Martin St. Louis will probably be in the Polk Bay Lightning selection indefinitely because of facial and nasal fractures sustained Thursday morning when he was struck hard having a shot taken utilized by teammate Dominic Moore.
St. Louis sitting out Thursday evening in the New You'll be able to Rangers, ending his consecutive games streak at 499 games - the next-longest current run inside the NHL. The Lightning introduced the star forward's injuries in the statement and mentioned St. Louis would return to Polk immediately and be examined by team doctors when the swelling subsides round his left eye.
The Lightning appreciated forward Blair Manley from Norfolk in the American Hockey League on Thursday, which he's in the choice for the sport in the Rangers.
Manley was hurt at the beginning of the initial period when he crashed into New You'll be able to goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist. He was presented with an issue for goalkeeper interference and produced a trail of blood stream from his nose while he skated in the ice.
St. Louis, who hadn't missed a game title title since November. 15, 2005, at Washington was hit near his left eye when Moore shot wide from the web Thursday morning. He was bleeding abundantly when he left the ice at Madison Square Garden and was assisted for the dressing room having a trainer. St. Louis left the arena inside an ambulance.
St. Louis is second round the Lightning with 22 points and third with nine goals in 27 games. His consecutive games streak trailed only Calgary defenceman Jay Bouwmeester's 533-game run, and Vancouver forward Henrik Sedin's 526 straight games, among active streaks.
Polk Bay has lost five back to back and nine of 12.
2011年12月8日星期四
Lightning’s St. Louis hit near eye by puck used, consecutive games streak finishes at 499
Martin St. Louis will probably be in the Polk Bay Lightning selection indefinitely because of facial and nasal fractures sustained Thursday morning when he was struck hard having a shot taken utilized by teammate Dominic Moore.
St. Louis sitting out Thursday evening in the New You'll be able to Rangers, ending his consecutive games streak at 499 games - the next-longest current run inside the NHL. The Lightning introduced the star forward’s injuries in the statement and mentioned St. Louis would return to Polk immediately and be examined by team doctors when the swelling subsides round his left eye.wholesale nfl jeresys
The Lightning appreciated forward Blair Manley from Norfolk in the American Hockey League on Thursday, which he's in the choice for the sport in the Rangers.
Manley was hurt at the beginning of the initial period when he crashed into New You'll be able to goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist. He was presented with an issue for goalkeeper interference and produced a trail of blood stream from his nose while he skated in the ice.
St. Louis, who hadn’t missed a game title title since November. 15, 2005, at Washington was hit near his left eye when Moore shot wide from the web Thursday morning. He was bleeding abundantly when he left the ice at Madison Square Garden and was assisted for the dressing room having a trainer. St. Louis left the arena inside an ambulance.
St. Louis is second round the Lightning with 22 points and third with nine goals in 27 games. His consecutive games streak trailed only Calgary defenseman Jay Bouwmeester’s 533-game run, and Vancouver forward Henrik Sedin’s 526 straight games, among active streaks.
Polk Bay has lost five back to back and nine of 12.
St. Louis sitting out Thursday evening in the New You'll be able to Rangers, ending his consecutive games streak at 499 games - the next-longest current run inside the NHL. The Lightning introduced the star forward’s injuries in the statement and mentioned St. Louis would return to Polk immediately and be examined by team doctors when the swelling subsides round his left eye.wholesale nfl jeresys
The Lightning appreciated forward Blair Manley from Norfolk in the American Hockey League on Thursday, which he's in the choice for the sport in the Rangers.
Manley was hurt at the beginning of the initial period when he crashed into New You'll be able to goalkeeper Henrik Lundqvist. He was presented with an issue for goalkeeper interference and produced a trail of blood stream from his nose while he skated in the ice.
St. Louis, who hadn’t missed a game title title since November. 15, 2005, at Washington was hit near his left eye when Moore shot wide from the web Thursday morning. He was bleeding abundantly when he left the ice at Madison Square Garden and was assisted for the dressing room having a trainer. St. Louis left the arena inside an ambulance.
St. Louis is second round the Lightning with 22 points and third with nine goals in 27 games. His consecutive games streak trailed only Calgary defenseman Jay Bouwmeester’s 533-game run, and Vancouver forward Henrik Sedin’s 526 straight games, among active streaks.
Polk Bay has lost five back to back and nine of 12.
2011年12月4日星期日
Packers’ Victory Exposed Vulnerable Spot
The Green Bay Packers have lacked few things this season - there have been bunches of passing records, 12 victories, piles of points. What it has not had is a stirring comeback. The Packers have never trailed in the fourth quarter this season, a remarkable testament to Aaron Rodgers’s ability to bury opponents behind the league’s top scoring offense and remove most of the suspense from Packers games.
Their smallest margin of victory until Sunday was 6 points.
The Packers may have gotten as close to a reasonable facsimile of a rally as they will this season on Sunday, when Rodgers - in just four plays with 58 seconds remaining - drove the Packers into field-goal range to break a tie and win the game, 38-35, with no time left on the clock.
The victory preserves the Packers’ perfect record at 12-0 (they clinched a playoff spot when the Chicago Bears Green Bay Packers Jerseys lost to the Kansas City Chiefs earlier Sunday), and sets them on a course that the Patriots and Colts have recently trod. Those teams each lost their shots at an unbeaten season - the Colts willingly ceded it in Week 16 of the 2009 season, the Patriots fought to the final minute of loss to the Giants in the 2008 Super Bowl.
