May 27th, 2015
by C. Bruce
After gaining the first pick of the NBA Draft and finishing last year 33-49, the Cavs have a chance to do something special. They may have one of the best one season turnarounds in NBA history. With the addition of LeBron James in the offseason, the Cavaliers have a chance to win its franchise’s first NBA title. Each and every year LeBron James is regarded as the best player in the NBA. Often, people try to compare him and Jordan. Could this be LeBron’s most defining year? If LeBron wins a title, he would be the greatest of his generation. A title means LeBron would have done the improbable. Through the early season struggles, injuries and controversy, it would be his most difficult title ever accomplished.
After starting the year 19-20 the Cavs have just eliminated the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals and now have a chance to take home the franchise’s first NBA title. No team has ever won a title after starting the season under .500 through 39 games. Throughout the year the Cavaliers came under more media scrutiny than other teams in recent memory. Coach David Blatt and the players were constantly criticized for a good part of the season. The Cavs not only had to deal with the tough media, but also devastating injuries. Early in the season the Cavs lost their starting center Anderson Varejao. Injuries/rests caused LeBron James to miss double-digit games. Kevin Love’s season was ended early in the postseason with a separated shoulder. Also, Kyrie Irving is ineffective at times on the court due to an ankle injury. He is being taken off the court constantly and led to the locker room. With all of the injuries and obstacles the Cavs have faced, an NBA Championship seems highly unlikely.
Throughout the postseason Cleveland has been battling injuries. With some of its best players out, and others severely injured, the Cavs are not the most talented team in the East. On their current playoff rosters, the Bulls and Hawks both have more talented teams, in my opinion. With at least 4 All-Stars on each team, the Cavs come up short with only LeBron James and a banged up Kyrie Irving as the team’s only active All Stars. However, the Cavs have something the Bulls and Hawks do not have; LeBron James. Although LeBron has not been very efficient shooting the ball this postseason, he has led the Cavs to the NBA Finals by elevating the games of Tristan Thompson, Matthew Dellavedova, Iman Shumpert, and J.R Smith. He has turned this team from LeBron and the role players to a serious Championship contender. The Cavs have beaten a Bulls team; who many regard as the most talented in the East, even when Cleveland is at full strength. With a severely injured Kyrie Irving, LeBron led team role players to beat the Bulls in 6 games.
The Cavs have just finished off the #1 seeded Atlanta Hawks in a 4-game sweep to earn LeBron’s fifth consecutive NBA Finals appearance (6 in total). The Hawks were arguably the best team in the NBA throughout the regular season, and now that the depleted Cavs were able to seal the deal and win the series, they will probably play the Golden State Warriors. The Golden State Warriors had one of the best regular seasons in NBA history. They have this year’s NBA MVP in Steph Curry, and a good mix of veteran and younger All Stars. If the Cavaliers are able to complete their goal and win the championship, they would have beaten three teams who exceed their talent; the Bulls, Hawks, and Warriors, and without two of their top three players playing at 100%. LeBron would unquestionably be the greatest of his era. He would be the only player in recent memory to take a team of role players and win an NBA Championship. The Cavaliers would have beaten the top two teams in the league without home court advantage; which possibly makes the championship that much more improbable. But we know LeBron and whenever he is on the court he makes the improbable look probable.
C. Bruce, for War Room Sports
Christopher Bruce is a War Room Sports intern, who is currently a sophomore Business Communications major at Arizona State University.
Tags: All's Fair in Sports and War, Basketball, Christopher Bruce, Cleveland Cavaliers, Lebron James, NBA, NBA Finals, Sports Talk, War Room Sports, WRS
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May 19th, 2015
by Gus Griffin
There is a great deal of mistrust of power, be it governmental or corporate. Society is becoming increasingly skeptical of the notion that either of the aforementioned will do the right thing in a fair process. It is a well warranted skepticism.
Among the many great things about sports is that it is the closest thing in American society to a transparent meritocracy.
We see more in the way of outcome and process in sports than any other area of American life and yet ironically it is that very high and unique access that sometimes deludes us into thinking we know more than we really do. The area where this manifests itself most is in the evaluation of coaching.
