X Games: Bob Burnquist wins gold in Skateboard Big Air; Brusco finishes 5th

Bob Burnquist raised his 2010 silver medal to a gold in the Skateboard Big Air competition at X Games 17. While the rest of the field managed to complete only four runs, Burnquist landed two on his own, getting the two highest scores of the day.

Burnquist’s 540-degree turn followed by a 540-degree turn which soared more than 16 feet above the quarterpipe earned him his winning score of 92.66. Earlier, the Brazilian had landed a 180 over the 70-foot gap without grabbing his board and then a 540 with a double-grab off the quarterpipe.

Adam Taylor took silver with an 89.22 for his 360 into a 540 performance, and Edgard Pereira took bronze thanks to a similar trick good for a rating of 87.

Fourteen-year-old Mitchie Brusco finished fifth. On his first run, the only run he completed, Brusco landed a 360-degree turn followed by a 540-degree turn off the quarterpipe. His score of 81.33 was good for first at the time, but skater by skater dropped him down the rankings.

Two-time defending gold medalist Jake Brown failed to complete any of his five runs, attempting a bold backflip over a 70-foot gap. Brown managed to land the trick on a practice run between rounds, but no score was fixed to the stunt that delighted the fans outside the Staples Center.

RELATED:

Marisa Dal Santo wins women's Skateboard Street competition

Jamie Bestwick wins fifth BMX Freestyle Vert title in a row

Nate Adams easily takes Moto X Freestyle gold medal

-- Douglas Farmer

Photo: Bob Burnquist crashes on his third run during the Skateboard Big Air competition Friday. Credit: Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times

Mardy Fish sets up semifinal against Harrison at Farmers Classic

Top-seeded Mardy Fish made it to the semifinals at the Farmers Classic tennis tournament for only the second time in his career Friday. The 29-year-old, who lives near the Los Angeles Tennis Center at UCLA where the tournament is played, has never gone any further in the only L.A. stop on the ATP Tour.

Fish, who was a first-time quarterfinalist at Wimbledon earlier this month, beat eighth-seeded Russian Igor Kunitsyn, 6-2, 6-4, Friday. Fish will play fellow American Ryan Harrison in a Saturday semifinal. Harrison is a decade younger than Fish and cracked the top 100 in the ATP computer rankings (at 94) for the first time this week. Harrison beat Yen-Hsun Lu of Taipei in the first quarterfinal Friday.

Saturday's second semifinal will match American veteran Alex Bogomolov, a 1-6, 6-4, 6-1 winner over fourth-seeded Brazilian Thomaz Bellucci on Friday, against the winner of a late match between second-seeded Juan Martin del Potro and Ernests Gulbis.

-- Diane Pucin

Pitcher Tyler Chatwood roughed up in Angels loss to Tigers

Five days after one of his best starts of the season, Angels right-hander Tyler Chatwood (pictured above) had one of his worst Friday, giving up six runs in 5 1/3 innings of a 12-2 loss to the Detroit Tigers.

Chatwood, who handcuffed the Baltimore Orioles his last time out, hit a couple of bumps in the road in the first five innings in Detroit, giving up a home run and a run-scoring double. But he completely fell apart in the sixth when the Tigers took advantage of the right-hander's wildness to break the game open.

Andy Dirks led off the inning and was hit by a pitch before Chatwood walked Brennan Boesch. After an out, Victor Martinez singled to drive in one run, then Carlos Guillen drove a pitch to the wall in center for a two-run triple.

Alex Avila scored Guillen with a single, and after Chatwood walked Wilson Betemit, he was gone.

The six earned runs are the most Chatwood (6-7), a rookie, has allowed in a start in his career

It was a tight game until the sixth, with the Angels going ahead twice only to see the Tigers tie the game in their next at-bat each time.

In the first, Maicer Izturis hit the second pitch of the game over the right-field wall, but Boesch, a Harvard-Westlake High graduate, matched that in the bottom half the inning with a massive blast off Chatwood that was hit so deep into the right-field bleachers that Angels outfielder Torii Hunter didn't bother to move.

The homer was the eighth allowed by Chatwood this season but just the second since June 6.

The Angels went back in front in the fifth when Howie Kendrick got a gift double after his sharp ground ball bounced off the glove of third baseman Wilson Betemit into shallow left-center field. Mark Trumbo  followed with a line-drive single to center to bring Kendrick home.

Then in the Tigers' half of the fifth, Avila singled with one out and came home an out later on Ramon Santiago's double to right.

Detroit added two runs in the seventh on back-to-back RBI doubles by Martinez and Guillen and four more in the eighth, the last score coming on a bizarre play that started with Torii Hunter making a splendid sliding catch of Carlos Guillen's blooper and ended with Detroit's Miguel Cabrera lumbering home from third after Hunter inexplicably lobbed the ball toward an unoccupied part of the infield.

Five Tigers finished with at least two hits, led by Martinez and Santiago who had three each. Martinez and Guillen also drove in four runs apiece.

Izturis led the Angels with two of their five hits.

The loss snapped a modest three-game winning streak for the Angels, who are 5-3 on a 10-game road trip that concludes Sunday.

RELATED:

Angels-Tigers box score

Angels' chances of landing Aramis Ramirez: slim and none

Peter Bourjos improves batting but remains unsatisfied

-- Kevin Baxter in Detroit

Photo credit: Leon Halip/Getty Images

X Games: Jamie Bestwick wins another BMX Freestyle Vert gold medal

Jamie Bestwick won a record fifth BMX Freestyle Vert gold medal Friday night at the X Games.

The 40-year-old twisted and turned his way to a title, edging second-place finisher Steve McCann by two points in the final.

McCann got the loudest cheers of the night by pulling off a no-handed 900 that sent the crowd into a frenzy.

