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2016 NBA Rumors: Jeff Teague on the Move?

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Basketball jersey on sale
01 Apr

The 2015-16 NBA trade deadline is drawing closer, which means we can expect to hear a lot more about guys potentially being on the move. One big name that has popped up recently in NBA trade rumors is Atlanta Hawks star point guard, Jeff Teague. Whether it’s been inconsistency, rest or injury, Teague has seen his minutes and production drop this season and that reportedly has him on the trading block.

The Hawks aren’t stopping at Teague, either, as they don’t appear to be content with how their point guard situation has unfolded and could also be looking to deal Dennis Schroder. It could be an “either/or” situation, but the odd man out due to age and his decline for the moment seems to be Teague. While Teague hasn’t exactly worked out as expected this year, he has been good for quite a while and still looked the part of an NBA starting point guard earlier this season. Numerous teams could use an upgrade at the position and could come calling for Teague’s services. Let’s take a look at the most likely landing spots if Teague in fact gets dealt:

Milwaukee Bucks

Jason Kidd has run through some point guards in Milwaukee and although Michael Carter-Williams has been better lately, it’s rather likely he’s still not done moving pieces around. MCW can pass and rebound, but he’s not the best defender and he’s a flat out abysmal shooter. Teague would be a much more balanced option and it’s plausible to imagine a player for player swap.

Utah Jazz

Utah continues to roll with Trey Burke off the bench as a pure scorer, which tells us they don’t really envision him as a franchise point guard. The drafting of Dante Exum told us that last year, but he’s since torn his ACL. If the Jazz want to make a playoff push this year, they’d be trying to do it with Raul Neto starting and Burke as a pure scorer off the bench. Giving up on Burke may be in order and instead they could roll with Teague. Teague would give them a balanced starter that can play both ways and also would allow Exum the time he needs to come back at the right pace next season.

New York Knicks

Jerian Grant could still be the future but the one key thing the Knicks have lacked all year is a suitable, top shelf point guard who can shoot, pass and defend. Grant has shown flashes but overall has been too inconsistent and the aging Jose Calderon can’t defend or create much. Calderon can stroke it from deep, but he’s got to be on his way out. Unless the Knicks are sold on Grant taking over the team soon or have their eyes on another trade candidate, perhaps they should consider luring Jeff Teague to the Big Apple.

Brooklyn Nets

Brooklyn let Deron Williams walk for nothing this past summer and then settled on a very average Jarrett Jack at the point. Jack was fine enough as the starter, but he recently tore his ACL and isn’t a lock to be ready for the start of next season. At the moment Donald Sloan and Shane Larkin are all the Nets have and it’s pretty likely that’s all they want as they try to lose games en route to a high draft pick in the 2016 NBA Draft. If they want to try to win this year, though, they probably will want to swing a trade for a better point guard. Teague would give them the big name they lack and could help make their entire roster a little more cohesive.

Houston Rockets

Houston is the only other team in the league that isn’t sure what they want to do at the point and trading for what figures to be an upgrade could be an option. They have two different yet in their own way suitable options in Ty Lawson and Patrick Beverley. Lawson can’t defend and that’s largely all Bev can do. Teague can both score and defend and if Houston sees it right, he could be the answer to their on the surface issues. They’re the least likely of the five, but they deserve mentioning.

Think Teague gets traded to one of these five teams or stays put? Tell us in the comments below!

Posted in NBA

2016 NFL Super Bowl: Which Quarterback’s Story Would Be Best?

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Football Best Quarterback story
01 Apr

We finally get to find out which teams will play in Super Bowl 50 on Sunday, as the New England Patriots square off with the Denver Broncos and the Arizona Cardinals take on the Carolina Panthers. Just as interesting as the teams moving on will be the potential for each quarterback’s legacy to be strengthened over the next two weeks. Even though just four NFL passers remain, they all have taken different paths to get to this point and winning this year’s Super Bowl would mean different things for all four.

The big question, then, is which story would be best when the dust settles, and for which quarterback would winning it all mean more for?

Riding Off into the Sunset

Peyton Manning looked done in week one of this season and he really only regressed from there. Whether it was the new offensive system, old age or injuries, he just never looked right. He returned in week 17 to help the Broncos claim the AFC West and the AFC’s #1 overall seed for the playoffs, though, and last wee did just enough to squeak past the Pittsburgh Steelers. As much as it seems he’s on his way out, there is still the chance he musters enough to push his Broncos to another Super Bowl. Once there, he could again play the game manager role and lean on an elite defense to possibly secure his second championship. If he were able to do that, he could probably come to grips with his career being over and exit the NFL as a champion.

