Selasa, 26 Maret 2019

Saginaw native has the only perfect NCAA Tournament bracket - MLive.com

There’s been a lack of true madness for this year’s NCAA Tournament, but that’s suited Gregg Nigl just fine.

The 40-year-old Saginaw native has gone an incredible 48 of 48 on his picks, which means he correctly predicted the entire Sweet 16 and has the only perfect remaining bracket, according to NCAA.com.

NCAA.com tracks the tens of millions of brackets filled out on sites like ESPN, Yahoo!, CBS Sports and others. Until now, nobody had ever made it through the first weekend unblemished.

So what was Nigl’s strategy?

“I always watch bracketology, I listen to them, take into account what they say. And then, honestly, sometimes it’s which teams I like better. Some cities I like better, some teams I like better, some coaches I like better. I do look at the rankings too. It’s a combination of things. Don’t get me wrong, a bunch of this is luck. I know that. I’m not going to say I knew every matchup by any means,” Nigl told NCAA.com.

Nigl is a neuropsychologist who now lives in Columbus, Ohio. He attended Saginaw Nouvel Catholic High School. And now he’s ended up with his 15 minutes of fame, including an appearance on the TODAY Show.

Nigl admitted he almost didn’t even fill out this bracket. It was just for a friend’s group. He’s a Michigan fan, and has the Wolverines advancing to the Elite Eight with a win over Texas Tech on Thursday night.

He also has Michigan State beating LSU on Friday, but neither team advancing to the Final Four.

Nigl has all No. 1 and No. 2 seeds in the Elite Eight, which has never happened (but 48 for 48 hadn’t, either), and Gonzaga over Kentucky in the national championship game.

Just 15 correct picks away from perfection.

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https://www.mlive.com/sports/2019/03/saginaw-native-has-the-only-perfect-ncaa-tournament-bracket.html

2019-03-26 16:24:00Z
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Jusuf Nurkic injury update: Blazers star suffers compound leg fractures in double OT win over Nets, out indefinitely - CBS Sports

As the Portland Trail Blazers and Brooklyn Nets engaged in a double-overtime game on Monday night, Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic suffered a gruesome left leg injury on a simple basketball play. As the Blazers big man was coming down after jumping for an offensive rebound, he landed on his left leg in a very awkward manner and crumpled down to the floor. 

Competitors on both teams immediately recognized the severity of the injury, as nearby players turned and sprinted away from the scene of the injury. The arena fell silent - aside from some well-timed "Jusuf Nurkic" chants - and Nurkic was promptly taken off of the floor on a stretcher. 

On Monday morning, the Blazers announced that Nurkic suffered compound fractures to his left tibia and fibula and will be out indefinitely as he works his way back to full health. He will miss the remainder of the current campaign, which continues on Wednesday night against the Chicago Bulls (8 p.m. ET -- Watch on FuboTV with NBA League Pass add-on), as well as the postseason. The injury brings back memories of those suffered by Gordon Hayward in 2017 and the Paul George in 2014. Though both gruesome, both players were ultimately able to work their way back to the floor in due time.  

Nonetheless, the loss is a big one for the Blazers, who are in the midst of a fight for homecourt advantage in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. Blazers head coach Terry Stots called the injury - and the resulting loss of Nurkic's services - "devastating," while Blazers All-Star guard Dame Lillard felt physically ill for his teammate. 

"It made me sick to my stomach," Lillard said on the injury, via ESPN. "I think he tried to tip it in, he crashed the glass and I saw him hit the ground and roll over real quick, and I thought maybe he got hit in the face or something again. As I was walking over there, I saw everybody else turn around real quick and walk away, and then I looked and saw his leg -- and you just hate to see that happen to him.

"You hate to see him have to go through something like that, having his best season in the NBA. We're going down a crucial stretch in the season, trying to obviously secure our playoff spot, find our position and then have a postseason, so seeing something like that happen to him ... You never want to see that for your friend or teammate, and then especially as a player, you don't want to see anyone have to go through that."  

Prior to the injury, Nurkic was having the best season of his young career. The 24-year-old had posted career-highs with 15.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.4 blocks, and 1 steal per game while starting all of the 71 games he had appeared in at center for the team this season. He was the team's leading rebounder and third-leading scorer. 

