The depth of any WWE roster can be judged accurately based on any given Royal Rumble.The highest-quality Rumble bouts are those that tout the most star power, the most compelling stories and the greatest booking. Those further down the list suffer from a lack of quality participants, as seen in 1993, 1995, 1996 and numerous other times in the lengthy history of the popular gimmick bout.
Rumble history is dotted with some of the most curious and underwhelming stars ever. Whether they are African tribal warriors, men of the future, legendary competitors well past their prime or even commentators, the contest's format has opened it up for some truly peculiar performers.
Now, as you gear up for the 2015 edition of the beloved bout, relive the most underwhelming and spectacularly bad entrants in Royal Rumble history!
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2332140-wwe-royal-rumble-2015-most-underwhelming-superstars-in-history-of-battle-royal
Saturday, 17 January 2015
WWE SmackDown Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from January 15
Every week on Bleacher Report, I take an in-depth look at WWE SmackDown to recap the action, offer analysis and grade the matches, segments and anything else that takes place on the show. I also provide some predictions on the direction of storylines.
After several weeks of watching various WWE Superstars taking Rorschach tests on a psychiatrist's couch, SmackDown finally moved back to its original Thursday night timeslot.
WWE definitely wanted this to seem like an important night, which is probably why they held off on Daniel Bryan's return to the ring until now.
Once the show got going, the main focus became pushing the Royal Rumble. Renee Young interviewed several Superstars throughout the night, while others shared their thoughts on the pay-per-view in promos and video packages.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331737-wwe-smackdown-results-winners-grades-reaction-and-highlights-from-january-15
After several weeks of watching various WWE Superstars taking Rorschach tests on a psychiatrist's couch, SmackDown finally moved back to its original Thursday night timeslot.
WWE definitely wanted this to seem like an important night, which is probably why they held off on Daniel Bryan's return to the ring until now.
Once the show got going, the main focus became pushing the Royal Rumble. Renee Young interviewed several Superstars throughout the night, while others shared their thoughts on the pay-per-view in promos and video packages.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331737-wwe-smackdown-results-winners-grades-reaction-and-highlights-from-january-15
Sami Zayn & Kevin Owens Can Become the Best Feud in NXT
One of the most popular wrestlers in WWE’s NXT program is their champion Sami Zayn. He won the championship in dramatic fashion over Adrian Neville in December’s NXT R Evolution.
What’s next for the champion? Try fighting his best friend, Kevin Owens.NXT R Evolution opened with the debut of Kevin Owens, who defeated CJ Parker in an impressive performance. Owens later came out to congratulate Zayn on his championship victory. The entire roster followed, and they hoisted Zayn on their shoulders.Zayn needs that nemesis again, and Owens can fill the role perfectly. Owens can become Zayn’s "Bane," a villain that cannot easily be defeated. He could inspire doubt among fans that Zayn can overcome a monster like him. Owens has the skill set and brutality to start an ongoing war with Zayn.
The WWE sees this. Various sites (including The Inquisitr) are reporting WWE officials want Zayn and Owens to have a lengthy feud. That could mean swapping the title over the course of 2015. It also could mean Zayn becoming Owens’ kryptonite. He can defeat Owens on numerous occasions before Owens takes the title from him.
Endless possibilities surround this potential story. Frankly, it’s better to start this sooner rather than later.
Zayn and Owens can become the best feud in NXT history. The NXT developmental system has the opportunity to create a feud on par with the WWE’s best battles. They have two dynamic wrestlers in Zayn and Owens. They have the intriguing story. Why delay their inevitable bout any further?
It’s time for NXT to bring Zayn and Owens together in the wrestling ring for the NXT Championship.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2330547-sami-zayn-kevin-owens-can-become-the-best-feud-in-nxt
What’s next for the champion? Try fighting his best friend, Kevin Owens.NXT R Evolution opened with the debut of Kevin Owens, who defeated CJ Parker in an impressive performance. Owens later came out to congratulate Zayn on his championship victory. The entire roster followed, and they hoisted Zayn on their shoulders.Zayn needs that nemesis again, and Owens can fill the role perfectly. Owens can become Zayn’s "Bane," a villain that cannot easily be defeated. He could inspire doubt among fans that Zayn can overcome a monster like him. Owens has the skill set and brutality to start an ongoing war with Zayn.
The WWE sees this. Various sites (including The Inquisitr) are reporting WWE officials want Zayn and Owens to have a lengthy feud. That could mean swapping the title over the course of 2015. It also could mean Zayn becoming Owens’ kryptonite. He can defeat Owens on numerous occasions before Owens takes the title from him.
Endless possibilities surround this potential story. Frankly, it’s better to start this sooner rather than later.
Zayn and Owens can become the best feud in NXT history. The NXT developmental system has the opportunity to create a feud on par with the WWE’s best battles. They have two dynamic wrestlers in Zayn and Owens. They have the intriguing story. Why delay their inevitable bout any further?
It’s time for NXT to bring Zayn and Owens together in the wrestling ring for the NXT Championship.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2330547-sami-zayn-kevin-owens-can-become-the-best-feud-in-nxt
Breaking Down the Best and Worst of the WWE for Week of January 12
It was a week of celebrations for WWE fans thanks to Randy Savage's upcoming induction into the Hall of Fame, Daniel Bryan's return to action and Seth Rollins' rise.
The past, present and future converged. WWE saluted the past while Bryan made it easier to get excited about the state of the company today. Rollins, brass ring in hand, announced himself as a future centerpiece with both words and actions.
Elsewhere, WWE's missteps centered around poor decisions.Why it continues to feed Roman Reigns garbage lines and hurt The Ascension's chances is hard to understand. The same goes for the company's habit of having Bray Wyatt follow big wins with silence.
To ease the sting of those misguided moves, NXT once again acted as a salve. WWE developmental, especially Adrian Neville and Sami Zayn, continue to produce highlights to cap off each week.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2332048-breaking-down-the-best-and-worst-of-the-wwe-for-week-of-january-12
The past, present and future converged. WWE saluted the past while Bryan made it easier to get excited about the state of the company today. Rollins, brass ring in hand, announced himself as a future centerpiece with both words and actions.
Elsewhere, WWE's missteps centered around poor decisions.Why it continues to feed Roman Reigns garbage lines and hurt The Ascension's chances is hard to understand. The same goes for the company's habit of having Bray Wyatt follow big wins with silence.
To ease the sting of those misguided moves, NXT once again acted as a salve. WWE developmental, especially Adrian Neville and Sami Zayn, continue to produce highlights to cap off each week.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2332048-breaking-down-the-best-and-worst-of-the-wwe-for-week-of-january-12
WWE Programming's Best Match for Week of January 17
As we count down to the 2015 Royal Rumble, there's no better time for talent to stand out. Of course, WrestleMania isn't far off—but as far as the Rumble goes, the prominence of certain Superstars in the all-important battle royal may very well depend on their performance at present.
There are certain members of the roster who just need a microphone to stand out; but others are better at showing off their prowess between the ropes. The best of the best demonstrate what they can do each and every week—and a few of those familiar faces stood out over the past seven days.It seems quite clear that Zayn is set for a lengthy program with Kevin Owens in the coming months, but it's less obvious where Neville is headed. He could certainly make an impact on the main roster, but there's tantalizing feuds left for him in NXT—Neville vs. Balor in particular.
However, this match would seem to end the issue between Zayn and Neville quite neatly. You have to imagine if this match was on Raw, it would have taken much longer to come around and lacked a decisive finish; but the blistering pace of NXT television means that wasn't the case.
These two top talents added yet another great match to their series this week. If you're not already on the NXT bandwagon, it's really time to rectify that—2014 was a huge year for the stars of tomorrow, but 2015 is already shaping up to exceed it.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331506-wwe-programmings-best-match-for-week-of-january-17
There are certain members of the roster who just need a microphone to stand out; but others are better at showing off their prowess between the ropes. The best of the best demonstrate what they can do each and every week—and a few of those familiar faces stood out over the past seven days.It seems quite clear that Zayn is set for a lengthy program with Kevin Owens in the coming months, but it's less obvious where Neville is headed. He could certainly make an impact on the main roster, but there's tantalizing feuds left for him in NXT—Neville vs. Balor in particular.
However, this match would seem to end the issue between Zayn and Neville quite neatly. You have to imagine if this match was on Raw, it would have taken much longer to come around and lacked a decisive finish; but the blistering pace of NXT television means that wasn't the case.
These two top talents added yet another great match to their series this week. If you're not already on the NXT bandwagon, it's really time to rectify that—2014 was a huge year for the stars of tomorrow, but 2015 is already shaping up to exceed it.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331506-wwe-programmings-best-match-for-week-of-january-17
John 'Doomsday' Howard Calls out CM Punk
Add John “Doomsday” Howard to the list of UFC fighters who have challenged Phil “CM Punk” Brooks.
The UFC’s recent signing of the former WWE superstar has drawn a mixed bag of opinions from fighters, media and fans. Among those to mention fighting him are Cathal Pendred, and now Doomsday says he’s up to the task.We don’t know who Punk’s first opponent in the UFC is going to be, but it’s a safe bet it won’t be Howard.
A fight between the two might not be out of the question if Brooks racks up several wins and gradually gets to the Howard’s level of competition, but it would be a disastrous matchup for him right out of the gate.
Nonetheless, Howard said he is ready should the UFC need someone to get in the cage with CM Punk:
Source bleacherreport.com/articles/2332798-john-doomsday-howard-calls-out-cm-punk
10 MMA Fighters Who Need a Big 2015
By most accounts, MMA didn't see its best year in 2014. For the first time in a long time, the sport had to march forth without any of its biggest stars.
Anderson Silva was mending his broken leg. Georges St-Pierre was taking a leave of absence. Brock Lesnar was busy making history elsewhere, pinning the Undertaker under the WrestleMania lights for the first time in The Deadman's storied pro wrestling career.
Even the stars who fought in their stead couldn't remain healthy enough to carry the load.
But now we embark onto 2015, a year that should already excite most fans—so long as the following fighters have big years of their own. Scroll on as we list the fighters who need to have a big 2015.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2327945-10-mma-fighters-who-need-a-big-2015
Anderson Silva was mending his broken leg. Georges St-Pierre was taking a leave of absence. Brock Lesnar was busy making history elsewhere, pinning the Undertaker under the WrestleMania lights for the first time in The Deadman's storied pro wrestling career.
Even the stars who fought in their stead couldn't remain healthy enough to carry the load.
But now we embark onto 2015, a year that should already excite most fans—so long as the following fighters have big years of their own. Scroll on as we list the fighters who need to have a big 2015.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2327945-10-mma-fighters-who-need-a-big-2015
UFC Fight Night 59: McGregor vs. Siver Main Card Betting Odds and Predictions
At UFC Fight Night 59, Conor McGregor will look to take another step closer to the featherweight championship in a showcase matchup against Dennis Siver, who has his sights set on spoiling the party.
With four wins in as many UFC appearances, McGregor has had a meteoric rise in the 145-pound division. His showmanship has expedited his trip toward the top of the featherweight rankings, but the Irishman didn't get there without big wins, as he's coming off a knockout victory over Dustin Poirier.
In October, Siver returned from a suspension and defeated Charles Rosa. It wasn't the type of win that would normally earn a fighter a bout of this magnitude, but Siver might just be a sacrificial lamb of sorts heading into UFC Fight Night 59 and will have to play spoiler to earn some respect.
Also featuring a third meeting between Donald Cerrone and Benson Henderson, Sunday's event is one that MMA fans won't want to miss. Here are the current main card betting odds, via OddsShark.com, along with predictions for each matchup.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331691-ufc-fight-night-59-mcgregor-vs-siver-main-card-betting-odds-and-predictions
Fight Night 59: Gleison Tibau out to Expose Norman Parke
The UFC's lightweight division is arguably the most stacked collection of combatants under the promotion's banner, and there is no fighter in that group with more Octagon experience than Gleison Tibau.
The Brazilian powerhouse has competed under the UFC banner for the better part of a decade, and along the way, he has made 23 appearances inside the cage. While there have been winning streaks and setbacks alike, the American Top Team product has remained a staple in the 155-pound fold while plenty of other fighters have come and gone.
Nevertheless, Tibau has seemingly found his groove as of late and has been steadily climbing up the rankings of the lightweight division. The 31-year-old Florida transplant has broken out of his "get one, give one" rut and has made substantial progress toward a top-10 spot over the past year, as he's won four of his five showings inside the Octagon—with his two most recent outings both resulting in victories.
He will be looking to keep that momentum rolling when he squares off with highly touted scrapper Norman Parke at Fight Night 59 this Sunday night in Boston.
The Northern Ireland representative has proved to be a talented upstart in the lightweight ranks, and Tibau has every intention of derailing Parke's progress when the cage door closes on Sunday.
"I believe my experience inside the Octagon is going to play a huge factor in this fight when we go into deep waters," Tibau told Bleacher Report with the assistance of a translator. "I've been there many times and I'm going to force him to make a mistake, then I'm going to capitalize on it and apply a submission or get the knockout.
"Everyone keeps talking about his ground game and his jiu-jitsu game. But guess what? He's never faced anyone in his entire career at my level of skill on the ground. I feel it's great that Parke feels confident on the ground. Thank God. Let's go ahead and go to the ground in this fight and find out who is the better grappler. He's going to have a rude awakening when he goes to the ground with me."While Tibau's immediate focus is locked on handing Parke his first defeat in nearly five years, his larger goal is to finally break through into title contention. It has been a long road for the stocky Brazilian, one where finding consistent success has been difficult to come by.
That said, Tibau believes the changes he's made in camp and the adjustments he's implemented in his game will allow him to battle his way to the upper tier of a division that continues to grow more competitive year by year.
Tibau wants to run the proverbial table in 2015, and the first step in that plan lies in his ability to defeat Parke at Fight Night 59.
"After my last loss, we changed a few things in our camp and in training," Tibau said. "We tried to correct mistakes and figure out why we were inconsistent. We tried to figure out why we would win two fights, then lose one and continue to stay in that trend. We tried to minimize as much as we could to address these problems.
"We changed the diet a little bit because that's a huge part of my camp. My weight loss is easier now and I'm more focused than I've ever been before. It is my goal to go through 2015 undefeated.
"I have the most fights and the most wins in the lightweight division. I'm the third-most active fighter in UFC history, but what is missing in all of that is consistency. I win two and lose one, but I'm going to change that in 2015. It is my goal to finish this year undefeated with a good run against tough opponents. When I do that, I will be very close to a top-five ranking or possibly get a title shot by the end of the year."
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2332462-fight-night-59-gleison-tibau-out-to-expose-norman-parke
The Brazilian powerhouse has competed under the UFC banner for the better part of a decade, and along the way, he has made 23 appearances inside the cage. While there have been winning streaks and setbacks alike, the American Top Team product has remained a staple in the 155-pound fold while plenty of other fighters have come and gone.
Nevertheless, Tibau has seemingly found his groove as of late and has been steadily climbing up the rankings of the lightweight division. The 31-year-old Florida transplant has broken out of his "get one, give one" rut and has made substantial progress toward a top-10 spot over the past year, as he's won four of his five showings inside the Octagon—with his two most recent outings both resulting in victories.
He will be looking to keep that momentum rolling when he squares off with highly touted scrapper Norman Parke at Fight Night 59 this Sunday night in Boston.
The Northern Ireland representative has proved to be a talented upstart in the lightweight ranks, and Tibau has every intention of derailing Parke's progress when the cage door closes on Sunday.
"I believe my experience inside the Octagon is going to play a huge factor in this fight when we go into deep waters," Tibau told Bleacher Report with the assistance of a translator. "I've been there many times and I'm going to force him to make a mistake, then I'm going to capitalize on it and apply a submission or get the knockout.
"Everyone keeps talking about his ground game and his jiu-jitsu game. But guess what? He's never faced anyone in his entire career at my level of skill on the ground. I feel it's great that Parke feels confident on the ground. Thank God. Let's go ahead and go to the ground in this fight and find out who is the better grappler. He's going to have a rude awakening when he goes to the ground with me."While Tibau's immediate focus is locked on handing Parke his first defeat in nearly five years, his larger goal is to finally break through into title contention. It has been a long road for the stocky Brazilian, one where finding consistent success has been difficult to come by.
That said, Tibau believes the changes he's made in camp and the adjustments he's implemented in his game will allow him to battle his way to the upper tier of a division that continues to grow more competitive year by year.
Tibau wants to run the proverbial table in 2015, and the first step in that plan lies in his ability to defeat Parke at Fight Night 59.
"After my last loss, we changed a few things in our camp and in training," Tibau said. "We tried to correct mistakes and figure out why we were inconsistent. We tried to figure out why we would win two fights, then lose one and continue to stay in that trend. We tried to minimize as much as we could to address these problems.
"We changed the diet a little bit because that's a huge part of my camp. My weight loss is easier now and I'm more focused than I've ever been before. It is my goal to go through 2015 undefeated.
"I have the most fights and the most wins in the lightweight division. I'm the third-most active fighter in UFC history, but what is missing in all of that is consistency. I win two and lose one, but I'm going to change that in 2015. It is my goal to finish this year undefeated with a good run against tough opponents. When I do that, I will be very close to a top-five ranking or possibly get a title shot by the end of the year."
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2332462-fight-night-59-gleison-tibau-out-to-expose-norman-parke
UFC Fight Night: Irishman Conor McGregor Is Dreaming Big in Boston
O'Connell Street in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the world's iconic thruways. Reborn in the late 1990s, it's a beautiful testament to Ireland itself, celebrating the past while also looking forward to a promising future.
