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Showing posts from May, 2015

Patriots teammates furious over Tom Brady's Deflategate suspension

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Tom Brady's four-game suspension isn't sitting well with his New England Patriots teammates. The NFL announced the suspension for his role in Deflategate late Monday afternoon and the reactions came quickly from his teammates. Some weren't family friendly enough to share in full. MORE: Classic Brady photos |  NFL suspends Brady four games  | Kaepernick defends Brady THIS IS ABSOLUTELY RIDICULOUS!!! SMH ?? #PATSNATION STAND UP!!!!! — LeGarrette Blount (@LG_Blount) May 11, 2015 ?? — Chandler Jones (@Chan95Jones) May 11, 2015 .....?? — Dont'a Hightower (@zeus30hightower) May 11, 2015 Still my dog, and still champs #TB12 #GoPats pic.twitter.com/pCTf4LgG9m — Jody Breeze (@Blafell1) May 11, 2015 In addition to Brady's suspension, the Patriots were fined $1 million and had their first-round pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and a fourth-round pick in the 2017 draft taken away. View the original article here

Orioles' 'Re-Opening Day' uniforms are all about Baltimore

The Orioles are back in Baltimore and they want to let everyone know that they are happy about it. Baltimore celebrated its self-proclaimed “Re-Opening Day” by trotting out new jerseys for Monday’s game against the Blue Jays. MORE: Astros promote former No. 1 pick | Petition leads to Reds reassigning Gregg | PHOTOS: Yogi turns 90 We love our city. Tonight, the team is wearing specially-made Baltimore home jerseys. #OneBaltimore pic.twitter.com/Sn2gyDO3iw — Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) May 11, 2015 The Orioles haven’t played in front of their home fans since April 25, when the civil unrest following the death of Freddie Gray engulfed the city and areas near Camden Yards during a game against the Red Sox. The team postponed its April 27 matchup against the White Sox and played a game without fans in the stands two days later. "We understand it's just a game," Orioles reliever Zach Britton told MLB.com. "There are other bigger things going on out there. If anything, th

Reds oblige petition by designating reliever Kevin Gregg for assignment

Reds fans started a petition Friday to have relief pitcher Kevin Gregg sent to Triple A. They got their wish on Monday.  The Reds designated the 36-year-old reliever for assignment and recalled right-hander Pedro Villarreal from Louisville. MORE: Yogi Berra turns 90 on Tuesday | King Felix's accomplishments | PHOTOS: All-time strikeout leaders "It's unfortunate. I know that the fans never got to see the best of Kevin," Reds manager Bryan Price said, via the team's website. "We felt that in the six weeks that we had him in Spring Training that he was a guy who could pitch the eighth inning for us with his background as a setup man and a closer. "His stuff looked good, he had velocity and the split-finger and the breaking ball and it just never came to — even from, unfortunately, opening day with the two-run homer to tie the game," Price added. "That was very difficult. Sometimes it's tough to chase that off. He's a professional, he'

Cuban infielder Hector Olivera one step closer to joining Dodgers

Cuban infielder Hector Olivera, who signed a six-year, $62.5 million contract with the Dodgers in March, is expected to join the team as soon as Friday, MLB.com reports. Olivera, 30, is training in the Dominican Republic and received his visa to be in the United States on Monday. The Dodgers won his services after the Yankees, Braves, Marlins, Giants and Padres also expressed interest in him. MORE: Orioles' 'Re-opening day' | Astros promote top prospect | PHOTOS: Yogi Berra turns 90 The report says the timeline for Olivera's introduction via a news conference is still being worked out. After that, he'll begin working out at Camelback Ranch, the Dodgers' spring training facility in Glendale, Ariz. MLB.com's Jesse Sanchez said teams were wowed by Olivera's talent and success in Cuba. He is known as a power hitter who could hit between 15 and 20 homers and drive in 75 runs consistently. There are also rumors of Olivera possibly needing Tommy John surgery,

