The Philadelphia 76ers hope to win their sixth consecutive game at Wells Fargo Center tonight when they welcome their most storied rival, the red-hot Boston Celtics, to the City of Brotherly Love.
The Sixers finally found a way to beat Cleveland at home on Tuesday when Thaddeus Young scored a season-high 26 points with 11 rebounds off the bench to lead Philadelphia to a 117-97 win that snapped an eight-game home losing streak to the Cavs dating back nearly five years.
Lou Williams added 19 points, also in a reserve role, and the Sixers won for the fourth time in five games since a 1-8 stretch. They have won five games in a row at home for the first time an eight-game run from February 5-March 7, 2008.
"The guys are coming together," said Young. "Teamwork and hard work -- we are showing it."
Jodie Meeks and Jrue Holiday both scored 16 points, Andre Iguodala had 13, Elton Brand scored 12 and Spencer Hawes chipped in with 10 and a game-high 12 rebounds.
"I think our guys are feeling good about themselves," said Collins.
The Sixers are now 2-0 on a four-game homestand that will wrap up against New Orleans on Sunday.
Boston, which will kick off a three-game road trip tonight, won its eighth consecutive game on Wednesday when Ray Allen scored 28 points to lead a well- balanced Celtics attack in a 105-89 victory over Denver.
The Nuggets clawed back from a 19-point hole in the first half despite not having Carmelo Anthony, but they failed for the second night in a row to get head coach George Karl his 1,000th win.
Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett added 17 points apiece for the Eastern Conference-leading Celtics, Glen Davis scored 16 off the bench and Rajon Rondo, who returned to the lineup after missing a game with a tight hamstring, dished out 13 assists in the win.
"Boston makes you make mistakes, they make you take tough shots," said Karl. "They're one of the better defensive teams in the league and I didn't think we were very patient."
The Celtics, who are 7-3 on the road and 17-4 overall, will also face Charlotte and New York on its current trek.
Boston has won seven straight over the Sixers in Philadelphia and nine straight overall. In fact, the Celtics have never lost in Philly since Garnett and Allen joined the club before the 2007-08 season.
Thursday, December 09, 2010
Tuesday, December 07, 2010
Sixers finally solve Cavs
Philadelphia, PA - The Sixers have been showing a little bit of life recently but Tuesday's game against Cleveland shaped up as a bigger test than you might imagine.
Sure the Cavaliers have been dismal lately, dropping four straight games by a combined 91 points coming into tonight's contest but, for whatever reason, Philadelphia has been unable to solve the Cleveland puzzle. The Sixers had dropped five straight overall versus the Cavs and eight consecutive contests against Cleveland in the City of Brotherly Love heading into the game.
Of course most of that damage was inflicted when superstar LeBron James was still calling Cleveland home, but the hapless, James-less Cavs had already topped the Sixers twice this season, including a 123-116 win in Philly back on Nov. 5 when the Sixers suffered what is now an all too familiar late game collapse, losing an eight-point lead in the waning moments of that one.
That all changed tonight as Thaddeus Young came off the bench to pour in a season-high 26 points on 11-of-12 shooting as the Sixers blitzed Cleveland, 117-97, in front of 10,662 at Wells Fargo Center. Lou Williams added 19 points, 13 of which came in the fourth quarter.
"It feels really good to beat them," Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "That team is a very difficult matchup for us. Their guards are very good."
The starting backcourt of Jrue Holiday and Jodie Meeks each contributed 16 points while Holiday also dished out seven assists and snared five rebounds for Philadelphia, which won its fifth straight home game.
Center Spencer Hawes, meanwhile, played a season-high 32 minutes and recorded his first double-double as a Sixer with 10 points and a season-high 12 rebounds.
"You can try as much as you want doing stuff on the sidelines, but until you start getting those minutes, it's hard to get in that rhythm," Hawes said. "I think for me especially, I'm a rhythm player. Being out there and feeling that out, not only for myself but getting on the same page as my teammates, that makes a big difference."
J.J. Hickson scored 18 to lead the Cavs, who have lost five straight games -- all by 10 points or more. Boobie Gibson netted 16 points and Mo Williams had 15 and seven assists for Cleveland.
Meeks set the tone for the second straight game by hitting two threes and scoring 10 points in the first quarter as the Sixers raced out to a 35-26 advantage. Young then buried his first seven shots in the game to take over things in the second quarter as Philadelphia took a comfortable 66-54 edge into the locker room.
The Cavs failed to make a significant run in the second half as the Sixers built up a 23-point edge before cruising to the finish line.
Six Shots:
*Young also had a season-high in rebounds with 11 while Hawes had a season-high three blocked shots.
*The Sixers amassed season-highs for points in the first quarter (35), the half (66) and the game (117).
*Holiday had a career-high 29 points versus the Cavs on Nov. 5.
*Tickets in all price ranges remain for one of the Sixers' marquee games of the year, Thursday's tilt against long-time rival Boston. You can purchase them at by visiting sixers.com.
Sure the Cavaliers have been dismal lately, dropping four straight games by a combined 91 points coming into tonight's contest but, for whatever reason, Philadelphia has been unable to solve the Cleveland puzzle. The Sixers had dropped five straight overall versus the Cavs and eight consecutive contests against Cleveland in the City of Brotherly Love heading into the game.
Of course most of that damage was inflicted when superstar LeBron James was still calling Cleveland home, but the hapless, James-less Cavs had already topped the Sixers twice this season, including a 123-116 win in Philly back on Nov. 5 when the Sixers suffered what is now an all too familiar late game collapse, losing an eight-point lead in the waning moments of that one.
That all changed tonight as Thaddeus Young came off the bench to pour in a season-high 26 points on 11-of-12 shooting as the Sixers blitzed Cleveland, 117-97, in front of 10,662 at Wells Fargo Center. Lou Williams added 19 points, 13 of which came in the fourth quarter.
"It feels really good to beat them," Sixers coach Doug Collins said. "That team is a very difficult matchup for us. Their guards are very good."
The starting backcourt of Jrue Holiday and Jodie Meeks each contributed 16 points while Holiday also dished out seven assists and snared five rebounds for Philadelphia, which won its fifth straight home game.
Center Spencer Hawes, meanwhile, played a season-high 32 minutes and recorded his first double-double as a Sixer with 10 points and a season-high 12 rebounds.
"You can try as much as you want doing stuff on the sidelines, but until you start getting those minutes, it's hard to get in that rhythm," Hawes said. "I think for me especially, I'm a rhythm player. Being out there and feeling that out, not only for myself but getting on the same page as my teammates, that makes a big difference."
J.J. Hickson scored 18 to lead the Cavs, who have lost five straight games -- all by 10 points or more. Boobie Gibson netted 16 points and Mo Williams had 15 and seven assists for Cleveland.
Meeks set the tone for the second straight game by hitting two threes and scoring 10 points in the first quarter as the Sixers raced out to a 35-26 advantage. Young then buried his first seven shots in the game to take over things in the second quarter as Philadelphia took a comfortable 66-54 edge into the locker room.
The Cavs failed to make a significant run in the second half as the Sixers built up a 23-point edge before cruising to the finish line.
Six Shots:
*Young also had a season-high in rebounds with 11 while Hawes had a season-high three blocked shots.
*The Sixers amassed season-highs for points in the first quarter (35), the half (66) and the game (117).
*Holiday had a career-high 29 points versus the Cavs on Nov. 5.
*Tickets in all price ranges remain for one of the Sixers' marquee games of the year, Thursday's tilt against long-time rival Boston. You can purchase them at by visiting sixers.com.
Tyson, Chavez headline Boxing Hall of Fame inductees
Former heavyweight champion Mike Tyson and three-division champion Julio Cesar Chavez headline the 2011 class for the International Boxing Hall of Fame.
The two stars will be joined by junior welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu, referee Joe Cortez, trainer Ignacio "Nacho" Beristain and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone.
"We're extremely excited about the Class of 2011 and very much looking forward to honoring the 22nd class of inductees," said Executive Director Edward Brophy.
Tyson was the central figure of the sport in the late 1980s with his historic rise to the top of the heavyweight ranks as youngest champion in 1986 and his inglorious fall that included a jail sentence. He had a record of 50-6 with 44 knockouts and was known for his ferocity in the ring.
"I am honored to be nominated in the International Boxing Hall of Fame," said Tyson. "The sport of boxing has given me so much and it is truly a blessing to be acknowledged alongside other historical boxing legends because they paved the way for me as I hope I have inspired others in this great sport."
Tyson was among the most-feared fighters on his way to the top, highlighted by an incredible knockout of Michael Spinks just 91 seconds into a June 27, 1988 bout in Atlantic City. His downfall began with his first loss -- a February 11, 1990 knockout by James "Buster" Douglas in Tokyo. Another lowlight of his storied career was a June 28, 1997 fight against Evander Holyfield, during which Tyson was disqualified for twice biting Holyfield's ears.
Chavez held featherweight, lightweight and light welterweight titles during a career that included 107 wins over 115 fights. A national hero in Mexico, Chavez compiled a record of 89-0-1 before a loss to Frankie Randall in 1994.
"I am honored and I feel humble," said Chavez. "At this moment in my life, to be inducted into the Hall of Fame is very special. I feel great to know that my name will be inscribed with the best of the best, to join some of my heroes and to leave a mark for my family and my country."
Tszyu, a Russian native who moved to Australia, was junior welterweight champ with a record of 31-2 with 25 knockouts. He became the unified champ with a second-round TKO of Zab Judah in 2001.
"This is unbelievably great news!" exclaimed Tszyu. "I'm actually speechless. I can't describe my feelings. My job was to make sure the people enjoyed themselves when they were watching me and I spent all my life doing so. I still continue to be involved in boxing to this day because boxing has been so great to me. To be inducted next to Sugar Ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali, Roberto Duran and Jeff Fenech, who's a good friend of mine, is a huge, huge honor."
Cortez had an 18-1 record before retiring in 1971 and became a referee. He worked his first title bout in 1982 and refereed more than 160 title fights, including Tyson vs. Holmes and Bowe vs. Holyfield I.
Beristain trained Mexico's boxing teams at the 1968, 1976 and 1980 Olympics, and guided 18 champions in the pro ranks, including Hall of Famers Ricardo "Finito" Lopez, Humberto "Chiquita" Gonzalez and Daniel Zarazoga.
Stallone is best known for the "Rocky" series of movies, including the original that won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1976.
The 22nd annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled for June 12 in Canastota, New York.
The two stars will be joined by junior welterweight champion Kostya Tszyu, referee Joe Cortez, trainer Ignacio "Nacho" Beristain and screenwriter Sylvester Stallone.
"We're extremely excited about the Class of 2011 and very much looking forward to honoring the 22nd class of inductees," said Executive Director Edward Brophy.
Tyson was the central figure of the sport in the late 1980s with his historic rise to the top of the heavyweight ranks as youngest champion in 1986 and his inglorious fall that included a jail sentence. He had a record of 50-6 with 44 knockouts and was known for his ferocity in the ring.
"I am honored to be nominated in the International Boxing Hall of Fame," said Tyson. "The sport of boxing has given me so much and it is truly a blessing to be acknowledged alongside other historical boxing legends because they paved the way for me as I hope I have inspired others in this great sport."
Tyson was among the most-feared fighters on his way to the top, highlighted by an incredible knockout of Michael Spinks just 91 seconds into a June 27, 1988 bout in Atlantic City. His downfall began with his first loss -- a February 11, 1990 knockout by James "Buster" Douglas in Tokyo. Another lowlight of his storied career was a June 28, 1997 fight against Evander Holyfield, during which Tyson was disqualified for twice biting Holyfield's ears.
Chavez held featherweight, lightweight and light welterweight titles during a career that included 107 wins over 115 fights. A national hero in Mexico, Chavez compiled a record of 89-0-1 before a loss to Frankie Randall in 1994.
"I am honored and I feel humble," said Chavez. "At this moment in my life, to be inducted into the Hall of Fame is very special. I feel great to know that my name will be inscribed with the best of the best, to join some of my heroes and to leave a mark for my family and my country."
Tszyu, a Russian native who moved to Australia, was junior welterweight champ with a record of 31-2 with 25 knockouts. He became the unified champ with a second-round TKO of Zab Judah in 2001.