Lining the street are statues, representing great Irishmen from years gone by. Most people look at these great men and reminisce, recalling the Eire's many contributions to the world.
But Conor McGregor is not "most people." The budding UFC star, who headlines the UFC's card on Fox Sports 1 Sunday against Dennis Siver, walks O'Connell Street, the signature pedestrian area of his hometown, and sees not just forgotten icons and the dust of history—he sees opportunity.
"I look at that and now I want a statue," he told Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview. "Now I can't wait to get my own statue up there...we will bring Jose Aldo over to Dublin, we will fill out a 90,000-seat football stadium in Croke Park.
"Croke Park is also a stadium we fought for our independence in. The British invaded the pitch in a tank and opened fire on the players and the fans. So it is a place that has seen blood and seen battle as well. So we will bring Jose Aldo over...and we will do battle once more. And I believe I will raise that belt in my home country. And I will demand a statue post-fight."
While that may reek of delusional grandeur, McGregor is not alone in seeing a very bright future for himself. Suffice to say, the UFC is plenty excited about its new star, elevating him from the prelims to the main event in record time. He has an easy charisma and a gift for trash talk unsurpassed in MMA history.
It's hard to compare him to anyone, because there is no prologue. The closest you can come is Chael Sonnen, but a version of Chael without the ironic detachment. Sonnen was performing, removed ever so slightly from his sometimes buffoonish material. He winked at his audience, letting us all know he was okay with the fact we were in on the act.
McGregor has the same gilded tongue, but his bravado is rooted in authenticity. When Sonnen was telling the world that he'd never lost a round, despite 14 career losses, it was understood he was putting us on. When McGregor says he's the best fighter in the world, you get the sense that he really believes it.
"It's more truth-talking," McGregor explained. "I don't speak trash. I speak truth. Occasionally I might throw in a little insult here or there, but this is the Irish way. I speak the truth. If I feel something is the way it is, I will say it. I will let it be known. Some people can't handle the truth. That's not my problem."
That's a subtle distinction—but an important one."There's not really a disrespectful undertone to it," Fox Sports 1 announcer Jon Anik said. "It is refreshing that someone can speak the truth. Even though there is some ego and some arrogance, I really think he's speaking from the heart."
It goes a long way towards explaining why the UFC, normally an exceedingly cautious promotion, has put its collective pedal to the metal. President Dana White calls him the biggest star the promotion has ever seen, outpacing Georges St-Pierre, Chuck Liddell and even Brock Lesnar. UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta, not usually as prone to hyperbole, compared the young Irishman to Muhammad Ali. "I was on an Irish talk show, and the presenter compared me to Muhammad Ali. I could not take something like that. He is up there. He is a god. He done what he done in a hostile time. For someone to consider that, because I certainly would not consider that, that is an honor to me," McGregor said. "... He changed the face, not only of this game, but the face of the world. He was outspoken. He fought for what he believed in. He was a legend and a hero. I look up to him...he was a hero of mine, the way he carried himself."
McGregor, being McGregor, has an Ali story of his own, one that started with the kind of street fight that defined his youth.
"I slipped a punch. And I shuffled my shoulders and said 'Muhammad Ali.' And threw a shot," McGregor remembered, recalling the fight as vividly as any of his professional prize fights. "I done the Ali shuffle! I'm only 11 years old and did the Ali shuffle and threw a left hook."
It was a tale that began in glory and ended with McGregor being stomped by five of his opponents friends. But he tells it with a smile. He seems to do most things that way.
Whether he's ready or not, McGregor is here. No longer the future of the sport, at 26, he's the present. He's one of five fighters signed to an individual deal with Reebok, a sign of where he stands as well as the heights UFC hopes he's able to climb.So far, McGregor has had all the answers. Against a middling crop of UFC featherweights, he's looked like the kind of fighter who warrants the outlandish praise. But what happens when they are posed by a higher caliber of foe?
We've seen him venture into the Top 10 once, and make short work of Dustin Poirier. Anik, for his part, is confident that the man who has all the answers in the media will have them in the cage against Siver as well.
"We know he has great mic skills. We know he has great self-belief. But I think a lot of people wonder if he's also an elite fighter. I think he is," Anik said. "He's on the brink of superstardom. I'm a believer. I have been since early on. He thrives under pressure—and there's going to be a whole batch of it Sunday night."
Conor McGregor fights Dennis Siver in the main event Sunday at the TD Arena in Boston. The main card begins at 10 P.M. ET on Fox Sports 1.
Jonathan Snowden is Bleacher Report's Lead Combat Sports Writer. All quotes were acquired first hand. Special thanks to Duane Finley and Pete Tenney for additional reportage.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2332978-ufc-fight-night-irishman-conor-mcgregor-is-dreaming-big-in-boston
Lining the street are statues, representing great Irishmen from years gone by. Most people look at these great men and reminisce, recalling the Eire's many contributions to the world.
But Conor McGregor is not "most people." The budding UFC star, who headlines the UFC's card on Fox Sports 1 Sunday against Dennis Siver, walks O'Connell Street, the signature pedestrian area of his hometown, and sees not just forgotten icons and the dust of history—he sees opportunity.
"I look at that and now I want a statue," he told Bleacher Report in an exclusive interview. "Now I can't wait to get my own statue up there...we will bring Jose Aldo over to Dublin, we will fill out a 90,000-seat football stadium in Croke Park.
"Croke Park is also a stadium we fought for our independence in. The British invaded the pitch in a tank and opened fire on the players and the fans. So it is a place that has seen blood and seen battle as well. So we will bring Jose Aldo over...and we will do battle once more. And I believe I will raise that belt in my home country. And I will demand a statue post-fight."
While that may reek of delusional grandeur, McGregor is not alone in seeing a very bright future for himself. Suffice to say, the UFC is plenty excited about its new star, elevating him from the prelims to the main event in record time. He has an easy charisma and a gift for trash talk unsurpassed in MMA history.
It's hard to compare him to anyone, because there is no prologue. The closest you can come is Chael Sonnen, but a version of Chael without the ironic detachment. Sonnen was performing, removed ever so slightly from his sometimes buffoonish material. He winked at his audience, letting us all know he was okay with the fact we were in on the act.
McGregor has the same gilded tongue, but his bravado is rooted in authenticity. When Sonnen was telling the world that he'd never lost a round, despite 14 career losses, it was understood he was putting us on. When McGregor says he's the best fighter in the world, you get the sense that he really believes it.
"It's more truth-talking," McGregor explained. "I don't speak trash. I speak truth. Occasionally I might throw in a little insult here or there, but this is the Irish way. I speak the truth. If I feel something is the way it is, I will say it. I will let it be known. Some people can't handle the truth. That's not my problem."
That's a subtle distinction—but an important one."There's not really a disrespectful undertone to it," Fox Sports 1 announcer Jon Anik said. "It is refreshing that someone can speak the truth. Even though there is some ego and some arrogance, I really think he's speaking from the heart."
It goes a long way towards explaining why the UFC, normally an exceedingly cautious promotion, has put its collective pedal to the metal. President Dana White calls him the biggest star the promotion has ever seen, outpacing Georges St-Pierre, Chuck Liddell and even Brock Lesnar. UFC owner Lorenzo Fertitta, not usually as prone to hyperbole, compared the young Irishman to Muhammad Ali. "I was on an Irish talk show, and the presenter compared me to Muhammad Ali. I could not take something like that. He is up there. He is a god. He done what he done in a hostile time. For someone to consider that, because I certainly would not consider that, that is an honor to me," McGregor said. "... He changed the face, not only of this game, but the face of the world. He was outspoken. He fought for what he believed in. He was a legend and a hero. I look up to him...he was a hero of mine, the way he carried himself."
McGregor, being McGregor, has an Ali story of his own, one that started with the kind of street fight that defined his youth.
"I slipped a punch. And I shuffled my shoulders and said 'Muhammad Ali.' And threw a shot," McGregor remembered, recalling the fight as vividly as any of his professional prize fights. "I done the Ali shuffle! I'm only 11 years old and did the Ali shuffle and threw a left hook."
It was a tale that began in glory and ended with McGregor being stomped by five of his opponents friends. But he tells it with a smile. He seems to do most things that way.
Whether he's ready or not, McGregor is here. No longer the future of the sport, at 26, he's the present. He's one of five fighters signed to an individual deal with Reebok, a sign of where he stands as well as the heights UFC hopes he's able to climb.So far, McGregor has had all the answers. Against a middling crop of UFC featherweights, he's looked like the kind of fighter who warrants the outlandish praise. But what happens when they are posed by a higher caliber of foe?
We've seen him venture into the Top 10 once, and make short work of Dustin Poirier. Anik, for his part, is confident that the man who has all the answers in the media will have them in the cage against Siver as well.
"We know he has great mic skills. We know he has great self-belief. But I think a lot of people wonder if he's also an elite fighter. I think he is," Anik said. "He's on the brink of superstardom. I'm a believer. I have been since early on. He thrives under pressure—and there's going to be a whole batch of it Sunday night."
Conor McGregor fights Dennis Siver in the main event Sunday at the TD Arena in Boston. The main card begins at 10 P.M. ET on Fox Sports 1.
Jonathan Snowden is Bleacher Report's Lead Combat Sports Writer. All quotes were acquired first hand. Special thanks to Duane Finley and Pete Tenney for additional reportage.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2332978-ufc-fight-night-irishman-conor-mcgregor-is-dreaming-big-in-boston
10 Players to Watch in World Football This Weekend of January 16-19
Another weekend in world football is fast approaching, with several big games of interest set to take place around the globe—and plenty of players attracting attention within those matches.
As well as the Premier League, European winter breaks already ended in Spain, France and Italy, and now, we welcome back the Dutch Eredivisie, too. It's not all about the clubs, though, as with two international tournaments on the go at present, we've got a mixed look at the early stages of 2015.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2330717-10-players-to-watch-in-world-football-this-weekend-of-january-16-19a
As well as the Premier League, European winter breaks already ended in Spain, France and Italy, and now, we welcome back the Dutch Eredivisie, too. It's not all about the clubs, though, as with two international tournaments on the go at present, we've got a mixed look at the early stages of 2015.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2330717-10-players-to-watch-in-world-football-this-weekend-of-january-16-19a
Tactics Insider: Arsenal and Man City Set for Attacking Feast at the Etihad
Between international duty, injuries and suspensions, Sunday's matchup between the Gunners and the Citizens is set to be a goalfest.
Watch Bleacher Report tactics insider Sam Tighe and Ryan Bailey break down the tactical matchup between these two squads
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331694-tactics-insider-arsenal-and-man-city-set-for-attacking-feast-at-the-etihad-luis-enrique-will-lose-the-battle-at-barcelona
Watch Bleacher Report tactics insider Sam Tighe and Ryan Bailey break down the tactical matchup between these two squads
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331694-tactics-insider-arsenal-and-man-city-set-for-attacking-feast-at-the-etihad-luis-enrique-will-lose-the-battle-at-barcelona
Lionel Messi Not the Sole Reason Luis Enrique Will Lose the Battle at Barcelona
If there’s one thing we know more than anything about Leo Messi, it’s that this is a player who prefers to do his talking on the pitch, not off it.
So when he appeared on the official FC Barcelona television channel following the team’s performance of the season against Atletico Madrid on Sunday, you realised immediately this was a man with a lot to get off his chest.
And in a carefully orchestrated question-and-answer session (via Sky Sports), he came out all guns blazing to quash varying rumours, whispers and general tittle-tattle which have been seeping out from the Camp Nou.NO, he had not called for the resignation of the coach, Luis Enrique or any member of his staff.
NO, he had not made great demands on the club so he would stay and he’d never had any intentions of moving to Chelsea or Manchester City.
NO, he had not in the past orchestrated the departure of players like Samuel Eto’o, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Bojan Krkic.
NO, he had not had a bad relationship with Pep Guardiola nor should we look for a rivalry between himself and Luis Enrique where none existed.
And finally—and perhaps most tellingly—he added that, while he was accustomed to any number of spurious accusations emanating from a hostile press in Madrid, what really hurt him was that these accusations were coming from Barcelona, and worse, from people who claimed to love the club.
For a man out of his comfort zone, this was brilliant stuff and as clinical as any of his sweetly struck goals. What we saw is a man who can step up to the plate off the pitch as well as on it when called upon to do so.In management terms they don’t come much bigger than Pep Guardiola, and he realised immediately that for the club’s—and therefore his own—success, Messi had to be the leader, the very focus of what happened on the pitch.
“Build your team around him, give him the ball, and never, never substitute him,” was the short but sweet advice offered by Guardiola to the incoming Argentina manager Alejandro Sabella.
By not taking that on board, essentially what Luis Enrique seems to be doing is almost preparing for his new job when he can tell everyone that in a previous life he took on Messi and, lest we forget, also Francesco Totti when he was at Roma.
He would do better to listen to the wise words of a former, and far more successful incumbent in the Camp Nou hot seat, but being the man that he is, of course he won’t and it will cost him dear.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2330946-lionel-messi-not-the-sole-reason-luis-enrique-will-lose-the-battle-at-barcelona
So when he appeared on the official FC Barcelona television channel following the team’s performance of the season against Atletico Madrid on Sunday, you realised immediately this was a man with a lot to get off his chest.
And in a carefully orchestrated question-and-answer session (via Sky Sports), he came out all guns blazing to quash varying rumours, whispers and general tittle-tattle which have been seeping out from the Camp Nou.NO, he had not called for the resignation of the coach, Luis Enrique or any member of his staff.
NO, he had not made great demands on the club so he would stay and he’d never had any intentions of moving to Chelsea or Manchester City.
NO, he had not in the past orchestrated the departure of players like Samuel Eto’o, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Bojan Krkic.
NO, he had not had a bad relationship with Pep Guardiola nor should we look for a rivalry between himself and Luis Enrique where none existed.
And finally—and perhaps most tellingly—he added that, while he was accustomed to any number of spurious accusations emanating from a hostile press in Madrid, what really hurt him was that these accusations were coming from Barcelona, and worse, from people who claimed to love the club.
For a man out of his comfort zone, this was brilliant stuff and as clinical as any of his sweetly struck goals. What we saw is a man who can step up to the plate off the pitch as well as on it when called upon to do so.In management terms they don’t come much bigger than Pep Guardiola, and he realised immediately that for the club’s—and therefore his own—success, Messi had to be the leader, the very focus of what happened on the pitch.
“Build your team around him, give him the ball, and never, never substitute him,” was the short but sweet advice offered by Guardiola to the incoming Argentina manager Alejandro Sabella.
By not taking that on board, essentially what Luis Enrique seems to be doing is almost preparing for his new job when he can tell everyone that in a previous life he took on Messi and, lest we forget, also Francesco Totti when he was at Roma.
He would do better to listen to the wise words of a former, and far more successful incumbent in the Camp Nou hot seat, but being the man that he is, of course he won’t and it will cost him dear.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2330946-lionel-messi-not-the-sole-reason-luis-enrique-will-lose-the-battle-at-barcelona
Charting Where It All Went Wrong for 'New Pele' Freddy Adu
Adu was, shall we say, not retained by Serbian club FK Jagodina. It was certainly not the first time Adu was told his services were no longer required. If it is the last time, the precipitous fall from the sport's pantheon of hyped uber-prospects will make a fascinating, albeit sad, story.
It was Jan. 16, 2004, that Adu was drafted first overall in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft by D.C. United. At the time, it was believed that D.C. United had lucked into selecting a franchise cornerstone. Adu was 14 years old on the day he was drafted into MLS, and the future ahead of him was blindingly bright.
Darren Rovell's ESPN.com piece on Adu's inking of a $1 million apparel and shoe deal with Nike in 2003 contains several cringeworthy passages seen in the cold light of 2015:"Once labelled as 'the next Pele' during the early stages of his career, the Ghana-born forward has played just 59 minutes of competitive football since the end of the 2012 MLS season," was the cutting summary by Bretland in his Daily Mail piece.
News of Adu's recent washout in Serbia has been similarly unkind in the States.FK Jagodina was "the 10th stop of Adu’s nomadic professional career which features stints in the United States, Portugal, France, Greece, Turkey, Brazil and now Serbia," was how Andy Edwards put it for Pro Soccer Talk.
Edwards also asked the question that, really, any sentient soccer pundit would ask: "With all due respect to the Serbian league, if Adu can’t get into a team there, where can he find regular first-team games?"
As of this writing, the answer is still beyond unclear.What if I told you that, at age 25, soccer prodigy-turned-cautionary tale Freddy Adu's career might as well be over?
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2327783-charting-where-it-all-went-wrong-for-new-pele-freddy-adu
It was Jan. 16, 2004, that Adu was drafted first overall in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft by D.C. United. At the time, it was believed that D.C. United had lucked into selecting a franchise cornerstone. Adu was 14 years old on the day he was drafted into MLS, and the future ahead of him was blindingly bright.
Darren Rovell's ESPN.com piece on Adu's inking of a $1 million apparel and shoe deal with Nike in 2003 contains several cringeworthy passages seen in the cold light of 2015:"Once labelled as 'the next Pele' during the early stages of his career, the Ghana-born forward has played just 59 minutes of competitive football since the end of the 2012 MLS season," was the cutting summary by Bretland in his Daily Mail piece.
News of Adu's recent washout in Serbia has been similarly unkind in the States.FK Jagodina was "the 10th stop of Adu’s nomadic professional career which features stints in the United States, Portugal, France, Greece, Turkey, Brazil and now Serbia," was how Andy Edwards put it for Pro Soccer Talk.
