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”The Cubs really stood out, and everyone was sincere at the meeting,” Darvish said Tuesday through a translator after finalizing a $126 million, six-year contract.
Darvish gets $25 million this year, $20 million in 2019, $22 million in each of the following two seasons, $19 million in 2022 and $18 million in 2023. He can opt out of the deal after the 2019 season and become a free agent again.
His approval is needed for any trade through 2019. After that, he can list 12 teams he cannot be dealt to without his consent.
Darvish joins a rotation that includes Jon Lester, Kyle Hendricks, Jose Quintana and Tyler Chatwood, who agreed to a $38 million, three-year contract in December.
”Yu was our primary target,” said Epstein, the Cubs’ president of baseball operations. ”It’s a great day for the Cubs organization to welcome a pitcher of this caliber. He is probably the pre-eminent strikeout pitcher of our generation. We are getting him at a wonderful point in his career where he has matured and is ready to go out and do some special things Kenny Golladay Jersey , with the World Series being his top priority.”
A four-time All-Star, Darvish finished last season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, helping them knock out the defending champion Cubs in the playoffs to reach the World Series. The 31-year-old Japanese right-hander is expected to take the rotation spot of Jake Arrieta, who became a free agent.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
Notre Dame’s president ripped the NCAA’s decision to deny the school’s appeal to restore 21 vacated football victories from an academic misconduct violation, saying the association ”perverted” the notion that universities determine how they police academics.
The NCAA denied Notre Dame’s appeal Tuesday, wiping off the books all 12 wins from the Fighting Irish’s 2012 national championship game run under coach Brian Kelly.
In a letter to Notre Dame alumni, University President Fr. John Jenkins says the penalty was unprecedented considering who was involved in the misconduct, and the school was being punished for rigorously enforcing its honor code. He called the ruling unfair, referencing the recent North Carolina case in which the NCAA did not punish the school after an investigation of athletes taking irregular courses.
The appeals committee was not swayed and upheld the penalty passed down in November 2016 by the committee on infractions.
Notre Dame agreed to accept certain NCAA findings and acknowledged cheating involving several football players and a student athletic trainer, but appealed only the penalty that vacated victories.
NFL
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) – Frank Reich did some of his most memorable work in relief.
He engineered the biggest comeback in NFL playoff history while pinch-hitting for Hall of Fame quarterback Jim Kelly. He orchestrated the second-largest comeback in college football history after spending three years as Boomer Esiason’s understudy. Heck, he even won a Super Bowl with a backup quarterback.
So when the Indianapolis Colts offered Reich a chance to be their second choice as head coach, the super sub figured it was the perfect it.
”The backup role has suited me well in my career,” Reich joked at his introductory news conference at Lucas Oil Stadium.
Reich inherits a team that went 4-12 in 2017, missed the playoffs for the third straight year and was desperately trying to remove an embarrassing stain following last week’s announcement that New England Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels would not take the Colts’ job.
This time Peyton Manning Jersey , team owner Jim Irsay made sure the Colts weren’t caught off-guard again. Shortly after team officials confirmed the deal, the team posted a photo on Twitter of Reich signing a five-year deal at Irsay’s house.
WESTMINSTER DOG SHOW
NEW YORK (AP) – Flynn the bichon frise won best in show at the Westminster Kennel Club, a choice that seemed to surprise almost everyone in the crowd at Madison Square Garden.
Fans who had been loudly shouting for their favorites fell into stunned silence when judge Betty-Anne Stenmark announced her decision.
No matter, the white powder puff was picked and walked off as America’s top dog.
Guided by expert handler Bill McFadden, Flynn beat out Ty the giant schnauzer, Biggie the pug, Bean the Sussex spaniel, Lucy the borzoi, Slick the border collie and Winston the Norfolk terrier.
”It feels a little unreal,” McFadden said. ”I came in expecting nothing except hoping for a good performance, and I think I got it.”
Underdogs and upsets are way more than norm on the green carpet of the Garden – inside dog fanciers indeed fancied Flynn, but the people sitting in the stands were obviously pulling for other dogs.
Ty came into this competition as the nation’s No. 1 show dog last year and finished as the runner-up. He endeared himself to the crowd by jumping up and putting his front paws around handler Katie Bernardin after winning the working group earlier in the evening. Slick and Lucy also drew applause.
Nikita Kucherov reached a personal milestone and helped the Tampa Bay Lightning move closer to clinching the top spot in the Eastern Conference.Kucherov became the second player in the NHL to reach 100 points this season, and the Lightning took a two-point lead in the Atlantic Division by beating the Buffalo Sabres 7-5 Friday night.
Kucherov scored in the first period and got his 100th point assisting on Dan Girardi’s goal 1:04 into the second that gave Tampa Bay a 4-2 lead.
”It’s something special,” Kucherov said. ”I’ll definitely remember it the rest of my life.”
Edmonton’s Connor McDavid tops the league with 106 points. According to the NHL Cody Parkey Jersey , this is the first season since 2009-10 with multiple 100-point players.
The Lightning got two goals from Anthony Cirelli, while Yanni Gourde, Brayden Point and Victor Hedman also scored. Alex Killorn had three assists and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 27 shots.
Tampa Bay can wrap up the division title and the best record in the East with a win in its season finale Saturday night at Carolina, or a loss by second-place Boston in either of its final two games.
”Is there anything else that needs to be said?” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. ”Win a hockey game, win the division.”
The Lightning played their second consecutive game without center Steven Stamkos (lower-body injury), who is expected to be back for the playoffs.
Casey Mittelstadt and Alexander Nylander each got his first NHL goal for the last-place Sabres. The Elias Sports Bureau says it was first time two Buffalo players got their first goals in the same game since May 3, 1995, when Curtis Brown and Wayne Primeau accomplished the feat.
Jason Pominville, Jordan Nolan and Kyle Okposo also scored for Buffalo, and Chad Johnson had 27 saves.
”We made too many mistakes,” Mittelstadt said.
After Girardi scored, Buffalo got goals from Pominville, Nolan and Okposo, during a power play Dominique Easley Jersey , to go ahead 5-4 after the second period.
The Lightning rallied on third-period goals 47 seconds apart by Cirelli (6:15) and Point (7:02) in taking a 6-5 advantage. Hedman added an empty-netter.
”We didn’t play well in the second and came back in the third, and played the right way,” Kucherov said.
Sabres center Jack Eichel called the blown lead ”frustrating.”
”I thought, maybe, we got a little passive,” Eichel said.
The teams combined for five goals in the opening 9:40 of the game. Gourde, who put Tampa Bay up 3-2, set team records for goals (25) and points (64) by a rookie.
Cirelli and Kucherov also had first-period goals for the Lightning, while Mittelstadt, on the power play, and Nylander scored the Buffalo goals.
NOTES: Gourde’s goal was his first in 14 games. … This was the 22nd time in 81 games that Buffalo (16-1-5) led after two periods.
UP NEXT
Sabres: Close out the regular season Saturday night at Florida.
