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Should the Denver Broncos Have Upped Their Offer for Charles Woodson?

Christopher Hansen — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:32:37 -0400

The Denver Broncos had Charles Woodson in for a visit, but couldn’t come to an agreement with the 36-year-old defensive back. Woodson ended up visiting with the Oakland Raiders and signing a contract that is worth a maximum of $4.3 million, according nfl.com.

That seems like a lot of money for an older player in the twilight of his career, but the Broncos offered Woodson a seemingly comparable contract worth a maximum of $3.7 million, according to Mike Klis of the Denver Post. It certainly looks like Woodson chose money over the ability to play for a contender.

If the Broncos were serious about signing Woodson, they should have upped their offer before he visited the Raiders. It sure seems like the Broncos miscalculated Woodson’s interest in returning to the Raiders and ended up losing a player they would have liked to add to their secondary.

Champ Bailey was on 102.3 FM in Denver on Tuesday and said there was “no freaking way” Woodson wanted to go to Oakland; he also called the visit a “negotiation tactic." Bailey’s thoughts may or may not have echoed the sentiments of the organization.

The Broncos may have assumed that they had the advantage if the money were equal. Not only would Woodson have a chance to win a ring in Denver, but his tax burden would have been lower playing more games in Colorado and fewer games in California.

Woodson will now play nine games in California instead of two, which means his base salary will be taxed at a higher rate for seven more games. Any incentives earned will also be taxed at the California tax rate. The cost of living is also much higher in California, so Woodson’s expenses will also be higher.

Based on these differences, Denver’s offer was probably nearly the same, even if the total dollar amount was $600,000 lower. What it likely came down to is the structure of the incentives, Woodson’s role with the team and the signing bonus.

According to Josina Anderson of ESPN, the base value of Woodson’s deal is $1.8 million, which included a signing bonus of $700,000. The Broncos reportedly offered realistic incentives with a base salary near the league minimum. As far as we know, Denver’s offer didn’t include a signing bonus.

Although the total amount of the deal was comparable, the Raiders' offer was better by at least $700,000. The base salary would have been nearly the same. The other factor could have been the structure of the incentives.

Although the incentives may have been realistic in Denver, the Raiders' offer may have been impossible for the Broncos to match. For Woodson, the opportunity to play free safety probably wasn’t on the table in Denver.

Woodson’s contract should, in theory, allow him to reach his incentive triggers more easily playing free safety for the Raiders than he would have playing strong safety for the Broncos (assuming interceptions are one of the incentives). Woodson may have also felt like he had a better chance to stay healthy not playing in the box at his age.

It didn’t make a lot of sense for the Broncos to offer Woodson more to play strong safety when they have a perfectly capable one in Mike Adams. In fact, ProFootballFocus graded Adams higher than Woodson last season (subscription required).

In a weird way, Woodson signing with the Raiders and not the Broncos could be a win for all parties. Both teams wanted to sign Woodson to help their team, but obviously more than the on-field factors were considered by all sides.

The Raiders need all the help they can get on defense, a good leader and something for the fans to be excited about. If Woodson doesn’t hold up physically or athletically, they have a realistic fallback plan in Usama Young.

Woodson gets to finish his career where it started, close to his winery in Napa, playing free safety and making more guaranteed money. For a player who has already won a Super Bowl, that’s not a bad consolation for playing for a rebuilding team.

The Broncos avoid overpaying for a player who may or may not be even better than their projected starter. If Woodson doesn’t have much left in the tank, Peyton Manning should be able to exploit him in pass coverage.

Even if Woodson does have something left, he isn’t likely to make a significant enough impact on the Raiders to make them a threat to the Broncos. Fans in Denver can also continue to dislike Woodson with the fervor they did when he played in Oakland for the first eight years of his career.

Golden State Warriors Fans Shouldn't Hold Breath About Landing Dwight Howard

Zach Buckley — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:25:17 -0400

The Golden State Warriors thought they had their offseason checklist already written.

A 47-win regular season brought them a rare postseason appearance, meaning May 21's draft lottery was finally not their concern. In fact, unless they're enthralled with a player from what's been called a historically weak draft class or they're offered an unlikely chance to unload one of their awful contracts, the Warriors don't need to be concerned with the draft at all.

Their first-round pick, 21st overall, is headed to the Utah Jazz as a late payment for their ill-advised acquisition of Marcus Williams(!) in 2007-08. Their second-round pick, 51st, belongs to the Orlando Magic after several exchanges since they dealt the pick as part of the David Lee sign-and-trade in 2010.

The cash-strapped Warriors, who could have as much as $74 million in salary commitments depending on player options (via HoopsHype.com), didn't figure to be concerned with outside free agents, either. At least, not before deciding on the futures of Jarrett Jack (an unrestricted free agent) and hearing the option decisions of Carl Landry and Brandon Rush.

Then Long Beach Press-Telegram hoops scribe Mark Medina offered the latest update on Dwight Howard's free agency. Essentially Medina said what all other Howard observers have been saying for months: The All-Star big man doesn't know where he wants to play next season.

That's great, but how does this relate to the Warriors? Because Medina offered a one-sentence bombshell, some 16 paragraphs into the piece. "A source familiar with Howard's thinking says he plans to test free agency and has considered the Lakers, Dallas, Houston, Atlanta and Golden State," Medina wrote.

And just like that, Golden State general manager Bob Myers' checklist was a crumbled mess in the bottom of his trash can.

The Warriors found a winning combination this year, one that carried them all the way to a competitive, six-game series with the San Antonio Spurs in the second round.

But folks, this is Dwight Howard we're talking about. Superman. A 6'11", 265-pound sculpture of a man, a player that never lost his standing as the best center in the business despite a nightmarish debut season with the Los Angeles Lakers.

Think Warriors owner Joe Lacob isn't still cleaning the remnants of his beverage off his keyboard? He had tried, unsuccessfully, to pluck the big man away from the Orlando Magic in each of the last two seasons but could never sell his franchise as a viable landing point for the superstar.

Now not only was his team in the running, but it was reportedly just one of five hand-picked by the big man himself.

Sounds a little too good to be true, doesn't it?

I mean, Andrew Bogut proved invaluable in the Warriors' playoff run, but who's to say the big man will ever be fully healthy again? Even if it meant sacrificing Harrison Barnes or Klay Thompson (it would), those players built intrigue on their potential. Howard has suitors and media members hanging on his every word for substance, for tangible results like a trio of Defensive Player of the Year awards and seven All-NBA selections.

Bogut has the defensive ability (when healthy) to watch the backs of the defensively challenged Stephen Curry and David Lee, but never averaged better than 15.9 points per game even in his best years. Howard supposedly just finished one of his worst seasons as a pro and still managed 17.1 points a night on 57.8 percent shooting from the field.

Howard thrives when sharing the floor with proficient perimeter marksmen, which the Warriors have in droves. Golden State's shooters suffered to find space without a post scorer that demands defensive attention. Howard's devoured single coverage throughout his career and found ways to be successful when faced with double- or triple-teams.

A match made in heaven, right? One that Warriors coach, and pastor, Mark Jackson couldn't sign off on quickly enough.

If only it was that easy.

Unless Myers' past life as an NBA agent has made him the greatest salesman the world has ever seen, Medina's article will be as close as this team ever gets to landing Howard.

For starters, any ticket out of L.A. would be incredibly expensive for Howard. The Lakers can offer more money ($118 million as opposed to $88 million) and a longer contract (five years instead of four) than any of his other suitors.

Forget the economics, says blindly optimistic Warriors fan, Howard can recoup that money and then some in his next contract.

It's possible, but even that doesn't necessarily help the Warriors. With so much money already committed to next year's payroll, the Warriors would have to sacrifice valuable assets to land Howard in a sign-and-trade with the Lakers. The Houston Rockets, Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks can sign the big man outright on the free-agent market, and possibly still have enough financial wiggle room to search for even more talent.

And don't forget Howard reportedly just said he felt under-utilized and over-looked by Mike D'Antoni in Los Angeles (via Dave McMenamin of ESPNLosAngeles.com).

Part of Golden State's long-overdue return to relevance centered around adding high-character players and respectable leaders to the locker room.

Howard's been the center (no pun intended) of three drama-filled locker rooms over the last three seasons. Would his same frustrations return when the Warriors' snipers are firing at will and the big man's not getting any touches? Does the team have a strong enough leadership core to handle a disgruntled star?

The only time Howard's coming to the Bay Area next season is when he's donning a road jersey and searching for laughs inside the visitors' locker room at the Oracle Arena.

But that doesn't mean that this situation is a complete loss for the Warriors.

Rather it means that Lacob's accomplished what he set out to do when he led the group that purchased this franchise in 2010.

And no, I'm not talking about giving this fanbase a reason to watch playoff basketball. I'm talking about completely changing the culture of the organization, transforming one of the league's laughing stocks into a coveted landing spot for superstar free agents.

This isn't the last step that this club needs to take, but you can see the light at the end of the tunnel that Lacob and Co. have been selling to Golden State fans for three years.

Yes, that light is indeed golden. And words can't begin to describe how magnificent of a site it is to see for Warriors fans.

Follow @Hoops_Guru

How the State of Virginia Is Shaking Up College Football Recruiting

Adam Kramer — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:25:11 -0400

The state of Virginia is poised to knock the recruiting world off its axis.

With three of the nation’s top 10 players in the 2014 class calling Virginia home—Da’Shawn Hand, Andrew Brown and Quin Blanding—geography could soon flex its recruiting muscles.

Whether or not in-state schools can capitalize on this perk won’t be known until next February, but the possibility of a shakeup (even a temporary one) is alive and well.

“Virginia has always produced outstanding football talent, but it is rare for a state other than Florida, Texas or California, to have three elite of the elite-type of prospects,” said JC Shurburtt, National Recruiting Director for 247Sports. “But these three, given their lofty comparative positions with other prospects nationally, will be remembered for years.”