"This is unbelievably great news!" exclaimed Tszyu. "I'm actually speechless. I can't describe my feelings. My job was to make sure the people enjoyed themselves when they were watching me and I spent all my life doing so. I still continue to be involved in boxing to this day because boxing has been so great to me. To be inducted next to Sugar Ray Leonard, Muhammad Ali, Roberto Duran and Jeff Fenech, who's a good friend of mine, is a huge, huge honor."
Cortez had an 18-1 record before retiring in 1971 and became a referee. He worked his first title bout in 1982 and refereed more than 160 title fights, including Tyson vs. Holmes and Bowe vs. Holyfield I.
Beristain trained Mexico's boxing teams at the 1968, 1976 and 1980 Olympics, and guided 18 champions in the pro ranks, including Hall of Famers Ricardo "Finito" Lopez, Humberto "Chiquita" Gonzalez and Daniel Zarazoga.
Stallone is best known for the "Rocky" series of movies, including the original that won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 1976.
The 22nd annual Hall of Fame induction ceremony is scheduled for June 12 in Canastota, New York.
Meeks proves fringe players deserve a chance
Philadelphia, PA - We have reached the quarter pole of the NBA season and the makeup of the league has been clearly defined.
The Eastern Conference is top-heavy with the West showing a little more depth as usual.
Boston, Orlando and Miami are the three heavyweights out East with the surprising New York Knicks joining Atlanta, Chicago and an improved Indiana Pacers club as likely playoff participants. In the West, Southwest rivals San Antonio and Dallas are trying to make sure home court in the postseason isn't the birthright of the two-time defending champion LA Lakers, while Utah, Denver, Oklahoma City and New Orleans are probably a notch below those three teams but very competitive.
That leaves one playoff spot in each conference up for grabs. Currently the Toronto Raptors hold the eight-seed out East with a dismal 8-13 mark, while Phoenix at 11-9 is fending off an injury-riddled Portland club for the final spot in the West. Things are so muddled in the East that anyone could make a run and secure the final slot but teams like Sacramento, Minnesota and the LA Clippers in the West can already start making their reservations for Secaucus and the NBA Draft Lottery.
That's all window dressing, however. Currently there are only six to eight legitimate championship contenders, meaning there are at least 22 clubs that have no chance of capturing the game's ultimate prize with 75 percent of their seasons still to be played. The goals are different for each and every one of those teams on the outside looking in at the Lawrence O'Brien Trophy but for the clubs on the back end of that rather lengthy list, a little tinkering should be in order.
In fact, I've never understood "bad" teams with set rotations. If the players garnering the majority of minutes aren't getting it done, shouldn't the guys who aren't playing at least get a chance to improve things?
That may be simplistic but the end of the bench for a typical NBA team is usually filled with former college stars that haven't gotten a chance at this level. Players that have pre-determined warts -- be it a lack of athleticism, a poor jumper and the inability to defend.
I saw one of those players enjoy a bit of a coming out party last Saturday in Philadelphia when former Kentucky star Jodie Meeks scored 20 of his career- high 26 points in a record-setting first quarter as the 76ers breezed past Larry Brown and the Charlotte Bobcats, 109-91, at Wells Fargo Center.
Meeks, making just his second career start, was 7-for-9 from the floor in the opening frame and 6-of-7 from the 3-point line, matching the floor record of Allen Iverson for points in a quarter.
The second year shooting guard, who was acquired from Milwaukee along with Francisco Elson in exchange for Primoz Brezec, Royal Ivey and a second round pick in a trade deadline deal last season, finished the night hitting 9-of-16 from the field and 7-of-10 from long range. The seven threes tied Kyle Korver's floor record for most long range bombs by a Sixer in a game.
"It felt good," Meeks said of his breakout game. "The team did a good job of finding me open and I just kept letting it fly. After I hit my first one, I hit another one and I just kept making them. It felt good."
The Sixers have been searching for a legitimate two guard for years and thought that solved the problem by selecting Evan Turner with the No. 2 overall pick in June's draft.
A skilled ball-handler, Turner excelled as a facilitator in college at Ohio State whether he was toiling at the point, as a two or at small forward. He flourished when creating for others, and could forge the type of space and separation to get his own shot at virtually any time. With Jrue Holiday on hand in Philadelphia, however, that meant Turner would have to settle in as the team's off-guard and learn to play without the ball in his hands, a totally new skill set for the 22-year-old.
The early results haven't been pretty and Turner has struggled mightily coming off screens and really doesn't seem to understand the concept of spacing that comes naturally to someone who has played the position for years -- someone like Meeks.
Meeks is comfortable running through a thicket of screens and raising up for a jumper, opening up the wings for players like Andre Iguodala and Elton Brand. Two games is hardly the type of sample size that will define Meeks as a player but his insertion into the lineup has ignited the Sixers offense, forcing defenses to scramble in search of the pure shooter while opening up driving lanes for the team's slashers.
"Guys are unselfish and are looking for him when he is hot," Brand said of Meeks. "We have seen it numerous times at practice, hitting shot after shot from long range. I am glad, he is a young player and I am glad he is stepping up and playing well like he is."
The book on Meeks coming out of Kentucky questioned his size, generously listed at 6-foot-4, length and defensive ability. But, the bread and butter of his game with the Wildcats was his ability to shoot the ball from the perimeter. He was comfortable both coming off screens and shooting from a standstill position, always got the ball off with relative ease and did a nice job of reading what defenses gave him.
As a junior, Meeks final year at Kentucky, he led the SEC in scoring at 23.7 ppg and recorded the nation's top three scoring efforts (54, 46 and 45 points) but slipped to the 41st pick in the 2009 draft.
Meeks has impressed Collins with a tireless work ethic and a willingness to address on his perceived deficiencies.
"Sometimes you become a victim of numbers," Collins recently told the Philadelphia Daily News when talking about Meeks. "One thing about Jodie is that he can play bigger guys. He's powerful and he's quick and he's fast. He's probably my best guy where you can run plays for him coming off screens and he can catch and shoot."
To Collins' credit he showed an open mind by giving the Norcross, Ga. native a chance to redefine himself.
And sometimes that's all a player needs.
Temple's Allen honored as A-10 Co-Player of the Week
Temple senior forward Lavoy Allen has been named Atlantic 10 Conference Co-Player of the Week for the week ending December 5. Allen, who garners his second career POW award from the league, shares the honor with Ogo Adegboye of St. Bonaventure
A Naismith and Wooden Award candidate, Allen posted identical 13-point, 10-rebound games in road wins over Central Michigan (65-53, 12/1) and Maryland (12/5). They were his first double-doubles of the season and 29th of his career.
In the CMU victory, the Morrisville, PA native (Pennsbury High), made six of his eight field goal attempts while setting a new career-high with five blocked shots. In the Owls win over Maryland, he made six of 10 attempts from the field.
Allen, a preseason first team all-Atlantic 10 selection, is averaging 10.6 points and a team-high 6.9 rebounds per game.
A Naismith and Wooden Award candidate, Allen posted identical 13-point, 10-rebound games in road wins over Central Michigan (65-53, 12/1) and Maryland (12/5). They were his first double-doubles of the season and 29th of his career.
In the CMU victory, the Morrisville, PA native (Pennsbury High), made six of his eight field goal attempts while setting a new career-high with five blocked shots. In the Owls win over Maryland, he made six of 10 attempts from the field.
Allen, a preseason first team all-Atlantic 10 selection, is averaging 10.6 points and a team-high 6.9 rebounds per game.
Nats at it again; preparing mega-deal for Cliff Lee
By Chris Ruddick
Lake Buena Vista, FL - If you thought the Washington Nationals were done after the Jayson Werth deal, you were sadly mistaken. The buzz here in Lake Buena Vista as Day 2 of Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings gets underway is that the Nationals are getting ready to offer Cliff Lee a monster deal.
There were reports late last night that stated that not only was Lee interested in a seven-year deal, but there was apparently a team out there willing to give it to him. New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman quickly said he would not go seven years for Lee, so who is the team?
Well apparently it's the Nats. They had to overpay Werth for him to go there, now they are willing to do the same for Lee. Word is they are kicking the tires on a seven-year deal that could be worth up to $175 million.
Werth was a nice piece, but if the Nationals can add Lee they are legitimate.
Would Lee go there? Why not? Money talks and he would be insane to turn that down. The Yankees won't go that high and Texas won't match that. Honestly it would probably be $30-40 million more than any offer he would have received.
How would the fans in Philadelphia like having to face Lee five times a year, while watching Werth patrol right field at Nationals Park?
Obviously there are still a lot of holes on a Nationals team that lost 93 games last season and has averaged nearly 100 losses over the past three years. But Werth and Lee are a good start, especially if they can add another arm ... cough Carl Pavano cough. Not to mention Ryan Zimmerman is already there and the team does expects Stephen Strasburg to pitch for them at some point next season.
I didn't like the Werth deal because I thought the money would have been better served being spread around. Well I guess I was wrong because even if they don't land Lee, they are not done spending and it's apparent the Nats still have plenty of money to burn.
The Nats aren't just sending a message to the National League here at the Meetings, they are putting the entire league on notice that they are coming.
FORMER CY YOUNG WINNER AVAILABLE
There is also another former Cy Young Award winner available and you can probably get him pretty cheap. Right-hander Brandon Webb is still searching for a team after missing most of the last two seasons recovering from shoulder surgery.
Webb made only one start in 2009, the season-opener, before struggling with right shoulder problems and eventually having surgery. Prior to the shoulder injury he had been extremely durable, as he made at least 30 starts in five consecutive seasons, including 2006, when he won the National League Cy Young Award.
There are as many as 10 teams that are in on Webb, including, of course the Nationals. The Rangers also stepped up their pursuit of him late Monday.
ALL QUIET ON CRAWFORD
Surprisingly there does not seem to be much going on with Carl Crawford. Perhaps the amount of money Werth got over the weekend forced not only him, but the teams involved to reassess that situation.
Boston and the LA Angels are still the frontrunners. I wouldn't count out the Yankees, though, especially if they lose out on Lee.
JIM TRACY COLLAPSES
Colorado Rockies skipper Jim Tracy collapsed late Monday night and was taken to the hospital. Good news, though, as doctors have apparently ruled out anything serious, but he is still in the hospital undergoing tests.
Hopefully it was just a case of exhaustion following a busy day for him.
Lake Buena Vista, FL - If you thought the Washington Nationals were done after the Jayson Werth deal, you were sadly mistaken. The buzz here in Lake Buena Vista as Day 2 of Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings gets underway is that the Nationals are getting ready to offer Cliff Lee a monster deal.
There were reports late last night that stated that not only was Lee interested in a seven-year deal, but there was apparently a team out there willing to give it to him. New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman quickly said he would not go seven years for Lee, so who is the team?
Well apparently it's the Nats. They had to overpay Werth for him to go there, now they are willing to do the same for Lee. Word is they are kicking the tires on a seven-year deal that could be worth up to $175 million.
Werth was a nice piece, but if the Nationals can add Lee they are legitimate.
Would Lee go there? Why not? Money talks and he would be insane to turn that down. The Yankees won't go that high and Texas won't match that. Honestly it would probably be $30-40 million more than any offer he would have received.
How would the fans in Philadelphia like having to face Lee five times a year, while watching Werth patrol right field at Nationals Park?
Obviously there are still a lot of holes on a Nationals team that lost 93 games last season and has averaged nearly 100 losses over the past three years. But Werth and Lee are a good start, especially if they can add another arm ... cough Carl Pavano cough. Not to mention Ryan Zimmerman is already there and the team does expects Stephen Strasburg to pitch for them at some point next season.
I didn't like the Werth deal because I thought the money would have been better served being spread around. Well I guess I was wrong because even if they don't land Lee, they are not done spending and it's apparent the Nats still have plenty of money to burn.
The Nats aren't just sending a message to the National League here at the Meetings, they are putting the entire league on notice that they are coming.
FORMER CY YOUNG WINNER AVAILABLE
There is also another former Cy Young Award winner available and you can probably get him pretty cheap. Right-hander Brandon Webb is still searching for a team after missing most of the last two seasons recovering from shoulder surgery.
Webb made only one start in 2009, the season-opener, before struggling with right shoulder problems and eventually having surgery. Prior to the shoulder injury he had been extremely durable, as he made at least 30 starts in five consecutive seasons, including 2006, when he won the National League Cy Young Award.
There are as many as 10 teams that are in on Webb, including, of course the Nationals. The Rangers also stepped up their pursuit of him late Monday.
ALL QUIET ON CRAWFORD
Surprisingly there does not seem to be much going on with Carl Crawford. Perhaps the amount of money Werth got over the weekend forced not only him, but the teams involved to reassess that situation.
