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UFC 160: What We Learned from Dennis Bermudez vs. Max Holloway

Scott Harris — Sat, 25 May 2013 21:38:18 -0400

In one of the best fights on the UFC 160 undercard, featherweight Dennis Bermudez used takedowns and some big power shots to punish Max Holloway and score a split-decision victory on Saturday.

For Bermudez (11-3), the win was his fourth straight. For 21-year-old Holloway (7-2), the youngest fighter in the UFC, it was only his second UFC defeat.

Both men fought well, and the decision may spark controversy among fans. Holloway appeared to land more strikes than Bermudez, despite doing less damage. It was a close fight, and both men acquitted themselves well.

What we'll remember about this fight

We'll remember Holloway's game plan. He used his range and a surprisingly good ground game to weather the Bermudez storm. But the raw power and athleticism of Bermudez won the day.

What we learned about Max Holloway

Holloway has much better ground skills than I initially suspected. Bermudez, a ground-and-pound specialist, was able to take Holloway down, but he couldn't hold him there. With his long limbs, Holloway was able to employ a strong and limber guard to keep Bermudez at bay or simply return to his feet. I was sure Bermudez would pin him to the mat and pound him out. I was wrong.

What we learned about Dennis Bermudez

He has the power—as evidenced by the hematoma he raised on Holloway's dome despite landing relatively few big blows—but wasn't able to adjust to Holloway's game plan. Holloway used his long reach to chip away at Bermudez from range and comported himself well on the ground. But credit Bermudez: He kept plugging away and did enough damage, especially at the end of the fight, to convince the judges that he was the better fighter.

What's next for Holloway

Assuming Jimy Hettes can return from his injury some time this year, the young judoka would help separate wheat from chaff in the younger end of the featherweight pool.

What's next for Bermudez

It's time for a bump up in competition. I'd suggest Steven Siler.

Breaking Down Skylar Diggins' WNBA Debut

Alex Ballentine — Sat, 25 May 2013 21:37:16 -0400

After a storied career at Notre Dame, Skylar Diggins made her highly anticipated WNBA debut with the Tulsa Shock on the road against the Atlanta Dream on Saturday night.

The Shock lost to the Dream 98-81, but as former WNBA star Chamique Holdsclaw pointed out, Diggins was the main attraction for the Philips Arena crowd.

As the No. 3 pick in the 2013 WNBA draft, expectations for Diggins to step up and be a star will be sky high. If this game is any indication, she's headed in the right direction.

The 5'9" guard's stat line resembled the numbers she used to rack up in South Bend: 34 minutes, 15 points, three assists, two steals, 4-of-13 shooting, 7-of-8 free throws and five turnovers.

While her shooting percentage was less than ideal, Diggins showed a proclivity for getting to the line. She shot more free throws than anyone on either team.

Despite the loss, the Shock should feel as though they are in a better position to compete than last year, when they earned the No. 3 pick in the draft. Second-year guard Riquna Williams also stepped up in a big way, putting up 22 points on 6-of-18 shooting and chipping in four steals.

The Dream, who finished third in the Eastern Conference last season, were in top form. They were led by reserve guard Tiffany Hayes' 21 points on 7-of-13 shooting in 19 minutes.

Losing is something that Diggins will have to take some time to get used to. She led the Fighting Irish to a 35-2 record last season behind her 17.2 points, 6.1 assists and 3.1 steals per game.

Now she has suffered half that many losses just one game into the season.

Overall, Diggins didn't set the league on fire in her debut, but she did show that she has the potential to be a marquee player. That should lead to steady improvement for the Shock going forward.

Manchester City Reload with Aguero—the Dethroned Champions' Best Player

Jerrad Peters — Sat, 25 May 2013 21:33:12 -0400

Not everything about running a football team is glamorous.

The big-money signings during the summer and champagne showers the following spring after winning a trophy sometimes make it seem that way, but what the very best sides have come to know is that the nitty gritty of day-to-day club management—maintaining a stable organization and retaining the best players in the squad—is just as important as the big splashes.

On Saturday, Manchester City did a neat little piece of business, extending Sergio Aguero’s contract an extra season to the end of the 2016-17 campaign. The Argentine will be 28 years old when the pact expires, which means he’ll be playing out his prime years at Etihad Stadium.

“I’m very happy at City and I feel very appreciated,” the forward told the club’s official website. “It’s been barely two years since I’ve arrived and sometimes I feel like I’ve been here all my life.”

Aguero, who played five seasons at Atletico Madrid following a 2006 move from Independiente, joined City in 2011 for a whopping £38 million and instantly became one of the club’s key attackers.

He scored 23 Premier League goals in his first season at Eastlands—the 23rd coming well into second-half stoppage time on the final day of the campaign to seal a memorable title win for City. Injuries limited him to only 29 appearances and 12 goals in 2012-13, but with his knee and hamstring problems behind him, he is anticipating a return to full effectiveness next term.

“Now I am looking forward to next season and pushing hard to win the title again,” he said.

And to regain it, City will need him to be what he has shown every sign of becoming: their very best player.

At his best, Aguero is one of English football’s finest dribblers—a player who can take the ball from the centre of the pitch to the attacking third in a matter of seconds. He also uses his teammates well—averaging nearly 25 passes per match—and isn’t afraid to pull the trigger from just about anywhere.

In 2011-12 he took an impressive 135 shots (only Gareth Bale, Clint Dempsey, Wayne Rooney and Robin van Persie had more attempts), and despite making considerably fewer performances this past season, he still had a go on 82 occasions.

But it is his ability to come up big when the chips are down that City will really be counting on as they look to win back the title from Manchester United.

Aguero’s goal against Queens Park Rangers on the final day of last season was his eighth match-winner of the campaign—a category only Rooney and Van Persie bested him in. City came to expect heroics from him, and more than any other player in the squad, he delivered them.

With Carlos Tevez’s future up in the air heading into the summer and Edin Dzeko likely exiting the club, Aguero’s importance to the cause figures to be even greater going forward. While City are likely to sign one or two strikers in the transfer window, they already have their No. 1 man under wraps for the next four seasons.

City have proved they can acquire some of the biggest names in world football. On Saturday, they showed they can hold on to them as well.

5 Free Agents the Detroit Pistons Must Avoid

Jakub Rudnik — Sat, 25 May 2013 21:29:40 -0400

The Detroit Pistons will have over $20 million in cap space this summer, and their front office needs to be careful not to repeat the mistakes they made in 2009.

Similar to the summer of 2009, the 2013 free agent class is filled with good, but not great players. Beyond Dwight Howard and Chris Paul (who have shown no interest in playing in Detroit), there are very few All-Star caliber players available to the Pistons.

The Pistons have several good young players on the roster already, and there will be temptation to sign a big-name player in order to become a playoff team. Joe Dumars needs to have patience this summer and make sure to use their cap space on the right player, not just someone who fans will recognize.

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Neymar Will Fit Perfectly with Barcelona

Jeremy Fuchs — Sat, 25 May 2013 21:25:58 -0400

Brazilian star Neymar will join Barcelona, according to the club's official Twitter feed:

This is a perfect move for both Neymar and Barcelona. Neymar has the kind of talent that will make Barcelona the elite club in La Liga. He will fit perfectly.

With David Villa set to leave the club, Neymar could find a home on the left side. A trio of Neymar, Messi and Pedro would be absolutely lethal.

In addition, Barcelona's players have expressed interest in Neymar. Dani Alves told NDTV Sports that the combination of Messi and Neymar would be a huge coup for Barcelona:

In some games they have marked Messi a lot and Neymar would help unbalance defences more. We have lacked a little continuity up front and the objective looking forward to next season is to continue competing for everything.

Neymar is an incredibly creative and electric player. At just 21, he has great technical skill and shows maturity on the field beyond his years. He has remarkable passing ability and can finish from anywhere. He's a star and already one of the best players in the world.

Paired with Messi, his already prolific goal scoring would increase.

Neymar scored 43 goals in 47 appearances in 2012 and has 13 goals in 20 matches this year. With Messi feeding him the ball, and with defenses unable to focus all their attention on Neymar, the Brazilian should put plenty of balls in the back of net.

For his part, Messi seems excited about the prospect of adding Neymar. He told FootballTips that:

I do not know if he will end up at the club or not. However, it is true that he is a player who would bring a very different dimension to the team. Of course he would be a wonderful addition.

The combination of Messi and Neymar will have Barcelona fans salivating. Both are tremendous goal scorers and tremendous passers. Defenses will have a tough time trying to stop them. Throw in Pedro, a fine player in his own right, on the right side, and Barcelona is going to score a lot of goals.

Neymar will also take pressure off of Messi. Messi will no longer have to do all the work. Instead, the combination of Messi and Neymar means that if one has a bad night, the team won't suffer.

