NBA lockout talks conclude for the night, bring more optimism

There was no need to stay for 15 hours. Optimism continued to flood the room in a comparatively short seven-hour negotiating session between NBA players and owners Thursday in New York.

No less an authority than Billy Hunter, the executive director of the players' union, sounded the most hopeful that the 119-day lockout would end soon.

"I think we're within striking distance of getting a deal," Hunter said at a news conference. "It's just a question of how receptive the NBA is and whether or not they want to do a deal."

The sides continued to peck away at peripheral items such as the luxury tax, the midlevel exception and the length of player contracts. The big talk, the split of basketball-related income, probably will be discussed Friday.

Stern was smiling as he sat down for a news conference, saying there was an element of "continuity, familiarity" between the sides.

"There are no guarantees that we'll get it done, but we're going to give it one heck of a shot" Friday, he said.

The second consecutive day of talks was short for a reason.

"I think everybody's pretty wiped out after last night," Hunter said, referring to talks that ended after 3 a.m. EDT Thursday morning.

RELATED:

Shortened NBA season would be good for the young at heart

In NBA talks, a flicker of hope

Where NBA owners stand on the lockout

-- Mike Bresnahan in Los Angeles

Photo: NBA Commissioner David Stern speaks to reporters in New York on Oct. 10. Credit: David Karp / Associated Press

World Series notes: La Russa never kissed off season

The Cardinals opened spring training eight months ago by sending their ace pitcher, Adam Wainwright, off to have season-ending surgery. So, Manager Tony La Russa was asked Thursday, if someone had told him then that his team would be in the World Series, playing Game 6 at home, how would he have reacted?

“I would have kissed your butt at home plate opening day,” he said to laughter.

“We’ve mugged a couple of chances to be in a better position. But … we’ve had a lot of fun. We’ve popped champagne three times.

“Postseason never disappoints, even just getting in and playing the division series and losing. You get to the World Series, this is the most enjoyment you can have. I’m enjoying it more than ever.

“I don’t know if this makes a difference, but I always enjoy this part.”

Relaxed Nick Diaz soaks up atmosphere at UFC 137

RELAXED NICK DIAZ SOAKS UP ATMOSPHERE AT UFC 137

From Las Vegas:

Perhaps holding the main news conference for UFC 137 on the scaled model of the Brooklyn Bridge on Las Vegas Boulevard was a hint to New York that the UFC is moving on one of the last States in the US not to have sanctioned the sport.

It was a breezy affair – open air – with a few hundred fans crammed against the railings. First things first. Nick Diaz, main event fighter, and welterweight title contender, was there. Not only that. Asked by The Telegraph if he’d been held under lock and key last night, Diaz went with the blow, laughing as he revealed he had been escorted to the news conference an hour early by UFC officials.

For those who have been living under rocks for the last few months, Diaz failed to show at two major news conferences and was removed from a title shot against GSP. The Canadian has since suffered an injury, and Diaz was re-scheduled to fight BJ Penn in the main event.

Diaz admitted that it was “yes, the most important fight of my career”. The Californian admitted that UFC officials had “brought him down an hour early” to the news conference. There was plenty of banter all around. Diaz was relaxed, and it was good to see.

“People tended to see me as someone who does not want to talk to the media. I’m fine with that. What bothers me is when some random dude from a B grade website comes down and films me training. I’m happy to talk to anybody. I;m just here to do my job.”

BJ Penn, relishing this contest, and being a main event again, explained: “We are both in a must win position. I love to do this love MMA, want to continue doing this, love fighting in the UFC, and of course Nick wants to prove he has come to stay in the UFC.”

Dana White, UFC President, explained: “The best always go up against the best in this sport and it’s almost three years undefeated for Nick. These two guys have great similarities. They are both crazy; both warriors.

On the dais Roy Nelson was sporting a snappy suit to go with his Grizzly Adams – or was it Willie Nelson – look. Mirko Cro Cop revealed it may be his last contest in the UFC, and Matt Mitrione showed his normal flair for humour. Check Kongo barely said a word. It has the feel of heading towards a special event on Saturday night. It is sold out.

“If we had been a boxing event and we have lost the main fight, we would have had to scrap the event. We have not had a single request for a ticket to be returned,” explained White.

JON ANIK, ESPN MMA LIVE ANCHOR JOINS UFC AS PRESENTER AND COMMENTATOR

It was also announced at the news conference that Jon Anik, well known in the MMA world for his excellent anchorage of ground breaking show MMA Live on ESPN, joins the UFC as a play by play commentator on the FX shows from January. Anik will also anchor a newly-revamped version of The Ultimate Fighter, and present a weekly show for the fight organization.

