Saturday, October 12, 2013

Adrian Peterson

Adrian Peterson

South Dakota police confirm that Adrian Peterson’s son has died

Minnesota Vikings
Adrian Peterson's son has died from injuries suffered in a domestic incident. (Tom Dahlin/Getty Images)
Adrian Peterson’s son has died from injuries suffered in a domestic incident. (Tom Dahlin/Getty Images)
On Friday evening, South Dakota police confirmed to NFL Media that the two-year-old son of Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson died from injuries suffered during an alleged domestic abuse incident. As we reported earlier Friday, Peterson missed practice on Thursday to travel to South Dakota for what was called ‘personal reasons.’ Peterson’s two-year-old son was taken to a Sioux Falls hospital on Wednesday after suffering a severe beating. Twenty-seven-year-old Joseph Patterson, who had been dating the boy’s mother, is being held without bond at Minnehaha County Jail on charges of aggravated assault and aggravated battery of an infant.
The police are withholding the name of the child, per the family’s request.
Sean Jensen of the St. Paul Pioneer Press said via Twitter
After receiving condolences from fellow NFL players and other sports stars, like LeBron James, Peterson expressed his thanks on Twitter Friday.
on Friday morning that he spoke with Nelson Peterson, Adrian’s father, who told him that the child is indeed Adrian’s.
“We are asking for prayers and for respect for our family as deal with this tragic situation,” Nelson Peterson told Jensen. ESPN’s John Clayton confirmed the report.
According to Sioux Falls Police Lt. Blaine Larsen, Patterson was the only one home with the boy, and it was Patterson who called the police. Patterson was arrested on Thursday evening after an investigation.
Peterson returned to the team’s Winter Park facility in time for Friday’s practice. The Vikings will host the Carolina Panthers on Sunday.
“He had a difficult day,” head coach Leslie Frazier said. ”We expect him to play, but we’ll talk more over the next 24 hours.”
Before it was known that the boy had passed away, Peterson told local media that he would play “without a doubt,” and asked that his privacy, and the privacy of his family, be respected.
“Football is something I will always fall back on,” he concluded. “It gets me through tough times. Just being around the guys in here, that’s what I need in my life — guys supporting me and just being able to go out and play this game I love. Things that I go through, I’ve said a thousand times, it helps me play this game to a different level. I’m able to release a lot of stress through this sport, so that’s what I plan on doing.”
It is not known how or if this horrific development will change Peterson’s plans.

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Friday, October 11, 2013

Justin Verlander leads Tigers into ALCS

Detroit Tigers
Detroit Tigers Tickets The Detroit Tigers have made their fans proud on numerous occasions. Winners of no less than 4 World Series Championships and 10 American League pennants, the team is on the top of its game. Draped in navy blue, white and orange, the Tigers have a ferocious appetite for victory. Their love for the game has turned them into fierce competitors which cannot be taken easily no matter how tough the opposing team is. It is this ‘never give up’ attitude that keeps the fans on the edge of their seats throughout the game. Any Tiger game is guaranteed to be full of adrenaline pumping action.

Detroit Tigers Tickets

A perennial Motown favorite for more than 100 years, the Detroit Tigers carry on a tradition founded by former greats like Ty Cobb, Al Kaline, and Alan Trammell. Help the team support this tradition by selecting a game on the Tigers schedule and visiting Comerica Park to see Detroit chase their World Series dreams. 

Detroit Tigers, Robinson Cano could make a 2014 World Series run together

The Tigers stayed alive last night with some gutsy performances by Max Scherzer and Victor Martinez, but they're still just one game away from elimination. They may be thinking about what they can do this winter to get themselves another shot, whether they win Game 5 or not.


Detroit has just under $108MM tied up in 2014 salaries for Miguel Cabrera, Prince Fielder, Justin Verlander, Anibal Sanchez, Torii Hunter and Victor Martinez. And they still have to give raises to several players through arbitration -- including 2013 Cy Young candidate Max Scherzer.
But the team was able to raise payroll to a record-high $148MM+ for the 2013 season and they were not shy about bringing on Prince when he was the subject of a massive bidding war, so don't count the Tigers out on the biggest prize available this winter -- Robinson Cano. Hal Steinbrenner is already on record as saying the Yanks will make a "solid offer", but it won't be for the 10 years Cano is rumored to desire.
Robinson Cano would make Detroit's lineup an absolute freak show. He would obviously fit any team, but the Tigers have current second baseman Omar Infante coming off the books and they may be looking to make a splash if their season comes to a disappointing end.
With Cano in the fold they could use him in the 2-hole, as the Yankees did this year, and have one of the best 2-3-4 combos in history -- on paper anyway. If they somehow managed this signing, they might be able to simply frighten their 2014 opponents into submission.
Another aspect of the situation that favors Detroit is their complete lack of former NBA point guards tipping their moves, or sending out smoke screens, or whatever Magic Johnson is trying to do.
Whether or not his comments are considered fair play has yet to be determined, but it doesn't seem like good practice to tip your hand. It seems like there's nothing to be gained from it, but this is Magic we're talking about. He's been dealing with the media for decades. He knows what he's doing, right?
Jhonny Peralta will probably not be back due to the team's acquisition of the defensively aesthetic Jose Iglesias. Filling in the rest of the roster may be a challenge if the Tigers let Cano loose in the vault, but it isn't inconceivable.

