News sport : The Marlins aren't a joke anymore, but they're still hilarious

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If you were to sum up Miami Marlins opening day in one word, it would be ... oof.


By now, you might have heard about the Marlins getting stuck in a rain delay because a storm came and their retractable roof was open. That's brilliant right here. Your knee-jerk might be to say, "Oh well, Marlins gonna Marlin," but the fact of the matter is, the Marlins aren't the joke that they were in years past.


They had a really good offseason, including signing Giancarlo Stanton, to the richest contract in baseball history. The Marlins could make the postseason this year, and that's not "Back to the Future II" silliness. They actually might be a playoff team.


They dropped their opener 2-1 to the Atlanta Braves. It was hardly a laugher, but the Marlins showed us they're still hilarious. Take into consideration these two glorious moments:


• Marcell Ozuna thought he made a diving catch in the outfield, but the ball was sitting right behind him. We all laughed, because we could see what he couldn't — the ball sitting there. Ozuna, to his credit, tried his best to act like he had caught the ball. Good try, man.




• Then Dee Gordon, one of the Marlins' new addition, laid down a very nice bunt in the bottom of the eighth, trying to help his team close that one-run deficit. With Gordon's speed, it looked like a bunt base hit until ... oof ... he fell flat on his face. Maybe the rain was to blame there because the dirt was wet. Or maybe Gordon just stumbled.




Either way, we're chuckling at the Marlins on opening day. But unlike years past, we wholeheartedly believe they could be a contender come September.


More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:



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Mike Oz is the editor of Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at mikeozstew@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!






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News sport : The 10-man rotation, starring Kawhi Leonard, in full bloom

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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.


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C: Corpus Christi Caller-Times. Mark Travis on Kawhi Leonard's rise as a defense-first star with a style of play that's "like Richard Sherman and Earl Thomas rolled into one," and may herald "a philosophical shift in the way we view and value NBA stars."


PF: 48 Minutes of Hell. In his breakdown of Leonard's eye-popping play, Matthew Tynan offered some well-deserved praise of the roll Kawhi's on offensively: "Kawhi has figured something out recently: He’s just bigger than almost anyone who tries to guard him. His drives to the basket no longer appear cautious; he doesn’t pause or hesitate anymore when confronted with additional defenders; he’s got crazy, crazy confidence in his mid-range game right now (shooting 52.4 percent in that area over his last 20 games); and he’s scoring at a 75-percent clip around the rim."


SF: Feltbot. A very good look at the multiple issues that the San Antonio Spurs raised for the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, with a consideration of how much or how little they might actually mean for Steve Kerr should the Spurs and Dubs meet up in the playoffs.


SG: The Guardian. Les Carpenter on how Sim Bhullar got here.


PG: SLC Dunk. Longtime friend of BDL Amar offers an interesting and noteworthy alternative perspective on the positioning of Bhullar's call-up to the Sacramento Kings: "India didn't do anything for Sim. But the NBA, Vivek Ranadive, and the powers that be want to use him to sell him to India."


6th: The Brooklyn Game. Devin Kharpertian comes through with a great deep dive into how the Brooklyn Nets have come back from the brink over the past couple of months, led at long last by maxed-out bookends Brook Lopez and Deron Williams.


7th: Nylon Calculus. Really good stuff from Adam Mares on how different NBA offenses us ball movement and player movement in the half-court, and the multiple ways to skin the cat of an NBA defense.


8th: The Hook. Tom Ziller considers how the voted-down attempt to reform the NBA's draft lottery system might have reduced the impact of the current form of tanking while giving rise to another.


9th: The Boston Globe. Gary Washburn on how Brad Stevens has joined the ranks of the NBA's premier late-game play-callers, with a closer look at the set that helped the Boston Celtics snatch victory from the jaws of defeat at the hands of the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night, which was apparently several months (and lineups) in the making.


10th: ESPN.com. Stephania Bell offers some hope for fans concerned that Kevin Durant's foot surgeries mean he's doomed to suffer repeated reinjuries to his wheels: "Despite the failure of his foot to cooperate with the initial plan following his original injury, medical evidence suggests that Durant's chances for a successful return next season are very high."


