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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Sheamus def. Titus O'Neil

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

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

Paul Heyman Reveals Curtis Axel as His Latest Client

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

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

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

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

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

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

AJ Lee def. Layla

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

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

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

Cody Rhodes def. Zack Ryder; Ryback Ambushes Ryder

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

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

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

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

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

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

Randy Orton def. Jack Swagger w/Zeb Colter

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

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

Curtis Axel def. Triple H by Forfeit

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

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

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

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

Overall Show

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

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

GSM out.

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

Follow @SAVE_US_GSM

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

New York Giants: 5 Biggest Questions Heading into Training Camp

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

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

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

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

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

Begin Slideshow

Michael Jordan Announces Bobcats Intend to Become Charlotte Hornets

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Andre Ethier Gets Ejected from Game, Stares Down Umpire

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

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

Watch out, we got a badass over here.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Atlanta Hawks (No. 17 and No. 18)

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

Enter Pau Gasol.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Minnesota Timberwolves (No. 9 and No. 26)

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

Why not now?

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

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

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

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

The intrigue is present.

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

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

Washington Wizards (No. 8)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The New York Rangers host the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series on Tuesday night. Game time is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.

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

But the Rangers shouldn't be worried.

They find themselves in a familiar position. The Broadway Blueshirts went down 2-0 to the Washington Capitals in the first round, before promptly winning four of the next five games to advance to play Boston in the semifinals.

The Bruins were in a similar situation as the Capitals in the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs, up 3-1 in the series. The Leafs came back to force Game 7, necessitating a record comeback by the Bruins after being down by three goals in the third period of Game 7.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Thursday, May 23

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

Friday, May 24

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

Saturday, May 25

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

Sunday, May 26

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

Teams to Watch

Kansas State

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

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

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

Oklahoma State

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

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

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

TCU

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

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

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

With these pitchers on the hill, anything is possible.

Note: All stats courtesy of Big12Sports.com.

Follow @TheRobGoldberg

Jose Canseco Proves He Will Do Anything for Publicity

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

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

And he hasn't tired of this pursuit yet.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

There is his upcoming return to baseball.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

UFC Contender Chris Weidman Almost Signed with Bellator Before Contract Betrayal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And as they say, the rest is history.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Begin Slideshow

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Indy 500 2013: Highlighting Hottest Racers Heading into Prestigious Event

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

James Hinchcliffe

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

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

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

At least he swings for the fences, right?

Ryan Hunter-Reay

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

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

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

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

Takuma Sato

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

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

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

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

Follow me on Twitter @JesseReed78

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is this a good move for the New York Yankees?

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

NBA Draft Lottery 2013: Live Results and Analysis

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

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

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

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

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

Utah Jazz: 0.5 percent
Dallas Mavericks: 0.6 percent
Toronto Raptors: 0.7 percent (pick is top-three protected; otherwise goes to OKC Thunder)
Philadelphia 76ers: 0.8 percent
Portland Trail Blazers: 1.1 percent
Minnesota Timberwolves: 1.7 percent
Washington Wizards: 2.5 percent
Detroit Pistons: 3.6 percent
Sacramento Kings: 6.3 percent
New Orleans Pelicans: 8.8 percent
Phoenix Suns: 11.9 percent
Cleveland Cavaliers: 15.6 percent
Charlotte Bobcats: 19.9 percent
Orlando Magic: 25 percent

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Andy Murray Withdraws from French Open Due to Back Injury

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Scott will have the best answer to that question.

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

It got him fired.

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

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

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

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

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

That should be obvious.

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

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

Arsenal Transfer Rumors: Stevan Jovetic and Kevin Strootman Should Top Wishlist

Timothy Rapp — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:54:52 -0400

It's no secret that Arsenal will supposedly have a lot of cash to spend this summer. It's also no secret that, while both fans and the team's players are pleased with finishing top-four and reaching the Champions League, ending the trophy drought is the primary goal for next season.

