Category Archives: Minnesota Vikings

Minnesota Vikings

Chiefs sign Robert Golden

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The Chiefs have signed safety Robert Golden, he announced on his Twitter account Tuesday.

Golden spent six years with the Steelers, playing 92 games. He was entering the final year of a three-year, $4.95 million deal, but the Steelers released him March 14 to save $1.48 million against their salary cap.

This isn’t the first major junior ice hockey crash in Canada. On Dec. 30, 1986, a bus carrying the Swift Current Broncos of the Western Hockey League hit a patch of black ice on the Saskatchewan highway and flipped, killing four members of the team. Two future NHL players — Joe Sakic and Sheldon Kennedy — survived that crash.

Saturday’s crash brought back memories of the Swift Current tragedy for Edmonton Oilers coach Todd McLellan.

“Lived it and felt it,” McLellan said. “It goes on forever. I’m from Saskatoon. I know Saskatchewan people well. I know that Humboldt area really well. They’re as strong as they come, but they’ll need our help.”

The Patriots made him a third-round pick in 2011. Ridley signed with the Jets in 2015 and also has spent time with the Lions, Falcons and Broncos.

He has played 64 games with 27 starts in his career, rushing for 3,022 yards and 23 touchdowns on 714 carries.

Future Hall of Famers Henrik and Daniel Sedin are retiring after this season. Our NHL experts weigh in on the Sedins’ legacy and how Vancouver should spend that extra cap money — and speculate about what the twins will do with their newfound free time.

Greg Wyshynski, senior writer: Jonathan Quick has two Stanley Cups, a Conn Smythe Trophy and a .921 career playoff save percentage. No, it didn’t go all that well for Quick in his previous postseason with the Los Angeles Kings, but if I had one game I needed to win, Quick is one of the few goaltenders I would wager on to win it on his own. But the question isn’t about making a gamble, it’s about which goalie you trust. I trust that Quick could steal a game. Ultimately, I’d say I trust Matt Murray of the Pittsburgh Penguins most to not lose a game.flames_016

Le’Veon Bell isn’t just one of the best running backs in football. He’s perhaps the league’s most dangerous offensive weapon.

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Last year, Bell piled up over 1,900 total yards and 11 touchdowns on 406 touches. While the first and second numbers are great, the third is cause for legitimate concern.

In big games, he’s even better: Recall his 14-inning complete game in the 1916 World Series or note his 6-1 record in head-to-head matchups against Johnson. Add to this the value he brings at the plate when he pitches, and he has been one of the two most valuable pitchers in baseball, according to our proprietary, all-in-one stat, Whoopla Achieved Relatively (or WAR). Most staggeringly, Ruth has only just turned 23, which makes him nearly a decade younger than Johnson and Alexander.

Babe isn’t a good pitcher; he’s a historic one. He’s one of the three best pitchers in the world, in his early 20s, with a career-defining World Series performance and spectacular value to his team. If you just stick with him on the mound, in 100 years he’ll probably be as famous as Tim Keefe, John Clarkson and Jim McCormick! Any change would be a huge gamble, and for it to pay off, you’d have to think Babe could become the greatest hitter of all time.

Before he became a professional ballplayer, he was considered an elite amateur hitter. According to our scoutsi, opposing right fielders would back up so far that they would actually leave the field and stand on far distant fields in the middle of far distant games. Ruth has hit some of the longest home runs we’ve ever seen, including the longest in Sportsman’s Park history.

Back to Kaepernick, you know he got beat out by [Blaine] Gabbert, to start the [2016] season. I think that says something. [But] I am surprised he’s not in camp with somebody. He probably will be soon.

In a perfect world, he’d be capable of pitching every fourth day and playing first base the three days in between. Then he’d be an 8-WAR pitcher and three-quarters of a 4- or 5-WAR hitter, worth around 11 whooplas per season, about as much as the best player in baseball (Cobb). That would offer the benefit of seeing whether Babe elevates his offense in close to full-time play while giving us a chance to see how he can handle a defensive position.