All in all, this is a terrific move for Barcelona. They get one of the best players in the world and give Messi another top player with whom to work. The combination makes Barcelona the instant favorite in La Liga, and beyond.

UFC 160: What We Learned from Colton Smith vs. Robert Whittaker

Craig Amos — Sat, 25 May 2013 21:18:33 -0400

A UFC 160 battle between recent TUF winners Colton Smith and Robert Whittaker went the way of Aussie, who scored a third-round knockout of his American counterpart after a back-and-forth contest.

It was an impressive win for Whittaker, who moves to 2-0 in the Octagon, and an equally disappointing defeat for Smith.

What we'll remember about this fight:

For many MMA fans who were unimpressed with Smith's conduct as an Ultimate Fighter contestant, this fight will be remembered as something like karma.

On the Whittaker side of things, this was a big win and should be noted as such. The matchup was a stylistic nightmare for him, but he shut down the grappler and looked terrific on the feet.

What we learned about Whittaker:

That takedown defense of his looked sharp, which was key. His stand-up appeared strong after some early hiccups, but we already knew that was his strength.

He looks to have some real promise as he moves forward in the UFC's welterweight division.

What we learned about Smith:

He won't be able to cruise to any more victories via the smothering wrestling attack he used to trump Mike Ricci in The Ultimate Fighter finale. His stand-up looked much improved, but it still has some way to go before it's a real weapon.

It was a tough loss for Smith, but if he continues to improve, there was nothing in tonight's performance that says he can't be successful.

What's next for Whittaker:

I think Jordan Mein would make for a good fight—so would Stephen Thompson. Either would spell fireworks and act as a potential springboard for the victor.

What's next for Smith:

Papy Abedi springs to mind for some reason. It seems like a reasonable pairing.

UFC 160 Results: Power Ranking the Facebook Prelim Fights

Scott Harris — Sat, 25 May 2013 21:15:43 -0400

UFC 160 kicked off on Facebook at about 6:30 p.m. ET on Saturday. Maybe you had something else going on a Saturday afternoon or early evening. I don't know where your priorities are as a person if that's the case, but I don't judge people, you know? To each his own, is what I say.

So in case you fall into this immoral, undevoted fan contingent, here is a ranking of each Facebook fight, including information capsules and action recaps.

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UFC 160 Results: Khabib Nurmagomedov Sets UFC Record in Win over Abel Trujillo

Scott Harris — Sat, 25 May 2013 21:12:40 -0400

On the undercard of UFC 160, rising Russian prospect Khabib Nurmagomedov took home a little piece of history along with a unanimous-decision victory over Abel Trujillo on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Nurmagomedov, a lightweight, apparently set a new UFC record for the number of takedowns landed in a single fight. The combat sambo champion hit a whopping 21 takedowns on 27 attempts, according to FightMetric, the UFC's official statistics provider.

After the fight, FightMetric statistician Michael Carroll confirmed the record via Twitter:

@shaunalshatti It's official. The record is his. Smashed a record set by Sean Sherk in 5 rounds.
— Michael Carroll (@MJCflipdascript) May 26, 2013

Nurmagomedov, 24, is now a perfect 20-0 in his professional MMA career, including a 4-0 mark in the UFC Octagon. He is a two-time world champion in combat sambo, a judo-based fighting style that emphasizes takedowns and submission holds.

This was the first UFC loss for Trujillo (10-5, 1-1 UFC), who seemed overmatched throughout the contest. Despite a college wrestling background, Trujillo, who trains alongside Rashad Evans and others at the high-profile Blackzilians MMA camp, had no answer for his opponent's takedowns and locks. In his previous fight, Trujillo earned a TKO victory over Marcus LeVesseur.

Though he will almost certainly keep his spot in the UFC because of a reasonable level of success and a high-octane, knockout-seeking style, it is unclear where Trujillo will be slotted in his next bout.

The path for Nurmagomedov may be a bit clearer. He is a force to be reckoned with in the lightweight division despite his young age. He is also one of several young Russian fighters taking the world of MMA by storm, with many making their home in the UFC rival Bellator promotion.

The UFC may be interested in giving Nurmagomedov a top-10 opponent in order to maximize the exposure of the dynamic young lightweight.

Rockies vs. Giants Video: Watch Angel Pagan Hit Walk-Off Inside-the-Park HR

Matt Fitzgerald — Sat, 25 May 2013 21:11:38 -0400

San Francisco Giants center fielder Angel Pagan raced around the bases for an inside-the-park, two-run homer to boost his team to a 6-5 home victory in 10 innings over the Colorado Rockies on Saturday.

With Brandon Crawford aboard on second base and one out, Pagan hammered an 0-1 offering from Rockies pitcher Rafael Betancourt off the wall in right-center field.

The carom caused the ball to kick toward the deepest part of San Francisco's AT&T Park. Michael Cuddyer couldn't corral it, and by the time it reached center fielder Dexter Fowler, Pagan was already screaming toward third base.

Fowler had an extremely long throw from the warning track, but he effectively hit the cutoff man. The throw to the plate by DJ LeMahieu was pretty strong, yet not quite good enough. Pagan was able to avert the slightly late tag by sliding safely headfirst to clinch the win.

The home crowd predictably erupted to the unique walk-off occasion, and several of Pagan's teammates poured out of the dugout to help him celebrate.

Rockies star shortstop Troy Tulowitzki broke the tie in the top of the 10th with a leadoff home run off of Sergio Romo. The Giants' pitcher was bailed out by Pagan's heroics, though, and walked away with his third win of 2013.

Pagan allowed the Giants to pull even with their National League West division rivals at 27-22 on the season. Their series will wrap up on Sunday, as both teams sit half a game behind the Arizona Diamondbacks (27-21) for the NL West lead.

UFC 160: What We Learned from Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Abel Trujillo

Steven Rondina — Sat, 25 May 2013 21:07:14 -0400

In what could have been seen as the lightweight division's equivalent of Alexander Gustafsson vs. Phil Davis, Abel Trujillo and Khabib Nurmagomedov, two of the fastest-rising fighters in the division, squared off in in the FX portion of UFC 160.

Trujillo had the MMA media abuzz with his impressive UFC debut, when he knocked out Marcus LeVasseur. Nurmagomedov is no slouch himself and has racked up a perfect 3-0 record in the UFC so far, with each win being more impressive than the last.

When the two met in the cage, Nurmagomedov used his grappling superiority to control Trujillo en route to a simple decision win. So what did we learn from this bout?

Khabib Nurmagomedov is Really Good

Now 4-0 in his UFC career and 20-0 in his MMA career, Nurmagomedov is looking like somebody who will challenge for the belt in the near future. He will likely enter the UFC's official Top 10 rankings in the next few days.

All four of his fights in the UFC thus far have seen him demolish his competition. He knocked out Kamal Shalorus and Thiago Tavares, dominated Gleison Tibau and just made Abel Trujillo look like an amateur.

The sky is the limit for this talented Russian.

Abel Trujillo Needs to Work on His Grappling

Pretty straightforward thing here. While Trujillo pulled off some crafty sweeps early in the first round, it became obvious that he was not on the same level as Nurmagomedov down the stretch.

He got exhausted and frustrated in the third round, and you can't blame him for that. Regardless, there's no question that he needs to work on his grappling if he wants to have a lengthy UFC career.

The UFC Wants to Groom Nurmagomedov

With his previous three wins, Nurmagomedov could have found himself fighting a top-15 opponent on Saturday night instead of a guy coming into his second UFC fight. Loads of lightweights would probably love to derail his hype train.

But when Joe Silva was picking guys to fight each other, he chose to pit him against a prospect rather than an established fighter. The UFC is clearly trying to groom Nurmagomedov for a title shot.

Again, he could have met Joe Lauzon or Evan Dunham at UFC 160. The UFC, though, is putting him on the path walked by Lyoto Machida, not John Moraga. That tends to be for the best.

Snowden Was Right About What the UFC Can Learn from Boxing

If you haven't seen the article, check it out here.

Just a week ago, the UFC had three electrifying, fast-rising prospects in the lightweight division in Rafael dos Anjos, Khabib Nurmagomedov and Abel Trujillo. Now just one of them is left in Nurmagomedov. Bleacher Report MMA Lead Writer Jonathan Snowden had this to say:

Take, for example, the 2010 fight between then-25-year-old wrestling star Phil Davis and then-23-year-old Swedish striker Alexander Gustafsson. In boxing, these two prospects would have been on parallel paths, learning and developing at the same time. When and if they met, it would be in a fight that mattered, sometime well down the line.

In MMA, they met up in what was just the second UFC fight for both young fighters. Davis got the better of Gustafsson that day, meaning before he'd ever had the chance to shine, a young prospect faced a very public and very bitter defeat. That fight should have never happened—and it wouldn't have in boxing.

Spot on, Snowden.

