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Doug Whaley named Bills general manager
It was a move that was widely anticipated after Buddy Nix stepped down from his general manager post on Monday. So when the Bills named Doug Whaley the 12th general manager in franchise history Thursday morning it came as little surprise.
“It is with great pleasure to name Doug Whaley to the position of General Manager,” said Bills President and CEO Russ Brandon. “Doug has been involved in every level of player personnel throughout his career and he will lead our efforts in re-establishing a winning tradition for this organization and our great fans.”MORE Steelers Sign Fourth-Round Pick Shamarko Thomas
PITTSBURGH -- The Steelers have signed their first of two fourth-round draft picks from the 2013 NFL Draft, safety Shamarko Thomas. Financial terms of the four-year deal were not disclosed.
Thomas (5-9, 217), who was the 111th overall pick, played collegiately at Syracuse University. He started 39-of-48 games played at Syracuse, recording 263 tackles, 16.5 TFLs and four sacks. Last season, Thomas was named a consensus All-Big East first-team selection and a third-team All-American by the NFL Draft Report as he started all 13 games and collected a career-high 88 tackles. He was a second-team All-Big East selection in 2011 and earned All-Big East freshman team honors in 2009. |
PITT’S DONALD NAMED TO LOTT IMPACT TROPHY WATCH LIST
PITTSBURGH--University of Pittsburgh senior defensive tackle Aaron Donald has been named to the watch list for the 2013 Lott IMPACT Trophy. Donald is one of 42 players named a preseason candidate for the award, which honors the nation’s top defensive player and takes into consideration an individual’s IMPACT on and off the field.
Named after San Francisco 49ers’ great Ronnie Lott, the award is annually presented by the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation, located in Newport Beach, Calif. IMPACT stands for Integrity, Maturity, Performance, Academics, Community and Tenacity. Voting for the Lott IMPACT Trophy is held throughout the season by a national panel of former college coaches and players, media members, past winners of the award and the Board of Directors of the Pacific Club IMPACT Foundation. The 2013 winner will be honored at the 10th annual Lott IMPACT Trophy Black-Tie Awards Banquet on Dec. 8 at the Pacific Club in Newport Beach. Last season, Donald (Pittsburgh, Pa./Penn Hills) was a first-team All-Big East selection, compiling 64 total tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks and a forced fumble. He led the Big East and ranked 12th nationally with 1.54 TFLs per game. Donald spearheaded a Pitt defense that ranked 17th nationally in fewest yards allowed (330.54 yards/game). The Panthers’ also owned lofty NCAA rankings in pass defense (20th, 194.15 yards/game), pass efficiency defense (21st, 113.12 rating) and interceptions (26th, 15 total). Donald is one of 15 returning starters for Pitt this season, the Panthers’ first as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Pitt will open the year with a highly anticipated showdown against defending ACC and Orange Bowl champ Florida State on Labor Day (Sept. 2) at Heinz Field. |
Ray Jr. on Sports
1. I will start with the sad news of the passing of former NFL running back Chuck Muncie. Muncie 60, is a native of Uniontown Pa who played for the New Orleans Saints and San Diego Chargers from 1976-1984. He was a 3-time Pro-Bowler and a 3-time All-Pro Selection. Prayers and condolences to his family.
2. I remember Muncie as being one of those bruising backs that was honestly in the class of Franco Harris and Earl Campbell. He was the first Saints player to rush for 1,000 yards. But his finer moments were when he was traded to the Chargers, not just because of his stats but because they were a playoff contender, making it to the playoffs and winning two AFC West Championships.
3. I think his finest moment was when he rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown in the classic 41-38 playoff win vs. the Miami Dolphins in 1982. For his career, he rushed for 6,702 rushing yards, 263 receptions for 2,323 yards, 20 kickoff returns for 432 yards, and 74 touchdowns.
