TSN Radio launches with plenty of CFL/Argonauts content

Observers of the Canadian sports media scene will have noticed by now that there's a new big-name outlet out there; specifically, TSN Radio, which launched on Toronto's 1050 AM frequency Wednesday (and can be listened to anywhere on the web here). They already have plenty of prominent personalities in the lineup, including Mike Richards, Bryan Hayes, James Cybulski, Gareth Wheeler, Dave Naylor, Bruce Arthur and Dave Feschuk, and it's going to be interesting to see what kind of content they turn out. What takes this from a sports media story to a CFL story is the amount of three-down football content they've had so far, though, and what they're planning to do in the future.

The CFL was a big part of the station's launch Wednesday, and that's particularly notable considering that we're not only in the middle of the offseason, but also that it was the first day of the NHL playoffs and that David Beckham was in town with the L.A. Galaxy to play Toronto FC (and make controversial comments about refs). All of those other subjects got plenty of attention on TSN Radio, but so did the CFL, which doesn't always receive high billing in Toronto sports circles, especially while it's the offseason. Argonauts' head coach/general manager Jim Barker was in studio with Mike Richards for an hour on the morning show, and league commissioner Mark Cohon dropped in to the afternoon show with Argonauts Rob Murphy and Ricky Foley (Murphy was as funny as usual, and mentioned to me that he's already been invited back). This morning saw Cohon, TSN's Brian Williams and former Argonaut/current NFL Network analyst Joe Theismann make appearances. The station's also going to be broadcasting every Argonauts game this year, and acting programming director Robert Gray told me via e-mail today that the CFL's going to be an important part of their lineup going forward:

"Much like TSN on the television side, the plan is to feature CFL content on all of our shows across the week, plus a 1 hour all-Argos show, and extensive training camp coverage for the Argos - taking a couple of our shows live on-location during camp for in depth coverage," Gray wrote. "[We'll have] coach & player segments, plus lots of content from TSN's roster of CFL & football experts."

Increased CFL coverage obviously isn't going to please everyone. This is Canada, after all, and plenty of people in Toronto in particular only care about the Leafs; of the group that do have wider interests, some of them are only into hockey generally, while others only care about the Jays, Raptors or Toronto FC. In fact, the CFL coverage served as one of the prime complaints in this Toronto Sports Media post on the TSN Radio launch:

I know that TSN is covering the Argos, but was Jim Barker for a whole hour really the way to go? I mean Mccown used to do all Argos all the time when his buddies owned them and it was as popular as Watters talking the Rock when sunny boy was running them. I am not bashing the Argos or the CFL, but really is that the best they could do on launch day? Personally, I would rather have heard the head hauncho of TSN on the radio.

...

As one of you pointed out, I think they need to lose the ‘voice of the Argos' as they're primary promo line. I'm not sure what their obligations to the CFL were in terms of getting the Argos on the radio but TSN has to have more clout then this. This isn't Saskatchewan. Too many people pinged me today asking why there was so much CFL coverage on their launch day. I assume it will ease off a bit.

As that piece alludes to, in one respect, it does serves TSN's interests to have CFL content on their platforms. They broadcast CFL games both on TV and the radio now, and more interest in the league as a whole and the Argonauts in particular is likely to translate into better ratings for them. Before crying foul, though, it's worth remembering that every sports media outlet tends to have conflicts of interest. Just in Toronto, for example, the FAN 590 broadcasts the Jays, Raptors and TFC (and they're part of Sportsnet, which also has a lot of Jays programming), and AM 640 broadcasts Leafs games. That doesn't mean you can jump to the conclusion that every talk programming decision revolves around what sports are carried by the station, as all of those stations tend to talk about sports that are carried on other networks as well (and their talk shows would likely lose listeners if they didn't).

Also, I don't see how the previous piece jumps to the conclusion that talking about the Argonauts is somehow irrelevant because "this isn't Saskatchewan". They are a Toronto team, and they've got a substantial fan following, so from this perspective it's perfectly legitimate for a Toronto sports station to be talking about them (and league-wide issues, such as player safety and concussions); perhaps the CFL coverage only stood out on TSN Radio because of other stations' programming decisions that didn't include it. There's a balancing act involved in any sports media outlet's programming decisions, and from this corner, TSN Radio's done that rather well so far. The CFL hasn't always received all that much attention in Toronto, so it's nice to see a new station making the league an important part of their coverage.

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NFL Draft 2011 Grades: Minnesota Vikings Day Three Analysis

The Minnesota Vikings started their final day of the 2011 NFL Draft by selecting Iowa defensive lineman Christian Ballard, a versatile inside-outside player who had second round grades from most teams.

A recent off-the-field issue, however, cost Ballard an NFL job until the 106th overall pick in the fourth round.

Aside from acquiring another player named Christian in this draft, the Vikes get a unique talent in Ballard. He has the ability to be a strong-side end or an interior defender.

"Right now I think they want me at defensive tackle," Ballard told Vikings.com shortly after he was drafted. "I’m just willing to play wherever they need me to play. Playing both (positions) will give me the opportunity so that I can really take my game to the next level."

Whatever his role will be, Ballard gives the Vikings some much needed depth. The once impenetrable defensive line has been showing signs of wear the past few seasons.

In the fifth round, Minnesota looked for defensive secondary depth with Utah cornerback Brandon Burton.

Burton is a tall, rangy player who excels in tight, press coverage. I like his chances to disrupt receivers at the line of scrimmage and I like his style of playing man coverage. He's an athlete that will learn and grow within the Vikings system.

Minnesota was supposed to have a second fifth round pick, but instead traded it to the Cleveland Browns for two sixth round picks, giving the Vikings a whopping four selections in the second to final round.

The sixth round feast included Arkansas tackle DeMarcus Love, South Florida safety Mistral Raymond, Slippery Rock center Brandon Fusco and Ohio State linebacker Ross Homan.

Love can play a variety of positions along the offensive line, but will probably be developed as a guard. He received second round grades from some draft experts, so this is a great value pick for the Vikings.

Raymond offers solid coverage skills at a position where the Vikings are weak. Plus, he will also contribute on special teams.

Fusco is a risk as a small school prospect, but he's got good size and the right attitude, so the Vikes decided to take a chance on his potential.

Homan was the quarterback of the Ohio State defense. Here, the Vikings are getting an intelligent, instinctive player who, while being somewhat undersized at his position, is fast and could develop into a weak side starter.

Finally, in the seventh round, Arizona defensive end D'Aundre Reed and West Texas A&M receiver Stephen Burton were added to the roster.

Reed projects as a versatile type who could play defensive end or outside linebacker, primarily on running downs.

Burton (yes, the second Burton taken by the Vikings in this draft class) has a lot of natural ability. He has great size and will be comfortable running routes across the middle of the field as well as blocking. He had career numbers in his senior season at West Texas A&M in 2010.

This was a solid final draft day for the Minnesota Vikings. They were able to accumulate a few extra picks via trade and not only addressed the most immediate needs of their team, but also added quality and value with tons of potential on both sides of the football.

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Buck Pierce goes from pigskin to print for a day

The CFL offseason isn't really much of a break for many players, as they have to spend a lot of time training and working out if they want to keep their jobs when the season gets rolling; many also work at other jobs when football isn't in session. They do get to do some cool things you wouldn't normally see during the season, though, and one recent example is the day Winnipeg Blue Bombers' quarterback Buck Pierce recently spent as the sports editor of The Winnipeg Sun, filling in for Ted Wyman.