But this would put a big strain on the Babe physically. We don’t think a man can pitch in his regular turn and play some other position and keep the pace year after year. He can perhaps do it this season. He’s young and strong and doesn’t mind the work, but we wouldn’t guarantee that he could do it for many seasonsii. Learning to play a new position also would add to his risk of injury.patriots_323

Reports: $7.5 million per year for Jerick McKinnon

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This was also the same day we got the news that Sager passed away we had to change the content of our whole show.NFL quarterback living the bachelor lifestyle discovers that he has 8-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.Very few Ravens free agents that signed elsewhere have earned their money; particularly on defense.He’s , Cheap Jerseys Paypal Barron said.it’s not like they’re not having impact on the series from their play and their process but we need more production from multiple people including them.Timo Meier is a physical goal-scoring forward with a decent amount of Jerseys From China finesse mixed .Anonymous said…Backlund gave Calgary its first lead on a power play at the 11 mark.

Michael Bennett yelled “y’all must know who I am. I could own this mother f***er,” before pushing an elderly paraplegic woman and injuring her shoulder … this according to cops in Texas.

Houston PD just held a news conference to break down the Bennett incident at Super Bowl LI … where he allegedly broke through locked doors at the southwest corner of the NRG Stadium tunnels.

Bennett was indicted by a Grand Jury today … and charged with injuring an elderly person … a felony. He faces up to 10 years in prison.

HPD says one of their officers witnessed Bennett push 3 stadium employees… injuring the 66-year-old who was in a heavy, motorized wheelchair.

A lot of decision-makers are here, and all eyes are on you.allows personalities to blossom-and as as a player produces, lets the player be himself.Everyone’t care enough,’ told reporters, just getting started.

Washington replaces Kirk Cousins with Smith, and the Chiefs replace Smith with Patrick Mahomes.

Smith, 33, originally entered the league as the No. 1 overall choice in 2005. The 49ers traded him to the Chiefs on March 12, 2013. Now, he moves again.

Matt Hasselbeck we trust, remain the motto for Colts fans, one that has led to four wins four starts this. The strip-sack was the exact play the Patriots were desperate for at that point.I’ve been playing hockey here for ummmmm, I’t know, a decade or more.

Of course the ball went over his head to Bowe on a deeper route, but look at that poor defender.Shot by Kessel.The Titans also have and Miami on the schedule next month.

The 49ers just signed the 30-year-old Kilgore to a three-year, $12 million contract extension in February, but then signed Giants center Weston Richburg to a massive five-year, $47.5 million deal in free agency.
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Cornerback Orlando Scandrick has been granted his request to be released by the Cowboys, ESPN.com reports.

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The move will free up about $3 million in salary cap space for Dallas this season, to be applied June 1, although Scandrick will count $1.6 million against the team’s cap in 2019, according to the report.

It became clear to Scandrick toward the end of last season that his value to the team was marginal, hence his request to be let go. As he dealt with a back and hand injuries, rookies Chidobe Awuzie and Jourdan Lewis occupied the outside cornerback positions, and safety Xavier Woods moved to the slot. Also, for the 2018 season, the team plans to move Byron Jones from safety back to his natural position of cornerback.

Maybe the Chiefs think they’ve found the next Johnson in Hitchens, who tallied 84 tackles in 12 games for the Cowboys last season. They better hope so, because Hitchens is now tied for the fifth-highest paid inside linebacker in the NFL (in average annual value). Nigel Bradham, who got $8 million per year to return to Philadelphia, is the better player.

It’s safe to say Malcolm Butler’s market wasn’t hurt considerably by the drama of the Super Bowl. He’ll earn over $12 million per year from the Titans.

Jerick McKinnon might be a perfect gadget running back for Kyle Shanahan’s innovative and creative offense, but he’s now one of the highest-paid running backs in the NFL, having signed a deal with the 49ers worth $7.5 million per year.??

The four years and $30 million figures were initially shocking for McKinnon, who has never rushed for more than 600 yards in a season. But a closer look at the deal reveals a far less risky contract for the 49ers.?

