Carolina Panthers – Meet the Coaches – Defensive Line

Part Three of the “Meet the Coaches” series here at Cat Crave will focus on the coaches in charge of the Defensive Line.


Eric Washington – Defensive Line

PLAYING AND PERSONAL
Washington played his college ball for legendary head coach Eddie Robinson at Grambling State where he manned the tight end position from 1989-90.
He earned a bachelors of science degree from Grambling State in 1993.

COACHING
Washington began his college coaching career at Texas A&M as a graduate assistant in 1997.
Commissioned as a Naval Reserve Officer in 1998, Washington was assigned to the Naval Academy Preparatory School in Newport, R.I., where he served as the defensive coordinator of the football team for three years.
From 2001-2003, Washington oversaw the defensive line and kickoff coverage team at Ohio University.

He then moved to Northwestern, where he served as the defensive line coach from 2004-07. With the Wildcats, Washington developed several pro prospects like defensive end Luis Castillo, who was selected in the first round by the San Diego Chargers in 2005, and defensive tackle Barry Cofield, who was chosen in the fourth round by the New York Giants in 2006. Washington also tutored defensive end Corey Wootton, an honorable mention All-Big Ten player as a freshman and drafted in the fourth round by the Bears in 2010.
He gained his first professional coaching experience by twice participating in the NFL’s Minority Internship Program, assisting the Atlanta Falcons linebackers during training camp in 2004 and the Bears defensive line during training camp in 2005.
Washington spent 2008-10 with the Chicago Bears as the defensive assistant/assistant defensive line coach for the first two seasons and was promoted to defensive line coach in 2010. During the 2010 season, he presided over a group that accounted for 25 of the team’s 34 sacks and helped the Bears rank ninth in the NFL in total defense, second in rushing defense and fourth in scoring defense. Along the defensive line, he coached Pro Bowler Julius Peppers and end Israel Idonije, who tied for the team lead with eight sacks each.
Washington joined the Panthers in 2011, where he was charged with mentoring a young group that started three different rookies at defensive tackle. The unit, led by defensive end Charles Johnson, produced 25.5 of the team’s 31 sacks. Johnson paced the Panthers with nine sacks, while second-year defensive end Greg Hardy and undrafted rookie Thomas Keiser tied for second with four sacks each.
Last season, under Washington’s tutelage, Johnson and Hardy became the first Panthers tandem to record double-digit sacks since 2002. Johnson led the team and ranked sixth in the NFL with 12.5 sacks in addition to forcing seven fumbles, the second most in the league. Hardy posted 11 sacks, bettering the seven he totaled in his first two seasons (2010-11) combined. Defensive tackle Dwan Edwards provided push from the inside, registering a career-high six sacks after notching just 5.5 in his previous eight seasons.
Washington’s defensive line in 2012 helped the Panthers rank 10th in the NFL in total defense as 37 of their 39 sacks – the most by the team since 2006 – came from the defensive line. Carolina finished the season ninth in the NFL in sacks per pass play at 6.6 percent and tallied six or more sacks in three games, including a franchise record tying seven at Atlanta (9/30/12).
Now in his third season with the Panthers, Washington blends youthful energy with abundant experience as a coach on the pro and college levels, and his players have responded.

HISTORY
Tight end: Grambling State 1989-90. College coach: Texas A&M 1997, Ohio 2001-03, Northwestern 2004-07. Pro coach: Chicago Bears 2008-10, joined Panthers in 2011.

Sam Mills III – Defensive Line Assistant

PLAYING AND PERSONAL
Mills is no stranger to the organization as his position on the coaching staff is the culmination of his path as a youth. His father, Sam, is the only Panthers player to have his number retired and is the only player inducted into the team’s Hall of Honor. When his father played for the Panthers, Mills worked as a ball boy at training camp and later in the equipment room.
Mills played at Montclair (N.J.) State, following in his father’s footsteps. (The elder Mills was an NCAA Division II All-America at linebacker). Sam III started 20 games in two seasons at defensive back for the Red Hawks and totaled 71 tackles, two interceptions, 14 passes defensed, three forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