But just as they did in their 2007 regular season-ending loss to the Patriots - that also a 38-35 final - the Giants may have exposed flaws that could bedevil the Packers as they go deeper into their season. Rodgers, though, remains masterful - he was 28 of 46 for 369 yards, with four touchdowns and one interception against the Giants, throwing on the run as deftly as he does from the pocket. His cool on the last-minute drive was merely a microcosm of his season, a clinical dissecting of a defense that did nearly everything right and still had no chance of closing the narrow windows to which Rodgers is able to deliver his passes. The Packers have won 18 games in a row dating to last season and including the playoffs. During that stretch, Rodgers has thrown 51 touchdown passes and 8 interceptions.
“Fifty-eight seconds is way too much time,” Packers tight end Jermichael Finley said of the final drive.
If the Packers go undefeated, and win a second straight Super Bowl, it will be Rodgers’s brilliance that defines the season. He will have to continue to play at that level if the Packers are to go that far, though, because their passing defense proved vulnerable to deep Giants strikes.
That wasn’t much of a surprise. The Packers entered the game ranked 31st in passing yards allowed, but the scouting jerseys usa report on them was that it was acceptable to yield all those yards, because the Packers were leading the league in interceptions (they have 23, after Clay Matthews intercepted Eli Manning and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown).
What was a shock is that the Packers never seemed to adjust to the Giants’ attack. Over and over, the safeties were scorched downfield. On the Giants’ first drive of the game, there was a 67-yard touchdown pass down the deep right side. That was followed by a 42-yard pass to the middle of the field, a 51-yarder down the middle, and on a fourth-quarter field-goal drive, a 17-yard pass on third-and-7 to the deep left of the field. In all, Manning completed 23 of 40 passes for 347 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. It was the second most points the Packers allowed, but just the fourth most yards this season.
“We have got to get better,” Coach Mike McCarthy said.
That is not how the Packers played last season, when the defense was ranked fifth in passing yards allowed in a run to the Super Bowl title. The falling off in yardage can be absorbed as long they continue to cause turnovers (last year, the Packers had 24 interceptions). The risk to the Packers could come if they have a game in which the turnovers stop - say in the playoffs - against a team with top scoring ability, like the New Orleans Saints. Even the yawning margins that Rodgers creates may not be wide enough to make up for that.
Pittsburgh Steelers Jerseys
The Packers credited the Giants with giving them their toughest game of the season so far, and, given the rest of their schedule, it may be the toughest they face before the playoffs. The Packers can only hope that they learn more from what the Giants showed them than their opponents do.
“I think this was just what we needed,” Matthews said. “They fought hard. They took us to the last play.”
Their smallest margin of victory until Sunday was 6 points.
The Packers may have gotten as close to a reasonable facsimile of a rally as they will this season on Sunday, when Rodgers - in just four plays with 58 seconds remaining - drove the Packers into field-goal range to break a tie and win the game, 38-35, with no time left on the clock.
The victory preserves the Packers’ perfect record at 12-0 (they clinched a playoff spot when the Chicago Bears Green Bay Packers Jerseys lost to the Kansas City Chiefs earlier Sunday), and sets them on a course that the Patriots and Colts have recently trod. Those teams each lost their shots at an unbeaten season - the Colts willingly ceded it in Week 16 of the 2009 season, the Patriots fought to the final minute of loss to the Giants in the 2008 Super Bowl.
But just as they did in their 2007 regular season-ending loss to the Patriots - that also a 38-35 final - the Giants may have exposed flaws that could bedevil the Packers as they go deeper into their season. Rodgers, though, remains masterful - he was 28 of 46 for 369 yards, with four touchdowns and one interception against the Giants, throwing on the run as deftly as he does from the pocket. His cool on the last-minute drive was merely a microcosm of his season, a clinical dissecting of a defense that did nearly everything right and still had no chance of closing the narrow windows to which Rodgers is able to deliver his passes. The Packers have won 18 games in a row dating to last season and including the playoffs. During that stretch, Rodgers has thrown 51 touchdown passes and 8 interceptions.
“Fifty-eight seconds is way too much time,” Packers tight end Jermichael Finley said of the final drive.
If the Packers go undefeated, and win a second straight Super Bowl, it will be Rodgers’s brilliance that defines the season. He will have to continue to play at that level if the Packers are to go that far, though, because their passing defense proved vulnerable to deep Giants strikes.
That wasn’t much of a surprise. The Packers entered the game ranked 31st in passing yards allowed, but the scouting jerseys usa report on them was that it was acceptable to yield all those yards, because the Packers were leading the league in interceptions (they have 23, after Clay Matthews intercepted Eli Manning and returned it 38 yards for a touchdown).
What was a shock is that the Packers never seemed to adjust to the Giants’ attack. Over and over, the safeties were scorched downfield. On the Giants’ first drive of the game, there was a 67-yard touchdown pass down the deep right side. That was followed by a 42-yard pass to the middle of the field, a 51-yarder down the middle, and on a fourth-quarter field-goal drive, a 17-yard pass on third-and-7 to the deep left of the field. In all, Manning completed 23 of 40 passes for 347 yards, three touchdowns and one interception. It was the second most points the Packers allowed, but just the fourth most yards this season.
“We have got to get better,” Coach Mike McCarthy said.