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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 : Northwestern WR Christian Jones suffers cartilage tear on repaired knee

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Christian Jones’ recovery from a knee injury that kept him on the Northwestern sidelines all of last season hit a snag last week when the senior wide receiver had to have another surgery to repair torn cartilage.


Jones, who watched Saturday’s practice while balancing on crutches, said he tore a hole in the cartilage of his previously repaired knee after he started running earlier this spring.


Jones told Rivals’ site WildcatReport.com he would try running again in July and he was hopeful to be back doing drills for fall camp.


Jones led the Wildcats with 54 catches for 668 yards and four touchdowns in 2013. He also led the team in catches (35) and yards (412) in 2012. The Wildcats were hoping Jones would be able to bolster the passing game, which averaged 227.2 yards per game last season and ranked fifth in the Big Ten. As of right now, Jones’ status for the 2015 season opener is uncertain.


-----


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 : VOD: Texas State's spring game ends on a Hail Mary

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The Hail Mary, one of the most unpredictable plays in college football, became the play-de-jour during the 2014 season, so it was only fitting that at least one spring game ended on the same crazy note.



Connor White, quarterback of Texas State’s Maroon team, heaved a pass about 55 yards over four leaping defenders and into the waiting arms of Jafus Gaines, who hauled in the pass at the two-yard line and trotted into the end zone untouched.


The play came just 30 seconds after the Gold team clawed back from a 17-7 deficit to take a 21-17 lead and what appeared to be the sure victory.


"You couldn't have a better script for a spring game," head coach Dennis Franchione said on the school’s website. "It was a lot of great work for our players and great situations that they got placed in today. The Gold team coming back like they did and scoring, and the Maroon having 30 seconds."


White is a redshirt freshman who played in one game last season and is trying to oust incumbent starter Tyler Jones. While that might not happen — Jones is a junior who has started 19 games in the past two seasons — this at least gives White some bragging rights.


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 : Arkansas State is auctioning off its spring game head coaching position

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Arkansas State’s coaching position for its spring game is once again up for auction.


After raising $11,700 last spring by auctioning off coach Blake Anderson’s spot on the sidelines, the Red Wolves Foundation is trying its luck once again with a new eBay auction that will allow the winner to not only coach one half of the Red Wolves, but bring a friend to coach the other side of the team.


Yep, two folks with likely little football acumen and extremely deep pockets will be running Arkansas State’s entire spring game. They’ll draft teams, hold press conferences, and draw up the gameplans for their respective squads. Then the triumphant coach will get a Powerade bath after which he will probably dry himself off with $100 bills.


Here’s the full eBay ad:


Winning bidder will get the full head coaching experience! You get to draft and coach your own college football team! Winning bidder can also match wits and pick a friend to coach against in the 2015 Arkansas State Football Spring Game on April 17th.

Overnight accommodations included, the head coach will draft their team on Thursday night and scheme with the rest of the coaching staff. All day Friday the coach will go through practice and drills. As game time arrives, give the pregame and halftime talk, determine if their team ‘goes for it’ or punts on fourth down, communicate with the coaching staff on headset throughout the entire game and more! The coach will receive photos of their experience and coaching gear. The winning coach will also receive a Powerade bath as part of their bragging rights!

Bidding opened at $1,000 on Monday and there are already nine bids for the spot. Last year, 25-year-old Nick Bhardwaj, a millionaire tech whiz from Northern California, won the inaugural spring coaching opportunity. Cash out your 401k and you could be next.


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 : 333-pound Jacob Hyde practicing at fullback for Kentucky

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(via UK athletics) Kentucky’s Jacob Hyde found himself playing an unfamiliar position during spring practice last week: fullback.


The 6-foot-2, 333-pound sophomore was recruited to Kentucky as a defensive tackle but was asked to switch sides earlier in spring practice. It’s been a work in progress, but UK tight ends and fullbacks coach Vince Marrow is intrigued by the possibility.


“Can you imagine a 330-pound fullback with a full head of steam coming at you, and you’re a 230-pound linebacker? It’s not going to be good for him,” Marrow said per the Courier-Journal.


Hyde just wants to do whatever he can to help the team win.


“If Coach said, ‘Hey, you go stand on top of the stadium, on top of the press box every game, and we’ll win every game,’ I would be on top of the press box every game,” Hyde said.