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2019-03-26 15:49:00Z
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Season-long Kia MVP chase won't be swayed by just one game - NBA.com

Tonight on TNT:  Rockets vs. Bucks, 8 ET

In a perfect world -- or at least, a perfect NBA postseason-awards evaluation world -- Giannis Antetokounmpo and reigning Kia MVP James Harden would go head-to-head in The Finals. They and their respective teams, the Milwaukee Bucks and the Houston Rockets, would put on full display their skills, their competitiveness and their impact, not just on random nights in random basketball games but in snagging a championship.

They would demonstrate, in a word, their value. To their teams and to winning, relative to all the league’s other players watching from home.

James Harden and Giannis Antetokounmpo bring unique traits to the MVP discussion.

It could happen. The Bucks and the Rockets conceivably could meet in The Finals to set up this dream MVP showdown. A long shot though, right? Besides, in the current “imperfect” system, ballots are due by the end of the regular season.

So as far as having the two leading candidates for the NBA’s premier individual award on the court together, we must settle for the Rockets’ sole regular-season visit to Milwaukee tonight.

And let’s be honest, an award that exists to honor a player’s value over 82 games will not and should not be determined by the outcome or stats in a single clash. Still, voters likely will be watching in search of subtlety, nuance and that 1.2 percent sliver of additional data in trying to make an informed selection.

When these teams last met on Jan. 9 in Houston, Antetokounmpo had 27 points on 8-of-16 shooting, 21 rebounds, five assists and three turnovers in a 116-109 win. Harden finished with 42 points on 13-of-30 with 11 boards, six assists and nine turnovers.

Two players have distanced themselves from the pack in this MVP chase.

At this stage of the season, what we’re realistically talking about is the More Valuable Player because this is looking like a two-man race. Others have had marvelous seasons and three of them in various combinations will wind up on voters’ MVP ballot.

But Antetokounmpo and Harden appear to have distanced themselves from the competition, owing to their individual excellence, their teams’ fortunes, some raw statistics and a bunch of intangibles in play since October.

That is a rough definition of “valuable,” the key to this award and a word that can be so amorphous at times like this. In 2016-17, when trying to choose between Harden and Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook in a similar dual-favorites MVP race, a panel of NBA insiders were asked on NBA.com to specify their voting criteria.

The result? A hodge-podge of standards and measures. All of them legitimate, by the way.

“I've said all along that there's a complicated matrix of factors that go into making this vote,” our man Sekou Smith said. Colleague John Schuhmann put it this way: “My vote went to the individual who had the biggest effect on why a good team was good.” Others cited a gut-instinct reaction or just overall value.

Relive some great plays from Giannis Antetokounmpo and James Harden this season.

My definition of MVP attempted to illustrate how tricky the term can be. It is “the best player on the team with the best record,” I wrote then. “Unless it’s the star who has done something statistically and artistically masterful over the 82-game, regular-season canvas. Unless it’s the guy most responsible for boosting his team the furthest beyond so-called experts’ preseason predictions. Unless it's the player who doesn’t benefit from playing alongside other All-Stars or award winners, and therefore has to carry the heaviest load for six months. Unless it’s the fellow who so elevates his teammates and coaching staff that they do get recognized with honors and awards of their own. Unless it’s the performer without whom his team would fall the most in the standings, as determined by, uh, our imaginations.”

It’s some blend, in other words, of analytics and eye test. And thanks to the eye-of-the-beholder notion of “valuable,” it is the source of endless debates and thus, unintended ingenuity by the NBA and other leagues.

Some sports opt for a “Player of the Year” award, which tends to focus more on the individual, stripping away some of the team component. If that were the case in the NBA, Harden might be the easier choice. He is on pace to become the first player in NBA history to average at least 35 points and seven assists in a season (Nate Archibald, in his famous 1972-73 season, led the league in both categories with 34 ppg and 11.4 apg.) He has scored 50 points or more eight times, twice topping 60.

James Harden talks with NBA TV about his season, the MVP chase and more.

His “iso” offensive style isn’t the most aesthetically pleasing. Harden has improved in both effort and effectiveness on defense, but he set an extremely low bar at that end for much of his career. He carried Houston through a spate of injuries, notably to backcourt mate Chris Paul and big man Chris Capela, and has helped the Rockets to an NBA-best 14-3 mark since the 2019 NBA All-Star.

