Friday, October 25, 2013
12:05 PM - October 25, 2013. Written by jmik58
Top Sports News for Friday, October 25, 2013
QOTD: Should Tampa Bay fire head coach Greg Schiano?
- A single play with two errors helped St. Louis rally to even the series at one game apiece with a 4-2 victory over Boston.
- Brett Favre is flattered that he's still wanted, but says 'No way' to the possibility of a return to the NFL.
- Carolina dominated Tampa Bay in what could be Greg Schiano's final game as head coach of the winless Bucaneers.
- Nick Saban to 'fans': Stay for the whole game or don't come at all.
- Riddell will no longer be the official helmet partner of the NFL.
- Utah likes what they've seen from Gordon Hayward so far and reportedly are in talks on an extension.
- Philadelphia traded for him, now they've released the controversial Royce White who has battled with mental health concerns since entering the NBA.
- Washington is reportedly close to signing Matt Williams as the next manager of the Nations.
- A Northwestern basketball player is awarded a scholarship in front of teammates following two years as a walk on. [Video]
- Performance enhanced pigeons!? Apparently racing pigeons is a "thing" in Belgium -- so much so that cocaine and other drugs have been used to boost performance.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
12:07 PM - October 24, 2013. Written by jmik58
Top Sports News for Thursday, October 24, 2013
QOTD: Did the Fenway 'mystique' get in the heads of Cardinals players for game one of the World Series?
- Multiple errors by St. Louis on defense, poor pitch control by Adam Wainwright, and Boston playing it cool -- Red Sox take game one 8-1.
- Carlos Beltran robbed David Ortiz of a grand slam but injured his ribs and was taken out of the game. [Image]
- Caught Cheating? Does Jon Lester have Vaseline; pine tar in his glove?
- A horrible out-call at second base was overturned after an unusual umpire conference. [Animated Gif]
- Desperate times for the Rams: Brett Favre allegedly received a call about QB woes in St. Louis.
- Greg Oden is back: First game. First possession. First dunk!
- College basketball is just around the corner. It's time to get caught up on all the conference shifting (Thanks, BCS). Louisville the favorites -- in the AAC?
- If you follow the math, Boston holds a huge advantage in the World Series -- even before game one's blowout victory.
- Serena in Vogue photoshoot -- looking good enough to play linebacker? [Image]
- Ever wonder what reconstructive surgery on an ACL looks like? [Video] [NSFW].
Wednesday, October 23, 2013
12:02 PM - October 23, 2013. Written by jmik58
Top Sports News for Wednesday, October 23, 2013
QOTD: Do you want the Red Sox or Cardinals to win the World Series?
- Why the Cardinals will win the World Series -- and why the Red Sox will win.
- Looking at how the two World Series teams were built: Boston vs. St. Louis.
- Miami will repeat as NBA champs and LeBron will win the MVP -- according to a poll of NBA GM's.
- If you grew up in the '90's, you can relate to this feeling of watching ESPN. [Image]
- The 'Kevin Bacon Game of Sports'. Connect any two NFL, MLB, and NBA players in history.
- It's all fun until someone gets kicked in the head at a PeeWee football game.
- A high school football game ended with a 91-0 final score, leading some parents to compare it to bullying.
- Not So Fast! Sam Montgomery's agent doesn't want his client lumped in with the others -- claiming he wasn't released due to pot use.
- Analyst apologizes to Tiger for damaging cheating accusations.
- The Grambling State saga isn't over yet. Jackson State may pursue legal action over forfeited game.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
12:38 PM - October 22, 2013. Written by jmik58
Top Sports News for Tuesday, October 22, 2013
QOTD: Do you agree with the NCAA's sanctions on Miami's athletic department?
- "The U" dodged "The Big One" as the NCAA handed down a miniscule punishment of nine scholarships over three years -- avoiding a postseason ban.
- The Giants finally notched victory number one thanks to embarassing play by the struggling Vikings.
- Green Bay's Finley is out of ICU and walking after being carted off field on Sunday.
- Jim Leyland has decided he will not return as manager of the Tigers next year.
- The Houston Texans released three players who were allegedly caught smoking marijuana in a team hotel prior to Sunday's game in Kansas City.
- You've seen it once -- see it again: Colts punter Pat McAffee decleats punt returner. [Image]
- The next great This is Sportscenter commercial: Kevin Love serving up double-doubles. [Video]
- Don't Blink: The fastest goal in MLS history. [Video]
- Vikings logo looks like it's kissing Adrian Peterson on the cheek. [Image]
- The FLorida State vs. Clemson game summed up in one animated gif.