Hyde is still practicing and trying to crack the rotation at defensive tackle but Marrow noticed how well he moved for his size on special teams last year and thought that he could help the offense.


“I gotta wonder when in the defensive meetings if them guys are mad at him,” Marrow said. “Because he’s bringing the boom.”


Redshirt freshman linebacker Denzil Ware said he had to go head-on with Hyde in practice. It didn’t go so well.


“I tried to juke big Hyde. I didn’t really want to meet him in the hole,” Ware said. “But then, after a while, I was like, ‘Man, I gotta hit him either way it goes.’ So when I first hit him, he knocked me on my butt.”


The Wildcats run an Air Raid offense under new offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson where fullbacks don’t play a huge role. With that said, Dawson wants to see how Hyde can handle catching the ball out of the backfield.


“I don’t know how good of hands he has, but he does a good job. He really does,” Dawson said. “He’s physical, low center of gravity, good in those heavy sets, situations where they kind of know you’re running it”


Maybe we’ll get to see Hyde coming out of the backfield like Oklahoma State’s James Castleman did last season in the Cactus Bowl, where the 6-foot-2, 311-pounder scored on a goal line run and caught a 48-yard pass.



Hyde says he’s never scored a touchdown on any level.


"Hopefully we get a couple touchdowns this season," Hyde said. "We'll see how Commonwealth Stadium reacts to that."


For more Kentucky news, CatsIllustrated.com.


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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : 410-pound LaQuan McGowan in the running to be Baylor's starting TE

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Baylor’s post-spring depth chart has been released and offensive lineman LaQuan McGowan could be a mainstay in the Bears’ passing game.


McGowan is listed as the “OR” option for the starting tight end spot.



McGowan’s rise from backup offensive lineman to pass-catching sensation has been well documented. He caught an 18-yard touchdown pass against Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl, which pretty much broke the Internet, and has been working with the tight ends ever since. Baylor even posted a video of him making several one-handed catches during warmups before a spring practice.



Baylor McGowen TD

McGowan, who is listed at 6-foot-7, 410 pounds, would be the biggest tight end in the FBS, but it’s clear he’s got the skill to play the position. And let’s be honest, the prospect of the big man hauling in passes, barreling downfield and trucking some poor 180-pound defensive back is something we all want to see.


So here’s to McGowan getting on the field this fall and making college football better for it.


For more Baylor news, visit SicEmSports.com.


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 : It's Big League Stew's annual live blog, come spend opening day with us

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Welcome, baseball fans, to Big League Stew's annual live blog, where we celebrate the sights, sounds, highlights and news from the best sports day of the year — MLB's opening day.


This year, we're doing things a little different: Our esteemed colleague Jeff Passan is on assignment in New York City, covering a guy named Alex Rodriguez (maybe you've heard of him), so he won't be joining us. But The Stew's crew of bloggers will be here to keep you company on opening day just the same.


Head over to the Big League Stew Tumblr for direct access to the live blog. You can leave comments and ask questions. Or follow on the widget below, whatever works for you.



We're looking forward to a great day of baseball and we're happy that you're spending the day with The Stew.


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News sport : Hawks' Paul Millsap to miss at least next 2 games with right shoulder sprain

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The Atlanta Hawks probably aren't thrilled that they'll be without Paul Millsap for the next couple of games, but that's still a heck of a lot better than the prognosis some fans feared on Saturday.


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Chris Vivlamore of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported Monday that the 30-year-old All-Star forward suffered a "right shoulder contusion and mild sprain" in this collision with Earl Clark late in the second quarter of Atlanta's Saturday win over the Brooklyn Nets:



Millsap left and would not return, finishing with eight points, five assists, three rebounds, a steal and a block in 17 minutes of work. Even without his services, Atlanta cruised to a 32-point win over a Nets team that had won six straight games to get back into the East's playoff race.


The Hawks confirmed Vivlamore's report on Monday, noting that "the injury is not considered serious" while ruling Millsap out for the Hawks' next two games before re-evaluating him. That's welcome news for Atlanta's next two opponents.


