Month: July 2020

Damian Lillard on being the NBA 2K21 cover athlete: ‘I made it’

NBA 2K21 knows what time it is: IT’S DAME TIME.Portland Trail Blazers megastar Damian Lillard is the cover athlete for the newest edition of the game, and he was thrilled to be chosen when the reveal happened on Tuesday.“I made it,” he told The Athletic’s Shams Charania.”It means a lot. It’s one of those things that’s like a signature shoe. Everybody just don’t get it.”.Here’s the cover art for 2K21.Lillard joins names like Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James, and Michael Jordan to be on the cover of the uber-popular 2K title

NBA 2K21 knows what time it is: IT’S DAME TIME.Portland Trail Blazers megastar Damian Lillard is the cover athlete for the newest edition of the game, and he was thrilled to be chosen when the reveal happened on Tuesday.“I made it,” he told The Athletic’s Shams Charania.”It means a lot. It’s one of those things that’s like a signature shoe. Everybody just don’t get it.”.Here’s the cover art for 2K21.Lillard joins names like Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Shaquille O’Neal, LeBron James, and Michael Jordan to be on the cover of the uber-popular 2K title

Buffalo Bills Matchday face mask, These new NFL face masks are the perfect accessory for football fans, Where to get them

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Cover up while you represent your favorite team in this Buffalo Bills face covering!

One Longhorn who needs to step up in 2020 according to 247Sports

247Sports named their one player who needs to step up in 2020. For the Longhorns it comes from the wide receivers group.

The Texas Longhorns return one of the most productive teams in the Big 12 in 2020. However, they do have plenty of questions especially on the offensive side of the ball. While they do have talent available, it remains unclear who will step up in 2020 for this football team. If the Longhorns do indeed make a run at the Big 12 title they will need a few players to step up on both sides of the ball. According to 247Sports, there is one player on offense who needs to step up the most.

247Sports writer Dean Straka states:

Texas fans saw what Eagles was capable of accomplishing during his sophomore year on the Forty Acres after only registering one catch as freshman in 2018, but 2020 will bring an entirely new set of expectations for the former four-star prospect. With Devin Duvernay and Collin Johnson — the Longhorns’ leading two receivers from 2019 — both now graduated, Eagles finds himself standing as arguably the top target for Sam Ehlinger to work with in 2020 as the Longhorns look to rebound from an 8-5 finish that was far short of meeting expectations a year ago. Eagles’ most productive game of 2019 his best game of the season in Week 2 in a 45-38 loss to eventual national champion LSU (five catches for 116 yards, including a 55-yard touchdown strike). With new Texas offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich setting the expectation of around 45 points per game in order for the Longhorns to compete, prepare to see plenty of passes from Ehlinger headed in Eagles’ direction this fall.

Ehlinger has a tall task ahead of him this upcoming season, steer the Longhorns towards the top of the conference without his top two receiver of the past few season. Along with Eagles, Jordan Whittington, Jake Smith and newcomer Tarik Black are all expected to be in the mix. For the team to hit the level of expectation that Yurcich has laid out, they will all need to do their part.

Behind Ehlinger in the backfield Keaontay Ingram, Roschon Johnson and newcomer Bijan Robinson should help lighten the load. Ingram and Johnson are the known commodity, while Robinson is the wildcard. The best running back in Arizona high school history should be a mainstay on the offense for the next three seasons. If he is able to deliver what many think he can, the offense should be a lethal one.

Should Giants consider signing WR Antonio Brown?

Would the Giants take a chance on Antonio Brown?

Free agent wide receiver Antonio Brown has basically played his way off many NFL teams’ radar. Many see him as too much of a risk, while others see the 31-year-old former six-time All-Pro as simply too expensive and not worth pursuing.

Tampa Bay is the latest team to drop out of contention for Brown’s services, effectively ending any chatter of a reunion with Tom Brady. Veteran NFL columnist Mike Silver recently reported that the Seattle Seahawks and Baltimore Ravens have had “internal discussions” about signing Brown, but nothing has yet to materialize.

There are several teams in the NFL still seeking a No. 1 target for their passing game. The New York Giants did not augment their receiving corps. this offseason and would be a potential landing spot for Brown due his familiarity with Joe Judge, who coached Brown for a short stint last season in New England as the Patriots’ wide receivers coach.

The reunion is an unlikely one, however, although Brown would add some explosiveness to an offense that sorely needs a home-run hitter at wideout. Brown, unfortunately, is not a fit here in New York where the Giants are trying to change their culture.