This comes at a time where the names and faces are familiar. Not with the players, who become household names by the end of the recruiting cycle shortly before we hit the reset button and start from scratch. But instead the teams, coaches and powerhouse programs that reserve this yearly real estate at the very top of the recruiting rankings.

Under Nick Saban, Alabama has become a fixture at the top. The likes of Florida and LSU know plenty about this real estate as well, while Ole Miss and Auburn were able to stake their claim to this spot earlier this year. Other SEC schools such as Georgia and South Carolina occasionally stop by.

Sprinkle in Notre Dame, add in Big Ten powers Ohio State and Michigan, and throw in the occasional USC and Florida State commit, and a familiar equation comes into focus. Despite the unexpected that comes with recruiting, the end game remains predictable. At least it has in recent years.

2014—and perhaps beyond— could be different. If Virginia and Virginia Tech are able to close on these three prep stars, it will be different.

Da’Shawn Hand

The Woodbrige, Va. defensive end is the No. 1 player according to 247Sports. He’s already been compared to Jadeveon Clowney and sports a 4.6 forty at 250 pounds.

“Hand's first step and quick hands (no pun intended) are elite and some of the best I've seen in person, said Shurburtt. “Combine that with his natural strength and tireless work ethic and it adds up to the No. 1 overall prospect at this time thanks in large part to the rarity factor.”

Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster has established a wonderful relationship with Hand, something that has been discussed often. 84 percent of the experts on 247Sports’ Crystal Predictions feel Hand will eventually sign with the Hokies, while the other 16 percent predict Michigan.

Andrew Brown

The No. 4 player nationally on 247Sports and the highest-ranked defensive tackle, the 6'4", 282-pound Chesapeake native is one of the fastest risers in the recruiting world.

“Brown's quickness and athleticism are too much to handle for most great offensive tackles,” Shurburtt noted. “That type of size/athleticism combo plus the versatility factor makes him a big-time rarity.”

As for 247Sports’ Crystal Ball, 89 percent feel he’ll stay close to home and commit to Virginia. Yes, that Virginia. North Carolina checks in second, getting 11 percent.

Quin Blanding

The nation’s top safety prospect according to 247Sports and also the No. 9 player overall, Blanding is the only top-10 player verbally committed.

“Blanding is a 6'2", 200-pound defensive back that has the hips, speed and athleticism to play cornerback in college, though he can and likely will be an elite free safety in the NFL,” Shurburtt said. “He's not just a coverage guy, either, as he's not afraid to come up and strike an opposing ball-carrier in the run game.”

Blanding has verbally committed to Virginia. Yes, that Virginia. If the commitment holds, it would be an enormous land for head coach Mike London, who is under pressure in 2013 to a) win and b) close strong on the recruiting trail.

A Big Splash Could Lead to Much More

It’s unfamiliar territory seeing the Virginia logo (and only the Virginia logo) at the top of the recruiting rankings.

Granted, it’s incredibly early in the 2014 recruiting cycle, and a verbal means little until the letter of intent is signed. Still, non-traditional powers rarely climb this high, at any time, even with distinct geographical advantages in play. If Virginia and Virginia Tech are able to keep three of the top 10 players from leaving the state, it’ll be an exceptional win in the world of ultra-competitive recruiting.

Landing one (or two) of the nation’s top players could go beyond simply landing a potential difference-maker. It could provide buzz and an infusion of energy both schools crave. It could give future recruits, both in- and out-of-state, something to think and talk about.

Success on the recruiting trail could be contagious, and the perks beyond simply keeping in-state talent close to home could be enormous.

The schools weren’t able to do it last year with quarterback Christian Hackenberg, linebacker Jonathan Allen or running back Derrick Green, all of whom were Virginia products considered premier players in the country at their positions. Hackenberg chose Penn State and Allen signed with Alabama, while Green chose to attend Michigan.

2014 could be different.

Alabama will still be in the picture, of course. So will Ohio State and Michigan. And LSU. And other familiar recruiting assassins will make their yearly cameos when it comes to landing the elite. But if both Virginia and Virginia Tech are featured prominently amongst the familiar powers, don't be surprised.

Geography is on their side, and momentum might not be far behind.

*Adam Kramer is the Lead Football Writer for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained first-hand.

2013 MLB Draft: 8 Position Players Philadelphia Phillies Should Target

Marilee Gallagher — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:22:27 -0400

For the Philadelphia Phillies and all teams around baseball, the MLB Amateur Player Draft, taking place during the first week of June, is a chance for the team to really bolster what in recent years has been a barren and nearly decimated farm system.

The strength of the Phillies farm system comes in the form of pitching, particularly left-handed pitching. In fact since 2002, the Phillies have spent four of their six first round picks on pitching, three of which, including Cy Young finalist Cole Hamels and minor league standout, Jesse Biddle, who were left handers.

But while the pitching has been developed pretty well, many other areas, most notably at the corner outfield, have been neglected and sorely underdeveloped.

And for that reason, the Phillies should make the most of their four draft picks in the top 100 and their 16th overall pick, the highest since the team drafted Hamels in 2002.

While this draft has been considered a pitching heavy one, there are plenty of good corner outfielders as well as other positions that are there to be had. There are also some standouts who might fall through the cracks and some guys with marginal talent that could end up being draft steals when all is said and done.

There are spaces throughout the minor league organization that need to be filled, and the Phillies will certainly have a group of talented guys to choose from.

So in no particular order, here are eight position players the Phillies should consider drafting with some of their early picks.

All prospect rankings courtesy of Baseball America's Top 250 and MLB's 2013 Top 100 Draft Watch.
Scouting Grades courtesy of Jonathan Mayo (MLB's 2013 Top 100 Draft Watch)

Statistics courtesy of: Samford Baseball, Mississippi State Baseball, Stanford University Baseball, Fresno State Baseball

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Sacramento Fans, Franchise Legends Celebrate with 'Long Live the Kings Rally'

Grant Hughes — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:16:51 -0400

The Sacramento Kings are staying put, and on May 23, their fans got together with a whole bunch of the franchise's royalty to celebrate.

The rally actually kicked off well before the crowd gathered at Cesar Chavez Park in downtown Sacramento. In a fashion befitting the Kings' forward-looking new ownership, the social media hype reached a fever pitch well before everyone met up in the real world.

Hey, any excuse to watch Chris Webber snarl and dunk, right?

C-Webb also showed up in the flesh. He didn't come alone, though, as former Sacramento luminaries like Mitch Richmond and Scot Pollard (yes, that Scot Pollard) joined the party, too.

The rally was an excellent reminder of the kind of fans the Kings actually have. Nobody can blame them for failing to support a team whose ownership was totally clueless. The Maloofs ran the franchise into the ground with terrible coaching hires and even worse talent evaluation.

But now that there's reason to believe things might be turning around, people showed up in droves.

Suddenly, one of the league's most devoted fanbases was back.

Of course, since these are the Kings we're talking about, there had to be a few party poopers. One even took the opportunity to fire away at the woeful attendance levels that marked the past few seasons in the aptly named Sleep Train Arena.

Jokes aside, there was real reason to be concerned about one of the attendees. Former Minnesota Timberwolves GM David Kahn, famous for laughable draft picks and unforgivably bad contracts was spotted and photographed in secret.

Be afraid, Kings fans. Be very afraid.

There'll be plenty of time to worry later, though. It was cool to see so many happy fans assembled at the dawn of a new age for the beleaguered franchise.

In fact, all of the excitement may have triggered an actual tremor, according to the city of Sacramento.

As soon as that new downtown arena goes up, the shaking will likely be coming from a sellout crowd, which is a lot safer than the kind that results from tectonic shifts.

Party on, Sacramento!

Los Angeles vs. San Jose: Anze Kopitar's Emergence Makes Kings a Force

Steve Silverman — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:15:06 -0400

The Los Angeles Kings have all the elements to win their second straight Stanley Cup.

They have the strength up front with players like Jeff Carter, Mike Richards and Dustin Brown.

They have a powerful and swift defense that does not often make mistakes. In the rare cases players like Slava Voynov, Drew Doughty or Jake Muzzin make a mistake, the Kings have Jonathan Quick in goal to clean up for them.

All he did last year was win the Conn Smythe Trophy.

But the one thing that the Kings had to be concerned about was Anze Kopitar. He is the Kings' best all-around player. When it comes to offense, he can dominate with his explosiveness and timely scoring.

Kopitar has excellent instincts and is regularly able to play the game with patience so he can finish his scoring opportunities.

But Kopitar has struggled for the Kings this year. His regular-season numbers were decent—10 goals and 32 assists in 47 games—but they were far below what Kopitar is normally capable of providing.

Kopitar has also struggled in the playoffs. Going into Game 5 of the Kings' series with the San Jose Sharks, he had scored one goal and four assists in 10 playoff games. In last year's playoff run, Kopitar had eight goals and 12 assists in 20 games.

Kopitar has not been the patient scorer who could hold on to the puck an extra split second and find the back of the net. Instead, he was firing the puck into Antti Niemi's pads or missing open corners.

But Kopitar came through for the Kings as the series returned to the Staples Center. The Kings were dominating in the offensive zone, but they couldn't dent Niemi until the late stages of the second period.

Kopitar was off to Niemi's side and when the goalie could not control a rebound on a shot by Justin Williams. Kopitar calmly backhanded the loose puck into the back of the net.

The Kings took the momentum from that goal and ran with it. Voynov added to the lead early in the third period and the Sharks were not able to get one past Quick. An empty-net goal by Jeff Carter made the final score 3-0 and gave the Kings a 3-2 lead in the series.

But the best news was clearly Kopitar's ability to score the goal that proved to be the game-winner.

After the game was over, Kopitar was relieved as he spoke with Joe Micheletti of the NBC Sports Network. "Yes, I have to say that my legs feel lighter after scoring that goal," Kopitar said with a smile.

Credit Kings head coach Darryl Sutter for helping Kopitar find a way to score his second goal of the postseason. The tight-lipped Sutter placed energy forward Kyle Clifford on the same line as Kopitar, and the move seemed to help the Kings create far more chances than they had in the two games that were played in San Jose. The Sharks won both of those games.

