Taylor, Shockey Sent Packing

Two big-time NFL football stars are now on the move. In the past two days both Jason Taylor of the Miami Dolphins, and Jeremy Shockey of the Super Bowl Champion New York Giants have been traded, and will be in a new uniform this fall.

Defensive end Jason Taylor will be shipped off to Washington D.C. for two draft picks—one in the 2009 draft, the other in the 2010 draft. The Dolphins’ motive to trade Taylor was his partial differences with the Executive Vice President of Football Operations, Bill Parcells. The move was complete just two days after rumors about a possible trade were started. The season-ending injury to current defensive end, Phillip Daniels, on the very first day of practice, was just the icing on the cake. The trade, which will allow Miami to allow more youth to the already young team, was finalized Monday when Taylor passed his physical, and was formally introduced as the newest Redskin team member.

New York Giant tight end, Jeremy Shockey, was also traded for two draft picks, both in the 2009 draft. Shockey will be headed to New Orleans to play for Sean Payton’s Saints. It’s quite obvious Shockey is no longer wanted in New York, especially after the Giants won the Super Bowl with him on the bench. Yes, Shockey was a first-round draft pick in 2002, and has four Pro Bowls to his name, but Shockey has had disagreements with the organization for several years now, and it was time for a change. Jeremy will be the go-to guy in New Orleans, and I’m sure Drew Brees will be glad to have a player of his caliber on the team.

When you break it all down, there really is no “winner” or “loser” in these two trades. Washington was looking for a superstar to replace the 35-year old Daniels at the defensive end position, Miami and New York were just trying to do what’s best for their organization, and New Orleans needed a playmaker to accompany Brees, and Reggie Bush on the offensive side of the ball.

Look for Shockey, and Taylor to make an immediate impact on their new teams, whether it be attracting more fans, or making big plays on the field. Both these guys will be Pro Bowlers come time in February.

Walker-Sports AFC East Preview

As we all eagerly wait on the upcoming football season, let’s continue our look around the NFL, today we will switch conferences and take a look at the AFC East. There’s a lot going on in this division, but it’s pretty straight forward to guess what the outcome of this conference will be.

New England Patriots: 17-1 pretty damn good unless that one lost came in the biggest game of the year. Everyone knows the story of the Patriots, and you can believe they will use the disappointment at the end of the story as fuel to climb back to the top of the mountain in 08. The Patriots will go to battle with the usual cast of characters. Their offense will have the same quick pace and explosive scoring ability as it did last season. I doubt they will break scoring records like last season, but they will not struggle to get into the endzone. Look for the Pats to change it up the attack plan just a bit this season. They will move Moss around and get him into the slot and let Welker play the outside. While this will cut into Welker’s numbers it will open up more opportunities for Moss. It will be hard for a defense to get a corner and a safety on him when he comes out of the slot where a nickel back or a linebacker would typically be the first line of defense.

On the defensive side the Pats lost some talent in the secondary with the departure of Ashanti Samuel. However, they were very active in free agency and have found very good replacements and in typical Patriots fashion it will cost the franchise a lot less cash. The biggest pickup in the off season has to be drafting Jerod Mayo at linebacker. Mayo will make an instant impact which the Patriots need since their ageing linebacking core was actually the wink link on their defense last season.

The Patriots will be ale to tear through this weak division and once again take home the title. Division Title that is.

New York Jets: The Jets barely fall into this second spot, and it does not mean they will have a successful all around season. The Jets have questions at QB and they have a bunch of new faces on the offensive line. They are some very talented faces and a solid mix of veterans and young guys. The upside is if the line can gel together, the Jets can potentially make a stable offense, and that could be enough.

Two seasons ago the Jets began to put together a solid defense and while they backtracked a little last season, they will look to rebound in 08. Their defense is good enough to keep them in a lot of games this season, especially when you look around the rest of the division.

Buffalo Bills: The Bills could easily be a huge surprise in 2008, especially if Trent Edwards can completely grasp the system and the league. Last year Edwards burst onto the scene and he showed lot of promise and there is no doubt he will build and grow this season. If he can progress, the Bills have the weapons on offense to make some noise. Marshawn Lynch was a stud in the back field and he will only improve now that he has a better understanding of the blocking schemes and the tempo of the game. Lee Evans is a deep threat receiver who had a down year last season due to erratic play at the QB position. If Edwards can settle down and deliver the ball then Evans could feast from the improved play and have a breakout year.

