Heat owner Arison fined after comments
October 31, 2011
NEW YORK (AP)—Miami Heat owner Micky Arison has been fined by the NBA,three days after he made references to the locked-out league’s ongoingcollective bargaining process on his Twitter account.
The NBA did not disclose the amount of the fine, or say publicly why Arisonwas sanctioned.
Arison posted several tweets Friday night, including a reply to someone whoreferred to those involved with the lockout as “greedy … pigs.” Arisonreplied by saying “Honestly u r barking at the wrong owner.”
That tweet was deleted a short time later.
The NBA typically prohibits owners from speaking publicly about the laborsituation. Charlotte Bobcats owner Michael Jordan was fined in September afterhe told an Australian media outlet the NBA’s current business model was“broken.”
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Cubs introduce Hoyer as GM;(STRYLINK NAME:v0112; SLUG:2010 APBC-BBN–Cubs-Hoyer 1st Ld-Writethru,0663;))(HEADLINE XHL:Indians acquire RHP Lowe from Braves
October 31, 2011
CLEVELAND (AP)—Derek Lowe’s(notes) durability—and price tag—were too much forthe Cleveland Indians to resist.
The club acquired the 15-year veteran pitcher from the Atlanta Braves onMonday for a minor leaguer, a low-risk move designed to bolster Cleveland’sstarting rotation.
The Indians got the 38-year-old Lowe, who has 166 career wins, in exchangefor left-hander Chris Jones. As part of the deal, the Indians will only have topay Lowe $5 million of the $15 million he’s scheduled to make in 2012. Lowesigned a four-year $60 million deal as a free agent with Atlanta before the 2009season.
General manager Chris Antonetti said Lowe immediately assumes a spot in theIndians’ starting staff, where he’ll join Ubaldo Jimenez(notes), Justin Masterson(notes), JoshTomlin(notes) and Fausto Carmona(notes). Before the deal for Lowe was announced, the Indianspicked up Carmona’s $7 million option for 2012.
“He’s a quality pitcher with durability, pitching 180 innings or more everyyear since 2002,” Antonetti said. “The last time he was on the disabled listwas 1995. In addition to his durability, there’s some leadership potential. Hisexperience will complement a very young rotation. One of our goals was toimprove our starting pitching.
“This goes a long way towards that. Stability is important. Also, he can bea positive influence on young starting pitchers with similar skills.”
The Indians contended for most of 2011 before injuries and inexperiencedropped them from the AL Central race. And while Lowe has some mileage on hisright arm, Cleveland believes he has enough left to keep help next season.
Lowe has pitched in both leagues, as a starter and closer. One of just threepitchers in history with more than 160 wins and 80 saves, Lowe went just 9-17with a 5.05 ERA in 34 starts last season, his third with Atlanta. His 17 lossesled the league.
But with right-hander Carlos Carrasco(notes) out for the season following TommyJohn surgery, the Indians, who traded top prospects Alex White(notes) and Drew Pomeranz(notes)to Colorado for Jimenez in July, needed another established starter and madefinding one an offseason priority—through trade or free agency.
Atlanta had a surplus of young arms and were looking to move Lowe, asinkerball pitcher.
Lowe was 0-5 in September for the Braves, and struggled with is mechanicsfor much of the season. After Atlanta faded down the stretch and missed thepostseason, GM Frank Wren said, “It’s hard to project him as one of ourstarters at this point.”
However, the Indians have a spot for him and hope he can impact and mentortheir young pitchers the way veteran Kevin Millwood(notes) did when they signed him in2005
“We checked with former teammates and believe he can evolve into that typeof (mentoring) role,” Antonetti said. “He’s a guy who loves the game, enjoystalking baseball, likes to help.”
The Indians understand there is the risk that a 38-year-old pitcher won’t beany better when he turns 39. However, Antonetti is confident Lowe can bounceback from a tough season and he’s not concerned about him switching back to theAL after seven seasons in the NL.