Number Five

While a story of mild redemption and going out on top is definitely interesting, so is one of utter dominance. Tom Brady carries the Patriots into an AFC title game for the 10th time and has a chance to reach the Super Bowl for a remarkable seventh time. A win would give him five Super Bowl rings, likely putting him above all other legendary quarterbacks as the most successful post-season passer ever. Five Super Bowl titles would be a first for any quarterback, and even with all of the arguable asterisks around New England wins, few could deny Brady’s place in history. It all depends on what side of the fence you reside, however. Many see the Patriots as football’s Yankees, so New England winning yet again could just be annoying to most of the NFL and it’s fans.

One Glorious Run

Carson Palmer is definitely not know for his playoff success, as he’s only been to the playoffs a couple of times and just last week earned his first ever playoff game. It would be quite impressive for him to put the Cardinals on his back en route to a Super Bowl title for two reasons: it’d be the franchise’s first Lombardi Trophy and he’s never come close to achieving this much success in a season. For a guy who has been around as long as he has, it’d be quite the ending to what has been a pretty magical run ever since the Cardinals traded for him back in 2014.

Carrying Carolina

From one glorious run to another, Cam Newton is the youngest passer in this bunch by far and he has a totally different perspective here. He’s the only dual threat passer, he’s to this point had very nominal playoff and regular season success and he’s even viewed as a little cocky and arrogant. It could also be perceived as a new breed of quarterback, one that wears his emotions (and confidence) on his sleeve and simply plays the game like he’s lucky to be on the field. It’d be all the more impressive when you consider the manner in which Newton and co. have won a lot of their games – in the clutch and without elite weapons in the passing game. In fact, many left Carolina for dead when #1 wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin went down with a torn ACL this summer. Instead of caving, Newton responded by putting the Panthers on his back and starting the season off at 14-0. Carolina can’t go 19-0, but Newton could put an exclamation point on his young career by bringing Carolina their first ever championship in pro football.

This writer tends to side with the Palmer story-line. This is a guy who has not enjoyed much success in terms of winning, yet has experienced a total career revival under head coach Bruce Arians in Arizona. Brady and Manning, in at least some regard, always can be expected to be here. Newton, as Carolina’s franchise quarterback and a former #1 overall pick, also was expected to one day get the Panthers far in the playoffs. Palmer was a #1 pick with high expectations, too, but he looked to have flamed out years ago due to injury and is now on his third NFL team. A story of long travel, braving failures and true redemption – plus a successful return from a torn ACL a year ago – take the cake for me.

Have a different view? Tell us which quarterback story you like best in the comments below!

Posted in NFL

2015-16 NBA All Star Starters Revealed

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Kobe Bryant NBA All Stars
01 Apr

The 2015-16 NBA All-Star game can officially start it’s countdown, as news has broken about the starters for this year’s mid-season NBA event. We already got our toes dipping into the All-Star talk about a month ago with the release of the custom basketball uniforms for the All-Star game, but now we really can start putting the puzzle together with the big names officially named to the Eastern Conference and Western Conference starting lineups.

It’s always a weird time during the NBA season, as there seem to always be an over the hill veteran or two that don’t really deserve the nod but get it based on respect or popularity. You have your “duh” picks like LeBron James that make total sense and can’t be disputed, and then you also have a few guys slide in that maybe don’t make much sense. On top of it all, no matter what, you also have your All-Star snubs.

As we gear up for another fun All-Star break, let’s take a look at both starting fives and assess which All-Star starters were spot on, which weren’t very deserving and which players stuck on the outside looking in got burned:

Western Conference Starting 5: Stephen Curry (PG), Russell Westbrook (PG), Kobe Bryant (SG), Kevin Durant (SF) and Kawhi Leonard (SF)

The starting lineups are always weird, as they’re based on voting and don’t necessarily factor in how a lineup should be put together for a game. One glance as these five stars and you notice a total lack of size, with zero power forwards or centers voted in right away. Zaza Pachulia (seriously?) and Draymond Green both narrowly missed being name as starters, but will at least certainly make the team in the end, as they rounded out the top five forward spots in terms of voting.

