News sport : Florida OL Rod Johnson retires due to spinal condition

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Sep 13, 2014; Gainesville, FL, USA; Florida Gators offensive linesman Roderick Johnson (55) celebrates with fans after they beat the Kentucky Wildcats during overtime at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Florida Gators defeated the Kentucky Wildcats 36-30 in triple overtime. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports Roderick Johnson’s career at Florida is over.


Johnson, a redshirt sophomore offensive tackle, was diagnosed with “congenital cervical stenosis” by Florida’s medical staff. Per GatorZone.com, the condition is “a narrowing of the spinal canal enveloping the spinal cord, preventing enough fluid to gather around the spinal cord to properly protect it from injury.”


Johnson first showed signs of the condition when he suffered what was thought to be a stinger on April 3 during a scrimmage. The 6-foot-6, 296-pound Johnson felt a numbness in his fingers and hands and was held out of the rest of spring practice while undergoing further examination.


After undergoing an MRI, meeting with specialists and consulting with team doctors, “it was recommended Johnson retire from the sport.”


Cervical stenosis also ended the careers of former New York Giants running back David Wilson and Ole Miss wide receiver Cooper Manning, the brother of Peyton and Eli Manning


Florida head coach Jim McElwain hinted after Saturday’s spring game that Johnson’s career was likely over. McElwain also said that he would “never” put Johnson or another player “out there in harm’s way.”


“Life’s too short, man,” McElwain said. “Ain’t gonna do it, ain’t gonna do it to a young guy.”


Johnson, who started three games and played in 12 for the Gators last season, was expected to be a starter for the Gators at offensive tackle in 2015.




Quarterback Treon Harris said Saturday that Johnson not being able to play is a “big loss” for the Gators.


The Gators suited up just six scholarship offensive lineman on Saturday, but have six true freshmen linemen joining the program this summer.


For more Florida news, visit InsideTheGators.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 : Kobe Bryant is now in the habit of defending superstars, and he's hitting half his shots

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On Sunday evening, Russell Westbrook had himself a night to remember in a season full of nights to remember (and afternoons to forget).


Westbrook dropped 54 on the Indiana Pacers in a loss, as his Oklahoma City Thunder fell out of the playoff bracket. In an age of heightened attention to the usefulness of a fine free throw stroke and the ability to rack up points from long range, Westbrook’s 43 shot attempts stood out. He didn’t seem to be any hotter from the floor than he usually is, he just shot a lot more, so some probably took to radio or cable TV to complain. We wouldn’t know.


Kobe Bryant, apparently, had both the radio receiver and cable setup blaring at full volume. As such, a ticked-off Bryant decided to meme it up on Monday in Westbrook’s defense:



The internet, rightfully, agreed with Kobe – despite Bryant not always being known for his tact. Westbrook has been in desperation all season trying to save OKC’s playoff hopes. He made nearly half his shots and he’s a guard, so let the man shoot.


Buoyed by this, and out for the Lakers’ season, Bryant decided to dig in a little deeper on Tuesday.



Considering the timeliness of the Tina Fey meme, we’re surprised Kobe the Dad didn’t go full 2007 on us and drop in a “Leave Britney Alone!” image into any of these. That’s the year this very popular blog was created, by the way, eight years before a podcast sharing a similar name debuted.


Almost immediately everyone was like, wait:



Kobe’s not exactly wrong, in this instance, and some of the media-inspired halos and devil horns usually aren’t on point as well.


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Magic Johnson essentially forced Paul Westhead out of a job midway through the 1981-82 season, but that doesn’t mean the coach thrashing in this instance was necessarily a bad thing. Westhead was never hired by Lakers owner Jerry Buss, who didn’t like the group’s offense and wanted either Jerry West or Laker assistant Pat Riley to run the team. Magic and Westhead may have been combatants, but the Lakers thrived after replacing him, and he was on his way out anyway even if Magic hadn’t played his juice card.


Also:



If anything, Bryant should rip on the media referring to Magic as “Tragic Johnson” after a series of missed free throws and unfortunate turnovers contributed to Los Angeles’ 1984 NBA Finals’ loss. Those writers completely forgot about the time a 20-year old Johnson acted as the driving force behind Los Angeles’ title in 1980.


Michael Jordan was a gunner, but as is the case with Westbrook this season, it was because he had to be.


Jordan’s best teammates in his final Finals-less years were the very raw Scottie Pippen, the slowly emerging Horace Grant and a past his prime (though this isn’t to say he wasn’t a significant contributor) Bill Cartwright. A 1986 draft pick had been used on an ineffective forward in Brad Sellers, and the Bulls also whiffed on a series of late 1980s draft picks save for the selection of B.J. Armstrong. Adding to the noise was the fact that Bulls coach Doug Collins, in a bid to save his job, effectively made Jordan his point guard midway through 1988-89 – giving Jordan the chance to rack up the consecutive triple-doubles that Westbrook approximated earlier this season.


Jordan was up against history in trying to an NBA team to a title from the swingman position, something that no recent NBA team had ever accomplished. That was the basis of any “criticism,” if you can call it that, that Jordan’s biggest opponent wasn’t himself or the Detroit Pistons, but orthodoxy.


LeBron James? His teammates stunk for years, a win in Cleveland should have been no sure thing in his final two seasons there, and that’s hardly his fault. He should rightfully be criticized for his poor decision making and ineffectual play late in his final 2010 and 2011 playoff games, but one could also counter those performances with the way he carried a terrible Cavaliers team on his back past what was thought to be a dynastic Detroit Pistons team in 2007, or when he played a historically-great Boston Celtics team to a near draw the year after.


