Month: April 2020

Trio of former Warriors to participate in players-only NBA 2K tournament

Kevin Durant, DeMarcus Cousins and Harrison Barnes will compete in a players-only NBA 2K20 tournament.

NBA action is still on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic. Yet, a form of basketball will be returning to national television soon. Representatives from across the league will gather on Friday for the first installment of a players-only NBA 2K20 tournament.

The competition will air on ESPN over 10 days. Sixteen different players, including three former members of the Golden State Warriors, will participate in the video game tournament.

Players were seeded one through 16 with league tenure and 2K rating determining their position. Former Dub Kevin Durant is at the top of the list, with Demarcus Cousins at 11 and Harrison Barnes at 15. The rest of the field is mixed with young players and All-Stars like Donovan Mitchell, Trae Young, Devin Booker and Domantas Sabonis.

Odds would point towards each player using their squad in the tournament. However, with no current Warrior represented, Golden State’s 2k team is up for grabs. While the Warriors record currently sits at the bottom of the NBA, their 2K roster is stocked full of top-rated players.

Stephen Curry is rated 95 overall with a 99 when it comes to 3-point shooting. Although he’s still injured, Klay Thompson sits at 86 with a 95 rating from beyond the arc. Behind the Splash Brothers, Andrew Wiggins is rated 82 with both Draymond Green and Eric Paschall holding 79s.

With the Los Angeles Lakers waiving Cousins before he ever suited up in yellow and purple, the Kentucky product could be a candidate to run with his old squad in the 2K showdown.

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ESPN analyst has harsh words about the NFL and the draft

ESPNs Adam Schefter isn’t happy with the NFL going forward with the draft.

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Typically, ESPN NFL reporter Adam Schefter is upbeat and positive in doing his insider reports on all things NFL. But it seems quarantine might be getting to Schefter a little bit. Schefter showed up on ESPN and let himself go a little bit with his concerns about the NFL season starting on time.

Schefter vented bigtime about the NFL season. “OTAs, that’s not happening. The offseason program? That’s not happening. The draft is happening only through the sheer will, force and determination and lack of foresight,” Schefter said. “They are determined to put this on while there is carnage in the streets.”

Wow.

To see Schefter lose his cool like that was really something. It just illustrates just how challenging this whole situation is for everyone involved and how divided everyone connected to the NFL season can be. Clearly, Schefter isn’t banking on the season starting on time and he feels very strongly against the NFL choosing not to push the draft back.

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Rookie Rundown: WR Tee Higgins, Clemson

Rookie Rundown: WR Tee Higgins, Clemson

Credit: Mark Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

Tee Higgins originally committed to play at Tennessee in his home state but opted later to play for Clemson – not a bad trade-off. The Tigers employ a very diverse offensive attack, and Higgins contributed even as a freshman. As a sophomore, Higgins took over as the primary receiver from Hunter Renfrow and ended with a team-high 59 catches for 936 yards and 12 touchdowns while playing with next year’s hot rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence on the No. 1 ranked team in the nation.

Paired again with Lawrence, 2019 saw him turn in 1167 yards on 59 catches for a gaudy 19.8 yards per catch along with 14 touchdowns. The Tigers had 21 players catch a pass last season – Higgins’s workload and production far exceeded any other receiver over the last two years. And Clemson went to the National Championship both seasons, winning for 2018.

Height: 6-4
Weight: 216 pounds
40 time: 4.54

Higgins didn’t participate in any drills at the NFL Combine because he had tweaked his hamstring a few weeks prior.Ā  He was later timed at 4.54 seconds in the 40-yard dash at the Clemson Pro Day.

Year Games Catch Yards Avg. TD Runs Yards. TD Total Yards Total TDs
2017 7 17 345 20.3 2 0 0 0 345 2
2018 15 59 936 15.9 12 0 0 0 936 12
2019 15 59 1167 19.8 13 1 36 1 1203 14

Pros

  • Great hands that make spectacular catches
  • Aggressive at the point of catch
  • Used huge frame to shield out defenders
  • Big play receiver best downfield
  • Outstanding with over the shoulder receptions
  • Body control and concentration
  • Vertical threat

Cons

  • Less adept at blocking
  • Only average route runner
  • Not as effective for shorter, level one catches

Fantasy outlook

Higgins comes from perhaps the best offense in the NCAA but one that presented a complicated, wide-open attack that employed everyone in the offense. There were 33 players for Clemson that touched the ball last year. Catching 59 passes was very good for that offense.

There is no doubt that Higgins benefitted from playing for the powerful Tiger’s offense that was so diverse that it allowed a vertical receiver to excel since there were so many potential receivers on any given play. Of his 37 games, only nine contained more than four catches.

Higgins is an outstanding receiver downfield. He’s tall, has a huge catch radiance and will come down with the ball. But he’s not experienced as a true No. 1 receiver that can run all routes and excel with a possession role. That hasn’t been Higgins. He projects to offer a valuable No. 2 role for an NFL pass offense, one that can stretch the field and make big catches down the field. He has great body control and shouldn’t have any problem keeping both feet inbounds.

