Posts from the Phoenix Category at FanHouse - AOL Sports Blog

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Darius Miles Could Really Screw the Blazers

Darius MilesDarius Miles hasn't appeared in an NBA game since 2006, and in April it was determined by a doctor appointed by both the NBA and the Players Association that his injured knees were so messed up that he'd likely never play again.

Though the Blazers (or more likely, their insurance company) still have to pay the man, that doom and gloom prognosis allowed the team to shave the remaining $18 million he's due over the next two years off the salary cap. But there's a catch: in order for the Blazers to stay in the clear, Miles can't return to the NBA -- or more specifically, he can't appear in at least 10 games over the next two years.

Trouble is, that's exactly what he's trying to do. The Boston Globe says he had "an impressive workout" with the Celtics, and the East Valley Tribune reports (via Shoals) the Suns have also inquired about his services. If he can convince some team out there to take a chance on him and he sees even spot duty this year, he could end up sabotaging Portland's master plan.

What are the chances he actually has any game left? If you remember, Miles proclaimed himself "90% healthy" last December when he was cleared to resume conditioning drills with his teammates, and it wasn't until problems with his Achilles tendon surfaced that he was officially ruled out last year.

The Chris Snyder Video That Will Ruin Your Day



We already told you about Chris Snyder's "broken testicle" (*shudder*), but why stop there? Why just describe the pain when you can actually see the man suffer it in front of thousands of slightly disinterested baseball fans?

Phew. Glad that's over. Wait -- wait. They're showing the replay? No! NO! DON'T DO --

I think I just passed out.

(Thanks, I think: Awful Announcing)

Chris Snyder Has the Sympathy of Every Man on the Planet

It's not been a good year for the groins of baseball players. Before the season even started we saw Felix Pie miss time with a twisted testicle and, on Monday, a fastball found Jose Molina's jewels. Molina's okay and it would appear he got off easy. On the same night, Diamondbacks catcher Chris Snyder took a foul tip to the groin. He went on the 15-day disabled list yesterday with a fractured left testicle.

I know what you're thinking, one of the things anyway, how can you fracture something that isn't a bone? Fairly easily, it seems.
Each testicle is surrounded by the tunica albuginea, a tough, fibrous covering that often takes the hit of trauma to the gland. Like the shell of an egg, it can be easily "fractured" or shattered when confronted by a blunt or violent force.
Kaz Matsui's anal fissures never sounded so good. We'll take a brief pause at this time to allow our male readers to take a deep breath and thank the heavens that they aren't Chris Snyder this morning.

And we're back! Snyder will have surgery to repair the injured testicle today and is, shockingly, not expected to miss much time. The D-Backs expect to have him back after the All-Star Game. I expect to stop grimacing in pain at the thought sometime this afternoon.

Shaquille O'Neal Makes "Taste My A**" Popular with America's Youth

The upside of Shaq's ridiculous rap-job towards Kobe Bryant is that, well, it was funny. And we got to get all abuzz about it for a week or so. But the newest YouTube news (if you can call it that), should bring out the parental anger from generic America. Because, as you will see below, won't someone think of the children!!!



This clip, honestly, is kind of disturbing. I know that the Shaq rap was not intended as serious (I don't think it was anyway) and I realize that many, many more vehicles of the musical medium are far more offensive and dangerous to children. But do we really want to deal with the new outbreak of children in school and home telling their teachers and parents to taste their a$$es? I say no. (Although, admittedly, there certainly is a time and place to use the phrase.)

Brandon Jennings to Europe Will Be Ultimate Test Case For Future Prospects

This news that Arizona recruit Brandon Jennings might elect to play in Europe for a year is interesting on so many levels and will be quite the test case for future high school players.

In Jennings' case, he may not be able to qualify to get into 'Zona. Back in the day, that was either a sign that the kid would go into the NBA or head to a JUCO for two years, get his grades up, then head to a Division I program.

The problem now is that the NBA won't let high schoolers enter the draft and the NCAA is cracking down (a bit) on JUCO schools and grade point averages. This could be the best deal for a guy that can't get into an elite college program to show off his wares.

But is it really? Jennings is the anti-point guard in Europe. They like guys who facilitate a team, work the ball, play good defense and not be a scorer. While Jennings is an awesome passer, he is flashier than they tend to like and he's that scoring-type of lead guard.

