Who are the Non-Smythe candidates for the Devils, Kings?

With four days until Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, you can expect to see a plethora of articles discussing the possible Conn Smythe candidates for both the Los Angeles Kings and the New Jersey Devils. These articles are all going to be fairly similar: Dustin Brown, Ilya Kovalchuk, Jonathan Quick, Martin Brodeur.

So let's talk about the guys that won't be on that list, not because they're underrated, but rather, because they're really not playing all that well.

This article is interested in the Non-Smythe candidates, the�guys that haven't stood out, even though they probably should have -- the guys that would be on the hot seat right now if their team were doing exit interviews rather than preparing for the Final.

(In case you were wondering what the Non-Smythe trophy looks like, by the way, we made you a mock-up at right. It's a Conn Smythe trophy with a bronze bust of Tomas Kaberle and a green 'participant' ribbon pinned to the front of it. Hope you like it.)

Here is each team's top candidate for the Non-Smythe trophy.

Patrik Elias, New Jersey Devils

Frankly, I don't think there's been a truly weak link on this Devils team, but I'll name Elias the Devils' Non-Smythe candidate.

The Devils' centre entered the postseason on a 5-game point streak, during which he put up 8 points. He has yet to match that total in the postseason. Elias has 6 points in the playoffs, and just 4 in his last 15 games.

Elias struggled versus the Rangers especially, contributing just one point, a lucky goal that went off his leg in Game 5, and finishing the series a minus-five.

In his defence, Elias's underlying numbers are pretty great. His Corsi (effectively, plus/minus for shots directed at the goal rather than only the ones that go in) is among the best on the team.�While he may not be producing, the Devils are still controlling the puck when he's on the ice, which is good news since he's seeing the tough matchups in every series.

That's some consolation, but his offence is a big part of New Jersey's game, and with Elias averaging 18:18 a game -- including 3:07 on the power play -- he should be providing more.

Jeff Carter, Los Angeles Kings

Like the Devils, the Kings are in the Final because they're getting contributions from everybody. But Carter is the standout non-standout.

He's got 4 goals and 5 assists in 14 games, which isn't too bad until you consider that he scored 3 of those goals in the same game. That's 1 goal in the other 13 for the Kings' forward.

But Carter's relative ineffectiveness doesn't really stand out until you dig deeper. While Elias is bailed out by a strong Corsi, Carter's underlying numbers make him the Non-Smythe frontrunner. His on-ice Corsi is a team-worst minus-16.78, and his Corsi relative to his teammates is an even worse team-worst minus-27.1. In short, the Devils will rejoice when Dustin Brown's line changes for Carter's.

Apart from the hat trick game, Carter has effectively been a passenger during this run. It doesn't matter too much right now -- 12 postseason victories can cover all manner of sins -- but�he's being paid a hefty sum to ride this train. If the Kings don't win the Cup, expect fans to remember that Carter's under contract for a decade very quickly.

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Mike Trout?s great catch adds to rookie?s growing highlight reel

Los Angeles Angels rookie Mike Trout says that he and teammate Peter Bourjos have come to an agreement when patrolling the outfield: No baseball shall ever pass between them.

"No balls can drop in the gap," Trout told reporters. "That's a big thing for me and Pete. We're always trying to catch everything."

They're not kidding, either. Watch as Trout makes a great grab of a Nick Swisher drive in the second inning of the Angels' 5-1 win over the Yankees on Tuesday night. (Seriously: If this is what they're catching, what are they letting drop?).

The catch came during the Angels' eighth straight victory and near the end of a month that has seen the Halos revive themselves. Part of that is due to Albert Pujols regaining his stroke ? he has eight homers and 24 RBIs in May ? but Mike Trout has also made a big impact. The team is 18-11 since Trout joined the ranks on April 28. He's posted a line of .304/.364/.522 with five homers and 14 RBIs in 29 games and is on a direct path to battle Texas Rangers ace Yu Darvish in a great race for the AL Rookie of the Year award. (Yes, he's still eligible despite appearing in 40 games last season.)

Combined with the things that Bryce Harper is doing in Washington, it's hard not to pull for both outfielder to bring home the ROY hardware at the end of the season. Though future success is far from guaranteed, a Harper-Trout duo would have the potential to join the list of the best same-year combos to win Rookie of the Year. Recent additions have been Ryan Braun/Dustin Pedroia (2007), Hanley Ramirez/Justin Verlander (2006) and Albert Pujols/Ichiro (2001). Going back further, there's Andre Dawson/Eddie Murray (1977), Tom Seaver/Rod Carew (1967) and Frank Robinson/Luis Aparicio (1956).

Are those some pretty weighty names to be throwing around after just one month of Trout and Harper highlights? When neither can legally buy a drink just yet? Sure.

But it's really hard not to get ahead of yourself when watching these guys play. You might want to point a finger at us, but we'll just point two right back at Trout and Harper.

Want more baseball fun all season long?
Follow @bigleaguestew,�@KevinKaduk and the BLS Facebook page!

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Livan Hernandez welcomes ball boy to the bigs with shower of sunflower seeds (VIDEO)

Of all the perks that come with being a young ball boy, I'd have to guess that getting the chance to experience some personal interaction with major-league ballplayers ranks atop the list.

Yes, even if that means having one of them jokingly throw things at you after you boot a play down the left-field line. Watch what happened to this Tampa Bay Rays ball boy after he Bucknered a foul grounder in front of Livan Hernandez and the Atlanta Braves bullpen.

_

Some people out there might see it differently, but that actually had to be a good feeling for the ball boy, who I really hope is named David. (Get it?) Livan's attempt at a high five shows he clearly was joking and being treated like one of the boys is a lot better than receiving stony silence from the professionals.

[ Y! Sports Fantasy Minute: Fantasy baseball's most valuable closer ]

Not a bad tip on top of getting to watch a MLB game from one of the best seats in the house.

Want more baseball fun all season long?
Follow @bigleaguestew,�@KevinKaduk and the BLS Facebook page!

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The Shutdown Corner Podcast: Greg Cosell on the NFC South Draft

With the draft over and all wrapped up, we thought it would be a good idea to get back on the phone with our buddy Greg Cosell of NFL Films and ESPN's "NFL Matchup," and talk about the NFL by division. Who did themselves the most favors in the draft, and who came up short when addressing their roster deficits?

We started off with the NFC West two weeks ago, and then jumped to the hyper-competitive AFC North last week. Now, it's time to turn our attention to the NFC South. Appropriate, given Greg's recent post on the NFL Films Blog�about division quarterbacks Matt Ryan, Cam Newton, and Josh Freeman. With that in mind, we asked Greg what he thought the Atlanta Falcons, Carolina Panthers, New Orleans Saints, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers did to bolster their teams.