That is not how the Packers played last season, when the defense was ranked fifth in passing yards allowed in a run to the Super Bowl title. The falling off in yardage can be absorbed as long they continue to cause turnovers (last year, the Packers had 24 interceptions). The risk to the Packers could come if they have a game in which the turnovers stop - say in the playoffs - against a team with top scoring ability, like the New Orleans Saints. Even the yawning margins that Rodgers creates may not be wide enough to make up for that.
Pittsburgh Steelers Jerseys
The Packers credited the Giants with giving them their toughest game of the season so far, and, given the rest of their schedule, it may be the toughest they face before the playoffs. The Packers can only hope that they learn more from what the Giants showed them than their opponents do.
“I think this was just what we needed,” Matthews said. “They fought hard. They took us to the last play.”
2011年11月29日星期二
Family, buddies leave behind Halman
Greg Halman was laid to relaxation on Tuesday in Driehuis, the suburbs in North Holland, per week following the youthful outfielder was stabbed to dying within an apartment in Rotterdam.
Four of Halman's former Ocean adventurers teammates -- Mike Carp, Alex Liddi, Matt Mangini and Serta Cortes -- were one of the several 1000 attending together with Bob Engle, the club's v . p . of worldwide procedures Wayne Norton, Seattle's coordinator of European scouting and Peter Van Dalen, an connect scout within the Netherlands.
The Rev. Keith Louis carried out the service both in Nederlander and British to ensure that the Mariners' visitors could follow along.
Halman, 24, was hidden within the Ocean adventurers uniform bearing no. 56 he used earlier this season like a rookie. The native from the Netherlands spent his entire career within the Ocean adventurers organization after signing being an worldwide free agent in 2004, and performed 44 games using the Major League squad in the last two seasons.
Halman's more youthful brother, 22-year-old Jason, has been held by Nederlander police on suspicion of murder or wrongful death after an earlier-morning incident on November. 21 within the apartment building in which the two resided.
Halman was the Mariners' Minor League Player of the season last year and regarded as like a promising outfield prospect having a unique mixture of energy and speed. He was around the 40-guy roster and could have been competing for any role around the club next Spring Training.
"Almost every other factor is secondary whenever you realize you are not likely to see him any longer, and the household is coping with such tragedy," gm Jack Zduriencik stated. "We are all brokenhearted. I'm not sure what else to express. We are all grieving. You can sit here and say several things and not say enough. None people have words with this.Inch
Two days just before his dying, Halman had played in a number of youth treatment centers in the homeland included in the European Baseball Tour alongside fellow Major Leaguers Prince Fielder and Adam Johnson.
Louise Molendijk, whose 10-year-old boy Matsu spent about half an hour receiving personal instruction from Halman inside a clinic in Utrecht, Netherlands, did not understand how to break this news towards the kid after hearing of Halman's dying around the radio.
"Since Utrecht, all we'd heard was 'Gregory stated this' and 'Gregory explained that' and 'Hey, Mother, are you aware what Halman explained?AInch Molendijk stated from her home in Ooltgensplaat. "Matsu even used an enormous necklace for 2 days because Greg demonstrated the children his necklace plus they were really impressed by using it.
"But we needed to simply tell him this news because I didn't want him to listen to it with the media. As soon as I told him that Greg was dead, he am angry [at Jason], and so the tears came and that he cried just like a son during my arms, and that i cried with him."
Molendijk stated that word within the Nederlander baseball community is the fact that Jason Halman was struggling with "mental confusion" coupled with been hearing voices, a theory which has not occurred public through the Nederlander police. But individuals who've been touched by Halman are searching for solutions, and thus Molendijk passed that along to her boy.
"We attempted to create him realize that the entire story is really dramatic for your loved ones, simply because they have forfeit not just Greg, but additionally Jason," she stated.
Baseball is not a significant sport in Holland, where soccer, skating and swimming would be the primary activities. But baseball includes a growing following, and youthful Matsu Molendijk was thrilled to become familiar with Halman in the treatment centers, as meeting a significant Leaguer within the Netherlands is really a "one out of millions of chance," based on his mother.
And Halman, she stated, made individuals moments amazing for the children with whom he labored not not even close to his home town, Haarlem.
"He was this type of youthful, passionate, charming guy. He'd that light in the eyes, that miracle look," Molendijk stated. "He required his time for you to tell about his youth, his classes, the stadium in Dallas which he visited school within the U . s . States. He urged these to train and exercise a great deal and have confidence in the ideal after which finally live the ideal.
"The rest of the gamers on that day were also great, but Greg had the perfect factor. He earned jokes together, but additionally was serious. And first and foremost, I believe he was open and obtainable. Within the half-hour Matsu met him, Greg made an impact for existence."
Four of Halman's former Ocean adventurers teammates -- Mike Carp, Alex Liddi, Matt Mangini and Serta Cortes -- were one of the several 1000 attending together with Bob Engle, the club's v . p . of worldwide procedures Wayne Norton, Seattle's coordinator of European scouting and Peter Van Dalen, an connect scout within the Netherlands.
The Rev. Keith Louis carried out the service both in Nederlander and British to ensure that the Mariners' visitors could follow along.
Halman, 24, was hidden within the Ocean adventurers uniform bearing no. 56 he used earlier this season like a rookie. The native from the Netherlands spent his entire career within the Ocean adventurers organization after signing being an worldwide free agent in 2004, and performed 44 games using the Major League squad in the last two seasons.
Halman's more youthful brother, 22-year-old Jason, has been held by Nederlander police on suspicion of murder or wrongful death after an earlier-morning incident on November. 21 within the apartment building in which the two resided.