Tuesday's foe, the Phoenix Suns, remain mathematically in the hunt for the West's No. 8 seed, sitting 10th at 39-38, three games back of the Oklahoma City Thunder and 2 1/2 games behind the ninth-place New Orleans Pelicans. On Wednesday, Atlanta once again faces the Nets, who occupy seventh place in the Eastern bracket, just a half-game ahead of the Boston Celtics and 1 1/2 games up on the ninth-place Indiana Pacers, and will take on a shorthanded Portland Trail Blazers side in Monday's lone NBA game. Getting to face a Hawks team without its leading scorer and rebounder certainly wouldn't figure to hurt their chances of staying in their respective playoff battles.


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It wouldn't seem to hurt Atlanta, either. The Hawks have already clinched home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs and can't catch the Golden State Warriors for home-court throughout the entire postseason. While you'd expect Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer wouldn't mind seeing his team build up a bit of momentum heading into the postseason after going a middling 8-7 since last month's big home win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, the most important thing Atlanta can do over the next six games is get as healthy as possible.


As our own Eric Freeman wrote Saturday, the only time the Hawks have looked truly mediocre this season was when sharpshooting guard Kyle Korver missed several games with a broken nose; sometimes, all it can take for a juggernaut to start looking jumbled is the absence of one key piece. That might be especially true of Millsap. Four Hawks lineups have shared the floor for at least 100 minutes this season, with three decimating the competition and a fourth getting its doors blown off; the former all feature Millsap, and the latter does not. Topping the likes of the still-on-the-rampage Cleveland Cavaliers and whichever monster comes out of the West will require all hands on deck in Atlanta, even if that means giving your power forward a couple of days off to rest up before the second season begins.


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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 : Utah RB Troy McCormick goes down with 'pretty severe' knee injury

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LAS VEGAS, NV - DECEMBER 20: Running back Troy McCormick #21 of the Utah Utes runs for yardage against the Colorado State Rams during the Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl at Sam Boyd Stadium on December 20, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Utah won 45-10. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images) Utah took a hit to its depth at running back over the weekend.


Sophomore Troy McCormick suffered what head coach Kyle Whittingham called a “pretty severe” knee injury after taking a hard hit from sophomore Andre Godfrey during practice on Friday. Whittingham said, per the Salt Lake Tribune, that McCormick will likely “be on the shelf for quite a while.”


“That’s the most unfortunate part of the game,” Whittingham said. “He’s just a great kid, and it tears your heart out to see that happen.”


The 5-foot-9, 175-pound McCormick had just 178 rushing yards and a touchdown as a freshman in 2014, but Whittingham said last week that McCormick would see a far more prominent role in the offense this season behind Devontae Booker (1,512 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns). McCormick was also expected to see some time as a slot receiver.


With McCormick likely out for an extended period of time, running backs coach Dennis Erickson said senior Bubba Poole, who was also seeing time in the slot, will see more time in the backfield for the rest of spring. Erickson also said that redshirt freshman Tani Leha’uli and incoming junior college transfer Joseph Williams should be ready to contribute.


“We’ve got a couple other options on our team we probably need to look at, and we’ll look at them Monday and see what we need to do,” Erickson said.


The Utes, coming off a 9-4 season in 2014, are scheduled to play their spring game on April 25.


For more Utah news, visit Utezone.com.


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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!







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News sport : Browns OT Joe Thomas on Manziel: 'I'm hoping ... we see a new Johnny'

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There was a report from ESPN's Chris Mortensen last week that the Cleveland Browns are "90 percent" done with quarterback Johnny Manziel, which seems odd.


It's odd because how can anyone know what Manziel will be like after about 10 weeks in a treatment facility for substance dependency?


it would be foolish for the Browns to give up on Manziel now (but, then again, it's the Browns and their foolish decisions are the norm). They spent a first-round pick on Manziel last year and have to at least see how he has changed and if he can develop into a good NFL quarterback. But, it's clear there will need to be changes.


Browns Pro Bowl offensive tackle Joe Thomas has been the face of the Browns for years, and he remains optimistic despite a lot of losing. And his comments on Manziel's return to ESPNCleveland.com's Tony Grossi seem to be pretty spot on.



“I think he’s going to have to prove to the team that football is important and being the man, being the starting quarterback for the Cleveland Browns, is important, it is his goal, his single goal in his life,” Thomas told ESPNCleveland.com.




