In what came to a shock to most people Roger Clemens was found not guilty on all counts of doping yesterday. Even though the case was long the jurors returned their verdict  relatively quickly, less than 10 hours over several days. This ended a 10-week trial and the verdict was the latest blow to the government’s legal pursuit of athletes accused of illegal drug use. Barry Bonds was only found guilty of one count of obstruction in a San Francisco court last year. Probably one of the most famous anti-drug cases was that of Lance Armstrong. After a two-year, multi-continent investigation of the seven-time Tour de France champion the case was only recently closed with no charges.

Clemens was accused of cheating the achieve and extend his successful career and he was charges with two counts of perjury, three counts of making false statements and one count of obstructing Congress when he testifies at a deposition and at a nationally televised hearing in February 2008. Clemens had denied multiple times that he never used steroids and human growth hormones during his 24-year career with the New York Yankees that produced 354 victories. The government had a strong case against Clemens when his longtime strength coach Brian McNamee testified against Clemens saying he injected Clemens with steroids in 1998, 2000 and 2001 and with HGH in 2000. He produced a needle with other materials he said were from those injections. But he was the only one who claimed he knew about Clemens using steroids and HGH. But the defense said that Clemens was injected by McNamee but not with anything illegal, but with vitamin B12. Whatever the case the jury had the final say and they decided that Roger Clemens did not do anything illegal, a decision many people do not believe because of the evidence that was brought up against Clemens.

The New York Jets are in the AFC Championship game for the second time in as many years. Only this time, they stand a much better chance. Or do they?

Coming into the season the Jets were viewed as one of the favorites to go to Dallas for the Super Bowl. After completing an 11-5 regular season, sneaking by the Colts in the Wild Card, and “upsetting” the mighty Belichickians in the divisional round, they are one game away from meeting those predictions. The only thing that stands in their way are the battle-tested, 12-4 Pittsburgh Steelers. Do the Jets stand a chance? After all, they didn’t stand much of a chance against the 14-2 Patriots last week.

The good news for the Jets: Santonio Holmes is sure to have another breakout performance, as is the norm for him in the playoffs. The bad news for the Jets: Mark Sanchez, Holmes, and company will not be playing New England’s defense this week. It’s up to Rex Ryan and the wonderkind Sanchez to put together an offensive game that resembles their performance against the Patriots to get the best of Pittsburgh’s staunch defense. The Steelers defense is superb at virtually every position, so mental lapses cannot be tolerated.

Unlike the previous two weeks, the Jets are erring on the side of respect in the media. No cheap shots on the opposing quarterback’s preparation habits, no “this is personal” statements, no inflammatory remarks. Instead, they are likening Ben Roethlisberger to a polar bear when describing the difficulty in bringing the 6′5′ 240-pound quarterback to the ground. But wait a minute, is this the same team?

The Jets already defeated the Steelers in their week 15 matchup by a score of 22-17. Perhaps they don’t feel a need to provoke them. After all, the Jets were licking their wounds from the 45-3 shellacking they took at the hands of the Patriots in the regular season and the AFC Championship Game defeat last year at the hands of the Colts. They were ready to avenge those losses. So ready that they felt the need to relay their swagger through trash talk. They’ve already conquered the Steelers, now they just have to do it again. Plus they are getting their kick return and wildcat specialist Brad Smith back.

Rex Ryan and Mike Tomlin have expressed their admiration and respect for each other. So where was that last week against the Patriots? I guess there’s no room for admiration and respect when it comes to your divisional rival.

So why taunt someone who’s already been defeated? Or could their quietness possibly be because they don’t want to wake a sleeping giant? New York better be ready to play this time, because the Steelers’ defense is just as good, if not better, than their offense. It should be a good one. And it’ll be trash talk free, the way it should be.

By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network

The back and fourth, on again-off again trade reports of Carmelo Anthony leaving Denver are apparently alive and well once more. After the four team trade involving New Jersey, Charlotte, and Utah fell through a couple weeks ago, talks are swirling overhead again, this time with the New York Knicks.