However, early in the final, that same hooting and hollering crowd went dead silent when Simon Tabron took a spill after several spins in the air. His bike appeared to land on him as he crashed onto his left leg. For several moments, the only noise in the Nokia theatre was Tabron's groans. He was helped off the ramp after several minutes.

RELATED:

Marisa Dal Santo wins women's Skateboard Street competition

Nate Adams easily takes Moto X Freestyle gold medal

Chad Kagy has surgery to repair broken right leg

--Matt Stevens

X Games: Steve McCann keeps double gold hopes alive in BMX Vert

Steve McCann’s chances at double gold in X Games 17 survives. McCann advanced to the BMX Freestyle Vert finals by winning his heat Friday afternoon.

Jamie Bestwick won the second of the two heats, putting up an elimination-round high of 45 points in his final run.

The five riders for the BMX Freestyle Vert finals will return to the halfpipe at 6:15 tonight.

1. Jamie Bestwick 87 (last year’s gold medalist)
2. Steve McCann 80 (last year’s silver medalist)
3. Vince Byron 78
4. Simon Tabron 73 (last year’s bronze medalist and a Carlsbad native)
5. Jimmy Walker 71

The initial 10 competitors split into two groups of five. Each group rode the halfpipe for 12 minutes, with each rider taking 30-second turns.

RELATED:

Marisa Dal Santo wins women's Skateboard Street competition

Nate Adams easily takes Moto X Freestyle gold medal

Chad Kagy has surgery to repair broken right leg

-- Douglas Farmer

X Games: Nate Adams easily wins Moto X Freestyle

Thirty seconds into his final run of the Moto X Freestyle finals, Nate Adams stopped. He sat on his dirt bike atop the Staples Center’s highest dirt-mound. And celebrated.

Adams’ opening two runs tallied 45 and 46 points, respectively, and were the two highest-scoring runs of the afternoon’s competition. The victory marks Adams’ 11th X Games medal.

Adam Jones overcame a crash on his second run to take the silver medal, with 86 points. A 44-point run vaulted Jones over Danny Torres, who took the bronze with 83 points.

The four riders in the finals –- Taka Higashino rounded out the field –- each took three runs of 60 seconds. Their top two runs counted toward their final scores.

RELATED:

Marisa Dal Santo wins women's Skateboard Street competition

Steve McCann keeps double gold hopes alive in BMX Vert

Chad Kagy has surgery to repair broken right leg

-- Douglas Farmer

Photo: Nate Adams during X Games 15. Credit: Spencer Weiner / Los Angeles Times

X Games: Nate Adams takes charge in Moto X Freestyle

Nate Adams not only advanced to the Moto X Freestyle finals, but he completely dominated the Friday afternoon elimination round.

Adams, last year’s bronze medalist, tallied the three highest runs among the eight competitors, even though only two count toward a rider’s final score. His opening runs of 45 and 43 –- followed by another run tallying 43 points –- gave him a final score of 88 points.

Joining Adams in the finals will be Adam Jones (83 points), Danny Torres (82) and Taka Higashino (76).

The eight competitors split into two heats. Each rider took three 60-second runs, and his top two scores counted toward his total. Scores are based on overall impression, tricks, execution, style, use of the course and landings.

The Moto X Freestyle finals begin tonight at 5:45.

-- Douglas Farmer

Giants Range Not So Far for a New Punter

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — Seeking to bring in some competition at punter after Matt Dodge struggled through his rookie season in 2010, the Giants did not look far.

On Friday, the team reached a deal with the former Jets punter Steve Weatherford. The terms were not disclosed.

Last season, Weatherford’s 84 punts averaged 42.6 yards. Half those punts landed inside the 20-yard-line, which led the league. Dodge had a higher yards-per-punt average (44.8), but he managed only 20 punts inside the 20-yard-line and had nine touchbacks, five more than Weatherford.

Statistics do not tell the whole story about the Giants’ frustrations with Dodge. In the Giants’ monumental collapse against the Philadelphia Eagles, Dodge’s 36-yard punt directly at DeSean Jackson was returned for the game-winning touchdown. Coach Tom Coughlin was visibly angry with Dodge and had told him to punt the ball out of bounds to avoid giving Jackson an opportunity to make a play.

The loss was a crushing blow for the Giants, who finished 10-6 but lost a tie breaker with the Eagles and failed to make the playoffs.

Weatherford signed with the New Orleans Saints as an undrafted free agent out of Illinois in 2006. He spent two seasons with the Saints before he waived after seven games in 2008. The Kansas City Chiefs picked him up and he appeared in two games with the Chiefs before being waived again. He later signed with the Jacksonville Jaguars and played in five games before joining the Jets prior to the 2009 season.

Ryan Harrison into semifinals for second straight week

 

Ryan Harrison, a sometimes hot-tempered 19-year-old from Louisiana kept playing his fight-from-behind tennis Friday at the Farmers Classic at the Los Angeles Tennis Center at UCLA.

Harrison lost the first set then came back to beat 27-year-old veteran Yen-Hsun Lu of Taipai, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

In two of his three matches this week, Harrison has lost the first set and been down a break in the second. Against Lu, who upset American Andy Roddick two years ago at Wimbledon, Harrison earned a warning from the chair umpire after one of his angry racket tosses and often was mumbling to himself. It is as if Harrison needs to light his emotional spark with a flint made of temper.

In the 2-hour, 24-minute quarterfinal match, Harrison finally seized control with a service break in the seventh game of the final set that came, in part, because Harrison controlled his service returns, keeping the strokes in the court and starting rallies instead of trying for instant winners. He solidified his 4-3 lead by holding serve in a nine-point eighth game where he was down 0-30 and got back to 30-30 with a 117-mile-per-hour ace.

Matt Moore is headed to the Dolphins

Miami Dolphins quarterback Chad Henne told a secret Friday. Speaking to reporters after practice, he said that the team had reached a contract agreement with free-agent quarterback Matt Moore.

