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 | Check out some of the early highlights from Paul George & Roy Hibbert as they combined to score the first 27 points for the Indiana Pacers as they took the e... | From: NBA Views: 17871   370 ratings |
| Time: 01:05 | More in Sports |
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tz0P8N3aYzQ&feature=youtube_gdata
 | Paul George uses his quick step to beat the Heat and throw down with two hands. Visit nba.com/video for more highlights. About the NBA: The NBA is the premie... | From: NBA Views: 19104 392 ratings |
| Time: 00:31 | More in Sports |
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqVSJDDnk2A&feature=youtube_gdata
 | Take a look back at the best plays of Indiana Pacers Forward Paul George's career. About the NBA: The NBA is the premier professional basketball league in th... | From: NBA Views: 148931 2164 ratings |
| Time: 03:20 | More in Sports |
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOiCkTvs64k&feature=youtube_gdata
Source: http://network.yardbarker.com/nhl/article_external/rangers_fire_john_tortorella/13717511
When the San Francisco 49ers acquired Anquan Boldin in March, their depth at wide receiver was the least of their concerns.
But with Michael Crabtree out indefinitely with a torn Achilles, they have more questions than answers at the position.
Boldin will almost assuredly be the No. 1 option to begin the 2013 season. The other starter is entirely up in the air.
The following five players are candidates to climb to No. 2 on San Francisco's wide receiver depth chart.
Kyle Williams
Kyle Williams posted on Instagram that he's received a green light by his doctor about his knee, via NinersNation.com. Although this is a positive step for Williams, some athletes need two years to return to form after an ACL tear.
Even if Williams is healthy, he doesn't project as a big-time threat on the outside. Due to his smaller stature, he figures to line up mostly in the slot.
In 2011, Williams had the 41st-best score in Pro Football Focus' wide receiver rankings (subscription required), accumulating much of his stats in the slot. Offensive coordinator Greg Roman gushed about Williams' ability in slot early in the 2012 season, via CSN Bay Area.
"A lot of times in the slot, you're going to end up running routes on a defender and it's either the first read or you got to get open quick in a short area," Roman said. "He excels in that area."
Expect Williams to make the team and see lots of time as the slot receiver in three-wide receiver sets if healthy. Essentially, he has a great chance to be the No. 3 receiver, but not the No. 2 wideout in San Francisco's base sets.
Ricardo Lockette
Jim Harbaugh seems genuinely intrigued by Ricardo Lockette.
"“I’m really looking forward to Ricardo Lockette’s progress,” Harbaugh said in March, via the San Francisco Chronicle. “I can’t wait to see what he does. A real inflection point for him is coming.”
Harbaugh said on 95.7 The Game that Lockette, Quinton Patton and A.J. Jenkins will battle for Crabtree's playing time while Mario Manningham and Williams are injured, via Pro Football Talk.
Lockette is a burner, putting up a 4.37 40-yard-dash time at the 2011 NFL combine. The 6'2", 211-pound wideout spent most of the 2012 season on the San Francisco practice squad, where he likely learned much of the 49ers playbook.
Harbaugh has been known to play games with the media, but I don't think his praise for Lockette is a joke. I believe he's going to give him a fair chance at starter's snaps if Manningham isn't healthy.
A.J. Jenkins
Nothing about A.J. Jenkins' college tape overly impresses me. Sure, he has great speed and sure hands, but he's not the all that big, strong or explosive after the catch.
The 49ers reportedly loved that he has massive hands when they drafted him, but they possibly misjudged his overall talent.
Now, the 2012 first-round pick is under pressure to perform in his second season. Jenkins reportedly bulked up a bit this offseason, but are we to expect that a few pounds of muscle and year of learning is the difference between being a non-factor and a starting wide receiver?
I'm not buying it.
Jenkins should see the field his fair share when a third or fourth wide receiver is needed, but the next receiver might just be the more talented prospect even though he was picked three rounds later.
Quinton Patton
He may not have the top seed that Jenkins has, but Patton appears much more explosive on tape. He makes catches in traffic and excels at juking defenders after the catch.
Like Jenkins, Patton needs to bulk up (only eight bench press reps at the combine); however, he was the more physical player in college.
My guess is Harbaugh and the coaching staff will fall in love with his feistiness. Patton has natural route-running skills in the red zone, and at the very least he should be utilized there this season.
Mario Manningham
Mario Manningham wasn't tearing up the stat sheet in 2012, but he was having a sneaky good season before his knee injury.
His overall score on Pro Football Focus was higher than Victor Cruz, James Jones and Dez Bryant's. A big reason for his high score was his catch percentage. Of the 55 times he was targeted, he made 42 catches. The 76.4-percent clip was fourth-best in the league.
To put it simply, he'll be starting if he's healthy by the beginning of the 2012 season. But will he be?