Anthony, and now even Spike Lee, has stated his number one desired destination is New York. “Carmelo definitely, 100 percent wants to be a Knick,” according to Lee. Everyone knows where he wants to go, so why are there no specific trade talks to speak of? One reason: Denver’s stubbornness and reluctance to trade him.

The Nuggets continue to hold on to the hope that he signs the three-year $65 million extension that has been presented to Anthony since June. There’s one problem with that: he hasn’t signed it yet. The deal has been on the table for a good five months now. If he hasn’t signed it yet, chances are pretty good he’s never going to sign it. The Nuggets are trying to persuade him to stay, but have done a poor job at doing so. Their only new piece added in the offseason was Al Harrington who is basically a Kenyon Martin clone with a slightly better 17-foot jumper. I guess their strategy is to see how the start of the season plays out and go from there.

The Knicks’ offers in the past have centered around Anthony Randolph, Danilo Gallinari, Eddy Curry’s expiring contract, and a first round draft pick. Curry is currently nursing a strained hamstring and has missed every preseason game. He has little on-court value, but his $11.3 million salary comes off the cap at the end of the season, proving valuable for the financially maxed out Nuggets. This offer would likely not be enough value in return for the Nuggets, so the Knicks are looking for a third team to get involved. The Bulls and Nets have pulled out of any talks due to their refusal to include Joakim Noah and Derrick Favors in a deal, respectively.

Another intriguing asset that could be considered part of a deal for the Knicks is backup point guard Toney Douglas, who has played well in the preseason.

All of this can be filed under speculation until the Nuggets sit down and listen to proposed trades from the Knicks. It’s clear that will be his landing spot. It’s just a matter of when. The Nuggets better get something for him now before they end up in the ditch like the Cavaliers and Raptors.

For Knicks fans, they missed out on Lebron James and Co., but getting Amare Stoudemire and presumably Anthony aren’t bad consolation prizes.

By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network

Many people predicted big things this season for the Jets. They were considered to be a Super Bowl favorite coming out of the AFC. I had trouble with this thinking, and it seems my thoughts on the team were not baseless. After two games the Jets have been Jekyll and Hyde. Their offense looked ugly against the Ravens. The following week, Mark Sanchez seemingly swapped places with Tom Brady in their shellacking of the Patriots. Now the team has a whole new set of problems and might be reverting back to their week 1 performance this Sunday.

Among the woes this week include an injured Darrelle Revis (hamstring), and a strung out Braylon Edwards, who was arrested Tuesday for driving while intoxicated. No worries, though, Rex Ryan has no problems with playing Edwards after the incident. It’s just another “incident” after all, nothing to take too seriously. After all, the Jets are the first team you would expect to discipline (sense the sarcasm).

Edwards is set to play but not start this Sunday against the Dolphins. Owner Woody Johnson has backed this decision, adding that in his multiple conversations with him he has shown the appropriate remorse for what he did. What? How much remorse do you have to show to be back on good terms with this organization? What, did he say sorry? Is that enough?

This is not Edwards’ first scratch with the law. He has had several when he was with the Browns. Yet a slap on the wrist seems to suffice as proper punishment. Ben Roethisberger gets suspended for four games for incidents off the field that are largely unjustified. The main difference between the Steelers (a championship team) and the Jets (a pretender) is their tolerance for bull.

Johnson claims he research multiple drunk-driving arrests from around the league and claims their discipline is about as severe an action as he’s seen.

What’s more, Edwards hasn’t apologized for it yet. This guy doesn’t care for the team, he just wants to get his. And another thing, I understand guys wanting to go out, have fun, put a couple of drinks back, but to then get in a car and drive? I don’t care if he had half a drink or five drinks, you just don’t do it, especially when you are a professional athlete with major responsibilities to your team.