Shaq? For every season save for one, Shaquille O’Neal did not play to his potential. That lone season, 1999-00, O’Neal led the Lakers to a title with Kobe and earned his only MVP award. It’s true that O’Neal should have also won the award the next season (played 74 games at 39 minutes a clip, 28.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 2.7 blocks; lost the award because sportswriters liked Allen Iverson’s story better), but for O’Neal not to fully take advantage of his gifts is significant.


Kobe’s relayed as much, even recently! It's true that failing to be "serious" (O'Neal was mocked for his musical and acting career) is not necessarily the same as being "lazy," but come on, Kobester.


And the Spurs?



(Yeah, well, kind of. I wrote as much at least, back then, because look at this roster.)


Twitter allows for one-note takes, devoid of nuance, which is why it’s both tempting to want to make black or white statements, and why it’s usually wrong to. Especially if you decide to throw in the probably-inaccurate “before rings” hashtag.


This won’t stop Kobe, though. As if anything ever could.


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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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Sterling - from sublime to inexplicable

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Facing Newcastle, the 22-year-old showed great composure, but also why he is still regarded an ‘unfinished article’.


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One thing that has gone largely unnoticed during Raheem Sterling’s recent occupancy of the back pages is that the young Liverpool forward has not been playing terribly well.


Sterling faces another awkward conversation with his manager Brendan Rodgers and can reflect on a night on the field that saw him at his very best and indeed his worst.


Sterling’s goal to set up victory in a game that Liverpool dominated for 35 minutes but then threatened to throw away with a belter. Receiving possession on the left side of the penalty area in the ninth minute, he stepped inside two defenders and found the far corner rather majestically.


In the second half, however, the 20-year-old endured a moment he would rather forget but probably won’t be allowed to.


With his team wobbling a little having missed earlier chances, Liverpool broke down the right with Jordan Henderson and when the ball reached Sterling unmarked at the far post it appeared he couldn’t possibly miss.


He did, however, contributing a feeble shot wide from six yards that on another day would have prompted Newcastle goalkeeper Tim Krul to offer him a high five in the tunnel.


Fortunately for Sterling his error didn’t ultimately matter. Liverpool’s impressive early work, and Joe Allen’s goal on 70 minutes, were enough to see off a Newcastle team whose improvement saw them create and fail to take a smattering of chances either side of half-time.


Brendan Rodgers and his team now face an FA Cup semi-final with Aston Villa on Sunday and will approach it knowing that their Barclays Premier League season is still not necessarily dead.


A team who actually made one of the league’s worst current teams — Sunderland — look decent just nine days ago, Newcastle have grown ever more compliant the longer their time with John Carver at the helm has gone on. As such, it was no surprise to see Liverpool take the lead so early.


It has, it must be said, been a while since we have seen something as lovely to watch at Anfield as this. Since Liverpool beat City with two superb Philippe Coutinho goals here on March 1, their football has been relatively sluggish. Here they swarmed all over Newcastle and were ahead in the ninth minute.


Captain Henderson supplied the ammunition for Sterling with a crossfield pass struck arrow straight to his team-mate over 40 yards. Sterling’s first touch was perfect but then we expect that in the Premier League these days.


What followed was even better, though, as he eased inside Ryan Taylor and Daryl Janmaat before striking a perfect right-foot shot to Krul’s left with his instep.


With centre forward Daniel Sturridge injured again last night, Sterling once again was crucial to Liverpool’s attacking play. This time he was stationed on the left of a front three that featured Jordan Ibe on the right and Coutinho through the middle.


As he often is, Coutinho was terrific early on. Newcastle couldn’t cope with his dexterity or his movement and intelligence. On this occasion, all that was missing was a finish in front of goal.


The excellent Krul was busy in the early stages. His save at the near post from an Alberto Moreno shot was routine in the 13th minute but 10 minutes later he was no doubt relieved to see Coutinho’s low cross evade everybody in red when his turn on the right had actually been good enough and timely enough to place him in a position to shoot.


Soon after a Sterling cross-shot from the other side was gathered by the Newcastle keeper and then Henderson’s quick free-kick caught Newcastle asleep, only for Coutinho’s effort to come back from a defender.


At this stage, with almost half an hour gone, Liverpool were in complete control. It had been their most assertive 30 minutes of football for a while. All teams are vulnerable if they don’t turn possession and chances into goals, however, and sure enough Newcastle began to find their way into the game towards the end of the half.


The Algerian midfielder Mehdi Abeid marked his first appearance since early March with a smart volley from 18 yards that brought a save from Simon Mignolet. Then, with some confidence restored, Ayoze Perez should have been awarded a penalty following a clear foul by Dejan Lovren and the same player then brought a first-class save from the Liverpool goalkeeper with a header towards the top corner.


Indeed, the half ended with a shot over the bar from Abeid. The 22-year-old probably should have scored and a half that had been one-sided for so long actually ended with a slightly different feel to it.


The shift was noticeable after the restart too. Mignolet did well to punch clear from a corner, Lovren threatened to put his colleague Emre Can out of the game by landing on his foot before Abeid drove another low shot towards goal.


Sterling, of course, could have settled the whole thing when Henderson and a failed clearance from Ryan Taylor presented him with the easiest chance of his career in the 57th minute. One day he may be able to tell us exactly how he managed to miss.


Allen’s drive into the roof of Krul’s net on 70 minutes finally eased the anxiety spreading around Anfield.


