Categories
Arizona Cardinals

Antrel Rolle says Sean Taylor’s death was deliberate


Sean Taylor’s body didn’t even have time to get cold before people started speculating about the circumstances surrounding the home intrusion and eventual murder of the rising NFL star. And a lot of the assumptions the mainstream media outlets were distributing tended to be rather harsh, basing their claims on his Hurricanes heritage and previous run-ins with the law. Well, the presumptions aren’t limited to the media. Despite the police accounts of a botched burglary; one of Taylor’s best friends thinks it was a deliberate hit.

He really didn’t say too much,” Antrel Rolle said, “but I know he was pretty much scared every time he was down in Miami.”

Rolle and Taylor, whose fathers were policemen in Homestead, Fla., started playing football together when they were six years old. They went on to become University of Miami teammates and NFL first-round draft picks. Both wore No. 21, Rolle for the Cardinals, Taylor for the Washington Redskins.

“There was so much surrounding him,” Rolle said. “Everyone was talking about him bad, so he just had to distance himself from everyone and live a life of his own. … Within the last year, I’ve never seen anyone make such a dramatic change.”

Withdrawing from a bad crowd isn’t easy, though, Rolle said.

“They say it was a burglary. It absolutely was not a burglary,” he said. “Down South, where we’re from, there were many people talking to Sean, a lot of jealousy, a lot of angry people.

“Sean, he had a large group of friends, and he no longer hung out with those friends, so you never know where this came from.

Rolle also said that “They’ve been targeting him for three years now,” and that “At least, he has peace now.”

We kind of thought Taylor was getting a bum rap because he was from the U and got slapped with the “hoodlum” label, but if his own long-time friend is calling it a deliberate murder then the media’s hype might be sincere. But Antrel can say what he wants; he’s not supposed to be unbiased. It just seems a bit callous to us that despite the authorities’ contradictory account, news outlets were determined to create a sensational story.

Links:

[The Canadian Press]: Cardinals’ Rolle vows to honour childhood friend, says death was no burglary
[Rocky Mountain News]: Rolle: Taylor was targeted

Categories
General Sports

Forget about SkyCam, we want the audio exclusives

We propose that every major sports association makes it mandatory for coaches and players to wear microphones during every game. Call us crazy, but we’d almost rather hear the chit chat on the field than some of these loser broadcast crews. Think about it; would you rather hear Mike Tirico blabber for three hours on Monday Night Football or listen to coach Gruden ask his staff where his team is currently sitting on the field. Yeah, it happens.

Of course, if you wanna know why we don’t always mic up players and coaches, just imagine the kinds of things you’d hear come out of guys like Bobby Knight if he forgot he was wired.

Categories
Cleveland Cavaliers

Around the Rim: `He’s more than we thought he was!’


1. `You wanna crown his ass then crown him!’
LeBron James is playing some of the best basketball of his career right now and last night he led the Cleveland charge to knock off the Celtics 109-104. King James followed up his back-to-back triple dips with a 38-point, 13-assist effort to outlast Boston in overtime. The league’s top scorer (31.3 ppg) racked up 11 of Cleveland’s 17 points in overtime and is one outing away from tying Wilt Chamberlain for most consecutive 30-point games against the Leprechauns. That opportunity comes on Dec. 2 in Beantown. And should LBJ end up tying the original love machine, it wouldn’t be anything new. Coming into last night’s contest, James was averaging 37.5 points, 10.2 rebounds and 9.5 assists over his last six pack of games. Hardwood icons Oscar Robertson (1965) and Chamberlain (’64) are the only other players to accomplish such a feat.

2. Kobe and K.D.

Kevin Durant got his first up close and personal glimpse of Kobe Bryant and when the game was over he was weeping at the Mamba’s feet. Not really, but he did get outscored and the Sonics fell to 2-13. Durant put together another nice effort with 25 points on 10-of-19 shooting, but Kobe was Kobe and the crafty vet showed the rookie the definition of well-rounded, scoring 35 points, grabbing eight rebounds and delivering six assists. The Lakers improved to 8-6 with the win, but must now face a tough stretch with games against the Nuggets, Jazz and Magic.

