The Sporting News back issues from March 2006:
COMING AT YOU
Mar 03, 2006; ... In the March 10 issue Who Wants to be a Millionaire? Edgerrin James does. So does Jamal Lewis. They're two of the most coveted players available as the NFL free-agent market opens for business. We'll break down the free-agent frenzy for you game show style, from the best bargains ...
TO KNOW LIST
Mar 03, 2006; ... 8 things to make you an INSTANT EXPERT this week THE MAIN EVENT 1 It's a No Fun League off the filed Unless the NFL and the players association shake hands soon, free agents might be more like semi-free agents. Of course, they also could be on hold free ...
BLOG ON
Mar 03, 2006; ... From your blogs on sportingnews.com RE: THE WRONG GUY Posted by Elongated Man So how would you like to be Josh McCown? You've done nothing but chuck the ball as far as possible as accurately as possible for this hapless Arizona franchise, always with the carrot of the ...
MY TURN
Mar 03, 2006; ... 111 percent When the 'dumb stuff' takes on new meaning You can have the bling. I'm more impressed by these guys. Ice Cube wore a platinum pendant reading "Ice Cube," you know, in case you weren't sure. Fat Joe, too, strolled in, accessorized by a diamond chain that was ...
From topsy-turvy to okey-dokey
Mar 03, 2006; ... NBA A hotshot rookie and fired-up fans in Oklahoma City have turned last season's doormat into the NBA's biggest surprise By Andrew Gilman In a corner of the Hornets locker room, assistant coach Jim Cleamons is diagramming the night's game plan. X's here. O's there. The only one ...
TSN's POWER POLL
Mar 03, 2006; ... 1. Jimmie Johnson Winning without its crew chief shows how potent the 48 team is. 2. Tony Stewart The comeback kid shows he'll make a strong run at repeating. 3. Casey Hears Ganassi driver proves he's ready for a leadership role. 4. Ryan Newman Sailed to his best Daytona ...
BASEBALL: speed reads
Mar 03, 2006; ... The Indians took an offseason hit by losing starting pitchers Kevin Millwood and Scott Elarton and reliever Bob Howry. But at least the team didn't compound the problem by handing out excessive contracts. Three of Cleveland's new pitchers are guaranteed just more than $20 million, and only Paul ...
One of a kind
Mar 03, 2006; ... In the five years since DALE EARN HARDTs fatal crash at Daytona, the only constants in NASCAR have been change-and the void created by the loss of The Intimidator February 18,2001, figured to be NASCAR's coming-out party. It had taken more than five decades, the trip from the ...
BASEBALL: INSIDE DISH
Mar 03, 2006; ... A team can qualify for consecutive World Series, but an umpire can't; the umpires' collective bargaining agreement prohibits an ump from working in back-to-back World Series or back-to-back series in a single postseason. "I'd like to get that changed," commissioner Bud Selig says. John ...
BASEBALL: BLOG ALERT
Mar 03, 2006; ... 'In theory, intensity in March is good. I still wish the WBC were after the season, not before, but baseball doesn't seek ...
N.L. REPORT
Mar 03, 2006; ... DODGERS closer Eric Gagne says he's on schedule to be ready for opening day. He showed no lingering effects from his June 2005 elbow surgery during a bullpen session last week. ... The GIANTS' closer, RHP Armando Benitez. came to camp 20 pounds lighter, and his surgically repaired hamstrings are ...
NBA: speed reads
Mar 03, 2006; ... Sebastian Telfair officially enrolled in the Blazers Brotherhood when he was caught hiding a loaded gun on the team plane. He claimed he grabbed his girlfriend's Louis Vuitton handbag, which contained the gun, and mistook it for his own, ...
NBA: BLOG ALERT
Mar 03, 2006; ... 'Poor Drew Gooden. Everywhere he goes, he is unwanted.' Think ...
Q&A: Kings forward RON ARTEST
Mar 03, 2006; ... TSN: After not playing for well over a month, you played three games in five days immediately after being traded. What was the toughest part about that? ARTEST: It was a different type of scenario, getting in game shape and cardio-ready. But other than that, it was kind of ...
