The NFL made rule changes that effect kickoffs and the instant replay. NFL owners voted 26-6 to move kickoffs to the 35 yardline. The rule also requires that coverage players line up no more than five yards behind the kickoff. Owners also voted to keep touchbacks at the 20 yard line. The instant replay rule was changed by a 30-2 vote to include all scoring plays.
To read a related Sports Illustrated article, please click here:
James Sutliff
The New York Mets have been making roster moves this spring. Perez was released three days after the Mets released Castillio. The Mets will have to pay Perez the remaining $12 million of his contract. Also, Jason Isringhausen has been playing well but is now suffering from inflammation in his elbow.
To read a related CBS Sports article, please click here:
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/story/14840788/mets-release-perez-swallow-12-million-in-salary
Jim Sutliff
The North Carolina Tar Heels are bound for another NCAA sweet 16. The Tar Heels defeated the Washington Huskies 86-83 early Sunday afternoon. Washington out redounded North Carolina 38-33 but that was not enough to prevent the second seed from advancing.
To read a related MSNBC article, please click here:
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/42181260/ns/sports-college_basketball/
Jim Sutliff
Butler defeated Pittsburgh 71-70 and advanced to the next round of the NCAA Tournament. Butler defeated the number one seed in their bracket in the final second with Matt Howard hitting a free throw. The Butler Bulldogs have played the role of the cinderella team in the past when they played Duke for the NCAA Championship.
To read a related ESPN article, please click here:
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncb/recap?gameId=310780221
James Sutliff
Duke and Pittsburgh both advanced to the third round of the NCAA Tournament. The two teams are top seeds and will meet the 8th seed in their corresponding bracket this weekend. Duke defeated Hampton 87-47 and Pittsburgh won their game 74-51.
To visit the NCAA site, please click here:
http://www.ncaa.com/brackets/basketball-men/d1/2011
Jim Sutliff
The NFL owners are set to vote next week on moving kickoffs to the 35 yard line. Currently, kickoffs are from the 30 yard line and have been since 1994. In 1994, the league voted to move kickoffs to the 30 yard line to help with offensive production. The shift back to the 35 yard line is hoped to lower the number of injuries that take place during kickoffs. In addition, the league is expected to move touchbacks to the 25 yard line from the 20 yard line.
To read a related Bloomberg Sports article, please click here:
James Sutliff
The NCAA Tournament brackets have been announced and ESPN has full coverage. ESPN has all the bracket match-ups and game highlights. The Tournament top seeds are Ohio State, Duke, Kansas, and Pittsburgh.
To visit the ESPN NCAA Tournament Brackets, please click here:
http://espn.go.com/mens-college-basketball/
Jim Sutliff
Duke won their third straight ACC Championship with a 75-58 win over North Carolina. Duke finished the season with a 30-4 record and North Carolina ended with a 26-7 mark. Before the match-up, Duke was ranked fifth and North Carolina was ranked sixth.
To read a related Bloomberg sports article, please click here:
James Sutliff
The NCAA Tournament brackets are closely followed by college basketball fans. Bracket Watch on Sports Illustrated provides projections of bracket match-ups and an overview of the teams competing for the remaining slots. Bracket Watch predicts that the top seeds will be Notre Dame, Kansas, Pittsburgh, and Ohio State.
To visit Bracket Watch on the Sports Illustrated site, please click here:
Jim Sutliff
The NBA players union and the league are preparing for a possible lockout. The collective bargaining agreement will expire on June 30th and the union distributed a 56 page handbook to the players. Instructions for handling expenses and the media were included in the handbook.
To read a related Bloomberg Sports article, please click here:
James Sutliff
Martin Kaymer is the new number one but things could change after Doral. The tournament at Doral started and PGATOUR.com has all of the action. Every player and every shot is updated on the site in real time.
To visit the PGA Tour Leaderboard, please click here:
http://www.pgatour.com/shottracker/current/pb_main_wgc.html#/
Jim Sutliff
Pittsburgh Penguins coach Dan Bylsma landed a 3 year contract extension. Bylsma is credited with leading the Penguins to the 2009 Stanley Cup victory over the Detroit Red Wings. Bylsma has a winning percentage of .649 which gives him the highest percentage in the history of the Penguins.
To read a related ESPN article, please click here:
http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/news/story?id=6197111
James Sutliff
Kevin Kolb is starting to attract attention from at least three NFL teams. A quality quarterback like Kevin Kolb could bring the Philadelphia Eagles a first round draft choice, money, and/or a top position player. Kevin Kolb is the back-up quarterback for the Eagles and is likely to be traded soon after a collective bargaining agreement.
To read a related CBS Sports article, please click here:
http://eye-on-football.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22475988/27796274
Jim Sutliff
Ohio State defeated Wisconsin by a score of 93-65 in Columbus Ohio. The number one ranked Ohio State Buckeyes have only lost two games on the year. The Buckeyes had a strong finish to their season and are hoping for the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament.
To read a related MSNBC article, please click here:
http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/41940324/ns/sports-college_basketball/
James Sutliff
The players’ union and the NFL agreed to a 7 day contract extension. The extension will provide more time for negotiators to work out an agreement and avoid a work stoppage. Wihout an extension the collective bargaining agreement would have expired last night.
To read a related Bloomberg Sports article, please click here:
Jim Sutliff