Green most certainly got hosed here a bit, while Bryant did not at all deserve a starting nod. You can’t even use the logic of needing a shooting guard in the starting five, either, as the other spots are occupied by two small forwards and two point guards. Chris Paul, Klay Thompson and James Harden would have been deserving and round out the voting for the other Western Conference guards, but ultimately were not voted in as starters.

Eastern Conference Starting 5: Kyle Lowry (PG), Dwyane Wade (SG), LeBron James (SF), Paul George (SF) and Carmelo Anthony (SF)

Again, if we’re talking about an actual starting five, this voting makes no sense, as there are three small forwards and not a single true power forward or center. James, Melo and George all can and have played the four spot, but none are capable centers and ideally all three man the three spot. That being said, all three are extremely deserving of being voted in as All-Star game starters.

Lowry and Wade definitely have had good season for very different reasons, but Wade and even Lowry getting the nod over one Jimmy Butler is a mild surprise. John Wall and DeMare DeRozan have also enjoyed terrific 2015-16 runs, but didn’t make the initial cut. All of these guys will still be named to the actual All-Star team and can play if they so choose, but the minor snubs are clear to see.

You could say the same down low for the Eastern Conference, as well, with Pau Gasol and Andre Drummond having huge seasons and not getting the starter nod.

Voting Issue

That brings up the dilemma: do you vote simply the best five players in, or do you fill positional slots? There is already abuse in the voting when guys like Bryant and Wade get voted in over other players that are clearly more deserving. If that is going to happen regardless, perhaps a good way to off-set that is to really have players fill precise positions, rather than just have the top vote-getters overall get in. After all, there isn’t a true, defined center slot for the All-Star voting, yet Gasol and Drummond would have had a tight race for the right to be the starting center in the Eastern Conference.

When you look at how close Gasol was behind Melo (not even 1,000 fewer votes), yet Melo was actually close to 500k below the leading small forward vote-getter (King James), it’s quite clear of the two who is actually more deserving of an All-Star starting spot.

That is obviously open for debate, but the All-Star voting process still feels a bit flawed. That won’t take anything away from the excitement of the mid-season break, however, and truth be told, it sure will be nice to see The Black Mamba enjoy one final ride as a starter in this year’s All-Star weekend.

Do you agree with the voters this year? Tell us in the comments below!

Posted in NBA

2016 MLB Trade Rumors: Ryan Braun, Brett Garner and More

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MLB Baseball Trade Rumors
01 Apr

The 2016 MLB season is still a few months away, but things have heated up quite a bit with a flurry of free agency moves. One team oddly hasn’t been very active: the New York Yankees. One big reason could be because the Yanks have some tricks up their sleeves of the trade variety. If New York has waited this long to pull the trigger on potential deals, other teams could be doing the same.

Let’s take a second to look at some teams that could soon be making some noise in the trade field and what players could be on the move:

Brett Gardner, OF, New York Yankees

With depth in the outfield and tons of hitting to spare, the Yanks could end up shopping outfielder Brett Gardner. Gardner is a great utility player and numerous teams could step up and pounce on him, but Nick Cafardo of the The Boston Globe suggests it could be the L.A. Angels that end up offering young pitcher Andrew Heaney for the extra bat. The Angels really struggled for consistent offense outside of Mike Trout and Albert Pujols last year and landing someone like Garner could up their averages and give them an extra bat. Heaney would be especially attractive to New York, too, as they’d get a young pitcher on the rise to help round out a decent pitching rotation that could need just one more ace to take their game to the next level.

Ryan Braun, OF, Milwaukee Brewers

The Brewers aren’t winning with Braun, so it may be time for both sides to part. Rumors of such a possibility broke out after the season ended, with the Brewers reportedly admitting they’d freely part with the bloated star. Braun can still bring power to the table and is a competent fielder, but is over 30 and no longer is the reason Brewers win games. Milwaukee was a big seller near the trade deadline last year and with another losing season surely on the horizon in 2016, they could opt to dump Braun to the highest bidder.

C.J. Wilson, SP, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim

You can toss the aforementioned Heaney and veteran Jered Weaver in the mix, here, too. The point is the Angels aren’t getting what they want out of their would-be loading pitching staff and they certainly are lacking on the offensive side. It’s time for the Angels to finish the building job they started and actually field a strong supporting cast around superstar Mike Trout. That doesn’t mean they have to get rid of all of their best pitchers – nor should they – but Wilson and Weaver have failed to live up to expectations and could potentially bring back some hitting upgrades.

