Where Will Palmer Play?

Bengals (for now) Starting QB, Carson Palmer

After a 4-12 season playing alongside both Chad Ochocinco and Terrell Owens, it's not a huge surprise Bengals quarterback Carson Palmer is asking for a trade.  The only problem is, Bengals owner Mike Brown says he absolutely "will not trade Carson".  Unfortunately for Palmer, Brown has a history of sticking to his word.  Just last year, disgruntled wide receiver Chad Ochocinco demanded a trade out of Cincinnati.  Brown wouldn't even field offers for Ocho, leaving him with the Bengals and without fan support.  If history is any indication, things are looking grim for Palmer.  In fact, Ochocinco himself recently tweeted his thoughts on the quarterback's situation:

"Carson Palmer demands a trade? Last person demanded a trade in Cincy was crucified by the media n had to win the fans back, how will this go?"

There may some hope, however, for Palmer.  The Bengals have the 4th pick in April's draft, and with it an opportunity to take a (potentially) elite quarterback of the future.  Nobody can argue Palmer's success on the field has been down as of late, and drafting a quarterback may be in the team's best interest regardless if Palmer is with them next season.  If the Bengals are confident they can land a quarterback they believe in, Palmer may become a tradable asset, specifically one that could get them a valuable draft pick in return.

Dunk of the Week

Blake Griffin is doing it again.  Making the ridiculous look easy, this time with the help of teammate Randy Foye, Griffin threw down a monster alley-oop from 3/4 court.  Enjoy.

If Cromartie is For Sale, Who's Buying?

Antonio Cromartie

With Jets cornerback Antonio Cromartie headed to free agency, the Jets are faced with a tough decision: open up the checkbook and retain the secondary of one of the leagues best defenses in 2010, or roll the dice and hope to find a cheaper (or better) answer in the draft or free agency.  To make things more difficult, Cromartie isn't their only major player without a contract heading into next season.  With Santonio Holmes and Braylon Edwards both looking to cash in, it's unlikely the Jets will retain be able to retain all three.  A combination of some on-field slip ups (he gave up a team-high 7 passing TD's), combined with Cromartie's recent dispute with linebacker Bart Scot and Coach Rex Ryan, I believe Cro is the one on the way out.

But if Cromartie is on the market, who's looking to buy?

One possibility may be the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  Coach Raheem Morris isn't one who usually cares about off-field issues, of which Cromartie has plenty, and the Bucs would have one intimidating secondary with Cromartie opposite of Aqib Talib.

Another team may be the Minnesota Vikings, who, although their main concern is at Safety, are desperate for an improvement in the secondary.  If they are able to improve their pass defense (as well as that little quarterback issue they seem to have), they just may be able to regain their magical form of 2009.  Cromartie alongside aging yet capable CB Antoine Winfield would certainly be an improvement from the Vikings depleted 2009 roster.

Other possibilities include the Chicago Bears, who had a good defense, but were only rated 20th in passing D in 2010, or the Arizona Cardinals.  Cromartie's off the field issues are sure to make teams hesitate this offseason, but when it comes down to it he has the talent and he will be signed... it's just a matter of where.

Where Amazing Happens

Here's a great one.  In case you haven't seen it already, this is from the other night, when Kevin Durant hits a bomb as the clock expires to give his Thunder a 101-98 win over the New York Knicks.  No doubt this kid is the future of the NBA for a long time...

With Miller Back, the Heat May Be More Dangerous Than Ever

Miller (13) and Big Z (11)

Mike Miller has missed the vast majority of the season due to a thumb injury he received early in the year.  After a somewhat rocky start, the Miami Heat have gelled into one of the NBA's most dangerous teams without him.  Now, at 31-13 (and after some minor injuries to Bosh, Wade and LeBron), the Heat are getting healthier and are poised to make a big run in the second half of the season.  Miller's health, however, may be the surprising determining factor in the Heat's championship aspirations.

Fail.

Here's the video from the Aussie Open thats been circulating around this week - had to post it.  Talk about horrible luck.

Dunk of the Week

Blake Griffin throws down over Pau Gasol and the Lakers.  Sorry for the weird intro and background music, only good footage of it that I could find.

Why the Bears Should Feel Lucky to Still be Playing

This Sunday the Chicago Bears will face the Green Bay Packers for the 182nd time in franchise history.  With the winner going to the Super Bowl, the stakes are higher than ever.  But after looking at the Bears' season, they should be grateful just to be there.

Take a look at their regular season.  The Bears started the season with a win at home against the Lions, after the much discussed Calvin Johnson touchdown was overturned as the clock ran out.  They followed up with a win over the struggling Cowboys in week 2, beat the Panthers in week 5, the Bills on a neutral site in week 8, the Dolphins week 10, the Lions in week 12, and the Vikings (outside, without Brett Favre or Adrian Peterson) in week 15.