Blame Patriots' shady past for Tom Brady's silly suspension

Someday, the NFL will get this whole suspension thing right. Monday was not that day. MORE:  Classic photos of Tom Brady  | College course in Deflategate  | Gronk has lewd response to scandal  | Dad: Tom was framed The latest wrong number was four games for Tom Brady . The Super Bowl-champion Patriots will be without their Canton-bound quarterback for a quarter of the 2015 regular season. The league thinks that's justifiable math for learning that Brady "was more probably than not" "generally aware" of footballs being underinflated in the AFC Championship game. As usual, with all the league's bans, it's way off. Here's how everyone else adds that up: If you're talking personal conduct, it's twice the initial suspension for Ray Rice. If you're talking substance abuse, that would be two Le'Veon Bells and four LeGarrette Blounts. In other words, the NFL still has no idea what it's doing with discipline in the name of preserving the

Who is Jimmy Garoppolo? Get to know Tom Brady's backup QB

With Tom Brady being suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season due to his role in Deflategate, the Patriots will turn to Jimmy Garoppolo to lead the team for the first quarter of the regular season. But who is Jimmy Garoppolo? MORE: Iyer: Pats will be fine without Brady | Bad makeup call by Goodell | Brady's teammates furious | Hernandez indicted again Jimmy Garoppolo, born James Garoppolo on Nov. 2, 1991, in Arlington Heights, Ill., was selected by the Patriots in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, pick No. 62 overall, following a stellar career at FCS Eastern Illinois, alma mater of Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, Saints head coach Sean Payton and former Raiders, Broncos and Redskins coach Mike Shanahan. Garoppolo was a standout athlete at Rolling Meadows High School, where he was both an elite quarterback and punter. But Eastern Illinois is really where Garoppolo made his name. The Panthers went just 4-15 in his first two years there, but as Garoppolo grew, so d

Cubs fan has no regard for rogue hat

Stay classy, Cubs fans. When Cubs outfielder Dexter Fowler threw a rogue hat into the crowd at Wrigley Field on Monday in the team's game against the Mets, surely he didn't expect a girl donning a Jon Lester jersey to clear one row and, uhhh, rub it on her backside, did he? MORE: All-time strikeout leaders | King Felix won't dethrone Ryan | Orioles reveal new uniforms Well, on second thought, nobody probably did. That's including the guy who just wanted his hat back. Classy Cubs fan in the bleachers wipes a hat on her ass and throws it onto the field. #WelcomeBackBleachers pic.twitter.com/GlfDAUBgnB — Bartolo Is The Man (@MetsKevin11) May 12, 2015 That's certainly one way to break in the new Wrigley bleachers. View the original article here

No Tom Brady for a bit? Patriots will be just fine in weak AFC

The Dolphins, the Bills, the Jets and the rest of the AFC might see a lot of opportunity knocking. But we all know the Patriots are still the favorites to slam every door shut. At the most, before an appeal, New England will be without Tom Brady for the first four games of the 2015 NFL regular season. The bad news for their division and conference foes is that it's hard to see the Patriots losing some (any?) ground without their quarterback. MORE: Classic photos of Tom Brady | Iyer: Pats' shady past to blame for bad decision The last time Brady wasn't the Patriots' starter was 2008. He tore his ACL in the first quarter of the first game against the Chiefs and missed the remainder of the season. They were still able to go 11-5, partly because they had a well-prepared backup, Matt Cassel, but more for having Bill Belichick, the league's most adjustable (also best) coach. That record did tie them for the AFC East lead, but it also marked the last time the Patriots did

NBA Draft Scouting Combine 2015: Full participant list

The 2015 NBA Draft Scouting Combine begins Tuesday and goes through Sunday, with the measurements and athleticism testing and primary media availability being Thursday and Friday. You’ll notice from the lists below, though, that a few big names are missing. Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor, the centers topping most draft boards, have decided to stay home for the Chicago function. The same is true for the top three overseas products: point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, shooting guard Mario Hezonja and power forward Kristaps Porzingis. MORE: Latest NBA Mock Draft | Early-entry list | Biggest busts in draft history There still are plenty of top-notch players, headlined by potential top pick D’Angelo Russell. Here’s the full list of participants: Ryan Boatright, Connecticut Quinn Cook, Duke Jerian Grant, Notre Dame Olivier Hanlan, Boston College Andrew Harrison, Kentucky Tyus Jones, Duke George de Paula, Pinheiros (Brazil) Cameron Payne, Murray State Chasson Randle, Stanford Terry Rozier, Lo