This is just another blemish on the Jets record as a whole that does absolutely nothing for hopes of a cleaner image. I’m picking the Dolphins this Sunday to beat the Jets in what will be a sluggish, inconsistent, and underwhelming year that had high aspirations.

By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network

For the third time this offseason the Knicks have been linked to the acquisition of a superstar. This time that player is Carmello Anthony. While the idea of Anthony coming to New York isn’t really new, speculation has heated up.

Anthony, to the Nuggets dismay, has not jumped at the $65 million three-year contract extension offered to him over a month ago. With a new CBA looming that could be the best contract Mello gets, so by leaving the offer on the table Anthony is giving a big indication to the Nuggets that he will not re-sign with them.

The Nuggets seem to have gotten the message and, in trying to avoid what happened to Cleveland this summer, the Nuggets are starting to shop their star small forward.

It is widely believed that Mello’s top destination would be New York. He grew up in the area, recently got married there, and would love to play with Stoudemire in the big market.

While the decision isn’t up to him, the Knicks have the assets to get him. It has been reported that the Knicks will offer Danillo Gallinari, Eddy Curry and his expiring contract, and a 2014 first round pick. It might take a little more than that to get him, perhaps Bill Walker or Wilson Chandler, but that should not be a problem for New York.

If they are able to work out this trade they would have completed their goal of acquiring two superstars and, alongside the additions of Raymond Felton and Anthony Randolph, should be able to compete with the top teams in the league.

In addition, granted they make no additional moves, they will have the cap room to add a max contract in 2012 such as Chris Paul or Deron Williams to complete their big three.

by Evan Slavit at the Sports Fan Blog Network

After missing out on LeBron earlier this offseason, it appears the Knicks are now moving their sights onto another young superstar. Chris Paul has recently asked the Hornets to trade him, giving them a list of teams with the Knicks on the top of his list. This news coming after Chris Paul made a toast at Carmello Anthony’s wedding to the big 3 in NY (Paul, Anthony, and Stoudemire) to compete against the big three in Miami. The Knicks have the assets to make the trade, and it seems like a strong possibility the Hornets will trade Paul, so will the Knicks get two coveted superstars in the offseason after all?

It seems like a strong possibility. New Orleans is a team in transition. They have a new GM, a new head coach and no great talent next to Paul. They have a lot of bad contracts and Paul realizes they will not be able to compete for a title any time soon. He saw LeBron leave and form his big three and now he wants one of his own. The Hornets are a small market team, and while keeping Paul helps their ticket sales, he can also hurt them if he isn’t buying into the system. The new guys don’t need someone questioning their system, and they don’t need a player constantly telling their fans the team will never be successful. In addition the Hornets could pick up a lot by trading Paul. There are a lot of young players available to them, and you bet they are going to be able to unload a bad contract or two. They are a team that is not going to compete now. With a new coach and GM why not start a rebuilding project.

For the Knicks they have the players to acquire Paul. Anthony Randolph, Danillo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Toney Douglas, and Bill Walker are young players with a lot of upside. Package any of those guys with a few 2nd round draft picks or a 2014 first round pick, in addition to taking on a bad contract like an Emeka Okefor or a James Posey, and the Knicks have an attractive offer. Definitely competitive with the other teams on Paul’s list, the Mavericks, Magic, and Trail Blazers.

So New Orleans have reasons to trade Paul, the Knicks have the means to get him, so will they get him and more importantly should they get him? For the first question I believe if the Knicks want Paul they will get him. Perhaps it is my NY bias, but there is a lot going in their favor. First, Paul has picked them above any of the other teams, and while New Orleans has the final say, I am sure it has some play. Second the Knicks can offer so much to the Hornets, with the Blazers the only team that can really match it.