“Derek relies a lot upon contact,” he said. “He is reliant on hisdefense, but we are confident that if he pounds the strike zone, gets groundballs and we pick up the ball behind him, he should have a better year.”
Lowe is 166-146 with a 3.94 ERA in 356 career starts. In addition toAtlanta, Lowe has pitched with Seattle, Boston and the Los Angeles Dodgers sincebreaking into the majors in 1997. His 334 games started since 2002 is the mostin baseball over the 10-season span.
Jones, 23, went 7-1 with a 3.36 ERA in 43 appearances for Kinston (A).
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Conference realignment affecting hoops
October 31, 2011
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)—About a week ago, West Virginia coach Bob Hugginswas singing the virtues of a Big East Conference that had already been poachedof Pittsburgh and Syracuse.
“I mean let’s be honest,” Huggins said at the time, “if you haveGeorgetown, Villanova, St. John’s, Connecticut, West Virginia, whoever—Louisville, you know, whoever, it’s still a very, very, very good basketballleague.”
Well, the conference realignment merry-go-round promptly sent West Virginiaspinning off to the Big 12, and Huggins is now praising a conference that he’sbeen involved with before, one that added West Virginia only because it lostTexas A&M and Missouri is headed out the door.
The ongoing saga of conference realignment has been driven by the big-moneyworld of college football. Huggins knows that. But its ramifications on collegebasketball are undeniable.
Some conferences have won. Others have lost.
Divining who falls in each category is an exercise in mathematics, history—some would argue futility. Did the Big 12 add through subtraction? It losttraditional lightweights Nebraska and Colorado, likely boosting its overall RPI,which figures heavily into the decisions made by the NCAA tournament selectioncommittee every March. What about the ACC adding Pittsburgh and Syracuse?
Where does a Big East that doesn’t suddenly seem all that big fit intothings?
“People ask me what’s it like. I’ve done it before,” DePaul coach OliverPurnell said. “When I was at Dayton, we were in the Great Midwest Conferencefor six months. That league blew up and it became, I think, Conference USA. Weweren’t invited in, and we went to the Atlantic 10.
“So I’ve been through it before,” the former Clemson coach said. “At OldDominion, I was in the Sun Belt and Colonial Athletic Association. So althoughit seems like this stuff has never, ever happened before, certainly there aresome things like that that have happened before.”
Just not on this level. Not this widespread.
It hasn’t ended, either. After the announcement last week that West Virginiais headed from the Big East to the Big 12, and with the pending defection ofMissouri from the Big 12 to the SEC, the dominos are still teetering, and eachone that falls will knock several others down.
The latest news has the Big East courting UCF and Memphis, among others. Ifthey decide to leave Conference USA, that traditionally strong basketball leaguewill go searching elsewhere to restock, and the merry-go-round will spin on andon.
“The minute you think everything’s settled, it’s not,” Purnell said.“When I first got in the ACC, it was a nine-team league. One year later, it wasa 12-team league, and I thought that was fast—not like this. This is lightningfast, what’s going on. Just stay tuned.”
With the tipoff approaching to the college basketball season, and fivemonths to go before March Madness, let’s examine the winners and losers inconference realignment.
Quickly, before things change again.
WINNERS:
— ACC: Headlined by bluebloods like Duke and North Carolina, the AtlanticCoast Conference has traditionally been one of the toughest leagues in collegebasketball.
Then again, it’s easy to forget the Mountain West was tougher last year.
That doesn’t figure to be the case going forward, not after the ACC workedbehind the scenes and out of the spotlight to lure Big East brethren Pittsburghand Syracuse to its ranks.
The Panthers have made 10 straight NCAA appearances, averaged an RPI of14.75 over the past eight seasons, and won a combined six Big East regularseason and tournament titles over the past decade.
Syracuse has been to four Final Fours behind the stewardship of Jim Boeheim.