Thoughts on the Brief Favre Era in Minnesota

It's official.  Brett Favre has filed his retirement papers with the NFL.  So while the purple and gold begin their search for a new quarterback, I'm starting to wonder, "was the Favre experiment a success?"  I think so.  Here's why:

Allen, Pat and Kevin Williams

For the Vikings, it rejuvenated a franchise that hadn't been remotely relevant since the 2001 season.  The Vikings weren't going to win with Tarvaris Jackson under center, and everyone (except maybe Brad Childress) knew it.  They had to do something big, and with Brett Favre available, they'd have been stupid not to take a chance.  Yes, signing a 39 year old quarterback who had lead your arch-rival for 18 years was a risk.  Paying a quarterback coming off bicep surgery $13 million is a risk, too.  But something needed to be done, and Zygi Wilf was willing to make his first big splash as an owner.  The simple fact was the Vikings had a championship caliber team just about everywhere but quarterback.  They had Adrian Peterson in the prime of his career, one of the best run defenses in the league with a dominante (yet aging) line featuring Pat Williams, Kevin Williams, and Jared Allen.  Simply put, the Vikings had a small window to win a championship, and they needed to find that last piece of the puzzle.

Rhys Lloyd Interview

Rhys was the placekicker, kickoff specialist and punter for the Minnesota Golden Gophers from 2003 to 2004.  He was famous for his rugby-style punting, amazing concentration under pressure and long-distance field goals.  Lloyd has had stints with the Ravens, Packers and Vikings before settling with his current team, the Carolina Panthers.  

Many fans often wonder how you and other kickers manage to kickoff so far. What is the difference technique wise between a kickoff and a field goal?

RL-To be honest there really isn’t a huge difference. At impact the form is almost the same. The tough thing, however, is to keep yourself under control when striking the ball because of how much power your generating from the run up.

Along the same lines, what goes into an onside kick?

RL- Luck..You can practice the way to hit the ball, however after the ball leaves your foot, it will do what it wants because of the way its shaped.

It's Luck Like This That Keep the Timberwolves So Awful

Wolves center Darko Milicic scores 2 points in a recent matchup against the Washington Wizards.  Only problem, he scored it off the jump ball tip...for the Wizards.  Take a look...

A New No. 1?

Auburn's Nick Fairley

With last weeks surprising news that Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck will return for his junior season, the Carolina Panthers now have to decide who to select with their number 1 pick in April's NFL Draft.  The likely candidates are Auburn defensive tackle Nick Fairley, Clemson defensive end Da'Quan Bowers and Georgia wideout A.J. Green.

Fairley, in particular, seems to be an interesting option given the recent success of Ndamukong Suh with the Lions.  Similar to Suh, Fairley would be joining a struggling defense that is in desperate need of a top flight talent to build around.  At 6'5", 298 lbs, Fairley definitely has the size and toughness to be an elite force at the NFL level.  And while he may not have the playmaking appeal of an A.J. Green (widely considered the best wide receiver prospect since Randy Moss in 1998), he could become a steady force to build a strong defense around.

Additionally, Fairley is simply a better fit than Green or Bowers.  Green, while undoubtedly talented, can only be so effective while playing for a Panthers team that has no answer at quarterback.  Bowers, an ideal 4-3 pass rusher, is unproven in the 3-4 system Carolina runs, and would likely be less effective due to his size and skill set.   Given the likely $40+ million in guaranteed money, its also hard to imagine they would reach for a player like Prince Amukamara or Blaine Gabbert, despite having needs at the positions.

Only time will tell who will go first, but if the Panthers are willing to take the best fit, rather than the 'sexy pick', they will take a serious look at the young man from Auburn.

MarQueis Gray Interview

Golden Gopher Star MarQueis Gray (5)

We would just like to thank MarQueis for answering our questions. We wish him the best next season in Minnesota and in his future endeavors.

MM-When you made the switch to wide receiver this season, how long did it take for you to get all of the routes down, or did you have most of them memorized from your time studying the playbook as a QB?
MG-Yes, It was very easy to remember the routes because last year we ran a numbers offense which means a certain number told a WR what route he had to run so that was really easy. The hardest thing was keeping the wind in me because I wasn’t use to all that running but i got the hang of it at the end of the season, haha!

MM-What Big 10 game do you look forward to the most every year?
MG-I look forward to playing all of the trophy games because those are the games that mean the most to us.

What do you even call this?

Watch this insane video from last weeks Timberwolves-Spurs game.  The Wolves got called for 5 T's in a 10 second span!  To make things even crazier, the referee was a St. Paul native named Mauer.  One things for sure though, while this seasons Timberwolves are just as bad, they sure are more entertaining.  Enjoy

Dominique Barber Interview

Dom Barber

We would just like to thank Mr. Barber for taking the time out of his busy schedule to grant us a great NFL Player interview, he is the definition of class and we wish him the best!