3. How long until the Brooklyn relocation?
The Nets certainly haven’t had much to get excited about this season and last night was no different. Jersey fell to 7-8 after getting beat by the Grizzlies in the IZOD Center (that’s the corny name of the Nets arena in case you didn’t know). While the losing stinks, losing when you know you could be winning is the real kick in the nuts. Jason Kidd got another triple double, the 91st of his career, with 12 points, 15 rebounds and 12 assists while Vince Carter blew up for 32 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Richard Jefferson chipped in 27 points, but the W just wasn’t to be. It should be interesting to see how the squad reacts to the loss. So far, the Nets have gone on a three-game win streak followed by a six-game losing streak which was followed their recently snapped three-game winning streak.

Tuesday’s Player of the Day: LeBron James vs. Boston 46 min, 38 pts (FG: 11-25, 3FG: 2-8, FT: 14-15), 4 reb, 13 ast, 2 stl, 2 blk

Wednesday’s Game to Watch: Houston (8-7) @ Phoenix (11-3)
The Suns just got beat at their own game by Golden State on Monday, but getting back on a winning streak won’t be easy against a healthy Rockets squad. Tracy McGrady is back to his old self after a minor elbow injury and everyday Yao Ming looks more and more like a mighty oak transplanted into the middle of the paint. Surprisingly, one of the weak spots in the Rockets’ framework this year is their record a home, a sorry 4-3. The Suns have equally been opportunity destroyers this season with a 6-2 road record and a 5-1 mark at home. But it really doesn’t matter if the arena is located on Saturn, Mike D’Antoni’s boys are going run up and down the court for 48 minutes and then treat the planet’s rings like a treadmill. The Suns’ big three (that’s Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire and Shawn Marion if you get confused by the other studs on the roster) alone are averaging a combined 38.5 shots per game. That’s a lotta hustle!

Buzzer Beater: The Heat put together a nice all-around effort against Charlotte and cruised to an easy 110-90 victory, ending a four-game losing streak in the process. Now, we know that Miami has been going through some sobering struggles recently and a win is a win, but, seriously D-Wade, it’s just the Bobcats.

I can’t remember the last victory we had like this,” Wade said. “It feels good.

“Can’t remember the last victory we had like this”??? Was your Game 6 Finals victory over the Mavericks really all that long ago?

Categories
Green Bay Packers

Packers fans need a new hobby, being obsessed just isn’t gonna cut it


We take our football as seriously as anyone out there or at least we thought we did. Turns out that Packer fans probably have us beat.

The NFL Network has plenty of people up in arms about their hogging of exclusive games, leaving countless cable subscribers without their fix, but maybe no sect is more P.O.’d about it than the Cheeseheads. We really do sympathize, it does totally suck to miss your favorite team take the field, especially when it is a big time showdown like this Thursday’s battle between the 10-1 Pack and the 10-1 Cowboys, but you might want to find a new release if missing a game is going to screw up your whole stinkin’ life.

That’s left plenty of Packer backers seriously peeved.

Bill Bessette, of Madison, said it’s traumatic for fans who plan their life around the team’s games. The game won’t be shown on cable in Madison.

Dawn Harrod, of Wausau, said she is worried about her 95-year-old mother, who’s an avid Packers fan but will miss the game.

“Traumatic” is usually something reserved for serious tragedies, not missing Brett Favre’s millionth interception, Bill. And for Ms. Harrod, when game time rolls around, just throw in a tape of Green Bay’s 1995 loss to the `Boys in the NFC Conference Championship game. Your mom is 95 years old, she’ll never know the difference.

Links:

[Channel3000.com]: Angry Packer Fans Ready To Hit Bars For Dallas Game

Categories
Miami Dolphins

Thanks for the memories Ricky


Ricky Williams’ comeback didn’t last too long. One game, six carries, 15 yards, one fumble and a torn pectoral muscle after he was activated, it was all over. Williams will miss the remainder of the season and spend the next four to six weeks in a sling. Rehab is an additional five months.

The injury occurred in the second quarter of Monday Night Football‘s contest between the Fins and the Steelers when Williams bobbled the ball and in the scramble to recover it, Pittsburgh linebacker Lawrence Timmons stepped on his shoulder. Now, Ricky is a big boy, but Timmons is 234 pounds of beef and when that kinda mass walks on you it’s probably going to do some damage.