It’s essentially a one-year deal, with teams options after 2018. The 49ers are paying McKinnon a lot of money up front, but the team isn’t locked into payments after next season.?patriots_305

NHL experts predict: Playoff dark horses, Penguins vs. Flyers, Carter Hutton’s 2018-19 team

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On the flip, I’ll take a hard pass on the Canucks, who somehow managed to acquire zero draft picks at the trade deadline. Outside of Brock Boeser, there isn’t much to excite me about this roster. Sure, Bo Horvat and Sven Baertschi are good players, but look at the rest of the lineup. Daniel and Henrik Sedin, UFAs on deck, will be 38 next season. Jacob Markstrom has largely underwhelmed in the starting goalie role. The defense lacks game-breakers. No thanks.

Allen: It’s a close call between the Sabres and Coyotes, as both have strong prospect pools that are likely to be supplemented by Dahlin in June. While Eichel stands above the crowd of assets, I like the group that includes Dylan Strome, Keller, Ekman-Larsson and Jakob Chychrun as a core. In my mind, that’s two elite forwards and two elite defensemen off of which to build in the coming years.

It was the 600th meeting between the two Original Six teams. Detroit holds a 251-250-95-4 edge, but Boston has gone 14-1-1 in the last 16 games. … It was Irish Heritage Night, and the Bruins practice jerseys were green with plaid trim. Irish step dancers and musicians were featured in the concourse and vomitoria. … Coreau made his first NHL appearance of the season after being named the AHL goaltender of the month in February.

No matter the lineup, the Predators will be a tough out for anyone they face, even a surging team such as the Anaheim Ducks, who start a brief but key road trip Thursday night when they look to avoid a season sweep at Nashville’s hands in Bridgestone Arena.

Anaheim (34-21-12) won for the seventh time in nine games Tuesday night, blanking Washington 4-0 to move into second place in the Pacific Division with 80 points. During that stretch, the Ducks lead the NHL with a 1.75 goals-against average.

They bear little resemblance to the injury-ravaged team the Predators beat twice in the 2017 portion of the schedule, but then again, neither does Nashville. That team has morphed from one finding its way into one on a hot streak into one that’s stamped itself as the Western Conference favorite.

“It’s nice to be able to look at what we have going on there and continue to move things around and find ways to win,” Laviolette said.

Tuesday night bore that out.
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NBA players supported ‘FREE MEEK’ movement after Eagles won Super Bowl 52

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The Philadelphia Eagles won Super Bowl LII in a thrilling, absurd 41-33 victory over the New England Patriots, and the victory turned into another platform for prominent athletes to support incarcerated rapper Meek Mill.

“We couldn’t put it together. We looked scrambled in that key moment,” captain Brian Gionta said in an understatement.

It’s hard to boil a game down to one moment, especially a game in which the Czechs had the better of the play. But with one goal separating them from the medal round, it’s hard not to view this as the biggest blown opportunity of the tournament for the Americans.

In the end, Team USA’s stunning 3-2 loss to Slovenia in the tournament opener didn’t dramatically alter its seeding — because of goal differential, it was likely headed to a first-round matchup with Slovakia anyway. But the nature of the loss was a humbling one for the Americans: after absolutely dominating play for about 30 minutes and expending all of their energy, they allowed Slovenia to hang around and then eventually gave up three unanswered goals to lose in overtime.

With a team assembled from disparate parts, getting off the blocks with a successful effort was paramount. This was the opposite.

Someone wise probably once said something along the lines of, “Nonsense is essential.” I’m sure there’s a pillow you can buy on Etsy that has the general ethos embroidered on it. You can probably find an inspirational poster, or a children’s book, based on the idea.

But if there isn’t, and you can’t, then I’m going to be the one to say it: Nonsense is essential. I’d much prefer to keep getting emails from strangers positing their strange theories about who Croc could be (Brady’s Ugg endorsement, Father Time, Gisele, Gronk, Belichick, Brady’s desire to play forever, Brady’s haters — you guys were so inventive!) than know for sure. I want to keep speculating.

So maybe, at the end of all of this, what Croc really represents is the friends we made along the way.bears_104

Ben Roethlisberger went 13 of 25 for 63 yards when targeting receivers who weren’t Brown.

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10. Tom Brady, quarterback, Patriots (3): It’s going to be weird not seeing Brady in uniform for the first four games. That’s why his first game back from the Deflategate suspension — Oct. 9 at Cleveland — will be the most eagerly anticipated game involving the Browns in decades. And you just know Brady will be on a mission when he returns. Watch out, NFL.