4. As for the rest of the NFL, it has been told that the Green Bay Packers want to ‘bury the hatchet’ with former All-Pro quarterback Brett Farve. Their goal is to have a Brett Farve Day and retire his #4 jersey sometime during the 2013 season.
5. I admire the Packers initiative to mend the fences with Farve, it’s truly a classy move, but to be honest, they didn’t do anything to the man.
6. Why? Because they made the bold step after the 2007 season to move on from him to up-and-coming Aaron Rodgers. They tried to preserve his legacy by getting him to retire-instead of releasing him, but I never thought Farve was really ready to quit. And that was proven when the Packers eventually traded his rights to the New York Jets months later.
7. But the drama started because of Farve and his statements that he didn’t want to play for the Packers again (especially backup to Rodgers) and that he was not really ready to retire. Well, why did he agree to it?
8. The Packers were tired of being held hostage by Farve for several seasons when he would act very indecisive about his future. As we know, Favre played 2008 for the Jets, told them that he was retiring, and then played two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings before finally retiring in 2011.
9. Hopefully Farve will do his part to mend those fences with the Packers, since he was the one who put them up in the first place.
10. I just read that Baltimore Ravens linebacker Rolando McClain retired Wednesday at the game of 23. He had just signed a 1-year deal with the Ravens after 3 seasons with the Oakland Raiders.
11. No one knows why McClain has chosen to retire, but he has also had a troubled history with the law, getting arrested 3 times in the past 11 months. He was tabbed to be a replacement for future Hall-of Famer Ray Lewis, but it’s apparent that the young man needs to get his life together.
12. Do I think McClain will stay retired? No. But he has to realize that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s conduct policy will keep him away if he decides not to change his ways.
13. So it’s apparent that University of Pitt basketball player JJ Moore does want to transfer and play his final season elsewhere eh? Once again, decisions like this make no sense to me.
14. Moore is not critical to the Panthers success, having only played two complete seasons with only a few good games. His eventual departure only affects the team’s depth, and he’s obviously not concerned about a career in the NBA. Oh well. Enjoy waiting a year to play again Mr. Moore.
15. As for the Panthers, they will remain busy finding more JUCO players to fill out their roster. It seems like their work will never be done.
16. Speaking of college basketball, the top recruit in the country has made his decision: Canadian 6-7 power forward Andrew Wiggins has decided to take his talents to the University of Kansas. Many folks thought that he was heading to Kentucky (sorry Coach John Calipari)
17. So I hear that the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is thinking about a TV station of their own eh? To be honest, I wondered why they had not already had one. That conference has been around since the 1950’s and is one of the best in college sports. (if not the most stable)
18. Back to Pitt. AD Steve Pederson is not saying that he hopes that the series with longtime rival Penn State will be renewed. Hopefully it can happen. It shouldn’t have ended in the first place.
19. While we’re at it, get that ‘Backyard Brawl’ between West Virginia renewed too Pederson. You know that was an awesome rivalry; a guaranteed sell-out.
20. I am impressed with Pirates starter Francisco Liriano, who finally pitched his first game for the Pirates and struck out 9 in an 11-1 win vs. the New York Mets.
Please e-mail me at ray@urbanmediatoday.com
Follow me at Ray Porter Jr. @urbanmediaRay on Twitter
Pic courtesy of sportstalkflorida.com
2. I remember Muncie as being one of those bruising backs that was honestly in the class of Franco Harris and Earl Campbell. He was the first Saints player to rush for 1,000 yards. But his finer moments were when he was traded to the Chargers, not just because of his stats but because they were a playoff contender, making it to the playoffs and winning two AFC West Championships.
3. I think his finest moment was when he rushed for 120 yards and a touchdown in the classic 41-38 playoff win vs. the Miami Dolphins in 1982. For his career, he rushed for 6,702 rushing yards, 263 receptions for 2,323 yards, 20 kickoff returns for 432 yards, and 74 touchdowns.
