The Inquisitr » Sport

2009 MLB season in review: San Francisco Giants

Joshua Lobdell — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:17:09 +0000

It is somewhat hard to evaluate the 2009 season of the San Francisco Giants. ON one hand they gave their fans exactly what was expected, good pitching followed by poor hitting. However given the fact that this team had a winning season, after five years of sub .500 baseball we should treat this as a success. On top of that a giant step in the right direction. On the other hand this team was competitive for five months, and when it really counted they could not get the job done. This seems to indicate that this is a team on the rise, and with the right off season moves maybe they can take the next step in 2010.

Their final record was 8-74 and that was good enough for third place in the National League West. While they ended up four games behind the Los Angeles Dodgers, they did spend 3 days in first place and in late April were able to build a half game lead. While the last quarter of their season will be considered a collapse in September they were 11 games back, and rallied to their four game deficit, which seems to suggest that this team can win.

This is an offense that scored just 657 runs in 2009. While three of their starting nine batted better than .300, their team batting average was .257 and that was 11th of the 16 teams in their league. They hit just 155 home runs, second worst in their league, and struck out 1,158 times while walking just 392 times. That was the lowest number of walks by any National League team. Their pitching staff on the other hand was outstanding giving up just 611 runs and featuring three of their starting rotation with more than 10 wins. Their staff ERA was 3.55 and they struck out 1,302 batters while issuing only 584 walks.

In all 2,861,113 fans came to AT&T park to see the Giants play, for their 81 home games they averaged 35,322 fans and that was good enough for 10th of the thirty MLB teams. They were also able to sell 85% of their 2009 ticket inventory.

Did Phoenix ever deserve to have a NHL franchise?

Joshua Lobdell — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 06:30:29 +0000

The Winnipeg Jets moved to Phoenix, Arizona in 1996 due to their inability to keep star players in Winnipeg and because Winnipeg featured a hockey arena that was the smallest in the league. The problem with the move is it was essentially doomed from day one. The Coyotes have never turned a profit in Arizona due to a terrible stadium lease with the city, playing their first seven years in a facility completely inadequate for hockey, and for a lack of success on the ice. The simple facts here are this is a team that has not won a playoff series since 1987, and the folks in Arizona apparently have better things to do with their time and money.

When the team began play in Phoenix, it played its home games at American West Arena the home of the NBA Phoenix Suns. Now, while that arena was considered a state of the art facility for basketball, it was a terrible place for hockey. The NHL rink barely fit into the arena, and while it was reengineered to fit it left a significant portion of the seat in the arena with an obstructed view. In fact around 4,200 seats at that arena could not see almost a third of the ice surface.

Since the stadium only sat 16,000 for hockey nearly a quarter of those seats had to be sold at a discount. So no matter what success this team had early on, and it made the playoffs in five of its first six years in Phoenix, this team could not make profit because of the terrible stadium. In 2003 the team and City of Glendale, Arizona opened the Jobbing.com arena but the lease signed with city that siphoned off revenue from the team insured that this team would remain financially unviable.

Given those facts, the Coyotes were never in a position to recover from the mismanagement of the recent owners and front office. The economics of hockey demand long playoff runs to drive up revenue and merchandise sales, and in 13 years in Phoenix the Coyotes have never been able to do just that. In recent years they have been unable to field a competitive team due to errors in judgment by the coaching staff. In the end the decision to move this team to an inadequate arena in Arizona doomed this venture.

Giants Pitcher Tim Lincecum Cited For Possession Of Pot In Washington State

AHN — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 00:00:57 +0000

San Francisco Giants pitcher Tim Lincecum was recently cited for alleged possession of marijuana in the state of Washington.

He’s facing misdemeanor charges for a traffic stop last month. He was pulled over for speeding, reportedly going 74 mph in a 60-mph zone.

The police report said the vehicle smelled like marijuana and Lincecum had 3.3 grams in the center console of the 2006 Mercedes Benz.