2K has released the details on the DLC packages and season pass for WWE 2K14, and there's actually some good stuff to be had in the various downloadable offerings. The whole package can be had for $19.99, and if you're into some of the creation offerings in the franchise, there seem to be some good options in here for you.
I've got to say that it's a bit galling seeing moves being offered as a DLC pack, especially since some of them are basic stuff that should be in the game outright (inverted DDT, diving headbutt, leaping tombstone, etc.) It starts to get down a bad path for DLC when fairly standard wrestling moves are being so obviously gated in this way.
The other big sticking point is that DLCs are all priced way too high individually, and this is obviously being done to create some sense of "value" for the season pass. Sorry, you can't tell me that three or four new wrestlers (some with just costume swaps from on-disc version) plus a few moves or extras are worth $9. All of these should be $5 on their own, but then there would be no savings. Bad form, 2K.
Still, I'm glad the accelerator is back for those that want to have maximum creation potential, and some of the included legends and current stars remedy a lot of the holes that are present in the on-disc roster.
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Look for the full review of WWE 2K14 on Operation Sports the week of October 29th.
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Follow me on Twitter @glennwigmore
Monday, October 21, 2013
04:11 PM - October 21, 2013. Written by VisceralBishop
Screenshot above is taken from NASCAR: Inside Line.
Eutechnyx is back with another NASCAR game in early 2014, but this time it will be published by Deep Silver instead of Activision. Included in the announcement (which can be found below), there will be new modes and features. Online play is seeing some major improvements with server browsing functionality which will make for a "fair and enjoyable experience." Skill-based matchmaking will also be available, meaning you can get rid of all the people who set out to wreck everyone on the first lap. Not only that, but if you just want to race against your friends 24/7, the inclusion of Online Leagues is just for you.
If the single player experience is what you are looking for, you can expect Eutechnyx to build on the improved career mode that was featured in Inside Line. NASCAR Highlights will also be returning, which allows you to relive and recreate the "biggest race thrills from the season."
We expect to have a lot of news from the title in the coming months. NASCAR '14 will retail for $50 when it is available in early 2014.
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Last week we got a good look at some of the new features in Madden NFL 25 for PS4 and Xbox One. Let's take a deeper look at what these features mean for Madden NFL 25 on next-gen platforms.
True Step Locomotion - According to EA Sports, True Step is an all-new, step-based locomotion system that calculates the steps ball carriers take on the field. This system is supposed to replace the run cycles found on current-generation consoles. The new True Step is supposed to take weight and momentum into account now, with four times the precision of the current-gen iteration.
If True Step works as advertised, it should lead to gamers feeling more connected and in control of the action on the field. The obvious benefit is to ball carriers, especially when trying to use precision modifiers and other moves to get away from tacklers.
But where I'd really like to feel the difference is on the defensive side of the ball. On Xbox 360, player control on defense feels sometimes unresponsive and unintuitive. It would be a huge improvement if True Step makes playing defense more fun. EA claims that the new system allows gamers to use the right and left triggers as “gas and brake pedals”. I'm very much looking forward to feeling what the new weight and step system feels like on the football field.
Player Sense - The goal of the new Player Sense AI system in Madden NFL 25 is to give computer controlled players the intelligence to scan the field, anticipate situations before they happen, and maneuver with instincts and awareness. EA says that players will make more than 50x the calculations to react to situations on the fly. A huge key to the new Player Sense AI is the concept of avoidance.
This hopefully means that the days of players stepping out of bounds on sideline catches without attempting to stay in bounds is coming to an end. The days of blockers running into and on top of one another are also hopefully on the way out. Ball carriers are supposed to be "smart" enough to see down players and auto hurdle over them, instead of stumbling over them and falling. Ball carriers should be pointing out players to block down the field now as well, which if it works as advertised, could really add to the challenge from the offline CPU opponent.
Similarly, on defense blitzing linebackers and safeties will now step over and around defensive linemen who might be in the way, instead of running into them and getting stuck. Players will also supposedly break on a ball in the air more realistically, as opposed to warping to the ball as they do on current-gen. Player Sense AI has the chance to be the most exciting change to game in my opinion.
The War in the Trenches - EA Sports states that for Madden NFL 25 on PS4 and Xbox One, the development team completely re-designed the pass-blocking system from the ground up. It looks like we might finally be getting proper attention to the war in the trenches.
This part of the game has been overlooked and given lip service for years, but fans will finally get a chance to see and feel the most meaningful changes to the OL/DL interaction in franchise history when the game releases for next-generation alongside each console. Things I expect include a more authentic passer pocket, better blocking awareness and AI, and the end of "patty-cake" linemen dances.