The Shutdown Corner Podcast: Greg Cosell on the NFC South Draft

Related: [Cosell on�quarterbacks,�running backs/wide receivers,�tight ends/offensive line,�OLB/DE/DT stars, the ILB/DB class, and overall draft review]

On Atlanta Falcons second-round G/C Peter Konz: "I looked at him more as a athlete than as a strong, physical player. Not that he was a weakling -- I thought he had a nice combination of movement and strength -- but I certainly wouldn't call him a road-grader. But in tandem with his active feet, he was effective. He is an efficient player -- very assignment-disciplined. Do I think he could fit right in? Yes I could, and I did make a note that I thought he could play either guard or center.

On Carolina Panthers first-round linebacker Luke Kuechly: "I absolutely loved him, and the more I watched him, the more I loved him. I thought he played with his eyes as well as any linebacker I've ever evaluated. He beat blocks with play recognition. Now, the question is, will he do that in the NFL? I think he probably will, because I'm sure that comes from film study, and I don't think he'll be a slacker al lot a sudden. I thought he was the best linebacker in this draft without question, I think he's far more athletic than he's given credit for -- as I watched each game, I was actually more and more impressed with his athleticism."

The Shutdown Corner Podcast: Greg Cosell on the NFC South Draft

On New Orleans Saints fourth-round receiver Nick Toon: "We won't time well, but he plays faster as a route-runner, because he's very fluid. And I think he'll get a real opportunity with that team, because of what they like to do -- Sean Payton won't be there this year, but it's the same concepts. They use receivers in many different ways, they find what their strengths are, and they utilize those players to their strengths. He's a physical receiver against press coverage -- he did that very well against Alfonzo Dennard from Nebraska. He was very effective getting off the line."

On Tampa Bay Buccaneers first-round running back Doug Martin: "After Trent Richardson, I thought Doug Martin was the only other true foundation back in this draft. He ran with the mentality of a feature back -- he ran hard inside, he moved the pile, and he ran with some wiggle. I wouldn't say that he was incredibly shifty, but he ran with enough wiggle where I wouldn't say he was just straight-line, either."

As with everything involving Greg Cosell, this podcast is a must-listen for those fans of advanced tape analysis. Subscribe to the�Shutdown Corner iTunes link (in iTunes, go to "Advanced/Subscribe to Podcast," and paste this link in:�http://ysportspods.podbean.com/category/shutdown/feed/). You can also use the link below to either left-click and listen, or right-click to save to your computer.

The Shutdown Corner Podcast: Greg Cosell on the NFC South Draft

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Pick'em Game: Season 12 - Week 1 Standings

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SAS-OKC WCF RTOE

The Western Conference Finals match-up is set. We’ve got the top-seeded San Antonio Spurs taking on the second-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in what promises to be one of the most exciting playoff series we’ve seen in quite some time. There’s a whole lot to sort out here, so I asked Conrad Kaczmarek, Scott Leedy, Amin [...]

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Spurrier embraces the ?Battle of the Columbias? name for rivalry against Missouri

South Carolina and Missouri haven't even played as SEC rivals yet, but coach Steve Spurrier is already getting into the rivalry spirit.

During a speaking engagement in Myrtle Beach, S.C., last week, Spurrier said the two schools need to embrace the rivalry, name it and play for a trophy.

The name?

"Since Missouri is also in Columbia, we're going to have the Battle of the Columbias with a big trophy. It should be fun," Spurrier told Rivals site GamecockCentral.com.

South Carolina already plays Clemson annually in the state championship and the winner receives the Hardee's Trophy. The name or the appearance of a potential trophy between Missouri and the Gamecocks has yet to be determined.

Missouri will make its first visit to Brice-Williams Stadium on Sept. 22, marking its second SEC game ? the Tigers open with Georgia on Sept. 8.

South Carolina and Missouri have met twice ? both in bowl games ? and Missouri has won both occasions. The Tigers defeated the Gamecocks 24-14 in the All-American Bowl in 1979 and 38-31 in the Independence Bowl in 2005. In that Independence Bowl win, Missouri was down 21-0 after the first quarter, but rallied behind quarterback Brad Smith, who rushed for the game-winning touchdown with 2:13 remaining. That game is considered one of the greatest come-from-behind victories in school history.

While that game probably stirs emotions for both fan bases, it's going to take some time for this rivalry to flourish, especially with Missouri fans still aching for the Kansas series to be resuscitated. However, Spurrier's enthusiasm for the potential rivalry should help spark interest.

- - -
"Like" Dr. Saturday on Facebook for football conversations and stuff you won't see on the blog. And follow Dr. Saturday at its new home on Twitter: @YahooDrSaturday

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Tracy McGrady is in a Chinese beer commercial (VIDEO)

Teammates of retired Rockets star Yao Ming had a pretty good situation going on, and not just because it was nice to play with an excellent center. Because of Yao's all-encompassing celebrity in his native China, his teammates found it relatively easy to get endorsement opportunities. How else did Chuck Hayes get his own sneaker commercial?

Tracy McGrady was a legitimate superstar during his time with the Rockets, but there's no question that playing with Yao brought him an added level of fame in the world's biggest emerging market. As a case in point, check out this ad for Chinese beer Xuejin, in which McGrady tries to jump to grab a ball lodged between the rim and the backboard on a playground hoop. Then, for some reason, when he does grab it, the local Chinese ballers raise the height of the basket to about 40 feet. Apparently the rules of the court are different over there.

Whatever the case, the premise of the ad is less important than one particular moment: at first, McGrady literally cannot reach the basketball. I'm not sure if the point is that the beer is so heavy that it weighs him down ? that would be a weird thing to say about beer ? but the takeaway here is that McGrady remains a coveted endorser in China even when he's at his athletic nadir. Even in retirement, the Yao effect continues on.

(via TBJ)

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Bowling Green linemen dominate a burrito-eating competition (video)

Being a football player means you're usually competitive in everything, including eating.

So when two unsuspecting young men decided to take on Bowling Green junior defensive tackle Ted Ouellet and senior right tackle Jordon Roussos in a Qudoba burrito eating contest, well, they should have known better.

Spoiler alert: This ? especially Roussos portion of this contest ? is a sight to behold.

By watching the video, the rules are as follows: One person (in this case Ouellet) must finish the entire Qudoba burrito, including all the beans and mess left on the foil, before the next person (Roussos) can begin. Once the second person finishes their burrito and nothing is left in their mouth, they are done.

Ouellet and Roussos appeared to finish this feat in less than 2 minutes.

The two poor guys trying to match Ouellet and Roussos eventually give up. At one point, the guy sitting next to Roussos, who is in the blue shirt with clouds, just looks at him shoveling the burrito into his pie hole and starts laughing.

Not sure what these guy won for this competition ? it was judged by a Qudoba employee who had a clipboard (so it must be official) ? but at the very least they earned the adoration of their friends and, of course, Dr. Saturday.