Halman was the Mariners' Minor League Player of the season last year and regarded as like a promising outfield prospect having a unique mixture of energy and speed. He was around the 40-guy roster and could have been competing for any role around the club next Spring Training.
"Almost every other factor is secondary whenever you realize you are not likely to see him any longer, and the household is coping with such tragedy," gm Jack Zduriencik stated. "We are all brokenhearted. I'm not sure what else to express. We are all grieving. You can sit here and say several things and not say enough. None people have words with this.Inch
Two days just before his dying, Halman had played in a number of youth treatment centers in the homeland included in the European Baseball Tour alongside fellow Major Leaguers Prince Fielder and Adam Johnson.
Louise Molendijk, whose 10-year-old boy Matsu spent about half an hour receiving personal instruction from Halman inside a clinic in Utrecht, Netherlands, did not understand how to break this news towards the kid after hearing of Halman's dying around the radio.
"Since Utrecht, all we'd heard was 'Gregory stated this' and 'Gregory explained that' and 'Hey, Mother, are you aware what Halman explained?AInch Molendijk stated from her home in Ooltgensplaat. "Matsu even used an enormous necklace for 2 days because Greg demonstrated the children his necklace plus they were really impressed by using it.
"But we needed to simply tell him this news because I didn't want him to listen to it with the media. As soon as I told him that Greg was dead, he am angry [at Jason], and so the tears came and that he cried just like a son during my arms, and that i cried with him."
Molendijk stated that word within the Nederlander baseball community is the fact that Jason Halman was struggling with "mental confusion" coupled with been hearing voices, a theory which has not occurred public through the Nederlander police. But individuals who've been touched by Halman are searching for solutions, and thus Molendijk passed that along to her boy.
"We attempted to create him realize that the entire story is really dramatic for your loved ones, simply because they have forfeit not just Greg, but additionally Jason," she stated.
Baseball is not a significant sport in Holland, where soccer, skating and swimming would be the primary activities. But baseball includes a growing following, and youthful Matsu Molendijk was thrilled to become familiar with Halman in the treatment centers, as meeting a significant Leaguer within the Netherlands is really a "one out of millions of chance," based on his mother.
And Halman, she stated, made individuals moments amazing for the children with whom he labored not not even close to his home town, Haarlem.
"He was this type of youthful, passionate, charming guy. He'd that light in the eyes, that miracle look," Molendijk stated. "He required his time for you to tell about his youth, his classes, the stadium in Dallas which he visited school within the U . s . States. He urged these to train and exercise a great deal and have confidence in the ideal after which finally live the ideal.
"The rest of the gamers on that day were also great, but Greg had the perfect factor. He earned jokes together, but additionally was serious. And first and foremost, I believe he was open and obtainable. Within the half-hour Matsu met him, Greg made an impact for existence."
2011年7月31日星期日
Small-market teams turn into buyers at deadline
Michael Bourn went from the bottom of the NL Central in Houston to the top of the wild-card standings with Atlanta. Other players joining the pennant race included ex-Cardinal Ryan Ludwick and Erik Bedard.
On a topsy-turvy weekend, the surprising Cleveland Indians, Pittsburgh Pirates and Arizona Diamondbacks made some of the boldest moves at the trade deadline, shedding those seller tags and shopping for immediate help.
The Indians completed their Saturday night deal for Colorado ace Ubaldo Jimenez about a half-hour before the 3 p.m. deadline as Jimenez passed his physical.
"This was a rare and unique opportunity, especially in our market, which comes along few and far between," Indians general manager Chris Antonetti said.
Pittsburgh acquired San Diego outfielder Ludwick for a player to be named or cash, and San Diego sent reliever Mike Adams to Texas for two minor-leaguers.
"I'm excited because I've got another chance to make the playoffs, going to a team that's in the pennant race, back in the Central to an area I'm familiar with," said Ludwick, who led the Padres with 11 home runs and 64 RBIs.
He leaves a team that was 15 games under .500.
"He plays hard and will be a big help for our ballclub," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said.
For lead-off hitter Bourn, the Astros received outfielder Jordan Schafer and three minor league pitchers.
"It's definitely tough leaving Houston, my hometown," the outfielder Bourn said in a statement. "But I understand the trade. I have the chance to be in a pennant race, so I'm happy about that."
The Diamondbacks bolstered their bullpen, adding Oakland submariner Brad Ziegler as they chase the World Series champion San Francisco in the NL West.
Boston picked up a much-needed starter after a deal for Oakland's Rich Harden fell through late Saturday, landing Bedard from Seattle in a three-team, seven-player trade involving the Los Angeles Dodgers.
2011年4月18日星期一
UNC's Barnes forgoes NBA Draft, and I like it
I know lots of people with college degrees who can't find jobs, but I don't know anybody with a guaranteed contract worth more than $10 million who can't buy a nice home and secure a luxurious future provided they've got even half of a brain. So when a prospect is projected to be a top pick in the NBA Draft, my advice almost always comes with a push and a nudge. There's too much at stake, too much to risk. Just go, young man, just go.
But Harrison Barnes' situation is unique.
That's why Monday's decision to remain at North Carolina is neither surprising nor irresponsible despite the fact that it goes against my core belief that a player who can play for millions of dollars probably shouldn't play for a scholarship. If you still need to develop your game, develop your game in the NBA while building a portfolio, because the truth is that college basketball isn't crucial to development or even a necessary stepping stone to greatness. That the five players who made All-NBA First Team last year spent a combined total of three seasons playing NCAA basketball makes it hard to argue otherwise.