Even after adjusting the variation of coaching impact across sports and eliminating outlier boneheaded coaching decisions like Seattle’s last play call in the Super Bowl, the evaluation of coaching typically assumes two things: 1) that coaching decisions impact outcome as much as player execution; and 2) that we are privy to all the information that the coach has to make a decision.
The problem is that neither are true.
On coaches impact compared to players you can look at both George Seifert and Tom Flores who won 2 Super Bowls with 49ers and Raiders respectively. Seifert had one of highest winning percentages in NFL history while in San Francisco. When he got to Carolina he went 1-15. Flores didn’t do much better in Seattle. Neither forgot how to coach any more than Erik Spoelstra did this year with the Heat.
There is a short list of coaches/managers with a track record of making significant improvements to a team with largely the same talent: Larry Brown, Buck Showalter, and Bill Parcells.
Everyone else has pretty much been no better, some worse than their talent.
Privy to information is more complex. When Buddy Ryan coached the Eagles, he cut one Chris Carter, saying, “all he does is catch that fade pass”. He got clobbered in the world of armchair coaching and GM evaluation. Few knew that he never believed what he was saying but was taking a bullet for Carter, who at the time had a drug problem.
In my own high school baseball coaching experience I recall a second basemen we had, that for whatever reason could not make an accurate throw home to cut off a scoring runner. So in the game when we chose to bring the infield in, we either had to switch him with someone else, pull him from the game, or decoy him. No observers would understand why we would do this unless they came to practice.
This is why I have learned to temper my coaching evaluations. While transparency is a good thing, it’s never absolute and in that vacuum we are left with that old saying, “a little bit of knowledge can be a dangerous thing”.
Gus Griffin, for War Room Sports
Tags: All's Fair in Sports and War, Bill Parcells, Buck Showalter, Buddy Ryan, Coaching, George Seifert, Gus Griffin, Larry Brown, Pete Carroll, Tom Flores, War Room Sports, WRS
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May 18th, 2015
by Christopher Dinkins
AFTER FURTHER REVIEW #696 SHOUTOUT to you CHARLIE HAYES…. ((MLB)) GIANTS 9 REDS 8….METS 5 BREWERS 1….BRAVES 6 MARLINS 0….ORIOLES 3 ANGELS 0….PHILLIES 6 DIAMONDBACKS 0….ROYALS 6 YANKEES 0….RAYS 11 TWINS 3….ASTROS 4 BLUE JAYS 2….PIRATES 3 CUBS 0….RANGERS 5 CLEVELAND 1….WHITE SOX 7 ATHLETICS 3….MARINERS 5 RED SOX 0…. DODGERS 1 ROCKIES 0….NATIONALS 10 PADRES 5….CARDINALS 2 TIGERS 1….long streak (ASTROS..PHILLIES..WHITE SOX 5) wrong streak (BLUE JAYS 5)…..some teams couldnt leggo of the egg0 yesterday…will discuss tonight on THE SPORTS HOUSE RADIO SHOW with THE MAYOR ((646-478-5337….6-730pm…..THE WACKO BOB NETWORK))…come thru !!!! ((NBA)) ROCKETS 113(harden 31) CLIPPERS 100(griffin 27)–hou WINS series 4-3 EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS——> CLEVELAND CAVALIERS v ATLANTA HAWKS ((((AFR says tune in tomorrow night and find out who THE MAYOR picks)))) WESTERN CONFERENCE FINALS——> HOUSTON ROCKETS v GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS ((((8-10pm——-> AFTER FURTHER REVIEW 2.0 aka THE SIDELINE PASS)))) ((NHL))****CONFERENCE FINALS**** DUCKS 4 BLACKHAWKS 1…((anaheim leads series 1-0…..WEST)) RANGERS 2 LIGHTNING 1…((new york leads series 1-0…..EAST)) winners play in STANLEY CUP……you already know AFR 2.0 says RANGERS v BLACKHAWKS !!!!! ((BOXING)) GENNADY GOLOVKIN(champ) TKO6 WILLIE MONROE JR defends MIDDLEWEIGHT title….20th consecutive……straight……knocks out in a row for “TRIPLE G”….whats next ??