LB Vrabel retires, named Ohio St. asst. (AP)
LB Vrabel retires, named Ohio St. asst. (AP)
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP)—Former All-Pro outside linebacker Mike Vrabel believes his 14 years in the NFL will help him as an assistant coach at his alma mater. After several days of speculation, Vrabel officially retired from the Kansas City Chiefs on Monday and also announced he was returning to Ohio State as a linebackers coach. He’ll take the spot vacated by his former roommate and teammate, Luke Fickell, who was elevated to head coach after Jim Tressel was forced to resign on May 30. Vrabel believes his playing days relate and translate to his new job. But that doesn’t mean he’ll often be sporting the three Super Bowl rings he won with the New England Patriots. “I haven’t worn them since the day I got them,” he said at a news conference on Monday morning in the Buckeyes’ practice facility. “Once you win them, you don’t really have to wear them. People know that you won the Super Bowl and you helped contribute to a championship team. I don’t anticipate, you know, putting three rings on and going out on a recruiting trip.” The 35-year-old Vrabel played four years for the Pittsburgh Steelers, eight seasons with the Patriots and, for the past two years, the Kansas City Chiefs. He said working with so many young players on the Chiefs roster was good preparation for a coaching career. “I got plenty of practice,” he said of coaching. “That’s a young football team. It was a great role to go out there and play. And not only help them on the field but help guys in the locker room and film room. I was blessed to have a lot of great coaches. But these last two years, when you’re coaching 20- and 21-year-old guys that are fresh out of college, that’s probably helped me the most.” Chiefs GM Scott Pioli, who sent a second-round draft pick for Vrabel and quarterback Matt Cassel before the 2009 season, called Vrabel a winner. “His genuine love for the game, his preparation, his work ethic, leadership and dependability are qualities you want from every player,” Pioli said. “He is a champion in every sense of the word and I’m confident all of these qualities will make him a great coach. I cannot overstate my respect for him as a person and a football player.” Vrabel lettered from 1993-96 at Ohio State when John Cooper was the head coach. He was a two-time Big Ten defensive player of the year. As a senior in high school in Akron, his host on his official recruiting visit to Ohio State was Fickell. “Mike is something that our kids obviously emulate,” Fickell said. “They want to be like him and what he’s done here at Ohio State, what he’s done in the NFL and obviously what he’s done later in life as a father and husband. It’s a great role model.” Active in the NFL Players Association’s executive committee and its negotiations with the league, Vrabel said he was unsure if he would have retired if there were no lockout going on in the pros. He also conceded that he had grown tired of gearing up for another new season. “I just came to the point where I couldn’t train to prepare for an NFL season. I’m not going to pretend I can do it anymore,” he said. “This is where I want to be.” While with the Patriots in 2007 he had 54 solo tackles, 12 1/2 sacks and forced four fumbles and was selected to the Pro Bowl and All-Pro teams for the only time in his career. He finished with 742 tackles and 57 sacks in 206 games. He was also known during his Patriots days as a short-yardage or goal-line fullback/tight end. He caught 10 career passes—every one going for a touchdown. Fickell said he consulted several people about the pitfalls of hiring a close friend. “(Vrabel) said to me, `Give me a reason to retire,”’ Fickell said. “I remember going to (Ohio State men’s basketball) coach (Thad) Matta and asking him, `Can you hire your best friend?’ He knew what I was talking about. He said very clearly, `Yes, you make sure you set the standards and the guidelines of what you need to have done.”’ Vrabel has had at least two skirmishes with the law. During his Ohio State playing days, he was arrested along with a teammate for beating up a man in a bar parking lot in Kent, Ohio. They eventually pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of disorderly conduct, paid a fine and performed 30 hours of community service. Their attorney in that case was Chris Cicero, the Columbus lawyer and former Ohio State walk-on who sent emails to Tressel in April 2010 that players were taking improper benefits from a tattoo-parlor owner. Just this past April, Vrabel was arrested for theft from an Indiana riverboat casino. The charge will be dropped if he isn’t charged with another crime for 180 days, according to a diversion agreement signed in late June. Ohio State has been through a tumultuous last few months. Five players were suspended last December for the first five games of the upcoming season for taking cash and discounted tattoos from a Columbus businessman. Ohio State later discovered Cicero’s emails to Tressel. Tressel was required by his contract and NCAA rules to report any possible violations involving his players, yet he did not report anything to his superiors for more than nine months. Shortly after he was pressured to step down, star quarterback Terrelle Pryor—one of the suspended players—gave up his senior season for a shot at playing in the NFL. In a related matter, a source close to the Ohio State program has disclosed that Dorian Bell, a linebacker from Monroeville, Pa., was also handed a five-game suspension last week by the NCAA. Bell, a redshirt sophomore, had already been suspended for the entire 2011 season by Tressel for an undisclosed violation of team policy. AP Sports Writer Doug Tucker in Kansas City contributed to this report. Follow Rusty Miller on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/rustymillerap