Boston and the LA Angels are still the frontrunners. I wouldn't count out the Yankees, though, especially if they lose out on Lee.
JIM TRACY COLLAPSES
Colorado Rockies skipper Jim Tracy collapsed late Monday night and was taken to the hospital. Good news, though, as doctors have apparently ruled out anything serious, but he is still in the hospital undergoing tests.
Hopefully it was just a case of exhaustion following a busy day for him.
76ers resume homestand vs. Cavs
The Philadelphia 76ers will resume a four-game homestand tonight when they entertain a reeling Cleveland Cavaliers team at Wells Fargo Center.
The Sixers won the opener of their residency on Saturday when Jodie Meeks, making just his second career start, poured in career-high 26 points on 7- of-10 shooting from behind the arc, as Philadelphia started strong and never trailed in a 109-91 victory over Charlotte.
Thaddeus Young chipped in 20 points, while Andre Iguodala and Jrue Holiday each went for 15 points and seven assists for a Sixers team one day removed from blowing an 18-point lead in Atlanta.
Elton Brand added 15 points and 10 boards in the win, Philadelphia's third in four games and fourth straight on its home floor.
Meeks came out of the gates on fire, hitting 6-of-7 from three-point range during a 20-point first quarter that tied a floor record set by Allen Iverson.
"I'll do whatever I have to do to help the team get started off right, and tonight it was scoring," Meeks said. "My team did a good job of finding me. We got out to a big lead and we were able to hold it."
The 76ers haven't win five in a row as the host since an eight-game run from Feb. 5-March 7, 2008.
The Cavs, meanwhile, dropped their fourth straight game on Sunday in Auburn Hills when the trio of Richard Hamilton, Rodney Stuckey and Tayshaun Prince combined for 71 points, carrying the Detroit Pistons past Cleveland, 102-92.
Antawn Jamison had a team-high 22 points for the Cavaliers, who have been outscored by a whopping 91 points during a four-game skid. Mo Williams ended with 14 points and 10 assists for Cleveland while Daniel Gibson had 12 points and Anderson Varejao grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds in defeat.
"I'm obviously not happy about the loss, but I am a little bit happier because I thought our guys competed tonight," said Cavs head coach Byron Scott.
The Sixers have dropped five straight overall versus the Cavs and eight consecutive against Cleveland in the City of Brotherly Love. Of course most of that damage was inflicted when superstar LeBron James was in Cleveland, although the James-less Cavs have already topped the Sixers twice this season, including a 123-116 win in Philly back on Nov. 5.
The Sixers won the opener of their residency on Saturday when Jodie Meeks, making just his second career start, poured in career-high 26 points on 7- of-10 shooting from behind the arc, as Philadelphia started strong and never trailed in a 109-91 victory over Charlotte.
Thaddeus Young chipped in 20 points, while Andre Iguodala and Jrue Holiday each went for 15 points and seven assists for a Sixers team one day removed from blowing an 18-point lead in Atlanta.
Elton Brand added 15 points and 10 boards in the win, Philadelphia's third in four games and fourth straight on its home floor.
Meeks came out of the gates on fire, hitting 6-of-7 from three-point range during a 20-point first quarter that tied a floor record set by Allen Iverson.
"I'll do whatever I have to do to help the team get started off right, and tonight it was scoring," Meeks said. "My team did a good job of finding me. We got out to a big lead and we were able to hold it."
The 76ers haven't win five in a row as the host since an eight-game run from Feb. 5-March 7, 2008.
The Cavs, meanwhile, dropped their fourth straight game on Sunday in Auburn Hills when the trio of Richard Hamilton, Rodney Stuckey and Tayshaun Prince combined for 71 points, carrying the Detroit Pistons past Cleveland, 102-92.
Antawn Jamison had a team-high 22 points for the Cavaliers, who have been outscored by a whopping 91 points during a four-game skid. Mo Williams ended with 14 points and 10 assists for Cleveland while Daniel Gibson had 12 points and Anderson Varejao grabbed a game-high 14 rebounds in defeat.
"I'm obviously not happy about the loss, but I am a little bit happier because I thought our guys competed tonight," said Cavs head coach Byron Scott.
The Sixers have dropped five straight overall versus the Cavs and eight consecutive against Cleveland in the City of Brotherly Love. Of course most of that damage was inflicted when superstar LeBron James was in Cleveland, although the James-less Cavs have already topped the Sixers twice this season, including a 123-116 win in Philly back on Nov. 5.
Monday, December 06, 2010
Werth deal still the talk of Lake Buena Vista
By Chris Ruddick
Leave it to the Washington Nationals to steal the show at Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings.
Wait what?
Even after the Boston Red Sox finally put the finishing touches on their acquisition of first baseman Adrian Gonzalez from the San Diego Padres all anyone wanted to talk about on Monday was Washington's outrageous deal with outfielder Jayson Werth.
In case you were living under a rock or captivated by a full dose of NFL action on Sunday you may have missed that the Nationals agreed with the former Phillies slugger on a seven-year, $126 million deal, easily the most lucrative contract in team history.
Werth's deal is actually $6 million more than what the franchise sold for in 2002.
Essentially, Werth replaces Adam Dunn in the lineup. You can argue whether or not he is an upgrade, but wouldn't Washington have been better served re- signing Dunn and adding a couple of pitchers, like a Carl Pavano or a Jorge De La Rosa, than putting all their eggs in the Werth basket?
The Nats don't strike me as a win-now team and this is a win-now move.
Maybe we shouldn't be so surprised, though. The Nats were on the periphery of Mark Teixeira a few years ago and are always linked to some big names. While most people laugh them off when their name would come up, maybe this was a move to let everyone know that they can start to be taken seriously.
Bottom line was they made a nice offer to Teixeira before the 2009 campaign. It wasn't enough. They wanted to make a splash and gave Werth an offer he couldn't refuse. They had to blow him out of the water to come there and they did.
I think Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said it best, however.
"It makes some of our contracts look pretty good," Alderson said. "That's a long time and a lot of money. I thought they were trying to reduce the deficit in Washington."
Speaking of the Red Sox, no surprise that they completed the Gonzalez deal. I didn't buy the news on Sunday that the deal was falling apart because of the lack of an extension. They had come to far to back out because of that and everyone knows a deal is going to get done with him at some point.
The Red Sox were always the most logical fit for Gonzalez. He is going to rake at Fenway Park and keep in mind San Diego general manager Jed Hoyer worked for Boston GM Theo Epstein. He knows the Red Sox system very well. Hoyer got exactly what he wanted from Boston.
ORIOLES ADD A BAT
Not to be outdone by their brothers along The Beltway, the Baltimore Orioles added a bat as well, as they acquired slugging third baseman Mark Reynolds from the Arizona Diamondbacks for a pair of right-handers in David Hernandez and Kam Mickolio.
Reynolds belted 32 homers and drove in 85 runs while batting a dismal .198 in 145 games last season. He also topped 200 strikeouts for the third year in a row with 211.
The 27-year-old University of Virginia product has recorded 121 homers and 346 RBI over his four big league seasons, but has also fanned 767 times. He led the National League in strikeouts each of the last three years.
It was no secret that Baltimore was looking for a bat and had actually been linked to free agent third baseman Adrian Beltre, whose options seem to be dwindling by the minute.
GILLICK GETS HALL CALL; MILLER, STEINBRENNER SNUBBED
The event that really kicks off the Winter Meetings is the Veterans Committee announcement of their Hall of Fame selections. This year was a pretty stacked ballot as former Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was listed, as was former Players Association head honcho Marvin Miller and former general manager Pat Gillick.
Gillick, though, was the only candidate among 12 that received the necessary 75 percent vote from the 16-member committee, which considered a ballot of eight former players, three executives and one manager whose contributions to the game were most significant from 1973 through the present. He received 13 votes, one more than the required 12 for induction.
Steinbrenner, who bought the New York Yankees in 1973 and died July 13, was also on the ballot. He received less than eight votes.
Miller came up just short with 11 votes, while former Cincinnati Reds shortstop Dave Concepcion received eight votes. Ted Simmons, Vida Blue, Steve Garvey, Ron Guidry, Tommy John, Billy Martin, Al Oliver and Rusty Staub also received fewer than eight votes.
"We are thrilled to have Pat as the newest member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and we welcome him into the Hall of Fame family," said Hall of Fame Chairman of the Board Jane Forbes Clark. "Pat's consistent excellence as a talent evaluator and team builder has been evident at every step throughout his brilliant career, constructing three World Series champions with his teams making 11 postseason appearances."
Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies are set for Sunday, July 24, 2011.
RUMOR OF THE MOMENT
I have been here for about a half hour and I can already tell you whose name is going to be bandied about the most this week and that is former American League Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke.
Greinke's name has been linked to about six teams already, but the two that make the most sense are the Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays. Something could be cooking with the Blue Jays, as they have already sent righty Shaun Marcum to Milwaukee, leaving a big spot open in their rotation.
Could a Kyle Drabek for Greinke deal be in the works? We will see, but I am betting dollars to doughnuts he is dealt this week.
Leave it to the Washington Nationals to steal the show at Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings.
Wait what?
Even after the Boston Red Sox finally put the finishing touches on their acquisition of first baseman Adrian Gonzalez from the San Diego Padres all anyone wanted to talk about on Monday was Washington's outrageous deal with outfielder Jayson Werth.
In case you were living under a rock or captivated by a full dose of NFL action on Sunday you may have missed that the Nationals agreed with the former Phillies slugger on a seven-year, $126 million deal, easily the most lucrative contract in team history.
Werth's deal is actually $6 million more than what the franchise sold for in 2002.
Essentially, Werth replaces Adam Dunn in the lineup. You can argue whether or not he is an upgrade, but wouldn't Washington have been better served re- signing Dunn and adding a couple of pitchers, like a Carl Pavano or a Jorge De La Rosa, than putting all their eggs in the Werth basket?
The Nats don't strike me as a win-now team and this is a win-now move.
Maybe we shouldn't be so surprised, though. The Nats were on the periphery of Mark Teixeira a few years ago and are always linked to some big names. While most people laugh them off when their name would come up, maybe this was a move to let everyone know that they can start to be taken seriously.
Bottom line was they made a nice offer to Teixeira before the 2009 campaign. It wasn't enough. They wanted to make a splash and gave Werth an offer he couldn't refuse. They had to blow him out of the water to come there and they did.
I think Mets general manager Sandy Alderson said it best, however.
"It makes some of our contracts look pretty good," Alderson said. "That's a long time and a lot of money. I thought they were trying to reduce the deficit in Washington."
Speaking of the Red Sox, no surprise that they completed the Gonzalez deal. I didn't buy the news on Sunday that the deal was falling apart because of the lack of an extension. They had come to far to back out because of that and everyone knows a deal is going to get done with him at some point.
The Red Sox were always the most logical fit for Gonzalez. He is going to rake at Fenway Park and keep in mind San Diego general manager Jed Hoyer worked for Boston GM Theo Epstein. He knows the Red Sox system very well. Hoyer got exactly what he wanted from Boston.
ORIOLES ADD A BAT
Not to be outdone by their brothers along The Beltway, the Baltimore Orioles added a bat as well, as they acquired slugging third baseman Mark Reynolds from the Arizona Diamondbacks for a pair of right-handers in David Hernandez and Kam Mickolio.
Reynolds belted 32 homers and drove in 85 runs while batting a dismal .198 in 145 games last season. He also topped 200 strikeouts for the third year in a row with 211.
The 27-year-old University of Virginia product has recorded 121 homers and 346 RBI over his four big league seasons, but has also fanned 767 times. He led the National League in strikeouts each of the last three years.
It was no secret that Baltimore was looking for a bat and had actually been linked to free agent third baseman Adrian Beltre, whose options seem to be dwindling by the minute.
GILLICK GETS HALL CALL; MILLER, STEINBRENNER SNUBBED
The event that really kicks off the Winter Meetings is the Veterans Committee announcement of their Hall of Fame selections. This year was a pretty stacked ballot as former Yankees owner George Steinbrenner was listed, as was former Players Association head honcho Marvin Miller and former general manager Pat Gillick.
Gillick, though, was the only candidate among 12 that received the necessary 75 percent vote from the 16-member committee, which considered a ballot of eight former players, three executives and one manager whose contributions to the game were most significant from 1973 through the present. He received 13 votes, one more than the required 12 for induction.