New York Yankees' 2013 Season Proves Bombers Can Win with Less Payroll

Michael Moraitis — Sat, 25 May 2013 21:06:48 -0400

The New York Yankees continue to shock the baseball world with a great start to the 2013 campaign, and in that start, the Bombers are proving to themselves that it doesn't take a team loaded with $100 million players to win.

After another victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night, the Bombers improved their record to 30-18 on the season and remain on top of the American League East division for another day.

And, in what was a microcosm of the Yanks' season thus far, it was Lyle Overbay who came up with the big solo homer to put New York over the top in extra innings to beat its division rival Tampa Bay.

Overbay continues what has been a sensational season for him up to this point, with plenty of clutch hits already. Along with Overbay, other players off the scrap heap like Vernon Wells and Travis Hafner have also answered the call, as the Yanks are without some of their best offensive players for much of the year.

The fact that these three players have had such an incredible impact on the team this season was unfathomable at best when the 2013 season began, but as each day goes by, Overbay, Hafner and Wells continue to make great play the norm rather than a surprising and rare occurrence.

Not to mention the contributions from pitchers like David Phelps and Vidal Nuno, who have both stepped into starting roles nicely and gotten the job done.

The question about the Yanks' payroll plans after this season have been discussed and broken down in every way possible. The original plan of Hal Steinbrenner and the rest of the Bombers' brass was to decrease payroll to $189 million in order to avoid a stiff luxury tax moving forward.

Some Yankees fans have had no issue believing this new corporate structure running the organization will have no problem accomplishing such a goal, while others believe the Bombers will spend beyond their payroll goal if it becomes necessary in order to add the players needed to succeed.

Meanwhile, there have been others who simply can't believe that the Yanks are capable of such a "responsible" means of spending money. I can't say I blame that sect of fans, but as this year's version of the Yankees continues to play well and remains atop the standings, it's becoming far less likely the Bombers abandon their financial plans.

If the "replacements" the Yanks are using this season prove anything, it's that spending a boatload of money on players isn't exactly needed in order to get production. You just have to find the right pieces to put in place in order to make it happen.

This very real and unexpected success New York is having without its best team on the field will only further cement the team's plans to go ahead and achieve the payroll target for 2014.

Clearly, this team doesn't need to spend into the $200 million range and further shoot itself in the foot money-wise to win. All it takes is good team building and, of course, a little bit of luck.

Sure, there is still plenty of time for the season to turn around and go south, but that still hasn't happened yet, and as long as it doesn't, the Yankees brass will have all the ammunition it needs to convince the pinstriped masses that a lower payroll doesn't mean the team will stop winning.

Besides, even at $189 million, the Yanks will have plenty of great players left on the team, and should injuries occur, general manager Brian Cashman has proven time and time again that he can fill the void when needed—and he's done so with amazing success.

So, with that being said, as long as this Yankees team continues to win without its best taking the field on a daily basis, that will only serve to drive the organization to reach its $189 million goal by 2014.

Champions League Final: 6 Keys That Tell the Story of Bayern Munich's Win

Matt Cheetham — Sat, 25 May 2013 21:06:01 -0400

Arjen Robben's dramatic late strike ensured it was Bayern Munich that lifted the 2012-13 Champions League trophy at Wembley Stadium.

The Dutchman's late burst and slick finish secured a 2-1 win over domestic rivals, Borussia Dortmund, sealing his side's first European Cup since 2001.

It's also the fifth in their history, moving Bayern level with Liverpool and behind only AC Milan and Real Madrid as Europe's most decorated side.

As a spectacle the game actually lived up to its pre-match billing as a thoroughly entertaining contest, with both sides playing an attractive brand of football, eager to attack and throw bodies forward.

Although the final score is always the most crucial statistic in any game, here's a look at some of the other numbers that best define this contest.

Statistics via WhoScored.com.

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Detroit Lions' Biggest Wild Cards for 2013

Chris Madden — Sat, 25 May 2013 21:03:56 -0400

In December 2011, the Detroit Lions signed little-known running back Joique Bell away from the New Orleans Saints. Jim Schwartz and Wayne State University fans were familiar with Bell's work, but no one knew what kind of impact he'd have, if any.

He had tons of potential, but there was also a possibility he wouldn't even make the roster.

Division II guys aren't exactly a dime a dozen in the NFL. Plus, the Lions' second-round pick Mikel Leshoure was finally healthy and ready to contribute full-time.

Bell was the ultimate wild card for the Lions and had a breakout campaign in 2012. He proved he belonged in the NFL, and for that, Pro Football Focus recently labeled him their "Secret Superstar".

The Lions have a number of players poised to follow in Bell's footsteps from obscurity to stardom.

They got significantly younger this offseason and have unproven players vying for starting roles who could dramatically impact their success.

These guys are wild cards. They could just as easily rise to stardom or fade into NFL obscurity.

Jason Fox, OT

I alluded to the number of young players that could be wild cards for the Lions this season. However, age isn't the only factor.

Jason Fox is no spring chicken. He's been in the NFL four years, but his sample size is extremely small.

Let me rephrase that—his sample size is zero. Injuries robbed him of his first three years. He spent last season, his first one healthy, buried on the bench behind Jeff Backus, Gosder Cherulis and Riley Reiff.

The Lions held on to Fox, despite his lack of production, because they believed in his potential. With significant turnover on the offensive line, now is his chance to prove they didn't make a mistake.

It won't be easy.

He'll compete with Corey Hilliard for the starting right tackle spot. If he wins that, he then has to prove he's an upgrade over Gosder Cherilus—a frustrating but solid right tackle for the Lions. If Fox turns out to be the player the Lions believe he is, he'll make everyone forget Cherilus.

On the other hand, he could be a dud who loses out to Hilliard or gets injured in training camp once again.

Chris Greenwood, CB

If Chris Greenwood carries business cards, they probably read, "Chris Greenwood: the man, the myth, the legend."

That's because his potential for greatness has clearly been elevated to mythical, or legendary, status. Many fans are ready to pencil him in as a starter opposite Chris Houston.

It's understandable. At 6'1" and nearly 200 pounds, Greenwood ran a 4.4 40-yard dash at his pro day. Clearly he has the size, speed and athleticism the Lions crave for their secondary.

He seems almost too good to be true.

Unfortunately, he might be just that. Greenwood last played competitive football against Division III talent. He hasn't even practiced against NFL players yet. An abdominal injury robbed him of that, and there's no telling whether his measurables will translate to success on Sundays.

He's healthy now and according to Mlive.com's Anwar Richardson, he's ready to make his second chance count. Only time will tell whether he can hang with the big boys, or if he needs more time to develop.

It's essentially his rookie year, so expectations should be kept low. On the other hand, size and speed can't be taught. Greenwood has those things in spades, and that makes his potential impact very intriguing.

Tahir Whitehead, OLB

Whitehead was drafted in the same round as Greenwood in 2012, and to most his selection was just as big of a surprise.

Unlike Greenwood, Whitehead contributed on a regular basis as a rookie—on special teams. He did well, finishing third in tackles (10) and forcing one fumble according to detroitlions.com. This year he'll compete with veteran Ashley Palmer and fellow second-year player Travis Lewis for the starting OLB position vacated by Justin Durant.

Whitehead has the most upside, though.

He was a pass-rusher in a 3-4 defensive scheme in college but has benefited greatly from having a year to play special teams and concentrate on learning the Lions' 4-3 wide-nine system.

He's got excellent speed, good coverage skills and is a skilled tackler. His experience in college could result in the Lions using him as a surprise blitzer as well.

Obviously there's a chance that Whitehead gets beat out by Palmer or Lewis. On the other hand, he's got the versatility to not only replace Durant, but upgrade his position.

Ezekiel Ansah, DE

Is there really any doubt that Ezekiel Ansah is the biggest wild card for the Lions this year?

There shouldn't be.

The Lions selected him fifth overall in the NFL draft. Even though there was nearly universal agreement he was a first-round talent, it was all based on potential.

Ansah looks the part of an elite defensive end. He's got the size, length, speed and strength that make defensive coordinators salivate. His physical gifts have drawn comparisons to Giants great Jason Pierre-Paul.

On the other hand, Ansah's potential for greatness is matched only by his potential for being a bust. That's scary for Lions fans to think about, but it's true. His lack of technique and actual on-field football experience makes him a risky proposition to start his rookie year.

Yet start he will.

The Lions really don't have a choice. They lack proven pass-rush talent, and while he might be in the perfect situation to succeed with Gunther Cunningham and Jim Washburn teaching him the ropes, there's no guarantee he'll develop as quickly as Detroit needs him to.

So far, Ansah is right where he should be. He's shown progress and flashes of dominance during OTAs. However the biggest plus so far has been his maturity and willingness to learn from his veteran teammates, according to detroitlions.com.

Keep in mind, no one is wearing pads and the competition is light. The real test will come during training camp.