He is unlikely to turn in a rookie season as a No. 1 receiver and maybe won’t ever be one. But – in a wide-open offense with an elite quarterback, he can do a lot of damage just as he did at the highest level in college. So long as he ends up with a Top-Ten passing offense, he will offer fantasy value even as a rookie. If not, he’ll likely provide inconsistent production in his first year.

Steelers GM Kevin Colbert offers high praise for new TE Eric Ebron

Is Eric Ebron the answer for Pittsburgh?

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In 2012, former Pittsburgh Steelers tight end Heath Miller caught 71 passes for 816 receiving yards and eight receiving touchdowns. This was the last time you could look at the Steelers tight end position in terms of being a vital part of the passing offense.

But Pittsburgh general manager Kevin Colbert talks like this could change in 2020 with the addition of Eric Ebron. Colbert heaped high praise on Ebron’s ability to be a premier receiving tight end with the one great caveat of health. Ebron has dealt with injuries during the course of his career which has been a significant hindrance to statistical significance.

Ebron’s best season as a pro was 2018 when he caught 66 passes for 750 receiving yards and made the Pro Bowl. The downside to that season was Ebron was targeted a remarkable 110 times to haul in those 66 receptions.

Is Ebron the answer to the Steelers lack of production at tight end? Absolutely but until we see it on the field, we won’t hold our breath.

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Watch: Warriors highlight Steph Curry’s best play against every NBA team

Get your Stephen Curry fix by watching his best play against every NBA team.

After three weeks of no basketball, hoop heads are turning to highlights from the past to fill their fix. On Tuesday, fans of Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors got a treat. The Warriors released a video montage highlighting the two-time Most Valuable Player’s best play against every team in the NBA.

Iconic moments from Curry’s career, including his “bang” 3-pointer in Oklahoma City, the time he dribbled circles around the entire Clippers’ rotation, his fake against Marcin Gortat and the nearly full-court splash against the Memphis Grizzlies are featured in the video.

Curry’s mixtape is full of no-look jumpers from beyond the arc, game-winners, flashy passing and hypnotic handles. Plays that now live in NBA history books are displayed in Curry’s highlight reel.

Watch Curry’s best play against every team in the league via @warriors on Twitter:

Due to his hand injury, the 2019-20 season hasn’t produced the standard quota of Curry’s noteworthy plays. When the NBA season returns from hiatus, Golden State will have 17 games left on the calendar for the six-time All-Star to rack up some highlights.

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Video interviews with Steelers NFL draft prospects to begin this week

Steelers GM Kevin Colbert says the team will begin video interviews with draft prospects this week.

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It’s a brave new world for the NFL when it comes to their preparations for the 2020 NFL draft. Every team has been forced to practice draft prep by social distancing this time around with nearly all pro days canceled and no teams allowed to bring in prospects for pre-draft meetings thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This has forced teams to turn to video interviews with draft prospects in order to get a final round of evaluation before spending a pick on them. According to Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert, their video meetings will begin this Thursday.

The 2020 NFL draft is set for April 23-25. Pittsburgh doesn’t currently hold a first-round pick. This only ups the stakes for hitting big on those mid-round picks.

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Steelers GM Kevin Colbert offers mixed messages about running back position

It doesn’t feel like the Steelers are at all sold on James Conner.

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On a recent conference call, Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert spoke about the state of the Steelers running back position and specifically James Conner. And to be completely honest, it doesn’t dissuade anyone from believing the Steelers plan to add a running back in the draft.

Despite the fact that Colbert said the team anticipates Conner to be prepared for the start of the season but they want to make sure there is competition at the position. You could infer Colbert meant the other top running backs on the roster aren’t enough.

As of now, the most realistic options to supplant Conner are Benny Snell Jr. and Jaylen Samuels. But neither player truly stepped up when Conner went down for injury last season.

The 2020 running back class is solid and there is starting talent to be had in the middle rounds. With Pittsburgh filling most of their primary needs via free agency, don’t be shocked if they don’t look at a running back early if a top prospect falls.

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Longtime NFL agent says coronavirus claims lives of both parents within minutes

The parents of longtime NFL agent Buddy Baker passed away due to complications from coronavirus. Bakers’ parents were married for 51 years, the agent for players such as Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin and twins Shaquill and Shaquem Griffin, said. And they …

The parents of longtime NFL agent Buddy Baker passed away due to complications from coronavirus. Bakers’ parents were married for 51 years, the agent for players such as Seahawks WR Doug Baldwin and twins Shaquill and Shaquem Griffin, said. And they tragically passed six minutes apart.

Watch the emotional video posted on Twitter by Baker:

In loving memory of my mom and dad- please make the tough and right choice and help stop the spreading of this virus.