….SHAWN PORTER v ADRIAN BRONER on JUNE 20 (830pmNBC) in WELTERWEIGHT showdown ???(((pssst its at a catchweight of 144))…. ((SOCCER)) ORLANDO CITY SC 4 LA GALAXY 0….PHILADELPHIA UNION 1 DC UNITED 0… EAST—-DC UNITED (21pts) NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION (19pts) NY RED BULLS (17pts) WEST—-FC DALLAS (21pts) VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (20pts) SEATTLE SOUNDERS (19pts) TODAYS MLB GAME of the day CARDINALS (lackey) v METS (harvey) TODAYS NHL PLAYOFF GAME of the day LIGHTNING v RANGERS(east conf finals/game 2) TODAYS TRUE SCHOOL JAM of the day “DANCE TO THE DRUMMERS BEAT” – HERMAN KELLY & LIFE its MONDAY….do damage to the bad vibes….put some sunshine on ya face…….PEACE to my HOMIE KEVIN FREDERICK ((((i see you my dude))))…..THE SPORTS HOUSE RADIO SHOW tonight……the BALLISTICS have been kicked !!!!!!…..AFR.
Christopher “The Mayor” Dinkins of the After Further Review Podcast, for War Room Sports
Tags: After Further Review, All's Fair in Sports and War, Baseball, Basketball, Christopher Dinkins, Football, Hockey, MLB, NBA, NCAA, NFL, NHL, Sports Talk, War Room Sports, WRS
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May 15th, 2015
by Christopher Dinkins
AFTER FURTHER REVIEW #695 SHOUTOUT to you BB KING….. ((NBA))***PLAYOFFS*** EAST–CAVALIERS 94(delladova 19) BULLS 73(butler 20)…..cleveland wins series 4-2 WEST–ROCKETS 119(harden 23) CLIPPERS 107(paul 31/11a)….series tied 3-3 ((NHL))***PLAYOFFS*** EAST CONF FINALS—NEW YORK RANGERS v TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (AFR says RANGERS in 6) WEST CONF FINALS—ANAHEIM DUCKS v CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS (AFR says BLACKHAWKS in 5)…..who YOU got ???? ((MLB)) CARDINALS 2 CLEVELAND 1….PHILLIES 4 PIRATES 2….TIGERS 13 TWINS 1….ROYALS 6 RANGERS 3….CUBS 6 METS 5….REDS 4 GIANTS 3….RAYS 6 YANKEES 1….ASTROS 6 BLUE JAYS 4….RED SOX 2 MARINERS 1….ROCKIES 5 DODGERS 4….PADRES 8 NATIONALS 3 ((NFL)) ODELL BECKHAM JR (giants) is new face of MADDEN ’16….hope he doesnt fall victim to so called MADDEN JINX……. TOM BRADY (patriots) files appeal of 4 game suspension…why is ROGER GOODELL hearing the appeal instead of a neutral arbitrator…..dont sound right…but oh well…. LE’VEON BELL (steelers) accepts his 3 game suspension…like a man…. BRUCE IRVIN says he will play for ATLANTA FALCONS this season…option not picked up by SEATTLE….wants to join new HC DAN QUINN who was DC in SEATTLE ((GOLF))***WELLS FARGO CHAMPIONSHIP*** 1.ROBERT STREB -7 (65) 2.KEVIN CHAPPELL -6 (66) 3.PATRICK REED -5 (67) after first round ((HORSE RACING))****140th PREAKNESS STAKES**** 1.AMERICAN PHAROAH 2.DORTMUND 3.MR.Z 4.DANZIG MOON 5.TALE OF VERVE 6.BODHISATTVA 7.DIVINING ROD 8.FIRING LINE who YOU got ????….AFTER FURTHER REVIEW likes TALE OF VERVE (w)…AMERICAN PHAROAH (p)….DORTMUND (s) ((BOXING)) GENNADY “”GGG”” GOLOVKIN (champ) v WILLIE MONROE JR for MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE (10pm/HBO)….also ROMAN “CHOCOLITO” GONZALEZ (champ) v EDGAR SOSA its DOUBLEHEADER FRIDAY————-> YANKEES(pineda) v ROYALS(young) / TIGERS(greene) v CARDINALS(martinez) TRUE SCHOOL JAMS of the day “DONT LET IT GO TO YOUR HEAD” remix–BRAND NUBIAN / “MARY MARY” -THE MONKEES.. enjoy your weekend and make it happen for yourself…..the BALLISTICS have been kicked !!!!!!!!……..AFR.
