Y! Sports Blogs

  • Sat Nov 07, 2009 5:17 am EST

    Court Report: King-sized Loss

    A few major injury notes and a full state of games from a Friday night around the NBA...

    • The good news is that clarity in regards to Kevin Martin's wrist injury came fairly quickly. The bad news is that he'll undergo surgery and is expected to miss a minimum of eight weeks. Although nothing is official as of yet, Beno Udrih is expected to rejoin the starting lineup, pushing Tyreke Evans to shooting guard. Udrih's ceiling is fairly well-established - he's averaged 12.3 points (47% FG, 84% FT), 0.7 threes, 3.2 boards, 4.8 assists, and 1 steal in 129 career starts - but as a starter he's absolutely rosterable in standard leagues. I'm convinced that Evans is miscast as an NBA point guard and like the move for his potential impact. Don't count on the efficiency getting much better than poor, but "addition by subtraction" (subtract Martin his distribution responsibilities) should be good for his line.

    After a slow start, Andres Nocioni is back on the fantasy radar (his DUI arrest aside). His offensive responsibilities increase significantly with Martin out of the picture, and you can give Spencer Hawes and Jason Thompson a bump, as well. Omri Casspi has posted very good per-minute production thus far and should have a larger role in the rotation, although the Ime Udoka signing muddies the backup picture a bit. As for Martin himself, he's not a player you can cut in standard leagues. In roto, it's a bit easier to deal with carrying an injured player. Those of you in h2h leagues need to calculate your chances of making the playoffs while playing a man down for the next two months - if you aren't feeling confident, then add Martin to your trade block and see if you get some offers worth considering (and certainly be ready to produce some counter-offers). 

    • Tyrus Thomas' season went from bad to worse in a hurry. He broke his left forearm during a weight session on Friday and will miss the next four-to-six weeks, or somewhere around 15-20 games. It's not a bad move to make an add/drop in standard h2h leagues. Taj Gibson will continue to start at power forward - he posted 11 points, seven boards, one steal, and one block on Thursday and his college numbers project well to the NBA. Give him a look in deeper leagues. Brad Miller should see close to 30 minutes while Thomas is out, as well, meaning that he should be universally owned in roto leagues and largely owned in h2h formats. 

    Read More »

    digg delicious
    more
  •  

    No. 1 Star: Jonas Gustavsson, Toronto Maple Leafs

    Congratulations to the Leafs, who are now clearly the 29th-best team in the NHL after defeating fellow cellar-dweller the Carolina Hurricanes, 3-2, with a three-goal rally (video). Gustavsson was outstanding on several of his 34 saves, including 18 he made in the third period against a still-determined Canes team.

    No. 2 star: Chris Stewart, Colorado Avalanche

    Another marathon shootout for the Avs and the Chicago Blackhawks, who went nine rounds earlier this season. This time, it was an eight-rounder; this time, Colorado skated away with the extra point, as Stewart's blast (video) beat Antti Niemi (19 saves) and Dustin Byfuglien's shot buzzed wide of Craig Anderson (29 saves) to give Colorado the 4-3 win and a 6-0 home record.

    No. 3 star: Cory Schneider, Vancouver Canucks

    Had the Canucks defeated the Dallas Stars, Schneider would have been the hands-down No. 1 star; alas, the Stars won, 2-1, wasting a 45-save effort from the young netminder in his trading block audition sixth NHL start.

    Read More »

    digg delicious
    more
  • Fri Nov 06, 2009 10:55 pm EST

    The James has landed in New York



    Only in New York City could a basketball player do everything right -- shoot with range, play tough defense, find his teammates with pinpoint passes, working with a sense of flair and drama all along -- and still have it come off as slightly gauche and unseemly.

    That's what the Cavaliers' win over the New York Knicks felt like on Friday. An attention-drawing exercise to its core, bent on pumping up the "will-he-or-won't-he?" question regarding LeBron James' impending 2010 free agency, and a Knick team that would dearly love to sign him with its also impending 2010 cap space.

    Cleveland's win? It hardly mattered. The team did well to rebound fully from a tough loss to Chicago the night before, as coach Mike Brown seemed willing to tinker with new starting lineups (Anderson Varejao out, J.J. Hickson in), while the defense and offensive spacing improved.

    The story was James, though. And, to a far lesser extent, a Knicks club that seems more and more dispirited by the day. Sure, these Knicks were never any good to begin with. But they've lost that sense of joie de vivre that marked the team's turnaround campaign last season. They've stopped running, stopped working and appear to have stopped caring.