A nearby team executive quickly ended the interview as Henne said he's ready for the competition over who will be the starter to begin. 

Moore started 13 games for the Carolina Panthers from 2007 to 2010. Last year he threw five touchdown passes and had 10 interceptions.

More details of the deal to come later.

MORE:

James Harrison apologizes for using anti-gay slur directed at Roger Goodell

Patriots trade for Albert Haynesworth, Chad Ochocinco

Michael Vick says Vince Young will do well in Philadelphia

--Houston Mitchell

Photo: Matt Moore with the Carolina Panthers last season. Credit: Streeter Lecka / Getty Images.

Claiming horses is red hot at Del Mar

With the highest purses in the nation, Del Mar has become the place to claim horses this summer and try to make money. On Thursday, there were 19 claims submitted for a single horse, Via Verde, who won the fifth race. Trainer Mike Pender won the competition to pay $20,000 for the 4-year-old gelding.

But the best claim of the day might have been pulled off by trainer John Sadler. In the eighth race, the 2-year-old Stoney Fleece made his debut, breaking slow in a 5 1/2-furlong maiden race, getting steadied and racing in last place in the 11-horse field before rallying with a memorable stretch run under jockey Joe Talamo to win by a neck.

Sadler claimed Stoney Fleece, a son of Decarchy, for $40,000 from trainer Mike Puype. The previous owner had paid $1,200 for Stoney Fleece, according to Puype. Stoney Fleece earned $18,600 for the win. The final time of 1:06.01 wasn't particularly good, but the way Stoney Fleece finished was impressive.

As for losing Stoney Fleece in a claim, Puype said, "It is what it is. We'll know how it turns out down the road."

-- Eric Sondheimer

 

Angels rest Vernon Wells against Tigers

Angels Manager Mike Scioscia has tried to rest his regulars at least once during the team's 10-day tour of the hot and humid Eastern time zone. Friday it was Vernon Wells' turn, with Howie Kendrick spelling the veteran in left field and designated hitter Bobby Abreu moving down a spot in the lineup to replace Wells in the cleanup spot.

It's probably a good time to bench Wells for other reasons, too, such as his .207 average on the road trip or the fact he's gone 2 for 15 since the Angels left Baltimore on Sunday.

The Angels head into Friday's game with the Tigers a season-best 10 games over .500 and with baseball's best record, 27-12, since June 13. They also have 16 wins in July, their most in one month since June of 2010.

The lineups:

Angels

2B -- Maicer Izturis

SS -- Erick Aybar

RF -- Torii Hunter

DH -- Bobby Abreu

3B -- Alberto Callaspo

LF -- Howie Kendrick

1B -- Mark Trumbo

CF -- Peter Bourjos

C -- Bobby Wilson

P -- Tyler Chatwood

Detroit Tigers

CF -- Austin Jackson

RF -- Andy Dirks

LF -- Brennan Boesch

1B -- Miguel Cabrera

DH -- Victor Martinez

2B -- Carlos Guillen

C -- Alex Avila

3B -- Wilson Betemit

SS -- Ramon Santiago

P -- Rick Porcello

-- Kevin Baxter in Detroit

X Games: Day 2 of competition opens with Skateboard Street

Day 2 of X Games 17 is underway as competition moves to the Skateboard Street course.

Four heats of five skaters take to the concrete plaza, an urban environment complete with a traffic light, a bus stop and five sets of stairs. Each heat skates for 18 minutes, with competitors taking turns on 45-second runs.

Hundreds of fans have turned out for the elimination round, which will trim the field to 10 for Saturday's finals at 1:30 p.m.

Included in the course are two sides of a pyramid, broken down a few feet below where a pinnacle would be. Word among the skaters is that the course designer had the pyramid built to a level top, then partially demolished it to create a genuine street appearance.

RELATED:

Stenberg takes gold in Moto X best whip final

Raven Tershy wins X Games gold in skateboard park

-- Douglas Farmer

Photo: A look at the Skateboard Street course. Credit: Douglas Farmer / Los Angeles Times

Who are the three greatest closers in Angels history?

We are looking back at the greatness of the Angels with a series of polls choosing the best players at each position. We now move on to closer. You had to have at least 40 saves for the Angels to be listed on the poll.

So, who are the three greatest closers in Angels history? And remember, vote for three people.

Is this pitch doing too much?

I’m in a bit of a quandary here. For most of the summer I’ve been campaigning for spicier pitches in order to inconvenience the visitors from the sub-continent. Now with this pitch at Trent Bridge, I’m worried things may have gone a little too far. I’m hoping that it might be the combination of the overhead conditions and the greenish pitch that is making batting look so treacherous.

But when you see the ball that dismissed Graeme Swann, sending him off to hospital for an x-ray, you do wonder whether that really should be happening on the first day of a Test match.

What cannot be denied is that it has provided some absorbing cricket. India’s bowlers bowled excellently until Stuart Broad and Swann counter-attacked late on in a thrilling partnership. It certainly wasn’t mindless slogging. It was calculated aggression in conditions that demanded such an approach. There always appears to be a good ball waiting around the corner for you on this pitch, so it’s best to score as many runs as you can before it arrives.

Pace and bounce are what I’ve been advocating all summer, but whilst there has been some bounce here there has not been a great deal of pace. But, with a rather uneven covering of grass, there has been seam movement to add to the swing through the air that you always seem to encounter at Trent Bridge these days.

So how did England play? Alastair Cook wasn’t out (where is that damned DRS please?), Jonathan Trott was done by swing, Andrew Strauss battled hard before losing patience and driving loosely, Kevin Pietersen was distracted by some dark windows above the sightscreen, Eoin Morgan was plumb lbw, Ian Bell was caught behind cutting and Matt Prior got a beauty. Broad and Swann rescued them.