Edwards also asked the question that, really, any sentient soccer pundit would ask: "With all due respect to the Serbian league, if Adu can’t get into a team there, where can he find regular first-team games?"
As of this writing, the answer is still beyond unclear.What if I told you that, at age 25, soccer prodigy-turned-cautionary tale Freddy Adu's career might as well be over?
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2327783-charting-where-it-all-went-wrong-for-new-pele-freddy-adu
Premier League Notebook Heading into Week 22
Wilfried Bony will not be available to Manchester City when they face Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday, but his presence will loom large over the contest.
It is a mark of Manchester City's continued ambition, not to mention their renowned financial muscle, that they can suffer financial fair play sanctions at the start of the season and then, barely six months later, find both the justification and the ability to spend nearly £30 million on a new striker, in a bid to plug one of the few obvious weaknesses in their current squad.
It is that economic muscle that has been so significant—vital, even—in City's recent successes and perhaps underlines once again the differences between themselves and Arsenal.
Arsenal have also made moves in the transfer window this month, with the club on the verge of a £2.4 million deal for Legia Warsaw's Krystian Bielik, per the BBC. Bielik is a defensive midfielder, and Arsenal need a defensive midfielder.
But he is also 17 and will do nothing to strengthen the first team in the short term. It is a deal the exact opposite of Bony, who has been bought for the here and now, regardless of the cost.
Arsenal have not been afraid to splash the cash in recent times, spending huge sums on Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez over the last 18 months. Now they arguably need at least one new defender, after another long-term injury suffered by Mathieu Debuchy depleted an already thin back line.Arsenal's need for a defender is not a new one, however, even if Debuchy's injury perhaps hastened the demand. City long knew they needed a striker, identified one and signed him all in the opening few days of the transfer window—why are Arsenal seemingly so incapable of doing the same?
It is a familiar complaint with Arsenal. If Wenger's scouts really are out there every day, then perhaps it is a problem of execution. Wenger seems willing to sanction spending £2.4 million on potential—a projection of what Bielik could become—yet more reluctant to spend a fee five or 10 times bigger on a player who would immediately go into first-team consideration.
Yes, there will always be risk attached to such moves. Is Winston Reid really good enough to improve the team? Is Celtic's Virgil van Dijk? These are questions that can only really be answered after they sign, but if scouts are monitoring those players for weeks or months before the window opens, the gamble becomes a more educated one.
Even so, they cannot give an unequivocal assessment, and perhaps that is why Wenger—whose eye for talent has become far less sure in recent years—is reluctant to pull the trigger.
In the current climate, that reticence is akin to taking a step back. Manchester City remind teams at the top that they always need to be adding talent in order to remain competitive, but it seems to be yet another area where Arsenal are lagging behind.
Now Bony is at the Etihad Stadium, City will soon have an attack that is more physical and more clinical. They will be able to physically bully teams. It makes them better, more flexible and more dangerous.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2332014-premier-league-notebook-heading-into-week-22
It is a mark of Manchester City's continued ambition, not to mention their renowned financial muscle, that they can suffer financial fair play sanctions at the start of the season and then, barely six months later, find both the justification and the ability to spend nearly £30 million on a new striker, in a bid to plug one of the few obvious weaknesses in their current squad.
It is that economic muscle that has been so significant—vital, even—in City's recent successes and perhaps underlines once again the differences between themselves and Arsenal.
Arsenal have also made moves in the transfer window this month, with the club on the verge of a £2.4 million deal for Legia Warsaw's Krystian Bielik, per the BBC. Bielik is a defensive midfielder, and Arsenal need a defensive midfielder.
But he is also 17 and will do nothing to strengthen the first team in the short term. It is a deal the exact opposite of Bony, who has been bought for the here and now, regardless of the cost.
Arsenal have not been afraid to splash the cash in recent times, spending huge sums on Mesut Ozil and Alexis Sanchez over the last 18 months. Now they arguably need at least one new defender, after another long-term injury suffered by Mathieu Debuchy depleted an already thin back line.Arsenal's need for a defender is not a new one, however, even if Debuchy's injury perhaps hastened the demand. City long knew they needed a striker, identified one and signed him all in the opening few days of the transfer window—why are Arsenal seemingly so incapable of doing the same?
It is a familiar complaint with Arsenal. If Wenger's scouts really are out there every day, then perhaps it is a problem of execution. Wenger seems willing to sanction spending £2.4 million on potential—a projection of what Bielik could become—yet more reluctant to spend a fee five or 10 times bigger on a player who would immediately go into first-team consideration.
Yes, there will always be risk attached to such moves. Is Winston Reid really good enough to improve the team? Is Celtic's Virgil van Dijk? These are questions that can only really be answered after they sign, but if scouts are monitoring those players for weeks or months before the window opens, the gamble becomes a more educated one.
Even so, they cannot give an unequivocal assessment, and perhaps that is why Wenger—whose eye for talent has become far less sure in recent years—is reluctant to pull the trigger.
In the current climate, that reticence is akin to taking a step back. Manchester City remind teams at the top that they always need to be adding talent in order to remain competitive, but it seems to be yet another area where Arsenal are lagging behind.
Now Bony is at the Etihad Stadium, City will soon have an attack that is more physical and more clinical. They will be able to physically bully teams. It makes them better, more flexible and more dangerous.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2332014-premier-league-notebook-heading-into-week-22
NBA Power Rankings Halfway Through the 2014-15 Season
To paraphrase Buffalo Springfield, something's happening here, but what it is—in the NBA, anyway—is exactly clear.
It's mid-January. All-Star ballots are being cast. Musings on the portion of the season that's past and that which lies ahead are hot off the presses, though those presses aren't quite as scalding as the insanely active trade market.
All of which points to one thing: The halfway point of the 2014-15 campaign has arrived. It seems like only yesterday that the San Antonio Spurs were tipping off their title defense with a thriller against the Dallas Mavericks, doesn't it?
Time sure does fly, as well it should with how exciting the Association has been since late October. Pretty much every noteworthy race remains wide-open, save for the Rookie of the Year push, wherein Andrew Wiggins has taken a commanding lead.
Before we dive head-first into the next three months of regular-season basketball, let's take a moment to reset the league to date, ordering all 30 teams from top to bottom based on overall play and available personnel.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2330673-nba-power-rankings-halfway-through-the-2014-15-season
It's mid-January. All-Star ballots are being cast. Musings on the portion of the season that's past and that which lies ahead are hot off the presses, though those presses aren't quite as scalding as the insanely active trade market.
All of which points to one thing: The halfway point of the 2014-15 campaign has arrived. It seems like only yesterday that the San Antonio Spurs were tipping off their title defense with a thriller against the Dallas Mavericks, doesn't it?
Time sure does fly, as well it should with how exciting the Association has been since late October. Pretty much every noteworthy race remains wide-open, save for the Rookie of the Year push, wherein Andrew Wiggins has taken a commanding lead.
Before we dive head-first into the next three months of regular-season basketball, let's take a moment to reset the league to date, ordering all 30 teams from top to bottom based on overall play and available personnel.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2330673-nba-power-rankings-halfway-through-the-2014-15-season
NBA Insider: Mark Cuban Makes All-Too-Rare Admission in Rebuilding Mavericks
It is rare for an NBA franchise owner to publicly admit mistakes, and rarer still for an owner to admit a mistake and simultaneously rectify it with an emphatic reversal of agenda. But Mark Cuban is not like most NBA owners.
The Dallas Mavericks claimed their first championship in 2011, with a smart, sturdy, well-balanced group of veterans, delivering Cuban his proudest moment as owner. Four years later, his celebratory photo with the Larry O'Brien trophy is still affixed to his Twitter profile.
But that team quickly dispersed due to a combination of age, cost considerations and the arrival of a new labor deal designed to handicap the league's big spenders. In a concession to new realities—and with an eye on future flexibility—Cuban let Tyson Chandler leave for New York, and a four-year, $58 million contract, before the 2011-12 season.
Last June, Cuban welcomed Chandler back in a multiplayer trade that has helped nudge the Mavericks back into contention in the rugged Western Conference.
"Let's just say I learn from my mistakes," Cuban said in September.If you squint a little, you can almost see the outline of the 2011 Mavericks coming back into focus. In October, Dallas re-signed J.J. Barea, the energetic point guard who played a key role in the 2011 Finals before leaving for Minnesota (and a bigger contract). And last month, the Mavericks made a blockbuster deal to acquire Rajon Rondo, who had never been a Maverick but certainly resembles one.
"Just his vision, it's very Jason Kidd-like," Dirk Nowitzki told Bleacher Report, comparing his new point guard to his old one.
It's not a perfect analogy, of course. Kidd was one of the greatest point guards of his era, indeed of all time. But there are key similarities. Both Kidd and Rondo are creative, pass-first guards who especially thrive in the open court, throwing passes few others can conceive. Both are great rebounders for their position. Both arrived in Dallas with broken jump shots but with a nose for defense."It's never about him, or it's never about J-Kidd," Nowitzki said. "They're happy when they win, get a couple assists and compete like crazy on the defensive end."
Said Chandler, "[Rondo] is more willing to see his teammates succeed than he is trying to force a shot up on his own."
Since Rondo's arrival in late December, the Mavericks are a modest 8-5, with a six-game winning streak and a few surprising losses, including recent defeats to Detroit and Denver. (Rondo missed the loss to the Nuggets on Wednesday with an Achilles injury suffered against the Kings on Tuesday.)
But the Mavericks as of Friday were just a game behind Houston for fourth place in the West and firmly in the thick of the race. Their offensive efficiency has, oddly, slipped a bit since Rondo arrived, though they remain No. 1 in the league. Their defense has improved significantly, however, allowing just 101.3 points per 100 possessions with Rondo, after posting a rating of 105.1 over the first 27 games.
Although Rondo has admitted to slacking defensively during his final two seasons in Boston, he has perked up again now that he's back with a contender. And he presented a huge upgrade from the aging Jameer Nelson, whom he replaced at point guard.
"Being able to have somebody up top that I can communicate with, bounce ideas off of each other and make adjustments [is key]," Chandler, a former Defensive Player of the Year, said of Rondo. "It can't be one player on the floor. You have to have a couple guys. And me being able to be vocal with him and him being vocal back really helps."
Like Kidd—who was once dubbed "Ason, because he had no 'J'"—Rondo arrived in Dallas with a poor jump shot. But Kidd retired as one of the top three-point shooters in NBA history, having developed the shot late in his career. Perhaps Rondo, still just 28, can do the same. Coach Rick Carlisle has been seen personally working with Rondo on his shooting form.
"He's still young, and he's going to get better," Carlisle told Bleacher Report. "And it's our job to work with him and help him improve his shooting and his range. … He's about the same age when Jason really made a commitment to it, and Rondo's doing that, too. It's going to take time, but he'll get there.""They're about to start this stretch (of the schedule) where they have to prove to themselves and others that they're really an elite team. …
"Nene just doesn't show up enough. They got a lot of other nice pieces. [John] Wall is terrific. [Bradley] Beal is terrific. But the game I saw, Marcin Gortat wasn't very good either. Nene is to me a complete crapshoot. Whether he's hurt or just doesn't show up, you need guys to grind it out. He's not a grind-it-out kind of guy. He's got talent. He's a very good player. But is he a guy you can rely on at the level you want a guy to produce?
"The guy that's played well the last couple games is [Kevin] Seraphin, but he's not ready to take over the starting spot. The other interesting part of that team is Rasual Butler, who is shooting an unbelievable percentage. This guy's almost 35 years old. He's been the productive guy that they had hoped, that Otto Porter is not—really, third pick in the draft? Are you kidding me? They know that. They're not kidding themselves that he's going to be a major player. He's just not that good. He's not that athletic. He's not super skilled.
"They need Martell Webster to be healthy. He played very poorly in the game I saw. He's coming back from injury. They need some production out of him. They can't rely on production out of Butler the whole year. And Andre Miller looked like he was almost finished."
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2332668-nba-insider-mark-cuban-makes-all-too-rare-admission-in-rebuilding-mavericks
Never Easy to Please, Stan Van Gundy Is Finding the Sunny Side in Detroit
The nostalgia flowed freely in a text exchange between two men near the top of their profession. John Calipari, now king of Kentucky, recently found a photo more than three decades old, one that captured an eager assistant on the University of Vermont staff, someone Calipari had planned to join before Larry Brown kept him at Kansas. He felt the need to share the snapshot with Stan Van Gundy.
"We got into the whole thing," Van Gundy told Bleacher Report last week, shaking his head. "He was a Division II player, I was a Division III player. We were both nobodies. I think about that stuff all the time. When I go all the way back, you just say, wow."
It is veritable Van Gundy to credit his coaching career, the one restarting in Detroit after a two-year interruption, largely to serendipity—a series of happy accidents marked by sublime timing. His brother Jeff cracking the NBA door for him with Pat Riley and the Miami Heat, after a six-stop collegiate rise stalled with a single unsatisfying season at Wisconsin. Riley burning out after two frustrating Heat seasons, elevating him to lead a team that just drafted Dwyane Wade. Tony Battie getting hurt prior to the 2007 preseason, giving him little choice but to try Rashard Lewis as Dwight Howard's complement at power forward, a move that would eventually fuel an NBA Finals appearance.
"So many things have to happen," Van Gundy said. "I've always been really aware of that, that this is not a meritocracy, as least not purely. Now, I'm not trying to be overly humble. You've got to be able to do the job when you get the chance. But there's a lot of really good coaches at every level out there, high school, small college, who just haven't gotten the right break, met the right guy, whatever. And that's what I expected. I expected coming out I'd be a small college coach, hopefully get a really good small college job. I would have been happy as hell with that."Van Gundy acknowledges that he has never been "easy to play for," but also notes that he stays in touch with "90 percent" of those who played for him. Many, like Butler, have told him they want to come back and play for him again. Others have chosen to collaborate in another capacity. Like Hardaway, who played for Van Gundy when the latter was a Heat assistant, and called for an interview immediately upon Van Gundy's hiring. Former Heat fora
rd Malik Allen is on staff too. Quentin Richardson, a Van Gundy favorite in Orlando, has a player development post.
"I think [players] sort of give you a get-out-of-jail-free card," said Van Gundy, who fondly recalled supportive visits from Nelson, Turkoglu and Redick during the Pistons' poor start. "I think they just, after a while, go, 'OK, that's Stan.' They don't like it. But there are enough other things. I think they do know that I try to do the right thing, and I care enough about them as people and I want to win. So they give me a chance."Sometimes, he'll even give players a smile, especially during the recent streak.They may even give a few back."Over the last (several) games, you've seen the guys buying in more because, oh s--t, this guy knows what he is talking about," Butler said.Brandon Jennings, who has blossomed since Smith's departure, compared Van Gundy to his first NBA coach, the more-maniacal-than-mellow Scott Skiles, "a guy who was really on me, who really pushed me, who made me play every possession hard." A guy like Van Gundy, who won't let you relax, even with just 0.1 seconds left, after you've made a miraculous shot to seemingly secure the victory against the Spurs.
Jennings brought up that possession to Van Gundy at a recent shootaround."I got a laugh," said Jennings, eyes gleaming at the accomplishment. "I said a little joke. We were talking, and I said, 'You see that (crazy) shot from Utah? The [Trevor] Booker shot?' I said, 'Yeah, that's why we got to build the wall!' It was funny. He started laughing."
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2325193-never-east-to-please-stan-van-gundy-is-finding-the-sunny-side-in-detroit
"We got into the whole thing," Van Gundy told Bleacher Report last week, shaking his head. "He was a Division II player, I was a Division III player. We were both nobodies. I think about that stuff all the time. When I go all the way back, you just say, wow."
It is veritable Van Gundy to credit his coaching career, the one restarting in Detroit after a two-year interruption, largely to serendipity—a series of happy accidents marked by sublime timing. His brother Jeff cracking the NBA door for him with Pat Riley and the Miami Heat, after a six-stop collegiate rise stalled with a single unsatisfying season at Wisconsin. Riley burning out after two frustrating Heat seasons, elevating him to lead a team that just drafted Dwyane Wade. Tony Battie getting hurt prior to the 2007 preseason, giving him little choice but to try Rashard Lewis as Dwight Howard's complement at power forward, a move that would eventually fuel an NBA Finals appearance.
"So many things have to happen," Van Gundy said. "I've always been really aware of that, that this is not a meritocracy, as least not purely. Now, I'm not trying to be overly humble. You've got to be able to do the job when you get the chance. But there's a lot of really good coaches at every level out there, high school, small college, who just haven't gotten the right break, met the right guy, whatever. And that's what I expected. I expected coming out I'd be a small college coach, hopefully get a really good small college job. I would have been happy as hell with that."Van Gundy acknowledges that he has never been "easy to play for," but also notes that he stays in touch with "90 percent" of those who played for him. Many, like Butler, have told him they want to come back and play for him again. Others have chosen to collaborate in another capacity. Like Hardaway, who played for Van Gundy when the latter was a Heat assistant, and called for an interview immediately upon Van Gundy's hiring. Former Heat fora
rd Malik Allen is on staff too. Quentin Richardson, a Van Gundy favorite in Orlando, has a player development post.