Heck, this is the most excited anyone has been about Bowling Green football in a long time. #FalconPride

- - -
H/T to Hustle Belt

"Like" Dr. Saturday on Facebook for football conversations and stuff you won't see on the blog. And follow Dr. Saturday at its new home on Twitter: @YahooDrSaturday

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Boxing Results Roundup: Froch Destroys Bute, Heavyweight Vets Notch Wins, More

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Greg Oden underwent the same knee procedure that served Kobe Bryant and Alex Rodriguez so well

It's become apparent that former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden is going all-out, in his attempts to recover from the litany of knee injuries that limited him to just 82 total games in five seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers. The free-agent center, according to ESPN's Chris Broussard, underwent the same knee treatment that Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant and New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez underwent in Germany to correct their balky knees. The technical difference is that Oden had his procedure performed in New York. The sad difference is that both Bryant and Rodriguez are in their mid-30s, and have championships to their credit. Oden, at age 24, has no such pedigree.

Only potential, as it's always been, cruelly cut down by a series of unfortunate maladies that resulted in an NBA-unprecedented third microfracture surgery. Oden has been in the news quite a bit since the Blazers released him in March. He was the subject of some discussion as to the Portland staff's role in his botched recovery, his admission to drinking heavily and struggling with the pressures of his status as the top pick in the 2007 draft, and his willingness to (of course) want to play for the downright center-less Miami Heat all hit our site this spring.

Now, according to Broussard, he went to great and experimental lengths in order to strengthen those knees for one last attempt to cash in on that tantalizing potential. Here's Chris:

Bryant underwent the procedure, known as Orthokine, in Germany last offseason to relieve pain in his right knee and left ankle and returned to have a historically productive year in this, his 16th NBA season. Under Bryant's advice, Yankees superstar Rodriguez flew to Dusseldorf to have the procedure done in December. Gilbert Arenas also had the procedure done.

The procedure involves doctors taking the patient's own blood, spinning it in a centrifuge, making a serum and then injecting it into the knee. Doctors claim the blood then works to stop inflammation and reduce pain and cartilage damage.

(An aside: Kobe Bryant had an absolutely fantastic year in 2011-12, but what was "historically productive" about it? Did he break some record we were unaware of?)

Broussard quotes a source close to Greg as pointing out that both Bryant and A-Rod had their procedures done when their knees were finished with rehabilitation and healing. In Oden's case, though, the doctors recommended he undergo the non-evasive treatment in early May, just three months after his last microfracture surgery. Apparently Greg's situation is that dire.

New news is good news, though. In his interview with former AAU teammate Mark Titus, Oden pointed out that he was ready to sit out the entire 2012-13 season, even though Broussard mentions the possibility that Greg could return from a microfracture surgery midway through the year, which would involve about a 12-month rehabilitation. Personally, we like Oden's instincts in this situation.

Finding a team in the 2013 offseason to work slowly through 2013-14 with would mean Oden would be working his way back into NBA shape during a campaign he would only turn 26 years of age in, midway through the year. Sure, that birthday comes a good 6 1/2 years after he was drafted by Portland, but 26 is still young even by NBA standards, and Oden presumably would have all the chances in the world to eke out a career with possible medical advancements that weren't in place in Portland at his disposal.

This, we keep telling ourselves, is very do-able. 2012 might seem a million years removed some three years from now, when a healthy Greg Oden ? in whatever uniform ? is contributing on both ends at an age that sticks him still a year or two away from his athletic prime. Toss in the lack of wear and tear that he, sadly, missed out on between 2007 and 2013? This could still have a happy, and remarkable, ending.

More NBA news from Yahoo! Sports:

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Larry Bird calls his Indiana Pacers ?soft? following the team?s physical Game 5 loss to Miami

He might not be right, and it might be an overreaction, but in the words of Yahoo! Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski, "you knew Larry Bird wasn't going to sit this one out." In the hours following Indiana's Game 5 loss to the Miami Heat, in a physical affair that saw the Pacers blown out while taking in the two nastiest of the three flagrant fouls doled out on the evening, the Pacers president and 2012 NBA Executive of the Year called his team "soft," in a short discussion with Indianapolis Star beat writer Mike Wells following the game.

And, if there was any confusion, Bird spelled the word out. Here's Wells' brief, but impactful discussion with the pissed-off Hall of Famer:

What follows here is where we start wondering what, exactly, the NBA legend wanted his Pacers to do.

Should he have expected the team and coach Frank Vogel to improve upon the squad's unimpressive offensive showing in the second half of Sunday's Game 4? To come out and show some patience as the Heat swung correctly, fronted the post, and put the onus on the Pacers players to both make shots and create plays?

Did he expect his team to not be out-rebounded by 14 to a Heat crew that has issues on the glass? Or to attempt to take hits in transition as a way of getting to the free-throw line? Or maybe run the Heat off of the 3-point line as they sent up some long bombs once the game was long decided in the fourth quarter?

Or did he want the team to respond, as Miami "responded," to the Heat's vicious flagrant fouls? Because that would have been stupid, if we're honest; and Bird's take would have come off as more of a response of a frustrated fan and team employee and boss and someone who cares quite a bit in the wake of an embarrassing loss that he had to sit through in public amongst Miami fans.

And not the response of someone who had really thought things through.

[Related: Mike Miller hustles in only one shoe during Heat's blowout of Pacers]

Because, if you'll allow us this guess and false premise, if Bird was hoping one of his players would send another flagrant shot at a member of the Heat, then he's to be dismissed.

Why? Because Pittman's foul happened with 19 seconds left in the game, and no real chance for the Pacers to needlessly retaliate while they were getting their tails kicked. And prior to that, after Haslem gave what should have been ruled a Flagrant 2 (and ejection) on Pacer forward Tyler Hansbrough in retaliation for Hansbrough's hit on Dwyane Wade, the Pacers didn't exactly have a lot of live bodies to start wielding elbows that could get them suspended for Game 6, or at the very least ejected in Game 5.

Did he want Paul George, with Danny Granger in the locker room with a sprained ankle, to take a shot?

Or Roy Hibbert, with David West nursing a sprained knee, to risk suspension as things escalated?

Or Hansbrough or Lou Amundson, who will be relied upon as much as ever in Game 6, to risk punishments handed out by a sometimes-emotional NBA front office?

Were one of the team's several undersized guards? George Hill, Darren Collison and Leandro Barbosa were supposed to lay wood?

This is why we wonder if Bird was only referring to the team's style of play. Which even, to us, seems slightly off.

Because the Pacers didn't exactly play soft in Game 5, but they did play (sorry) stupidly at times. The team showed little resolve in the face of Miami's defense, didn't come up with counters in their offensive sets on the fly, and didn't think on its collective feet as Miami covered ground in the half court. Miami didn't kick Indiana's butt in Game 5 because the Heat were the big, bad bully. They won because the Pacers didn't adapt. They didn't evolve. And they didn't score, which led to Miami endlessly dashing to the other end of the court for fast break buckets.

