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Saturday, April 30, 2016

Bucs Boost Pass Rush with DE Noah Spence

Noah Spence (Eastern Kentucky) vs. Kentucky (2015)

The rejuvenation of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers" defense is officially underway.

One night after adding perhaps the best pure cover corner in the 2016 NFL Draft, the Buccaneers addressed their other pressing need on defense, grabbing Eastern Kentucky defensive end Noah Spence with the eighth pick of the second round, number 39 overall. Considered one of the best pure edge rushers in this year"s class of prospects, Spence joins 11th-overall pick Vernon Hargreaves in giving the Buccaneers" a much-needed infusion of high-level defensive talent.

"I"m just blessed to be able to be taken in the draft at all," said Spence. "I"m going to do as much as I can to make this team great."

In his third season as the Buccaneers" general manager, Jason Licht has clearly turned his attention to a defense that ranked 26th in points allowed in 2015. After targeting a potential shut-down corner in Round One, Licht played to this draft"s strength, landing one of the four defensive linemen who went in the first eight picks of Round Two. In doing so they added what they believe will be an outside complement to Pro Bowl defensive tackle Gerald McCoy and big-time free agency acquisition Robert Ayers, hopefully giving Tampa Bay"s it"s best pass-rush since the Warren Sapp-Simeon Rice days.

INFOGRAPHIC: DE NOAH SPENCE

Spence has the potential to develop into the next great edge rusher for the Buccaneers, who have not had a player produce a 10-sack season since Rice in 2005 (though McCoy annually gets very close). Last fall at Eastern Kentucky he recorded 11.5 sacks, 22.5 tackles for loss and 15 quarterback hurries to go with 63 tackles and three forced fumbles. Prior to transferring to EKU, Spence was the Ohio State Buckeyes" leading sacker in 2013 with 8.0 along with 14.5 tackles for loss and 52 tackles overall.

In addition to his impressive statistics, Spence is considered a high-effort, every-down player.

"You"ve just got to keep going at it, 100 percent every play, like you want to win every rep," he said. "You"re never going to win every rep but you"ve always got to feel like you want to get there. I thought I was [one of the top pass-rushers in the draft]. But we"ll see after the season."

MORE: BUCCANEERS DRAFT NOAH SPENCE

Licht and the Buccaneers began the offseason by making several surgical strikes in free agency to acquire Ayers and cornerback Brent Grimes, two projected starters who addressed those aforementioned needs on defense. Still, for a franchise that intends to build through the draft and which has done exactly that in two previous offensive-minded drafts those positions were still high on the Bucs" wish list entering the weekend. With another pick still to be spent in the third round on Friday night and an extra fourth-rounder gained in a small trade down on Thursday evening, Licht and the Buccaneers may very well continue to give new Defensive Coordinator Mike Smith more young talent.

A Harrisburg, Pennsylvania native, the 6-3, 261-pound Spence was a top national recruit before choosing Ohio State in 2012. He played in 11 games as a true freshman as a reserve on defense, then jumped into the starting lineup in 2013. After ranking second in the Big Ten in sacks in his sophomore campaign, he was named to the all-conference first team by the media.

The Buccaneers made Spence one of the 30 players they were allowed to bring to One Buccaneer Place for a pre-draft visit. That time at team headquarters may have cemented the Bucs" interest in him, possibly leading to some anxious moments as the early picks of the second round became so defense-heavy. In the end, the Bucs got their man for the second night in a row and Spence was just as pleased with the outcome as was the team.

"I love their coaches a lot," he said. "I feel like I had a good feel with them; I felt like family when I walked around the facility. When I was with [Defensive Line] Coach Jay [Hayes] I felt like he reminded me a lot of my dad. It felt almost like a home away from home."

Source: http://www.buccaneers.com/news/article-smith/Bucs-Boost-Pass-Rush-with-DE-Noah-Spence/ea5c4252-6d67-427b-9c3a-219989226a41

Friday, April 29, 2016

Johnny Manziel: bail, a court date and Justin Bieber

A Cleveland Browns Johnny Manziel Farewell Tribute

Johnny Manziel (center right) attended a Justin Bieber concert hours after a grand jury indicted the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner. Bieber (left) and Manziel posed for a photo with Cleveland Browns cornerback Joe Haden (right).