Despite the injury, the biggest blow had to be to Williams’ ego. He gave up his comfortable world of marijuana and yoga for this?! The embarrassing retirement, the suspensions, the Argonauts, the random drug tests, the media barrage and all the reticule was just to get put back on the shelf? Oh well, there’s always next year. Wait, it’s Ricky; there’s no telling if he can resist the temptations of life long enough to even be around next year.

Hell, from what we know of Ricky, he probably toked up as soon as he heard the bad news. On the bright side of things, the Dolphins’ date with 0-16 is looking more and more like a reality everyday.

Links:

[TSN]: Ricky Williams’ latest comeback lasted one game.
[Sun-Sentinel.com]: Ricky Williams out for season after just 6 carries

Categories
San Diego Chargers

Yeah, I said shut up. Big whoop, wanna fight about it?

Chargers quarterback Philip Rivers lost his cool over the weekend when the home fans started booing the team. On replays, Rivers could be seen telling the San Diego fans to shut up. Definitely not what any diehard with a triple-digit, face-value ticket wants to see, but it turns out that Rivers is fairly sympathetic to the fanbase’s verbal disgust.

Again, it’s an emotional game. To be honest with you, I love the fans,” Rivers said with a laugh on Monday. “I mean, I really do. It was early in the game, it was the first series, you’re coming off a completion. and it wasn’t necessarily for me, it was kind of like for our team, like saying, ‘Hey, relax a little bit.’

“But again, we understand some of their frustrations in a sense that we were 5-5 and expectations were so high. Again, it was nothing more than that. Shoot, we’ve all told our sibling or brother to shut up before and then you love them five minutes later, so I hope that’s the case.

We gotta give the kid credit for owning up to his behavior and taking the criticism in a fairly mature fashion. He seems to understand why they did what they did and hopefully that’s that. But seeing him act like that conjures up memories of another hot-headed Chargers QB.

Links:

[SignOnSanDiego.com]: Rivers doesn’t deny telling booing Chargers fans to shut up

Categories
Dallas Mavericks

Around the Rim: Dirk & Co. throw away a golden opportunity


1. Dallas downer
The on-again-off-again Mavericks are back and currently the switch is off. With Gilbert Arenas riding the pine for the next three months, Dallas couldn’t capitalize and allowed the Wizards to come into Big D and post a 110-98 victory inside American Airlines Center. The Mavs have now lost three in a row after winning five consecutive, but Dallas got some help from the Kings who knocked off the Spurs in Sacramento. Still, a half game here and there won’t make a lick of difference in the postseason if Dallas shoots as poorly as they did on Monday. Dirk Nowitzki went 10-of-18 for 31 points and the rest of his crew was a miserable 23-for-66, including a 3-of-21 display from downtown while Caron Butler had a game-high 35 points and Antawn Jamison finished with 27. The Dallas roster can expect more “verbal abuse” to come spewing out of Avery Johnson after this loss.

2. Warriors came out to play

The Warriors’ comeback from a simply despicable start isn’t complete just yet, but it took a gigantic leap forward last night. It only counts as one game, but to Golden State, their 129-114 shootout victory over Phoenix must feel like they just upset a No. 1 seed in the playoffs. Okay, well not that good, but three players finishing with 28 or more points has to be pretty euphoric for the club that basically threw away the first two weeks of the season. Stephen Jackson had 32 points, Monta Ellis finished with 31 and Baron Davis put in 28 to overcome a pair of double-doubles from Shawn Marion and Steve Nash. If the Warriors can defeat Sacramento on Wednesday then they will finally join the .500 club and hopefully we’ll start seeing a whole lot more of Jessica Alba.