“You know, I think he lost probably a lot of trust among the guys on the team last year by the way he handled himself once he became the starter. And I think he had a lot of time to reflect, I’m guessing, after the season was over by the comments he made in the media and by his actions, checking himself into rehab … I think those were really positive steps.




“I’m hoping when we comes back in April we see a new Johnny and everybody’s blown away with his commitment. And I think he’s got the talent, so it’s just a matter of if he commits himself to it, we can have a really good quarterback on our hands.”



That sums up the state of affairs well, assuming that the Browns haven't entirely given up on him (which no decent organization would do after two starts, one of which was cut short by injury). The Browns might not have been happy with Manziel last year, but it's in everyone's best interests if he can come in with a clean slate. TMZ said Manziel was golfing with his father in Louisiana this past weekend, a sign his rehab stint was coming to an end. He's expected to be in attendance when the Browns' offseason program starts April 20, ESPNCleveland.com said.


At that point Manziel can start to change the path of his career. He has a ways to go, of course. Thomas' words tell you that, too. Maybe, like Thomas said, he'll be a new Johnny.


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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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News sport : FSU's Tyler Hunter is latest starter to go down with injury

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Florida State defensive back Tyler Hunter talks to reporters during a news conference in Los Angeles, Tuesday, Dec. 30, 2014. Florida State is scheduled to play Oregon in the Rose Bowl NCAA college football playoff semifinal on New Year's Day. (AP Photo/Nick Ut) The spring has been full of injuries for Florida State.


Tyler Hunter, a fifth-year senior, is the latest Seminole to go down with an injury after tearing his meniscus in practice in late last week. Hunter, who started all 14 games last season, will miss the remainder of spring practice, head coach Jimbo Fisher said.


In all, Hunter is the sixth potential starter on defense who will likely miss the rest of spring camp, according to ESPN.com. Senior defensive tackle Derrick Mitchell (back), senior linebacker Reggie Northrup (torn ACL vs. Oregon), redshirt sophomore linebacker Matthew Thomas (shoulder), sophomore defensive end Chris Casher (shoulder) and redshirt senior linebacker Terrance Smith (toe) have all been out throughout the spring.


On offense, projected starter at center Ryan Hoefeld and fullback Freddie Stevenson are out with knee injuries and right tackle Chad Mavety is out with foot and concussion issues.


In all, the Seminoles “practiced without at least 20 players” on Saturday, including “all three tight ends, five defensive linemen and three offensive linemen.” according to the Tallahassee Democrat.


Fisher is taking the injury situation in stride as his team prepares for the April 11 spring game.


“It’s part of football,” Fisher said. “Next guy up. That’s why we recruit.”


For more Florida State news, visit Warchant.com.


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Sam Cooper is a contributor for the Yahoo Sports blogs. Have a tip? Email him or follow him on Twitter!







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Rodgers rubbishes Liverpool crisis talk

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Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has defended his players amid media reports of an acrimonious squad meeting.


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London - Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers has defended his players amid media reports of an acrimonious squad meeting following the 4-1 loss at Arsenal at the weekend, their second Premier League defeat in a row.


Speaking to reporters ahead of Wednesday's FA Cup quarter-final replay at Blackburn Rovers, Rodgers praised “a great bunch of players who work tirelessly every single day and give me everything”.


Asked whether a reported 'crisis meeting' had taken place at the club's Melwood training ground, he added: “It was nothing really, it was just purely analysing performances and where we are at ... it's just unfortunate something else was made of it”.


Rodgers said the heart to heart with his squad was par for the course at fifth-placed Liverpool who also lost their previous league match at home to Manchester United.


“We have lots of meetings here in terms of analysing performances,” he explained. “This was no different really to a whole host of meetings that we have had throughout the year.”


Rodgers said Liverpool, who are now seven points adrift of the Champions League qualification places, would now focus firmly on the clash with Championship club Blackburn.


“It's a real strong objective for us this season to do well in the cup competitions and this is an opportunity for us to get to another semi-final,” he added.


“This was always going to be a game that was very important for us despite the (Arsenal) defeat.”


Rodgers is expecting a tough match following the 0-0 draw in the first game at Anfield last month.