Padres Pitchers

Andrew Cashner, James Shields and Tyson Ross are all in danger if the Padres slip early again in 2016. The odd part is all three are quite good and could easily pull it together to form a very stable rotation this year, but San Diego could use another bat or two to form a more consistent offense. Ross re-upped with the team and may be the one guy of the three that San Diego actually wants to keep, but Shields is exiting his prime (or is already out) and Cashner is already 29. It will be interesting to see what San Diego ends up doing, but as recently as December they were still sending out feelers for both Cashner and Shields.

Jay Bruce, OF, Cincinnati Reds

Remember when the Reds started blowing things up last year by trading stud power hitter Todd Frazier to the Chicago White Sox? Yeah, they’re not even close to done. The Reds have only gotten older a year later and with the team finally actually committed to a full rebuild, it’s only a matter of time until they start unloading their other star veterans. Bruce is definitely high on the list of guys to hit the exit, as he’s nearing 30 years of age and has seen his play drop off in the past couple of years. He still can hit the long ball, though, and could be very useful to the right team. Cincy, meanwhile, would probably just want some young prospects in return. Joey Votto is a bigger name that could end up being mixed up in Reds trade rumors, too, but the 32-year old masher has yet to waive his no-trade clause.

As the 2016 MLB season draws closer we’re sure to hear more about potential trades before the season, but for now these may be the top names/teams to keep an eye on. Got another juicy trade rumor we need to hear about? Tell us in the comments below!

Posted in MLB

2016 NBA Trade Rumors: 5 Teams That Could be Looking to Deal

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2016 NBA Trade Rumors
01 Apr

The 2015-16 NBA season has been a very interesting one, but through it all, it looks like the NBA Finals could come down to about four teams: OKC, San Antonio, Golden State and Cleveland. Naturally, with no real threats in the Eastern Conference at the moment, a few teams could still pull into the running if they can swing a huge trade. The same goes for the Western Conference, where there are still a few teams ranking right below that top three that could see a spike if they land the right trade.

To gauge which teams could be looking to make the biggest move, let’s break down the top 5 teams that could be looking to make a big trade:

Chicago Bulls

Chicago is right behind the Cavs in the Central Division and when it’s all said and done they should end the year as a top-4 team in the Eastern Conference. Their main issue has been injuries, though, with center Joakim Noah (shoulder) being their latest casualty. He’s done for the year and while his absence clears up room for the Bulls jammed front court, it also saps them of some depth and defensive intensity. Chicago could end up trading one of their left over bigs in an effort to kill two birds with one stone – acquire some shooting and free up minutes for rookie big man Bobby Portis. Unloading Taj Gibson for a shooter could be the answer.

Toronto Raptors

The Raptors have done a terrific job staying atop the Atlantic Division and at 27-15 look like a top four team in an improved Eastern Conference. They have some very good pieces and once DeMarre Carroll gets healthy might have the balance to be a real threat in the playoffs. Their only real issue has been power forward, as they never replaced Amir Johnson, who left for Boston as a free agent. Markieff Morris could be the answer, as he’s been wanting out of Phoenix for a while now. Whether or not the Raptors could send the Suns a fitting package to get him, of course, is open for debate.

Houston Rockets

The Rockets were two wins away from reaching the NBA Finals last year, so it’s quite a shock that they have basically the same team and are just 22-22 this year. There is a lot of chatter about possibly blowing things up a bit, with James Harden potentially being the only true “untouchable” in Rockets trade rumors. Dwight Howard is in a walk year and could absolutely be on the move, while guys like Terrence Jones, Ty Lawson and others have been involved in trade rumor talk. Houston reportedly likes Markieff Morris and Ryan Anderson and could try to send a package for one of them to get a suitable stretch four.

New Orleans Pelicans

New Orleans is a nasty 14-27 thanks to a huge rash of injuries to start the year, but they still have one of the game’s bright young stars in Anthony Davis and don’t want to give up on what is probably a lost season. They’re getting healthier as we speak but did just lose starting shooting guard Eric Gordon for 4-6 weeks. That could be the nail in the coffin, but there is talk that the Pellies will simply go out and seek more shooting elsewhere. There has also been a ton of talk about possibly trading away Ryan Anderson, who is a free agent after next season. Center Omer Asik is also available as the Pelicans may try to reconstruct on the fly.