Newcastle’s hopes took a further decline when Moussa Sissoko was sent off for a second yellow received for a desperate challenge on Lucas.– Daily Mail






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News sport : Charles Barkley recalls trying to gain 20 lbs. in 2 days so the 76ers wouldn't draft him

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Charles Barkley will have two Grand Slams, thanks. Charles Barkley has always been a man of substantial appetites. Some 30 years ago, well before a Hall of Fame playing career that would make him one of the most famous athletes in the world and one of the most sought-after voices in sports media, the so-called "Round Mound of Rebound" attempted to leverage that voracity into turning the tables on the NBA draft process and picking his own landing spot after leaving Auburn.


[Follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball]


Barkley shared the story of his initial interactions with the Philadelphia 76ers during a recent chat with Sports Illustrated's Richard Deitsch at the South by Southwest conference in Texas:


Back in my day we had a hard salary cap so you could not go over the salary cap like you can today and the Sixers had the No. 5 pick in the draft. I left college after three years and in fairness, I was fat in college. I played at 300 pounds. The Sixers called me a month before the draft and said, “We want you to get down to 285 pounds and come in before the draft.” So I get down to 283 and the night before we fly into Philly my agent said, “You do know if the Sixers draft you they are going to give you $75,000, right?” I said, “Dude, I didn’t leave college for $75,000. We have a problem.” He said, “You weigh about 283 now. What do you want to do? You beat their weight limit.” I said, “Let’s go out.”

So we went to Dennys and I had like two Grand Slam breakfasts. We went to lunch and I had like two big barbeque sandwiches. That night we went to a big steakhouse. The next morning I had two more Grand Slam breakfasts and when we flew to Philly, I weighed 302. I was like, Thank goodness, the Sixers are not going to draft me. So when you look at my face when commissioner [David] Stern says 'With the fifth pick in the draft, the Philadelphia 76ers select Charles Barkley,' I was like, 'Oh, sh--.' When people go back and look at me walking, and they see that awful burgundy suit, everybody else is happy and Charles isn’t happy. But it worked out great. The most important person in my basketball career was Moses Malone and he got me down to under 250 pounds and the rest is history.

In recent years, this has become one of Barkley's favorite anecdotes. He shared it during a television special celebrating his 50th birthday back in February 2013, and related it again (swapping "Red Lobster" and "hush puppies" in for "barbecue sandwiches") during a visit to "The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon" back in October, just before the start of the NBA season:



While we'll likely never find out the exact contents of Barkley's two-day food bender, the story about the Sixers' hard-capped $75,000 offer and Barkley's unhappiness about it finds support in this Aug. 15, 1984, New York Times story by Sam Goldaper:


Seconds into Monday night's game between rookies and the free agents from the Philadelphia 76ers and the Washington Bullets, Charles Barkley faked Joe Kopicki and shook the basket at Princeton University's Jadwin Gymasium with a crashing dunk.

Harold Katz, the 76er owner, watched as the 6-foot-6-inch, 275- pound Barkley, the team's top draft choice, make his effortless move, then he poked General Manager Pat Williams and said, "There he goes, he's at it again."

The manner in which Barkley scored was not surprising; in his three seasons at Auburn, many of his points came in similar fashion. What was surprising was that Barkley, the fifth player selected in the draft, had even come to the training camp, which is being conducted jointly by the 76ers, the [New York] Knicks, the [New Jersey] Nets and the Bullets.

The trend has been for unsigned high draft choices to stay away from training camps, as a bargaining weapon and to prevent the possibility of an injury. By allowing Barkley to attend, his agent, Lance Luchnick, has introduced a new bargaining tactic. The 76ers have lent a helping hand by insuring Barkley "for seven figures against injury," according to Williams.

"My guess," Williams said, "is that Barkley came to try and impress us that he is so valuable to the franchise that we will make the necessary modifications in our existing roster to open up more money for him to sign. Right now, because we are over the salary cap, we are permitted to only offer him a one-year contract at $75,000. I have told this to Luchnick over and over again. Now, he has sent him into camp to help convince us further how good Barkley is."

It worked out swimmingly. The Sixers wound up inking Barkley to a four-year, $2 million contract one month later, including a $150,000 signing bonus — double the initial capped-out total offer — spread out over the course of the deal.


Despite getting his way at the negotiating table, though, Barkley didn't open the season in Philly's starting five, thanks in part to his persistent (if reduced since draft night) girth. From Jesse Washington's February feature story on Barkley at The Undefeated:


"I was lazy," Barkley acknowledges at the Four Seasons. "First of all, you don't know you're lazy until you move to the next level. Your level of laziness is dictated by your level of success. Think about it. I'm 300 pounds, but I'm leading the SEC in rebounding. So, like, I don't fuckin' think I'm lazy."

Moses Malone did. When Barkley asked why he wasn't playing much, Moses told him "You're fat and lazy" and advised him to lose weight.

Barkley might not have listened to everybody, but he would (kind of, at least) listen to Moses. He earned his way into the starting lineup after 20 games and went on to average 14 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.2 steals and one block in 28.6 minutes per game, establishing himself as one of the fastest-rising prospects in the game and charting a course for superstardom that would eventually land him in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Sure, he might have gotten there sooner had he laid off on the Grand Slams, but something tells me Sir Charles doesn't have a whole lot of regrets about his pre-draft conditioning plan.


Hat-tip to Greg Paone of The 700 Level.


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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 : Arkansas loses SEC player of the year Bobby Portis to the NBA

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The player most responsible for spearheading Arkansas' return to national relevance this past season is leaving the Razorbacks.


Sophomore forward Bobby Portis announced Tuesday that he will forgo his final two years of eligibility and enter the NBA draft.



The decision from Portis is no surprise because he is projected as a mid-first-round draft pick after earning SEC player of the year honors this past season. The 6-foot-10 Portis averaged 17.5 points, 8.9 rebounds and shot 54 percent from the field, leading Arkansas to 27 wins, a second-place finish in the SEC and the program's first NCAA bid under coach Mike Anderson.