Miami Dolphins: They went out and drafted the cheapest number one draft pick available. But Jake Long should be able to anchor the line for a long time to come. Too bad no one has a clue who will be under center. What the Dolphins do have going for them is Ronnie Brown. He is a tough runner who can get solid yardage on every carry. If Miami can keep him healthy during the season he will help to jump start what was a terrible (say it like Charles Barkley) offense last season.

The one thing Miami has going for them entering next season is the Big Tuna. That’s right Bill Parcells has taken over and he is already making his presence felt. Parcells put Jason Taylor on notice and he has the Dolphins on notice from front office to towel boy. If nothing else, Parcells running the show will insure that everyone puts their best foot forward. He will make the Dolphins raise their level of play unfortunately that level just wont be good enough.

Freshly Hungover "Linkin' Logs"

You might have missed me over the weekend (probably not). What I did manage to do was A) See Batman and B) Drink too much. The former was spectacular (I really can't say enough about how well down the film was or Heath Ledger's amazing performance) and the latter resulted in most of my day being spent in bed (oh how amazing a serious hangover is).

While attempting to sleep off this one I did happen to watch Padraig Harrington's pretty stunning performance in "The Open Championship." Needless to say, Greg Norman was the underdog yet hopeful leader and Harrington was the whimsical Irishman who did not relent on the back nine nailing two shots to really seal the deal. I'm not an avid golf watcher, but this event was very entertaining.

I also caught the beginning of the the F1 race on Sunday. Unfortunately the fireworks were on Saturday, when Danica Patrick, unable to pass Milka Duno during a practice round, confronted the fellow female racer. Normally, this would only be slightly entertaining than Nascar (i.e. not at all) but...well, I'll let the video speak for itself (Personally, I like the part where Duno throws a towel...twice!)

Well, enough banter, on to the links:

• Tom Haudricort of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal explains Ray Durham's experience of being traded from one side of the field to the other (seriously).
• And it all comes crashing down on Kerry Wood and the Cubs...again...for the 12th time...
• Good Ole Cholly send a message...
• Harold Baines is getting a Statue?!
• The only way the OKC franchise gets away with picking this lame of a nickname is by either getting Shaq or an incredibly fat woman as a mascot.
• Redskins rent Jason Taylor this year for the steep price of a 2nd rounder and a 6th in 2010.
• and the Eagles got their return man...signed
• If you haven't been keeping up, the situation between the NHL and the new Russian Continental Hockey league is a fascinating experience in international sports not seen in the US (more typical of soccer). The International Ice Hockey Federation is now stepping in as governing body between the NHL and the new Russian League.
• See, I told you those euro-trash soccer fans were pussies...we'll kick your ass, any day, any time
• And from AwfulAnnouncing, why do they keep giving this guy a job?!

Pinstripe Pulse: Yanks sign Sexson; Damon, Matsui experience rehab setbacks

The Yanks yesterday came to terms with the recently released Richie Sexson, formerly of the Seattle Mariners. Sexson, in his twelfth major league season, has seen his offense inexplicably disappear in the last year and a half. A lifetime .261 hitter with 305 homers and 937 RBI, Sexson has had five career thirty homer seasons, yet over his past 175 games has only hit 33, while hitting an anemic .211. So far this season, he has hit .211/11/30, with a woeful .178 average against righthanders. He has posted .344/5/12 numbers in 61 at-bats against lefty pitchers, the Yanks subsequently will platoon Sexson exclusively against southpaws. Sexson is a good fielding first baseman, he likely will see some late inning defensive assignments in place of Jason Giambi on days when he is not in the line-up.

Despite the pick-up, the Yankees are still in the market for a full time outfielder with a power bat, preferably from the right side. With Hideki Matsui likely out for the rest of the season, the Yanks will need to fill holes both offensively and defensively. ESPN baseball analyst Tim Kirkjian, during his weekly appearance with ESPNRadio affiliates, reported Brian Cashman and Pittsburgh Pirates GM Neal Huntington spend considerable time during this past weekend's Futures Game discussing a possible deal for, surprisingly, Jason Bay.

