Manuel Pellegrini on Man City penalty: ‘Soft is being a little generous’

Manuel Pellegrini accused Manchester City’s Bernardo Silva of throwing himself to the floor to win the decisive penalty in West Ham’s 1-0 defeat to the title challengers.

The Portuguese forward went down under a challenge from Felipe Anderson in the second half and Sergio Aguero converted the spot-kick as City kept the pressure on leaders Liverpool.

“Soft is being a little generous — it wasn’t a penalty,” the former City boss told a news conference. “It was a play that happens a lot of times inside the box.cheap nike nfl jerseys wholesale

“In the other box Manuel Lanzini had exactly the same and he didn’t throw [himself] to the floor. If we had lost this game with another action then maybe we could accept it, but not that penalty.2

“They didn’t score another goal and we defended very well. The first save of [West Ham goalkeeper Lukasz Fabianski] was in minute 61. After that, they had a couple of chances. If you lose the game with those options maybe you can accept it more.

“We played very well in defending and not so well in attacking because we didn’t have the possession we wanted to have — especially when we played this game with eight players injured and four players we rested for the game on Saturday.

Pep Guardiola said before the game that he would be able to tell if his side had what was required to maintain their title challenge and he was happy with his side’s display.

“We played so well,” he said. “When you see the result it looks like it could be better but we created an incredible amount of chances — after five minutes it could be 2-0.china nike nfl jerseys cheap

“Of course we didn’t score as many goals as we needed but the performance in terms of how we won second balls … we did everything.

“We conceded one shot on target — it was an important chance for them. After 120 minutes and all the tension, the performance was amazing and I’m so delighted with the way we played today.”

The Timberwolves’ cool new uniforms, featuring Prince

When Tyus Jones first heard that the Minnesota Timberwolves were designing an alternate jersey in honor of Prince, he knew how important it was that the team and Nike get it right.nike nfl jerseys cheap paypal

Jones is 22, too young for Prince’s heyday, but he grew up about half an hour from Minneapolis — Prince’s hometown — and understands the musical superstar’s connection to the region and its basketball teams.

“Being from here, you know,” Jones says. “He’s obviously an icon, but he’s even more of an icon and a legend here.”

Prince and other local music legends, including Jimmy Jam, Prince’s longtime friend and occasional touring partner, often sat courtside during the early years of the Timberwolves and the high points of the Kevin Garnett era. As the franchise receded into lottery contention, Prince the fan receded into the background. He rarely attended games. When he did, he preferred to do so in such a private fashion, most fans would not even know he was there, says Ted Johnson, the team’s chief strategy officer.

When Prince’s camp sent word he might attend a game, several staffers would drop everything to plan for his appearance. There were many false alarms. I was in Minneapolis on Nov. 12, 2015, when Prince’s people alerted the Wolves he might come that night to their game against the Warriors. A thrilled panic ensued. Staffers arranged private entrance and exit pathways for Prince, and a method of whisking him into a suite without attracting attention.2

He didn’t show. But Prince was always watching Minnesota hoops. He played basketball in junior high and high school, and in pickup games both on tour and at his home in Paisley Park — as memorialized in perhaps the most famous “Chappelle’s Show” skit ever. When the WNBA’s Minnesota Lynx won the 2015 championship, Prince invited the team to Paisley Park for a private three-hour concert.

When Prince died in April 2016, Nike pitched the Wolves an alternate “city edition” jersey for the 2017-18 season that would honor him. The Wolves concluded it was too soon. They were already finalizing their 2017-18 jerseys, which would kick off a full-on rebrand — new jerseys, new logo, new court, tweaked color scheme.nfl nike jersey cheap

But they decided then to prioritize a Prince jersey for this season. They set aside some of Nike’s other proposed Minnesota-centric motifs: jerseys paying homage to Bob Dylan, the Mississippi River (which runs through Minneapolis), and the original Minneapolis Lakers, Johnson says. (You might see some of those ideas down the road.)

In the spring of 2017, Cyrus Coleman, a product designer for Nike’s basketball division, pitched the Wolves a mockup that looked very much like the final Prince jersey the team will unveil later today:

Midseason awards, bad All-Star positions and MLB’s next big thing

The first half of the season has gone as expected and has been completely surprising. It’s been thrilling, and it’s been staid. It’s been heartening and disappointing. It’s been just another season — unlike any before it, but somehow very much familiar.