What made Portis a coveted recruit before he arrived at Arkansas was his motor, his size and length, his consistent mid-range jump shot and his ability to run the floor and finish around the rim. He excelled in all those areas with the Razorbacks and extended his range all the way out to the 3-point line, giving him the chance to be a dangerous stretch forward in the NBA with a knack for scoring around the rim too.


The departure of Portis increases the likelihood that Arkansas will take a step backward next season after spending most of this past year in the AP Top 25. The Razorbacks could lose four of their top five scorers depending on whether junior wing Michael Qualls also opts to enter the draft.


Qualls, the team's second-leading scorer and rebounder, is projected as a second-round pick by most mock drafts. The 6-foot-6 Louisiana native is expected to reveal his draft plans in the next couple weeks.


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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!







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Can Chelsea develop first team players?

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Chelsea’s youth team are unarguably the best in Europe. But, how many of these youngsters will actually make the first team?


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It was the high point of their young careers. As silver confetti rained down, the Chelsea players took their turn to lift the Uefa Youth League trophy towards the cloudless Swiss sky.


Each was cheered to the echo by their team-mates and the crowd. Their 3-2 victory over Shakhtar Donetsk in Nyon on Monday meant another piece of silverware for the ever-expanding cabinet at Chelsea’s academy.


It will be seen there as affirmation of the superiority of the Stamford Bridge production line. They are the defending Under 21 Premier League champions and the holders of the FA Youth Cup, which they will put on the line against Manchester City next week in their fifth final in six seasons.


And now, at Under 19 standard, they are officially the best team in Europe after their free-scoring attack found the net 36 times in 10 matches en route to victory.


But here comes the real test of Chelsea’s academy. How many of these talented tyros will graduate to Jose Mourinho’s first team in the next year or two?


Will Dominic Solanke, the England Under 18 striker whose goal in the final took his season’s Youth League tally to a tournament-best 12, be challenging Diego Costa for a place in the coming seasons?


Will Izzy Brown, given a tantalising taste of first-team involvement when named on the bench for Sunday’s match at QPR before flying back to captain the team and score twice here, be absorbed into Mourinho’s forward line?


Solanke, Brown and the elegant central midfielder Ruben Loftus-Cheek have all been involved in the first-team squad, grabbing minutes here and there, but we all wait and wonder whether they will become regulars. Coach Adi Viveash struck an optimistic tone: ‘Do I feel they’re getting closer? Yes. Do I feel players from this group will come through? Yes. I’m confident of that.


‘You can’t have a team that’s won as much as it has and have the different range of qualities and strengths as we have and not feel confident some will come through.


‘Ruben, Dominic and Andreas (Christensen) have got minutes this season but it is all right getting minutes, they’ve got to get to the next stage.’


And it is in getting players to that next stage that Chelsea, so far at least, have struggled. While many of their academy products have gained minutes here and there, you have to go back to John Terry to find a bona fide first-teamer who has come through the ranks.


Take a look at the side that played in the 2010 FA Youth Cup triumph over Aston Villa. Centre back Jeffrey Bruma made nine senior appearances for Chelsea before spending time on loan at Leicester City and Hamburg. He was sold to PSV in 2013. Josh McEachran, the midfielder tipped as England’s next great hope, is currently at Vitesse in Holland, his fifth loan spell in three years. Now 22, his chance at Chelsea has long passed.


Nathaniel Chalobah scored in Chelsea’s 2012 FA Youth Cup final win over Blackburn. Now 20, he is at Reading, his fifth loan spell in the last three seasons.


The Brazilian Lucas Piazon, also in that team, is now at Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany after loan spells at Malaga and Vitesse.


All of the above were tipped for Chelsea stardom and are still on the waiting list.


It now remains to be seen if Chelsea’s latest generation of talented youngsters can buck the trend and break the mould by catching Mourinho’s eye.


Wgo could bridge the gap?


Izzy Brown — the 18-year-old scored twice in this final and has been involved with the first-team squad. An England Under 19 international, he has shown leadership qualities as captain and a clinical scoring touch in this European run.


Ruben Loftus-Cheek — blessed with first-rate vision and passing skills, Loftus-Cheek made his first-team debut as a late substitute against Manchester City this season. England Under 19 international.


Dominic Solanke — the top scorer in this season’s Youth League with 12 goals. The England Under 18 international forward made his senior bow against Maribor in the Champions League in October. - Daily Mail






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News sport : Navy cancels final three spring practices

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FILE - This Sept. 13, 2014, file photo shows Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo standing with his team prior to an NCAA college football game against Texas State in San Marcos, Texas. With a victory over Army on Saturday, Ken Niumatalolo will become the winningest football coach in Navy history. Now in his seventh season at the Academy, Niumatalolo is 55-35. He passed his predecessor, Paul Johnson, on the win list last year and is currently tied with George Welsh, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame who went 55-46-1 from 1973-81.(AP Photo/Eric Gay, File) After 12 spring practices, Navy head coach Ken Niumatalolo has seen enough.


Niumatalolo, who is entering his ninth season as Navy’s head coach, decided to cancel his team’s final three spring practices so his players can focus on academic and other military responsibilities.


“Most schools don’t have final exams as tough as those facing our players. Most football programs don’t have players who must pass a swimming test,” Niumatalolo told The Capital Gazette. “I just felt the potential negatives outweighed the positives of using three more practices.”


The Midshipmen’s original schedule called for spring practice to conclude on April 10, but two practices were postponed due to weather. That pushed everything back a week closer to the end of the semester.


“It’s a grind here at the academy and the semester is winding down. I just think it’s time for our players to focus on finishing the school year strong as far as their classes and military commitments,” Niumatalolo said.


