Month: July 2020

66 days until it is football time in Tennessee

66 days until it is football time in Tennessee.

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The University of Tennessee football team will return to action in 66 days.

Tennessee will kick off the 2020 football season Sept. 5 against Charlotte at Neyland Stadium.

Jeremy Pruitt enters his third season as the Vols’ head coach. Tennessee concluded the 2019 campaign with a six-game winning streak and a victory over Indiana in the TaxSlayer Gator Bowl.

2020 Tennessee football schedule

  • Sept. 5 vs. Charlotte (Knoxville)
  • Sept. 12 at Oklahoma (Norman)
  • Sept. 19 vs. Furman (Knoxville)
  • Sept. 26 vs. Florida (Knoxville)
  • Oct. 3 vs. Missouri (Knoxville)
  • Oct. 10 at South Carolina (Columbia)
  • Oct. 17 OPEN DATE
  • Oct. 24 vs. Alabama (Knoxville)
  • Oct. 31 at Arkansas (Fayetteville)
  • Nov. 7 vs. Kentucky (Knoxville)
  • Nov. 14 at Georgia (Athens)
  • Nov. 21 vs. Troy (Knoxville)
  • Nov. 28 at Vanderbilt (Nashville)

4 things I learned about the Lions during the virtual offseason program

On Matt Patricia, Trey Flowers, Jeff Okudah and the respect for Matthew Stafford

The Detroit Lions wrapped up the virtual offseason program last week. It was a modification from the normal series of OTAs and minicamps due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The team did a good job keeping the media looped in via frequent Zoom teleconferences. With everyone working remotely, it was difficult to coordinate bringing everyone together.

Here are a few things I picked up about the team from the virtual offseason program.

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Former Browns coach Romeo Crennel wins the PFWA ‘Dr. Z’ award

Former Browns coach Romeo Crennel wins the PFWA ‘Dr. Z’ award

Former Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel has been selected as a recipient of the Pro Football Writers of America’s Paul “Dr. Z” Zimmerman award, which recognizes lifetime achievement as an assistant coach in the NFL. The award is named after the late, legendary Sports Illustrated football writer Paul Zimmerman.

Crennel was announced as one of the two winners of the honor from the PFWA, along with longtime Dolphins assistant Bill Ansparger.

Crennel was the Browns head coach from 2005-2008. He was also the team’s defensive coordinator in 2000. Crennel has also coached with the Giants, Jets, Patriots, Chiefs and Texans, where he has been the defensive coordinator since 2014 (he sat out the 2017 season). Crennel has coached in six Super Bowls, winning five titles.

In the spirit of disclosure, I am a PFWA member and voted for Crennel.

Congrats to Coach Crennel, one of the truly good guys in the game!

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Fred Johnson hype is hard to ignore after listening to Bengals’ Jim Turner

The Cincinnati Bengals have high hopes for Fred Johnson.

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The Cincinnati Bengals haven’t made another splash along the offensive line despite there being some interesting names like Larry Warford out there in free agency.

Fred Johnson is a big reason the Bengals are happy to stand still there.

Offensive line coach Jim Turner singled out Johnson as one of the reasons the coaching staff remains encouraged with the current depth chart. He appeared on the “Bengals Booth Podcast” with Dan Hoard and Dave Lapham and said the following:

“Freddie didn’t play football until he was in high school…he wasn’t even a standout player at Florida, but when you’re around him, there’s a reason all those things happened. And Freddie is a work in progress when it comes to being ready to play. But as you can see, that work in progress, we put it to the test. I told Ben Martin, don’t coach him at all…I don’t want him to be uptight at all…this guy has the talent to do a lot…he’s a monster.

“…You ask him a question, this kid is smart as a whip. I’m telling you. I’ll install things…I might be talking to somebody else…I’ll say ‘Freddie, explain that to me’ and he’ll explain it to you right through it…there’s an intelligence there that is excellent…”

Johnson, a guy the Bengals pounced on quickly and claimed after Pittsburgh waived him and tried to sneak him on the practice squad, is a massive tackle with major upside.

Last year, Johnson was quickly promoted to backup left tackle, then later got some playing time while learning on the fly.

Johnson, paired with late-round pick Hakeem Adeniji, is a bright point for a coaching staff still looking for surefire starters.

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2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic Prop Bet Payday: Matchup, Placing and FRL Picks

Analyzing prop bets for the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic, with odds and picks for the best matchup, placing and FRL best bets.

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After placing your bets for the outright winner of the 2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic and setting your fantasy golf lineup, it’s time to flush out your weekly betting card with a wide selection of prop bets.

The 7,334-yard, par-72 Detroit Golf Club welcomes Webb Simpson, Bryson DeChambeau and yet another strong field – starting Thursday – for the fourth event in the PGA Tour’s return to play. Simpson leads all in attendance while ranking third in the Golfweek/Sagarin world rankings. The RBC Heritage winner returns after withdrawing from the Travelers Championship last week amid COVID-19 concerns.