    Read More »

    digg delicious
    more
  • It was hidden beneath the pure organizational debaclizations of the St. Louis Rams and the Detroit Lions, but a very strong candidate for Tackle of the Year occurred in St.Louis' 17-10 win last Sunday. With 13:51 left in the game and a 10-10 tie on the board, the Lions kicked off after a Matthew Stafford(notes) rushing touchdown. Rookie receiver Danny Amendola(notes) took the ball at the St. Louis 5-yard line, started upfield, and ... well, as Dan and Keith used to say on the Big Show, "He got the sheep knocked out of him." (Note: Despite the lame video title, Amendola was NOT paralyzed. Sheesh.)

    Yeah, that'll leave a mark -- hat tip to Yahoo's own Mike Silver for the link. The tackler, Lions linebacker Zack Follett(notes), is also a rookie, and he's got a pretty unique way of looking at the world. I've covered the last three Scouting Combines, and of all the press conferences I've seen, Follett's was the most fun. For one thing, while he's a fan of Brian Urlacher(notes), his real hero is a bit more of a downhill force who plays much better indoors.

    "Growing up, Terry Tate, No. 56, the Office Linebacker, he was my hero watching those commercials. I tried to emulate him when I was out there. ... Junior year of high school, I went to Champs Sports and they sold a Reebok Terry Tate number 56 jersey, and I bought one immediately. We watched all his YouTube clips and he's bringing the 'Pain Train' and doing the 'whoop-whoop' sound and I used to do it in high school, and I used to blow the horn. It kind of stuck with me a little bit."

    Follett also hopes to get a little side business going.

    "I make things out of wood. My dad taught me when I was little ... When I was a senior, I took it to the next level. I started making wood cutouts. I did one of myself, kind of experimenting. My other linebacker partner painted it. It was a life-size replica.

    "I did one of (fullback) Lorenzo Neal(notes) because we used to train together (when Follett was at Cal). He's the only pro player I knew at the time. Hopefully, from an investment standpoint, I'm going to open a little wood shop wherever I move and I'll make them of teammates because I know they have a lot of money to waste."

    If Follett keeps hitting like he did on the play above, he'll find a place in the NFL in the long term. As for Amendola, maybe he'll remember to put the cover on his TPS report next time!

    digg delicious
    more
  • Retirement, or something, appears to be changing Sammy Sosa. He and wife, Sonia, were recently in Las Vegas for the Latin Grammys, which included a tribute on Wednesday to singer Juan Gabriel. Photogs caught the Sosas on the red carpet and Sonia looks fabulous as always. As for Sammy ... well, there's no getting around it, but Sammy looked kind of pale.

    His skin is undeniably lighter than at any time since he broke into the majors in 1989. Is it an illness, or a condition such as Vitiligo, in which depigmentation occurs? Is Sammy just bleaching his skin for fashion's sake? (Heh, "just.")

    I wonder if he is changing his look, simply because his eyes are a different color. Sammy was born with brown eyes. He's taken to wearing green contact lenses and, quite frankly, they are extremely creepy. Is he co-starring in the upcoming "Twilight" sequel? The plastic suit also bothers me, just because it does.

    Sammy, who hasn't played since 2007, has been accused of using modern chemistry to help him attain 609 career homers — including three seasons of 60-plus. Perhaps he's turning to science to give him a different veneer as he approaches his 41st birthday. Below, check out a few comparison shots to judge for yourself.

    Read More »

    digg delicious
    more
  • Here are your Puck Previews: Spotlighting the key games in NHL action, news and views as well as general frivolity. Make sure to stop back here for the nightly Three Stars when the games are finished.

    Preview: Toronto Maple Leafs at Carolina Hurricanes, 7 p.m. EST. Both teams enter the game with seven points, so they're playing for last overall in the NHL. Jonas Gustavsson is in goal against the Staal-less Hurricanes. Chemmy on PPP said it: On Nov. 6, it's a must-win for Toronto.

    Preview: Philadelphia Flyers at Buffalo Sabres, 7:30 p.m. EST. The flu has officially joined the Flyers lineup just in time to face the Sabres, who are 8-2-0 in their last 10. Interesting take in the Buffalo News about the Sabres on the draw, after dominating the Islanders by the ridiculous margin of 39-8. Watch The Game Live Via Hockey Night on Y! Sports.

    Read More »

    digg delicious
    more
  • Nothing in LSU's first six games suggests the Tigers have any hope of upsetting a top-three rival on the road. This was a team that struggled mightily against Washington in the opener and required a dramatic goal line stand to win at Mississippi State -- without defensive and special teams touchdowns that overcame the Tigers' offensive malaise in those games, there wasn't much to suggest they could win anywhere of any consequence. After coming back to beat Georgia in a game that featured zero touchdowns in the first three quarters, LSU returned home to narrowly avoid being shut out by Florida, 13-3, without coming close to the end zone. The offense still ranks dead last in the SEC in total yards per game.