“I thought we might need three more practices, but as it turned out I don’t think we do. I feel pretty confident that we accomplished all we needed to.”


Injuries to starting center Blaze Ryder (leg) and slotback Jahmaal Daniel (ankle) also may have played a role in Niumatalolo’s decision. Ryder, a senior, “will likely miss the first two or three games of 2015,” per The Capital. Additionally, Niumatalolo said that Daniel should be ready to go when fall camp rolls around in August.


The Midshipmen went 8-5 in 2014 and beat San Diego State in the Poinsettia Bowl.


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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 : Ga. Tech helping fund cost of attendance with the Rolling Stones

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Georgia Tech has a good use for the money it's going to get from the Rolling Stones.


The legendary rock band is playing a concert at Bobby Dodd Stadium on June 9. And, coincidentally, Georgia Tech will be providing increased stipends for its athletes in the next school year as part of reforms passed by the Power Five conferences to allow them to provide cost of attendance compensation.


So athletes at Georgia Tech can thank Mick, Keith and the rest of the band for bigger checks next year according to athletic director Mike Bobinski. From ESPN:



In total, Bobinski said covering cost of attendance will add an extra $500,000 to the school's athletic department budget. He said Georgia Tech is expected to receive at least half that amount from the concert.




"The reason we’re doing that is not because we want to have a concert on our great football turf, it is to find ways to generate other revenues," Bobinski said. "We have to look for other things to fill in the gaps."



Georgia Tech may not be the only school utilizing the Rolling Stones to help with cost of attendance either. The Stones are also playing at the stadiums of Minnesota, North Carolina State and Ohio State in their North American tour.


It's a smart idea. While cost of attendance figures vary from school to school (based on cost of living factors), each school covering cost of attendance in its athletes' scholarships will have increased expenses moving forward. And not every school runs a surplus like Alabama or Texas. If big-name concerts continue to be a reliable revenue-producer, the Rolling Stones could be the start of an on-campus stadium concert trend.


For more Georgia Tech news, visit JacketsOnline.com.


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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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News sport : Take a look at the Milwaukee Bucks' brand new logos

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The Milwaukee Bucks are in the midst of a franchise reinvention. The changes started at the very top of the organization, with hedge-fund billionaires Wesley Edens and Marc Lasry buying the team from longtime owner and former U.S. Sen. Herb Kohl just under one year ago. They continue on the sidelines, where — whatever your thoughts on how he got there — Jason Kidd has helmed a 26-win improvement in his first year after taking the coaching reins from Larry Drew.


More than anything, though, it's borne out on the court. Long a middling, floundering and somewhat faceless bunch, the Bucks have embraced the "longball" identity Kidd developed during his lone year in Brooklyn, becoming a swarming, switch-and-recover, grind-you-down defensive squad that ranks second in the league in points allowed per possession. But while sound defense is the backbone of virtually every real contender, it's the possibility for offensive improvement inherent in the likes of sophomore stud Giannis Antetokounmpo and injured rookie Jabari Parker that has so many Bucks fans so eager for the future.


[Follow Dunks Don't Lie on Tumblr: The best slams from all of basketball]


The top-to-bottom changes continued on Monday night, as the Bucks unveiled a set of new logos during their win over the Philadelphia 76ers at BMO Harris Bradley Center. These Bucks are different, and starting next season, they'll look different, too:



Designed by Brooklyn-based firm Doubleday & Cartwright, the Bucks' new look sheds the red elements of the color scheme the team has employed since the 2006-07 season in favor of a pair of additions — "Cream City Cream" and "Great Lakes Blue" intended to evoke the brickwork that's a touchstone of the city's architecture and the "abundance of fresh water" in the surrounding area.



The new primary logo features a redesigned buck whose antlers have grown from the eight-point rack of the previous model to a 12-point structure now, which the team says is intended to show "the maturation of the Buck, [...] underlining the point that he has become an even greater force." The interior antlers form the outline of a basketball, and the Buck's neck forms an M, which — and stay with me here — symbolize the sport the team plays and the city in which it plays.


I'm pretty into the old-timey third logo, featuring the outline of the state of Wisconsin:



The blue accents there appear in all the places where the state of Wisconsin is bordered by water, which is a nice touch. The fact that the state itself appears as the third logo signifies ownership's desire to reach out beyond the Milwaukee area to the fans of Wisconsin as a whole — "This has been a very local team for so long that we wanted to really give an ode to the state," team president of strategy and operations Alex Lasry, son of co-owner Marc Lasry, told The Associated Press — though Lasry says it's got nothing to do with the franchise's attempt to secure as much as $220 million in state bonds to help fund the construction of a new arena and surrounding development project that could wind up with a total price tag of $1 billion.


Uni Watch's Paul Lukas has a great behind-the-scenes look at the design process and decision-making for all you aestheticians out there. For me, I'm intrigued to see what that cream coloring looks like on a jersey — the uniforms will debut this summer — and I'm kind of bummed that the color-scheme switch means Milwaukee will lose the throwback-style red alternate uniforms they've rocked since the '08-'09 campaign. (Yeah, it's simple and maybe Christmas-y, but it's just so clean.)


On balance, though, this seems like a neat reimagining of a somewhat stale look — a nod to the past combined with an attempt to try something new, all resting on a substantially embiggened rack. (So to speak.) What say you? Will you be rushing out to cop that new Cream City Cream merch, or will you maintain credit-card caution as you wait for the uniform unveiling this summer?