"I think [players] sort of give you a get-out-of-jail-free card," said Van Gundy, who fondly recalled supportive visits from Nelson, Turkoglu and Redick during the Pistons' poor start. "I think they just, after a while, go, 'OK, that's Stan.' They don't like it. But there are enough other things. I think they do know that I try to do the right thing, and I care enough about them as people and I want to win. So they give me a chance."Sometimes, he'll even give players a smile, especially during the recent streak.They may even give a few back."Over the last (several) games, you've seen the guys buying in more because, oh s--t, this guy knows what he is talking about," Butler said.Brandon Jennings, who has blossomed since Smith's departure, compared Van Gundy to his first NBA coach, the more-maniacal-than-mellow Scott Skiles, "a guy who was really on me, who really pushed me, who made me play every possession hard." A guy like Van Gundy, who won't let you relax, even with just 0.1 seconds left, after you've made a miraculous shot to seemingly secure the victory against the Spurs.
Jennings brought up that possession to Van Gundy at a recent shootaround."I got a laugh," said Jennings, eyes gleaming at the accomplishment. "I said a little joke. We were talking, and I said, 'You see that (crazy) shot from Utah? The [Trevor] Booker shot?' I said, 'Yeah, that's why we got to build the wall!' It was funny. He started laughing."
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2325193-never-east-to-please-stan-van-gundy-is-finding-the-sunny-side-in-detroit
Atlanta Hawks Look Unstoppable in the East and Other Friday NBA Takeaways
Another night, another outright evisceration by the Atlanta Hawks.The Hawks went into the Air Canada Centre and taught the Toronto Raptors, one of the East's best during the first half of the 2014-15 NBA season and now with DeMar DeRozan back in tow, a thing or two (or three…or a gazillion) about what it means to really be elite.
Atlanta didn't need some insane scoring run on Friday to blow out Toronto, 110-89. Instead, the Hawks did what they've done ever since they took flight after Thanksgiving: They kept going and going and going and going, like a nest of sleeveless Energizer bunnies.
As it happens, it was against these Raptors that the Hawks last looked truly mortal. On Nov. 26, Toronto stopped into Atlanta for a 126-115 win, which turned out to be the finale of a six-game streak. Back then, the Raptors were the beasts of the East—a 13-2 juggernaut that shot 51.2 percent against the Hawks defense in a contest that put Toronto a full five games up on Atlanta in the standings.
Check the standings now, and you'll find the Hawks right where the Raptors used to be, five-and-a-half games ahead of the NBA's neighbors to the north. Their win in Toronto was their 11th in a row, their 24th in their last 26 outings overall and their 13th in 14 road games.
It was also, arguably, their most impressive result yet in what's been an unbelievable six weeks for the Hawks.
On one end, Atlanta torched Toronto's dithering defense for 60.9 percent shooting—the team's second-highest mark of the season—with its Spursian brand of ball movement. Of the Hawks' 42 makes, 30 were assisted.
Jeff Teague led the way in that department with nine dimes against a single turnover, to go along with 13 points, five rebounds and two steals. Al Horford, in his first action since tallying his first triple-double as a pro against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, added five assists and five boards of his own. Better yet, he didn't miss a single shot from the field (and shot 6-of-7 at the free-throw line), including this baseline jam over Amir Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas:
Teague and Horford aside, the Hawks benefited from four other players (i.e. the three remaining starters and Kent Bazemore) scoring in double figures. Chief among that group was Paul Millsap, who finished his usual stat sheet-stuffing routine with 16 points, eight boards, four assists, three steals and two blocks.
Like Millsap, the Hawks, as a whole, got it done on both ends of the floor. They held the Raptors, the league's third-most efficient offense, to a season-low in scoring on 42.7 percent shooting. Take away DeRozan, who had nearly as good of a game (25 points on 11-of-18 shooting) against the Hawks as he did just before Atlanta's run began (27 points on 8-of-16 shooting), and Toronto's field-goal accuracy plummets to 37.5 percent.
The Hawks pestered the Raptors' typically sure-handed attack into 17 turnovers—four apiece from DeRozan and Amir Johnson. Toronto busted loose for 30 points in the third quarter, behind 13 from DeRozan, but couldn't keep Atlanta from racking up 33 points of its own in the period.
As fantastically well as the Hawks played, nothing about how they romped into Toronto is all that new. Balance and ball movement have been hallmarks of the Hawks' offense since Mike Budenholzer left Gregg Popovich's staff in San Antonio for the top job in Atlanta in 2013. The defense has tightened into the fifth-stingiest in basketball this season, thanks in no small part to an ability to pester passing lanes and create havoc that's taken on a life of its own since late November.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2332841-atlanta-hawks-look-unstoppable-in-the-east-and-other-friday-nba-takeaways
Atlanta didn't need some insane scoring run on Friday to blow out Toronto, 110-89. Instead, the Hawks did what they've done ever since they took flight after Thanksgiving: They kept going and going and going and going, like a nest of sleeveless Energizer bunnies.
As it happens, it was against these Raptors that the Hawks last looked truly mortal. On Nov. 26, Toronto stopped into Atlanta for a 126-115 win, which turned out to be the finale of a six-game streak. Back then, the Raptors were the beasts of the East—a 13-2 juggernaut that shot 51.2 percent against the Hawks defense in a contest that put Toronto a full five games up on Atlanta in the standings.
Check the standings now, and you'll find the Hawks right where the Raptors used to be, five-and-a-half games ahead of the NBA's neighbors to the north. Their win in Toronto was their 11th in a row, their 24th in their last 26 outings overall and their 13th in 14 road games.
It was also, arguably, their most impressive result yet in what's been an unbelievable six weeks for the Hawks.
On one end, Atlanta torched Toronto's dithering defense for 60.9 percent shooting—the team's second-highest mark of the season—with its Spursian brand of ball movement. Of the Hawks' 42 makes, 30 were assisted.
Jeff Teague led the way in that department with nine dimes against a single turnover, to go along with 13 points, five rebounds and two steals. Al Horford, in his first action since tallying his first triple-double as a pro against the Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday, added five assists and five boards of his own. Better yet, he didn't miss a single shot from the field (and shot 6-of-7 at the free-throw line), including this baseline jam over Amir Johnson and Jonas Valanciunas:
Teague and Horford aside, the Hawks benefited from four other players (i.e. the three remaining starters and Kent Bazemore) scoring in double figures. Chief among that group was Paul Millsap, who finished his usual stat sheet-stuffing routine with 16 points, eight boards, four assists, three steals and two blocks.
Like Millsap, the Hawks, as a whole, got it done on both ends of the floor. They held the Raptors, the league's third-most efficient offense, to a season-low in scoring on 42.7 percent shooting. Take away DeRozan, who had nearly as good of a game (25 points on 11-of-18 shooting) against the Hawks as he did just before Atlanta's run began (27 points on 8-of-16 shooting), and Toronto's field-goal accuracy plummets to 37.5 percent.
The Hawks pestered the Raptors' typically sure-handed attack into 17 turnovers—four apiece from DeRozan and Amir Johnson. Toronto busted loose for 30 points in the third quarter, behind 13 from DeRozan, but couldn't keep Atlanta from racking up 33 points of its own in the period.
As fantastically well as the Hawks played, nothing about how they romped into Toronto is all that new. Balance and ball movement have been hallmarks of the Hawks' offense since Mike Budenholzer left Gregg Popovich's staff in San Antonio for the top job in Atlanta in 2013. The defense has tightened into the fifth-stingiest in basketball this season, thanks in no small part to an ability to pester passing lanes and create havoc that's taken on a life of its own since late November.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2332841-atlanta-hawks-look-unstoppable-in-the-east-and-other-friday-nba-takeaways
Oklahoma City Thunder We've Been Waiting for All Season Finally Arrive
As the old saying goes, "Good things come to those who wait."On Friday night, the good thing was a 127-115 win for the Oklahoma City Thunder over the Western Conference-leading Golden State Warriors. It came complete with the ferocious, devastatingly effective offense that OKC fans have been waiting for all season.
Kevin Durant scored 36 points on 18 shots. Serge Ibaka scored 27 points on 18 shots. And Russell Westbrook? Oh, he just had a ho-hum triple-double of 17 points, 17 assists and 15 rebounds.And guess what. Even though the season series is over, the Warriors might have to try to guard this again. Maybe even in the first round. Golden State has the No. 1 seed, and OKC's not likely to finish higher than No. 8 because of all the losses that piled up with Durant and Westbrook sidelined.
Congratulations on having the West's best regular-season record, Warriors. Your reward? A first-round, seven-game series against this machine…as long as its engine keeps running the way it did Friday.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats and salary figures are courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com and are current as of Jan. 16, 2015.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2332972-oklahoma-city-thunder-weve-been-waiting-for-all-season-finally-arrive
Kevin Durant scored 36 points on 18 shots. Serge Ibaka scored 27 points on 18 shots. And Russell Westbrook? Oh, he just had a ho-hum triple-double of 17 points, 17 assists and 15 rebounds.And guess what. Even though the season series is over, the Warriors might have to try to guard this again. Maybe even in the first round. Golden State has the No. 1 seed, and OKC's not likely to finish higher than No. 8 because of all the losses that piled up with Durant and Westbrook sidelined.
Congratulations on having the West's best regular-season record, Warriors. Your reward? A first-round, seven-game series against this machine…as long as its engine keeps running the way it did Friday.
Unless otherwise noted, all stats and salary figures are courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com and are current as of Jan. 16, 2015.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2332972-oklahoma-city-thunder-weve-been-waiting-for-all-season-finally-arrive
2015 NFL Draft East-West Shrine Game Scouting Guide
The 90th annual East-West Shrine Game kicks off on Saturday, January 17 at 4 p.m. ET. It's the oldest of the collegiate all-star games, pooling over 100 seniors from schools across the country into the East and West rosters.
This week also serves as the unofficial start of draft season for NFL teams, even those still alive in the playoffs.
Over 300 NFL scouts, coaches and personnel staff have traveled to St. Petersburg to catch the daily practice sessions. There are also lots of media covering the entire process here, from interviewing players to breaking down every detail of each practice.
The Shrine Game doesn't feature any top-tier NFL prospects. Most of the players here are going to be selected on the draft's third day in Rounds 4-7 or will become undrafted free agents of some regard. This year's talent pool lacks the breakout stars from recent seasons such as offensive tackle Terron Armstead, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo or linebacker DeAndre Levy, but the overall depth of talent is strong.
Here is everything you need to know about Saturday's game, as well as personal gleanings from the practice sessions and team hotel.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2330778-2015-nfl-draft-east-west-shrine-game-scouting-guide
This week also serves as the unofficial start of draft season for NFL teams, even those still alive in the playoffs.
Over 300 NFL scouts, coaches and personnel staff have traveled to St. Petersburg to catch the daily practice sessions. There are also lots of media covering the entire process here, from interviewing players to breaking down every detail of each practice.
The Shrine Game doesn't feature any top-tier NFL prospects. Most of the players here are going to be selected on the draft's third day in Rounds 4-7 or will become undrafted free agents of some regard. This year's talent pool lacks the breakout stars from recent seasons such as offensive tackle Terron Armstead, quarterback Jimmy Garoppolo or linebacker DeAndre Levy, but the overall depth of talent is strong.
Here is everything you need to know about Saturday's game, as well as personal gleanings from the practice sessions and team hotel.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2330778-2015-nfl-draft-east-west-shrine-game-scouting-guide
What's the Secret to Decades-Long Success for NFL Franchises?
Many teams in the NFL have had sustained success.What is the secret to staying successful in the NFL?
Watch as Stephen Nelson and Bleacher Report NFL Analyst Chris Simms discuss the keys to sustaining success in the NFL in the video above.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331556-whats-the-secret-to-decades-long-success-for-nfl-franchises
Matchups to Watch for NFL Conference Championship Weekend
The NFL is a beautiful game—a dance and chess match all rolled up into one. The moves in the battle of wits on the sidelines and between the chess pieces on the field will provide dramatic theater in the conference championship games this weekend.
Which matchups will go the longest way toward deciding this weekend's games, based on each team's respective strengths and weaknesses? Bleacher Report breaks down the marquee ones with a fine-tooth comb right here.
We get to see the one-year difference between the New England Patriots having Aqib Talib get knocked out of an AFC Championship Game (by Wes Welker last year) versus having one of the best shutdown corners of all time, Darrelle Revis. A Hilton will visit Revis Island—the Indianapolis Colts' T.Y. Hilton, that is.
There is a rematch between the bouncer Rob Gronkowski and the man he "threw out of the club," Sergio Brown. The way the last one turned out, the Colts might want to get Brown's back in that nightclub fight.
We will see how the Seattle Seahawks defense tests the mobility of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his calf injury. It will be much better for Rodgers to have right-side pass-protector Bryan Bulaga healthy this go-around.
And, like every week, seeing how opposing teams try to attack the Seahawks' Legion of Boom with their set of wide receivers is always dramatic. We will see if Richard Sherman gets another NFC championship opportunity to call out "a sorry receiver" like he did with Michael Crabtree a year ago. Be careful of getting put on blast, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams.
Finally, who can stop Beast Mode, other than the media, which have him verbally clammed up? Clay Matthews is the name brand who will try. We cannot wait to watch that one.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2330734-matchups-to-watch-for-nfl-conference-championship-weekend
John Fox Hire Puts Chicago Bears Back on Track to Perennial Mediocrity
John Fox has everything the Chicago Bears and their fans desperately want right now: a lantern jaw, a silver mane, a solid defensive pedigree and a long track record of...well, getting to Super Bowls.
When Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com reported that the Bears hired Fox, it made all the sense in the world. But is it the right hire? The best hire? The one to get the Bears back to the top of the NFL?Fox will replace the gaunt, professorial Marc Trestman on the Chicago sideline. Bears fans will surely love that.
Even if Trestman's offensive wonkery had turned quarterback Jay Cutler into Dan Marino and the Bears into Super Bowl champions, he still represented a big departure from the kind of football—and coach—sausage-devouring Chicagoans know and love.
The Bears are synonymous with the hard-nosed defenses of Mike Ditka and Lovie Smith. The 2014 unit allowed a 31st-ranked 442 points. It was an embarrassment to the legendary legacies of Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary and Brian Urlacher.
Fox, though, won't have a Hall of Fame middle linebacker to work with, or top-shelf talent like Von Miller, Chris Harris Jr. and T.J. Ward.
Instead, aging stars like linebacker Lance Briggs and former Vikings All-Pro defensive end Jared Allen are still around, and cornerback Kyle Fuller certainly looks like a difference-making youngster.
In the middle are a lot of decent players who won't get much better. The Bears' breakout veteran of 2014 was defensive end Willie Young, who'll play most of next season from the wrong side of age 30.
Let's say Fox, and whomever he hires to round out his coaching staff, can get more production out of the Bears' defensive talent than outgoing defensive coordinator Mel Tucker did. Given Fox's track record of quick turnarounds, that's a safe proposition.No matter how strong Fox's jaw, no matter how accountable he holds his players, there's only so much a head coach can do if he doesn't have a championship-caliber roster. The Bears might be on the fast track back to respectability, but they're no closer to a championship than they were before firing Smith
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2332239-john-fox-hire-puts-chicago-bears-back-on-track-to-perennial-mediocrity
When Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com reported that the Bears hired Fox, it made all the sense in the world. But is it the right hire? The best hire? The one to get the Bears back to the top of the NFL?Fox will replace the gaunt, professorial Marc Trestman on the Chicago sideline. Bears fans will surely love that.
Even if Trestman's offensive wonkery had turned quarterback Jay Cutler into Dan Marino and the Bears into Super Bowl champions, he still represented a big departure from the kind of football—and coach—sausage-devouring Chicagoans know and love.
The Bears are synonymous with the hard-nosed defenses of Mike Ditka and Lovie Smith. The 2014 unit allowed a 31st-ranked 442 points. It was an embarrassment to the legendary legacies of Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary and Brian Urlacher.
Fox, though, won't have a Hall of Fame middle linebacker to work with, or top-shelf talent like Von Miller, Chris Harris Jr. and T.J. Ward.
Instead, aging stars like linebacker Lance Briggs and former Vikings All-Pro defensive end Jared Allen are still around, and cornerback Kyle Fuller certainly looks like a difference-making youngster.
In the middle are a lot of decent players who won't get much better. The Bears' breakout veteran of 2014 was defensive end Willie Young, who'll play most of next season from the wrong side of age 30.
Let's say Fox, and whomever he hires to round out his coaching staff, can get more production out of the Bears' defensive talent than outgoing defensive coordinator Mel Tucker did. Given Fox's track record of quick turnarounds, that's a safe proposition.No matter how strong Fox's jaw, no matter how accountable he holds his players, there's only so much a head coach can do if he doesn't have a championship-caliber roster. The Bears might be on the fast track back to respectability, but they're no closer to a championship than they were before firing Smith
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2332239-john-fox-hire-puts-chicago-bears-back-on-track-to-perennial-mediocrity
The Belichick-Brady Legacy Is Defined by Wins, Not Tapes or Tucks
This is a story about greatness, the eternal kind, and the story begins with the dumbest question of all time.The question comes in various forms and levels of nastiness. It's always asked with aggression or cockiness. The worst fans of the worst teams ask it the most, which is always amusing. The question is used as an insult, a form of trolling punctuation to a vapid argument. The question always comes to life on message boards. Look below. See it in all of its primal glory.
The question goes like this: How many Super Bowls have the New England Patriots won since Spygate?
The answer, of course, is zero. But it's all a trap because the question is pure idiocy.As we watch Bill Belichick and Tom Brady on the precipice of yet another Super Bowl—they have already been to a staggering five, winning three—if they do advance, it should end all Spygate nonsense. There should be no Spygate nonsense to start with, but since there is, another Super Bowl should terminate all of it. Win or lose.That perspective has been totally lost. Shula recently called Belichick "Beli-cheat." I greatly admire Shula—after all, I wrote a book on his unbeaten team—but sometimes he takes his criticism of Belichick too far.