No-one, however, played as poor a shot as Indian opener Abhinav Mukund. What was he thinking, driving with such abandon first ball? The battle to the close was then fierce. Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman rode their luck and used their expertise. They will need plenty more of it tomorrow.

What do you think? Is the pitch too helpful? Or do you like this sort of cricket?

James Harrison regrets insulting Roger Goodell with anti-gay slur

Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison says he should have used “better vocabulary” when expressing his anger toward NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell in a Men's Journal magazine article released earlier this month.

The four-time Pro Bowl player used an anti-gay slur to describe Goodell and says he knows he attacked Goodell on a personal level with his “careless words.”

There has been no decision from the league on whether to discipline Harrison for his comments.

Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and running back Rashard Mendenhall, whom Harrison also criticized in the article, say they've cleared the air with him and expect no issues going forward.

MORE:

Eagles' DeSean Jackson absent from start of camp

Patriots trade for Albert Haynesworth, Chad Ochocinco

Michael Vick says Vince Young will do well in Philadelphia

-- Houston Mitchell

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: James Harrison. Credit: Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press.

 

Vince Young will do well in Philadelphia, Michael Vick says

 

[Updated at 9:27 a.m.: The Philadelphia Eagles are expected to sign former Tennessee quarterback Vince Young on Friday, a day after the Titans released him. Eagles quarterback Michael Vick says, "I think he'll be great."]

Young, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2006 draft, is 30-18 in five seasons. He finished the 2010 season on injury reserve after sustaining a thumb injury on his right throwing hand Nov. 21.

Young's ethics and leadership have been questioned. The same day he injured his thumb last season, he tossed his shoulder pads into the stands and erupted at former coach Jeff Fisher in front of his teammates.

"As we have said since January, it was time for us to go in a different direction at quarterback and we have done that," General Manager and Executive Vice President Mike Reinfeldt said in a statement.

Young was set to make $8.5 million with the Titans this season.

Vick seems confident that Young will fit in well with the Eagles.

“You’ve got to go out and get the best player, no matter what anybody is saying about them or what happened in their past,” Vick told Comcast Sports Net. “You’ve got to give yourself the best chance of winning. So go out and get the best players and give them a chance to compete each and every Sunday.”

MORE:

Eagles' DeSean Jackson absent from start of camp

Patriots trade for Albert Haynesworth, Chad Ochocinco

-- Melissa Rohlin

Photo: Vince Young. Credit: Frederick Breedon/Associated Press.

Jurgen Klinsmann is new coach of U.S. soccer team [Updated]

Jurgen Klinsmann was hired as the coach of the U.S. soccer team on Friday.

Klinsmann is a former German World Cup winner and manager. As a player, he helped Germany win the World Cup in 1990 and, as a coach, he led the team to the semifinals in 2006 and finished his three-year term with a record of 20-8-6. He will be the first foreign-born coach of the U.S. team since Bora Milutinovic was in charge from 1991 to 1995.

Klinsmann will replace Bob Bradley, who was fired on Thursday.

[Updated, 10:12 a.m., July 29: Klinsmann, who lives in Huntington Beach, was courted by the team in 2006 and 2010 but couldn't agree to terms with U.S. Soccer at that time.

U.S. Soccer will hold a news conference in New York on Monday to formally introduce the new hire. His first match with the United States will be against Mexico on Aug. 10 in Philadelphia.]

"We are excited to have Jurgen as the head coach," U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati said in a statement.

"He is a highly accomplished player and coach with the experience and knowledge to advance the program.

"Jurgen has had success in many different areas of the game and we look forward to the leadership he will provide on and off the field."

RELATED:

Bob Bradley fired as U.S coach

Manchester City defeats Galaxy, 7-6

-- Melissa Rohlin

Photo: Jurgen Klinsmann. Credit: Ronald Witteck

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Juergan Klinsmann is new coach of U.S. soccer team

Juergen Klinsmann was hired as the coach of the U.S. soccer team on Friday.

Klinsmann is a former German World Cup winner and manager. As a player, he helped Germany win the World Cup in 1990 and, as a coach, he led the team to the semifinals in 2006 and finished his three-year term with a record of 20-8-6. He will be the first foreign-born coach of the U.S. team since Bora Milutinovic was in charge from 1991 to 1995.

Klinsmann will replace Bob Bradley, who was fired on Thursday.

[Updated at 10:12 a.m.: Klinsmann, who lives in Huntington Beach, was courted by the team in 2006 and 2010 but could never agree to terms with U.S. soccer.

U.S. Soccer will hold a press conference in New York on Monday to formally introduce the new hire. Klinsmann’s first match with the United States will be against Mexico on Aug. 10 in Philadelphia.]

"We are excited to have Juergen as the head coach," U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati said in a statement.

"He is a highly accomplished player and coach with the experience and knowledge to advance the program.

"Juergen has had success in many different areas of the game and we look forward to the leadership he will provide on and off the field."

RELATED:

Bob Bradley fired as U.S coach

Manchester City defeats Galaxy, 7-6

-- Melissa Rohlin

Photo: Juergen Klinsmann. Credit: Ronald Witteck.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

N.F.L. Moves: Young Joins Eagles, Jets Vie for Asomugha

12:36 p.m. | Updated

Big signing news of the day, so far:

The Eagles, having shipped their backup quarterback, Kevin Kolb, to the Cardinals on Thursday, have reportedly decided his replacement will be Vince Young, who was released by the Titans on Thursday. The Eagles’ last quarterback reclamation project, Michael Vick, said he was thrilled the team was taking on Young as its next project.