Kopitar had three shots on goal and worked well with Clifford and Justin Williams. Brown, who had skated with Kopitar and Williams, played with Trevor Lewis and Dwight King. Brown had one shot on goal, but he did not score.

A relaxed Kopitar could be a huge factor for the Kings. With the Chicago Blackhawks struggling badly in their conference semifinal matchup with the Detroit Red Wings and trailing 3-1, the Kings may be able to play themselves into the role of Stanley Cup favorites the rest of the way.

If Kopitar is squeezing his stick tightly and missing opportunities, the Kings are in trouble. But when he's having fun and relying on his instincts, he's a formidable player.

That's the best news for a Kings team that can clinch the series with a victory Sunday night in San Jose.

Jemile Weeks Is the Player on the Oakland A's That Should See More Playing Time

Clarence Baldwin Jr — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:13:45 -0400

It is time for the Oakland A's to call Jemile Weeks up from Triple-A Sacramento. With all due respect to Adam "Lewis Skolnick" Rosales and Eric Sogard, Weeks is a better option at either second base or shortstop along with Jed Lowrie.

Now, if Sogard was lighting it up at second base after earning the job out of spring training, that would be one thing. But while he hasn't been inept, his .250 average, zero sacrifices and just five RBI is a lot of empty production.

Compounding that lack of production is that Sogard currently does not have one sacrifice. There are many instances when the A's could play for a single run (something that has been a weakness of this team for a long time). A player like Sogard would theoretically fit that bill, but yet he does not.

As for Rosales, he is a very quality utility player that can spell a starter or step in when an injury arises. But he is not a full-time starter and has not been for a reason. His production has been solid (.262/.342/.415 slash line) and again, I think the utility position is a great spot for him.

But understand, this is not an opinion based on what these players are not doing. This is about what I think Weeks can do. Having adjusted his swing to cut down on pop up and fly balls, the second baseman has gotten back to using his speed, something the A's could use more of in their lineup.

The most promising thing about Weeks' AAA numbers is his .416 on-base percentage. Oakland can use an infusion of speed and daring. Weeks, when he's slashing the ball, does that unlike no other player in their organization currently.

Grant Green would be a viable option too, except he continues to be a liability in the field, as his six errors at first and second base would indicate. Right now, he would be best suited as a right-handed designated hitter, and I don't see a spot for him there currently.

Ultimately, it serves everyone a bit of good to get Weeks back up as Hiroyuki Nakajima continues to adjust to the Major League game. The A's can see what a player once regarded as their top prospect can do in terms of making adjustments. Weeks gets a chance to prove himself after a humbling 2012.

Most of all, the A's don't risk losing much in their lineup due to the lack of production from the guys Weeks would be stepping in for. It is not a complete no-lose situation, but it is close. Besides, if Daric Barton could get another chance (and another), why not Jemile Weeks?

Ohio State Football Recruiting: Evaluating the Buckeyes' 2014 Commits so Far

Tim Bielik — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:09:54 -0400

After getting the long-awaited verbal commitment from Akron LB Dante Booker on Thursday—per Jeremy Birmingham of Eleven Warriors—Ohio State's 2014 recruiting class stands at nine.

The Buckeyes do have a good group of prospects already in tow with the hopes of adding several more top prospects like QB Kyle Allen, LB Raekwon McMillan and OT Jamarco Jones.

So far, Ohio State has done a solid job of attacking some of its biggest needs, particularly on the offensive line with the commitments of two in-state linemen in Kyle Trout and Marcelys Jones.

Jones already has the size of a college guard at 325 lbs., and Trout possesses the prototypical frame for a tackle. Ideally, the Buckeyes would love to continue to add to this group because they graduate multiple starting linemen and don't have much depth behind them.

Another one of OSU's early verbals came from its rival's backyard, as Detroit product Damon Webb verballed to the Buckeyes.

Webb is the latest in a long line of talented corners to commit to the Buckeyes in recent years and brings plenty of skill with him.

The Buckeyes' fourth commitment was a bit of a surprise in Booker's high school teammate, RB Parris Campbell. The speedy back didn't pop onto the radar all that much until he exploded for 156 yards and three touchdowns in last season's Division III State Championship Game win over Bellevue.

Campbell brings to the table what 2013 signees Dontre Wilson and James Clark also have: game-breaking speed, and a lot of it to burn. He's the type of player Urban Meyer will want to have the ball in his hands at least a few times every game once he fills his body out.

Like with Booker, the Buckeyes didn't look too far to supplement their linebacking corps with in-state products Kyle Berger and Sam Hubbard.

Both are outstanding athletes with a nose for the football and for making big hits.

As for the rest of the class, getting verbals from out-of-state prospects WR Lonnie Johnson and DL Dylan Thompson were just as crucial with both boasting good offer lists despite only 3-star rankings on Scout.com.

This class is certainly far from complete, with the Buckeyes hoping to land more big-name prospects as they did late in the last recruiting class by getting commits from Wilson, Clark and S Vonn Bell all within the last week.

Even though this class will be the last to be limited by scholarship sanctions, the Buckeyes should be able to have another great recruiting class in 2014.

And so far, they're off to a pretty good start.

Follow me on Twitter @bielik_tim for the latest college football news and updates.

Biggest Questions and Answers for the Chicago Bulls This Offseason

Ernest Shepard — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:03:00 -0400

There will be plenty of tough decisions that the Chicago Bulls will have to make this offseason. The Bulls, still stinging from 4-1 elimination by the Miami Heat in the second round of the playoffs, showed that they did not lack heart. What they were missing were healthy bodies.

Injuries are common in sports but few teams had to deal with as many injuries as the Bulls did.

Finding healthy players will not be a problem for Chicago. They have other questions to solve.

How the Bulls fill out their rosters and if any of their pending free agents return are just two of the questions that require solving.

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Biggest Takeaways from Thursday's NHL Playoff Action

Carol Schram — Fri, 24 May 2013 02:00:58 -0400

Thursday night's NHL playoff action featured three hard-fought games. Fans were treated to great action from start to finish and a couple of unexpected results.

At Madison Square Garden, the New York Rangers overcame a 2-0 deficit in their pivotal Game 4 to grab a 4-3 overtime win and secure the first victory of their series against the Boston Bruins.

Over in the Western Conference, strong goaltending was the theme of the day. The Detroit Red Wings and Los Angeles Kings each got shutouts from their netminders on their way to grabbing the third win of their respective series.

Here's a closer look at the big storylines and takeaways from Thursday's action.

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Report Card for Each NHL Playoff Team's Head Coach

Jerry Bonkowski — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:56:28 -0400

When teams reach the playoffs and then try to move on from round to round, they're usually only as good—or bad—as their head coach.

Usually.

But some of the teams in this season's conference semifinals have great coaches, yet they've struggled and are facing potential elimination (can anyone say Blackhawks?).

Let's take a look at the conference semifinals and see which coaches have made the grade—and which ones have come up short.

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How Cavaliers Selecting Otto Porter at No. 1 Would Change 2013 NBA Draft

Grant Hughes — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:36:21 -0400

Just about everyone has the Cleveland Cavaliers selecting Kentucky's Nerlens Noel with the top pick in the 2013 NBA draft, but if there's any truth to the rumor that they're actually interested in Otto Porter, the resultant ripple effect could really shake up the rest of the top picks.

According to Michael Lee of the Washington Post, the Cavs might not be as set on Noel as it seems:

But there is a possibility that Porter, arguably the most NBA-ready player among the top prospects, might not be around when the Wizards pick third. A source with knowledge of the Cavaliers’ thinking said Porter is under consideration to go No. 1.

It's actually pretty reasonable for the Cavaliers to be looking at options beyond Noel. The lanky big man is coming off a torn ACL and might have trouble bulking up enough to be the dominant interior force some think he'll eventually become.

Plus, Porter fills an obvious need for Cleveland on the wing. With a backcourt of Dion Waiters and Kyrie Irving set in stone and a pair of solid bigs in Anderson Varejao and Tristan Thompson, Porter could fit nicely into the mix as a small forward with a smooth mid-range game.

The lanky wing averaged 16.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 2.7 assists during his sophomore campaign with the Georgetown Hoyas. More impressively, he earned some major praise from a rival head coach:

It's still very early in the process and it's key to note that teams put out smoke screens like this all the time. This could simply be the Cavaliers' effort to seem unpredictable. After all, there's no advantage to letting every other team know what they really want to do with their No. 1 pick.

But just for the sake of argument, let's assume Lee's source is legitimate and the Cavs really are looking at Porter. If that's actually the case, there could be some interesting changes throughout the draft's remaining lottery picks.

For starters, the Orlando Magic would be stuck wondering whether they could shoehorn Noel into their frontcourt mix. The Magic have a promising big-man tandem in Nikola Vucevic and Andrew Nicholson, but they'd have to at least be tempted to take a look at Noel. Ben McLemore or Trey Burke certainly appear to be the better fits in Orlando, but the Magic might not be able to pass on Noel's talent.

Assuming the Magic can restrain themselves, Noel would slip to the Wizards, who already have a whole lot of money tied up between Emeka Okafor and Nene (more than $27 million in 2013-14 combined) in the frontcourt. So they might also look to fill a need on the wing, perhaps reaching for Shabazz Muhammad or the tantalizing Anthony Bennett.

The Wizards would really like to just take Porter, who played his college ball in their backyard, and be done with it. But if they can't have the small forward they really want, they'll be stuck between choosing from among less impressive replacements or picking Noel and hoping he's good enough to force them to offload one of their high-priced veteran bigs.

With Bradley Beal and John Wall set at the guard positions, there's no way the Wizards even look twice at Burke or McLemore.

So by the time the Bobcats get a chance to pick, it's likely that one of either Burke or McLemore will be available along with Noel.

If Noel somehow dropped past the Wizards and McLemore was also still available, there's a good chance that the projected No. 1 pick could fall even further. The Charlotte Bobcats are in desperate need of young talent up front (and everywhere, really), so you'd think they'd be ready to pounce on Noel if he were available.