Christopher “The Mayor” Dinkins of the After Further Review Podcast, for War Room Sports
Tags: After Further Review, All's Fair in Sports and War, Baseball, Basketball, Christopher Dinkins, Football, Hockey, MLB, NBA, NCAA, NFL, NHL, Sports Talk, War Room Sports, WRS
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May 13th, 2015
by Christopher Dinkins
AFTER FURTHER REVIEW #694 SHOUTOUT to you MIKE RICHTER……((NHL))***PLAYOFFS*** LIGHTNING 4 CANADIENS 1 (east conf game 6)….tampa bay WINS series 4-2….conference finals are set in WEST——–> CHICAGO BLACKHAWKS v ANAHEIM DUCKS….EAST will be decided tonight at MADISON SQUARE GARDEN——–> WASHINGTON CAPITALS v NEW YORK RANGERS…..you already know !!!!!!!!!!! ((MLB)) RAYS 4 YANKEES 2…CARDINALS 8 CLEVELAND 3…PIRATES 7 PHILLIES 2…BLUE JAYS 10 ORIOLES 2…TIGERS 2 TWINS 1(10)…REDS 4 BRAVES 3…ROYALS 7 RANGERS 6(10)…CUBS 6 METS 1…WHITE SOX BREWERS 2…GIANTS 8 ASTROS 1…DIAMONDBACKS 14 NATIONALS 6…ATHLETICS 9 RED SOX 2…ANGELS 5 ROCKIES 2…DODGERS 11 MARLINS 1…MARINERS 11 PADRES 4… ((NBA))***PLAYOFFS*** CAVALIERS 106(james 38/12) BULLS 101(butler 29)—cleveland leads series 3-2 ROCKETS 124(harden 26/10) CLIPPERS 103(griffin 30/16)—los angeles leads series 3-2 ((GOLF)) top five CUP POINT rankings 1.JORDAN SPIETH (2118) 2.J.WALKER (1693) 3.J.HOLMES (1320) 4.P.REED (1263) 5.BUBBA WATSON (1188) ((SOCCER))***MAJOR LEAGUE*** EAST CONFERENCE 1.NEW ENGLAND REVOLUTION(18pts) 2.DC UNITED(18pts) 3.NY RED BULLS(16pts) 4.COLUMBUS CREW(14pts) 5.TORONTO FC(9pts) WEST CONFERENCE 1.VANCOUVER WHITECAPS(20pts) 2.FC DALLAS(20pts) 3.SEATTLE SOUNDERS(16pts) 4.SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKE(14pts) 5.SPORTING KANSAS CITY(14pts) MLB GAME of the day PADRES(shields) v MARINERS(walker) NHL PLAYOFF GAME of the day CAPITALS v RANGERS (east conf game 7…tied 3-3) NBA PLAYOFF GAME of the day WIZARDS v HAWKS (east conf game 5…tied 2-2) MAJOR LEAGUE SOCCER GAME of the day DC UNITED v ORLANDO CITY SC TRUE SCHOOL JAM of the day “SOPHISTICATED BITCH”-PUBLIC ENEMY its HUMP DAY…..you already know the rules….make it happen for yourself…shoutout to 78 SPORTS looking forward to working with you….nothing like steppin the game up that you already have….the BALLISTICS have been kicked !!!!!!!!……AFR.