Antetokounmpo’s stats -- 27.4 ppg, 12.6 rpg and 6.0 apg -- bolster his case as well, as those numbers were previously matched across the board only by Hall of Famer (and Bucks legend) Oscar Robertson. He’s the league leader in unassisted dunks and sports a career-best field goal percentage this season (58.2 percent).

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http://www.nba.com/article/2019/03/26/antetokounmpo-harden-kia-mvp-showdown

2019-03-26 15:01:45Z
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Jusuf Nurkic injury: Portland Trail Blazers center suffers season-ending bone fractures in leg - CBS News

Trail Blazers center Jusuf Nurkic suffered a gruesome, season-ending leg injury during the team's double overtime win over the Nets Monday night. NBA players rallied in support of Nurkic on social media as news of the horrendous injury surfaced. 

During the 2:22 mark in the second overtime, Nurkic jumped for a rebound and landed awkwardly on his leg. An NBA referee appeared to lightly graze Nurkic's foot. The NBA star immediately grabbed his leg and had to be carted off the floor. 

The Blazers announced early Tuesday that Nurkic sustained compound fractures to his left tibia and fibula. There's no timetable for his return to basketball activity. 

Graphic video of the injury showed coaches and players in disbelief after Nurkic's fall. Blazers coach Terry Stotts called it "devastating." 

"It made me sick to my stomach," Blazers star guard Damian Lillard told reporters after the game. "As I was walking over there, I saw everyone else turn around real quick and walk away, and then I look and I saw his leg."

Before the injury, Nurkic scored 32 points and hauled in 16 rebounds, helping his team clinch its sixth straight playoff berth.

Players throughout the NBA sent their good wishes to Nurkic on Twitter. 

The injury echoed a similar one that Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George suffered in 2015 when he broke his leg. Dr. Robert Klapper, an orthopedic surgeon who has an ESPN Radio show, explained in a series of tweets that Nurkic will likely come back stronger because of callus that will form to heal the fracture in his tibia.

Nurkic was in midst of the best season of his career. In 72 games this season, he averaged career highs of 15.6 points, 10.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.00 steal to go with 1.40 blocks. He ranks 15th in the NBA in rebounding and 16th in blocks. 

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2019-03-26 12:44:00Z
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AAF founder to Eminem: Let's bring a football franchise to Detroit - Detroit Free Press

Dave Birkett Detroit Free Press

Published 9:47 AM EDT Mar 26, 2019

PHOENIX - Plans to bring an MLS franchise to Detroit might never materialize, but the city could be ripe for another professional sports team.

So says the founder of the Alliance of American Football, at least.

In a twitter exchange with Detroit-based rapper Eminem on Monday, Charlie Ebersol, a TV producer who founded the AAF, offered up the chance to bring a franchise to the city.

From February: New AAF league has Michigan ties

The exchange started when Eminem, whose real name is Marshall Mathers, tagged the AAF in a tweet asking the league to allow players to fight like in hockey.

"I WOULD WATCH EVERY GAME (EVEN THOUGH THERE IS NO DETROIT TEAM YET - HINT). DON'T BLOW IT," Mathers wrote.

Ebersol responded with a tweet of his own saying, "Detroit is not a bad idea for a future franchise. Let me know if you want in on it."

The AAF, which began play as a developmental football league earlier this year, currently consists of eight teams in mostly non-NFL markets like San Antonio, Orlando, Memphis and Salt Lake City.

The league also has teams in Tempe, Ariz., near where the Arizona Cardinals play, and in Atlanta, home to the NFL's Atlanta Falcons.

It's unclear how serious Ebersol was about his proposal - an email seeking comment was not immediately returned - or why he thinks Detroit would be prime for an expansion franchise.

The city already boasts four professional sports teams, including the NFL's Lions, and a new team likely would have to contend with inclement weather for its home games (assuming it would play somewhere other than the Lions' home of Ford Field).

Seven weeks into its inaugural season, the AAF has gotten mixed reviews.

The league has enjoyed better than expected TV ratings, but it's also run into financial and legal challenges. Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon reportedly committed $250 million to the league amid reports it was having trouble making payroll and bleeding cash, and Ebersol was sued by a man who claims the league was his idea.

From a football standpoint, the AAF employs players who were largely marginal or worse players in the NFL, most of whom are looking for one final shot at the league.

The league also will face future challenges from start-up leagues like the revamped XFL in 2020.

Contact Dave Birkett at dbirkett@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @davebirkett. Read more on the Detroit Lions and sign up for our Lions newsletter.