4. As for the rest of the NFL, it has been told that the Green Bay Packers want to ‘bury the hatchet’ with former All-Pro quarterback Brett Farve. Their goal is to have a Brett Farve Day and retire his #4 jersey sometime during the 2013 season.
5. I admire the Packers initiative to mend the fences with Farve, it’s truly a classy move, but to be honest, they didn’t do anything to the man.
6. Why? Because they made the bold step after the 2007 season to move on from him to up-and-coming Aaron Rodgers. They tried to preserve his legacy by getting him to retire-instead of releasing him, but I never thought Farve was really ready to quit. And that was proven when the Packers eventually traded his rights to the New York Jets months later.
7. But the drama started because of Farve and his statements that he didn’t want to play for the Packers again (especially backup to Rodgers) and that he was not really ready to retire. Well, why did he agree to it?
8. The Packers were tired of being held hostage by Farve for several seasons when he would act very indecisive about his future. As we know, Favre played 2008 for the Jets, told them that he was retiring, and then played two seasons with the Minnesota Vikings before finally retiring in 2011.
9. Hopefully Farve will do his part to mend those fences with the Packers, since he was the one who put them up in the first place.
10. I just read that Baltimore Ravens linebacker Rolando McClain retired Wednesday at the game of 23. He had just signed a 1-year deal with the Ravens after 3 seasons with the Oakland Raiders.
11. No one knows why McClain has chosen to retire, but he has also had a troubled history with the law, getting arrested 3 times in the past 11 months. He was tabbed to be a replacement for future Hall-of Famer Ray Lewis, but it’s apparent that the young man needs to get his life together.
12. Do I think McClain will stay retired? No. But he has to realize that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s conduct policy will keep him away if he decides not to change his ways.
13. So it’s apparent that University of Pitt basketball player JJ Moore does want to transfer and play his final season elsewhere eh? Once again, decisions like this make no sense to me.
14. Moore is not critical to the Panthers success, having only played two complete seasons with only a few good games. His eventual departure only affects the team’s depth, and he’s obviously not concerned about a career in the NBA. Oh well. Enjoy waiting a year to play again Mr. Moore.
15. As for the Panthers, they will remain busy finding more JUCO players to fill out their roster. It seems like their work will never be done.
16. Speaking of college basketball, the top recruit in the country has made his decision: Canadian 6-7 power forward Andrew Wiggins has decided to take his talents to the University of Kansas. Many folks thought that he was heading to Kentucky (sorry Coach John Calipari)
17. So I hear that the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is thinking about a TV station of their own eh? To be honest, I wondered why they had not already had one. That conference has been around since the 1950’s and is one of the best in college sports. (if not the most stable)
18. Back to Pitt. AD Steve Pederson is not saying that he hopes that the series with longtime rival Penn State will be renewed. Hopefully it can happen. It shouldn’t have ended in the first place.
19. While we’re at it, get that ‘Backyard Brawl’ between West Virginia renewed too Pederson. You know that was an awesome rivalry; a guaranteed sell-out.
20. I am impressed with Pirates starter Francisco Liriano, who finally pitched his first game for the Pirates and struck out 9 in an 11-1 win vs. the New York Mets.
Please e-mail me at ray@urbanmediatoday.com
Follow me at Ray Porter Jr. @urbanmediaRay on Twitter
Pic courtesy of sportstalkflorida.com
Heat, Grizzles look to wrap up their series, while the Knicks and Warriors aim to keep pace in NBA Playoffs
Those who thought that the Miami Heat was doomed because they lost game 1 to the Nate Robinson-charged Chicago Bulls in Miami should’ve known that there was no way that Miami was going to stay down for long, and that theory was proven correct as one week later as the Bulls, not the Heat are on the brink of elimination as they trail 3 games to 1. The defending champs have shown no mercy to the Bulls, who are not only missing star guard Derrick Rose, but are also affected by the injuries to Luol Deng and Robinson, who have kept playing in spite of their ailments. The Heat on the other hand, are dealing with an injured Dwyane Wade who may not play in Game 5 as a result. But that doesn’t seem to stop to Heat as they look to close out the series when they return to Miami, especially since they’re led by NBA MVP Lebron James.
