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Archives for October 7, 2018

Kyrie: “I’m Happy Here”

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BOSTON – Kyrie Irving reiterated Friday he is thrilled to be part of the Boston Celtics’ tradition and plans to re-sign with the team when his contract is up after the 2018-19 season.

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“I’m happy here,” Irving told reporters. “Every single day is at an all-time competitive high. What more can you ask for from an organization than taking a chance as far as getting me out of Cleveland? Really taking a chance regardless of whether I signed back or not.

“They had the same attitude. They just wanted to show me what being a Celtic is about, and that I was going to come around, and I absolutely did. I believe in it. I believe in the franchise.”

Irving revealed at a gathering of Celtics season-ticket holders at TD Garden on Thursday that he intends to re-sign with the team, despite previous reports of the contrary.

He said Friday that one season in Boston, which ended early with knee issues, wasn’t enough to convince him to stay with the Celtics. But he now is certain, he said.

“I needed just some time to kind of be back in Boston and feel great about different things I wanted to explore in my career,” Irving said.

He said he dreams of his No. 11 hanging from the rafters one day, joining the retired numbers of legendary Celtics.

“Obviously, a lot of great players have come before me, but to grow my name in Boston Celtics tradition and history is something I’m glad I can do, and I plan on,” said Irving, who added he confirmed the Celtics want him back.

“Honestly, it just was like, ‘Man, I do not want to move again.’ I do not want to uproot my family and just be dealing with anything new again. No disrespect to other organizations, but here is perfect for me.”

Multiple reports surfaced Friday that Irving has discussed with New Orleans star Anthony Davis the possibility that Davis could join the Celtics one day. Because of complicated league rules, the Celtics could not acquire Davis in a trade this season but would be required to wait until the following year.

Irving, 26, spent his first six NBA seasons in Cleveland before being traded to Boston ahead of the 2017-18 season. In his 60 games with the Celtics, he averaged 24.4 points and 5.1 assists. On his career, he averages 22.0 points and 5.5 assists.

–Field Level Media

NFL Game Scout – 4:25pm Kickoff

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Minnesota Vikings at Philadelphia Eagles

When: 4:25 PM ET, Sunday, October 7, 2018
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
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PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Eagles and Minnesota Vikings meet at Lincoln Financial Field on Sunday in a rematch of the NFC Championship Game with two different quarterbacks under center. After watching Nick Foles and Case Keenum lead their respective teams into January’s high-stakes match, Carson Wentz and Kirk Cousins will get the call this time around as the clubs look to regain their winning form.Philadelphia fell for the first time this season with Wentz at the helm, although the 25-year-old showed no signs of the ACL and LCL tears he sustained in December by throwing for 348 yards and two touchdowns in Sunday’s 26-23 overtime setback to Tennessee. “We’re 2-2 right now. We’d love to be 4-0, but this is just where we’re at,” Wentz said. “We’re a month in still trying to figure out 100 percent who we are. But at the same time, we know the guys we have and we know what we’re capable of doing.” Minnesota coach Mike Zimmer isn’t taking a gloom-and-doom approach after seeing his team extend its winless skid to three games following last Thursday’s 38-31 setback to the high-octane Los Angeles Rams. “This isn’t a time for ‘woe is me,'” Zimmer said. “If people remember, we were 2-2 this time last year. We finished 13-3. We were 5-0 the year before and we finished 8-8. We were 2-2 the year before that and we finished 11-5, so all the predictors, this isn’t a good time to predict.”

TV: 4:25 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Eagles -3. O/U: 46

ABOUT THE VIKINGS (1-2-1): Cousins passed for 422 yards with three touchdowns versus the Rams and has tossed 12 scoring strikes against three interceptions in four career meetings at Philadelphia. The 30-year-old Cousins will look to exploit the Eagles’ 19th-ranked pass defense with the capable duo of Adam Thielen and Stefon Diggs, who have combined for 67 receptions and five touchdowns this season. Thielen, who had eight catches for 135 yards and a score versus the Rams, joined Isaac Bruce and Randy Moss as the lone wideouts since 1970 to reach triple digits in yards in each of the team’s first four games. Diggs reeled in 11 receptions for 123 yards against Los Angeles and had eight catches for 70 yards in the 38-7 setback versus Philadelphia in the NFC Championship Game.

ABOUT THE EAGLES (2-2): Alshon Jeffery made a triumphant return from an extended absence following shoulder surgery to make eight catches for 105 yards and a touchdown against the Titans last week. “It was great to have Alshon back out there. A guy that can make contested catches, can make plays for you, can give the offense a spark,” Wentz said of Jeffery, who eviscerated the Vikings in the NFC Championship Game in January with a pair of scoring receptions. Tight end Zach Ertz recorded his second double-digit reception performance in three games with 10 catches for a season-high 112 yards versus Tennessee. Despite those gaudy numbers, the Eagles rank 26th in points per game (20.5), third in penalty yards (343) and saw their offensive line surrender four sacks to the Titans last week.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Minnesota’s offensive coordinator John DeFilippo was Philadelphia’s quarterbacks coach last season.

2. Wentz has won each of his past nine home starts for the Eagles, who are 17-3 at Lincoln Financial Field (playoffs included) with coach Doug Pederson on the sideline.

3. RB Dalvin Cook did not practice on Thursday for the Vikings, whose league’s worst rushing attack (63.0 yards per game) faces Philadelphia’s top-ranked unit (63.8).

NFL Game Scout: 1:00pm Kick-Off

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Jacksonville Jags at Kansas City Chiefs

When: 1:00 PM ET, Sunday, October 7, 2018
Where: Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City, Missouri
Preview for Digital Sports Desk by Gracenote
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Patrick Mahomes

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KANSAS CITY – Two teams trying to shake up the status quo in the AFC tangle Sunday, when the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs host the Jacksonville Jaguars. The Chiefs are the only remaining unbeaten team in the AFC, while the Jaguars already have an impressive win over New England to their credit and could further solidify themselves as a Super Bowl contender with a victory at Arrowhead Stadium.

The Chiefs have emerged as one of the league’s most exciting teams thanks to second-year quarterback Patrick Mahomes, who has thrown 14 touchdown passes without an interception to begin his first season as a starter and led a fourth-quarter comeback in Monday night’s 27-23 victory at Denver. “Right now, he is playing better than any quarterback has ever played. He is an MVP quarterback,” Jaguars coach Doug Marrone told reporters. “The question is what he can’t do. I don’t know. I don’t think words can really put in perspective how great he is playing. That is really all there is to it.” While Kansas City is built around an explosive offense, Jacksonville possesses the NFL’s top defense and has allowed a league-low 657 passing yards in four games. “They have a great scheme. They do a lot of things really well,” Mahomes told reporters. “They do a lot of the same stuff, but they do it at a very high, pristine (level). They have a ton of talent over there. We have to utilize our offense and our weapons and try to do what we can to attack them.”

TV: 1 p.m. ET, CBS. LINE: Chiefs -3. O/U: 49

ABOUT THE JAGUARS (3-1): Jacksonville’s defense is nasty, holding opponents to 259.3 total yards and 14 points per game – both league-best marks. The pass defense has been especially stingy, with outspoken cornerback Jalen Ramsey anchoring a secondary that hasn’t allowed more than 220 yards through the air this season. Blake Bortles has developed into a capable quarterback, but the Jaguars have to take better care of the ball – they have committed seven turnovers in four games – to graduate to Super Bowl favorite status.

ABOUT THE CHIEFS (4-0): Mahomes has stolen the spotlight, but he’s surrounded by talent on the NFL’s top-ranked offense. Kareem Hunt quietly has put together another strong start to the season while speedster Tyreek Hill and tight end Travis Kelce are producing big numbers in the passing game. The Chiefs rank last in the league in total defense and 25th in scoring defense, but they’ve improved each week on that side of the ball and are close to getting back safety Eric Berry from an Achilles injury.

