Sporting Goods: 10/09/11

Sunday, October 9, 2011

Tim Tebow: Does he deserve to be an NFL starter?

Tim Tebow played well in a reserve role Sunday, but did he play himself into a starting quarterback job?

Well, Tebow's loyal fanbase certainly thinks so after the former Heisman Trophy winner tried to rally the Denver Broncos, even though they ended up losing to the San Diego Chargers, 29-24.

But Denver Coach John Fox isn't about to give in to Tebowmania just yet. Despite hearing chants of "Tebow! Tebow!" as his team left the field, Fox said he'll have to watch game film and consult with his assistants before making a decision as to who he'll start at quarterback against Miami when the team returns from its bye week.

Tebow ran for a touchdown and threw for another after replacing starting quarterback Kyle Orton in the third quarter. He had a shot of winning the game, but threw an incomplete pass into the end zone as time expired.

Tebow completed four of 10 passes for 79 yards and picked up 38 yards in six carries.

After the game, Tebow didn't speculate on whether he'd be starting an NFL game soon.

“I have no idea,” Tebow said. “Thankfully, I don't have to make those decisions. Other people do that and I just go play football.”

What do you think? Should Tebow be made a starter or should the Broncos stick with Orton?

Detroit will try to rush Chicago in 'Monday Night Football'

Raiders hang on to be Texas a day after Al Davis' death

-- Austin Knoblauch

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Photo: Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow. Credit: Doug Pensinger / Getty Images

Talking Points for Jets

A few talking points after the Jets’ 30-21 loss against New England.

BOTTOM LINE
Are the Jets, at 2-3, a playoff-caliber team, or are they spiraling out of control after three straight losses?

PROMISING PERFORMANCE

Antonio Cromartie atoned for blown coverage on Aaron Hernandez by intercepting a deflected pass at the goal line to close the first half. What would probably have been a touchdown — the ball went through Hernandez’s hands, caroming to Cromartie — became a brief momentum-stopper for the Jets, who thwarted a scoring threat that had begun at the Patriots’ 7. It allowed the Jets to remain within a field goal at halftime, 10-7, instead of being down by two scores with New England preparing to receive the second-half kickoff.

NOTABLE NUMBER
Despite being afforded better protection, Mark Sanchez threw for only 70 yards in the first three quarters. His inaccuracy was evident, other than a 4-for-4 showing on the Jets’ first scoring drive. The Jets hoped that a renewed commitment to running the ball would open up play-action opportunities for Sanchez, but it didn’t work out that way Sunday.

Giants Run Aground vs. Seattle

A few talking points after the Seahawks’ 36-25 victory over the Giants on Sunday:

RUNNING EMPTY

Brandon Jacobs was unavailable because of a knee injury, and the Giants failed yet again to establish their running game (Ahmad Bradshaw had just 58 yards rushing). As the Giants head toward the cold-weather months, how big a concern is the lack of production on the ground?

PROMISING PERFORMANCE
It will get lost in the analysis of what went wrong for the Giants, but linebacker Jacquian Williams had another solid performance, recording 7 tackles, an assist and a pass defended. Williams, a rookie from South Florida, has continued to gain the trust of the defensive coordinator Perry Fewell and is seeing increased snaps.

NUMBER: 7
That’s how many sacks Jason Pierre-Paul has recorded in five games this season, or two and a half more than he had in all of 2010. Pierre-Paul, who has started every game in place of either Justin Tuck or Osi Umenyiora, continued to dominate on the defensive line, recording five tackles and two and a half sacks against Seattle.

Tiger Woods has hot dog thrown at him by spectator

Tiger Woods was standing over a putt at the seventh green Sunday at the Frys.com Open when a fan charged out of the crowd yelling “Tiger” and tossed a hot dog at him.

Woods calmly backed away from his putt and the man immediately threw his hands up, surrendering to security officers and police.

“When I looked up, the hot dog was already in the air,” Woods said. “He was pretty far away from me.”

The suspect, a white male in his late 20s or early 30s, was arrested and taken off the premises. Officials described him as intoxicated.

“It wasn’t a chili dog,” said Dan Diggins, a tournament security official. “It could have been really bad.”

Rod Pampling, who was playing with Woods, called it “bizarre. I don’t know what he was trying to prove.”

--David Wharton, reporting from San Martin, Calif.

Photo: Tiger Woods acknowledges the gallery after putting out at No. 17 on Sunday during the final round of the Frys.com Open. Credit: Allan Henry / US Presswire

NBA labor leaders meet to try to avoid cancellation of regular-season games

An 11th-hour effort to avoid the cancellation of NBA regular-season games is underway as league and union officials are meeting Sunday.

