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Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Pagano Sells his Soul to the Colts!
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Rebellious Ovechkin Declines All-Star Game
OVECHKIN SAYS NO TO ALL-STAR GAME
January 24, 2012, 12:28 pmSHARE THIS ARTICLE“I got suspended,” Ovechkin said. “I love the game, it’s a great event. I’d love to be there. But I’m suspended and I don’t want to be a target. I feel I don’t deserve to be there right now. If I have to be suspended, I have to be suspended, that’s why I give up my All-Star Game.”
Ovechkin will serve the first game of his three-game suspension tonight against the Boston Bruins. He and Capitals general manager George McPhee said they were disappointed in the suspension, but when Ovechkin was asked if he was protesting the All-Star Game because of the suspension he said that’s not the case.
“It’s not about that,” he said. “It’s all about the suspension I got. I don’t think I deserved to get the three-game suspension for the hit I did. … I’d love to go there. I already planned my tickets and my friends would love to go there, too. But it’s not about what I want. I not deserve it right now. I got suspended until Feb. 4 so I’m not going to play for that time.”
McPhee said he supports Ovechkin's decision, adding that he thought questions about his suspension would become a distraction to the event.
"I just don't think it's in his heart to play and don't think that's the right way to play the game. I don't think there's going to be a backlash. ... He really doesn't want to be a distraction up there (in Ottawa). You know what the questions are all going to be. It's a great event and he doesn't want that distraction and we don't want it, either."
So how will Ovechkin spend his next two weeks?
“Right now I’m going to support my teammates today and after that, chillin’, like I always do.
”
Well the Wizards are back at it!
Wizards fire head coach Flip Saunders
Flip Saunders was 49-115 in his first two years in Washington
WASHINGTON (AP)
Flip Saunders was fired Tuesday as coach of the NBA-worst Washington Wizards and replaced by assistant Randy Wittman, who has the job for the rest of the season.
The Wizards fell to 2-15 this season, including 0-7 on the road, with a 20-point loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday. Washington's next game is at home Wednesday against the Charlotte Bobcats.
''We felt the team had become unresponsive, and we will look to Randy to provide a different voice and a change in philosophy moving forward,'' Wizards president Ernie Grunfeld said in a statement released by the team. ''We have been transparent in how we would evaluate our team this season and we were disappointed in the lack of development of our players at this point in our rebuilding plan.''
Saunders was in his third season with the Wizards, going 51-130. When he was hired, the roster featured All-Stars Gilbert Arenas, Antawn Jamison and Caron Butler, but the franchise is now rebuilding around point guard John Wall, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2010 draft.
But there is not a lot of help for Wall, and the Wizards have been prone to inconsistent play, often failing to even be competitive this season. On Monday, they walked down the court for offensive possessions, never hustled after loose balls and couldn't convert the easiest of buckets, missing eight of nine shots in the paint in the first quarter.
After one string of sloppy plays, Saunders took a knee in front of the scorer's table, bowed his head and rubbed his temples.
After the game, Wall said: ''Whoever got the ball just took a shot. Guys are holding their heads down, and we're not fighting or competing.''
Back in December, before the lockout-shortened season began, Saunders tried to look on the bright said, saying he could envision how the young Wizards could improve on their 23-59 record from 2010-11.
''I want to compete for the playoffs,'' the coach said then.
But Washington got off to a franchise-worst 0-8 start — half of the losses were by at least 18 points — before beating the Toronto Raptors. Curiously, the Wizards' only other victory came against Kevin Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Saunders tried finding different ways to motivate players such as Andray Blatche, who was made a captain for the season-opening game, and tinkered a bit with the lineup. But nothing seemed to get things going in the right direction.
Asked after what turned out to be his last game with Washington how he can change the way the Wizards are performing, Saunders said Monday night: ''You try to put different lineups in, play a lot of different people, try to do some different things.''
Before joining the Wizards, Saunders coached 13 NBA seasons with the Minnesota Timberwolvesand Detroit Pistons, reaching the conference finals a total of four times.
He was hired by Washington in April 2009, and given a four-year contract.
Wittman gets his third job as an NBA head coach, after going 100-207 - a .326 winning percentage - with Minnesota and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Wittman was drafted by Washington with the 22nd overall pick in the 1983 draft.
''We have struggled as a team at times this season, but we have also seen a great deal of potential from our young players and glimpses of what we can accomplish together as a team,'' Wittman said. ''The coaching staff will look to build on that by utilizing the length, athleticism and versatility of our roster to improve our defense and create more opportunities in the open court.''