And as John Cross of the Mirror writes, Arsene Wenger could have up to £70 million to spend this summer and is targeting the following players:

The Frenchman believes three key signings—a goalkeeper, a midfielder and a forward—would blend in easily and turn Arsenal back into title contenders.

The Gunners are eager to show they are not satisfied with finishing fourth, but want to win trophies again.

Strikers Gonzalo Higuain (Real Madrid) and Stevan Jovetic (Fiorentina) and keepers Asmir Begovic (Stoke), Julio Cesar (Queens Park Rangers) and Rene Adler (Hamburg) are all possibles.

Midfielders Kevin Strootman, of Dutch heavyweights PSV Eindhoven, and Max Gonalons, of Lyon in France, have also been watched.

Of that list, the two that stand out to me are Jovetic and Strootman.

I love Jovetic's game. He's a wonder with the ball on his feet, able to take on defenders with his dazzling dribbling and solid pace and would fit perfectly in Arsenal's open, possession-reliant attack.

If he led the line, he would give Arsenal a different option from Olivier Giroud. With his piercing runs, clinical finishing in the box and ability to drop deeper and find the play, he would almost give Arsenal a 4-3-3 look with a false nine.

But he could also drop behind Giroud as a second striker and give the Gunners a dangerous combo in the attack, with Giroud holding up play and threatening in the air and Jovetic taking on defenders and creating chances for his teammates.

In that role, it would be interesting to see how Giroud and Jovetic would gel with Theo Walcott driving defenders batty on the right wing and either Santi Cazorla or Lukas Podolski manning the left.

With 27 goals and eight assists in the past two seasons and at just 23 years of age, Arsenal fans will want to see him increase his production surrounded by more talent. But they'll surely be tantalized by his immense potential.

Then there's Strootman. He's a versatile, athletic engine in the midfield that offers a defensive presence, plays box-to-box and has the passing ability to bomb diagonal passes to teammates or push the play forward with powerful runs.

Oh, and he's got a pretty nice scoring touch, too. Truthfully, there isn't anything this man can't do, and he would be an absolutely perfect addition for Arsenal.

Essentially, he would take on the role Mikel Arteta so gamely fulfilled, only with a more physical presence and defensive mentality. Next to the hardworking, defensively conscious Aaron Ramsey, he could play as deep-lying playmaker, linking up play to the attackers.

Next to Jack Wilshere, he could play a more traditional holding role, using his high work rate and solid tackling to win the ball back and maintain possession. And next to Arteta, he would allow the Spaniard to play further up the pitch or the two could rotate the holding responsibility.

Honestly, it's pretty exciting to think about the versatility he would afford the midfield.

Finally, the Gunners would have a physical presence to replace the role that Alex Song abandoned when he surprisingly moved to Barcelona last summer.

With those two players aboard, Arsenal—which displayed an impressive level of resiliency this season, especially down the stretch—would be a true title contender.

With Walcott blossoming into one of the league's most dangerous attackers, Cazorla providing a much-needed creative spark and Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker finally becoming an efficient combination at centre-back, things are looking up for the Gunners.

Adding Jovetic and Strootman would help the team take the next step, one that hopefully will have some silverware accompanying it.

NHL Playoffs 2013: Preview and Predictions for Tuesday's Matchups

Justin Onslow — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:53:19 -0400

The Stanley Cup playoffs always showcase the best of NHL hockey. Granted, the best teams typically play the best hockey, but the competitiveness of the playoffs gives a whole new level of excitement to the sport.

Overtime action and late comebacks have defined several series thus far, and there’s reason to believe we’ll see much more of both before the playoffs come to a close. Tuesday’s contests have the potential to provide just that.

The New York Rangers play host to the Boston Bruins in the first of two matchups this evening. The Rangers trail 2-0 in that series, but they are favored to secure the victory and pull within one game on Tuesday night.

After a tremendous Game 3 victory on Saturday, the San Jose Sharks have a chance to even their series with the Los Angeles Kings. The Kings hold a 2-1 advantage, but a San Jose win would mean a whole new look to what has turned out to be a very exciting series.

Let’s take a look at both matchups and break down what you need to know about Tuesday’s contests.