Raiders sign talented but troubled running back Michael Dyer

The Raiders have signed well-traveled running back Michael Dyer, the team announced Monday evening. The move was first reported by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The 24-year-old Dyer was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine despite his troubled past. He was signed by the Raiders following a tryout at the team's rookie minicamp after going undrafted and not being offered a free-agent deal. Dyer was one of six tryout players signed. MORE: Raiders' worst first-round draft picks | Bengals sign Terrelle Pryor The 5-8, 218-pound Dyer was an integral part of Auburn's BCS national championship run with 1,093 rushing yards as a true freshman in 2010. He ran for 1,242 yards as a sophomore but was dismissed from the team prior to Auburn's appearance in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.  Dyer transferred to Arkansas State, following Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn to Jonesboro when Malzahn accepted the head coaching job there. NCAA transfer rules mandated a redshirt season for Dyer. W

FantasyAlarm.com: Daily fantasy baseball Playbook for May 12

Welcome to the Tuesday, May 12, DFS MLB Playbook, courtesy of Sporting News partners FantasyAlarm.com. Every day, the experts at FantasyAlarm.com will publish their top daily fantasy baseball plays at each position across various DFS sites in the Playbook. It's a great place to start your MLB DFS research for the day, but there's much more behind the curtain.  The DFS MLB Playbook PRO  comes with a full top 10 at each position every day, optimal lineups for each DFS site, deep stats and daily projections, hitting and pitching strategies, a live DFS scoreboard to track your players and much more. So, enjoy the free sneak peek into the best DFS MLB plays for Tuesday night's games below and check out FantasyAlarm.com's premium product when you're ready to go PRO.  READ MORE: Today's SP rankings & more | Sporting News DFS | Play FanDuel! TUESDAY'S DFS MLB PLAYBOOK   Check for pregame updates to the Playbook at FantasyAlarm.com READ MORE: Today's SP ranki

Reports: Mike Babcock meets with Sabres GM, owner

Red Wings coach Mike Babcock met with Sabres owner Terry Pegula and general manager Tim Murray on Sunday to discuss a potential role with the franchise, The Associated Press reported Monday. The longest-tenured coach in the NHL flew to Buffalo and spent the afternoon with Pegula and Murray. According to Buffalo television station WMUR, Babcock is seeking at least $4 million per year, which is double his current salary, after he turned down Detroit's offer of $3.25 million annually for four years. MORE: Possible coaching scenarios | Devils won't rule out pursuing Babcock | Top 2016 draft prospect eyeing Europe The Sabres, who fired coach Ted Nolan on April 12 after finishing with the league's worst record for the second straight year, are one of five teams with a vacant coaching position. The Devils, Flyers, Sharks and Maple Leafs are also pursuing new coaches. Babcock’s contract with Detroit is set to expire June 30. The Red Wings granted Babcock permission to speak with o

Aaron Hernandez indicted for allegedly shooting former friend in face

Aaron Hernandez was indicted Monday on a charge related to allegedly shooting a former friend in the face in 2013 and leaving him on the side of a Florida highway. The former Patriots tight end was charged in Boston under the state’s witness intimidation statute, The Boston Globe reported. The victim, Alexander Bradley, already has sued Hernandez in federal court in Florida for shooting him in the face. MORE: Madden Ultimate Team Cards | Former QB: Witch hunt vs. Pats According to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office, Hernandez and Bradley got into an altercation on Feb. 12, 2013. Bradley was shot in the face after he made comments about two homicides in the South End neighborhood of Boston. Bradley is expected to be a witness in the double-homicide trial.  Even though the shooting took place outside of Massachusetts, "it could be prosecuted under a state law that makes it illegal to injure a witness with the intent to impede a criminal investigation,"

