Gil Brandt puts Raiders C Rodney Hudson among NFL’s most underrated players

Gil Brandt puts Raiders C Rodney Hudson among NFL’s most underrated players

It took the Raiders making Rodney Hudson the NFL’s highest-paid center in 2016 for him to head to his first Pro Bowl. That was when everyone finally realized how good he is. Two years in the Pro Bowl and then everyone seems to have forgotten again. So, Gil Brandt thought they should be reminded.

Brandt put a list of the 12 most underrated NFL players right now and Hudson made the list.

Hudson didn’t receiver recognition as an All-Pro in his first eight NFL seasons, but the Raiders knew his value when they made him the NFL’s highest-paid center in August, handing him a three-year, $33 million extension. Through Week 13, Hudson hadn’t allowed a single sack or quarterback hit in 359 pass-blocking snaps. He’s also helped pave running back Josh Jacobs’ path to the front of the Offensive Rookie of the Year race.

Centers can be difficult to judge. After all, if they are doing their job well, you tend to forget they’re even there. That’s part of the job description. Call out defenses pre-snap, have a steady hand, and don’t let your man beat you and blow up the play. Rinse and repeat. Hudson consistently performs those duties as good as any center in the league.

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Cordarrelle Patterson named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month

Cordarrelle Patterson became the first Bears player since Devin Hester to bring home NFC Special Teams Player of the Month honors.

Bears veteran Cordarrelle Patterson has been named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month for his performance in November.

Patterson averaged 29.4 yards per return on 10 attempts, as well as had three special teams tackles for the Bears.

While his average for the month was down from his season average of 30.9 yards per return, Patterson made some clutch plays on special teams. In fact, he had three great plays against the Giants back in Week 12, including a touchdown-saving tackle of Jabrill Peppers and downing a Pat O’Donnell punt inside the 5-yard line as the Giants looked to mount a late comeback.

Last Thursday against the Lions, Patterson returned the opening kickoff 57 yards, which led to a Mitchell Trubisky to Allen Robinson touchdown. It was Patterson’s second-longest return of the season after his 102-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against the Saints on Oct. 20.

Patterson is the first Bear to be named NFC Special Teams Player of the Month since Devin Hester won the honor in Oct. 2011. It’s Patterson’s second time winning the award, the previous time coming as a rookie with the Vikings in September 2013.

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Carl Frampton fractured both hands in fight with Tyler McCreary

Carl Frampton revealed on his Twitter that he had suffered fractures in both of his hands during his fight against Tyler McCreary.

It turns out there was a good reason Carl Frampton decided to go almost exclusively to the body in his fight against Tyler McCreary this past Saturday in Las Vegas: He had suffered fractures in both hands during the fight.

The junior lightweight from Northern Ireland revealed the news on his Twitter account.

Frampton has had hand issues in the past, most recently in August, when a freak accident scuttled his fight with Emmanuel Dominguez in Philadelphia days before the event. Frampton was sitting in a hotel lobby when a concrete pillar fell over and landed on his left hand, breaking the fifth metacarpal bone. That’s the same bone he broke in the fight.

Frampton also said immediately after the fight that he had suffered two fractures in his hands – including that same bone – during training camp before the McCreary fight.

“I refractured it twice in the camp but I knew a lot of people were coming here to support me,” he said in the ring. “There was absolutely no way I wasn’t fighting. I did 26 or 28 rounds of sparring because of the hand but I had to fight.”

Frampton is expected to face 130-pound titleholder Jamel Herring, who is coming off a recent points win over Lamont Roach. Herring entered the ring after Frampton’s win over McCreary, as both fighters expressed their interest in facing one another. The fight is expected to land on St. Patrick’s Day, either in Belfast or in New York City.

“I’d love for it to be in Belfast, but would also be game to fight him in New York if I have to,” Frampton said afterward.

Tito Ortiz is rooting for Donald Cerrone against Conor McGregor at UFC 246: ‘This is his time to shine’

UFC Hall of Famer Tito Ortiz says he’s siding with Donald Cerrone ahead of “Cowboy’s” UFC 246 bout with Conor McGregor in January.

UFC Hall of Famer [autotag]Tito Ortiz[/autotag] has given his early backing to [autotag]Donald Cerrone[/autotag] ahead of “Cowboy’s” main event clash with [autotag]Conor McGregor[/autotag] at UFC 246, saying McGregor’s recent out-of-cage behavior may come back to haunt him on fight night.

In an interview with Submission Radio, Ortiz said he was a big fan of both fighters, but admitted McGregor’s recent episode in which he struck a man in a Dublin pub left a sour taste in his mouth.

“I am (backing Cerrone), just because of Conor punching that old man on the barstool,” he said. “That was not respectful, man. And the guy got charged like $1,000 or something (expletive) like that. That is just baloney. Karma’s a (expletive), and it always bites everyone in the ass at the end of the day, and it always comes around, man.