Football Hooker?
Roethlisberger case settled for “less than a game check”
Posted by Mike Florio on January 24, 2012, 12:43 PM EST
Word emerged late Friday afternoon that Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger hadsettled the sexual assault lawsuit filed against him in July 2009 in Nevada. It’s the ideal time each week for otherwise significant developments to go largely unnoticed.
Given the events of the intervening weekend, including two epic conference title games and the passing of legendary Penn State coach Joe Paterno, the Roethlisberger settlement quickly has been forgotten.
But we’ve got some news. Though no one is saying anything publicly about whether and to what extent money changed hands, a league source tells PFT that the alleged victim received “less than a game check.”
Based on Roethlisberger’s 2011 salary of $6 million, a game check costs $352,941.17. Based on his 2012 salary of $11.6 million, a game check amounts to $685,352.94.
In contrast, Roethlisberger lost $1.894 million via his four-game suspension in 2010 following the allegations of sexual assault in Georgia, which resulted in no prosecution.
Relative to Roethlisberger’s earnings, a settlement in the mid-six-figure range won’t hurt very much, and it could ultimately be even less than what it would have cost to fully litigate the case through trial, especially if Roethlisberger wanted a scorched-earth Cadillac defense.
While Roethlisberger surely admitted to no wrongdoing as part of the settlement, plenty of people will presume that he wouldn’t have paid money if he was innocent. The reality, however, is that the passage of time likely allowed him to view it dispassionately as a business proposition, and to make a smart decision independent of whether he believes he would have been vindicated after spending as much or more on legal fees, with the ever-present possibility that he’d lose at trial and pay a lot more.
Webb Says Mentor Reed is Confident Hes coming back!
Webb Believes Reed’s Coming Back
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Safety Ed Reed, 33, did not speak to reporters Sunday night or Monday.
Posted by Ryan Mink on Tuesday, January 24th, 2012 at 2:41 pm | Categories: Ryan Mink
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Ravens safety Ed Reed has been to the playoffs six times in his 10 seasons.
He still hasn’t reached a Super Bowl.
After another tough-to-swallow playoff loss, and a season in which he played through a shoulder injury, fans are wondering whether Reed will be back next season.
The 33-year-old safety didn’t speak with reporters after the game and wasn’t at his locker during a cleanout on Monday morning.
But cornerback Lardarius Webb, who has been mentored by Reed, was confident fans will see No. 20 again.
“He’s coming back,” Webb said.
Webb was asked if Reed told him that specifically.
“No, I just know he’s coming back,” he replied.
Reed is entering the final year of a reported six-year contract signed in 2006.
Outside linebacker Terrell Suggs also suggested he thought the likely future Hall of Fame safety would return for another shot at the Lombardi Trophy.
“Now my Year Nine is over. I am going into Year 10,” Suggs said. “Ed Reed, Year 11. Ray Lewis, Year 27. [joking] That window of opportunity seems like it’s closing on us, so we’ve just got to come back and try to get it done next year.”
Reed played in all 16 regular-season games for the first time since 2008. He revealed late in the season that a shoulder injury was affecting him, but otherwise didn’t have any reported injuries. He did not mention any problems with his neck.
Reed’s interceptions fell from eight in 2010 to three this past season. He notched one pick against Houston in the playoffs.
After that divisional game, linebacker Ray Lewis, 36, was asked whether he talks with Reed about getting older.
“Everybody here has to appreciate that great warriors fight until the end,” Lewis said.
“When people talk about the age – [former Ravens safety] Rod Woodson, as great as he was, Rod Woodson won his first Super Bowl at 36 years old. That’s how long it can take for a legacy to be complete, but he completed it. No matter what people said, [like] ‘He couldn’t do it anymore.’ You don’t listen to those people. Those people are the ones you put up on your bulletin board.”
In March of 2011, Head Coach John Harbaugh said he talked to Reed and the safety said he felt he could play four or five more years.
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Caps vs Bruins Preview
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Bruins-Capitals Preview
- The Bruins have taken four of the last five meetings with Washington while killing off all 14 Capitals power plays over that span. Boston is 6-for-14 (42.9 percent) with the man advantage over the same five games.
- After losing their first previous 16 games (0-14-2) since last February 11 when allowing at least four goals, the Bruins surrendered five on Sunday yet still defeated Philadelphia in a shootout, 6-5.