“I transferred to Duke to play with the best players in the country,against the best players,” said Duke guard Seth Curry, who began his collegecareer at Liberty. It seems he’ll get his chance.
— Big 12: After wobbling on the brink of extinction, and with a future thatremains somewhat murky, the Big 12 may have actually come out ahead when itcomes to basketball.
Nebraska took its high-profile football program to the Big Ten, but alsotook along a hoops program with an average RPI of 105 over the past eight years.Colorado has been an even bigger drain on the league, with one winning season inthe last five and an eight-year RPI average of 136.
That’s called addition by subtraction.
“No disrespect to those schools but I don’t think anyone in our league isgoing to talk about Nebraska or Colorado moving forward,” Kansas coach BillSelf said. “It’s not because we’re mad, but it’s just because I don’t think youdeal with the `what ifs’ or `I thinks.”’
The Big 12 added TCU for its football—certainly not for its middlingbasketball program—and the addition of West Virginia makes the pending loss ofMissouri to the SEC easier to handle.
— West Coast: Jimmer Fredette and BYU are a big reason the Mountain West wasa brutal place to play last season. Well, Fredette is gone to the NBA, and BYUis off to the West Coast Conference.
A league ruled by Gonzaga for years is suddenly deeper and more talentedthan ever. BYU hasn’t been outside the top 35 in RPI the past five seasons.
“We were only going to do something if it was a perfect fitinstitutionally. On the other side, we were only going to do something if itmakes us better,” WCC commissioner Jamie Zaninovich said. “This one was apretty obvious one in making us better competitively.”
LOSERS:
— Big East: Arguably the toughest league in the country over the past decadeand a record-setter last season with 11 teams in the NCAA tournament, the BigEast has been weakened considerably after losing two of its most storiesprograms in Pittsburgh and Syracuse.
The conference is seeking replacements that include UCF and Memphis, andLouisville coach Rick Pitino has openly campaigned for Temple to return.Regardless of who signs on, the conference tournament at Madison Square Gardenwill have a much different feel going forward.
— Big Ten: Nebraska’s traditional strength in football is the primary reasonthe Big Ten came courting, but its hoops program doesn’t bring along nearly thesame excitement.
The Huskers haven’t made the NCAA tournament since 1998.
“It’s not going to take as big a toll as football does,” Northwesternguard Alex Marcotullio said. “Adding Nebraska in the mix is just another teamand another opponent we have to worry about.”
— Pac-12: Commissioner Larry Scott certainly didn’t seek Colorado and Utahwhen he expanded the Pac-10 because of their prowess on the hardwood.
Colorado has only been to the NCAA tournament twice in the past fourdecades, and hasn’t been to the round of 16 since 1963. The once-mighty Utes arecoming off a bleak 12-18 season.
“Everybody is tremendously excited about our conference expansion and theability it’s had to negotiate a new TV contract and increase our geographicfootprint,” Arizona State coach Herb Sendek said, hardly giving the newprograms a winning endorsement.
“The Pac-12 is really poised to continue moving forward,” Sendek said.
AP Sports Writers Beth Harris in Los Angeles, Janie McCauley in SanFrancisco, Andrew Seligman in Chicago and John Raby in Morgantown, W.Va.,contributed to this report.
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Colts to keep Manning on active roster
October 31, 2011
Peyton Manning watches preseason action.(AP)
INDIANAPOLIS (AP)—The Indianapolis Colts will keep Peyton Manning(notes) on theactive roster so he can practice later this season, though it remains unlikelyManning will play in a regular-season game.
Bill Polian, the team’s vice chairman, told radio listeners Monday nightthat he would not necessarily want Manning playing behind their banged-upoffensive line. Injuries have decimated the line, forcing the Colts to insertthree new starters and move a fourth starter since opening day.
The only player who has started in the same place every week is Pro Bowlcenter Jeff Saturday(notes).
And with an 0-8 mark, it doesn’t look like the Colts will be making aplayoff run.