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https://www.freep.com/story/sports/nfl/lions/2019/03/26/aaf-detroit-team-eminem/3275104002/

2019-03-26 13:48:26Z
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Ex-UFC champion Conor McGregor announces his retirement — again - CNBC

Controversial Irish fighter Conor McGregor announced his retirement from Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) on Tuesday, five months after losing to Khabib Nurmagomedov in a title fight in Las Vegas.

The 30-year-old retires with a MMA record of 21 wins and four defeats. He is still technically suspended by the Nevada State Athletic Commission until April, for his part in a brawl that broke out after his bout with Nurmagomedov last October.

"Hey guys quick announcement, I've decided to retire from the sport formally known as "Mixed Martial Art" today," McGregor said on his official Twitter account. "I wish all my old colleagues well going forward in competition. I now join my former partners on this venture, already in retirement."

McGregor's motivation to continue in the sport had been called into question over recent years, after his MMA inactivity and brief foray into boxing to fight Floyd Mayweather in 2017.

He made $30 million for the fight itself and reportedly pocketed close to $100 million in total through the various forms of revenue streams.

Since September 2018 McGregor has been busy promoting Proper No. 12, his own brand of blended whiskey, which retails for around $25 a bottle.

UFC President Dana White also confirmed the news of McGregor's retirement via text message to ESPN shortly after it was announced. "He has the money to retire and his whiskey is KILLIN it," said White. "It totally makes sense and if I was him I would retire too."

McGregor is also backed by a variety of sponsors including Beats by Dr. Dre, Burger King and Monster Energy drink. Cars are an important feature of McGregor's image as well, with over 10 luxury vehicles making up his fleet. That includes his custom Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe, valued at around $500,000.

It's not the first time McGregor has made an announcement like this on Twitter. After defeat to Nate Diaz in 2016 he said he had decided to "retire young," but returned to fight and beat the same opponent later that same year.

Even if his MMA career is over, there is also speculation he could still take up another combat sport. Options include a possible return to the boxing ring or even a crack at bare-knuckle boxing.

In an interview with NBC's "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" which aired the night before McGregor's Twitter announcement, he hinted that he was already looking at future fight options.

"There's a lot of politics going on," McGregor told Fallon in Monday's broadcast.

"The fight game is a mad game, but like I said, to my fans, I am in shape and I am ready. There are a lot of opponents (out there)."

McGregor, who has never been far from controversy in his turbulent career, was charged in April 2018 with three counts of assault and one count of criminal mischief after police said he attacked a charter bus in New York carrying UFC fighters.

He was also arrested in Florida earlier in March for a separate incident after he smashed a fan's phone, allegedly having objected to having his picture taken when leaving a nightclub.

Disclosure: NBC and CNBC are divisions of NBCUniversal.

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https://www.cnbc.com/2019/03/26/conor-mcgregor-announces-his-retirement-from-ufc.html

2019-03-26 12:28:06Z
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Morning Report: Dana White, Ronda Rousey comment on Conor McGregor’s ‘retirement’ tweet - MMA Fighting

Conor McGregor announced he would be retiring from MMA in a tweet Monday night.

“Hey guys quick announcement, I’ve decided to retire from the sport formally known as “Mixed Martial Art” today. I wish all my old colleagues well going forward in competition. I now join my former partners on this venture, already in retirement. Proper Pina Coladas on me fellas!”

If true, it would be a massive shift for MMA. McGregor has been the biggest star in MMA for years and has, in many ways, molded the sport in his own image. These days, the goal of every champion is to become a “champ champ” like McGregor pioneered and it’s easy to see the influence his brash-talking persona has had on numerous fighters attempting to talk themselves into title shots.

But the “if true” part, is a major qualifier.

McGregor sent a similar Tweet in 2016 as a reaction to the UFC pulling him from UFC 200 because he refused to do a media tour for the event. Ultimately, of course, McGregor did not retire and went on to headline UFC 202 a few months later. Similarly, McGregor revealed just last week that he was in negotiations with the UFC about returning, potentially in July and seemed dead set on getting a rematch with Khabib Nurmagomedov. But McGregor also was intent on getting his “rightful shares in the company,” a point the UFC has been unwilling to entertain. It’s very possible that McGregor is once again using retirement as a way of playing hardball with the UFC.