First off, the Giants do not have the salary cap room to accommodate Brown price-wise. They are approximately $16.3 million over the cap but have yet to sign any of their top nine draft choices. Brown would likely be seeking a deal worth at least $5 million (his deal with New England last year was worth $5.7 million). The Giants would have to make some cuts to make room for Brown and even then, would be pushing the cap envelope.

But I say forget all of that as things won’t get that far. Brown is not Giant material, especially in the Dave Gettleman era. If the Giants didn’t want to deal with Odell Beckham, Jr., why would they want Antonio Brown?

With the culture change in full tow, and the locker room seeking leaders, the Giants are better off with what they have. Play defense, run balanced offense and dominate on special teams. They’re done going the star route.

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Watch: Titans’ Kalif Raymond breaks defender’s ankles in workout video

Kalif Raymond’s moves will break your ankles just watching them.

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Kalif Raymond put himself on the map in 2019 with some huge catches, the biggest of which came during the Divisional Round win over the Baltimore Ravens.

In that game, Raymond snagged a 45-yard touchdown grab that shocked the Ravens and gave the Titans a healthy 14-0 cushion, ultimately helping them complete the upset win over the AFC’s No. 1 seed. Raymond was also the leading receiver in that contest.

Looking to build upon a successful first season in Nashville, Raymond is hard at work trying to improve his game..

In a recent video posted by Oliver Davis II, who runs Sweet Feet Sports Performance and is a defensive back specialist, Raymond can be seen breaking Davis’ ankles as he tries to guard him near the goal line.

Raymond’s part of the clip can be seen at the 34-second mark.

While Raymond only saw 13 targets (including playoffs) during his first year in Tennessee, he made the most of them. Four of those targets were receptions of 32 yards or more.

The Holy Cross product also proved to be an effective returner after the Titans had some issues in that department, averaging 11.3 yards per punt return and 22.4 yards per kick return.

Raymond is exactly the kind of deep threat and return specialist the Titans need, and it’s why he should be considered the favorite to land the No. 4 spot on the depth chart behind the team’s top-three wideouts, A.J. Brown, Corey Davis and Adam Humphries.

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Bills announce season ticket holders can skip 2020 season

Buffalo Bills season ticket update: Fans can skip 2020 for 2021.

The Buffalo Bills announced on Tuesday that season ticket holders will have the option to skip the 2020 season without any penalty due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It’s unclear if fans, of any amount, will be allowed to attend games this fall just yet.

The release from the Bills reads, in part:

All season ticket members will be given the opportunity to opt out of their season ticket commitment for this season with an option to return for the 2021 season while maintaining their account seniority and seat location. An email with opt-out information will be sent in the coming days.

The Bills have reportedly already started drawing up seating plans at New Era Field in regard to smaller seating capacities. The NFL also announced last week that team’s will be allowed to “tarp off” lower seating levels and use those to sell advertisements, if they so choose. With this recent Bills season ticket news, that option seems likely to be flexed by the team.

Click here for the full announcement from the team.

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Colts expecting a big jump for LB Bobby Okereke

LBs coach expects big things from Okereke.

Under the current regime, the Indianapolis Colts have found themselves with an embarrassment of riches at the linebacker position. Among them is second-year backer Bobby Okereke.

A third-round pick from the 2019 draft class, Okereke emerged as a strong producer for the Colts during the second half of his rookie campaign. He played on 41.3% of snaps over the final 10 games as the third linebacker in the room, which is a strong number considering how often the Colts implement their nickel packages.

As Okereke comes into his own in Year 2, linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi echoes the notion that the Colts are expecting a big up for the Stanford product.

“Yeah, we expect big things from Bobby. He came in as a rookie and did a really nice job. Like Darius, Bobby is a guy that has great physical attributes, but also more importantly, he works really hard at it,” Borgonzi told Colts.com. “So we expect Bobby to make a big jump from Year 1 to Year 2, just in his production, his plays on the ball, interceptions, game-changing plays. Bobby has a lot of ability and we expect him to really have a great season this coming year.”

Standing in the way of Okereke taking a starting role at the MIKE linebacker position is Anthony Walker, who has been the starter since 2018. While Walker may be limited in some areas, he’s been a fantastic leader in the middle of the defense and a strong complement to Darius Leonard.

Considering the Colts only had to use a fifth-round pick in 2017 to get him, Walker has quickly become a favorite amongst the fans and the coaching staff.

But that competition between Walker and Okereke is likely the biggest the Colts have on the docket—if and when they return for training camp at the end of the month. Both players are versatile in that they can likely thrive at the MIKE and SAM positions, thought the latter isn’t used as much in today’s NFL.