Orlando Magic

Orlando is an interesting case, as they got off to a really nice start and for a second there looked like they might fend off the Hawks and Heat for the Southeast Division title. That didn’t last long, though, and now they’re 20-20 and might not even make the playoffs. If they really want to make a push, they have two options: make a trade to land a star that can push them to the next level or stick with their young core and hope they figure it out. For the future, the latter may be the right move, but rumors suggest the Magic could be players a the trade deadline nears.

Think these teams will pounce on a move or think all five will stand pat? Tell us in the comments below!

Posted in NBA

Timberwolves Latest NBA Team to Bust Out Throwback Uniforms

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Timberwolves Throwback Uniform
01 Apr

Who ever said reflecting on the past was for the weak? The NBA is known for two things: killer swag and being the king of retro. Okay, so they’re known for dunks, sick dimes and more cool things than we care to admit, but let’s be honest, this is an odd sport culture that is built on accessorizing and the weirdest blend of appreciating the old and the new that anyone will ever see. It’s the only sport where the current stars are tops, yet the old school elite players are truly never forgotten.

One big way that’s accomplished is when NBA franchise’s bust out various types of custom basketball uniforms. The best way to do so? When teams promote throwback nights where they have players and fans go back in time via retro uni’s.

The Minnesota Timberwolves were the latest pro basketball squad to take that dive through the jersey time machine, and it naturally ended beautifully.

Well, not entirely. Minnesota still got crushed by a far better Oklahoma City Thunder squad, but they had the perfect blend for “future” and “vintage” just by rostering young stars like Andrew Wiggins and Karl-Anthony Towns, while also having a seasoned vet (and former top pick from back in the day) Kevin Garnett around.

It’s the perfect mash-up and it was made even better by Minny’s sweet throwback jerseys. If only more NBA teams would join the fun and either don alternate jerseys more often or even take the extra dive by going back and paying tribute to the old school look.

It doesn’t happen every day, every week or even every month, but we love it whenever we can catch it. Do you like Minnesota’s new/old digs? Got a team you hope takes a trip down memory lane soon? Let us know in the comments below!

Posted in NBA

2016 NFL Playoffs: Conference Title Game Preview

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2016 NFL Playoff Preview
01 Apr

The Divisional Round of the 2016 NFL playoffs is officially in the books, and though the route to the eventual winners wasn’t quite what we expected, the end result pretty much was. When all was said and done the top four seeds that started off these playoffs on a bye were victorious, and all four will clash next week for the right to go to this year’s Super Bowl.

Pondering who will be in or will the Super Bowl is a discussion for another day, but right now it’s all about these final four teams, the #1 seed versus the #2 seed and who may come out on top. In the NFC you have the grizzled Carson Palmer going up against the rising Cam Newton, while in the AFC we get one last duel between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning. Let’s take a closer look at both matchups to get a good idea as to who may move on to participate in Super Bowl 50:

Arizona Cardinals @ Carolina Panthers

This will be the first meeting this year between the top two teams in the NFC. It’s somewhat interesting considering both teams faced each of the teams they just dispatched in the Divisional Round of the playoffs. Carolina ended the year with the far better record (15-), but Arizona was in the running for the #1 overall seed going into the final week of the year and still finished a very strong 13-3.

Judging off of this past week, the Cardinals could have a mild issue with quarterback Carson Palmer, who has a finger ailment that may have contributed to some missed throws and more specifically, two interceptions. He and the Arizona offense weren’t quite themselves at home against the Green Bay Packers, and needed overtime to pull off the win they were already favored to get. Coming into Carolina in a similarly sluggish fashion probably wouldn’t end as well.

Carolina, meanwhile, avoided coming out flat in a big way against Seattle in the Divisional Round, as their offense and defense were firing on all cylinders en route to a sick 31-0 lead at the break. The Panthers could have to worry about their ability to finish, however, as they allowed the Seahawks to creep back to within a touchdown in a narrow 31-24 win.

The Panthers have the home field edge, had the better record on the year and were a little more impressive in their only game in the playoffs. They should start out next weekend as the favorite’s and could very well hold on. This game is as close to a toss-up as it gets, though, so we should be in for a very interesting (and possibly even high-scoring) NFC title game.

Pick: Panthers 30, Cardinals 27

New England Patriots @ Denver Broncos

Another showdown between Tom Brady and Peyton Manning looms, although few will confuse this coming weekend’s AFC title meeting with past matchups. The main reason why is because Manning has regressed significantly and is no longer the reason for his team’s success. Denver has gotten this far largely due to an elite defense and an improving rushing attack, while Manning did the bare minimum in aiding the Broncos past a very banged up Steelers team in the Divisional Round. In other words, Denver isn’t a bad team, but it’s debatable whether or not they deserve to be where they are right now.