“They have some excellent players and they defended well when they came to Anfield,” he said. “We go there really focused and determined and we can't wait to play again after the weekend's disappointment.


“The group is very committed to winning this trophy and hopefully we can finish the season strongly.”


Reuters






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News sport : Rory? Tiger? Spieth vs. Reed? Bubba? Your Yahoo Sports Masters preview podcast

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Grandstanding: A Yahoo Sports podcast

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Pour the iced tea and start the piano music, friends, because it's time for The Masters. The greatest golf tournament in America tees off later this week, and we're here to get you ready for it all. Our guest is Ryan Ballengee (@RyanBallengee) of Yahoo Sports' Devil Ball Golf blog. Listen up and get up to speed with all you need to know as we roll into the tournament.



We begin by dispensing with the Tiger Question. He's playing this week, but will he be playing this weekend? Yet to be determined. We talk about Tiger's chances and his hold on the field. Is the mystique still there? Can Woods win? Also, we discuss his 2010 return to the Masters following scandal, a fourth-place finish that, given the circumstances, was one of the more impressive major-golf performances in recent memory (1:53 mark).



From there, it's on to the other golfers in the field, starting with Rory McIlroy, who's seeking a career slam this week. Can he do it? Does Rory's game fit well amid the Augusta pines? We discuss starting at the 10:24 mark. Then it's the yin and yang of young golf, Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed. Spieth is prepping a world-class career, while Reed is setting up a rep as a wrestling heel (15:24 mark). And, of course, the reigning champion, Bubba Watson. Can he take his third green jacket to a Waffle House? Learn the truth at the 24:32 mark!



We close with some thoughts on how players prepare for the Masters, a few players who could jump up and surprise us all (hey there, Phil), and one of Ryan's classic golf stories of an on-course encounter turned very nearly violent.



Thanks for listening to the Grandstanding podcast with Jay Busbee and Kevin Kaduk. Hit us up on Twitter (@kevinkaduk and @jaybusbee) Facebook (Kaduk here, Busbee here) or via the hashtag #grandstanding. See you next ep!



[Music by Chris Salmon and Tobin Summerfield]


____

Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter.



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Premier League serves up six of the best

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This weekend's Premier League matches produced six memorable strikes in little over 24 hours.


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London - Normally the candidates for goal of the season are spread throughout the 10 months of the campaign, but this weekend's Premier League matches produced six memorable strikes in little over 24 hours.


Whether Charlie Adam's 60 metres goal for Stoke City against Chelsea was the pick of the bunch or Jermain Defoe's perfectly-executed winning volley for Sunderland in the Tyne-Wear derby against Newcastle United is open to debate.


But what is undeniable is that all six were goals of the highest quality which left fans, pundits and the players themselves purring at the brilliance.


The first eye-catcher to find the back of the net was Alexis Sanchez's effort for Arsenal from the edge of the penalty area in their 4-1 win over Liverpool.


That was followed by Bafetimbi Gomis's acrobatic 37th minute volley that put Swansea 2-0 up against Hull City in an eventual 3-1 win.


Six minutes later, Bobby Zamora scored with a floated dink with the outside of his left foot for Queens Park Rangers in their 4-1 win at West Bromwich Albion, with Adam then blasting home an equaliser a minute later at Stamford Bridge in a game the visitors lost 2-1.


Next up was Wayne Rooney's acrobatic 79th minute effort for Manchester United's third in their 3-1 win over Aston Villa.


Former England international Defoe then rounded off the stunners just before halftime on Sunday by lashing home a left-foot volley from the edge of the area.


“It was an unbelievable feeling,” the 32-year-old said afterwards, “Words can't describe how I felt when it went in. I was very emotional for some reason.”


The victory lifted Sunderland to 15th and in the final analysis may have more lasting significance than the astonishing strike from Adam, voted goal of the weekend in a BBC poll.


The Scot collected the ball just outside the centre circle in his own half and after glancing up and seeing Chelsea keeper Thibaut Courtois on the edge of his area, launched a left-footed drive that hit the back of the net despite the Belgian getting a hand to it.


“I looked up and saw the goalie off his line and thought, 'why not, especially at Chelsea.' It's great on a personal note, but its a team game and we lost, but its good to know I scored it.”


Reuters






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