But McLemore might be the safer pick and would fit in nicely alongside Kemba Walker, who showed some steady growth during the 2012-13 season.

The slippage for Noel might not stop there, either. Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated has the Bobcats taking Victor Oladipo at No. 4, so if Noel and McLemore both become available to the Phoenix Suns, it's possible that they'd opt to take the Kansas guard ahead of the Kentucky center. Mannix points out that the Suns are bad enough that they need to take the best player on the board.

To them, that could be McLemore.

At No. 6, the New Orleans Pelicans are set up front with last year's top pick, Anthony Davis, and Robin Lopez. So they're not a guarantee to grab Noel either.

We have to stop here, though, as the Sacramento Kings have proved that they have no idea what they're doing and are basically impossible to predict. Let's just hope for Noel's sake that he's off the board by the time the Kings are selecting at No. 7.

Hey, we're piling speculation on top of speculation here to try to project how a potential surprise selection of Porter could affect the rest of the first round, but really, nobody knows yet what's going to happen.

Keep in mind, though, that if the Cavs really do forego Noel for Porter at the top spot, there really could be some far-reaching consequences—especially for Noel.

20 Most Astonishing Photos of the 2013 NBA Playoffs

Luke Petkac — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:27:32 -0400

We've got plenty of the 2013 NBA playoffs left to go and already the amazing and astonishing moments are piling up.

Every postseason is memorable in its own way, but this year it seems even more memorable than usual. That's not always necessarily a good thing—the injuries haven't been fun, that's for sure—but in general, all of these crazy moments have delivered a great postseason. So what could possibly be better than reliving them?

Nothing, that's what.

Begin Slideshow

Sharks vs. Kings Game 5: Score, Twitter Reaction and Analysis

Ryan Rudnansky — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:24:47 -0400

The defending champion Los Angeles Kings defended home ice with a 3-0 victory over the San Jose Sharks in Game 5 of the Western Conference semifinals Thursday night.

Anze Kopitar, Slava Voynov and Jonathan Quick were the heroes for the Kings.

It was a relatively clean first period with only one penalty.

The Kings' Jeff Carter got two minutes for boarding Matt Irwin 5:28 into the game, but, minus a couple of long slap shots by Irwin and Dan Boyle, the Sharks didn't threaten much during the ensuing power play.

Despite the lack of penalties, however, that doesn't mean it wasn't physical. The Kings racked up 24 hits in the first period alone, making it known that they came to play and to protect their Staples Center ice.

The one and only Tom Cruise was in attendance, via C.J. Fogler:

Neither team scored in the first 20 minutes. Los Angeles managed nine shots on goal during the first period, while San Jose registered six shots. It was clear coming into the battle that Antti Niemi and Jonathan Quick would make life tough for the offenses, but the defenses helped out early on, too.

Larry Beil of ABC 7 News in San Francisco tweeted:

Helene Elliott of the Los Angeles Times quipped:

The Kings once again came out firing early in the second period, playing aggressive hockey and keeping the Sharks in their zone for the most part. But the Kings were still unable to get much going on the offensive end, failing to score or even draw a penalty from San Jose.

Eric L. Smith of the Antelope Valley Press tweeted:

While there weren't very many penalties, there were plenty of whistles for icing. There were six stoppages for icing in the first eight minutes of the second period.

At the 11:19 mark, the Kings were the ones to commit another penalty. Kyle Clifford was whistled for charging Patrick Marleau.

But it was the short-handed Kings that actually threatened more, with Dustin Brown's wrist shot from 13 feet being saved by Niemi.

Los Angeles was awarded a power play a few seconds after San Jose's ended when Jason Demers boarded Robyn Regehr. But the Kings weren't even able to get off a shot on goal.

After some back and forth, the Kings finally got on the board at the 18:08 mark of the second when Anze Kopitar flipped it home from point-blank range off a rebound, assists going to Clifford and Justin Williams.

Former NHL player and Sharks radio color commentator Jamie Baker hit us with a Pulp Fiction reference, and we thank him for it:

After San Jose's T.J. Galiardi was hit with interference at the 18:50 mark, Jeff Carter's attempt from 11 feet was saved brilliantly by Niemi, keeping the Sharks within range headed into the final period.

A mere 53 seconds into the third period, the defending champions struck again. This time, it was Slava Voynov, who connected on a 50-foot wrist shot off an assist by Trevor Lewis. The Kings had the lead, 2-0.

Of course, TheRoyalHalf.com knew better than to call it a game:

San Jose was awarded a power play at the 10:26 mark when Kopitar was whistled for tripping Joe Thornton. But two shots on goal by the Sharks were saved by Quick and time was ticking for San Jose.

San Jose's James Sheppard was given two minutes for roughing Mike Richards at the 13:36 mark. The Kings got off three shots during the ensuing power play, but they were all blocked by the Sharks.

The Sharks' last-ditch effort down the stretch ultimately came up short, as Jeff Carter finished off the win by swinging the puck into the open net with 32 seconds remaining.

The Kings racked up 29 shots and 51 hits in the 3-0 victory, while Quick saved all 24 attempts by the Sharks.

Game 6 is slated for Sunday in San Jose, with the Kings leading, 3-2.

How Does Adrian Peterson Compare to the Top 10 Rushers of All Time?

Matthew Stensrud — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:22:40 -0400

Adrian Peterson currently ranks No. 33 among the NFL career rushing leaders with 8,849 yards. Emmitt Smith sits comfortably at the top with 18,355 yards.

Coming off his best season in 2012 with 2,097 yards, which was nine yards away from breaking Eric Dickerson's season rushing record, the reigning MVP is currently the best running back in the NFL.

But how does he stack up against the best running backs in history, and can he remain healthy enough to contend for Smith's record?

With the running back position taking a considerable beating, a player must possess both athletic ability and longevity in order to have a chance at cracking the list of top 10 career rushers, let alone breaking Smith's record.

The NFL Players Association claims the average career of an NFL player is 3.30 years, with the average career of a running back at 2.57 years.

The NFL qualifies this statistic in claiming the average career of a rookie making a club's opening day roster is 6.0 years and players with at least one Pro Bowl selection or appearance last 11.70 years.

However you slice it, Peterson will need to more than double his production from his first six seasons over the remainder of his career to reach Smith—a challenging task in a league that has become more pass-happy over the years.

But let's not forget who we're talking about here.

After a shortened season in 2011 due to a torn ACL and MCL in his left knee, Peterson shattered all odds by returning in 2012 and having the best statistical performance of his career. He has set his own personal goal of 2,500 rushing yards for 2013.

While that target may be a bit of a stretch, Peterson is on a better pace than most of the career rushing leaders in the NFL. Let's take a closer look at how he stacks up against the top 10 rushers:

Rank	Player	Yards	Seasons	Yds/Season	Games	Yds/Game
1	Emmitt Smith	18,355	1990-2004	1,223.7	226	81.2
2	Walter Payton	16,726	1975-1987	1,286.6	190	88.0
3	Barry Sanders	15,269	1989-1998	1,526.9	153	99.8
4	Curtis Martin	14,101	1995-2005	1,281.9	168	83.9
5	LaDainian Tomlinson	13,684	2001-2011	1,244.0	170	80.5
6	Jerome Bettis	13,662	1993-2005	1,050.9	192	71.2
7	Eric Dickerson	13,259	1983-1993	1,205.4	146	90.8
8	Tony Dorsett	12,739	1977-1988	1,061.6	173	73.6
9	Jim Brown	12,312	1957-1965	1,368.0	118	104.3
10	Marshall Faulk	12,279	1994-2005	1,023.3	176	69.8
33	Adrian Peterson	8,849	2007-2012	1,474.8	89	99.4

Courtesy of Pro-Football-Reference.com

What stands out in this breakdown is that only Sanders tops Peterson in yards per season. And while Jim Brown is the only player on this list to average over 100 yards per game, Peterson is on his heels with 99.4.

According to Curtis Martin (the No. 4 rushing leader), speaking to Pro Football Weekly, Peterson is already one of the best running backs of all time:

To me, as far as God-given ability, Adrian Peterson has more than anyone I've ever seen play running back. I’m talking in the history of the NFL, not just in this era. I believe he’s that guy. Adrian Peterson is the type of talent that, even if his career ended with the injury last year, he’d make it into the Hall of Fame.

Martin continued:

I don’t know any other back with his elusiveness combined with his speed, his power, with his durability. He may not have the best career of any running back, but I think he’s probably the most talented there is.

In assessing Peterson's odds of reaching Smith, let's project Peterson into 10 seasons. If he can rush for 1,600 yards over each of the next four seasons, Peterson would be at 15,249 yards, just 20 yards shy of Sanders at No. 3 all time.

Sanders himself averaged 1,649 yards per season his final four years of a 10-year career.

If Peterson can continue that pace for an additional two years, Peterson would finish with 18,449 yards, supplanting Smith as the NFL's all-time leading rusher.

Heading into the 2013 season, it seems almost a certainty that Peterson will break 10,000 yards. If he maintains a similar yards-per-game pace, he will do so in Week 13 at home against the Chicago Bears.

And while cracking the top 10 list of all-time rushers may still be a few years out, Peterson has certainly set the pace over the past six seasons. With a steady level of production and a couple breakout seasons, the Vikings running back may eventually cement his name in history.

Follow me on Twitter and Google+

Follow @MattStensrud

Evaluating Experts' Mock Drafts for the Philadelphia Flyers

Michael Pizzutillo — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:22:36 -0400

As the Philadelphia Flyers evaluate their potential first pick in the NHL draft, many experts have already weighed in with their own mock drafts.

NHL.com's experts Steve Hoffner, Adam Kimelman and Mike G Morreale predicted three different sets of mock drafts, especially with Philadelphia's No. 11 selection. Hoffner and Kimelman believe the Flyers will focus on defense, predicting Darnell Nurse or Rasmus Ristolainen, respectively, will be the team's first-round pick. Where Morreale estimates Philly will concentrate on offense or best-available player, by selecting forward Hunter Shinkaruk.