“He was placed under arrest,” said Trooper Steve Schatzel of the Washington State Patrol. “It was determined he was not impaired. He was cited and released at the scene. The amount of marijuana he had is about the size of your thumb.”

Less than 40 grams of pot in Washington is deemed personal use and a misdemeanor. It carries a maximum penalty of 90 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

MLB’s collective bargaining agreement doesn’t have provisions for punishing players who are convicted of using drugs of abuse, only performance enhancing drugs.

The 2008 Cy Young award winner is set for salary arbitration next season.

He’s due in Clark County District Court for a November 23 arraignment.

Federer, Djokovic Win Quarterfinal Matches At Davidoff Swiss Indoors Basel

AHN — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:12:01 +0000

Top-seeded Roger Federer and No. 2 Novak Djokovic both won their quarterfinal matches Friday at the ATP Davidoff Swiss Indoors Basel.

Federer toppled Evgeny Korolev 6-3, 6-2, while Djokovic defeated Stanislas Wawrinka 3-6, 7-6(5) and 6-2.

No. 5 seeded Radek Stepanek also overcame a first set loss to edge No. 4 Marin Cilic 4-6, 6-3, 6-3.

In the other quarterfinal match, Marco Chiudinelli needed two sets to dispatch Richard Gasquet 6-1, 6-3 in a battle of unseeded foes.

Angels Re-sign Abreu; Outfielder Receives Two-Year Pact

Joshua Lobdell — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:20:45 +0000

Anaheim, CA (AHN) – The Los Angeles Angels locked Bobby Abreu through 2011 Thursday, re-signing the veteran outfielder to a two-year, $19 million contract.

The deal is reportedly for $9 million a year, including the club option.

As a result, Abreu, 35, regarded as the Angels’ most valuable performer in 2009, will not be testing the free-agent market in the meantime.

Abreu finished the 2009 season by hitting .293 with 96 runs, 29 doubles, three triples and 15 home runs in 152 games.

He also posted 103 RBI and 30 stolen bases last season, becoming the fifth player in MLB history with at least 30 steals and 100 RBIs in five seasons.

Abreu led the way for the Angels, who posted an MLB-best .297 average with runners in scoring position, batting .354 in those situations.

He also joined Albert Pujols and Alex Rodriguez for the longest active streak in the Major Leagues after reaching the 100 RBI mark for the seventh consecutive season.

After spending 2 1-2 years with the New York Yankees, Abreu agreed to a one-year, $5 million deal with the Angels in Feb. 2009.

Meanwhile, six Angels players which include Chone Figgins, John Lackey, Vladimir Guerrero, Darren Oliver, Robb Quinlan and Kelvim Escobar are eligible to file for free agency.

Jamie McCourt Rejected In Bid To Return To Role With Dodgers

Joshua Lobdell — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 14:16:31 +0000

Los Angeles, CA (AHN) – The Los Angeles County Superior Court Thursday ruled against Jamie McCourt’s request to be reinstated as chief executive of the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon ruled that no state law supports Jamie McCourt’s bid to overturn her termination as the Dodgers’ CEO.

Jamie McCourt was dismissed earlier this month by husband Frank McCourt, who claims sole ownership of the baseball team.

Frank McCourt, in his counter-filing, alleged that his wife was cheating on him in their relationship.

Thursday’s ruling indicated that the issue of whether the Dodgers team is community property or separate property should be threshed out at trial.

Meanwhile, the issue of the amount of spousal support for Jamie McCourt is scheduled to be heard on Dec. 15.

2009 MLB season in review: Florida Marlins

Joshua Lobdell — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 09:11:19 +0000

Finally the Florida Marlins started playing like a team that was getting a new stadium, without doubt someone in the front office said hey we are getting public monies to build a new home it is time to start playing like it. While the 2009 Marlins were not the best baseball team, they took a big step towards looking like the two time World Series champions that they are. However, when it counted, and a wild card spot was on the line, this team could not beat the bums. This team lost six of their final nine to the Washington Nationals. In the end they tried to tweak their offense, and they had a winning season, something upon which their future can be built.