The same can’t be said for the Pats, who convincingly took down an extremely hot Chiefs team at home this past weekend. Tom Brady immediately re-established top notch chemistry with star receivers Julian Edelman and Rob Gronkowski, helping New England to storm out to a 27-13 lead and hold on for the win late. New England exhibited a defense plenty capable of stopping the opposition, while a healthy Patriots offense looked as elite as ever.

Denver got the best of the Pats in a regular season meeting that developed into an overtime thriller earlier this year, but on paper New England still feels like the better team. It could come down to elite offense vs. defense in some experts’ minds, but the real issue is Peyton Manning’s inefficiency and the likelihood of his poor play to hold Denver back enough to allow the Pats to take control of the game. That should still allow for a very tight contest, but the upper hand looks to be in New England’s favor.

Pick: Patriots 20, Broncos 17

At first glance, it feels like this year’s Super Bowl will be a pairing of the Patriots and Panthers, which even ends up being a rematch of a Super Bowl from year’s past. The key difference? Carolina would again be vying for their first ever NFL title, while the Pats would be looking to secure their second straight and fifth overall.

Think these title games go a different way? Tell us in the comments below!

Posted in NFL

3 Drills Every Little League Baseball Team Should Do

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3 Drills Every Little League Baseball Team Should Do
01 Apr

There’s nothing better than a helpful tip if you’re a new coach just getting started with your little league baseball team. Remembering to get everyone’s contact info and the team’s custom baseball uniforms in on time probably takes the cake when you first get going, but once the first practice arrives mission #1 is always going to be figuring out how you can better your squad.

For the real “go getter” coach, that means hunting down a bunch of little league baseball drills that are either fun, helpful or both. Some drills can be a waste of time and it’s good to knock them out early so you know not to go back to them later on, but others you can stick in your back pocket to use over and over. We’ve picked up a few little league baseball drills that are always good for honing the basic fundamentals and can continue to help players improve:

Base Running – Down Angle Drill

This drill is all about mastering base running, angles and timing. It also is run in a way that it maximizes time in practice so every player can get an appropriate amount of reps in. You start out with your team split up into three groups – one at first base, one at second and one at third. Have a pitcher (probably a coach) at the mound, tossing a versatile set of balls (strikes, dirt balls, etc) to a catcher and have each base runner take their turn, and depending on what the ball is, they can practice on when/how they should depart the specific base, whether they need to stay put and/or check back before running. This drill obviously is great from just a beginning perspective, as it teaches the fundamentals of base running and how to react to various pitchers and how the ball is hit. As you become more advanced, this can greatly help your team’s offense and put added pressure on opposing defenses, as your squad will gain a mental edge with improved knowledge on what to do with several types of pitches.

Batting Practice – Hitting the Fastball

No matter how advanced a hitter gets, they always can use work on identifying, reacting and actually connecting on fastball pitchers. Usually the younger your team is, the less intense the pitching is in all regards, but the biggest thing separating a good pitcher and a good offense is the speed of the pitcher. Power hitters are few and far between at the lower levels, but there are always some tough arms you’ll run into that can throw it hard and fast, but won’t necessarily work the plate. That puts a bigger emphasis early on to get used to some speed on the ball and as the players grow and improve, they’ll be more and more used to fast pitcher and will be able to focus on other flaws at the plate.

One of the big things people overlook is how you actually hold the bat. Just like with a basketball shot, if a hitter has bat position and stance that works, you really don’t want to mess with it too much. However, especially when starting out, it’s more than okay to incorporate some of the basic fundamentals. For grip, always be sure to not hold the bat too tightly or all the way in the palm of your hands. There is always the fear that without a tight grip the bat could go flying, but holding it more on the finger tips makes it easier to swing more fluidly and puts less pressure on your shoulders. The next issue is the actual stance, as you simply want to roll with the traditional “feet out just past your shoulders”. This doesn’t always have to be precise but it should be comfortable and the hitter should be balanced. That way no matter what the pitch is, you’ll always be completely ready to swing freely.

The other huge aspect when taking on the fastball is establishing contact correctly. Anyone can swing and hope they hit the ball, but aiming underneath the ball usually leads to a flat out miss or a bad pop up that results in an easy out. It’s best to hit near the top of the ball, giving you the best chance to establish contact and actually put the ball in play. The more defined your stance and the more fluid your swing, the better the chance of adding proper placement and distance to the contact.

