News sport : The Rivals recruiting rankings of the top teams from 2010-2014

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With National Signing Day approaching on Wednesday, we wanted to see how teams performed relative to their recruiting rankings.


Recruiting, as we know, is an inexact science. There are many stories of five-star recruits not becoming the college stars we thought they would be and one and two-star recruits becoming high NFL draft picks.


And ranking a team's annual performance relative to its recruiting rankings is an inexact science too. There are transfers and early departures. And on the whole, freshmen classes don't contribute to a team as much as a junior and senior classes.


With that up front, we'll admit that this post is not a definitive guide. However, it does give us a chance to identify which teams outperform their Rivals recruiting rankings and which teams underperform and what the possible reasons are for the over and underachieving. As you'll see below, the biggest underperformers are very recognizable.


We used the final AP poll rankings for the past five seasons including the 2014 season. We then went and found the four-year composite of those teams' Rivals.com rankings. So for the 2014 Ohio State Buckeyes, we used the rankings from the 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014 recruiting classes. We took the average of those four rankings and then compared it to the AP poll rank. The difference is shown in the "Difference" column.


Let's start with 2010.


2010




TCU's overachievement gives us our first indicator of a possible trend. You'll see that the best overachievers relative to average Rivals recruiting rankings are teams not in a Power Five conference (TCU didn't join the Big 12 until 2012). And it's not fair to Alabama to say the Tide "underachieved" because as you'll see over the last five years, it's basically impossible for Alabama to "overachieve."


Notable teams that didn't finish in the top 25 with strong four-year averages are Florida (Average Rivals rank of 4.25), USC (4.25), Texas (6.75) and Tennessee (14.25). You'll also notice that these four teams have a significant discrepancy between their recruiting ranking success and their on-field success. And that they've all gone through coaching changes recently and one has had NCAA penalties. We don't think those are coincidences.


2011




See, we told you it was hard for Alabama to overachieve. Kansas State is the best team in the Power Five conferences relative to its Rivals rank, but that's because Bill Snyder is a wizard. Boise State holds the non-Power Five mantle while Houston is a close second. Their common denominator? Great quarterbacks. Boise State had Kellen Moore while Houston had Case Keenum.


Teams with great average recruiting rankings outside the top 25 were Auburn (12.5), Texas (6.25) and Florida (7). We promise we're not doing this to spite you, Gator and Longhorn fans.


2012




All hail Chuckie Keeton. Utah State crazily outperformed its average as Keeton was first team All-WAC as a sophomore. San Jose State is up there because of, you guessed it, a good quarterback. The Spartans had David Fales while NIU had Jordan Lynch. And hey, Texas and Florida are in the top 25!


Our underachievers in 2012 are headlined, predictably, by USC (4). Also on the list are Auburn (10) and Miami (19).


2013




You'll notice Wisconsin is a consistent overachiever. So is Missouri, as this is the second of three appearances for the Tigers with a solid performance relative to its Rivals rank. UCF takes the non-Power Five mantle with help from Blake Bortles and seven teams with Rivals rankings higher than their AP ranks in 2013 is the most of these five seasons.


The teams outside the top 25 with great recruiting marks are headlined by, you guessed it, Florida (5.25) and Texas (7.25).


2014




Georgia Tech's differential looks non-Power Five-like while Kansas State is there again being Kansas State. Memphis officially leads the non-Power Five teams after its Miami Beach Bowl win over BYU.


Yes, Florida (6.75) and Texas (11.5) are outside the top 25 again. They're joined by LSU (8) and Notre Dame (11) along with Tennessee (14). All four of those teams struggled with quarterback play in 2014.


It's not a surprising coincidence. You'll see that in a lot of cases of extreme differential among these teams that quarterback performance correlates with the differential. Recruiting rankings can give us a pretty good idea of a team's future success – you'll see that there aren't a lot of big differences throughout the charts. But the performance of a quarterback helps immensely.


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Nick Bromberg is the assistant editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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Ghana, Ivory Coast eye final showdown

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Ghana and Ivory Coast start as overwhelming favourites to set up a mouthwatering African Nations Cup final.


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Bata - Neighbours Ghana and Ivory Coast start as overwhelming favourites to set up a mouthwatering African Nations Cup final but must first get past semi-final opponents who have exceeded expectations.


Ivory Coast take on Democratic Republic of Congo in the first semi in Bata on Wednesday, followed a day later by Ghana's meeting with hosts Equatorial Guinea in Malabo.


Ghana and the Ivorians boast heavyweight squads, in terms of experience, ability and profile, plus a pedigree that makes them hot favourites for Sunday's final in Bata.


It is Ghana's fifth successive appearance in the last four while the Ivorians have reached the semi-finals four times in the last six tournaments.


But both ties are likely to be anything but routine assignments.


Equatorial Guinea have taken a fairytale route to the last four, albeit with the assistance of some soft penalties which has taken some of the shine off their performance.


But the wonder free kick from Javier Balboa that won them a controversial quarter-final in extra time over Tunisia on Saturday served as a reminder of their potential, particularly with the home crowd behind them.


It will be the first game for Equatorial Guinea in their capital after four successive matches in Bata where the stadium has a larger capacity and generates more of the intense atmosphere that has helped the home team ride a wave of home support.