Former Aggie and Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manzielwont appear in court until next month in his domestic violence case.

Dallas County criminal court Judge RobertoCaas set bail for the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner at $1,500, which is typical for a misdemeanor domestic violence case.Prosecutors and Manziels attorneys agreed on the amount, and there will be no formal bail hearing.

Manziel must appear in court on May 5 for Caasto tell him the conditions of his bail. He will turn himself in next week, his attorney said.

Manzielisaccused of kidnapping, hitting and threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend, Colleen Crowley, earlier this year.

The indictment accuses Manziel of intentionally and knowingly causing bodily harm to Crowley by striking complainant with a hand and by forcing complainant into a vehicle and against a vehicle dashboard.

His lawyers have said Manziel will plead not guilty.

The partying continues

So far, Tuesdays indictment on assault charge hasnt seemed to put a crimp in Manziels adventures.

Hours after his indictment, he joined Browns cornerback, Joe Haden, and others at a Justin Bieber concert in Cleveland.

Manziel and Colleen Crowley attend a Texas Rangers game. (File Photo/The Associated Press)

Manziel was cut by the Browns in March after two tumultuous seasons marked by inconsistent play and off-the-field headlines aboutpartyinganddrinking. He did a stint in rehab.

Many people are worried about him. His father is fearfulfor his sons life.

Nate Fitch, a friend of Manziels since middle school in Tyler, recently went onThe Ben & Skin Showon 105.3 FM The Fan in an attempt to get Manziel to seek treatment.

Fitch believes that Manziel who he said dreams of one day playing for the Dallas Cowboys has substance abuse issues. He said he and the mercurial Manziel no longer hang out, but they still talk and he wants the best for his friend.

The path that he is on is not one that really gets better by itself. And unless something happens, somebody intervenes, somebody close to him is able to get through to him whoever is that person, whether its me, a stranger out there or somebody of influence, it has to be done with love and compassion, Fitch said on the show. You cannot shame somebody in his position into seeing what is going on. You just have to love them through it and meet them where theyre at. If somebodys able to do that, then h**l find a way out.

Twitter: @byjenemily

Manziel went with former Browns teammate Joe Haden, whose wife Sarah posted a picture of the group from the concert on Instagram.

As Fans Celebrate Drake"s "Views From the 6," Here"s How the Rapper Became Famous

Drake - Safe 2 Say - (Views From the 6) New

He raps about countless women and the holds they have on his heart, though headmittedhe"s never fallen in love. He"s surprisingly bad at basketball, despite having a cast of all-star athletes and NBA players in his circle. He might not always write his own lyrics (though he doesmake his own whiskey), but the help he employs comes from a deeply loyal squad of hitmakers.

As fans celebrateViews From the 6, an LP Canadian rap legend Drake hailed as a "life soundtrack," it"s these gems that have helped turn Degrassi childhood actor into one of the most interesting and unpredictable men in rap.

Source:Giphy

Aubrey Drake Graham was born on October 24, 1986 in Toronto, aka "the 6," into a family of musicians (his father, a drummer for Jerry Lee Lewis, his uncle being Teenie Hodges). At just 5-years-old, his parents divorced, and he went to live with his white, Jewish mother in the upper middle class Canadian suburb of Forest Hill.

Graham was fortunate enough to attend school in a privileged community, yet maintaining this lifestyle stretched his mother"s budget pretty thin. His mother rented the basement and first floor of a house within the district so her kids would be able to have a better life than her. His mom "was willing to live far beyond her means for her family,"Drake told radio host Jian Ghomeshi in 2013. "I grew up with a mom who was deep in debt because she wanted best for family."

Source:Giphy

It was his fatherwho introduced a young Drake to a world of rap music as the two visited his father"s hometown of Memphis, Tennessee, where the future hitmaker would spend most of his childhood summers. Southern rap music had a lasting effect on the impressionable kid, who would later tell Ghomeshi "it opened up not only my mind but my ears."

Drake didn"t immediately dive into the American music scene, however. He"d eventually return to Canada, where he was cast as Jimmy Brooks, a student and budding rapper, on the critically successful reboot of a Canadian TV series titled Degrassi: The Next Generation at .