Ansah represents the biggest wild card for the Lions. If he shows significant development in his rookie year he could single-handedly take the defense to new heights. If not, the Lions' pass rush will be woeful and opposing quarterbacks will pick their defense apart.

Dos Santos vs. Hunt: Round-by-Round Predictions for UFC 160's Co-Main Event

Benjamin Klein — Sat, 25 May 2013 21:03:40 -0400

While Mark Hunt and Junior dos Santos won’t be the last two to take the ring at UFC 160 on Saturday night in Las Vegas, it’s sure to be one of the best fights of the year.

Hunt enters the bout against the former heavyweight champion as the clear underdog. If the fight goes past the first or second round, cardio could start to become an issue for The Super Samoan. Hunt has lost six matches via submission, but dos Santos isn’t likely to win that way, if at all.

Dos Santos comes into this fight starving for another opportunity to regain the heavyweight belt, which he lost to Cain Velasquez. He’s plays extraordinary defense and is very quick, two parts of his game that should give him a considerable edge. His punches are as hard as they come, so look for a knockout from him.

Hunt and dos Santos is sure to be a blood bath, and the last fighter standing could get a title shot to face Velasquez—or potentially Antonio Silva should he win in the main event.

So which fighter will add a victory to his resume? Let’s take a round-by-round look at how things might go come Saturday night.

Round 1

Hunt will certainly come into the fight looking to knock out dos Santos as early as possible. As previously mentioned, a longer match will clearly favor the former champion, dos Santos.

Whether Hunt will be able to connect with those punches is up for debate. He defends 58 percent of significant strikes, according to Fight Metric. An early takedown is out of the question against dos Santos as well, as he defends 74 percent of those.

But the problem for him is that Hunt also plays great defense. He is actually better against significant strikes, but a little worse against takedowns. Dos Santos is much quicker, though, which means that while he might be defended more, he could potentially throw more punches.

Dos Santos has five TKO victories while Hunt has just two. He could try to pull a fast one and try to get Hunt to submit early—taking into consideration that it’s a big weakness for him—but that’s somewhat unlikely as well since he’s only won once that way.

Predicted Results: 10-8, dos Santos

Round 2

The second round of the fight is going to show how much better dos Santos is compared to Hunt. Dos Santos will have won the first round, meaning that Hunt will need a big second to work his way back into the match.

The last thing Hunt wants to happen is to have the fight fall into the hands of the judges, to which he’ll likely lose. Hunt has to do his best to land a couple of significant strikes to dos Santos in order to weaken him and make him more vulnerable.

But don’t expect him to just sit there and take punch after punch. He’s going to be moving around as much as possible to try to slow Hunt down. This is where cardio is going to start playing a big role in the fight.

Dos Santos will look for the perfect opportunity to land a flurry of punches to the upper body and head of Hunt. One strong blow from him toward the end of the second round will knock Hunt to the ground, out cold.

Dos Santos comes away victorious and earns himself a shot to regain the heavyweight title.

Predicted Results: dos Santos wins via TKO

When Will Rory McIlroy Reemerge from Tiger Woods' Shadow?

Mike Dudurich — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:59:04 -0400

When will Rory McIlroy reemerge from Tiger Woods’ shadow?

The headline seems to indicate it’s not a matter of if, but when, Rory McIlroy will reemerge from the considerable shadow cast by Tiger Woods.

Coming off a spectacular 2012 season in which he won his second major championship and was the No. 1 player in the world, who could have foreseen McIlroy not only being unable to extend his lead in the Official World Golf Rankings, but actually falling behind Woods on top of golf’s race for No. 1.

Mark me down as a guy who a) isn’t sure McIlroy will be able to reemerge from that shadow and b) if he somehow can, that’s going to be a process that might take a year or more to accomplish.

Why?

For starters, the numbers are not in McIlroy’s favor.

This week’s OWGR shows Woods with a 3.30 point average, and that’s considerable.

McIlroy is going to need to start winning and/or contending to chop away at that lead.

Problem No. 1.

McIlroy has done neither of those things in what has been a lackluster first six months of the 2013 season for him.

Yes, he has four top-10 finishes in his first eight starts, but he was never really in contention coming down the stretch in any of those.

He was always on the periphery of contention, never a big participant in it.

By contrast, Woods already has four wins this year and is playing at a level at which he could win seven, eight, even nine times before the year is done.

If he continues to win, not only will McIlroy not be able to make any inroads into that deficit, he’ll fall farther behind.

Even worse for McIlroy is the fact Woods seems to be on the upswing and seems to be getting more and more comfortable and confident with the latest version of his swing.

That’s trouble not only for McIlroy, but for the rest of the PGA Tour as well.

McIlroy obviously did not enjoy his time, nor did he flourish as the No. 1 player in the world.

As others have found out, being the best in the world by whatever measurement gets to be a difficult place with all of the pressure and expectations that accompany the honor.

Because McIlroy couldn’t handle the pressure of being King of the Hill, that doesn’t make him a bad guy or a bad player.

He seemingly is the prototype of the kind of young man every mother would be proud to call her son. Phil Mickelson was never No. 1 in the world, and his career has not suffered as a result.

But if McIlroy intends to make a serious run at Woods and that top spot, he’s going to need to find some way to get tougher between the ears.

Sure, there are still holes in his game that can be traced to his switch to Nike gear. That will take time, which he doesn’t have if he’s going to press Woods.

His putting has not been good this year and, of course, that’s one of the most mental aspects of the game.

McIlroy is 94th in strokes gained putting. He’s top 10 in driving distance and greens in regulation, but in crunch time, he just hasn’t executed the way he did a year ago.

McIlroy talked about the state of his game earlier this week before he missed the cut at the of the BMW PGA Championship in England, via Philip Reid of The Irish Times:

“I’m really excited and positive where my game is at, it’s just a matter of holing a few more putts and, if I can do that, and keep giving myself chances to win tournaments, hopefully I’ll walk through that door and get the first win of the season.”

Wishing and hoping is one thing, but McIlroy has to make it happen, and to this point, he hasn't. The player who dominated golf in 2012 has not shown up in 2013.

And for the game itself, that’s too bad.

There was much anticipation of a spirited duel between McIlroy and Woods this year, as the 24-year-old Irishman appeared to be the best chance for a rival to Woods in a long time.

McIlroy’s cool start in conjunction with Woods red-hot explosion from the gate quickly dampened that anticipation.

Amazing isn’t it, how player after player rides the hype of great promise into a position of possibly pushing Woods only to get somewhat close to that and have it all disappear?

Tim Tebow News: Tony Dungy Offers Words of Encouragement to Free-Agent QB

Matt Fitzgerald — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:47:17 -0400

Free-agent quarterback Tim Tebow is still without an NFL team after being released by the New York Jets in April.

Although it doesn't seem like anything is going to work out anytime soon, Super Bowl-winning head coach Tony Dungy provided some positive, encouraging advice for Tebow recently as his wait to find a new destination continues.

On Dungy's blog at All Pro Dad, he contended that a higher power essentially has the proper path slated for Tebow and that it will reveal itself eventually. Dungy also discussed how Tebow lifts the spirits of his teammates and is a flat-out winner who raises the morale in the locker room.

Dungy's advice was essentially for Tebow to stay patient, which has to be difficult at this point.

Tebow has been gracious—albeit rather uninteresting—to the media in a career that has, to date, been defined by patience. As a first-round pick of the Denver Broncos in 2010, he had to wait behind Kyle Orton.

Although he was given three starts in 2010, the new Denver regime didn't initially start Tebow. Only a 1-4 start under Orton and fans clamoring for a change thrust Tebow into the starting role, which resulted in an AFC West title and playoff victory.

When the Broncos acquired Peyton Manning, Tebow was traded to the Jets, where he waited some more behind Mark Sanchez and even backup Greg McElroy. Tebow was never given an opportunity to start in his only season in the Big Apple.

It's ironic that patience is considered a virtue. For one of the most perceptibly virtuous athletes in recent history, this is a trying time for Tebow.

Going from a Heisman Trophy-winning college quarterback at Florida to a first-round draft selection is a logical progression. What's rare is that he's never gotten a true opportunity as a No. 1 quarterback entering training camp.

Now, that makes sense in some regard. Tebow is allegedly a bad practice player—and frankly, he wasn't very good on Sundays until the final quarters of his improbable 2011 comebacks with the Broncos. Pro football is a merit-based system, and if Tebow can't earn it on the practice field, he won't be given a shot as a starting QB moving forward.

Then again, even though he practices horribly, he still does precisely what Dungy says. He provides a boost and enhances the character of whatever team he's on.

Perhaps the best example was this rousing comeback against the Jets in 2011. Teammates engulfed Tebow after his game-winning touchdown, and superstar cornerback Champ Bailey embraced him on the sidelines.

There may not be an NFL team for Tebow, but Dungy, in expressing facets of the Christian faith he shares with Tebow, seems to think that there is an opportunity somewhere.