Opponents Ghana were devastating in beating Guinea 3-0 in their quarter-final on Sunday with cleverly created goals but did see captain Asamoah Gyan hurt in a disgraceful tackle right at the end of the game.


He is now doubtful for Thursday's match.


Two goals from Wilfred Bony helped Ivory Coast beat Algeria 3-1 on Sunday although they admitted they had been overshadowed by their opponents. “I think we have beaten the best team in the tournament,” said Ivorian coach Herve Renard after victory in Malabo.


Democratic Republic of Congo got four goals in a stunning comeback against Congo in their quarter-final triumph on Saturday, marking their first win at the finals since 2006.


They have had years of mediocre returns. They squeezed through the group phase after drawing all three of their matches and only qualified for the tournament as the best third placed side.


But their recent resume does include a sensational 4-3 win in Abidjan in October over the Ivorians in the qualifiers which will serve as a reminder of their ability to produce shock results.


Reuters






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Fifa to decide on 4th sub in extra time

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Fifa's rule makers could decide this month to let teams use a fourth substitute in extra time.


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Zurich - Fifa's rule makers could decide this month to let teams use a fourth substitute in extra time.


The idea could take effect in July if the proposal is passed at a meeting of the International Football Association Board, known as IFAB, in Northern Ireland on Feb. 28.


Designed to help teams cope with tired and injured players in the extra 30 minutes of play, the plan has been supported by World Cup-winning Germany coach Joachim Loew.


It's the most high-profile decision set to be taken by IFAB, which will also begin discussions about the potential use of video replays to aid refereeing discussions. Fifa President Sepp Blatter surprised IFAB members in Brazil when he launched that idea last June at the governing body's congress in Sao Paulo.


Other items of discussion included on the agenda released Monday includes whether to relax a “triple punishment” rule where a defender can make a challenge that results in a penalty kick, a red card and suspension. A proposal by the US Soccer Federation could change the way stoppage time is calculated, by giving the fourth officials their own match clock to advise referees and give a more accurate estimate.


Other ongoing talks and trials include “sin bins” in youth football to sideline players for several minutes as a replacement for some red-card offenses.


IFAB includes delegates from the four British football associations and Fifa. Since last year, it takes advice from panels of technical and football experts selected from across the world.


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Rodgers wants Coutinho goals

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Philippe Coutinho has agreed a long-term Liverpool deal, with Brendan Rodgers predicting he will become world-class.


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London - Philippe Coutinho has agreed a long-term Liverpool deal, with Brendan Rodgers predicting he will become world-class.


The Brazil midfielder arrived at Anfield in the January transfer window two years ago and has now signed a contract which takes him through to 2020. He set up both goals in Liverpool’s 2-0 win over West Ham on Saturday and it has prompted manager Rodgers to liken his qualities to those of Real Madrid’s Luka Modric.


Rodgers recognises that Coutinho needs to improve his goalscoring form - he has scored just twice this season - but believes the 22-year-old has the potential to blossom into one of the top performers in the Barclays Premier League.


“You see his quality in his two assists at the weekend,” said Rodgers. “They were sublime. The first pass was incredible invention.


“If you look at Modric, he doesn’t have a big goalscoring record but he is a world-class player. He is a continuity player and gets the odd goal from outside the box.


“If he can improve his goalscoring, Coutinho will be getting into the bracket of being world-class.”


Liverpool are still hoping to sign a pre-contract agreement for Burnley striker Danny Ings.


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Who signed who in Europe

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Transfers, loans and permanent moves where the order of the day as teams scrambled to make signings before deadline.


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London - Juan Mata ignores the Man United press office and announces Anderson’s apparent departure on his blog. “I want to wish good luck to my friend Anderson, who is back to his native Brazil,” writes United’s new chief reporter.


Chelsea unveil the worst-kept secret of the transfer window - the signing of Colombian winger Cuadrado from Fiorentina in a £27million deal.


Jermaine Jenas tries his hand at deadline day reporting by confirming live on BBC Radio 5 Live that his former Spurs team-mate Aaron Lennon is in talks with Everton over a loan move.


QPR owner Tony Fernandes: “No more cheque book. Bought all the players manager asked for in summer.” Don’t count on it...


Turns out you need to be on the guest list to play in the Bundesliga. Andre Schurrle’s name appears on what seems to be an official list of German transfers to be sealed on deadline day.


Macclesfield reveal they are working on a big deal: “Talks had stalled but we have made big promises for the future . . . “


After a fairly quiet start, finally a major deal. Robert Huth swaps Stoke for Leicester on loan.


YaKubu joins Reading until the end of the season before Crawley reveal they are close to a star signing and have included the chairman’s parking spot in the deal.


Bafetimbi Gomis confirms chairman Huw Jenkins’s earlier position that he will not be sold: “I have decided to stay with Swansea”. Swans fans breathe a sigh of relief.


Minutes before the German window shuts, Sportsmail confirms Schurrle is on his way to Wolfsburg. In London, his replacement Juan Cuadrado starts his in-house media duties with Chelsea ahead of his move.


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News sport : Giancarlo Stanton prepares to wear protective guard on helmet

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(Getty Images)

Giancarlo Stanton will have a slightly different look when he steps to the plate for the Marlins in 2015.


