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Chargers, Freeney agree to 2-year deal (Yahoo! Sports)

Sat, 18 May 2013 14:00:04 EDT

SAN DIEGO (AP) -- The San Diego Chargers have agreed to a two-year deal with star pass rusher Dwight Freeney that could be worth $13.35 million.

DE Freeney, Chargers agree to contract

Sat, 18 May 2013 13:30:03 EDT

The San Diego Chargers made a move to bolster their pass rush Saturday, agreeing on a two-year deal with defensive end Dwight Freeney, league sources told ESPN's Ed Werder.

Mike Rio fighting for a cause greater than himself at UFC on FX 8 (MMAmania.com exclusive)

Sat, 18 May 2013 13:00:07 EDT

When Mike Rio steps into the Octagon tonight (May 18, 2013), he'll be fighting for something much bigger than himself. "The Wolverine" has an autistic brother, and every punch thrown in the bout won't just be with the intention of taking home a "Knockout of the Night" bonus, but also to help the charity Autism Speaks. Rio was a veteran of The Ultimate Fighter (TUF) season 15, the only live season of Ultimate Fighting Championship's (UFC) flagship reality show and he'll be bringing his 9-1 professional record to Brazil against Francisco Trinaldo on the Fuel TV portion of the UFC on FX 8 preliminary card. The 31-year old spoke to MMAmania.com during a special guest appearance on The Verbal Submission about fighting outside the US for the first time, preparing himself mentally to compete and the issues his brother faced growing up in this exclusive interview. Check it out: Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): You've spent your entire career fighting inside the United States. How are you feeling competin outside the country for the first time, especially in an incredibly hostile environment like Brazil? Mike Rio: I'm expecting to be booed a lot (laughs). Brazilians are super fans. They love their sport and they love mixed martial arts. The first thing you learn in any martial art is respect. Yeah, I'm expecting to take a lot of flack when I step in there but I feel the second the fight is over, as long as I respect myself, respect Brazil and respect my opponent as a person, they'll give respect back to me. If I give it, I'll get it. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): You've mentioned recently that you've never really been booed in your life. Are you bracing yourself for that? Perhaps getting your teammates to heckleyou a bit when you're sparring? Mike Rio: I've been trying my best to prepare myself mentally. For the most part in my career, I've always had people to cheer me on. I've had a boo here or there during fights, but that's whatever. This time, however, I'm gonna be booed by the entire stadium. I'm trying to put my head on straight to completely cancel out any noise. I'm just gonna be there 100 percent to fight. I was thinking about getting a blowhorn and when I'm in the locker room right before the fight, blow it right in my ears so I can't hear a thing. (laughs) Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): You've mentioned that you don't just want to prepare for someone, but you actually want to overprepare. Are there any things you really went overboard with in your training for this fight? Mike Rio: Yeah, well Trinaldo is the Hector Lombard of the lightweight division. I just have to make sure I'm ready in all areas. My grappling has to be on point, my striking has to be there, I think 95% of any sport is mental. I know plenty of athletes that are phenomenal in the gym but they go out and just buckle under the pressure. It's not just about being athletic and technical, you most importantly have to be ready to step in there mentally or you won't perform to the best of your ability. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): You're fighting for the charity Autism Speaks, you've got a family member afflicted with autism. Can you tell a bit of your story in that department for those that don't know it yet? Mike Rio: My little brother is named Steven and he has autism. You technically cannot beat autism, but to me, my little brother beat it because he graduated high school, got a full ride to college. That's beating autism to me. If it wasn't for my mom not allowing him to use his autism as a crutch, he wouldn't be so independent. He wouldn't be so hard-working all the time because he's not just getting things handed to him. Mom made him work for it. He was raised great. He had his problems as a kid because he was in the wrong schools and kids were hazing him and bullying him because he had a problem. These kids were being mean to be mean, thinking it was funny. It wasn't to allow him in a group or let him be their friend. The schools aren't doing enough about it and the teachers aren't doing enough because they haven't been trained for it. Their excuse is they aren't a special needs teacher. What I decided to do is sell wrist bands and 100 percent of what I make off the wrist bands, this was my brother's idea, I donate it to Autism Speaks, a South Florida branch to represent autism and bring awareness. Hopefully I can do my part to get better schools, better classes and hire better teachers that understand them and don't just stick them in the back of the class because they don't want to deal with it. Brian Hemminger (MMAmania.com): It seems like you're working really hard to make a difference. This isn't just taking a stance to be a fad. It's a real passion for you. Mike Rio: It's very, very important to me. If you see my little brother, you can tell he's a special needs student, but he tries to hard to fit in. Even though his condition doesn't allow him to be very social, he tries so hard, he comes to my fights. First of all, that's something very hard for autistic kids, being around that many people. He'll sit in the crowd and handle it as long as he possibly can. When he can't handle it no more, he runs into the hallway, blows his mind out for a second, resets and then comes back and sits in the stands to cheer me on again. He tries his best. It'll be too much to bring him to Brazil this time around. I'm not making Georges St. Pierre money yet. (laughs).