But I digress.
So, anyway, I would not have questioned Barnes for entering the draft after one season for all the reasons previously stated. Some franchise would've taken him in the top five, and he would've been a candidate -- along with Duke's Kyrie Irving and Arizona's Derrick Williams -- to be selected first overall, which means leaving early would've made sense. But staying at North Carolina makes sense, too, because now Barnes has a chance to achieve lots of things money can't buy, and he's so solid on and off the court that he's the opposite of an at-risk prospect. Barnes doesn't have size, athleticism or maturity problems, and he's not a bad kid with bad habits that might be discovered the longer he remains in school. He works hard, comes from a good family and will almost certainly improve in all areas with time. Again, Barnes didn't have to remain in school to improve with time because -- as Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love and countless others have shown -- it's possible to improve with time while in the NBA. My point is only that Barnes is unlikely to damage his stock by returning to UNC, and suffering some sort of career-ending injury is never a realistic fear. Can it happen in basketball? Sure. But it almost never does, and it should never be a determining factor unless there's a history of injuries.
Barnes has no such history.
So he'll return to North Carolina and collect preseason All-American honors based on production more than potential -- meaning the certain accolades won't be met with the same criticism that came last year when Barnes was named the CBSSports.com Preseason National Player of the Year before ever playing a college game. That and similar honors brought with them a massive spotlight under which Barnes struggled early. But the 6-foot-8 wing grew more comfortable as the season unfolded (and once Kendall Marshall replaced Larry Drew as the Tar Heels' point guard), and Barnes averaged 21.5 points over the final 10 games to help lead North Carolina to an ACC regular-season title and the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament.
Tyler Zeller and John Henson have since announced they're returning to UNC.
On Monday, Barnes followed suit.
Consequently, the Tar Heels will be the preseason's consensus top-ranked team, and so Barnes has an opportunity to create memories that can never be made at the NBA level no matter how much fame and fortune awaits. Kemba Walker may or may not be a great professional, but he'll always have this past season at Connecticut and the legacy of helping Jim Calhoun win the most improbable of his three national championships. It's hard to put a price on something like that, and Barnes decided he'd rather not right now. Under normal circumstances, I might call him irresponsible. But he's not a normal kid, and his situation isn't typical.
But Harrison Barnes' situation is unique.
That's why Monday's decision to remain at North Carolina is neither surprising nor irresponsible despite the fact that it goes against my core belief that a player who can play for millions of dollars probably shouldn't play for a scholarship. If you still need to develop your game, develop your game in the NBA while building a portfolio, because the truth is that college basketball isn't crucial to development or even a necessary stepping stone to greatness. That the five players who made All-NBA First Team last year spent a combined total of three seasons playing NCAA basketball makes it hard to argue otherwise.
But I digress.
So, anyway, I would not have questioned Barnes for entering the draft after one season for all the reasons previously stated. Some franchise would've taken him in the top five, and he would've been a candidate -- along with Duke's Kyrie Irving and Arizona's Derrick Williams -- to be selected first overall, which means leaving early would've made sense. But staying at North Carolina makes sense, too, because now Barnes has a chance to achieve lots of things money can't buy, and he's so solid on and off the court that he's the opposite of an at-risk prospect. Barnes doesn't have size, athleticism or maturity problems, and he's not a bad kid with bad habits that might be discovered the longer he remains in school. He works hard, comes from a good family and will almost certainly improve in all areas with time. Again, Barnes didn't have to remain in school to improve with time because -- as Derrick Rose, Kevin Durant, Kevin Love and countless others have shown -- it's possible to improve with time while in the NBA. My point is only that Barnes is unlikely to damage his stock by returning to UNC, and suffering some sort of career-ending injury is never a realistic fear. Can it happen in basketball? Sure. But it almost never does, and it should never be a determining factor unless there's a history of injuries.
Barnes has no such history.
So he'll return to North Carolina and collect preseason All-American honors based on production more than potential -- meaning the certain accolades won't be met with the same criticism that came last year when Barnes was named the CBSSports.com Preseason National Player of the Year before ever playing a college game. That and similar honors brought with them a massive spotlight under which Barnes struggled early. But the 6-foot-8 wing grew more comfortable as the season unfolded (and once Kendall Marshall replaced Larry Drew as the Tar Heels' point guard), and Barnes averaged 21.5 points over the final 10 games to help lead North Carolina to an ACC regular-season title and the Elite Eight of the NCAA tournament.
Tyler Zeller and John Henson have since announced they're returning to UNC.
On Monday, Barnes followed suit.
Consequently, the Tar Heels will be the preseason's consensus top-ranked team, and so Barnes has an opportunity to create memories that can never be made at the NBA level no matter how much fame and fortune awaits. Kemba Walker may or may not be a great professional, but he'll always have this past season at Connecticut and the legacy of helping Jim Calhoun win the most improbable of his three national championships. It's hard to put a price on something like that, and Barnes decided he'd rather not right now. Under normal circumstances, I might call him irresponsible. But he's not a normal kid, and his situation isn't typical.
2011年3月31日星期四
Tigers freeze up late, drop opener to Yanks 6-3
As soon as Justin Verlander was done for the day, the Detroit Tigers froze up.
