GOOD LUCK TO TYROD TAYLOR ON HIS BONUS CLAUSES
Buffalo Bills quarterback Tyrod Taylor and his agent are very optimistic.
According to Pro Football Talk, Taylor could make an extra $4 million above his reported $30.5 million for the next two seasons.
Here’s the deal: another $500,000 if the Bills make the divisional round of the playoffs in 2017; $500,000 more if the Bills reach the AFC title game; and $1 million more if the Bills reach the Super Bowl.
The same incentives apply for 2018.
KIPER LIKES WR MIKE WILLIAMS TO BILLS
ESPN NFL draft guru Mel Kiper’s Mock Draft 3.0 has the Buffalo Bills using the No. 10 overall pick in the 2017 draft on Clemson wide receiver Mike Williams.
Considering Buffalo’s lack of quality depth at the position, Williams would figure to have a good chance to be an immediate starter opposite Sammy Watkins, another Clemson wide receiver.
Kiper notes that “a quarterback could still be in play here, with limited guaranteed money to Tyrod Taylor.” He has Clemson QB Deshaun Watson going No. 13 to Arizona.
NBA MVP SHOWDOWN (?) SUNDAY AFTERNOON
Most observers think this season’s NBA Most Valuable Player is a too-close-to-call two-man race between Russell Westbrook (Oklahoma City) and James Harden (Houston).
They’ll be facing each other in Houston Sunday (3:30 p.m., on abc). That should be fun.
My choice still would be Harden. Two reasons why:
Westbrook still is upset because former Oklahoma City teammate and best buddy Kevin Durant jumped to Golden State as a free agent, but Durant’s departure allowed Westbrook to put up inflated numbers this season…and I wonder if any league MVP ever came from a team that posted a better record the previous season (Oklahoma City was 55-27 last season and is 41-30 this season).
PAT NESHEK UNSUNG HERO FOT TEAM USA
Former Rochester Red Wings relief pitcher Pet Neshek was a big contributor to Team USA’s championship in the World Baseball Classic.
The 36-year-old righthander, now a member of the Philadelphia Phillies (his sixth team in portions of 10 MLB seasons), appeared in five games in the WBC. He had a 1-0 record and a 1.00 ERA. In five innings, he allowed 4 hits, with 1 walks and 4 strikeouts.
In 2006 and 2010 with Rochester, he was 11-3 with 15 saves. In 99 1/3 innings, he allowed 81 hits and 32 walls, with 112 strikeouts.
ARROGATE DRAWS POST POSITION 9 FOR DUBAI WORLD CUP
Arrogate, the world’s greatest race horse in training, drew the No. 9 post position and is the horse to beat in Saturday’s $10-million Dubai World Cup at Meydan Racecourse in United Arab Emirates.
Arrogate is coming off victories in the Travers Stakes, Breeders’ Cup Classic and $12-million Pegasus World Cup. If he wins, he’d add $6 million to his career earnings of $11,084,600 (in only seven career starts).
The 14-horse field by post position: 1-Apollo…2-Long River…3-Gold Ream…4-Lani…5-Gun Runner…6-Move Up…7-Awardee…8-Foria Cuzada…9-Arrogate…10-Keen Ice…11-Neolithic…12-Hopportunity (third in the 2016 Dubai World Cup)…13-Special Fighter…14-Mubtaahij (second in the 2016 Dubai World Cup).
JIM BOEHEIM LONGEST-TENURED (BY FAR) OF 351 DIVISION I COACHES
There are 351 Division I men’s college basketball schools.
Only 13 of those schools have had the same head coach since the 1999-200 season:
Jim Boeheim (Syracuse) – 1976-77
Mike Krzyzewski (Duke) 1980-81 was his first season
George Kampe (Oakland) – 1984-85
Tom Izzo (Michigan) – 1995-96
Phil Martelli (Saint Joseph’s) – 1995-96
Fran O’Hanlon (Lafayette) – 1995-96
Rick Byrd (Belmont) – 1996-97
Mark Few (Gonzaga) – 1999-2000
Steve Fisher (San Diego State) – 1999-2000
James Jones (Yale) – 1999-2000
Mike McConathy (Northwestern State) 1999-2000
Bob McKillop (Davidson) – 1989-90
Scott Sutton (Oral Roberts) – 1999-2000.
