Posted in NY Jets on April 28, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Three days. That’s how long the draft is now. Only round 1 is tonight. Only rounds two and three are tomorrow. The rest is Saturday.
I’d love to see the Jets get a nose tackle or a pass rusher. I also feel they may trade out of the first round if they don’t like what they see.
I have no clue on what to expect — like the whole NFL offseason. I hope it’s defense, but you never know with Rex and Mr. T.
We’ll just have to wait and see — 8pm ET tonight.
Posted in Golf on April 27, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
This week on the PGA Tour we head south for the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Always a fun event in a great place and this week they have a fantastic field. Will this be where Rickie Fowler gets his first PGA Tour win? We will have to wait and see.
TV Coverage is Thursday-Friday, 3-6pm ET on Golf Channel and Saturday-Sunday, 3-6pm ET on CBS.
Posted in Golf, PGA Tour Fantasy on April 27, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Here’s my picks for this week:
A: Nick Watney (Backup: Graeme McDowell)
B: Rickie Fowler (Backup: Spencer Levin)
B: Webb Simpson (Backup: Josh Teater)
C: Chris Couch (Backup: Jason Dufner)
Posted in Golf on April 26, 2011 | 1 Comment »
UPDATE:
1) Upon further review, it was the RIGHT Achilles Tiger kept injuring in 2009. This is the LEFT one that is hurt now.
2) Doug Ferguson of the AP spoke to Tiger’s agent Mark Steinberg and according to Steinberg there’s a “reasonable chance” Tiger will play The Players, three weeks from Thursday.
ORIGINAL POST:
Tiger Woods grimaced after hitting his second shot to the 18th hole on Sunday at The Masters. I said to my parents at least twice in that moment: Tiger’s hurt. This is not emotional pain — Tiger is physically hurt.
Today Tiger announced on his website that yes, he is indeed hurt, and will miss next week’s Wells Fargo Championship:
Tiger Woods announced Tuesday that he will miss the Wells Fargo Championship because of a minor injury.
Woods suffered a Grade 1 mild medial collateral ligament sprain to his left knee and a mild strain to his left Achilles tendon while hitting a difficult and awkward second shot from the pine straw under the Eisenhower tree left of the fairway at No. 17 during the third round of the Masters. Woods was able to continue playing at Augusta and then later decided to seek a medical evaluation.
Doctors have advised rest and cold-water therapy, and soft tissue treatment will also occur later this week. There is no definitive time frame for healing, but Woods hopes to be back in a few weeks.
“I personally contacted tournament officials and expressed my regret in not being able to play,” Woods said. “This is an outstanding event, but I must follow doctors’ orders to get better.”
Tiger’s next scheduled event would be The Players Championship, which is the week after Wells Fargo. That appears to possibly be in doubt.
Remember, Tiger played much of 2009 with an Achilles he kept tearing and re-tearing as the year went on.
Long term, I have no idea what this means for Tiger but swing changes or no swing chances, Tiger’s greatest hindrance to getting to 19 majors could very well be his health.
Posted in Golf on April 26, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Golf World is reporting that Royal Bank of Canada, which coincidentally had two of the players that it sponsors — Jim Furyk and Luke Donald — contending on Sunday, will sign a four-year sponsorship deal to save The Heritage. The Heritage is a beloved PGA Tour event usually played the week after The Masters which was at risk for being yanked off the map.
I hope this is true and that is no longer the case.
Posted in Golf on April 26, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
Golf World Monday provided more details on the PGA Tour’s proposed plan to revamp the end of the season and make the Nationwide Tour the only place to attain PGA Tour cards. Here’s the details, as laid out nicely by my friend Ryan Ballengee from NBCSports.com:
- 3 tournaments to replace the Fall Series
- Fields consist of top 50 on Nationwide Tour money list (or so) and Nos. 126-200 (or so) on the PGA Tour money list
- A points system modeled after the FedExCup will determine who wins some 50 cards (or so)
- Q-school will now only offer cards for the Nationwide Tour in the next season
Dave Shedloski adds that none of this would happen until 2013, when a new umbrella sponsor will take over for Nationwide.
All in all I’m OK with this plan except for two main issues:
1) One of the complaints of rank-and-file PGA Tour members is not having enough playing opportunities. If this REPLACES the Fall Series, I hope the PGA Tour still gives these guys ample playing attempts during the season.
