John Harbaugh says Calais Campbell, Brandon Williams are ‘ready to go’

John Harbaugh says Calais Campbell, Brandon Williams are ‘ready to go’

The Baltimore Ravens will be relying on a big year from multiple players on their defensive line. Baltimore has plenty of solid veterans, but also a few young guys who will be looking to carve out big roles for themselves.

When asked about a few of those veterans in Calais Campbell and Brandon Williams, head coach John Harbaugh said that they’re ‘highly motivated guys’ and ‘ready to go’.

“I haven’t talked to them about that. I definitely feel like guys are highly motivated. You can’t be in the league this long and play at the level that those guys you’re talking about are playing at and not be just completely highly motivated, and they are. Unfinished business is a term, I guess you could apply it. There are a lot of ways to say it, but [they’re] highly motivated guys. You can tell they’re in shape and they’re ready to go. They’re high spirits, and I was really happy to see them today.”

Campbell and Williams are both coming off of years where they had to miss multiple games, but still provided an impact when they were on the field. With both players having a full offseason to rest as well as get better, it should be a great season for both.

NBA fans crushed Patrick Beverley for his ugly cheap shot of Chris Paul during time out in Game 6

This was a really ugly moment.

Chris Paul and the Phoenix Suns opened a 26-point lead late in the fourth quarter Wednesday night in Los Angeles when a time out was called by the Clippers and the teams headed to their benches.

And that’s when things turned ugly.

Patrick Beverley walked past Paul on the way to the bench but then stopped, turned, and walked up to Paul and pushed him hard from behind. The push sent Paul flying to the ground and led to Beverley’s ejection.

It was a wild moment that was easily caught by the cameras because it was right there in the middle of everything.

Check this out:

Told you that was nuts.

The Suns went on to win the game, 130-103, to win the series and advance to the NBA Finals.

NBA fans had reactions about that cheap shot:

Clippers offseason preview: Five things they should prioritize

The Los Angeles Clippers season ended on Wednesday after a tough series against the Phoenix Suns. After coming back to win two consecutive series down 0-2, they didn’t have enough juice to pull off a third. While a championship was the ultimate …

The Los Angeles Clippers season ended on Wednesday after a tough series against the Phoenix Suns. After coming back to win two consecutive series down 0-2, they didn’t have enough juice to pull off a third. While a championship was the ultimate goal, it’s hard not to look at this playoff run as an overall success given the circumstances. The Clippers’ rotation stepped up against the Jazz as many people wrote them off and led the franchise to its first-ever conference finals. They should be viewed as one of the favorites heading into next season, especially with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George playing the way they have.

The Clippers still have some room for improvement and fine-tuning. Thankfully, Leonard’s injury isn’t a long-term one, so he could be ready to start the 2021-22 season. An early playoff exit would likely have the front office shuffling most of their role players. But after this playoff run where all the pieces looked like they were fitting, they might look to retain most, if not all of the role players. The Clippers will get very expensive, but luckily for them and their fans, that shouldn’t impact any decision-making.

College World Series: Mississippi State‘s win makes me excited for ND baseball

Does it excite you or upset you more now that MSU won the whole thing?

Mississippi State cruised to a 9-0 victory over Vanderbilt in Wednesday’s decisive game three of the College World Series championship round as the win secured the first Bulldogs national championship ever, in any sport.

Watching not just Wednesday night but the entire College World Series the last ten days or so has made me realize something I’m not sure I ever thought I’d say:

Notre Dame is within reach of a baseball national championship.

Much was made of there being two SEC squads in the College World Series final but let’s not forget that NC State had a great chance to be if not for a horribly timed COVID-19 outbreak.

Let’s also not forget that Notre Dame dominated one game against Mississippi State in the super regionals while letting game one slip out of their grasp. Credit obviously goes to Mississippi State for their comeback as they did what champions do and overcame great adversity to win and ultimately advance to Omaha.

But let’s not kid ourselves. Link Jarrett is one heckuva baseball coach and who knows how long he’ll stay at Notre Dame. As long as he is though, the Irish will keep getting closer to sky-high baseball dreams that many wouldn’t have expected a very short time ago.

Lamar Jackson praises Ravens’ defense, says he’s ‘tired’ of seeing them already

Lamar Jackson praises Ravens’ defense, says he’s ‘tired’ of seeing them already

The Baltimore Ravens have a great defensive unit that’s solid at all three levels. They have a nice mix of veteran options as well as young and promising players who can make a huge impact.

When asked about Baltimore’s defense, quarterback Lamar Jackson praised his teammates and also Ravens general manager Eric DeCosa for bringing in quality defenders.