The Pacers, to these non-Hall of Fame eyes, screwed a lot of things up in Game 5. But playing "soft" didn't appear to have much to do with any part of that eventual 32-point deficit.

It's Larry Bird's team, though. And Larry Bird's state, and Larry Bird's game. At this point, he's just about earned the right to call his team whatever he wants.

And then spell it out.

Other popular content on Yahoo! Sports:
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CBC announces ?While the Men Watch Hockey Night,? sets off backlash over sexism

"While the Men Watch" is a live, sports talk show for women. Hosted by Lena Sutherland and Jules Mancuso, the program follows the discussion of two women watching sports "from a woman's point of view including everything from interpreting the rules of the game to coaches in need of a makeover." Apparently, it's been called ESPN meets "Sex & The City."

And it's coming to CBC for the Stanley Cup Final, an announcement that has triggered some serious backlash in the hockey community, especially after an introductory post on the program at the CBC's website.�From the CBC:

As two women married to sports fanatics, there was really no escaping hockey on TV - especially during playoffs.��As our men were glued to the game, we were on the phone talking to each other about what we saw on the ice in a way that was completely different than what our guys or the real announcers were saying.��Why were the players getting a seat and a drink in the penalty box if it's supposed to be a punishment?��And how exactly did that coach pick out a brown suit and tie combo four sizes too big?

After rigging up an audio stream from our living rooms, we started broadcasting our "girl talk" version of commentary on all the finer points of hockey, football, baseball, basketball and yes - even golf.

What the what?�This is an absurdly poor idea.�It's 2012. The hockey world is full of women who not only watch and understand hockey (Whoa! Just like men!), but do standout work reporting on hockey, from Katies Baker and Strang to Helene Elliott to Cassie Campbell and Andi Petrillo, who work for the same CBC that will be bringing us "While the Men Watch Hockey Night."

Needless to say, the reaction to this has been harsh.

Steve Lepore spells it out nicely:

And Winging it in Motown takes it a step further, because -- get this -- he actually knows a woman that likes hockey. (Crazy!)

And Sportsnet Magazine's Shannon Proudfoot -- an actual, honest-to-goodness, female hockey fan (she should be in a museum!) -- weighed in as well:

Sarah Sprague turns the sexism on its head and points out the also absurd notion that all the men are watching hockey:

And here's Ellen Etchingham with a valuable counterpoint. Before you get all bent out of shape about what these two women are doing, recall that assuming they represent all women is just as dumb as assuming any male sports analyst with whom you disagree represents all men.

Although I'd argue it isn't so much about what the women of "While the Men Watch Hockey Night" say as what their hiring says about the CBC's opinions of female hockey fans.

One assumes this controversy won't go away overnight. We'll have more on this Thursday. In the meantime, is this sexist, or incredibly sexist?

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Great Exercises in Internet NBA-Related Postings 5-21-12

Way back when this site started, there used to be a daily links post called Great Exercises in Internet NBA-Related Postings. Starting today, I’m bringing it back. Every day, I’ll bequeath unto you the best NBA-related links (and I’ll normally add whatever insightful commentary I can muster; today I got caught up in a little [...]

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Zach Parise, Devils respond after a quiet Game 3 to even series with Rangers in Game 4

In a matter of moments Bryce Salvador almost went from hero to goat.

Salvador's turnover in the first period gave Carl Hagelin a great opportunity to tie the game, but the New Jersey Devils defenseman could breathe a sigh of relief when he heard the CLING as the puck rang off the post. Minutes earlier, it was Salvador's shot that deflected off the skate of Anton Stralman and past Henrik Lundqvist to open the scoring as New Jersey evened their series with a 4-1 win over the New York Rangers.

Right from the start, the Devils were playing like they didn't want to go back to Madison Square Garden on Wednesday night facing elimination. The Rangers didn't get their first shot on Martin Brodeur until 10:21 of the first period, a problem head coach John Tortorella attributed to a lack of puck possession.

"We have to hold on to some pucks," said Tortorella. "We had opportunities. We had the yips with it. We just gave it back to them, and they just progressed with their forecheck and moment comes their way."

New Jersey captain Zach Parise was quiet during a loss in Game 3. He was also silent afterwards refusing to speak to reporters for fear that he'd say something he'd regret. He entered Game 4 with one point in his last five games.�On Monday night, Parise spoke loudly with two goals and an assist in the win.

"Your best players have to be your best players," said Devils head coach Peter DeBoer. "I�know it's cliche, but it's critical this time of year. And I knew he would�respond. �I knew it was a matter of time."

It's now down to a best-of-3 series and as both teams have traded wins through four games, this has the feeling of going the distance. The margins for error are slim and with two world-class goaltenders involved, goals will be at a premium.

"These games are so tight and when you get the opportunities you want to put them in," said Parise. Last game we didn't, I didn't, and tonight they went in. It's a fine line, especially right now, where we are in the season."

"There's no secret to it."

Follow Sean Leahy on Twitter at @Sean_Leahy

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Lance Stephenson made a choking gesture at LeBron James (VIDEO)

The Miami Heat were really, really bad in their Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers on Thursday night, losing 94-75 and looking overmatched for most of the 48 minutes. Given the common narratives and the form of this loss, it's likely that LeBron James will get a lot of criticism.

Oddly enough, one of the opposing players thought LeBron choked while the game was still going on. Near the end of the third quarter, Pacers wing Danny Granger grabbed James' jersey on a breakaway and caused a little tiff between the two stars. Granger was given a technical foul, and LeBron missed the free throw. That made Indiana benchwarmer Lance Stephenson perform a Reggie Miller-esque choking gesture. It was in poor taste, but it also stood in for many NBA fans' reactions to the game.

[Wojnarowski: Spurs still rolling in playoffs while 'super teams' show cracks]

Check out the video above to take a look (or this GIF or this screengrab via SB Nation). After the jump, look at the Granger foul that led to this incident, as well as some thoughts on whether or not James actually choked in this game.

What's curious about Stephenson's gesture is that LeBron and Mario Chalmers were the only two members of the Heat who played well in the game. James wasn't at his absolute best, but his line of 22 points (10-of-22 shooting), seven rebounds and three assists at least gave Miami a chance. As our Kelly Dwyer explains, the real problems were that Dwyane Wade had one of the worst games of his career and that Indiana completely dominated the paint. A fair assessment of what went wrong should barely deal with LeBron at all.

The Heat might be able to bounce back in Game 4 on Saturday, but it looks increasingly difficult without the injured Chris Bosh to help out inside. LeBron's much-discussed issues at the end of games mean very little when his team isn't close in the final minutes.