The career move catapulted Drake into the hearts of millennial audiences worldwide. Fans of the show and of the rapper"s winding backstory will likely remember the most defining moment in his acting career in vivid detail when Drake"s character was shot and paralyzed during a dramatic two-part special.

Source:Giphy

After the show took this turn, Drake gradually began to inject his character"s passion for rapping into his own life. He had been rapping on and off until his career with Degrassi came to an end in 2009, releasing his first mixtape in February 2006, titled R. Several tracks caught the attention of rapper Lil Wayne, who began to f 2007 was his biggest year in music before leaving the show and investing his energy full time into creating raps, releasing Comeback Season and remixing "" with Lil Wayne.

Drake became a mainstay in the American rap scene in 2009, carving out a new lane that rap had rarely seen before. He presented himself as a rapper in touch with his emotions, comfortable baring his soul over soul loops. It pinned Drake with the label of "soft," but his song "" became a critical success nevertheless. It reached No. on without the newcomer evenhaving to ink a record contract.

He would later sign a major deal with Cash Money/Universal Motown Records after what was considered one of the within the music industry at the time. The rapper was hard at work throughout 2009, dropping a mixtape titled S and prepping the release of his first official studio album, Thank Me Later, which would arrive in June 2010.

His next album, Take Care, earned Drake his first and thus far only Grammy for rap album of the year in 2013. When the trophy came in the mail, he celebrated by taking shots out of its flaring horn.

Source: YouTube

Since establishing himself in rap, Drake has extended his hands into a number of other business pursuits. In 2010, he teamed up with the luxury fashion designer Canada Goose to create a custom OVO limited edition jacket. In 2013, he became the for the NBA"s Toronto Raptors, though it isn"t exactly clear what Drake"s responsibilities are, other than showing face at basketball games. He"s also hosted and has created his own radio station called

Drake hasn"t had a perfectly untouched career, however the rapper faced for wanting to build a collaborative album with recordings from deceased R&B singer Aaliyah, The album was also supported by Lil Wayne, though the two decidedly dropped the album off their agenda after fellow entertainers close to Aaliyah, including and , spoke out.

He"s also faced continued scrutiny for his involvement in altercations with other rappers, the most controversial being his feud with Chris Brown. The two exchanged before eventually taking their fight to a New York club, in which Brown has alleged that Drake"s entouragethrew a bottle that cut open his face.

Source:Giphy

Since then, Drake has continued to expand on his carefully constructed empire, while attempting to remain the Canadian suburban boy who played Jimmy on Degrassi. It"s a fine line to walk, and one he"s still finding his balance on. However, his ability to stay relevant and influential in a rap game increasingly centered upon the one-hit wondershows the might be onto something bigger than anything the music industry has seen thus far.

Read more:Drake"s "Views From the 6" Is Almost Here, and the Memes Are Out in Full Effect

Source: http://mic.com/articles/142019/as-fans-celebrate-drake-s-views-from-the-6-here-s-how-the-rapper-became-famous

New Report Says Prince"s Death May Be Investigated As An Overdose

USHER SNAPCHAT VIDEOS (ft Kid Ink) Funny Moments, BEST VOCALS

A week after Prince"s unexpected death, authorities are one step closer to figuring out how the music legend died.

On Thursday, law enforcement told the Associated Press that they are investigating the possibility that the Purple Rain artist suffered an overdose.

Related: Judge Confirms Prince Didn"t Have A Will

As we reported, sources close to the 57-year-old said the musician was prescribed Percocet in 2009 and slowly became addicted.

On April 15 after a performance in Atlanta, the Grammy winner reportedly overdosed on the drug while in flight, prompting the plane to make an emergency landing in Moline, Illinois. Police are trying to figure out if a doctor was present for this ordeal.

Additionally, officials are investigating what type of drugs were on the plane, and what kind were at his Paisley Park house.

As we wrote on Thursday, police obtained a warrant to search his Minnesota mansion.

Our thoughts and prayers go to Prince"s friends and family during this difficult time.

[Image via Getty Images.]

