Tag: Fans

Terron Armstead frustrated by injury, but thankful for support

New Orleans Saints left tackle Terron Armstead is still in search of his first 16-game NFL season after suffering a high-ankle sprain.

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The New Orleans Saints are going to be without starting left tackle Terron Armstead the next few weeks, including Thursday’s game against the Atlanta Falcons. Armstead suffered a high-ankle sprain early in Sunday’s game with the Carolina Panthers, and he expressed disappointment in his latest injury on social media. But he was just as quick to thank fans for their continued support, and assure them that he’s working to return as soon as possible.

“Thank you to everyone for the prayers and positivity,” Armstread wrote, “16 games was a goal of mine, so man it really hurts not being able to do that.” He made sure to note that this injury is not ending his 2019 season, and he expects to return sooner rather than later.

It continues a disappointing trend for Armstead, who has never played a full 16-game season in his seven-year tenure with the Saints. He peaked with 14 games back in the 2014 season, his first as a full-time starter, but complicated hip and quad muscle injuries kept him on and off the field and eventually sent him traveling internationally in search of treatment. He’s averaged 10.8 game appearances per season since being named a starter, a stretch that covers 25 of New Orleans’ last 36 games (including the playoffs).

Armstead has dealt with a string of issues throughout his career, ranging from lingering lower-leg ailments to last year’s torn pectoral muscle. His rare athleticism for the position is startlingly unique (his 4.71-second 40-yard dash at 306 pounds remains an NFL combine record) but that agility comes with a cost: the human body isn’t built to move at such speeds at that size, and can break under the stress of it. Hopefully he won’t suffer life-changing effects once his playing days are over.

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Know who to root for: Saints fan interests in every Week 12 game

The New Orleans Saints will host the Carolina Panthers in Week 12 of the NFL regular season, but fans have rooting interests in every game.

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New Orleans Saints fans are getting ready to see their team kick off against the Carolina Panthers, but the NFL’s schedule features plenty of other games to watch afterwards. With the NFC playoff picture starting to take shape, now is as good a time as any to get up to get up to speed with the standings and know who to root for in every game this weekend. Here’s your Saints fan rooting guide. All odds are sourced from BetMGM.

Around the NFC South

Tampa Bay Buccaneers (3-7) at Atlanta Falcons (3-7). Falcons by 4.5. The Saints have swept the Buccaneers already, and the Falcons are their next opponent after the Panthers — on Thanksgiving night, no less. Root for the Buccaneers to give Atlanta all they can handle.

Painting the NFC Playoff Picture

Green Bay Packers (8-2) at San Francisco 49ers (9-1). 49ers by 3.5. This one is complicated. A Packers victory puts Green Bay in the top NFC playoff seed by way of tiebreaker, which means the Saints would have to hop the Packers lose a game later in the season. If the 49ers win, the Saints can control their own destiny by beating San Francisco later (if they win out until then, anyway). Root for the 49ers on Sunday Night Football.

Seattle Seahawks (8-2) at Philadelphia Eagles (5-5). Eagles by 1.5. Russell Wilson is an MVP favorite, and there are few quarterbacks more dangerous thanks to his accuracy and ability to keep plays alive with his legs. The Saints were fortunate to escape Seattle with a win earlier this season, and avoiding another matchup with him is in their interests. The Eagles haven’t been much of a threat to New Orleans lately, so root for Philadelphia.

Dallas Cowboys (6-4) at New England Patriots (9-1). Patriots by 6.5. The Cowboys are the least-terrible team in what may be the NFL’s weakest division. The Saints have beaten them once already, but who’s to say they’ll do it again after last year’s disaster and this year’s too-close-for-comfort finale? Root for the Patriots to keep the Cowboys weak.

Baltimore Ravens (8-2) at Los Angeles Rams (6-4). Ravens by 3.5. A loss on Monday Night Football would be a dagger into the heart of the Rams’ season, likely putting L.A. too far back in their division to reach the playoffs, so root for Lamar Jackson and former Saints running back Mark Ingram to do just that.