Their final record was 87-75, and that was good enough for second in the NL east. They did finish 6 games behind division champion by six games, but this team spent 31 days in first place. In late April they had even built up a 5 game lead. However, after an early summer 8-24 span and a collapse near the end of the seasons they were as many as 9.5 games back.

Two of their starting nine were able to bat over .300 for the year and their offense was able to score 772 runs. As a unit they recorded 1,493 hits second most in the NL, and hit 159 home runs. They did strike out 1,226 times and were able to work 568 walks. The real problem on this team was the pitching staff. While they featured two pitchers with more than ten victories their staff ERA was 4.32 and they gave up 766 runs. This staff recorded 1,248 strike outs compared to 601 walks issued.

In all 1,464,109 fans game to Dolphin Stadium to see the Marlins play. For their 78 home games they averaged 30,385 and that ranked 29th of the 30 MLB teams. For the 2009 season they were able to sell 51.7% of their ticket inventory and they will have to do better than that in their new stadium.

NHL Power Rankings

Joshua Lobdell — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:06:01 +0000

1. Pittsburgh Penguins- Chris Kunitz must be productive while Malkin is out

2. San Jose Sharks- They kept Marleau out of the Heatly trade and he has paid off with 21 points

3. Washington Capitals- The loss of Ovechkin hurts

4. Colorado Avalanche- They have won 45.3% of their face off attempts

5. New York Rangers- Vinny Prospal has 14 assists

6. Chicago Blackhawks- Won 3 of 4 since losing their Captain

7. Buffalo Sabres- Nice start against weak opponents

8. New Jersey Devils- 7-0-0 on the road

9. LA Kings- earned points in 10 of 14 October games

10. Phoenix Coyotes- They are winning, mostly by committee

11. Calgary Flames- 10 of 14 November games are on the road

12. Dallas Stars- James Neal has 16 points in 14 games

13. Detroit Red Wings- They are finding their game

14. Philadelphia Flyers- after starting 3-0 they managed just 3 wins in their next 8 games

15. Vancouver Canucks- Andrew Raycroft won two of his first three starts since injury to Luongo

16. Edmonton Oilers- Went just 1 for 3 last week

17. Boston Bruins- Beginning to play more engaged hockey

18. Columbus Blue Jackets- Steve Mason has allowed three goals in six straight games

19. Ottawa Senators- Lots of injuries, not so much production

20. Montreal Canadiens- They lose on the road, but win at home

21. Nashville Predators- Pekka Rinne has won the starting Goalie job going 3-0 with a 0.76 GAA last week

22. Atlanta Thrashers- Ondrej Pavelec is stepping up with an injury to Kari Lehtonen

23. Tampa Bay Lightning- Vincent Lecavalier is in a big slump, and is -5

24. New York Islanders- Coach Scott Gordon is molding this young team into a winning one

25. St. Louis Blues- Brad Bowes and David Backes have just three goals combined

26. Minnesota Wild- They beat the Penguins and that is a big step

27. Florida Panthers- Steven Reinprecht has eight goals in 12 games for the Panthers

28. Anaheim Ducks- In a division with little room for error the Ducks are in a 7 point hole

29. Toronto Maple Leafs- They do have the best power play percentage, but the worst penalty kill

30. Carolina Hurricanes- Even Eric Staal is missing time with an injury

Chiefs Fans, Personnel Angry At ‘LJ’ After Back Used Slurs

Joshua Lobdell — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 19:36:24 +0000

Kansas City, MO (AHN) – Larry Johnson was deemed ineligible to return to the Kansas City Chiefs before Monday, though the organization has returned fire in its own way.

For much of the past week, a message was put up in a corridor frequently used by reporters, players and team personnel that reads: “Losers assemble in small groups and complain about the coaches and other players. Winners assemble as a team and find ways to win.”

Johnson will be sitting for Sunday’s game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, and will not be paid for his time on suspension.