Sources: Freeney, Chargers agree to deal

Sat, 18 May 2013 12:00:03 EDT

The San Diego Chargers made a move to bolster their pass rush Saturday, agreeing on a two-year deal with defensive end Dwight Freeney, league sources told ESPN's Ed Werder.

Diggins' Diary: Follow My Lead

Sat, 18 May 2013 06:30:02 EDT

Before she had her name in the Notre Dame record books, a deal with Jay-Z's media agency and her own hashtags, Skylar Diggins was a big sister.

With no fewer than four younger siblings, Skylar was a role model long before she donned a Tulsa Shock -- or even a Notre Dame -- jersey.

"I can remember times when, you know, kids get to an age where it's monkey see, monkey do, and you have to be a role model for them," Diggins said. "I know (my siblings) were looking up to me and I just tried to be that example for them."

Given that platform -- by virtue of birth order -- Diggins felt a responsibility to give her siblings a playbook for success.

"I'd try to do the right things for them and always do the things I said I was going to do," she said. "Keep my word. Work hard. Be goal oriented. And do everything in my power to achieve my goals and kind of give them somebody to look up to and someone to be like."

Growing up in South Bend, in the shadows of Notre Dame's campus, Diggins had someone like that to look up to as well. In addition to her mother, who Diggins called the, "perfect example of a strong, humble, woman," a young Skylar also admired Niele Ivey, then a point guard on Notre Dame's women's team, who won a National title in college and went on to play five years in the WNBA.

"She was always someone that I looked up to at a young age," Diggins remembered. "She was right there in the city of South Bend and I just loved to watch her and the team play. I loved the way she took command of the game and was a great point guard and did all the things that as a player I wanted to become."

When it came time for Diggins to play at Notre Dame herself, Ivey was the Recruiting Coordinator and then an assistant coach, focusing on the guards. Diggins said that her relationship with her former idol came full circle because Ivey "actually really played a crucial role in my development as a player."

As Skylar's talent blossomed, her fame exploded. Therefore, given this rare platform -- by virtue of stature this time -- Diggins continued to play the role of big sister, just to a bigger audience.

"I just want to encourage the youth to try everything you want to try," Diggins said. "I think that's important, whether it be basketball or piano or art or whatever you want to do -- try it. The more time you put into your craft, the better you'll become at it. Stay focused on your goals and don't let people try to pull you away for peripheral things. "

It only takes a casual scan of Diggins' flourishing social networks to see the kind of impact she has on young people.

The admiration poured on Diggins is deserved. It's an all-too familiar cliche in sports, but Diggins is, by every account, a strong leader and consummate team player. So much so that -- even as a rookie in her first few weeks in camp -- she is starting to take the reigns on a young team.

"I think when I'm a point guard, I think I lead naturally," Diggins said. "The position that I play, I'm play calling. I'm telling people where to go and things like that. I'm talking in the huddle, but as I get to know my teammates, I think I'll settle into that role nicely."

But Diggins -- who acknowledged the many past accomplishments of her teammates -- seems to understand the balance of leading her team and learning from the veterans.