In this sport, points-not money-talk
Mar 03, 2006; ... INSIDER When it comes to cheaters-park 'em if you got 'em. Stock car racing sprang from moonshiners who souped up their cars to outrun the revenuers. So we shouldn't be surprised that NASCAR's first strictly stock race on June 19,1949, included the first disqualification. After ...
NASCAR: speed reads
Mar 03, 2006; ... Despite assurances that Penske drivers Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman were finally going to get along, the two don't seem to be talking. Expect the freeze to continue when Busch gets the organization's first win of the season. Tommy Baldwin is the perfect crew chief for Elliott ...
BOB HILLE'S STARTING 5
Mar 03, 2006; ... 1 Spring training. Florida is great ... unless you're stuck behind senior citizens at a restaurant. Believe me, you do not want to hear the hostess say, "Yankees rotation, party of four." 2 UK NFL Combine. The mental testing is rigorous in lndy. Sample question for ...
How can these drivers make the Chase?
Mar 03, 2006; ... NASCAR DRIVER REPORTS Lee Spencer analyzes five drivers who failed to make the 2005 Chase. The driver reports will appear next in the April 7 issue. Casey Mears It's a new season and a new opportunity for Mears, 27, who has moved from Chip Ganassi Racing's No. 41 to its ...
YOUR TURN
Mar 03, 2006; ... You rant, we listen. Send e-mails to yourturn@sportingnews.com. 'Does anyone else think Andrei Kirilenko resembles Rocky's archenemy Ivan Drago? -Taylor Smith, Eagle Grove, Iowa * Ben Roethlisberger is the new Tom Brady (TSN, February 17)? Puh-leeze! He was 9-for-21 for ...
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Tyler Hansbrough, F, North Carolina
Mar 03, 2006; ... Hansbrough will be named national Freshman of the Year any day now, but no week of that year has been as glorious as the most recent. Hansbrough averaged 32.5 points in beating ...
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: INSIDE DISH
Mar 03, 2006; ... When Mike Davls determined it was time to resign as Indiana coach before the Hoosiers' game against Connecticut on February 4, he hoped to announce it before Indiana's visit to Wisconsin four days later, thus removing the save-his-job pressure on the players and allowing them the chance to ...
A 2½-minute golf guide
Mar 03, 2006; ... Well, lookee here-our Sundays have been freed up just in time for the 2006 season ... which, uh, started two months ago By Reid Spencer The Big Five, the Big Three or the Very Big One? Despite spells of inconsistent play, Tiger Woods is in position to reassert his dominance. Knee ...
At linebacker, the draft-day hits keep on coming
Mar 03, 2006; ... INSIDER After a long dry spell, it's raining 'backers. Used to be taking linebackers high in the draft was frowned upon, like walking around the mall with your boxers showing. Times, you may have noticed, are changing. The thinking in the past was you didn't need to ...
NFL: BLOG ALERT
Mar 03, 2006; ... 'I can't believe West Texas A&M hired Ryan Leaf as quarterbacks coach. I wouldn't hire Leaf to coach my kids' fire-bellied toads in a toad ...
INSIDE THE AFC
Mar 03, 2006; ... BRONCOS WR Darius Watts gets out of breaks quickly and has good speed but hasn't shown adequate dedication. The team used fewer three-receiver sets last season because it lacked the appropriate personnel, but new coordinator Mike Helmerdlnger likely will use that grouping more ifWatts-ora ...
FOCUS: YOUTH MOVEMENT
Mar 03, 2006; ... The Jets need Jerricho Cotchery to produce as the No. 3 receiver. He doesn't have great size (6-0,207) and lacks separation speed, but he jumps well, adjusts nicely to the ball in the air and gains yards after the catch. This could be a make-or-break season for him. ... With veteran Cory ...