Boston Bruins at New York Rangers

Where: Madison Square Garden; New York

When: 7:30 p.m. ET

Television: NBC Sports Network

Series: Boston leads 2-0

Betting Lines (per Bovada): Rangers -1.5, Over/Under 5

New York has played much better than its 2-0 series disadvantage would indicate. Despite losing Games 1 and 2 by a combined four goals, the hosts of Game 3 will be prepared to steal one from the Bruins on home ice.

This isn’t the first time New York has trailed 2-0 in a playoff series.

The Rangers got off to the same slow start in the opening round against the Washington Capitals before surging to a 4-3 series victory. New York is a streaky team, and now is the time for it to take off on a quality stretch of hockey.

It took two third-period goals for the Bruins to break things open in Game 2, but that kind of momentum may not be possible on New York’s home ice. The Rangers have the firepower to open up the scoring early and often Tuesday night, and that might be what it takes to silence the Bruins' potent offensive attack.

Look for the Blueshirts to halt Boston’s momentum with a couple first-period goals and power their way to a decisive Game 3 victory at Madison Square Garden.

Prediction: New York 4, Boston 1

Los Angeles Kings at San Jose Sharks

Where: HP Pavilion; San Jose, Calif.

When: 10 p.m. ET

Television: NBC Sports Network

Series: Los Angeles leads 2-1

Betting Lines (per Bovada): Sharks -1.5, Over/Under 4.5

The defining factor in this series will be how Los Angeles can respond to adversity playing on the road. The Kings are a suspect road team that had plenty of chances to overtake San Jose before losing in overtime Saturday night, and they can’t afford to miss out on those opportunities in Game 4.

With a win on Tuesday night, the Sharks will even the score with plenty of momentum heading back to Los Angeles. For as poorly as they played for much of the first two games, San Jose would have to feel confident in hitting the road with a 2-2 series tie.

Aggressiveness was San Jose’s saving grace in Game 3. With 13 more shots on goal than their counterparts, the Sharks controlled the pace for much of the contest and took advantage of several untimely Los Angeles penalties. If the Kings rack up another 22 penalty minutes in Game 4 (against a team with a deadly power play), San Jose should run away with a victory.

No game in this series has been without some excitement, and no matter the final score Tuesday night, fans are in for what should be another tremendous contest. The Sharks get the nod on their home ice, though, and Los Angeles should be prepared to return home for Game 5 of a series deadlocked at 2-2.

Prediction: San Jose 3, Los Angeles 2

Wayne Rooney's Future at Manchester United Lies in David Moyes' Hands

Ryan Rudnansky — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:50:16 -0400

When David Moyes was announced as the successor to Sir Alex Ferguson at Manchester United, Wayne Rooney's tone may have changed.

Rooney may have requested a summer transfer in April, according to the Jamie Jackson of the Guardian, but that was before Ferguson announced his retirement and the 27-year-old's former manager at Everton took over.

Now, the man who watched Rooney begin to emerge on the pitch before departing for United may be able to keep him...at United.

It's a funny twist, one that would be far more humorous if Moyes is able to convince Rooney to stay.

The biggest obstacle will be Rooney's demand to be guaranteed his natural starting spot on the club, per his reported conversation with Ferguson in April. This past season under Ferguson, he wasn't able to play his preferred forward position because of the acquisition of Robin van Persie.

Perhaps what may have been even more hard to take was the fact that he wasn't included in United's biggest game of the season, the Champions League last 16 leg against Real Madrid at Old Trafford in February. Such a move will sting even the most hardened veterans.

In reality, you can't expect United, or Moyes, to cave in to Rooney's demands. He's not going to start at forward over van Persie—that's just ludicrous. United fans can only hope that Rooney and Moyes come to terms and Rooney accepts his place as a centre attacking midfielder.

And it's not like Rooney didn't make an impact as a midfielder for United last season. Quite the opposite. He was the second-best player on the pitch for the club beyond van Persie. He was second on United in goals (12) and first in assists (10). Perhaps if he can understand he's still a vital part of the attack, he will back off on his demands a bit.