Steinbrenner, who bought the New York Yankees in 1973 and died July 13, was also on the ballot. He received less than eight votes.
Miller came up just short with 11 votes, while former Cincinnati Reds shortstop Dave Concepcion received eight votes. Ted Simmons, Vida Blue, Steve Garvey, Ron Guidry, Tommy John, Billy Martin, Al Oliver and Rusty Staub also received fewer than eight votes.
"We are thrilled to have Pat as the newest member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and we welcome him into the Hall of Fame family," said Hall of Fame Chairman of the Board Jane Forbes Clark. "Pat's consistent excellence as a talent evaluator and team builder has been evident at every step throughout his brilliant career, constructing three World Series champions with his teams making 11 postseason appearances."
Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies are set for Sunday, July 24, 2011.
RUMOR OF THE MOMENT
I have been here for about a half hour and I can already tell you whose name is going to be bandied about the most this week and that is former American League Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke.
Greinke's name has been linked to about six teams already, but the two that make the most sense are the Atlanta Braves and Toronto Blue Jays. Something could be cooking with the Blue Jays, as they have already sent righty Shaun Marcum to Milwaukee, leaving a big spot open in their rotation.
Could a Kyle Drabek for Greinke deal be in the works? We will see, but I am betting dollars to doughnuts he is dealt this week.
Gillick elected to Hall
Pat Gillick, who built World Series championship teams in Toronto and Philadelphia, was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Expansion Era Committee.
Gillick was the only candidate among 12 that received the necessary 75 percent vote from the 16-member committee, which considered a ballot of eight former players, three executives and one manager whose contributions to the game were most significant from 1973 through the present. He received 13 votes, one more than the required 12 for induction.
George Steinbrenner, who bought the New York Yankees in 1973 and died July 13, was also on the ballot. He received less than eight votes.
Former union head Marvin Miller came up just short with 11 votes, while former Cincinnati Reds shortstop Dave Concepcion received eight votes. Ted Simmons, Vida Blue, Steve Garvey, Ron Guidry, Tommy John, Billy Martin, Al Oliver and Rusty Staub also received fewer than eight votes.
Gillick will be the 32nd executive inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and was just the fourth individual elected whose career has been defined nearly exclusively as a team architect, joining Ed Barrow, Branch Rickey and George Weiss in Cooperstown. Gillick will be joined by any electees who emerge from the Baseball Writers' Association of America voting, which will be announced on January 5, 2011.
"We are thrilled to have Pat as the newest member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and we welcome him into the Hall of Fame family," said Hall of Fame Chairman of the Board Jane Forbes Clark. "Pat's consistent excellence as a talent evaluator and team builder has been evident at every step throughout his brilliant career, constructing three World Series champions with his teams making 11 postseason appearances."
Gillick has spent nearly 50 years in Major League Baseball, including 27 as a general manager. He built the Blue Jay teams that won back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and '93, and was the architect of the 2008 World Series champion Phillies.
Baltimore and Seattle also earned playoff berths under Gillick's guidance. He began his big league front office career with the Houston Colt .45s/Astros in 1963 and left after the 1973 season to join the New York Yankees as scouting director. He took over the expansion Blue Jays in 1977, worked with the Orioles from 1996-98 and the Mariners from 2000-03 before taking over the Phillies in 2006.
Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies are set for Sunday, July 24, 2011.
Gillick was the only candidate among 12 that received the necessary 75 percent vote from the 16-member committee, which considered a ballot of eight former players, three executives and one manager whose contributions to the game were most significant from 1973 through the present. He received 13 votes, one more than the required 12 for induction.
George Steinbrenner, who bought the New York Yankees in 1973 and died July 13, was also on the ballot. He received less than eight votes.
Former union head Marvin Miller came up just short with 11 votes, while former Cincinnati Reds shortstop Dave Concepcion received eight votes. Ted Simmons, Vida Blue, Steve Garvey, Ron Guidry, Tommy John, Billy Martin, Al Oliver and Rusty Staub also received fewer than eight votes.
Gillick will be the 32nd executive inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame and was just the fourth individual elected whose career has been defined nearly exclusively as a team architect, joining Ed Barrow, Branch Rickey and George Weiss in Cooperstown. Gillick will be joined by any electees who emerge from the Baseball Writers' Association of America voting, which will be announced on January 5, 2011.
"We are thrilled to have Pat as the newest member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, and we welcome him into the Hall of Fame family," said Hall of Fame Chairman of the Board Jane Forbes Clark. "Pat's consistent excellence as a talent evaluator and team builder has been evident at every step throughout his brilliant career, constructing three World Series champions with his teams making 11 postseason appearances."
Gillick has spent nearly 50 years in Major League Baseball, including 27 as a general manager. He built the Blue Jay teams that won back-to-back World Series titles in 1992 and '93, and was the architect of the 2008 World Series champion Phillies.
Baltimore and Seattle also earned playoff berths under Gillick's guidance. He began his big league front office career with the Houston Colt .45s/Astros in 1963 and left after the 1973 season to join the New York Yankees as scouting director. He took over the expansion Blue Jays in 1977, worked with the Orioles from 1996-98 and the Mariners from 2000-03 before taking over the Phillies in 2006.
Hall of Fame enshrinement ceremonies are set for Sunday, July 24, 2011.
Werth flees for D.C.
In a mild surprise, the Washington Nationals signed former Phillies outfielder Jayson Werth to a reported monster seven-year, $126 million deal.
Werth will remain in the NL East and fill a big void for Washington that was created when Adam Dunn signed with the White Sox.
"I feel that Jayson's best days haven't been had yet," said Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo "He is going to continue on and prove his skills in his future time in the big leagues."
The 31-year-old figures to immediately slot into the starting right field spot and will bat in the middle of the lineup for the Nationals, who have finished in last place in five of their six years of existence.
"He has the skill set to play multiple positions in the outfield," Rizzo added.
Werth made a name for himself in four seasons with Philadelphia, winning a World Series in 2008 and finishing eighth in the NL MVP voting this past season. In 156 games in 2010, Werth batted .296 with a .388 on-base percentage to go with 27 homers and 85 RBI.
He began his stint with the Phillies as a platoon player and quickly played his way into a starting job, averaging 136 games from 2007-10. In 543 games with Philadelphia, Werth batted .282 with a .380 OBP and a .506 slugging mark.
Werth also spent two seasons apiece with the Dodgers and Blue Jays, but never fulfilled his promise as a first-round pick due to several injuries. In his 775-game career, Werth is a .272 hitter with 120 homers and 406 RBI.
Werth will remain in the NL East and fill a big void for Washington that was created when Adam Dunn signed with the White Sox.
"I feel that Jayson's best days haven't been had yet," said Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo "He is going to continue on and prove his skills in his future time in the big leagues."
The 31-year-old figures to immediately slot into the starting right field spot and will bat in the middle of the lineup for the Nationals, who have finished in last place in five of their six years of existence.
"He has the skill set to play multiple positions in the outfield," Rizzo added.
Werth made a name for himself in four seasons with Philadelphia, winning a World Series in 2008 and finishing eighth in the NL MVP voting this past season. In 156 games in 2010, Werth batted .296 with a .388 on-base percentage to go with 27 homers and 85 RBI.
He began his stint with the Phillies as a platoon player and quickly played his way into a starting job, averaging 136 games from 2007-10. In 543 games with Philadelphia, Werth batted .282 with a .380 OBP and a .506 slugging mark.
Werth also spent two seasons apiece with the Dodgers and Blue Jays, but never fulfilled his promise as a first-round pick due to several injuries. In his 775-game career, Werth is a .272 hitter with 120 homers and 406 RBI.
Sunday, December 05, 2010
That was quick; Iverson to leave Turkey
Allen Iverson may be close to leaving Besiktas of the Turkish League, according to a report by Sportando.
Iverson, who has been heavily criticized since his arrival in Turkey for poor play, is averaging 12.3 points per game in three Eurocup games.
Iverson, who has been heavily criticized since his arrival in Turkey for poor play, is averaging 12.3 points per game in three Eurocup games.
Temple shut out of bowl sweepstakes
A two-game losing streak to end the year has cost the Temple Owls dearly. Several players have confirmed that the Owls will not be invited to a bowl game this season despite finishing 8-4.
“I'm disappointed for our student-athletes, especially for a remarkable group of seniors who are the first group since 1982 to graduate Temple with a winning record," Owls coach Al Golden said in a statement. "It's unfortunate for everyone in the Temple Community, because this is a team truly worthy of a bowl. We played seven postseason teams, including all four non-conference opponents. We finished 8-4, 3-1 out of conference and beat three postseason teams, including a BCS win over Big East Champion UConn.”
“I'm disappointed for our student-athletes, especially for a remarkable group of seniors who are the first group since 1982 to graduate Temple with a winning record," Owls coach Al Golden said in a statement. "It's unfortunate for everyone in the Temple Community, because this is a team truly worthy of a bowl. We played seven postseason teams, including all four non-conference opponents. We finished 8-4, 3-1 out of conference and beat three postseason teams, including a BCS win over Big East Champion UConn.”
Saturday, December 04, 2010
Meeks shines as Sixers rout Bobcats
Philadelphia, PA - Jodie Meeks scored 20 of his career-high 26 points in a record-setting first quarter as the Philadelphia 76ers breezed past Larry Brown and the Charlotte Bobcats, 109-91, in front of 14,611 at Wells Fargo Center.
Meeks, making just his second career start, was 7-for-9 from the floor in the opening frame and 6-of-7 from the 3-point line, matching the floor record of Allen Iverson for points in a quarter. Julius Erving has the franchise record for first quarter scoring, netting 21 back in 1979.
The second year shooting guard out of Kentucky, who was acquired from Milwaukee along with Francisco Elson in exchange for Primoz Brezec, Royal Ivey and a second round pick in a trade deadline deal last season, finished the night hitting 9-of-16 from the field and 7-of-10 from long range. The seven threes tied Kyle Korver's floor record for most long range bombs by a Sixer in a game.
"It felt good," Meeks said of his breakout game. "The team did a good job of finding me open and I just kept letting it fly. After I hit my first one, I hit another one and I just kept making them. It felt good. "
Meeks' running mate in the backcourt, Jrue Holiday, added 15 points and seven assists and was 3-of-4 from long range for the Sixers, who won their fourth straight game on their home floor and bounced back from an ugly fourth quarter collapse in Atlanta last night.
Thaddeus Young netted 20 points of the bench for Philadelphia, while Elton Brand and Andre Iguodala also chipped in 15 points each with E.B. pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds and Iggy dishing out seven helpers.
Boris Diaw had a team-high 19 points for the Bobcats, who dropped their fifth straight on the road. Stephen contributed 18 points and D.J. Augustin had 12.
The Sixers led 32-16 after 12 minutes and continued to play front-runner throughout the half, which ended with the score, 56-45.
"Guys are unselfish and are looking for him when he is hot," Brand said of Meeks. "We have seen it numerous times at practice, hitting shot after shot from long range. I am glad, he is a young player and I am glad he is stepping up and playing well like he is."
A Holiday slam 2:38 into the third quarter pushed the margin to 63-47, and it stayed double-digits throughout the frame.
The fourth quarter began with Philadelphia leading 85-67, and the Bobcats were content to empty their bench rather than push for a comeback.
Six Shots:
*Meeks previous career-high was 21 points something he accomplished three times, including Nov. 26 at Miami. His 20 points in the opening frame tied Lou Williams, who netted 20 in the 4th quarter against Washington on Nov.2, for the most points in a quarter by a Sixer this season.
"I am the type of guy that is unselfish," Meeks said. "Whatever I have to do to get the team started right. Tonight it was scoring and we got off to a big lead."
*Meeks has hit 14 3-pointers over the past five games and is shooting 47.7 percent from beyond the arc on the year.
*A moment of silence was observed before the game for longtime Sixers beat writer Phil Jasner, who lost his valiant battle with cancer on Friday.
Meeks, making just his second career start, was 7-for-9 from the floor in the opening frame and 6-of-7 from the 3-point line, matching the floor record of Allen Iverson for points in a quarter. Julius Erving has the franchise record for first quarter scoring, netting 21 back in 1979.
The second year shooting guard out of Kentucky, who was acquired from Milwaukee along with Francisco Elson in exchange for Primoz Brezec, Royal Ivey and a second round pick in a trade deadline deal last season, finished the night hitting 9-of-16 from the field and 7-of-10 from long range. The seven threes tied Kyle Korver's floor record for most long range bombs by a Sixer in a game.