Also, European teams aren't as down with playing youth that much. The Charlotte Bobcats just drafted Alexis Ajinca with the 20th pick in the draft a few nights ago ... and he doesn't get much playing time with his French team. NBA teams could be scared off by his lack of development and he plummets down the 2009 Draft.

Lopez Twins Off the Board, Ready to Party



Brook Lopez went #10 to New Jersey, and brother Robin Lopez landed in Phoenix at #15. Two Disney Channel lovin' 20-year-old twins, promised NBA millions. Watch out New York City.

Matt Leinart Admits 'Mistakes,' Says, 'I Have to Realize I'm a Role Model and Act Like One'


Cardinals quarterback Matt Leinart has been criticized in the press and by his own coach this off-season, mostly because of the widely circulated pictures of him partying.

Some have said the pictures showed nothing more than a guy having a good time in the privacy of his own home, but Leinart told the Orange County Register that he now thinks his free-time activities were "mistakes," and he adds that, "I have to realize I'm a role model and act like one."

Leinart sounds like he wants to change his public image, and if that's the case, his teammate Kurt Warner would be a good guy to emulate. Warner has been in the public eye for close to a decade now, and I can't think of a single time that he's done anything off the field that would be categorized as a "mistake." Leinart has said he's learned a lot from Warner about playing quarterback; it would be good for Leinart to learn from Warner about being a celebrity.

Brandon Webb Blaming His Slump on Contract Negotiations

Brandon Webb is still on pace for 23 wins, which is absolutely ridiculous, considering he's scuffled his way to losses in four of his last seven starts. Obviously he wasn't going to go 118-0, or whatever he started out heading towards, but he should still have a really good, Cy-Young-worthy season.

And it seems, based on what Webb is saying, that he could be due for a drastic improvement, now that negotiations for a contract extension have been called off. Because these negotiations, which have been going on since Spring Training, were clearly just killing him.
'It's off my mind now,' Webb said. 'It's not something I'm thinking about. I'm just going to go out there and pitch; we're still talking about 2 1/2 years here. Yeah, I was very disappointed that we didn't get it done, but I'm moving on from that. I've got a responsibility to pitch for these guys in here and for the fans.'
Yes. Yes, you do, Brandon. And you also have a responsibility to get my fantasy team off the schnide. I tend to side with Bob Melvin on this one when he points out that "it's not like he hasn't pitched in games with that out there" already this year.

I understand the point that continued discussion of the extension finally just wore on him, but come on. It seems like a pretty feeble excuse.

Fantasy Spin: Webb is actually a pretty good buy low right now. There has been discussion about his "dead arm" and his continued struggles over the past four starts might make his owner think injury. Now there's a possibility that there is an injury, but Webb has too much upside not to make him worth the risk.

Interleague Baseball is Boring: Diamondbacks-Red Sox Live Blog



Baseball is America's pastime, but had our forefathers enjoyed the modern conveniences of clocks, ball pumps, or haste, this pastime may well have been basketball or football. Instead, they had wood, leather, and a rudderless disposition. Baseball is Boring is a series of live blogs for folks who need irony and self-awareness to get through a game.

Check out Jonathan Papelbon up there. What are screams but angry yawns?

When first instituted a decade ago, interleague baseball was fun. Before 1997, the only regular-season interleague baseball existed as fan fiction in my Trapper Keeper, and usually involved Bo Jackson catching a line drive from Barry Larkin and running up a wall to high-five the black guy from DC Talk. But today, the interleague thrill is gone. Proponents of the rule argue that they allow fans to see teams and players they otherwise wouldn't at the ballpark, but I don't live in a baseball city, and those people can go fly a kite.

Diamondbacks and Red Sox, at Fenway, after the jump.

NBA Draft: What Future Players Need to Know

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded NBA Correspondent, brings his exclusive NBA reporting to FanHouse. Check back here regularly for more videos.

In this video we ask Stanford star Brook Lopez about the NBA Draft. We also find out from Shaquille O'Neal, the number one pick of the 1992 draft, about his law enforcement career and his efforts to catch online predators. Also find out from Gilbert Arenas, a late second draft pick in 2001, what he would be doing if he was not an NBA All-Star. Around 1:45 into the video hear what Ira Newble, a long time NBA veteran, has to say about making to the NBA without being drafted.


AOL Video link. Youtube link.