DAYTONA DISH
Mar 03, 2006; ... The restrictor-plate monkey is off Ryan Newman's back after a career-high third-place finish in the 500. Newman led 23 laps and maintained a top 10 presence for 120 laps. Newman worked with his Penske teammate, Kurt Busch, on the track despite rumors the two weren't speaking throughout ...
Drama kings
Mar 03, 2006; ... JIMMIE JOHNSON'S triumph in the Daytona 500 was just one of the many gripping story lines in NASCAR's season opener By Matt Crossman NASCAR has a long history of cheaters. Racers looking for an edge have built bigger engines, doctored tires and conspired to find even the slightest bit of ...
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: BLOG ALERT
Mar 03, 2006; ... 'I have a better idea: Dump instant replay.' Tom Dienhart thinks replay has no place in college ...
SQUEEZE PLAY
Mar 03, 2006; ... What's the biggest mistake you can make as you prepare for your draft? Other than considering any Cubs starting pitcher a must-own, it is putting too much weight on a specific category. Whether yours is a 5x5 or points league, the big booby traps are wins and homers. Why shouldn't you ...
FANTASY SOURCE: BLOG ALERT
Mar 03, 2006; ... 'As you wrestle with credit card bills and a mound of tax forms ... consider the hell Alfonso Soriano has had to endure recently.' Chris Bahr tells you why Soriano should take his $10 million a year ...
It's too early to judge the Juice Era stars
Mar 03, 2006; ... INSIDER Sammy Sosa's legacy once seemed so clear. No more. Much as it might disappoint a society that craves instant analysis, it's too early to determine Sammy Sosa's legacy. His 17-year career cannot be wrapped up in a tidy blog, column or sound bite. We need more ...
DINNER with D'Brickashaw
Mar 03, 2006; ... NFL Find out why Virginia's D'Brickashaw Ferguson is the draft's top O-line prospect-and much more-by joining his table of four It would be some kind of dinner party. Malcolm X. Dave Chappelle. Evelyn McLendon. The talk would be insightful. Funny. Even a little ...
Give blood, play hockey-and live to tell about it
Mar 03, 2006; ... If you're looking for sports heroes, sometimes it pays to look in unlikely places. This is a story so small that no one reported it. It didn't happen in professional sports or big-time college sports. No one saw it on television, and there were only about 600 people in the ...
Weaver is gambling he will come out a winner ... eventually
Mar 03, 2006; ... Agent Scott Boras routinely secures mind-boggling contracts for some of the game's biggest stars. But for the second straight offseason, one of his clients was left standing in the game of free-agent musical chairs. Righthander Jeff Weaver can hope his next chance turns out as profitable as ...
SPOTLIGHT: WORLD BASEBALL CLASSIC
Mar 03, 2006; ... RED SOX C Jason Varitek takes great pride in knowing the strengths and weaknesses of his pitching staff, but his duty in the WBC will force him to cram to have a full scouting report on all of the Red Sox's pitchers by the start of the season. Expect him to compensate by putting in extra time ...
Milicic has been moved-now it's his move
Mar 03, 2006; ... INSIDER The Darko Odyssey: A cautionary tale for every team that raises teens who grow up to hate their environment. The only time I ever was inclined to watch Darko Milicic very closely was during a series of workouts in the barnlike building the Pistons call their practice ...
A.L. REPORT
Mar 03, 2006; ... DEVIL RAYS LHP Scott Kazmir (6-0, 188) added 12 pounds of muscle in the offsesaon; his goal was strengthening his legs, and he hopes the improved conditioning will help him become the No. 1 starter. ... TWINS C Joe Mauer withdrew from the World Baseball Classic, which should help him stay ...
The seeds of discontent are about to be sown
Mar 03, 2006; ... Don't be surprised if the playoff seeding issue-which has been simmering on the back burner since last year's realignment-boils over this spring. As it stands now, the teams with the two best records in the West are the Mavericks and Spurs, who are both in the Southwest Division. If they ...