He tore his ACL and MCL in late December. Although he's reportedly running and cutting, he may not be ready by Week 1. And even if he does play, there's no guarantee he'll have the same explosiveness he had in 2012.
Conclusion
If Manningham is healthy by Week 1, I'd be surprised if he isn't the No. 2 receiver. However, I'm guessing he'll sit out the first few games, which opens the door for Lockette, Jenkins and Patton.
Between Jenkins and Patton, I believe the former Louisiana Tech star has the edge. It's possible that the Niners were giving Jenkins a year to learn with the intent of giving him a prominent role in 2013. But when the coaches see Patton making plays in training camp, I believe they'll want to get him on the field as much as possible.
Lockette is the biggest wild card of all. I bet he makes the team and sees the field early in the season before Manningham is healthy. However, he's a long shot to beat out both Patton and Jenkins, players the Niners used draft capital on.
Don't expect any decision on the starter to come anytime soon. Harbaugh and Co. will likely take their time evaluating all the receivers before coming to a consensus on the No. 2 wideout before Week 1.
 | Check out the full highlights of the Spurs at Grizzlies Game 3 overtime thriller from Memphis with our latest postseason edition of the Daily Zap! About the ... | From: NBA Views: 36876 660 ratings |
| Time: 00:44 | More in Sports |
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djQK_0zmA6A&feature=youtube_gdata
Source: http://network.yardbarker.com/nfl/article_external/jared_allen_done_in_minnesota_after_2013/13705490
 | Tim Duncan runs the floor for the BIG fast-break finish. Visit nba.com/video for more highlights. About the NBA: The NBA is the premier professional basketba... | From: NBA Views: 301 87 ratings |
| Time: 00:32 | More in Sports |
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5OEaM948Nmo&feature=youtube_gdata
 | LeBron James and Paul George exchange BIG buckets and respect at the end of the 3rd quarter. Visit nba.com/video for more highlights. About the NBA: The NBA ... | From: NBA Views: 175112 2293 ratings |
| Time: 00:47 | More in Sports |
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q3wi4NnljBQ&feature=youtube_gdata
If you blinked, you might not have seen Cain Velasquez knock Antonio Silva out just over a minute into the first round of UFC 160’s heavyweight title bout Saturday night in Las Vegas.
Velasquez landed a quick right hand to the chin of Silva to knock him to the ground and then kept hitting him until the match was ended, giving the reigning champion the 12th win of his career.
The victory for Velasquez and a win from Junior dos Santos just a few minutes prior sets up a highly anticipated third matchup between the two.
Dos Santos defeated Velasquez at UFC of Fox 1 in November of 2011. But Velasquez got his revenge last December at UFC 155, winning the title in a unanimous decision. In his first title defense, Velasquez made things look very easy and will look to do the same once he takes the ring against dos Santos in the upcoming rubber match.
It will be extremely interesting to see what each takes from the previous two fights into the third.
It’s tough to pull anything from the first fight since it ended very quickly—one minute and four seconds to be precise. Dos Santos landed a huge punch and then pummeled Velasquez until the fight was called.
Dos Santos told the Associated Press, via The New York Times, the following after the first fight between the two:
I have no words to say what I’m feeling. It’s amazing, my life. I have a lot of good people around me. I think Cain Velasquez was for sure my toughest opponent. I was afraid to fight with him, because he’s very tough. I was not 100 percent for this fight, so I was scared.
The rematch is where dos Santos and Velasquez will be able to learn a lot since it went the distance. Each can watch the tape over and over, picking out what did and didn’t work. Considering dos Santos lost the fight, he’ll need to look into why he couldn’t overcome Velasquez—although I’m sure he remembers the fight like it was yesterday.
Velasquez told the Associated Press, via the NY Daily News, this after the rematch:
I knew that Junior was a tough striker and he was able to end our last fight that way, so I was prepared for him this time. I was able to effectively use my striking and my grappling to control him throughout the fight and get the title back.
Whether Velasquez can take dos Santos down might be the biggest storyline to watch. Velasquez was a two-time All-American wrestler back at Arizona State, but dos Santos is one of the best at defending takedowns, coming into Saturday night’s fight at a 74 percent defense rate.
But this third fight could end just as quickly as Saturday night’s co-feature did. Both dos Santos and Velasquez are strong and quick, meaning that one punch could do the job. Dos Santos knocked Velasquez out in just over a minute, and there’s no reason why the favor couldn’t be returned.
One thing that’s for sure is that you cannot afford to miss the third fight between dos Santos and Velasquez. It’s a lock to be just as exciting, if not more, than their previous pair of bouts.
 | Flynn Robinson played 7 seasons in the NBA, averaging 14 points and 3 assists a game. He won an NBA Championship in 1972 with the Los Angeles Lakers and was ... | From: NBA Views: 69138 2305 ratings |
| Time: 00:57 | More in Sports |
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BsdRBPYM0rc&feature=youtube_gdata