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Griner leaves huge impression at US training camp (PA SportsTicker)
Griner leaves huge impression at US training camp (PA SportsTicker)
By DOUG FEINBERG AP Basketball Writer Brittney Griner didn’t want to take off her U.S.A. basketball jersey. The 6-foot-8 college phenom had just finished taking part in the U.S. women’s basketball team’s three-day training camp and wasn’t ready for her first experience with the country’s best to end. With the impressions she made on her teammates and coaches, it certainly won’t be her last time she’s wearing that jersey. “It’s been amazing,” the Baylor star said. “To be around all the players I looked up to and watched growing up. I’m sitting here and just trying to take it all in and talk to everybody. It’s only three days, but I took so much from it. I really wish it was longer.” Griner was the only college player invited to the camp as she joined 22 members of the national team pool that the 2012 Olympic team will be chosen from. She had been invited the year before to train with the national team, but turned down the opportunity. It was a choice she doesn’t regret as she knows she wasn’t ready. “I needed to get another year under my belt,” she said. “I needed to work on different things and get stronger. Get more mature mentally.” Griner’s camp got off to a rough start as she was lost in drills and in awe of the star-studded roster. That quickly changed when national team coach Geno Auriemma pulled her aside and asked her if she was just happy to be here or wanted to get something out of it. “Brittney made tremendous progress in the three days she was here,” Auriemma said. “The first day she was completely lost and out of it. The second day she looked like a completely different person. Each time she’s together with us you’ll see her get better and better and better. Her size, her length are impact things.” Griner was like a sponge, trying to soak in as much as she could from everyone. She bonded with Candace Parker, who was in a similar situation playing with the national team when she was in college at Tennessee. In one drill, Griner was working with Los Angeles Sparks coach Jennifer Gillom. The veteran coach always tries to challenge the post players in practice by getting out on the court and guarding them. On Tuesday, Gillom got her first chance to see what Griner had. Boy was she impressed. “She does a spin move from the free-throw line, takes one dribble and slams it with two hands,” Gillom said. “‘I said, I’m done.’ she got my respect right away. Wow, that was amazing. I’ve never experienced anything like that with any player. That was quite impressive. This kid has a future, an unbelievable future. To think what she could become is amazing. I’m telling you, this kid is something special, very special.” Connecticut Sun guard Kara Lawson recalled one play where she was driving down the lane and Griner blocked her shot out of nowhere. “You have to be aware where she is,” Lawson said. “She’s so quick that she changes the timing of everything you do as a guard because of her ability to block shots.” That sentiment was common throughout all the players at the camp, which took place at UNLV. “She is the most special player I’ve ever seen,” Diana Taurasi said. “She will be a help in 2012. She will.” The U.S. is extremely deep, young, and talented at the post position with Fowles, Candace Parker and Tina Charles. Yet it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Griner in the mix for the 2012 Olympics in London. There wouldn’t be any pressure on her to produce and gain invaluable international experience. “That’s probably a great scenario,” Auriemma said. “That’s the scenario that alot of the other people went through. She’s still young, still inexperienced but if she were to make the team it would certainly be an unbelievable experience for her. A scenario that helps her grow so she wouldn’t be thrown into a situation that was overwhelming for her. That’s an ideal scenario for her. Time will tell.” Now that she’s had a taste of the next level, Griner wants more. She knows she still has a lot to work on such as her footwork, fitness, and strength. “It would be a great honor if somehow I’m chosen,” said Griner of playing in London next year. “It’s something I’m going to strive for and do everything I can to get on that team.”