Tags: atlanta, death, drugs, family, grammys, judge, legal matters, mansion, medicine, minnesota, music, music minute, overdose, performance, police, prince, r.i.p., sad sad

Source: http://perezhilton.com/2016-04-28-prince-overdose-investigation

NFL teams should understand Derrick Henry"s his own man

Derrick Henry (Alabama, RB) | 2016 NFL Combine Highlights

Let me get this straight. You"re an NFL franchise, and you might drop Derrick Henry on your draft board for reasons that have little or nothing to do with Derrick Henry himself?

You"re going to hold Mark Ingram, Trent Richardson, Eddie Lacy and/or T.J. Yeldon against him? You"re going to look at a player at that position in a crimson jersey and see a red flag?

Seriously? It"s about time to hit the mute button on your stereotypes about former Alabama running backs.

The negative narrative is out there. It goes something like this: Nick Saban"s Process chews them up and spits them out, getting the best out of them in college but leaving something less in their tanks for the NFL.

See this Sporting News story: Alabama"s running back numbers cast shadow of doubt on Derrick Henry.

Or this piece from Pro Football Talk: Alabama running back reputation could drag down Derrick Henry.

The NFL is infamous for its convenient and lazy groupthink when it comes to college prospects. Draft evaluations often include a comparison to a former player in the league, even though no two players are created exactly equal.

Henry"s "NFL comparison," according to his evaluation on NFL.com, is former Auburn and New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs.

Jacobs was a solid NFL player, with two 1,000-yard seasons during his nine-year pro career, but he was an inch taller and about 20 pounds heavier than Henry and lacked his breakaway speed.

One evaluation of Jacobs before the Giants took him in the fourth round of the 2005 draft said he lacked a second gear. You wouldn"t say that about Henry if you"d seen him run away from SEC defensive backs.

It just goes to show. The less you look at a player as a unique individual, the more likely you are to make a mistake.

To even suspect that Henry"s best days may be behind him because some of his predecessors at Alabama enjoyed better years in college than they have so far in the NFL is short-sighted, narrow-minded and just plain foolish.

For starters, Henry is listed at 6-foot-3 and 247 pounds. That makes him taller and heavier than Ingram, Richardson, Lacy and Yeldon.

Henry"s size and the numbers he put up as a junior Heisman winner last season - 395 carries for 2,219 yards and 28 touchdowns - suggest he"s the most durable of Saban"s Alabama studs at tailback.

Not to mention, the idea that those studs become duds at the next level isn"t even accurate.

Ingram has battled injuries during his five years with the Saints, but he"s accounted for almost 4,000 yards rushing and receiving. Lacy has two 1,000-yard rushing seasons in his three years with the Packers, was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2013 and has lost weight after failing to reach the 1,000-yard threshold last season.

Yeldon totaled 1,019 rushing and receiving yards last season as a rookie for Jaguars. Even Richardson, who"s been considered a bust, ran for almost 1,000 yards as a rookie. The Ravens must see something in him because they"ve signed a slimmed-down Richardson to a free-agent contract.

All of which is interesting but has little to do with where Henry should be selected in this year"s draft or what kind of pro he"ll become. That"s on him and the franchise that picks him.

Correction. That"s on him and the franchise that"s smart enough to pick him. As we learned the last three years, the best running back of the Saban era at Alabama is very much his own man.

Source: http://www.al.com/alabamafootball/index.ssf/2016/04/nfl_teams_should_understand_de.html

Thursday, April 28, 2016

3-on-3: Los Angeles Clippers vs Portland Trail Blazers (Game 5)

Portland Trail Blazers vs LA Clippers | Game 1 | Full Game Highlights | April 17, 2016 | NBA

Los Angeles Clippers (2) vs Portland Trail Blazers(2)StaplesCenter7:00 p.m. PSTApril 27, 2016Fox Prime Ticket/ NBA TV

PHOTOS: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE

1. On a scale of Clippers low points where does Game 4 rank?Aaron Williams(@aaronsmarter): Nah, Roscoe. You cant just post a question like this without a *Trigger Warning*for the long-time Clippers fans, fam. That rabbit hole is a PTSD minefield for thoseof us who started in the PG* era (*Pre-Griffin). Kandi-man All those seasons of injuredKaveman Livingston *shudders*. I refuse to go any further back, or I may enter a fuguestate. This isnt the worst, but This team always finds a way to hurt me.