COACHING
Mills spent the 2005 season in a dual role as a strength and conditioning and defensive assistant, and then was promoted to defensive quality control coach in 2006. As defensive quality control coach, Mills was responsible for breaking down vast amounts of information and analyzing opponents’ statistical tendencies to assist in game-plan preparation and the production of the defensive playbook.
In 20o9, Mills contributed to a rejuvenated Panthers defensive line that produced 24.5 of the team’s 31 sacks and in 2010, helped Charles Johnson become the fifth player in team history to collect 10 or more sacks in a season with 11.5.
Prior to the 2011 season, Mills added assistant defensive line coach to his title along with serving as the Panthers defensive quality control coach, though he actually has been working with the defensive line since 2006.
Since 2011, Mills has been alongside Washington, and assisted with a line that accounted for 25.5 of the team’s 31 sacks in 2011. Johnson paced the team with nine sacks, and young players received valuable experience as three rookies started games at defensive tackle.
In 2012, thirty-seven of Carolina’s 39 sacks came from the defensive line as Johnson led the team with 12.5, Hardy had 11, becoming the first Panthers tandem to record double-digit sacks since 2002. Defensive tackle Dwan Edwards registered 6.5 and the Panthers finished the season ninth in the NFL in sacks per pass play at 6.6 percent and tallied six or more sacks in three games, including a franchise record tying seven at Atlanta (9/30/12).
Mills is in his ninth season with Carolina and third as assistant defensive line coach in 2013.

HISTORY
Defensive back: Monclair State 1997-1999. Pro coach: Joined Panthers in 2005.

NEXT: Linebackers and Secondary Coaches

Carolina Panthers – Meet the Coaches – Special Teams

This is Part Two of the "Meet the Coaches" segment here at Cat Crave. This article will focus on the coaches in charge of the units that on the field during kicking plays, the special teams.

Richard Rodgers - Special Teams Coordinator

PLAYING AND PERSONAL
Rodgers was a two-time second-team All-Pac 10 Conference selection at California (a teammate with Panthers head coach Ron Rivera), and was the Golden Bears' special teams captain for three seasons.  Rodgers called "The Play" in the huddle to defeat Stanford in 1982. During the famed five-lateral kickoff return for a touchdown on the final play of the game, he was the second and fourth player to touch the ball in what Cal announcer Joe Starkey called "the most amazing, sensational, dramatic, heart-rending... exciting, thrilling finish in the history of college football!"

Rodgers played for three seasons in the Arena Football League as a  linebacker and wide receiver and appeared in the league's first championship game in 1987, catching a 32-yard touchdown pass for the Denver Dynamite in Arena Bowl I.

He graduated from California with a degree in political science.

COACHING
Rodgers' first coaching stint was as an assistant at Diablo Valley Community College from 1989-94. He then moved to San Jose State where he worked with the secondary and special teams from 1995-96.
Rodgers also gained valuable exposure to professional football by participating in the NFL's Minority Internship Program with the Oakland Raiders during training camp in 1996. He then worked four years at Portland State from 1997-2000 and oversaw the Vikings' secondary and special teams as well as serving as the team's strength and conditioning coordinator. He also was the defensive backs coach for the Scottish Claymores of NFL Europe in 1998.

Rodgers coached the secondary at New Mexico State from 2001-04 as the Aggies had 45 interceptions and lowered their passing yardage allowed in each of his final three seasons.

He coached at Holy Cross from 2005-11, handling the secondary in 2005 and spending his last six seasons as the defensive coordinator . Rodgers developed the Crusaders into one of the top defenses in the Patriot League and five players from his unit earned All-Patriot League honors in 2009, 2010 and 2011.

Rodgers came to Carolina in 2012 with 23 years of college experience under his belt. He started the year as special teams assistant and took over as the Panther's interim special teams coordinator for the final seven games last season.

During those final seven games, Carolina improved from 31st to 14th in the NFL in punt return average and from 18th to 10th in punt coverage. Rodgers' unit also led the league in opponents' kickoff return average following a 30th place finish in 2011.

He will be in his first full season as the team's special teams coordinator in 2013.

HISTORY
Defensive back: California 1980-83. Pro linebacker/wide receiver: Chicago Bruisers (AFL) 1987, Denver Dynamite (AFL) 1987, Los Angeles Cobras (AFL) 1988, Sacramento Attack (AFL) 1992. College coach: Diablo Valley Community College 1989-94, San Jose State 1995-96, Portland State 1997-2000, New Mexico State 2001-04, Holy Cross 2005-11. Pro coach: joined Panthers in 2012.


Bruce DeHaven - Special Teams Assistant

PLAYING AND PERSONAL
DeHaven played basketball at Southwestern College and led the team in scoring two consecutive years. He also participated in track and field and is a member of the athletic department's hall of fame. DeHaven graduated with a degree in history and political science.

COACHING
DeHaven began his career as a high school coach and worked his way into a college assistant coaching position at Kansas where he handled defensive backs, offensive line and recruiting from 1979-81. He moved to New Mexico State in 1982 and oversaw the offensive line and was the recruiting coordinator.
He worked three years in the USFL, first as an assistant offensive line coach and special teams coach for the New Jersey Generals in 1983. The next season, in1984, he served as the offensive line and special teams coach for the Pittsburgh Maulers and then as the running backs and special teams coach for the Orlando Renegades in 1985.

