Month: March 2020

The NBA has no plans to announce the …

The NBA has no plans to announce the cancellation of games in the immediate future, sources said. The league’s plan has been to continue working on a number of contingencies for returns from a hiatus that started on March 11, based upon how many days the league has to work with to salvage a season, sources said. The NBA has committed to paying full salaries on April 1, but the league and union are discussing ways for an orderly redistribution of money based on the number of regular-season games that could be lost in the 2019-2020 season.

Alabama offers 2022 4-star running back out of Texas

On Tuesday night, Four-star RB Jaydon Blue out of Houston announced via his Twitter account that Alabama had extended an offer.

Alabama recently landed a top four-star running back out of the state of Texas for its 2020 recruiting class in Jase McClellan. Now, it looks like the Tide is after another for 2020.

On Tuesday night, Jaydon Blue out of Houston announced via his Twitter account that Alabama had extended an offer, and the news came on the same day that he had earned a four-star rating from Rivals.com:

According to the 247Sports composite rankings, Blue is rated as the No. 80 overall prospect for the 2022 class, while also checking in as the No. 7 running back and No. 11 player from the state of Texas.

The 5-foot-10, 190-pound runner also holds offers from other major programs such as LSU, Georgia and Texas, but expect that list to continue to grow throughout the summer, especially if the coronavirus starts to let up and a few camps still happen.

Here is what 247Sports prospect analyst Gabe Brooks had to say about Blue back in October of 2018:

Adequate size with above average build. Flashes great initial burst and acceleration. Hits the hole hard and gets downhill in a hurry. Produced strong numbers as a sophomore against Texas 6A competition. More slasher than juker but shows above average foot quickness in the hole. Agile enough to make defenders miss at the second level. Slippery strong vs. arm tackles. Good top-end speed backed by 10.97 100 as a freshman. On-field speed may be still catching up to track times. Can finish runs more consistently. One of Texas’ top running backs in the 2022 class.

Stay tuned for more updates around the recruiting world for the Crimson Tide from Roll Tide Wire!

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George Kittle went on ‘First Take’ and perfectly defended Jimmy Garoppolo

It’s not his fault he’s on a good team with really good football players and a great head coach.

Jimmy Garoppolo came just over six minutes away from leading the San Francisco 49ers to a win over the Kansas Chiefs in Super Bowl 54 a few months ago.

He didn’t, of course, as Patrick Mahomes pulled off a great comeback to lead Kansas City to its first ever title, but Jimmy G did come pretty darn close.

The 49ers star QB then had to spend a few weeks of the offseason hearing about Tom Brady rumors and hearing a lot of chatter about how Garoppolo isn’t the guy to lead the 49ers to championships.

George Kittle, who is one of Jimmy G’s favorite targets, is tired of hearing that noise and provided a perfect defense of his QB on Tuesday’s episode of “First Take” on ESPN.

Stephen A. Smith brought up something about how other players on the 49ers come up in his mind before the QB, to which Kittle said:

He said:

“How is that his fault? It’s not his fault he’s on a good team with really good football players and a great head coach. He got us to the Super Bowl, so that’s what I’m saying. It’s not his fault he has Nick Bosa, he has five first-round D-linemen, he has Richard Sherman in the secondary. That’s not his fault. He goes out there and he performs week in, week out. Like I said, leads the league in third-down percentage. He makes throws. He won us two games versus Arizona. He won us the Rams game at the end of the game. He won a shootout with Drew Brees, who, in my opinion, is one of the best quarterbacks to do it. I mean, he shows up every single week.”

That’s Kittle’s quarterback.

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Tennessee Titans sign ex-Falcons DL Jack Crawford

The Titans have added to their defensive line.

The Tennessee Titans have added a defensive lineman in free agency.

According to David Canter of DEC Management, his client, Jack Crawford, has signed with the Titans.