With under the hood changes that include dynamic identification and targeting with 60 individual calculation per second the difference should be noticeable on every snap and every play. The implications here are that this will change the way everyone plays Madden NFL football going forward and I certainly hope this is the case. It sounds great in theory. If it translates to the game in a tangible way that gamers can feel and see, then Madden NFL 25 on next-gen will be more than a graphical upgrade. The game will be a real step forward in how we play the game going forward and add to the immersion that is desperately missing from Madden NFL 25 on Xbox 360 and PS3.
What do you think OS? What improvements are you most excited about? Does the reveal of how these new features work excite you for Madden again?
Friday, October 18, 2013
12:08 PM - October 18, 2013. Written by jmik58
Top Sports News for Friday, October 18, 2013
QOTD: How much will the return of Rob Gronkowski help the Patriots?
- Detroit struggled to bring in runs despite getting plenty of runners on base as Boston took game five and rests one victory from the World Series.
- After key defensive injuries, New England finally got some good news as tight end Rob Gronkowski has been cleared to play Sunday.
- Russell Wilson's three-touchdown performance led the Seahawks over division foe Arizona in Thursday Night football.
- With Matt Schaub banged up, Case Keenum has been given the nod to start at QB for the Texans versus undefeated Kansas City.
- Former pitching great and current Texas Rangers CEO, Nolan Ryan has decided to step down from his role with the ball club.
- No Kidding!? The Brooklyn Nets have retired Jason Kidd's No. 5 jersey.
- "The U" survived a Thursday night road-trip to North Carolina after a game-winning touchdown with only seconds left.
- "When I grow up, I want to be..." Check out this image of Muggsy Bogues standing next to Yao Ming. [Image]
- Marshawn Lynch tells his offensive coordinator he's "No. 1" with a hand gesture. [Image] [NSFW]
- The new fantasy football? Could NFL players offer themselves as investment stock?
Thursday, October 17, 2013
11:56 AM - October 17, 2013. Written by jmik58
Top Sports News for Thursday, October 17, 2013
QOTD: Which two teams do you want to see advance to the World Series?
- The first three games of the ALCS were pitcher's duels stacked with no-hit stretches deep into the game. The fourth matchup was very different as the Tigers evened the series with a 7-3 win.
- Los Angeles stayed alive in the NLCS by getting homerun happy -- including two from Adrian Gonzalez.
- Detroit's Suh has been fined again by the NFL. This time for a modest working-man's salary of $31,500.
- Not 'Ducking' breast cancer awareness: Oregon plans to wear pink helmets against Washington State.
- He may not be the favorite to take the final shot with the game on the line, but LeBron doesn't care.
- Chicago's Rose notches twenty-two points in his return to the court.
- Looking for a job? Searching Craigslist? Cleveland is seeking a highly qualified quarterback for its NFL franchise, thanks to one Browns fan's creative post.
- After a big assist from Team USA soccer, Americans can't stop from trolling Team Mexico -- check out these un-official jerseys. [Image]
- Do you approve of the team assembled as the first college football playoff selection committee?
- Check out this 49-plane flyover from last Sunday's Kansas City Chiefs game. [Image]
EA has released patch v1.01 for NHL 14, and it affects almost all aspects of the game. Some users on the EA forums are (rightfully) annoyed that certain gameplay issues weren't addressed, but at least EA did address a lot of bugs, glitches and balance problems that were present in the various modes on offer for NHL 14.
Here's the official release from EA.
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The fix for players being able to pop out of an injured state is also welcome, as that's just a silly error to have slipped through in the first place. The same goes for the hold-down state in fights having an end point, as the fight can just linger on forever without it. It's rare to see the hold-down state executed successfully, but it's nice that there is some balance to the move now.
The other change worth mentioning is the addition of tripping penalties to shot block situations. I actually had this exact thing happen before the patch was out, as I went down for a shot block and effectively dropkicked an opponent in the skate and knocked him down. Needless to say, it was hilarious; at the same time, it was a penalty. I hope there is a proper grace period so that someone can't just skate into when you're on the ice and expect a penalty, but this "shot-blocking trip" is something worthy of a penalty here and there.
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The removal of a glitch/exploit that allowed users to keep training items applied indefinitely has also been addressed, and this type of fix is an absolute necessity to keep a modicum of fairness in HUT.
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There was some talk on the EA forums of making things parallel by having game-ending injuries as well as game misconducts. This way the there would be a risk-reward to throwing a big hit. It's also still an idea to have a player who has been ejected "become" an AI drone for the rest of the game, but I don't think EA wants to go down that road of having people play as random CPU dudes.