The running back is on the verge of breaking the all time rushing record for the Chiefs, though over 5,300 fans have submitted their signatures to a petition that aims to stop the Chiefs from using him.

Johnson called out head coach Todd Haley last week on a Twitter post, used two gay slurs in his commentary, and then repeated his insults to a group of reporters the next day.

‘Boss’, ‘Core Four’ Among Nine Reasons Yanks Won 27th World Series

Joshua Lobdell — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 16:10:03 +0000

Bronx, NY (AHN) – George Steinbrenner, a.k.a. “Boss” and the “Core Four” of Andy Pettitte, Mariano Rivera, Derek Jeter and Jorge Posada are among nine reasons the New York Yankees won their 27th World Series Wednesday night.

—Despite being lampooned by Larry David/’Seinfeld’ and even willing to make fun of himself in a classic SNL skit, George Steinbrenner is a winner and expects nothing less than greatness from his teams. The “Boss” presence was missed at the stadium, but his stamp is all over these Yankees.

—It’s been a long nine years since the “Core Four” enjoyed a title and all four played varying roles in World Series championship No. 27. The foursome bring experience, cool leadership and clutch play that other teams can’t match.

—Hideki Matsui: as classy and humble as anyone to ever wear the Pinstripes. The World Series MVP is even larger than the six RBI he produced in game six.

—Free-agent acquisitions CC Sabathia, A.J. Burnett and Mark Teixeira: The latter pair had ups-and-downs in the Classic, but the Yanks would not have even have even been there without their contributions.

—A-Rod: How sweet it must be for the game’s most talented player to come through on its largest stage. Nothing left to criticize after .365 batting average, 18 RBI and 15 runs scored in postseason.

—History: Unlike the bumbling Mets, the Yanks have the burden/expectations of a remarkably successful past. There is something special about being a part of the team’s tradition and players know it.

—Nick Swisher: Sparkplug kept the Yankees fun all season with the extra hop and skip he provided. His joy for the game rubbed off on his teammates, and made up for a batting slump he endured in the postseason.

—Red Sox: Showed the Yankees some of the extra desire and passion it would take to win again with their pair of World Series crowns. Also didn’t show love to Johnny Damon, who signed with Yanks and became a key contributor in Bronx.

—Rudy Guiliani/Yankee fans: New York will always have a place in its heart for the former mayor, who kept the city together during 9/11 and has been a loyal Yankee fan through thick-and-thin.

Baseball isn’t as important as other things in this country, but it is still comforting to see that some things, like the Yankees pursuit of excellence, never seems to change.

NYC celebrates Yankees win with Friday parade

Kim LaCapria — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:46:00 +0000

Yankees fans are taking to the streets in Manhattan tomorrow to celebrate the Yanks’ first World Series win since 2000’s “subway series” against the Mets.

Fans are expected to begin gathering early in preparation for the ticker tape parade, set to begin at 11am. The parade route will move through the “Canyon of Heroes,” beginning at the Battery (the southernmost tip of Manhattan), heading up Broadway and concluding at City Hall. About twenty buildings along the Yankee parade route have been supplied with shredded paper, as actual ticker tape was retired from use by the NYSE in the 60s. The city estimates a cost for the Yankees victory parade similar to that of the Giants’ Super Bowl parade in 2008, around $330K. All but $24K of the cost was covered by private donations.

After the parade, there will be a celebration at City Hall, and Mayor Bloomberg will present the Yankees with the key to the city. Although anyone can attend the parade, only a small number of tickets are available to the ceremony at City Hall. The victory lap is the 178th ticker-tape parade in lower Manhattan, and the first since the Giants’ Super Bowl win in 2008.

