Nationals snap out of their three-game losing streak? Will Bryce Harper run into another wall? How many cups of coffee will it take an East Coast dweller to stay awake until the final pitch?

Tune back in tonight at 10:15 ET and we'll find out the answers to all of those questions together.

Andy Murray Withdraws from French Open Due to Back Injury

Tyler Conway — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:56:30 -0400

Andy Murray's career-long quest to win at Roland Garros will not come to fruition in 2013.

According to BBC Sport's Twitter feed, Murray officially withdrew from the French Open on Tuesday due to lingering back issues:

After the news broke about his withdrawal, Murray released a statement, per The Scottish Sun's Sport Twitter feed:

He said that this ailment isn't new and it took away from his enjoyment of the game.

"It's been an issue for a while now and I want to make sure it goes away," Murray said (per the BBC). "It's not enjoyable when you're playing in pain."

Murray's decision was made after undergoing a scan, per the Daily Mail's Mike Dickson. It's unclear what Murray's prognosis was following that appointment.

While this news undoubtedly comes as a disappointment to the world's second-ranked player, there had been speculation about Murray's status for weeks. The 26-year-old Murray was forced to retire during his second-round matchup versus Marcel Granollers in last week's Italian Open due to the issue, casting a shadow of doubt over his French Open status.

Speaking after his retirement against Granollers, Murray acknowledged it was unlikely we'd see him in Paris.

"I pulled out because there is a good chance I wouldn't be playing tomorrow. We'll have to wait for Paris. I'd be very surprised if I were playing in Paris," Murray said to Reuters (via Yahoo! Sports).

All things considered, Murray is likely making a sound long-term decision. The French Open is the only Grand Slam tournament where he has never made the final, and his only semifinals appearance was in 2011. Last year, the fourth-seeded Murray was upset by sixth-seeded David Ferrer three sets to one in the quarterfinals.

With the grass-court season—Murray's speciality—getting underway after the French Open, Murray is making a forward-thinking decision to sit out. Ben Rothenberg of The New York Times noted that Murray likely made the correct decision considering his up-and-down history at Roland Garros:

Murray's withdrawal obviously makes things easier for contemporaries Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer. The defending champion Nadal had already passed David Ferrer for the No. 4 seed, but Murray's absence pushes Nadal to the No. 3 seed.

The official draw for the French Open will be held on Friday, May 24, and action gets underway at Roland Garros on Sunday.

Byron Scott Is Logical Choice for Clippers' Head-Coaching Vacancy

Tim Keeney — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:54:59 -0400

If the end game is re-signing Chris Paul—as it unequivocally should be—then the Los Angeles Clippers would be wise to hire Byron Scott to fill the head-coaching vacancy opened up by Vinny Del Negro's departure.

On Tuesday afternoon, it was revealed that the Clips' polarizing head man would not have his contract renewed according to Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski:

Finding a replacement is now of the utmost importance. The NBA draft and free agency are both right around the corner, and it would probably be best to know who is running the show before making significant changes to the roster.

But judging by the size of the target list (according to ESPN's Ramona Shelburne and the Orange County Register's Dan Woike), it appears Donald Sterling and Gary Sacks aren't wasting any time with the crucial transition:

The first question of each interview needs to be a simple one: How will you help re-sign the best point guard in the league?

Scott will have the best answer to that question.

His overall resume isn't spectacular. Yes, he took the then-New Jersey Nets to two NBA Finals in his first three seasons as a head coach and won Coach of the Year with the New Orleans Hornets in 2008. However, he has a career record of 416-521 and recently went an abysmal 64-166 with the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It got him fired.

Nevertheless, the rapport he established with Paul during their time in New Orleans can't be overstated.

Scott is seen as a key figure in Paul's development as a superstar, and when the former was fired from the Hornets, the latter "wasn't happy with the decision."

Even after the two separated, they kept up their "father-son type of relationship" (via The Times Picayune's John Reid) and continued to communicate several times per week.

Apparently, Scott simply has a way with point guards. Even after an ugly tenure with the Cavs, Kyrie Irving—another point guard he has molded into a superstar—took the firing rather poorly, according to Jason Lloyd of the Akron Beacon Journal:

Now look at this from the Clippers' point of view. If you're trying to hire someone who will best entice your star player to stay, aren't you going to go with the one man who has already developed an unmatched relationship with said star?

That should be obvious.

Scott may not have an overwhelming track record, but he's the candidate with the best chance of swaying the All-Star point guard back to Los Angeles.

And at this point, there is little else that matters.