But Polian wants Manning to practice so he can determine whether he’srecovered from September’s neck surgery.
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Turf toe has Cards’ Kolb in walking boot
October 31, 2011
TEMPE, Ariz. (AP)—Arizona quarterback Kevin Kolb(notes) had his right foot in awalking boot on Monday to protect a turf toe injury and said he had “no idea”whether he would be able to play in next Sunday’s home game against the St.Louis Rams.
Kolb was injured early in Sunday’s 30-27 loss at Baltimore but stayed in thegame.
“I did some things to help with the pain a little bit,” he said, “thenjust tried to gut it out and try to come up with a victory.”
If Kolb can’t go, second-year pro John Skelton(notes) probably would get the start.Skelton started four games late last season. A turf toe occurs when the toe isjammed severely, stretching the ligaments.
Kolb said he has had the injury before but not “near this severe.”
Kolb said his initial plans are to work to reduce the swelling and pain,“then as the week goes on give it more and more movement and see what my bodyallows me to do.”
Kolb, who ran for a first down late in the game, said the injury didn’taffect his mobility so much as it did the velocity of his passes, since hepushes off with his right foot.
“A lot of your power comes from that side of your foot,” Kolb said, “onthat leg. When I had to take off and run I didn’t feel it or anything. Itprobably was just nagging a little bit but nothing to throw me off my game.”
Consecutive games against two of the best defenses in the NFL, Pittsburghand Baltimore, has left Arizona’s offense a bit battered. Rookie AnthonySherman(notes), the team’s only fullback, has turf toe on his left foot. Running backBeanie Wells(notes) is playing with a sore knee.
Kolb has been sacked 24 time in seven games. The pressure he faced Sundaywas his most severe yet. Of course, since it was Baltimore, that shouldn’t besurprising.
“They run a tough scheme and bring them from a lot of different places.You’ve got to step up in there and block them,” coach Ken Whisenhunt said. “Wehave to get the ball out quicker in some situations. We had opportunities tomake them pay yesterday a couple of times, but we weren’t as efficient as weneeded to be from a protection standpoint or from getting the ball out. That’salways tough.
“When you add in the noise, knowing your guys are going to be late off theball, giving them the advantage, it is really a tough situation. I don’t thinkpeople appreciate how difficult that is. That’s why they’re a good defense andthey’re a tough team to play there.”
It was Arizona’s fourth loss by four points or fewer, and this one wasespecially hard to take. The Cardinals, big underdogs, took advantage of twoturnovers to score 14 points and take an early 24-3 lead only to see the Ravensrun off 24 straight to go on top 27-24. Still, Arizona tied it at 27-27 beforegiving up a late drive that resulted in a last-second 25-yard field goal byBilly Cundiff(notes) to give Baltimore the win.
There’s not a lot for the fans to cheer about, and that has led to concernthe game against the Rams won’t be a sellout. The Cardinals have sold out everyhome game since University of Phoenix Stadium opened in 2006.
“We’re working hard to try to make sure we’re taking care of business, andwe haven’t done that,” Whisenhunt said. “It’s been a tough stretch for ourfans, I understand that, and we’re working hard to try to get that fixed.Hopefully, they’ll continue to support us. We’ve had a number of exciting gamesthere and they’ve been a big part of that. All I can tell you is that we’regoing to have more there, and we sure would appreciate the support.”
After Sunday’s game, Arizona plays three in a row on the road, where theyhave lost 11 straight dating to the 2010 season opener at St. Louis.
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Broncos’ Fox sticking with Tebow for now
October 31, 2011
ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP)—Tim Tebow(notes) wasn’t sacked Monday.
One day after giving his embattled young quarterback a less than ringingendorsement following a humiliating 45-10 loss at home to the Lions, Broncoscoach John Fox said he’s sticking with Tebow.
“For this week, yes,” Fox said.
Tebow said he doesn’t feel as though he’s on a week-to-week basis but thathe’s not one to fret about the future anyway.