Verlander held the New York Yankees in check for six innings, throwing 114 pitches in short sleeves on a frigid afternoon, but Phil Coke served up a tiebreaking homer to ex-Tiger Curtis Granderson in the seventh and Detroit dropped its season opener 6-3 on Thursday.
"I just felt absolutely not right. Nothing else to blame but myself," said Coke, scheduled to move into the rotation April 9. "You've got to do your job. I didn't do my job today. I'm irritated with myself because of it."
Third baseman Brandon Inge, normally a reliable fielder, committed a costly throwing error, and a pair of wild pitches by young relievers Ryan Perry and Daniel Schlereth led to insurance runs for New York.
Victor Martinez singled in his first at-bat for Detroit, helping his new team build an early run, and Miguel Cabrera hit a sacrifice fly and scored twice. But by the time Mariano Rivera closed it out for a save, the final 10 Tigers hitters had been retired by New York's imposing bullpen.
"Their bullpen and the long ball is what did us in today," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "I thought it was actually a decent game for the conditions. It was pretty rough."
Granderson, traded to the Yankees in a December 2009 deal that sent Coke and Austin Jackson to Detroit, also made two terrific plays in center and homered in his third consecutive opener.
Jackson, coming off a strong rookie season, struck out three times in the leadoff spot. He also singled and scored.
Coke (0-1) was brought in to face Granderson in a lefty-on-lefty matchup to start the bottom of the seventh. Coke fell behind 2-0 and Granderson drove the next pitch into the second deck in right.
"Couldn't throw a strike until he hit it out of the yard," Coke said.
Said Leyland: "He just got behind Granderson and left no doubt what was coming."
With the flags above the lights in right field whipping toward the foul pole, Mark Teixeira connected off Verlander for a three-run shot in the third.
"It was a fastball in. He did a pretty good job of turning on it. Not too many hitters can do that," Tigers catcher Alex Avila said.
Slimmed down by 25 pounds after having surgery on his right knee this winter, Yankees starter CC Sabathia gave up six hits and three runs - two earned - in six innings. Making his third opening day start in three seasons with New York, Sabathia struck out seven and walked two.
Joba Chamberlain (1-0), Rafael Soriano and Rivera each pitched a perfect inning.
"We've got to score early in the game," Cabrera said. "They're tough."
Verlander was making his fourth straight opening day start, most for the Tigers since Jack Morris went 10 in a row (1980-90). He was hoping to get off to a quick start after going 1-2 with a 5.29 ERA last year in April before finishing 18-9, and he altered his offseason workout routine to help accomplish that.
"Obviously, coming out of the spring that I had, this is not the result that I wanted," Verlander said. "I felt pretty calm considering opening day, Yankee Stadium - it's hard to keep your adrenaline in check."
The right-hander reached 97 mph on the radar gun in the first, but walked Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez before striking out Robinson Cano with his 31st pitch of the inning.
Verlander gave up just two other hits, including Rodriguez's one-out double in the sixth that hit the fence in right-center just above the 385-foot marker. He walked Cano, but struck out Nick Swisher and Jorge Posada with two deceptive changeups.
"I'm trying to change things around in April. Last April I wore long sleeves," Verlander said. "The only issue when I felt it was really cold on my body was coming out of the dugout. They have heaters in there."
Jhonny Peralta drove in his first run of the month. After going without an RBI in 66 spring at-bats, he hit a sacrifice fly in his first plate appearance to give Detroit the lead in the second inning.
Cabrera lined a single and Martinez hit a hot shot to shortstop that Derek Jeter couldn't corral. The ball squirted into center for a base hit. Sabathia walked the bases loaded before Peralta flied out.
"We did center some balls pretty good off CC, especially early," Leyland said. "We didn't have a lot of luck with it."
Detroit closed to 3-2 on Inge's two-out single in the fourth and tied it on Cabrera's sacrifice fly in the fifth.
NOTES: The last time these teams met on opening day in New York was 1966, with the Tigers winning 2-1. ... Mike Mussina threw out the ceremonial first pitch. ... The Tigers failed to homer for the first time in eight games at the new Yankee Stadium.
Verlander held the New York Yankees in check for six innings, throwing 114 pitches in short sleeves on a frigid afternoon, but Phil Coke served up a tiebreaking homer to ex-Tiger Curtis Granderson in the seventh and Detroit dropped its season opener 6-3 on Thursday.
"I just felt absolutely not right. Nothing else to blame but myself," said Coke, scheduled to move into the rotation April 9. "You've got to do your job. I didn't do my job today. I'm irritated with myself because of it."
Third baseman Brandon Inge, normally a reliable fielder, committed a costly throwing error, and a pair of wild pitches by young relievers Ryan Perry and Daniel Schlereth led to insurance runs for New York.
Victor Martinez singled in his first at-bat for Detroit, helping his new team build an early run, and Miguel Cabrera hit a sacrifice fly and scored twice. But by the time Mariano Rivera closed it out for a save, the final 10 Tigers hitters had been retired by New York's imposing bullpen.
"Their bullpen and the long ball is what did us in today," Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. "I thought it was actually a decent game for the conditions. It was pretty rough."
Granderson, traded to the Yankees in a December 2009 deal that sent Coke and Austin Jackson to Detroit, also made two terrific plays in center and homered in his third consecutive opener.
Jackson, coming off a strong rookie season, struck out three times in the leadoff spot. He also singled and scored.
