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08/20/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rudy Fernandez has more than enough ability to play a major role on a top-tier NBA team.
I'm just not sure he wants to.
The disgruntled Trail Blazers swingman has been griping about his playing time for Nate McMillan in the Pacific Northwest after he averaged 8.1 points, 2.6 rebounds and 2.0 assists last season, a year after bursting on the NBA scene by setting an NBA rookie record with 159 3-pointers.
Fernandez's agent, Andy Miller, went public on Wednesday informing several media outlets that the Spanish star wants to return to Europe and is willing to sit out for the next two seasons, the time left on his Portland deal.
That's just posturing, of course, but it was enough to get the NBA's attention and the league fined Fernandez $25,000 on Thursday for comments "detrimental" to the league.
Detrimental may be a bit of a stretch, but rules are rules and the NBA strictly prohibits players or their representation from publicly requesting a trade.
And make no mistake, that's what this is about. Fernandez, who is currently playing for the Spanish national team as it prepares for the upcoming world championships, wants out of Rip City and is trying to force the hand of rookie general manager Rich Cho.
Cho, who seems a bit perturbed at Fernandez's constant complaining to a sympathetic international press, has already admitted to looking at several scenarios for moving the Spaniard, but has been mimicking MSNBC's Chris Matthews and playing hardball.
Cho is well aware that this will be regarded as his first real test as Portland's basketball chief, and doesn't want to take less back in order to rid himself of a headache that is extremely popular with his fans thanks to the energy he brings to the floor.
A divorce is still on the docket but Cho may steer Fernandez away from his real preferred destination, New York.
The Knicks have reportedly offered athletic swingman Wilson Chandler for the sharp-shooting Fernandez but Chandler isn't Rudy's equal on the court and was recently arrested in May for marijuana possession during a traffic stop in Queens, something that isn't going to sit well with an organization desperately trying to rid itself of its former 'Jail Blazers' reputation.
Chicago may be the better option. The Bulls have already offered to absorb Fernandez's $1.25 million salary for 2010-11 with cap space in exchange for a future first-round pick. Cho is still holding out for Taj Gibson, a second- year player with a big upside as a defender.
The only certainty in this breakup is that Fernandez is more concerned about being the big fish in a small pond rather than the guppy swimming with the big boys.
<< New York aims to break offensive slump at Toronto
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Red Bull New York travels to take on Toronto FC
at BMO Field as the two Major League Soccer clubs meet for the second time in
10 days on Saturday afternoon.
Toronto has been off in league play since the previo
<< MISL adds second expansion team for 2010-11
Orlando, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Major Indoor Soccer League announced this
week an expansion team based on Omaha, Neb. will join the league for the
2010-11 season.
The soon-to-be-named Omaha team joins the Missouri Comets as new te
<< Lagoutte-Clement wins Ladies Scottish Open
East Lothian, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Virgine Lagoutte-Clement posted a
one-under-par 71 on Friday to come from behind and win the Ladies Scottish
Open.
She won the championship by a stroke at one-over 217 at Archerfield Links.
<< NHL's hybrid icing rule could have legs
Toronto, Canada (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 2010 NHL Research, Development and
Orientation Camp took place on August 18-19 at Toronto's MasterCard Centre,
drawing many of hockey's most critical thinkers.
Grouped together at the Toronto Maple Lea
Bills TE Nelson suspended >>
New York, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The National Football League has suspended
Buffalo Bills tight end Shawn Nelson four games without pay for violating the
league's substance-abuse policy.
The second-year pro out of Southern Mississippi
San Francisco 49ers 2010 Season Preview >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Francisco 49ers have a new strategy in their
attempt to end a seven-year playoff drought.
The plan?
Try nothing new at all.
San Francisco finished strong under head coach Mike Singletary in 2008 after
he repl
Hibs ready to take on defending champions >>
Edinburgh, Scotland (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two-time defending champions Rangers
will visit Easter Road Stadium on Sunday to face Hibernian, with both teams
coming off of successful opening weekend matches.
Rangers held off Kilmarnock, 2-
AL Central: Twins beginning to separate from the pack >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - You'll have to forgive the Minnesota Twins if they're not
quite sure how to handle themselves in the role of frontrunner.
Typically around this time of year, the Twins are the ones fighting for their
playoff lives. They ar
After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.
Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.
Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.
So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.
In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.
For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.
The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.
The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.
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