NBA: INSIDE DISH
Mar 03, 2006; ... These Amare Stoudemire updates are getting tedious, but the Suns power forward may be the only cosmic force that can forestall a Pistons-Spurs rematch in The Finals. Stoudemire last week began noncontact drills-the first basketball he has played since his knee surgery. Three days later, ...
The All-Nonstar team
Mar 03, 2006; ... These guys didn't have the numbers to make it to Houston, but they've made All Star-like differences between winning and losing for their teams. Besides, they're just plain fun to watch. PG Maurice Williams, Bucks. A key to the Bucks' success is the creative deployment of Williams ....
The league's oldest players
Mar 03, 2006; ... The league's oldest players: Dikembe Mutombo, Rockets (39 years, 8 months); Cliff Robinson, Nets (39 years, 2 months); Ervin ...
NASCAR: BLOG ALERT
Mar 03, 2006; ... 'It's clear NASCAR won't mind if fans link the Daytona 500 and the Super Bowl.' [Author ...
NASCAR: INSIDE DISH
Mar 03, 2006; ... NASCAR is researching adjustments to the cars that will eliminate bump drafting. One possibility is changing the steel bar enforcements on the front end of the restrictor-plate cars before the series returns to restrictor-plate racing at Talladega on April 30. But if engineers believe that ...
When the best is good enough
Mar 03, 2006; ... INSIDER Remember, it's an honor simply to be nominated ... There are so many trophies and awards in this sport, I'm surprised they haven't named one after me. But while we all try to figure what such a trophy would honor-the best player under 5-8?-let's examine races for ...
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: speed reads
Mar 03, 2006; ... Unless somebody in the middle of the ACC pack gets hustling, that league will wind up with as many NCAA Tournament bids as the Missouri Valley. Do you think Eddie ...
NFL: INSIDE DISH
Mar 03, 2006; ... After considering putting the franchise tag on RB Jamal Lewis, the Ravens are prepared to allow Lewis to test the free-agent market Still, the team could have a better chance of re-signing Lewis than his backup, Chester Taylor, because there appears to be a more viable market for Taylor. If the ...
NFL: speed reads
Mar 03, 2006; ... Much will be made of some high-profile draft prospects not working out at the Scouting Combine. Too much. Way too much. If NFL scouts don't know enough about Matt Leinarfs arm by now, they never will. How much is any team going to learn about a player by watching him run around in his shorts in ...
INSIDE THE NFC
Mar 03, 2006; ... After being largely ignored in the game plan last season, LIONS WR Mike Williams will get an opportunity to compete for a starting job in 2006. Williams' poor conditioning and poor work ethic were addressed but never corrected last season. ... Coach Andy Reld says the EAGLES' offense needs to be ...
The truth about unintended consequences
Mar 03, 2006; ... INSIDER Be careful what you wish for, everyone. Somewhere could wind up leading to nowhere. Or vice versa. Read a little blurb a couple of weeks ago about Bob Petrino's denying interest in the Raiders' job. I always chuckle when Petrino's name finds its way into a news story-and ...
COLLEGE FOOTBALL: INSIDE DISH
Mar 03, 2006; ... Charlie Taffe's resignation as offensive coordinator at Maryland shouldn't have come as a surprise. The official reason for Taffe's departure: He wanted to pursue head coaching opportunities. The real reason: Coach Ralph Friedgen Is going to take more control over the offense-including ...
POSITION BATTLES
Mar 03, 2006; ... Keep an eye on these knock-down drag-outs: Curb's Granderson vs. Nook Logan, CF, Tigers. Logan is a potential one-category wonder (stolen bases), but Granderson should provide fantasy help across the board and is the favorite to win the job. Delmon Young vs. the field, RF, Devil ...
Lifestyle Lingo Lowdown
Mar 03, 2006; ... Three L's auction league owners get W's Lifestyle. Preparation for auction leagues tends to be more intense than for standard drafts. Aside from player research, you also need to know how to assign dollar values and prepare a budget. Fantasy newcomers will prefer the simpler draft ...