Of course, it’s also possible McGregor has just decided head trauma is unnecessary when he has other lucrative career options he can pursue. That’s what UFC President Dana White told ESPN’s Brett Okamoto at least.

“He has the money to retire and his whiskey is KILLIN it. It totally makes sense. If I was him I would retire too. He’s retiring from fighting. Not from working. The Whiskey will keep him busy and I’m sure he has other things he’s working on. He has been so fun to watch!!! He has accomplished incredible things in this sport. I am so happy for him and I look forward to seeing him be as successful outside of the octagon as he was in it.”

McGregor has been successful in his business ventures outside of fighting. Last year, he released his own brand of whiskey, Proper 12, which sold out in the United States in the first two weeks and has since become the most followed spirit brand on Instagram. McGregor has also partnered with David August to release his own clothing line, August McGregor. There are also the numerous film roles that would be available to McGregor should his retirement be genuine and he wish to pursue Hollywood. Then of course, there’s the world of simulated combat to ply as well.

If McGregor is the biggest star in MMA history, Ronda Rousey is not far behind. Rousey parlayed her MMA success into numerous film roles and, eventually, into a spot in the WWE. Now, Rousey is set to headline the first-ever women’s main event at Wrestlemania next month and she is ready to toast to McGregor’s decision to pursue other endeavors.

“It’s a creative way to retire and it was a cryptic way to retire,” Rousey said on SportsCenter on Tuesday. “We will see how permanent it is. If he wants to retire forever, he’s more than earned it. Like I said, I’m ready to buy the second round.”

McGregor has been orbiting the WWE sphere for years now, with his persona and “Billionaire Strut” taken directly from their ranks. Is it possible this is all just a set up for McGregor to appear at Wrestlemania next month?

Definitely.

Farewell? Conor McGregor tweets he’s ‘decided to retire’ from MMA.

Chin. Stephen Thompson on KO punch from Anthony Pettis: ‘I know I’ve been hit harder than that’.

Politics. Kevin Lee says too much ‘politics’ at lightweight helped spur move to 170.

Wrestlemania. Ronda Rousey to headline first-ever women’s main event at WrestleMania.

Fluke. Colby Covington says Ben Askren ‘should give his Hodge Trophy’ to Robbie Lawler after ‘fluke’ UFC debut.

The MMA Hour with Kevin Lee, Stephen Thompson, Maycee Barber, and Jack Marshman.

MMW on Masvidal. The opening of this video is incredible.

This is some interesting perspective on Showtime vs. Wonderboy.

Barboza respectful of Khabib and Tony.

Free fights.

The Co-Main Event. Discussing UFC Nashville and Gaethje vs. Barboza.

Mookie & Crookie. Discussing what the new UFC/ESPN PPV model means for MMA fans.

The Tweet.

Khabib.

Nate has thoughts.

Reaction.

This energy thing is the dumbest ish.

Picking a fight.

Lotta fighters gonna be wanting camo shorts.

Call out.

Awesome.

Makwan Amirkhani (14-3) vs. Chris Fishgold (18-2-1); UFC Stockholm, June 1.

Felice Herrig (14-8) vs. Yan Xiaonan (10-1, 1 NC); UFC 238, June 8.

Dean Trueman (10-4) vs. Soren Bak (13-1); Cage Warriors 106, June 26.

2008: Brian Stann knocked out Doug Marshall in 95 seconds to become the WEC light heavyweight champion at WEC 33.

2010: Daniel Cormier had his second MMA fight, knocking out John Devine at Strikeforce Challengers: Johnson vs. Mahe.

Well, Conor sure knows how to spice up a day, huh? I doubt he’s actually retiring (he wouldn’t do it over a Tweet, he’d hold a presser) but if this ends up being legit, good for him. Got his money and got out before things got too hairy.

Thanks for reading and see y’all tomorrow.

Poll

Is McGregor actually done with MMA?

  • 7%
    Yes
    (17 votes)
  • 9%
    Yes, but he will come back eventually
    (22 votes)
  • 74%
    No, this is a negotiating tactic
    (176 votes)
  • 8%
    No, this is a pro wrestling set up
    (21 votes)
236 votes total Vote Now

If you find something you’d like to see in the Morning Report, hit up @JedKMeshew on Twitter and let him know about it. Also follow MMAFighting on Instagram, add us on Snapchat at MMA-Fighting, and like us on Facebook.

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2019-03-26 12:00:00Z
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