DeHaven began his NFL coaching career in Buffalo and spent 13 seasons with the Bills (1987-99),  He directed Buffalo's kickoff coverage unit to the top of the NFL four consecutive years from 1987-90. He became special teams coordinator in 1991 and consistently produced outstanding special teams units that greatly contributed to the Bills making four consecutive Super Bowl appearances, winning six AFC East championships and appearing in 21 playoff games over that period.

Under DeHaven's watch, the Bills developed elite special teams players like Steve Tasker who played in seven Pro Bowls as a special teams player for the AFC, and kicker Steve Christie became the franchise's all-time leading scorer while setting team records in 1998 with 140 points and 33 made field goals.

In 1991, the Bills' punt coverage unit led the league in fewest punt return yards allowed with a then NFL record 53.  A 1996 ranking by The Dallas Morning News named DeHaven's units the best in the NFL.
Prior to that, DeHaven was a special teams coach with San Francisco 49ers from 2000-02 and helped develop more elite special team players like returner Jimmy Williams, who compiled an NFL-leading 16.8-yard punt return average in 2002, and punter Jason Baker who earned all-rookie honors in 2001.

He spent three seasons with the Dallas Cowboys (2003-06) and in 2004, Dallas' kickoff coverage unit paced the league, holding opponents to an average of 17.5 yards per return and in 2006 and punter Matt McBriar ranked first in the NFL with a 48.2-yard gross average and fourth with a 38.6-yard net average.

DeHaven's next stop was in Seattle and was special teams coach with the Seahawks from 2007-09. In his first year with Seattle, his return schemes helped Nate Burleson to touchdown returns on both a punt and a kickoff and kicker Josh Brown set career highs with 28 field goals made, 127 points scored and 13 touchbacks.  In 2008, the Seahawks finished second in the NFL with a 25.3-yard kickoff return average as Josh Wilson set team records with 69 kickoff returns and 1,753 kickoff return yards.

The past three seasons marked a return to Buffalo and DeHaven's second stint with the Bills also brought great success. The Bills led the NFL in kickoff coverage, limiting opponents to 20.4 yards per return, and finished third in the league in 2011 with a 12.7-yard punt return average and in 2012, his special teams units set franchise records with an NFL-leading 17.1-yard punt return average and 27.0-yard kickoff return average, which was fourth best in the league.

DeHaven will be in his first season with the Panthers this season and will serve as special teams assistant.

HISTORY
College coach: Kansas 1979-81, New Mexico State 1982. Pro coach: New Jersey Generals (USFL) 1983, Pittsburgh Maulers (USFL) 1984, Orlando Renegades (USFL) 1985, Buffalo Bills 1987-99, 2010-12, San Francisco 49ers 2000-02, Dallas Cowboys 2003-06, Seattle Seahawks 2007-09, joined Panthers in 2013.

NEXT: Defensive Line Coaches

Carolina Panthers – Meet the Coaches – Strength and Conditioning

This will be a several part series dedicated to getting to know the coaching staff for the Carolina Panthers.  Beginning with the guys that are mostly behind the scenes and never get much publicity (unless you make a hair brained move like former Jets strength and conditioning coach Sal Alosi a few years back when he stuck out his knee and tripped the “gunner” on the Dolphins’ punt team during a game). But that’s not good publicity and will more than likely get you fired.  Hopefully, all coaches were able to learn from his mistake and this won’t happen again.

No need to worry about anything like that from the coaching staff of the Panthers. Let’s take a look at the Panther coaches who make sure the athletes are in top shape and less prone to injury.

Joe Kenn – Strength and Conditioning Coach

PLAYING AND PERSONAL                  
Kenn was a two-year starter at guard for Wake Forest from 1987-88 and earned the Bill George Award as the Demon Deacons’ standout lineman as a junior. He was also recognized as the school’s weightlifter of the year and an All-American strength and conditioning athlete by the National Strength and Conditioning Association ( NSCA) as a senior.

He graduated from Wake Forest in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in health and sports science, added his strength and conditioning specialist certification in 1990 and earned a  master’s degree in curriculum and instruction from Boise State in 1993.

COACHING                                                                                                             
Kenn began his college coaching career at Wake Forest, his alma mater, in January 1991 as the assistant strength coach. Later that same year, he went to Boise State as a graduate assistant and remained there for eight seasons. Promoted to the Broncos’ strength and conditioning coach in 1994, Kenn was named the (NSCA) Big West Conference Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year in 1998.