2) I do agree with the Tour that most times going through the Nationwide Tour is the best way to get you ready for the PGA Tour. But there are cases — Rickie Fowler is a great recent one — where going straight from college to the pros IS the right move, and if this is enacted, it might keep a possible star like him away from the PGA Tour for a year, at a time when the Tour will gladly take all the stars it can get.
Posted in Monmouth Football, New Jersey Newsroom on April 25, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
(This post originally appeared on NJNR Pressbox.)
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. — Monmouth University’s football team will have a young look on defense this year. That means many positions are up for grab on the defensive line, linebacker, and cornerback spots.
But one thing will not change for 2011: senior safety Jose Gumbs. The all-NEC defensive star who led the team in tackling in 2010 has been a constant on an ever-changing Monmouth team. This spring he has taken on another role: teacher.
“It’s more on the field [teaching], because in the classroom everyone understands it,” Gumbs said recently at spring practice. “But when it comes to the field it’s like ‘oh snap, I forgot what we gotta do exactly.’ But most of the time I guess it’s more about communication – I try to be the vocal leader and line everyone up and get everyone on the same page.”
For head coach Kevin Callahan, Gumbs’ expertise is invaluable.
Posted in Golf, Prosportsblogging.com on April 24, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
(This article originally appeared on Prosportsblogging.com)
A dramatic playoff starts off this week’s What It Means:
1) To the big time golf fan it may be surprising to read that Brandt Snedeker had only had one previous PGA Tour victory — the 2007 Wyndham Championship in Greensboro — coming into today. But today at The Heritage he proved why he seems to be always in contention — shooting a sensational final round 64 to land in a playoff with Luke Donald. In that playoff, He made a gorgeous birdie on the first playoff hole, a clutch par save on the second, and a safe third shot to the center of the green on the third that proved to be good enough for his second PGA Tour victory when Donald failed to chip it in for a tying par.
Brandt is a player that has contended at majors before and I would not be surprised if he wins one. He’s that good a talent.
2) Jim Nantz and Nick Faldo speculated on the CBS Sports telecast that if Donald had left the flagstick in on his par chip on the 3rd hole of the playoff, the 18th hole on the golf course, that he would have made it. Instead, it lipped out and he was eliminated. After the broadcast was over I went back and slowed it down on my DVR and I’m not sure it would have made a difference. To my eye it could have just as easily have hit the flagstick and dropped in as it could have hit it and dropped out.
Posted in Monmouth Football, New Jersey Newsroom on April 24, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
(This article originally appeared on NJNR Pressbox.)
WEST LONG BRANCH, N.J. — To the naked eye, it was clear that the defense reigned supreme over the offense and special teams yesterday at Monmouth’s spring scrimmage, a precursor to next Saturday’s spring game.
In a game that was offense against defense, the defensive line was off the ball faster, making multiple “sacks” (the quarterbacks wore red jerseys), forcing an interception, and returning a fumble recovery for a touchdown. They also blocked numerous field goals.
But sometimes what seems obvious to one person is not so obvious to the head coach. And for Monmouth’s head coach Kevin Callahan, he was extremely pleased overall.
“I thought we had some really good work today,” Callahan said. “We did have a lot of young guys who were able to get a lot of reps. I think that’s a good thing. Spring football is all about development. I think that anytime you can get people a lot of reps on the field it can aid your development. We had a great effort from our team throughout spring practice, and with one week to go I kind of like where we’re at.”
Posted in J Schil's Thought, NBA, New Jersey Newsroom on April 22, 2011 | Leave a Comment »
(This article originally appeared on NJNR Pressbox.)
Offense sells tickets, defense wins championships. That axiom has been stuck in my head since my very early days a sports fan.
Well, the New York Knicks have certainly sold some tickets this year, with their much-publicized offseason acquisition of Amar’e Stoudemire and the blockbuster mid-season trade for Carmelo Anthony.
Now they enter the NBA Playoffs, where defense reigns. Awaiting the Knicks are the Boston Celtics, game one tips off tonight at 7 pm in Boston.
The Celtics boast the big four of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Rajon Rondo. Besides the tangible aspects, they have one thing the Knicks don’t: chemistry. This is their fourth straight season playing together as a cohesive unit.
And to listen to past episodes of Teeing It Up from my college days, visit my 