After sustaining several facial fractures and dental damage when he was hit in the face with a fastball in a game on September 11, Stanton told Peter Gammons on the MLB Network that he will wear a protective guard on his helmet when he returns to the diamond for spring training. The plan is for the 25-year-old outfielder to use the guard all season, as long as it doesn't mess with his comfort or vision in the batter's box.


The rather gruesome injuries he suffered kept him out of the lineup for the final couple weeks of the season. The long recovery process, which actually isn't entirely complete and requires a couple more procedures, doesn't appear to have impeded Stanton's offseason training at all.


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Cardinals outfielder Jason Heyward has been wearing a similar face mask for over a year now after breaking his jaw in 2013. According to MLB.com, Stanton has been in touch with Heyward to talk about his experience using the mask.


The Marlins signed Stanton to a record 13-year, $325 million contract extension in November and the organization is unsurprisingly supportive of their star slugger taking the safe route.


"There's no concerns on our part," said Marlins president of baseball operations Michael Hill. "We've worked closely with Giancarlo and the helmet manufacturer. He will wear a half-cage to protect the injured area. He's worked out with it."


With the start of spring training now less than three weeks away, the best news is that one of the game's best hitters is healthy and looks ready to get back to smashing baseballs a very long way very soon.


More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:





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Israel Fehr is a writer for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him at israelfehr@yahoo.ca or follow him on Twitter.






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News sport : Jarrett Jack's last-second jumper propels Nets past Clippers

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Jarrett Jack entered Monday's matchup with the Los Angeles Clippers coming off a career-high 35-point performance in Friday's loss to the Toronto Raptors. He wasn't nearly as productive at Barclays Center on Monday, but the Brooklyn Nets' veteran point guard found the range on his jumper in the nick of time:


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With just 8.6 seconds remaining and the score knotted at 100, the 10-year vet took an inbounds pass from returning Brooklyn point guard Deron Williams and curled to the top of the key. Jack took a high screen from center Brook Lopez that prompted Clippers defender Chris Paul to switch, leaving Los Angeles big man DeAndre Jordan matched up one-on-one with Jack high above the 3-point arc. Jack got Jordan off-balance with a left-to-right crossover, then stutter-stepped his way to the right elbow before raising up and firing a midrange jumper over Jordan's outstretched arms. Splash. 102-100 Nets, timeout Clippers.


All-Star shooting guard Klay Thompson seemed to dig his former teammate Golden State Warriors teammate's big-spot shakedown:



Doc Rivers' club had a chance to respond on the other end, but what they came up with looked more like a question than an answer:



I'm not entirely sure what the plan was there — whether Spencer Hawes was supposed to try to hit CP3 in the corner, whether the Matt Barnes basket cut was the primary option, or something else entirely. Whatever the case was, it seemed like an awful lot to ask in 1.3 seconds.


As it turned out, L.A. didn't even get a field-goal attempt off, sealing a two-point loss that gave the Clippers just their second loss in nine games, dropping them to 33-16, six games behind the Pacific Division- and Western Conference-leading Warriors.


It's a pretty brutal loss for the Clippers, considering they led by nine with 1:35 second remaining, only to see Brooklyn storm back and close the game on a 15-4 run thanks to timely long-range shooting from several sources. Lionel Hollins got big late triples from Williams (who finished with 15 points, three rebounds and three assists in 29 minutes in his first action back after missing 11 games with a rib cartilage fracture), Joe Johnson (22 points on 8-for-13 shooting and 4-for-6 from 3-point land, including a deep contested 3 with 48 seconds left after missing a pair of free throws) and, most notably, journeyman swingman Alan Anderson, who scored seven points in the final 95 seconds, including this improbable go-ahead four-point play with 15 ticks left:



After Anderson drained his and-one to put the Nets up 100-98, Paul came right back and drove for a layup that tied the game back up at 100, setting the stage for Jack's closing-seconds heroics. He hadn't had much luck with his start-and-stop midrange game earlier in the night, missing eight of his 10 shots to that point, but he made it work when it counted.


"Man, to be honest, I have to give all the credit to my coach and my teammates," Jack said during a post-game interview with YES Network's Sarah Kustok. "To have the confidence in me to put the ball in my hands in that particular moment, especially when I wasn't having the best shooting night tonight ... you know, I just felt it was necessary that I come up big for my team."


And to do so on a pretty tough look, too — check out just how close Jordan was on his contest:



Despite Jordan's best efforts, Jack found paydirt. He finished with six points, seven rebounds, seven assists, two steals and just two turnovers in a team-high 40 minutes in the win, which snapped a four-game overall losing streak and a seven-game skid at Barclays. This was the Nets' first home win in 2015, which seemed to please CEO Brett Yormark greatly:



Lopez scored a team-high 24 points on 12-for-20 shooting to go with seven rebounds in 37 minutes off the bench for Brooklyn, who improved to 19-28 on the season but remain a game and a half back of the Charlotte Hornets, who were also victorious on Monday, for the No. 8 seed in the East.


For the Clippers, though, it's a dire night, one filled with woulda-coulda-shouldas, headlined by the agony and ecstasy of Jordan.


The 6-foot-11 center soared for slams and bullied Brooklyn on the boards to the tune of 22 points and 20 rebounds — the first 20-20 game of his seven-year career — but he also missed 10 free throws, including his first eight, finishing just 2-for-12 from the charity stripe on the evening. The Clippers missed 17 free throws as a team (8-for-25 total) and five in the fourth quarter in a game they lost by two. When you leave that many points on the table, you leave the door open for your opposition; on Monday night, Jack and the Nets had just enough left in the tank at the end to walk through it and snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.