That's where Moyes comes in.

The best chance to keep Rooney (and more importantly, keep him happy) is to convince him that he is greatly valued as a midfielder on the club. Guaranteeing him that he won't be left off the club's biggest game of the season may be a place to start.

Rooney's unhappiness appears to stem from not feeling valued. If Moyes can assure him he will be prized under his watch, that could ease Rooney's stance on playing forward.

Moyes—whose contract officially begins on July 1—has a lot of work to do at Old Trafford. By the looks of things, he's getting a head start.

He's going to need it when it comes to negotiating with Rooney.

San Francisco Giants: 6 Possible Replacements for Ryan Vogelsong

Matt Foster — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:35:33 -0400

After Ryan Vogelsong fractured his pitching hand on Monday night, the San Francisco Giants are faced with the decision of who will replace him in the starting rotation.

Despite the suddenness of the injury, it is likely that the leading candidates to fill Vogelsong’s spot have already been placed under the microscope.

The right-hander’s early-season struggles (1-4, 7.19 ERA in 9 starts) have been well-documented, and manager Bruce Bochy had recently broached the topic of skipping Vogelsong’s turn in the rotation.

So now that the unfortunate injury has forced the Giants’ hand, who is most likely to become the team’s new fifth starter?

Since Vogelsong is expected to miss only 6-8 weeks, the replacement almost certainly will come from within the organization.

*All statistics courtesy of MLB.com and MiLB.com and current through May 20.

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Cain Velasquez vs. Antonio 'Bigfoot' Silva 2: Odds and Predictions for UFC 160

Sean Smith — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:31:34 -0400

Cain Velasquez is back on top of the heavyweight division and will look to successfully defend his championship for the first time at UFC 160.

Attempting to dethrone Velasquez on Saturday will be Antonio "Bigfoot" Silva. Silva earned a rematch with Velasquez by upsetting Alistair Overeem. In his first meeting with the heavyweight champion, Silva was taken down and pounded en route to a first-round finish.

Only 12 months after that disappointing UFC debut, Silva will now have a chance at redemption. However, he'll have to overcome significant odds to do so.

Heading into UFC 160, let's take a look at the current betting favorites and underdogs for all the main card fights.

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Breaking Down 2 of the NFL's Biggest Matchup Nightmares

Alen Dumonjic — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:27:04 -0400

One of the lasting images from the past few seasons is Detroit Lions wide receiver Calvin Johnson standing at the line of scrimmage and being covered by two New Orleans Saints defenders.

It was only the second quarter and the Saints had a 17-point lead at that point in the game. It was simply a startling image.

How many wide receivers, a position that's regularly viewed by the NFL's best teams as disposable and easily replaced, can say they were literally double covered to the point where they couldn't get off the line of scrimmage at such an early point in a game?

Incredible, absolutely incredible. Johnson is the NFL's ultimate matchup nightmare on the offensive side of the ball. On the opposite side of the line of scrimmage, it's DeMarcus Ware of the Dallas Cowboys.

Ware, the longtime defensive end and outside linebacker, is a pass-rushing menace who terrorizes offensive linemen and quarterbacks on a regular basis. He's had at least 11 sacks in seven of the last eight years, can cover very well for his size and lines up all over the trenches.

Between Ware and Johnson, football coaches have their work cut out for them every Sunday. Johnson, in particular, is dangerous because he can line up all over the formation and do damage. Recently, he's added the ability to play in the slot in addition to the perimeter, making him a very difficult matchup for defenses.

The reason he's so problematic from the slot is because of his combination of size, speed and route-running. He grades off the charts in all three areas, measuring in at 6'5", 236 pounds. However, he breaks down in his routes like he's 6'1". In addition to the three above, he has quick feet that can deceive safeties, as New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins found out during the 2012 playoffs.

Johnson was in the left slot on the short side of the field. Before the snap, the Saints looked to have him bottled up because they were playing Cover 2. Jenkins was over the top of Johnson and the outside cornerback would be underneath him following the snap.