(Original Stephenson video via EOB)

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Mike McQueary sues Penn State for violation of the Whistleblower Act

In another twist to what has already been a sad and bizarre story coming out of State College, former Penn State assistant coach Mike McQueary field suit against Penn State University on Monday under the state's Whistleblower Law.

The "writ of summons" issued Tuesday in court on behalf of the former wide receivers coach is the first step towards McQueary counterattacking his damaged reputation for his involvement in the Jerry Sandusky scandal.

McQueary's reporting of Sandusky, the program's former defensive coordinator, and the alleged molestation of a 10-year old boy on the Penn State campus during the winter of 2001 was the crux of McQueary's testimony. McQueary, who saw the act and reported it to then head coach Joe Paterno and later to university officials, was placed on administrative leave this past November when the incident came to light.

As of now, Penn State is unable to comment on the filing.

"The University has not yet received the complaint and so cannot comment on it at this time," Lisa Powers, the university's Director of the Department of Public Information told Yahoo! Sports.

Requests by Yahoo! Sports to McQueary's lawyer Elliott Strokoff for comment went unanswered.

Even though he has yet to be fired, McQueary is entitled as a state employee under Pennsylvania law to find protection under the codified "Whistleblower Act." The motion is based on the law prohibiting retaliation for an employee reporting an illegal activity:

"No employer may discharge, threaten or otherwise discriminate or retaliate against an employee regarding the employee's compensation, terms, conditions, location or privileges of employment because the employee or a person acting on behalf of the employee makes a good faith report or is about to report, verbally or in writing, to the employer or appropriate authority an instance of wrongdoing or waste."

The question of course is if McQueary did enough in his initial report to Paterno and university officials as he did not notify law enforcement officials of what he claims to have seen taking place.

Tuesday's action falls just within the 180 day window for filing suit provided under the 13-year old law.

- - -
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David Ortiz is angry that more people don?t see him as a leader of the Red Sox

After a good Monday night, you might think all would be well in Red Sox Nation on Tuesday morning. Boston just scored an 8-6 comeback win in Baltimore, has won nine of its last 11 games and is no longer the sole occupant of last place in the AL East, thanks to the slumping New York Yankees.

Alas, not even the team finally climbing back to the .500 mark at 21-21 can calm the stormy waters. After Monday's win, Red Sox slugger David Ortiz teed off on fans, media and front office types like they were the Tommy Hunter pitch he parked on Eutaw Street earlier in the night.

The issue: After 10 seasons of stellar play in Boston, Ortiz is irked that more people don't see him as a leader of the Red Sox.

So irked in fact, that he even took the time to mock the fact that two players ? Dustin Pedroia and Jason Varitek ? have traditionally been held up as "leaders" in The Hub.

From ESPN Boston:

"Let me tell you, I was reading an article [that] talked about the leaders people call 'leaders' in this town," [Ortiz said]. "Basically, it seems like no matter what you do, it's not good enough.

"And you can only call leaders the guys who are out diving for balls on the field or calling pitches behind the plate?" [...]

"I don't get no respect," he said. "Not from the media. Not from the front office. What I do is never the right thing. It's always hiding, for somebody to find out."

As someone who's not privy to the daily pulse of Boston's sports talk radio and message board chatter, I'm actually kind of surprised to learn that Ortiz thinks he's unfairly treated. While he complained a few years ago about his early obituaries after a poor start and blamed the media for being hit in a Yankees series last year, it would seem that he usually has it pretty good. After all, he's more or less the Red Sox version of Andy Pettitte ? the guy who earned the benefit of selective omission when it comes to not being criticized for past PED use.

[MLB Full Count: Watch live look-ins and highlights for free all season long]

Yet given that preferential treatment, Big Papi has somehow also developed quite the persecution complex. He was apparently angry on Monday night because someone in the media asked why he hadn't called his team meeting earlier than May 11 (just after Josh Beckett's golfgate). Ortiz probably has a right to be angry with such nitpicking ? as he asks, how much earlier could he have called it? But a full-on rant? One that takes aim at both a current teammate and a former one? It seems petty.

But as Ortiz says, he's always done his leading from the batter's box and he's doing the same this year. Despite the team's early struggles, the 36-year-old DH has still posted a line of .333/.402/.616 with 10 homers and 30 RBIs. �In other words, exactly the type of numbers that make it worth sitting through his annual grumblings about being underappreciated.

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Greg Oden underwent the same knee procedure that served Kobe Bryant and Alex Rodriguez so well

It's become apparent that former No. 1 overall pick Greg Oden is going all-out, in his attempts to recover from the litany of knee injuries that limited him to just 82 total games in five seasons with the Portland Trail Blazers. The free-agent center, according to ESPN's Chris Broussard, underwent the same knee treatment that Los Angeles Lakers superstar Kobe Bryant and New York Yankees slugger Alex Rodriguez underwent in Germany to correct their balky knees. The technical difference is that Oden had his procedure performed in New York. The sad difference is that both Bryant and Rodriguez are in their mid-30s, and have championships to their credit. Oden, at age 24, has no such pedigree.

Only potential, as it's always been, cruelly cut down by a series of unfortunate maladies that resulted in an NBA-unprecedented third microfracture surgery. Oden has been in the news quite a bit since the Blazers released him in March. He was the subject of some discussion as to the Portland staff's role in his botched recovery, his admission to drinking heavily and struggling with the pressures of his status as the top pick in the 2007 draft, and his willingness to (of course) want to play for the downright center-less Miami Heat all hit our site this spring.

Now, according to Broussard, he went to great and experimental lengths in order to strengthen those knees for one last attempt to cash in on that tantalizing potential. Here's Chris:

Bryant underwent the procedure, known as Orthokine, in Germany last offseason to relieve pain in his right knee and left ankle and returned to have a historically productive year in this, his 16th NBA season. Under Bryant's advice, Yankees superstar Rodriguez flew to Dusseldorf to have the procedure done in December. Gilbert Arenas also had the procedure done.

The procedure involves doctors taking the patient's own blood, spinning it in a centrifuge, making a serum and then injecting it into the knee. Doctors claim the blood then works to stop inflammation and reduce pain and cartilage damage.

(An aside: Kobe Bryant had an absolutely fantastic year in 2011-12, but what was "historically productive" about it? Did he break some record we were unaware of?)

Broussard quotes a source close to Greg as pointing out that both Bryant and A-Rod had their procedures done when their knees were finished with rehabilitation and healing. In Oden's case, though, the doctors recommended he undergo the non-evasive treatment in early May, just three months after his last microfracture surgery. Apparently Greg's situation is that dire.

New news is good news, though. In his interview with former AAU teammate Mark Titus, Oden pointed out that he was ready to sit out the entire 2012-13 season, even though Broussard mentions the possibility that Greg could return from a microfracture surgery midway through the year, which would involve about a 12-month rehabilitation. Personally, we like Oden's instincts in this situation.