Chiefs: The Chiefs gave up a third-round pick this year and their first-rounder in 2018 to trade up for Patrick Mahomes II, hoping they have found an eventual successor to Alex Smith, who turns 33 in May. Mahomes, a gunslinger with dodgy mechanics, will have the luxury of learning. Look out for third-round pick, Toledo RB Kareem Hunt, who could get a lot of immediate action with the Chiefs so thin at RB. Hunt rushed for 1,475 yards and caught 41 passes as a senior.

Chargers: Clemson WR Mike Williams, at 6-foot-4, 218 pounds is the perfect receiver for Philip Rivers. He is a productive, big-play receiver who wins balls in the air and often made Deshaun Watson look good with spectacular catches. Western Kentucky OL Forrest Lamp, picked in the second round, can play tackle or guard and should compete immediately for a starting job.

I know Kirk Cousins is poised to potentially become the league’s first $30 million man, but I wouldn’t blame the Washington Redskins for letting the coveted QB1 walk out the door. In a league where franchise quarterbacks, particularly those making $20 million-plus per year, are expected to carry their teams to the winner’s circle, I can understand why Jay Gruden and Co. are hitting Cousins with the old “HOP” (Hold on, playa!) label before cutting a check.

North Dakota-Boston College hockey from MSG on Saturday, 7:30 p.m. on CBSSN. Ben Holden and Dave Starman with the call, former Devil, Ranger, Hab and Alaska-born Latino Scott Gomez making his sportscasting debut, as between-benches reporter.

After skipping all of training camp, Steelers running back Le’Veon Bell went out against Cleveland and played liked he skipped all of training camp, which wasn’t a good thing for the Steelers. Fortunately for the Steelers, they had Antonio Brown, who seemed to eager to make up for the lost offensive production from Bell.

Brown caught 11 passes for 182 yards in the game, which was good news for Pittsburgh, because without Brown, the Steelers offense did nothing. The Steelers also got some surprising production from tight end Jesse James, who caught six passes for 41 yards and two touchdowns. Before Sunday, James had only caught four touchdowns in his entire career. As for Brown, the 182 yards marked the sixth time he’s hit the 180-yard mark in his career.

What happened the day and night before. Geez. The Bengals might have won — we’ll never know, but they led 13-6 in the third quarter — had it not been for the previous 24 hours.bills_003

He will reportedly appeal the suspension.

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Rob Gronkowski may have said the right things after his late, dirty hit left Tre’Davious White with a concussion, but that apparently had no effect on the NFL, which suspended the New England Patriots tight end for one game.

The Patriots won their first Super Bowl in 2001, when Tom Brady stepped in for an injured Drew Bledsoe and led New England to an upset of the Rams in Super Bowl 36. Brady has taken New England to the Super Bowl seven times and was named MVP in four of their five wins. The 40-year-old quarterback has shown no signs of slowing after leading the NFL in 2017 with 4,577 passing yards.

Prepare yourself for one of weekend’s premier strength-on-strength matchups when the NFL’s top receiving tandem of Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster square off against the league’s finest cornerback duo in Ramsey and Bouye. To the surprise of nobody, Pro Football Focus ranked Brown as the league’s best player at his position, with Smith-Schuster (No. 22) and Martavis Bryant (No. 64) rounding out the pecking order. Ramsey — clocking in as the league’s second-ranked cover man — and Bouye (No. 6) are joined by Aaron Colvin (No. 57), who could see plenty of time against Smith-Schuster in the slot.

That formula works against Shanahan and McDaniels. The Falcons and Patriots remain in the playoffs and they cannot be hired while their teams continue to play. Will someone be willing to wait?

Both have interviewed with the 49ers. McDaniels interviewed with the Rams. Shanahan was scheduled to do so but had the interview canceled because of weather-related travel issues for the Rams’ contingent. The Rams, at least for now, seem to be focused on McVay, who is youthful but promising after helping Kirk Cousins to become a 4,900-yard passer this season in D.C. Neither McDaniels nor Shanahan has been linked to the Chargers’ job at this point.