So, yes I believe the Knicks will get Paul if they want him, but should they want him. Well it depends. If you can get Paul with keeping your flexibility open to get Mello later, that would be a no brainer. Imagine a big three in NY that could stick it to Pat Riley and those guys in South Beach. But my feeling is that to get Paul they would need to take on Okefor and Posey all while giving Curry’s expiring contract up. So depending on what young guys we have to give up, we could have a team with Stoudemire, Paul, and a lot of big contracts for guys that don’t exactly fit the system. We would lose all the flexibility we worked to get. While we might not be assured a player next offseason, I believe the Knicks could get either Tony Parker or Mello, even with a new CBA looming. They can achieve this and keep their young players and flexibility.

It is extremely tempting to want to get Paul, and if the deal makes sense I am sure the Knicks will make it. But if the deal costs too much the Knicks won’t and shouldn’t do it, and will instead wait till Dec 15 or next offseason.

by Evan Slavit at the Sports Fan Blog Network

By Ryan O’Reilly

On any given Saturday, 40 North Jersey boys lace up to take on the best of Long Island, Connecticut and New Jersey amateur football. There are no egos allowed, no big paychecks given. They just show up to play the game they love.

The New Jersey Irish semi-pro football team, based out of Wayne, hit the road Saturday, July 10 for their only exhibition game against the Long Island Hurricanes.

The grey skies and rain showers accompanying the team could not put a damper on a 21-6 Irish victory in the organizations first ever game.
Led by co-owners Keith Correal — also the head coach — and Nick Dilworth, the Irish began what they hope to be a successful campaign in the semi-pro Five Star Football League.

This is the inaugural season for the full-pads amateur football league as 16 teams from the tri-state area compete in a ten game regular season. The Irish roster is stocked with former New Jersey high school standouts from Clifton, Parsippany Hills and Dumont.

The first quarter breezed by as both teams exchanged possessions with nothing to show on the scoreboard. Defensive tackle Dashawn Frazier provided the only first quarter highlight when he overpowered the Hurricane offensive line to force a fumble in the backfield which was recovered by the Irish.

The second quarter, however, provided plenty of fireworks as 20 points were put up by both teams. It started when Irish quarterback John DiGirolamo, a graduate of Montclair State, rushed in from just one yard away for the first touchdown in Irish history.

After Frazier recorded a sack on a Hurricane fourth down, Digirolamo led the Irish on a 49 yard drive that ended with Louis Aboyoun on the receiving end of a three yard Digirolamo passing touchdown. The touchdowns on consecutive possessions showed the potential explosiveness of the Irish offense that otherwise struggled to find a rhythm for most of the afternoon.

Of the offensive struggle, Digirolamo said, “We moved the ball fine and completed passes but we just couldn’t finish when we got close.”
Finishing indeed proved to be a problem as the offense fumbled the ball twice inside the red zone and two more times outside the 20 yard line. Correal said he expected some sloppiness but also expressed some frustration with the number of mistakes. However, he did find a positive after the game. “The good thing is this was a wakeup call for the coaches, players and whole organization,” Correal said. “Now we have two weeks to correct our mistakes and practice the things we struggled with today.”

In contrast, the defense seemed to hold together against an offensive featuring a dangerous running back in Alton Lucas, a former starter at Hofstra University.

Lucas ripped off a long run on a draw play in the final two minutes of the first half. The played ended with a 15 yard personal foul penalty, bringing the Hurricanes to the Irish four yard line. The defense held stout until Long Island scored on a counter play. The extra point was no good and the six points were all the Hurricanes would muster.

After the half, the Irish received the kickoff and defensive back Rashid Darrisaw provided an electric 75 yard kick return to put another six on the board. After the successful extra point conversion, the Green and White led 21-6. That would be all the scoring on the afternoon, but Darrisaw continued to shine in the second half. The corner from Grambling State was in on several tipped passes and came close to two interceptions. Correal expressed his excitement for Darrisaw following the game. “Rashid was a great addition,” he said. “We got him from the New York Bandits and he was great today from the return to the pass break-ups. If it’s possible, he exceeded our expectations.”