2014 Free Agent Preview: Robinson Cano


Remember, they weren't considered the favorites for Prince Fielder. They just swooped in and signed him to a cool 9-year, $214MM deal.  That sounds like chump change compared to what Cano is reportedly asking.
Look Jay-Z, we get it. You're staggeringly famous and extra-great, but baseball does't need another Scott Boras -- even if it's what I'm told is a very cool version of him.
Cano is not worth $30MM a year.
He might be close to that valuable in the first few years of what will probably be a 10-year deal, but after that, he'll certainly be overpaid. But someone out there will fork it over. That's just how the market is. There isn't enough data on these mega-contracts to figure out how much a win is worth within their boundaries, but if Cano is worth an average of about 5.0 WAR per year for the next ten years, it'll be hard to argue against. But he'll be 41 years-old when the hypothetical contract ends, so that outcome seems unlikely.
Assuming the Tigers intend avoid paying the league's luxury tax you can allot them somewhere around $80MM for arbitration raises and acquisitions this offseason -- it sounds like it'd take $30MM of that to get Cano, leaving ≈$50MM to fill out the remaining 17 spots on the 25-man roster. And that's before arbitration raises/potential extensions for Max Scherzer, Austin Jackson, Doug Fister, and others.
It may not be probable, but it's possible. And it would make a World Series win in 2014 and beyond much more plausible.
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Aldon Smith - cbssports

49ers LB Aldon Smith arrested for suspicion of DUI

By John Breech | CBSSports.com
Aldon Smith was arrested for suspicion of DUI on Friday in San Jose. (USATSI)
Aldon Smith was arrested for suspicion of DUI on Friday in San Jose. (USATSI)
San Francisco 49ers linebacker Aldon Smith is having some trouble staying out of trouble. The third-year linebacker was charged with DUI on Friday after being involved in a one-car accident around 7 a.m. PT near San Jose. Smith has also been charged with possession of marijuana, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office.
Smith blew a .15, according to the San Jose Mercury News. That's almost two times the legal limit of .08 in California. The one-vehicle accident occurred when Smith crashed into a tree. Pills were also found in Smith's vehicle, according to the Mercury News.
"At some point, they did a breath sample and it was over the limit," San Jose Police Sgt. Heather Randol confirmed, via CSNBayArea.com. "He was not injured, and it does not appear as if anybody else was in the vehicle with him. And there were no other involved vehicles or reported injuries."
Aldon Smith's mugshot. (SJPD)
Smith is out on bail and no longer in jail, according to the Sacramento Bee. Smith's bail was set at $5,250.
After practice on Friday, 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh pretty much said that Smith will be playing against the Colts on Sunday, "I expect Aldon to be back at work and play on Sunday," Harbaugh said.
This is Smith's second DUI arrest since the 49ers selected him seventh overall in the 2011 NFL Draft. Smith was also arrested for DUI in January 2012 after an incident in Miami Beach. The charges in that DUI arrest were later reduced.
Those aren't all of Smith's troubles though. The 23-year-old linebacker is also facing two lawsuits stemming from a party he threw at his residence in June 2012. Smith was actually stabbed at the party, but the injury didn't turn out to be serious.
According to the Sacramento Bee, Smith's arrest is the fifth DUI-related arrest for the 49ers over the last two and a half years.

Aldon Smith - nbcbayarea

49ers Aldon Smith Arrested in San Jose on Suspicion of DUI, Marijuana


Arrest followed 7 a.m. single-vehicle crash


San Jose police arrested 49ers outside linebacker Aldon Smith on suspicion of crashing his black pickup truck into a tree early Friday morning as he was allegedly driving while under the influence of alcohol. Jail officials also said that he was booked in connection with possessing an unknown amount of marijuana.
Police Sgt. Heather Randol told NBC Bay Area that the 23-year-old Smith was "over the limit," but she did not specify by how much. She also said Smith, who was in the pickup by himself, was Aldon+Smithnot injured and was "cooperative."
In fact, Smith was on the field at the 49ers' practice facility in Santa Clara Friday afternoon, Maiocco reported.
"I expect Aldon to be back at work and play on Sunday,” 49ers head coach Jim Harbaugh said at the team’s previously scheduled press conference Friday afternoon.