Also see:

2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic: Matchup bets

Odds provided by BetMGM; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Lines last updated Tuesday, June 30 at 9:45 p.m. ET.

J.T. Poston (-118) vs. Kevin Na

Poston, who finished T-11 here last year, is in a pick’em with Na, who debuts at this event. Na finished fifth last week at the Travelers Championship, while Poston missed the cut after finishing T-8 at the RBC Heritage and T-10 at the Charles Schwab Challenge. Trust his modest experience here to spark a return to form.

Sungjae Im vs. Tony Finau (-106)

Both golfers have disappointed in stronger fields the last two weeks. Finau ranks first in this field in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and eighth in SG: Approach over everyone’s last 50 rounds, according to Fantasy National, and he’s a value as a slight underdog in this matchup.

Looking to place a bet on the Rocket Mortgage Classic? Get some action on it at BetMGM. Bet Now!

2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic: Placing bets

Top 5: Cameron Tringale (+2800)

Tringale will need to repeat last year’s finish in Detroit despite the significantly stronger field in attendance. He was second among those who made the cut with 2.02 SG: Tee-to-Green per round last year, according to Data Golf, while finishing eight shots off the lead at minus-17. He ranks fourth overall by my stat model this week.

Who will the best player from the Rest of The World be? Hideki Matsuyama (+400)

Matsuyama is getting much better odds here than he is for Top Asian Player (+125), despite his top competition being Im in both pools. Matsuyama topped Im with a T-13 to T-21 finish at Detroit Golf Club in 2019. He ranks third in SG: Tee-to-Green, and ninth in SG: Approach and Bogey Avoidance.

Top South African Player: Erik Van Rooyen (+220)

Van Rooyen is the best course fit with the best tee-to-green game in a pool that includes Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Branden Grace and Charl Schwartzel. Top-ranked South African Louis Oosthuizen isn’t in attendance.

Top Canadian Player: Adam Hadwin (-200)

Sometimes it’s OK to eat a little chalk. At 19th in the Golfweek rankings, Hadwin is easily the top-ranked Canadian. No. 2, Corey Conners (69th), and No. 3, Mackenzie Hughes (234th), are off this week. Roger Sloan (+450) ranks 343rd.

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2020 Rocket Mortgage Classic: First-round leader bets

Bryson DeChambeau (+1600)

The odds for DeChambeau to lead after Round 1 are much better than his +600 odds to win the tournament. He’s third on Tour in the 2019-20 season and first in this field with a first-round scoring average of 67.80 through 10 rounds. Plus, he has started two of his last three tournaments with an opening-round 65.

Doc Redman (+5500)

Redman was last year’s runner-up, losing by six strokes to Nate Lashley. Redman resurfaced last week with a T-11 finish at the Travelers Championship. Like DeChambeau, his first-round leader odds are much better than his tournament price of +4500. He has a scheduling advantage by being in the second group off the first tee Thursday.

Get some action on the Rocket Mortgage Classic by signing up and betting at BetMGM. If you’re looking for more sports betting picks and tips, access all of our content at SportsbookWire.com.

Follow @EstenMcLaren on Twitter, and follow SportsbookWire on Twitter and Facebook. Please gamble responsibly.

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

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Two Ohio State lineman named to BTN’s All-Decade Team

Two Ohio State offensive lineman were selected by a 24-team panelist from BTN to be on the networks All-Decade First-Team for football.

In case you haven’t been paying attention — and who could blame you with all the crazy things going on in the world today — the Big Ten Network has been unveiling its BTN All-Decade squads. It has already announced the three different All-Decade basketball teams, and has now moved on to the All-Decade Big Ten football squads.

On that note, one former Ohio State lineman and even one current one have both made the First-Team. Former center Billy Price along with current left guard Wyatt Davis are both a part of all the fun.

Here’s what the Ohio State athletic department said about Price:

“Price is one of the great offensive linemen in Ohio State’s storied history. A two-time All-American, including a unanimous selection in 2017, Price is one of just six Buckeye offensive linemen to win a major national award when he was named the recipient of the 2017 Rimington Trophy as the nation’s outstanding center. Price also was named the Big Ten’s Rimington-Pace offensive lineman of the year that season and set a program record with 55 consecutive games started from 2014 through 2017.”

But not to be outdone, and in a rather surprising move, Wyatt Davis was also included. Here’s what OSU said about one of the current anchors of the offensive line in their release.

“Davis, from Bellflower, Calif., blossomed into one of the nation’s top interior linemen last season as a first-year starter. While paving the way for an offense that averaged 529.9 yards per game, Davis was voted a first team All-American by the Associated Press, CBS Sports and The Sporting News. He is one of three returning starters along the offensive line for the 2020 Buckeyes and has already been named a preseason first team All-American by The Walter Camp Football Foundation and The Sporting News.”