At the snap, Johnson ran directly at Jenkins and then looked back to the quarterback. That, along with a quick jab of the right foot, was a part of selling the route. Both led to Jenkins taking false steps in the wrong direction and falling behind in coverage.

In addition to Jenkins' missteps, the cornerback failed to sink deeper into the flat and as a consequence, Johnson beat the two for a touchdown in the corner of the end zone.

It's plays like these that make it difficult to cover Johnson, who spent 30 percent of his snaps in the slot in 2012, according to Pro Football Focus.

Another example of his success from the slot came against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 16.

He was lined up as the slot receiver in the Lions' stacked twin set to the left side of the field. He was set to run a dig route against the Falcons' exotic defense, which featured cornerback Dunta Robinson covering Johnson outside and a late rotating safety inside.

When the play began, Johnson ran vertically for roughly 10 yards before sticking his right foot in the ground and running to the middle of the field. By that time, the aforementioned defenders were in position to box him out and prevent a catch.

However, a well-run route by Johnson changed that. He ran a sharp and narrow route across the middle, not giving either defender a chance to intersect him.

With the defenders out of position, Johnson reached sky-high to haul in the pass.

Whereas Johnson is difficult to defend from the defense's view, the Cowboys' Ware is difficult to defend from the offense's perspective.

It's not easy to find blocking schemes that can protect against Ware. He's a very intelligent defender and understands how to attack the line. He's exceptionally quick and powerful as well, making him the complete package as far as pass-rushers go.

Under the direction of then-defensive coordinator Rob Ryan last season, Ware was moved around all over the field and did damage against tackles, guards and centers. Now with Monte Kiffin running the show, he's expected to be primarily a defensive end, which isn't necessarily a bad thing.

In Kiffin's Tampa 2 scheme, Ware will once again be a weak-side rusher and his primary focus will be getting after the quarterback, which he didn't always do under Ryan.

Because of the switch to defensive end, Ware will have more opportunities to jump snap counts and beat tackles with his wicked first step, like he did against the Cleveland Browns' Joe Thomas.

It was early in the third quarter of a Week 11 game against the Browns. Ware was lined up at outside linebacker on 3rd-and-8 and with the play clock winding down, he jumped the snap to get a leg up on Thomas.

Ware's early step gave him a great advantage over Thomas, who was still in his stance when Ware crossed the line of scrimmage.

The quick first step set up a power rush off the edge, which consisted of Ware sinking his left shoulder and using his left arm to keep Thomas at a distance. This enabled him to turn the corner and sack quarterback Brandon Weeden.

It was the same type of play that Ware executed against the New York Giants in 2012, when he also came off the line before anyone knew they had to move.

Whenever he has the chance to take advantage of his first step, he uses the same long left arm mentioned earlier to turn the corner and get to the quarterback.

It's no surprise that Ware has quick feet, high IQ and great physical skills. After all, it's the makeup of great players such as himself and Johnson. They are the league's best at their positions and have been playing at a high level for many years.

That's why they give headaches to coaches every week.

Update on When John Cena Will Be Back on WWE Television

Sharon Glencross — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:16:27 -0400

Following his electrocution at the hands of Ryback at Sunday's Extreme Rules pay-per-view, when can we expect to John Cena back on television again?

Sans a post-show dark match, the current champion didn't appear at all on Monday's Raw, still selling his injuries from the event.

Instead, Ryback came out at the start of the show, complained about the strange no-contest finish to the match and issued a challenge for an Ambulance match at the Payback event next month.

He later took out Cena's old friend Zack Ryder and sent him off in a nearby ambulance for emphasis.

Well, it appears Cena will be answering the challenge sooner rather than later. In today's F4Wonline Daily Update, Dave Meltzer reveals:

"John Cena is expected back on Raw next week. He was off TV last night selling injuries, but he worked before the live crowd in the dark match main event."

Oh, come on. You didn't really expect Cena to miss any real time in an attempt to get over the seriousness of his injuries, did you?

This is the same man that famously "retired" from Raw in late 2010 only to make his, er, long-awaited return less than an hour later.