“It’s just take it one day at a time, consistently trying to get better andnot focusing too far in the future,” Tebow told The Associated Press. “Today’sthe day I’ve got to improve and that’s kind of the focus.”
By not committing to him beyond Sunday’s game at Oakland, Fox made it clearthat Tebow has to quickly improve as a pocket passer to retain his startingstatus in Denver.
“I think at the end of the day, we’ve got to see if he can improve and getbetter in the passing game,” Fox said.
Since supplanting Kyle Orton(notes) at halftime against San Diego on Oct. 9, Tebowhas completed 46 percent of his passes (35 for 76) and been sacked 13 times.
“I think we definitely need to improve. I think we will,” Tebow said.“Just the timing and getting in and out of the right plays and being moreconsistent. … Every day I’m just coming in here and trying to get better andimproving and whatever they ask I’m going to do.”
Tebow, who pulled out a stunning win at Miami two weeks ago in his firststart this season despite playing poorly for most of the game, said he feels asthough the coaching staff still has his back.
“I think they have confidence in me, but more than anything, I’ve got tohave confidence in myself and my teammates around me and at the end of the daythat’s what matters,” Tebow said.
He insisted his confidence wasn’t rattled by the Lions’ landslide.
“We did some good things and improved on some things,” Tebow suggested.“It wasn’t all bad, it just didn’t necessarily look that way. But that’s thething about it, it’s never as bad as it seems, it’s never as good as it seems.”
The Broncos had eight possessions of three plays or fewer Sunday, turned itover once on downs and three times on takeaways, two of which were returned fortouchdowns. Tebow was sacked seven times and his only TD toss came after theLions had built a 42-point lead while razzing him with imitations of hisprayerful pose that’s become an online sensation.
“We knew he was a scrambling quarterback,” Lions linebacker StephenTulloch(notes) said. “We knew he was going to try to get out of the pocket and try tokeep plays alive and we did a good job just executing. He’s a young player. He’sgot a lot to learn as a player. Take nothing from him, he’s a winner, he finds away to win. He just needs to clean up some things in his pass game, but thattakes time.”
The Broncos tried to adapt to Tebow’s unconventional skill set, spreadingout the offense and speeding up the tempo, even sprinkling in some option-readplays, but nothing seemed to work very well.
The Lions crowded the line of scrimmage and used Tulloch as a spy to keepthe second-year scrambler from running. They blitzed him on more than 50 percentof his dropbacks, pushing the pocket and containing the edge with a disciplinedpass rush.
Lions cornerback Chris Houston(notes), who returned an interception 100 yards for atouchdown, revealed Detroit’s game plan was to stack the box and make Tebow tryto beat them with his arm.
“We just wanted to make him be a quarterback today,” Houston said afterthe game. “… He’s an athlete, he’s no Tom Brady(notes) or Peyton Manning(notes) or nothinglike that. Or Michael Vick(notes) or nothing like that. He’s got a long ways to go asfar as being a quarterback, but he’s a hard worker.”
Tebow didn’t make quick decisions or quick throws, and his long, loopingthrowing motion led to a strip by defensive end Cliff Anvil, who scooped up thefumbled football and scored a touchdown.
Tebow’s quarterback rating this season is 75.1, almost identical to the 75.7rating that cost Orton his starting job during the team’s 1-4 start.
If Tebow loses the gig, too, the Broncos might not go back to Orton butcould give Brady Quinn(notes) his first shot under center since his arrival two yearsago from Cleveland in the Peyton Hillis(notes) trade.
“You know, really, in this business all things are possible,” Fox said.“And Brady’s a guy that we acquired before I got here, but he’s shown flashesin our practice and (preseason) games, so right now we’re in the process offinding out who the quarterback is and we’ll leave it at that.”
Fox said he trusts Tebow will learn from his mistakes and get better.
“He’s competitive by nature, and I think he’ll respond just fine,” Foxsaid.