In 1999-2000, he was the director of strength and conditioning at Utah . During his tenure with the Utes, Kenn coached future Carolina Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith and tackle Jordan Gross. He  received accolades as the NSCA Mountain West Conference Strength and Conditioning Coach of the Year in 2000.

Kenn spent the next seven years at Arizona State (2001-07), serving as the head strength and conditioning coach for football for two seasons before being promoted to head coach of sports performance in 2003 and overseeing all sports. While with the Sun Devils, he worked with future Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs and earned yet another award as the NSCA College Strength and Conditioning Professional of the Year in 2002.

From 2008-09, he was the director of athlete development at Louisville, working specifically with the football program. In 2009, he was recognized as a master strength and conditioning coach by the Collegiate Strength and Conditioning Coaches Association.

After nearly two decades of experience at the college level, Kenn came to the Panthers in 2011 from Big House Power Competitive Athletic Training, where he coached professional, college and high school athletes and teams from several sports.

Known simply as “House” to players, Joe Kenn’s goal as the Panthers’ strength and conditioning coach is to protect and produce: protect the athletes’ body armor and produce athletic based results. He employs a holistic and integrated philosophy in his comprehensive training plan utilizing strength training, explosive development, high intensity interval training and performance-based nutrition. This structured approach enhances the players’ physical attributes.

HISTORY
Guard: Wake Forest 1987-88. College coach: Wake Forest 1991 (winter/spring), Boise State 1991-98, Utah 1999-2000, Arizona State 2001-07, Louisville 2008-09. Pro coach: Joined Panthers in 2011.


Jason Benguche – Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach


PLAYING AND PERSONAL
Benguche (pronounced ben-goo-chi) played offensive line for Springfield College from 2002-05, earning Division II/III All-New England honors from the New England Football Writers Division his senior year. 

He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in applied exercise science from Springfield in 2006 and earned a master’s degree in health education from Florida State in 2008.
 
COACHING                                                                                                                  
Benguche was a student assistant with the University of Massachusetts football team in the spring of 2005. He then served as a graduate assistant for the strength and conditioning program at Florida State from 2006-07 as well as strength and conditioning intern at IMG Academy in 2006.

During his first two years at Georgia Tech (2008-2009),  he worked as an assistant strength and conditioning coach for the football, swimming and diving, and men’s tennis teams.  His final three years (2010-2012),  he served as assistant director of player development for football.   While with the Yellow Jackets, Benguche designed and executed strength and conditioning programs focused on athletes’ strength, power, speed and movement.

Jason Benguche brings extensive knowledge in athletic development to Carolina’s strength and conditioning program, helping strength and conditioning coach Joe Kenn prepare the Panthers for the highest level of performance. This season (2013), will be his first as a Panthers coach.

HISTORY
Offensive lineman: Springfield College 2002-05. College coach: Massachusetts  2005 (spring), Florida State 2006-07, Georgia Tech 2008-12. Pro coach: Joined Panthers in 2013.

NEXT: Special Teams Coaches

Former Tarheel Hurler Matt Harvey Will Be the Starter For the National League (NL) in the MLB All Star Game

  

Former North Carolina standout and New York Mets' phenom, Matt Harvey, will be the starting pitcher for the 84th annual Major League Baseball All-Star Game when he takes the mound for the National League, in New York's Citi Field tonight at 8pm on FOX. 




 
Harvey will be the first pitcher to start an All-Star Game at his home ballpark since Roger Clemens started for the NL in the 2004 game in Houston.


 Harvey is 7-2 with a 2.35 ERA and 147 strikeouts in 130 innings for the Mets this season.

Former Western Carolina University (WCU) Reliever Greg Holland Becomes First Catamount Player To Be Named To Major League Baseball (MLB) All Star Game

MLB announced Sunday that former Catamount reliever and current Kansas City Royals closer, Greg Holland will replace Seattle Mariners starter Hisashi Iwakuma on the American League All-Star roster.
 
That makes Holland the first Catamount baseball player to earn a bid to the All-Star Game. This year's game will be played tomorrow, Tuesday, July 16 at Citi Field in New York City.


Holland has dominated opposing hitters in the first half of this season, posting a 1.80 ERA with 22 saves over 35 innings. He has struck out a league leading 44 percent of the batters he has faced this season, and has struck out the side six separate times.

Originally from Marion, N.C., Holland played his prep ball at McDowell High School before receiving a scholarship to attend WCU. At Western, he recorded 19 saves from 2005-07, currently fifth in program history. He also posted 10 career victories in his 82 career appearances, completing his career with a 4.22 career ERA in 149.1 innings pitched. He had 154 career strikeouts and only 70 walks in his career with the Cats.

Holland posted a career-best 10 saves in earning first team All-Southern Conference honors in 2007 as the Catamounts tied for the regular season title. He was also named to the SoCon's Spring Academic All-Conference team twice in both 2006 and 2007.