In other news, the Denver Broncos have reportedly found someone to complement running back Knowshon Moreno by agreeing to a three-year, $7.5 million deal with Willis McGahee. Wide receiver Roy Williams, who was cut by the Dallas Cowboys on Thursday, will be reunited with his former offensive coordinator Mike Martz in Chicago after reportedly agreeing to terms with the Bears.

Friday’s biggest looming mysteries:
These involve perhaps the most talented player still dangling in free-agency limbo, cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, who is expected to choose between the Jets and the Cowboys, and the most talented player ever to shoot himself in the leg, receiver Plaxico Burress. Reportedly, the league has reinstated Burress, freeing him to sign on some available bottom line, and he is expected to sit down with Giants Coach Tom Coughlin Friday night to either hash out their differences or perhaps discuss the nutritional failings of jailhouse cuisine.

The Texans made some bold moves Thursday by signing cornerback Johnathan Joseph and safety Danieal Manning, and want to be even bolder by adding Asomugha. NFL Network is reporting that the Texans are now out of the running and the Cowboys are in, but the favorites are the Jets, who are trying to create a supertandem in their defensive backfield, writes Bucky Brooks on NFL.com, with Darrelle Revis.

There is still lingering debate over one of Thursday’s other big deals, the trade of quarterback Kolb from the Eagles to the Cardinals for cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The consensus is that the Cardinals paid a steep price for Kolb, but had to go bold to fill their biggest need. But Clark Judge of CBSSports.com also warns that investing in discarded Eagles quarterbacks is not usually a good move.

Cutsville: As the Asomugha-Jets negotiations carry on, the team said goodbye to their three-time Pro Bowl quarterback and Mark Sanchez mentor, Mark Brunell, along with cornerback Will Billingsley and guard Marlon Davis.

Reverberations from Thursday’s big moves:

The Patriots joined the backyard party on Thursday and did one giant cannonball into the middle of the pool. They didn’t just shove Albert Haynesworth and his cartful of emotional baggage off the high board, they hurled Chad Ochocinco in there after him.

Yes, that was Thursday, and by the end of the day Friday the whole thing might explode into an “Animal House” toga party, but let’s just pause for a second to say, “Wow.”

Now, whether this move turns into an epic team chemistry chain reaction that leaves Patriots Coach Bill Belichick with a set of fried eyebrows, that will be the central mystery of the Patriots’ season. But it certainly got everyone’s attention, writes Greg A. Bedard in The Boston Globe. Belichick is clearly counting on his magical powers to reclaim wayward talent, writes Don Banks on SI.com, at least in the case of Haynesworth. With Ochocinco, it’s how to manage the cultural clash between the league’s most buttoned-down team and the Queen Mary of self-promoting showboats. Dan Wetzel of Yahoo.com urges Ochocinco to shut down his Twitter account and behave now, but that would be rather like asking Niagara Falls to act like a nice little waterfall.

To a lot of people right now — including Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com — Belichick looks like a genius. But, as Alex Marvez writes on Foxsports.com, by the end of the season he might be getting measured for a straitjacket with a hood.

N.F.L. Mayhem Central: Young Joins Eagles, Jets Vie for Asomugha

11:58 a.m. | Updated The hamster wheel that is the N.F.L. offseason is expected to hit warp speed today. Clearly, the poor hamster should have struck a better deal in the collective bargaining negotiations.

Big signing news of the day, so far:

The Eagles, having shipped backup quarterback Kevin Kolb to the Cardinals on Thursday, have reportedly decided his replacement will be Vince Young, who was released by the Titans on Thursday. Not surprisingly, the Eagles’ last quarterback reclamation project, Michael Vick, said he was thrilled the team was taking on Young as its next project and Eagles are clearly banking on Vick being a good influence on a player who

Reverberations from Thursday’s big moves:

The Patriots joined the backyard party on Thursday and did one giant cannonball into the middle of the pool. They didn’t just shove Albert Haynesworth and his cartful of emotional baggage off the high board, they hurled Chad Ochocinco in there after him.

Yes, that was Thursday, and by the end of the day Friday the whole thing might explode into an “Animal House” toga party, but let’s just pause for a second to say, “Wow.”

Now, whether this move turns into an epic team chemistry chain reaction that leaves Patriots Coach Bill Belichick with a set of fried eyebrows, that will be the central mystery of the Patriots’ season. But it certainly got everyone’s attention, writes Greg A. Bedard in The Boston Globe. Belichick is clearly counting on his magical powers to reclaim wayward talent, writes Don Banks on SI.com, at least in the case of Haynesworth. With Ochocinco, it’s how to manage the cultural clash between the league’s most buttoned-down team and the Queen Mary of self-promoting showboats. Dan Wetzel of Yahoo.com urges Ochocinco to shut down his Twitter account and behave now, but that would be rather like asking Niagara Falls to act like a nice little waterfall.

To a lot of people right now — including Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com — Belichick looks like a genius. But, as Alex Marvez writes on Foxsports.com, by the end of the season, he might be getting measured for a straitjacket with a hood.

Friday’s biggest looming mysteries:
These involve perhaps the most talented player still dangling in free agency limbo, cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, and the most talented player every to shoot himself in the leg, receiver Plaxico Burress. Reportedly, the league has reinstated Burress, freeing him to sign on some available bottom line, and he is expected to sit down with Giants Coach Tom Coughlin Friday night to either hash out their differences or perhaps discuss the nutritional failings of jailhouse cuisine.

The Texans made some bold moves Thursday by signing cornerback Johnathan Joseph and safety Danieal Manning, and want to make it even bolder by adding Asomugha. NFL Network is reporting that the Texans are now out of the running and the Cowboys are in, but the favorite is the Jets, who are trying to create a supertandem in their defensive backfield, writes Bucky Brooks on NFL.com, with Darrelle Revis.