It still seems likely that one of the two will end up in San Francisco as Kelly’s replacement. But if even one of them ends up without a head coaching job, that would be a fairly major upset based on what was expected when this hiring cycle began.
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Keenum vs. Foles for NFC title provides reminder of best path to Super Bowl

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Either the Vikings or the Eagles will be playing in Super Bowl XLII. That means either Nick Foles or Case Keenum will soon be an NFC championship-winning quarterback.

When the conference’s top two playoff seeds take the field Sunday, this title game will have a different feel from those in recent memory. But it’s far from an anomaly.

Keenum and Foles each have plenty of warts, but their teams keep winning because the quarterbacks are doing what they’ve been called upon to do — nothing more, nothing less. Keenum is more the gunslinger, required to take shots to speedy downfield targets in Stefon Diggs and Adam Thielen to fit Shurmur’s Air Coryell stylings, even if it means an interception here and there. Foles is locked into what Pederson wants out of him in the West Coast offense, getting the ball out quickly and getting into a rhythm in a short-to-intermediate passing game, even if means a limitation here and there.

Take a look, in the broader view, at the quarterbacks of this season’s playoff teams.

There is New England’s Tom Brady, the ultimate franchise quarterback. There were fellow former league MVPs Cam Newton of Carolina and Matt Ryan of Atlanta. There were likely Hall of Famers Drew Brees of New Orleans and Ben Roethlisberger of Pittsburgh. There were five other quarterbacks, in addition to Newton and Ryan, taken first, second or third overall in the NFL draft: Bortles, Wentz, the Los Angeles Rams’ Jared Goff, Kansas City’s Alex Smith and Tennessee’s Marcus Mariota. That leaves only Keenum and Buffalo’s Tyrod Taylor as true outliers, if you count Wentz as the quarterback who got the Eagles to the postseason.

Here, USC runs the ball to the left. As the running back approaches the line of scrimmage, he spots a lot of traffic up front and opts to bounce his run outside. Foster mirrors the movement of the back, working outside to get to the edge and stop the back from turning the corner. As the back attempts to cut inside to avoid the cornerback working in from the sideline, Foster arrives and delivers a huge hit that stops the back after a minimal gain.
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Rams coach Sean McVay looked like ‘deer in headlights’ against Falcons

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Sean McVay was the prince of the NFL this season, as the rookie head coach led the Rams to an 11-5 record and the NFC West title.

But the 31-year-old looked like an overmatched deer in the headlights during the Rams’ 26-13 loss to the Falcons in the wild-card playoffs Saturday, according to ESPN’s Sunday NFL Countdown crew.

I have won it plenty of times. Again, it’s hard to even answer that question. There’s really no basis for it. It’s hard to I don’t know. I just shake my head.

On former backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo allegedly being denied initial treatment at the TB12 Sports Therapy Center…

It is so far from any truth that I know, or any characterization of my relationship with my teammates. I have never denied anybody anything in regards to TB12. I have always found it very flattering when teammates go there. Again, I think this speaks to someone whether it is the writer himself, or whoever he spoke to, what agenda they might have in painting some type of picture. …

I have a great relationship with all my teammates. I certainly did with Jimmy. I loved working with Jimmy. We had a great time together. I wish him nothing but the best, like always. Just like all my teammates, really. I think that is just how I feel about him.

On feeling liberated after Garoppolo was traded to the 49ers midseason…

With the Titans a first down away from victory, it appeared that Derrick Henry was stripped of the football by Marcus Peters. Derrick Johnson then scooped the ball and ran it towards the end zone for a score that would have put the Chiefs up 27-22 with 1:47 left.

Like: His closest friend, Ryan Shazier, should be recognized as “the best middle linebacker in football.” And: The Steelers’ defense should be taken more seriously. “Keep focusing on the offense,” he said. “We’re going to keep holding you to 14 points.” And then this: “I’m just gonna say it. We’re gonna win the Super Bowl.”

His defensive teammates concurred. All anyone noticed was the Steelers’ star-studded offense—Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown, Le’Veon Bell.?.?.?. But, they pointed out, the front office had transformed their unit since 2014, when Pittsburgh used the 15th pick on Shazier, now the most beloved player on the team. Everything they did—and everything they would do—revolved around him.patriots_379_19c6c5763f82384d-180x180