Holland was drafted by Kansas City in the 10th round of the 2007 MLB First-Year Player Draft after WCU finished runner-up in the NCAA Baseball Chapel Hill regional. He made his Major League debut on August 2, 2010 against the Oakland Athletics.

Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) Top 10 Plays of the 2012-2013 Athletic Year

Okay, so as a tease for this year's action, the ACC Digital Network staff put their heads together and came up with the Top 10 Plays from the 2012-2013 athletic year.

Take a look to see where your favorite play lands on the countdown HERE.

Featuring a follow slam by Duke's Mason Plumlee, Michael Snaer's incredible performance in last year's ACC basketball tournament, Giovanni Bernard's (UNC) game winning punt return vs. NC State, Stephen Morris' (Miami) 62 yard touchdown heave to also beat State, and (pictured above) a beautiful acrobatic catch by the Wolfpack's Brett Williams vs. New Mexico State.

Anybody else ready for this season?

Rosters For 2013 MLB All-Star Game Set Except For Final Vote For Remaining Two Spots (Vote on Twitter July 11th)

2013 MLB All-Star Game managers are San Francisco's Bruce Bochy for the National League (NL) and Detroit's Jim Leyland for the American League (AL). The 2013 will be the 83rd edition of the Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic"

 The first game was held in 1933. In the all-time series,the NL has prevailed 43 times, the AL winning 38, with two ties. The National League has the longest winning streak of 11 games from 1972-1982. The American League held a 13-game unbeaten streak from 1997–2009 (including a tie in 2002).

The AL previously dominated from 1933–1949, winning 12 of the first 16. The National League dominated from 1950–1987, winning 33 of 42 with 1 tie, including a stretch from 1963–1982 when they won 19 of 20. There was no All-Star award for the game's Most Valuable Player until 1962, when Maury Wills won the inaugural award.
 
2013 National League starters are St. Louis' Yadler Molina (C), Cincinnati's Joey Votto (1B) and Brandon Phillips (2B), Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki (SS) and New York's David Wright (3B). Outifielders are Carlos Beltran (St. Louis), Carlos Gonzalez (Colorado) and Bryce Harper (Washington).

Pitchers for the National League are Jose Fernandez (Miami), Jason Grilli (Pittsburgh), Matt Harvey (New York), Craig Kimbrel (Atlanta), Adam Wainwright (St. Louis), Jordan Zimmerman (Washington), Madison Bumgarner (San Francisco), Aroldis Chapman (Cincinnati), Patrick Corbin (Arizona), Clayton Kershaw (Los Angeles), Cliff Lee (Philadelphia), Jeff Locke (Pittsburgh) and Travis Wood (Cubs).

The National League's reserves are catcher Buster Posey (San Francisco); 1B Paul Goldschmidt (Arizona) and Allen Craig (St. Louis); 2B Matt Carpenter (St. Louis) and Marco Scutaro (San Francisco); SS Everth Cabrera (San Diego) and Jean Segura (Milwaukee); 3B Pedro Alvarez (Pittsburgh) and outfielders Domonic Brown (Philadelphia), Michael Cuddyer (Colorado), Carlos Gomez (Milwaukee) and Andrew McCutchen (Pittsburgh).

2013 American League starters are Minnesota's Joe Mauer (catcher), Baltimore's Chris Davis (1B), New York's Robinson Cano (2B), Baltimore's J.J. Hardy (SS), Detroit's Miguel Cabrera (3B), and outfielders Mike Trout (Los Angeles), Adam Jones (Baltimore) and Jose Bautista (Toronto). Boston's David Ortiz is the starting DH.

Pitchers for the American League are Clay Buchholz (Boston), Bartolo Colon (Oakland), Jesse Crain (White Sox), Yu Darvish (Texas), Felipe Hernandez and Hisashi Iwakuma (Seattle), Justin Masterson (Cleveland), Joe Nathan (Texas), Mariano Rivera (New York), Max Scherzer, Justin Verlander (Detroit), Brett Cecil (Toronto), Glen Perkins (Minnesota) and Chris Sale (White Sox). Because Colon and Perkins are injured, they will be replaced on the roster by Buchholz and Crain. 


American League reserves are catchers Jason Castro (Houston) and Kansas City's Salvador Perez; 1B Prince Fielder (Detroit); 2B Jason Kipnis (Cleveland), Dustin Pedroia (Boston) and Ben Zobrist (Tampa); SS Jhonny Peralta (Detroit), 3B Manny Machado (Baltimore), outfielders Nelson Cruz (Texas), Alex Gordon (Kansas City) and Torii Hunter (Detroit); and DH Edwin Encarnacion (Toronto).