There is still lingering debate over one of Thursday’s other big deals, the trade of quarterback Kolb from the Eagles to the Cardinals for cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The consensus is that the Cardinals paid a steep price for Kolb, but had to go bold to fill their biggest need. But Clark Judge of CBSSports.com also warns that investing in discarded Eagles quarterbacks is not usually a good move.

Fantasy Football: Players to Ignore on Draft Day

Jason and Justin Sablich are here to help you with your fantasy football draft. The Sablich brothers will provide fantasy football advice throughout the season on this blog and on Twitter (@5thDownFantasy).

Complete fantasy football ranking for all positions, including PPR formats, updated throughout the preseason.

We are avoiding some of these players on draft day because we don’t believe they will justify their hype, reputation, or current draft positions. We are avoiding others because of issues with consistency and health. Does that mean we think all of these guys will have horrible years? No. We simply want to maximize value when it comes to building our teams, while keeping the headaches and screaming to a minimum throughout the season.

Here are some players we’re putting a red flag next to on draft day.

Quarterback

Matt Schaub, HOU – Schaub has been a top-10 quarterback in standard scoring leagues over the last two seasons. So what is the problem? Having owned Schaub in a number of leagues last season, we can attest to how inconsistent he was in the first 10 weeks of the season. Schaub posted fewer than 15 fantasy points five times in that span. His first back-to-back weeks of 15-plus points did not come until Weeks 11 and 12.

Some may blame the health of Owen Daniels and Andre Johnson, but we think the success of Arian Foster has something more to do with his roller coaster statistical line. Schaub averaged 15.2 fantasy points a game when Foster rushed for at least 100 yards or more, compared with 20.9 when Foster failed to hit the century mark. If you expect Foster’s outstanding play to continue this year, as we do, then prepare for more games in 2011 in which Schaub and the passing game take a back seat.

Rookie Quarterbacks
 – We don’t mess around with rookie quarterbacks under normal circumstances as it is, but with the lockout-shortened off-season robbing everyone of valuable prep time, we’ll stay even farther away this year. In fact, it’s going to be extra tough for all first-year players to get up to speed, but the quarterback position is the most complex of them all and will be the one most affected.

Others to Avoid: Colt McCoy, Ryan Fitzpatrick, Alex Smith, Mark Sanchez and Jason Campbell.

Running Back

Maurice Jones-Drew, JAX
 – According to Jones-Drew himself, the coaching staff in Jacksonville is weary of his surgically repaired knee and wants Rashad Jennings to help shoulder more of the carries, although the team’s offensive coordinator, Dirk Koetter, claims there has not been talk about limiting his workload. Either way, it’s not exactly the kind of chatter you want surrounding a first-round pick in this year’s draft.

M.J.D. scored only five touchdowns last season, a drastic drop-off from the 16 he scored in 2009. Expecting a bounce back in that category may be wishful thinking as Jennings makes more sense from a physical standpoint at the goal line.

Ryan Grant, GB – Grant claims to have been informed that he is still the leader of the Packers’ backfield, but with James Starks’s stock rising thanks to a solid showing in last season’s Super Bowl, it won’t be until after training camp that we know for sure. Even if he does return as the primary back, a timeshare of sorts is to be expected, limiting the value of both backs.

Felix Jones, DAL – The Cowboys released Marion Barber, but this backfield remains crowded with Tashard Choice and the newly acquired Oklahoma star DeMarco Murray. If ownership is content with Jones as the starter, then why draft Murray in the third round? Maybe it’s because Jones was given the chance to start last year and didn’t exactly seize the opportunity. His yards per carry fell from 6.5 to 4.3 and he managed just two touchdowns. While Jones actually stayed on the field for a full season in 2010, he remains an injury risk and is not a good bet to receive many goal-line opportunities (six attempts in the last two years). We have no problems with Jones in PPR formats, but we’ll steer clear in standard scoring leagues.

Beanie Wells, ARZ – The Cardinals’ selection of a running back in the second round of the N.F.L. draft this year shouldn’t come as a total shock, considering their 86.8 yards per game on the ground in 2010 ranked last in the league. Wells’s horrific 3.4 yards per carry could help explain why they achieved such a lowly statline. Some may credit injuries for his sophomore slump, but even if Wells does manage to stay healthy this year, it won’t change the fact that he is a one-dimensional back who will get the hook down near the goal line.

BenJarvus Green-Ellis, NE
 – Sharing the workload with Danny Woodhead is one thing, but now Green-Ellis will have the rookies Shane Vereen and Stevan Ridley to deal with as well. Expect a significant decrease in carries from the 229 he saw last season, which was already on the light side (15th over all).

Others to Avoid: Jonathan Stewart, Cedric Benson, Joseph Addai, Pierre Thomas, Marion Barber

Wide Receiver

Greg Jennings, GB
 – As we pointed out earlier in our top-10 receiver rankings, Jennings was a major beneficiary of Jermichael Finley’s absence in 2010. With Finley in the lineup, he averaged 7.2 fantasy points per game. That number ballooned to 17.6 in the next five weeks without him. With Finley healthy and Jordy Nelson emerging, another top-five finish seems highly unlikely. But you’ll still have to pay a high price for him thanks to last year’s numbers.

Dwayne Bowe, KC
 – Bowe’s second-place finish among receivers in 2010 was a pleasant surprise for his owners, but realize that most of his points came in bunches against some very soft secondaries. Over the course of the final five weeks, he disappeared, with 14 receptions and one touchdown against tougher defensive units. The schedule gets a lot stiffer this year for the Chiefs, and he could also be seeing some competition in the red zone with the addition of the 6-foot-4 receiver Jonathan Baldwin.

Sidney Rice, SEA – It’s going to be Charlie Whitehurst, Matt Leinhart or Tavaris Jackson playing catch with Rice this year in Seattle. That’s too bad for Rice, who is a big target with a lot of talent. But remember he was merely waiver wire fodder until Brett Favre helped put him on the map back in 2009. Rice is going to cost you a midround WR2 pick in most drafts, when in reality you are probably looking at WR3 production at best.