Lightning: Will look to extend their franchise-record breaking road win total to 26 against the Hurricanes.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander JerseyThe woman whose face was bloodied in a home invasion at a home owned by Buffalo Bills running back LeSean McCoy says her injuries are healing Johnny Unitas Jersey , though she is still having emotional difficulty dealing with what happened a month ago.
Delicia Cordon wrote, "mentally, is still a battle," in posting a message on her Instagram account on Friday.
Cordon is McCoy's ex-girlfriend, and wrote she will continue to fight for justice to be served, and added: "NO ONE deserves what my cousin and I endured."
Cordon was injured after being attacked by a man who entered the home in suburban Atlanta in the early hours of July 10. Her lawyer said Cordon sustained bruises and was struck in the face multiple times by a gun when the man attempted to take bracelets off her wrist.
Police in Milton, Georgia, have no update on their investigation.
McCoy has denied involvement in the home invasion, and says he had no direct contact with any of the people involved in months before the home invasion.
Court records show McCoy began eviction proceedings against Cordon on July 3, 2017.
Cordon has since moved out of the home Lamar Miller Jersey , though an eviction hearing is still scheduled for Tuesday.
Her attorney, Tanya Mitchell Graham, did not reply to a phone and email message seeking comment.
Justin Turner hit Los Angeles‘ seventh home run of the game, a go-ahead drive in the 11th inning that lifted the Dodgers over the New York Mets 8-7 on Sunday.Cody Bellinger and Kike Hernandez each homered twice as the Dodgers beat the Mets for the 12th straight time dating to 2016. Max Muncy and Joc Pederson also connected for Los Angeles. Hernandez and Muncy led off the game with back-to-back shots.
The Mets matched a team record for the most homers allowed in a game, and lost their sixth in a row overall.
Turner, a former Met, homered off Chris Flexen (0-1) with two outs to put the Dodgers up for good. Los Angeles had squandered a 7-4 lead in the eighth when Kevin Plawecki hit a tying three-run shot.
Daniel Hudson (2-2) picked up the victory with two scoreless innings.
INDIANS 12, TIGERS 2
CLEVELAND (AP) – Edwin Encarnacion hit an eighth-inning grand slam, helping the Indians to their season-high seventh straight win.
Francisco Lindor, Jose Ramirez and Jason Kipnis also connected for Cleveland LeGarrette Blount Jersey , which outscored Detroit 26-3 in the three-game sweep. Ramirez finished with three hits, extending his streak of reaching base to 31 consecutive games.
Adam Plutko (4-1) pitched six innings of two-run ball, becoming the second rookie starter to beat the Tigers in the series. Shane Bieber pitched seven innings in Friday night’s 12-0 win.
Tigers starter Matthew Boyd (4-6) allowed a season-high six runs in three-plus innings in his shortest outing of the season.
Detroit has lost five straight overall and is 3-10 against Cleveland this season.
RED SOX 5, MARINERS 0
BOSTON (AP) – Chris Sale struck out 13 over seven dazzling innings and Mitch Moreland hit a two-run homer, leading Boston to the victory.
Sale (7-4) gave up four hits and walked one. Joe Kelly and Matt Barnes each pitched an inning to complete the four-hitter.
Jackie Bradley Jr. had three singles and Rafael Devers added an RBI double for Boston, which struggled offensively in a 7-2 loss Saturday night after putting up 14 runs and 20 hits in the series opener.
The Mariners fell to 1-5 on their 10-game East Coast trip. Marco Gonzales (7-5) gave up five runs in six innings.
REDS 8, CUBS 6
CINCINNATI (AP) – Pitcher Michael Lorenzen and Jesse Winker connected for pinch-hit homers in Cincinnati’s seven-run seventh inning, sending the Reds to their seventh straight victory.
Lorenzen’s homer was the third of his career and second in two games by a Reds pitcher. Anthony DeSclafani hit a grand slam on Saturday – the first by a Reds pitcher since 1959.
Jackson Stephens (1-0) got the win as the Reds completed a four-game sweep of the Cubs for the first time in 25 years. Raisel Iglesias worked the ninth for his 13th save.
Anthony Rizzo and Albert Almora Jr. homered for Chicago, and Pedro Strop (3-1) got the loss.
RAYS 7, YANKEES 6 Jon Weeks Jersey , 12 INNINGS
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) – Rookie Jake Bauers led off the 12th inning with a home run, finishing off Tampa Bay’s three-game sweep.
The Yankees also lost catcher Gary Sanchez when he pulled up while running out a double-play grounder in the 10th. Manager Aaron Boone said Sanchez hurt his right groin/hip abductor and is probably headed for the disabled list.
Giancarlo Stanton homered while going 5 for 5 for New York. The Yankees had been the only team in the majors that hadn’t lost three in a row this year.
Bauers connected on the first pitch from Chasen Shreve (2-2). Ryan Yarbrough (7-3) pitched an inning for the win.
BRAVES 7, ORIOLES 3
ATLANTA (AP) – Freddie Freeman hit a two-run single in the first, pinch-hitter Dansby Swanson belted a two-run homer in the eighth and the Braves earned their first win over the Orioles in six years.
Baltimore won the first two games of the series and swept the last set between the teams in 2015. Atlanta ended a stretch of seven straight losses to the Orioles since 2012.
Mark Trumbo and Trey Mancini homered for Baltimore. David Hess (2-4) gave up five runs in four innings.
Braves right-hander Brandon McCarthy (6-3) yielded three runs in five innings.
DIAMONDBACKS 3, PIRATES 0
PITTSBURGH (AP) – Clay Buchholz pitched five solid innings before leaving with an injury, and the Diamondbacks completed a four-game sweep of the Pirates.
Buchholz (2-1) retired his first 11 batters before Starling Marte doubled down the right-field line with two out in the fourth inning. Despite throwing just 53 pitches, he was pulled after experiencing tightness in his left side.
The injury occurred on a swing in the fifth. Buchholz called the early exit ”more precautionary.”
David Peralta hit a two-run homer for Arizona, and John Ryan Murphy also went deep. Brad Boxberger worked the ninth for his 17th save.
Pirates right-hander Trevor Williams (6-5) allowed three runs in six innings.
CARDINALS 8, BREWERS 2
MILWAUKEE (AP) – Luke Weaver won for the first time in eight starts and Jose Martinez hit a three-run homer for St. Louis.
Weaver (4-6) allowed two runs Taylor Gabriel Jersey , both in the first, and five hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out a season-high nine in his first victory since May 11.
Martinez’s 11th homer capped a five-run fourth that made it 6-2 Cardinals.
Christian Yelich homered for the NL Central-leading Brewers. Jhoulys Chacin (6-3) allowed a season-high eight runs in 4 1/3 innings.
TWINS 2, RANGERS 0
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) – Jose Berrios struck out a career-best 12 in seven innings, and the Twins beat Bartolo Colon and the Rangers.
Eddie Rosario had two hits for Minnesota, which snapped a three-game losing
st Shai
Gilgeous-Alexander Jersey
Riml joined the ski squad in 2001 and became the women’s coach two years later Calvin Johnson Jersey , helping with the development of Julia Mancuso and Lindsey Vonn. He left in 2008 to join Team Canada before returning to the U.S. in 2011 as Alpine director.