The Yanks had targeted Sexson as the righty first base option since his release last week, thus eliminating the need for Xavier Nady. While Cashman and Hank Steinbrenner are adamant they will not mortgage the future by trading off three or four prospects, Kirkjian reported Huntington to be open to a deal involving one or two prospects, a current member of the 25 man roster, and, in lieu of the extra prospect, cash.

The flux of the Yankees current roster is also up in the air. Johnny Damon is scheduled to be activated from the DL on Sunday, however, he cut short his hitting session on Tuesday due to discomfort in his injured left shoulder.

The situation with Hideki Matsui's injured left knee has taken an unfortunate turn for the worse, it appears he will have surgery and will be lost for the rest of the season. Matsui had been rehabbing the the Yankees Class A franchise in the Florida State League, he too cut short his rehab after a hitting stint on Tuesday resulted in pain and swelling. Matsui returned to New York on Wednesday and is scheduled to see Team Physician Dr. Stuart Hershon today, it is expected Dr. Hershon will recommend surgery.

Righthander Phil Hughes, on the DL since May with a broken rib on his rightside, threw his second bullpen session on Sunday in Tampa, cutting loose 25 fastballs and a dozen breaking balls, and reported no discomfort in the area. Because of the injury, Hughes was severely limited in his rehab option, not only will he need to regain arm strength, but leg strength and his stamina as well. The Yanks have put no ETA on Hughes' return to the rotation, the same can be said for Chien-Ming Wang. Wang, on the DL since June 17th with a torn tendon in his right foot, won't return until September at the earliest. The Yanks will need to activate Wang by August 31st for him to be eligible for possible postseason action, from that date he can have a maximum ten day rehab assignment, meaning he would have to be placed on the active roster no later than September 10th. The question is will he be strong enough to pitch by that date. The Yanks don't want to risk activating him too early, they also don't want to risk not activating him and losing him for October play if he needed another couple days of rehab.

Ian Kennedy was activated from the DL on June 28th, after missing five weeks with a back strain caused by bursitis in his throwing shoulder. Kennedy has made three rehab starts with Triple A Scranton-Wilkes Barre, going 0-2 with a 5.73 ERA in 11 innings, allowing 13 hits while striking out eleven.

Reliever Brian Bruney, on the shelf since May 4th with a broken foot, took the loss in his first rehab outing this past weekend while pitching in Double A Trenton. The Yankees also signed former top draft pick and Minnesota Twins ace Eric Milton to a minor league contract. Milton, out since June, '07 after Tommy John surgery, threw a 25 pitch bullpen last week and reported no stiffness or swelling.

Back to Baseball: "Linkin' Logs" (7/18/08)

Dear Francisco Cordero,

Try earning your 8 mil this year and close games.

Sincernely,

BNBlogger, JustinY

And that pretty much says it all. The hard charging Mets, winners of 10 straight, have tied the (sorta) idle Phils for first. New Yorkers are more annoying than ever (and not even Yankees fans) and this Phils fan broke a beer mug thanks to Fran's awful performance.

But all is not lost, as the Phillies (who I said were only semi-idle) went out and got workhorse pitcher Joe Blanton, who's been less than stellar this year, but still capable of pitching deep into games (which is the only thing a Phillies offense this potent needs). The Phils shipped three prospects to Oakland; Outfielder Matt Spencer, Pitcher Josh Outman and 2nd baseman Adrian Cardenas. I know little about Spencer, but Outman's been amongst the Phils best pitching prospects and Cardenas was among their best fielding prospects. That being said, the Phils really gave up little in their own plans, because Cardenas's position, as you know, is currently filled by NL MVP-hunter Chase Utley, and with a glove comparable to Utley, there was little reason to see Cardenas in the Phils plans for the future. In fact all, indications are that he was trade bait to from the moment he was drafted.

So how does Blanton help the Phils? Well, check out the700level.com's video from ESPN's baseball tonight...

Yes...he did say that...and Yes, the Phils are currently in first...but I also hope they can catch the Mets! Anyways, on to the links!