Aldon Smith

Aldon Smith suspected of DUI

SAN FRANCISCO -- San Francisco 49ers All-Pro linebacker Aldon Smith was released from jail Friday after his pickup truck apparently struck a tree and he was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and marijuana possession, authorities said.
Smith later took to the practice field with his teammates Friday afternoon at team headquarters in Santa Clara. He is scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 4.
Smith declined to comment when reporters asked about his arrest.
Coach Jim Harbaugh told reporters Friday that he expects that Smith will play Sunday when the Niners host the Indianapolis Colts at Candlestick Park.
"I expect Aldon -- like today -- he'll be back to work and playing on Sunday," Harbaugh said. "I anticipate that, yes."
Harbaugh said that any potential discipline will likely come from the NFL.
"There will be consequences. There always is," Harbaugh said. "Good or bad, we all have consequences."
Smith, 23, posted $5,250 bail and was released from the Santa Clara County jail late Friday morning, just hours after he was taken into custody by police responding to a single-vehicle crash that involved his truck in San Jose, Santa Clara County Sheriff's Sgt. Kurtis Stenderup said.
San Jose police arrested Smith after officers received a call from a resident about the crash in the city's Silver Creek area around 7 a.m., Sgt. Heather Randol said.
Officers gave Smith breath tests and other tests after his pickup apparently struck a tree, hit a curb and left streak marks on a driveway and sidewalk.
"They conducted an investigation and determined he was under the influence," Randol said about Smith. "He was the only person inside the vehicle."
The linebacker, who helped the 49ers get to the Super Bowl last season, has 37 sacks in 34 career games and was selected to his first Pro Bowl and was an All-Pro last season.
Smith won the team's MVP award last season as he set the Niners' franchise record with 19½ sacks. A first-round draft pick out of Missouri in 2011, Smith also set the team's rookie sack record with 14 that year.
His teammate, Pro Bowl tight end Vernon Davis, said Friday that Smith's arrest caught him by surprise as the team constantly talks about staying out of trouble.
"Some guys listen, some guys don't. You can take the horse to the water, but you can't make him drink. It's all about doing the right thing," Davis said. "I'm sure he'll come around. It's just a matter of time. Hopefully, he'll learn from this situation that he got himself into, and maybe it will come out positive instead of negative."
Smith, who turns 24 on Wednesday, has had other issues with the law as he was also arrested on suspicion of drunken driving in Miami Beach in January 2012.
In addition, he's named in a lawsuit by a Northern California man who said he was shot during a party at Smith's house.
In the suit filed earlier this month in Santa Clara County Superior Court, David Kleczek, an attorney for Ronndale Esporlas, claims that Smith and former 49ers tight end Delanie Walker fired weapons illegally during a party at Smith's San Jose home on June 29, 2012.
The players charged a $10 admission and $5 per drink, the lawsuit said. Smith and Walker, who is also named in the suit, were allegedly intoxicated on Smith's balcony when they later fired gunshots in the air while trying to end the party, the lawsuit said.
Kleczek said they then moved to the driveway where he alleged more shots were fired. Esporlas, 21, was shot twice in the leg while he was "caught in the crossfire between the two groups of people firing gunshots at each other," the lawsuit said.
As a result, Esporlas, "sustained serious, catastrophic and permanent injuries," the lawsuit said. The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages.
Attorneys for Smith and Walker, 29, who currently plays for the Tennessee Titans, have said Esporlas "freely and voluntarily exposed himself to all risks of harm" by attending the party.
They say injuries suffered by Esporlas, who was shot in the leg, were not caused by the defendants.
Santa Clara County prosecutors have said they are considering criminal charges.

Copyright 2013 by The Associated Press

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Raiders

Raiders release former Seahawks backup QB Matt Flynn The Seahawks seem to have a knack for breaking quarterbacks. They broke San Francisco’s Colin Kaepernick after blowing the 49ers out 29-3 at CenturyLink Field on Sept. 15; he has struggled since facing the Hawks. They apparently broke Houston’s Matt Schaub a week ago; he imploded against the Niners on Sunday, looking nearly like he’d never played the position before. more..... Raiders
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Monday, October 7, 2013

Presidents Cup Streaker

There were precious few moments of drama at the Presidents Cup, which helps explain why there was so much attention paid to the patriotic streaker who bolted past U.S. captain Fred Couples on the 18th hole Sunday. Apparently, she was “streaking for Stricker,” as in the 46-year-old, happily married and semi-retired Steve Stricker, which marks the first such episode in his PGA Tour career. Couples, as you can see in the below photos, got a good look at the streaker, who was dressed in a red thong, red, white and blue pasties, and black flats for traction. Fortunately for her, the U.S. went on to win, 18 ½ to 15 ½. Presidents Cup Streaker
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Wednesday, September 25, 2013

America's Cup

America's Cup
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