Meanwhile, the team whom the Heat beat for the NBA title, does not look like they’re going to get a chance to return to the Finals as the Oklahoma City Thunder trail the surprising Memphis Grizzlies 3-1, and hope to keep it from being called a series when they also play on Wednesday night. The Thunder hopes to feel the energy of the home crowd as they try to get back into this series. It took overtime for the Grizzles to beat the Thunder 103-97 thanks to 24 points from guard Mike Conley. He, stalwart Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol have proven to be a formidable ‘Big Three’ of their own to make a strong stand against a Thunder team who’s obviously hurting from the loss of All-Star guard Russell Westbrook, whose awful injury in the first round ended his season. All-Star Kevin Durant is doing all that he can, but he can’t do it alone.
The New York Knicks are the only team trailing in the playoffs that have the best chance at getting back into their series as they’re only trailing the Indiana Pacers 2-1 as they return to action in Indianapolis on Tuesday. The problem with the Knicks is basically, overcoming the Knicks as the internal struggles are truly proving to be a distraction to their team. While on the court, outside of guard Carmelo Anthony, the team is having problems scoring, which was evident when they fell to the Pacers 82-71 on Sunday. Teams who are usually a headcase tend to step on their own feet and fall on their own faces and if the Knicks don’t watch themselves, that’s exactly what will happen to them. Meanwhile the Pacers are showing no fear as they’re proving to be tougher than the Knicks and are putting the ball in the basket. All-Star center Roy Hibbert stole the show in their win on Sunday as he scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Their goal is to continue what they’ve started.
While in San Antonio, the Spurs and Warriors are the only true battle as they’re tied 2-2 and resume play Tuesday night. The Spurs have won Games 1 and 3, while the Warriors have won games 2 and 4. Most folks already know what the Spurs can do, who have been led by guard Tony Parker and veteran center Tim Duncan, but folks are learning that the Warriors aren’t afraid of the Spurs as guard Stephen Curry has gotten in their face in both victories despite being slowed by knee injury.
Prediction-When this week ends, the Conference Finals will look like this: Miami will face Indiana in the Eastern Conference and Memphis will battle the Warriors in the Western Conference.
Notes: LeBron James and Memphis guard Tony Allen headline the NBA All-Defensive First Team. The pair was joined on the first team by Clippers guard Chris Paul, Thunder forward Serge Ibaka, Knicks center Tyson Chandler and Bulls center Joakim Noah. Marc Gasol, who was the NBA's defensive player of the year, made the second team. He was joined on that squad by Celtics guard Avery Bradley, Grizzlies guard Mike Conley, Spurs forward Tim Duncan and Pacers forward Paul George.
Please e-mail me at ray@urbanmediatoday.com
Follow me at Ray Porter Jr. @ urbanmediaRay on twitter
Pic courtesy of guyspeed.com
Meanwhile, the team whom the Heat beat for the NBA title, does not look like they’re going to get a chance to return to the Finals as the Oklahoma City Thunder trail the surprising Memphis Grizzlies 3-1, and hope to keep it from being called a series when they also play on Wednesday night. The Thunder hopes to feel the energy of the home crowd as they try to get back into this series. It took overtime for the Grizzles to beat the Thunder 103-97 thanks to 24 points from guard Mike Conley. He, stalwart Zach Randolph and Marc Gasol have proven to be a formidable ‘Big Three’ of their own to make a strong stand against a Thunder team who’s obviously hurting from the loss of All-Star guard Russell Westbrook, whose awful injury in the first round ended his season. All-Star Kevin Durant is doing all that he can, but he can’t do it alone.