Christopher “The Mayor” Dinkins of the After Further Review Podcast, for War Room Sports
Tags: After Further Review, All's Fair in Sports and War, Baseball, Basketball, Christopher Dinkins, Football, Hockey, MLB, NBA, NCAA, NFL, NHL, Sports Talk, War Room Sports, WRS
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May 6th, 2015
by Christopher Dinkins
AFTER FURTHER REVIEW #690 SHOUTOUT to you NEIL SMITH…..((THE SIDELINE PASS)) YOU ((yeah YOU)) missed a DOPE SPORTSTALK SHOW last night !!!!!…..so much vibes and the lines were crazy !!!!!….EXTRA STRENGTH SHOUT to callers NINE (“so whutcha want”)….BILLY DANZE (m.o.p)….SLATE…KIA…MR HOLLYWOOD….CHE (from indy)….KAREEM TYSON (insight from las vegas)….DAVE A…..and the big homie DEV MC MILLAN (war room sports)…….it definitely went down …..im proud of AFTER FURTHER REVIEW 2.0 aka THE SIDELINE PASS…..THANK YOU to LISTENERS ….we see you too !!!!!…..((NBA))***PLAYOFFS*** (EAST round 2/gm 2) HAWKS 106(carroll 22) WIZARDS 90(sessions 21)—series tied 1-1…(WEST round 2/gm 2) GRIZZLIES 97(conley 22) WARRIORS 90(curry 19)—series tied 1-1…..((NHL))***PLAYOFFS*** (WEST round 2/gm 3) FLAMES 4 DUCKS 3-ot—ANAHEIM leads series 2-1…..(WEST round 2/gm 3) BLACKHAWKS 1 WILD 0—CHICAGO leads series 3-0……((MLB)) ANGELS 5 MARINERS 4….GIANTS 6 PADRES 0….METS 3 ORIOLES 2….diamondbacks v rockies…postponed….MARLINS 2 NATIONALS 1….ROYALS 5 CLEVELAND 3….WHITE SOX 5 TIGERS 2….REDS 7 PIRATES 1….RED SOX 2 RAYS 0….CARDINALS 7 CUBS 4….RANGERS 7 ASTROS 1….ATHLETICS 2 TWINS 1….DODGERS 8 BREWERS 2….((NCAAF)) there will be NO BIG 12 conference title game….that makes no sense…how can those teams in that conference compete for NATIONAL TITLE ((((see BAYLOR and TCU from last season))))……MLB GAME of the day REDS (leake) v PIRATES (cole)…..NBA PLAYOFF GAME of the day BULLS v CAVALIERS (EAST round 2/gm 2)—chicago leads series 1-0……NHL PLAYOFF GAME of the day RANGERS v CAPITALS (EAST round 2/gm 4)—washington leads series 2-1…..TRUE SCHOOL JAM of the day “STOOP RAP” -DOUBLE TROUBLE………SHOUTOUT to my big homies RODNEY C and KK ROCKWELL………..check out the show if you get a chance !!!!….you wont be mad !!!!!……the BALLISTICS have been kicked !!!!!…….AFR.
Christopher “The Mayor” Dinkins of the After Further Review Podcast, for War Room Sports
Tags: After Further Review, All's Fair in Sports and War, Baseball, Basketball, Christopher Dinkins, Football, Hockey, MLB, NBA, NCAA, NFL, NHL, Sports Talk, War Room Sports, WRS
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May 4th, 2015
by Brandyn Campbell
The 2015 draft has come and gone, and the dust is beginning to settle for the Eagles and teams around the NFL. How did Chip Kelly do in this draft, the first where he had full control of the process?
Despite the incredible speculation and trade scenarios leading up to the event, the draft was decidedly without drama for the Eagles. They didn’t land Marcus Mariota, and they didn’t draft any offensive linemen. But they did load up on defensive backs, an area of need for many years.
The draft grades are pouring in, and there seems to be consensus about the Eagles’ performance: no one was wowed, but it wasn’t a miss. Better than average – every grade I’ve seen has been in the “B” range.