    For the optimists, though, there are the last two weeks, in which the LSU offense has found a little life off a post-Florida bye: The Tigers racked up 31 points against Auburn, their best output against the division's other Tigers since 2002, and hung 42 points on overmatched Tulane, their first game this year with 40 points or (not and) 400 total yards. Jordan Jefferson is emerging as one of the most efficient passers in the SEC, and his backup, true freshman Russell Sheppard, is coming on as a dangerous big-play threat as a runner, with long touchdowns runs in each of the last two games to complement the between-the-tackles thumping of regular tailback Charles Scott.

    And by all appearances, this is the right time to catch Alabama. The Tide's surprisingly balanced offense through their 4-0 start in September has disappeared into a cloud of dust as they get deeper into the SEC slate, carried to a great extent by the Heisman-worthy legs of Mark Ingram but still held out of the end zone entirely by Tennessee and in three of four quarters by both Ole Miss and South Carolina. Quarterback Greg McElroy has looked increasingly like the "game manager" holding down 'Bama's rankings in the preseason, and the perfect season has looked increasingly vulnerable as the weeks go by.

    Read More »

    digg delicious
    more
  • MAIN CARD

    Fedor Emelianenko 232 lbs. vs. Brett Rogers 264 lbs.

    Jason "Mayhem" Miller 184 lbs. vs. Jake Shields 184.5 lbs. (for vacant Strikeforce middleweight title)

    Gegard Mousasi 205 lbs. vs. Rameau Thierry Sokoudjou 204 lbs. 

    Antonio "Big Foot" Silva 263 lbs. vs. Fabricio Werdum 242 lbs.

    digg delicious
    more
  • Brett Rogers is trying to pull off one of the biggest upsets in mixed martial arts history against Fedor Emelianenko tomorrow night on CBS. There has to be a lot weighing in on his mind. It's an incredible mental test for a gfuy with just 10 professional MMA fights. Fedor opened as a minus-600 favorite in Las Vegas. None of the smart money is buying that Rogers has any shot to win the fight. Fedor is now a 9-to-1 favorite with one-sided action coming in.

    Fedor is a legend in the sport and hasn't lost since 2000, so why is Rogers the guy who is carrying the promotion? The reason is obvious. Fedor doesn't speak enough English to do television and radio interviews. So it's all been on Rogers. He did a ton of radio and newspaper spots. He also appeared on ESPN's First Take, ESPN's SportsNation and tonight he'll be seen on Last Call with Carson Daly. The ESPN appearances included a midweek trip from Chicago to Bristol, Conn.

    Strikeforce CEO Scott Coker said it's a necessity (3:28 mark):

    "Brett's been amazing. He's been a great trooper. Part of the business that people don't understand is we need the fighters to go out there and do the PR."

    Coker pointed out that promoting Fedor is difficult because he lives in Russia. That's all well and good but it has to be distraction for Rogers. He does have his wife with him in Chicago which is a little unusual. Most fighters are surrounded by camp members and have little contact with their family in the days leading up to a fight. It'll be interesting to see how this all works out for Rogers. The big guy does have a confidence about him and he certainly wasn't distracted or intimidated going into the fight against a huge name like Andrei Arlovski.

    digg delicious
    more
  • http://a323.yahoofs.com/ymg/ept_sports_fantasy_experts__21/ept_sports_fantasy_experts-421503150-1257550347.jpg?ymLYkKCDij1HlAzIFriday is the most important practice day of the week from a fantasy perspective; let's take a good look around.  

    The Colts held Donald Brown (shoulder) out of Friday's practice after letting him work the previous two days. He's questionable and will probably be a game-time decision for Sunday's matchup with the Texans. At least we get a break with the game, it's an early start. All of the Yahoo! experts view Joseph Addai as a Top 14 back this week even with Brown expected to play; Addai's value obviously gets a mild push forward if Brown winds up being scratched.

    Anquan Boldin (ankle) did some work Friday and has a shot to go against the Bears; he's questionable on the report. The Cardinals took it easy with Steve Breaston (knee) Friday but that's standard operating procedure; he's been battling this issue all season. On Boldin, it comes down to a depth call; I wouldn't use him for fantasy this week unless I felt backed into a corner.

    Roddy White (ankle) had a limited day Friday after sitting out the two previous days and head coach Mike Smith is optimistic that White will be able to go in Atlanta's critical game against Washington. It's an early start, so fantasy owners don't have to sweat it out here.

    Kevin Smith (shoulder) and Calvin Johnson (knee) both practiced Friday and should play at Seattle, though Jim Schwartz would give out his ATM password before he did anything to help our fantasy pursuits.

    Read More »

    digg delicious
    more

Y! Sports Blogs

Add to My Yahoo! RSS

Contributors