The New York Knicks are the only team trailing in the playoffs that have the best chance at getting back into their series as they’re only trailing the Indiana Pacers 2-1 as they return to action in Indianapolis on Tuesday. The problem with the Knicks is basically, overcoming the Knicks as the internal struggles are truly proving to be a distraction to their team. While on the court, outside of guard Carmelo Anthony, the team is having problems scoring, which was evident when they fell to the Pacers 82-71 on Sunday. Teams who are usually a headcase tend to step on their own feet and fall on their own faces and if the Knicks don’t watch themselves, that’s exactly what will happen to them. Meanwhile the Pacers are showing no fear as they’re proving to be tougher than the Knicks and are putting the ball in the basket. All-Star center Roy Hibbert stole the show in their win on Sunday as he scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds. Their goal is to continue what they’ve started.
While in San Antonio, the Spurs and Warriors are the only true battle as they’re tied 2-2 and resume play Tuesday night. The Spurs have won Games 1 and 3, while the Warriors have won games 2 and 4. Most folks already know what the Spurs can do, who have been led by guard Tony Parker and veteran center Tim Duncan, but folks are learning that the Warriors aren’t afraid of the Spurs as guard Stephen Curry has gotten in their face in both victories despite being slowed by knee injury.
Prediction-When this week ends, the Conference Finals will look like this: Miami will face Indiana in the Eastern Conference and Memphis will battle the Warriors in the Western Conference.
Notes: LeBron James and Memphis guard Tony Allen headline the NBA All-Defensive First Team. The pair was joined on the first team by Clippers guard Chris Paul, Thunder forward Serge Ibaka, Knicks center Tyson Chandler and Bulls center Joakim Noah. Marc Gasol, who was the NBA's defensive player of the year, made the second team. He was joined on that squad by Celtics guard Avery Bradley, Grizzlies guard Mike Conley, Spurs forward Tim Duncan and Pacers forward Paul George.
Please e-mail me at ray@urbanmediatoday.com
Follow me at Ray Porter Jr. @ urbanmediaRay on twitter
Pic courtesy of guyspeed.com
Steelers to Host Annual Coaching Clinic
PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers will host their annual coaching clinic on Saturday, May 18, at the team’s headquarters at the UPMC Sports Performance Complex. The session will take place from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. and is sponsored by Nike and Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Interested coaches can register for the clinic by visiting the Steelers’ official website, www.steelers.com. Registration and additional information can be found under the “Community-Youth Football” section of the website.
Coaches will hear from members of the Steelers’ staff including Head Coach Mike Tomlin, conditioning coordinator Garrett Giemont and offensive lineman Ramon Foster. Scott Hallenbeck, Executive Director for USA Football, will speak to coaches about the organization’s Heads Up Program. The Heads Up programs promotes a positive youth football experience and advances player safety by providing coaching education and teaching resources that benefit players, parents and coaches. Heads Up Football aims to take the head out of the game.
The one-day clinic provides classroom instruction and on-field teaching techniques to both new and experienced youth level coaches. The clinic will focus on improving player safety, offensive and defensive drills and schemes, as well as proper equipment fitting.
USA Football is the official youth football development partner of the NFL and its 32 teams.
www.steelers.com
Interested coaches can register for the clinic by visiting the Steelers’ official website, www.steelers.com. Registration and additional information can be found under the “Community-Youth Football” section of the website.
Coaches will hear from members of the Steelers’ staff including Head Coach Mike Tomlin, conditioning coordinator Garrett Giemont and offensive lineman Ramon Foster. Scott Hallenbeck, Executive Director for USA Football, will speak to coaches about the organization’s Heads Up Program. The Heads Up programs promotes a positive youth football experience and advances player safety by providing coaching education and teaching resources that benefit players, parents and coaches. Heads Up Football aims to take the head out of the game.
The one-day clinic provides classroom instruction and on-field teaching techniques to both new and experienced youth level coaches. The clinic will focus on improving player safety, offensive and defensive drills and schemes, as well as proper equipment fitting.
USA Football is the official youth football development partner of the NFL and its 32 teams.
www.steelers.com
Sports Department
ray@urbanmediatoday.com
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