"I'm just trying to learn from my teammates too and try to get to know them as much as I can just so they understand that I respect everything that they've done up to this point," Diggins said. "I think that so far they've let me lead and be the player that I am. You've got to appreciate that."

Through it all -- from Washington High School to the Tulsa Shock -- Diggins has also been extremely appreciative of her family. Her family was a key factor in her deciding to stay local and attend Notre Dame and not go to Stanford for college, and her family has continued to mold her into the inspirational person she is today.

And when it comes to role models, Diggins doesn't have to look any further than her mother.

"My mom was someone who always stuck with her values and fought for what she believed and who taught me those same values," Diggins said. "She's someone who has been my rock, and everything that's good that's happened in my life, I can trace back to her."

Somewhere, whether with her siblings or an adoring fan, Diggins is having that same effect on someone else.

The circle continues.

If The Power Conferences Split

Sat, 18 May 2013 03:00:08 EDT

John Calipari wasn’t the first to suggest that the top conferences break away and either form their own NCAA division or a new entity. For football, that’s one thing. You only play a relative handful of games and as of now, the new playoff is just a four team affair. IN ACC Big Ten Big 12 PAC 12 SEC Miami Indiana Kansas UCLA Florida Duke Ohio State Kansas State Arizona Ole Miss UNC Michigan State Ok. State Oregon Alabama NCSU Michigan Iowa State Cal Kentucky Virginia Wisconsin Oklahoma Colorado Missouri Florida State Iowa Baylor Arizona State Tennessee BC Illinois Texas Stanford Arkansas Georgia Tech Minnesota West Virginia Washington LSU Wake Forest Purdue Texas Tech USC Georgia Clemson Nebraska TCU Utah Vanderbilt Virginia Tech Northwestern Oregon State Texas A&M Syracuse Penn State Wash. State South Carolina Notre Dame Maryland Miss. State Louisville Rutgers Auburn Pitt For basketball, it’s a bit different. If the top conferences – ACC, SEC, Big Ten, Big Twelve and PAC 12 – have either their own division or break away entirely, that severely reduces the pool of competitors. With all the comings and goings we’ve seen lately, we could be off, but we count 65 teams in those conferences. That’s enough for a 64 team tournament with a play-in. But there are some problems with that idea, beginning with merit. In a 65-team division, schools like Wake, Clemson, Penn State, Rutgers, TCU and Auburn would presumably have to be included. Moreover, consider the teams which would be excluded. There’s a partial list to your right, but there are a lot of other teams which would be left out as well. You could, however, build a tournament just as interesting with teams like Temple, Georgetown, Memphis, UConn, Butler and UNLV – and you’d still have the Cinderella factor teams like Valpo and Davidson, among others, have provided. Jay Bilas has often argued for a 64-team tournament with the best 64 teams, regardless of anything else. We’re not sure that would work perfectly either, but it’s a lot better than just taking the power conferences and limiting the field to those schools. One secret of the tournament and by extension college sports in general is how a town or state or faith identifies with a team, perhaps partly because unlike pro teams, universities rarely move. OUT ( A partial list) Saint Louis Virginia Commonwealth Butler La Salle Temple Massachusetts Xavier Charlotte Saint Joseph’s Richmond Dayton St. Bonaventure Rhode Island Davidson Georgetown Marquette Villanova Providence St. John’s Seton Hall DePaul Butler Creighton UConn Cincinnati Weber State Memphis UTEP Tulsa Marshall Houston Valparaiso Princeton Penn Wichita State Evansville Indiana State Bradley New Mexico UNLV Wyoming San Diego State Murray State Belmont Western Kentucky Charleston New Mexico State Gonzaga Saint Mary’s Brigham Young Santa Clara San Francisco That’s obvious in the case of someone like Kentucky, BYU or Notre Dame, but it’s also true for VCU, Creighton and Marshall. Marshall fans are some of our absolute favorites. They are just totally into their team. It’s a mini Kentucky without the nuttier elements. A tournament with a field that changes from year to year is better and more in touch with fans than one which stays set. We hope that no one is dumb enough to follow Calipari’s suggestion without carefully considering what they’ll lose.