Marques Colston, NO
 – Another year, another arthroscopic knee surgery in the off-season for Colston. That brings the total to five if you are keeping score at home. Despite the injury risk, Colston’s big weeks are rather difficult to predict given the way Drew Brees spreads the ball around, and the 6-foot-8 Jimmy Graham, the team’s starting tight end, figures to cut into his red zone targets even more.

Hines Ward, PIT – Ward is a guy we’ve all grown comfortable with as a safe pick over the years, but the time has come to look the other way. The 35-year-old posted his worst numbers since 2000 (59 rec, 755 yds, 5 TDs) and the second-year wideout Emmanuel Sanders is primed to take away his starting gig as the WR2 in Pittsburgh this year.

Others to Avoid: Steve Smith (NYG), Donald Driver, Braylon Edwards, Mike Williams (SEA)

Tight End

Jason Witten, DAL – Tony Romo’s season-ending injury was a huge loss for the Dallas Cowboys, but Witten owners certainly weren’t shedding any tears. With John Kitna under center, Witten’s per-game catch average went from 4.9 to 6.5. He also received a big boost in red zone looks, which resulted in a career-high 9 TDs. CBSSports.com has Witten projected to finish third in standard leagues with 91 receptions, 1019 yards and 7 TDs. Considering Romo’s return and Dez Bryant’s rise to stardom, those numbers seem unrealistic. We still like Witten in PPR formats, as he should top 80 catches again, but in standard leagues we’ll target Jimmy Graham or Rob Gronkowski a few rounds later instead.

Tony Gonzalez, ATL – The 35-year-old appears to be slowing down as he posted his worst numbers since 1998, despite Atlanta’s fifth-ranked offense (70 rec, 656 yds, 6 TDs). With the rookie standout Julio Jones added to the mix this year, expect an even lower statline from the potential Hall of Famer.

Others to Avoid: Jeremy Shockey, John Carlson, Kevin Boss

Tyson Gay: Paralympian Jason Smyth has better sprinting technique than me

Tyson Gay in action (Photo: PA)

Some admission from Tyson Gay, the USA’s top Olympic sprinter, the second fastest man in the world behind Jamaica’s Usain Bolt, that Paralympic sprinter Jason Smyth, who is blind “has better sprinting technique”

The pair have been training together this season. While Gay can run 100 metres in under 10 seconds, he is not quite satisfied with his running technique. Such details, says Gay, are suited for Smyth, the visually impaired sprinter from Ireland who trains alongside him.

“I believe that Jason is very talented,” Gay said. “I honestly think that his running technique is better than mine. Sometimes, when he runs, he reminds me of Maurice Greene. He would be in my top five when it comes to technical guys running,” Gay said of Smyth. “Maurice Greene would probably be No. 1. I think Carl Lewis may be in there, Asafa Powell, Leroy Dixon and then Jason.”

Five days a week, Gay and Smyth spend the winter months training together in the USA and the summer months training together in Europe. Gay’s guidance has proven to be invaluable for Smyth, who won gold in both the 100m and 200m races in the T13 classification at the Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games and who is hoping for a repeat performance at the 2012 Paralympic Games in London next summer.

“He gives me advice all the time and tells me things he’s seeing or watching and what needs to be changed and what it’s supposed to feel like,” Smyth said. “Getting advice from somebody who’s been there, done it and knows what it’s supposed to feel like, it’s priceless really, isn’t it?”

In fact, Smyth has become so quick on the track that he became the first Paralympic athlete to ever compete in the able-bodied European Championships in 2010 in Barcelona. Smyth, a fast learner who puts his heart into everything, according to Gay, may have the chance to compete at the able-bodied World Championships in South Korea in August, which would push him one step closer toward his ultimate goal of competing in both the Olympics and Paralympics.

Smyth ran a personal-best time of 10.22 seconds in the 100m earlier this year, but that’s only good enough to qualify as a “B” standard for the World Championships. Unless he runs a 10.18 before the end of next month, it will be up to Athletics Ireland – the country’s national Athletics federation – to determine if anyone with a “B” standard time will be a part of its delegation.

Smyth, 24, has come a long way in the last few months. He suffered a setback at the end of 2010 when he had to stay off the track completely for nearly three months due to a serious stress fracture. It sidelined him from the 2011 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Athletics World Championships in Christchurch, New Zealand, in January, but after several months of rehab and devoting his life completely to training, he is now back on track for London next summer.

Gay revealed that Smyth is extremely talented in getting out of the blocks, but that he is still working on how to best run around the curves of the track. The Irish sprinter is a bit limited because he cannot always see the lanes coming out in front of him with his almost obsolete vision.

Smyth, classified in the T13 category based on his level of visual acuity and visual field, said his sightline is roughly six to eight percent. He can see colours within close proximity; however, all objects are still extremely blurry, almost like looking through an unfocused camera.

“I can find ways to explain it, but I don’t think people can really understand it,” Smyth said. Nonetheless, Gay insists it doesn’t matter whether he can see the lines or not. He just needs to relax and add a little more confidence to his step and he will be just fine.

“Just training with guys who run so quick, you have no choice but to be at your best every day or otherwise you’ll end up being too far behind and you’ll look silly,” Smyth said. “I’m the kind of person that wants to be the best I can be and reach my potential.” He’s on his way there.

N.F.L. Mayhem Central: Patriots Go Big

So, the abbreviated N.F.L. off-season seemed rowdy enough for a few days, sort of like a backyard party with dozens of 7-year-old boys, when the Patriots came along Thursday and did one giant cannonball into the middle of the pool. They didn’t just shove Albert Haynesworth and his cartful of emotional baggage off the high board, they hurled Chad Ochocinco in there after him.