Crawford spent the past two seasons with the Atlanta Falcons, totaling six sacks in 2018 and 0.5 sacks in 2019. The 31-year-old has played at both defensive end and defensive tackle during his career.

Crawford is now the third Falcon the Titans have signed this offseason. Swing tackle Ty Sambrailo and edge rusher Vic Beasley are also on that list.

Immediately some fans are going to jump to the conclusion that this might mean the Jadeveon Clowney hopes are over, but not so fast.

Let’s not forget that the Titans have lost two defensive linemen this offseason in Jurrell Casey and Austin Johnson. This is purely a depth move by the Titans to replace Johnson and doesn’t mean their pursuit of Clowney, or any other top-flight defensive lineman still available, is over.

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Who wins? Mikey Garcia vs. five potential opponents

Boxing Junkie staffers are trying to have some fun while the sport is on hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic. One of the questions fans love to ask even amid a busy schedule is, “Who would win if …?” With that in mind, we decided to create …

Boxing Junkie staffers are trying to have some fun while the sport is on hiatus because of the coronavirus pandemic.

One of the questions fans love to ask even amid a busy schedule is, “Who would win if …?” With that in mind, we decided to create our own “Who Wins?” feature, in which we pit a single fighter against each of five potential opponents and indicate who we believe would win the fights.

We started the series with our No. 1 boxer pound-for-pound, Vasiliy Lomachenko, and moved down the Boxing Junkie list to No. 2 Terence Crawford, No. 3 Canelo Alvarez, No. 4 Naoya Inoue, No. 5 Oleksandr Usyk  and No. 6 Gennady Golovkin, No. 7 Errol Spence Jr., No. 8 Tyson Fury and No. 9 Juan Francisco Estrada.

Next up? No. 10 Mikey Garcia.

In this installment of Who Wins?, our staffers’ give their takes on how Garcia would do against Manny Pacquiao, Terence Crawford, Shawn Porter, Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman. We then tally Garcia’s record in those fights and present our standings.

Garcia was a dominating lightweight and junior welterweight before moving up to welterweight to face Errol Spence Jr., who dominated him en route to a shutout decision in March of last year. The brother of trainer Robert Garcia bounced back by stopping contender Jessie Vargas in February, proving that he can defeat a good 147-pounder.

He reportedly is on the short list to face Pacquiao in the Filipino’s next fight.

We want to acknowledge that the choice of possible opponents is subjective. We’re looking for the best possible but also realistic foes for our featured boxers. One caveat: We won’t consider promotional and managerial rivalries that often stand in the way of the best matchups. And we’re operating under the assumption that none of our featured boxers will fight with ring rust as result of their forced coronavirus-related layoff.

The plan is to work our way down our pound-for-pound list each day. That means our featured fighter tomorrow will be No. 11 Artur Beterbiev.

So here goes: Garcia vs. his five potential opponents.

***

GARCIA (40-1, 30 KOs) VS. PACQUIAO (62-7-2, 39 KOs)

Manny Pacquiao (right) demonstrated against Keith Thurman that he still has it. AP Photo / John Locher

Rosenthal: Good matchup. The Pacquiao of five, six years ago probably would’ve controlled this fight with his speed and activity. The 41-year-old version of Pacquiao would have his hands full. The Filipino icon, who now fights only in spurts, would have his moments but Garcia would have more of them. His tight technique, precising punching and measured pressure would earn him the victory by a clear decision.

Frauenheim: A fight that should have happened years ago. Yet, it’s still interesting. Both looked good in their last bouts – Garcia in a unanimous victory over Jessie Vargas and Pacquiao in a split decision over Thurman. Garcia regained confidence he can be a factor at 147 pounds. His youth prevails, allowing him to score late. Garcia, unanimous decision.

Nam: Garcia has a good shot here for two reasons. First, he’s a counterpuncher by nature and counterpunchers have typically done well against Pacquiao. Second, Pacquiao is a small welterweight. Also, Garcia is conceivably much closer to his prime than Pacquiao is at this stage. Garcia wins on points in a mild upset.