UFC on FX 8 predictions, preview and analysis

Fri, 17 May 2013 13:30:02 EDT

The (mini) drought is over. After a two-week stretch with no major mixed martial arts (MMA) action from Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), the gang is all here for another trip down south to get busy on this Saturday night's (May 18, 2013) UFC on FX 8: "Belfort vs. Rockhold" fight card, which features a compelling middleweight main event between Vitor Belfort and the last man to hold the Strikeforce 185-pound strap, Luke Rockhold. The man he took it from, Ronaldo Souza, is also in action at Arena Jaragua in Santa Catarina, Brazil, where he takes on late replacement Chris Camozzi, who was promoted to the "Jacare" fight when Constantinos Philippou came up lame in practice. Surging lightweight submission specialist Rafael dos Anjos tries to inch his way closer to a 155-pound title shot at the expense of the rough-and-tumble Evan Dunham while Joao Zeferino gets to fill the empty slot on the main card opposite hot-and-cold Rafael Natal. MMAmania.com will provide LIVE round-by-round, blow-by-blow coverage of the entire UFC on FX 8 fight card below, starting with the Facebook "Prelims," which are scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. ET, right on through the FUEL TV-televised under card bouts at 6 p.m. ET and then main card action, which is slated to begin at 9 p.m. ET on FX channel. Now, enough with the formalities ... let's get cracking. 185 lbs.: Vitor "The Phenom" Belfort (22-10) vs. Luke Rockhold (10-1) Nostradumbass predicts: It's hard to criticize a guy who not only wins, but also finishes fights, because he's essentially doing everything right. At the same time, you want to make sure that you don't let wins and losses make your decision for you when it comes to predictions. Vitor Belfort is a perfect example. The self-described "dinosaur" has three wins at middleweight since making his catchweight debut against Rich Franklin back at UFC 103. Two of those have come over fighters who are no longer in UFC (Anthony Johnson and Yoshihiro Akiyama). He looked great against Michael Bisping earlier this year in Brazil. Lean and quick (thanks to a little help from the needle), he thrashed "The Count" with relative ease. But Bisping made the same mistake against "The Phenom" as he did against Dan Henderson. He fought in fear of the knockout. Luke Rockhold, who sounds a lot like Chris Weidman in the way he projects his confidence against one of Brazil's finest, won't make that same mistake. That's because this isn't pre-fight trash talk or some lame attempt to convince fans he's legit. He really believes he is far superior to Belfort and expects nothing less than a finish. I'm also convinced he's too intelligent to make this a straight-up boxing match, where he would get smoked. I think his wrestling, honed at American Kickboxing Academy (AKA), will be used in earnest, not only to dump the Brazilian on his back, but also to tire him out and take away the power shot. Five rounds is a long time. It's hard for me to imagine a scenario in which Rockhold leaves his hands low or allows himself to be battered across the better part of 25 minutes. I don't think a submission win is out of the question, but I would be comfortable predicting a clear cut unanimous decision win by way of athletic gameplan. The boo birds have just moved to DEFCON 1. Final prediction: Rockhold def. Belfort via unanimous decision 185 lbs.: Chris Camozzi (19-5) vs. Ronaldo "Jacare" Souza (17-3) Nostradumbass predicts: I'm just going to go ahead and say it: It's very hard for me to give Chris Camozzi a chance in this fight because three of his five losses have come by way of submission. Under normal circumstances, that would hardly make losing a foregone conclusion, but then again, there is nothing normal about the ground game of Ronaldo Souza. "Jacare" is one of the best in the world. The only saving grace for Camozzi is the fact that the Brazilian has fallen in love with the stand up and prefers to bang it out on the feet instead of relying on his bread and butter. It didn't stop Derek Brunson from getting KTFO and Souza did tap Ed Herman and Robbie Lawler, but he will throw hands if "Kamikaze" lets him. Ronaldo hits hard, no question, but his technical flaws can be taken advantage of. I'm not sure Camozzi is the right guy to do it. That's what made the Constantinos Philippou bout so intriguing, but alas, "Costas" went and hurt himself and this is plan B. It's not totally unwarranted, as the Coloradan has won four fights in a row, but he's going to need to be flawless in this bout to get past the alligator. Decision wins over