Pitching Practice – The Bullseye Drill

This is all about accuracy and placement, and the two can work together to help your pitchers work on their stance, release motion and fluidity. That should go without saying, but no matter what they set up and delivery is, this will help improve their game and overall accuracy. The basic concept is to create a “bullseye” or obvious target for the pitcher to go after and increasingly make it smaller and smaller. You can keep track of the success by scoring the pitcher at each level and also test placement by moving the bullseye to different areas. The idea here is not just to get good at putting the ball in one spot, but to really challenge pitcher’s placement and accuracy consistency.

There are countless drills for every facet of little league baseball, but these three are key drills that can definitely help you improve three of the most important aspects of the game. Have your own little league baseball drills to share? Tell us about them in the comments below!

2016 NFL Playoffs: Divisional Round Predictions

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2016 NFL Playoffs: Divisional Round Predictions
01 Apr

The first round of the 2016 NFL playoffs did not disappoint, as two of the first four games lived up to expectations as heated defensive battles, and only one game was a true blowout. We can probably still expect a couple of games to boast elite defense in round two, but we also could get a little more explosiveness on offense overall than we saw a week ago.

Round two should be even more interesting, especially considering the Wild Card round made history with each road team winning for the first time ever. In the second round it may be tough to replicate that feat, as round two sports the top two teams in each conference. That would mean the Patriots, Broncos, Panthers and Cardinals all lose right away, and that’s simply not very likely. One or could could still fall, though, and that will make for must-see television.

To get a better idea of what to expect this weekend, let’s take a look at all four games and pick a winner:

Kansas City Chiefs @ New England Patriots

Kansas City’s insane 10-game winning streak to end the regular season lives on this week, as they march into Foxboro and try to take down the Pats. The Super Bowl champs will enter as the favorites with Julian Edelman returning to bolster a once prolific passing game, but we can’t ignore KC’s elite pass rush and strong overall defense. Their impact on that side of the ball very likely makes this a gritty game and mere execution could be the difference in the end. The Pats are the defending champs and are at home, however, so I’ll give them the slightest of edges in a game I think will be a lot closer than many would think.

Pick: Patriots 23, Chiefs 20

Pittsburgh Steelers @ Denver Broncos

Big Ben and Antonio Brown destroyed a good Broncos defense in Denver just three weeks ago, but doing that twice seems rather unlikely. It’s even harder when Brown might not even play (concussion) and Ben Roethlisberger could be limited (shoulder) even if he suits up, as well. The Steelers lucked into a win last week and they’ll need a lot more than a lucky break or two to upset the Broncos on the road. Peyton Manning’s return could revitalize the Broncos, as well, while his matchup with a shaky Steelers secondary bodes well for Denver’s offensive prospects.

Pick: Broncos 27, Steelers 20

Green Bay Packers @ Arizona Cardinals

Green Bay got completely rocked last time they were in Arizona, but just like two of the other games in this week’s playoff picture, the Cardinals will be tasked with beating a team they faced earlier this year. Not only is that difficult to do, but Green Bay looked much more like themselves last week and it’s tough to see them getting smoked in a second meeting with Arizona. Everything went the Cards’ way in that first game and with the Packers more confident, I don’t think this one is the blowout everyone is expecting. Arizona is still at home and this is a matchup that works in their favor from top to bottom, however, so I still like the Cardinals to advance.

Pick: Cardinals 31, Packers 23

Seattle Seahawks @ Carolina Panthers

A week ago no home teams won, but I expect almost the opposite in round two, with three of the four home teams prevailing in fairly tight contests. This rematch between the Seahawks and Panthers will also be close, but this feels like the one game where the home team is most likely to come up short. Carolina looks like a legit Super Bowl contender at 15-1, but they sure do have flaws and they actually needed late-game heroics to top the Seahawks earlier this year. In fact, if you go back and look at their schedule, the Panthers got lucky numerous times during their run at perfection, and very easy could have finished closer to 10-6.

Carolina is still a very good team and will be playing host this weekend, but you need to factor in Seattle’s playoff experience, the fact that Russell Wilson just wasn’t himself last week and that Seattle still may have the best defense in the entire league. The Seahawks are seemingly always a team of destiny, too, as the Vikings had a 9-0 lead wiped out in one quarter and then couldn’t even convert a 27-yard field goal to steal the win. Until the Seahawks are knocked out, I probably won’t be picking against them. They’re just that good at winning games they shouldn’t.