***

GARCIA VS. CRAWFORD (36-0, 27 KOs)

Terence Crawford could be too strong, too good for Mikey Garcia. Mikey Williams / Top Rank

Rosenthal: Crawford isn’t a big welterweight but he’s stronger than Garcia, who is a natural 140-pounder. More important, as good as Garcia is skillwise, Crawford is better, more athletic and certainly more dynamic. Crawford would pick Garcia apart, break him down and score a technical knockout late in the fight.

Frauenheim: Garcia’s toughest fight. Garcia has a versatile skill set, one that he employs with great discipline. Crawford’s versatility is complemented by his quicksilver ability to switch between orthodox and southpaw. That figures to be a problem for Garcia in a fight that starts slowly and ends dramatically. Crawford, spit decision.

Nam: Crawford is all wrong for Garcia. They’ll try to outbox each other in the early going, with Garcia landing some nice right hands. But Crawford, one of the better improvisers in the ring, will start imposing himself in the second half of the fight. It’ll be violent. Garcia will get mauled. Crawford by late stoppage.

***

GARCIA VS. PORTER (30-3-1, 17 KOs)

Shawn Porter (right) gave the performance of his career in defeat against Errol Spence Jr.. Jayne Kamin-Oncea / Getty Images

Rosenthal: This isn’t a good matchup for Garcia, whose relative lack size will be his Achilles’ heel. Think about what Porter did against Spence, who went to hell and back to win a close decision in their fight. Garcia would have much more difficulty coping with the bruising Porter’s relentless aggression. Porter by wide decision.

Frauenheim: Porter is slightly bigger. He’s an inch taller and has an inch-and-a-half advantage in reach. Both advantages appear minimal, but Porter uses them effectively. He’s physical, strong on the inside, which was a factor versus Errol Spence, who beat him by split decision and dominated Garcia. Porter, split decision.

Nam: There are better ways to earn a living than going through the grinder that is Porter. Garcia will have success landing his counter right the way Kell Brook did against Porter many years ago, but he won’t be able to do it for 12 rounds. Eventually Porter’s kitchen sink aggression will wear out the much smaller Garcia. Porter wins late by stoppage.

***

GARCIA VS. D. GARCIA (36-2, 21 KOs)

Danny Garcia (left, against Ivan Redkach) is always competitive. Amanda Westcott / Showtime

Rosenthal: The battle of the Garcias would be compelling. Mikey probably is the better boxer but Danny is an excellent, experienced counterpuncher who belongs at welterweight, which will work in his favor. Mikey will attack and have success in the first half of the fight but Danny will take control in the second half and win a close decision.

Frauenheim: A tricky fight. Danny Garcia is a little taller and has a reach advantage over Mikey. So did Jessie Vargas. Danny Garcia isn’t strong enough to wear down Mikey. But there’s lethal speed in his left hand. Is that enough to beat the multi-skilled Mikey? Not over 12 rounds. Mikey Garcia, unanimous decision.

Nam: No one is going to be clamoring to see two natural counterpunchers, but for what it’s worth, both Garcias are decent punchers. In this case, Mikey is a bit more dynamic and is a better puncher at range. Danny is best when he’s in closer and he can unfurl his coveted left hook. Amid all the feinting, expect Mikey to find a home for his overhand right. Mikey by unanimous decision.

***

GARCIA VS. THURMAN (29-1, 22 KOs)

Thurman (right) said his loss to Pacquiao in July has motivated him. AP Photo / John Locher

Rosenthal: Thurman is a big, strong, talented welterweight, which might not bode well for Garcia. The problem for Thurman is that injuries and time off have taken a toll on him, as we saw in his fight with Pacquiao. Thurman at 100 percent probably beats Garcia but we might never see that version of him again. Garcia by close decision.