“It was a great opportunity and it is the only place I would have left ESPN for. The sport is on the up and up and it will be great to be a part of it.”

UFC President Dana White joked: “We needed extra talent for the roles Jon will take on. Our schedule over the next few years is going to be so busy let me tell you now, Jon’s going to wonder whether he should be back at ESPN.”

NBA labor negotiations still going

NBA owners and players logged more than 15 hours in their previous negotiating session and apparently were on their way to another long one Thursday in New York.

Whatever it takes to try to save the season.

The sides are trying to beat the clock after guarded optimism emerged from a robust session Wednesday that stretched until early Thursday.

Reporters were not invited into the latest round of discussions, which began Thursday at 2 p.m. EDT, but it wasn't hard to imagine what was happening, especially after Commissioner David Stern's comments at a news conference Thursday morning.

He said Wednesday's meeting was productive ... and arduous. Then he said he was hopeful that Thursday's meeting would be equally productive ... and that it probably would be arduous.

RELAXED NICK DIAZ SOAKS UP ATMOSPHERE AT UFC 137

Gareth A Davies in Las Vegas

Perhaps holding the main news conference for UFC 137 on the scaled model of the Brooklyn Bridge on Las Vegas Boulevard was a hint to New York that the UFC is moving on one of the last States in the US not to have sanctioned the sport.

It was a breezy affair – open air – with a few hundred fans crammed against the railings. First things first. Nick Diaz, main event fighter, and welterweight title contender, was there. Not only that. Asked by The Telegraph if he’d been held under lock and key last night, Diaz went with the blow, laughing as he revealed he had been escorted to the news conference an hour early by UFC officials.

For those who have been living under rocks for the last few months, Diaz failed to show at two major news conferences and was removed from a title shot against GSP. The Canadian has since suffered an injury, and Diaz was re-scheduled to fight BJ Penn in the main event.

Diaz admitted that it was “yes, the most important fight of my career”. The Californian admitted that UFC officials had “brought him down an hour early” to the news conference. There was plenty of banter all around. Diaz was relaxed, and it was good to see.

“People tended to see me as someone who does not want to talk to the media. I’m fine with that. What bothers me is when some random dude from a B grade website comes down and films me training. I’m happy to talk to anybody. I;m just here to do my job.”

BJ Penn, relishing this contest, and being a main event again, explained: “We are both in a must win position. I love to do this love MMA, want to continue doing this, love fighting in the UFC, and of course Nick wants to prove he has come to stay in the UFC.”

Dana White, UFC President, explained: “The best always go up against the best in this sport and it’s almost three years undefeated for Nick. These two guys have great similarities. They are both crazy; both warriors.

On the dais Roy Nelson was sporting a snappy suit to go with his Grizzly Adams – or was it Willie Nelson – look. Mirko Cro Cop revealed it may be his last contest in the UFC, and Matt Mitrione showed his normal flair for humour. Check Kongo barely said a word. It has the feel of heading towards a special event on Saturday night. It is sold out.

“If we had been a boxing event and we have lost the main fight, we would have had to scrap the event. We have not had a single request for a ticket to be returned,” explained White.

JON ANIK, ESPN MMA LIVE ANCHOR JOINS UFC AS PRESENTER AND COMMENTATOR

It was also announced at the news conference that Jon Anik, well known in the MMA world for his excellent anchorage of ground breaking show MMA Live on ESPN, joins the UFC as a play by play commentator on the FX shows from January. Anik will also anchor a newly-revamped version of The Ultimate Fighter, and present a weekly show for the fight organization.

“It was a great opportunity and it is the only place I would have left ESPN for. The sport is on the up and up and it will be great to be a part of it.”

UFC President Dana White joked: “We needed extra talent for the roles Jon will take on. Our schedule over the next few years is going to be so busy let me tell you now, Jon’s going to wonder whether he should be back at ESPN.”

How can USC stop Andrew Luck and Stanford? [video]

Times USC reporter Gary Klein discusses how the Trojans can stop Andrew Luck and Stanford ahead of Saturday's meeting in the Coliseum.

 

 

Week 8 in Fantasy Football: Favorable and Unfavorable Matchups

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

DeMarco Murray (vs. Philadelphia) was listed here last week and all he did was break Emmitt Smith’s team record of 237 rushing yards, so we think he earned another mention. Felix Jones will not be active and Tashard Choice is banged up with a shoulder injury, making Murray the starter yet again against an Eagles team allowing almost 5 yards a carry this season. He’s among our favorable matchup picks for Week 8.