- The Capitals have been outshot by their opponent in each of their past nine games. No other team sports an active streak longer than three such games.
- Despite being held scoreless on Sunday, Zdeno Chara still contributed a +3 rating. It was the 13th time in his career that Chara has posted a rating of +3 or better while not producing any points, tying Scott Hannan and Chris Phillips for the most such games among active players.
- Another Bruins defenseman, Adam McQuaid, matched a career high with two points on Sunday. With a goal in his previous game, it's only the second time in his career that McQuaid has generated points in back-to-back games.
- The Capitals will be without Alex Ovechkin for the next three games following his suspension due to his hit on Zbynek Michalek on Sunday.
- Suspended Ovechkin to skip All-Star game
- Thomas skips White House trip in protest
- Red Wings extend home win streak to 17
- Hartnell replaces Toews at All-Star game
- Pens to unveil Lemieux statue in March
- Oilers beat Sharks on Hall's goal in SO
- Surging Kings roll by Senators 4-1
- Fisher leads Preds to third straight win
- Stars D Goligoski gets 4 years, $18.4M
- Blue Jackets assign LW Kubalik to AHL
By MIKE LIPKA
STATS Editor
(AP) -- During their trip to the nation's capital, most of the Boston Bruins spent more time with Barack Obama than they will with Alex Ovechkin.
That doesn't apply to Tim Thomas.
While the Washington Capitals superstar will begin serving a three-game suspension as these teams open their season series Tuesday night, the reigning Vezina Trophy winner could be in net after a controversial decision to skip the Bruins' White House visit.
For a team already playing without leading scorer Nicklas Backstrom (concussion) and high-scoring defenseman Mike Green (abdominal surgery), Ovechkin's absence doesn't figure to help the Capitals (25-19-3) establish some elusive consistency.
They seemed to have found a groove by winning three straight earlier this month, but they've since dropped three of four - including a pair of shutout defeats against the last-place Hurricanes and Islanders - to slip back behind Florida in the Southeast Division.
Washington was somewhat satisfied with one point Sunday after rallying from an early 2-0 deficit in a 4-3 overtime loss at Pittsburgh. Ovechkin had a goal and two assists for his first three-point game of the season, but he also earned his third career suspension for a high hit on Penguins defenseman Zbynek Michalek.
"It was a hit," Ovechkin said before the NHL ruling. "I don't want to comment on my hit."
Boston (31-13-2) has also dealt with a pair of bans lately, with Brad Marchand having finished a five-game suspension and Andrew Ference in the midst of a three-gamer.
Those could be among the reasons coach Claude Julien's team is just 3-2-1 to begin a stretch of seven games - six on the road - in 11 days leading up to All-Star weekend. The Bruins had been 25-4-1 in their previous 30.
"We need to improve," Thomas said Sunday after the Bruins blew a two-goal lead in the second period and a one-goal advantage in the third during a 6-5 shootout win at Philadelphia. "We played some real good hockey a majority of the year. We've found a way to get points. It's nice to win, but we want to do it the right way."
Critics have said that Thomas did not go about an apparent political protest the right way Monday, when the Conn Smythe winner skipped a White House event honoring the Bruins for the franchise's first championship since 1972.
Thomas made a brief statement about his absence.
"I believe the Federal government has grown out of control, threatening the Rights, Liberties, and Property of the People," the statement read. "This is being done at the Executive, Legislative, and Judicial level. This is in direct opposition to the Constitution and the Founding Fathers vision for the Federal government.
"Because I believe this, today I exercised my right as a Free Citizen, and did not visit the White House. This was not about politics or party, as in my opinion both parties are responsible for the situation we are in as a country. This was about a choice I had to make as an INDIVIDUAL."
The Bruins hope the distraction doesn't prevent them from entering All-Star weekend with at least a share of the Eastern Conference lead. They're tied with the New York Rangers atop the East, with each club playing its final game before the break Tuesday. The Rangers host Winnipeg.
Boston will be facing the Capitals for the first time since a 3-2 home win Dec. 18, 2010, its third victory in four meetings last season. Thomas made 39 saves in that game, improving to 13-4-2 with a 2.49 goals-against average in 20 career games versus Washington.
It's unclear if Boston will have Nathan Horton on the ice after he missed the third period Sunday following a high hit from Philadelphia's Tom Sestito.
Washington hopes to get second-year center Marcus Johansson back after he sat out Sunday with an illness.
Updated January 23, 2012
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