The obvious and popular first-round pick would be selecting a blueliner for the future—something Philadelphia has not done since drafting Luca Sbisa in 2008. A year later, Sbisa would be traded to the Anaheim Ducks for future Hall of Fame defenseman Chris Pronger. Additionally, the Flyers have failed to fill the void of Pronger's absence in the lineup the last two seasons.

If the Flyers do take Nurse or Ristolainen, the team would be making an investment for the future, yet lacking an immediate impact for next season. Nurse, 18, who stands at 6'5" and weighs close to 200 pounds, enjoys throwing his body around—playing a Broad Street Bully style of hockey. And Ristolainen is an impressive two-way defender with incredible skills on both ends of the ice.

Philadelphia does lack an additional true goal scorer. Jake Voracek emerged this season and Wayne Simmonds contributed for most of the year, but the Flyers need a weapon on offense and Shinkaruk may be one of the best players available this draft. The young forward dominated the WHL with 37 goals and 49 assists in 64 games for the Medicine Hat Tigers this past season.

Additionally, Shinkaruk may be the most pro-ready player available to the Flyers and could make a rapid impact for the team.

Either way, the Flyers have gaping holes on their roster and issues that need to be addressed. It's likely the team will focus on defense, even if the experts' picks prove wrong. With the draft class being fairly deep, Philadelphia may have a plethora of talented players available at the 11th pick (see Ryan Pulock), and should be building for the future.

Blackhawks vs. Red Wings: Is Joel Quenneville Suddenly Coaching for His Job?

Nicholas Goss — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:08:27 -0400

Joel Quenneville was selected as a Jack Adams Award finalist earlier this month for his part in helping the Chicago Blackhawks earn the Presidents' Trophy in one of the most remarkable regular-season performances we have seen in a long time.

But after the Blackhawks lost in Game 4 of their second-round playoff series to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night to move to the brink of postseason elimination, is Quenneville now coaching to save his job?

Chicago is one more loss away from becoming the ninth Presidents' Trophy winner in the last 10 years to not reach the Stanley Cup Final after dominating in the regular season.

Failing to advance past the conference semifinals would be the third consecutive disappointing playoff exit for the Blackhawks since the team won its first championship in 48 years during the 2009-10 season.

There's no question that Coach Q came into this lockout-shortened season on the hot seat following two straight first-round playoff losses.

When the Blackhawks started the year with an NHL record 24-game point streak, questions surrounding his job security quickly went away, but they will start to be asked again if Chicago doesn't come back and win this series.

It doesn't matter if the Blackhawks lose this series in five, six or seven games because there are no excuses for them to be eliminated by an inferior Red Wings team. Chicago had won seven straight games against its Central Division rival coming into this year's playoffs, and extended that streak to eight games with an impressive 4-1 victory in Game 1.

The problem for the Blackhawks and Quenneville isn't just that they are down 3-1 in this series after three consecutive losses, it's the way the team has put itself in this position that is most frustrating.

Despite the fact that he has better talent, more depth and a group of players with a lot of playoff and Stanley Cup-winning experience, Quenneville has been unable to figure out ways to get the most out of his team in this series.

This isn't a new situation for the 54-year-old, who is 0-5 all time as an NHL head coach in playoff series against the Red Wings.

His offense, which scored the second-most goals in the league during the regular season, has struggled mightily in the last three games with just two goals. Chicago's 2-0 defeat in Game 4 was its first shutout loss of the season and the fist time this team has lost three straight regulation games in 2013.

Quenneville tried many different line combinations in Game 4 and none of them resulted in any consistent success. He even put players together who don't have a lot of experience playing on the same line, which is a risky and foolish move in the middle of a playoff series.

Top-six forwards Jonathan Toews, Patrick Sharp, Marian Hossa and Brandon Saad have combined for zero goals in the last three games, and Quenneville has failed to draw up a game plan or find the right line combinations to help spark these players.

Another concern for the Blackhawks in Game 4 was their lack of energy and hunger with a possible 3-1 series deficit on the line. When a veteran group of players fail to play like a desperate team in that type of situation, the blame has to go to the coach for not moving his group.

The Blackhawks have also lost their composure in the last two games, evidenced by their foolish penalties and lack of poise under pressure. The team's confidence from the regular season has evaporated in a disappointing fashion.

Quenneville had a great regular season and deserved his Jack Adams nomination, but the Blackhawks are not the type of team whose season is judged based on what happens before the playoffs.

This team was the favorite to win the Stanley Cup going into the postseason, and if it does not reach the Western Conference finals, management has to give strong consideration to a coaching change.

If the Blackhawks lose their second-round series to Detroit, Quenneville will have failed to lead his team past the conference semifinals for the 13th time in his 16 seasons as an NHL head coach.

A series loss to the Red Wings would be Chicago's second straight playoff exit to an inferior opponent, and with the team's championship window currently open, the Blackhawks cannot afford to be wasting golden opportunities to win the Stanley Cup because of poor coaching. This franchise needs to contend for championships right now, especially since many of its best players are in the prime of their careers.

Quenneville is a quality NHL head coach with an impressive resume, but he is under immense pressure to make the proper adjustments going into Game 5 that will help his team improve.

Another embarrassing loss and an earlier-than-expected summer vacation for the Blackhawks could result in Quenneville joining Alain Vigneault and Lindy Ruff as veteran coaches available for hire this summer.

Follow @NicholasGoss35

Nicholas Goss is an NHL Lead Writer at Bleacher Report. Nick was a credentialed reporter at the 2011 Stanley Cup Final and 2012 NHL playoffs, and he is also a credentialed writer at the 2013 NHL playoffs in Boston.

NFL Players Who Must Change Positions Remain Effective

Ryan McCrystal — Fri, 24 May 2013 01:02:23 -0400

Significant position changes are relatively rare in the NFL, but occasionally a switch can revive a player's career.

The following slideshow features five players who have struggled in recent years at their current position but have the skill set to excel in another role with their current team.

Each of these players is projected to remain at their current position, but a future shift could change the course of their career.

All advanced statistics provided by Pro Football Focus.

Begin Slideshow

Do Indiana Pacers Have to Play Perfect Game to Upset Miami Heat?

Zach Buckley — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:54:31 -0400

The Indiana Pacers did what they needed to do on Tuesday night.

Playing in the franchise's first Eastern Conference finals since 2003-04, Frank Vogel's team strutted into enemy territory and pushed the defending champion Miami Heat to the brink of defeat.

In 24 minutes they had choked out all of the energy the AmericanAirlines Arena faithful had bottled up over the past six days. Indiana's halftime lead wasn't great, 42-37, but things were clearly going to plan.

Miami limped into the break with just two field goals over the final 5.5 minutes of the second quarter. One was a Udonis Haslem slam, the other a deep three by Mario Chalmers. In other words, they came from players not named LeBron James, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh.

In fact Miami's vaunted Big Three went largely M.I.A. in the first half, as the trio combined for just 17 points, seven fewer than Indiana's twin towers (Roy Hibbert and David West) had by themselves. By the end of the second quarter, the Heat had nearly as many turnovers (11) as made field goals (16).

It was Pacers basketball at its finest and, more importantly, this was the recipe for devouring a playoff win in front of a hostile road crowd.

Maybe Indiana got ahead of itself at halftime. Maybe Frank Vogel's message had a tad too much praise in it. Or perhaps Miami simply flipped the proverbial switch it had kept in its back pocket all season long.

The Heat opened the third quarter on a 12-2 run, and suddenly it was the Pacers that couldn't keep hold of the basketball. West, Hibbert and George Hill each had a turnover of three of Indiana's first four possessions, and Vogel was forced to call a timeout with his team trailing 49-44 at the 8:25 mark of the period.

This time Vogel got it right. Paul George buried a triple out of the timeout, and Hibbert added a layup on the ensuing trip after both he and George were denied at the rim during the possession.

Indiana had found its fight and somehow weathered the storm that had sunk so many ships earlier in the season. The Pacers and Heat traded blows over the next 1.5 quarters, and a desperation three from George with less than a second left in regulation pushed the contest into overtime.

In the rare chance that you need me to lift up the rock you've been living under, the Heat ultimately emerged victorious on a LeBron James layup to beat the buzzer. It was the second of two crunch-time layups for the King, both of which came while Indiana's $58 million rim protector, Hibbert, watched helplessly from the sidelines.

Vogel's decision to sit his center during those crucial moments, one he made to give the Pacers the ability to switch on all five Heat players, was intensely scrutinized at the time. And the criticisms carried over into the following day, as many wondered why the coach would fear the threat of a game-winning jumper more than an MVP attacking the basket.

But there was a far more pressing question that Vogel's team had to ask itself: Had it just blown its best chance to unseat the reigning champs?

The Pacers hadn't played a perfect game; they committed 20 turnovers and shot just 4-of-14 from three.

But Indiana's beauty is judged by different standards than most. Embracing the ugly is a necessity to understand this team's true talent.

The Pacers' big bruisers like to mix it up on the inside, the area conventional wisdom has identified as the Heat's most vulnerable. West and Hibbert controlled the interior (45 combined points on 20-of-35 shooting), while George sliced his way into the heart of Miami's defense, finding 27 points and an overdue introduction to the casual fans that had slept through his breakout All-Star season.

Indiana's relentless defensive effort forced 21 Miami turnovers. Tyler Hansbrough (10 points) and D.J. Augustin (eight points) provided a needed scoring punch off the bench. The Pacers had nearly as many free throws made, 24, as the Heat had attempts, 25.

The Heat have the defensive ability to battle through a physical game, but the Pacers prefer this style of play.

But despite the Pacers controlling the tempo, despite their fingerprints running rampant across the box score, it was the Heat that emerged victorious. Did Indiana just throw its knockout blow only to get knocked out itself?

One loss doesn't determine the outcome of a seven-game series. The Pacers aren't going to go away, but what do they have to do to avoid a similar fate when the series resumes on Friday night?