- - - - - - -


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 : Daily Dime: Bryce Harper, Christian Yelich, Shane Greene, various O's and Mets

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Below, you'll find ten strong plays for the Tuesday slate. Be sure to give the Jays, Fish, O's and M's plenty of attention, if you're stacking. Also, as always, please check the weather reports and hawk the lineups before finalizing your selections. Now let's do the do...


[Yahoo Sports Fantasy Baseball: Sign up and join a league today!]


Bryce Harper, OF, at Bos (Masterson), $4100 at FanDuel: Justin Masterson's history of struggles against left-handed hitters is of course well-known and thoroughly documented. LHBs have slashed .287/.366/.426 against him in his career, and .320/.408/.502 last season. So yeah, I'm betting on Bryce today.


Everth Cabrera, SS, vs. NYY (Sabathia), $2400: Even in his best seasons, Sabathia often struggled early in April. I'm thinking the O's can do some damage against the 2015 version of CC. Cabrera is a perfect 4-for-4 against Sabathia in his career, for what it's worth (not much). True, Everth is a bottom-of-the-order hitter, but that's somewhat less terrifying in the A.L. If you find yourself in need of a true bargain bin starter, give him a look.


Steve Pearce, 1B, vs. NYY (Sabathia), $3900: Did I mention that Sabathia averaged 88.4 mph on his fastball in his first start? Well, he did. Pearce can do bad things to 88 mph fastballs, I'm thinking.


Michael Cuddyer, OF, vs. Phi (Buchanan), $3000: Phillies starter David Buchanan is a pitch-to-contact right-hander who was rocked last week (3.0 IP, 7 H, 6 ER, 4 BB. He's a reverse-split guy, too. RHBs have hit .301/.346/.491 against Buchanan to this point in his career. I'm deploying multiple Mets against him.


Shane Greene, SP, at Pit (Burnett), $7900: Generally speaking, I'll start only aces in daily, looking for my bargains among the bats. But I'm particularly bullish on Greene after his impressive season debut (8.0 IP, 4 H, 0 ER, 5 Ks, 85 pitches). Detroit's lineup should offer respectable run support facing A.J. Burnett, and it's nice to get Greene against a National League opponent.


Jose Reyes, SS, vs. TB (Andriese), $3900: This could be any Jays starter, really. Toronto's lineup is open for business on Tuesday, with meh right-hander Matt Andriese on the hill for the Rays. I like the brand-name Blue Jays, and I like the prices on guys like Pillar ($2700) and Travis ($2500) as well.


Mike Zunino, C, at LAD (Huff), $2500: David Huff is getting a spot-start for the Dodgers, so I'm gonna go ahead and roll out a few Mariners. Honestly, I'm not sure I'd actually drill down deep enough to reach Zunino, but I rarely buy a luxury catcher in these games. Also, this certainly feels like a game where Zunino could leave the yard. He's been much better against lefties than righties in his brief career (but lousy against almost everyone). Anyway, the real point is this: Seattle hitters are in play today.


Christian Yelich, OF, at Atl (Cahill), $3600: Trevor Cahill shouldn't scare anyone away from the Marlins on Tuesday. Left-handed hitters slashed a ridiculous .346/.411/.519 against Cahill last season, so I don't feel bad doubling-down on Fish in this one. Gimme Yelich and gimme this guy...


Dee Gordon, 2B, at Atl (Cahill), $4000: Yeah, sure, Dee is a bit pricey. But he's 6-for-15 with three walks and just one K in his career against Cahill. He's also red-hot at the moment (.345/.387/.483, 4 SB). It's tough for me to imagine Atlanta keeping him off-base in this one.


Ender Inciarte, OF, at SD (Despaigne), $2800: Here's a low-dollar outfield flier, for those who've blown the budget elsewhere. No need to fear the matchup, certainly. Inciarte has three mutli-hit games in his last four, and he'll be facing a right-hander who gives up plenty of contact.






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News sport : Power Rankings: The Texas top 2 is reversed

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Our Power Rankings are far from a scientific formula. In fact, it's the perfect blend of analytics and bias against your favorite driver. And you think we dislike your favorite driver, so it makes sense, right? Direct all your complaints to us at happyhourmailbag@yahoo.com.



1. Kevin Harvick (LW: 1): Why wasn't Harvick's wall-brush as he was chasing Jimmie Johnson a caution? Yes, we ask that with tongue-planted-firmly-in-cheek, but with every sarcastic remark there's a grain of truth, right? Matt Kenseth was apparent cause of two cautions, one after he slid (and saved his car), producing tire smoke, and another caution came after he brushed the wall. If you wanted to use the Kenseth basis to advocate for a late yellow, well, crazier cases have been made for things in NASCAR. Anyway, Harvick finished second. Ho-hum.



2. Jimmie Johnson (LW: 10): For as good as Harvick has been on 1.5 mile tracks (and overall), it's nice that he's got a stout intermediate track competitor in the No. 48 team. And yes, we just said it was glad that the 48 had emerged as competition for another driver. Someone check our temperature. Johnson has now won three of the last five races at 1.5 mile tracks. Harvick has won the other two. There's clearly a Hendrick secret here that's being fully utilized by two cars. Can others in and outside of Hendrick equipment find it?



3. Joey Logano (LW: 2): Anyone else incredibly happy that a mountain wasn't made out of a molehill in the episdoe between Logano and Harvick? Logano knew he had to stay ahead of Harvick and Harvick moved Logano out of the way without being dirty about it. As Logano said after the race, it was simply racing, and it was nothing to have an overly dramatic pit road scene about. And Logano's move may also open up an interesting debate about blocking in the Cup Series. While it's not an accepted practice throughout the entirety of a race, given the difficulty of passing near the front of the field, at what point does it become acceptable, or at least tolerated, at the end of a race?