On Thursday, MLB.com closed the 2013 All-Star Game MLB.com Ballot Sponsored by freecreditscore.com with the second-highest single day of online balloting as 3.8 million ballots were cast, setting the stage for the five furious days of online-only voting for the two remaining All-Star roster spots among the following 10 players:

American League  Joaquin Benoit (DET) - #BackBenoit (A1)  Steve Delabar (TOR) - #RaiseTheBar (A2)  David Robertson (NYY) - #HighSocksForVotes (A3)  Tanner Scheppers (TEX) - #TakeTanner (A4)  Koji Uehara (BOS) - #HighFiveCiti (A5)

National League  Ian Desmond (WSH) - #DesiIn13 (N1) Freddie Freeman (ATL) - #VoteFreddie (N2) Adrian Gonzalez (LAD) - #VoteTitan (N3) Hunter Pence (SF) - #VotePence (N4) Yasiel Puig (LAD) - #VotePuig (N5)

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/07/06/5549045/all-star-game-final-vote-sponsored.html#storylink=cpy

Twitter Voting Returns one day only - JULY 11!  For the second consecutive year, the All-Star Game MLB.com Final Vote will include social balloting as Twitter support from the 10 candidates' fans over the last six hours of balloting will count toward their final vote totals. From 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (EDT) on Thursday, July 11, any tweet that includes a designated player hashtag (noted above) will be tabulated as part of the official vote total used to determine the American League and National League winners. Fans will be able to follow @MLB on the popular social networking service for the latest standings updates over the course of the entire five-day voting period.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2013/07/06/5549045/all-star-game-final-vote-sponsored.html#storylink=cpy

National League
Manager: Bruce Bochy, Giants
Starters:
C – Yadier Molina, Cardinals
1B – Joey Votto, Reds
2B – Brandon Phillips, Reds
3B – David Wright, Mets
SS – Troy Tulowitzki, Rockies
OF – Carlos Beltran, Cardinals; Carlos Gonzalez, Rockies; Bryce Harper, Nationals


Reserves:
Buster Posey, C, Giants
Allen Craig, 1B, Cardinals
Paul Goldschmidt, 1B, Diamondbacks
Matt Carpenter, 2B, Cardinals
Marco Scutaro, 2B, Giants
Pedro Alvarez, 3B, Pirates
Everth Cabrera, SS, Padres
Jean Segura, SS, Brewers
Domonic Brown, OF, Phillies
Michael Cuddyer, OF, Rockies
Carlos Gomez, OF, Brewers
Andrew McCutchen, OF, Pirates

Pitchers:
Madison Bumgarner, Giants
Patrick Corbin, Diamondbacks
Jose Fernandez, Marlins
Matt Harvey, Mets
Clayton Kershaw, Dodgers
Cliff Lee, Phillies
Jeff Locke, Pirates
Adam Wainwright, Cardinals
Travis Wood, Cubs
Jordan Zimmermann, Nationals
Aroldis Chapman, Reds
Jason Grilli, Pirates
Craig Kimbrel, Braves

American League
Manager: Jim Leyland, Tigers
Starters:
C – Joe Mauer, Twins
1B – Chris Davis, Orioles
2B – Robinson Cano, Yankees
3B – Miguel Cabrera, Tigers
SS - J.J. Hardy, Orioles
OF – Adam Jones, Orioles; Mike Trout, Angels; Jose Bautista, Blue Jays
DH – David Ortiz, Red Sox
 
Reserves: Jason Castro, C, Astros
Salvador Perez, C, Royals
Prince Fielder, 1B, Tigers
Jason Kipnis, 2B, Indians
Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Red Sox
Ben Zobrist, 2B, Rays
Manny Machado, 3B, Orioles
Jhonny Peralta, SS, Tigers
Nelson Cruz, OF, Rangers
Alex Gordon, OF, Royals
Torii Hunter, OF, Tigers
Edwin Encarnacion, DH, Blue Jays

Pitchers:
Clay Buchholz, Red Sox
Bartolo Colon, A’s
Yu Darvish, Rangers
Felix Hernandez, Mariners
Hisashi Iwakuma, Mariners
Justin Masterson, Indians
Chris Sale, White Sox
Max Scherzer, Tigers
Justin Verlander, Tigers
Brett Cecil, Blue Jays
Jesse Crain, White Sox
Joe Nathan, Rangers
Glen Perkins, Twins
Mariano Rivera, Yankees

An NFL Top-Ranked Defense May Have Panther Coach Ron Rivera “Superbowl Shuffling” Once Again

Photo by Zuma Press/ Icon SMI

The Carolina Panthers were ranked 10th last year in total defense (yardage allowed) but that doesn't impress head coach Ron Rivera.  