Drastic changes can't take place; nothing would be more detrimental than trying to act out of character at this point of the year. Indiana has to continue attacking the paint, rely on the offensive abilities of its frontcourt and fine-tune the defensive reads that helped carry the franchise this far.

That means being ready to rotate onto Hibbert's man when he moves to clog up driving lanes. And plugging free paths to the basket by fighting through screens and hedging harder off of the screener.

Then it's just a matter of making shots when they arise within the flow of the offense. George Hill's been to this stage before (and beyond) and knows another 2-of-9 showing from the field can't happen. Lance Stephenson's still feeling his way through life as an NBA regular, and as a career 29.6 percent three-point shooter he can't continue to settle for long-range looks (0-of-5 from deep in Game 1).

Indiana has the key ingredients to bother Miami, but a glaring talent gap means four flawless efforts may be required to take this series.

Vogel will ask for nothing less from his players. Their ability to meet that lofty demand is the only way Miami's bid for a successful title defense will be thwarted in this series.

Detroit vs. Chicago: How Jimmy Howard Is Manhandling the Vaunted Blackhawks

Jerry Bonkowski — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:53:29 -0400

When the Detroit Red Wings opened their Western Conference semifinal series against arguably their biggest rival, the Chicago Blackhawks, goalie Jimmy Howard played a terrible game.

The Hawks broke open a 1-1 tie with three third-period goals against Howard en route to a 4-1 win in Game 1 of the best-of-seven series. They made the Red Wings look so bad that Chicago fans were eyeing a four-game sweep of the Wings.

But since that humiliating Game 1 defeat, it's Howard and the Red Wings who have been humiliating the Blackhawks.

Howard has held Chicago to just two goals since Game 1, including Thursday's 2-0 shutout. The Red Wings have won Games 2 through 4 to take a commanding 3-1 series lead and could potentially close out the series in Game 5 Saturday in Chicago.

Without question, Howard is the No. 1 reason why the Red Wings are 3-1 right now—and why Chicago counterpart Corey Crawford and the Blackhawks aren't.

Howard has done something no other goalie has been able to do against the Blackhawks this season: sheer and utter manhandling of what was supposed to be the best team in the league.

Well, at least until the second round of the playoffs, that is.

The better the Red Wings have looked, the worse the Blackhawks have looked, becoming a mere hollow shell of themselves since the opening faceoff in Game 2 of the current series.

Detroit's success and advancement potential in the second round have rested squarely on Howard's shoulders, and he's responded with a "They Ain't Heavy, They're My Brothers" kind of attitude.

The Red Wings haven't gone crazy with goals, leading the Hawks by a far-from-spectacular 10-6 scoring margin in the first four games. What's more, Chicago has far outshot Detroit by a 130 to 108 margin.

And yet, Howard has far outplayed Crawford, who has looked overwhelmed in the last three games.

In a complete role reversal of Game 1, Howard has shined and the Blackhawks are the ones who have played terribly, now mired in their first three-game losing streak of the season—unquestionably coming at the absolute worst time.

The Red Wings are now one win away from advancing to the Western Conference Final against either the Kings or Sharks, while the Blackhawks must rally like they haven't this year, forced to win three games if their once-magical season is to continue.

Now it's Howard who has been wearing the "magical" tag with his play in the net. It's almost as if the more the Blackhawks have thrown at him, the more Howard has thrived.

Howard and the sparkling defensive play of his teammates—particularly guys like defensemen Jakub Kindl, Brendan Smith, Jonathan Ericsson and Niklas Kronwall—are why the Red Wings are where they are.

And why the Blackhawks are unfortunately where they are.

Flash back two weeks ago. The Red Wings were down three games to two in their opening-round Western Conference quarterfinal series with the Anaheim Ducks. Detroit would bounce back to win the final two games in a series that was grueling and tiring, including four overtime contests.

While the Blackhawks likely would have fared better against the Ducks in Round 2, virtually every player to a man on the team, as well as their countless fans, wanted to see the Red Wings as the next opponent.

The main reason both Detroit and Chicago wanted to face each other is this is a historic series in more ways than one. Not only is Detroit on the verge of stopping a team that had one of the greatest regular-season runs in NHL annals, this series will also be the last in-conference postseason matchup between the two teams.

The Red Wings shift next season to the Eastern Conference, breaking a pairing with the rival Blackhawks that dates back 87 years. Now, the only way both teams will ever meet in the playoffs again is if they both advance to a future Stanley Cup Final.

Detroit and Chicago have been bitter rivals since Nov. 24, 1926, when Motown squared off against the Windy City for the first time.

And while Chicago holds an 8-7 lead in all-time playoff series triumphs, the Red Wings have won the last two postseason series (1995 and 2009). Put more simply, the Blackhawks haven't beaten the Red Wings in postseason play since 1993.

The way things are looking right now, that streak may be extended once again in Detroit's favor—and for the final time.

As the old saying goes, "Be careful for what you wish for." If they had known the kind of stellar series Howard would be having against them, the Blackhawks and their fans may be doing some serious second-guessing about not wanting the Ducks in the second round.

Follow me on Twitter @JerryBonkowski

Jose Mourinho Will Reportedly Be Named New Chelsea Manager

Tim Daniels — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:50:06 -0400

Jose Mourinho has returned to Stamford Bridge. The manager, who previously held the Chelsea post from 2004-2007, will report back to his old stomping grounds after signing a four-year deal to replace interim boss Rafa Benitez, according to Martin Rogers of Yahoo! Sports:

Benitez replaced Roberto Di Matteo last November. He led the Blues to a Europa League title and a spot in next season's Champions League by finishing third in the Premier League. He wasn't retained on a full-time basis, however, opening the door for Mourinho's return.

The 50-year-old Portuguese manager leaves Real Madrid and La Liga to return for Chelsea. He signed an extension that was expected to keep him in Spain through 2016, but it was announced before the end of the campaign that he would be leaving the club.

Chelsea was the expected destination, and Friday's announcement will make it official. Mourinho takes over a club that isn't short on talent but struggled to keep pace with EPL champions Manchester United after an initial surge.

The good news for the "Special One" is that he understands the surroundings. Although time has passed since his first stint with the club, the goals (EPL and UCL success, high-profile signings) have remained the same, as have the pressures of the Chelsea job.

Mourinho's first stay with the club came to an abrupt end in 2007. After winning two Premier League titles, he left early in the 2007-08 campaign on "mutual consent," but a problematic relationship with owner Roman Abramovich has been cited as a contributing factor.

Whatever issues did allegedly exist have clearly been smoothed over. And, as always, winning will further bury the hatchet.

The task for Mourinho is to get Chelsea back into championship contention. Finishing in the top three is an acceptable result, but it's not what the Blues or their supporters want. They want trophies, and Chelsea finished 14 points off Manchester United's pace.

The veteran manager has done it before, and the Blues hope he can do it again. The transition will be a quick one, as the task of finding players to close the gap with United begins.

In other words, Chelsea need some Jose Mourinho magic. The club will soon find out what tricks he's got up his sleeve in his second stint, which both sides hope will be at least as successful as the first.

Chicago vs. Detroit: Is the Blackhawks' Dream Season About to End in a Choke?

Steve Silverman — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:49:14 -0400

Remember that 24-game point streak the Chicago Blackhawks had at the start of the regular season?

Not only did it put the Blackhawks in the record book, it also set the stage for a remarkable season that could only end with head coach Joel Quenneville's team raising the Stanley Cup if the season was going to be a success.

That brilliant start is now mocking the Blackhawks.

The team that couldn't lose in regulation has now dropped three straight games to the Detroit Red Wings in its conference semifinal series. The Blackhawks dropped a 2-0 decision in the fourth game of the series.

Detroit owns a 3-1 edge with the series heading back to Chicago.

Even if the Blackhawks can win the fifth game, they will have to find a way to beat the Red Wings at Joe Louis Arena. They scored one goal in the two games at the Joe.

The Blackhawks are having a problem putting the puck in the net. They have scored two goals in their last three games. The team that scored 155 goals in the regular season—second to the Pittsburgh Penguins—suddenly can't find the range.

Making matters worse is the plight of Jonathan Toews. The Blackhawks' captain has not scored a goal in the postseason. The Blackhawks have now played nine games, and his inability to get on the score sheet is hurting this team badly.

In addition to not finding the net, Toews's frustrations are starting to boil over. He was called for three consecutive penalties in the second period, and the Red Wings capitalized on the second one to score a power-play goal on Corey Crawford.

The postseason is turning into a nightmare for Toews. He is watching the Blackhawks' dreams go up in choke.

During the regular season, Toews was called for 11 two-minute minor penalties. His hat trick of penalties in the second period came in a span of 5:34.

Toews was yelling at officials from the penalty box. That's common for some players, but Toews rarely reacts that way to officials' calls. It seems clear that his dry spell and his team's plight are getting to him.

Toews told chicagotribune.com:

I'm not going to say anything about the officiating. Obviously, I disagree with the calls. It's in the heat of the moment they see what they see. I have to be careful with my stick. That doesn't help our team. Emotions run high in some of these games. My stick got a little loose there. I was playing hard. Sometimes that happens.

Who would have thought the Red Wings would be 3-1 up against the Blackhawks? Chicago loses 3 in a row for the first time this season.

— Dmitry Chesnokov (@dchesnokov) May 24, 2013

The winning goal was scored by defenseman Jakub Kindl on a blast from the left point. While the Red Wings were putting fairly heavy pressure on goalie Corey Crawford, the Kindl slap shot beat him on the short side.

Crawford should not have given up the post on that goal. It was a shot that he could have stopped.

The Blackhawks put significant pressure on Jimmy Howard throughout the game. Howard finished the game with 28 saves, and many of them were remarkable.

His best came in the third period when Dave Bolland tried to finish off a 2-on-1 from Michael Frolik with a hard wrister that appeared to be going to the open side of the net. However, Howard spread-eagled with his pads, and that kept the Blackhawks off the scoreboard.