• Some more sad news regarding Johnny Mars
• So lost amongst some relatively smart moves was this little tidbit; the Yankees signed Richie Sexson. As one of my really good friends put it; "Sexson's like Giambi...only its when Giambi is slumping."
• Nice Headline
• Does no one want Ron Artest? He's so nice
• Sorry Clippers, but raiding the best team in the west (not to make the playoffs) will not make you a playoff contender...it'll get you 45 wins
• One of the best names in football (literally) will be riding the pine to start this season.
• Fantastic! Two top Eagles have fired their agents and are looking to use Satan...err...Drew Rosenhaus, to get what they want...I guess that's money and not championships
• Hey, Mike Vernon got a job!
• Hmm, the empire strikes back. Look, when the NHL says "Stop being a douche," they mean it
• Courtesy of AwfulAnnouncing, A gem from sports radio personality Chris Baker of Minnesota...
• And of course, thanks to Deadspin...another Vomit-fest from Mets fans...

But not you worry...what do you think of this?

How do you like me now?!

Walker-Sports NFC East Preview

Football season is right around the corner. The Washington Redskins report to camp this weekend, so that means we can start talking gridiron and I could not be happier. So as we begin our tour around the league, sorry it won’t be like our BCS tour, the logical place to begin is the NFC East since Walker-Sports does originate in Washington D.C. and the Skins are on their way to camp.

Dallas Cowboys: Yes this team fell short last year, yes their QB spends too much time in the tabloids with his idiot girlfriend, and yes they are everyone’s favorite team to hate. Despite all that, they are the best team in the NFC East 2008 season. The Cowboys bring back the bulk of a squad that went 13-3 last season. Julius Jones is gone which mean teams will see more of Marion Barber III which could be trouble for opposing defenses. Felix Jones was drafted to help take some of the workload off Barber and once he learns the pro game he will look to make an impact with his quick burst.

The buzz around the Cowboys this season will be generated around Adam Jones as he looks to return to Pro-Bowl status after a year suspension. Jones will help to sure up a shaky secondary that also features Roy Williams and Terrence Newman. Jones’s biggest impact will likely be seen on special teams where his skills are often over looked. But as long as he is able to make a solid contribution on defense then it could be the Cowboys defense that leads them to the post season success that has eluded the franchise for the last 12 years. The Cowboys have the best line backing core in the league and they will be able to put a lot of pressure on QB’s which will alleviate a lot of pressure on the secondary as they work to gel together.

Philadelphia Eagles: The Eagles had a rough season in 07. Once again injuries kept this team from getting on track. However, coming down the stretch they were as good as any team in the league. McNabb is back (somehow) and he has a lot to prove and he should come out with a chip on his shoulder. Lucky for Donavan he does not have to go it alone, he has arguably the best back in the league behind in Brian Westbrook. These two will once again link up to be one of the most dominate duos in the league.

On the defensive side of the ball the Eagles have what can be considered the best secondary in the league, which should give them plenty of liberty to blitz at will. So they will look to be aggressive once again.

I’m going go ahead and say it, it is now or never for the Eagles. This team has been together more or less since 2000 and although they went to one Super Bowl, that is not the results that a team of this caliber should have. If they miss the post season again then this team should be dismantled, anything short of a Super Bowl appearance and this team should make serious changes, and that means you Donovan.

New York Giants: Yes the Giants are the defending Super Bowl Champions and no one is happier than me that they knocked the Patriots off, that being said that was one of the best and biggest surprise runs in football history they went on to get there. And don’t worry they had plenty of luck along the way. The Giants lost some talent on the defensive line, and it was their D-Line that led the team to the championship. Those holes will not easily be replaced. More important than anything the Giants will have a huge target on their backs because they are the Super Bowl Champions and everyone will want a piece of them. Now just because they are third in the NFC East does not mean they won’t make the post season. Just being the defending champs, playing in the NFC East and having that horrible schedule will just be too much to overcome.

Washington Redskins: The Redskins got to keep their name a little while longer and tat was the only thing that went right for this team during the off-season. The Joe Gibbs era has come to an end as he makes his return to NASCAR and after a process that was very similar to selecting a Pope the Skins landed Jim Zorn, probably the must unlikely candidate on the market. So Zorn is in, but the question has to be asked; for how long? The burning question around the beltway is will Zorn e given a chance to coach, or is he just a placeholder till Cowher comes to town. The sooner that question is answered the faster we will be able to judge this Redskins team.

