Here List of Free Channels For Copa America 2015 Live Streaming
Xbox Live, YouTube:
Worldwide live streaming all matches of Copa América. Blocked in certain territories including the UK. Xbox Live stream available via various third party apps (e.g. Sling TV app in the United States)
DirecTV Sports, ESPN
In Latin America DirecTV broadcast live all matches of Copa America. ESPN broadcast highlights.
TyC Sports, TV Pública:
In Argentina All matches live on TyC Sports. Some matches Live on TV Pública.
Bolivia TV , Cotas Cable TV, Tigo Star:
In Bolivia, Bolivia TV will only broadcast Bolivia matches. Cotas Cable TV, Tigo Star and others with license from Sport Tv Rights will broadcast all matches.
Rede Globo, SporTV:
In Brazil Rede Globo will only broadcast Brazil matches. SporTV will broadcast all matches.
Canal 13 and TVN:
In Chile Broadcast live on Canal 13 and TVN with all matches.
Caracol Televisión:
It will broadcast all matches live in Colombia.
Gama TV and TC Televisión:
In Ecuador All matches live on Gama TV and TC Televisión.
Here List Of Premium Broadcasters For Copa America 2015 Live Streaming
beIN Sports, Kompas TV, Media Prima, Televisa, TV Azteca, Tigo Sports, Telefuturo, América Televisión, Channel 10, Teledoce, Venevisión and Premier Sports.
Worldwide live streaming of Copa America on youtube
beinsports (US & South America Only)
BBC (Europe Only)
Tensports live streaming of Copa America (India Only)
Free live streaming of Copa America on Sony Six (Maldives, Singapore, Hong Kong & Sri Lanka)
Monday, 15 June 2015
Saturday, 17 January 2015
WWE Royal Rumble 2015: Most Underwhelming Superstars in History of Battle Royal
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
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
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
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