Darrisaw also spoke about how he wanted to help the Irish. “I joined the team to make plays and help us win any way I can,” he said. “It could be returns or playing defense, I’m just trying to do whatever I can to win.”

The rest of the second half featured an Irish offense able to move the ball, but unable to finish. The Hurricanes could not do much of anything as the clock ticked away.

Although the play was sloppy at times, the Irish walked away happy with the victory, but aware of the work that needs to be done.
Correal said, “On offense, we need to focus on ball security and finishing plays. On defense, we need to work on tackling. The defense had no problems but workings as a unit for the first time. So, they need to just get chemistry because we definitely have the talent.”

Game Notes:
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Digirolamo was 9-of-13 passing at one point in the second half, but finished the day 13/28 passing with 211 yards and the one passing touchdown. He also had the rushing touchdown in the second quarter.
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Frazier was a force all afternoon as he outmuscled the Hurricane offensive line and found himself in the backfield breaking up plays all game long. He had one forced fumble and could have had two if not for a referees inadvertent whistle.
-
The Irish did not punt once in its first game and converted just 1-of-3 fourth down
conversions.
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Star of the Game: Rashid Darrisaw: Darrisaw gets the nod for his touchdown on the kick return to open the second half where he was untouched and was a force in stopping the Long Island passing game.
-
Play of the game: To open the second half, Darrisaw ran 75 yards untouched with
the help of excellent blocking, giving the Irish a 21-6 lead. His electric playmaking
ability bodes well for special teams coach Drew Bertolotti and his impressive unit.
-
On the horizon: The Irish have two weeks to prepare for its regular season opener
at Kean University on July 31 at 7 p.m. against the New Jersey Bears.

For more information, visit www.njirishfootball.com.

Assuming the Knicks are done with improvements, and aside from a trade they seem to be done until next summer, how will the Knicks look next season. We have waited quite some time for this summer for the front office to make this team a contender again and so how have they done.

I say as of right now the Knicks are around a 40-win team. That is not where we expected to be after this summer, but its a good start.

The Knicks did sign a superstar in Amar’e Stoudemire and added a true point guard in Raymond Felton. They also added another nice young piece in Anthony Randolph.

With expected improvements from some of the other guys (Gallinari, Chandler, Douglas) 40 wins is definitely attainable with a possible 7th or 8th seed in reach.

While Lebron would have been nice, just getting back into the playoffs will be a good first step.

Aside from Stoudemire none of the moves the Knicks made are long term and so they have room to bring in a max-type player next season if anyone wants to come, and be free to make moves in the future.

The rebuilding is not over, but it is pretty promising considering our worst-case scenario happened. It’s hard to continue to preach patience but the Knicks are one superstar away from being a true contender.

While it won’t be official till Thursday, Amar’e Stoudemire has agreed to terms on a 5-year max contract with the New York Knicks. When Donnie Walsh took over as the GM of the Knicks he laid out a plan to shed salary and bring stars to the Knicks to restore the franchise. With Stoudemire stating, “The Knicks are back,” during his press conference has Donnie Walsh restored the Knicks to prominence in the NBA?

This signing alone probably boosts the Knicks up to a playoff team in the weak East. While Stoudemire’s numbers do not look significantly better than what Lee had, nor is his defense an improvement, he brings something else to the table…star power. It might seem overrated, but it is very important to a team. Kobe makes the players around him better not just because of what he can do on the court, but his leadership off it. He is a guy that his teammates do not want to let down and his play forces everyone else to play better. It appears Stoudemire is ready to be the man and do this as well. In addition as well as Lee played he was not a player who could lead a team at the end of games, to get to the line and carry his team to a win when they need it most. Think of all the games the Knicks lost at the end of games or in overtime. Stoudemire will be the difference and lead the Knicks to their first playoff appearance in quite some time.