U.S. ski and snowboard chief of sport Luke Bodensteiner credited Riml with leading ”some of the most successful teams in our history.”
At the Pyeongchang Olympics, Mikaela Shiffrin earned a gold and silver, while Vonn captured a bronze. Riml called the men’s performance in South Korea ”disappointing” and acknowledged the team had to rebuild before the Beijing Games in 2022.
After Jared Goff tipped back his hard hat and swung his arm a few times to get loose, he grabbed a football and tossed a high-arching spiral straight into the arms of an excited construction worker on an upper deck.The Los Angeles Rams' franchise quarterback has already completed his first few passes inside his team's palatial new stadium two years before it opens.
Although the multibillion-dollar new home of the Rams and Chargers is currently a dusty construction site with a whirlwind of activity, Goff and his teammates feel confident it will be well worth the wait after getting their first tour Thursday.
"Even flying over it, you can't truly understand how big it's going to be until you get down here and look at it Bob Lilly Jersey ," Goff said, gazing wide-eyed from the future playing field way up to the top reaches of the arena. "It's exciting. You hope the years go by fast."
Rams coach Sean McVay canceled the final practice of the defending NFC West champions' mandatory minicamp and loaded his players and assistants onto buses for a drive from Thousand Oaks to Inglewood.
In safety vests and personalized blue hard hats complete with Rams horns, they got an up-close look at the progress on owner Stan Kroenke's stadium project, now a steel-and-concrete shell rising out of a massive hole dug at ground level on the former site of the Hollywood Park racetrack.
This stadium project is widely thought to be the most complicated and most expensive in sports history, and the main 70,240-seat arena is on track to open in the summer of 2020. When the surrounding complex eventually opens its shops Sam Martin Jersey , office buildings and innumerable additional features, the Rams and Chargers will be working in a new Los Angeles-area landmark.
"It's amazing to see all the great work that they're putting in for us to come out here and hopefully have lots of success and wins in the years to come," said Ndamukong Suh, the Rams' new defensive tackle.
"Ultimate respect for all the hard work that's going in at this stage. I can imagine how much hard work and organization the GCs (general contractors) have to deal with. More power to them."
Suh was a construction management major at Nebraska, so he took a particular interest in the staggering number of workers and companies combining their efforts to complete the labyrinthine project in time for its two teams to play the 2020 season.
The stadium also will host Super Bowl LVI on Feb. 6, 2022 Tyrone Crawford Jersey , and college football's national championship playoff game in January 2023. The stadium intends to bid heavily for the next available Super Bowl as well, pursuing the game for 2026 or 2027.
Other events arriving in the next decade alone include expected matches for the 2026 World Cup and the opening ceremony at the 2028 Olympics. The stadium has a clear roof in sunny Southern California partly because of its intention to host a men's Final Four, which hasn't been held in California since 1975.
But the stadium's main tenants are Los Angeles' two NFL teams, and they can already sense a brewing home-field advantage in this remarkable setting.
The project's proximity to Los Angeles' main airport required extensive excavation to sink the playing field deep under normal ground level, already lending a momentous, larger-than-life feel to the stadium in its half-completed state.
"The roar is definitely going to be insane Josh Malone Jersey ," Suh said. "I look forward to it. We're 100 feet deep in the ground, so all the concrete, the steel and even the natural earth will keep everything boxed in."
Mitchell Robinson JerseyThe 55-year-old former quarterback is worried about his future even as he revealed some lurid elements of his past.
”There were behaviors that were just bizarre,” Rypien said in an article published Friday in The Spokesman-Review newspaper and also broadcast on KHQ-TV of Spokane.
His wife, Danielle, said she has also worried about Rypien’s future.
”I remember thinking, `Oh my God, he’s going to end up in a home,”’ Danielle said. ”I didn’t want him running around the street with a shopping cart.”
Rypien was a record-breaking high school quarterback in Spokane and then a star at nearby Washington State. He was drafted by the Washington Redskins in 1986 and played until 2002.
Since then, he appeared outwardly to live a comfortable life in Spokane.
But he said that was not the case.
”My story is impactful because people see me in a different light. I want them to see me in an accurate light,” Rypien said. ”I’ve been down the darkest path. I’ve made some horrible, horrible mistakes. But I’ve given myself a chance to progress forward.”
Rypien, who led the Redskins to victory in the 1992 Super Bowl over Buffalo and was picked as the MVP, said he played organized football for 26 years and figures he suffered several concussions.
”People think you have to be knocked out to have a concussion,” Rypien said. ”There are hundreds of times you shake it off and get back in there. It’s all about the cumulative hits. That’s what cause brain damage.”
Rypien said he suffers from depression, anxiety and isolation. Outwardly social George Iloka Jersey , ”I can’t wait to get home and be alone,” he said.
A decade ago, his impulsive behaviors began to escalate; aggressiveness and verbal outbursts increased.
One day, Rypien left a 20-minute audio suicide message at home for Danielle to find. But he took no action.
Sometime later, it went beyond a message. Rypien swallowed 150 Advils and washed them down with a bottle of wine.
”It was the thought that people aren’t going to miss me,” Rypien said. ”I was shameful and guilty of poor decisions, shameful and guilty of being depressed all the time. I didn’t want to be around anymore.”
Danielle found him and poured hydrogen peroxide and activated charcoal down his throat to get him to vomit up the pills.
Rypien said he also used to patronize massage parlors in Spokane that were shut down in a police sting back in 2012. His name didn’t appear with the hundreds of other men listed as customers that were published for one reason: He didn’t use a credit card to pay for the services.
”Yes, I was part of this,” Rypien acknowledged, offering no further details. ”Again, I made some absolutely crazy mistakes. Terrible decisions. Poor judgment.”
Rypien has soured on football.
”I wouldn’t put any of my kids or grandkids in a football jersey,” he said.
The Rypiens believe now they know what caused Mark’s uncontrolled behavior and have found tools, if not solutions. They weathered the kind of storm that often tears families apart. But Rypien is worried about the future.
”I might get worse,” Rypien said. ”I’ve got strategies to get me through the next day, the next year Randy White Jersey , 10 years. But I don’t know.”
—
Information from: The Spokesman-Review, The NBA offseason has arrived, which means nothing will happen for the next four months other than a draft, three summer leagues, free agency, the creation of a new schedule, coaching hires, trades, roster reworkings and possibly movement toward letting high school graduates jump directly into the league again.
It all adds up to very little downtime.
There is no shortage of questions about what will happen this summer – leading off, of course, with yet another decision to be made by LeBron James about his future and where he’ll play next season as he resumes his quest for more championships.
Here are some non-James topics heading into the offseason:
KAWHI LEONARD
The mystery of the 2017-18 NBA season is the mystery of the offseason as well. Leonard played in only nine games for the Spurs this season while dealing with a leg injury, the specifics of which are a closely guarded secret even by San Antonio’s notoriously tight-lipped standards. He could get a supermax deal, he could get traded, he might still be hurt. But the Spurs – and the league – need answers, because he can change a lot of directions in a hurry.
