Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
The Browns are a team in need at a number of positions, but linebacker could be this teams biggest need as the 2009 NFL free agency signing period starts on February 27th. There are a number of good linebackers that will be on the board this year for the taking, and three of them will be available from the rival Baltimore Ravens, who have Ray Lewis, Bart Scott and Terrell Suggs all lined up to be free agents then the signing period starts.
The Monday Cleveland Plain Dealer says that the Browns are going to eye in on Suggs, who has averaged about nine sacks over the past six seasons. Plus Suggs’ age is a plus to the Browns, as he’s only 26 years old, meaning that some of his best football is still ahead of him, even though he’s played at a high level for a number of years already.
Suggs would fit the Browns and their 3-4 defense that will be run by new defensive coordinator Rob Ryan, but the team needs players like him to make it work, as right now, the linebacker spot is the low point of the defense, plus they are likely to lose Andre Davis once the 2009 NFL free agency signing period starts.
The Ravens have already committed to telling anyone that will listen that they want to keep emotional leader Ray Lewis around, so it looks like Scott and Suggs will be free to the highest bidders. Scott is rumored to have interest from the Jets, while Suggs would be a great fit for the Browns. Now the question will be just how much the big man wants to make the move to the Ravens AFC North division rival.
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
The 2009 NFL free agency signing period is getting closer, and one player that continues to get a lot of press as the date gets near is Titans star defensive end Albert Haynesworth. The big-time playmaker of the Titans is a game changer, and most think that there is little doubt that he wants to become the NFL’s highest-paid defensive player. Today’s Nashville City Paper says that Haynesworth is looking for a deal somewhere in the range of $35 million guaranteed. When it comes to what the Titans want to play for Haynesworth’s services, general manager Mike Reinfeldt didn’t say a number, but did say that the team does have a figure in mind. “I do think you need to do that with all of your people, kind of figure out what kind of deal makes sense, how far you’re willing to go, what’s the right amount,” Reinfeldt said. “You know, approach it from that standpoint, whether it’s Albert or any of the other 13 players.”
Haynesworth is a free-agent-to-be that is going to have a number of teams looking at him. The Falcons and Jets appear to be early suitors, and there is always that team out of nowhere that will probably be eyeing him from afar, thinking that the moment the 2009 NFL free agency signing period starts, a contract will be ready for him. The paper today stated that the belief is that if Haynesworth is not signed by the Titans before the 2009 NFL free agency signing period opens, that another team will throw enough money to overwhelm him and take him away from the Titans in the free agent bidding.
He’s a player that will made a difference on a defense from day one, and if the Titans don’t rush to get him signed, someone else will come the 27th of February when the signing period starts.
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
The 2009 NBA All-Star game is in the books, as former friends, then foes, now reported friends again Shaq O’Neal and Kobe Bryant shared the honor of the Co-MVP award. Bryant led all scorers with 27 points, O’Neal came off the bench to put up 17 in just 11 minutes. O’Neal even came up with a new nickname for he and Bryant - “The Big Legendaries,” O’Neal said. In any case, it was a great weekend in Phoenix, but now it’s time to start already putting thoughts to the 2010 NBA All-Star game, which by the end of the day could be the biggest NBA All-Star game ever, as it will be played at the new stadium of the Dallas Cowboys, which holds over 100,000 fans. “The NBA All-Star Weekend has become the biggest party weekend in the country,” Mavs owner Mark Cuban told NBA.com in October. “I think it will be a unique chance for Dallas and Fort Worth and the cities in between to show off, and to let everyone see how Texas does it right.” Cuban is teaming up with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones to put on the event, since after all, the 2010 NBA All-Star game is being held at Jones’ stadium. Another interesting aspect of the event is the star power that is sure to be involved on and off the court. Cavs forward LeBron James has already told the league that he’s going to be in the Slam Dunk contest. And you can bet that there will be tons of celebs at the event the whole weekend as well. While the 2009 NBA All-Star game had plenty of memorable moments, the 2010 NBA All-Star game in Dallas is going to be world class with Cuban and Jones running the show.
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
Opening Day 2009 around Major League Baseball is getting closer, and as it does, the city of New York will have not one, but two new stadiums opening up. Citi Field will be the new home of the New York Mets, and while anything has to be an upgrade over the dreg that was Shea Stadium, over the other side, the Yankees will have a sensational new ballpark of their own. That park will simply be known as “The New Yankee Stadium,” and will be a better more modern version of the ballpark that was formerly known as “The House that Ruth Built.” The new Yankee Stadium was a self-financed stadium that was built on Macombs Dam Park, which is adjacent and north of the old Yankee Stadium. It is going to have 52,325 seats, which is about 4,500 less than the old Yankee Stadium. The new stadium will be ready to roll for two games vs the Chicago Cubs on Friday, April 3rd and Saturday, April 4th. The first regular season game at the new Yankee Stadium will come on Thursday, April 16th at 1:05pm when the Yankees take on the Cleveland Indians in the first of a four game weekend series. One interesting aspect about the new Yankee Stadium is that the field dimensions are exactly the same. Of course the new stadium is going to have 37 more private luxury suites (56-19), and also there will be a whopping 410 party suites, something that the old stadium did not have. Just seeing the pictures of the new Yankee Stadium, waiting for opening day 2009 in Major League Baseball is something that cannot get here soon enough. The stadium is just one major reason why the 2009 MLB season is something to look forward to as the winter months finally start to fade away.