WILL THE KNIGHTHAWKS TRADE ANOTHER VETERAN?
The National Lacrosse League trade deadline is Monday. Will the struggling Rochester Knighthawks make a move or two for the future?
The K-hawks enters Saturday night’s important home game against the Buffalo Bandits with a 4-8 record, tied with Calgary for the worst mark in the nine-team league.
NLL.com’s Andy McNamara and Brian Shanahan believe the rebuilding K-hawks are “the most obvious sellers.”
Rochester is the lowest-scoring team in the NLL and I wonder if a contending team in need of a top-shelf goalie might offer a solid young scorer for Matt Vinc.
SHORT SHOTS
NBA home teams entered Thursday night with a 57.4 win percentage this season. That’s on pace for the lowest home-court advantage in league history.
Fortune magazine’s annual list of ‘The World’s 50 Greatest Leaders” included two persons from the sports world: No. 1 Chicago Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Epstein (even he couldn’t believe it) and No. 11 LeBron James. Donald Trump did not make the list, but John McCain (9th), John Kasich (12th), Joe Biden (23rd), Justin Trudeau (31st) and Chance The Rapper (46th) did.
Major League Lacrosse always is looking to expand, and whenever I see a hint that the league is looking for a new city – possibly to replace Rochester – I get worried. The league has announced that the 2017 MLL All-Star Game will be July 8 in Sacramento and the 2017 MLL championship game will be August 19 in Frisco, Texas, at Ford Center, the 12,000-seat indoor practice facility for the NFL Dallas Cowboys.
Quarterback EJ Manuel told a Toronto reporter that he didn’t get much of a shot with the Buffalo Bills and that he is confident that he has what it takes to start in the NFL. So it is interesting that he signed with the Oakland Raiders. He’ll be a backup at best there behind Derek Carr.
John Vogl of The Buffalo News did an excellent breakdown on the Sabres regarding this summer’s NHL expansion draft for the Vegas Golden Knights. Each current NHL team will lose one player to Vegas. Vogl’s conclusion is that Rochester goalie Linus Ullmark will be going to Vegas. The poor guy. From the 2016-17 Amerks to the 2017-18 NHL expansion team. How’s that for luck?
The Amerks owe their loyal fans a big effort Friday night at home against the Springfield Thunderbirds. Rochester has been outscored 16-3 in a five-game losing streak.
The Buffalo Sabres have dropped to No. 2 in NHL power-play percentage: 1-Toronto 24.1 (52-for-216)…2-Buffalo 23.9 (52-fpr-218)…3-Pittsburgh 22.3 (54-for-242).
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO…
Friday, March 24 – Myles Turner (21)...Starlin Castro (27)…Chris Bosh (33)…Corey Hart (35)…Jack Swagger (35)…Peyton Manning (41)…Aaron Brooks (41)…Travis Fryman (48)…The Undertaker (52)…Renaldo Nehemiah (58)…Pat Bradley (66)…Denny McLain (73).
Saturday, March 25 – Mike Zunino (26)…Kyle Lowry (31)…Marco Belinelli (31)…Danica Patrick (35)…Wladimir Klitschko (41)…Lawrence Moten (45)…Sheryl Swoopes (46)…Debi Thomas (50)…Tom Glavine (51)…Avery Johnson )53)…Lee Mazzilli (62)…Jean Potvin (68)…Sarah Jessica Parker (52), Elton John (70) and Aretha Franklin (75) are invited to the birthday party.
Sunday, March 26 – Justice Winslow (21)…Chad Kelly (23)…Kyle O’Quinn (27)…Von Miller (28)…Jermichael Finley (30)…Rashad Jennings (32)…Doug Janik (37)…Michael Peca (43)…Marshall Faulk (44)…Luke Richardson (48)…Jose Vizcaino (49)…Ulf Samuelsson (53)…John Stockton (55)…Kevin Seitzer (55)…Marcus Allen (57). Keira Knightley (32)m Kenny Chesney (49), Jennifer Grey (57)m Masrtin Short (67), Diana Ross (73) and James Caan (77) are invited to the birthday party.