I'm glad that EA has just added the functionality to turn this feature on or off, as I think it might be something that needs to be revisited in the near future.
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Final Thoughts
While I'm a bit hesitant about the removal of game misconducts to OTP/EASHL, it's nice to see stuff like faceoff spamming get addressed in a fairly effective way. There are also plenty of bug and functionality fixes across all modes, especially HUT, and it's nice to see the proper division names present in all relevant modes. Hopefully this is the first of several patches for EA and NHL 14.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
11:51 AM - October 16, 2013. Written by jmik58
Top Sports News for Wednesday, October 16, 2013
QOTD: Should Jim Irsay be thankful for Indy's one Super Bowl win under Peyton Manning, or did the former Colts QB underperform?
- Justin Verlander was brilliant against the Red Sox in game three of the ALCS, giving up only one run. Unfortunately for the Tigers, one is more than zero as the BoSox were victorious to take a two-games-to-one lead in the series.
- Jim Irsay may not have meant any harm by suggesting Peyton Manning underachieved in Indianapolis -- actually, what was he thinking saying that?!
- Mexico may be Team USA's biggest soccer fan after a stoppage-time goal sent our southern neighbors into the World Cup. [Video]
- Los Angeles struggled in clutch moments which allowed the Cardinals to win last night's contest for a 3-1 advantage in the NLCS.
- A lesson to NFL kickers: Just get out of the way!
- Considering the debate on the appropriateness (or lack of) for the mascot of the Washington Redskins -- how about the head coach as a replacement? [Image]
- First it was Vince Wilfork, now the Patriots are without their top linebacker Jerod Mayo for the remainder of the season with an apparent pectoral muscle injury.
- According to fans, the "Best of All Time" argument is between MJ and Kobe -- not LeBron.
- Another week, another investigation into Ndamukong Suh cheap-shotting someone.
- Police have charged Aaron Hernandez's fiance' for her involvement in covering up and hindering the murder investigation surrounding the former Patriots tight end.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
01:42 PM - October 15, 2013. Written by jmik58
Top Sports News for Tuesday, October 15, 2013
QOTD: Do you have a problem with Yasiel Puig's emotional reactions on the field?
- Aces keep getting trumped in the NLCS as Hyun Jin Ryu outdueled Adam Wainwright to notch a victory for Los Angeles.
- Carlos Beltran took offense to Dodgers rookie Yasiel Puig's on-field actions which the veteran took as a sign of disrespect.
- LeBron says his two idols were Michael Jordan and Allen Iverson -- surprised?
- Peyton Manning may have pushed himself out of the door in Indianapolis. According to reports, he advised the Colts to draft Andrew Luck.
- The San Diego Chargers looked impressive in a win over the Colts, adding to the power of the AFC West with both the Chiefs and Broncos sitting at 6-0.
- A high school athlete is facing suspension and loss of her captaincy for going to a party to pick up a drunk friend.
- Do you remember? Today is the 25-year anniversary of Kirk Gibson's incredible playoff homerun.
- A racecar driver in Indiana was arrested for DUI -- during a race!
- Stephen A. Smith's Gmail Inbox? [Image]
- Cop's arms and Torii Hunter's legs lead to photographic fame for officer. [Image]
Monday, October 14, 2013
12:38 PM - October 14, 2013. Written by jmik58
Top Sports News for Monday, October 14, 2013
QOTD: Will Boston or Detroit win the ALCS?
- A five-run deficit in the sixth inning was whittled down and eventually erased by a David Ortiz grand slam with two outs in the 8th inning. Boston later win on a walk-off single to even the ALCS at one game apiece.
- In a series of events that sounds like the day some Chiefs fans cheered the injured Matt Cassel, Texans fans have done the same to Matt Schaub.
- Despite the loss of his two-year old son, Adrian Peterson suited up for the Vikings in their loss to Carolina.
- The SEC has eight teams in the Top 25, the first time any conference has achieved such a feat.
- The AFC West is home to the NFL's only unbeatens. Denver is 6-0 as are the KC Chiefs.
- It took a few tries, but Arrowhead Stadium broke the record for the loudest open-air stadium in Sunday's game against Oakland.
- Tom Brady's incredible vision and accuracy put the first dent in the Saint's season with a last-minute touchdown to steal a victory from New Orleans.
- Just because the AFC West has two undefeated teams -- does that mean they're the best over conference?
- Adrian Peterson shared his reason for playing following personal tragedy.
- It was upset weekend in college football as Stanford took a major hit to their title hopes, along with a few other ranked teams falling to unbeatens.