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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!



Stay connected with Ball Don't Lie on Twitter @YahooBDL, "Like" BDL on Facebook and follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr for year-round NBA talk, jokes and more.






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News sport : Shutdown Corner NFL Power Rankings: Way-too-early ranks for 2015

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And the long wait begins.


At least the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks gave us a classic Super Bowl to remember over the long seven months that await before we get another competitive football game. The fans of 30 other teams had started thinking about the 2015 season a while ago.


To help pass the time through the combine, draft, free agency, training camp and preseason, here are the way-too-early NFL power rankings heading into the offseason. Think of it as a snapshot of where each team is at the moment, with a few guesses as to free agents re-signed, draft picks made and whether certain future Hall of Fame quarterbacks will come back for another year.


It will change dramatically over the next few months. But why not have some fun? It’ll be a long time before we have actual football again. So here are the insanely early 2015 NFL power rankings:


32. Tennessee Titans

Will they grab a quarterback with the second pick? Jameis Winston and Marcus Mariota have (much different) flaws. Zach Mettenberger showed some good things as a rookie. Whatever they do, they need to resist the urge to make a trade offer for Jay Cutler.


31. Washington Redskins

Just copy and paste all the “Can Robert Griffin improve if he stays healthy?” stuff from last offseason. Nobody knows who the quarterback will be. And after one year of Jay Gruden, we can probably bet on an in-season change or five being made at the position anyway.


30. Jacksonville Jaguars

Blake Bortles (Getty Images) Blake Bortles didn’t have the rookie season everyone in Jacksonville hoped for, but you saw glimpses of the talent. Year two is enormous for him, just to show the franchise it has the right quarterback going forward. They also have a massive amount of cap space to help him in free agency.


29. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

They’ll choose a quarterback with the top pick, you’d assume, even if Lovie Smith has an odd fascination with Josh McCown. No idea what to say about them. There’s a lot of talent, and that meant absolutely nothing last year.


28. Oakland Raiders

Even with draft hits Derek Carr and Khalil Mack, there’s still a ton of work to do on the roster. General manager Reggie McKenzie had probably the worst free-agent period for any GM in NFL history (most cap room in NFL history and not one free agent signee who helps the franchise long term ... that's an almost impossible combination). They have to find a way to do better this time. A lot better. Then we can talk about moving them up.


27. Chicago Bears

Tough to say what the Bears will do with Jay Cutler. The smart move is to get out of the contract if anyone is willing to give them a "get out of jail free" card. But teams rarely make smart moves when it comes to middle-of-the-road quarterbacks.


26. Atlanta Falcons

A lot of people thought this team had the best roster of all the teams that made a change at head coach (not including Denver). I don’t really see it. Matt Ryan is good. Julio Jones is great. Who are their other blue-chip players?


25. New York Giants

It’s no guarantee that Victor Cruz returns to his old form. But if he does, he and Odell Beckham are a lethal 1-2 combination. It will be interesting to see what they do with free agent-to-be Jason Pierre-Paul, their fantastically talented defensive end.


24. Cleveland Browns

Johnny Manziel, Justin Gilbert and Josh Gordon were supposed to be foundation players. Instead, there are serious questions about all three of them. The Browns just seem cursed. The major question this offseason is what to do at quarterback, and given that Manziel has checked himself into a treatment facility, can Cleveland let Brian Hoyer walk? This is a team that needs to hit on both first-round picks this year.


23. New Orleans Saints

Last year their depth was hit because of salary-cap woes. Those cap woes are even worse this year. They knew this day was coming, and it’ll be about minimizing damage.


22. New York Jets

I like the Todd Bowles hire a lot. The defense will be good. I just have no idea what they can do at quarterback.


21. Houston Texans

Have we gotten a decent explanation yet why the Texans didn’t draft Derek Carr? Or why they weren’t the team to move up for Teddy Bridgewater? Are they waiting for the next Andrew Luck to come along before picking a quarterback?


20. St. Louis Rams

At some point all of this talent has to produce more than a few quality wins and a ton of disappointing losses. They’re another team that could use a quarterback. Best of luck finding a good one.


19. Minnesota Vikings

Teddy Bridgewater (USA Today Sports Images) They will be a popular 2015 sleeper. There’s a lot of young talent and a quarterback in Teddy Bridgewater who seems to have a bright future. Now we just have to see what happens with Adrian Peterson.


18. Kansas City Chiefs

Stating the obvious: They’re not going very far with those receivers. The good news is they have a lot of other pieces. Losing Justin Houston in free agency would hurt though.


17. Buffalo Bills

Just like the Jets: great coaching hire in Rex Ryan, a defense that’s going to be fantastic, and not a lot of hope at quarterback.


16. Carolina Panthers

The Panthers are finally emerging from salary-cap hell and could be a player in free agency again. Maybe that means they’ll finally help Cam Newton.


15. San Francisco 49ers

I just don’t see how they’re better off without Jim Harbaugh. There might be less drama in the office, and that’s great if that’s their goal. If the goal is winning, then I’m not so sure.


14. San Diego Chargers

The disappointing finish is tough, but a lot of key pieces return. Maybe with better health in 2015 and a key free agent or two, the Chargers can challenge for the AFC West.