MLB Nightly 9: Orioles win on 'Re-Opening Day'; Nationals stay hot

Each night we'll provide you with the nine top story lines from the day's action, beginning with the stars of the day, and look ahead to the next day's matchups. With Baltimore fans referring to it as "Re-Opening Day", the Orioles beat the Blue Jays Monday night in their first home game since April 29.  The Orioles had two games versus the White Sox postponed at the end of April before playing to an empty stadium on April 29 because of civil unrest in the city following the death of Freddie Gray. Baltimore then played a scheduled home series against the Rays in St. Petersburg, Fla.   On Monday, the Orioles wore special white jerseys with "Baltimore" on the front just for the occasion. The 5-2 victory was the first time since April 25 the Orioles played a game in front of their home fans. After that, 15 of their next 18 games will be inside Orioles Park at Camden Yards. The Nationals stayed hot in the desert, blasting their way to an 11-1 win over the Di

NBA playoffs roundup: Curry, Teague help Warriors, Hawks draw even

For much of the season, the Warriors and Hawks looked like the two best teams in the NBA, winning 67 and 60 games, respectively.  Despite those stellar credentials, both teams headed into Monday's action down 2-1 in their conference semifinal matchups.  MORE: Nike gives Obama new kicks | LeBron claims Blatt criticism PHOTOS: Must-see shots of Round 2 In their respective Game 4 tilts, both top seeds responded with big wins. The Hawks moved past the Wizards, 106-101, while the Warriors handled Memphis, 101-84.  Still, the Hawks and Warriors both head home knowing that, though they are in better shape than they were heading into Monday night, they're only halfway home.  Takeaway:  This series is tied 2-2, and it feels as tight as the record suggests.  After four games, both teams have to feel pretty good about themselves. The Wizards played their third game without John Wall, and despite going 1-2 in his absence, they are only a few missed buckets away from being up 3-1.  As for

French Open wild card Louisa Chirico wants to face Serena Williams

French Open wild-card recipient Louisa Chirico said she wants to take on Serena Williams on her grand slam debut. Chirico and Frances Tiafoe won the United States Tennis Association's wild cards in May, earning the right to be in their respective 128-player draws at Roland Garros. MORE: Nadal out of ATP top five | Murray wins Madrid Open | PHOTOS: American French Open winners The USTA has reciprocal agreements in place with the French and Australian tennis bodies that sees one wild card per men's and women's draws traded for their respective majors. Chirico, 18, and the 17-year-old Tiafoe will be making their main-draw debuts at grand-slam level when the clay-court major begins on May 24. When asked who she would like to face, Chirico said the 19-time major winner. "This is maybe a weird answer, but I would actually like the opportunity to play Serena, just because you never know," she said. "I think she's obviously one of the best around right now. It w

Nike gifts Barack Obama a super-fancy pair of Air Jordan 11Lab4

President Barack Obama is making waves in the sneaker world. When Obama paid a visit to Nike's headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., last week, he received a pair of exclusive Jordans in a custom presidential box. And they're super fancy. MORE: Classic photos of Jordan smoking | Game-worn Jordan shoes sell for $70,000 | What's next for the Hornets? The sneakers are none other than the new Air Jordan 11Lab4's, retailing at a hefty price of $250 as of May 1. Because we're talking about Obama, though, the tongues of the shoes have a Presidential seal — not the usual Jumpman logo. Air Jordan 11Lab4 with special case for Barack Obama pic.twitter.com/EXUki9Crxy — SneakerFiles.com (@sneakerfiles) May 11, 2015 The thing is, a lot of people aren't so happy with Nike buttering up the President. @matthewkish @PDXBIZJournal pic.twitter.com/G3djEzKzEI — Shelby King (@shelby_king) May 8, 2015 The motivation behind Obama's visit was to discuss his proposed Trans-Pacific Partne

Astros promote former No. 1 pick Carlos Correa to Triple-A Fresno

The Astros have promoted their top prospect, shortstop Carlos Correa, to Triple A, but his stay there will likely be brief. The 20-year-old shortstop was hitting .385/.459/.726 with seven homers, 32 RBIs and 15 stolen bases in 29 games with Double-A Corpus Christi. He was the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 MLB Draft. FANTASY: Scouting Carlos Correa Houston's starting shortstop, Jed Lowrie, is out until the All-Star break with a thumb injury, and the Astros have had trouble getting production out of the position. That means Correa's stint with Triple-A Fresno could be brief, according to the Astros website.  The scouting report on Correa is that he's solid fielder who possesses the ability to hit for both average and power. Correa will join the Fresno Grizzlies on Tuesday in Albuquerque. View the original article here

