Revis Island Returns

According to this story on ESPN.com, the New York Jets and cornerback Darrelle Revis have agreed to a deal that will end his 36 day holdout. Great news for a Jets defense that led the league in 2009. Check the link for details.

-ALR

Roethlisberger Suspension Reduced

Per this report of ESPN, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback has had his initial 6 game suspension reduced to 4 games. He was suspended for violating the NFL's conduct policy when he was accused of sexual assault by a 20-yr-old woman from an incident at a local bar. He is also being sued by a woman in Nevada from a claim from back in 2008.

This is good news for Steeler fans as fil-in starter Byron Leftwich suffered a strained MCL in their preseason finale last night and will most likely be out for a few weeks. The Steelers have a fairly soft schedule to begin the season so they should be able to keep it together and at the worst be 2-2 with Dennis Dixon filling in until Roethlisberger returns October 17th at home against The Cleveland Browns.

Now Ben, please, STAY AWAY FROM THE BARS!!! Youa re clearly a target now. Patron and beer are not your friends. Stick to vitamin water & gatorade.

-ALR

Money Mayweather Responds...

Floyd "Money" Mayweather takes to UStream to talk about Manny Pacquiao, fighting him and otherwise. It's Floyd being Floyd, so if you watch be prepared for that explicit real... Yea buddy

- @lostherod

Los That Links 9-2-10

"What's up with my destructive urge that's unproductive?" Black Thought (The Roots), "Radio Daze"

I've watched the replay, and the rundown, of the Washington Nationals and Florida Marlins brawl this morning. I've seen the subsequent backlash against Nyjer Morgan, the Nationals leadoff hitter, who "sparked" the brawl by charging the mound after being thrown at for the second time of the night. To baseball purists (oxymoron) he earned the beaning by violating one the game's many unwritten rules; stealing second and third base while his team was down double digits. While I disagree with that sentiment (There is no way in hell that you can tell me that you're supposed to concede defeat just because you're down big early, especially in the 4th inning against a division rival), I still have to say, as Morgan's mama might, he should've known better.

See, Morgan was put into a classic scenario described in the cult movie, "Deep Cover". There's a scene where Larry Fishburne's character is being interviewed by a superior, who asks him, "What's the difference between a black man, and a n----r?".

Previous candidates who were asked the question responded with either dubious butt-kissing, or violent reaction. Fishburne's character sat, calmly, and simply said, "A n----r is the one that would answer that question."

And that was the right response. "Why?", you ask. Because any other reaction to blatant instigation is foolish and "niggardly" (Actual word. Look it up.). They want you to do something that either proves their assumptions about you were true, or reveals that your true persona is that of a coward.

Back to Morgan. He instantly made me think of that scene for two reasons: 1.) His first name is "Nyjer", and there is a definite phonetic connection to the other word. 2.) He had an opportunity to prove his doubters wrong, and chose to bypass that, solidifying the idea in many baseball fans mind that he was who they thought he was (And he let 'em off the hook!).

The perception of the darker skinned athlete in American consciousness is a debate that will never get old, even if at times it gets tired. Morgan's actions after the second beaning attempt were not uncalled for. In fact, I doubt there has ever been a time in which a baseball player who was thrown at twice in one game did not charge the mound, or at least make the attempt. But timing is indeed everything, and Morgan had recently been suspended for throwing a baseball at a fan in the crowd. He'd also separated the shoulder of Marlins catcher, Brett Hayes, the day before, in what some had labeled a needless home plate collision.

Had Morgan simply taken his base, as he did after being hit in the fourth inning, he could've potentially stolen second and third again, manufacturing another run, and helping his team, all while taking the high road (Which would be the Fishburne answer). The Nationals were down 14-5 at the time, and eventually lost 16-10. Whose to say a rally in the sixth inning wouldn't have narrowed the margin?

Instead, he charges the mound, because as he stated after, "Once is good enough, but twice...it's time to go."

I understand the impulse. So do his teammates, and his manager, Jim Riglleman, who said about the stolen bases, "The Florida Marlins don't decide when we run. We do."

I'd hope for a better impulse control though. Its one thing to be thought of as a n----r, it's another thing to go out and prove that you are one.

The perfect clothesline given to Morgan by first baseman Gaby Sanchez, should serve as a metaphor for what happens when you embrace the n----r impulse. It never ends well.

Los That Links

- More Nats news: The team has fired announcer "Nasty Boy" Rob Dibble, due to his criticism of their injured golden boy, Stephen Strasburg.

- The United States Basketball Team gets their swag back against Tunisia.

- The Arizona Cardinals have given Matt Leinart permission to seek a trade.

- Darrelle Revis' grandmother feels like her baby boy is being treated unfairly by the Jets.

- Michael Crabtree and Vernon Davis had to be separated by head coach Mike Singletary. No word on whether the argument was over who has the better mohawk.

- Freddie Roach says Floyd Mayweather is sucka-ducking Manny Pacquiao.

2010 Chicago Bears Preview

After trading starting QB Kyle Orton for hot shot Jay Cutler in the 2009 off season The Bears were supposed to challenge The Vikings for the NFC North title. But as the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20. The erratic Cutler ended up leading the league with 26 INTs and too many times put a tired defense in tough situations. Head coach Lovie Smith is hoping for better results this time around, but without any major changes to the offense that will be tough to accomplish...