ā€œAs many of you know my parents recently contracted COVID-19 and unfortunately passed away this past Sunday due to complications,ā€ Baker said in the video. ā€œMy parents were amazing people. They were married 51-plus years and they passed away six minutes apart.

ā€œJust a few weeks ago, they were in perfect health.ā€

Baker, theĀ President/CEO of Exclusive Sports Group, continued:

“We live in a world of ‘it can’t happen to me,’ ‘it can’t happen to us,’ ‘ can’t happen to my family,'” Baker said. “Well, it happened to us.

“We’d like to take this time to make people start thinking about making a change. While the CDC and all the regulatory bodies make suggestions of what we should do, I’m not sure everyone really understands the importance of it. Hopefully, this can be a catalyst for a change.”
Indianapolis Colts tight end Jack Doyle posted a message on Twitter, too.
My agent but even more my good friend lost both his parents to COVID-19 this week. Hoping his message can save someone elseā€™s life. Please watch.

 

You can still visit zoos and aquariums via virtual programs

At a time when we can’t visit zoos and aquariums in person, technology gives us incredible ways to connect with wildlife and nature, as we are temporarily transported away from our couches.

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A virtual visit to a zoo or aquarium proves a wonderful way to brighten any day. “Wander” among nature and get caught up watching wildlife play, sleep and go about daily routines, as online programming transports viewers to faraway lands filled with sleek, fierce and cuddly creatures.

From the nation’s capital to Cali

In Washington, D.C., the Smithsonian National Zoological Park posts several live webcam channels on its page, allowing you to visit beloved residents like its giant pandas, elephants, lions and naked mole-rats, too. Got a penchant for penguins? Spend a morning following their activities at the Pittsburgh Zoo.

Travel to California’s sun-kissed Central Coast, where the Monterey Bay Aquarium offers 10 livecams for at-home entertainment. Enjoy soothing ocean vibes while chilling out in front of the playful sea otters or hypnotic, drifting jellies.

Tennessee wildlife treasures

Travel to Tennessee, where the Chattanooga Zoo‘s livecams follow favorite residents like the meerkat, snow leopard, tamarin and spotted genet. The Tennessee Aquarium‘s cameras take visitors to the following exhibits: River Otter Falls, Penguins Rock and Secret Reef.

While watching the Secret Reef camera, guests can “gameify” the experience by counting sharks as they pass or using the Secret Reef Dichotomous Key. The venue offers printable activities, created in collaboration with its education department.

They’ve also taken some of the most common visitor questions and answered them in a video series, available on YouTube. Lastly, the Aquarium has teamed up with MacGillivray Freeman Films to bring their IMAX 3D Theater experience into homes with offerings that include: “Coral Reef Adventure,” “Dolphins,” “Humpback Whales” and “The Living Sea.”

Adorable Ohio offerings

Happy #MeerkatMonday from Bert!

A post shared by Cincinnati Zoo (@cincinnatizoo) on Mar 30, 2020 at 4:00pm PDT

Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden has launched Home Safari Live Streams on Facebook seven days a week, with each day centered on a different animal or theme. Beloved hippo, Fiona, kicked off the live showings, followed by Rico the porcupine, Moe the Sloth and John the lion.

(The original post was shared more than 283,000 times with 400,000-plus people following the page.) The home safaris are streamed live every day at 3 p.m. EST and can be viewed after the live session ends, too.

Seattle’s favorite residents

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Get whisked away to the beautiful Pacific Northwest by visiting Seattle‘s Woodland Park Zoo. You can watch animals (from bears to bats) attending to business as usual on the site’s webcam. The zoo also utilizes its early childhood hub as a blog, featuring new family activities added weekly.

Consider donating to zoos’ relief funds, like this one, that help with animal care during these closures.

Whimsy in Saint Louis

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The Saint Louis Zoo will #BringTheStlZooToYou in many ways, including its “zootube” page. The animal care team plans to share photos and videos of animals over the coming weeks, which will also be added to the blog.

Recent popular posts include: a daily live penguin cam (9 a.m. to 5 p.m. central time), this lovable sea lion clip and a Monkey Mania Poll on Facebook (in which primate keepers have selected eight monkey species to be featured in a friendly online voting competition).

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Splash into St. Louis Aquarium live stream options that include morning breakfast events with their baby sloth Coconut, streams of otters Thatcher, Sawyer and Finn and other happenings scheduled daily on their Facebook and Instagram pages.

Out in the wild

Beyond the zoo realm, viewers can keep an eye on a bald eagle nest that’s located near a trout hatchery in Decorah, Iowa, or attempt to glimpse manatees gliding around the springs of Florida. And you can live out safari dreams, too, as you witness guides searching for critters of the South African Bushveld. Twice a day, experts take viewers on virtual experiences and answer questions (submitted via the comments section).

Until we’re able to actively travel again, we’ll rely on the beauty and wonder of these virtual offerings.

10Best is a part of the USA TODAY Network, providing an authentically local point of view on destinations around the world, in addition to travel and lifestyle advice.