On many fronts, Pierce would seem to have the sportswriting gig down. After all, his written summary of the day starts with two single-sentence paragraphs, a device beloved by some sportswriters and ceaselessly mocked by many of the rest of us. He's also mastered the art of tweaking those who don't agree with him, as the video accompanying the Sun story shows; Pierce draws up a play on the newsroom whiteboard and tells columnist Paul Friesen (who's been pretty critical of the team at times over the years) "We're going to keep you out here. Run a route by yourself, try not to get hurt and stay out of the way. We probably won't throw you the football, so just do whatever you want." He also appears to have found at least some measure of objectivity, as the sports section that day didn't contain stories along the lines of "Bombers declared greatest team ever" and "Riders punished for being from Saskatchewan". Pierce later told Sun TV that he felt he'd made an impact on the staff in his short time as their boss:

"I've been tough on them," Pierce (pictured above in an August 2010 game against Hamilton) said. "I don't know if they can go back to Ted after what I've done. I've set a precedent."

Friesen managed to get a parting shot at Pierce in towards the end of the video, though, referencing the quarterback's notorious injury history.

"If you're wondering, Pierce made it through the day without getting hurt."

All kidding aside, these sorts of things aren't necessarily a bad idea. Sure, it's a bit of a publicity stunt for both Pierce and the Sun, but Pierce probably gained a bit of an appreciation for how hard the writers work and where they're coming from, and they probably gained some respect for him as a person. He also brought a valuable perspective from someone currently inside the game, which particularly came out on the audio podcast he did with Wyman and Friesen when he discussed the Bombers' recent offseason voluntary workout (or minicamp), something new they're doing this year that many other teams aren't. Here are some of Pierce's thoughts on the camp, from that audio podcast:

"Minicamp was great. It's such a long offseason, and you know, [it's] to bring some guys in, some young guys, let them get a taste for what we do offensively, and compete. We brought in some veteran defensive backs and some of these young guys got a taste of what the CFL's like. It's a great experience, and it's good for everyone to start talking football again."

Pierce said it was particularly important for him to get in a rhythm with some of the receivers the Bombers acquired after his season-ending injury last year:

"Training camp's short. It's three weeks and then you're right into the games. Any time you can bring guys together, talk football and start working on football, it's huge; for me, especially, because I didn't get to throw to guys like Greg Carr last year. He's such a talent. We have to make sure we utilize him the right way and make sure we're on the same page going forward."

There's some valuable insight there from a guy who knows what it's like on the inside of the CFL, and that's never a bad thing. Perhaps Pierce has a media future once his playing days are done. For now, though, he's probably more interested in pigskins and points than pens and print.

Jennifer Morrison Adrianne Palicki Amanda Righetti Michelle Branch Melissa Howard

Artist uses 1,300 punching bags to depict Muhammad Ali

Muhammad Ali always said he was the prettiest thing that ever lived. He has a point. It does take a certain beauty to make 1,300 punching bags, five miles of stainless steel and two miles of aluminum tubing look like a work of art. Of course, it doesn't hurt to have a talented sculptor rendering those materials.

California artist Michael Kalish will unveil his Ali art installation, "reALIze," later this month in Los Angeles. The project, which depicts the three-time heavyweight champ by using speed bags, stands two stories high, fills up 15,00 cubic feet and includes five miles of stainless steel, two miles of aluminum tubing and 1,300 of Ali's favorite practice targets. Kalish told the Los Angeles Times that it took three months to design the sculpture and five months to build it.

Ali's wife, Yolanda, approached Kalish three years ago after seeing his work with license plate art. He created a piece for the family which eventually led to this sculpture.

The final product will show for two weeks at Nokia Plaza in Los Angeles. From there, Kalish hopes to take it to other venues. Admission is free to the public, but visitors won't be able to interact with the piece due to its intricate design.

From most angles, the structure looks like a jumble of boxing bags and twisted metal.

It's only when viewed from the proper vantage point that the structure becomes a two-dimensional portrait of the former heavyweight champion.

The official unveiling of the exhibit is scheduled for March 25. 

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The Return of Superman, and other CFL contract news

Star B.C. slotback Geroy Simon  has been one of the most iconic Lions over the last decade, and he should be wearing the black and orange for at least another year after signing a contract extension today that will take him through the 2012 season. Simon, affectionately known as "Superman" to many Lions' fans, has been a crucial player for the club since joining them in 2001; he's been their top receiver for most of that period and helped them to the 2006 Grey Cup.

Simon (seen above showing off the Lions' retro jerseys at Empire Field last July) is 35 and has played 13 CFL seasons (11 with B.C. after spending his first two years in Winnipeg). He's currently B.C.'s all-time leading receiver and fifth on the league's all-time list with 13,737 career yards, but he isn't showing his age yet; he racked up his eighth consecutive 1,000-yard-plus season in 2010, picking up 1,190 yards and six touchdowns on 78 catches. As I've written before, there are plenty of older players who survive and thrive in the CFL, and all signs would suggest that Simon's likely to continue to be one of them.

In other recent contract news around the league:

— Drew Edwards reports that the Hamilton Tiger-Cats have apparently agreed to a contract extension (one year plus an option) with quarterback Kevin Glenn. The deal isn't official yet, but should be soon.

— The Tiger-Cats also signed quarterback Quinton Porter to a two-year extension last week. There isn't expected to be any quarterback controversy there, though, as Glenn has clearly established himself as the top option in Hamilton, and should be paid accordingly; Arash Madani mentions that Glenn's contract could be worth up to $300,000 with incentives. According to Sportnet's Perry Lefko, receiver Arland Bruce III is also expected to sign an extension with Hamilton. The Tiger-Cats had one of the most dominant pass-and-catch combinations in the league with Glenn and Bruce, and they should continue to form an effective partnership for years to come.

— Meanwhile, in addition to signing Kitwana Jones as a free agent, Montreal has extended the contract of long-time backup quarterback Adrian McPherson through 2012. McPherson should provide veteran experience if Anthony Calvillo is hurt, and he could potentially compete for the starting job in 2012 if Calvillo retires after this season (that's far from a sure thing, though).

Adrianne Curry Jennifer Gimenez Katie Cassidy Estella Warren Cinthia Moura

2011 NFL Draft Results: 5 Teams Who Got Best Sleepers of 2011 NFL Draft

Jacquizz Rodgers Could Be Steal For Atlanta Falcons In 2011 NFL Draft

Some mid-round selections who could turn to gold:

Atlanta Falcons: Jacquizz Rodgers, RB

Rodgers can be a killer situational/change-of-pace weapon a la Dexter McCluster or Darren Sproles. With Michael Turner around to do the heavy lifting, Atlanta won?t have to worry about overtaxing Quizz.

Baltimore Ravens: Tandon Doss, WR

He doesn?t have the wheels that scouts like to see, but Doss is a terrific jump-ball receiver who will catch anything in his neighborhood.

Cleveland Browns: Owen Marecic, FB

Marecic is the best gift Peyton Hillis could?ve asked for, and after playing LB at Stanford he?ll be a great special teams weapon as well.

Kansas City Chiefs: Ricky Stanzi, QB

Stanzi made huge strides with his decision-making and reads in 2010, and with good coaching (and Matt Cassel?s example to follow) could develop into a fine quarterback.

New England Patriots: Marcus Cannon, OG

Cannon will miss next season getting treated for lymphoma, but his prognosis is good, and he could be an instant starter when he gets back on the field in 2012.