Ben Mesirow (@SemNeb): This is pretty bad, and thats saying something as we all know, the Clippers have hit a lot of low points. Shaun Livingstons knee injury was deeply horrifying, Elton Brands midnight flight was a gut punch, everything related to Donald Sterling was gross and offensive, and theres so much more. But the difference on Monday night was simple the Clippers, more than any other time in franchise history, had hope. Not anymore.

Roscoe Whalan(@RoscoeWhalan): It was just so quick. Thats what makes this worse than Houston last year, which was a disaster that happened in slow motion and we saw it coming. But injuries to not just one but two stars in the same game is cruel. For those injuries to come justhours after the door had been cracked open by Currys injury just compounded things further. In an afternoon,the Clippers went from a punchers chance to a real oneto an afterthought again. It was the like the opposite emotions to the DeAndre Dallas Daylastsummer.

2. Multiple choice time. Whats your overarching feeling right now:a. The Clippers are forever doomed;b. Even if the Clippers bounce back and win this series, whats the point?c.Was that the last game well see with CP3, Blake & DJ all on the court together as Clippers?d.Al-Farouq Aminu should get the max.Williams:C., because we live in the the hyper-accelerated, social media era of overreaction.I think part of the nostalgia for the 80s derives from being able to claim your team and yourplayers for longer than 4 years at a time. Also, Doc Rivers wasnt anybodys GM, and the worldwas kind of a better place for it. I can absolutely see good-time Glenn pulling the trigger on a dealfor Rajon Rondo and Tony Allen (yknow, complete the set) or Kevin Garnett that will decimatethe remainder of the Clippers draft picks for the duration of his tenure. Oy.

Mesirow: Oh boy. All of the above, but also none of the above since Monday night Ive mostly been doing my best to avoid toppling off the ledge and into the pit of nihilism and despair of options A and B. So instead Im locked onto the horizon like Im trying to avoid getting seasick, thinking about C, the future, and what the Clippers should do this offseason. I havent figured it out just yet.

Whalan: B & C. B because the nihilist in me cant help but think itd be a waste to win and then enter Round 2 against the defending champs sans youre 1A& 1Bstars. The ensuing bloodbath would be similar to the 2012 Second Round against the Spurs when the Clippers got swept. So whats the point? And then, that leads me to thinking a lot about C. Is it time to break up the band? Five straight years of Playoff disappointments, a number of sizable cracks in the glass ceiling and some great highlights but not even a Western Conference Finals appearance to show for it. Maybe the Clippers rose to power at the wrong time with Golden State? Sigh.

3. Predict the Clippers starting 5 for tomorrow night.Williams:Rivers-Redick-Mbah a Moute-Pierce-Jordan. Its gonna be a bloodbath. Or, at least in this quadrantof L.A. sports fandom, an average Wednesday.

Mesirow: Rivers Redick Mbah a Moute Green Jordan. Its not glamorous, and its not beautiful, there isnt much play-making and there really isnt a lot of shooting. Oh, did you think I was going to come up with a silver lining? Because I was just going to leave it there. Well O.K., how about this: thats not a terrible defensive group, and going small with Green or the Prince at the four wont kill them against the Aminu-Plumlee frontcourt.

Whalan:Rivers Redick Turkoglu, uh, Al Thornton and DeAndre Jordan? Its not pretty. But guys, weve got the Sixth Man of the Year coming off the bench and if Paul Pierce takes a drink of that Truth syrup, maybe just maybe

Roscoe Whalan

Roscoe Whalans a journalist and Aussie ex-pat living in Washington D.C, who was once told by DeAndre Jordan to speak English. He still believes Yaroslav Korolev may be the answer at small forward.

UFC 200 press event in New York City

UFC 200: Tickets On Sale Friday
(Credit: Getty Images/ Jeff Zelevansky)

UFC president Dana White stands between Miesha Tate and Amanda Nunes as they square off during a media availability for UFC 200 at Madison Square Garden on April 27, 2016 in New York City.