“Our defense? Oh, our defense … What did they used to always say? ‘Defense wins championships. We must protect this house.’ Stuff like that. Yes, you know the Ravens’ defense has always been one of the best defenses. I feel like ‘EDC’ [executive vice president & general manager Eric DeCosta] does a great job at bringing guys in, and we already had a lot of guys from last year. We’ve got DeShon [Elliott], ‘Marlo’ [Marlon Humphrey], ‘MP’ [Marcus Peters]. We’ve got [Pernell] McPhee, Calais [Campbell] – those guys – Brandon [Williams]. We’ve got a lot of vets [veterans] and stuff coming back, and we’ve got great young guys coming in.”

Jackson also said he’s already getting tired of seeing the defensive unit, who he said have been flying around in practice.

“I just can’t wait to get after it. I’m tired of seeing our defense already, because they’re flying around. They’re making us compete against them, and it’s going to be, I feel, easier during the game, a lot. But they’re doing a great job right now for us.”

Going up against a stout defensive unit each day in practice should improve Jackson’s game. It is a prime example of the saying “iron sharpens iron”, as when the quarterback gets into games against opponents, he will be prepared after practicing with elite defensive playmakers.

Jalen Green sees ‘scary backcourt’ with Rockets guard Kevin Porter Jr.

Jalen Green is a candidate to be drafted at No. 2 overall, and he seemingly wouldn’t mind teaming up with Kevin Porter Jr. in Houston.

G League Ignite guard Jalen Green is a clear candidate to be selected by the Rockets at No. 2 overall in the 2021 NBA draft, and it certainly seems that he would be happy to team up with Kevin Porter Jr. in Houston.

Just 19 and 21 years old, respectively, Green and Porter Jr. could potentially become Houston’s guard duo for the next generation. (Porter Jr., of course, was a first-round pick in the 2019 NBA draft.)

Some outside observers have wondered how the playing styles of Green and Porter Jr. might mesh together, since historically, both have largely operated as high-volume scorers. But what’s most important is how they would approach the pairing, themselves — and from that perspective, it appears they’re very much on board with giving it a try.

On Wednesday evening, Porter Jr. popped in on an Instagram Live session that Green hosted on his account. “KP, you know that’s a scary backcourt,” Green said. “Don’t say too much, haha,” Porter Jr. replied.

Porter Jr. began following Green on Instagram earlier this week.

It remains to be seen if Houston general manager Rafael Stone will see the combination as optimistically as the players themselves already appear to. There’s also the matter of whether Green will even be available for the Rockets to select, since some media reports have indicated that he could be a consideration for Detroit at No. 1 overall (which would put consensus frontrunner Cade Cunningham in play for Houston).

With nearly a month to go until the July 29 draft, both the Pistons and Rockets plan to interview and work out several top candidates, and it’s possible that momentum could move in any number of directions. But if Porter Jr. is ever consulted by the Rockets to assess a potential backcourt pairing with Green, it appears that he’s already becoming a fan.

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Ronnie Stanley ranked as top-five tackle in NFL by The Touchdown Wire

Ronnie Stanley ranked as top-five tackle in NFL by The Touchdown Wire

The Baltimore Ravens have one of the best tackles in all of football with Ronnie Stanley. However, he suffered a gruesome leg injury in the middle of the 2020 season that left a massive hole on Baltimore’s offensive line.

When looking at the best 11 tackles in the NFL, Doug Farrar of The Touchdown Wire named Stanley as a top-five tackle, slotting him in at the No. 3 spot. Farrar pointed to Stanley’s impact on the passing offense, which suffered without him on the field.

“Stanley missed all but six games in the Ravens’ 2020 season with an ankle injury, and Baltimore’s offense — especially the passing offense — suffered in his absence, predominantly from a pressure perspective. Per Sports Info Solutions, the Ravens had a blown block pressure rate of 13.5% when Stanley was off the field, and 7.2% when he was lined up at left tackle. Orlando Brown Jr., now with the Chiefs, did a pretty nice job holding things together in Stanley’s stead, but there are reasons Stanley was our top offensive tackle in last season’s rankings, and as long as he returns to form in 2021, there’s no reason not to expect the same level of play we’ve seen from Stanley since he came into the NFL as Baltimore’s first-round pick in 2016. Last season, Stanley gave up no sacks, one quarterback hit, and five quarterback hurries in 176 pass-blocking snaps, and in 2,467 career pass-blocking snaps, he’s given up just nine sacks, eight quarterback hits, and 78 quarterback hurries. Not bad when you’re protecting a quarterback in Lamar Jackson who often forces his linemen to protect beyond the breaking point due to his mobility.”

There’s no doubt that Stanley makes the Ravens’ offense significantly better when he’s on the field. His return to the lineup will be a big boost to the team, and he’ll look to protect his quarterback in Lamar Jackson with another great year in 2021.

The only two tackles ranked higher than Stanley are San Francisco 49ers tackle Trent Williams and Green Bay Packers tackle David Bakhtiari

Chris Colbert says Tugstsogt  Nyambayar’s mission is impossible

Chris Colbert says Tugstsogt  Nyambayar’s mission on Saturday night is impossible.