NFL Week 9 Power Rankings

Joshua Lobdell — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:53:11 +0000

1. New Orleans Saints- The most complete team in the NFL right now

2. Indianapolis Colts- With a win at the Texans, the AFC south is there, if it is not already

3. Minnesota Vikings- How many weapons does this team have? At least five

4. New England Patriots- They got an extra week to prepare for the Dolphins wild cat

5. Denver Broncos- Suffered a beat down in Baltimore, but overall there are still excellent

6. Cincinnati Bengals- They are rested after their bye, and get the Ravens

7. Pittsburgh Steelers- off to Denver and finally healthy

8. Philadelphia Eagles- Doing well with young playmakers

9. Baltimore Ravens- Joe Flacco has no sophomore slump

10. Dallas Cowboys- A tough game with the Eagles looms

11. Atlanta Falcons- They must rebound from a two game losing streak

12. Houston Texans- Still need a little punch in the running game

13. San Diego Chargers- Seems like a second half surge is coming

14. Arizona Cardinals- They go up and down the rankings like a pogo stick

15. Green Bay Packers- They need O line help

16. New York Giants- Eli is hurt, and their slump will continue

17. Chicago Bears- Unbeaten at home, but they need to win on the road to make the playoffs

18. Miami Dolphins- Ted Ginn is the best kick returner so far in 2009

19. San Francisco 49ers- under .500, but with two games at home look to rebound

20. New York Jets- At their bye they must do some soul searching

21. Jacksonville Jaguars- In 3 of their 4 loses they have given up 30 points

22. Buffalo Bills- There is almost no reason to feel good about this offense

23. Carolina Panthers- They can win, only if they run the ball

24. Seattle Seahawks- Jim Mora is finding out why Mike Holmgren took a vacation

25. Washington Redskins- Scoring is a problem and without Chris Cooley it is not a larger problem

26. Oakland Raiders- in five of their last 7 games they have less than 200 yards of offense

27. Tennessee Titans- Vince Young is the answer for the short term

28. Kansas City Chiefs- Look to move on from the Larry Johnson era

29. St. Louis Rams- Steven Jackson is the man

30. Cleveland Browns- Mangini was not the man for this job

31. Detroit Lions- they have won one game in two years, not good enough

32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers- Josh Freeman gets to start, but will it matter

Clint Clears Hurdles; To Become Rangers Hitting Coach

Joshua Lobdell — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:27:41 +0000

Dallas, TX (AHN) – Former Colorado Rockies manager Clint Hurdle is reportedly expected to be named the Texas Rangers hitting coach later this week.

According reports Tuesday, Hurdle, who guided the Rockies hitters from 1997 to 2002 before his promotion as manager, was among the four finalists interviewed for the position.

Included in the list were Hurdle, Thad Bosley, Gerald Perry and Rusty Greer.

Though the Rangers have yet to make a formal announcement, Hurdle could be introduced in the next day or two pending the outcome of the current World Series.

Hurdle, 52, is widely believed to be the best choice to replace Rudy Jaramillo, who turned down a one-year offer for about $545,000 to remain with the Rangers for a 16th season.

Known for positive attitude and close relationships with his players, Hurdle, a former Major League outfielder, could easily gain the trust of the players.

Most of the Rangers’ core group knew only of one major-league hitting coach for the past 15 years- -that was Jaramillo, who left for the Chicago Cubs last month.

In the past season, the Rangers finished eighth in AL with a .268 batting average with runners in scoring position

Rays Second Baseman Iwamura Heads To Bucs In Exchange For Pitcher Sanchez

Joshua Lobdell — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:23:56 +0000

Pittsburgh, PA (AHN) – The Pittsburgh Pirates, weak at second base after trading Freddy Sanchez in July, acquired two-bagger Akinori Iwamura from the Tampa Bay Rays Tuesday in exchange for pitcher Jesse Chavez.

Apart from shipping right-hander Chavez to the Rays, no cash was reportedly involved in the deal.

As a result, Iwamura, who finished his third major-league season on the shelf due to a knee problem, becomes the current highest-paid player of the Pirates franchise.

Iwamura’s $4.85 million salary in 2010 will be shouldered by the Pirates.

It could be a short stay at Pittsburgh though for the 30-year-old left-hand hitter native of Japan.