Katharine Towne Malia Jones Jennifer ODell Jenny McCarthy Zooey Deschanel

Alternate history, third-down gambles and a Riders' Grey Cup

As a history major during my university days, I spent plenty of years buried in such minute details as the Byzantine Empire's education system and the social importance of the invention of the printing press. One of the things that's always interested me about the past is that seemingly minor changes can produce far-reaching effects; this is where you get ideas like the butterfly effect, and it's an area that's seen plenty of impressive work (including that by Harry Turtledove, who, among other things, wrote an excellent and very historically-plausible 12-volume series based solely on the premise that the Union Army never found a Confederate order at a critical moment of the Civil War). You can apply those principles to any sporting event as well, but they're particularly useful in football, where many minor changes to any particular play can result in significantly different outcomes of a game. However, it definitely helps if you have some evidence to support your case; just saying "What if they ran up the middle instead of throwing that interception?" doesn't work entirely, as there's a chance that a run could have caused a fumble, a tackle for a loss or some other equally unfortunate outcome. That's where Rob Pettapiece comes in; the editor of The CIS Blog is also a brilliant statistician whose work should be well-known to long-time 55-Yard Line readers from his RPI/SRS calculations and third-down studies, and he's concluded after an extensive analysis of third-down gambles in the playoffs that Saskatchewan likely could have won the 2010 Grey Cup simply by making different decisions on third down.

In an e-mail interview earlier this month about Saskatchewan's decisions in that Grey Cup game (play-by-play data available here), Pettapiece told me there was one decision that was particularly bad. The one that stood out to him was in the third quarter, where Saskatchewan faced third-and-eight on the Alouettes' 38-yard line with 12:42 left and opted to punt. According to Pettapiece's extensive third-down study (based on data from the entire 2009 regular-season), punting there generates about 0.3 points (from forcing the opponent in to bad starting field position), while kicking a field goal would give you 1.9 points on average (including the chances of a made field goal, the chances of a single, the chances of a missed field goal returned and the other team's effective field position following a return or a conceded single). Thus, by expected point values, that's a loss of 1.6 points (significant, as Saskatchewan only lost the game by three points). You might modify those odds down somewhat for the Riders in that particular situation, as their kicker was the largely-untested Warren Kean (thanks to Luca Congi's mid-season injury), but considering all possible outcomes, going for a field goal would appear likely to lead to better results than opting to punt. (By the way, Eddie Johnson's punt sailed out at the 12, so while it certainly wasn't bad, it definitely didn't lead to particular success and it wasn't punting to win; Montreal went on to drive 83 yards for a field goal, tied the game and never trailed again).

There was also a questionable decision with 12:07 left in the second quarter, where Saskatchewan faced third-and-two on the Montreal 20. There, they opted to kick a field goal (the one Kean is pictured making above) instead of going for it. Pettapiece's third-down study indicates that trying a field goal there is worth 2.1 points on average (again counting the chances of a made field goal, a miss that leads to a single, a returned miss and the expected field positions resulting from each), while trying to convert a third-and-two produces 3.7 points (taking into account the chances of a successful conversion, its chances in turn of leading to a touchdown or a field goal, the chances of failure and the resulting field positions from each outcome). Thus, that's an expected loss of 2.6 points.

If you combine that swing with the 1.6 from earlier (and a 0.2 point loss from another third-down decision), Saskatchewan left 4.4 points on the board, more than enough to win the game. (The Riders did in fact make that field goal, but even if you give them a full three points for that instead of the 2.1 expected, that's still a loss of 1.7 points, and that's enough in combination with the other decisions (3.5 points overall) to give them a Grey Cup victory). As Pettapiece pointed out, though, it's impossible to say Saskatchewan definitely would have won with different decisions (as we don't for sure know what outcomes those decisions would have produced, or how Montreal would have responded); what this really indicates is that their decisions were not solid ones from a probability standpoint:

"Would the Riders have lost if they kicked a FG themselves?" Pettapiece asked. "Who knows. The idea here is that in the long run, the decision they made will work out worse for them than the decision they should have made. In the short term, it hurt them too, which makes it easier to tell a story about why they were wrong."

Pettapiece ran this kind of analysis for the entire 2010 playoffs, and the results are quite interesting. He focused on the first and third quarters, as that precludes any clock-related issues due to the end of halves (the second-quarter example above is mentioned because it came so early in the quarter that the clock wasn't a particular factor). Here's the table he came up with after analyzing every first- and third-quarter third-down decision from each 2010 playoff game and comparing the expected points value of the decisions made to the expected point values of the other options available:

The most interesting element there may be Toronto's 4.9 points lost in the East semifinal. Of course, the Argonauts went on to win the game 16-14, but it might not have been as close if they'd been a little more aggressive at times. (You can make a convincing argument that the expected points value of going for it might be lower if your quarterback is Cleo Lemon, but it's still probably worth taking shots when the probabilites are in your favour.) One particularly bad move they made there was kicking a field goal on third-and-two from the 25; it worked, but much like the Roughriders' Grey Cup move, it probably cost them several points. Jim Barker was a deserving winner of the Coach of the Year award in my mind, but his third-down decisions in this game weren't particularly great from a probability standpoint.

Here's Pettapiece's summary of how the first- and third-quarter third-down decisions broke down over the course of the standpoint:

On average, teams' wrong decisions on third down cost them 0.3 to 0.4 points per third-down. Given that there were 11.4 third-down decisions made in the first and third quarters in these playoff games, that's 4.2 points per team per playoff game. (Again, I remove the other quarters because of clock issues, and to make a more conservative guess as to how bad these teams are at third-down decisions.)

As it happens, one point per game in the CFL is worth about 3% of a win, so we have about an eighth of a win lost every season by the average team in making poor decisions. That's not a lot, but remember it's a conservative estimate; if you face more third downs in a game, and do what these teams did, you'd lose even more points. Plus we're only counting half the quarters.

Also, considering how low the costs are (print out my "when to go for it" chart and affix it to the back of the Argos' OC's clipboard), the benefits don't seem so shabby in comparison.

On the whole, I think this study fits in the general trend of alternate-history scenarios. We can't definitively state that borrowing Doc Brown's DeLorean, going back and changing the third-down decisions on these specific plays would lead to the expected swing in game outcome, but we can still learn a substantial amount about both the past and the present from considering how different things might have been after a couple of small changes. Perhaps even more importantly, those past decisions give us new information to consider in future when evaluating third-down decisions. Each call on its own may seem small and inconsequential, but when viewed in a larger context, those decisions may alter who winds up hoisting the Grey Cup.

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Game Point: Wozniacki and Sweeting among winners on weekend

Game Point is Busted Racquet's roundup of facts, figures and links from around the web.

Love -- Charleston, S.C. always seems like an odd place to begin the Eurocentric clay court season but Caroline Wozniacki doesn't mind. She earned her first Family Circle Cup title on Sunday, defeating Elena Vesnina 6-3, 6-2. The world No. 1 has come close to winning in Charleston before, losing in the finals in 2009 and making it to the 2010 semis before turning her ankle. This is her third tournament victory of the year and establishes her as the early favorite to win in Roland Garros. (Especially with Kim Clijsters' injury.)

15 -- If Wozniacki is hot, Victoria Azarenka may be a little hotter. The world No. 5 won her second straight title this weekend in Spain after cruising through the field at the Andalucia Tennis Experience. Azarenka followed up her win in Key Biscayne with a dominant performance, never dropping more than three games in a set at the tournament.

30 -- It was a win-win for American fans at the U.S. Men's Clay Court Championship. Either Ryan Sweeting was to earn the first title of his career or Japan's Kie Nishikori would get his first win since 2008 and give fans back in his tsunami-ravaged country something to cheer about. Sweeting ended up prevailing, 6-4, 7-6 (3) and became the fifth first-time winner on the ATP tour this season. He celebrated by doing a canonball into the River Oaks Country Club pool. Both men will hit career highs in the rankings thanks to their performance in Houston; Sweeting is up to No. 71, while Nishikori is at No. 49, close to his goal of becoming No. 45 (which would be the highest rank ever for a Japanese man).

40 -- Though Novak Djokovic withdrew from the Monte Carlo Masters, he still has his sights set on taking down Rafael Nadal during the upcoming clay court season.