Yuriorkis Gamboa? Tugstsogt  Nyambayar? Wouldn’t matter to Chris Colbert which one he faces. The result, he said, would be the same.

Colbert, the hot 24-year-old junior lightweight contender from Brooklyn, was scheduled to face Gamboa on Saturday in Carson, Calif., but the Cuban pulled out with an injury last week. Nyambayar, the 2012 Olympic silver medalist, will take his place.

Colbert was planned to stop Gamboa. And he has the same thing in mind for Nyambayar, who is moving up from featherweight for the fight.

“He’s a good fighter,” Colbert told me and Kenneth Bouhairie on The PBC Podcast, referring to Nyambayar. “He’s an Olympian, right? He got an Olympic medal. But he’s never fought ‘Prime Time.’ I think I’m too fast, too big, too strong.

“Him coming up in weight and taking the fight on a week and half notice? That’s dangerous.”

Could Colbert (15-0, 6 KOs) have problems adjusting to a new opponent so close to the fight?

Nah. First, he believes Gamboa and Nyambayar (12-1, 9 KOs) have similar styles, slick, somewhat quick, sneaky power. And, second, he described himself as a “human adapter, one who’s “ready for anything they bring to the table.”

He even believes he knows how the fight will play out.

“Me being smart the first round or two,” he said. “See what he’s got, test him out, feel his power. After the second round, start applying my pressure and start applying my power and show him there’s levels to this s—.

“You can’t take a fight against a monster like myself on a week’s notice and move up in weight to fight me at that and think you’re going to win.”

Colbert’s prediction? “I don’t plan to have this fight go the distance.”

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Chris Colbert says Tugstsogt  Nyambayar’s mission is impossible

Chris Colbert says Tugstsogt  Nyambayar’s mission on Saturday night is impossible.

Yuriorkis Gamboa? Tugstsogt  Nyambayar? Wouldn’t matter to Chris Colbert which one he faces. The result, he said, would be the same.

Colbert, the hot 24-year-old junior lightweight contender from Brooklyn, was scheduled to face Gamboa on Saturday in Carson, Calif., but the Cuban pulled out with an injury last week. Nyambayar, the 2012 Olympic silver medalist, will take his place.

Colbert was planned to stop Gamboa. And he has the same thing in mind for Nyambayar, who is moving up from featherweight for the fight.

“He’s a good fighter,” Colbert told me and Kenneth Bouhairie on The PBC Podcast, referring to Nyambayar. “He’s an Olympian, right? He got an Olympic medal. But he’s never fought ‘Prime Time.’ I think I’m too fast, too big, too strong.

“Him coming up in weight and taking the fight on a week and half notice? That’s dangerous.”

Could Colbert (15-0, 6 KOs) have problems adjusting to a new opponent so close to the fight?

Nah. First, he believes Gamboa and Nyambayar (12-1, 9 KOs) have similar styles, slick, somewhat quick, sneaky power. And, second, he described himself as a “human adapter, one who’s “ready for anything they bring to the table.”

He even believes he knows how the fight will play out.

“Me being smart the first round or two,” he said. “See what he’s got, test him out, feel his power. After the second round, start applying my pressure and start applying my power and show him there’s levels to this s—.

“You can’t take a fight against a monster like myself on a week’s notice and move up in weight to fight me at that and think you’re going to win.”

Colbert’s prediction? “I don’t plan to have this fight go the distance.”

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Are the Charlotte Hornets interested in signing LiAngelo Ball?

LiAngelo Ball is reportedly in Charlotte to work out for the Hornets. Could he be on his way to a contract with the franchise?

LiAngelo Ball’s NBA journey has been a long, uphill one, derailed early on by him withdrawing from UCLA during his freshman season. Despite putting himself behind the eight ball, Ball has continued working and has given himself opportunities to get back into the league.

Brief stints with the Oklahoma City Blue in the G League and Detroit Pistons during training camp are the closest he’s gotten to the NBA so far, but he could be set for another opportunity. During last week’s Drew League games in California, Ball was not in attendance and did not play after doing so the previous week.

While it’s common for players to come and go during the Drew League season, LiAngelo’s grandfather and LaVar’s father, affectionately nicknamed as Big Yank, mentioned on an Instagram Live – which he likely did not know he was a part of – why Ball was not around.

Certainly, Big Yank isn’t any sort of official word and, with all due respect, probably isn’t someone who can be fully trusted on the matter. Considering his follow-up quote about Lonzo being a free agent that can sign with Charlotte this offseason, he likely doesn’t have a firm grasp on NBA rules.

But it’s also not something he’s likely to lie about. LiAngelo is almost certainly in Charlotte and very possibly received some type of workout with the Hornets. One of the most probable outcomes is that LiAngelo’s workout leads to a spot on Charlotte’s Summer League team.

It’s unlikely any of these leads to a real NBA contract yet, though. Considering Ball couldn’t even last with Detroit through training camp last year, he’s not getting any sort of guaranteed contract, two-way or not, until he can prove his value as a player.

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