Favorable/Unfavorable Quarterback Matchups

Favorable

Ben Roethlisberger (PIT) vs. New England – Big Ben is starting to hit a groove with his second game with at least three touchdowns over the last three weeks, and his 361 passing yards against Arizona was tops among all quarterbacks in Week 7. Last season against New England, he actually beat that mark, throwing for 387 yards. The Patriots are allowing 24 fantasy points a game to quarterback, good enough for the fourth best quarterback matchup this season.

Philip Rivers (SD) vs. Kansas City – With his 11 interceptions on the year, something is clearly off with one of the most accurate gunslingers in the game. But we can blame a stingy Jets secondary for some of his struggles last week, despite what Randy McMichael thinks. The Chiefs held Rivers to 6 fantasy points in Week 3, but they still rank as a middle of the road opponent yielding close to 20 fantasy points a game to the position.

Joe Flacco (ATL) vs. Arizona – Flacco’s up-and-down season reached a low last week with his worst outing this year (137 yards, 3.6 yards/attempt). He has twice topped 300 yards passing after dismal performances in 2011. If that trend continues, we could expect a solid outing against fantasy’s sixth best quarterback matchup (22 FPPG).

Eli Manning (NYG)  vs. Miami – Fantasy’s 10th ranked quarterback (127 points) heading into Week 8 will have a great chance to add to those totals against the winless Dolphins, who are allowing opposing quarterbacks 24.7 fantasy points a game (top QB matchup).

Unfavorable

Tim Tebow (DEN) vs. Detroit – Tebow and his owners were sitting on an ugly 4 for 14, 40-yard stat line for three and a half quarters before a dramatic 121-yard, 2-touchdown, fourth-quarter turnaround saved the day. He may need another miracle against the Lions, who have allowed just one 20-point fantasy game to the position this season (Romo, Week 4). There are safer QB starts this week.

Tony Romo (DAL) vs. Philadelphia — Season lows in the attempts (24) and yardage category (166) certainly were not what most people expected Sunday against the lowly Rams defense, but when your running back runs for 253 yards, you won’t be asked to do much throwing. This week he will be up against a Philadelphia defense that has held QBs to a 12-point fantasy average over the last two Sundays.

Kevin Kolb (ARZ) vs. Baltimore — There’s no good reason to mess around with Kolb this week, seeing how the Ravens are coughing up just 8 fantasy points a game to opposing QBs so far this season.

Tom Brady (NE) vs. Pittsburgh — This is a tough matchup on paper (fourth toughest), but Brady has had a lot of success against the Steelers over the course of career, having thrown for at least 350 yards and 7 TDs in his last three meetings with them. Keep him active unless you have a Drew Brees sitting on your bench, and if you do, that’s just not fair.

Favorable/Unfavorable Running Back Matchups

Favorable

Chris Johnson (TEN) vs. Indianapolis – According to John McClain of The Houston Chronicle, ”There’s an imposter wearing Chris Johnson’s uniform” this season, referring to the running back’s squeamishness for contact. Did the lockout and the big payday really change this guy that much? One thing is for certain, with a $30 million salary to account for, he isn’t going to be benched any time soon. Nobody allows more fantasy points to running backs than the Colts, so find a spot for him in your lineup and hope for the best.

Pierre Thomas (NO) vs. St. Louis – Fresh off a season high in touches (15) and yards (125), Thomas could see another solid dose of work against the league’s worst run defense with Mark Ingram dealing with a heel injury.

Ryan Torain/Roy Helu (WAS) vs. Buffalo – Our condolences to Torain owners who were erring on the side of logic by expecting him to get the bulk of the load last week. On the bright side, Tim Hightower’s season-ending injury will make it harder for the notoriously devious Coach Mike Shanahan to mess with our heads. Logic would suggest that Torain will be the featured back this weekend, with Helu handling third-down duties, and the matchup is another great one with Buffalo allowing the third most rushing yards in the league. It would still be best to consider Torain a low-end RB2 or flex option, just to be safe.

Unfavorable

Maurice Morris (DET) vs. Denver – Morris and the backup Keiland Williams will take turns trying to run on a suddenly stout Denver run defense that is now considered the fourth toughest matchup for the position.