Coke (0-1) was brought in to face Granderson in a lefty-on-lefty matchup to start the bottom of the seventh. Coke fell behind 2-0 and Granderson drove the next pitch into the second deck in right.
"Couldn't throw a strike until he hit it out of the yard," Coke said.
Said Leyland: "He just got behind Granderson and left no doubt what was coming."
With the flags above the lights in right field whipping toward the foul pole, Mark Teixeira connected off Verlander for a three-run shot in the third.
"It was a fastball in. He did a pretty good job of turning on it. Not too many hitters can do that," Tigers catcher Alex Avila said.
Slimmed down by 25 pounds after having surgery on his right knee this winter, Yankees starter CC Sabathia gave up six hits and three runs - two earned - in six innings. Making his third opening day start in three seasons with New York, Sabathia struck out seven and walked two.
Joba Chamberlain (1-0), Rafael Soriano and Rivera each pitched a perfect inning.
"We've got to score early in the game," Cabrera said. "They're tough."
Verlander was making his fourth straight opening day start, most for the Tigers since Jack Morris went 10 in a row (1980-90). He was hoping to get off to a quick start after going 1-2 with a 5.29 ERA last year in April before finishing 18-9, and he altered his offseason workout routine to help accomplish that.
"Obviously, coming out of the spring that I had, this is not the result that I wanted," Verlander said. "I felt pretty calm considering opening day, Yankee Stadium - it's hard to keep your adrenaline in check."
The right-hander reached 97 mph on the radar gun in the first, but walked Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez before striking out Robinson Cano with his 31st pitch of the inning.
Verlander gave up just two other hits, including Rodriguez's one-out double in the sixth that hit the fence in right-center just above the 385-foot marker. He walked Cano, but struck out Nick Swisher and Jorge Posada with two deceptive changeups.
"I'm trying to change things around in April. Last April I wore long sleeves," Verlander said. "The only issue when I felt it was really cold on my body was coming out of the dugout. They have heaters in there."
Jhonny Peralta drove in his first run of the month. After going without an RBI in 66 spring at-bats, he hit a sacrifice fly in his first plate appearance to give Detroit the lead in the second inning.
Cabrera lined a single and Martinez hit a hot shot to shortstop that Derek Jeter couldn't corral. The ball squirted into center for a base hit. Sabathia walked the bases loaded before Peralta flied out.
"We did center some balls pretty good off CC, especially early," Leyland said. "We didn't have a lot of luck with it."
Detroit closed to 3-2 on Inge's two-out single in the fourth and tied it on Cabrera's sacrifice fly in the fifth.
NOTES: The last time these teams met on opening day in New York was 1966, with the Tigers winning 2-1. ... Mike Mussina threw out the ceremonial first pitch. ... The Tigers failed to homer for the first time in eight games at the new Yankee Stadium.
2011年3月24日星期四
Habs jacked up for first tilt with Bruins since Chara knocked out Pacioretty
BROSSARD — For the Montreal Canadiens, the best way to avenge sidelined teammate Max Pacioretty is to steal home-ice advantage in the playoffs from the Boston Bruins.
The Habs will get a chance to narrow the gap Thursday night in a much-anticipated battle with their hated rivals.
It will be the first tilt between the clubs since Bruins captain Zdeno Chara slammed Pacioretty in a violent hit that shook the hockey world.
"If you ask Patch, the biggest thing right now is for us to win," Canadiens forward Ryan White said of his injured teammate Wednesday after practice in Brossard, Que.
"We've given ourselves an opportunity to catch these guys and tomorrow's a big four-point night."
The Canadiens (40-27-7) trail Boston (40-22-10) by three points in the race for the Northeast Division lead. The Bruins have two games in hand.
But White admits that Pacioretty, who suffered a severe concussion and a fractured vertebra from the Chara hit, will be on the players' minds.
That doesn't mean they're planning to do anything "stupid" to exact revenge, he said.
But if knuckles start flying, White insists Montreal will be ready.
"We're going to be jacked up," said White, one of the Canadiens' tougher players.
"I know what I have to do to help this team win."
On March 8, Chara drove Pacioretty's head into the stanchion that holds up the glass separating the player's benches at the Bell Centre.
The home crowd fell silent as the 22-year-old winger lay motionless on the ice after the collision. Many hockey fans have said they immediately feared that he was dead.
Doctors told Pacioretty last week that he might be able to return for the NHL playoffs.
Chara was given a major penalty for interference and a game misconduct and the NHL did not impose any additional discipline.
The incident poured fuel on the already fiery debate on how to deal with hits to the head in the NHL.
The league has faced widespread pressure to reduce violence, including stern remarks from Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Thursday's game will also be the Habs' first tilt in Boston since a brawl-filled 8-6 loss on Feb. 9.
The Canadiens, coming off a 2-0 loss to Buffalo on Tuesday, are 4-1 against the Bruins this season.
Boston beat New Jersey 4-1 at home on Tuesday.
The Habs will get a chance to narrow the gap Thursday night in a much-anticipated battle with their hated rivals.
It will be the first tilt between the clubs since Bruins captain Zdeno Chara slammed Pacioretty in a violent hit that shook the hockey world.
"If you ask Patch, the biggest thing right now is for us to win," Canadiens forward Ryan White said of his injured teammate Wednesday after practice in Brossard, Que.
"We've given ourselves an opportunity to catch these guys and tomorrow's a big four-point night."
The Canadiens (40-27-7) trail Boston (40-22-10) by three points in the race for the Northeast Division lead. The Bruins have two games in hand.