Iwamura’s contract only runs through 2010. A clause in his contract will make the former Japanese baseball star a free agent after the season.

Iwamura was limited to only 69 games this year due a partially torn ACL in his left knee that required surgery.

While with Tampa, he batted .281 with over 100 RBIs in 344 career games over three seasons

Yankees Win World Series 2009

AHN — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 06:06:33 +0000

Hideki Matsui put on one of the most impressive performances in World Series history, driving in six runs as the New York Yankees clinched their 27th championship with a 7-3 win over the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday night.

Matsui was awarded World Series MVP honors for his effort, which included a two-run homer off Pedro Martinez that set an early tone for the Bronx Bombers.

Andy Pettitte dealt 5 2-3 innings of three-run ball and Mariano Rivera got the final six outs to secure the win for New York.

The Yankees won the best-of-seven series 4-2.

World Golf Hall of Fame Inducts Wadkins, Olazabal

AHN — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:00:05 +0000

St. Augustine, FL (AHN) – Jose Maria Olazabal, Christy O’Connor and Lanny Wadkins were inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame Monday night. President Dwight Eisenhower was posthumously inducted.

Olazabal won the Masters in 1994 and 1999 and was 18-8-2 in Ryder Cup competition. He started playing the game at two years old.

O’Connor won 24 times on the European Tour, but was unable to attend due to poor health.

Wadkins captured the 1977 PGA Championship and 1979 Players Championship.

He won 21 PGA tournaments and went 20-11-3 in Ryder Cup matches.

President Eisenhower was honored as well.

He helped grow the game during his time in office between 1952 and 1960.

President Eisenhower is a member of the famed Augusta National Golf Club.

2009 MLB season in review: Texas Rangers

Joshua Lobdell — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:38:35 +0000

Through much of the 2009 season in seemed that the Texas Rangers were going to not only make the playoffs, but make some noise in the post season there as well. They got off to a hot start, but typically wilted in the Hot Texas Sun of late summer. Much like the Detroit Tigers this is a team that played well enough to win their division, but they collapsed in the last quarter of the season. It seemed in August that this team was good enough to run down the Boston Red Sox for the American League Wild Card, but a late season loss to the Tampa Bay Rays killed the post season aspirations of this ball club.

Their final record was 87-75 and that was good enough for second in the American League West. This team got off to a very hot start and in late May had built a 5.5 game lead. In all the Rangers were in first place for 65 days but ended up finishing 10 games behind the LA Angels in their division. A key reason for that collapse is that fact that they were shut out 13 times, for a team built on offense that is far too many scoreless games.

Their offense was able to score 784 runs and as a unit they hit .260. Only Third Baseman Michael Young hit better than .300 for the year. They did hit 224 hoe runs, which was the second most in the American League but they also led their league with 1,253. In the end they were just not consistent enough at the plate to be serious contenders. On the Pitching side, they did feature Scott Feldman who won 17 games and their staff ERA was an elevated 4.38. They recorded 11 shutouts, and struck out 1,016 batter while only walking 531.

In all 2,156,016 fans traveled to the Rangers Ballpark in Arlington to see Rangers Home games. For their 78 home games they averaged 27,641 fans good enough for 17th of the 30 MLB teams. For 2009 they were able to sell 56.3% of their ticket inventory.

NBA Power Rankings

Joshua Lobdell — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 08:10:48 +0000