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Behind the Box Score, where the Heat are moving on
Behind the Box Score, where the Heat are moving on
Miami 97, Boston 87; Miami wins series, 3-1 By now you’ve read all the reaction to Miami’s Big Move past the Boston Celtics. You’ve thought about what it means for LeBron James to finally beat the C’s, for the first time in his postseason career. You’ve likely remarked upon how far the Heat have come since Dwyane Wade and company (read: Mario Chalmers and Joel Anthony) were squashed by these same Celtics about 12 months and two weeks ago. You’ve considered how much it meant for Miami to top the team it seemed so helpless against before April. Think about the accomplishment, relative to what we’ve seen in the past. That’s important. Also, if you will, think about in-game accomplishment, here. Miami, based almost solely on individual gifts, is putting teams away mainly by relying on the brilliance of (and can we stop the nonsense about Derrick Rose for a second?) the two best players in the NBA. LeBron James and Dwyane Wade are taking turns, in some sort of adult-styled AAU brand of ball (that’s not a shot), and they’ve destroyed two very good basketball teams during this postseason in the process. Dwyane Wade was brilliant throughout, you saw that. He averaged over 30 points, and just under seven rebounds and five assists per game in this series while shooting a great percentage and contributing two steals per game. This comes after a regular season that saw him make less than 30 percent of his shots against Boston, while hitting for 12.8 points per game. This comes after a fluke four games, splayed out between October and April. This comes after a sample size we shouldn’t have paid attention to; even while giving the matchup credibility. And James? Especially on Wednesday? He was fantastic. Actually, his fantastic parts were terrible — those three-pointers to close it out? Those weren’t good shots. And yet they all went in, for a player who shot his career average (33 percent, below the league average of 36 percent) during the regular season. James spent the first three quarters of this game taking great shots that didn’t go in. You remember that feeling you had during halftime, or the third quarter? The one that had you wondering just how Boston was up by five or six points, or whatever it was during the pause you took to wonder to yourself? It was probably because LeBron James was getting to the hoop consistently on those big bad Celtics, only to see his scoops and runners go in and out. Kenny Smith brought up his early “bad shots” following the game, only pointing to one long three-pointer he had to take as the shot clock ran out, but Smith was just analyzing off highlights. James was working it, even if the results weren’t working. In the second half he took bad shots, and somehow things evened out. And those 10 points to finish the game will lead every highlight reel. What people won’t talk about as much was the way LeBron allowed his team to not really be all that scared of Paul Pierce anymore. The Truth dropped 27 twice in Boston during this series, and his 19.6 points per game on 45 percent shooting was pretty fantastic, considering the postseason circumstances and his Miami combatant. But James had him, easy. And I promise you that I wrote this paragraph without even considering (read: remembering) the terrible last-second possession the Pierce-led C’s came through with on Monday. Beyond that, you have nothing. Mike Bibby was terrible. Mario Chalmers had active hands, but you knew that in 2008. Joel Anthony covered and recovered well, as he has all year. Chris Bosh was in and out, even when he was in. Mike Miller is shooting in a completely different way than you’re used to (where’d that arc come from?), and his shots aren’t going in. Like the movie, as our memories of Amy Brennamen slowly fades away and Val Kilmer eats his way out of our hearts, there is no Heat beyond those Big Two. And against the Celtics, that team that roughed them up for three close wins before Miami broke through in the last week of the regular season. Against the team that meant the most to Miami. Observers, both paid and otherwise, would have probably put a bigger symbolic price on the Heat downing the Lakers in the Finals, but Miami was going to do that anyway — LeBron has had Los Angeles’ number for two years now. No, Miami wanted Boston, which is why I allow them their over the top reaction to this win. Downing Derrick Rose or Josh Smith and/or Dirk Nowitzki or Kevin Durant won’t have the same feel to it. How could it? Boston was the baddest thing on the block, even if they hadn’t won a championship since John McCain was a viable Presidential candidate. (Based on polling numbers.) Scariest of all, Miami did it by merely refining the Your Turn/My Turn playbook they introduced us to last October, against these same Celtics. There were unforced Boston turnovers along the way — Jeff Green, Delonte West, and Paul Pierce are all at fault — but Miami would have been up double-figures anyway had the good shots gone during the first half. And they ended up winning in dominant fashion, down the stretch, as those supposed closers from Boston watched (and the Lakers watched from home, with nothing to do tomorrow). That’s