But White admits that Pacioretty, who suffered a severe concussion and a fractured vertebra from the Chara hit, will be on the players' minds.
That doesn't mean they're planning to do anything "stupid" to exact revenge, he said.
But if knuckles start flying, White insists Montreal will be ready.
"We're going to be jacked up," said White, one of the Canadiens' tougher players.
"I know what I have to do to help this team win."
On March 8, Chara drove Pacioretty's head into the stanchion that holds up the glass separating the player's benches at the Bell Centre.
The home crowd fell silent as the 22-year-old winger lay motionless on the ice after the collision. Many hockey fans have said they immediately feared that he was dead.
Doctors told Pacioretty last week that he might be able to return for the NHL playoffs.
Chara was given a major penalty for interference and a game misconduct and the NHL did not impose any additional discipline.
The incident poured fuel on the already fiery debate on how to deal with hits to the head in the NHL.
The league has faced widespread pressure to reduce violence, including stern remarks from Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
Thursday's game will also be the Habs' first tilt in Boston since a brawl-filled 8-6 loss on Feb. 9.
The Canadiens, coming off a 2-0 loss to Buffalo on Tuesday, are 4-1 against the Bruins this season.
Boston beat New Jersey 4-1 at home on Tuesday.
2011年3月23日星期三
Knicks Seek Identity as the Clock Ticks
After Monday's loss to the Boston Celtics, the Knicks' third in a row and perhaps the most stinging since they acquired Carmelo Anthony last month, their new superstar sat on the bench, blood in his eyes from a collision with Rajon Rondo earlier in the game.
He looked dejected, but like nearly all the Knicks, he said he wasn't thinking about the devastating loss but rather about how this team can right the wrongs that have plagued it during its 7-9 start with Anthony in the lineup.
As new point guard Chauncey Billups said Sunday after a loss in Milwaukee, each game is more about the Knicks and how they are playing than any opponent.
Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni acknowledged this week that these final 12 games, beginning with Wednesday night's game against the Orlando Magic at the Garden, are essentially "open practices," where 18,000 fans watch the Knicks try to find an identity. The hope is that they'll find one before the end of the regular season on April 13.
"We have a little bit under a month to get this thing right and right now we're just figuring this out on the go," Anthony said.
D'Antoni has attributed the Knicks' lack of chemistry to a number of things. Aside from the schedule, he said that many of the same issues that plagued the Knicks when they started the season 3-8—such as inadequate offensive spacing and faulty decision-making—have resurfaced with little time to address them.
"When we looked at 18 games in March, we looked at no practice time at all,'' D'Antoni said. "We looked at what's left, basically three rookies, an eight- man rotation and three new guys, and you start to pull your hair out."
Anthony admitted over the weekend that the chemistry issues may not be solved until next season. He said that when the trade was made, he had no expectations about when the team would jell, only that "it's a long process."
The process, for now, seems like it will have to focus on the offense, where there are signs of an identity crisis.
According to the website Hoopdata, in the last four games, the Knicks haven't had more than 92 possessions. That's a stunning departure from the fast-paced offense that produced as few as 92 possessions just four times in the first 54 games of the season.
D'Antoni has said he's fine with whatever pace Billups wants to run, but D'Antoni has expressed concerns over the offense's performance late in games. In the loss against Boston, the Celtics scored the game's last 10 points.
"We're still trying to get a grip on us," star forward Amar'e Stoudemire. "We know we can be a really good team. It's just a matter of us staying together, for one, and two, to figure out how to win."
He looked dejected, but like nearly all the Knicks, he said he wasn't thinking about the devastating loss but rather about how this team can right the wrongs that have plagued it during its 7-9 start with Anthony in the lineup.
As new point guard Chauncey Billups said Sunday after a loss in Milwaukee, each game is more about the Knicks and how they are playing than any opponent.
Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni acknowledged this week that these final 12 games, beginning with Wednesday night's game against the Orlando Magic at the Garden, are essentially "open practices," where 18,000 fans watch the Knicks try to find an identity. The hope is that they'll find one before the end of the regular season on April 13.
"We have a little bit under a month to get this thing right and right now we're just figuring this out on the go," Anthony said.
D'Antoni has attributed the Knicks' lack of chemistry to a number of things. Aside from the schedule, he said that many of the same issues that plagued the Knicks when they started the season 3-8—such as inadequate offensive spacing and faulty decision-making—have resurfaced with little time to address them.
"When we looked at 18 games in March, we looked at no practice time at all,'' D'Antoni said. "We looked at what's left, basically three rookies, an eight- man rotation and three new guys, and you start to pull your hair out."
Anthony admitted over the weekend that the chemistry issues may not be solved until next season. He said that when the trade was made, he had no expectations about when the team would jell, only that "it's a long process."
The process, for now, seems like it will have to focus on the offense, where there are signs of an identity crisis.
According to the website Hoopdata, in the last four games, the Knicks haven't had more than 92 possessions. That's a stunning departure from the fast-paced offense that produced as few as 92 possessions just four times in the first 54 games of the season.
D'Antoni has said he's fine with whatever pace Billups wants to run, but D'Antoni has expressed concerns over the offense's performance late in games. In the loss against Boston, the Celtics scored the game's last 10 points.
"We're still trying to get a grip on us," star forward Amar'e Stoudemire. "We know we can be a really good team. It's just a matter of us staying together, for one, and two, to figure out how to win."
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