"It felt good," Meeks said of his breakout game. "The team did a good job of finding me open and I just kept letting it fly. After I hit my first one, I hit another one and I just kept making them. It felt good. "
Meeks' running mate in the backcourt, Jrue Holiday, added 15 points and seven assists and was 3-of-4 from long range for the Sixers, who won their fourth straight game on their home floor and bounced back from an ugly fourth quarter collapse in Atlanta last night.
Thaddeus Young netted 20 points of the bench for Philadelphia, while Elton Brand and Andre Iguodala also chipped in 15 points each with E.B. pulling down a game-high 10 rebounds and Iggy dishing out seven helpers.
Boris Diaw had a team-high 19 points for the Bobcats, who dropped their fifth straight on the road. Stephen contributed 18 points and D.J. Augustin had 12.
The Sixers led 32-16 after 12 minutes and continued to play front-runner throughout the half, which ended with the score, 56-45.
"Guys are unselfish and are looking for him when he is hot," Brand said of Meeks. "We have seen it numerous times at practice, hitting shot after shot from long range. I am glad, he is a young player and I am glad he is stepping up and playing well like he is."
A Holiday slam 2:38 into the third quarter pushed the margin to 63-47, and it stayed double-digits throughout the frame.
The fourth quarter began with Philadelphia leading 85-67, and the Bobcats were content to empty their bench rather than push for a comeback.
*Meeks previous career-high was 21 points something he accomplished three times, including Nov. 26 at Miami. His 20 points in the opening frame tied Lou Williams, who netted 20 in the 4th quarter against Washington on Nov.2, for the most points in a quarter by a Sixer this season.
"I am the type of guy that is unselfish," Meeks said. "Whatever I have to do to get the team started right. Tonight it was scoring and we got off to a big lead."
*Meeks has hit 14 3-pointers over the past five games and is shooting 47.7 percent from beyond the arc on the year.
*A moment of silence was observed before the game for longtime Sixers beat writer Phil Jasner, who lost his valiant battle with cancer on Friday.
Delaware crushes Lehigh in FCS Playoffs
NEWARK, Del. – Lehigh’s memorable season came to an end on Saturday with a 42-20 loss to No. 3 Delaware in front of 13,649 at Delaware Stadium. The Mountain Hawks hung tough with the Blue Hens through 30 minutes but Delaware scored 28 unanswered points in the middle two quarters to break open a one point game.
Junior quarterback Chris Lum threw for a career-high 362 yards and a pair of touchdowns, but Delaware’s Pat Devlin threw for four scores to lead the Blue Hens (10-2) into the quarterfinals where they will face New Hampshire. Lehigh’s most successful season since 2001 ends with a 10-3 mark.
“Obviously today didn’t work out the way we would have liked it to,” said Lehigh head coach Andy Coen. “We knew we were playing an outstanding football team. We knew we were going to have to take advantage of the opportunities that were out there for us. They were a better football team. They were able to break some tackles. Their offense was outstanding, especially Devlin, and they were able to get some big plays on us which we hadn’t been giving up since early in the season.”
Delaware received the opening kickoff and marched down the field 68 yards in 11 plays to take a 7-0 lead. Junior Colin Newton sacked Pat Devlin on third down, but the Blue Hens converted a fourth and ten to keep the drive alive. Andrew Pierce bounced off a tackle and raced around the right side for a five-yard touchdown run for the game’s opening score.
Lehigh answered the Delaware touchdown with a score of its own in similar fashion. The Mountain Hawks drove 70 yards in 11 plays helped by a 23-yard pass from Lum to junior Jake Drwal on fourth and 12. On third and goal, Lum hit sophomore Ryan Spadola for at 13-yard score to tie the game at seven.
The Mountain Hawks’ defense then came up with the game’s first turnover as senior Al Pierce stripped Tommy Crosby after a 17-yard reception and senior Casey Eldemire recovered for Lehigh at its 49. After a nine play drive, Tom Randazza booted a 28-yard FG to give Lehigh a 10-7 lead in the opening seconds of the second quarter.
The Blue Hens answered right back with an 8-play, 60-yard drive. Devlin found Mark Schenauer on a post pattern for a 29-yard touchdown that gave UD a 14-10 advantage.
The punt-less first half continued as Lehigh answered Delaware’s touchdown with Randazza’s second field goal. Senior John Kennedy gave Lehigh good field position with a 41-yard return and after an eight play drive, Randazza kicked a 25-yard field goal to cut the Blue Hens’ lead to one.
Delaware answered the Lehigh field goal with a 10-play 66 yard drive and the Blue Hens added to their lead on a one-yard touchdown pass from Devlin to Chris Campbell.
From there the teams traded punts for the first time before Lehigh put together a drive near the end of the half. The Mountain Hawks worked their way into field goal range, but Lum’s pass was intercepted at the goal line by Anthony Walters and Delaware took a 21-13 lead into the half.
Total yards were close to even through 30 minutes with UD holding s slight 211-205 advantage. Lum was 19-of-27 for 198 yards a touchdown and an interception. Drwal was Lehigh’s leading receiver with seven receptions for 66 yards. The Mountain Hawks rushed for just seven yards in the first half.
“Offensively we did some nice things throwing the ball,” Coen said. “But we weren’t able to finish some key drives. A lot of times we were down in or near the red zone and came away with no points.”
Devlin was 11-of-15 for 158 yards and two scores. Pierce gained 37 yards on seven rushes while Schenauer caught four passes for 97 yards.
The Blue hens were able to extend their lead on their first possession of the second half. After Lehigh went three-and-out, Devlin hit Crosby for a 38-yard touchdown to extend the Delaware lead to 28-13. The lead then grew to 35-13 on a 16-yard run by David Hayes.
Delaware scored its third touchdown of the third quarter when Devlin hit Nihja White over the middle for 20 yards. It was Devlin’s fourth touchdown pass of the game.
On the first drive of the fourth quarter Lehigh got a score back on a 19-yard touchdown pass from Lum to junior Matt Fitz but those would be the last points of the game for either side.
Lum completed a career-high 35-of-58 passes for those 362 yards. He threw two touchdowns and two interceptions. Drwal was his top target with nine receptions for 84 yards, while Fitz added six grabs for 69 yards. The Lehigh ground game never got going with the team mustering just 29 yards on 20 attempts.
Defensively, Lehigh was led by senior Al Pierce who made 13 tackles and forced a fumble in his final game in the Brown and White.
For Delaware, Devlin was an efficient 19-of-26 for 256 yards. Schenauer finished with 113 yards on five receptions, while four other Blue Hens caught three balls each. Pierce rushed 18 times for 88 yards and Hayes added 74 yards on 12 carries. Lehigh held a 26-24 edge in first downs, but Delaware compiled 450 yards of total offense to 391 for the Mountain Hawks.
Lehigh concludes a season in which it won ten games, including its third straight win over rival Lafayette and a first round playoff win over Northern Iowa. The Mountain Hawks will say goodbye to 22 seniors.
“Our kids battled the whole game,” Coen said. “Their effort never waned. We’ve got nothing to be embarrassed about. We had a great season. We won the Patriot League, won ten games and went out and beat the champions of the Missouri Valley Conference. I think we’ll have a good football team coming back next year than can build off this experience.”
EXTRA POINTS… The loss snapped Lehigh’s eight-game win streak which was the longest among active FCS teams… Delaware is now 2-0 versus Lehigh in the NCAA playoffs… both meetings came in the second round after Lehigh defeated a Missouri Valley Conference opponent in the first round… Ryan Spadola capped his 1,000 yard receiving season with five catches for 72 yards and a touchdown… Fitz had six receptions on Saturday, but only five all season prior to the game… junior Mike Groome matched Pierce with 13 tackles… senior John Veniero recovered his fourth fumble of the season… Lehigh’s 42 points allowed were a season-high and the most since Holy Cross scored 59 in 2007… The 42 points were also the second most given up by Lehigh in a postseason game behind the 47 allowed to Delaware in 2000.
Alvarez to take on Bruce for IBA welterweight title tonight on Go Fight Live
NEW YORK / ATLANTIC CITY (December 4, 2010)— Tonight at Ballys in Atlantic City, Two welterweights will vie for the IBA Welterweight championship which they hope will be a steppingstone to a shot at greener pastures.
Shamone Alvarez will look to thrill the hometown fans when he takes on Ayi Bruce that will headline a big night of boxing that can be seen live on www.gofightlive.tv
The action will begin at 7:30 pm est and fans all over the world can order the fight for just $9.99 by clicking: http://www.gofightlive.tv/Events/Fight/Boxing/Alverez_v_Bruce/877
Alvarez of Atlantic City has a record of 21-2 with twelve knockouts and is coming off an impressive seventh round stoppage over Alexis Camacho (17-2) in March in a bout that was seen live all over the world on gofightlive.tv
Alvarez won his first fifteen fights which included impressive victories over Mohammad Kayongo (11-0-1); & Enrique Gutierrez (10-0).
He won the NABO Welterweight title with a twelve round unanimous decision over Jose Luis Cruz (34-2-2) and defended it with a unanimous decision over Germaine Sanders (27-3).
He suffered his first pro defeat when he dropped a twelve round unanimous decision to future world champion Joshua Clottey. He rebounded nicely to score a decision over former U.S. Olympian Terrance Cauthen (33-4) before dropping a razor thin decision to future world title challenger Delvin Rodriguez (23-2-2).
Bruce of Accra, Ghana has a record of 17-3 with twelve knockouts won his first fourteen bouts in his native
Ghana. In that process he won the Ghananian Jr. Welterweight title.
Since coming to America he has only lost to undefeated prospects Emanuel Taylor (7-0) and Raymond Serrano (12-0). Bruce has two in a row which includes a third round stoppage over forty-four fight veteran Larry Brothers on October 27th.
In the co-feature bout of the evening, hot up and coming Philadelphian prospect, Raymond “Tito” Serrano (13-0, 6KO’s) looks to close out 2010 by improving to 14-0 when he takes on tough veteran Geoffrey Spruiell, in an eight round welterweight showdown.
Also on the card is Wildwood, New Jersey’s popular light heavyweight contender, and reigning WBF US Light Heavyweight Champion, Chuck “The Professor” Mussachio (16-1-2, 5KO’s) as he squares off over eight scheduled rounds against Theo Kruger.
Exciting jr. middleweight, Ismael Garcia (1-0) will look to pick up his second win as a pro when he takes on New York’s, Joe Jerdon (0-1-2). Garcia, who lives in nearby Millville, NJ, made his pro-debut in Atlantic City in March, winning a dominating four round decision over previously unbeaten Josh Mercado (3-0). Garcia-Yerdon is scheduled for four rounds.
In a four round middleweight match-up Philadelphia’s Rashad Brown (1-0) squares off against Corey Preston (0-2).
The son of former WBA Heavyweight champion, Bruce Seldon, Isiah Seldon (2-0) takes on Todd Eriksson in a four round Middleweight bout.
Rounding out the card is Atlantic City’s Althera Saunders (1-0) in a four round female jr. welterweight contest against Natoya Ervin (1-6).
Legendary Sixers beat writer Phil Jasner passes away
By John McMullen
Phil Jasner, one of the true giants of the our industry, passed away Friday after a long and difficult battle with cancer.
The long-time Sixers beat writer for the Philadelphia Daily News, Jasner was chosen for induction by five different halls of fame; the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame; the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame; the Overbrook High School Hall of Fame; the Temple University School of Communications and Theater's Hall of Fame; and the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame.
Growing up in south Jersey my love of basketball was largely shaped by Jasner's descriptions of the action. The Hall of Famer loved hoops until the end even though the Sixers didn't make it easy for him. I was a little uneasy a few weeks ago when I stopped seeing Jasner at games since I knew he was suffering through a Stage 4 bout with an insidious disease and basketball was always his outlet. It seems like a lot of us get caught up in the mundane aspects of life and forget the things we have. Jasner always reminded me that I really don't have a job ... I get paid to cover basketball whether the Sixers win 70 or lose 70 and that's pretty cool.
Jasner's obituary will undoubtedly lead off with Hall of Fame writing career and while that was certainly a big part of his life, it shouldn't be the lead. If I am writing on deadline, I talk about the fact that Jasner was a Hall of Fame guy and I give my heartfelt condolences to his family and friends in this trying time. J
Phil Jasner, one of the true giants of the our industry, passed away Friday after a long and difficult battle with cancer.