COACHES
The vacancies in Detroit and Toronto should be filled soon. The Pistons might be best-served to hire Dwane Casey Charles Haley Jersey , who led the Raptors to the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference this season. This is a crucial hire for the Raptors, since whoever will be calling the shots next season will have a team that should be good enough to contend for the East title.
THE DRAFT
Arizona center Deandre Ayton will likely go No. 1 to Phoenix, which makes sense on a lot of levels. The intrigue really starts there. Does Vlade Divac use the No. 2 overall pick and bring Luka Doncic, the young Slovenian who has been talked about as a can’t-miss NBA star for some time, to Sacramento? What does Atlanta do at No. 3? Inevitably, someone will move up on draft night and that probably means an established player (or players) will be on the move.
GAMBLING
The Supreme Court ruling already has bets on games being placed in Delaware, and more states will be following suit soon. Expect the NBA to continue pushing for 1 percent of the action, which the league says is needed in part to cover what will be its new costs as far as protecting the integrity of the game and the players. It’s also unclear if injury reports will have to be more specialized in a betting world. Wouldn’t bettors have liked knowing LeBron James had a badly injured – he says broken – hand in Games 2, 3 and 4 of the NBA Finals?
OFFICIATING
The NBA knows fans, players and coaches aren’t thrilled with the level of officiating in the league right now. This will absolutely be a big topic – maybe the primary topic – when the board of governors meet in Las Vegas next month. Also, there will be a challenge-flag-type item tinkered with during summer league games; it won’t be a red cloth like in the NFL, but the concept will be the same as the league studies whether something like that should be added.
THE LAKERS
Magic Johnson and Rob Pelinka should have about $62 million in cap space to go shopping with when free agency opens July 1 – including for James, meaning the Lakers could get transformed and become a playoff team again in a hurry. Expect them to use the No. 25 pick in the draft on a 3-point shooter, since no team can surround James with enough of those.
CHRIS PAUL AND PAUL GEORGE
Again, like so many other topics Lamar Miller Jersey , the futures of Chris Paul and Paul George will probably have some impact on whatever James decides to do this summer – or vice versa. Paul wants a max contract, and if his hamstring didn’t pop late in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals he and the Houston Rockets may very well have been in the NBA Finals. George seemed to be hinting that he could stay in Oklahoma City, but is a Los Angeles native. It seems likely that either, or both, would try to align with James – but how?
THE PELICANS
Yes, the Pelicans. West semifinalists this season, New Orleans needs to decide what it wants to do with DeMarcus Cousins and Rajon Rondo. The Pelicans have already given coach Alvin Gentry an extension , and keeping either Cousins or Rondo – or both – to play alongside Anthony Davis might make New Orleans a sleeper pick in the West next season. Question is, will Cousins be full-go coming off his Achilles injury.
THE HEAT
Dwyane Wade has been talking about retirement, and there’s been no indication yet if he’s anywhere near a decision. Miami is in a tough situation on the cash front – Hassan Whiteside, Tyler Johnson, Goran Dragic and James Johnson will make nearly $78 million themselves next season – and the Heat wants to find a way to keep Wayne Ellington. What will Wade do? And if he stays, how much can the Heat pay him? Or do they make big trades and add some star power?
THE KNICKS
Two questions for the Knicks to figure out: Will they allow David Fizdale the time he needs to build the team he wants? And what will they do with Kristaps Porzingis this season? Give Fizdale time, and he’ll win in New York. But rushing Porzingis back off ACL surgery could be a most unnecessary risk for a team that isn’t going to contend next season anyway.
—
Paysinger grew up in economically depressed South Los Angeles Michael Gallup Jersey , but he attended Beverly Hills High School, where he captained the football team in the wealthy enclave. The culture shock he experienced is the basis for "All American," debuting Oct. 10 on the CW.
"I definitely had a gang influence with friends and family growing up in South Central, and people might think that Beverly Hills definitely shielded me from some problems. But in actuality, it only opened up a whole new can of worms," Paysinger told a TV critics' meeting on Monday.
"Just dealing with kids with affluence, kids with drug problems and having their parents not be there for weeks on end because they're vacationing or they're doing big business. Just dealing with that contrast was probably the biggest thing that I had to go through."
Paysinger commuted daily to high school as part of a program that brought students from other areas to Beverly Hills, where he had two uncles and an aunt who coached and taught there.
Spencer eventually attended the University of Oregon and won a Super Bowl title with the New York Giants, one of four NFL teams he played for before achieving his goal of retiring from the league no later than age 30.
The series shoots in some of Paysinger's old haunts in South L.A. Preston Brown Jersey , like a local park and the barbershop he has patronized since he was a kid.
"South Central's been portrayed so many different ways in the media for however long," Paysinger said. "But with this show, I definitely want to implant that family aspect of the community."
Producers hired a consulting firm that designs all of the football plays in the show, and consulting producer Paysinger wants to make sure the action is authentic.
"I don't want friends, I don't want family texting, emailing me saying, 'That's not it. They couldn't have converted on that,' " he said.
Paysinger isn't the only one with pro sports ties involved in the show. One of the writers is Jon Alston, who played five years in the NFL Kasen Williams Jersey , and retired Major League Soccer player Robbie Rogers is a producer.
TAMPA, Fla. — The Washington Capitals beat the Tampa Bay Lightning at their own game to open the Eastern Conference final.
Now Tampa Bay has to find a way to rediscover itself in Sunday’s Game 2 to avoid falling into a hole that might be too deep to climb out of in the quest to return to the Stanley Cup Final for the second time in four seasons.
Washington, meanwhile, looked like a team in control despite participating in the Eastern Conference final for the first time in the Alex Ovechkin era. The Capitals set the tone in the opening game of the best-of-seven series, which they will look to continue Sunday while once again expecting to be withou center Nicklas Backstrom. He has missed the past two games and remains day to day with a hand injury.
“I just think it’s been a real good commitment, attention to detail,” Washington coach Barry Trotz said. “All of those things. Just a team-wide commitment. I think we’re playing the full 200 feet that you need to play at playoff time and you’re getting the goaltending you need and you’re getting the commitment and you’re getting the work ethic and you’re getting the discipline and detail.
“All of those things combined, you have a chance every night if you do that.”
The Capitals, who haven’t been to a conference final since winning the Eastern Conference title in 1998 Gary Zimmerman Jersey , held the Lightning to 10 shots on goal through the first two periods as they controlled the game while building a four-goal lead.
“I think we just realized we just have to play our way,” said Ovechkin, who had a goal and an assist in Friday’s 4-2 victory. “It doesn’t matter which position we are, which round it is and you can see the effort in the guys. Everybody was all in and everybody was paying the price. … We tried to create a moment on our side and not give them life.”
The Capitals took the Lightning out of the game by not allowing Tampa Bay to utilize its speed on the forecheck, an area the Lightning were oftentimes dominant in the first two rounds against New Jersey and Boston. Instead, Washington slowed down the Tampa Bay attack through the neutral zone and when pucks got in deep the Capitals quickly transitioned the play up the ice.