New York Giants (2-8) at Chicago Bears (4-6). Bears by 6.5. This is a winnable game for Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky, which says a lot about the state of the Giants. Chicago has proven to be no threat to New Orleans so long as Trubisky is under center, so root for the Bears to win and build enough optimism to keep him around for at least another year.

Leftovers and Lagniappe

Jacksonville Jaguars (4-6) at Tennessee Titans (5-5). Titans by 3.5. The Saints will play the Titans in a few weeks; Tennessee has rallied around Ryan Tannehill, but a loss here could push them closer to playing for draft positioning by the time that game comes around. Root for the Jaguars.

Miami Dolphins (2-8) at Cleveland Browns (4-6). Browns by 10.5. The Dolphins have a handful of former Saints players in prominent roles, including Vince Biegel and Ken Crawley. Root for Miami.

Detroit Lions (3-6-1) at Washington Redskins (1-9). Lions by 3.5. Root for Washington to win and improve their draft position, keeping a top prospect like Ohio State pass rusher Chase Young from joining them and playing against the Saints some day.

Denver Broncos (3-7) at Buffalo Bills (7-3). Bills by 3.5. The Broncos finding a way to win here would be entertaining, do root for that.

Oakland Raiders (6-4) at New York Jets (3-7). Raiders by 2.5. Raiders fans finally have a team worth cheering for, so root for their momentum to continue rolling.

Pittsburgh Steelers (5-5) at Cincinnati Bengals (0-10). Steelers by 6.5. This game is more winnable for the Bengals than JT appears, given the Steelers’ injuries and suspensions. Root for the Bengals to get their first win.

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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The brother of Houston Rockets star …

The brother of Houston Rockets star Russell Westbrook was escorted out of Staples Center because of his role in a heated verbal confrontation with Los Angeles Clippers forward Montrezl Harrell and for “rushing the court” at the end of Friday night’s game, security officials told Yahoo Sports. “He rushed the court,” a security official told Yahoo Sports. “He was in clear violation”

While continuing the verbal sparring, …

While continuing the verbal sparring, Raynard was moved along the seats behind the basket closest to the Clippers’ bench before being asked to exit the arena. Raynard complied and walked out with the assistance of security personnel with no further incident. Some fans recognized who he was and one fan shouted, “That’s Russ’ brother!” “I ride for my team and my city,” Harrell told Yahoo Sports about the incident. “All I care about is who’s on my team. And we won. That’s all that matters.”

The Memphis Grizzlies have launched …

The Memphis Grizzlies have launched ‘Grizz Pass,’ an all-new ticket subscription plan that guarantees seats up to seven games per month. For just $69, fans can access up to seven select games per month and are guaranteed one Terrace Level seat per game. There are four monthly plans available: December, January-February, February-March and April. January-February will include select January games and the first two games in February. February-March will include the February 28 game vs. Sacramento Kings and March games.

“KP sucks!’’ That was the calling card …

“KP sucks!’’ That was the calling card the sellout Garden crowd of 19,812 screamed at Porzingis, who was making his first return since his messy exit from the city that drafted him. This all started in 2017, when Porzingis blew off his exit interview with Phil Jackson. His exit would come with his trade to the Mavericks. During the national anthem, some voices screamed, “Traitor!’’ and much worse.

“I don’t know if it is fair or not — …

“I don’t know if it is fair or not — it’s what they know. It’s what they’ve heard. They’re fans,’’ Porzingis said. “I don’t really think about that too much. It is what it is. We came here to win a game. We’re frustrated that we didn’t get it done. They played good basketball. They got the crowd into it from the beginning. They hit some big shots. They played well. They had high energy throughout the game. So it’s a tough one for us.’’

What is this LA scene like for you to …

What is this LA scene like for you to see? You’re always going to be a founding father of hoops out here, and we’ve never seen a landscape where the Clippers and Lakers were both this good at the same time. With you and your history here, what is it like now that it’s real? Jerry West: I think LeBron James said it best: It’s the best for basketball fans in Southern California right now. …I’m sure Christmas Day (between the Lakers and Clippers) is going to be a huge day for basketball watching in Southern California, and we should – barring any injuries – we should be at full health and hopefully they’ll be at full health. But it’s a great time to be a basketball fan in Los Angeles, because who are you going to root for?