4. Martin Truex Jr. (LW: 3): Another top 10 for Truex, who has finished there in every Sprint Cup race this season. It's a hell of an accomplishment, especially for a team that was so far off last season. But it's also put into 2015 perspective when you look at the standings. Truex is already 40 points out of the lead, meaning if the Texas results repeated themselves at Bristol, he'd be more than a full race out of the top spot. With eight top 10s in eight races. Crazy.



5. Brad Keselowski (LW: 5): Keselowski had a better recovery than his teammate. While Logano moved from eighth to fourth in the waning laps after he was moved out of the way by Harvick (and incredibly saved his car), Keselowski had a tire vibration, lost a lap and also committed coneslaughter. The sentencing for the coneslaughter put Keselowski at the tail end of the field for the next restart but he ended up finishing fifth, one spot behind his teammate.



6. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (LW: 9): That secret we talked about in the Johnson paragraph? Maybe the No. 88 team found it. While they weren't too fast at all in qualifying, the team was exceptionally quick in race trim and Junior was near the front pretty quickly. He didn't lead any laps but spent most of the race in the top 10 and was within spitting distance of the lead as he battled with Kevin Harvick for the rights to finish second to Johnson.



7. Kasey Kahne (LW: 8): If we're going to give Keselowski and Logano props for their comebacks, we need to mention Kahne's as well. Kahne had an exceptionally fast car all weekend and an unscheduled stop put him a lap down for a potential loose wheel. He got a fortuitiously-timed caution after green flag pit stops to cycle back towards the lead lap and stayed near the front of the field the rest of the way. He finished 8th.



8. Denny Hamlin (LW: 7): Denny Hamlin finished 11th? Denny Hamlin finished 11th. The No. 11 was flat out to lunch early in the race but they kept working on the car and got back near the top 10. Good points racing for that bunch despite the fact they don't have to points race any longer because Hamlin won at Martinsville to essentially qualify for the Chase. What? You mean teams want to do as best as they can even on bad days? We'll be damned.



9. Jeff Gordon (LW: 12): Gordon finished sixth and after his horrible start to the season is 13th in the standings. That's what happens when you counter three bad races with four consecutive top 10s. And while the results have gotten better for Gordon, his fastest non-Martinsville car has been his Atlanta car. As you know, that race ended in a crash against a bare concrete wall. Gordon will win a race, and probably soon. We're going to go with a Kansas repeat.



10. Kurt Busch (LW: 4): Yes, this seems awfully harsh for Busch, it's just that we couldn't justify keeping him above the drivers who finished ahead of him. Busch was incredibly fast at the beginning of the race but the handling disappeared on his car as the race went on and he scrapped towards a 14th place finish. Through four of seven races in 2014, Busch is now just 17 points outside the top 20.



11. Ryan Newman (LW: 11): For the second week after his team was found to have been poking holes in tires, Newman finished outside the top 10. Though we'll clarify and say it wasn't nearly as bad as his Martinsville debacle, where he fell like an anchor through the field after starting second. Rather he finished 12th, which was pretty typical in his 2014 season. We're anxiously awaiting what emerges from the No. 31 team's appeal on Thursday.



12. Aric Almirola (LW: NR): All hail the wonders of the NASCAR points system. Almirola is 10th in the standings despite not having any top-10 finishes in 2015. He's done it by finishing 11th (twice) and not finishing any lower than 26th. Six of his seven finishes are between 11th and 19th. Is it a run that's going to get him in the Chase again? Probably not. But it's a lesser imitation of Ryan Newman's 2014 so far and we saw how well that worked out last year.


Lucky Dog: The dude who got hit by Francesco Dracone's car on pit road in the IndyCar race and didn't have major injuries.


Dropped Out: Matt Kenseth


The DNF: HScott Motorsports teammates Justin Allagaier and Michael Annett both had apparent tire issues that led to crashes.


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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 : Power rankings: RBC Heritage

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The year's first men's major is in the books, and the PGA Tour moves on from Augusta National and the Masters to Harbour Town Golf Links and the RBC Heritage. The Hilton Head Island tournament is a relaxed, well-run tournament with a solid field.


Masters champion Jordan Spieth will keep his commitment to this tournament, headlining the field, along with the likes of Zach Johnson, Patrick Reed and defending champion Matt Kuchar.


Here's a look at our top five this week.


1. Zach Johnson — The 2007 Masters winner was joint runner-up here in 2012, Johnson has been on the bottom of the weekend leaderboard the last two years at Harbour Town. However, a very nice T-9 at the Masters is his third top 20 in a row.


2. Jordan Spieth — Yes, he’s the best player in the world right now, but a player hasn’t won the Masters and Harbour Town back-to-back since Bernhard Langer in 1985. He was T-12 here last year, so he likes the place. He'll just be exhausted.


3. Russell Henley — Henley came out of the gate hot at the Masters, but cooled off to a 21st-place finish. Was not good here last year, but was T-6 in 2013. He's been making a lot of cuts.


4. Kevin Streelman — Karma is on Streelman’s side, winning the Masters Par 3 Contest partnering with a Make-A-Wish teen on the bag. He finished T-12 at the Masters. He was T-3 at Harbour Town in 2013.


5. Ian Poulter — Poulter is 4-for-4 in making cuts here, but has never been in the top 25. However, he was T-6 at the Masters and closed strongly.



Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.







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News sport : Masters champ Jordan Spieth does Letterman

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New Masters champion Jordan Spieth has been making the rounds in New York since becoming the second-youngest green jacket winner. He got on a private jet and made his way to the Big Apple for a whirlwind tour of media appearances, including a stop at CBS's "Late Show" with David Letterman.


Spieth spoke with the outgoing late-night host about the motivation he had to win the Masters a year after watching Bubba Watson earn a second green jacket in three years.