The long-time Sixers beat writer for the Philadelphia Daily News, Jasner was chosen for induction by five different halls of fame; the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame; the Philadelphia Jewish Sports Hall of Fame; the Overbrook High School Hall of Fame; the Temple University School of Communications and Theater's Hall of Fame; and the Philadelphia Sports Hall of Fame.
Growing up in south Jersey my love of basketball was largely shaped by Jasner's descriptions of the action. The Hall of Famer loved hoops until the end even though the Sixers didn't make it easy for him. I was a little uneasy a few weeks ago when I stopped seeing Jasner at games since I knew he was suffering through a Stage 4 bout with an insidious disease and basketball was always his outlet. It seems like a lot of us get caught up in the mundane aspects of life and forget the things we have. Jasner always reminded me that I really don't have a job ... I get paid to cover basketball whether the Sixers win 70 or lose 70 and that's pretty cool.
Jasner's obituary will undoubtedly lead off with Hall of Fame writing career and while that was certainly a big part of his life, it shouldn't be the lead. If I am writing on deadline, I talk about the fact that Jasner was a Hall of Fame guy and I give my heartfelt condolences to his family and friends in this trying time. J
Friday, December 03, 2010
LeBron's return never had a chance to live up to the hype
By John McMullen
Legendary moments, players and games in sport are born out of scarcity.
Think about it. If the next Michael Jordan came around every other year or so, do you really think the original would live on with such reverence?
If Julius Erving's amazing up, over and around baseline move past Mark Landsberger in the 1980 NBA Finals happened each and every night, don't you think the good Doctor's YouTube hits might dry up?
Or if a 7-foot-4 guy like the Rockets' Ralph Sampson buried a twirling, turnaround jumper every year to knock out a club like Magic Johnson's 1986 Los Angeles Lakers, would that game still stand out?
Of course not.
Few things ever live up to the hype in this world and LeBron James' return to Cleveland never had a chance.
Don't get me wrong, LeBron was spectacular. In his first game back in the Forest City as a member of the Heat -- in his first game back since "The Decision" in which James opted to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in South Beach -- "The King" scored a season-high 38 points with eight assists and five rebounds, and led Miami in a 118-90 rout of his former team.
Of course, that's nothing we haven't seen on dozens of occasions in the past from James. Remember this is a player who has 29 triple-doubles in his career.
Sure, the off-the-court stuff was fun. The fans booed James during warmups and when he performed his signature tossing of the powder before tip-off. They booed him every time he touched the ball. They held signs and they cheered for each and every Heat mistake, but that's where it ended as James quieted the raucous crowd with a superlative 15-of-25 shooting performance and a franchise record-tying 24 points in the third quarter.
The quickest way for an opposing player to take the air out of any crowd is to perform well and LeBron certainly accomplished that, But, for the purpose of this exercise, let's assume he laid an egg and shot 8-for-30 and enabled the crowd to keep its energy throughout and never let up ... Exactly what were people expecting?
Thousands of disgruntled fans waiting for LeBron with torches and pitchforks?
Were they expecting one lunatic to race after him like he was Monica Seles?
Were they expecting Ron Artest in the stands, swinging blindly?
Let's face it this was Mike Tyson versus Peter McNeeley. The hype just never had a chance to live up to the reality of the situation -- the fact that this was the 20th of an 82-game Heat marathon. Just another stop for a team that has yet to be defined, a club where anything short of an NBA championship will be viewed as a disappointment.
"So many things went through my mind," James said after the game. "I have nothing bad to say about these (Cleveland) fans. It was seven great years. We grew from 17 wins in the year before I got here to the last two seasons I was here being the best team in the regular season. I understand their frustration and I was frustrated also because we didn't accomplish what we wanted to do at the end of the day. I wish this organization and these fans, which are great, the best."
A white bread quote for a white bread moment.
Legendary moments, players and games in sport are born out of scarcity.
Think about it. If the next Michael Jordan came around every other year or so, do you really think the original would live on with such reverence?
If Julius Erving's amazing up, over and around baseline move past Mark Landsberger in the 1980 NBA Finals happened each and every night, don't you think the good Doctor's YouTube hits might dry up?
Or if a 7-foot-4 guy like the Rockets' Ralph Sampson buried a twirling, turnaround jumper every year to knock out a club like Magic Johnson's 1986 Los Angeles Lakers, would that game still stand out?
Of course not.
Few things ever live up to the hype in this world and LeBron James' return to Cleveland never had a chance.
Don't get me wrong, LeBron was spectacular. In his first game back in the Forest City as a member of the Heat -- in his first game back since "The Decision" in which James opted to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in South Beach -- "The King" scored a season-high 38 points with eight assists and five rebounds, and led Miami in a 118-90 rout of his former team.
Of course, that's nothing we haven't seen on dozens of occasions in the past from James. Remember this is a player who has 29 triple-doubles in his career.
Sure, the off-the-court stuff was fun. The fans booed James during warmups and when he performed his signature tossing of the powder before tip-off. They booed him every time he touched the ball. They held signs and they cheered for each and every Heat mistake, but that's where it ended as James quieted the raucous crowd with a superlative 15-of-25 shooting performance and a franchise record-tying 24 points in the third quarter.
The quickest way for an opposing player to take the air out of any crowd is to perform well and LeBron certainly accomplished that, But, for the purpose of this exercise, let's assume he laid an egg and shot 8-for-30 and enabled the crowd to keep its energy throughout and never let up ... Exactly what were people expecting?
Thousands of disgruntled fans waiting for LeBron with torches and pitchforks?
Were they expecting one lunatic to race after him like he was Monica Seles?
Were they expecting Ron Artest in the stands, swinging blindly?
Let's face it this was Mike Tyson versus Peter McNeeley. The hype just never had a chance to live up to the reality of the situation -- the fact that this was the 20th of an 82-game Heat marathon. Just another stop for a team that has yet to be defined, a club where anything short of an NBA championship will be viewed as a disappointment.
"So many things went through my mind," James said after the game. "I have nothing bad to say about these (Cleveland) fans. It was seven great years. We grew from 17 wins in the year before I got here to the last two seasons I was here being the best team in the regular season. I understand their frustration and I was frustrated also because we didn't accomplish what we wanted to do at the end of the day. I wish this organization and these fans, which are great, the best."
A white bread quote for a white bread moment.
Plenty of action expected at Winter Meetings
By Chris Ruddick
Get ready for a ton of baseball rumors, wild trade scenarios and free agent signings, because the giant schmoozefest known as Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings gets underway next week at the Swan and Dolphin Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
Unlike the snoozefest the meetings have been the last couple of years, this latest edition of the get together figures to be action packed as all but a couple of the major A-list free agents are still on the market.
Of course the biggest fish out there, Cliff Lee, is still available and his agent has stated that he would like to get a deal done by the time the meetings conclude. That may be a bit ambitious, but he did meet with the Rangers this week and they are apparently ready to give him a fifth year.
I have thought all along that Lee would re-sign with Texas, but you can never count the Yankees out on anything, especially when it comes to someone they want. And by all accounts they want Lee bad.
Once Lee finds a home all the other dominoes should fall, likely in quick order: Carl Crawford, Jayson Werth, Carl Pavano, Rafael Soriano and Adrian Beltre are among countless others are still searching for homes. Derek Jeter is too, but like I have said in the past, he isn't leaving the Bronx.
All of the big free agents won't sign next week, but I expect at least two will come off the board.
If I had to predict right now I would say the Angels get one of the outfielders, with the Red Sox snatching the other. Then again if the Yankees miss out on Lee, expect them to jump into the Crawford-Werth mix. Then again there are teams out there that you are not thinking of that will jump into the fray, like say, perhaps St. Louis gets involved with Werth.
Either way the bulk of the action this offseason has yet to happen. In addition to the free agents, Boston may look to shop Jonathan Papelbon at these meetings and you have started to hear Kansas City ace Zack Greinke's name being kicked around as well. Then of course you still have Prince Fielder and Adrian Gonzalez out there and Tampa is looking to deal shortstop Jason Bartlett.
The early winners this offseason have been a pair of teams from the American League Central, the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox.
Detroit came out swinging, locking up catcher Victor Martinez and reliever Joaquin Benoit early, while the White Sox made a ton of news on Thursday, signing slugger Adam Dunn and cutting closer Bobby Jenks free. Chicago is also on the verge of re-signing catcher A.J. Pierzynski and is still very much in the mix on Paul Konerko.
Another hot topic next week will be the expansion of the postseason. Both the owners and MLBPA seem to agree that some sort of expanded playoff system is in order, but the logistics still need to be worked out. The current labor agreement has one year remaining, so a vote on this topic is probably still a bit away, but the MLBPA's executive board is currently meeting and you know the topic is being addressed.
Commissioner Bud Selig's 14-man committee is also expected to meet next week to discuss the playoff situation, as well as an expanded role of instant replay.
The meetings kick off on Monday with the Veterans Committee Hall of Fame selections. This year, George Steinbrenner is on the ballot and could get in along with longtime MLBPA leader Marvin Miller. It would be fitting for Billy Martin to go into the Hall alongside Steinbrenner, but he will likely fall short.
After the Hall of Fame announcement on Monday morning comes a lot of walking and waiting inside the lovely Swan and Dolphin before the meetings conclude on Thursday with the Rule 5 Draft.
The in-between, though, should be crazy.
Get ready for a ton of baseball rumors, wild trade scenarios and free agent signings, because the giant schmoozefest known as Major League Baseball's Winter Meetings gets underway next week at the Swan and Dolphin Resort in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.
Unlike the snoozefest the meetings have been the last couple of years, this latest edition of the get together figures to be action packed as all but a couple of the major A-list free agents are still on the market.
Of course the biggest fish out there, Cliff Lee, is still available and his agent has stated that he would like to get a deal done by the time the meetings conclude. That may be a bit ambitious, but he did meet with the Rangers this week and they are apparently ready to give him a fifth year.
I have thought all along that Lee would re-sign with Texas, but you can never count the Yankees out on anything, especially when it comes to someone they want. And by all accounts they want Lee bad.
Once Lee finds a home all the other dominoes should fall, likely in quick order: Carl Crawford, Jayson Werth, Carl Pavano, Rafael Soriano and Adrian Beltre are among countless others are still searching for homes. Derek Jeter is too, but like I have said in the past, he isn't leaving the Bronx.
All of the big free agents won't sign next week, but I expect at least two will come off the board.
If I had to predict right now I would say the Angels get one of the outfielders, with the Red Sox snatching the other. Then again if the Yankees miss out on Lee, expect them to jump into the Crawford-Werth mix. Then again there are teams out there that you are not thinking of that will jump into the fray, like say, perhaps St. Louis gets involved with Werth.
Either way the bulk of the action this offseason has yet to happen. In addition to the free agents, Boston may look to shop Jonathan Papelbon at these meetings and you have started to hear Kansas City ace Zack Greinke's name being kicked around as well. Then of course you still have Prince Fielder and Adrian Gonzalez out there and Tampa is looking to deal shortstop Jason Bartlett.
The early winners this offseason have been a pair of teams from the American League Central, the Detroit Tigers and Chicago White Sox.
Detroit came out swinging, locking up catcher Victor Martinez and reliever Joaquin Benoit early, while the White Sox made a ton of news on Thursday, signing slugger Adam Dunn and cutting closer Bobby Jenks free. Chicago is also on the verge of re-signing catcher A.J. Pierzynski and is still very much in the mix on Paul Konerko.
Another hot topic next week will be the expansion of the postseason. Both the owners and MLBPA seem to agree that some sort of expanded playoff system is in order, but the logistics still need to be worked out. The current labor agreement has one year remaining, so a vote on this topic is probably still a bit away, but the MLBPA's executive board is currently meeting and you know the topic is being addressed.
Commissioner Bud Selig's 14-man committee is also expected to meet next week to discuss the playoff situation, as well as an expanded role of instant replay.
The meetings kick off on Monday with the Veterans Committee Hall of Fame selections. This year, George Steinbrenner is on the ballot and could get in along with longtime MLBPA leader Marvin Miller. It would be fitting for Billy Martin to go into the Hall alongside Steinbrenner, but he will likely fall short.
After the Hall of Fame announcement on Monday morning comes a lot of walking and waiting inside the lovely Swan and Dolphin before the meetings conclude on Thursday with the Rule 5 Draft.
The in-between, though, should be crazy.
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Bobrovsky claims NHL Rookie of the Month Honors
Philadelphia Flyers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky was honored with the NHL's Rookie of the Month on Thursday.