On defeating Nadal on clay:

"[It's] important for me, mentally. I have this self-belief that I can win against him in finals, which I didn't do in the past couple of years. If I want to have a shot at No. 1, I will have to play consistently well in major tournaments because I know Roger and Rafa will do that if I don't."

Love -- Coming up: Monte Carlo Rolex Masters (ATP 1000), the WTA is off for the week.

Aaliyah Katherine Heigl Lorri Bagley Leslie Bega Maria Sharapova

2011 NFL Draft Grades: Report Card for Detroit Lions' First 3 Rounds

So, skill positions, then.

Remember when drafting skill position players early on gave a feeling of impending doom?

Sure glad those days are over.

Titus Young and Mikel Leshoure became the newest Detroit Lions Friday night, and both are likely to pull mixed reviews.

I've already given my grades on Young and Leshoure individually. You can find them here.

Click here for Young's grade.

Click here for Leshoure's grade.

And in case you missed it, you can also click here for my Day 1 grade.

Read those first, because they were written in reactionary fashion, where this one is an overall perspective coming after the dust (and my mind) settles.

What has happened here in this draft is Martin Mayhew and Jim Schwartz have sent a message about their defense.

Namely, that they like the majority of it. And it's honestly no wonder why.

While most fans were clamoring for a stub linebacker or cornerback, the Lions' front office calmly sat back and said, "Maybe. It depends how well we like him."

Because that, really, has been the story of the draft for Detroit so far.

Here is the checklist for Lions draft prospects as it has been to this point:

Do we like this guy? Is there anyone we like better?

Can we use him immediately?

Why isn't his name already on the card yet?

In truth, the Lions have been drafting players in areas where they weren't supposed to have great need. But in doing so, they've taken three "strong" positions (DT, WR, RB) and made them "complete."

Coming into the draft, those three positions were somewhere between acceptable and good. Now all three are beyond improvement.

Seriously, with their current construction, how do you improve those positions now? They are all young, productive, and versatile.

The counter-argument to all this is, "what about the needs? Sure, maybe they're set in those positions, but what about linebacker and cornerback?"

The biggest current problem with the Lions' back seven is that it's extremely young and mostly unproven. How exactly does getting younger and more unproven fix it?

What you're getting from Detroit here is one of two things. Either they're confident they can fill needs in free agency, or they're confident they can win with what they have.

And why couldn't they? The Lions' linebackers weren't an All-Pro unit last year, certainly not the most rangy group of guys. But late in the season, Ashlee Palmer stepped up huge and Bobby Carpenter started coming into his own.

In the secondary, Alphonso Smith looked like one of the more opportunistic corners in Detroit since Dre' Bly before he was injured.

Aaron Berry was a stud in the preseason and training camp, but didn't even get to show up for a whole game.

Amari Spievey could move back to corner as safety depth has been established with Louis Delmas and Erik Coleman, with Randy Phillips in reserve.

Almost every one of those secondary players is within their first three years of NFL play. Nathan Vasher provides a safe veteran presence, and even he played well down the stretch last year (remember the tackle at Miami?).

Maybe we didn't notice it, but maybe Mayhew and Schwartz have the secondary in exactly the position they want it, and they're just waiting for it to develop?

Just about every player in Detroit's back seven is either too young to have scratched the surface of their potential, or getting into a scheme that fits their skills better than their last one.

Could it be that Mayhew and Schwartz know something we don't? Is the Lions' defense about to take a huge step forward, just because of development and experience?

Maybe, and maybe not. I can't speak to the needs that haven't been filled.

What I can say is that every Detroit pick to this point is confounding through one lens (that would be the "need-based" lens) and genius through another.

Nick Fairley doesn't fill a major need, but he was the best football player Detroit could possibly have gotten there.

Titus Young fills a small need, but his speed should make a big impact.

Mikel Leshoure cost an extra pick on the trade up, but he brings some much-needed thunder to the Lions' backfield (and completely justifies the release of Kevin Smith).

All three picks so far have been cataclysmic at first glance, and increasingly intelligent the more you think about them.

And I've had lots of time to think about them.

 

Overall Grade for Days 1 and 2: A-

Dania Ramirez Lucy Liu LeAnn Rimes Adrianne Curry Jennifer Gimenez

Clijsters injures herself while dancing at nephew’s wedding

A tip for all women's tennis players: Don't go to Western Europe and expect to make it out healthy.

For the second time in nine months, a top-ranked women's player suffered a freak accident in a Western European country that will force her to miss a major part of the tennis season. Serena Williams stepped on a piece of broken glass before an exhibition match in Munich last July and hasn't been on the court since. Recently, Kim Clijsters was dancing at the wedding of her nephew and turned her ankle, an injury which could force her out of next month's French Open.

Clijsters revealed the news on her website (translated from Dutch):

At the wedding party of her cousin Tim, Kim injured her ankle severely. The consequences are rather dire. After a visit to the doctor, echo and NMR the diagnosis is a severe strain of both the medial and lateral ligaments of the right ankle and a torn ligaments, a torn capsule of the ankle joint, a hematoma and torn tendon sheath.

The statement goes on to say that Clijsters' foot is immobilized and that she'll miss six weeks. Her presence at Roland Garros is "very uncertain." The four-time Grand Slam champion is also said to be recovering from a previous wrist injury.

That must have been one funky chicken.

What is it about that part of the map that puts our biggest stars into walking boots when they leave? Is there some sort of national conspiracy to get Yanina Wickmayer to the top of the rankings? Is there a Walloon-Flemish beef that I don't know about?

You'd have to figure that Clijsters is pretty good on her feet, given that she's a champion tennis player with flawless footwork. If me and my herky-jerk, Elaine-style dance moves can make it through a wedding unscathed, imagine the bad luck Clijsters had to get her hurt. Also, how bad do you feel for her nephew?

"How was your wedding, Tim?"

"Oh, pretty good. Other than my aunt suffering a catastrophic injury that might alter the course of her career. Got a cool waffle maker, though."

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Closing Time: Analyzing Tony La Russa’s bullpen by committee

From a pure baseball standpoint, Tony La Russa is doing the right thing. From a fantasy standpoint, it's going to be a tricky go.

The Cardinals have four victories over their past six games and they've all been saved by different relievers. Mitchell Boggs got the handshake Sunday, Eduardo Sanchez closed up Wednesday, Fernando Salas was the man Thursday and lefty specialist Trever Miller ended Friday's victory at Atlanta. Noticeably absent from the save parade: former closer Ryan Franklin and former closer-in-waiting Jason Motte.

The Friday victory was a clinic in how to smartly run your bullpen. La Russa summoned Boggs for the bottom of the eighth with St. Louis losing 3-2; although this wasn't a save chance, it's a high-leverage position and you want a key reliever in at that time. Boggs got three batted-ball outs and was done for the night. You could also make a case that maybe the Cardinals wanted Boggs on the mound in a non-save situation on the heels of his blown save (four hits allowed) earlier in the week at Houston.

The Cardinals pushed a run across in the ninth, setting up another high-leverage opportunity for the bottom of the inning. Here's where a lot of road managers regularly screw up; often they'll have a mediocre man for these spots, holding back the best remaining reliever for the save chance that may or may not happen later. La Russa instead summoned the electric Sanchez and he was terrific, working two scoreless innings and striking out three. A leadoff walk wasn't a problem in the ninth, and he retired three prominent left-handed bats (Heyward, Chipper, McCann) in his final inning.

Motte got the ball for the bottom of the 11th, with a two-run lead now in place. He quickly got in trouble with a leadoff walk but home plate umpire Tim McClelland bailed him out ? a 3-2 offering to Freddie Freeman that appeared off the plate was called strike three. Motte then blew away Alex Gonzalez with high-90s heat before giving way to Miller, the lefty specialist, to handle Nate McLouth (liner to left, handshakes all around).