“Anthony is a great teammate. The first thing (is) he’s an unbelievable leader. He’s a leader of the defense,” said Borgonzi. “He’s very smart. He’s a guy that can play multiple positions for us. He can play MIKE, he can play WILL, he can play SAM, so his versatility is unmatched. Everybody in the locker room respects him just because of how hard he works, both on and off the field. So he’s really a true leader of our defense.”

The linebacker corps is one of the deepest positions on the roster, and the Colts are excited to see what the competition will bring out in both Okereke and Walker.

For the former, it could mean taking a starting role in Year 2 next to one of the best linebackers in the game.

U.S. Women’s Open: Check out the 100 players already exempt for 2020

Take a look at the field of 100 players who are already exempt for the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open.

The 75th U.S. Women’s Open is still more than five months away, but 100 players are already exempt into the field. This year’s contest will be all kinds of different. For starters, it’s being held in mid-December over two courses at Champions Golf Club. And, like the men’s contest, the field will be fully exempt after the USGA canceled qualifying due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In late February, the USGA announced that qualifying would be held over 25 courses, including four overseas (England, Japan, China and South Korea). The 2019 USWO field included 90 exempt players and 66 qualifiers.

In mid-May, the USGA announced that all qualifiers had been canceled.

“For us to not conduct qualifying this year was agonizing,” said John Bodenhamer, USGA senior managing director, championships. “I use that word by choice because … if you think about it for us, qualifying is in the DNA of all of our championships. It’s the cornerstone of what we do.”

Without those avenues available, Bodenhamer and team worked to create new routes to Houston to help fill the field with players who are in strong current form. Or at least as current as they could make it given the mandatory quarantine periods and travel restrictions that are constantly changing throughout the world. The field closes Nov. 11 at 5 p.m. EDT.

Top five players on the Symetra Tour money list (through Nov. 11) will be in the field along with the top 10 players not otherwise qualified from the LPGA money list. There are also spots open to players who finish strong at four domestic LPGA events: Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, Cambria Portland Classic, ShopRite Classic and KPMG Women’s PGA.

With no international qualifying, spots have been reserved for players who finished high on the money lists on the LET, Japan LPGA, Korean LPGA and China LPGA.

And because amateurs have such a strong and rich history at the U.S. Women’s Open (Catherine Lacoste won it all in 1967), there will be 20 exemptions given off of the World Amateur Golf Ranking in addition to the usual exemptions given to championship winners. The last three U.S. Women’s Opens have averaged 25 amateurs. Duke’s Gina Kim tied for 12th last year.

Both Brittany Lincicome and Sarah Jane Smith are in the field off of maternity extension exemptions.

The LPGA has lost 13 events so far this season due to the coronavirus pandemic. The tour is scheduled to restart on July 31 in Toledo, Ohio, after a more than five-month break. The Women’s Open will be the penultimate event on the LPGA’s schedule, with the last two purses totaling $10.5 million.

The USGA has four events left on its 2020 calendar, including both U.S. Amateur championships and the U.S. Opens.

“We think it will be a pretty special year if we can crown all four of these and end with the Women’s Open in its 75th year,” said Bodenhamer, “what that could mean for the game, the inspiration for our country that we need. We look forward to that very much.

Here’s how the field is shaping up for Dec. 10-13 at Champions Golf Club:

Winners of the U.S. Women’s Open last 10 years

Jeongeun Lee6

Ariya Jutanugarn

Sung Hyun Park

Brittany Lang

In Gee Chun

Michelle Wie West

Inbee Park

Na Yeon Choi

So Yeon Ryu

Paula Creamer

2019 U.S. Women’s Open, 10 lowest scorers and ties

Celine Boutier

Jaye Marie Green

Mamiko Higa

Jessica Korda

Yu Liu

Ally McDonald

Gerina Piller

Lexi Thompson

Angel Yin

2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur winner

Gabriela Ruffels (a)

2019 U.S. Girls’ Junior winner

Lei Ye (a)

2019 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur winner

Ina Kim-Shaad (a)

Winners of the ANA Inspiration last five years (2016-2020)

Jin Young Ko

Pernilla Lindberg

Lydia Ko

Winners of the KPMG Women’s PGA (2016-2019)

Hannah Green

Danielle Kang

Brooke Henderson

Winners of the Evian Championship (2015-2019)

Angela Stanford

Anna Nordqvist

Winners of the AIG Women’s British Open (2015-2019)