In addition the importance of this signing is it makes the Knicks a more attractive place for current and future free agents. If Bosh and Wade go to Miami, LeBron could see his best option in New York, or Wade could come if LeBron and Bosh go to Chicago. I do not think LeBron prefers to play with Bosh over Stoudemire and I don’t see Wade and LeBron teaming up. Even if New York misses out this year they have the cap to bring in a guy or two next year, a year they could get Carmello, Parker, or Paul.

While the ultimate prize was LeBron, the Knicks accomplished a lot already with the signing of Stoudemire. They have a star and a playoff team for the first time in a while. They now have more to offer players than the bright lights of NYC and either this off-season or the next the Knicks will be able to acquire the players to make them championship contenders once again.

by Evan Slavit at the Sports Fan Blog Network

I know all of the talk is about Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah in Chicago, or Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, but I still think the Knicks have a lot to offer. His name is Danilo Gallinari.

Lebron James is a player that needs the ball in his hands, and he is a player that loves to slash to the basket and slam it down while drawing a foul. That does not work as well when you don’t have people that can spread the floor. While clearing Kirk Hinrich’s salary has given Chicago room to sign two max guys, it also rids them of any player that can knock down the three. Rose is not much of a shooter and can see his effectiveness wane if Lebron is the one handling the ball. In addition Noah is a great defender and rebounder but he is not making many outside shots. In fact the most likely target for the second max is Chris Bosh, another guy who is not hitting the three consistently. Without the threat of an outside shooter opposing defenses are going to clog the lane making it harder for Lebron to drive to the basket. Remember the Cavs became a lot better after the addition of Moe Williams, a point guard who didn’t need the ball in his hands and was ready to knock down a three when Lebron charged in and dished the ball out to him.

Miami can offer Lebron the chance to play with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, but there are many problems with this scenario. One Lebron would have to be willing to essentially be the second guy there. He is going to Wade’s team and even if they win five titles he will have to swallow the fact that Wade has six. He will have to hear how Lebron needed Wade, not Wade needing Lebron. For a guy that wants to go down as the best player I don’t think he would want to be the second guy on his own team. In addition, for this to happen the Heat will have to get Bosh in a sign and trade. Meaning Bosh will be the highest paid player despite being the third option on the team. No one is going to like that. Also where is the bench on this team. They will have 5 people under contract with no salary room. I know they can sign people using the mid-level exemption, but are they going to find seven quality veterans to come?

Then there is the Knicks. While no one is talking about their players, they have some pretty good pieces to complement Lebron. Danilo Gallinari is the perfect teammate for Lebron. He is a good defender and will only improve with age. Remember last season was only his first full season as a starter. His numbers for a second year pro compare with those of Hedo Turkoglu and Dirk Nowitzki, two very good players in this league. He is an excellent three point shooter, a solid passer and rebounder, and most importantly, he does not need many shots to stay in the game. Let’s be honest, if the Knicks execute their plans Gallo will be at best the third option. So the fact that this guy can put up 30 points a night, but will still play great defense and knock down a late game three when only putting up ten points is huge. In addition the Knicks have Wilson Chandler, another guy who can hit the three, but can also make his own shot. He is also young and is a guy that has improved each season he has been in the league. Then there is Toney Douglas. Last year he was first round pick that cracked the starting line-up after the trading deadline. Like the other two, Douglas can hit the three. He was an amazing defender in college and showed flashes of that last season. More importantly he is a point guard who does not need the ball in his hand, in fact he is better without the ball in his hand. These three are talented, young, and complement Lebron well. All of this without mentioning the fact Lebron could bring a number two with him this year, and another quality player this year or next depending on when the Knicks can shed Curry’s contract.

I am not saying the Knicks are the best situation for Lebron, but I have no idea why it is considered the worst place. There are just as many problems with Chicago and Miami. Even Bosh said he doesn’t think Miami is working out. The Nets could be a good option, but I can’t imagine Lebron coming to New York and not going to the Knicks. Despite what people are saying the Knicks still have a good chance of signing Lebron and if I had to guess I would say its Cleveland or New York.