Ray Lewis, reviving the Brady-is-a-no-talent-pretty-boy meme, said this week we wouldn't know Brady without the tuck rule. The Ravens' Terrell Suggs, who was mic'd on Inside the NFL, said this to the ref about Brady during the Ravens' divisional loss to New England: "Please don't fall for the flop."
There's a theme with some teams and fans, that either the Patriots have cheated their way to success, or the tuck rule made them, or some alchemic combo of both.
The truth is, Belichick and Brady beating the Colts and returning to the Super Bowl would make them the best coach-quarterback pairing we've ever seen. If they aren't already.
Some would say the best two are Bill Walsh and Joe Montana. That's obviously a terrific choice, but the Belichick-Brady dominance has come in an era when the NFL has done its damnedest to eradicate dynasties with the salary cap.
We are watching something special, not tainted—brilliant, not buoyed by tuck.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2330223-the-belichick-brady-legacy-is-defined-by-wins-not-tapes-or-tucks
The question goes like this: How many Super Bowls have the New England Patriots won since Spygate?
The answer, of course, is zero. But it's all a trap because the question is pure idiocy.As we watch Bill Belichick and Tom Brady on the precipice of yet another Super Bowl—they have already been to a staggering five, winning three—if they do advance, it should end all Spygate nonsense. There should be no Spygate nonsense to start with, but since there is, another Super Bowl should terminate all of it. Win or lose.That perspective has been totally lost. Shula recently called Belichick "Beli-cheat." I greatly admire Shula—after all, I wrote a book on his unbeaten team—but sometimes he takes his criticism of Belichick too far.
Ray Lewis, reviving the Brady-is-a-no-talent-pretty-boy meme, said this week we wouldn't know Brady without the tuck rule. The Ravens' Terrell Suggs, who was mic'd on Inside the NFL, said this to the ref about Brady during the Ravens' divisional loss to New England: "Please don't fall for the flop."
There's a theme with some teams and fans, that either the Patriots have cheated their way to success, or the tuck rule made them, or some alchemic combo of both.
The truth is, Belichick and Brady beating the Colts and returning to the Super Bowl would make them the best coach-quarterback pairing we've ever seen. If they aren't already.
Some would say the best two are Bill Walsh and Joe Montana. That's obviously a terrific choice, but the Belichick-Brady dominance has come in an era when the NFL has done its damnedest to eradicate dynasties with the salary cap.
We are watching something special, not tainted—brilliant, not buoyed by tuck.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2330223-the-belichick-brady-legacy-is-defined-by-wins-not-tapes-or-tucks
Thursday, 15 January 2015
Sting Should Appear at Royal Rumble to Set Up Match with Triple H
Sting made his WWE debut at Survivor Series, and with another Big Four pay-per-view coming up, expect him to return at WWE Royal Rumble.
With The Authority back in power, Sting has the perfect reason—and stage—for a high-profile return.
Watch Big Nasty break down why Sting should make his return to WWE programming at Royal Rumble in his latest Team Stream Now video!
Some photos used and modified credit: WWE.com
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331608-sting-should-appear-at-royal-rumble-to-set-up-match-with-triple-h
With The Authority back in power, Sting has the perfect reason—and stage—for a high-profile return.
Watch Big Nasty break down why Sting should make his return to WWE programming at Royal Rumble in his latest Team Stream Now video!
Some photos used and modified credit: WWE.com
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331608-sting-should-appear-at-royal-rumble-to-set-up-match-with-triple-h
Examining How WWE Can Improve the Roman Reigns-Big Show Feud
It’s time for WWE bookers to face a bleak truth: The current Roman Reigns-Big Show feud is rather abysmal.
However, that shouldn’t suggest that the angle is entirely beyond saving. In fact, if WWE plays its cards right, it can still get something out of this storyline and aid the careers of both guys.
It’s not hard to tell what has gone wrong with the angle so far. Reigns is being horrendously booked as a babyface. His promos—particularly his Jack and the Beanstalk-themed one on Monday’s Raw—have been absolutely dreadful. The bookers have him out there telling jokes that make even John Cena’s insufferable, childish ones look like smart, highbrow humor. It’s cringe-worthy.
It’s hard to believe this is the same company that managed to make "Stone Cold" Steve Austin a massive success in the ‘90s. It’s like Vince McMahon has forgotten how to make a good, popular babyface.
Things with Big Show aren’t much better. The giant has turned so many times over the years, few wrestling fans care about his current character direction. After 15 years in the company, he may have done everything he can possibly do.
Fans aren’t too keen on the angle either, unsurprisingly, judging by social media:Crucially, WWE also has to keep this program short. It really should be nothing except time-filler until the Royal Rumble—where presumably this feud will culminate in a Big Show-Reigns confrontation in the 30-man Battle Royal, with Reigns tossing out his enemy.
This rivalry simply isn’t suited for a long-term angle—it’s just not that interesting. There isn’t terribly much chemistry between the pair, nor have their in-ring exchanges been that great. The WWE writers' acceptance of this and decision to keep the program mercifully short are the first steps toward salvaging it.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331345-examining-how-wwe-can-improve-the-roman-reigns-big-show-feud
WWE Tough Enough Return Announced: Latest Details and Reaction
The third time is the charm. WWE certainly hopes that is true, as the wresting promotion is bringing back its reality show Tough Enough on USA Network. McCumber cited the recent multi-year agreement that Universal Television Networks reached to continue broadcasting Raw and SmackDown as a reason to bring back Tough Enough as a way to "capitalize on the enormous audience appeal of sports-entertainment."
WWE had a season of Tough Enough in development last year that was slated to air on the WWE Network, but Dave Meltzer of WrestlingObserver.com, via WrestlingInc.com, reported that filming got pushed back due to budget cuts.
Despite McCumber talking about the audience for the show, Tough Enough has never produced a top-notch WWE star. There have been a few key players over the years like John Morrison, but no one who has been elevated to a main event level.
Finding the right balance between talent in the ring and charisma on the microphone is not easy. WWE has the ability to make stars under the right circumstances, but it needs help. Hopefully, this new season of Tough Enough provides the kind of talent necessary to become a true WWE superstar.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331304-wwe-tough-enough-return-announced-latest-details-and-reaction
WWE had a season of Tough Enough in development last year that was slated to air on the WWE Network, but Dave Meltzer of WrestlingObserver.com, via WrestlingInc.com, reported that filming got pushed back due to budget cuts.
Despite McCumber talking about the audience for the show, Tough Enough has never produced a top-notch WWE star. There have been a few key players over the years like John Morrison, but no one who has been elevated to a main event level.
Finding the right balance between talent in the ring and charisma on the microphone is not easy. WWE has the ability to make stars under the right circumstances, but it needs help. Hopefully, this new season of Tough Enough provides the kind of talent necessary to become a true WWE superstar.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331304-wwe-tough-enough-return-announced-latest-details-and-reaction
Best Possible Scenarios for Sting's Return to WWE Programming
When wrestling legend Sting made his first-ever appearance in WWE at the 2014 edition of Survivor Series, fans from all generations were treated to one of the biggest moments in the history of the sport.
Now that Triple H, Stephanie McMahon and The Authority are back in power, though, it’s almost time for The Icon to make his return to WWE programming.
Sting’s debut took place during the main event of Survivor Series, and he was heavily responsible in removing The Authority from power. John Cena made the moment slightly less impactful just a few weeks later when he brought back The Authority in lackluster fashion.With the WWE Universe as against The Authority as it has ever been, the 2015 Royal Rumble will be Sting’s chance to return and set the stage for a match at WrestleMania 31 against Triple H.
The first possible scenario will be a reactionary appearance to retaliate against Triple H for something he does surrounding the Royal Rumble match itself. There is no doubt The Authority will have a vested interest in the eventual winner of the Battle Royal, and it’s conceivable that the heel stable will do what it can to manipulate the outcome.
In the midst of trying to get top face contenders like Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns eliminated, Sting could enter the arena through the crowd—or from the rafters—and take out The Authority, leaving Triple H and Sting in a one-on-one faceoff. This visual could be used as part of the build to the eventual WrestleMania match between the two men as well.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331061-best-possible-scenarios-for-stings-return-to-wwe-programming
Now that Triple H, Stephanie McMahon and The Authority are back in power, though, it’s almost time for The Icon to make his return to WWE programming.
Sting’s debut took place during the main event of Survivor Series, and he was heavily responsible in removing The Authority from power. John Cena made the moment slightly less impactful just a few weeks later when he brought back The Authority in lackluster fashion.With the WWE Universe as against The Authority as it has ever been, the 2015 Royal Rumble will be Sting’s chance to return and set the stage for a match at WrestleMania 31 against Triple H.
The first possible scenario will be a reactionary appearance to retaliate against Triple H for something he does surrounding the Royal Rumble match itself. There is no doubt The Authority will have a vested interest in the eventual winner of the Battle Royal, and it’s conceivable that the heel stable will do what it can to manipulate the outcome.
In the midst of trying to get top face contenders like Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns eliminated, Sting could enter the arena through the crowd—or from the rafters—and take out The Authority, leaving Triple H and Sting in a one-on-one faceoff. This visual could be used as part of the build to the eventual WrestleMania match between the two men as well.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331061-best-possible-scenarios-for-stings-return-to-wwe-programming
The Miz, Damien Mizdow vs. Usos Announced for WWE Royal Rumble 2015
A little less than a month after they lost the titles, The Miz and Damien Mizdow will have a chance to regain the WWE Tag Team Championships.
Thursday night, WWE revealed that the former champs will face The Usos at the Royal Rumble for the tag titles:The Usos, meanwhile, would remain the team to beat in WWE, with other potential tag teams vying for a shot at the belt. The tag team division is still pretty barren, but neither Uso brother looks to be in position for a strong singles push.
The tag title match won't be the most heavily anticipated match at the Royal Rumble, but depending on the outcome, it could set in motion a hot angle between Mizdow and The Miz. And you can bet that the crowd in Philadelphia will be behind Mizdow the whole way.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331768-the-miz-and-damien-mizdow-to-face-usos-for-tag-team-titles-at-2015-royal-rumble
Thursday night, WWE revealed that the former champs will face The Usos at the Royal Rumble for the tag titles:The Usos, meanwhile, would remain the team to beat in WWE, with other potential tag teams vying for a shot at the belt. The tag team division is still pretty barren, but neither Uso brother looks to be in position for a strong singles push.
The tag title match won't be the most heavily anticipated match at the Royal Rumble, but depending on the outcome, it could set in motion a hot angle between Mizdow and The Miz. And you can bet that the crowd in Philadelphia will be behind Mizdow the whole way.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331768-the-miz-and-damien-mizdow-to-face-usos-for-tag-team-titles-at-2015-royal-rumble
Donald Cerrone Is Rewriting the Playbook on What It Means to Be a UFC Fighter
Third-ranked UFC lightweight Donald "Cowboy" Cerrone is pegged to make the quickest turnaround of his mixed martial arts career when he faces former lightweight champion, and adversary, Benson Henderson at UFC Fight Night: Boston.
Cowboy, who's no stranger to taking a fight on short notice, does it one more time when he fills in for an ill Eddie Alvarez. The 31-year-old went against UFC President Dana White's wishes and accepted the proposal for his second fight in 15 days.
For Cerrone, his will to fight is all natural. Diagnosed with attention deficit disorder when he was a child, Cowboy got into fights often. Since his debut in the UFC in February 2011, he has fought 16 times.
"There's no name that comes across the table that I'm like, ‘oh damn, I'm can't take that.' No, let's go. Let's fight. It's what we do. It's what I'm paid to do. It's my job," Cerrone told MMA Fighting.
Some might say he's redefining what it means to be a mixed martial artist. You'll never find Cerrone filming a season of The Ultimate Fighter or waiting in line for a title shot. Like the Budweiser brand he sponsors, Cowboy is simply down for whatever. Life is never at a standstill for the Jackson/Winkeljohn MMA product. The known extreme-sport junkie is always pushing boundaries in and out of the Octagon. So when it came time to assess his win over Myles Jury at UFC 182, Cerrone remained critical of his performance.
Cerrone, who at first had hopes of fighting on the upcoming UFC card in his hometown of Denver, Colorado, now will take aim at a man he is very familiar with. Henderson, the former 155-pound champ who tied B.J. Penn for most title defenses in the division's history, bested Cowboy in two previous burgeoning meetings in the WEC.
But you would be mistaken if you thought that the man, who collects performance bonuses as fast as White changes his mind, hasn't changed in the five years since the two fought. Cerrone has only lost three times in the UFC and is the owner of a six-fight win streak. He can ill-afford to lose at this juncture if he wants a crack at the belt, and no one knows what he's risking more than Cowboy.
“I wouldn’t take this fight on short notice, one, if I wasn’t sh-t bat loony, and two, if I didn’t think I could beat Ben,” he told MMA Junkie. “I’m excited and confident and trying to go out there Sunday night and whip the sh-t out of him."
He's honed all of his tools in this winning streak that has spanned over 14 months. One of the division's most electrifying fighters, Cerrone is accomplished anywhere the fight goes and will undoubtedly make life difficult for Henderson.
Both men are incredibly difficult to submit, hard to take down and are known for their nasty kicks. Each of them are hungry to get back in the hunt for gold.
When the Cowboy has lost it has been when he has lost control of his emotions, or had been controlled on the ground. Losing does not just erase his streak but it will force him to contemplate whether he is truly part of the lightweight division's elite.
Two of Cerrone's three UFC losses have come against the current champion, Anthony Pettis, and the current top contender, Rafael dos Anjos. Henderson also knows both well, having lost to both Pettis and, most recently, Dos Anjos at UFC Fight Night back on August 23.
It's hard not to like Cowboy. His persona—one of a blue-collar, beer-drinking, action-sports fanatic—transcends various age groups. He's a company guy— a "yes" man—who will take on whoever, whenever. Will that be what ultimately leads to his downfall?
There are benefits to fighting as often as Cerrone does; the pay is great. He's racked up $500,000 in performance bonuses, inside the UFC, and typically earns in the range of $125,000-$150,000 per fight.
And could it also have just a little bit to do with the fact that he loves fighting, so much that preparation isn't a concern in his bout with Henderson?
"Prepare? S--t, I don't even have enough time to prepare a cake," Cerrone remarked during the conference call for UFC Boston. "What are you talking about, prepare? I'm just going in there fighting. I've got enough time to cut weight and get to Boston."
He also doesn't think that his second weight cut in the span of a couple of weeks will hinder him much.
"[That's] probably damaging, for sure. But so is cocaine and alcohol, so I think this is a little less," said Cowboy.
In an era where injuries are plentiful, events are canceled and fighters wither away waiting for shots at UFC gold, Cerrone bank and trust is always open for business.
He's rewriting the playbook of how to be an MMA fighter. He's also as durable as they come, having never pulled out of a bout yet in his career. On a January 18 fight night card, that includes a headliner featuring Conor McGregor, Cerrone will look to steal the show against Smooth in Boston.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2326681-donald-cerrone-is-rewriting-the-playbook-on-what-it-means-to-be-a-ufc-fighter
Cowboy, who's no stranger to taking a fight on short notice, does it one more time when he fills in for an ill Eddie Alvarez. The 31-year-old went against UFC President Dana White's wishes and accepted the proposal for his second fight in 15 days.
For Cerrone, his will to fight is all natural. Diagnosed with attention deficit disorder when he was a child, Cowboy got into fights often. Since his debut in the UFC in February 2011, he has fought 16 times.
"There's no name that comes across the table that I'm like, ‘oh damn, I'm can't take that.' No, let's go. Let's fight. It's what we do. It's what I'm paid to do. It's my job," Cerrone told MMA Fighting.
Some might say he's redefining what it means to be a mixed martial artist. You'll never find Cerrone filming a season of The Ultimate Fighter or waiting in line for a title shot. Like the Budweiser brand he sponsors, Cowboy is simply down for whatever. Life is never at a standstill for the Jackson/Winkeljohn MMA product. The known extreme-sport junkie is always pushing boundaries in and out of the Octagon. So when it came time to assess his win over Myles Jury at UFC 182, Cerrone remained critical of his performance.
Cerrone, who at first had hopes of fighting on the upcoming UFC card in his hometown of Denver, Colorado, now will take aim at a man he is very familiar with. Henderson, the former 155-pound champ who tied B.J. Penn for most title defenses in the division's history, bested Cowboy in two previous burgeoning meetings in the WEC.
But you would be mistaken if you thought that the man, who collects performance bonuses as fast as White changes his mind, hasn't changed in the five years since the two fought. Cerrone has only lost three times in the UFC and is the owner of a six-fight win streak. He can ill-afford to lose at this juncture if he wants a crack at the belt, and no one knows what he's risking more than Cowboy.
“I wouldn’t take this fight on short notice, one, if I wasn’t sh-t bat loony, and two, if I didn’t think I could beat Ben,” he told MMA Junkie. “I’m excited and confident and trying to go out there Sunday night and whip the sh-t out of him."
He's honed all of his tools in this winning streak that has spanned over 14 months. One of the division's most electrifying fighters, Cerrone is accomplished anywhere the fight goes and will undoubtedly make life difficult for Henderson.
Both men are incredibly difficult to submit, hard to take down and are known for their nasty kicks. Each of them are hungry to get back in the hunt for gold.
When the Cowboy has lost it has been when he has lost control of his emotions, or had been controlled on the ground. Losing does not just erase his streak but it will force him to contemplate whether he is truly part of the lightweight division's elite.