Finding a team in the 2013 offseason to work slowly through 2013-14 with would mean Oden would be working his way back into NBA shape during a campaign he would only turn 26 years of age in, midway through the year. Sure, that birthday comes a good 6 1/2 years after he was drafted by Portland, but 26 is still young even by NBA standards, and Oden presumably would have all the chances in the world to eke out a career with possible medical advancements that weren't in place in Portland at his disposal.

This, we keep telling ourselves, is very do-able. 2012 might seem a million years removed some three years from now, when a healthy Greg Oden ? in whatever uniform ? is contributing on both ends at an age that sticks him still a year or two away from his athletic prime. Toss in the lack of wear and tear that he, sadly, missed out on between 2007 and 2013? This could still have a happy, and remarkable, ending.

More NBA news from Yahoo! Sports:

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The Juice: Another Albert Pujols home run sighted, Orioles beat Royals in 15

The Juice is back for its fifth season of fun! Stop by each weekday for an ample serving of news from the action, plus great photos, stats and video highlights.

Was that Bigfoot or Sasquatch?: Oh, neither. Just the second home run of the season for Albert Pujols, who went deep for the Los Angeles Angels in a 7-2 victory against the White Sox on Wednesday night. Some were beginning to wonder how many homers he had left in his bat after a drought of 33 games and 139 at-bats to start the season. Now he's got two deeps, giving him 447 for his career so far, on his way to 500-plus. You know, Albert.

"It's been awhile,'' Pujols said. ''There are some times I feel good at the plate and hit the ball hard but don't catch any breaks. But you can't lose your focus. Every at-bat, no matter how I feel, I try to take it as the last at-bat of my career. Hey, listen - this game is not easy. I've been saying that all year long. There are things that are out of your control.''

Jim Eppard fixes everything: The Angels have knocked out 24 hits in their past two games with the memory of fired coach Mickey Hatcher still on their minds. New hitting coach Jim Eppard tutored many of the Angels in the minor leagues, so at least he's coming in with an idea of how to help.

''What's great about it is that a lot of the guys here I've had come through Salt Lake, so I have a mental tape of those guys."

O's so good: The Baltimore Orioles are 24-14 after Adam Jones hit a tie-breaking home run in the 15th inning to carry them to a 4-3 victory at Kansas City. Jones' 12th homer of the season came after he started the game 0 for 6.

''Some people were behind me, yelling at me, 'Hey, come on Jones.' I showed them. After I hit that, they shut up the heck up.''

Said.

Up goes Frazier: Todd Frazier attended Rutgers in New Jersey, so hitting two home runs to help the Cincinnati Reds beat the Mets 6-3 at Citi Field must have felt pretty special. It was a lot better feeling than when he struck out in his first two at-bats, for sure.

''A lot of friends and family, you know, they've been following ever since I was playing when I was 12 in that Little League World Series, so it doesn't bother me as much,'' Frazier said. ''It's actually fun, you know. Striking out those first two at-bats didn't really help, but this game's about adjustments and that's what you got to do from pitch to pitch and at-bat to at-bat. It was a special time tonight for sure.''

Not sure about him wearing Paul O'Neill's number, though.

Quote of the Day: "He has been as advertised." ? Rangers manager Ron Washington on Yu Darvish, after Texas beat the A's 4-1. Darvish struck out seven, allowing a run and four hits over 7 2/3 innings.

* * *

Photo of the Day: And the deal is sealed.

Mr. Met (center) congratulates the mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, with a high-five to celebrate the announcement of Citi Field hosting the All-Star game next season. New York Mets owner Fred Wilpon looks like Ed McMahon here. Yessir.

* * *

Three Facts for the Water Cooler:

? Mike Leake of the Reds had two hits, giving him 31 since the start of the 2010 season. STATS, LLC reports that only Yovani Gallardo of Milwaukee, with 32, has more among pitchers in that span.

? The Detroit Tigers made four errors in falling 11-7 at Minnesota, and have gone 9-16 since starting the season 9-3.

? The New York Yankees lost 8-1 to Kyle Drabek and the Blue Jays at Toronto. New York fell to 0-8 when not hitting a home run, and are the only team remaining to not win a game in which they did not homer.

* * *

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Shaving a picture of Matt Bonner in his head could net a young Spurs fan an in-school suspension

A young San Antonio Spurs fan faces an in-school suspension on Thursday if he doesn't somehow find a way to alter the image of Matt Bonner that was shaved into the back of his head. You read the previous sentence correctly. The Spurs forward, who is averaging just 14.6 minutes per game in the postseason, has apparently made such an impact on Woodlake Hills Middle School student Patrick Gonzalez that the youngster decided to have a hairstylist shave an image of the Spurs sharpshooter into the back of his haircut. Via Tas Melas, here's the image that has the principals at Woodlake Hills Middle School in righteous fear of the apparently inevitable anarchy and lawlessness in the school halls that will result if Gonzalez comes to school on Thursday without changing the haircut:

Because the image is so threatening, and so severe, if the style isn't "fixed" by Thursday, Gonzalez will have to take in an in-school suspension (the worst of all suspensions, because you don't get to go home and watch TV), because that seems very rational and fair to all the children. Here's the story, from Grace White at FOX 29:

"There was no permission that was given if the parent thought that then it was a miscommunication," said Aubrey Chancellor, Judson I.S.D. District officials say the haircut is a distraction. "Whether it's the spurs or whether it's the cowboys anything people obviously support, it doesn't matter."

You hear that, Texas schoolchildren? Whether you support spurs or cowboys or even Spurs or Cowboys (two teams that obviously play against each other several times a year for the World Finals of Stanley Bowls), shaving a rather benign image of a fan friendly forward that wears New Balance sneakers during pro basketball games seems like the least offensive infraction we can possibly imagine.

Especially when the hero in question was an Academic All-American at college, one who "never received less than an 'A' as final grade in any class throughout his academic career, until he received a 'C' on a chemistry exam in college, which led to a final grade of a 'B.'"

(No word on if Bonner's "C" and "B" marks were unduly influenced by a classmate featuring an image of Sam Perkins shaved into his head.)

We don't know the entirety of this story, or Gonzalez's history. Perhaps he was caught selling 3-pointers in the parking lot outside of the school last month. Maybe he was previously suspended for telling a teacher to "square your feet" and "get your elbow under the chalk" as she attempted to teach her class. It's possible that he served a detention earlier in the year for drawing a 3-point arc on the inside of a textbook.

Still, unless this youngster has some history that led to a reaction like this, the threat of a suspension for an innocuous haircut like this can only be termed an "overreaction."

More NBA news from the Yahoo! Sports Minute:

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From coach throwing to fan celebrations, Russia seems fairly pleased with gold at IIHF Worlds (VIDEO)

Here is Russian national team head coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov at his Bar Mitzvah.