DP – Is there a reason behind your #34?
DB – No reason behind the number 34, there were a couple of numbers to choose from and 34 was the best out of the bunch. 23 was my number in college and high school, but it was taken. So 34 it was, and it’s a special number here in Houston, a lot of greats have worn this number so I def wear it with pride.

DP – Both your dad and brother played running back, what made you play defense?
DB – When I was a Freshman in college, there were plenty of running backs, (Marion, Laurence Maroney, Gary Russel) all who are in the NFL or played. I wanted to play right now, so the coaches found me a place at safety. Ever since then I’ve just went with it. Love that I did that.

Sports News Nightly

Sports News Nightly

I'm glad to announce SportsBank's new partnership with Sports News Nightly, a great source for all sorts of sports news.  As a result, a number of posts, interviews and articles from both sites will now be available to read on both SportsBank and SNN.  Enjoy!

Questions with the Potential Melo Trade

Rumors have been swirling all season about the potential trade of Nuggets star Carmelo Anthony, but with Melo having to essentially OK any move (nobody will trade for him without some sort of agreement on an extension), nothing has materialized.  That might change in the coming weeks, however.  The latest scenario includes Denver, New Jersey and Detroit as a potential third team.  In it, Anthony, Billups and Rip Hamilton would join forces in Jersey, Devin Harris, 1st round pick Derrick Favors and Anthony Morrow, going to Denver, along with multiple first round picks, and Troy Murphy & Johan Petro going to Detroit, with some expiring contracts.  (of course, there are a few other players that are of very little significance also moving with these players to make ends meet).  The biggest question mark in this trade is why on earth would Carmelo OR the Pistons be interested? 

Dunk of the Week

Amar'e Stoudemire throws down a hard alley-oop against the Suns January 7th, 2011

How Luck's Decision Affects the NFL

Andrew Luck

As you’ve probably heard, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, projected by many to be the No. 1 pick in this April’s draft, decided to return to school for his redshirt junior season.  Luck’s decision, however, will likely affect much more than just Stanford’s 2011 football season.  First, with Luck’s return, the highly sought after coach Jim Harbaugh is now more likely to remain at Stanford… forcing NFL teams like the 49ers, Dolphins and Broncos to look elsewhere to fill their coaching vacancies.   Harbaugh’s brother and Baltimore Raven’s head coach John Harbaugh has already speculated that he thinks Jim is definitely considering remaining at Stanford next season.  However, it is important to note that many analysts expect Harbaugh to get as much as $8 million per season – and anything can happen when you’re talking that type of money.  Furthermore, the Carolina Panthers, owners of the 1^st pick in the 2011 draft (and the likely destination for Luck) are now forced to make new plans with their coveted pick.  While there are many holes to fill in Carolina, they are desperately in need of a franchise quarterback, and it’s unlikely they will reach for another quarterback with that high of a pick.  The affect of Luck’s decision won’t stop there, however.  With Carolina possibly taking a look at Georgia wideout A.J. Green, the dominos will continue to fall throughout the first round.  Most notably, there is one less quarterback on the board for those other QB hungry teams such as the Bills, Cardinals, Titans, Vikings and Dolphins.  Although you can’t really question a guy who wants to finish his education, especially at a school like Stanford, it certainly was a surprising choice.

On that note keep an eye out in the coming week for our first version of SportsBank’s Mock 2011 NFL Draft

Is This Finally Blyleven's Year?

.8 percent... 5 votes.  That is how close former Twins great Bert Blyleven got to finally making it in to the Hall of Fame in 2010.   After 13 years of falling short, Blyleven is likely to get the required 75% of votes this year.  Whats amazing, though, is how he has been snubbed for all this time.  In fact, history shows us that 21 candidates have fallen between 70-74.9%, and each and every one of them has eventually made it to Cooperstown.  Additionally, every one of those 21 were elected in their very next year.

Blyleven has the 13th best WAR (Wins Above Replacement) in MLB history.  Among full-time starters he is 21st in Win Probability Added, 18th in Runs Saved Above Average, along with 287 wins, 60 shutouts and 3,701 strikeouts.  So how could voters look past these amazing stats?  Well, surprisingly, Blyleven did fall short in a few key categories.  He made only two All-Star teams in his 22 seasons, had top-3 finishes in only two Cy Young elections, and is often 'criticized' for not reaching the all-important 300-win plateau.

Still, these shortcomings in no way outweigh his significant career achievements, and it's simply wrong that he hasn't made it to Cooperstown already.  So, will this be his year? Well, we'll find out Wednesday.

5 Minutes with NFL Rookie John Russell

Russell (58) with his original team, the Green Bay Packers

John Russell is an NFL rookie currently with the Buffalo Bills, and a great friend of mine.  An undrafted free agent in the 2010 NFL Draft, John had brief stints with the Green Bay Packers and Kansas City Chiefs before settling in with the Bills.  John and I lived together for a year when we were both at Wake Forest.  I thought it would be interesting to talk to John about his transition from college football to the NFL as well as some of his new experiences.  Here's what he had to say: