Posted by John Taylor on January 28, 2012, 12:16 AM EST
AP
While it may not matter if some much-needed bowl contraction comes to fruition, the annual postseason game played in Tempe, Ariz., is in search of a new title sponsor.
According to the Associated Press, Tempe-based Insight Enterprises Inc. has decided to allow its sponsorship agreement with the bowl game to expire. Insight has been the postseason game’s sponsor since 1997; prior to that, the game had been known as the Copper Bowl since its inception in 1989.
No reason was given for the decision by the company.
As part of contractual agreements with conferences, the Insight Bowl has pitted the No. 3 team from the Big 12 vs. the Nos. 3/4 teams from the Big Ten. In what appears to be the final Insight Bowl, Oklahoma beat Iowa 31-14 late last year.
Earlier this week, a report surfaced that there is some momentum to raise the threshold for bowl eligibility from the current six wins in a season to seven. In the piece by CBSSports.com‘s Brett McMurphy, it was noted that the Insight Bowl was one of a handful of bowls to have featured 6-6 teams the past few years.
The Fantasy Draft was recently finished, and so we move on to the next two events: The Skills Competition and the actual 2012 All-Star Game.
Now, I am a huge fan of hockey, and the idea of the greatest players in the league facing off sounds more than amazing on paper.
Unfortunately, it just doesn’t pan out that way.
Sure, the All-Star game is exciting. How can it not be?
I only have two problems with it.
One: No checking
Yeah, I know. Why would these players risk injury in an exhibition game?
I agree with you.
That being said, it’s tough to watch a hockey game without the physicality.
Also, I just can’t get used to how high-scoring these games are.
I know, what can I expect when the best forwards in the NHL are all on the ice?
It honestly comes down to the lack of physicality.
Sure, I don’t expect the players to play hard and risk injury, but it’s tough for me to watch that kind of a game.
A few highlights from the 2011 NHL All-Star Skills Competition
That brings me to the real purpose of this article: talking up the All-Star Skills Competition.
Why is this the greatest of the three events?
Think, for a minute, how much time professional hockey players spend on the ice.
Okay, now think about how much of that time they spend doing drills and workouts.
That leaves a substantial amount of free time, yes?
Well, what do you think the players do with this free time? That, my friends, is what the Skills Competition is for.
In the Skills Competition, we get to see what the best of the best can do with no defenders, no rules, just the ice, a stick and a few pucks.
According to sources on NHL.com, the events include the Bridgestone NHL Fastest Skater competition, the Allstate Insurance NHL Breakaway Challenge, the Canadian Tire NHL Accuracy Shooting competition, G Series NHL Skills Challenge Relay, the BlackBerry NHL Hardest Shot competition and, lastly, Tim Horton’s NHL Elimination Shootout.
In just one day, hockey fans will be able to witness the hardest slapshot in the NHL, the fastest skater, the most accurate shooter, the skaters with the most style in a shootout where official NHL rules are suspended, the players with the best hands and the players who can rise above the pressure in the Elimination Shootout.
In other words, we get to see the best players in the NHL with no rules, not many distractions, and essentially, no limits.
We can see some of the things they have perfected in their free time, and we can spend a day appreciating the light-hearted, “schoolyard” type hockey.
It’s certainly a nice break from the regular intensity of what has been a well-contested, closely matched first half of the season for the NHL’s top teams and their fans.
Five teams are in pursuit of free agent Kenyon Martin, a former Denver Nuggets forward who needs an NBA team after leaving for China during the extended NBA lockout.
Fresh from a stint with the Xinjiang Guanghui Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association, Martin has offers from the Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks, ESPN reported through league sources.
Kenyon Martin is considering offers from several contending teams. (AP Photo)
Martin signed a $2.6 million contract with Xinjiang and left China in late December with hopes of returning to the NBA.
But, according to CBA rules, Martin will not be available to sign or play for an NBA team until Xinjiang finishes its season. He could return as soon as Feb. 16 if Xinjiang remains on the periphery of the CBA playoff race.
Weighing heavily in Martin’s decision is his ability to play a large role with a contending team, ESPN reported, according to a source close to Martin.
All of the teams interested in Martin have champion hopes, but a couple have signed players to max deals and are hampered by the luxury tax. The best possible offers can come from the Clippers and Knicks. Both can give Martin $2.5 million mini-midlevel exceptions. Miami can offer the veteran’s minimum of $1.4 million, ESPN reports.
CINCINNATI — The Reds have reached agreement on a two-year deal with right-handed reliever Jose Arredondo, their last player left in salary arbitration.
The Reds signed the 27-year-old pitcher to a minor league deal in January 2010, knowing he would likely have reconstructive elbow surgery a few weeks later. He spent the whole year on the disabled list.
Arredondo made $480,000 last season, when he went 4-4 with a 3.23 ERA in 53 appearances around two stints on the disabled list. After the season, he asked for $875,000 in arbitration. The club offered $725,000.
The Reds are hoping that Arredondo can get back to pitching the way he did before surgery. Arredondo went 10-2 with a 1.62 ERA in 52 relief appearances for the Angels in 2008.
Posted by Ben Kercheval on January 27, 2012, 8:41 PM EST
See, was that so hard?
Following a scheduled appeals meeting with the University of Kansas Friday, the now-former quarterback Brock Berglund has been released from his scholarship and is free to pursue transfer opportunities.
Head coach Charlie Weis made the announcement today, which you can read below.
Berglund’s case was a bizarre one. The freshman was hit with a third-degree assault charge last year — that charge was officially dismissed the other day — which caused Berglund to miss the entire 2011 season as he worked through the required steps to receive that dismissal.
Then, as you’re all aware (hopefully), Kansas coach Turner Gill was fired and KU brought in Charlie Weis in December. According to Berglund via his representative, it became clear that Kansas would be starting transfer Dayne Crist next fall and Berglund wanted to begin looking around at other options.
Berglund’s representative then stated that Kansas would not release Berglund from scholarship and Weis later dismissed Bergland after the quarterback missed a mandatory meeting. It wasn’t until he won the appeals session today that Berglund was finally allowed to move on from the Jayhawks.
Anyway, below is the statement from Weis, effectively breaking Kansas’ silence on the matter*.
“Today, Brock Berglund is released from his scholarship at KU to pursue other opportunities. Brock and his representatives have publicly stated their case without any public response from me to this point. Brock spent the majority of the past calendar year in Colorado taking online courses at KU’s expense, which was nearly $40,000. At no time was Brock an active participant of the football team. Once competition was recruited at the quarterback position, Brock decided he no longer wanted to be a part of the team. He was expected to show up for a mandatory team meeting on Sunday, Jan. 15, but he sent an email less than two hours before the meeting to inform us that he had decided to transfer and would not be attending the meeting. He was dismissed after following through on that promise.
Although Brock has been granted his release, I only wish that he had shown the same courtesy that other players showed and came to talk to me. He decided that he did not have to follow the same protocol as the other departing members of the football team. I believe no individual should be more important than the team. Brock did not see it that way.”
This, of course, coming from the guy who is on his third job in as many years.
Look, Berglund obviously has issues that were more important than football, and Weis is going to do what every new coach does and boot players with a short leash from the team. It happens more often than we realize, and in this instance, the two sides are probably better off without each other.
Just release the kid from scholarship if it’s clear the relationship isn’t going to work out, especially if he’s no longer part of the team. Resisting it makes no sense whatsoever when coaches can — and often do — break contracts at their convenience.
(*note: Kansas could not comment on Berglund’s status before)
The NHL All-Star Game will be played on Sunday and there are many star players who have a chance to earn MVP honors in Ottawa.
All-Star Game MVP is a unique award that doesn’t get the credit it deserves. Being able to stand out in a game full of the best players hockey has to offer is quite impressive, even if the game doesn’t have the same competitive fire the regular season provides.
Let’s look at the top candidates to win the MVP at the 2012 NHL All-Star Game.
Evgeni Malkin, C, Pittsburgh Penguins
Which player has the best shot at MVP?
Malkin Spezza Stamkos Other Submit Vote vote to see results
Which player has the best shot at MVP?
Malkin
25.0%
Spezza
0.0%
Stamkos
0.0%
Other
75.0%
Total votes: 4
The Penguins’ superstar center leads the NHL with 58 points despite playing in just 42 games. Malkin has carried Pittsburgh this season while stars such as Sidney Crosby, James Neal and Jordan Staal have missed time because of injuries.
Malkin is on Team Chara at this year’s game, and could have wingers alongside him such as Patrick Kane, Jarome Iginla, Tyler Seguin, Marian Gaborik and Corey Perry among others.
For Malkin not to score a goal in this game would be shocking, and with many talented players around him there’s no reason to believe he can’t rack up three to six points in this game and win the MVP award.
Steven Stamkos, C, Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning forward is the best young offensive player in the sport and leads the NHL with 32 goals. Stamkos is also fifth in points with 52. In a game dominated by offensive talent, Stamkos has a tremendous chance to win the MVP in Ottawa Sunday afternoon.
With the possibility of Stamkos playing on a line with elite playmakers such as Claude Giroux or Henrik and Daniel Sedin, the Lightning star could dominate the stat sheet at the All-Star game and easily win the MVP award.
Jason Spezza, C, Ottawa Senators
The Ottawa Senators forward is one of many hometown stars that will excite the crowd on Sunday, and he is the most likely of the Ottawa players to take home MVP honors.
Claus Andersen/Getty Images
Spezza is the Senators’ most dangerous forward, and has scored 20 goals with 30 assists for 50 points this season.
If he plays on a line with teammates Daniel Alfredsson and Milan Michalek, Spezza will have good chemistry on his line which will give him an edge over the other players, many of whom will be unfamiliar with their linemates.
Spezza will certainly be a candidate for the MVP award Sunday.
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Nicholas Goss is a Boston Bruins Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and was the organization’s on-site reporter for the 2011 Stanley Cup Finals in Boston.
AP
Kenyon Martin is considering offers from several contending teams. (AP Photo)
Claus Andersen/Getty Images