No Tom Brady for a bit? Patriots will be just fine in weak AFC

The Dolphins, the Bills, the Jets and the rest of the AFC might see a lot of opportunity knocking. But we all know the Patriots are still the favorites to slam every door shut. At the most, before an appeal, New England will be without Tom Brady for the first four games of the 2015 NFL regular season. The bad news for their division and conference foes is that it's hard to see the Patriots losing some (any?) ground without their quarterback. MORE: Classic photos of Tom Brady | Iyer: Pats' shady past to blame for bad decision The last time Brady wasn't the Patriots' starter was 2008. He tore his ACL in the first quarter of the first game against the Chiefs and missed the remainder of the season. They were still able to go 11-5, partly because they had a well-prepared backup, Matt Cassel, but more for having Bill Belichick, the league's most adjustable (also best) coach. That record did tie them for the AFC East lead, but it also marked the last time the Patriots did

Reds oblige petition by designating reliever Kevin Gregg for assignment

Reds fans started a petition Friday to have relief pitcher Kevin Gregg sent to Triple A. They got their wish on Monday.  The Reds designated the 36-year-old reliever for assignment and recalled right-hander Pedro Villarreal from Louisville. MORE: Yogi Berra turns 90 on Tuesday | King Felix's accomplishments | PHOTOS: All-time strikeout leaders "It's unfortunate. I know that the fans never got to see the best of Kevin," Reds manager Bryan Price said, via the team's website. "We felt that in the six weeks that we had him in Spring Training that he was a guy who could pitch the eighth inning for us with his background as a setup man and a closer. "His stuff looked good, he had velocity and the split-finger and the breaking ball and it just never came to — even from, unfortunately, opening day with the two-run homer to tie the game," Price added. "That was very difficult. Sometimes it's tough to chase that off. He's a professional, he'

Aaron Hernandez indicted for allegedly shooting former friend in face

Aaron Hernandez was indicted Monday on a charge related to allegedly shooting a former friend in the face in 2013 and leaving him on the side of a Florida highway. The former Patriots tight end was charged in Boston under the state’s witness intimidation statute, The Boston Globe reported. The victim, Alexander Bradley, already has sued Hernandez in federal court in Florida for shooting him in the face. MORE: Madden Ultimate Team Cards | Former QB: Witch hunt vs. Pats According to Suffolk County District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s office, Hernandez and Bradley got into an altercation on Feb. 12, 2013. Bradley was shot in the face after he made comments about two homicides in the South End neighborhood of Boston. Bradley is expected to be a witness in the double-homicide trial.  Even though the shooting took place outside of Massachusetts, "it could be prosecuted under a state law that makes it illegal to injure a witness with the intent to impede a criminal investigation,"

LeBron James says Cavs' David Blatt gets criticized because of him

LeBron James’ game-winning jumper in Sunday’s playoff win at Chicago should be what everyone is talking about. But a day after hitting the third game-winner in his playoff career, James is trying to quiet a controversy that he helped to ignite. James said Cavs coach David Blatt is being criticized because he’s the coach of the four-time MVP. LeBron on criticism Blatt is facing for Game 4: "He's catching heat because he's coaching me, that's all that is" — Dave McMenamin (@mcten) May 11, 2015 The controversy began after James volunteered information that he overrode his coach’s play call, which called for James to inbound the ball with less than 2 seconds remaining instead of shooting it. “To be honest, the play that was drawn up, I scratched it,” James told reporters Sunday. “I just told Coach, ‘Give me the ball.’ We’re either going to go to overtime or I’m going to win it for us.' It was that simple.” LJ says changing play "no different than a great qua