So what the heck do we do with this bullpen going forward?

Let's play it by process of elimination. Franklin looks to be absolute toast. He hasn't worked a percent inning yet this year, he's already allowed four homers over eight innings (can't blame those on anyone else), and he's not capable of missing bats. Franklin allowed two hits to two batters in the Houston series and he hasn't been seen since. In any shape of a mixed league, you punt this guy.

Miller is the only lefty in the bullpen and might sneak the occasional save, but it's hard to see much here. He hadn't retired anyone over his last five appearances prior to Friday's handshake, and he was lucky McLouth's liner was hit directly at Matt Holliday. The NL-only save chasers would be fine to roster Miller and hope for 4-5 lucky spot saves, but there's no upside here.

Salas would be my next elimination, unless things totally fall apart. He's got a decent strikeout rate but you'd like your closer to throw higher than 90 on average, and Salas also had a problem with control last year (15 walks in 30.2 innings). His midweek save was one of those hidden multi-inning jobs where the lead swells to four runs or more in the ninth, counterfeiting an opportunity for someone else.

Although Motte was in position, temporarily, to get the save Friday, I'm not very interested in him. He's been getting a lot middle-inning work this year, and his fastball still lacks any movement. It's telling that the Cardinals didn't let him close up Friday once McLouth got to the dish; Motte isn't on a long leash. And his case also underscores how closer-in-waiting relievers are generally terrible investments in redraft leagues.

That leaves Boggs and Sanchez, two legitimate options, the best men to invest in here. Boggs would be my guess to at least head up the committee if I were drafting from scratch. He had eight scoreless appearances before his one meltdown, the 5:1 K/BB rate sings to you, he can dial it up to the mid-90s, and he's got a good slider. It remains to be seen if he can consistently get left-handed batters out, but that's going to be a question ? if not a problem ? for all of the righties in this bullpen.

Sanchez is the ticklish play here, just a baby at 22. At 5-11 and 170 he isn't terribly imposing on the mound, but he's capable of missing bats with his explosive fastball and knee-buckling curve. Again, we need to see how he's going to solve lefties going forward ? the bender won't help him there ? but he passed the eye test Friday, retiring Atlanta's three studs in a row. Sanchez has 17 strikeouts on the year against just two walks. I don't blame anyone who prefers Sanchez over Boggs going forward; it's awfully close to a coin flip.

Place your save-chasing bets, Arcade Nation. We've spent more than enough time in the Archway Bullpen ?�onto some other Friday Night Videos.

?�Jonathan Broxton got back on the beam with a save, but it was a white-knuckle ride. The setup was close to perfect ? he was staked to a two-run lead, the feeble Padres were the opponent, and the first two batters went down easily (strikeout, ground out). And when Will Venable dunked a single to shallow right, no one seemed that antsy in the LA dugout.

Alas, nothing comes easy with Broxton these days. Orlando Hudson and Chase Headley came through with ground-ball singles; neither ball was scalded, but they weren't exactly seeing-eye hits either. Nick Hundley followed with a frozen rope to left ? easily the sharpest result from the inning ? but Tony Gwynn was ready to play hero, making an outstanding grab to end the game. Just be glad Jerry Sands wasn't out there, Hollywood.

Broxton was around the plate (14 of 20 pitches were strikes) but his straight fastball was in the 91-94 range, not the heater we were used to seeing in his salad days, and he's not getting ideal movement on his slider. Be ready with a Plan B, gamer (and the same goes for you, Don Mattingly). Vicente Padilla makes sense as a short-term add, with Hong-Chih Kuo and Kenley Jansen the long-term targets.

?�Brett Wallace clearly can't be stopped with conventional weapons right now. He collected two more hits Friday (he's on a 20-35 tear), stole a base and even reached once on catcher's interference (nice try, Brewers). But later in the game Wallace inured his hip, courtesy of a collision with Prince Fielder, and he's now listed as day-to-day. Don't do this to us, baseball gods.

Wallace was the only Astros hitter that figured out Shaun Marcum (7 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 2 BB, 6 K), who put on a clinic of how to win with mid-80s stuff. Milwaukee clubbed three homers off Brett Myers (Braun, Prince, Yuni), while the sneaky-valuable Carlos Gomez stole two bases (give him eight) and scored a couple of times. Gomez, for all his flaws, should be owned more than his current tag (eight percent); batting second in this lineup is a pretty good slot.

?�Jason Marquis, anyone? He's rolled together five straight quality starts, with the gem of the bunch coming over the Giants on Friday (9 IP, 5, H, 0 R, 0 BB, 7 K). He's got 24 strikeouts against five walks for the year, and he's getting plenty of ground balls (14 Friday, around 55 percent for the season). You wish Marquis weren't headed to Philly for his next start, but he's become a pitcher of interest in mixed leagues.

?�While Frank Francisco is generally considered the most skilled reliever in the Toronto bullpen, Jon Rauch isn't handing his closing spot away without a fight. Rauch worked hard for the handshake in the Bronx, getting four outs (two air, two fly) in support of Ricky Romero. Rauch has a 2.45 ERA and 1.00 WHIP on the season, though his other numbers are ordinary (4 BB, 7 K, 2 HR allowed).

Rajai Davis returned from the DL and the ankle looks fine; he swiped three bases on Russell Martin and company. The underrated rabbit is still free in about 60 percent of Yahoo! leagues.

?�Geovany Soto's bat perked up in Arizona, as he clouted his first homer in three weeks. Alfonso Soriano added two in the desert, pushing him up to nine. The Snakes got a first-inning homer from Justin Upton but otherwise that was it; Carlos Zambrano and three relievers shut the door from there.

Well-inked Rattler Ryan Roberts was on the bench for the second straight day, while Melvin Mora reached base three times (two hits, one HBP). Just a hunch, you might see Roberts get a spot start Saturday in place of the slumping Kelly Johnson (another collar, down to .182).

Speed Round: There were some rumblings early Friday that the Twins might pull Francisco Liriano from the rotation, but Ron Gardenhire backed off that stance later in the day. Kevin Slowey takes on sleeper value if he gets a starting gig back; he's currently on a rehab assignment. … The plucky Indians grabbed another fun victory, dispatching the Tigers on Carlos Santana's walk-off grand slam. Scuffling Joaquin Benoit has allowed seven runs (six earned) over his last two appearances. … Vance Worley was impressive in his turn for the Phillies, blanking the Mets over six innings (2 H, 4 BB, 5 K). Control is the key for the righty ? he only threw 56 of 102 pitches in the zone. If the club doesn't skip him, he'll get Washington next week. … The Marlins roughed up Travis Wood (8 H, 7 R) and you wonder if Wood will stick around when all of the Cincinnati starters are healthy. … Kevin Correia struggled against the Nationals last week, but a turn in Colorado was no problem (6.2 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 4 K). He recorded 11 ground-ball outs en route to his fourth victory. He's at San Diego next week (home of the freshest bagel in the bigs), so make the addition now. … Jeff Mathis didn't hit down in Tampa (no shock there) but his mates did, collecting eight runs and 17 knocks. Mark Trumbo homered off David Price and knocked in four runs; Trumbo's bat becomes more important if Kendrys Morales can't get his rehab on track. … Scott Baker had a solid pitch-to-contact start in Kansas City (6.1 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 2, K) but the Minnesota defense and bullpen threw away his win. Alex Burnett took the loss after allowing two runs in the eighth. … Matt Wieters has rallied nicely after a slow start; he homered and drove in four at Chicago. …�Daisuke Matsuzaka pitched four mediocre innings against Seattle and then departed with a tight elbow. Sorry Charlie Brown, you can't kick the football today. …�For Closing Time nuggets (and other minutia), follow me on Twitter.