Overall, this is set up to be a very crazy second round and even though I have three of four home teams winning, these games absolutely could go either way. At this point, the Packers feel like the least likely Super Bowl contender in this bunch, but if they play like they did a week ago, they are a very real threat. That makes all eight of these teams legit contenders, making this arguably one of the most wide open playoff fields in quite some time.

Think the second round unfolds a little differently? Tell us in the comments below!

Posted in NFL

Top Tips For Catchers in Little League Baseball

Posted on by Admin
Top Tips For Catchers in Little League Baseball
01 Apr

Little league baseball normally doesn’t look or feel like a dangerous sport, but there are actually a lot of ways kids can get nicked up in the sport, despite it being of the non-contact variety. The two most positions that lead to injury the most can be pitcher and catcher, as pitchers focus most of their movement on a restricted wind up and then often hurl a ball as hard and fast as they can. That leads to elbow, hand, arm and shoulder issues for a variety of reasons. The same is the case for catchers, but constantly being in a kneeling position can put added pressure on the feet, ankles, hips and of course the knees.

We’ve touched on pitching a bit already, but the catcher position is often ignored when talking about precautions and how to deal with it. Let’s go over a few tips so if your kid ends up playing the position you know how to deal with it from day one:

Get Comfortable

In every sense of the word, you want the person playing catcher to be as comfortable as possible. It starts with the equipment and baseball uniform you’re wearing and ends with your actual stance behind home plate. You should have full range of motion, should be able to see clearly through the mask, have the functionality to get up easily and obviously throw the ball across the infield when necessary. Make sure you’re not restricted by equipment and then once in your stance, be sure to be in a position that is both required to perform the catcher position and also comfortable enough so you’re not putting unnecessary pressure on your legs or back. Beyond that, you’ll also want to have the ability to get in and out of this position fluidly and borderline effortlessly. This isn’t always perfected right away, and how you ease into it can be very different depending on the player.

Practice Makes Perfect

Like anything else, the way you set into your position, how quickly you change out of your gear, what you actual stance is, etc all takes practice. You should ease into the position by practicing everything that goes along with being a catcher on the field by yourself, long before you ever engage in any kind of scrimmage or actual game. Just like you threw hundreds or even thousands of baseballs before you got on the team, you want to feel good about your new position before testing it out in live action. That’s always going to be where you make your biggest improvements in the long run, but you still want to enter that first game play scenario in a comfortable spot. Regardless, working on any minor flaws in regards to what goes into being a catcher is what practice is for, so be sure to hone your strengths but always make some time to try to improve something you struggle with. That could be fielding a pop up, running down a base runner and the list goes on.

Fielding

While practice does make perfect, you first need to nail down the fundamentals across the board. One of the first things you’re going to want to perfect is playing the ball in a number of ways, as you will have wild pitches that require you to explode out of your stance, you will have fast balls that seem impossible to catch and you will have grounders coming at or in between your knees. It’s crucial to know the exact way to respond to these balls, because as you practice the right way, you will be fine tuning your muscle memory. Once the live game comes, those specific situations will be responded to by the catcher with the correct movements and you will have a higher success rate as you proceed.

Plate Work

A step away from fielding would be anything that a catcher needs to know or do when at the plate. When base runners come barreling down the line from third base, you need to be zoned in and ready to catch an incoming ball and get them out. Sometimes that can mean physical contact if they try to steamroll you to hit home plate. Practicing a good form to establish a wall and hold your ground is very key in order to not be overtaken at the plate. In addition, knowing where to be for said scenario and various other infield plays is crucial, as the catcher is the protector of home base and needs to make sure they know exactly what is going on and are where they need to be.

One last thing the coach and parents can do is be rather selective with their catcher(s). It takes a special player to excel at catcher, even though some at first glance may see it as an easy position. It is anything but, as you need constant focus in order to protect the plate and make plays with your arm. The catcher position can take a toll on the lower body and can also get into run-ins with base runners, so a stronger kid with a strong lower body that can perfect the stance and also can field the ball would be a good choice to man the position.

For coaches, another good tip is to rotate catches when you can. Just like with pitchers and how you want to protect them from themselves due to wearing the arm out, it can be very much the same with catchers. Catchers can tire down too, and to maximize their ability to defend at a high level, using multiple catchers can be quite beneficial.

Got some helpful catcher tips of your own? Let us hear them in the comments below!