Whether due to the media circus that comes with his incredible star power, the notion that he has to change positions or a lack of personnel need, Tebow's market is dry at this time. Patience is typically rewarded, and Tebow hopes that assertion will hold true for him.

Pros and Cons of Chicago Bulls Using Amnesty Clause on Carlos Boozer

Kelly Scaletta — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:46:10 -0400

With the Chicago Bulls now heading into another offseason, the question of Carlos Boozer being amnestied is being raised once again. There are arguments for and against such a move, and we wanted to analyze both the pros and cons of doing so.

Boozer did play better this year. He even won Eastern Conference Player of the Week at one point. However, he also disappeared frequently, making it difficult to keep him out of the ire of Bulls fans.

As a result of his bipolar play, both sides of the argument have a following.

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Heat vs. Pacers: What Each Team Needs to Win

NBA365 Productions — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:42:50 -0400

Roy Hibbert and Paul George looked unstoppable in Game 2 against Miami, but will they be enough to overcome the Heat?

Orlando Magic's Glen "Big Baby" Davis breaks down the key matchups in this best-of-seven series.

Let us know your predictions in the comments section below.

Why Anti-Small-Ball Teams Are Thriving in 2013 NBA Playoffs

Matthew Schmidt — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:40:05 -0400

During a time when it looked like small ball was officially taking over the NBA, teams such as the Memphis Grizzlies, Indiana Pacers and, to a lesser extent, the San Antonio Spurs have bucked the trend.

And it's working for them.

All three of those ballclubs boast monster frontcourts—the Spurs with Tim Duncan and Tiago Splitter, the Grizzlies with Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph and the Pacers with Roy Hibbert and David West—and are giving their opponents hell because of them.

We saw what Indiana did to the New York Knicks throughout their second-round series matchup, as Hibbert and West swallowed up any Knicks player who attempted to drive the lane and then turned around and dominated on the other end of the floor. Tyson Chandler has plenty of size at 7'1", but he alone wasn't enough to stop the Pacers' two-headed monster up front.

We also witnessed Memphis scoff when the Oklahoma City Thunder tried to stretch the floor with Serge Ibaka, making life miserable for Kevin Durant by clogging up the lane and forcing him to try to beat their outstanding wing defenders out on the perimeter.

Traditional basketball is back, ladies and gentlemen, and it has posed a significant problem for opponents who opt to roll with smaller, more athletic lineups.

One reason why these "big" squads have been very successful is rather obvious: They crash the glass.

Indiana absolutely pounds other teams on the boards, not only having Hibbert and West up front, but being fortunate enough to carry lengthy and hard-nosed perimeter players like Paul George and Lance Stephenson. Then for the Grizzlies, Randolph grabs offensive rebounds like his life depends on it, and Gasol's sheer size helps keep opponents off the glass, too.

For teams that struggle to score the basketball, being able to rebound the ball well is imperative. Indy and Memphis both do a great job of creating second opportunities for themselves, which compensates for their lack of offense.

Take a look at the playoff shot charts for both the Pacers and the Grizzlies below (Indiana is the upper chart; Memphis is on the bottom) and examine all of the shots both teams are getting at the rim.

This is a direct result of putbacks off of offensive rebounds and scoring in the low post. Both the Pacers and the Grizzlies have players who are adept at both.

As far as San Antonio goes, it is not exactly dominant on the boards, ending up tied for 20th in rebounding during the regular season. However, thanks to Duncan, the Spurs have a great option to feed on the low block, something that not many clubs in this era have. It's always comforting to know that you have a big man whom you can rely on to get you high percentage shots late in games.

Old-school lineups add another dimension to your squad.

You can work your offense through the interior, which fundamentally opens up the entire floor. When you have bigs who can score the basketball, defenses obviously have to provide help down low. This frees up your wings for good looks outside. It also allows for more cuts to the basket, especially if your players know how to pass.

Of course, all of this was pretty much the status quo back in the '90s and early 2000s, so being able to field these types of lineups back then wasn't such a huge deal. Now, though, with the movement toward injecting more quickness rather than brute strength, said lineups are proving to be the kryptonite of these "new-age" ballclubs.

Indiana is the perfect example of this.

The Pacers had to go through the Knicks, one of the most explosive offenses in the game, and are currently facing the Miami Heat, a team that lives off of small ball.

What the Pacers did was absolutely suffocate New York, with George's length posing enormous issues for Carmelo Anthony and Lance Stephenson's size giving J.R. Smith monumental problems. Anthony could not find any space on the perimeter thanks to George basically being up in his jersey, and whenever he tried to penetrate, he found Hibbert waiting for him. This caused some sloppy passes thanks to Melo getting stuck in no man's land, a significant hurdle that the Knicks could not overcome in the deciding Game 6.

The result? A rather easy series win for Indiana.

As talented of a player as Anthony is, he cannot be playing the 4 against teams of the Pacers' ilk; it severely limits New York on the defensive end of the floor. It's not like the Knicks had much of a choice, though. They just did not have the personnel to switch to a more appropriate lineup, as not housing a reliable low-post threat ended up biting them in the end.

We are now seeing Indy giving the Heat heaps of trouble through the first two contests of the Eastern Conference Finals courtesy of the same formula.

Chris Bosh is a very good player, but he is not a traditional big man. He is more like a small forward in a power forward's body. Bosh prefers to shoot jumpers and use his quickness to slash to the hole. Against the Pacers, he is essentially relegated to another wing out there, and the seven total rebounds he has accumulated over the course of Games 1 and 2—not to mention the five three-pointers he attempted on Friday night—verifies that.

That's right. The 6'11" Bosh took five triples in Game 2, this despite only having attempted five in an individual game once during the regular season. As a matter of fact, Bosh only took 74 threes in 74 games throughout the 2012-13 campaign, hitting on just 28.4 percent of them.

So, why is Bosh shooting so many trifectas in this series? Oh yeah; because Indiana is forcing him to.

Because small ball is so prevalent in the NBA today, the few bigger teams that do remain are able to impose their will and dictate the pace.

The big man is the most important aspect of a roster. If you have a good center or power forward who can dominate the post on both ends, chances are, you are going to be a pretty good ballclub. Not only will he (or they) take advantage of smaller players on the offensive end of the floor, but they will clog the lane and make it nearly impossible for opponents to consistently get high-percentage shots on the other end.

You can only imagine how guys like Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal, Patrick Ewing and David Robinson would have feasted nowadays. Better yet, picture the 1998-99 Spurs with Robinson and Duncan up front. Would they have even lost a game this year? Okay; that might be a bit of an exaggeration, but you get the point.

I'll reiterate what I said earlier: Traditional basketball is back, and we should all be very thankful for that.

Why Chelsea Should Stand Pat and Bring Back the Same Squad Next Year

Kevin Stott — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:38:27 -0400

You've got to think about big things while you're doing small things, so that all the small things go in the right direction. —Alvin Toffler

With one manager headed out the door and another one coming in, Chelsea and owner Roman Abramovich are again gambling that change is a better thing right now for the West London club than stasis.

Besides interim manager Rafael Benítez's departure, several players currently on the Blues squad will likely be leaving Stamford Bridge as likely incoming manager José Mourinho may embark in a major personnel overhaul.

But will that necessarily be a good thing in the future for Chelsea?

Well, when a guy dubbed "The Special One" is presiding as puppetmaster, one would definitely think so, but when you realize Mourinho gave himself that nickname, it provides context to a bigger picture and reveals much about the 50-year-old Portuguese's massive ego.

But hey, he worked miracles with the Blues once, and it all worked out swimmingly, so he has to be able to work his Mourinho Magic again, right brother?

Only time will tell.

Obviously, Chelsea will rid itself of much deadwood in the coming months, but would a major face-lift be the right thing to do for a club which finally seemed to gel in the last couple months of the season?

On Saturday, Gerard Brand of the Daily Mail reported that Mourinho hopes to lure Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modrić away from Santiago Bernabéu with him when he eventually comes to Chelsea with a club insider saying "Mourinho's very keen to clinch a deal for Modrić."

Rob Beasley of The Sun reported that a move for the 27-year-old Croat could cost the Blues around £30 million, but don't the Blues already have enough quality midfielders now with which to work? And wouldn't trying to sign Málaga's Isco probably be a wiser move and money better spent for the Europa League champions?

Another rumored move, according to O Jogo (via Sky Sports), for the Blues involving another Real Madrid player concerns left-back Fábio Coentrão who, if acquired, would eventually be a replacement for Ashley Cole when the Chelsea legend finally ends his time at Stamford Bridge.

So where would that leave Ryan Bertrand, who has been deemed Cole's "understudy" at the position for so long? And would so many new faces change the chemistry too much and possibly create some dissention in the club?