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Images courtesy Associated Press

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2011 NFL Draft: Top 9 Players Drafted on Day 2 Who Could Start as Rookies

The transition from college football to the NFL is difficult, even for the most gifted players.  Perhaps the greatest player or the last 20 years, Peyton Manning, struggled mightily as a rookie completing only 56.7 percent of this passes and tossing a career high 28 picks.  

To a man every rookie will tell you how much faster the game is and how much harder NFL players hit.  It takes a special talent to make the transition as a rookie and even then immediate success is rare. 

Do any of the players taken in the second day of the 2011 NFL Draft have a chance to make an impact as a rookie? 

Check out the ten with the best shot.

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Caroline Wozniacki doesn’t know much about Caroline Wozniacki

The WTA's Wiki-What?! series returned to YouTube this week, with world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki fielding questions about all the information floating around about her on Al Gore's wondrous, technological invention:

The video game question is one that Busted Racquet asked Wozniacki last month. During the interview I thought she answered Michael Chang because I mentioned him as one of the two hypothetical players she could play as. Either she has an uncanny recall for insincere interview responses or I completely misread her, which is weird because usually I'm so good at interpreting the feelings of women. Just ask my ex-girlfriends.

By the way, you know who'd be great at this game? Federer. I bet that guy is like Rain Man with his personal bio.

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The uneventful life of a retired footballer

I'm Bert Tiddle and you've never heard of me. When I played for Ipswich Town in 1985, I attended a Norwich City match and started a chant about how their club is like a cross between gonorrhea and more gonorrhea. It was brilliant. But then Steve Bruce shouted at me from the pitch, telling me to shut up and everyone cheered. Steve Bruce is a numpty.

Whenever I open a paper or turn on the internet these days, if I'm not getting eye-molested by hullabaloo about Prince Billiam marrying someone who isn't my daughter, then I'm forced to read bleeding hearts moan about insensitive chants. Whether it's Munich, Hillsborough, pedophiles or some other horror, the reasonable people who are outraged by drunken idiots saying these things forget that the more outraged you get, the more drunken idiots want to say drunken idiot things. It's science.

And it's really quite easy to ignore the words of people who don't matter. Like when Migraine, one of my 18 kids, is blathering on about how his tongue hurts and I have to take him to hospital or whatever. I'm a grown man and I don't let his words get to me -- I just keep bouncing the exercise ball off his face.

Still, only stupid twunts have to resort to singing about horrors during a football match. And since they're not smart enough to think of creative insults, old Bert's come up with a few song topics that will make your opponents force their spouses to cook you breakfast in the nude. Even if they're ugly. You're welcome...

1) Compare their team to bulldog puppies. They'll quickly realize that their side, no matter how talented, has nothing on a basket full of bulldog puppies and they'll feel far worse than comparing their coach to a sex offender ever could. Plus, their players will start thinking about how much they want to buy a bulldog puppy and they'll probably lose the match. Two birds, one stone.

2) Keep chanting "We love you! We love you! We love you so much!" They'll be so confused they won't know what to respond with. Heads will explode, pants will be wet and you might even get a happy ending after the match. Maybe even without having to pay for it.

3) Just stare at them. Nothing's more frustrating than getting the silent treatment while constantly being challenged to a massive staring contest. My kids do it to me all the time. They're either possessed or they like when I blast them with the garden hose and tell them it's holy water.

4) Speak in tongues. It's horrifying. They'll probably flee the stadium before halftime. I do this when I'm at the pub and realize I've forgotten my wallet. Always gets me out of paying, but it usually gets me arrested, too. Double edged sword there.

So that's it. Bert Tiddle's genius guide to beating opposing fans without bringing up disasters and living nightmares. I'm going to wash my car.

Photo: Getty Images

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Riders hoping they'll improve with age

The Saskatchewan Roughriders made an interesting move Friday, signing veteran import defensive tackle Dario Romero only days after releasing Marcus "Chunky" Adams, an import who plays the same position. Often when you see a team let go of one guy and bring in another, the rationale is the standard "we're trying to get younger," but that doesn't apply in this case; Romero (pictured at right celebrating an Aug. 28 sack against the Riders) is 32, while Adams is only 31.

By the statistics, both players are reasonably similar. In fact, Adams' 2010 season was slightly better by the numbers, as he recorded 26 tackles on defence and two sacks, while Romero put up 24 and one. Both recorded one fumble. Romero has the advantage in physical dimensions, though (he's 6'3'' and 300 pounds, while Adams is 5'11'' and 285), and even the supposed disadvantage of his age may prove to be anything but.

The Regina Leader-Post's Rob Vanstone noted that the Riders have 17 players aged 30 or older on their roster at the moment. That's 26.6 per cent of their current roster, which is the highest percentage in the league (Calgary's next at 23.6 per cent, while rebuilding squads Winnipeg and Edmonton are at the bottom with figures of 18.8 and 16.4 per cent respectively. Those figures don't necessarily tell the entire story, as rosters are anything but complete at the moment and Vanstone's calculations treat 31-year-olds and 37-year-olds equally (and also don't distinguish between starters and backups), but they do suggest that Saskatchewan has quite a veteran-heavy team. Romero is just the latest addition to that lineup.

What does that mean from a competitive standpoint? Well, far from the weakness some would see a lineup of older players as, there's a chance it could be a very good thing. As I wrote earlier this year, there's a fair bit of evidence that many CFL players not only survive, but thrive long into their 30s. Last season's divisional all-stars saw 37 per cent of the East team and 48 per cent of the West team being 30 or older at the time, and that suggests to me that there are quite a few older players who are still dominant.

Part of that's probably thanks to how different the CFL's rules and strategies are from the NFL or NCAA. It takes some time for players to adjust to the Canadian game, and that perhaps allows older, craftier players who already have a handle on the strategy to do well against younger and quicker guys who haven't spent much time north of the 49. Veteran players also are already used to the 18-game grind of the CFL, and they often understand the importance of everyone doing the job they're assigned and doing it well. There's a reason "veteran leadership" is often cited, and it's not entirely a cliché.

For the long term, you obviously want to develop younger players and work them in, as the old guys aren't going to be around forever. That's why it makes plenty of sense for both Winnipeg and Edmonton to go with a youth movement; both teams' 2010 showings made it look like they need to do some rebuilding, so why not work in more young players than you might normally and try to develop a strong core that can help you in seasons to come? For Saskatchewan, though, this is a team that's come very close to winning the Grey Cup in two straight seasons. They're not that far away, and they obviously have plenty of talent; they also do have some younger players that they're bringing along as well, so it's not like they only have greybeards. Considering where they're at, though, if a veteran-heavy lineup maximizes their chances of winning it all in 2011, that's probably a good move to make.

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Tight decision, not a robbery: Hopkins settles for draw with Pascal

Against a fighter 17 years younger, Bernard Hopkins turned in another age-defying performance Saturday in Quebec City. The 45-year-old looked fresh into the final round and outlanded Jean Pascal, but he didn't do enough in the eyes of the judges to walk away with the WBC light heavyweight title.

Hopkins' (51-5-2, 32 KOs) chances were hurt severely at the start of the fight when he hit the deck in the first and third rounds. In a spirited scrap, the knockdowns gave Pascal just enough cushion to retain his belt via majority draw, 114-114, 113-113 and 112-114. 

Hopkins was effective to the body in Rounds 5-12 and scored with leaping left hooks on numerous occasions, but he landed his heaviest shots after the fight. 

"I dominated the fight. I threw a lot of combinations. I had a lot of energy. He was holding," Hopkins told Showtime announcer Jim Gray. "Look at his face and look at mine. I threw the more crisper shots. He threw more bolo shots."