French Open wild card Louisa Chirico wants to face Serena Williams

French Open wild-card recipient Louisa Chirico said she wants to take on Serena Williams on her grand slam debut. Chirico and Frances Tiafoe won the United States Tennis Association's wild cards in May, earning the right to be in their respective 128-player draws at Roland Garros. MORE: Nadal out of ATP top five | Murray wins Madrid Open | PHOTOS: American French Open winners The USTA has reciprocal agreements in place with the French and Australian tennis bodies that sees one wild card per men's and women's draws traded for their respective majors. Chirico, 18, and the 17-year-old Tiafoe will be making their main-draw debuts at grand-slam level when the clay-court major begins on May 24. When asked who she would like to face, Chirico said the 19-time major winner. "This is maybe a weird answer, but I would actually like the opportunity to play Serena, just because you never know," she said. "I think she's obviously one of the best around right now. It w

First Pitch: Fantasy baseball rankings, sleepers for Tuesday

Find fantasy baseball sleepers with First Pitch! You can use our starting pitcher rankings and bullpen notes to set your season-long lineup or create a winning lineup in daily fantasy baseball contests, too.   Here's a look at pitcher rankings, saves sleepers and weather warnings. Today's action gets underway at 6:10 p.m. ET in Cleveland with the  Cardinals-Indians . READ MORE: SN Fantasy  | Daily lineup splits SP RANKINGS 1.    Chris Sale, CWS at MIL 2.    Stephen Strasburg, WAS at ARI 3.    Chris Archer, TB vs. NYY 4.    Collin McHugh, HOU vs. SF 5.    A.J. Burnett, PIT at PHI 6.    Jake Arrieta, CHC vs. NYM 7.    Lance Lynn, STL at CLE 8.    Carlos Carrasco, CLE vs. STL 9.    Dan Haren, MIA at LAD 10.    Ian Kennedy, SD at SEA 11.    Edinson Volquez, KC at TEX 12.    Anthony DeSclafani, CIN vs. ATL 13.    Alfredo Simon, DET vs. MIN 14.    Mike Fiers, MIL vs. CWS 15.    Nathan Eovaldi, NYY at TB 16.    Noah Syndergaard, NYM at CHC 17.    Carlos Frias, LAD vs. MIA 18.    Drew

Daily Fantasy Lineup: Hitters to buy, sell on Tuesday

Not sure whom to buy today in DFS or whom to sit in your season-long fantasy leagues? Let us help set your daily fantasy baseball lineups with today’s most important splits and batter vs. pitcher stats. For more fantasy baseball advice and sleeper picks, check out our daily starting pitcher rankings and the DFS MLB Playbook from our partners at FantasyAlarm.com every morning. Below are our top buy/sell picks in today’s key matchups: READ MORE: Today's SP rankings, saves sleepers  | SN Fantasy - Adam Jones is a great buy today; he’s 16-for-37 (.432) with four doubles and two homers against Mark Buehrle. Also consider Delmon Young, who’s 22-for-56 (.393) with four homers and three doubles against the lefty. - While we’re talking about Buehrle, it’s worth noting he has struggled mightily against both righties (.363/.391/.569) and lefties (.390/.419/.585) this year. Don’t be shy about starting Orioles against him. - Jacoby Ellsbury is 10-for-15 (.667) with a homer against Chris A

Reports: Mike Babcock meets with Sabres GM, owner

Red Wings coach Mike Babcock met with Sabres owner Terry Pegula and general manager Tim Murray on Sunday to discuss a potential role with the franchise, The Associated Press reported Monday. The longest-tenured coach in the NHL flew to Buffalo and spent the afternoon with Pegula and Murray. According to Buffalo television station WMUR, Babcock is seeking at least $4 million per year, which is double his current salary, after he turned down Detroit's offer of $3.25 million annually for four years. MORE: Possible coaching scenarios | Devils won't rule out pursuing Babcock | Top 2016 draft prospect eyeing Europe The Sabres, who fired coach Ted Nolan on April 12 after finishing with the league's worst record for the second straight year, are one of five teams with a vacant coaching position. The Devils, Flyers, Sharks and Maple Leafs are also pursuing new coaches. Babcock’s contract with Detroit is set to expire June 30. The Red Wings granted Babcock permission to speak with o