The 22-year-old Russian went 7-1-2 in 11 appearances during November, allowing two goals or less in eight of those games for a 2.03 goals-against.
For the season, the rookie has compiled a 12-4-2 mark with a 2.18 GAA and .926 save percentage.
He is the first Flyers rookie netminder to win a Rookie of the Month honor this early in the season since Ron Hextall took home topr rookie honors for October and November in 1986.
The 22-year-old Russian went 7-1-2 in 11 appearances during November, allowing two goals or less in eight of those games for a 2.03 goals-against.
For the season, the rookie has compiled a 12-4-2 mark with a 2.18 GAA and .926 save percentage.
He is the first Flyers rookie netminder to win a Rookie of the Month honor this early in the season since Ron Hextall took home topr rookie honors for October and November in 1986.
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
Thomas stops Flyers cold as Bruins claim victory
by Bob Herpen
Phanatic Hockey Editor
Step One in the recovery process from last season's crushing playoff defeat is complete for the Boston Bruins, as Tim Thomas stopped all 41 shots he faced to record his fifth shutout of the season to get his club past the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-0, on Wednesday night.
Thomas' performance was backed by a pair of first-period goals by Patrice Bergeron and second-overall draft pick Tyler Seguin, and helped along by a punchless Flyers power play which finished with another goose egg in four attempts.
The 36-year-old Michigan native upped his record to 12-2-1, while lowering his NHL-best goals-against average to 1.55 and raising his save percentage to .955.
Milan Lucic added an empty-net goal for the Bruins, who improved to 13-8-2 on the year after having dropped four of their last five coming in.
Sergei Bobrovsky was hardly left out to dry, but still suffered the loss after allowing two goals on 31 shots for Philadelphia, which was blanked for the second time all season and first on home ice. Scott Hartnell was denied on a penalty shot late in the second period, and atypically had the majority of the Flyers' quality chances.
Though the home team came out charging and nearly scored twice on the opening shift, they inevitably made the first mistake with a penalty less than five minutes in, when Nikolay Zherdev was sent off for tripping.
Less than a minute into the advantage, Bobrovsky was forced to sprawl out and stop a break-in from Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, but Sean O'Donnell swept the rebound out of the crease and right onto the stick of Bergeron, who scored between the rookie goaltender's arm and body as he tried to slide across.
It was 2-0 for the Bruins with 4:48 left in the opening period when Brad Marchand, stationed at the left point near the boards, found a streaking Michael Ryder. Ryder then dished across the slot on the backhand when Seguin gathered and quickly lifted a shot under the crossbar.
The second period belonged to Thomas, who stopped 15 shots in the first period then turned aside 16 more in the middle 20 minutes.
With David Krejci off for hooking around the 90-second mark, the 2009 Vezina Trophy winner showed flashes of brilliance from two seasons ago, making a pair of lightning-quick saves on chances by Hartnell and Danny Briere.
Roughly four minutes later, Hartnell was alone at the right post, but half-fanned on his opportunity and Thomas was able to dive out and smother it with his arm. He was the beneficiary of some luck a minute after that, when James van Riemsdyk had a half-open net staring him in the face but tripped before he could shoot.
Thomas also wasn't fooled with 9 1/2 minutes left in the second on a Philadelphia man-advantage when Jeff Carter redirected a pass between his legs and on net. The veteran closed up all avenues and covered up the slick shot.
On a Boston power play with 5 1/2 to go, it was Bobrovsky's turn to mirror his counterpart as he maintained his cool when Krejci unleashed a one-timer from in tight. Krejci was a difference maker in the contest, something he did not get to do last May when he was lost with a broken wrist for the majority of the seven-game series.
Hartnell then had a prime chance to solve Thomas and get the Flyers back in the game with 2:40 left. He'd been dragged down from behind on a clear breakaway by B's defenseman Andrew Ference, and on the free shot managed to stay upright as he deked to the backhand. Even though Thomas had to stretch out and stuff the shot, Hartnell pulled the puck so far to the right side that it might not have gone in anyway.
Boston tried to throw a blanket on the Flyers in the third, and managed to do so despite giving up 10 shots and only connecting on seven.
Bobrovsky was pulled for an extra attacker with more than two minutes remaining, but Krejci fed Lucic for the empty-net clincher with 1:48 on the clock.
Notes: Thomas was the first goaltender to shut out the Flyers in Philadelphia since Carey Price in a 1-0 Canadiens victory on April 2...Thomas posted his 21st career whitewash and improved to 9-0-0 on the road, the best road start since Chicago's Glenn Hall also won his first nine games away from home in 1965-66...The Bruins' last shutout win in Philadelphia came on December 3, 1997, when Byron Dafoe was in net facing Garth Snow...Jody Shelley and Scott Thornton engaged in a spirited bout more than a minute after Seguin's goal...These clubs meet again in Boston on December 11.
Phanatic Hockey Editor
Step One in the recovery process from last season's crushing playoff defeat is complete for the Boston Bruins, as Tim Thomas stopped all 41 shots he faced to record his fifth shutout of the season to get his club past the Philadelphia Flyers, 3-0, on Wednesday night.
Thomas' performance was backed by a pair of first-period goals by Patrice Bergeron and second-overall draft pick Tyler Seguin, and helped along by a punchless Flyers power play which finished with another goose egg in four attempts.
The 36-year-old Michigan native upped his record to 12-2-1, while lowering his NHL-best goals-against average to 1.55 and raising his save percentage to .955.
Milan Lucic added an empty-net goal for the Bruins, who improved to 13-8-2 on the year after having dropped four of their last five coming in.
Sergei Bobrovsky was hardly left out to dry, but still suffered the loss after allowing two goals on 31 shots for Philadelphia, which was blanked for the second time all season and first on home ice. Scott Hartnell was denied on a penalty shot late in the second period, and atypically had the majority of the Flyers' quality chances.
Though the home team came out charging and nearly scored twice on the opening shift, they inevitably made the first mistake with a penalty less than five minutes in, when Nikolay Zherdev was sent off for tripping.
Less than a minute into the advantage, Bobrovsky was forced to sprawl out and stop a break-in from Bruins captain Zdeno Chara, but Sean O'Donnell swept the rebound out of the crease and right onto the stick of Bergeron, who scored between the rookie goaltender's arm and body as he tried to slide across.
It was 2-0 for the Bruins with 4:48 left in the opening period when Brad Marchand, stationed at the left point near the boards, found a streaking Michael Ryder. Ryder then dished across the slot on the backhand when Seguin gathered and quickly lifted a shot under the crossbar.
The second period belonged to Thomas, who stopped 15 shots in the first period then turned aside 16 more in the middle 20 minutes.
With David Krejci off for hooking around the 90-second mark, the 2009 Vezina Trophy winner showed flashes of brilliance from two seasons ago, making a pair of lightning-quick saves on chances by Hartnell and Danny Briere.
Roughly four minutes later, Hartnell was alone at the right post, but half-fanned on his opportunity and Thomas was able to dive out and smother it with his arm. He was the beneficiary of some luck a minute after that, when James van Riemsdyk had a half-open net staring him in the face but tripped before he could shoot.
Thomas also wasn't fooled with 9 1/2 minutes left in the second on a Philadelphia man-advantage when Jeff Carter redirected a pass between his legs and on net. The veteran closed up all avenues and covered up the slick shot.
On a Boston power play with 5 1/2 to go, it was Bobrovsky's turn to mirror his counterpart as he maintained his cool when Krejci unleashed a one-timer from in tight. Krejci was a difference maker in the contest, something he did not get to do last May when he was lost with a broken wrist for the majority of the seven-game series.
Hartnell then had a prime chance to solve Thomas and get the Flyers back in the game with 2:40 left. He'd been dragged down from behind on a clear breakaway by B's defenseman Andrew Ference, and on the free shot managed to stay upright as he deked to the backhand. Even though Thomas had to stretch out and stuff the shot, Hartnell pulled the puck so far to the right side that it might not have gone in anyway.
Boston tried to throw a blanket on the Flyers in the third, and managed to do so despite giving up 10 shots and only connecting on seven.
Bobrovsky was pulled for an extra attacker with more than two minutes remaining, but Krejci fed Lucic for the empty-net clincher with 1:48 on the clock.
Notes: Thomas was the first goaltender to shut out the Flyers in Philadelphia since Carey Price in a 1-0 Canadiens victory on April 2...Thomas posted his 21st career whitewash and improved to 9-0-0 on the road, the best road start since Chicago's Glenn Hall also won his first nine games away from home in 1965-66...The Bruins' last shutout win in Philadelphia came on December 3, 1997, when Byron Dafoe was in net facing Garth Snow...Jody Shelley and Scott Thornton engaged in a spirited bout more than a minute after Seguin's goal...These clubs meet again in Boston on December 11.
Comcast Classic Boxing from the Spectrum
The first-ever PRISM-televised boxing event from The Spectrum will be featured on Comcast Classics this month. The card, which took place on Aug. 16, 1976, featured some of the biggest names in Philadelphia boxing during the 1970s, the last Golden Age for the sport in the City of Brotherly Love.
Bad Bennie Briscoe, the legendary gatekeeper of the middleweight division, boxed a southpaw for the first time in his pro career when he took on Mexican Olympian Emeterio Villanueva in one of four scheduled 10-round fights that night.
The main event featured streaking Philly middleweight Willie "The Worm" Monroe, who was riding a five-fight winning streak and a solid 10-round decision over Marvelous Marvin Hagler. Monroe took on David Love, of San Diego, CA, managed and trained by Hall-of-Famer Angelo Dundee.
Other matches included a 10-round junior lightweight contest between Jerome Artis, of Philadelphia, and Jose Fernandez, of the Domincian Republic. Artis, who had beaten Sugar Ray Leonard as an amateur, had lost only once in previous 18 fights, while Fernandez was coming off an unsuccessful world title fight with Alfredo Escalera, of Puerto Rico.
The fourth 10-rounder featured bantamweight Baby Kid Chocolate, of Philadelphia, againt Jose Medina, of Mexico. Chocolate was unbeaten in 15 fights, while Medina held the Mexican bantamweight title.
More than 7,000 fans attended the card and there was not a bad fight on the show. Upsets, sensational knockdowns, toe-to-toe action made it a memorable night for Spectrum Fights.
Now you can relive the entire evening on Comcast Classics, with showings on four nights:
Friday, December 10 – 8 pm (TCN)
Thursday, December 16 – 8 pm (CSN)
Thursday, December 23 – 7 pm (TCN)
Tuesday, December 28 – 7 pm (CSN)
Bad Bennie Briscoe, the legendary gatekeeper of the middleweight division, boxed a southpaw for the first time in his pro career when he took on Mexican Olympian Emeterio Villanueva in one of four scheduled 10-round fights that night.
The main event featured streaking Philly middleweight Willie "The Worm" Monroe, who was riding a five-fight winning streak and a solid 10-round decision over Marvelous Marvin Hagler. Monroe took on David Love, of San Diego, CA, managed and trained by Hall-of-Famer Angelo Dundee.
Other matches included a 10-round junior lightweight contest between Jerome Artis, of Philadelphia, and Jose Fernandez, of the Domincian Republic. Artis, who had beaten Sugar Ray Leonard as an amateur, had lost only once in previous 18 fights, while Fernandez was coming off an unsuccessful world title fight with Alfredo Escalera, of Puerto Rico.
The fourth 10-rounder featured bantamweight Baby Kid Chocolate, of Philadelphia, againt Jose Medina, of Mexico. Chocolate was unbeaten in 15 fights, while Medina held the Mexican bantamweight title.
More than 7,000 fans attended the card and there was not a bad fight on the show. Upsets, sensational knockdowns, toe-to-toe action made it a memorable night for Spectrum Fights.
Now you can relive the entire evening on Comcast Classics, with showings on four nights:
Friday, December 10 – 8 pm (TCN)
Thursday, December 16 – 8 pm (CSN)
Thursday, December 23 – 7 pm (TCN)
Tuesday, December 28 – 7 pm (CSN)
Julien, Bruins face first test in long road to recovery
by Bob Herpen
Phanatic Hockey Editor
Phanatic Hockey Editor
How do you approach a regular season after which your team blows a 3-0 series deficit – one of only three teams in your sport and of just four teams all time in the history of professional athletics in North America ?
How can you keep that focus because the team which accomplished the feat against you only plays your club four times in an 82-game season, with no guarantee of another postseason matchup?