Heading into the draft, the team needed to find a dynamic wideout to replace Maclin, and they did that nicely with the first-round selection of Nelson Agholor. They needed to find a likely starter at corner, and they now have some options there, with the pickup of the versatile Eric Rowe. The Jordan Hicks pick was too high, given his injury history. They needed help at safety and picked up a few options for that position. Philadelphia needed to address holes in the offensive line left by the departure of Todd Herremans and the likely exit at any moment by Evan Mathis (what WAS that this weekend?!).
Draft expert or casual fan, no one truly knows the success or failure of this draft until we see how the six drafted players perform for the team in the next few years. As the Daily News’ Paul Domowitch said in an article today, “There is no right or wrong with respect to the 2015 NFL draft right now. There are only opinions.”
A few other perspectives on the Eagles’ 2015 draft performance:
A roundup of draft grades from national media, including a B+ from Mel Kiper, Jr.:
“He has put a premium on guys that will buy in, and I think he got those types and hit a couple home runs in the process. Nelson Agholor to me just screams ‘high floor’. He’s a great route runner, plucks the ball out away from his body, has the proven toughness of a return man – you should hear Polian talk about that – and is sneaky explosive. He can get behind defenses. I also think Eric Rowe at No. 47 overall was a steal. He is a great kid and offers up versatility (CB or S), and I thought he’d be a good value as early as the end of Round 1.” –Birds 24/7
An NFC East personnel exec weighs in on the Eagles draft:
“He loved the selections of first-round wide receiver Nelson Agholor and second-round defensive back Eric Rowe, really, really loved them. But he hated the third-round selection of linebacker Jordan Hicks (way too high).” – Philadelphia Daily News
A B+ for the Birds from Brandon Gowton, an extensive round-up of grades from other outlets:
“My first impression of the Eagles draft class is that it looks solid. There aren’t really any picks that make no sense at all to me. The team did a nice job of addressing needs by selecting players who fit their scheme and culture.” – Bleeding Green Nation
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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports
Tags: All's Fair in Sports and War, Brandyn Campbell, Chip Kelly, Eric Rowe, Football, Jordan Hicks, Nelson Agholor, NFL, NFL Draft, Philadelphia Eagles, Philly Sports Muse, War Room Sports, WRS
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May 4th, 2015
by Christopher Dinkins
AFTER FURTHER REVIEW #689 SHOUTOUT to you MIKE DITKA….((MLB)) YANKEES 8 RED SOX 5(sweep)….PHILLIES 6 MARINERS 2….CLEVELAND 10 BLUE JAYS 7….NATIONALS 1 METS 0….BRAVES 5 REDS 0….ORIOLES 4 RAYS 2….TWINS 13 WHITE SOX 3….TIGERS 6 ROYALS 4….ASTROS 7 MARINERS 6(sweep)….CARDINALS 3 PIRATES 2(14..sweep)….BREWERS 5 CUBS 3….ATHLETICS 7 RANGERS 1….GIANTS 5 ANGELS 0(sweep)….DODGERS 1 DIAMONDBACKS 0(13)….PADRES 8 ROCKIES 6(sweep)…….long streak (ASTROS 10) wrong streak (ROCKIES 5)….ST LOUIS keeps walkin off ((sweep of PITTSBURGH))…..HOUSTON keeps rockin on((long win streak))…..BREWERS fire RON ROENICKE oh well..cant say dinnt see that comin……maybe everybody except RON….oh neva mind !!!!!!!…gonna chop it up tonight on THE SPORTS HOUSE RADIO SHOW with THE MAYOR…you already know ——-646-478-5337——6pm——THE WACKO BOB NETWORK—–> come thru……..((NBA))**PLAYOFFS** second round E–WIZARDS 104(beal 28) HAWKS 98(carroll 24)—(washington leads series 1-0)….W–WARRIORS 101(curry 22) GRIZZLIES 86(gasol 21)—(golden state leads 1-0)……..SALUTE to STEPHEN CURRY(warriors)….will be named 2014-15 NBA MOST VALUABLE PLAYER….