Nike gifts Barack Obama a super-fancy pair of Air Jordan 11Lab4

President Barack Obama is making waves in the sneaker world. When Obama paid a visit to Nike's headquarters in Beaverton, Ore., last week, he received a pair of exclusive Jordans in a custom presidential box. And they're super fancy. MORE: Classic photos of Jordan smoking | Game-worn Jordan shoes sell for $70,000 | What's next for the Hornets? The sneakers are none other than the new Air Jordan 11Lab4's, retailing at a hefty price of $250 as of May 1. Because we're talking about Obama, though, the tongues of the shoes have a Presidential seal — not the usual Jumpman logo. Air Jordan 11Lab4 with special case for Barack Obama pic.twitter.com/EXUki9Crxy — SneakerFiles.com (@sneakerfiles) May 11, 2015 The thing is, a lot of people aren't so happy with Nike buttering up the President. @matthewkish @PDXBIZJournal pic.twitter.com/G3djEzKzEI — Shelby King (@shelby_king) May 8, 2015 The motivation behind Obama's visit was to discuss his proposed Trans-Pacific Partne

Stephen Curry reminds us that only he can take Warriors deep

It's good to see the NBA's MVP looking more like himself. Stephen Curry personified the top-seeded Warriors' domination of the Grizzlies in Game 4, scoring 33 points and reiterating the fact that when he's on top of his game, there are certain things you just can't stop.   MORE: Curry's small start | Memphis' draft blunder | PHOTOS: Curry classics But what happens when Curry goes cold? At the very least, the Warriors become mortal. In other cases, things can fall apart.  In the two games prior to his 11-for-22 performance Monday, Curry struggled from the field — particularly from 3-point range — and the Warriors' play was a direct reflection.  So what does that all mean? Anything? Consider the following:  During the regular season, Curry shot 10 percentage points higher from 3-point range in wins (46 percent) than he did in losses (36 percent). Sure, it's easy to say that Curry making 3-pointers at that lower rate isn't the only reason the Warri

Raiders sign talented but troubled running back Michael Dyer

The Raiders have signed well-traveled running back Michael Dyer, the team announced Monday evening. The move was first reported by the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. The 24-year-old Dyer was invited to the NFL Scouting Combine despite his troubled past. He was signed by the Raiders following a tryout at the team's rookie minicamp after going undrafted and not being offered a free-agent deal. Dyer was one of six tryout players signed. MORE: Raiders' worst first-round draft picks | Bengals sign Terrelle Pryor The 5-8, 218-pound Dyer was an integral part of Auburn's BCS national championship run with 1,093 rushing yards as a true freshman in 2010. He ran for 1,242 yards as a sophomore but was dismissed from the team prior to Auburn's appearance in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl.  Dyer transferred to Arkansas State, following Auburn offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn to Jonesboro when Malzahn accepted the head coaching job there. NCAA transfer rules mandated a redshirt season for Dyer. W

Stanley Cup playoffs preview: Anaheim Ducks vs. Chicago Blackhawks

Primer: If you were wishing for two star-powered, high-octane heavyweights going blow for blow for the Western Conference title, here they are. The Blackhawks and Ducks are packed with enough punch and playoff pedigree to ensure this series lives up to the fanfare that will come with it. Between each team’s top two players — Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews for the Blackhawks; Ryan Getzlaf and Corey Perry for the Ducks — you’ll see 51 playoff points combined, and you'll get even more firepower from the rank and file. Based on recent history, it’s easy to assume the lower-seeded Blackhawks hold the edge in the series, with their depth and proven ability to score opportune goals. MORE: Must-see playoff photos | Rest of Round 2 schedule But while Chicago has won two Stanley Cups since Anaheim's last championship in 2007, the Ducks are the playoffs' hottest team, having lost just once in nine games, albeit against inferior opponents. They have the requisite size, snarl and sco

There's no defense for NCAA's march toward 30-second shot clock

John Wooden was in charge of 826 games as a college basketball coach, not one of which was contested with a shot clock in place. And yet we turn to the Wizard for the definitive word on the debate regarding whether the NCAA rules committee should consider truncating the current 35-second cycle to a mere 30 seconds: “Never mistake activity for achievement,” Wooden used to say. MORE: Florida's choice of Michael White makes ¢ents | Vegas team wants to lure nation's top talent You can get that on a poster, you know. Twenty bucks. I’d personally spring for a dozen if I could hang them around the room here in Indianapolis where the rules committee will meet starting Tuesday to discuss whether to shorten the shot clock in the college game. The adage applies on multiple levels to this discussion. The rules committee is feeling external pressure to do something — anything? — to address the historic bottoming in college basketball scoring and the effect it may be having on the game’s au