Union President Derek Fisher, union Executive Director Billy Fisher and NBA Commisioner David Stern are attending the session at an undisclosed location believed to be in New York, a basketball official said Sunday afternoon.

Stern said last week he'll cancel the first two weeks of the season Monday if the sides can't agree on a new labor deal.

The owners have locked out the players since July 1, and the regular season is scheduled to tip off Nov. 1.

Last week the NBA cancelled the remainder of the preseason.

The sides are in disagreement over how to split basketball-related income (BRI), with the players most recently declining to accept less than 53% while the owners are seeking a seven-percent players' cut from last season to 50%.

--Lance Pugmire

Photo: NBA Commissioner David Stern updates the media on labor negotiations last week. Credit: Patrick McDermott / Getty Images

No Fun? N.C.A.A. Outdoes the N.F.L.

And you thought the N.F.L. was the No Fun League.

A new rule by the N.C.A.A. says that if a player taunts an opponent while scoring, the player is penalized for unsportsmanlike conduct, and the touchdown is wiped out.

On Saturday, an L.S.U. touchdown was nullified when punter Brad Wing celebrated for a split second before reaching the end zone after a fake punt. You have to watch the clip carefully to notice it.

If the N.C.A.A. were to run the N.F.L. for one weekend, how would it penalize an over-the-top DeSean Jackson pre-touchdown celebration? Try to put him in prison?

Week 5 Live: Jets-Patriots Win Probability

As the Fifth Down has done several times already this season, we will be using a Web feature from Advanced NFL Stats that charts win probability live during today’s Jets-Patriots game.

A quick recap of what this chart will be showing: Win probability measures just that — the probability that each team will win the game at any moment. This, of course, varies with the twists and turns of each game, so an early lead raises the odds a team will win, but a turnover or a big play can turn it around.

Here’s last week’s graphic from the Jets-Ravens game (it will update to the Jets-Patriots graphic when they kick off at 4:15 p.m.):

Fired farm director Abe Flores offered job as Angels scout

Abe Flores was relieved of his duties as farm director on Friday, part of a front-office purge that has included the dismissal of General Manager Tony Reagins and two of his top assistants, but there is a good chance Flores will remain with the organization.

Flores, who has been with the Angels for 10 years, four as the farm director and six as the manager of baseball operations, has been offered a job with the team as a professional scout.

"I'm grateful for everything the Angels have done for me, and I loved this job," Flores said by phone Sunday morning. "They asked me to step aside so the new GM could hire a new farm director. I get it. If was coming in as a GM, I would want the same thing."

Flores also thanked team President John Carpino for granting him permission to travel to the club's instructional league in Tempe, Ariz., on Sunday so he could thank coaches and staff members there. He will decide by the end of the month whether he will remain with the team.

"I want to step back, catch my breath and evaluate it," said Flores, who spent nine years as an amateur scout for the Colorado Rockies and three seasons as an assistant coach at USC before coming to the Angels. "I'm mulling it over. I need a little time to decide."

--Mike DiGiovanna in Arlington, Texas

Jets at Patriots: Matchup to Watch

Jets (2-2) at Patriots (3-1), 4:15 p.m. Eastern, CBS

MATCHUP TO WATCH: Patriots tight ends vs. Jets defense

Perhaps no team is better at exploiting mismatches than the Patriots, whose excellent tight-end tandem of Rob Gronkowski and Aaron Hernandez shredded the Jets last year for 16 catches, 257 yards and a touchdown. In six games together this season (Hernandez has been injured), they have combined for 32 catches, 461 yards and 7 touchdowns. While also contending with Wes Welker and Deion Branch on the outside, the Jets must find a way to bottle up two of Tom Brady’s most dependable options. The onus is on the Jets’ linebackers and safeties, particularly Eric Smith, who has often ended up covering opposing tight ends.

NUMBER TO WATCH: 23

It is more than just Shonn Greene’s number. It is how many rushing attempts the Jets have averaged over their first four games, a significant drop compared with the 32.75 attempts they averaged at this point the last two seasons. Somewhere in the middle would figure to please the Jets, signaling a diversified offense and an ability to move the ball against a rushing defense that has yielded 4.8 yards a carry. Greene has yet to gain consistency, but the Jets are hopeful that will begin Sunday.

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK

‘It’s the fifth game of the season. I think that word is a little strong.’

Patriots Coach BILL BELICHICK, when asked if he expected the Jets to play with desperation Sunday after losing two consecutive games.