((NHL)) **PLAYOFFS** second round E–LIGHTNING 6 CANADIENS 2 (tampa bay leads 2-0)….W–BLACKHAWKS 4 WILD 1 (chicago leads 2-0)…..DUCKS 3 FLAMES 0 (anaheim leads 2-0)….AFTER FURTHER REVIEW 2.0 likes ALEXANDR OVECHKIN (capitals) for 2014-15 MVP…….((NFL)) 2015 NFL DRAFT…TAMPA BAY BUCCANEERS came out ahead…selecting JAMEIS WINSTON (florida state)….TENNESSEE TITANS selected MARCUS MARIOTA (oregon)…just like we said they would ….but oh well…TODD GURLEY (georgia) selected by ST LOUIS RAMS cause all types of havoc….ask ZAC STACY (jets)….or TRE MASON (rams)….((NASCAR)) SPRINT CUP at TALLADEGA…..DALE EARNHARDT wins…JIMMIE JOHNSON second….PAUL MENARD third……KEVIN HARVICK(394) leads SPRINT CUP points chase…MARTIN TRUEX JR (354)…..JIMMIE JOHNSON(342)….JOEY LOGANO(335)…..((MLS)) SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC 3 NEW YORK CITY FC 1….SPORTING KANSAS CITY 1 CHICAGO FIRE 0….NBA PLAYOFF GAME of the day BULLS v CAVALIERS (second round east conf game 1)…..NHL PLAYOFF GAME of the day RANGERS v CAPITALS (second round east conf game 3….tied 1-1)….MLB GAME of the day CUBS ((wood) v CARDINALS (martinez)……TRUE SCHOOL JAM of the day “SHOCK THE MONKEY” -PETER GABRIEL…..its MONDAY…ask “who won” day…..enjoy the sunshine…..the BALLISTICS have been kicked !!!!!!!……..AFR.
Christopher “The Mayor” Dinkins of the After Further Review Podcast, for War Room Sports
Tags: After Further Review, All's Fair in Sports and War, Baseball, Basketball, Christopher Dinkins, Football, Hockey, MLB, NBA, NCAA, NFL, NFL Draft, NHL, War Room Sports, WRS
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May 3rd, 2015
by Brandyn Campbell
The Eagles signed 15 undrafted free agents on Saturday. The biggest group taken was offensive linemen (four). This will not be enough to address the Eagles needs at the line – especially if the perpetually injured Sam Bradford is indeed the team’s starting quarterback this fall – but we’ll see what happens. There are usually at least a few diamonds in the rough among the UDFAs.
I’ll highlight the offensive linemen first:
G Brett Boyko (6-7, 301) UNLV: From Lance Zierlein, NFL.com:
“Lacks the athleticism teams want from tackles and the strength they are looking for at guard, but his savvy should get him into a camp. His best position may end up at center.”
G Malcom Bunche (6-6, 320), UCLA: Bunche played at the University of Miami for four years, then transferred to UCLA for graduate work. A Newark, DE native, this what the LA Times had to say about him:
“He opened the season at tackle, then moved to guard, where he was more effective….He’s got a nice body, and he’s a decent athlete. He’s got a ways to go technique-wise. His feet aren’t as good as you would like.”
C Mike Coccia (6-3, 302), New Hampshire: A native of Bethlehem, PA, Coccia had a private workout with the Eagles last month. A four-year starting center at NH, he played guard in high school. More:
“While he was not invited to the NFL combine in Indianapolis, the 6-3, 302 pound center ran a 5.21 40-yard dash, had a 30 1/2-inch vertical along with an 8-7 broad jump at UNH’s pro day. Coccia ran the short shuttle in 4.78 seconds and the three-cone drill in 7.75 seconds. He also put up 27 reps on the bench press.”
G Cole Manhart (6-4, 298), Nebraska-Kearney: An AFC South scout had this to say about Manhart, per NFL.com:
“He has to move to guard to have a shot, but he’s not a bad football player. I just don’t know if he’s going to be strong enough to play in the league.”
NFL.com’s overall assessment of Manhart was as follows:
“As an NFL guard, Manhart would be athletic enough for a zone scheme, but NFL scouts have grave concerns about his ability to drop anchor and handle power from the inside.”