Two of Cerrone's three UFC losses have come against the current champion, Anthony Pettis, and the current top contender, Rafael dos Anjos. Henderson also knows both well, having lost to both Pettis and, most recently, Dos Anjos at UFC Fight Night back on August 23.
It's hard not to like Cowboy. His persona—one of a blue-collar, beer-drinking, action-sports fanatic—transcends various age groups. He's a company guy— a "yes" man—who will take on whoever, whenever. Will that be what ultimately leads to his downfall?
There are benefits to fighting as often as Cerrone does; the pay is great. He's racked up $500,000 in performance bonuses, inside the UFC, and typically earns in the range of $125,000-$150,000 per fight.
And could it also have just a little bit to do with the fact that he loves fighting, so much that preparation isn't a concern in his bout with Henderson?
"Prepare? S--t, I don't even have enough time to prepare a cake," Cerrone remarked during the conference call for UFC Boston. "What are you talking about, prepare? I'm just going in there fighting. I've got enough time to cut weight and get to Boston."
He also doesn't think that his second weight cut in the span of a couple of weeks will hinder him much.
"[That's] probably damaging, for sure. But so is cocaine and alcohol, so I think this is a little less," said Cowboy.
In an era where injuries are plentiful, events are canceled and fighters wither away waiting for shots at UFC gold, Cerrone bank and trust is always open for business.
He's rewriting the playbook of how to be an MMA fighter. He's also as durable as they come, having never pulled out of a bout yet in his career. On a January 18 fight night card, that includes a headliner featuring Conor McGregor, Cerrone will look to steal the show against Smooth in Boston.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2326681-donald-cerrone-is-rewriting-the-playbook-on-what-it-means-to-be-a-ufc-fighter
MMA in 2014: The Top 10 Submissions
Folks, it was a good year for finishes in MMA. This was especially the case for submissions, as audiences were dazzled by some awesome finishes on the ground.
We saw kimuras, bulldog chokes, neck cranks, triangle armbars and everything in between. It made it very tough to narrow down the best tapouts of 2014, but we've come to a conclusion here.
So, what were the 10 best submissions of the year? Let's take a look now at the masterpieces we were given.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2305420-mma-in-2014-the-top-10-submissions
We saw kimuras, bulldog chokes, neck cranks, triangle armbars and everything in between. It made it very tough to narrow down the best tapouts of 2014, but we've come to a conclusion here.
So, what were the 10 best submissions of the year? Let's take a look now at the masterpieces we were given.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2305420-mma-in-2014-the-top-10-submissions
MMA in 2014: The Top 10 Knockouts
2014 saw fight card after fight card after fight card—almost to the point of tiring some fans out on the product, but having relentless events at least gives us finishes.
MMA certainly gave us plenty of fantastic knockouts this year, but which was the best?
Determining a year-end list like this is very unscientific and has no set criteria. Do the more violent knockouts rank higher, or do knockouts in fights that meant more go to the top of the list? It's a judgment call.
You will see a mixture of both on this list. Circumstances helped elevate some KOs, while it hurt others. The UFC dominates this list, but there is one knockout featured from a promotion other than the sport's leader. The list also features knockouts in two title fights.
Without further ado, here are your top 10 knockouts of 2014. Here's hoping 2015 keeps delivering moments that make us leap out of our chairs.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2324288-mma-in-2014-the-top-10-knockouts
MMA certainly gave us plenty of fantastic knockouts this year, but which was the best?
Determining a year-end list like this is very unscientific and has no set criteria. Do the more violent knockouts rank higher, or do knockouts in fights that meant more go to the top of the list? It's a judgment call.
You will see a mixture of both on this list. Circumstances helped elevate some KOs, while it hurt others. The UFC dominates this list, but there is one knockout featured from a promotion other than the sport's leader. The list also features knockouts in two title fights.
Without further ado, here are your top 10 knockouts of 2014. Here's hoping 2015 keeps delivering moments that make us leap out of our chairs.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2324288-mma-in-2014-the-top-10-knockouts
The Question: Will Conor McGregor Cement His Rise to the Top at Fight Night 59?
On Sunday, the Ultimate Fighting Championship presents a novelty Sunday card, following an extensive day of playoff football, in an effort designed to do one thing and one thing only: to make Conor McGregor a household name.
McGregor is already one of the more notable fighters on the UFC roster, which is remarkable considering he has just four fights in the promotion. He has vaulted far past tenured fighters in terms of both salary and screen time. The advertising campaign for UFC Fight Night 59 in Boston centered solely around McGregor, with opponent Dennis Siver relegated to a tiny speck in the background, barely even mentioned.
But it was all for a purpose. With a win, McGregor will move on to face Jose Aldo for the featherweight championship. It will be the UFC's first big-time fight below 145 pounds, and so the McGregor-centric programming will have been worth it.
But in our second edition of The Question, fellow pundit Jonathan Snowden and I try to figure out if this Sunday is indeed the moment when McGregor takes over the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Jeremy Botter: Jonathan, this seems like an important week for the UFC.
It has been awhile since they created any real new stars. You and I have grown plenty old since the days of Liddell and Hughes and Griffin. And yeah, there is Ronda Rousey and maybe Jon Jones, but who else?
The UFC is betting big on McGregor, the brash Irishman who talks a big game and then backs it up in the cage. So far, anyway. Nearly every bit of advertising for Sunday's UFC Fight Night is centered on McGregor; opponent Dennis Siver is an afterthought.
The UFC has taken their time on McGregor. They've pushed him hard, but perhaps not as hard as they wanted to. And so the question I pose to you is this: Is this Sunday the day when McGregor cements himself as one of the biggest stars in the sport?
Jonathan Snowden: I fully expect McGregor to knock Siver silly, say something charming and bask in the cheers of the Boston faithful. McGregor is the real thing. He's going to leave his mark on this sport. Consider me among the converted.
Here's the problem—he'll be playing, once again, only to the faithful. I was a big advocate of getting Conor on free television. If enough people get a taste, I think they'll be back begging the UFC to take their money.
But this isn't on Fox. It's on Fox Sports 1. And it's on the same night as the NFL playoffs. That doesn't help spread the word of Mr. McGregor's arrival. It's treading water. And that's a shame.
Jeremy: I agree with you on the television front. It probably would've been a better thing to have McGregor headlining next week's show in Sweden instead, because that one airs on Fox. But then you'd relegate Alexander Gustafasson to the co-main event, and that's not a great solution, either.
The reality here is that the UFC's television platform—whether it's Fox or Fox Sports 1—just isn't what it used to be. There used to be a time when putting burgeoning new stars on UFC television cards could launch important, sustainable careers. But those days are over. Fox Sports 1 is, depending on how you choose to view things, either a total failure or a long-term project that hasn't quite achieved vertical success.
But as far as the UFC goes in 2015—and for the audience they are capable of reaching at this point—I think you'll see this fight card as a massive success. Not a massive success compared to the Lesnar-era UFC, but a massive success for RIGHT NOW. I have two friends who I wouldn't even call casual fans of mixed martial arts; I use them as my litmus test. If they've heard of a fighter or they're excited for a fight card, there's a pretty good chance it'll be a success.
But we are in uncharted waters here, with a Sunday night card airing immediately after one gazillion hours of football. If I'm a football fan (which I'm not), I don't think I'd want to stay in front of the television for another few hours to watch fights after the AFC and NFC Championship Games conclude. But that's me.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2329840-the-question-will-conor-mcgregor-cement-his-rise-to-the-top-at-fight-night-59
McGregor is already one of the more notable fighters on the UFC roster, which is remarkable considering he has just four fights in the promotion. He has vaulted far past tenured fighters in terms of both salary and screen time. The advertising campaign for UFC Fight Night 59 in Boston centered solely around McGregor, with opponent Dennis Siver relegated to a tiny speck in the background, barely even mentioned.
But it was all for a purpose. With a win, McGregor will move on to face Jose Aldo for the featherweight championship. It will be the UFC's first big-time fight below 145 pounds, and so the McGregor-centric programming will have been worth it.
But in our second edition of The Question, fellow pundit Jonathan Snowden and I try to figure out if this Sunday is indeed the moment when McGregor takes over the Ultimate Fighting Championship.
Jeremy Botter: Jonathan, this seems like an important week for the UFC.
It has been awhile since they created any real new stars. You and I have grown plenty old since the days of Liddell and Hughes and Griffin. And yeah, there is Ronda Rousey and maybe Jon Jones, but who else?
The UFC is betting big on McGregor, the brash Irishman who talks a big game and then backs it up in the cage. So far, anyway. Nearly every bit of advertising for Sunday's UFC Fight Night is centered on McGregor; opponent Dennis Siver is an afterthought.
The UFC has taken their time on McGregor. They've pushed him hard, but perhaps not as hard as they wanted to. And so the question I pose to you is this: Is this Sunday the day when McGregor cements himself as one of the biggest stars in the sport?
Jonathan Snowden: I fully expect McGregor to knock Siver silly, say something charming and bask in the cheers of the Boston faithful. McGregor is the real thing. He's going to leave his mark on this sport. Consider me among the converted.
Here's the problem—he'll be playing, once again, only to the faithful. I was a big advocate of getting Conor on free television. If enough people get a taste, I think they'll be back begging the UFC to take their money.
But this isn't on Fox. It's on Fox Sports 1. And it's on the same night as the NFL playoffs. That doesn't help spread the word of Mr. McGregor's arrival. It's treading water. And that's a shame.
Jeremy: I agree with you on the television front. It probably would've been a better thing to have McGregor headlining next week's show in Sweden instead, because that one airs on Fox. But then you'd relegate Alexander Gustafasson to the co-main event, and that's not a great solution, either.
The reality here is that the UFC's television platform—whether it's Fox or Fox Sports 1—just isn't what it used to be. There used to be a time when putting burgeoning new stars on UFC television cards could launch important, sustainable careers. But those days are over. Fox Sports 1 is, depending on how you choose to view things, either a total failure or a long-term project that hasn't quite achieved vertical success.
But as far as the UFC goes in 2015—and for the audience they are capable of reaching at this point—I think you'll see this fight card as a massive success. Not a massive success compared to the Lesnar-era UFC, but a massive success for RIGHT NOW. I have two friends who I wouldn't even call casual fans of mixed martial arts; I use them as my litmus test. If they've heard of a fighter or they're excited for a fight card, there's a pretty good chance it'll be a success.
But we are in uncharted waters here, with a Sunday night card airing immediately after one gazillion hours of football. If I'm a football fan (which I'm not), I don't think I'd want to stay in front of the television for another few hours to watch fights after the AFC and NFC Championship Games conclude. But that's me.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2329840-the-question-will-conor-mcgregor-cement-his-rise-to-the-top-at-fight-night-59
UFC and Reebok Deal: Mysteries Still Remain on Fighter Pay and More
LAS VEGAS — Yesterday, I published an exclusive, detailed look at a document governing the UFC's new Athlete Outfitting Policy.
The partnership with Reebok—which goes into effect in July—is extensive, and is in every respect a game-changer for the UFC and the fighters who make their living by fighting for the promotion. No longer will fighters be allowed to secure their own sponsorships and display outside logos on their shorts, hats and banners. Instead, it will be all Reebok, all the time, and sponsor banners are a thing of the past.
From a monetary perspective, we still do not know what this will mean for the fighters. The document states that fighters will be paid on a tiered system based on their ranking at the time of weigh-ins, and that they will be paid within 10 business days of the fight's conclusion. But it does not offer any specifics on what kind of pay each tier will provide. That part remains a mystery for now.
Because it is a mystery, we don't know how this deal will ultimately affect the fighters. Will they make a dollar amount equivalent to the amount they were paid by their old sponsors? For some, the idea of not having to chase down payments from delinquent sponsors—long a prevalent thing in mixed martial arts—will be a godsend. For others who take a financial hit, things will not be so rosy.
We also know that the UFC's language regarding how much of the money from Reebok will be paid to the fighters is changing. When the deal was announced, Dana White told reporters that "every penny" of the deal will go to the fighters.
But according to the Athlete Outfitting Policy document, that does not seem to be the case.
"UFC will be distributing the vast majority of the revenue received from this partnership to the athletes," the document states. "A percentage of all sales will be donated to Fight for Peace, a nonprofit organization."
We've gone from "every penny" to "the vast majority" in a short period of time. And while I don't believe this change is an indication the UFC plans on keeping all of the Reebok spoils for itself, it is still a change worth noting, and one that will affect the fighters shepherded into the deal.
Another interesting takeaway from the document: The UFC is not messing around when it comes to Reebok product. Fighters must wear Reebok products not only during all fight week activities but also during any UFC-related activities or TV shows. For fight week, this means press conferences (unless they elect to wear a suit or go business casual), open workouts, weigh-ins and the fight itself.
But it also specifies that Reebok must be worn during UFC Tonight, UFC Embedded, UFC Countdown shows and various other programming. And all participants—including "guests and guest fighters" are required to wear Reebok gear if provided.
The rules extend to a fighter's corner, and here's where things get interesting. If a fighter's corner refuses to wear the provided Reebok gear, he won't be punished. Rather, it will be the fighter he's cornering who suffers the consequences. Those consequences include monetary fines, but the document also mentions that fighters could be removed from the fight.
Those penalties also apply to fighters who refuse to wear Reebok for official events. And if a fighter loses any of the product given to him, he is responsible for the replacement costs.
Clearly, the UFC has elected to take a hard line in enforcing this new policy. They want a unified look for their product, and who can blame them? After years of angel's wings, skulls, crossbones and crosses, it is refreshing to imagine an MMA world with a fairly clean canvas. It makes the UFC look more professional.But in threatening monetary punishment or removal from a fight for infractions for both fighters and corners, the UFC is taking an already lit powder keg and throwing it in the flames. We have yet to hear many UFC-contracted fighters speak out about their dissatisfaction with the Reebok deal, mostly because they don't know what it means to their pocketbooks.
But you can bet we'll hear rumblings the first time someone is punished for not wearing the proper gear, or forced to pay for lost gear.
There are still many unknowns with this deal. It is a landmark deal that drastically changes the UFC from top to bottom. But until we find out what the deal means for fighter's pocketbooks, it is impossible to judge whether it is good or bad as a whole.
But once those details begin trickling out—and I expect we'll start hearing about them soon—we'll either begin hearing tales of fighters happy with the Reebok windfall, or we'll hear about those who are dissatisfied with their losses in pay.
And once that happens, we'll be able to figure out if this was a good deal for the fighters who make their living fighting on UFC cards, or whether it's just a deal that's good for the UFC.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2330553-ufc-reebok-deal-mysteries-still-remain-on-fighter-pay-more
The partnership with Reebok—which goes into effect in July—is extensive, and is in every respect a game-changer for the UFC and the fighters who make their living by fighting for the promotion. No longer will fighters be allowed to secure their own sponsorships and display outside logos on their shorts, hats and banners. Instead, it will be all Reebok, all the time, and sponsor banners are a thing of the past.
From a monetary perspective, we still do not know what this will mean for the fighters. The document states that fighters will be paid on a tiered system based on their ranking at the time of weigh-ins, and that they will be paid within 10 business days of the fight's conclusion. But it does not offer any specifics on what kind of pay each tier will provide. That part remains a mystery for now.
Because it is a mystery, we don't know how this deal will ultimately affect the fighters. Will they make a dollar amount equivalent to the amount they were paid by their old sponsors? For some, the idea of not having to chase down payments from delinquent sponsors—long a prevalent thing in mixed martial arts—will be a godsend. For others who take a financial hit, things will not be so rosy.
We also know that the UFC's language regarding how much of the money from Reebok will be paid to the fighters is changing. When the deal was announced, Dana White told reporters that "every penny" of the deal will go to the fighters.
But according to the Athlete Outfitting Policy document, that does not seem to be the case.
"UFC will be distributing the vast majority of the revenue received from this partnership to the athletes," the document states. "A percentage of all sales will be donated to Fight for Peace, a nonprofit organization."
We've gone from "every penny" to "the vast majority" in a short period of time. And while I don't believe this change is an indication the UFC plans on keeping all of the Reebok spoils for itself, it is still a change worth noting, and one that will affect the fighters shepherded into the deal.
Another interesting takeaway from the document: The UFC is not messing around when it comes to Reebok product. Fighters must wear Reebok products not only during all fight week activities but also during any UFC-related activities or TV shows. For fight week, this means press conferences (unless they elect to wear a suit or go business casual), open workouts, weigh-ins and the fight itself.
But it also specifies that Reebok must be worn during UFC Tonight, UFC Embedded, UFC Countdown shows and various other programming. And all participants—including "guests and guest fighters" are required to wear Reebok gear if provided.
The rules extend to a fighter's corner, and here's where things get interesting. If a fighter's corner refuses to wear the provided Reebok gear, he won't be punished. Rather, it will be the fighter he's cornering who suffers the consequences. Those consequences include monetary fines, but the document also mentions that fighters could be removed from the fight.
Those penalties also apply to fighters who refuse to wear Reebok for official events. And if a fighter loses any of the product given to him, he is responsible for the replacement costs.
Clearly, the UFC has elected to take a hard line in enforcing this new policy. They want a unified look for their product, and who can blame them? After years of angel's wings, skulls, crossbones and crosses, it is refreshing to imagine an MMA world with a fairly clean canvas. It makes the UFC look more professional.But in threatening monetary punishment or removal from a fight for infractions for both fighters and corners, the UFC is taking an already lit powder keg and throwing it in the flames. We have yet to hear many UFC-contracted fighters speak out about their dissatisfaction with the Reebok deal, mostly because they don't know what it means to their pocketbooks.