1. Boston Celtics- Signed Rajon Rondo to a 55 million dollar contract extension

2. Orlando Magic- averaging 113 point per game, but so far schedule has been soft

3. Denver Nuggets- Can anyone stop Carmelo Anthony?

4. Los Angeles Lakers- So far, they look a little sluggish

5. San Antonio Spurs- Very deep and Gregg Popovich knows how to use it

6. Phoenix Suns- averaging 20 points and 9 rebounds, Grant Hill is playing like he is 35 again

7. Cleveland Cavaliers- Delonte West is back

8. Miami Heat- Hot start with 8 of first 10 games at home

9. Atlanta Hawks- Jamal Crawford is effective off the bench

10. Washington Wizards- Good start, and they should get better

11. Dallas Mavericks- Jason Kidd isn’t scoring but distributing

12. Portland Trailblazers- Easy home schedule, but now they hit the road

13. Houston Rockets- They have a lot of injuries, but may be fun to watch

14. Utah Jazz- They must learn how to win on the road

15. Oklahoma City Thunder- This might be there breakthrough year

16. Philadelphia 76ers- Elton Brand is slowly starting to look like Elton Brand

17. New Orleans Hornets- If Stojakovic is healthy they will be better

18. Milwaukee Bucks- Rookie Brandon Jennings is exciting Bucks fans

19. Chicago Bulls- Derrick Rose must make his jump shots

20. Charlotte Bobcats- They need to improve their perimeter shooting

21. Toronto Raptors- So far the bench has been a disappointment

22. Detroit Pistons- Injury to Rip Hamilton has hurt this young team

23. Minnesota Timberwolves- Al Jefferson is playing more defense, but they still need him to score

24. Memphis Grizzlies- Allen Iverson is already upset with his role

25. New York Knicks- They have Danilo Gallinari and not much else

26. Los Angeles Clippers- Struggles out of the gate, but soft schedule could help them rebound

27. Indiana Pacers- allowed just 48.7 shooting in their first two games

28. Golden State Warriors- They must play some defense

29. Sacramento Kings- This was suppose to be an opportunity for Sergio Rodriguez, but he has barely played

30. New Jersey Nets- Devin Harris has a groin injury

Ex-Packers/Seahawks Coach Holmgren Stands Up For Skins’ Zorn

Joshua Lobdell — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:00:19 +0000

Washington, DC (AHN) – Although John Riggins spoke out against the ability of Washington Redskins head coach Jim Zorn, some are also standing by him, including ex-Packers coach Mike Holmgren, who believes it was wrong to strip Zorn of play-calling duties.

At the head of his ‘defense team’ is Mike Holmgren, a former Seahawks coach who once worked with Zorn – a quarterback’s coach at the time. He called the move very unfair, and not a position Zorn should ever be put in.

“You can be upset with me as a play-caller or how the team’s going, [then] fire me,” Holmgren told ESPN radio. “But don’t do that. Don’t pull the rug out from under me, tie my hands, make me look foolish ? take away what I came there for to do in the first place. Don’t do that.”

Numerous NFL figures have condemned Dan Snyder, including John Kent Cooke, Rich Gannon and even ‘Riggo’, despite him not being a big Zorn fan.

Zorn told the press that management told him to strongly consider relinquish play calling duties to Sherm Lewis, a consultant hired on October 19.

It’s believed by some, including Hall of Fame Seahawks wide receiver Steve Largent, the decision was made in hopes of forcing Zorn to quit his job

Ovechkin’s Upper-Body Injury Could Cost Caps’ Star Weeks Of Action

Joshua Lobdell — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 07:09:57 +0000

Washington, DC (AHN) – Alex Ovechkin is week to week after suffering an upper-body injury. The Washington Capitals winger injured himself Sunday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Ovechkin leads the league in goals and points. He netted 14 goals and produced 23 points.

He won’t play Wednesday in New Jersey, but he will travel with the team on their road trip while he gets treatment.

He hasn’t been ruled out of back-to-back games against Florida this weekend.

Ovechkin was at the team’s practice facility Monday, though the team had an off day.

Head coach Bruce Boudreau isn’t discussing Ovechkin’s injury in detail. Some feel he could be a target if other teams know where the injury is located.

He left the Capitals’ 5-4 overtime loss to the Blue Jackets at Verizon Center early in the second period.

Some think he was favoring his left side or shoulder after he tussled with Jason Chimera, Jared Boll and other Blue Jackets along the boards early.

“I think it probably happened there,” Boudreau said. “But I don’t know for sure that it happened there.”