significant. And a bit scary. This team just dropped nearly 113 points per 100 possessions against the Boston bloody Celtics, and everyone besides Wade and James combined to shoot 8-30, 26.7 percent. They won that way. This is where we turn to hide, NBA fans. They’re after us. And they’re taking turns. Better learn to love it. *** Oklahoma City 99, Memphis 72; Oklahoma City leads the series, 3-2 To me, this can’t all be pinned on dead legs. Entering this series, we had no idea how Memphis would score enough to keep up with the Thunder. Even considering Kevin Durant’s uneasiness with playoff contact and Zach Randolph’s brilliance in the post, Memphis’ ability to put points on the board was a legitimate fear, even on three or four days’ rest. 48 hours after initiating a triple-overtime thriller, and playing on the road? Memphis had no chance. We gave them a slight chance heading into this game, but we were foolish to do so. Because the obvious narrative took over. Oklahoma City was energized by its fans. Memphis missed tough (if still close) shot after shot in the second quarter, and did the same in the third as Oklahoma City eventually pulled away. And you can point to the Thunder’s bench as a factor all you want, I have great respect for everyone on it (even you, little guy), but that stuff is a given to me. Memphis can’t score, and they have limited depth. Darrell Arthur and his bum thumb won’t even look at the basket these days. This shouldn’t be a surprise. This shouldn’t go out in six, either. Apologies for glossing over Oklahoma City’s impressive turn and spinning forward, here, but the Grizzlies are going to put themselves in a position to win on Friday. They’ll get stops, they’ll get into the lane (either either a drive, pass, or shot from a big), and they’ll cause turnovers. It’s up to them from there. Not signing off on a Memphis win, mind you, I’m just telling you that they’ll have their chances. It’s up to Tony Allen to finish properly in transition, Mike Conley to make the right pass to the corner, and Zach Randolph to hit that spinner. It’s up to Oklahoma City to weather that storm, which is a tough gig for a bunch of kids. When you think about what position Russell Westbrook was playing three years ago, what coach Kevin Durant was playing under a year and a half ago, and whether or not you’d heard of Serge Ibaka two years ago, the task becomes all the more daunting. But it’s in the Thunder. They have the talent, the interest (believe me, bitching to assistant coaches during a game is a good thing), and the depth. Daequan Cook can shoot. Nazr Mohammed can screen, catch, and finish. Nick Collison’s moving feet can enervate. Durant and Westbrook can put you away. Friday’s going to be fun.
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Boston to build statue of Russell (AP)
Boston to build statue of Russell (AP)
Boston is building a statue of Celtics legend Bill Russell months after President Barack Obama suggested the city needed one. The basketball franchise announced Wednesday the statue would be designed by a local artist and would commemorate Russell as a sports champion, human rights leader and youth mentoring advocate.
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Vision Aviation Racing penalized after Waltrip win (AP)
Vision Aviation Racing penalized after Waltrip win (AP)
NASCAR has penalized the Truck Series team Michael Waltrip drove for at Daytona International Speedway.
Turkish team to sue lab for Taurasi doping report (AP)
Diana Taurasi’s Turkish club demanded an apology Friday and the resignation of the directors of the doping lab that issued an apparent “false positive” report on the American basketball player. Fenerbahce also said it would take legal action. Sekip Mosturoglu, a member of Fenerbahce’s executive board, accused the Ankara-based lab of “inadequacies” and said its report…
WNBA’s Atlanta Dream coach releases new jazz album (AP)
When Fred Williams isn’t scouting or drawing up offensive plays for the WNBA’s Atlanta Dream, he’s normally sitting at his laptop laying down music tracks. Inspired by former NBA player and musician Wayman Tisdale, Williams — whose stage name is Freddy Bass — finds enjoyment away from the basketball court during offseason infusing contemporary jazz with hip-hop and R&B.
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Taurasi teammates resist Turkish doping tests (AP)
Taurasi teammates resist Turkish doping tests (AP)
A Turkish newspaper says teammates of basketball star Diana Taurasi have resisted doping tests in Turkey because they don’t trust the lab that found her sample positive for a banned stimulant. Haberturk newspaper says Fenerbahce teammates Penny Taylor of Australia and Hana Horakova of the Czech Republic provided samples only after Turkey’s Basketball Federation agreed to send them to…
NASCAR Power Rankings – Kyle Busch Stays on Top
Kyle Stays on Top But Jimmie and Jeff are Right There Even though Kyle Busch finished 34th in Darlington in the Southern 500 this past Saturday, he remains in the number one spot in the BetUS online sportsbook power rankings. Busch has won three races this year while no other driver has won more than two. Those drivers are Mark Martin and Matt Kenseth. Mark Martin finds himself on the power…
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