The (New) Book on Belichick

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By Terry Lyons, Editor in Chief

BOSTON – October 7, 2018 – Just when you thought it was safe to go back to your local bookstore, whether you are UNHINGED or EDUCATED. Just when you thought all you had to FEAR was fear itself, we are thrust back into the drama of Foxboro, once again, as Belichick – The Making of the Greatest Football Coach of All-Time lands as #1 on the Amazon sports list, #10 on the New York Times list for non-fiction (overall, not just sports) and #45 on the all-around list of best sellers.

For years – call it nearly four and a half decades, actually – William Stephen Belichick has been roaming the sidelines of football fields from Baltimore to Denver to Cleveland to New York to Foxborough. Why is it that a book dropping now on the life and times of the 66-year old New England Patriots head coach would garner such interest, especially after the subject has been poked and probed before by the likes of the late David Halberstam (The Education of a Coach), Boston media man Michael Holley (via a number of titles) or the recent (2016) Erik Frenz and Mike Mayock try with (Bill Belichick vs. The NFL – The Case for the NFL’s Greatest Coach).

Why – on earth – would we need another, as we all have full knowledge that “The Coach” meets the media and provides insight as though he is sitting for a root canal in the motion picture thriller, Marathon Man? Adding to the conundrum is the fact Belichick chose not to participate in “Belichick – The Making of the Greatest Football Coach of All-Time,” and reportedly urged his closest friends and football allies to do the same as ESPN and former New York Daily News sports columnist Ian O’Connor crafted the unauthorized biography.

Why?

Why now?

The answer is that this one is different.

To accomplish the great feat, O’Connor interviewed some 350 Belichickian connections, from those affiliated with Wesleyan (no, not Lin Manuel Miranda or Amby Burfoot), to those connected to Alabama coach Nick Saban (via connections in Cleveland) to countless New England cohorts. O’Connor touches on all the Patriots points of light, like SpyGate, DeflateGate, the Malcolm Butler Incident and Belichick’s relationship with his star QB Tom Brady and team owner Bob Kraft.

“I thought I knew everything there is to know about the brilliant, secretive coach,” wrote Boston Globe columnist Dan Shaughnessy of his initial reaction to this book. “The “Hoodie” would have made a model Prisoner of War,” he said. “He gives up nothing. Yet Ian O’Connor cracked the code at Fort Foxborough, producing this compelling portrait of the coach and the man. It’s a “must-read” for football buffs and anyone who appreciates leadership.”

To write such a portrait, O’Connor had to put his hand on a bible at his high school alma mater, St. Cecilia’s in sunny Englewood, New Jersey, right alongside the very field where the great Vince Lombardi took his first assistant coaching job, and proclaim that Belichick was, indeed, the greatest American Football coach in history. In doing so, O’Connor learned a lot about Belichick in his research and writing process.

A few of the gems?

“I expected nothing of Belichick as I started this project which offered him no financial reward and no editorial control,” wrote O’Connor. “I learned he was a game-day reflection, not only of his father, Steve, a lifer scout, but also of a high school coach Al Laramore (Annapolis). I learned that Belichick grew from a disconnected tyrant with the (Cleveland) Browns into a vastly underrated motivator in New England.

“I learned that he blamed himself for the Patriots’ most devastating loss in Super Bowl LII and that he always credited his players – in public and in private – for the team’s most glorious victories.

“In the end I was trying to humanize a person who had no interest in being humanized and it proved to be the most daunting challenge of my 30-plus years in journalism,” wrote O’Connor.

Well, what do I think?

“It’s on to Belichick.”

 

Split City …

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New York Yankees 6, Boston Red Sox 2

By Terry Lyons, Editor-in-Chief

BOSTON – Boston Red Sox lefty David Price took a basic, business-like approach as he prepared for his start against a potent New York Yankees lineup, honestly noting he’d toss generic answers towards the media with the same resolve he’d choose to throw four-seam fastballs and cutters at the Yanks.