With so many players being the subject of Chelsea transfer rumors, it can become quite overwhelming for fans and journalists alike, but a constant reshuffling has to be even harder for the players who get used to each other not only on the pitch, but in the clubhouse, during travel and in social settings.

One player in the center of this overhaul debate is striker Fernando Torres, who was a complete Jekyll and Hyde this past season, shining in international play, but leaving a lot to be desired in the English Premier League.

The 29-year-old Spaniard, like last season, seemed to show much improvement toward the end of the season and had to be exhausted as the marathon trek finally came to an end on Saturday when the Blues played their second of two season-ending friendlies against Manchester City in New York City.

Torres served as the club's primary striker in its familiar 4-2-3-1 formation, and with Didier Drogba released, Daniel Sturridge sold to Liverpool and Demba Ba cup-tied in Europa League play, he was leaned on heavily by manager Benítez, and the club actually led the Blues in scoring in all competitions with 23 goals.

Should Mourinho and management send Torres on his merry way and land another big-name scorer like Radamel Falcao or Edinson Cavani, would they be able to provide the same offensive output as El Niño? And would they mesh into a team with potentially a number of new moving parts?

Another big-name Blues legend who could eventually be let go is captain John Terry, seen by many as the heart and soul of the team.

Gary Cahill could very well fill Terry's shoes at left center-back, but replacing his heart would be like trying to replace Michael Jackson when he left his brothers in the Jackson Five—and we all saw what happened there Bubba.

But in a report by Rob Beasley of The Sun, Chelsea vice-captain Frank Lampard said he's confident a deal can be made to keep the 32-year-old Englishman whose contract expires next summer.

"John must have been here 14-15 years, right from the youth team," Lampard said. "The fact he couldn't be involved in two big finals was hard to take. He deserves to be involved when we win things, simple as that."

Another player who has been the subject of a possible move to West London and one who the club seems to be interested in bringing in is Bayer Leverkusen's André Schürrle.

But with guys like Ba, Victor Moses, West Bromwich Albion-loanee Romelu Lukaku, Kevin De Bruyne, Lucas Piazón and even teenage sensation Ruben Loftus-Cheek already in the fold and not even close to having realized their potential for the Blues, paying a huge sum of money to fill a perceived void that really isn't there seems like a pretty dumb idea from this distance.

Now if a major sea change should occur at Chelsea and fail to provide the desired success, not all of the blame should be laid at the feet of Mourinho, but working, for the most part, with the same nucleus seems like the smartest path right now and the best way for The Special One to avoid becoming "The Selfish One" and Abramovich from being perceived any more trigger-happy than he already is.

Follow me on Twitter: @KevinStott11

Manchester City vs. Chelsea: Score, Grades and Post-Match Reaction

Joseph Zucker — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:33:50 -0400

Manchester City knocked off Chelsea, 5-3, in what proved to be a thrilling friendly Saturday night.

It didn't take long for the scoring to get underway.

Henrique Hilario had a hard to time finding an open man to pass it out to. With the more compact pitch, his options were a little scarce. He eventually found an open Oscar who immediately tried to give it back to Hilario. It was a comically poor pass and Gareth Barry ended up pouncing on the chance.

Three minutes in and the score was already 1-0. It's quite a collector's item as Barry has only scored 47 goals in 497 Premier League matches. The goal was also a testament as to why Hilario is nowhere near quality enough to be a backup keeper for Chelsea. Both he and Oscar were equally culpable, but Hilario could have prevented the whole thing by getting rid of the ball much better.

As Mike Prindiville of ProSoccerTalk noted, this match had the makings of becoming a defensive farce:

Samir Nasri got on the score sheet, finding the net in the 29th minute. He was tremendous the entire match and was the best player on the pitch.

The first half ended with City ahead, 2-0. Both managers chose to make a couple of substitutions at halftime.

One of the subs for City was goalkeeper Richard Wright. Just seconds into his inclusion, he had to deal with a charging Ramires. The midfielder was able to round Wright and get the easy goal. It's hard to blame Wright too much as David Luiz had delivered a perfect ball for Ramires, and the keeper would have needed a little bit more time to adjust to the match.

On the other hand, Alex Labidou of Goal.com was less than impressed with Wright's first action of the match:

If you weren't convinced this was going to be a unique match, surely James Milner's goal in the 55th was all the assurance you needed. He had some space in the box and did well to finish off the chance and put City ahead, 3-1.

Ramires and Nasri each added another to make it 4-2 going into the last 25 minutes of the match.

It looked like City was going to cruise to victory. A two-goal lead would be tough for Chelsea to overcome, especially in a friendly. However, nobody told Juan Mata that he should take the rest of the match off as he delivered what is becoming a trademark Mata free kick. Wright was frozen in his place as the shot found the back of the net in the 82nd minute to make it 4-3 in favor of City.

Brent Atema of Global Football Today was just left in awe of Mata:

Just two minutes later, Edin Dzeko went to the other end of the pitch and gave City its two-goal lead back. He found himself with a little bit of space a couple of yards outside the box and hit a nice shot into the bottom left corner.

After a feverish final few minutes, City was the 5-3 winner. Considering it was nothing more than a friendly, this was a very entertaining match. It had a little bit of everything, and the players were not simply sitting back letting the time elapse. Both clubs wanted to win this, and the fans who were in attendance or watched on TV shouldn't have been disappointed.

Grades:

Samir Nasri, Manchester City: A+

It's after a performance like this City supporters wonder why Nasri would perform so badly at various points this season. It might have been a friendly, but it's not as if the Frenchman had a clear path to goal the entire match.

Nasri was composed on the ball, did well getting forward and finished off his chances. Sure it was only a friendly, but Nasri left you believing he still has a role to play in this squad next season.

James Milner, Manchester City: B+

Milner isn't always the most fun player to watch, but there's something to be said for how versatile he is on the pitch. Not only that, but he's a tireless worker. This was a typical Milner performance as he was running all over the place.

What was different was that he was able to score a goal. He's only got 30 of them in his 326 league matches. Here's to hoping somebody gave him or Barry the match ball because it will probably be a while before either of them find the back of the net again.

Ramires, Chelsea: A+

Like Milner, Ramires was everywhere on the pitch Saturday night. Unlike Milner, he was a constant threat going forward.

Wright did make a mess of Ramires' first goal, but the midfielder did well to control the ball and set himself up for the easy finish. Aside from scoring the second goal, it was Ramires who was fouled to set up Mata for Chelsea's third goal.

Juan Mata, Chelsea: B

If Juan Mata had played the entire game, his grade probably would have been much higher. Instead, he has to settle with a B.

When he came on the pitch, he added a new dimension to the Chelsea attack. It was a smart substitution because Mata could provide an immediate impact and lead the Blues' late charge.

And you could probably watch Mata take free kicks for 90 minutes and still be awed. He's so lethal on set pieces.

Manchester City Starting XI Grades

Pos.	Player	Grade
G	Joe Hart	B-
D	Pablo Zabaleta	C+
D	Dedryck Boyata	C
D	Vincent Kompany	B-
D	Aleksandar Kolorov	B-
M	Yaya Toure	B
M	Gareth Barry	B
M	Samir Nasri	A+
M	David Silva	C
F	Carlos Tevez	C
F	Sergio Aguero	C+

Chelsea Starting XI Grades

Pos.	Player	Grade
G	Henrique Hilario	C-
D	Cesar Azpilicueta	C+
D	David Luiz	B
D	Andreas Christensen	C+
D	Nathan Ake	B-
M	Mikel	C+
M	Ruben Loftus-Cheek	B-
M	Ramires	A+
M	Oscar	B-
M	Demba Ba	B
F	Fernando Torres	B

What's Next?

With the season over, most of the focus after this match will shift to Chelsea and Manchester City's action during the summer.

Both need new managers. Jose Mourinho has been heavily linked to the Blues, so much so that the players are acting as if it's a done deal. Paul Chronnell of The Guardian reported the Citizens will name Manuel Pellegrini as the new manager on June 3.

City and Chelsea had underwhelming campaigns in 2012/13, so they'll be looking to add some reinforcements this summer as well. The owners will be eager to spend big in order to give the new managers the players they need to fit their respective systems.

It should be an entertaining summer at both Stamford Bridge and the Etihad.

B/R's Way-Too-Early 2014 Champions League Final Predictions!

Ryan Bailey — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:30:43 -0400

The world's favourite club competition has drawn to a close for another year, with Bayern Munich taking home their fifth European Cup following bitter defeat in last season's finale.

Now that the trophy has been lifted, kissed and cuddled by the new champions, what better time to look ahead to the 2014 final?

It may be at least another 364 days until Benfica's Estádio da Luz hosts the European Cup showpiece event, but that hasn't stopped us from speculating who will make it to Portugal and who will be left disappointed.

What do you think of our way-too-early predictions? Let us know in the comments section below.