Steve Morrow, an American judge, gave the win to Hopkins, while Daniel Van de Wiele, a Belgian, scored it 113-113. Canadian Claude Paquette had it 114-114.

The Haitian-born Pascal, who lives in Laval, Quebec, walked away with his belt, while Hopkins was denied the chance to become the oldest world champion in the history of boxing.

"I put on a helluva performance for a 45-year-old man. It's going to be controversy and talks about this. This was a sure enough robbery," Hopkins said. "And this is what hurts the sport. I'm not going to cry over spilt milk. The fans seen it. The fans know what it is."

Hopkins won over the 16,500 in attendance at the Pepsi Coliseum, who booed the decision.

As far as a robbery, Hopkins' passion is understandable, but it was far from a ripoff.

Showtime's crew, Al Bernstein and Antonio Tarver, were split on the fight. Bernstein scored it 114-112 for Hopkins while Tarver had the same score for Pascal. Showtime's press row scorers -- Bernard Fernandez, Albert Ladouceur and Herb Zurkowsky -- gave a split decision to Hopkins.

Yahoo! Sports' lead boxing writer Kevin Iole had it 114-112 for Hopkins. SI.com's Chris Mannix scored it 113-113, while Tim Smith from the N.Y. Daily News had Hopkins 114-112. The Yahoo! boxing blog scored it 114-112 for Pascal. 

Showtime's Gray had his mind made up that Hopkins won the fight and aggressively confronted Pascal, asking him how he earned a draw.

"I do believe I won the fight," said Pascal, 28. "That wasn't my best fight but Bernard likes to fight ugly, dirty. It's not that he's that good. He's a tough guy to box. He's always coming with his head."

Hopkins led with his noggin throughout the fight and often ducked. It cost him in the first and third rounds, when Pascal put him down.

The first knockdown punch appeared to be borderline. Hopkins wasn't hurt badly. In the third, Pascal landed a left hook and a left to the chest, while B-Hop was on the ropes. His momentum took him to the ground. 

"I don't think [the first-round knockdown] was legitimate; I ain't [going to beef] about it. I'm a warrior. I ain't complaining about it. I got up and fought like a champion," Hopkins said. 

"For a 45-year-old, soon to be 46 next month, to put on the kind of performance? I did it after a back-of-the-head knockdown, which was really a slip, but you didn't hear me complain. I got up and fought, and won that last round."

Hopkins has every right to complain, but then he entered silly territory by saying this is why he rarely fights outside the U.S. 

"Just because it's a small city in a small poll doesn't mean the votes can't be counted correctly, right? This is the reason that most [American] fighters don't like fighting out of the country. It's because of this," Hopkins said.

Pascal (26-1-1, 16 KOs) scoffed at the assertion that the judges were slanted toward him. 

"We got fair judges in Canada," said Pascal. 

"One thing about fans, they hear and they watch everything. You don't see Pascal jumping around. You don't see Pascal jumping around joyful," Hopkins said.

Hopkins did outland Pascal 171-105. According to Compubox, he also landed more power shots.

It was a very good performance by a guy who turns 46 on Jan. 15. Hopefully, Hopkins continues to fight and calls out someone like Lucian Bute or the best fighters from the Showtime Super Six, Carl Froch and Andre Ward.

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Game Point: Breaking down Petkovic’s upset of Wozniacki

Game Point is Busted Racquet's roundup of fact, figures and links from around the web.

Love -- Andrea Petkovic pulled a three-set, 7-5, 3-6, 6-3 upset over world No. 1 Caroline Wozniacki on Monday in Miami. The German, ranked No. 23, ran Wozniacki all around the court, getting her out of her baseline comfort zone and forcing the top-seed to alter her gameplan early in the match.

15 -- Speaking to reporters after the match, Petkovic gave the recipe to beat Wozniacki:

Yeah, well, as I� said already on the on court interview, most of the players think they can overpower Caroline. I think that's the wrong approach, because that's where she's most comfortable, when she can run and bring the most balls back. Then once you lose your concentration for once on your shot, she goes for it. It's not like she's and, you know, some like to say that she's pushing, but it's not like the balls are slow and not short, you know. They are quite deep, so you cannot really attack them.

What I try to do is mix it up and to make her play, and then when I had the short ball to go for it. Because if you try to hit every single shot with full power, full power, full power, she just gets more comfortable, more comfortable, and eventually you're gonna miss. She's not gonna miss the last one. So this is what I tried to do, just be patient and wait for the short ball, and until then try to mix it up and also give her the initiative to try to play.

If any other tennis player went out and beat the world No. 1 using a new strategy, they'd keep that under wraps like nuclear missile launch codes. Petkovic goes on and boasts about it (at length) during her post-match press conference. In other news, I ? Andrea.

30 -- But let's not get too crazy here. A letdown was to be expected from Wozniacki. She was playing her 25th match of the year and was coming off a win at another Premier event in Indian Wells. Petkovic makes some great points about how to beat Caro but there may not be the larger meaning that she believes. Sometimes a loss is just a loss.

40 -- As intrepid tennis blogger "Forty" chronicled Monday on her blog, Petkovic and doubles partner Ana Ivanovic have an elaborate on-court bounty system for aces, return winners and other various important shots. As the photographs of Petkovic pulling out her wallet during a changeover demonstrate, payment must come immediately.

Game -- No Petkovic victory would be complete without her patented Petkovic dance:

Enjoy it while you can. Petkovic insists this tournament will be the dance's swansong. "Then I'm moving on to something else," she said.

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Flawless Djokovic blasts Blake 6-2, 6-0 in Miami

Novak Djokovic has won 20 matches in a row to start 2011. James Blake has won 20 matches in total since November, 2009. Djokovic is hitting his prime. Blake is nearing the end.

Their match on Sunday night in Key Biscayne ended exactly as you would have expected then; with the world's hottest player crushing the over-matched American, 6-2, 6-0 in their third-round match at the Sony Ericsson Open.

Djokovic is in total control of his game right now. He's locked in. In his past eight matches, the world No. 2 has won 12 of his 16 sets by a score of 6-0, 6-1 or 6-2. He's not content to take it easy on his opponent's serve and then turn it on late in the set to get a break (like Pete Sampras used to do), he's going full-throttle from the opening game and not letting up until the match is over. On Sunday night, that took all of 52 minutes.

On the other hand, Blake is painful to watch. His ranking has plummeted -- from No. 10 in January, 2009 to No. 44 one year later to No. 173 today. Except for a four-month dip in 2005 brought on by his back injury, Blake hadn't been that low since early 2001. Watching him get run around the court by Djokovic, you'd never have thought you were watching a former top-10 player.

It's only the third time in 30 years that a player has started the season with a longer winning streak. In 1984, John McEnroe went 39-0 to start the year. Two years later, Ivan Lendl began 1986 with a 25-0 mark.

Up next for Djokovic is his friend and fellow Serbian Viktor Troicki. In his last eight matches against Troicki, Djokovic is a perfect 8-0. They played two weeks ago at Indian Wells, with Djokovic winning 6-0, 6-1. Expect the the Nole train to continue barreling down the track.

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2011 NFL Draft Grades: Top 5 Winners from Round 1 of NFL Draft

2011 NFL Draft Grades are a long way from being complete, but the first round of the NFL Draft certainly provided plenty of material for NFL fans to dissect.

Cam Newton came off the board first, followed by a run of defensive players destined to make an immediate impact on their new teams.

Then the Cincinnati Bengals made a smart move at No. 4, snatching Georgia star A.J. Green and in the process taking another step towards pushing Chad Ochocinco out the door.

While the Tennessee Titans and Minnesota Vikings made questionable selections, several other teams struck in rich.