Peyton Hillis/Montario Hardesty (CLE) vs. San Francisco – Hillis is expected to return to his starting role this week, leaving Hardesty to again pick up the scraps. Both backs will have a hard time finding running lanes on the 49ers, who are allowing just 74 yards a game on the ground and have yet to give up a rushing score.

Bernard Scott (CIN) vs. Seattle – Scott will see plenty of touches this week as the Bengals aren’t expected to deviate from their run-heavy ways despite Cedric Benson’s absence. The problem is, the Seahawks are more than adequate at stopping opposing ground attacks. No running back has reached the century mark against them this season.

Knowshon Moreno (DEN)  vs. Detroit – He’s ready for an expanded role thanks to a McGahee injury and would appear to be a decent start, as the Lions have faltered against the run over the last few weeks. They have fared well against pass-catching backs, however, yielding just 74 yards on 11 receptions over that time span and have yet to give up a TD to an RB through the air this season. Moreno has conceded that he is still not fully healed from a hamstring injury and will have to share the load with Lance Ball so keep expectations in check.

Favorable/Unfavorable Wide Receiver Matchups

Favorable

Anquan Boldin (BAL) vs. Arizona – No. 1 receivers have averaged 15 fantasy points a game against this unit, with the only sore spot being a 2-point dud from Percy Harvin. Then again, is Harvin really considered a No. 1 option anymore with the season he has had?

Nate Washington (TEN) vs. Indianapolis – The Colts are coming off a video-game-like beatdown from the Saints in which Marques Colston turned in a 98-yard, 2-touchdown performance, making him the fifth No. 1 receiver to reach double digits against this secondary this season.

A.J. Green (CIN) vs. Seattle – Greg Little failed to capitalize on a reeling Seattle secondary in Week 7, but  much of the blame can be put on his quarterback, Colt McCoy, who was highly inaccurate in the first half, not to mention completely terrified of throwing a pass for more than 10 yards. The Bengals’ emerging duo of Andy Dalton and Green will pose a much more formidable challenge.

Jabar Gaffney (WAS) vs. Buffalo – You can’t expect more than spotty WR3 production from this guy, but he will be Washington’s No. 1 wideout for the next five to seven weeks with the loss of Santana Moss, and Buffalo does surrender 24 fantasy points a game to opposing receivers, meaning you can do worse if you’re in need of some bye-week help.

Unfavorable

Michael Crabtree (SF) vs. Cleveland – Joe Haden returned last week to continue his dominance over the position, limiting Sidney Rice to just two catches for 38 yards. This week he figures to shut down Crabtree, unless Braylon Edwards can return to the field and make enough noise to justify Haden’s attention.

Sidney Rice (SEA) vs. Cincinnati – Speaking of Rice, things won’t get much easier for him this week against Leon Hall and the Bengals, who have limited opposing No. 1 threats to a 5-point fantasy average over the last three weeks.

Reggie Wayne (IND) vs. Tennessee – Wayne hasn’t had a good fantasy day since Week 1 and that has many owners debating whether to cut him loose to the wire. After this week, that decision may get easier as the Titans come into this one ranked as the 7th toughest on opposing wideouts.

Miles Austin (DAL) vs. Philadelphia – Make that two straight weeks in which Miles has failed to capitalize against a weak secondary  (NE, STL). Things take a turn for the worst as the Cowboys visit Philadelphia, where a No. 1 receiver has yet to post more than 8 fantasy points in a game (Roddy White, Week 2).

Favorable/Unfavorable Tight End Matchups

Favorable

Jake Ballard (NYG) vs. Miami – Does Jermichael Finley or Tony Gonzalez have you in a bye-week fix? You might want to give the Giants’ emerging tight end a shot. He has been flying under the radar in the Giants’ passing game and Manning has been taking advantage of it to the tune of 11 catches for 186 yards and 2 touchdowns this October. The Dolphins are yielding 11 fantasy points a game to guys like Ballard, making them the second best matchup a tight end can have.

Unfavorable

Heath Miller (PIT) vs. New England –  The Patriots are allowing just 6 points a game to tight ends, and despite hitting paydirt in two of his last three games, Miller will spend most of his time trying to block.

Favorable/Unfavorable Defense/Special Teams Matchups

Favorable

San Francisco vs. Cleveland, New Orleans vs. St. Louis, Cinncinnati vs. Seattle, Buffalo vs. Washington, Detroit vs. Denver.

Unfavorable

Pittsburgh vs. New England, Dallas vs. Philadelphia, Philadelphia vs. Dallas, Jacksonville vs. Houston, Minnesota vs. Carolina.