Follow Ryan Bailey on Twitter

Rangers vs. Mariners Video: Watch Umpire Make Wrong Call on Double Play

Matt Fitzgerald — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:27:47 -0400

A seemingly routine ground ball hit by Seattle Mariners catcher Jesus Sucre, making his first MLB plate appearance against the Texas Rangers, turned into one of the worst calls by an umpire in recent memory.

When the two American League West rivals did battle on Friday night, Sucre hit it right to Rangers first baseman Mitch Moreland in the bottom of the second inning. From there, the outrageous development unfolded.

Moreland flung the ball to second base for the force out, but when he went to snag the turning throw from shortstop Elvis Andrus, young pitcher Justin Grimm caught it in front of Moreland's glove.

The big problem with first-base umpire Jeff Nelson calling Sucre out was that Grimm wasn't on the bag when he made the catch and failed to administer a tag on Sucre as he ran by. It was a bang-bang play originally marked as a 3-6-3 double play but later changed to a 3-6-1.

Mariners manager Eric Wedge thought Moreland pulled his foot off the bag during his stretch and didn't even realize it was Grimm who made the catch, per Doug Miller of MLB.com.

Nevertheless, the call stood, and it didn't help the hosting Mariners' cause in their 9-5 loss, which was their seventh in a row. Grimm struggled, giving up a run in each of his first three innings, and the phantom out he got was huge—he didn't give up another run.

This blunder by Nelson isn't totally inexcusable, but if he merely waited a little longer just to see whether Moreland or Grimm had the ball, this scenario would have been averted.

Fans were audibly upset at the call, jeering Nelson for his mistake. This latest defeat drops the Mariners to 20-28 in the 2013 season as the franchise looks to qualify for the playoffs for the first time in 12 years.

2013 NHL Free Agency: Which Aging Stars Will Be Overpaid This Offseason?

Steve Silverman — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:25:56 -0400

There are still more than two full rounds to go before the 2013 Stanley Cup will be handed out. But the NHL waits for no team. While the battle is still being waged for this year's championship, plans are being made for the 2013-14 season and beyond.

Free agency will begin shortly after the Stanley Cup is raised, and big-money contracts will be handed out to a number of veteran free agents by teams that want to raise their status and fight for the Stanley Cup in the future.

However, the Collective Bargaining Agreement reached by the NHL and the Players Association in January limits each team to paying no more than $64.3 million in salary. That's a reduction from the $70.2 million (prorated) teams had to spend this season.

While teams may be less likely to spend big money in all areas of player procurement, veteran free agents will still get their share of free-agent money.

Aging veterans tend to be hit-or-miss when they get big contracts. Here's an early look at several aging free agents who will likely be overpaid next season.

All salary figures courtesy of CapGeek.com.

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Rangers vs. Bruins Game 5: Score, Twitter Reaction and Analysis

Ethan Grant — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:24:50 -0400

The Boston Bruins were 0-of-1 in closing out the New York Rangers before Saturday night's game in Boston, but they managed to hold off a strong New York attack to beat the Rangers, 3-1, and move on to the Eastern Conference Finals.

The team's Twitter account had the news as Boston used a two-goal second period to down the Rangers on Saturday night in front of a sellout crowd at TD Garden:

Boston will move on to face the Pittsburgh Penguins in the next round of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs.

After 10 minutes of scoreless action, the Rangers struck first.

The power play has plagued the Rangers for most of the postseason and really came back to bite them in losses against the Bruins in this second round of the playoffs. However, the Rangers managed to put one on the board via power play in the first period.

Dan Girardi's one-timer goal from just inside the blue line gave New York a 1-0 lead. It was the Rangers' second power-play goal of the series after registering none through the first three games.

Jesse Spector of Sporting News had the tweet as Girardi found the net:

From earlier in the day, Michael Rappaport had this tweet about Girardi's place in the all-time Ranger history books entering Saturday night's contest:

After an uneventful final nine minutes of action in the first period, both teams headed to the first intermission with the Rangers holding the one-goal lead.

As the second period opened, all eyes were on Boston goalie Tuukka Rask, who gave up the score to Girardi in the first period and had several miscues in New York's Game 4 win that kept this series alive on Thursday night.

Rask came through with nine saves in the frame, and the Bruins' fourth line came through too.

Torey Krug, the rookie defenseman who has been one of the heroes of the 2013 Stanley Cup playoffs for Boston, found the net for the fourth time this postseason just under four minutes into the period. Similar to his Game 4 laser from inside the New York zone, Krug loaded up and fired a shot that deflected off Henrik Lundqvist's pads and into the net.

The NHL had the tweet as Boston found a way to earn the equalizer and get the score to 1-1:

Joe Haggerty also had this one that should describe how magical Krug has been so far when Boston needs him the most:

Krug's goal also came on the power play, as Mats Zuccarello went to the box just under three minutes into the frame. Boston continues to take advantage of goal-scoring opportunities when the opposition is a man down, and the equalizer was no different.

The fourth line came through again later in the period.

After a terrible turnover from Roman Hamrlik, who has been so solid for the Rangers since joining the team off waivers in March, Daniel Paille attacked the zone and unleashed a shot that Lundqvist saved, but it bounced off into the direction of Gregory Campbell. He found the net off the rebound for a 2-1 lead.

Pat Leonard of the New York Daily News had the tweet as Campbell found the net with a defender draped all over him:

Stan Fischler, who has been really active on Twitter as the Rangers turned this series into must-see TV over its final two games, chimed in with this nugget:

The Bruins took a 2-1 lead into the second intermission with a place in the Eastern Conference Final in sight.

After the third period got going, the action did not slow down from the pace set in the first two periods. Both teams attacked the net when in the zone, as each sensed that a goal would turn the tide of this series in the other's favor.

Boston missed out on a power-play chance when Derek Dorsett went to the box early in the period, but the play of the game came a few minutes later, when the Rangers got one final chance to test Rask in a big moment.

Ryan Callahan had a breakaway chance after a sloppy exchange for Boston near center ice, and Rask managed to send the puck away by using his body to deflect the shot and keep the score in Boston's favor.

The Bruins' Twitter had this post, following along with the action:

As noted by John Buccigross, Rask's ability to close out games had been a big problem in his career heading into another one on Saturday night at home:

Rask stopped 28 of 29 shots in this one and proved doubters wrong as the Bruins moved on to the next round.

New York had several chances to put pressure on Rask again down the stretch, but the Bruins managed to survive late after John Tortorella pulled his goalie and went with the empty-net approach to close the game.

Campbell found the net again with just under a minute to play, and the Bruins began celebrating as his backhanded shot headed toward the net without Lundqvist there to send it away.

After winning the series in five games, Boston will now move on to face the Penguins in the final test before the Stanley Cup Final. Pittsburgh, the No. 1 seed, took care of the Ottawa Senators in five games to reach the East final on Friday.

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Henrik Lundqvist Still the King in New York Rangers Loss

Chad R. MacDonald — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:23:02 -0400

Game 5 started with a lot of fire. Derek Dorsett and Shawn Thornton fought to a draw. Both teams sustained prolonged attacks in each others' zones. It looked as if the New York Rangers had seized upon the momentum they gathered from Game 4.

To emphasize this, Dan Girardi scored on the power play at the halfway point. New York had a lead and a working power play. Everything seemed to be coming up Blueshirts.

Henrik Lundqvist asserted himself as well. With Milan Lucic controlling the puck in the high slot, The King floated out from his crease in a challenge and snagged the subsequent shot with style and flair, prompting a gasp from the Gardens faithful.

But if the Rangers owned the first period, the Boston Bruins claimed the second. Torey Krug caught Lundqvist playing too deep in the net and buried the equalizer. Not even five minutes had elapsed.

After that it was all Bruins. Boston began to absolutely assault New York in its zone. Lundqvist was peppered with shots. Blueshirts were tossed out of the way. It was like watching a huge fighter grab a much smaller man by the throat and punch him in the face over and over again.

Incredibly, Lundqvist would not bow down. He blocked shot after shot and made Boston fans sit down time and time again after they jumped up expecting the red light. It was akin to watching the hockey version of the movie 300. Could he possibly hold off the waves of Black and Gold?

No. Boston put the go ahead goal past Henrik at 13:31. Gregory Campbell and Boston's unrelenting fourth line made the difference. Lundqvist could not be blamed.

That was pretty much the game. Boston tightened up defensively and kept the Rangers from getting any real chances after that. After their scare against Toronto, the B's wanted no more chances for an opponent to get back into the series. Late in the third, Campbell added the topper, sprawling on the ice to pot an empty netter in the final seconds as insurance.

Lundqvist cannot be blamed. The Rangers still need to address their lack of scoring. But Lundqvist is still deservedly the King. He carried New York on his back throughout the season and into the playoffs.

Boston will advance to meet Pittsburgh. The Rangers will return to New York to address the exact same issues they did last season.