It feels like there has been more chatter than usual about the state of baseball, with attendance down and debates over tweaks to the game popping up almost daily. The drop in attendance is real, though the theories about it are not. The fact is, we don’t know why attendance is down. We suspect the likely factors — the weather, the stratification of the leagues, the lack of action generated from balls in play — but we don’t really know what is behind the slowly clicking turnstiles. We also don’t know if it’s a trend or a blip.cheap nfl jerseys china

It’s always good to take these wide-lens surveys of the game, whether you’re a writer, a fan or the commissioner. We should always be open to discussion about baseball’s place in the culture and its bid for your disposable dollars. Baseball has always been subject to evolutionary forces, is evolving right now as these words sink into your left cerebral hemisphere, and will evolve in the future even after we’ve all tapped into the universal subconscious. You can’t stop it.

While we’ve been preoccupied with the possible directions of this evolution, it feels like a couple of key parts have been overlooked.14

One: The game is still really fun and compelling. Sure, you run into contests where the strikeouts and pitching changes seem interminable. There are a few markets where there are currently too many low-stakes games, an unfortunate by-product of too many teams rebuilding at the same time. But in a few years, those same teams will be all-in trying to win.

And two: There are legions of people all over the world who still totally dig it.official nfl jerseys cheap

With that lullaby out of the way, let’s run through some first-half awards. All of them are made up. There will be no ceremony and no cash prizes. Recognition is its own reward.

Angels face unique challenge in trying to get Shohei Ohtani right

One hundred years had passed since a major league player simultaneously handled pitching and hitting the way Ohtani did during his first 10 weeks with the Los Angeles Angels. Now Ohtani is nursing a tender elbow that saps his ability to pitch without actually affecting his ability to hit, igniting a recovery process for which there are no parallels.

In other words, the Angels have unintentionally taken on the responsibility of crafting the blueprint for rehabilitating two-way players.nike nfl jerseys cheap china

They don’t seem to mind.

“It actually kind of fits the way that we prefer to operate here,” Angels general manager Billy Eppler said. “It pushes us more into a mindset of staying present rather than trying to worry about the future or trying to obsess over the past and things like that. It keeps us, really, present-focused.”

That present, from which Eppler refuses to stray, looks like this: Ohtani has a Grade 2 sprain of the ulnar collateral ligament of his right elbow, which basically constitutes a partial tear. In hopes of avoiding Tommy John surgery, the Angels — specifically Steve Yoon, an expert in the field of orthobiology — injected Ohtani’s ligament with platelet-rich plasma and stem cells, part of a low-risk, conservative treatment plan that uses a patient’s own blood to accelerate regeneration.

The Angels plan to re-evaluate Ohtani on Thursday, three weeks after the procedure. But a detailed plan for his recovery may take even longer to map out.70

Staying flexible, Eppler said, is “critical” in this circumstance.

Ohtani, with a .907 OPS and a 3.10 ERA as a rookie, could conceivably help as a hitter while recovering as a pitcher, a concept the Angels seem to be open-minded about. But the possibility of Tommy John surgery, which typically knocks pitchers out for at least 14 months, complicates everything.

“I think that’s kind of jumping,” Eppler said, “and the only reason why is because nobody has said ‘surgery’ to me. So I’m not going to think about it until somebody who’s a qualified M.D. tells me to think about it.”

For now, the Angels seem to at least be thinking about giving Ohtani a chance to hit. The 23-year-old has spent more than a week swinging a bat with his left arm in order to keep his hips active. On Friday, he stood in for Felix Pena’s bullpen session to track pitches and maintain some semblance of timing.cheap nfl nike jerseys from china

Eppler claims he has not yet spoken to Ohtani about the possibility of hitting while he recovers as a pitcher.

Cousins connection: Vikings building chemistry with new QB

Quarterback Kirk Cousins’ relationship with his Minnesota Vikings playmakers and how quickly they get on the same page while learning a new offense is being looked at under a microscope this offseason. Three months from the start of the 2018 season, people want to know how up to speed Cousins is with the talent around him and vice versa. Maybe someday he, too, will trust a teammate enough for a Minneapolis Miracle-type moment — much like the trust former quarterback Case Keenum spoke about having with Stefon Diggs.cheap nfl jerseys from china

We often hear stories about QBs buying dinner and gifts for the offensive linemen who keep them protected and upright in games. The relationships between a quarterback and those he’ll be throwing to or handing the ball off to is equally important.

These connections don’t just happen. It takes months — sometimes even longer — for both sides to get to a level where things feel seamless.2

Cousins took it upon himself to jump-start that process in early April. He invited Diggs and Adam Thielen down to Atlanta for an informal throwing session before he was able to work with them in an official capacity. It was a chance for the Vikings’ top wideouts to learn what Cousins likes to do on the field, how he wants certain routes run and, most important, who their quarterback is underneath the helmet.