Frauenheim: A couple of years ago, Thurman wins this fight. He’s strong. His long arms possess some lethal leverage. But injuries are a sign that he’s not quite the same fighter. A lingering injury to his left hand limited him in a narrow loss to Pacquiao. A healthy Thurman has a chance. Garcia, unanimous decision.

Nam: Even with all of his injuries, Thurman is a natural welterweight whose size, length and punching power immediately dwarfs that of Garcia. Thurman can also be somewhat elusive, given the way he tends to flit around the ring. All of which spells bad news for Garcia, who needs to be able to get in close to do any damage. If Thurman is as disciplined as Spence in not allowing Garcia to get comfortable, it’ll be his fight to lose. Thurman on points.

***

THE FINAL TALLY

Mikey Garcia: 7-8 (0 KOs)

***

THE STANDINGS

Canelo Alvarez: 15-0 (6 KOs)
Naoya Inoue: 14-0-1 (5 KOs)
Vassiliy Lomachenko: 14-0-1 (4 KOs)
Tyson Fury: 14-1 (8 KOs)
Terence Crawford: 14-1 (3 KOs)
Errol Spence Jr.: 13-2 (6 KOs)
Oleksandr Usyk: 10-5 (2 KOs)
Juan Francisco Estrada: 9-5-1 (1 KOs)
Gennadiy Golovkin: 9-6 (5 KOs)
Mikey Garcia: 7-8 (0 KOs)

 

Read more:

Who wins? Vassiliy Lomachenko vs. five potential opponents

Who wins? Terence Crawford vs. five potential opponents

Who wins? Canelo Alvarez vs. five potential opponents

Who wins? Naoya Inoue vs. five potential opponents

Who wins? Oleksandr Usyk vs. five potential opponents

Who wins? Gennadiy Golovkin vs. five potential opponents

Who wins? Errol Spence Jr. vs. five potential opponents

Who wins? Juan Francisco Estrada vs. five potential opponents

 

Texas Tech shooter Jahmi’us Ramsey mocked to Sixers in first round

The Philadelphia 76ers are mocked to select Texas Tech sharpshooter Jahmi’us Ramsey.

With the NBA in suspension due to the outbreak of COVID-19, it is easy to begin assuming that the 2019-20 season will be canceled and begin to think about the NBA Draft. Despite the fact that the NBA is dead set on resuming the 2019-20 season at some point, most of the attention has turned to the offseason.

So, that means it’s mock draft season! It’s time to look at various mock drafts and try to pinpoint who teams will select whenever the draft does begin. For the Philadelphia 76ers, they should be focused on shooting.

Sports Illustrated recently released their latest mock draft for 2020 and they have the Sixers selecting Texas Tech shooter Jahmi’us Ramsey.

They wrote:

Ramsey had a fairly solid freshman year, although he wasn’t quite consistent in elevating Texas Tech as the de facto go-to scorer, and there are some concerns about exactly what will translate. He shot an impressive 42.6% from three on 141 attempts, but was a below-average free throw shooter (64% on 78 attempts), both small samples but illustrative of the fact he likely has work to do. Ramsey settles for a lot of jumpers, and gets to the rim less than you think an athletic guard with his type of frame would. Defensively, he has solid instincts, which points to 3-and-D type potential. But he’s a little bit of a mixed bag, with enough upside to go in this range, but also with some questionmarks. The Sixers may need to re-up on wings this summer, and Ramsey could be a fit with his ability to play on or off the ball.

This is not the first mock draft that has the Sixers selecting Ramsey as he is a popular pick for Philadelphia at the moment. He averaged 15.0 points and 4.0 rebounds and he shot 42.6% from deep in his freshman season with the Red Raiders. The biggest detriment for him is the fact that he was not able to compete in any postseason tournaments due to the coronavirus.

The Sixers have this first-round pick due to the success of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Their pick is top 20 protected, but they are slotted at 22 at the moment which means the pick conveys to Philadelphia. That is the one good thing that Sixers fans can discuss with the season suspended at the moment. [lawrence-related id=28628,28613,28605]