Cubs fan has no regard for rogue hat

Stay classy, Cubs fans. When Cubs outfielder Dexter Fowler threw a rogue hat into the crowd at Wrigley Field on Monday in the team's game against the Mets, surely he didn't expect a girl donning a Jon Lester jersey to clear one row and, uhhh, rub it on her backside, did he? MORE: All-time strikeout leaders | King Felix won't dethrone Ryan | Orioles reveal new uniforms Well, on second thought, nobody probably did. That's including the guy who just wanted his hat back. Classy Cubs fan in the bleachers wipes a hat on her ass and throws it onto the field. #WelcomeBackBleachers pic.twitter.com/GlfDAUBgnB — Bartolo Is The Man (@MetsKevin11) May 12, 2015 That's certainly one way to break in the new Wrigley bleachers. View the original article here

Barry Bonds seeking to file lawsuit against MLB

Barry Bonds has long believed owners in Major League Baseball prevented him from getting a job playing for another team after he broke the career home run record. Now, it appears he'll get his chance to prove it in court. Bonds is working on a collusion lawsuit against MLB, CBSSports.com reports. The lawsuit, the report says, will center on the claim Bonds has made for years that teams prevented him from playing in the majors after he broke Hank Aaron's record in 2007. MORE: Olivera one step closer to joining Dodgers | Astros promote former No. 1 pick | PHOTOS: All-time strikeout leaders The report says Bonds could have his case heard and adjudicated sometime in 2015, unless he's already filed the lawsuit. One thing that has prevented him from pursuing such actions was his legal issues related to the BALCO investigation, but his 2011 felony conviction for obstruction of justice related to his grand jury testimony in 2003 was reversed in April. That cleared the way for him

Orioles' 'Re-Opening Day' uniforms are all about Baltimore

The Orioles are back in Baltimore and they want to let everyone know that they are happy about it. Baltimore celebrated its self-proclaimed “Re-Opening Day” by trotting out new jerseys for Monday’s game against the Blue Jays. MORE: Astros promote former No. 1 pick | Petition leads to Reds reassigning Gregg | PHOTOS: Yogi turns 90 We love our city. Tonight, the team is wearing specially-made Baltimore home jerseys. #OneBaltimore pic.twitter.com/Sn2gyDO3iw — Baltimore Orioles (@Orioles) May 11, 2015 The Orioles haven’t played in front of their home fans since April 25, when the civil unrest following the death of Freddie Gray engulfed the city and areas near Camden Yards during a game against the Red Sox. The team postponed its April 27 matchup against the White Sox and played a game without fans in the stands two days later. "We understand it's just a game," Orioles reliever Zach Britton told MLB.com. "There are other bigger things going on out there. If anything, th

Who is Jimmy Garoppolo? Get to know Tom Brady's backup QB

With Tom Brady being suspended for the first four games of the 2015 season due to his role in Deflategate, the Patriots will turn to Jimmy Garoppolo to lead the team for the first quarter of the regular season. But who is Jimmy Garoppolo? MORE: Iyer: Pats will be fine without Brady | Bad makeup call by Goodell | Brady's teammates furious | Hernandez indicted again Jimmy Garoppolo, born James Garoppolo on Nov. 2, 1991, in Arlington Heights, Ill., was selected by the Patriots in the second round of the 2014 NFL Draft, pick No. 62 overall, following a stellar career at FCS Eastern Illinois, alma mater of Cowboys quarterback Tony Romo, Saints head coach Sean Payton and former Raiders, Broncos and Redskins coach Mike Shanahan. Garoppolo was a standout athlete at Rolling Meadows High School, where he was both an elite quarterback and punter. But Eastern Illinois is really where Garoppolo made his name. The Panthers went just 4-15 in his first two years there, but as Garoppolo grew, so d