“I like Conor. I think he’s an amazing guy. I just think that that wasn’t something you should do ever as a human being – not even just let alone a pro fighter, just as a human being in general. You always should respect your elders, and that’s always the right thing to do.”

Ortiz is all set for the latest chapter of his evergreen fighting career as he prepares to face former WWE champion Alberto Rodriguez at Combate Americas on Saturday. The former UFC light heavyweight champion said he likes Cerrone’s chances against McGregor, with the Irishman’s competitive inactivity, plus the fact the fight is taking place at 170 pounds both playing in Cerrone’s favor.

“Donald Cerrone is a tough guy. I love Donald Cerrone. He’s a good, good dude,” he said. “I really respect him and I think this is his time to shine, and I think he has a great chance of beating Conor.

“And it’s at 170. Conor actually is a 155-pounder, truthfully, and 145-pounder. So 170 is a big jump up for him. But I don’t know – did the time off help Conor? Sometimes when you get a little time off, it helps the body recover a little bit more. And Donald Cerrone’s been in some battles in his last couple of fights. So, it’s just one of those things.

“I just hope both the guys put on a great show, and I would like to see ‘Cowboy’ Cerrone get his hand raised. But I would like to see Conor put on a good fight.”

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Michigan basketball announces three-game series with Kentucky

The two big time programs will meet starting in 2020.

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Pack your bags, Michigan fans — you’re headed to London to face a basketball blue blood.

Per a release by the Michigan basketball program, the Wolverines have announced a three-game series with Kentucky, starting in 2020-21, with the first game taking place in the UK capital city. Then, a home-and-home between the two.

Read the whOle press release:

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — The University of Michigan and the University of Kentucky have signed a three-year men’s basketball deal that will take both teams to London, England, in the 2020-21 season as well as a home-and-home series for the following two campaigns.

The first year of the three-year commitment will feature a neutral-site game at O2 Arena in London in December of 2020. The London game will be hosted by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and serve as a fundraiser for the Hall.

This will be the first NCAA Division I college basketball game to be played at O2 Arena, one of the world’s most popular venues. All further details on play date, game time, television partner, ticket pricing, ancillary events and ticket on-sale will be announced in January of 2020.

Following the game in London, Michigan and Kentucky will then play a home-and-home series starting in Ann Arbor at Crisler Center in 2021 followed by a return trip to Lexington and Rupp Arena in 2022.

“When the idea of playing Kentucky came up, we knew it would be an exciting opportunity, not only for ourselves, but for our fans as well,” said U-M coach Juwan Howard. “What a unique three-game series. First, we get to showcase collegiate basketball overseas in London before playing that traditional home-and-home series in front of two of the nation’s best basketball environments. We cannot wait.”

Michigan has traveled out of the United States in the regular season five times previously but will be playing its first game in Europe. All five previous trips have been to the Caribbean, with the most recent trip happening a week ago in Paradise Island, Bahamas, where the Maize and Bluecaptured the 2019 Battle 4 Atlantis championship. U-M also appeared in the Battle 4 Atlantis in 2015-16, the Puerto Rico Holiday Classic in 1997-98, the Paradise Jam in the Virgin Islands in 2002-03, and the Puerto Rico Tip-Off in 2013-14.

U-M and Kentucky have met on seven occasions with UK holding the 5-2 all-time series advantage. The Wolverines and Wildcats will meet up for the first time since the 2013-14 campaign when Kentucky came away with a victory over U-M in the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional final.

Prior to the 2014 meeting, the two squads had not met since the 1992-93 season, when Howard and the Wolverines defeated Kentucky in the Final Four in New Orleans.

Michigan and Kentucky will meet each other in on-campus contests for the first time since 1970, as UK will make just its second-ever trip to Ann Arbor in 2021 and U-M will travel to Lexington for the fourth time in the history of the two programs.

Michigan is 0-1 in Ann Arbor and 1-2 in Lexington against the Wildcats.

LeBron James ‘felt bad’ for refs after his brain had ‘malfunction’ on travel

LeBron James is always willing to sell for a call, but even he felt a little bad for the refs after his uncalled walk vs. Jazz.

If you deceive someone when you’re not even trying, it’s just not that fun. Which is probably why LeBron James felt bad about getting away with one of the most egregious traveling violations you will ever see in Wednesday night’s otherwise fun-filled night for the Los Angeles Lakers as they cruised to a win at Utah, 121-96.

After the game, James was asked about the walk and double-dribble on him that wasn’t called and said that he felt bad for the refs because they are judged by the calls that they make and he feels like that missed call was on him, according to Kyle Goon of the Southern California News Group.