How can you get your club to play disciplined and winning hockey when certain players’ lingering memories of that playoff failure are going to take the forefront?
Well, Bruins head coach Claude Julien is about to find out. He’s got just over four hours to figure out a way to beat the Philadelphia Flyers, and to put a permanent “L” in their column with a just-as-permanent “W” in Boston
Last May, the Bruins hung three consecutive losses on the Orange
In a grim reversal of what the Boston Red Sox did to the New York Yankees just six years prior, a progressively-healthier Flyers team overwhelmed an injury-riddled Bruins club by taking four in a row – the final insult coming in a Game 7 at Boston
No matter what happens tonight at the big bank building on South Broad Street
Two years ago, Julien led the Bruins to one of their best records in franchise annals, going 53-19-10. Following a four-game sweep of hated Montreal
Last year, there were 13 fewer wins but a tougher lineup slogged their way past Buffalo in six before suffering through an epic and fruitless battle against a once-fierce rival.
The 2010-11 Boston Bruins are 12-8-2. The 2010-11 Philadelphia Flyers are 15-6-4. As it was last year, one team is good but the other is slightly better.
Unlike a long-standing ethos in the Flyers front office where success beyond the regular season is determined by how far the team goes in matching up with the club that had just beaten it in the playoffs, the Bruins know they can’t merely use their resources to knock off one team. Spending money has been an issue under the Jacobs’ ownership, but desire and proper allocation of resources hasn’t.
Still, wouldn’t one victory, and then another, and maybe another against the Flyers serve to boost the Bruins’ overall confidence? It’s not the whole story. What if they lose four in a row this year? Will that cause a mental block that will cause trouble down the road? What if each game goes to a shootout? What does that prove to either side?
From the Flyers’ perspective, a win or a loss here on the first day of December only affects them in terms of playoff positioning in the conference. The more the wins come earlier, the better off they’ll be in the long run when the inevitable slump occurs.
They already have a Herculean accomplishment in their pocket to bolster their collective confidence. Another set of wins against a pesky conference foe will certainly boost it further.
If not, it’s just a loss, something they need to learn from and move on. There is a tomorrow, they know that – just one of more than a hundred over a six-month season – because they stared down the specter of hockey’s version of the End of Days four times and never flinched.
What do the Bruins find when they peer at the abyss? You might have to ask members of the 1942 Detroit Red Wings or the 1975 Pittsburgh Penguins.
Here and now, only Julien and his players know for sure, and they need to figure out how to deal with it to forge a stronger bond moving forward. They need to take a big step and stare back on Wednesday because the Flyers are now an indelible part of that bleakness.
Eight Temple Owls make All-MAC First Team
CLEVELAND (12/1/10) – For the second consecutive year, a school record eight Temple Owls earned first-team All-Mid-American Conference honors for football, the league announced on Wednesday.
Named to the first team were senior DB Jaiquawn Jarrett (Brooklyn, N.Y.), senior NT Elisha Joseph (Hartford, Conn.), senior OL Colin Madison (Villa Park, Ill.), r-senior OL Darius Morris (Long Branch, N.J.), sophomore RB Bernard Pierce (Ardmore, Pa.), junior DE Adrian Robinson (Harrisburg, Pa.), r-junior TE Evan Rodriguez (North Bergen, N.J.), and junior DT Muhammad Wilkerson (Linden, N.J).
Named to the second team were sophomore RB Matt Brown (Baltimore, Md.) and senior LB Elijah “Peanut” Joseph (Hartford, Conn.). Senior WR Michael Campbell (Edison, N.J.) earned third-team honors.
The 11 All-MAC honorees are the second-most for the Owls since joining the MAC in 2007. Last season, Temple also had eight first-team honorees and a school record 15 All-MAC honorees overall.
Jarrett, Madison, Morris, Pierce, Robinson, and Wilkerson are Temple’s first repeat MAC first-team selections. They join DT Dan Klecko (Big East 2001, 2002) as the only two-time first-team conference honorees in school history.
Temple led all MAC schools with 11 honorees, followed by Central Michigan and Kent State with nine each, and Miami with eight. The Owls’ eight first-team selections were the most of any MAC team, followed by Northern Illinois with six.
During its fourth season of MAC play, the Owls finished the regular season at 8-4 overall and 5-3 in the MAC’s East Division. Temple now awaits a bowl bid which will be announced on Dec. 5.
The 2010 Vern Smith Leadership Award and MAC Offensive Player of the Year honors went to Northern Illinois RB Chad Spann. Kent State DL Roosevelt Nix was the Defensive Player of the Year and Freshman of the Year. Toledo’s Eric Page was named the Special Teams Player of the Year, while Miami’s Michael Haywood was named the MAC Coach of the Year.
The All-MAC teams and the Vern Smith Leadership Award were selected by the MAC head coaches. The other award winners were selected by the MAC News Media Association.
Team captain Jarrett has started all 12 games at free safety this fall and has played in every game of his collegiate career. The Owls’ top defender with 74 tackles, Jarrett also has two interceptions, two break-ups, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. On the career charts, he ranks No. 9 in interceptions (9) and No. 11 in tackles (299).
Team captain Eli Joseph is a first-time honoree. Taking over at nose tackle this fall, he started all 12 games at his new position. He has 44 tackles on the year. Joseph made a career-high seven solo stops in the win over Bowling Green. A 2010 CoSIDA Academic All-America nominee, he was named to the Academic All-MAC team in 2009.
Team captain Madison played on the offensive line in all 12 games. A starter at right guard for nine contests, Madison also started at left guard twice. Named to the 2010 New York Post’s Most-Under-Publicized Team, he was named the coaches’ offensive player of the game following the game at Northern Illinois.
Team captain Morris started all 12 games at right tackle. A 2010 preseason All-MAC honoree by Blue Ribbon College Football Yearbook and by Phil Steele’s College Football, Morris received the 2009 Top Hog Award as the team’s best offensive lineman.
Heisman hopeful Pierce played in 10 games with five starts at running back. He is second in team rushing with 728 yards and 10 touchdowns on 154 carries. On Temple’s career charts, he ranks No. 6 in rushing yards (2,089), No. 3 in 100-yard games (9), and No. 2 in rushing TDs (26). As a true freshman in 2009, Pierce was a first-team All-MAC selection as well as the MAC Freshman of the Year.
Robinson started all 12 games at right end. He has 38 tackles, 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and two blocked kicks this fall. Robinson had two solo tackles, a 14-yard sack, and a PAT block in the win over Bowling Green. He blocked the PAT on the Falcons’ first TD, forcing BGSU to go for two on the game’s final play en route to MAC and coaches’ specialist of the week honors. Robinson was a first-team All-MAC selection and the MAC Defensive Player of the Year in 2009.
Rodriguez played in 11 games with nine starts at tight end this fall. He is the top TE with 247 receiving yards and two touchdowns on 21 receptions. Rodriguez had a career-high 43 yards on three receptions, including a 31-yard touchdown reception, at Northern Illinois.
Team captain Wilkerson has started all 12 games at tackle. He is third in tackles with 70 and leads the Owls with 13.0 TFL and 9.5 sacks. Wilkerson led the Owls with a career-high three sacks (for a loss of 21 yards) in the win at Kent State. He had six tackles, three TFL, two sacks, a forced fumble, and a break-up in the win over Central Michigan en route to MAC Defensive Player of the Week accolades.
Brown played in all 12 games with seven starts at running back. Named a team captain for the Buffalo game, he is the team’s leading rusher with 830 yards and seven touchdowns on 162 carries. Brown set the school record with four rushing touchdowns in the win at Army. He ranks No. 16 on Temple’s career chart for rushing with 1,357 yards and has four 100-yard performances.
Elijah “Peanut” Joseph played in all 10 games with seven starts at middle linebacker this fall. Second in team defense, Joseph has 71 tackles, including a team-best 46 solo takedowns, and a team-high six break-ups. He led TU with a career-high 12 tackles in the win at Army. The team captain suffered a season-ending knee injury against Ohio and missed the regular-season finale at Miami. He was a first-team All-MAC selection in 2009.
The Owls’ top receiver,Campbell played in all 12 games with 10 starts this season. He has 724 yards and six touchdowns on 45 receptions. Named a team captain for the Villanova game, Campbell moved up on TU’s career charts and now stand No. 4 with four 100-yard receiving games and No. 14 in receiving yards with 1,229.
2010All-MAC Football Awards
FIRST TEAM
QB – Chandler Harnish, Northern Illinois
C – Scott Wedige, Northern Illinois
OL – Trevor Olson, Northern Illinois
OL – Colin Madison, Temple
OL - Darius Morris, Temple
OL – Joe Flading, Ohio
TE – Evan Rodriquez, Temple
WR – Juan Nunez, Western Michigan
WR – Eric Page, Toledo
WR – Jordan White, Western Michigan
WR – Kamar Jorden, Bowling Green
RB - Chad Spann, Northern Illinois
RB - Bernard Pierce, Temple
PK – Trevor Cook, Miami
OLB – Adrian Robinson, Temple
OLB – Matt Berning, Central Michigan
ILB - Nick Bellore, Central Michigan
ILB - Cobrani Mixon, Kent State
DL – Muhammad Wilkerson, Temple
DL – Roosevelt Nix, Kent State
DL – Sean Progar, Northern Illinois
DL – Elisha Joseph, Temple
DB – Davonte Shannon, Buffalo
DB – Jaiquawn Jarrett, Temple
DB – Domonic Cook, Buffalo
DB – Chris Smith, Northern Illinois
P - Matt Rinehart, Kent State
KOR – Eric Page, Toledo
PR –Terrell Jackson, Buffalo
SECOND TEAM
QB – Zac Dysert, Miami
C - Colin Miller, Central Michigan
OL – Joe Pawlak, Northern Illinois
OL - Brandon Brooks, Miami
OL – Jeff Maddux, Central Michigan
OL – A.J. Strum, Ohio
TE – Jordan Thompson, Ohio
WR – Armand Robinson, Miami
WR – Cody Wilson, Central Michigan
WR – Nick Harwell, Miami
WR – Tyshon Goode, Kent State
RB – Adonis Thomas, Toledo
RB – Matt Brown, Temple
PK – Ian McGarvey, Ball State
OLB – Archie Donald, Toledo
OLB – Robert Eddins, Ball State
ILB – Elijah “Peanut” Joseph, Temple
ILB – Dwayne Woods, Bowling Green
DL – Stafford Gatling, Ohio
DL – Austin Brown, Miami
DL – Shawn Lemon, Akron
DL – Jake Coffman, Northern Illinois
DB – Steven Jackson, Ohio
DB – Donovan Fletcher, Ohio
DB – Brian Lainhart, Kent State
DB – Sean Baker, Ball State
P – Bryan Wright, Bowling Green
KOR – Eric Williams, Ball State
PR – Eugene Cooper, Bowling Green
THIRD TEAM
QB – Alex Carder, Western Michigan
C – Chris Anzevino, Kent State
OL – Michael Switzer, Ball State
OL – Mike VanDerMeulen, Toledo
OL – Brian Winters, Kent State
OL – Bob Gulley, Miami
TE – Jason Schepler, Northern Illinois
WR – Michael Campbell, Temple
WR – Sam Kirkland, Kent State
WR – Landon Cox, Northern Illinois
WR – Terrence McCrae, Ohio
RB – Eric Williams, Ball State
RB – Willie Geter, Bowling Green
PK – John Potter, Western Michigan
OLB – Alex Kube, Northern Illinois
OLB – Dorian Wood, Kent State
ILB – Devon Butler, Northern Illinois
ILB – Dan Molls, Toledo
DL – Sean Murnane, Central Michigan
DL – Paul Hazel, Western Michigan
DL – Chris Jones, Bowling Green
DL – T.J. Fatinikun, Toledo
DB – Jahleel Addae, Central Michigan
DB – Vince Agnew, Central Michigan
DB – Jason Pinkston, Ball State
DB – Jamail Berry, Western Michigan
P – Zac Murphy, Miami
KOR – Tommy Davis, Northern Illinois
PR – Cody Wilson, Central Michigan
SPECIALTY AWARD WINNERS
Vern Smith Leadership Award Winner: Chad Spann, Northern Illinois
Coach of the Year: Michael Haywood, Miami
Offensive Player of the Year: Chad Spann, Northern Illinois
Defensive Player of the Year: Roosevelt Nix, Kent State
Special Teams Player of the Year: Eric Page, Toledo
Freshman of the Year: Roosevelt Nix, Kent State
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