When Dan Cleary added an empty-net goal, it meant the Blackhawks had lost three games in a row for the first time all season.

They have been pushed to the brink by a team that they had dominated all season.

Come to think of it, the Blackhawks had dominated nearly everyone all season.

Now they are complaining about the posts they hit and the bad breaks they have gotten.

"Three off the post and they get one (Kindl's goal) off the post and in," Crawford said. "That pretty much sums it up for the last couple of nights for us."

That does not sound like a team that is preparing to bounce back from this adversity and win three games in a row.

During the season, the Blackhawks could have done that in the blink of an eye. But now it seems like that kind of task that is too much for the best regular-season team in the league.

That honor, as so many teams have learned, means nothing once the playoffs start. The 2007-08 Red Wings are the last team to win the Stanley Cup after recording the best record in the regular season.

It seems that the President's Trophy has become a huge burden. One that leads to choking when it matters most.

The Blackhawks are hoping to avoid that fate, but their chances are fading quickly.

UFC 160 Weigh-In Results: Cain Velasquez vs. Bigfoot 2 Fight Card

Trent Reinsmith — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:47:47 -0400

The UFC will return to its home base of Las Vegas on Saturday, May 25 for a Memorial Day Weekend fight card. This year’s model, UFC 160, is a pretty stacked affair, with the feature bout being a heavyweight title fight.

If the idea of Cain Velasquez defending his crown against Antonio “Bigfoot” Silva doesn’t appeal to you as a fan, how about the former champion Junior dos Santos facing off against Mark Hunt in a potential slobberknocker?

If that’s not your cup of tea, there will be a lightweight title fight eliminator on the main card as Gray Maynard faces off against T.J. Grant to decide who will be the next opponent for champion Benson Henderson.

Also on the main card, a light heavyweight scrap between highly touted Glover Teixeira and James Te Huna, as well as a lightweight bout between Donald Cerrone and K.J. Noons.

In addition to the five main-card bouts, there will be seven preliminary card scraps.

The first fighter is scheduled to step on the scale at 7 p.m. ET / 4 PT on Friday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Bleacher Report will have the weigh-in results as they happen.

UFC 160 Full Fight Card:

Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio Silva

Junior dos Santos vs. Mark Hunt

James Te Huna vs. Glover Teixeira

T.J. Grant vs. Gray Maynard

Donald Cerrone vs. KJ Noons

Mike Pyle vs. Rick Story

Dennis Bermudez vs. Max Holloway

Colton Smith vs. Robert Whittaker

Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Abel Trujillo

Nah-Shon Burrell vs. Stephen Thompson

Brian Bowles vs. George Roop

Estevan Payan vs. Jeremy Stephens

5 Biggest Takeaways from Pittsburgh Penguins' 2nd-Round Playoff Series So Far

Michael Prunka — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:29:49 -0400

Four games into their Eastern Conference Semifinals series with the Ottawa Senators, the Pittsburgh Penguins have a 3-1 lead. As the Penguins continue to beat one of the NHL’s best defenses, there are plenty of takeaways from their second-round series thus far.

As always, superstars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin have shined in the postseason campaign. However, Jarome Iginla’s desire to finally hoist the Stanley Cup is a major driving force for the Penguins.

It’s not just the effort from their top players, though. From top to bottom, the Penguins are rising to the occasion.

Here are five takeaways from what’s been played of Pittsburgh’s second-round series.

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WWE Fantasy Booking: Dolph Ziggler as a Babyface World Champ

Sebastian Maldonado — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:28:09 -0400

Dolph Ziggler, the current World Heavyweight Champion, is off to a rough start in his second reign.

Title contender Jack Swagger kicked Ziggler in the head three weeks ago on SmackDown. Ziggler suffered a concussion and hasn’t seen ring action since then. He missed Extreme Rules, which originally would have had Ziggler defend the title against Swagger and Alberto Del Rio in a ladder match.

The WWE has temporarily lost their world heavyweight champion. How should Ziggler return: the same heel or as a babyface champion? Let’s explore the options if by chance the WWE decides to make Ziggler a fan favorite.

For starters, consider the options for the champion. Making Ziggler a face would cause interesting matchups we haven’t seen before, such as feuding with current heels Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett and Ryback.

Swagger remains the obvious choice because he accidentally caused Ziggler’s concussion. It would keep Swagger relevant while making Ziggler a great champion.

Another option, but not recommended, would be splitting up the band. Ziggler’s alliance with AJ and Big E Langston was in full swing before the injury. Separating them wouldn’t do them any good, considering the lack of dominant factions that currently are in the WWE.

Maybe the WWE keeps them together for a war between factions. A feud with The Shield as babyfaces could catapult both sides to greater heights.

The real question lies with another WWE Superstar’s possible heel turn.

Rumors still surface of a possible Randy Orton heel turn. If that’s the case, it would be wise to put these two in a program together. The report in the link states Orton would likely turn heel at SummerSlam. The case should be made to put these two in a promo for the title at Survivor Series.

Both work well together. Their matches have been well documented, with both turning in great performances on free TV and at the 2012 Night of Champions.

Put the title on Orton and make Ziggler chase after the title, searching for revenge. Have that culminate at WrestleMania 30, with Ziggler getting back his title and claiming his WrestleMania moment. The fans will love it.

Maybe it isn’t the right move to turn Ziggler face, but you never know until the road is actually taken. Turning Ziggler face could change the champion’s career for the better. Dolph Ziggler has “it.” If anyone can become a convincing face, it’s Dolph Ziggler.

How to Fix NBA Awards Voting Process

Grant Hughes — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:18:03 -0400

For the most part, the right players went home with the hardware during the recently completed award season for the 2012-13 NBA campaign. But the strange, often nonsensical, processes that produced the winners could still use a little work.

Most recently, the league announced the players named to the All-NBA First, Second and Third Teams. The voters that selected LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Tim Duncan, Kobe Bryant and Chris Paul to the First Team did a swell job; it's hard to quibble with any of their decisions.

But stop and think for a second. Do you even know who votes, or what the actual process is? And if, for some reason, there was a crazy, inexplicable result, wouldn't you want to be able to nail the responsible party?

The sheer variety in voting processes is a little shocking. The All-NBA teams are chosen by a panel of 119 members of the media. The All-Defensive selections are made by the 30 NBA head coaches. Of course, the Defensive Player of the Year is voted on by 121 different sportswriters and broadcasters.

In what world does it make sense to have the Defensive Player of the Year decided by a different voting body than the one that decides who's on the All-Defensive team? Crazy, right?

The rest of the voting processes are similarly haphazard. Generally, the media is in charge, but in some cases, there are a different number of voters and the votes count for different "point totals." Yep, it's time to streamline this sucker.

Here are some key overhauls that could not only help avoid the few head-scratching choices we saw this year, but also make sure that when mistakes are made, the proper parties receive the requisite amount of public ridicule.

Transparency

When Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe ruined LeBron James' unanimous MVP award by giving his first-place vote to Carmelo Anthony, there was something of a public outcry. After seeing James dominate the league, post the highest PER mark of any player by a healthy margin, and captain his team to 27 straight wins, there was really no logical vote for anyone besides LBJ as the league's Most Valuable Player.

But Washburn ticked the box next to 'Melo's name on his ballot.

To his credit, Washburn wrote a column explaining the logic behind his decision. His argument was flawed, reeking of the type of old-school shortsightedness that still somehow persists in the increasingly analytical NBA world. It took Grantland's Zach Lowe very little time to swoop in and highlight just how ridiculous and baseless most of Washburn's defense truly was.

So Washburn's reasoning was absurd, but he at least had the guts to defend his highly unpopular opinion. The problem is that he didn't have to do that.

The NBA doesn't post a list of the media members who vote on these awards, and nobody requires said voters to publicize their picks. That's a system that invites irresponsibility, homerism and downright foolish selections. Without accountability, there's not as much of an incentive for objectivity.

So the first fix for the awards voting process is to make the entire thing totally transparent.

We might not always agree with the reasoning behind a voter's picks, but at least the voters will be forced to explain themselves if they go too far afield with their ballots. And if you're a media member who doesn't want to have to justify a dubious pick, well...you either need to bone up on your NBA knowledge or give up your voting privileges altogether.

A Penalty System

This one's kind of fun. We need to build in disincentives for ridiculous votes. Combined with the transparency tweak outlined above, this would really serve to deter thoughtless or biased selections.

I'm proposing that any vote deemed "questionable" by the committee would subject the voter (whose name we'd know because of the whole transparency thing) to either probation or a full repeal of voting privileges, depending on the egregiousness of the vote in question.

Who'd be on that committee? Well, it would be a panel of three people: Gregg Popovich would obviously be one of the adjudicators because he's basically allergic to nonsense and wouldn't stand for any stupid selections.

Shane Battier would be the second member of the tribunal, mostly because he reads more NBA scouting reports than any human being on earth and would be a great authority on individual awards.

The third member would be me. Because these are my rules and I can do what I want.

Anyway, an offending voter would be subject to discipline, which we'd call "being Washburned." More than two consecutive violations would lead to a lifetime ban. There are plenty of voters out there who'd love to participate, so there's no reason to keep folks around who aren't appreciating the privilege.

All-Inclusive Voting

As I mentioned earlier, the seven major awards (MVP, All-Defensive, Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year and the All-NBA teams) each have slightly different rules.

So why not just combine all of the voting pools into one big one and do away with the points systems for each award?

This way, you'd have all of the media members with votes, the 30 head coaches and the fans (who get one measly vote in the case of the MVP) deciding the races one vote at a time. There'd be no more breaking things down into first-place votes and second-place votes; each person would just cast his individual ballot, and whichever player ended up with the most would be the winner.

It's ridiculously simple, but there's nothing wrong with that. And it'd probably help avoid what happened this year with the votes for Defensive Player of the Year and the All-Defensive team. Because the two voting bodies were totally different for those awards, Marc Gasol ran away with the individual honor but wasn't even named to one of two center spots on the First Team.