“They turned pucks up quick, put pucks behind us and dictated the way the game was going to be played,” Lightning forward Chris Kunitz said. “That’s something that we had success doing to other teams. We have to raise our elevation of what we can do out there. But give them a lot of credit, they took Game 1 to us and we have to be better if we are going to be in the series.”
Tampa Bay has been in this situation before as recently as the last series Rod Smith Jersey , when it dropped Game 1 at home to Boston before winning four consecutive games to capture the series in five games. And since Jon Cooper has served as Lightning coach, Tampa Bay has dropped the first game of a series seven times in 11 tries. The Lightning went on to win four of those series, only losing the 2014 opening round series to Montreal and the 2015 Stanley Cup Final to Chicago.
In addition, the Lightning have won five consecutive Game 2s when losing the opening game.
“There’s no situation that we probably haven’t been in in the last couple years,” Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos said. “This is one we’ve been in before, so we just need to play better. There’s really nothing that we’re going to throw at them that they’re going to be surprised about. We just have to play better and we’re looking forward to that challenge.”
Jalen Brunson JerseyTAMPA Jarius Wright Jersey , Fla. — There’s a recent familiarity between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Boston Bruins, who meet in the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs after playing each other twice in the final 12 games of the regular season.
“It’s like starting over again,” Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said of the series that begins Saturday at Amalie Arena. “There’s a little bit of the unknown. You have to develop a little of that hatred, or passion, whatever the word is against a similar opponent every night. I assume that will happen fast.”
The Lightning won the division title and have the top seed in the Eastern Conference after edging the Bruins by a point in the standings. The pivotal game was the fourth and final meeting, when the Lightning posted a key 4-0 victory in Tampa.
The matchup initially is about rust vs. rest — the Lightning got a full week off after eliminating the New Jersey Devils in five games, allowing them time off while the Bruins needed a full seven games to advance past the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“I think the guys are excited,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “You always say you want time off, and we’ve had six days. The guys want to get back into it. There’s a lot of ‘Let’s get this going.'”
Boston won the first three meetings in the regular season by a combined score of 10-4, so the Bruins can have confidence going into the matchup, regardless of seeding and home-ice advantage.
The Bruins are a well-rounded playoff team, ranking in the NHL’s top six in scoring, goals allowed, power play and penalty kill.
The Lightning are a tiny bit better in scoring, leading the league with 3.5 goals per game, and barely better on the power play, converting 23.9 percent of their opportunities.
Tampa Bay’s special teams were a strength in the series against New Jersey — their penalty kill, once a liability Ronald Leary Jersey , killed off 16 of 19 Devils power plays, and the Lightning went 5 of 9 on power plays in the first three games before an 0-of-10 drought in the final two, both Tampa Bay wins.
Nikita Kucherov set a Lightning record for points in a playoff series with five goals and five assists, but Boston’s David Pastrnak can trump that, getting five goals and eight assists in his series against Toronto. Steven Stamkos, quiet overall in scoring in the last series, was a team-best plus-4 when on the ice just the same.
Tampa Bay finished the regular season with momentum coming off the 4-0 win over Boston, which carried into the New Jersey series.
“In the end, our team had to pick up our play,” Cooper said. “I don’t know that we were at the same intensity level.”
Game 1 and 2 are Saturday and Monday in Tampa, with the next two games in Boston, before alternating the final three games if necessary.
Taking on the NFL and football's Super Bowl champs, President Donald Trump gave the boot to a White House ceremony for the Philadelphia Eagles on Tuesday and instead threw his own brief "Celebration of America" after it became clear most players weren't going to show up.Both sides traded hot accusations about who was to blame.
Trump tried to turn the fracas into a referendum on patriotism and tie it to the dispute over players who have taken a knee during the national anthem to protest racism and police brutality. However, Eagles players never knelt during the "Star-Spangled Banner," throughout the 2017 season and their march to the Super Bowl.
The White House accused Eagles team members of pulling a "political stunt" and abandoning their fans by backing out at the last minute. Indeed, few apparently were going to come, though some expressed disappointment that they'd been disinvited and complained Trump was unfairly painting them as anti-American.
Through it all, Trump appeared to revel in fanning the flames of a culture war that he believes revs up his political base.
Trump had long been leery of the Eagles' planned visit to the White House Keelan Cole Jersey , in part because the team's owner, Jeffrey Lurie, has been a Trump critic, and because several players have been vocal critics of the league's new policy that requires players to stand if they're on the field during the national anthem or else stay in the locker room.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the team notified the White House last Thursday that 81 people, including players, coaches, managers and others would be attending the Super Bowl celebration. But she said the team got back in touch late Friday and tried to reschedule, "citing the fact that many players would not be in attendance." The Eagles proposed a time when Trump would be overseas.
Eagles officials declined comment on the White House version of events, sticking with a simple earlier statement: "We are truly grateful for all of the support we have received and we are looking forward to continuing our preparations for the 2018 season."
No one connected with the team said the players' reluctance to attend had anything to do with the national anthem, as Trump tried to portray the situation. And comments by star players in the current pro basketball finals indicated it's not about football.
"I know no matter who wins this series, no one wants the invite anyway. So it won't be Golden State or Cleveland going," said LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers. There was no disagreement from Stephen Curry, who angered Trump last year when he said he wouldn't go to the White House after the Warriors' NBA triumph, leading the president to disinvite him and his team.
Trump, furious about the small number of Eagles who were coming, scrapped Tuesday's visit, believing a low turnout would reflect poorly upon him. He had told aides last year he was embarrassed when Tom Brady, star quarterback of that season's champion New England Patriots Andre Holmes Jersey , opted to skip a White House visit.
Instead, the president held what he dubbed a "patriotic celebration" that was short and spare. A military band and chorus delivered the Star-Spangled Banner and God Bless America, with brief Trump remarks sandwiched in between.
"We love our country, we respect our flag and we always proudly stand for the national anthem," Trump said.
The White House crowd of roughly 1,000, mostly dressed in business suits, was light on Pennsylvanians and heavy on administration and GOP Party officials. Several in attendance blamed the players, not the president, for torpedoing the Eagles event.
John Killion, a lifelong Eagles fan who now lives in Florida and traveled to Washington to see his team, said he was "devastated and infuriated" by a breakdown he blamed on the Eagles owners.
"I waited my whole life for the Eagles to win the Super Bowl and they were going to be congratulated at the White House. And I don't really care who you like or dislike, it shouldn't be about that," he said.
Bill Fey, a Republican state committeeman from southern New Jersey and an Eagles fan, called the decision "a black eye as far as I'm concerned with the NFL. I think that everyone should come to the White House. This is the peoples' house." Still, he said, "I think the Eagles did what they thought was necessary. I don't blame anyone."
Trump's own patriotic event was not without its controversy. Following the playing of the anthem Al Woods Jersey , a heckler shouted from the audience: "Stop hiding behind the armed services and the national anthem!" prompting boos. A Swedish reporter posted video of a man kneeling as the anthem was played.
In a statement Monday, Trump placed the blame on Eagles players he said "disagree with their President because he insists that they proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country."