13. Miami Dolphins

I believe in what they’re building. Ryan Tannehill’s improvement this year didn’t get nearly enough attention in a league that saw so many young quarterbacks slide. With a good offseason they could return to the playoffs.


12. Cincinnati Bengals

It was just a Pro Bowl, but it was also impossible not to notice how little confidence Andy Dalton has right now. In a game that features no defense he couldn’t complete a pass. Maybe that means nothing, but it also didn’t surprise anyone either.


11. Philadelphia Eagles

I know there’s probably a plug-and-play attitude with the Eagles’ offense, but that rarely works in the NFL. They might need to find a way to bring back receiver Jeremy Maclin. They need corners and pass rushers, but those won’t come cheap.


10. Baltimore Ravens

I think they’ll miss Gary Kubiak, who did a great job with the offense. There’s some concern that many of their key pieces are getting up there in age, but this franchise is a great model of consistency.


9. Detroit Lions

Ndamukong Suh (USA Today Sports Images) I think, somehow, the Lions manage to bring back Ndamukong Suh. And I know this was probably last year’s blurb, but all that talent has to pay off big one of these years, right?


8. Arizona Cardinals

While it’s a big leap to assume Carson Palmer is back to his normal self after ACL surgery (he took a long time to recover from his first one, and some would argue he never totally did), the Cardinals are a dangerous team if he is. They do need to figure out the Larry Fitzgerald situation, however. It’s hard to believe he comes back at his scheduled $23.6 million cap number.


7. Denver Broncos

I think Peyton Manning comes back. But what does that really mean? Can he play like the Manning from the first half of 2014? It’s also no small thing that receiver Demaryius Thomas and tight end Julius Thomas are set to hit free agency.


6. Indianapolis Colts

It just feels like they’re one monster draft from becoming a real championship contender. Andrew Luck is just going to keep getting better.


5. Pittsburgh Steelers

We’ll see big changes on the defense, with coordinator Dick LeBeau gone and with the future of veterans like Troy Polamalu up in the air. But the offense is going to be tremendous, though they need tailback depth. There’s no point in having Le’Veon Bell wear himself out playing every snap.


4. Dallas Cowboys

I think Dez Bryant returns. I have no idea on DeMarco Murray, but I don’t know if anyone will pay him enough to pry him from the Cowboys. If both come back, I don’t have any reason to believe they’ll regress too much.


3. Green Bay Packers

NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers is still in his prime, so they’ll be in the mix again next year. And probably for the next five or so years. They will need to re-sign receiver Randall Cobb, who can become a free agent.


2. Seattle Seahawks

I think they figure it out and bring Marshawn Lynch back, even with Russell Wilson getting his big contract extension. This is still a young team. They could use a true No. 1 receiver, but that’s not easy to find.


1. New England Patriots

No real reason to move them out of this spot, as long as Bill Belichick and Tom Brady are around. The Patriots will have to try to find a way to bring back cornerback Darrelle Revis. Even if they can’t, you have to assume the organization will have an answer.


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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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Jose and Frank are no longer best pals

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In the tunnel at Stamford Bridge, it was easy to think back to the time when Jose Mourinho and Frank Lampard were best pals.


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London - In the tunnel at Stamford Bridge on Saturday, it was easy to reminisce and think back to the time when Jose Mourinho told Frank Lampard he had become the world’s greatest player.


The sad thing about these two, texting buddies when Mourinho was at Inter Milan and Real Madrid, is that they appear to have lost touch. Sometimes life moves on, too quickly in this case.


There was an uneasy handshake with Chelsea’s manager, some skin on skin as Lampard settled into the visitors’ technical area before the 1-1 draw, but it was not the same.


“I don’t want to try to say that there’s any issue at all,” admitted Lampard after his 13-minute appearance as a substitute for Manchester City.


“I got a text at Christmas, I texted him back. We spoke in the dressing room, “How’s the family?,” the usual.


“We are grown men, you know what I mean? We are at different football clubs. I’m sure we are big enough that none of this is going to get in the way of our relationship and how we are personally.


“We remain close. This is football, it’s sport and I haven’t spoken to him that much recently.


“I don’t think there’s room for bitterness and if there is then I’ll deal with that down the line.”


Lampard dealt with his return to Stamford Bridge in the way that anyone who has come across him during his professional career would expect him to: unruffled, polite, respectful and courteous.


There were a few dissenting voices at Stamford Bridge when he appeared as a 77th-minute substitute for the champions but his return home went as well could be expected.


In the end, after these title rivals went away with a point each, Lampard went into the Chelsea dressing room to share some memories of the three Barclays Premier League titles, four FA Cups and the Champions League that they won together in Chelsea’s golden era.


“It was lovely to get that reception at the end from the fans,” he added. “I really appreciate that and I’m a lucky boy.


“I was nervous in general, to come here and be part of the away team is a bit nerve-wracking.


“I went in the dressing room afterwards and saw all the people behind the scenes, loads of faces, it was brilliant.”


Lampard still has the drive and the desire to add another Premier League title before he leaves City at the end of the season to move to New York City.


This result, if not the performance, suited leaders Chelsea and Manuel Pellegrini’s team have their work cut out to retain the Premier League. Five points is a lot of ground to make up.