3. Orlando. Oregon. It makes no difference to the Magic
We should have seen two of the brightest stars in the league go head to head, but instead we saw Orlando coast to a 85-74 victory over Portland and become the first team to reach the lucky 13th win (nope, Boston is sitting at 11-1). The Trail Blazers could have used Greg Oden’s massive frame in the middle because it didn’t take a whole lot for the Magic to get the job done. Dwight Howard only mustered up nine points of offense, but he grabbed 14 rebounds while Hedo Turkoglu and Rashard Lewis combined for 41 points. Teams better enjoy beating up on Portland right now because Oden’s injury is only making this club stronger. LaMarcus Aldridge is becoming the weapon he was drafted to become and despite his rough outing against Orlando, Brandon Roy (4-18, 12 pts) is shaping up to be all that and then some. If the top pick of this year’s rookie class pans out upon his return, there’s going to be a Western Conference red and black attack for years to come.

Monday’s Player of the Day: Chris Paul vs. Minnesota 43 min, 31 pts (FG: 10-19, 3FG: 3-4, FT: 8-8), 1 reb, 11 ast, 4 stl

Tuesday’s Game to Watch: Boston (11-1) @ Cleveland (8-6)
It is arguably the best player on the planet versus arguably the best trio on the planet, but that doesn’t mean this is a clear cut victory for the men in green. The Celtics have looked incredible over their opening frame of the schedule, but everyone saw how LeBron James torched the Pistons last year; he could do it again. LBJ is riding back-to-back triple doubles and his team has now won four of their last five games. Boston has also won four of their last five, of course, they’ve also won 11 of their last 12, but who’s counting? The Cs have been kicking their feet up since narrowing escaping Charlotte with a win on Saturday, but they should get prepared to see a lot of No. 23 flying to the rim because Boston and Cleveland hook up twice in the next six days.

Buzzer Beater: Kobe Bryant might be the only scorer in the league more explosive than Tracy McGrady. T-Mac blew up for 19 of his 36 points during the fourth as the Rockets ran away from LaLa Land (Clippers, not Lakers) with an 88-71 victory. We’ve seen it time and again, but it never ceases to amaze. McGrady’s 13-of-26 performance from the floor followed a 13-for-23 shooting spree against Denver that netted him 35 points. Guess that elbow is feeling a little better.

Categories
General Sports

Job swap day is the most awkward day of the year

Let’s see; how do we put this? Not everyone has the necessary heart and desire to be Vili the Warrior; especially Stephanie Lum. Likewise, not everyone should be informing the public on the day’s newsworthy events; especially Vili the Warrior.

Links:

[The Wizard of Odds]: There’s Only One Vili the Warrior

Categories
Miami Dolphins

The Dolphins used their heads for 59:43 of MNF; D’oh!


The Dolphins had an opportunity to get their first taste of the win column, but that ol’ fashioned Miami ineptitude shown though when it mattered to keep their chase for history hitting full stride.

The Fins had what we believe was a sober Ricky Williams back and they managed to keep the ill weathered contest knotted up at nothing going into the final minute until Jeff Reed nailed a 24-yarder for the first, last and only score of the game. The only thing uglier than the game was the field, yet somehow, on a rain drenched mess of mud and turf, Ben Roethlisberger was incredibly accurate, going 18-of-21 for 165 yards and keyed the final drive that put Reed into position.

For fantasy fanatics, it was a complete waste of time that probably left you screaming at the television on more than one occasion. Unless you were banking on a shutout to get you a victory then it was a completely barren wasteland at Heinz Field. And if you were banking on a Dolphins shutout then you’re probably sitting in the cellar of your league anyways.

It was the longest scoreless tie since 1943 with Pittsburgh’s lead lasting for only the final 17 seconds of the game and it was the first 3-0 final since 1993. Williams was equally pathetic, rushing six times for 15 yards before getting a shoulder injury in his return.

These Dolphins appear to be on a crash course with destiny after narrowly avoiding that close call. Now, if we can just get Miami to keep this thing rolling for five more games…c’mon baby!

Links:

[MiamiHerald.com]: Dolphins drop to 0-11 in Ricky’s return

Categories
College Football

We’re not sure what "Giving him the business" entails, but it gets you a 15-yard penalty

There was a lot of great football this weekend and a lot of great plays, but after all is said and done, it’s a stinkin’ ref that gets our nod for most memorable moment.

It might not have been the most technical of calls, but at least the zebra can spit out his line without butchering it, which is more than we can say for Emmitt “Silver Tongue” Smith.

Links:

[Mr. Irrelevant]: N.C. State Penalized 15 Yards for `Givin Him the Business’