No, check that: This is Russian national team head coach Zinetula Bilyaletdinov being thrown in the air by his players after they defeated Slovakia and captured the 2012 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship on Sunday.

Is hip-hip-hooray people tossing a staple of Russian celebrations? Frankly, we wouldn't mind seeing this after a team wins the Stanley Cup. Preferably the New York Rangers ("Enough with the [expletive] [expletive] [expletive] tossing, you [expletives]") or the St. Louis Blues, a Herculean test of strength.

Here's are the Russians, throwing the old man:

Dude caught some air on that. Luckily for the coach, that went better than when Semyon Varlamov attempt to raise the IIHF trophy at center ice: (s/t Marat Ryndin)

Best save of the tournament.

Coming up, celebrations of the Russian ice hockey victory from back home and in Helsinki, as well as the scene from Slovakia.

First off, check out the scene at Eurovea in Bratislava, Slovakia, for the championship game:

Alas, the Slovaks lost 6-2 to the Russians in the title game, as the flag-toting fans in Helsinki subtly mentioned after the game:

Here's what the celebration looked like back in Kirov, complete with creepy "Cloverfield"-like cinematography.

Lest you believe this isn't a major tournament for hockey fans in Europe, here's the scene after the Russian's captured gold ? from a bar in London in the UK.

And here are the final moments of the game at a viewing party in Prague.

Congrats to the Russians and their fans. But please know that honking car horns and chanting has a long way to go before it reaches the true championship euphoria of the Finns. Now that was a party.

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The 10-man rotation, starring the masterful Kevin Garnett

A look around the league and the web that covers it. It's also important to note that the rotation order and starting nods aren't always listed in order of importance. That's for you, dear reader, to figure out.

C: WEEI. Paul Flannery on Kevin Garnett, the 'Lion in Spring.'
PF: Sports Illustrated. You may have already read Chris Ballard's feature on the Bryants. Read again.
SF: Hoopsanalyst. Looking at Michael Kidd-Gilchrist's pro prospects.
SG: ESPN. Kevin Arnovitz's very good feature on Clippers el jefe Neil Olshey.
PG: Blazers Edge. 'An Open Letter to Paul Allen.'

6th: SLAM. Myles Brown's typically Myles Brown-ish (that is to say, quite good) interview with Kobe.
7th: Gothic Ginobili. 'The Los Angeles Lakers and Absent Passion.'
8th: Eight Points, Nine Seconds. Can the Indiana Pacers handle going small?
9th: NBA.com. The 76ers are learning to win in the clutch.
10th: SB Nation. A look at Sacramento's arena fight, titled 'Small Market, Big Heart.'

Got a link or tip for Ball Don't Lie? Holler at me at kdonhoops (at) yahoo.com, or follow me on Twitter.

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?Deep Thoughts? and Cheap Thoughts: San Antonio Spurs vs. Los Angeles Clippers

For every postseason matchup, Ball Don't Lie's resident dummy will offer a topically appropriate entry from the best-selling series of "Deep Thoughts" books written by legendary humorist Jack Handey, plus some of his own original thoughts on the playoff series. The combination will cost you literally nothing; we suggest you use the savings to purchase one of Mr. Handey's life-changing books.

No. 1 San Antonio Spurs vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers

"If you lived in the Dark Ages, and you were a catapult operator, I bet the most common question people would ask is, 'Can't you make it shoot farther?' No. I'm sorry. That's as far as it shoots."

Here's to Blake Griffin, last year's most venerated turned this year's most denigrated, who attempted 91 shots in 248 total minutes over seven games played against the Memphis Grizzlies, with just 13 coming outside the paint.

Of those baker's dozen, he made just three ? two long corner jumpers at the start of Game 6 that made everyone watching say, "Oh, well, if he's going to hit that, then Memphis is going home tonight" and a 14-footer in the first quarter of Game 7. That's it; everything else came within 10 feet of the basket. That's very much in keeping with what we've seen from the former No. 1 overall pick in his two full seasons in the league ? of the 2,398 field goals he's attempted during two regular seasons with the Clips, 1,690 (70.5 percent) have come in the paint, according to NBA.com.

The temptation is to say, "Well, of course ? all he does is dunk on fast breaks." But while a lot of Griffin's field goals have been slams (406, according to CBSSports.com's Dunk-O-Meter) and a lot of his attempts have come in transition (362, according to play-type analysis from MySynergySports.com), a lot of them also come off post-up attempts. And while no one's going to call Griffin a wizard on the low block, the fact remains that he does get into the paint, he does get the shots up, and he does get his points, averaging better than 20 points a night in each of his first two seasons and 18 a game on 52.7 percent shooting in the opening round, with the lion's share of his shots coming right in the teeth of the Grizzlies defense.

Heading into Round 2 against San Antonio, Griffin's not going to be banging bodies with bruisers like Marc Gasol and Zach Randolph, but rather matching up against an array of defenders he can both overpower and outmaneuver ? guys like Tiago Splitter, Boris Diaw, DeJuan Blair, Matt Bonner and even Tim Duncan. As CBSSports.com's Matt Moore noted Tuesday in a great breakdown of how the Spurs defended Griffin during their three regular-season meetings, San Antonio's best success "came in playing off Griffin in the pick and roll, allowing him the catch, and daring him to take the mid-range jumper." Blake's not unwilling to pop it to stretch the defense, but doing so is ostensibly playing with his weak hand; any possession that results in a Griffin attempt from mid-range is one with which Spurs coach Gregg Popovich will likely be pleased.

Interestingly enough, the Spurs also fared comparatively well when Griffin actually got to the rack. While the All-Star power forward averaged 21.7 points and 12.7 rebounds on 52.9 percent shooting in L.A.'s matchups with the Spurs this season, he made only 17 of his 29 attempts at the rim (58.6 percent), according to Hoopdata's shot location statistics, a far cry from his 73.7 percent season average, and the Clips lost two of the three games. So even if Blake gets to his spot ? read: the rim ? there's no guarantee he'll convert at a rate significant enough to swing the balance of power all by his lonesome.

Still, if you're Clippers coach Vinny Del Negro, you'd probably be pretty thrilled if the series unfolds in a way that results in Griffin getting about 10 shots at the tin a night. If Blake's getting to the rim that frequently, it likely means the Clippers are either getting out in transition with regularity ? and that's not something the Spurs defend particularly well, ranking 20th among 30 NBA teams in points allowed per transition possession during the season, per Synergy ? or that Griffin is winning his one-on-one matchups on the block so convincingly that the Spurs will eventually have to consider at least shading a help defender toward him, if not bringing help outright, which is not something the Spurs want to do.