“Chelsea finished the first half of the season with 45 points, so it could be 90 or more,” admitted Pellegrini.


“Of course the more points we drop the more difficult it is. We have to close a gap of five points, so it’s important not to drop more points. But I’m sure all the teams will drop points.”


There is rarely any conviction or authority in Pellegrini’s voice, but he knows what it takes to win the title after his side saw off the challenge of Liverpool last season.


Lampard has been there before and although his loyalty to Chelsea remains rock-solid, there were signs on Saturday that there is some genuine affection for City.


He agreed with the reaction of City’s dressing room - they were convinced they should have won this game. Lampard’s assessment was about right.


“In terms of chances in the first half, City were the stronger team and possession-wise in the second half,” he said.


“The result is probably better for Chelsea in terms of the league. We were in the dressing room there feeling that we probably might have won the game.


“It kind of leaves a nice balance. You lose that game and some people would write you off. This keeps the league ticking over.


“The race is on and you are talking about the two best teams in the country.”


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News sport : LSU celebrates former WR Odell Beckham with Times Square billboard

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LSU isn’t wasting any time, especially with National Signing Day right around the corner, touting the professional accomplishments of one of its own.


So the school bought a billboard in Times Square recognizing former receiver Odell Beckham Jr., who was named the NFL’s Rookie of the Year this past weekend.




Beckham, who missed the start of the NFL season because of injury, finished with 91 catches for 1,305 yards and 12 touchdowns.


Beckham was a third-team All-American and a first and second-team All-SEC player at LSU in 2013 as both a receiver and kick returner. He finished his final collegiate season with 57 receptions for 1,117 yards and eight touchdowns.


For more LSU news, visit TigerBait.com.


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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!


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News sport : A humorless Flip Saunders claims that Kevin Love never found his trolling video funny

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Everybody seemed to love it. It wasn’t the most biting piece of satire we’ve ever seen, but for the typically benign offerings that NBA team promotional arms are usually forced into making in order not to offend, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Kevin Love-less promo video in anticipation of his return to Minnesota as a Cleveland Cavalier was a cut above.


If you haven’t seen it, watch:



Yes, the return of Mike Miller – a former Timberwolf who spent just one disappointing season in Minnesota on a lottery-bound team, a current Cavalier that barely plays for Cleveland and (sadly) plays poorly when he does see time.


Kevin Love even thought the video was “hilarious,” and it and the (relatively mild) boos didn’t seem to trip the Cavalier forward as he worked his way to 14 points and 17 rebounds in his winning return to Minnesota.


Timberwolves coach and president Flip Saunders? He was a little haughtier, in his reaction. From Chris Haynes at Northeast Ohio Media Group:



"I didn't know about it," Saunders said. "I didn't approve of it. I think as an organization, we should be above that. We have to acknowledge that Kevin, when he was here, he was a great player for us. He was an All-Star, won an Olympic gold medal, did a lot of positive things.”



Oh, come off it Flip.


It was a joke. Everyone knew it was a joke last Thursday, two full days before Love came to town. The video wasn’t met to deny Love’s accomplishments as a member of the Timberwolves in the slightest, as anyone with a smartphone and Wikipedia know-how can look those up in an instant from inside the Target Center, as your team goes down by 16 points.


If anything, the video was meant to diffuse any potential rancor between Timberwolves fans and Love, falling in line with earlier (funny, silly, understanding) fan reaction to the trade that Love forced, sending the former All-Star to Cleveland last summer.


A trade that netted the Timberwolves Andrew Wiggins, who basically matched LeBron James (LeBron James on a very good night, mind you) play for play on Saturday. At age 20. The kid is a stud, and Minnesota’s future should be bright.


Undaunted, Saunders went on:



"Last year at this time, everyone was patting themselves on the back for helping him get selected as a starter in the All-Star Game. And for us to not to acknowledge that and go the other way, I think it was hypocritical. As I had to address some of the people and I just told them that as an organization, that's not the direction we want to go."



Flip, the same (well-respected, and rightfully so, in NBA circles) promotional crew that sent out those cool ‘Bruise Brothers’ LPs to NBA coaches and media in the hopes of voting Love onto the All-Star squad can be the same ones that put together a cheeky clip designed to help everyone forget that the Timberwolves owed the NBA’s worst record heading into Saturday night, a record that dipped to 8-39 following the loss to Love’s Cavaliers.


Saunders was told that Love found the video “hilarious,” but he remained undeterred:



"It doesn't matter if he thinks it's funny," Saunders said. "You have to decide what you want to do as an organization. Would San Antonio do that? No. They wouldn't do that. Our players didn't like it. They have to play against him too. They don't like it. It just doesn't set the right message and if you're here and then you leave, all of a sudden it's not.




"Was it funny? Maybe people thought it was funny. For me it wasn't. I had to deal with three and half, four hours the last two days having people calling me and talking about it while I'm trying to prepare for games. Maybe you think it's OK. That's up to you. You can look at it that way, but I don't look at it that way. As someone running an organization and has to go out and recruit players and to get those player. He may have thought it was funny, but I know deep down in his heart no one likes it. No one would like that. It's human nature."



Flip Saunders, you’re worried about not being able to recruit free agents because of that video?