The task only gets tougher for Tebow. The Broncos play four of their nextfive games on the road and six of the remaining nine games are against teamsthat employ the 3-4 defensive scheme that’s given him fits as he tries torecognize where the fourth rusher is coming from.
First things first. Tebow said he doesn’t feel as though he’s on a shortleash and is content to let tomorrow take care of itself.
“I feel like each week I’m going to take the game plan and do the best Ican with it and keep improving with it and take my weaknesses and try to makethem strengths,” he said.
Notes: RB Willis McGahee(notes) said he’ll test his surgically-repaired right handthis week in hopes he can return to action after missing Sunday’s game. He gothurt at Miami two weeks ago when his right hand got stuck in a defender’s facemask, drawing an infraction that cost him a $7,500 fine, which he said he’sappealing.
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Red Sox, Mackanin discuss manager’s job
October 31, 2011
BOSTON (AP)—The Boston Red Sox have interviewed Philadelphia Philliesbench coach Pete Mackanin for their vacant managerial job.
Mackanin is meeting with the media at Fenway Park on Monday night.
The Red Sox are also scheduled to talk to Milwaukee Brewers hitting coachDale Sveum this week.
Mackanin is looking to replace Terry Francona, who parted ways with the teamafter its unprecedented September collapse. Mackanin also spent time in theExpos, Pirates, Reds and Yankees systems.
He was an interim manager with the Reds in 2007 and the Pirates in 2005,going 53-53 in the two temporary gigs. He is also 917-849 in 13 years as a minorleague manager.
Also Monday, the Red Sox declined contract options on relievers Dan Wheeler(notes)and Scott Atchison(notes).
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BoSox talk to Mackanin for manager’s job
October 31, 2011
BOSTON (AP)—The Boston Red Sox have interviewed Philadelphia Philliesbench coach Pete Mackanin for their vacant managerial job.
Mackanin is meeting with the media at Fenway Park on Monday night.
The Red Sox are also scheduled to talk to Milwaukee Brewers hitting coachDale Sveum this week.
Mackanin is looking to replace Terry Francona, who parted ways with the teamafter its unprecedented September collapse. Mackanin also spent time in theExpos, Pirates, Reds and Yankees systems.
He was an interim manager with the Reds in 2007 and the Pirates in 2005,going 53-53 in the two temporary gigs. He is also 917-849 in 13 years as a minorleague manager.
Also Monday, the Red Sox declined contract options on relievers Dan Wheeler(notes)and Scott Atchison(notes).
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Rays pick up Shields, Farnsworth options
October 31, 2011
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP)—The Tampa Bay Rays have exercised their $7.5million contract option for 2012 on pitcher James Shields(notes).
The club also picked up a $3.3 million option for next season for relieverKyle Farnsworth(notes) and declined a $3.2 million option on catcher Kelly Shoppach(notes) onMonday.
Shields went 16-12 with a 2.82 ERA and 225 strikeouts in 2011, leading themajors with 11 complete games, including four shutouts to help the Rays make theplayoffs for the third time in four seasons. Farnsworth had a career-best 25saves in his first season as a full-time closer.
Shoppach started 71 games and batted .176 with 11 homers and 22 RBIs.
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Munchak: Johnson remains Titans’ starter
October 31, 2011
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP)—Tennessee coach Mike Munchak is doing his best todefuse a potential running back controversy.
Munchak made it clear Monday that Chris Johnson remains the Titans’ starter,and he said he sees the running back working harder than ever in a situationwhere his contract extension created high expectations.
Backup Javon Ringer(notes) will continue to play with the number of carries decidedduring each game.
Either way, the Titans still must fix the NFL’s worst running game.
The challenge is the offense looks better with Ringer, who looks strongerand faster than the man who had led the NFL in yards rushing between 2008 and2010.
The pressure to get CJ running only increases each week, and the Titans(4-3) host Cincinnati (5-2) on Sunday.
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