Yes, that was Thursday, and by the end of the day Friday the whole thing might explode into an “Animal House” toga party, but let’s just pause for a second to say, “Wow.”

Now, whether this move turns into an epic team chemistry chain reaction that leaves Patriots Coach Bill Belichick with a set of fried eyebrows, that will be the central mystery of the Patriots’ season. But it certainly got everyone’s attention, writes Greg A. Bedard in The Boston Globe. Belichick is clearly counting on his magical powers to reclaim wayward talent, writes Don Banks on SI.com, at least in the case of Haynesworth. With Ochocinco, it’s how to manage the cultural clash between the league’s most buttoned-down team and the Queen Mary of self-promoting showboats. Dan Wetzel of Yahoo.com urges Ochocinco to shut down his Twitter account and behave now, but that would be rather like asking Niagara Falls to act like a nice little waterfall.

To a lot of people right now — including Mike Freeman of CBSSports.com — Belichick looks like a genius. But, as Alex Marvez writes on Foxsports.com, by the end of the season, he might be getting measured for a straitjacket with a hood.

Friday’s biggest looming mysteries involve perhaps the most talented player still dangling in free agency limbo, cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha, and the most talented player every to shoot himself in the leg, receiver Plaxico Burress. Reportedly, the league has reinstated Burress, freeing him to sign on some available bottom line, and he is expected to sit down with Giants Coach Tom Coughlin Friday night to either hash out their differences or perhaps discuss the nutritional failings of jailhouse cuisine.

The Texans made some bold moves Thursday by signing cornerback Johnathan Joseph and safety Danieal Manning, and want to make it even bolder by adding Asomugha. Their biggest competition appears to be the Jets, who are trying to create a supertandem in their defensive backfield, writes Bucky Brooks on NFL.com, with Darrelle Revis.

There is still lingering debate over one of Thursday’s other big deals, the trade of quarterback Kevin Kolb from the Eagles to the Cardinals for cornerback Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie. The consensus is that the Cardinals paid a steep price for Kolb, but had to go bold to fill their biggest need. But Clark Judge of CBSSports.com also warns that investing in discarded Eagles quarterbacks is not usually a good move.

Whiff of betrayal in the air as Sky/BBC F1 deal announced. But is it such a bad thing?

“They have been trying to buy the TV rights from us for a long time, but we won’t because they are not free-to-air television broadcasters. Sky are doing an incredible job but if you look at their audience they are nowhere. With their figures it would be almost impossible for teams to find sponsors. That would be suicidal.” – Bernie Ecclestone, May 2011.

Everyone knows that you take what Bernie says with a pinch of salt, but even by his standards today’s revelation that BBC and Sky are to share the coverage from next season – with the Beeb getting only half the races while Sky get all of them – was quite something.

It took everyone here in Hungary – including most of the BBC staff (commentator Martin Brundle said he found out only last night and was “not impressed”) – by surprise.  And when people are surprised they tend to react emotionally.

Indignant fans have unleashed their outrage via the medium-of-choice these days: Twitter.

Many of the concerns raised are valid. Some are complaining that they cannot afford Sky and will not get to watch the entire season live; others are nervous that this news is the precursor to a full-blown NewsCorp buyout of the sport and fear what that might mean for F1, particularly in light of ongoing investigations in to the phone-hacking scandal. Nearly everyone feels duped.

Perhaps fans were lulled into a false sense of security by Bernie’s assurances and the teams’ apparent intransigence over the issue (FOTA chairman Martin Whitmarsh made it abundantly clear on a number of occasions recently that the teams absolutely required the coverage to remain on free-to-air for their business models – Bernie answered reassuringly that that was what he wanted too).

In short, there is a strong whiff of betrayal in the air.

But once the shock and outrage dissipate this may not be the disaster that everyone is painting it to be. The short answer is it is still too early to say. We don’t have enough detail yet.

As Whitmarsh pointed out: “I don’t think anyone should be immediately reacting to say this is good, bad, or indifferent. What we need to understand is whether the large audience we currently enjoy in Formula One will be maintained. I think we also need to understand exactly how this is being done.”

What we can be sure of is that Sky will do a brilliant job of covering the sport. The nuts and bolts They have revolutionised the coverage of football in this country with the Premier League arguably the biggest sporting phenomenon of our age (although, of course, many would accuse Sky of having ripped the heart out of the Beautiful Game and that too is a valid point, too. Perhaps the most important point… but on this score, plus ca change…Formula One long ago decided it was a commercially-driven sport).

Given F1’s basic requirement (to make money) it is then about creating the TV model which will provide F1/the teams with the best returns given the economic climate. And that is not by losing fans in their droves. We will see if Bernie/the teams have managed to achieve that. It is unclear at the moment to what extent the teams were aware of this deal and whether they might challenge it.

The media landscape is shifting at a extraordinary rate and the concept of a sport such as Formula One remaining on one free-to-air platform outdated. The potential of F1 in terms of media coverage is vast and largely untapped. Mobile phones, internet TV, iPads. No one yet knows how it will all work or whether the audience will rise/fall but both Sky and the BBC have a strong track record.

The fact is the BBC was never going to keep paying what it was paying. Something had to give. Fans have been spoiled by what they have had recently and any change to the status quo was always going to provoke a storm of protest.

But F1 is not leaving the BBC. It has been almost overlooked amid the howls of outrage that the BBC has in fact extended its coverage for another five years until 2018. Half the races (the best ones) are remaining on terrestrial free-to-air (which is much better than you get with football on the BBC), while the rest of the season will be covered by highlights shows. That is still get a very good service for the licence payer. And for those who do have Sky it promises to be a fascinating era with different commentators/innovations.

Of course, there remain lots of unanswered questions – about NewsCorp, about how it will all work, about affordability. The proof will be in the pudding.