James is no stranger to selling contact or yelling to get a call, but he clearly felt bad about something he had no intention of doing and also really didn’t have any impact on the game itself. Nevertheless, the entire scenario from the action itself to James apologizing to the refs after halftime and then the postgame apology makes for a pretty hilarious gaffe in a Lakers season that has been mostly blooper-free.

Newest Redskins’ WR says Colin Kaepernick workout is reason he’s in the NFL

Veasy played a receiving role at Kaepernick’s public workout last month, and he says the exposure helped land him on an NFL team.

When free-agent quarterback Colin Kaepernick held a tryout with NFL teams in November, it may not have ended with a contract signing for himself, but it might have benefited a few players around him.

Jordan Veasy, a young wide receiver who was a few years removed from playing for the University of California, was among the players who attended the workout to catch passes for Kaepernick. On Wednesday, the Washington Redskins signed him to their practice squad without a tryout. He says it was the public workout that put him back on the map.

“It helped,” Veasy said, via the Washington Post. “That’s one of the reasons I wanted to be a part of it. Just being a part of the history of it, and I knew it was going to help me.”

Veasy first met Kaepernick while taking a class at Cal in which the NFL QB was auditing. After graduating, he has spent his time bouncing around from practice squad to practice squad in the NFL after going undrafted in the 2018 NFL Draft. He said that when he heard that the workout for Kaepernick would be taking place just a couple hours away from his home in Georgia, it made too much sense for him to be there.

In the workout, all eyes were focused on the QB of course, but the young WR impressed as well. On one clip that went viral after showing the supreme arm strength of Kaepernick, it was Veasy who hauled in the deep ball launched downfield.

After the workout, Veasy got a call from the Cleveland Browns, according to the Washington Post article, but he left the facility with no contract signed. Later this week, the Redskins gave him a call and offered a spot on their practice squad on the spot; for them, his performance at the workout was all they needed to see.

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Oakland Raiders vs. Tennessee Titans: Time, TV schedule, odds, how to watch

Oakland Raiders vs. Tennessee Titans: Time, TV schedule, odds, how to watch

This week, the Oakland Raiders will host the Tennessee Titans in a must-win game for both teams. Both the Titans and the Raiders have playoff aspirations but currently, sit behind the Steelers for the No. 6 seed.

To get you prepared for the game, here is everything you need to know about this Week 14 contest:

What: Tennessee Titans (7-5) at Oakland Raiders (6-6)
When: Sunday, December 8 at 4:25 p.m. ET
Where: Oakland Alameda Coliseum
Radio: 95.7 The Game
Live Stream: fuboTV (try it free)
Odds: Titans (-2.5)
Referee: Brad Allen
TV: CBS

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Seahawks to participate in ‘My Cause My Cleats’ Week 14

In support of charities of their choosing, Seattle Seahawks players will be participating in the “My Cause My Cleats” campaign Week 14.

Throughout Week 14 of the regular season, the Seattle Seahawks and other teams around the league will participate in the NFL’s “My Cause My Cleats” campaign in support of hundreds of charitable efforts.

Seahawks players, coaches, staff and Legends will sport shoes and cleats representing causes of their choosing during the Sunday night matchup against the Rams in Los Angeles.

“Our players are passionate supporters of many charitable causes and serve as changemakers in their communities,” NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said via the league press release. “We are excited to build upon last year’s success and work with our players to expand this unique platform that enables them to raise awareness for causes they support.”

Following the week, the players will auction off their game-worn cleats, with 100% of the proceeds going to their individual causes.

For a more in-depth look at the Seahawks’ footwear and designated charities, click here to view Seattle’s photo gallery.

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Drew Brees gifts signed jersey to rising pro tennis star Madison Keys

New Orleans Saints QB Drew Brees gifted a signed jersey to Women’s Tennis Association professional Madison Keys, a rising star in the sport.

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New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees is a month-and-some-change away from his 41st birthday, and the Hall of Fame-bound passer appears to have take an increased interest in what younger athletes are accomplishing, or about to — like the arrival of New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson, who received an autographed jersey as a housewarming gift from Brees. He’s offered his advice to Williamson as a mentor, and done the same for phenomenal Houston Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson.

But Brees isn’t limiting his attention to basketball and football. Before committing himself to football, he famously competed against Andy Roddick when they were both in school together. The future men’s tennis world champion says that he initially won twice, but defeated Brees so soundly he hung up his racket and focused on football.

So it’s clear that Brees is still keeping up with the goings-on in a sport he once considered, and reached out to professional women’s tennis player Madison Keys. Keys recently won the 2019 Cincinnati Open in her first career Premier 5 title, putting her on the map as a potential heir to superstars Venus and Serena Williams in a few years.

Keys received a No. 1 jersey from the Saints that was signed by Brees, and she took the time to thank him in a video from the official Women’s Tennis Association Twitter account, expressing gratitude and excitement at displaying it in her home. Check it out in the video embedded below, or by following this link:

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