WWE brass obviously doesn't want one of the few top draws the company has left off of television for any prolonged period of time, which is a valid point.

Besides, in the storyline, this makes perfectly logical sense. Cena already emerged miraculously unscathed after being tossed by The Big Show into a massive spotlight, which then exploded, at 2009's Backlash event.

Like some comic book superhero, the guy is clearly immune to electricity at this point and cannot be seriously damaged by it.

Hey, maybe Nick Fury should show up at the end of next week's Raw and try to recruit Cena into The Avengers? Just a thought.

NBA Playoffs 2013: Why Chris Bosh Is the X-Factor in Heat vs. Pacers

Eric Bost — Tue, 21 May 2013 17:11:16 -0400

Chris Bosh will make his presence known when the Eastern Conference Finals start Wednesday.

The member of the Miami Heat's "Big Three" has taken on the most criticism by far from the media and fans, who claim he is soft around the rim. But after Bosh went down with an abdominal injury in Game 1 of the Heat's Eastern Conference semi-final matchup with the Pacers in last year's playoffs, people wondered if Miami could compete without their third star.

It took superhuman efforts by both LeBron James and Dwyane Wade to move the Heat into the Eastern Conference Finals, but this year Bosh is back and primed to contribute to Miami's championship run.

Yes, LeBron James is the face of this team; he is the best player in the world, after all. But while he's going to continue putting up numbers, Bosh will be the deciding factor on what the reigning NBA champions can do offensively.

The Indiana Pacers run a more traditional defense with two big men down low. While David West is the more skilled perimeter shooter, Roy Hibbert operates from the low block and isn't afraid to muck it up trying to crash the boards.

Hibbert is a huge threat around the rim, just ask Carmelo Anthony. He leads all NBA centers this postseason in offensive rebounds (55) and offensive rebounds per game (4.6) and is first among remaining centers in blocks per game (2.5).

Now Bosh doesn't need to score more points in order for his team to win. His biggest contribution will come more from the perimeter and being able to drag Hibbert away from the rim.

The Pacers need Hibbert down low on defense to create shot blocking opportunities and alter opposing shot attempts. With the Heat's style of slash-and-kick, there will be numerous chances for Hibbert to swat away shots. James, Wade, Mario Chalmers and Norris Cole can all use picks to drive to the basket, and without Bosh, Hibbert will be waiting for them.

The Heat love to play small ball on both sides of the court. They don't have a conventional center; they use Bosh at the five while James moves down to the power forward. That way the Heat can get more athleticism on the court and can use that to create turnovers and run up and down in transition with ease.

With Bosh out there, it gives the Heat another shooter along the perimeter instead of a big center that takes up space in the middle. Bosh is more of a finesse forward that loves a mid-range jumper, like Kevin Garnett is with the Celtics.

Bosh has been a constant shooting threat in the 2013 playoffs. Even though he's scoring 13.2 points per game, he is making the most of his chances when the ball is in his hands. Bosh is third among remaining forwards in field goal percentage (51.6), only behind Kawhi Leonard of the Spurs and LeBron.

Bosh isn't just a hot shooter, he's also made himself dangerous from beyond the arc. He leads all forwards this postseason in three-point accuracy, making a remarkable 46.7 percent of his shots from downtown, according to CBSSports.com.

With Bosh being such a hot shooter lately, Hibbert has to make sure he keeps his eye on him during this series. He is going to be wandering out near the three-point line, far away from where Hibbert likes to be. The 7' 2" center isn't quick enough to get back and help on defense if one of the Heat slashers make a move toward the basket.

Bosh's ability to shoot drags the opposition's big man away from the paint, giving the Heat better scoring chances at the rim and more rebounding opportunities. If Hibbert does stay inside to help the defense, then the ball can be kicked to Bosh on the wing, leaving him wide open for a jump shot.

Chris Bosh may not have been able to play last year against the Pacers in the playoffs, but this time he comes back better than ever. Indiana has to account for Bosh on the wing, but that leaves the NBA's MVP room to charge the rim with authority.