Davis himself was also taken aback.

“I’m at a loss for words and I was so excited when I get the news,” Davis told BTN’s Dave Revsine. “I still have to finish strong but this is definitely something nice to look back on.”

Price and Davis were joined on the First-Team All Decade Big Ten offensive line team by Taylor Lewan of Michigan, Iowa’s Brandon Scherff, Michael Dieter of Wisconsin, and Indiana’s Dan Feeney.

Stay tuned as more of these are revealed throughout the next few days.

 

Contact/Follow us @BuckeyesWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Ohio State news, notes and opinion.

We have a forum and message board now. Get in on the conversation about Ohio State athletics by joining the Buckeyes Wire Forum.

WATCH: Michigan State athletic department gives tips to prevent COVID-19 spread

Tom Izzo, Bill Beekman, Mel Tucker and Suzy Merchant got together to make a video on tips to prevent COVID-19 from spreading further.

Despite some stop-and-start reopenings around the country, we are still very much in the midst of a global pandemic (perhaps best exemplified by the recent outbreak at Harper’s in East Lansing), and the Michigan State athletic department continues to do its part advocating for safety and the proper health guideline observance.

On Tuesday, the MSU athletic department dropped a video promoting different tips to keep you and your community safe from the spread of the coronavirus.

You can watch the video below, which features Tom Izzo, Mel Tucker, Suzy Merchant, and Bill Beekman:

Wear a mask and go green.

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Basketball you can watch today: Head coach Stephon Marbury against Yi Jianlian in China

There’s nothing like NBA basketball, but if you want to get your hoops fix somehow, there are some pro competitions underway around the world with a bunch of players you will recognize. These are today’s contests in Israel, China and New Zealand. …

There’s nothing like NBA basketball, but if you want to get your hoops fix somehow, there are some pro competitions underway around the world with a bunch of players you will recognize.

These are today’s contests in Israel, China and New Zealand.

ISRAEL

12:20 am: Hapoel Eilat vs. Hapoel Gilboa Galil (Winner League TV)
Players of NBA interest: Former Net Milton Doyle, potential free agent target Jordan Caroline

12:30 am: Ironi Nes Ziona vs. Hapoel Tel Aviv (Winner League TV)
Players of NBA interest: Draft prospect Yam Madar, former Nugget Jordan Hamilton, potential free agent target Cameron Oliver

CHINA

3:30 am: Shanghai Sharks vs. Xinjiang Flying Tigers (Youku)
Players of NBA interest: Former King Ray McCallum, former Rocket Zhou Qi

4:00 am: Jiangsu Dragons vs. Fujian Sturgeons (Youku)
Players of NBA interest: Former Bull Antonio Blakeney, former Nugget Ty Lawson, Grizzlies draftee Wang Zhelin

7:35 am: Beijing Ducks vs. Guangzhou Loong Lions (Youku)
Players of NBA interest: Former Knick Jeremy Lin, former Jazz Ekpe Udoh, former Timberwolf Marcus Georges-Hunt

8:00 am: Guangdong Flying Tigers vs. Beijing Royal Fighters (Youku)
Players of NBA interest: Former NBA players Yi Jianlian, Sonny Weems, Arnett Moultrie and Sun Yue, head coach Stephon Marbury

11:00 pm: Zhejiang Golden Bulls vs. Nanjing Monkey Kings (Youku)
Players of NBA interest: Former Pacer Joseph Young, former Grizzly Hamed Haddadi

NEW ZEALAND

1:30 am: Taranaki Mountainairs vs. Otago Nuggets (ESPN3)
Players of interest: Former Kentucky forward Tay Wynyard, former Oregon State forward Marcel Jones, New Zealand national team players Jarrod Kenny and Jordan Ngatai

3:30 am: Manawatu Jets vs. Canterbury Rams (ESPN3)
Players of interest: New Zealand national team player Tom Vodanovich

Michigan State is officially a playable team in the Madden 21 career mode

It was announced on Tuesday that Michigan State will be one of 10 playable teams featured in Madden 21’s career mode.

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Fans of the long-dormant NCAA Football video game franchise will soon get a taste of once again playing college football in a video game as Madden NFL 21 will let players choose from one of 10 college programs to play out two seasons in the game’s career mode. Spartan fans should be especially excited about this development: Michigan State will be one of those 10 playable teams.

The news was announced on Tuesday. College football has been missing a video game since NCAA Football 14, a fact made especially painful considering the team that graced that game cover (Michigan’s Denard Robinson).

Here is the full list of playable schools:

  • Michigan State
  • Nebraska
  • Oklahoma
  • Florida
  • LSU
  • Clemson
  • Oregon
  • USC
  • Miami
  • Texas

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