Besides the fact that none of the Eagles had taken a knee during the anthem in 2017, defensive end Chris Long said the NFL anthem policy change and Trump's reaction to it were not even discussed by the players in meetings about making the visit.
Those deciding to stay away had various reasons beyond Trump's opposition to the protests, including more general feelings of hostility toward the president, one official said.
Eagles safety Malcolm Jenkins, who had planned to skip the ceremony "to avoid being used as any kind of pawn," said in a statement that at the White House a "decision was made to lie, and paint the picture that these players are anti-America, anti-flag and anti-military."
Trump has long railed against the protests that began in 2016 when San
Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick began silently kneeling on the
sidelines during the anthem to raise awareness around racism and, specifically,
the killing of black m Anfernee
Simons Jersey
MILWAUKEE — Lorenzo Cain is eligible to come off the disabled list Wednesday but won’t quite be ready to go when the Milwaukee Brewers wrap up their three-game series against the Minnesota Twins with a matinee at Miller Park.
Cain has been sidelined since June 24 with a strained left groin and had been making progress in his rehab but isn’t 100 percent yet and will need a little more time Ryan Griffin Jersey , manager Craig Cousnell said.
“He had a good day on the field, but there’s enough caution there that we have to get over the last hurdle,” Counsell said. “We’re not to 100 percent yet. We’re definitely going in a good direction.”
Christian Yelich has been out since the first inning of Sunday’s game thanks to a stiff back but he took batting practice for a third straight day Tuesday and came into the game as a ninth-inning defensive sub, leaving him on the verge of returning to the lineup — perhaps as early as Wednesday.
“He’s feeling pretty good,” Counsell said. “I’m very optimistic.”
With both Cain and Yelich out, and Jesus Aguilar punishing opposing pitchers while playing first base, Eric Thames has become a regular in Milwaukee’s outfield. Since returning from a 40-day stint on the disabled list June 12, Thames has made five starts at first and 10 in the outfield. He’s appeared in 18 games overall since returning, batting .226 with four home runs and 11 RBIs during that stretch but has been red-hot over the last week with three home runs over his last six games.
“I’m just trying to have quality at-bats and trying not to hit 30 home runs in the first week to try and catch back up with everybody else,” said Thames, who’s third on the team with 12 home runs this season. “I’m just trying to have good at-bats Brian Allen Jersey , get on base, take my walks, trying not to swing at everything that comes over the plate like I did in Cincinnati. I’m just trying to take a quality at-bat and help the team win.”
Thames’ two-run homer was the difference in Milwaukee’s victory Tuesday and gave the Brewers at least one home run in each of their last nine games.
Jose Berrios will try to stop that streak Wednesday as he leads the Twins in their efforts to avoid a sweep. The right-hander served up two home runs his last time out as he was dinged for six runs on six hits and four walks over just 4 1/3 innings by the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
“I don’t know if it’s the hottest game I’ve thrown, but coming from 80 degrees to almost 100, I felt it out there,” Berrios said through an interpreter. “I wanted to keep competing for my team. … I kind of felt like I lost stamina out there because it was so hot. It just was what it was.
“I tried to execute my pitches. I struck out (two). I kept trying to battle. It wasn’t my day today.”
It was Berrios’ worst outing of the season and snapped what had been an impressive stretch for the young right-hander. He’d gone 5-1 with a 2.05 ERA in his eight previous starts, striking out 69 with just 11 walks in 57 innings of work.
“Jose was just a little off,” manager Paul Molitor said. “Command of fastball, a couple breaking balls that he got hurt on. … Glanced up there now and then. (His velocity) was maybe down a mile or two from what you would expect.”
Wednesday will mark his first career appearance against the Brewers, who counter with right-hander Chase Anderson.
Anderson allowed just a run over six innings in his last outing, Friday at Cincinnati Troy Hill Jersey , and is 3-3 with a 4.40 ERA in eight starts since returning from the disabled list on May 20.
He’s faced Minnesota just once in his career and took the loss after allowing five runs (four earned) on 11 hits over five innings back on April 18, 2016.
The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t take an inside linebacker in the NFL draft.That doesn’t mean they didn’t want one.
It simply means when it came time to pick, they looked at their internal draft board, they looked at the players available in a position where there – at least on the surface – appears to be a serious depth issue and decided they didn’t want to take any unnecessary risks.
”We’re not going to reach,” general manager Kevin Colbert said.
So the perennial AFC power didn’t. Whenever the Steelers found themselves on the clock, coach Mike Tomlin would urge Colbert to ”respect the board.”
Translation: pick the players we think are the best, not necessarily the ones that check off a box just to do it.
The result? Seven selections that focused on versatility not availability.
First-round pick Terrell Edmunds did a little bit of everything in the defensive backfield for Virginia Tech. Tomlin believes wide receiver James Washington – taken in the second round – can line up anywhere on the field.
Third-round pick Chukwuma Okorafor is considered a swing tackle who could thrive under Hall of Fame line coach Mike Munchak.
Safety Marcus Allen was a proven sure tackler during his time at Penn State. Fullback Jaylen Samuels could be a tailback, a fullback, a tight end or even a slot receiver depending on what’s required. Seventh-round pick Joshua Frazier was part of the defensive line rotation at Alabama who could press for a roster spot.
”We believe these guys can not only help us in the future but they’re capable of helping us this year if they earn it,” Tomlin said. ”These guys will be given an opportunity to carve out roles for themselves this year and if they do and it’s significant, great.”
HEIR APPARENT? Colbert pointed out the Steelers aren’t old at any position other than perhaps quarterback. Ben Roethlisberger turned 36 last month but has been telling teammates he could play several more seasons.
That’s fine by the Steelers. It also Gary Zimmerman Jersey , however, didn’t stop them trading up to make sure they landed Oklahoma State star Mason Rudolph in the third round, just 16 picks after they drafted Washington, his college teammate.
”We valued (Rudolph) as much as the rest of the quarterbacks that were drafted (in the first round),” Colbert said.
A sentiment that could be telling about Pittsburgh’s intentions with the 6-foot-5, 235-pound Rudolph, the first quarterback drafted before the fourth round by Pittsburgh since the Steelers took Roethlisberger 11th overall 14 years ago.
The five quarterbacks taken in the first round are all projected as future starters. Read between the lines and the Steelers perhaps feel the same about Rudolph.
IMMEDIATE IMPACT: Washington, who won the Biletnikoff Award as the top receiver in the FBS last season, reminded Tomlin of JuJu Smith-Schuster, whom the Steelers took in the second round last season. All Smith-Schuster did was lead all rookies in touchdown receptions in 2017 with seven while also developing a reputation as a big-time blocker.
”He’s probably not the fastest but he’s as good a deep receiver that played college football this year,” Colbert said of Washington. ”We think James can play outside and we think he can play inside and he may even have a chance to work as a return guy.”
SAFETY DANCE: The previous time the Steelers took a safety in the first round Star Lotulelei Jersey , they used the 16th overall pick in 2003 to draft Troy Polamalu. It’s heady territory for Edmunds, though Pittsburgh didn’t hesitate in part because of the many different roles Edmunds filled in for Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Bud Foster’s scheme with the Hokies. Free safety. Strong safety. Linebacker. Edmunds can do a little bit of everything.