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
It’s the unofficial halfway point of the 2008-2009 NBA season, and while some teams are looking forward to making a big playoff run in the second half, there are a number of teams that have been tanking it since day one, and will be prime time for the 2009 NBA Draft Lottery. The lottery will be to see who gets the number one pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, which will be held on a date to be determined at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden. Right now there are two teams in the league that are stuck on 11 wins, worst in the league. Those two teams are the Sacramento Kings and the Washington Wizards. The Oklahoma City Thunder are not having a real good first season in their new digs, as they are just 13-40 and could find themselves with a top pick when the 2009 NBA Draft Lottery rolls around. Two other pretty poor teams are the Memphis Grizzlies (15-37) and the Minnesota Timberwolves (17-34). Over in the East, teams are not quite as bad, but some of the worst other than the Wizards are the Toronto Raptors (21-34), Indiana Pacers (21-33), the Charlotte Bobcats (21-31) and New York Knicks (21-31). The ping-pong balls for the 2009 NBA Draft Lottery will be rolling around, and the league will make a date at some point in the 2009 NBA Playoffs to pick on just who will walk into the 2009 NBA Draft with the top pick. The worst the record, the better the chance the team has at the top pick. Right now, the Wizards and Kings sit at the top as the best worst teams in the league. If they stay that way, they could have choice of taking what they think will be the best NBA player in the 2009 NBA Draft.
Tuesday, February 24th, 2009
There are a number of good wide receivers that will be on the table and available to all when the 2009 NFL Free agency signing period opens up on February 27th. Probably the best wide out that will be out there is Bengals pass catcher T.J. Houshmandzadeh, who has already been on radio talking about moving on from Cincy to another team, a better team. Shaun McDonald of the Lions, along with Devery Henderson of the Saints are two other receivers that may find a home elsewhere when the 2009 season starts. One team that could use a wide out in free agency are the Philadelphia Eagles, a team that made the 2008 NFC Title game, but are still lacking at that position. Adding a free agent in the 2009 NFL free agency signing period seems unlikely though, as Eagles general manager Tom Heckert told a Philadelphia TV station that the team is unlikely to add a free agent receiver to Donovan McNabb’s arsenal. “It’s an easy out for everyone to say we need a wide receiver but we did get one - DeSean Jackson,” Heckert told the TV station in an interview. Jackson did have a good season, but the Eagles could still use a good number one wide out. Let’s not forget the only season they had a solid number one wide out they made the Super Bowl when Terrell Owens was McNabb’s big pass threat. While the 2009 NFL Free agency signing period does not have as many good wide outs as last year, Houshmandzadeh is as good as they get, and adding him to the Eagles roster would provide them with the type of player that could put them over the top. Heckert putting out the money to add him though is another question.
Tuesday, February 17th, 2009
Fans around the country are starting to get baseball fever, as the 2009 Major League Baseball season is set to get rolling with spring traning around the country in those warm weather states. This year 2009 MLB opening day is slated to start (weather permitting of course) on April 5th with a pair of games - the Los Angeles Dodgers will take on the San Francisco Giants at 4:05 pm eastern time in San Fran, and then that night the World Champion Philadelphia Phillies will be at home for the Atlanta Braves. There are a couple of key dates to keep in mind before 2009 MLB opening day, with the World Baseball Classic from March 5th to the 23rd, as the best baseball players from around the world will do battle to be called the world’s best. March 18th will be the last day to place a player on unconditional release waivers and pay 30 days termination pay instead of 45 days. Then on April 1st, it will be the last day to request unconditional release waivers on a player without having to pay his full 2009 salary. Of course there will be plenty of movement on teams throughout spring training before we even get to opening night and 2009 MLB opening day. After all is said and done and the first two games are played, April 6th will see most of the other teams around Major League Baseball start their regular season. The two New York teams with new stadiums will both start 2009 on the road, as the Mets and Yankees will both open their new stadiums the following week after the 2009 MLB season gets underway.