Saturday, October 12, 2013
All things considered, I thought THQ did a decent job stewarding the UFC brand for all of the years it held the license. The improvement in the franchise was notable with each iteration, even though the sales were on a slight decline at the same time. I remember hearing Dana White say how he wanted to keep supporting THQ because both them and the UFC had struck a deal when both companies were much younger, and that they had essentially built something cool together from the ground up. White wasn't as kind about his feelings for EA at time, characterizing them this way.
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Then again, this sort of behaviour from the UFC, and specifically Dana White, is not unheard of. His about-face on fighters like Tito Ortiz, Rampage Jackson, Randy Couture and Anderson Silva have been legendary. At one moment, he's talking them down as if they're the biggest pieces of trash on the planet, and then a month or two later, after they KO someone in dramatic fashion, he's talking about what "good dudes" they are. When you're playing by the UFC's rules and making them money, a lot can be forgiven. When you fight a boring style or create a problem with the national media or do something that's deemed "abnormal," you're going to feel the wrath of White.
In the case of THQ, it certainly looks like this heel-turn theme was apparent, since the allegation is that EA coerced the UFC to vacate the THQ contract with inside information, stats and financial incentives. Since the sales of the THQ-made UFC product were flagging -- and the company was in jeopardy -- the UFC saw a business opportunity, as they have many times, to cast aside the dead wood and get on the gravy train of EA's successful marketing machine. EA had gained the inside information in previous years when THQ was considering a sale of the entire company and had disclosed specific sales and franchise data regarding the UFC games.
It certainly seems plausible that EA was frustrated by the inability to purchase THQ and used this new-found information against them to "convince" the UFC that they should get out of the sinking ship. No one knows, at this point, what information was allegedly used by EA, and who knows what the UFC was even thinking at the time. Again, as I said before, Dana White and the UFC have shown an itchy trigger finger, as they seem all too eager to cast aside problematic fighters, expensive contracts or even lackluster TV deals. They may have seen the writing on the wall, specifically from the THQ UFC games' weak sales numbers. It might not have required EA to say very much in order to sway them over.
Truth be told, this could just be a bit of spilt-milk case for THQ, as their creditors are going to want any monies they can get their hands on in order to satiate some pissed-off investors and debt collectors. They've seen what EA is doing with the UFC franchise -- good things, by the looks of it -- and they want to get "a piece of the pie," as Dana White once said.
Since there was no ill will about the license transfer back in June of last year, I suspect Zuffa (UFC's parent company) and White will likely plead the fifth here, allowing the courts to decide what's right and wrong. White, as I've said, has stepped on people when they're down before, but I think here they'll just settle and move on. There's nothing to be gained from disparaging a now-disgraced company, and EA is likely going to be a great fit for the UFC franchise, building off of the THQ dev team and EA MMA learning experience.
I don't really see this episode having much of an impact on any of the players involved, as White and Zuffa are known commodities for their bravado and brashness, and THQ is just trying to scrape together a few bucks to pay off debts. EA may just quietly settle if there's any truth to what happened, and likely the issue will disappear at that point. To be sure, this type of contract manoeuvring and jockeying between developers, publishers and licensees exists in the game space, and anyone who doesn't think it does is kidding themselves. How much of that was fair or illegal in this instance will be something for the law to unravel.
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Follow me on Twitter @glennwigmore
Friday, October 11, 2013
11:34 AM - October 11, 2013. Written by jmik58
Top Sports News for Friday, October 11, 2013
QOTD: Who or what is to blame for an 0-6 start by the New York Giants?
- The Chicago Bears are no pushover, but an 0-6 start is unacceptable for a Giants team only a few years removed from Super Bowl glory.
- Justin Verlander was nearly unhittable as the Tigers downed Oakland to advance to the ALCS against the Boston Red Sox.
- Behind star Maya Moore, Minnesota has grabbed yet another WNBA title.
- "No Fun League": Coach Tomlin says 'no games' in Steelers' locker room after 0-4 start.
- USC's first game post-Kiffin went well as the depth-depleted Trojans outlasted the Arizona Wildcats and their fast-paced attack.
- Cardinals rookie Joe Kelly will toe the rubber for game one of the NLCS against the Dodgers.
- Golden Gophers football coach Jerry Kill has decided to take an extended leave to try and get his epilepsy under control.
- Magic has left the building: Magic Johnson has decided to step down from his job as ESPN analyst.
- You, yes YOU! can own the very grass that Johnny Manziel played on -- Texas A&M selling off turf from Kyle Field.
- Carolina may be struggling in the win column, but don't blame Cam Newton. Have you seen what he's done?
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