Allen wasn’t required to do quite as much with the Nittany Lions but both safeties head to the NFL with solid reputations as guys who can wrap up and not let go, a valuable commodity these days.
”To be able to add some guys that not only play the safety position but are physical tacklers … I think it’s been a good weekend for us from that perspective,” Tomlin said.
WHAT’S INSIDE: Ryan Shazier created the indelible moment of the draft when he walked to the podium in Texas to announce Pittsburgh’s first-round pick, his first public steps since injuring his spine in a game against Cincinnati in December. The Pro Bowler has already been ruled out for the 2018 season. Still, Pittsburgh didn’t use the draft to search for Shazier’s possible replacement.
Maybe that’s because they already like what they have in Jon Bostic, who signed as a free agent in March. Bostic started 14 games for Indianapolis in 2017 and given his productivity and former seventh-round pick Tyler Matakevich’s potential, they didn’t feel a sense of urgency to find a marquee name.
STILL NEED: Regardless of Colbert’s spin, inside linebacker remains a bit of a question mark. The Steelers have bodies but not much proven talent beyond Bostic and Vince Williams. Running back is still a bit of a question mark considering Le’Veon Bell’s uncertain future. He could be gone after next season if the team can’t sign him to a long-term deal and Stevan Ridley and James Conner are the two options behind him on the depth chart.
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Hurst took part in Michigan's pro day Friday after being held out of drills at the combine a few weeks ago. He was cleared for pro day Eric Dickerson Jersey , and he indicated he also had to deal with this issue back when he was a freshman. He said he was tested and cleared then as well.
He did not go into details about his exact diagnosis, but he said he was a bit surprised he was held out at the combine.
"I think it was just the fact that I had not had any testing done recently," Hurst said. "A lot of times the combine will play it safe."
Hurst underwent more testing since then. He said he was confident he'd be able to play again.
Hurst had 5 1/2 sacks last season for the Wolverines and was a first-team All-American. He is considered a top prospect at defensive tackle for this year's draft. His father played for the New England Patriots as a cornerback for seven seasons.
Michigan said Hurst ran a 40-yard dash in 4.91 seconds , and Hurst says he doesn't expect teams to think differently about him after his health issues these last few weeks.
"I think they're viewing me exactly the same as before," he said. "If you're cleared, you're cleared."
鈥?Roger Goodell has signed a five-year contract extension to remain commissioner of the NFL through 2024.A memo from the NFL’s compensation committee to team owners and obtained Wednesday by The Associated Press confirms that Goodell and committee chairman Arthur Blank Josh Sitton Jersey , owner of the Atlanta Falcons, have signed the extension.That extension has been a source of controversy because Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones objected to the process.All 32 owners approved in May the compensation committee’s power to negotiate and sign a deal with Goodell, who replaced Paul Tagliabue in 2006.Since then, the league’s total revenues have more than doubled to $14 billion.A person familiar with the contract told The Associated Press it is worth almost $200 million, with a base of $40 million. But the deal is incentive-laden, the person added Samson Ebukam Jersey , speaking on condition of anonymity because the contract numbers are not made public.Among those incentives are continued increases in revenues, stable or rising television ratings, a new labor agreement with the players 鈥?the NFL-NFL Players Association deal expires in 2021 鈥?and how much the NFL gets in rights fees when it renews its broadcast contracts.Goodell earned nearly $32 million in 2015, the last year in which public records for the NFL are available.“Our committee unanimously supports the contract and believes that it is fully consistent with ‘market’ compensation and the financial and other parameters outlined to the owners at our May 2017 meeting, as well as in the best interests of ownership,” Blank wrote in the memo.“We also have expressed in those conversations our strong and unanimous belief that we should proceed to sign the agreement now Damarious Randall Jersey , consistent with the unanimous May resolution and to avoid further controversy surrounding this issue.? We are pleased to report that there is a nearly unanimous consensus among the ownership in favor of signing the contract extension now.”That would not include Jones, whose objections surfaced publicly after his star running back, Ezekiel Elliott, ran out of legal options to appeal a six-game suspension handed down by Goodell under the NFL’s personal conduct penalty.Jones was not immediately available for comment.The NFL’s next owners meeting is in Dallas next Wednesday. Jones had hoped to delay the new deal with Goodell until then, when he could personally raise his concerns to other owners.Also on the compensation committee are owners Clark Hunt of Kansas City, Robert Kraft of New England Jay Prosch Jersey , John Mara of the New York Giants, Bob McNair of Houston and Art Rooney of Pittsburgh. Authentic Womens Cody Latimer JerseyBut what Green Bay also got by selecting Louisville's Jaire Alexander at No. 18 overall on Thursday night is a skilled defender and kick returner.
"We think he's versatile Adam Shaheen Jersey ," Packers director of scouting Jon-Eric Sullivan said. "He can run 鈥?he's a 4.3 guy. He's got really good twitch, lateral agility. So, we do think he can play inside. He's very instinctive."
In his first draft as Packers general manager, Brian Gutekunst had been eyeing Alexanders since the fall.
"He was one of those targets early on that we liked quite a bit," Gutekunst said. "All of our scouts that went into Louisville this year liked him quite a bit."
Injuries have ravaged the Green Bay cornerback position in recent years. The Packers dealt Damarious Randall to the Browns earlier in the offseason in a trade that brought backup quarterback DeShone Kizer to Green Bay. That left last year's second-round pick, Kevin King, as the Packers' top cornerback following an injury-shortened rookie year.
Veteran Tramon Williams returned as a free agent to the Packers, who also brought back Davon House. But a defense can never have too many cornerbacks in the pass-happy NFL.
The Packers feel Alexander can play in the slot and on the outside in new coordinator Mike Pettine's defense.
"I pretty much can play wherever," Alexander said.
The Packers are hoping Alexander is the playmaker they desperately need after another subpar year on defense. Alexander had a team-leading five interceptions as a sophomore in 2016. He only played in six games last season, starting five, after sustaining a knee injury. But the injury didn't scare off the Packers.
"We felt good about the whole situation," Sullivan said. "We feel good about the guy Randy Gregory Jersey , we feel good about his durability overall. He did miss time this year, but we thought given the process through the spring and watched his workout in Indianapolis, and the guy was back to 100 percent."
Alexander was healthy at the NFL combine and turned some heads, running blazing 4.38 seconds in the 40-yard dash. At only 5-foot-11, Alexander has to use his speed to his advantage to beat bigger wide receivers.
"I definitely use speed a lot," Alexander said. "Being faster than the receiver is only half the battle, so definitely rely on my speed and technique."
Alexander's speed along with his other exception intangibles were key in the Packers taking the 21-year-old.
"He's very physical, very aggressive," Gutekunst said. "When you have a corner that lacks great height like that sometimes you start to (think), is he a nickel? Can he play inside? Can he play outside? I think all of our staff, not only our personnel staff but also our coach staff, felt really good about him playing inside and outside. He's a dynamic Greg Mancz Jersey , explosive athlete."