“He’s definitely a blessing to be around as far as the energy that he brings,” Diggs said. “As far as being our general and the guy that’s going to lead us, I put 100 percent faith in him and I trust him.”

Cousins didn’t wait long to break out the energy. He was fist-pumping and yelling during organized team activities as things started to click with his receivers.

“The big thing for him is when you emphasize something and you finally get it done and you finally get on the same page with the quarterback-receiver, it’s kind of exciting,” Thielen said.nfl jerseys cheap china

But even with OTAs wrapping up and mandatory minicamp next week, it’s difficult to quantify those connections.

“It’s hard to figure that out if it’s paying off or not,” Thielen said. “I know that it doesn’t hurt. I think something like that is just a jump-start to a long journey of getting on the same page. I think people underestimate how much time, how much effort and how much repetition it takes to get on the same page with a quarterback.”

Harry Kane on target for Tottenham but Pascal Gross earns point for Brighton

It was on this day last year that Brighton ensured their promotion from the Championship. On Tuesday night at the Amex Stadium they took a small step towards retaining their Premier League status for another season.

The fiendish nature of their run-in has been well-documented and Chris Hughton’s team must still face the Manchester clubs, Liverpool and Burnley in their final matches.nfl jerseys for cheap They needed something, anything, to allow them to breathe a little easily after a worrying run of one point from an available 15. This was it.
Brighton 1-1 Tottenham Hotspur: Premier League – as it happened
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The horror of Saturday’s 3-2 defeat at Crystal Palace was forgotten as Brighton put their bodies on the line to earn precious reward. The roar from the home crowd at the full-time whistle told its own story. Brighton are eight points clear of third-from-bottom Southampton, although they have played a game more.

Tottenham have a bigger match round the corner in the shape of Saturday’s FA Cup semi-final against Manchester United and Mauricio Pochettino appeared to have one eye on it with his team selection. He made six changes from Saturday’s home defeat by Manchester City and omitted Davinson Sánchez and Dele Alli from the squad entirely. He gave Toby Alderweireld his first Premier League action since 28 October and the centre-half was not overly extended.169

However, Pochettino made the point yet again that the league was the priority. The personnel changes, he said, were purely down to fatigue from the City game. “If we win the FA Cup, we are not going to play Champions League,” Pochettino said. “You only do that if you finish in the top four. Today was the most important game.”

For Tottenham it felt like points dropped. Pochettino was entitled to say that his team had “dominated” the game in terms of possession and territory but he was also on the money when he lamented a “lack of aggression” in the final third. They were unable to create sufficient clear-cut chances.

Harry Kane put Spurs in front with his 26th goal of the Premier League season – cheap nfl jerseys his Golden Boot rival, Mohamed Salah of Liverpool, has 30 – but Brighton showed their strength of character with an instant riposte through Pascal Gross’s penalty. Hughton had given him the responsibility after a couple of penalty misses this season by Glenn Murray.

Andrew Benintendi stays hot at plate, Boston Red Sox rally past Orioles in chilly matinee game

157It seemed like a given that runs were going to come at a premium Sunday afternoon at Fenway Park.

Not even a scorching Red Sox offense averaging 8.9 runs over its last seven games stood much of a chance under chilling conditions, with the temperature clinging to just above freezing throughout the tilt.

Still, Boston had its chances against Orioles starter Dylan Bundy — stranding three runners in scoring position over the first four innings of play.

With the win, the Red Sox improve to 13-2 on the season, improving on the team’s best start in franchise history. Prior to 2018, the last team to start 12-2 or better was the Atlanta Braves in 2013 (13-2.)

Chris Sale earned the start for the Red Sox, holding Baltimore to just two hits and one run over five innings of work with fanning eight batters. Sale finished with 93 pitches — cheap nfl authentic jerseys standing as the fourth consecutive start in which the southpaw has not eclipsed triple digits in pitches.

The Red Sox ace’s lone blemish came in the top of the first, with Manny Machado driving a changeup from Sale into left field for a RBI double. Despite tossing 21 pitches in the opening frame, Sale settled down — tossing four no-hit innings to close out his appearance.

Benintendi’s RBI triple put Boston on the board in the fifth, while an error from Baltimore third baseman Danny Valencia allowed J.D. Martinez to reach first to lead off the sixth — setting the stage for Boston’s go-ahead runs.

A double off the bat of Moreland put runners at second and third for the Red Sox, with Bundy’s wild pitch allowing Martinez to cross home and give Boston the lead. With two outs in the inning,nfl cheap jerseys Lin jumped on a low slider from Bundy and flicked it into right, with the ball bouncing into the stands for the RBI double.