Offense
This off season, Chicago brought in coordinator extraordinaire Mike Martz to add more punch to the offense. Martz was the mastermind that engineered the high scoring Rams offenses from 1999-2001 (the famed "Greatest Show On Turf"). The Bears traded for Cutler hoping his strong arm would open up more downfield opportunities in the passing game but the move produced mixed results. Yes, Cutler is capable of some gaudy yardage numbers, but also a ton of turnovers as he attempted to force the football into heavy coverage to get picked off. In his defense, Cutler didn't have the best weapons to work with. Converted WR/KR Devin Hester was his main target but missed a few games due to injuries. Hester has great speed and is an excellent open field runner but his lack of size hurts his value as a true #1 receiving option. His skill set is better suited for the slot position. Second year receiver Johnny Knox is poised to have a solid season as he is penciled in as the starter opposite Hester, and Earl Bennett actually has history with Cutler from his days as the quarterback's favorite target while at Vanderbilt. Greg Olsen is a reliable option at TE as a receiver and a blocker, although tight ends do not have a history of heavy usage in Martz's offensive sets.

After a solid rookie campaign that saw him gain over 1,200 yards, RB Matt Forte slumped a bit and didn't manage to reach the 1,000 yard mark. The Bears are hoping the addition of veteran Chester Taylor can take some carries and keep Forte fresh for late game situations. It remains to be seen if the offensive line can give Cutler enough time to allow the receivers to get open and deliver the pass successfully.

Defense
Lovie Smith's Bears have always been known to field a good defensive unit and this trend will continue in 2010. The run an effective 4-3 base defense and the addition of DE Julius Peppers is a big plus, as Peppers has amassed double-digit sack numbers in six of his 8 NFL seasons. Chicago is also hoping LB Brian Urlacher can return to form after missing virtually all of 2009 with a wrist injury. Lance Briggs and Pisa Tinoisamoa help man the linebacker corps. CB's Charles Tillman & Zack Bowman are the main playmakers in the secondary and are both solid in zone coverage and Tillman is above average in man coverage.

Prediction
5-11

Despite the new offensive coordinator and new toy on defense, Chicago Bears fans should prepare for a rough 2010 season. Until Jay Cutler can learn to throw to his check down receivers and backs instead of forcing tough throws, the defense will be put in too many lose/lose situations and give up a lot of points. The 'Mike Martz' coaching era may soon be on the horizon in Chicago. Best of luck to you, Lovie.

-ALR

Got Ankle Insurance?

Who doesn't love a good crossover? Since it's Wednesday, here are a few videos to get you through the rest of the day...

First, some of the top highlights of people getting "mixed" from last season:


Here's a video of Andre Iguodala getting put on his backside in Team USA's game vs. Brazil from Monday...


Last, here are highlights of the man who revitalized the crossover in the NBA, Allen Iverson...


Enjoy.

-ALR

Delonte West Re-Joins The Celtics

Per this story I saw first reported on Inside Hoops, Delonte West has inked a deal to play for Boston in 2010-2011. If you recall, the lefty guard was drafted in the first round by the Celts in the first round back in 2004 and spent his first three seasons there. Despite his many legal troubles and random youtube appearances, West is still just 27 years old and a solid scorer and defender off the bench.

Ray Allen better get a GPS on him mom, because rumor has it Delonte has a thing for the older ladies...



(sidenote: this youtube video might be one of the funniest things I've seen all year)

-ALR

Quick Hitters NCAAF

It's that time of year sports fans... NCAA Football... The time for Mascots, bands, age old rivalries with region specific names (my favorite being the Biggest Cocktail Party in the South) and the exciting shoot out brand of football only the NCAA can bring in hopes of hoisting the BCS Championship.

This season is poised to bring plenty of excitement within the BCS schools because there is no clear cut favorite to turn in an undefeated season and get to that championship game outright. This season maybe one of the factors in voting for a playoff system within college football. I can see plenty of scenarios taking place similar to how Oklahoma beats Texas, but Texas beats Texas Tech who beat Oklahoma so Texas can get in the Big 12 title game. Tantalizing to say the least. So here are a few things to watch as this season goes...

Starting with a few schools in the top 10 from the Top 25 Poll as posted on espn.go.com.

- Will super-athlete Terrell Pryor lead THE Ohio State Buckeyes to the promised land? They have been picked as an early favorite to win it all.

- Will Alabama repeat as National Champs? My feeling is no, but QB Greg McElroy has a 0 in the win/loss column in his career that says otherwise.

- Will Boise State crash the National Championship game this year? They better not with that cupcake schedule. Ok ok, games against 2 ranked teams aren't bad, but their conference stinks.

- The new QB era begins for Florida, Oklahoma, and Texas... Replacing 2 time Heisman winner Jesus, this year's #1 pick in the NFL and the winningest QB in FBS history at those respective schools is a tall order for anyone.

- Lastly, will teams like Virgina Tech, Miami and Nebraska make a case for themselves when it is all said and done?

It will be an interesting season, I will be watching with my drink in one hand and some form of good saturday food in other. I will also post some predictions for those who like to make gentleman wagers with their buddies... Stay tuned

- @lostherod