Seahawks at Giants: Matchup to Watch

Seahawks (1-3) at Giants (3-1), 1 p.m. Eastern, Fox

MATCHUP TO WATCH: Ahmad Bradshaw vs. Seattle run defense

The Giants have talked for weeks about wanting to re-establish their running game, and Coach Tom Coughlin stressed the point again last week. Bradshaw is supposed to be the featured back. With Brandon Jacobs doubtful to play because of a knee injury, Sunday could be Bradshaw’s opportunity to break out. Of course, it will not be easy; one of the few things the Seahawks do well is limit the run. They have allowed just 3.2 yards per carry this season, fourth best in the N.F.L.

NUMBER TO WATCH: 90

That’s how many consecutive passes Eli Manning has thrown without an interception, no small feat when you consider he threw 25 interceptions last season. So far this year, Manning has taken care of the ball. He has completed 64 percent of his passes and has gone without an interception since the first drive of Week 2.

QUOTATION OF THE WEEK

“We are trying to push that game as far away from us as possible.”’
Seattle Coach PETE CARROLL, when asked if he showed his team much film of the Giants’ 41-7 victory in last season’s meeting between the teams.

UCLA football: Kevin Prince gets another chance, rallies the Bruins

Kevin Prince had three passes intercepted in a 49-20 loss to Texas three weeks ago. He went home and went to bed.

“I woke up a 6 a.m., opened my laptop and started watching the game tape,” Prince said. “I didn’t sleep too well.”

After throwing two fourth-quarter touchdown passes in rallying UCLA to a 28-25 victory over Washington State on Saturday, Prince was planning the same routine . . . mostly.

“I’m going home and going to sleep,” Prince said. “But I might sleep in a little bit late.”

Prince earned the rest after pulling UCLA back from the precipice of defeat. He replaced starter Richard Brehaut, who fractured an ankle in the second quarter, and put the Bruins tied for second place in the Pacific 12 Conference South Division with the comeback win.

With UCLA trailing, 22-14, Prince drove the Bruins 58 yards, throwing a nine-yard touchdown strike to Josh Smith with 10 minutes 52 seconds left.

With UCLA trailing 25-20, Prince drove the Bruins 71 yards, with 58 coming on a completion to Nelson Rosario. Prince tossed a seven-yard touchdown pass to Shaquelle Evans with 3:26 left and then hit Rosario for the two-point conversion and final margin of victory.

“I have never been in that position before, being shoved into a game coming off the bench,” Prince said. “I hate that Richard got hurt. I love Richard.”

But, Prince said, “It was fun to be able to take advantage of the opportunity.”

Prince completed eight of 13 passes for 173 yards. It was his first game since facing Texas. He left that game with an injured left shoulder and was booed as he walked off the field following the third interception.

He was booed when entering the game Saturday. Moments later there were cheers, after he completed a 41-yard pass to Rosario to set up Derrick Coleman’s second one-yard touchdown run of the game.

Did Prince hear the boos?

“How could you not hear them?” he said.

And the cheers?

“I heard that too,” Prince said. “Football fans are football fans, they want to see their team win.

“Personally, being a sports fan, I have gotten mad at players who haven’t made plays. That goes with the game. It doesn’t necessarily affect me.”

MORE:

Photos: UCLA vs. Washington State

Kevin Prince gives UCLA shelf life with win

Tyler Gonzalez gets his kick on a different field

--Chris Foster

Photo: Bruins quarterback Kevin Prince throws a touchdown pass to receiver Shaquelle Evans for the go-ahead score against the Cougars in the fourth quarter Saturday at the Rose Bowl. Credit: Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times

UCLA football: Richard Brehaut suffers fractured ankle

UCLA quarterback Richard Brehaut left Saturday’s game with a fractured ankle, which he sustained when he was tackled at the end of a five-yard run against Washington State.

“It was the weight of someone else’s body,” Brehaut said. “It wasn’t anything twisted.”

Brehaut hobbled off the field and was carted to the locker room for X-rays.

“It’s tough,” Brehaut said. “I was kind of establishing myself as the quarterback and then for something like this to happen.”

But, he said, “Everything happens for a reason. Hopefully I can be back in time and can play again this season. I don’t know exactly a timetable, but I’m hopeful that I can be back.”

Brehaut watched the remainder of the game while standing on crutches. Kevin Prince, his replacement, led the Bruins to two fourth-quarter touchdowns in a 28-25 victory.

“Obviously it’s not as bad when Kevin steps up like he did and plays the way he did,” Brehaut said. “I’m proud as [heck] of him.”

UCLA also lost cornerback Jamie Graham and wide receiver Shaquelle Evans to injuries. Graham injured his left knee in the first quarter and will have an MRI exam to determine the damage. Evans, who scored the go-ahead touchdown, suffered what UCLA officials called a “head” injury, a likely concussion.