But you can bet we'll hear rumblings the first time someone is punished for not wearing the proper gear, or forced to pay for lost gear.
There are still many unknowns with this deal. It is a landmark deal that drastically changes the UFC from top to bottom. But until we find out what the deal means for fighter's pocketbooks, it is impossible to judge whether it is good or bad as a whole.
But once those details begin trickling out—and I expect we'll start hearing about them soon—we'll either begin hearing tales of fighters happy with the Reebok windfall, or we'll hear about those who are dissatisfied with their losses in pay.
And once that happens, we'll be able to figure out if this was a good deal for the fighters who make their living fighting on UFC cards, or whether it's just a deal that's good for the UFC.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2330553-ufc-reebok-deal-mysteries-still-remain-on-fighter-pay-more
MLS SuperDraft 2015: Complete Round-by-Round Results and Twitter Reaction
The first two rounds of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft took place on Thursday, January 15, at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia, as the first 42 picks were made.
Orlando City SC landed the consensus top prospect with the first overall pick, selecting Connecticut's Cyle Larin. The first round saw a handful of big surprises, including the slide of Washington's Cristian Roldan and Toronto FC's pick of little-known defender Clement Simonin.Oumar Ballo fell to Houston Dynamo with the No. 30 overall pick, and his tremendous upside could see him end up as one of the top steals of the draft.
The 2015 MLS SuperDraft will continue on Tuesday, January 20, via conference call.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331074-mls-superdraft-2015-complete-round-by-round-results-and-twitter-reaction
Orlando City SC landed the consensus top prospect with the first overall pick, selecting Connecticut's Cyle Larin. The first round saw a handful of big surprises, including the slide of Washington's Cristian Roldan and Toronto FC's pick of little-known defender Clement Simonin.Oumar Ballo fell to Houston Dynamo with the No. 30 overall pick, and his tremendous upside could see him end up as one of the top steals of the draft.
The 2015 MLS SuperDraft will continue on Tuesday, January 20, via conference call.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331074-mls-superdraft-2015-complete-round-by-round-results-and-twitter-reaction
Every Major European Team's 2014/15 Player of the Season so Far
We're just over halfway through the season across Europe, and the continent's major clubs are either living up to expectations, overachieving or enduring disappointments.
Still, each and every one has gifted individuals, and it is those players who continue to try and drive their teams forward in a bid to reach new highs.
Who are the standout performers, though? And who is headed for their club's Player of the Year trophy?
It's a little easier to work out some over others, but here's our attempt.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2326867-every-major-european-teams-201415-player-of-the-season-so-far
Still, each and every one has gifted individuals, and it is those players who continue to try and drive their teams forward in a bid to reach new highs.
Who are the standout performers, though? And who is headed for their club's Player of the Year trophy?
It's a little easier to work out some over others, but here's our attempt.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2326867-every-major-european-teams-201415-player-of-the-season-so-far
Inside Line: Manchester United Might Want Gareth Bale, but They Won't Get Him
Why do we keep reading about Manchester United's desire to sign Gareth Bale? Two words: Ed Woodward.
United's executive vice-chairman has a plan. It's not anything original, but it is certainly grandiose. Woodward's calculation is that spending big earns big in the modern football market. Specifically, spending big on the big-name players.
When Woodward watches Cristiano Ronaldo, he sees commercial revenue. And what propelled Woodward from his 2005 role helping the Glazer family with United's “financial planning” to his appointment as the club's chief executive in 2013 was an impressive ability to inflate commercial cash flow.
Under his stewardship, the club has landed record shirt sponsorship and kit deals and so many global, regional, media and financial “partners” they can't even be shown on a single page of the official website.There is no question that Manchester United sells and that Woodward has succeeded in selling it like no one before him. When it comes to buying, however, the 43-year-old chartered accountant is rather more derivative. Think Real Madrid. Think Galactico. Think of Woodward as a wannabe Florentino Perez.
Sir Alex Ferguson's net spend on transfer fees in his eight years working for the Glazers averaged out at under £20 million a season; Woodward has taken just three windows to negotiate several transfers worth more than that figure. When United's chief executive is asked about how far he is prepared to take the club's spending, he goes out of his way to emphasise its scale.
“The reality is that we're not afraid of spending significant amounts of money in the transfer market,” said Woodward in the summer. “Whether it's a record or not doesn't really resonate with us. There is no budget.
“I want us to win. I want to stop seeing the best players going to other clubs in Spain; I want us to stand out as the best club in the world. We’ll do absolutely everything we can to achieve that.”Ask those who know Perez well whether he'd take a quick profit on his gaudiest transfer, and the answer would be no way. Question him directly about selling to United and the reply is: “We have not received an offer from Manchester or any other club for Gareth Bale. We would never listen to any offer for Bale, no matter what the fee.”
As for Bale, he doesn't appear too enamoured with the idea of swapping the summit of European football for a club still struggling to keep Southampton below them and return to the Champions League.
“I am very happy in Madrid, a city, a climate and a club that I love,” Bale told Dubai TV a fortnight ago (via the Independent). “My contract ends in 2019, and I could sign a renewal. It has been a fantastic year for me. I wanted to come to Real Madrid to win titles and work alongside the best players and that is exactly what I have done in a single year.”
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2329389-inside-line-manchester-united-might-want-gareth-bale-but-they-wont-get-him
United's executive vice-chairman has a plan. It's not anything original, but it is certainly grandiose. Woodward's calculation is that spending big earns big in the modern football market. Specifically, spending big on the big-name players.
When Woodward watches Cristiano Ronaldo, he sees commercial revenue. And what propelled Woodward from his 2005 role helping the Glazer family with United's “financial planning” to his appointment as the club's chief executive in 2013 was an impressive ability to inflate commercial cash flow.
Under his stewardship, the club has landed record shirt sponsorship and kit deals and so many global, regional, media and financial “partners” they can't even be shown on a single page of the official website.There is no question that Manchester United sells and that Woodward has succeeded in selling it like no one before him. When it comes to buying, however, the 43-year-old chartered accountant is rather more derivative. Think Real Madrid. Think Galactico. Think of Woodward as a wannabe Florentino Perez.
Sir Alex Ferguson's net spend on transfer fees in his eight years working for the Glazers averaged out at under £20 million a season; Woodward has taken just three windows to negotiate several transfers worth more than that figure. When United's chief executive is asked about how far he is prepared to take the club's spending, he goes out of his way to emphasise its scale.
“The reality is that we're not afraid of spending significant amounts of money in the transfer market,” said Woodward in the summer. “Whether it's a record or not doesn't really resonate with us. There is no budget.
“I want us to win. I want to stop seeing the best players going to other clubs in Spain; I want us to stand out as the best club in the world. We’ll do absolutely everything we can to achieve that.”Ask those who know Perez well whether he'd take a quick profit on his gaudiest transfer, and the answer would be no way. Question him directly about selling to United and the reply is: “We have not received an offer from Manchester or any other club for Gareth Bale. We would never listen to any offer for Bale, no matter what the fee.”
As for Bale, he doesn't appear too enamoured with the idea of swapping the summit of European football for a club still struggling to keep Southampton below them and return to the Champions League.
“I am very happy in Madrid, a city, a climate and a club that I love,” Bale told Dubai TV a fortnight ago (via the Independent). “My contract ends in 2019, and I could sign a renewal. It has been a fantastic year for me. I wanted to come to Real Madrid to win titles and work alongside the best players and that is exactly what I have done in a single year.”
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2329389-inside-line-manchester-united-might-want-gareth-bale-but-they-wont-get-him
Elche vs. Barcelona: Score, Report and Reaction from Copa del Rey Game
Barcelona eased into the Copa del Rey quarter-finals with a routine 4-0 victory at Elche on Thursday night in the second leg of their round-of-16 tie at the Estadio Manuel Martinez Valero.
Fielding a weakened side consisting mainly of youngsters and fringe players, Barcelona went ahead in the 21st minute via Jeremy Mathieu's perfectly struck free-kick. Sergi Roberto doubled the lead 19 minutes later, and Pedro made it 3-0 from the penalty spot two minutes before the break.
The score remained the same until second-half stoppage time, when Adriano added Barca's fourth goal with a header.
With the 9-0 aggregate victory, Barcelona advanced to the Copa del Rey quarter-finals, where they will play Atletico Madrid. The same teams met last weekend in La Liga, Barcelona winning 3-1.
The Blaugrana return to league action on Sunday with a match at Deportivo de La Coruna. Luis Enrique's side currently sit second in the table, one point behind leaders Real Madrid, who have played one fewer game.
Elche, who are level on points with last-placed Granada, host Levante on Sunday.
Barcelona won the first leg 5-0 last week at the Camp Nou, making Thursday's second leg little more than a formality. Accordingly, Enrique changed all 11 starters from last week, handing rare first-team starts to youngsters Gerard Gumbau, Munir El Haddadi and Adama Traore.
Even without their biggest stars, Barca dominated proceedings from the opening whistle, as noted by football writer Kristan Heneage:Barca created a good chance in the eighth minute, as Roberto played an angled cross to the back post for Martin Montoya, who headed back into the middle. Montoya's header found Adriano, who scuffed a poor shot wide of the target.
The visitors remained in control and took the lead in the 21st minute. After Traore drew a foul well outside the box, Mathieu stepped up to take the resulting free-kick and curled in a sublime strike from distance to give Barca a 1-0 lead.
Barcelona added two more goals shortly before half-time. In the 40th minute, Roberto doubled the visitors' lead with a powerful effort from outside the box. Three minutes later, Pedro made it 3-0 from the penalty spot after Sergio Pelegrin fouled El Haddadi in the box.
Though the match was wrapped up by half-time, Barca continued to attack in the second half. In the 46th minute, Montoya and Roberto played a one-two along the edge of the box before Montoya blazed a shot wide of the target. Two minutes later, Roberto picked out Traore at the far post, who took a touch before shooting wide.
Multiple substitutions followed just past the hour mark. Barcelona introduced highly rated youngster Alen Halilovic for Traore in the 62nd minute, while Douglas replaced Montoya.
Halilovic came close to scoring in the 69th minute after teeing up his left foot along the edge of the box. But his curling effort bounced off the far post and away harmlessly.
Chances were scarce over the final 20 minutes. El Haddadi drew an easy save from Herrera with an angled shot from distance in the 76th minute. Four minutes from time, Barca defender Marc Bartra pushed forward before shooting high and wide.
Elche had a chance to score a later consolation goal, but Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen parried Alvaro's initial shot and then held Franco Fragapane's follow-up bid.
The match was all but finished, but Barca still had time to add a fourth goal in the second minute of stoppage time. Douglas set it up, crossing from the right to pick out Adriano's lateral run across the box. Adriano buried his header at the near post to complete a 4-0 victory.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331500-elche-vs-barcelona-score-report-and-reaction-from-copa-del-rey-game
Fielding a weakened side consisting mainly of youngsters and fringe players, Barcelona went ahead in the 21st minute via Jeremy Mathieu's perfectly struck free-kick. Sergi Roberto doubled the lead 19 minutes later, and Pedro made it 3-0 from the penalty spot two minutes before the break.
The score remained the same until second-half stoppage time, when Adriano added Barca's fourth goal with a header.
With the 9-0 aggregate victory, Barcelona advanced to the Copa del Rey quarter-finals, where they will play Atletico Madrid. The same teams met last weekend in La Liga, Barcelona winning 3-1.
The Blaugrana return to league action on Sunday with a match at Deportivo de La Coruna. Luis Enrique's side currently sit second in the table, one point behind leaders Real Madrid, who have played one fewer game.
Elche, who are level on points with last-placed Granada, host Levante on Sunday.
Barcelona won the first leg 5-0 last week at the Camp Nou, making Thursday's second leg little more than a formality. Accordingly, Enrique changed all 11 starters from last week, handing rare first-team starts to youngsters Gerard Gumbau, Munir El Haddadi and Adama Traore.
Even without their biggest stars, Barca dominated proceedings from the opening whistle, as noted by football writer Kristan Heneage:Barca created a good chance in the eighth minute, as Roberto played an angled cross to the back post for Martin Montoya, who headed back into the middle. Montoya's header found Adriano, who scuffed a poor shot wide of the target.
The visitors remained in control and took the lead in the 21st minute. After Traore drew a foul well outside the box, Mathieu stepped up to take the resulting free-kick and curled in a sublime strike from distance to give Barca a 1-0 lead.
Barcelona added two more goals shortly before half-time. In the 40th minute, Roberto doubled the visitors' lead with a powerful effort from outside the box. Three minutes later, Pedro made it 3-0 from the penalty spot after Sergio Pelegrin fouled El Haddadi in the box.
Though the match was wrapped up by half-time, Barca continued to attack in the second half. In the 46th minute, Montoya and Roberto played a one-two along the edge of the box before Montoya blazed a shot wide of the target. Two minutes later, Roberto picked out Traore at the far post, who took a touch before shooting wide.
Multiple substitutions followed just past the hour mark. Barcelona introduced highly rated youngster Alen Halilovic for Traore in the 62nd minute, while Douglas replaced Montoya.
Halilovic came close to scoring in the 69th minute after teeing up his left foot along the edge of the box. But his curling effort bounced off the far post and away harmlessly.
Chances were scarce over the final 20 minutes. El Haddadi drew an easy save from Herrera with an angled shot from distance in the 76th minute. Four minutes from time, Barca defender Marc Bartra pushed forward before shooting high and wide.
Elche had a chance to score a later consolation goal, but Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen parried Alvaro's initial shot and then held Franco Fragapane's follow-up bid.
The match was all but finished, but Barca still had time to add a fourth goal in the second minute of stoppage time. Douglas set it up, crossing from the right to pick out Adriano's lateral run across the box. Adriano buried his header at the near post to complete a 4-0 victory.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331500-elche-vs-barcelona-score-report-and-reaction-from-copa-del-rey-game
Real Madrid vs. Atletico Madrid: Derby Score, Grades, Reaction from Copa Del Rey
Fernando Torres scored in the first minute of each half as Atletico Madrid advanced to the Copa del Rey quarter-finals with a 2-2 draw against Real Madrid on Thursday night in the second leg of their round-of-16 tie at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
Atletico won the first leg 2-0 last week at the Estadio Vicente Calderon, setting up a potential thriller in the second leg. But Torres' first goal, with less than 50 seconds on the clock, reaffirmed Atletico's stranglehold on the tie.
Real equalised through Sergio Ramos in the 20th minute, but Torres struck again in the opening moments of the second half.
The hosts then drew level a second time via Cristiano Ronaldo in the 54th minute, but Atletico held firm for a 4-2 aggregate win over the final 35 minutes.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331286-real-madrid-vs-atletico-madrid-derby-score-grades-reaction-from-copa-del-rey
Atletico won the first leg 2-0 last week at the Estadio Vicente Calderon, setting up a potential thriller in the second leg. But Torres' first goal, with less than 50 seconds on the clock, reaffirmed Atletico's stranglehold on the tie.
Real equalised through Sergio Ramos in the 20th minute, but Torres struck again in the opening moments of the second half.
The hosts then drew level a second time via Cristiano Ronaldo in the 54th minute, but Atletico held firm for a 4-2 aggregate win over the final 35 minutes.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331286-real-madrid-vs-atletico-madrid-derby-score-grades-reaction-from-copa-del-rey
Packers or Colts: Which NFL Team Has Best Chance at a Postseason Road Upset?
Winning on the road in the NFL is never an easy task, especially at Gillette Stadium and CenturyLink Field. Those are the places the Indianapolis Colts and Green Bay Packers will have to travel this weekend, respectively.
Which road team has the better shot at an upset in Conference Championship Weekend? What factors will come in to play?
Watch as Adam Lefkoe and Bleacher Report NFL Analysts Chris Simms and Jonathan Vilma discuss these teams in the video above
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331321-packers-or-colts-which-nfl-team-has-best-chance-at-a-postseason-road-upset
NFL Conference Championship Rapid-Fire Predictions
With the 2014-15 NFL divisional round in the books, we have a number of questions as we look ahead to the conference championships.
Who will have more receiving yards: Jermaine Kearse or Davante Adams? Will Andrew Luck and Tom Brady throw more than 105 pass attempts combined?
Watch as Adam Lefkoe goes in-depth with Bleacher Report NFL Analyst Chris Simms in the video above.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2327430-nfl-conference-championship-rapid-fire-predictions
NFL Conference Championship Game Picks: Will the Pats and Seahawks Roll?
Riffs, rants, observations and dissenting opinions from the voices in my head about the NFL's Final Four, with a big-picture look at the Patriots' place in history and a microscopic look at what the Packers must do to upset the Seahawks.
Lines for the games, as usual, are courtesy of Odds Shark. Times are Eastern. Unless otherwise stated, all stats are from Football Outsiders' internal database or the firewall-protected, media-only treasure trove NFLGSIS.com.Tom Landry led the Cowboys to the playoffs 18 times in 29 years (62.1 percent success rate). Don Shula led the Dolphins to the postseason 16 times in 26 years (61.5 percent) and did some very important things when coaching the Colts. To find coaches who colonized the playoffs more often than Belichick, you need to turn to civic institutions from an era in which a head coach might take over an expansion team and enjoy six full seasons of sub-.500 football while assembling his roster, or leap straight from Super Bowl glory into the driver's seat of a down-and-out franchise from a rival league.
Landry and Shula are men of Lombardi's time, not our time. And Belichick is still more ubiquitous than they are in the playoffs, from a percentage standpoint, though you can hack out 15-16 season chunks of Landry and Shula's careers (1966-82 for Landry, 1971-85 for Shula) that match Belichick's Patriots run.