On offense the Skins will run Zorn’s version of the West Coast Offense which we can assume is similar to the Holmgren version but no one is sure since Zorn has never called a play. More importantly the change means QB Jason Campbell has to learn yet another system making it his fifth in about seven years. He has never played in anything close to the West Coast Offense and he will need to pick it up quickly if he wants to guide his team. Luckily for Washington they already have the personnel that are well suited to execute Zorn’s system. Small speed receivers Moss and Randle El will be able to work well with quick slants ins and outs. Chris Cooley is a great TE who will enjoy working in space and he should see plenty of work. Oddly enough the one weak link may be Clinton Portis. Clinton took a lot of strides last season and the West Coast Offense could be a great fit for him since the blocking will be similar to the one he enjoyed while in Denver. The downside is his hands can be sketchy and that’s not good since he could potentially see a lot more passes.

Exiting the Worst Day in Sports - "Linkin' Logs" (7/17/08)

Yesterday, you woke up and there probably wasn't a whole lot to do. The WNBA...Triple A All-Star Game...Olympic something or other...the news...ugh...nothing.

But today, its a new dawn...a new day...and new Linkin' Logs!

• As suggested yesterday and now reported in the New York Times, apparently David Wright and David Jonathan Drew were next up to pitch in the ASG.
• The Miami Free Press is reporting that the Marlins are interested in replacing Misty May's husband with Ivan Rodriguez.
• Uhhh...in news nobody really cares about, the Hornets have tagged James Posey and The Cavs are keeping their Boobie
• The Clippers continue their off-season bumblings...and Marcus Camby doesn't want to be there
• Holy Shit! Someone wants Kwame Brown?!
• The Vikings want Brett Favre...too bad the Packers are doing everything in their power to ensure that doesn't happen (you know, like keep his contract...and not release him)
• Ladies and Gentleman, the Philadelphia Flyers newest farm team...the LA Kings!
• Courtesy of Deadspin, apparently the Craigslist economy is thriving, as the guy who caught Rampage Jackson in a hit-and-run earlier (as if it wasn't obvious), is now selling his shredded tire...
• Heh, thanks TMZ - Jackson's Mugshot!
• And Thanks to AwfulAnnouncing, the best letter ever written to ESPN the Magazine...(Dear "the mag," you suck...)
• UPDATE: I found one more quick link you might like. Courtesy of ArmchairGM's Davis21Wylie, its the earliest season preview ever...(and yeah, its the NHL...Hockey's better than Basketball, deal with it)
  

A Case In Taking Yourself Too Seriously

The following is a paraphrased translation of what I believe I may have just read at Murray Chass' 'About This Website' section of his "website". The website that he says is not a blog but looks, reads, smells and tastes suspiciously like a blog:

"This is a site for baseball information, but not baseball information from other equally well-informed human beings that call their websites 'blogs'. I do not like the fact that there is a medium out there that thrives on the freedom of speech. When someone asked me what I thought about people who are exercising their right to free speech, I replied, "I hate them." Yeah, that's right -- I hate them and if you haven't noticed, I don't play around.

Why so serious?

"If you find yourself categorized under this new informational movement that I hate, you are more than welcome to come visit. If your a stat freak, fantasy leaguer or Red Sox fan than you can stop by too. Basically, I'm inviting pretty much the entire United States to come visit this website that is definitely not a blog because I hate them.

"This website will primarily appeal to older fans who probably won't visit because they don't know how to use the internet. Or if they did, probably wouldn't want to come to this site because as you can tell, I'm more or less an absolute dick. Did I mention I hate stat freaks? Especially the ones who like stats that try and give us a better perspective on a players overall value to his team? I mean, what is that? Is no one satisfied with plain old RBI's anymore?

"I will be writing everything on this site, but will be inviting people who will most certainly decline unless I offer to pay them. Even then, there's a good chance they will still decline. Although I am the primary writer on this site, I will occasionally post things from the third person, as if it is being posted by an omniscient being so that I can quote myself multiple times.

"If you like swearing, and I don't because I had a job that did not let me openly curse while working, than please do not swear on here. Swearing is bad, but openly defiling things that others spend hours upon hours of their efforts on is not bad. In fact, it's good! I hate blogs!"

Well there you have it. I may have been slightly off on a couple of things, but this is a blog -- so that's to be expected!

[A special thanks to FJM for bringing this hilarious event to my attention as well as consistently making me laugh my ass off.]