The other signed UDFAs are:
- TE Andrew Gleichert (6-5, 264), Michigan State: Used as primarily a tight end, but also a fullback by the Spartans.
- RB Raheem Mostert (5-11, 190), Purdue: This speedy kickoff returner recorded a 26.0-yard average on 88 career kickoff returns at Purdue, including a pair of touchdowns. He finished as the school’s all-time leader in kickoff return yardage with 2,289.
- DE Travis Raciti (6-5, 285), San Jose State: Tied for tenth on the San Jose State career list with 27 tackles for a loss. The three-time academic all-conference honoree also racked up 14.5 sacks in his career.
- DB Denzel Rice (6-0, 185), Coastal Carolina: Played in 50 games during his four-year career at Coastal Carolina and totaled 112 tackles (85 solo), 24 passes defensed and an interception. Led the Big South and tied a school record with 12 pass breakups as a junior in 2013 while starting all 15 games at corner.
- WR Rasheed Bailey (6-2, 205), Delaware Valley University
- WR Devante Davis (6-3, 215), UNLV
- LB Jordan Dewalt-Ondijo (6-4, 240), Duke
- WR John Harris (6-2, 218), Texas
- P Kip Smith (6-1, 235), Oklahoma State
- TE Eric Tomlinson (6-6, 263), Texas-El Paso
- TE Justin Tukes (6-5, 250), UCF
More on each player can be found here.
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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports
Tags: All's Fair in Sports and War, Brandyn Campbell, Football, NFL, Philadelphia Eagles, Philly Sports Muse, Undrafted Free Agents, War Room Sports, WRS
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May 3rd, 2015
by Brandyn Campbell
CB JaCorey Shepherd
The 2015 draft is now in the books and the Eagles continued to load up on help in the defensive backfield, an area of need the past several drafts. While other pressing needs went unaddressed, namely on the offensive line, attention to the troubled secondary was long overdue.
Much more will be said about what the Eagles got and what they didn’t this draft in the coming days. For now, here’s a look at the three players the Eagles took in the final day of the 2015 NFL Draft.
Round 6, Pick 15 (191): CB JaCorey Shepherd (5’11”, 199), Kansas
Kelly said that he didn’t think that Shepherd would still be there and was obviously excited that he was.
ESPN.com analysis:
“Shepherd comes with some tightness in off-man coverage but possesses fast eyes and is always aware in coverage. He also flashes the ability to anticipate and jump routes and has one of the best sets of ball skills we’ve evaluated in the 2015 cornerback class.”
Round 6, Pick 20 (196): CB Randall Evans (6’0″, 190), Kansas St.
Says Chip:
“You know, the unique thing about him is he’s played safety, he’s played nickel, he’s played corner. He’s a physical player. He’s an outstanding special teams player. He’s a guy that we’ve had our eye on for a while just because of his — not only his athletic ability but his position versatility, so he’s a guy that we were excited that he was still there.”
ESPN.com analysis:
“Evans has exceptional size and length and brings above-average range. He has some tightness in off man coverage and is at his best in press, where he can utilize his length to turn and run with receivers. Evans also has the size to compete with bigger receivers in contested situations.”
Round 7, Pick 20 (237): DE Brian Mihalik (6’9″, 295), Boston College
Says Kelly:
“I think Brian has got a skill se… height/weight/speed off the charts. He has a 34-inch vertical jump. He ran 4.88 [in the 40] and he’s a productive player. He just played wide defensive end in a 4-3 defense. He hasn’t been a two-gap player, but we feel with the physical skill set that he has, that we can covert him to a four technique.”
NFL.com analysis:
“Mihalik intrigues coaches with his size and length. He has some traits of a 5-technique but he’s a limited athlete who will have trouble sticking on this roster.”
The Eagles also added fifteen undrafted rookies to their ranks Saturday evening, which you can read more about here.
Have your say: Are you satisfied with the Eagles selections this year?
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Brandyn Campbell of Philly Sports Muse, for War Room Sports
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