Belichick tied Landry for the most playoff wins in NFL history with his 20th last week. His Patriots are a heavy favorite to claim the all-time record outright this week. It was both an impressive accomplishment and an easy one to take for granted.
Every time a Patriots veteran does something good in the playoffs, it establishes a milestone or sets a record. Tom Brady surpassed the career postseason mark for passing yards last week. Brady passed Joe Montana on the all-time postseason touchdown list with 46. Stephen Gostkowski became the seventh kicker in NFL history with 100 postseason points, and Gostkowski isn't even the kicker we think about when we think about Patriots history.
You get the point: The Patriots have been really good for a really long time under Belichick.Playoff familiarity has bred both playoff contempt and playoff complacency. The contempt is understandable. The Patriots are as irritating on the national level as the Landry Cowboys were, with Gronkowski erotica and Brady metrosexuality filling in for disco-dancing Farrah Fawcett-cloned cheerleaders. It does not help that Belichick is the Nixon to Lombardi's apolitical Kennedy. You can play the "Beli-cheat" card if you want—if Shula is doing it, I can't fault anyone else for doing it—but no one really hates the Patriots because of a decade-old scandal. They hate the Patriots because 14 years of success, combined with that Boston-media we win because we are smarter, more righteous or just better than you on some metaphysical level hagiography makes them easy to dislike.
Hating the Patriots is understandable, given the circumstances. Taking them for granted, however, would be a shame. We all had them penciled into this championship game the moment they lost the last championship game, or (at the latest) when they signed Darrelle Revis. Only the opponent is a surprise. Face it, we all went through the motions this season: the manufactured Chicken Little hysteria after the Chiefs loss, the perfunctory New Year's Eve style hoopla after Brady-Manning: The Final Chapter, ho-hum been-there-done-that wins against all the middleweights and divisional rivals.
The Patriots are the spouse who brings home the bacon and fries it up in the pan. But after 15 years, they needed to spice things up. And yes, there is something inherently squicky about this team that leans toward erotic prose.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2329652-nfl-conference-championship-game-picks-will-the-pats-and-seahawks-roll
Lines for the games, as usual, are courtesy of Odds Shark. Times are Eastern. Unless otherwise stated, all stats are from Football Outsiders' internal database or the firewall-protected, media-only treasure trove NFLGSIS.com.Tom Landry led the Cowboys to the playoffs 18 times in 29 years (62.1 percent success rate). Don Shula led the Dolphins to the postseason 16 times in 26 years (61.5 percent) and did some very important things when coaching the Colts. To find coaches who colonized the playoffs more often than Belichick, you need to turn to civic institutions from an era in which a head coach might take over an expansion team and enjoy six full seasons of sub-.500 football while assembling his roster, or leap straight from Super Bowl glory into the driver's seat of a down-and-out franchise from a rival league.
Landry and Shula are men of Lombardi's time, not our time. And Belichick is still more ubiquitous than they are in the playoffs, from a percentage standpoint, though you can hack out 15-16 season chunks of Landry and Shula's careers (1966-82 for Landry, 1971-85 for Shula) that match Belichick's Patriots run.
Belichick tied Landry for the most playoff wins in NFL history with his 20th last week. His Patriots are a heavy favorite to claim the all-time record outright this week. It was both an impressive accomplishment and an easy one to take for granted.
Every time a Patriots veteran does something good in the playoffs, it establishes a milestone or sets a record. Tom Brady surpassed the career postseason mark for passing yards last week. Brady passed Joe Montana on the all-time postseason touchdown list with 46. Stephen Gostkowski became the seventh kicker in NFL history with 100 postseason points, and Gostkowski isn't even the kicker we think about when we think about Patriots history.
You get the point: The Patriots have been really good for a really long time under Belichick.Playoff familiarity has bred both playoff contempt and playoff complacency. The contempt is understandable. The Patriots are as irritating on the national level as the Landry Cowboys were, with Gronkowski erotica and Brady metrosexuality filling in for disco-dancing Farrah Fawcett-cloned cheerleaders. It does not help that Belichick is the Nixon to Lombardi's apolitical Kennedy. You can play the "Beli-cheat" card if you want—if Shula is doing it, I can't fault anyone else for doing it—but no one really hates the Patriots because of a decade-old scandal. They hate the Patriots because 14 years of success, combined with that Boston-media we win because we are smarter, more righteous or just better than you on some metaphysical level hagiography makes them easy to dislike.
Hating the Patriots is understandable, given the circumstances. Taking them for granted, however, would be a shame. We all had them penciled into this championship game the moment they lost the last championship game, or (at the latest) when they signed Darrelle Revis. Only the opponent is a surprise. Face it, we all went through the motions this season: the manufactured Chicken Little hysteria after the Chiefs loss, the perfunctory New Year's Eve style hoopla after Brady-Manning: The Final Chapter, ho-hum been-there-done-that wins against all the middleweights and divisional rivals.
The Patriots are the spouse who brings home the bacon and fries it up in the pan. But after 15 years, they needed to spice things up. And yes, there is something inherently squicky about this team that leans toward erotic prose.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2329652-nfl-conference-championship-game-picks-will-the-pats-and-seahawks-roll
Why John Fox Would Be the Right Coach at the Right Time for Chicago Bears
The Chicago Bears appear to be closing in on the right head coach at the right time.According to Jason Cole of Bleacher Report, the next coaching domino to fall is former Denver Broncos head coach John Fox, who is expected to become the 15th head coach in Bears history. The yet to be completed deal is likely to be finished within the next few days, per Cole's source.
Fox, 59, has been considered the front-runner for Chicago's opening since he and the Broncos went separate ways following Denver's divisional-round loss to the Indianapolis Colts.Over Fox's five years as the Giants defensive coordinator, New York finished in the top 10 in points allowed three times. His defensive work in Carolina turned around the Panthers, who went eight straight years ranking in the top 15 for scoring defense, including four times in the top 10.
Results showed up again in Denver, where the defense carried the Broncos into the postseason in 2011. Fox's defense also ranked second in yards and fourth in points allowed in 2012, and third in yards allowed in 2014.
Overall, Fox has been the defensive coordinator or head coach of a team for 20 seasons. His defenses have ranked in the top 16 in points allowed 15 times.
It will be on new general manager Ryan Pace to give Fox the right pieces to be successful, but his track record speaks for itself. Almost immediate improvement on defense would be assumed.
The only question now is if the Bears could have asked for a better coaching candidate to fall right into their laps.
Fox is experienced, versatile, respected and defensive-minded. He has wins, playoff appearances and conference titles. He's worked with a broad spectrum of quarterbacks and consistently gets the most out of his defense.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2331100-why-john-fox-would-be-the-right-coach-at-the-right-time-for-chicago-bears
Matchups to Watch for NFL Conference Championship Weekend
The NFL is a beautiful game—a dance and chess match all rolled up into one. The moves in the battle of wits on the sidelines and between the chess pieces on the field will provide dramatic theater in the conference championship games this weekend.
Which matchups will go the longest way toward deciding this weekend's games, based on each team's respective strengths and weaknesses? Bleacher Report breaks down the marquee ones with a fine-tooth comb right here.
We get to see the one-year difference between the New England Patriots having Aqib Talib get knocked out of an AFC Championship Game (by Wes Welker last year) versus having one of the best shutdown corners of all time, Darrelle Revis. A Hilton will visit Revis Island—the Indianapolis Colts' T.Y. Hilton, that is.
There is a rematch between the bouncer Rob Gronkowski and the man he "threw out of the club," Sergio Brown. The way the last one turned out, the Colts might want to get Brown's back in that nightclub fight.
We will see how the Seattle Seahawks defense tests the mobility of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his calf injury. It will be much better for Rodgers to have right-side pass-protector Bryan Bulaga healthy this go-around.
And, like every week, seeing how opposing teams try to attack the Seahawks' Legion of Boom with their set of wide receivers is always dramatic. We will see if Richard Sherman gets another NFC championship opportunity to call out "a sorry receiver" like he did with Michael Crabtree a year ago. Be careful of getting put on blast, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams.
Finally, who can stop Beast Mode, other than the media, which have him verbally clammed up? Clay Matthews is the name brand who will try. We cannot wait to watch that one
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2330734-matchups-to-watch-for-nfl-conference-championship-weekend
Which matchups will go the longest way toward deciding this weekend's games, based on each team's respective strengths and weaknesses? Bleacher Report breaks down the marquee ones with a fine-tooth comb right here.
We get to see the one-year difference between the New England Patriots having Aqib Talib get knocked out of an AFC Championship Game (by Wes Welker last year) versus having one of the best shutdown corners of all time, Darrelle Revis. A Hilton will visit Revis Island—the Indianapolis Colts' T.Y. Hilton, that is.
There is a rematch between the bouncer Rob Gronkowski and the man he "threw out of the club," Sergio Brown. The way the last one turned out, the Colts might want to get Brown's back in that nightclub fight.
We will see how the Seattle Seahawks defense tests the mobility of Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and his calf injury. It will be much better for Rodgers to have right-side pass-protector Bryan Bulaga healthy this go-around.
And, like every week, seeing how opposing teams try to attack the Seahawks' Legion of Boom with their set of wide receivers is always dramatic. We will see if Richard Sherman gets another NFC championship opportunity to call out "a sorry receiver" like he did with Michael Crabtree a year ago. Be careful of getting put on blast, Jordy Nelson, Randall Cobb and Davante Adams.
Finally, who can stop Beast Mode, other than the media, which have him verbally clammed up? Clay Matthews is the name brand who will try. We cannot wait to watch that one
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2330734-matchups-to-watch-for-nfl-conference-championship-weekend
Charlotte, Bayley and Latest WWE NXT Developmental News
Charlotte and Bayley, two of WWE NXT's top Divas, are both getting press this week.A respected wrestling magazine gave the NXT women's champ a major award. As for Bayley, she's getting the reward of doing a good deed. She announced that she's leading the charge at a charity event in February.
In other WWE developmental news, NXT will take its show northward for one night, Corey Graves gets extra work and Sasha Banks punched her time card far from Full Sail University.
We begin a Diva-heavy batch of reports with the current queen of that division—Charlotte.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2329577-charlotte-bayley-and-latest-wwe-nxt-developmental-newsed-outside-of-the-ppv
In other WWE developmental news, NXT will take its show northward for one night, Corey Graves gets extra work and Sasha Banks punched her time card far from Full Sail University.
We begin a Diva-heavy batch of reports with the current queen of that division—Charlotte.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2329577-charlotte-bayley-and-latest-wwe-nxt-developmental-newsed-outside-of-the-ppv
Remembering the Royal Rumble Matches That Occurred Outside of the PPV
The wild, massive Royal Rumble match has existed outside of the pay-per-view that goes by the same name.
WWE, like the wrestling industry as a whole, writes its own history. The history that WWE so often recounts says that the 2015 event will be the 28th time the Rumble bout will take place and that Jim Duggan won the first edition of the match back in 1988.
In reality, St. Louis hosted the first Rumble, a match that wasn't even televised.Other lesser-known versions of the clash happened at house shows and in the Far East, crowning the only woman to win a Rumble and giving Undertaker his second win. Some of them felt like Rumble-lites, while others shared the same scale of the real deal but with the victor celebrating in the darkness of obscurity
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2329578-remembering-the-royal-rumble-matches-that-occurred-outside-of-the-ppv
WWE NXT Results: Winners, Grades, Reaction and Highlights from January 14, 2015
WWE NXT wasted little time demonstrating why it is the best wrestling show on television, regardless of whether it is on Wednesday or Thursday night, with a phenomenal broadcast headlined by Sami Zayn defending his NXT Championship against Adrian Neville.
The two delivered a classic at Takeover: R Evolution, and expectations were reasonably high for the rematch.
Zayn and Neville did not disappoint.Elsewhere on the program, Finn Balor battled Tyson Kidd in singles competition to kick off the evening's festivities. One look at the talent involved would seem to indicate an extraordinary contest.
They, too, would not disappoint.After weeks of dominating the opposition, Bull Dempsey and Baron Corbin faced off in singles match. Rounding out the card was Divas tag action pitting Charlotte and Natalya against Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch.
The most electric brand in WWE delivered another can't-miss show.For all that went down, including grades and analysis for each match, click the little "next" button to the right
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2330443-wwe-nxt-results-winners-grades-reaction-and-highlights-from-january-14-2015
The two delivered a classic at Takeover: R Evolution, and expectations were reasonably high for the rematch.
Zayn and Neville did not disappoint.Elsewhere on the program, Finn Balor battled Tyson Kidd in singles competition to kick off the evening's festivities. One look at the talent involved would seem to indicate an extraordinary contest.
They, too, would not disappoint.After weeks of dominating the opposition, Bull Dempsey and Baron Corbin faced off in singles match. Rounding out the card was Divas tag action pitting Charlotte and Natalya against Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch.
The most electric brand in WWE delivered another can't-miss show.For all that went down, including grades and analysis for each match, click the little "next" button to the right
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2330443-wwe-nxt-results-winners-grades-reaction-and-highlights-from-january-14-2015
Daniel Bryan Exclusive: On His Injury, Style Change and Return to WWE SmackDown
Undersized, outmuscled and lacking the seemingly requisite tan, Daniel Bryan, though obviously talented, didn't appear to have the skill set needed to survive in wrestling's major leagues. While his gift for constructing incredible matches in the ring guaranteed him a spot on the roster, he was relegated to the middle of the card. An immense talent—but one too flawed to make the perilous climb to the top.
But a funny thing happened on his path to being just another guy. Along the way, Bryan managed to connect with fans in a way few have in the modern history of the industry. Routinely, night after night, Bryan received the most consistently positive response, bigger, louder and more robust even than wrestlers presented as much bigger deals on television.
In time, WWE took note. At WrestleMania 30, Bryan triumphed against all odds, in both storyline and real life, to become WWE champion.
In May of 2014, however, just as his story was getting started, Bryan was forced out of action with a lingering neck injury. A surgery that was supposed to keep him on the shelf for eight weeks kept him at home for eight long months instead.
On Thursday, he makes his much anticipated return to Syfy, main eventing WWE SmackDown as the popular cable show moves to a new night. Bleacher Report caught up with him for an exclusive interview about what exactly happened and what is to come.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2329192-daniel-bryan-exclusive-on-his-injury-style-change-and-return-to-wwe-smackdown
But a funny thing happened on his path to being just another guy. Along the way, Bryan managed to connect with fans in a way few have in the modern history of the industry. Routinely, night after night, Bryan received the most consistently positive response, bigger, louder and more robust even than wrestlers presented as much bigger deals on television.
In time, WWE took note. At WrestleMania 30, Bryan triumphed against all odds, in both storyline and real life, to become WWE champion.
In May of 2014, however, just as his story was getting started, Bryan was forced out of action with a lingering neck injury. A surgery that was supposed to keep him on the shelf for eight weeks kept him at home for eight long months instead.
On Thursday, he makes his much anticipated return to Syfy, main eventing WWE SmackDown as the popular cable show moves to a new night. Bleacher Report caught up with him for an exclusive interview about what exactly happened and what is to come.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2329192-daniel-bryan-exclusive-on-his-injury-style-change-and-return-to-wwe-smackdown
Ryan Dilbert's 10-Count: WWE Is Failing the Ascension
Someone please remind WWE and John "Bradshaw" Layfield what a squash match is meant to do.Newcomers rolling over no-name enhancement talent as a means to introduce them is a time-honored tradition. This kind of match portrays the rookie as a dangerous force. It gives him a tomato can to crush before moving on to bigger challenges.
For some reason, The Ascension's dominance is instead being treated with indignation.JBL, in particular, is dismissing Viktor and Konnor's accomplishments. He scoffs at the lack of competition in front of them rather than tell us how wowed he is by their dominance.
On Tuesday's Main Event, The Ascension took on another pair of jobbers and won easily. JBL shrugged it off, saying "It's easy to beat up a punching bag."
When Tom Phillips tried to blame The Authority for not giving The Ascension tougher opponents, JBL implied it was Viktor and Konnor who were choosing inferior foes.
That's the exact opposite of selling the former NXT tag champs to the crowd. Why make them look like cowards when you can portray them as overpowering beasts? Why discount the damage they are doing in the ring?
Compare how the announcers have treated The Ascension with how WWE handled Razor Ramon's jobber-crushing. In his WWE debut, he faced the same kind of little-known grappler that The Ascension has faced so far.
Mr. Perfect and Vince McMahon spent much of the match blown away.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2329580-ryan-dilberts-10-count-wwe-is-failing-the-ascension
For some reason, The Ascension's dominance is instead being treated with indignation.JBL, in particular, is dismissing Viktor and Konnor's accomplishments. He scoffs at the lack of competition in front of them rather than tell us how wowed he is by their dominance.
On Tuesday's Main Event, The Ascension took on another pair of jobbers and won easily. JBL shrugged it off, saying "It's easy to beat up a punching bag."
When Tom Phillips tried to blame The Authority for not giving The Ascension tougher opponents, JBL implied it was Viktor and Konnor who were choosing inferior foes.
That's the exact opposite of selling the former NXT tag champs to the crowd. Why make them look like cowards when you can portray them as overpowering beasts? Why discount the damage they are doing in the ring?
Compare how the announcers have treated The Ascension with how WWE handled Razor Ramon's jobber-crushing. In his WWE debut, he faced the same kind of little-known grappler that The Ascension has faced so far.
Mr. Perfect and Vince McMahon spent much of the match blown away.
Source http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2329580-ryan-dilberts-10-count-wwe-is-failing-the-ascension
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