If the Spurs have to start accounting for Griffin as a legitimate threat to score in the post ? and again, we're not saying he's a post player as much as he is an athletic marvel who can win individual matchups against multiple types of defenders ? then that could change the shape of the Spurs' half-court defense. It could open passing lanes for Blake ? a good passer for a big who's averaged about 3.5 assists per 36 minutes as a pro ? to outside shooters like Randy Foye, Nick Young and Mo Williams, or present clearer angles of attack for Chris Paul, who will likely be worked into a pretty solid lather from attacking the hell out of the Spurs already.

You'd already expect San Antonio to struggle with Paul's efficiency in the pick-and-roll game ? they rank dead-last in defending ball-handlers on the pick-and-roll, according to Synergy, while the Clippers behind Paul were the league's third-best offense at the ball-handler producing points and the seventh-best at hitting the roll man for a bucket ? and for Popovich to know that a steady diet of high ball screens for CP3 is coming, and to try to tailor his defensive schemes (keyed, in all likelihood, by wing defenders Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard) toward mitigating them. If Griffin can win in the post, hit more than 23 percent of those wide-open jumpers he'll likely see and give San Antonio trouble plugging a second source of leaks in the half-court, then San Antonio can't load up on L.A.'s pick-and-roll game, which could mean a field day for Paul, which could mean that this series becomes veeeeeery interesting.

All that said ... personally? I don't see it. I think Griffin will put up admirable lines and settle somewhere around 20 and 10 for the series, but I expect that array of San Antonio defenders will hold strong enough often enough to keep Griffin from running amok enough to swing the decision four times.

I believe that the Spurs will win the tempo battle referenced Tuesday by 48 Minutes of Hell's Timothy Varner and force the Clippers to play fast more frequently than L.A. will be able to induce the opposite, and I think that's a dangerous game for Del Negro's team. And I think that the unholy offensive run the Spurs have been on for the better part of the past five weeks ? they've won 14 straight and posted an offensive rating (an estimate of how many points you score per 100 possessions) better than 110-per-100 in 12 of them ? will continue against a Clippers defense that ranked 18th of 30 in defensive efficiency this season and frequently struggled to contain a nothin' special Grizzlies offense in the first round. Irrespective of the relative weakness of their opening-round opponent, I think San Antonio's the best team in this postseason, and I think they're advancing in style.

PREDICTION: Spurs in five.

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Boston College teeters on the edge of irrelevance

Boston College football could slowly be slipping down the rabbit hole.

After Tuesday's news that the Eagles had parted ways with running back Montel Harris, the leading rusher in school history, it's hard to be optimistic about the immediate future of this team.

The details surrounding Harris' dismissal are sketchy. Boston College said he was dismissed because of repeated team rule violations and Harris declined to talk about it per the school's request. In any case, Harris was the one national name on the Boston College roster and he carried the hope that last year's 4-8 record could be in the rearview.

Harris played in just two games last season because of a knee injury and his 3,735 career yards were sorely missed. Boston College's offense as a whole struggled last year. It was last in the ACC in total offense and scoring offense with a little more than 18 points per game.

And if the Eagles had improved in the spring, no one was around to see it. Just 200 people showed up for the spring game ? the lowest attendance figure in the country. Fan interest in the program is probably as low as it's been since the team struggled in the late 90s (or maybe since the team went winless in 1978) and after this latest move, there doesn't seem to be any relief in sight.

So how did Boston College get here?

Just five years ago, the Jeff Jagodzinski-led Eagles won 11 games for the first time in school history. And while the Eagles lost in the ACC title game to Virginia Tech, optimism was high for the program. The Eagles went back to the ACC title game in 2008 and won nine games. But that's when the wheels started to fall off.

Athletic director Gene DiFilippo fired Jagodzinski after he interviewed for the New York Jets head coaching position. In his two seasons with Boston College, Jagodzinski was 20-8, 11-5 in conference play and led the Eagles to two Atlantic Division titles. He had the highest winning percentage of any head coach since the 1939-40 seasons.

Jagodzinski's dismissal had a ripple effect the Eagles are still feeling. Since Jagodzinski's firing, Boston College has gotten worse every year. And it's not just in the overall record, statistics have fallen off, recruiting has struggled (this year's class was ranked 11th in the ACC) and the defense, which was once the highlight of Boston College's team, has been spotty at best despite highlights from former players Mark Herzlich and Luke Kuechly.

Boston College fans were just getting used to winning when it was abruptly taken away, which is why some are calling for coach Frank Spaziani's head. However, DiFilippo doesn't seem to be persuaded. He said Spaziani, who is 19-19 in his three seasons, is not only safe, but the best coach the program had had in the 15 years the athletic director had been there.

It's hard to believe this program can do an about-face and somehow start trending up. During the spring game, the offense threw five interceptions, four of those by starter Chase Rettig. Rettig, who has been the Eagles starter for the past two seasons, wasn't sharp. He had no touch, passes were sailing on him and he failed to hit open receivers. Part of that was because, according to reports, the offensive line was a mess. Quarterbacks were sacked multiple times and while the running game showed some flashes ? Rolandan Finch rushed for 196 on 27 carries ? the offense didn't look much better than it did a year ago.

Harris' dismissal put this team in a bad spot, pure and simple. A lot of people will want to blame Spaziani, but Harris isn't guiltless here and if this team struggles again, he'll shoulder as much blame as Coach Spaz.

From 1995-98, Boston College won just 17 games and finished with back-to-back four-win seasons in 1997 and 1998. A similar stretch could be on the horizon for the Eagles. After watching last season and knowing what the team returns, it's hard to believe otherwise.

And if Boston College does have another four-win season, this program could sink into a hole from which it might take years to emerge.

- - -
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Idaho WR Ken McRoyal shot and killed at a party in Los Angeles

Idaho wide receiver Ken McRoyal was shot and killed in Los Angeles early Sunday morning after attending a song release party for the rapper Ray-J in Hollywood, CBS Los Angeles reported.

McRoyal and a friend had gone to another party at the Brewery Lofts near Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles and that's where the gunshots broke out. A witness who found McRoyal and called 911 said he was still alive when the ambulance came. McRoyal died at the hospital. A second unidentified man was wounded and taken to Long Beach Memorial Medical Center where his condition was not known.

[Also: Big Ten commish Jim Delany doesn't think much of Alabama]

The University of Idaho athletic department confirmed McRoyal died, but did not elaborate on the cause. However, coach Robb Akey did release a statement:

"It's a devastating loss," coach Robb Akey said. "We've lost a brother, a teammate, a family member. But, more importantly, a momma lost her son today.

"All of our prayers go to the family ? that they can be strong in their healing from this tragedy."

McRoyal was originally from New Orleans but moved to Los Angeles with his family after Hurricane Katrina. He transferred from El Camino Junior College prior to last season and caught six passes for 35 yards in eight games for the Vandals in 2011.

McRoyal was in Los Angeles visiting his girlfriend with whom he has a 1-year-old daughter.

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