Tuesday, February 17th, 2009
Yeah, it may only be the 2009 NBA All-Star break (the unofficial halfway point of the NBA season), but it’s never to early to start looking ahead to the 2009 NBA playoffs, and get an idea as to who is going to do battle and have the best chance to win the title this season. Last season was incredible, as the Boston Celtics returned to glory, taking out their old arch-rival, the Los Angeles Lakers, taking home the championship. The Celtics are again a top team in the East, as they sit at the break at 44-11, best in the East, and 2nd best in the league. They enter the break winning 8 of their last 10 games. The Cleveland Cavaliers are not that far behind, and with LeBron James running the show, anything can happen. LeBron’s squad is 40-11, just two games behind the Celtics. The third seed in the East right now is Orlando, as at 38-13 they are yet another team that is going to have to be dealt with when the 2009 NBA playoffs start in mid-April. The Atlanta Hawks are right now 31-21, good for the 4th spot in the Conference. Over in the West, the Lakers have already beaten the Cavs and Celtics twice, meaning they will have the home-court should they get to the 2009 NBA Finals. L.A. is tops in the league right now at 42-10, and with last year’s MVP in Kobe Bryant, the Lakers are hard to bet against. Then there are the Spurs, who are a veteran bunch who at 35-16 won’t be an easy out in the West. Denver is also having a solid season, and at 36-17 they are pushing the Spurs for the two seed. With George Karl leading the way, the Nuggets are going to give some teams some headaches in the 2009 NBA Playoffs. Then there are the Portland TrailBlazers, the current 4th seed in the West. At 32-20, the Blazers seem to be on their way to grabbing some kind of early home-court in the conference. Count on them to also be a force in the West. Overall, expect that once the playoffs kick off in mid-April and the teams are finally set, for it to be a fun month and a half of basketball as we get set to crown a champion for the NBA for the 2008-2009 season.
Tuesday, February 17th, 2009
The heart and could of the Chicago Bears defense is not going to be getting a contract offer from the team. The Chicago Sun Times is reporting that the Bears have told safety Mike Brown, a 2nd round pick of the team all the way back in 2000, is going to be a free man once free agency hits, as they will not make a contract offer to the often injured safety.
Brown when he plays is known as one of the better safties in the game. The problem is just how much he doesn’t play. Injuries have knocked Brown out of 43 games over the course of the years from 2004 through 2007. He did play in 15 games this past season, making 74 total tackles, and he had two intercpetions.
General manager Jerry Angelo admitted he was ready to move on without Brown a year ago due to the amount he was injured. In 2007 he played in just one game, and back in 2006 he played in just six games. Without Brown, the Bears are going to have to find at least one safety, that will come in either free agency or the draft.
Over the course of his first four seasons, Brown was as good as they were safety-wise in the league, as he played in 16 games from 2000 to 2003. His first year he recorded 102 tackles with one pick and that went for a touchdown. In 2001 when the Bears went 13-3, Brown was a dominant player, recording 68 tackles and picking off five passes for 81 yards and two scores.
That season he returned interceptions for touchdowns in back-to-back games in overtime, October 27th at home vs the 49′ers and then the following week he did it again at home, taking back a Tim Couch pass 16 yards for a score in a 27-12 win vs Cleveland.
Brown will land somewhere in free agency, which starts on February 27th in the NFL, and the Bears will be a lookout for a safety to replace him once the 2009 NFL free agency signing peroid starts.
Tuesday, February 17th, 2009
As free agency in the NFL for 2009 gets closer and closer, one player that is going to be in hot demand as he has made it clear he wants to move on is Panthers defensive end Julius Peppers. This Thursday, February 20th, is the final day that teams can put a franchise tag on players, and Peppers told reporters that he doesn’t want the tag, as he’s been vocal about wanting out of Carolina almost as soon as the clock hit zero in the teams playoff loss to the Cardinals January 10th.
Peppers told reporters that he is not 100 percent sure if the Panthers will try to tag him or not. “I really don’t know,” Peppers said Saturday in a 20-minute conference call with reporters. “I’m not expecting it and I am expecting it. There are so many dynamics to the situation that it’s possible for them to go either way on it.” The Panthers have had time to try and get a game plan together on Peppers, who is going to get a boat load of money on the open market somewhere.
The defensive end says that if the Panthers do tag him, that he will ask them then for a trade. “If they decide to use the tag on me, the first thing that I’ll be doing is requesting a trade,” Peppers said Saturday. “Then anything after, basically I don’t know what would be the course of action. We’ll deal with that when that time comes.”
As the 2009 NFL Free Agency peroid opens, there are a couple of teams that will have their eyes on Peppers, but he wants to go somewhere where the defense runs a 3-4, and there are only a few teams that do that. Included in that short list are the Steelers, Jets, Dolphins and Patriots. In seven years with the Panthers, Peppers has put up 60 1/2 sacks. He’ll find a new home somwhere once 2009 NFL free agency opens up.