Flip Saunders, I can pretty much guarantee you that just about any potential future Timberwolves All-Star found that video funny and didn’t see it as disrespectful to Love in the slightest. Jokes are funny because they rely on premises that are absurd, and the idea that Timberwolves fans should be gearing for a return game against Mike Miller (who has returned to Minnesota twice since being traded from the Timberwolves in 2009) instead of a standout like Kevin Love is the absurdity behind the joke.


Flip Saunders, you know what potential free agents might not like?


You going on record to call Kevin Love duplicitous, pointing out that even though Love said he thought the video was “hilarious” that “deep down in his heart” Love didn’t like it. That Love was lying. Or, worse, humorless.


Like you’re being, here.


You want to recruit players? Build a good team. Don’t waste money on Kevin Martin. Don’t send Philadelphia a draft pick for Thaddeus Young. Great players want to play with great players. Kevin Love didn’t force a trade to Cleveland because he’s best buds with LeBron James or because Cleveland is half a degree warmer than Minneapolis during the winter. He did it because he could win there, something he couldn’t do in Minnesota mostly because of the incompetent work of your predecessor, Flip.


The core in Minnesota is enviable. Wiggins is going to be a star. Zach LaVine (despite early struggles), Shabazz Muhammad (despite struggling last season) and Gorgui Dieng are all fantastic talents. Anthony Bennett could someday figure it out. Ricky Rubio, whom the Wolves were 2-2 with this season, returns on Monday evening. On top of that Minnesota will likely have the best odds at the top overall lottery pick in this year’s NBA draft.


Complaining about a funny video makes Flip Saunders look terribly out of touch. A promotional team is supposed to come up with content that doesn’t seem stale or safe, rendering a franchise worth hundreds of millions of dollars accessible and inviting to the eyes of the common fan. The Wolves’ promotional squad did their job here.


Now it’s Flip Saunders’ time to do his job, and get Minnesota back in the playoffs for the first time since 2004.


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Kelly Dwyer is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at KDonhoops@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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News sport : AJ Allmendinger won't run Sprint Unlimited

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The Sprint Unlimited is going to be missing a Chase driver.


JTG-Daugherty won't field a car for AJ Allmendinger in the season-opening exhibition race on February 14. The reason? The dreaded s-word.


“It was nowhere on our radar until they changed the rules on it,’’ JTG-Daugherty co-owner Tad Geschickter told NBC Sports. “If we had won a pole during the season and knew we were in it, I’m sure we would have been well prepared for it. We appreciate being grandfathered in, but, obviously, have to manage our resources to deliver the best year-end points finish we can for our sponsors.’’


It's hard to blame the team's reasoning at all. There's a high chance (relative to other races) of a crash in the Daytona race, and is it worth risking an unsponsored car for a non-points race? If winning the race got the team into the 2015 Chase, the decision is much harder to make. But with no tangible benefit (quick, name the winner of last year's event), sitting it out is a prudent choice.


Allmendinger made the Chase in 2014 by winning at Watkins Glen. NASCAR changed the eligibility for the Unlimited in the middle of December. Instead of pole winners and previous Unlimited winners, the field now includes Chase drivers from the year before, pole winners who didn't make the Chase and drivers who have won the Daytona 500 pole but didn't qualify via the first two sets of criteria.


According to NASCAR, a minimum of 25 drivers will race in the event and without Brian Vickers, who will return in March after a heart procedure, the field was already down to 24. Without Allmendinger and Brian Scott, who won the pole at Talladega in May but didn't run the full season (and won't run the Unlimited, per NBC), the field is down to 22.


The drivers lined up to fill the field back up to 25 are Clint Bowyer, Paul Menard and Casey Mears. Drivers highest in 2014 points who didn't meet the eligibility requirements above are next in line to make the field full.


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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Oklahoma QB Trevor Knight reaches out to Katy Perry four months too late

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Trevor Knight would like another chance with Katy Perry.


OK, make that a first chance.


Perry expressed affection for Knight, Oklahoma’s starting quarterback, during ESPN's "College GameDay" back in October, asking him to “call her.”



But Knight never did, claiming he didn’t have her number (and that he had a girlfriend).


However, all that changed Sunday night after Knight saw Perry put on a spectacular halftime show during Super Bowl XLIX.



Come on man, you don’t wait four months after Katy Perry hits on you on national television to then try to make amends. It’s too late, she’s moved on, she’s Super Bowl halftime show resurrector of Missy Elliot Katy Perry now.


The window is closed.


Still, good job, good effort by Knight trying to rekindle a romance that could have been, but never was. Maybe she’ll send him an autographed picture.


For more Oklahoma news, visit SoonerScoop.com.


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Graham Watson is the editor of Dr. Saturday on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email her at dr.saturday@ymail.com or follow her on Twitter!


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News sport : The 10-man rotation, starring big play from the Cavaliers' bigs

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A look around the league and the Web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.


C: Fear the Sword. David Zavac takes a look at how Timofey Mozgov, Kevin Love and Tristan Thompson have played defensively of late, and the impact that they've had on the overall improvements that have led the Cleveland Cavaliers to 10 straight wins.


PF: ESPN.com. Good stuff from Dave McMenamin on how, despite Love's depressed numbers and Andrew Wiggins' recent surge, the summertime swap of All-Star for No. 1 pick might still have worked out for the best for both the Cavs and Minnesota Timberwolves.