"Last year, I watched Bubba Watson, a deserving champion, walk up that 18th green with the win, watching him walk up to the patrons giving him a standing ovation, and that was tough," Spieth said. "I definitely had a chip on my shoulder and wanted to experience that myself."


Letterman expounded on Spieth's point, asking if Spieth couldn't wait until the next year -- this year -- to try again.


"I wanted to come back the next day (and try again), but I had to wait a year," Spieth said to laughter.


Letterman imagined what that might be like before Spieth joked, "Wouldn't be as special."


Spieth warmed up for the appearance with a Ron Burgundy-inspired voice exercise.




Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.







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Tuks ready for Chiefs challenge

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University of Pretoria focused on staying out of relegation battle as they prepare to face runaway log leaders Kaizer Chiefs


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In a crucial showdown, Kaizer Chiefs will battle for supremacy while the University of Pretoria will fight for survival and Mamelodi Sundowns will pray for favour.


Though Sundowns won’t be taking part, they will be crossing their fingers that AmaTuks can be a banana skin for Chiefs when the two sides square off at the Tuks Stadium in Pretoria (7.30 kick-off).


Chiefs, who are at the summit of the league with 57 points, are en route to winning the title and only need nine points to secure the Absa Premiership trophy.


Sundowns, who are trailing Chiefs by 10 points, have an outside chance of snatching it away from them but need favours from other teams to derail Amakhosi.


Tuks coach Sammy Troughton is determined to guide Tuks to victory but doesn’t see the league title slithering from Chiefs’ gasp.


He says only a miracle can stop Stuart Baxter’s men from romping to the coveted trophy.


“It would be a big surprise if Sundowns catch Chiefs at this stage. Chiefs are a very experienced team. For them to slip up in three games is almost impossible.


“I would like to see Tuks at least try and change things by upsetting them tonight. Maybe it may give Sundowns hope. From a professional point of view, it will take a miracle. Miracles do happen but I have my money on Chiefs to lift the title,” said Troughton.


The former Sundowns player says his men will be out to do themselves a favour as they are desperate for points to stay clear of the relegation zone. Though Tuks are 10th with 30 points, Troughton feels they could potentially be in trouble.


“We are not going there to hold back against Chiefs. We have got to be brave.


“We have got to give them problems and win the game. We must stay away from the dark side of the bottom of the table. We don’t want to be drawn into relegation problems.


“We are not clear yet but we need a minimum of six points. We are going to take it one game at a time.


“Until we are mathematically safe from relegation, we will not celebrate. There’s work to be done,” said the former Mpumalanga Black Aces coach.


With the league title not far off, Chiefs players are set to be psyched up when they play at the Tuks Stadium for the first time. Troughton is expecting Baxter’s side to charge at them with everything they have.


“Chiefs want to win games. They don’t want any slip up. They will be coming all out,” said Troughton.


Tuks have not been doing well in recent matches. In their last three outings, they have lost twice and drawn once.


Troughton says his attackers Geofrey Massa, Atusaye Nyondo, Thabo Mnyamane, Thabo Mosadi and Denver Mukamba have to step up in order to see off the challenge of Chiefs.


Troughton says Tuks will attack Chiefs throughout the 90 minutes.


“We are going to have to play well. We need our players to come to the party. We have got to be clever in our play. We have got to perform to the best of our ability if we want to get something because Chiefs are a quality side.


“That’s why they are top of the league,” said Troughton.


“We have got to go for a win and hopefully it will come. I can’t change the team and put in defensive players. They have got to come the party.


“We are not going to sit back and defend. We need goals. We have to get forward and we have to be brave and attack. Sitting back is not the way to approach the game.


“We need to do the business. We can’t sit back.” - The Star






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News sport : Ike Taylor's retirement another sign of big changes with the Steelers

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In the 2003 NFL draft, the Pittsburgh Steelers took safety Troy Polamalu in the first round. Three rounds later, they took a lesser-known, lanky, fast cornerback out of Louisiana-Lafayette, Ike Taylor.


Teams who bring their cards to the podium at this year's draft hope to be as lucky as the Steelers were that year. Polamalu and Taylor became mainstays in the Steelers' secondary, coached from 2004 on by defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, for the next 12 years. They won a lot of games and two Super Bowls together. And, within a week of each other, they both retired with the only team they ever played in the NFL for.


Taylor followed Polamalu's retirement by stepping away himself. Taylor was a free agent, but decided instead to walk away. It was announced via a statement on the Steelers website.


“Other than having my son, playing for the Steelers has been the best experience in my entire lifetime,” Taylor said. “It is rare, in this day of free agency that is super rare to play for one team. For me to have this opportunity says a lot about how they felt about me, what I gave back to the organization.


“I wasn’t cut, I wasn’t released. It was just my contract was up and it was time to retire. If you want to have pride, well that is the kind of pride I have, being able to play my contract out."


Taylor won't be remembered as fondly as Polamalu, who will go to the Pro Football Hall of Fame some day. But he was a good starter at a tough position, and was a key member of a defense that ranked at or near the top of the league just about every season he and Polamalu played together.


It's a time of change in Pittsburgh. Polamalu and Taylor are gone, and so is LeBeau. The longtime coordinator will be replaced after he resigned. Keith Butler will take his spot.


Pittsburgh wasn't totally unprepared for Taylor and Polamalu to leave. Polamalu missed four games last season and Taylor missed 11 due to injuries. Both players were free agents and the Steelers hadn't shown any signs of wanting to re-sign them. But it'll be a much different look without those two. It'll be the first time since 2002 the Steelers haven't had either Taylor or Polamalu in the secondary.


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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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