Where's the sense in that?

Could Be Worse

On the bright side, the voting process for the NBA's major awards is a lot better than many others in professional sports (Major League Baseball's arcane Hall of Fame voting comes readily to mind), but a few simple changes could make it a heck of a lot better.

Does anybody know Adam Silver's direct phone number? I'd like to present this to him before he takes over as NBA commissioner next year.

Mock Help Wanted Ad for LA Clippers' Open Head Coaching Position

Oren Friedman — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:16:28 -0400

With Vinny Del Negro out as head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, management will need to find the right coach that can turn this team into legitimate championship contenders.

While the Clips looked elite early in December, a poor second half of the season, combined with an early playoff exit at the hands of the Memphis Grizzlies, manifested that Del Negro might not be the coach to take Lob City to the next level. Presuming Chris Paul re-signs, the Clippers need a coach that can change the defensive outlook of this squad while maximizing the X’s and O’s of such a talented roster.

Emphasis on Defense

Despite finishing with a top-10 defense in the regular season with a defensive rating of 101.0, the Clippers often looked lost in the fourth quarter of close games.

With the score within five points in the last five minutes of regulation and overtime, Lob City’s defensive rating ballooned to 116.9. That number was eerily similar to the Clips’ overall 109.7 defensive rating in the postseason against Memphis.

That clip would have been the worst out of any team in the regular season. Keep in mind that the offensively inept Memphis Grizzlies had just a 101.7 offensive rating in the regular season, the worst of any Western Conference playoff team.

Del Negro’s inability to utilize the athleticism of his roster and transform it into a defensive swarming team proved to be catastrophic. The Clips need a coach that can harness DeAndre Jordan’s rim-blocking potential while taking advantage of the ball-hawking pressure of both Paul and Eric Bledsoe on the perimeter.

Balance Youth Development with Veteran Play

Throughout the season and the playoffs, Vinny Del Negro had some questionable rotations. As something of a lame-duck coach on the last year of his contract, Del Negro routinely opted to play trusted veterans in the midst of underwhelming seasons rather than cultivate his young guns.

Comparing Chauncey Billups and Bledsoe provides a compelling study.

Inexplicably Bledsoe played just 1.4 minutes more per game in the regular season than Billups. That number flipped in the postseason, as Mr. Big Shot actually saw more burn than the young Kentucky product.

Curiously, Bledsoe also finished with the third-highest PER in the postseason at 20.0, while Billups posted a team-worst PER of 5.8.

Ultimately, Billups looked lost in the Memphis series, finishing with a minus-12.7 net rating in six games.

Jordan’s playing time was another confounding decision.

DJ logged an average of just 5.0 fourth-quarter minutes per contest in the regular season. The big man often conceded minutes to Lamar Odom, who had continued his subpar play from his forgettable season on the Dallas Mavericks.

Jordan’s 17.2 regular-season PER was far superior to LO’s under-average regular-season PER of 10.9.

With Del Negro out of the fold, the Clips will surely benefit from a coach that can better balance his rotations. Players like Jordan needed fourth-quarter reps, and Del Negro simply did not provide his young center with enough.

Moving forward, the Clips’ new coach should let the young guys complement the veterans, rather than risk stymieing their development.

Master the X’s and O’s

For all the pyrotechnics that accompany Lob City’s offensive firepower, the Clips have mightily struggled in the half court. While the Chris Paul offense can produce, it certainly struggles against the NBA’s best defenses.

A top-five offense in the regular season put up a disappointing postseason offensive rating of 104.9. Credit the Grizzlies’ stifling defense, but the Clips offensive rating fell to just 101.8 in the second half of ball games against the Grizz.

Clutch time was the Chris Paul show. In a 93-91 win over the Grizzlies in Game 2, the Point God scored the last eight points for the Clips, including a buzzer-beater to win the game.

CP3 is known to be masterful in the clutch, but the Clips could have sorely benefited from a coach that could draw up an easy score. Something beyond the Chris Paul system would have paid dividends for one the NBA’s high-octane offenses.

Elite NBA coaches like Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs are noted NBA tacticians. There are a host of potential coaching candidates from Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer to former Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy that can operate the whiteboard in timeouts. Chris Paul or bust does not have to be the only option down the stretch.

A coach that can tighten up his team’s X’s and O’s would better maximize the potential of this fringe contender, making an already lethal offense all the more potent.

All statistics used from NBA.com/stats and Basketball-Reference.com.

Liga MX Final 2013: Score, Recap and Analysis for Cruz Azul vs. America

Tim Keeney — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:15:03 -0400

In the first leg of the Liga MX Clausura final, Cruz Azul escaped with a hard-fought 1-0 home win over Club America thanks to an early header put home by midfielder Christian Gimenez.

The clubs will meet at Estadio Azteca for the second and final leg on Sunday—each with hopes of ending an overdrawn title drought.

Action at Estadio Azul on Thursday night was fairly slow at the beginning, but after some back-and-forth play, the Argentine Gimenez put Cruz Azul ahead in the 19th minute:

It was a nice buildup by Cruz Azul and a powerful, accurate finish by Gimenez, but America made an atrocious mistake leaving the midfielder completely unmarked in the middle of the box.

The rest of the first half provided a few opportunities, but nothing of real danger for either side.

After the break, America intensified the pressure in its attempt to grab an equalizer. In the 52nd minute, Las Aguilas delivered a searching cross into the middle of the box, where they sent a wide-open header scorching onto goal.

Cruz Azul goalkeeper Jose de Jesus Corona was there for the instinctful save in what was arguably the play of the match:

Just five minutes later, America put another shot on a goal, and Corona once again made a diving save to help his squad secure the lead. His impact can't be overstated:

Moments later, there was a bit of controversy when Aquivaldo Mosquera got into it with former teammate Gimenez, but nothing came of it:

America continued to pushed on, but opportunities opened up for Cruz Azul, as well. In the 68th minute, the ball dropped to Javier Antonio Orozco Penuelas at the top of the box. He had a clear look at goal but dragged his shot just wide.

Still, for most of the second half, it was America looking like the home squad. It controlled a whopping 58 percent of the possession and fired off 22 shots to Cruz Azul's six.

Alas, Miguel Herrera's squad was unable to earn the crucial road goal against Corona and Cruz Azul and will head home needing at least one goal to stay alive.

Nevertheless, despite heading into the second leg trailing on aggregate, you have to believe Club America feels it will have the supreme momentum at Estadio Azteca this weekend. It looked like the far more interested squad in the second half on Thursday, while Cruz Azul was slightly shaky in the back.

Nevertheless, a lead is a lead for Cruz Azul, which put forth a determined effort. As such, it's possible that both squads very well may be claiming "victory" on Thursday night.

Either way, with America trying to secure its first league title since 2005 and Cruz Azul its first since 1997, the final on Sunday is sure to be scintillating.

Dana White: Like Him or Not, Bryan Caraway '100 Percent' Deserved the Bonus

Damon Martin — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:10:51 -0400

It seemed no one in the MMA world (especially Nate Diaz) was too happy about Bryan Caraway being awarded a $65,000 Submission of the Night bonus for his fight at UFC 159 only after Pat Healy tested positive for marijuana.

The UFC gave the money to Caraway, which conformed to their rule that no fighter can receive a discretionary post-fight bonus if they test positive for any banned substance after the fight is over. Healy's test returned a positive result for marijuana and the New Jersey Athletic Control Board suspended him 90 days. His win over Jim Miller was changed to a no-contest.

In addition, Healy lost out on $130,000 in bonuses for Fight of the Night and Submission of the Night.

Caraway was given the bonus but then proceeded to state in an interview with MMAJunkie.com that he had "zero remorse or guilt" for taking the bonus after Healy tested positive and that he has "zero tolerance" for people that smoke marijuana.

Regardless of Caraway's comments being in good taste or not when it seemed he was somehow gloating while Healy was left $130,000 poorer, UFC President Dana White says the decision to strip the bonuses from one fighter and give to another was absolutely the right move to make.

"He wasn't eligible for that bonus. I know nobody likes Bryan Caraway. Bryan Caraway followed the rules. He had a submission that night and he followed the rules," White said on Thursday about the decision when speaking to the media at UFC 160. "He absolutely, 100 percent deserves that bonus."

The use of marijuana in sports continues to be a controversial and much-debated subject, but for now it is still deemed illegal and White says Healy knew that going into his fight at UFC 159. Whether he believes the drug should be banned or not doesn't matter. Marijuana is illegal right now, and Healy tested positive for the drug and thus becomes ineligible for the bonuses.

"It's illegal. You can't do it, it's a banned substance," White said. "Should it be? I necessarily don't think so. It doesn't matter. It's a banned substance. Every fighter knows you go in and you use marijuana and you get caught, you're busted."

White also points out that the rule affects any fighter on the UFC roster who fails a post-fight drug test no matter what substance they used. It also counts for fighters who miss weight; they are no longer eligible to win post-fight bonuses, either.

Whether marijuana usage should land in the same category as a serious performance-enhancing drug like steroids remains a subject worth discussing, but White believes there is no grey area on this matter when it comes to UFC policy.

Cheating is cheating and cheaters will not be rewarded.

"Imagine what it would say if I gave that kid $130,000 for not following the rules?" White said in closing.

Damon Martin is a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, and all quotes were obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.

5 Free Agents the NY Knicks Must Avoid

John Dorn — Fri, 24 May 2013 00:10:17 -0400

The New York Knicks fell short of their goals in 2013. There's no question about that. The focus has now shifted to this summer, where the capped-out Knicks will need to somehow revamp most aspects of the roster.

They'll need to steer clear of several dangerous, although enticing potential targets, though. Luckily, the team is in a position where dealing out colossal figures won't be possible, but unwise deals are still something to be weary of. Look no further than Jason Kidd and Marcus Camby's pacts of yester-offseason as evidence.

With prospective fits in the backcourt and frontcourt, Glen Grunwald and the rest of the Knicks brass should and will be placing calls to various agents around the league. They'll just need to be the right ones.

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