As a kick returner, Alexander had 20 returns for 210 yards and a touchdown as a sophomore. He'll compete with Trevor Davis for the Packers' starting return position.
Green Bay entered Thursday night with the No. 14 pick, but Gutekunst acquired the Saints' first-round pick (No. 27), a fifth-round pick (No. 147) and the team's first-round selection in 2019. Then the Packers moved up to No. 18 and also received the No. 248 pick in the seventh round and gave Seattle the No. 27 pick, a third-rounder (No. 76) and a sixth-rounder (No. 186).
Gutekunst noted that Alexander "was in consideration" for the Packers to select him at No. 14, but when the Saints called with a trade offer, it was too good to pass up.
"We got to 14, we had a number of players that we felt were similar value and that's what one of the decisions to moving back," Gutekunst said.
Green Bay has 11 picks remaining in the final two days of the draft. It will have just one on Friday, No. 45. The Packers' brass will be busy on Saturday: fourth round selections Nos. 101 and 133; fifth round Nos. 138, 147, 172 and 174; sixth round No. 207; and seventh round Nos. 232 Kerryon Johnson Jersey , 239 and 248.
Former NFL quarterback Oliver Luck is leaving his high-ranking position at the NCAA to become commissioner of the XFL, the second edition of professional wrestling mogul Vince McMahon's football league.McMahon announced the hire Tuesday, four months after unveiling plans to relaunch the XFL, which folded in 2001 after its only season. The new XFL is scheduled to begin in 2020. Luck will start his new job July 1.
He said the XFL presents an opportunity to reimagine football, from how it is played to how it is delivered and consumed by fans.
"Opportunities like this come along very infrequently," Luck told AP in a phone interview. "You've got Vince, who is a visionary. A well-capitalized effort. A guy who has passion for the game, but realizes that there are others who have lived and breathed the game for decades who he was able to bring on board.
"An incredibly fascinating time in terms of technology that exists to engage fans. All of those combined led me to believe the key ingredients to a successful launch are there to deliver great football, which I think was one of the failings of the original league."
Luck said McMahon assured him the XFL will be a more serious endeavor than the first time around, when the league tried to use some of the WWE's sexed-up, tough-talking antics to spice up second-rate football.
"Vince and others have really looked clear-eyed at the original XFL and acknowledged there wasn't enough focus put on the game itself," Luck said.
Luck D'Onta Foreman Jersey , the father of Colts quarterback Andrew Luck, played four seasons for the Houston Oilers after being drafted in the second round out of West Virginia in 1982. He graduated from University of Texas law school in 1987.
Luck went on to a successful career in sports management in the professional and college ranks. He joined the NCAA in 2014 as executive vice president of regulatory affairs and strategic partnerships.
Luck has served as president of the now defunct NFL Europe and was general manager for two of the league's teams in Germany. He was later president and general manager of the Houston Dynamo, leading the franchise to two MLS Cup titles. Before joining the NCAA, he spent four years as athletic director of West Virginia, orchestrating the school's move to the Big 12.
"Oliver and I share the same vision and passion for reimagining the game of football," McMahon said in a statement. "His experience as both an athlete and executive will ensure the long-term success of the XFL."
At the NCAA, Luck oversaw all NCAA enforcement, academic and membership affairs and athlete eligibility.
"Oliver Luck has been a key member of my leadership team and he has done a superb job at the NCAA over the last three years," NCAA President Mark Emmert said in a statement. "His vision and insight have been invaluable to our schools and the national office. Oliver's values and leadership skills helped keep the Association focused on supporting student-athletes."
The XFL plans to have eight league-owned teams, 40-man rosters and a 10-week regular season during the NFL's offseason. Host cities and stadiums are now being sought by the league through requests for proposals.
Follow Ralph D. Russo at Twitter/ralphDrussoAP Womens M.J. Stewart JerseyThe third-year running back for the Seattle Seahawks has been plagued by injuries throughout his first two years in the NFL. From serious ailments like a fractured scapula, broken wrist bone and high-ankle sprains to more minor ones like groin, hamstring and hip strains Jason Witten Jersey , Prosise has been sidelined constantly.
With Chris Carson back from injury himself and Seattle using their first-round pick on San Diego State back Rashaad Penny, there is an urgency for Prosise to be able to stay healthy and contribute regularly this season.
Prosise spent the offseason trying to get physically ready to make the most of what could be a final opportunity with Seattle.
”I feel like I’m in the best shape of my life,” Prosise said. ”I feel like I can do anything on the field. I feel 100 percent and ready to go so I’m excited for this camp. We play a physical game and injuries happen and you can’t avoid it. This offseason was geared around getting my body prepared to take the punishment that my body needs to take and so my body is in that position to do that now. So I’m ready to play.”
Prosise buckled down with a personal trainer this offseason and was focused on putting himself in a position to withstand the types of injuries that had hampered him his first two seasons.
”That was a big change I made,” Prosise said. ”Before this I didn’t put as much work as I should have been putting in. Now Menelik Watson Jersey , I’ve kind of figured out my regimen. And also just getting on the field every day and working with drills, specific running back drills and stuff. For the most part hitting the weight room really hard and getting my body toned up and ready for the season is really what’s helped the most.”
Prosise has played in just 11 games in his two years in Seattle. But the limited action was still enough to show the type of player he can be when he’s in peak form. As a rookie in his first career start, he gained 153 yards from scrimmage in a victory over a New England Patriots team that would go on to the win the Super Bowl. His ability to perform both as a runner and as a receiver out of the backfield caused fits for the Patriots defense.
A week later, Prosise broke free for a 72-yard touchdown run against the Philadelphia Eagles. Then Prosise was sidelined when he broke his shoulder blade late in the first half and missed the rest of the season.
A pair of high-ankle sprains held him to just five games played a year ago as well.
Maybe it’s the same tease he’s provided in his first two camps with Seattle but Prosise is again drawing praise in the early stages of training camp.
”I’m so fired up for him Carlos Henderson Jersey ,” head coach Pete Carroll said. ”He’s always been such a terrific potential guy and he has just not been able to stay healthy. He’s leaner and stronger. He just is more fit, which screams at how hard he worked and how important this is to him. Couldn’t send a better message.”
The old adage that your greatest ability is your availability couldn’t be more apt when it comes to Prosise. All of his potential will go unrealized if he’s not available on Sundays due to injuries. But as Seattle tries to right a rushing attack that managed just one rushing touchdown from the running back position all last season, having an athlete like Prosise at its disposal would be welcome.
NOTES: LB Joshua Perry, who announced his retirement from the NFL earlier this week due to concussions Josh Sitton Jersey , told NBC’s ”Today Show” on Thursday that he believes the NFL is doing enough when it comes to concussions. ”I think the hardest part.is the research is a little bit fuzzy. I think that we do a great job in terms of the protocol that the NFL has. Coaches aren’t pressuring players to get back, I think players feel their own type of pressure to be there for their teammates.” Perry had a long post on social media earlier this week announcing he was stepping away after suffering a sixth concussion in the opening days of training camp. Perry was a fourth-round pick of the Chargers in 2016. He signed with Seattle in June.
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