Junior Dos Santos vs. Mark Hunt: Key Questions Surrounding UFC 160 Co-Main Event

Alex Ballentine — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:21:43 -0400

UFC 160 may be headlined by Cain Velasquez and Antonio Silva, but the Junior dos Santos and Mark Hunt co-main event is much more intriguing.

We've seen Velasquez vs. Silva before. The champion battered Bigfoot en route to a first-round TKO, and there isn't much to indicate that Silva can do much to make the rematch any more interesting.

Dos Santos vs. Hunt, however, offers plenty of intrigue. Dos Santos is the much more skilled fighter. His boxing is among the best in the UFC regardless of division, and he's a former champion with only one loss in his time with the UFC.

Hunt, on the other hand, is just 9-7 in his career and relies on unsettling power to win fights. Dos Santos is the heavy favorite for good reason, but this is the heavyweight division. Anything can happen.

Here are the biggest questions surrounding the fight.

Can Mark Hunt Land the Big One?

On paper, dos Santos wins this one easily.

He uses his length really well, has power punching of his own to keep Hunt honest and holds pretty much every advantage you could think of over the stocky Hunt. But all it takes is one punch to change the dynamics of a fight.

After all, that's how JDS won the title in the first place—one well-timed overhand right to Velasquez's head.

Hunt has tremendous power and covers a lot of ground for his size. Dos Santos loves to stand and box with opponents and that's a dangerous proposition. Can Hunt time up dos Santos and continue his magical run?

Will JDS Use His Jiu-Jitsu?

You wouldn't know it from watching him fight, but dos Santos has a black belt in jiu-jitsu.

He usually prefers to stand up and bludgeon his opponents with his precision boxing, but this might be the time that he wants to put those ground skills to work.

To put it simply, Hunt's submission defense is terrible. He's been submitted six times in his 16 professional fights and even has a loss to Sean McCorkle by armbar—yes, Sean McCorkle.

While dos Santos has the ability to stand and box with anyone, the safest path to victory may be taking Hunt down and looking for the submission.

A submission victory would also show that dos Santos has added to his ground game. That would make a rematch with Velasquez much more intriguing.

Will Either Man Outshine Velasquez?

In all likelihood the winner of this fight is headed for a title fight against Cain Velasquez—unless the champ falters against Antonio Silva.

Regardless of what happens, the UFC hype machine will do a great job of selling the matchup, but will JDS or Hunt help them out?

Fighting directly before the champion can be a blessing or a curse for the future challenger. A great performance from either guy and they'll look ready to take on Velasquez, a lackluster performance and there won't be much momentum for the challenger.

NBA Reviews Dwyane Wade's Elbow to Lance Stephenson's Head in Game 2

Grant Hughes — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:15:39 -0400

Dwyane Wade wasn't whistled for a foul when he caught Lance Stephenson with an elbow in Game 2, but now that the NBA will take a second look at the play, the Miami Heat guard might be in for some discipline.

According to Jeff Zillgitt of USA Today, the play is being reviewed by the league to determine whether any punishment is necessary.

Before going further, here's a look at the elbow in question:

For what it's worth, Zillgitt is probably correct when he says that the league will be hard-pressed to find the key element it requires in order to impose any sanctions.

Wade was at nearly a full sprint, and Stephenson made a somewhat unexpected move into his path. Could Wade have taken a route around Stephenson that didn't involve a flying leap? Probably.

But Wade was in pursuit of a ball that he had actually turned over and seemed set on making it back on defense as rapidly as possible. He definitely caught Stephenson flush, but it'll be exceedingly difficult to prove he meant to do so.

And hey, at least the airborne elbow has an entertaining name.

Contextually, there is an argument to be made that if Wade wasn't trying to purposefully clock Stephenson, he was at least not going to make an effort to avoid contact. The first two games of the series between the Pacers and Heat have been marked by a handful of testy plays, and Wade has been involved in his share.

Tyler Hansbrough dragged him down in Game 2 after fouling him on a jumper. Wade clearly took exception to that incident. If you really wanted to try to get into D-Wade's head to divine his intent toward Stephenson, that might be a good place to start.

But the chippiness has gone both ways, so a second look at Wade's play should warrant more scrutiny for a few others. In the interest of fairness, the league could double-check LeBron James' nearly imperceptible shot at Sam Young in Game 2, or a half-dozen other physical altercations that went uncalled.

Then again, maybe it's best to just leave well enough alone and move on.

Obviously, some folks reacted a bit more strongly than others when it happened.

Ultimately, thinking is what matters for Wade's play. Because the league can't honestly deduce from the evidence that he actually intended to ding Stephenson, the only way there'll be further discipline is if the NBA wants to send a message in an effort to clean up a physical series.

For the sake of pure entertainment and the enjoyment of hard-fought games, let's hope that's not what happens.

UFC 160 Live Stream: Complete Online Viewing Guide

Brian Leigh — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:11:35 -0400

UFC 160 will be broadcast live from the MGM Grand this evening, utilizing various distribution platforms to showcase some of the sport's top fighters.

The main event pits Cain Velasquez against Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva, the former trying to retain the World Heavyweight Championship against the latter. It's Velasquez's first title defense since dismantling Junior dos Santos, and also his first bout with Silva since issuing a TKO in Round 1 during UFC 146.

The co-main event, though not featuring a championship on the line, could be just as exciting for fans of MMA. The aforementioned Junior dos Santos—a former heavyweight champion—and challenger Mark Hunt are two of the strongest punchers in the entire sport. Their bout should be a perfect appetizer for the championship battle.

The main card, available only as a pay-per-view, follows a couple of undercards presented across two different platforms. The first three fights will be broadcast on YouTube, while the next four fights will be broadcast on FX. The final five fights—main event included—will be part of the paid spectacle.

Here's a look at the entire schedule, including when and where to find all 11 of the evening's fights.

YouTube Prelims—6:30 p.m. ET

Stephen Thompson vs. Nah-Shon Burrell

Brian Bowles vs. George Roop

Jeremy Stephens vs. Estevan Payan

FX Prelims—8 p.m. ET

Mike Pyle vs. Rick Story

Dennis Bermudez vs. Max Holloway

Colton Smith vs. Robert Whittaker

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Abel Trujillo

Contact your cable provider for more information on how to watch FX on your television.

UFC 160 Pay-Per-View—10 p.m. ET

Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva

Junior dos Santos vs. Mark Hunt

Glover Teixeira vs. James Te-Huna

Gray Maynard vs. T.J. Grant

Donald Cerrone vs. K.J. Noons

Purchase the pay-per-view via the above YouTube player. Follow the link to the UFC's official YouTube page, and pay the $44.99 fee.

Mikkel Kessler vs. Carl Froch: Cobra Wins by Unanimous Decision

Brian Mazique — Sat, 25 May 2013 20:09:29 -0400

Carl "The Cobra" Froch (31-2) avenged one of only two losses in his career on Saturday. The 35-year-old from Nottingham delighted his countrymen in attendance at the O2 Arena in London.

He defeated Mikkel "The Viking Warrior" Kessler (46-3) by unanimous decision to unify two portions of the super middleweight championship.

After another epic battle, Froch and Kessler must agree to a tie-breaking third fight. The next time the two elite super middleweights clash, it should be at a neutral site.

The first bout took place in Kessler's native Denmark. The best place for a third fight is somewhere outside of both men's home countries.

Ryan Bivins of Sweet Boxing at least agrees a third fight would be great to see.

Froch deserved the unanimous decision in a thrilling bout.

Per the HBO telecast, the official scorecards read 118-110, 116-112 and 115-113 in favor of Froch. Though most would agree Froch won the fight, an eight-point edge was a bit exorbitant.

Froch's jab controlled most of the fight. He established it early and rode that weapon to victory. In the 12th round, the Cobra left no doubt who the winner was. He fought like he wanted to finish Kessler and cemented a strong performance.

Kessler had said he would retire if he didn't beat Froch, but boxing fans know retirement pledges aren't always truthful.

It is difficult to think the 34-year-old would walk away after having his share of moments on Saturday. The Viking Warrior landed a few hard shots on Froch's chin that wobbled him.

The 11th round was especially good for Kessler. Froch's chin was tested in this round as hard lefts and rights found their mark.

Kessler landed 55 percent of his power shots, but Froch outworked him by throwing 366 power punches to just 165 for Kessler, per CompuBox.

With each man owning a win over the other as the predominant crowd favorite, it is time to see them duke it out in front of fans without such a clear rooting interest. Froch said in his blog he would be open to a third fight, if second fight was as good as the first.

Saturday's clash was certainly another stirring confrontation. In a third meeting, perhaps Froch would win again, or maybe Kessler will prove to be the better man.

The point is, nothing is settled just yet between these two men. A rubber match without the energy of the crowd spurring one over the other would be a nice close to a great rivalry.

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