SF: NBA.com. David Aldridge's always-great Morning Tip goes deep on Danny Ferry, the still-absent architect of the league-leading Atlanta Hawks, the Memphis Grizzlies' rise to the No. 2 spot in the West, and much more.


SG: The Triangle. Danny Chau's protecting his heart from falling too deep in love with these soaring Hawks, because he's had it broken by a similarly starless squad before.


PG: Cowbell Kingdom. Rui Thomas puts on his hazmat suit and digs into the particulars of the Sacramento Kings' ugly eight-game losing streak.


6th: ESPN Insider ($). Tom Haberstroh on where Hassan Whiteside came from, the unprecedented production he's providing for the Miami Heat, and the chances of the young big man keeping this remarkable run rolling.


7th: The Players' Tribune. Blake Griffin on the work he's put into rebuilding his jumper over the last several years, and how all those hours have given him the confidence to take shots like this.


8th: Blog-a-Bull. Kevin Ferrigan with another cold cup of coffee out of Chicago: "[...] it's pretty likely that no one is putting up emptier stats than Pau Gasol is this season."


9th: San Antonio Express-News. Tom Orsborn with an interesting look at how Air Force Academy ties and a lack of "red flags" in Gregg Popovich's past put him on the path to running the San Antonio Spurs 21 years ago: “If [then-Spurs chairman Robert McDermott] had found out [Popovich] was perfect [as a cadet and as a coach], but a philanderer, it could have killed the deal."


10th: The Oklahoman. Anthony Slater breaks down the schedules ahead for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns and New Orleans Pelicans as they vie for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference.


More NBA coverage:





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Dan Devine is an editor for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at devine@yahoo-inc.com or follow him on Twitter!



Stay connected with Ball Don't Lie on Twitter @YahooBDL, "Like" BDL on Facebook and follow BDL's Tumblr for year-round NBA talk, jokes and more.






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News sport : Conspiracy theory about Seahawks' fateful call is just strange

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You may remember that I dislike most conspiracy theories.


Why people waste their time coming up with this stuff, I don't know. But now we have one on the Seattle Seahawks' final play call in Super Bowl XLIX.


You know the situation: On second and goal at New England's 1-yard line, the Seahawks passed instead of handing off to Marshawn Lynch. Russell Wilson threw an interception. Game over. Patriots win.


It wasn't good enough to just let this rest with it being a questionable call at best and the most mind-numbing call in sports history at worst. There has to be another layer, like the coach wanting to give the glory to his quarterback rather than the controversial running back. Yeah, that's it!


So here goes: Pete Carroll wanted Wilson to be the hero. Not Lynch. Because ... well, who the heck knows. I guess because he's short with the media? Right. But TheNation.com's Dave Zirin wrote about it. NFL.com quoted an anonymous Seahawks player as saying, "That’s what it looked like," when it was presented to him, although that story acknowledged the quote was probably said out of frustration. But you can go on Twitter or Facebook and find many others who are buying in.


And let's double back to why I hate this kind of stuff: It makes zero sense. None. Not even in some far away universe would this conspiracy theory hold even the tiniest bit of logic.


A couple key points: Carroll doesn't make the call; it's offensive coordinator Darrell Bevell. Even if you're saying Bevell is part of the conspiracy to keep Lynch from scoring, it entirely ignores that he was given the ball on first down and was tackled a yard short of the goal line. The Seahawks didn't mind trying to make him the hero there. The Seahawks have made Lynch a star by giving him the ball. He has roughly 300 carries per season the last four years. Lynch is one of their best players, one of the biggest reasons they won a Super Bowl last year and two straight NFC championships. "Oh, but his media issues in Super Bowl week" ... nobody on the Seahawks cares. I didn't hear one Seahawk all week complain about Lynch. Carroll defended him. He said, basically, he doesn't want Lynch doing anything to hurt the team (like a penalty for grabbing his crotch after a touchdown) but everything else is up to him. There's no reason for anyone in Seattle to dislike him enough to keep him from scoring a game-winning touchdown. It's ridiculous to think otherwise.


"Oh but the NFL didn't want him winning MVP" ... stop it. The league wouldn't have been thrilled, probably, for the idea of Lynch's MVP press conference, but we're to believe that in the 30 seconds the Seahawks had to decide on a second-and-goal play that the NFL called on them to keep Lynch out of the end zone? Please.


it was just a bad call. They wanted to pass on second down to save one timeout for their last two downs. Carroll said they were going to run with Lynch on third and fourth down, and there's no reason not to believe him. Once the Seahawks didn't hurry in a second-down play, they couldn't have run with Lynch three times. There wasn't enough time. I'm not saying I agree with their train of thought, but that's what it was. It was not "Let's make sure Lynch doesn't score so we don't have to give him a bigger contract."


No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. No. No chance. That isn't real life.


The Seahawks, with a Super Bowl on the line and a half of a minute to figure out how to play the next three downs, weren't in deep contemplation about who they wanted to be the hero. If Lynch scored from the 1, everyone was a hero. Nobody on that side, especially the coaches, cared who actually scored. Did they screw up? Sure. But it wasn't some plot to get Wilson and not Lynch up on the MVP stage.


Please, let's stop this conspiracy theory now, because we're all in danger of losing too many brain cells contemplating something that has zero chance of being true.


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Frank Schwab is the editor of Shutdown Corner on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdowncorner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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