Nick Ring and Luiz Cane aren't making compelling arguments. I have to imagine that within 15 minutes, at home and in front of his fans, Souza finds the opening he's looking for. I wouldn't be surprised to see Camozzi rocked on his feet before being taken down and tapped out. Not the boldest prediction, but certainly the most plausible. Final prediction: Souza def. Camozzi via submission 155 lbs.: Rafael dos Anjos (18-6) vs. Evan Dunham (14-3) Nostradumbass predicts: Man ... remember when Evan Dunham was the cat's meow? He was supposed to be the next big thing at 155 pounds and a lot of people were up in arms over his split decision loss to Sean Sherk back in late 2010. Didn't hurt his momentum. Then he got dismantled by Melvin Guillard and dropped off the radar. But hey, that's life in the fast lane and MMA fans are a fickle bunch. A loss to T.J. Grant derailed his rebuilding phase and at 31 years old, he needs to do something special to get himself "in the mix." Crazy thing to say about a guy who is 14-3. The same can be said about his opponent, Rafael dos Anjos. The Brazilian, on the surface, has all the tools to be a contender, including knockout power (ask G-Sots) and slick submissions (Terry Etim's arm still aches on a rainy day). What he doesn't have, is a decent win streak. Yes, he's now got three straight victories, but going to the scorecards against Anthony Njokuani and Mark Bocek isn't going to put anyone on notice and you can blame Ben Henderson for making fans of the lightweight division hate decisions ("Smooth" has eight in a row). This could actually be a pretty entertaining scrap, as both guys are well rounded fighters with experience against tough competition. However, when push comes to shove, I have to favor Dos Anjos, because he's demonstrated more consistency over the last two years and I think he steals this one in the final frame. Final prediction: Dos Anjos def. Dunham via split decision 185 lbs.: Rafael "Sapo" Natal (15-4-1) vs. Joao "The Brazilian Samurai" Zeferino (13-4) Nostradumbass predicts: I don't know dick about Joao Zeferino nor will I pretend to, because quite frankly, I have a hard enough time keeping up with the 300+ fighters currently on the ZUFFA roster. There's just not enough RAM in the ol' Nostracranium to follow every fighter currently doing work across the globe. I do, however, know a thing or two about Rafael Natal. "Sapo" joined the promotion on the strength of a knockout win over former UFC middleweight number one contender Travis Lutter, but his "run" inside the Octagon has been mediocre, at best. The former Ring of Combat (ROC) star is 3-2-1 with just one finish. He was also put out to pasture by Andrew Craig last summer. You can argue that Zeferino is at a disadvantage because he's never fought a "name," but if you look at Natal's wins and losses, there isn't really anything that elevates him above the promotion newcomer. That means the only real obstacle, in my eyes, is Octagon jitters. This is a pick 'em as far as I'm concerned. That said, I like the "The Brazilian Samurai" by way of opportunistic offense. Natal has already shown a penchant for tomfoolery inside the cage and I believe he's taking this fight lightly, based on the fact that Zeferino is wet behind the ears and stepping in on short notice. Big mistake. Final prediction: Zeferino def. Natal via split decision That's a wrap, folks. For previews and predictions on the preliminary card fights click here and here. To see all the odds and betting lines for UFC on FX 8 click here and remember to come check us out after the show for all the latest results, recaps and coverage of "Belfort vs. Rockhold." What do you think? Now it's your turn ... let us have it in the comments section and share your thoughts and picks for tomorrow's event.

Warrant issued for Chad Johnson (Yahoo! Sports)

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:30:02 EDT

FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) -- A warrant has been issued for the arrest of former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson in South Florida.

Jaguars awarded DT Love off waivers from Patriots (Yahoo! Sports)

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:30:02 EDT

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (AP) -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have added another defensive lineman from New England, landing fourth-year tackle Kyle Love off waivers from the Patriots.

Arrest warrant issued for ex-Bengal Johnson

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:00:03 EDT

A warrant has been issued for the arrest of former NFL wide receiver Chad Johnson in South Florida.