COMING AT YOU
Mar 10, 2006; ... In the March 17 issue It seems like just yesterday ... OK, so we're old-120 years old. But, what the heck, we're still feeling pretty good. And we'll prove it on this special TSN anniversary with a feature package that includes the 120 coolest numbers in sports, the top sports story of ...
TO KNOW LIST
Mar 10, 2006; ... 7 things to make you an INSTANT EXPERT this week 1 THE MAIN EVENT College hoops' home stretch The regular season ends this weekend for major Division I programs but will be followed by conference tournaments that give NCAA Tournament selection committee members a lot more ...
Sports talk with Josh Duhamel
Mar 10, 2006; ... Former quarterback at Minot (N.D.) State, model, star of NBC's Las Vegas TSN: You a sports fan? DUHAMEL: I'm a sports junkie. TSN: What's your favorite sport? DUHAMEL: Football, definitely. I like basketball, and I love golf and stuff like that, but I get ...
YOUR TURN
Mar 10, 2006; ... You rant, we listen. Send e-mails to yourturn@sportingnews.com. 'Isiah Thomas is trying to kill Larry Brown. I'm serious. He's trying to give Larry a heart attack. Stephen Marbury and Steve Francis is the worst pairing since Flavor Flav and Brigitte Nielsen.' -lakerkev via ...
The NAIA basketball tournament?
Mar 10, 2006; ... WHAT'S THE DEAL WITH ... BECAUSE YOU NEED TO KNOW (EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T KNOW TO ASK) Throw 32 teams in the same building and see which is the last one standing at the end of a weeklong frenzy By Blair Kerkhoff Madness. If it's March, what else are we going to be talking ...
Rock on
Mar 10, 2006; ... MLB Genius or overrated? If former Braves pitching coach LEO MAZZONE turns around the inferior Orioles' staff, the debate will be over. By Dave Sheinin For a pitching coach to become outrageously famous, a few things must happen. He has to coach for a consistent winner-say, a ...
Scouting report: Drew Brees QB, 6-0, 209
Mar 10, 2006; ... Brees' career has been defined by his determination to prove detractors wrong. He lacks ideal size and physical ability, but he has overcome his shortcomings with his considerable leadership skills and hard work in the film and weight rooms. Although Brees, 27, doesn't have overwhelming arm ...
AFC EAST: MIAMI DOLPHINS
Mar 10, 2006; ... CAP SPACE: Several relatively easy cuts will get the team beneath the cap-possibly $8 million under-and give it room to shop. Defensive back and quarterback figure to be the key positions addressed. MOVING ON: Potential losses in the secondary, such as SS Tebucky Jones, CB Sam Madison and CB ...
AFC EAST: NEW YORK JETS
Mar 10, 2006; ... CAP SRACE: The Jets, who have to clear about $25 million to get under the cap, won't spend big. New coach Eric Manglnl will try to do it the Patriots way: Find value at low prices. Easier said than done. MOVING ON: The team already has released several players, including RT Jason Fabinl and FB ...
Scouting report: Antwaan Randle EI WR/PR, 5-10, 192
Mar 10, 2006; ... Randle El isn't a No. 1 receiver, but the versatility he provides on offense and his status as one of the best punt returners in the league make him an attractive commodity. Randle El, 26, lacks size and has problems escaping double coverage, but he's an ideal slot receiver, given ...
AFC NORTH: CINCINNATI BENGALS
Mar 10, 2006; ... CAP SPACE The focus will be on beefing up the defense, which ranked 28th in 2005. The club is about $4 million under the cap, so it must spend wisely to shore up glaring needs at tackle and strong safety. A tight end, good blocker and receiver could make the offense even more explosive. MOVING ...
AFC SOUTH: HOUSTON TEXANS
Mar 10, 2006; ... CAP SPACE: The team is about $4 million under the cap and will look to open more space. The Texans will be midlevel players in the market and sign a couple of free agents. MOVING ON: RB Jonathan Wells probably can command more money and playing time somewhere else, and he won't accept a No. 3 ...