“Just focus on every pitch,” said Price. “Take it pitch by pitch. Don’t worry about the last one. Don’t think about the next one. Just focus on that pitch.”

All 42 of them. And, well, for 10 batters.

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Alex Cora pulled SP David Price in 2nd inning of Game 2

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The New York Yankees knocked Price out of the game quicker than the Sox sent J.A. Happ packing Friday night, as the Red Sox starter headed to the proverbial showers after 1.2 innings, down 3-0. That horrific start for Boston resulted in a 6-2 New York Yankees victory and sent the series to New York, tied at 1-1, with a chance for the Yanks to close out the ALDS at home with two wins. If necessary, the series would return to Boston for a decisive Game 5 on Thursday, October 11.

The Yankees put the first run on the scoreboard in the top of the 1st inning when Judge crushed a 1-2, 91 mph Price cutter to deep centerfield and high over the Green Monster for his third home run of the 2018 postseason. An inning later, NY catcher Gary Sanchez took Price long by clobbering a 1-1 pitch over the Monster to make the score 2-0, New York. It was his sixth career HR off Price.

An Andrew McCutchen RBI single in the 2nd inning scored NY second baseman Gleyber Torres and forced Red Sox manager Alex Cora to remove Price early in place of long reliever Joe Kelly.

The 3-0 New York lead held until Boston shortstop Xander Bogaerts hit a solo home run to dead centerfield, crushing a 91 mph first-pitch fastball off New York starter Masahiro Tanaka. Aside from the 4th inning HR, Tanaka threw an impressive three-hit, one walk, four strike-out outing, throwing 78 pitches in his 5.0 innings of work. He gave way to Dellin Betances in the 6th to earn his first postseason victory. Tanaka went (12-6) on the season. Price took the loss.

Sanchez hit his second homer of the game in the Yankees’ half of the 7th inning, taking an Eduardo Rodriguez two-seam fastball all the way to Landsdowne Street to score Judge and Giancarlo Stanton and make the score 6-1, New York. While the fastball came in at 92.7 mph, Sanchez’ shot left Fenway at 115 mph and travelled some 479 feet, according to the metrics guys.

Boston earned a run in the 7th inning when second baseman Ian Kinsler hit an RBI double off the monster, scoring 1B Mitch Moreland.

The top of Boston’s batting order went 1-for-11 with a walk (and a force out), the lone base hit coming from DH J.D. Martinez in the 1st inning. MLB batting champion Mookie Betts went 0-for-4 and Andrew Benintendi went 0-for-3 with a walk. Betts and Martinez ranked No. 1 and 2, respectively, in the majors in both batting average (.346, .330) and slugging (.640, .629).

GAME NOTES: The ALDS series will now switch to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx. … Despite his 15-pitch relief performance last night, the Red Sox are planning to throw RHP Rick Porcello (17-7, 4.28 ERA) against New York’s Luis Severino (19-8, 3.39 ERA) in Game 3 on Monday, October 8. … Game 4 starters will be RHP Nathan Eovaldi (6-7, 3.81 ERA) for Boston vs. New York’s LHP C.C. Sabathia (9-7, 3.65 ERA), scheduled for Tuesday, October 9th in NYC’s northernmost borough. … Boston replaced RHP reliever/knuckleball pitcher Steven Wright with RHP Heath Hembree by virtue of an MLB rule which will allow the replacement but will make Wright ineligible to play for the Sox until they name a potential World Series roster. … New York’s OF Aaron Hicks tweaked his right hamstring in the series opener and was removed for Brett Gardner. Hicks had an MRI performed and it showed no strain or tear, but he was on the bench for pinch hitting duties for Game 2 while Gardner started in centerfield. … The Red Sox drew (39, 059) for Game 1 and (39,151) for Game 2.

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