Dez Bryant Cut by Cowboys in Meeting with Jerry Jones

The Dallas Cowboys reportedly released wide receiver Dez Bryant on Friday.

ESPN’s Adam Schefter and Todd Archer reported Friday that the Cowboys planned to part ways with Bryant barring a “change of heart” following a meeting between nfl jersey free shipping the wideout and team owner Jerry Jones. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport later reported Bryant had been released and noted the meeting was short.

The 29-year-old originally signed his five-year, $70 million contract after the 2014 season, which featured a first-team All-Pro selection and an NFL-best 16 touchdowns. He produced 41 total touchdowns from 2012-14 while averaging 1,312 receiving yards per season.

His production hasn’t been the same over the past three years, however, averaging just 678 yards per season. He missed 10 games due to injury during this stretch and totaled just 17 touchdowns.

This caused plenty of speculation about Bryant’s future with the team considering his exorbitant cap hit.

The Cowboys added receivers Allen Hurns and Deonte Thompson in the offseason, and while the team said at the time they weren’t replacing Bryant, per David Moore of the Dallas Morning News, it appeared to be the beginning of the end for him.

“We’re going to be grinding it out and trying to determine what is in the best interest of our business,” executive vice president Stephen Jones said of the receiver in February, per Drew Davison of the Star-Telegram.

Even while Jones acknowledged he wanted Bryant to remain with the team, he also said he needed to have a conversation with the receiver about his contract, per Clarence E. Hill Jr. of the Star-Telegram.

It seems the two sides couldn’t come to an agreement, so the three-time Pro Bowler will enter free agency.

There should be a sizable market for Bryant, who, wholesale nfl jerseys free shipping even with his recent struggles, is still a game-changing player in the red zone. A short-term contract to rebuild his reputation could certainly be possible.

NBA players react to Andre Ingram’s impressive debut

When the Los Angeles Lakers called up Andre Ingram from the G League and signed him for the final two games of the regular season on Monday, nfl jerseys for cheap they were in desperate need of another body on the wing to fill the void left with Brandon Ingram (concussion protocol), Lonzo Ball (left knee contusion) and Kyle Kuzma (sprained left ankle) out due to injury. All the Lakers needed was a few solid minutes here and there from the 32-year-old rookie to give Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Josh Hart, Alex Caruso and Tyler Ennis a breather.

But the Lakers could have never predicted the stellar performance they got from Ingram against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday night — 19 points on 6-of-8 shooting, 3 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 3 blocks in 29 minutes in his first NBA game — nor him nearly leading them to a come-from-behind win against the best team in the NBA.

Los Angeles ultimately lost to Houston, 105-99, but Ingram’s impressive debut — after 10 years of grinding in the G League — dwarfed the game’s outcome. The uplifting story had social media losing its mind,cheap nfl authentic jerseys  including several notable NBA players — and a certain Lakers legend — who felt as shocked and inspired as everyone else.

How to survive as a ‘dinosaur’ trying to make the modern NFL

Khalid Hill started reaching out on social media. He realized he was one of the few who played his position — he knew that before the process of going from college to the NFL even began — and he wanted to connect with those who would understand.

Start a conversation. Create a bond. reebok nfl jerseys Fullbacks play one of the most brutal, unforgiving positions in the game. Yet they also realize, these days, how rare they are.

A half-century ago, fullbacks were an integral part of college and professional offenses. Now, they barely exist. The evolution of offense eliminated the position at some college programs. NFL teams, with 53-man roster limits, don’t always elect to carry a fullback. It is, other than long-snapper, perhaps the least-heralded position in football. Every team needs to have a long-snapper, even if it is someone who also plays another position.

Not every team needs a fullback. Even when a team might, sometimes that ends up being a guy moonlighting, as the Detroit Lions did with linebacker Nick Bellore last season. That has left the college fullback in a tough position when trying to make a transition to the NFL.

“Being a fullback is such a dead position. People don’t really use it,” Hill said. “So you’re going to not really find many teams that are going to draft a fullback, you know what I’m saying? They’re not going to really do that because they are going to use you — what? — two or three times a game, depending on the offense. So you want to be as versatile as you can and do as much as you can because coaches like to see that.”

A fullback is a throwback in name but a utility player in practice. These days, he’d better be able to handle throws from his quarterback or possibly be able to throw passes himself as part of a trick play. He’s a guy without a defined position on a team, if there’s a roster spot for him at all.

Jaylen Samuels, considered a fullback and H-back at North Carolina State, was a tight end at the combine. Hill began at Michigan as a tight end before moving to fullback and is nfl authentic jerseys cheap consuming hours of Delanie Walker highlights to try to become a fullback/H-back/tight end.