After all, he was an All-American linebacker and played for a top-ranked defense, the 1985 Chicago Bears. 

Remember them? The team who eventually won Super Bowl XX.. And who could forget the "Superbowl Shuffle"? 

Yep, Coach Rivera knows the steps.

Now, as a coach, he must figure out the steps involved in putting together a top-ranked defense. 

Starting with the line, the Panthers defensive-end duo is already one of, if not the best tandem in the league.  Charles Johnson and Greg Hardy were an unstoppable force last year. Johnson racked up 12.5 sacks and Hardy finally had the breakout year we have anticipated with 11 sacks.  See Ben Stockwell's article at Pro Football Focus for more on these two up and coming stars.

Speaking of stars, Rivera addressed the Panther's woes at tackle by drafting Star Lotulelei and Kawann Short back-to-back in the first two rounds. Lotulelei is already listed as the starting right tackle and Short is listed 2nd on the depth chart at left tackle behind Dwan Edwards.

Linebacker Jon Beason returns to play on the outside, alongside Luke Kuechly, last season's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year. Kuechly finished with an NFL-high 164 tackles, the first rookie to lead the league in tackles since San Francisco linebacker Patrick Willis in 2007. Kuechly also had two interceptions and a sack in his first season in the league.  

At strong side linebacker the steady veteran, Thomas Davis is still around doing a solid job.  And the Panthers have signed former New York Giants' linebacker, Chase Blackburn to help add depth.


The secondary has been the most suspect group of the defense, giving up 3568 passing yards last season.

Captain Munnerlyn holds down the left corner opposite Josh Norman.  Charles Godfrey is atop the depth chart at strong safety with former Raider Mike Mitchell listed as his backup.

Playing time for the free safety may be the most interesting of all with the unproven and often erratic Haruki Nakamura still listed as a starter. Undrafted rookie safety Robert Lester had a good spring with the team and may push Nakamura for playing time. Lester had 14 interceptions as part of two national championship teams at Alabama and has shown some good size (6-foot-1, 215 pounds) and instincts according to the Charlotte Observer.

 The new look Panthers sure has one defender excited.  Captain Munnerlyn told WFNZ-AM on Tuesday, "Nobody (is) really giving us a chance in the secondary, you know, to be great, or having any talent in the secondary. For me, being a leader in the secondary, it's my opportunity to step up and be that guy.  It's going to be scary how good (this team) can be. And I'm excited about this year. I feel like we can be the top defense in (the NFL)."

The Panthers certainly have reason to be optimistic about this season's defense. Whether they can live up to Munnerlyn's expectations remains to be seen. But if Coach Rivera can figure out the steps to assembling another top-ranked defense, the Panthers may do a little "Super Bowl Shuffling" of their own.

Manager "Meltdown" #3 - Braves Double AA Manager Phillip Wellman Goes "Ballistic" on Umpire (Fake Grenade & All)

This was broadcast on ESPN last year but I thought it was worth seeing again.


 On June 1, 2007,  Braves Double AA Manager Phillip Wellman gained international attention when he went "ballistic" against the umpires during a game against the Chattanooga Lookouts at AT&T Field.



He protested the umpire throwing his pitcher out of the game for using a foreign substance by covering home plate with dirt, then tracing in the dirt a new, significantly larger home plate. He then went on to uproot bases and throw them, crawl in a prone position across the infield like a soldier, and pretend to bite and hurl the rosin bag at an umpire as if it were a hand grenade. He concluded his tirade by pretending to eject the umpires themselves with a fist-pump and then blowing a farewell kiss to the crowd while taking a bow.




The episode was broadcast on sports shows across the United States and gained him widespread fame on the Internet.  Wellman was given a three game suspension effective June 4, 2007.



 SEE THE ENTIRE VIDEO HERE

Manager "Meltdowns" #2 - MiLB Manager Joe Milulik of Asheville Tourists' Tirade vs Lexington Legends (2006)

 This will always be #1 to me. I could watch it over and over..



Minor League manager Joe Mikulik of the Asheville Tourists made national news, June 25, 2006 when his antics were  shown on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, ESPN's Pardon the Interruption, SportsCenter, and MSNBC's Countdown with Keith Olbermann. 

To me this is so funny because of the audio. It says it is the "full, unedited version" so the sound person for the Lexington Legends is also legendary.  

  
Sound clips from Abbott and Costello's "Who's on First", Jack Nicholson's "You can't handle the truth", and Tom Hanks' "There's no crying in baseball" and much more!

  

This is hilarious!