Hinako Shibuno

Georgia Hall

In-Kyung Kim

Top 30 point leaders from the 2019 LPGA Race to the CME Globe

Brittany Altomare

Carlota Ciganda

Shanshan Feng

Nasa Hataoka

Mi Jung Hur

Eun-Hee Ji

Moryia Jutanugarn

Hyo Joo Kim

Sei Young Kim

Nelly Korda

Bronte Law

Minjee Lee

Gaby Lopez

Caroline Masson

Azahara Munoz

Su-Hyun Oh

Lizette Salas

Amy Yang

Winners of official LPGA events from the conclusion of the 2019 USWO to this year’s original USWO dates (June 1-7)

Cheyenne Knight

Ha Na Jang

Ai Suzuki

Madalene Sagstrom

Hee Young Park

Winner of the 2019 British Amateur

Emily Toy (a)

Rolex Rankings (as of March 15, 2020) top 75 and ties

Hee Jeong Lim (24)

Charley Hull (25)

Jiyai Shin (26)

Hye Jin Choi (27)

Marina Alex (29)

Da Yeon Lee (30)

A Yean Cho (32)

Seon Woo Bae (33)

Megan Khang (41)

Kristen Gillman (43)

Min Young2 Lee (46)

Mee Hyang Lee (48)

Jennifer Kupcho (50)

Amy Olson (52)

Min Ji Park (53)

So Mi Lee (54)

Morgan Pressel (56)

Sun Ju Ahn (58)

Mone Inami (59)

Nanna Koerstz Madsen (61)

Yui Kawamoto (62)

Momoko Ueda (63)

Jeong Min Cho (64)

So Young Lee (65)

Annie Park (66)

Minami Katsu (67)

Nicole Broch Larsen (68)

Austin Ernst (69)

A Lim Kim (70)

Ji Yeong2 Kim (72)

Chae Yoon Park (73)

Chella Choi (74)

Jing Yan (75)

Top 5 LET members from 2019 Order of Merit

Esther Henseleit

Marianne Skarpnord

Christine Wolf

Nuria Iturrioz

Meghan MacLaren

Top 5 money leaders from the 2019 JLPGA money list

(already exempt)

Top 5 money leaders from the 2019 KLPGA money list

(already exempt)

Top 3 money leaders from the 2019 China LPGA Tour

Weiwei Zhang

Yan Liu

Mohan Du

Special exemptions

Brittany Lincicome (maternity extension)

Sarah Jane Smith (maternity extension)

Other exemption categories that have yet to be filled:

  • Top 10 money leaders off LPGA money list not otherwise exempt through the close of entries (Nov. 11, 2020)
  • Top 5 money leaders off Symetra Tour money list (Nov. 11, 2020)
  • Top two players not otherwise exempt in the top 10 and ties from the 2020 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship, Cambria Portland Classic, ShopRite Classic. Top three players not otherwise exempt in the top 10 of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
  • Top 20 players from the World Amateur Golf Ranking that are not otherwise exempt within the top 100 of the ranking as of Nov. 4, 2020.
  • Any other special exemptions selected by the USGA.
  • Remaining spots will be filled in order using the Rolex Rankings as of Nov. 9, 2020. Alternates will also be determined using the Rolex Rankings.

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Yahoo predicts fantasy football outlooks for Vikings WR Adam Thielen, RB Dalvin Cook

Here are Yahoo’s fantasy football outlooks for Vikings players Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook.

Yahoo was predicting the fantasy football outlook for both Adam Thielen and Dalvin Cook, and the takes on both of them were very different.

Yahoo’s Matt Harmon, thought that Thielen is a clear “buy” in fantasy this year, because he will likely be getting a lot of targets.

Dalton Del Don of Yahoo thinks now that Stefon Diggs, who was traded this offseason, is gone, that Thielen could be a beneficiary of that.

Yahoo’s Scott Pianowski shares a similar view, saying that Kirk Cousins is good enough to get Thielen the ball.

But what do they think of Cook? They aren’t as positive as they were of Thielen.

Del Don thinks that Cook is a terrific back, but his injuries in the past are a concern.

Harmon thinks Cook’s plan to hold out creates a cloud of uncertainty.

Pianowski agrees with both those points, and he’s worried about Cook being overvalued due to his breakout year.

Personally, since a lot of fantasy football leagues don’t draft until August, we will all have a better idea of Cook’s value for 2020 by then. If the Vikings still haven’t given him an extension that he’s agreed to, then obviously there’s a risk that he will miss time.