Here's a look at the five biggest first-round winners of the 2011 NFL Draft.

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Making a CFL video game won't be particularly easy

One issue that's frequently discussed on a variety of message boards is the possibility of a CFL video game. There have been some statistics-based games looking at the front office and coaching sides of the CFL, and even some unofficial CFL mods and uniform conversions in Madden, but there hasn't been an officially-licensed CFL game since CFL Football '99 (screenshots from it are pictured above; it also was more of a simulation focusing on the management side than a true Madden-style experience). To try and figure out why we haven't seen more official CFL games and if we're ever likely to see one, I spoke with Owen Good, who's a weekend reporter and sports video game columnist for renowned video game site Kotaku. Here's what he had to say (I've added links where appropriate):

Andrew Bucholtz: Why haven't we really seen a notable CFL video game developed before (at least, since CFL Football '99)? Is it market size, production costs, lack of interest from developers, or a combination of factors?

Owen Good: I'm not enough of a market-maker to guess but I think anyone could see that North America's current economic forecast discourages risk taking.

That said, 2K Sports shelved its second-place NHL title for 2010, but still released a Wii version, sensing there was some appetite from the Canadian market for it, especially for moms and families. At the time, it was also uncontested on the Wii, until EA Sports developed and released NHL Slapshot.

Remember that, in 2006, when 2K got the exclusive third party license for Major League Baseball, EA Sports then published not one but two versions of a college baseball game - a fully licensed, non-revenue NCAA sport on a console - unheard of before or since. If ever there was a time for a CFL title on a console, it would have been 2005, from 2K Sports, after EA Sports won the NFL exclusive. We can assume 2K didn't see such a venture as worthwhile.

So 2K still is willing to remain in the Canadian market with a second-place product, but only in specific circumstances. We can assume that a CFL game falls short of even those qualifiers.

A.B.: When asked about the possibility of a CFL video game in 2009, league commissioner Mark Cohon said, "I'd love to play one. Unfortunately, video game makers advise us that it costs millions to develop state-of-the-art video games and it would be virtually impossible for them to recoup that investment in a market the size of Canada." In your mind, does that assessment still hold true, have things changed since then, or does it depend on your definition of "state-of-the-art" (i.e., it might still cost millions to make a top-line game, but it would be possible to make a less-advanced version for substantially less)?

O.G. Both 2K Sports and EA Sports have ready-to-go football engines on the current console generation, and that's the most expensive development component of a full, simulation-quality game already in place. It's the stuff supporting it that really makes a football video game, though, things like broadcast presentation, realistic player modeling, and unique booth commentary. Those who enjoy sports video games expect to be treated to something that looks like a full broadcast, and I couldn't see EA Sports bringing TSN's A-list CFL crew to Burnaby to record dialogue for a Madden variant. Without those kinds of production values you're probably looking at a downloadable title and then, to remain simulation-quality and not something like Tecmo Bowl Throwback, you're looking at a game that would be huge in file size, and definitely at the upper reaches of PSN and Xbox Live pricing.

I'm afraid you'd end up with something like Backbreaker, which was different and innovative, but inevitably judged against Madden, where it could only fall short.

The CFL, done right, is too expensive for a developer; if it's done on a budget, still you would have to create something that would be notably expensive among its weight class, and, due to size restrictions, potentially disappointing even to serious CFL fans who also have Madden as a frame of reference.

A.B.: I know you've written about games developed for smaller-scale leagues before (in particular, I'm thinking of NLL Lacrosse 2010). That game seemed to take a low-cost approach to development and then try to hit as many lacrosse fans as possible by selling it pretty cheaply through digital downloads. In your mind, did that strategy work out for the developers? Is it something that might work for a CFL game?

O.G. It works for NLL Lacrosse, and for Carlo Sunseri's collegiate lacrosse game, because it's a fan base that really expects nothing in this medium and would be delighted by any presence within it. There is no lacrosse game, console or otherwise, to compare it to, so it's automatically a winner. The CFL may be a tertiary league to the U.S. consumer, but if we're making this for the Canadian consumer, I think they'd be insulted if it got an Xbox Live Indie Games treatment when there's Madden and NCAA 12 coming out every July and August in both countries. The CFL's efforts would be better spent licensing a mobile game facing lesser expectations, or a Facebook fantasy football/management simulation.

Again, I wouldn't diminish the CFL by placing it in the same category as a challenger outfit like the NLL. The CFL has been around a very long time; it has a national broadcasting contract, recognized stars, the full gamut. Its fans expect to see all of that carrying over to a video game. I would expect to see all of that - the Grey Cup, everything - carrying over before I paid money for it.

A.B. Obviously, one of the biggest game franchises in the world is Electronic Arts' Madden series. Any thoughts on how difficult it would be for EA to make a CFL conversion of one of their Madden titles? How would the potential benefits stack up against the costs?

O.G.: It's not just re-skinning teams. Even if the CFL and its players are willing to cut an extreme sweetheart deal on the licensing, developers still must evaluate the players, rate them realistically, create accurate player models for them, create stadiums, give the teams authentic schedules and create the same playoff structure. Even if EA Sports were to repurpose the audio from Cris Collinsworth and Gus Johnson (a major breach of authenticity) the game designers still have to account for the variances in rules between the U.S. and Canadian forms of the game. So it's not like EA Sports could develop a Madden that had, on the main disc, a CFL variant. It would have to be a CFL game unto itself. It's not difficult in that these things can't be built, it's just a question of where's the real consumer desire for this product, done according to Madden standards of presentation and post-release support?

A.B.: What do you see as the most promising avenue for a CFL game; a Madden conversion by EA, a cheap indie game, a regular game built ground-up (or off an existing non-Madden engine) by another developer, or another path altogether? What's the most promising platform or combination of platforms for a CFL game, and should a game be digital distribution only or take the regular retail path?

O.G.: If 2K got the CFL and CFLPA licenses for nothing, locked the football guys from Visual Concepts in a barn with the All Pro 2K8 code, the A-Team, a welding kit, and a keg of Labatt's, and said don't come out until you have a game, then marketed it on a very hipster basis to a targeted U.S, market, maybe you'd have something that broke even. The problem is the biggest mainstream flag-wavers for the CFL in the U.S. are Chris Berman and Doug Flutie (maybe Warren Moon), and their ESPN ties means they're tied to EA Sports, so you lose them as recognizable advocates south of your border.

Outside of that, I couldn't see EA Sports doing a conversion until production and distribution costs decline sharply relative to profit margins, which will have to wait into the next console generation, when we may be buying, playing or downloading games in a completely different way.

A.B.: What sort of benefits do you think having a video game provides a league? Does it recruit new fans, does it help to turn casual fans into hardcore fans, or is its impact on a league's popularity pretty minimal?

O.G.: There's an enormous sense of legitimacy when you're worth a simulation quality video game. It's also a huge, huge motivator for your diehard evangelist fans, who relish every mainstream affirmation they get beyond their native territory. As for recruiting new fans, I think that's dependent on a good economy, when people are more willing to spend money to try new tastes, versus a bad economy, when folks go more for comforts and experiences that remind them of older days.

A.B.: Do you think we're ever going to see another CFL game? If so, when?

O.G.: Not in my, gut, no. I'd love to. I would buy it, and I would play it. My brother loves the CFL, and this might be the first video game we play together since Mattel hand-held football. But my values, my spending profile is nowhere near the majority of gamers'. People have to remember that being interesting, fun, neat or different are all necessary but not sufficient conditions to make a profitable video game. Profitability is. That's circular logic, but that's how games are made.

Thanks to Owen for his time. Make sure to read his work over at Kotaku and check out his Twitter feed. If you have more thoughts on this issue, feel free to share them below, or get in touch with me via e-mail or Twitter.

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