See video HERE

Concerning the incident, Mikulik made several unapologetic comments, including the claim that "I could get two mannequins at Sears and umpire better than what I saw this whole series.

That's the best one I have heard about crappy umpires...

As a result of his actions, Mikulik was given a seven-day suspension and $1,000 fine;

Manager "Meltdowns" #1 - MiLB Manager Takes and Autographs First Base, Then Gives it to Disabled Fan

Okay, I thought a Baseball Manager Meltdown section might be appropriate for this time of year, so here goes..

#1 is from 2011.

It will be first because it was not nearly as publicized as some of the others and also kind of sweet.. Notice that he gives the souvenir base to a young disabled boy..

Gary Robinson, manager of the State College Spikes, the St. Louis Cardinals Class-A short-season team in the New York-Penn League, argues a call, gets thrown out from the dugout, then continues to cover home plate with dirt, steal first base, autograph it, and give it to a fan.

See the video HERE.

As always, I an just trying to provide sports entertainment to the masses so...

No Copyright Infringement Intended.

Baseball Player Tony Gwynn, Jr. Lets His Glove Do the Talking (Literally) To Deal With Heckler

I think this is from 2011 - Tony Gwynn Jr.
getting heckled at Coors Field. This annoying Rockies fan harassed Tony for the entire game. To top it all off, to end the game Tony made stellar leaping catch off of a hit to left field from Rockies Charlie Blackmon. After the catch Tony stood up, looked at the heckler, tipped his hat smiled and ran off...Total Class move.


See the video HERE.

The Time I Spent the Night with the Stanley Cup (Colorado Avalanche - 1996 Stanley Cup Champions)

Stanley Cup (Craig Wolanins's name at bottom left)

In 1996, I was living in Greensboro, North Carolina and was not much of a hockey fan.   But some of my friends were big time fans. They supported the local East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) team, the Greensboro Monarchs, and attended most all the games.  One of the guys was even a former player, Chris Wolanin (who was on the Monarch roster from 1991-1994).  Chris' brother, Craig Wolanin was, at the time, a 12 year NHL veteran who had played with the New Jersey Devils and the Quebec Nordiques. In 1996, the Nordiques left Quebec City, moved to Denver and became the Colorado Avalanche. 

The Avalanche had won the Western Conference that year and then defeated the Florida Panthers in a four game sweep to win their first Stanley Cup. The Avalanche's Joe Sakic earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the 1996 Playoffs.

But that is where the story actually begins for me.. 


As some of you may know, when a team wins the coveted Stanley Cup, team members are allowed to keep the Cup in their possession for a while before passing it on to the next teammate.  Well, Craig  Wolanin still had an apartment outside Detroit and Wolanin's mother still resided in Auburn Hills. So when it came time for Craig's turn to take care of the Cup, he of course, invited his brother Chris to come home and enjoy the festivities.  Chris asked three other friends and myself if we wanted to make the road trip. Of course, we all jumped on it.  Just to be able to be at a Stanley Cup party would be every hockey fan's dream.  


So we took off early that Friday morning and arrived in Auburn Hills just before dark. We spent that night at Ms. Wolanin's house, preparing for the big party that Craig was throwing the next day.  Craig had rented a local community center for his Stanley Cup party and the party was a blast. Craig and his buddies had filled the Cup with beer and everyone got the opportunity to sip some brew from the revered Stanley Cup.




 If that wasn't already cool enough, much to my surprise after the party, Craig loaded us up in his van, Stanley Cup in tow, and dropped us off at his apartment.  He had stocked the fridge and liqour cabinet with all kinds adult beverages and told us to have at it, just make sure and take care of the Cup.


I wish I had some crazy tale about losing the Stanley Cup or dropping it in the swimming pool or something like that, but I am not gonna lie.  We had our share of drinks, took lots of pictures, and called everyone we knew to brag to them about "babysitting" the Stanley Cup. 

Proof? Well of course I don't have any pictures anymore but I understand there was one in existence a while back.  As I was told, the boys had it framed and it resided on the wall at our favorite hangout in Greensboro, J. P. Looney's.  But I heard a story a short time ago that one of my crazy ex-girlfriends had requested to see the picture and, when she got her hands on it, took the picture out of the frame tore me out of the photo.  I don't know if that photo is still up at Looney's but if you get by there, check it out and let me know.  

By the way, I am still not much of a hockey fan. Don't hate on me, though. I will say after Wednesday night's triple overtime thriller between the Blackhawks and Bruins, I am a bigger fan than I was when the week began.  Maybe I will watch the rest of what should be a very exciting series.  After all, they are playing for one of the most prized trophies in all of sports.

And maybe, just maybe, I will tell people about the time I spent the night with the Stanley Cup!