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junker-town · 3 years ago

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Aidan Hutchinson doesn’t view himself as the savior of the Lions

Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK

“I don’t really give a crap about what you say about me.”

The Detroit Lions are desperate for a winner. They haven’t finished above .500 since 2017. They haven’t been to the playoffs since 2016, and they haven’t won a playoff game in a staggering 31 years. A new regime brings some hope, as do draft picks like #2 overall selection Adian Hutchinson.

Pressure is nothing new for Hutchinson. He was the leader of Jim Harbaugh’s Michigan Wolverines defense, and has been a consensus top pick since the draft process began months ago. When he spoke with SB Nation last week, Hutchinson shared a lesson he learned about dealing with high expectations.

“I think social media can be a very toxic thing. It’s something that I had to realize this past year. My senior year, being, ‘The Guy�� on a football team. You slip up one time...No matter how good you are, you’re going to get exposed. That’s something that I really had to get away from. I think I started to realize I was validating myself based on other people’s opinions. I had to realize that I could only have myself in this process. Only my beliefs about my own ability are the things that will drive me to success - not what other people think about me.”

Hutchinson spoke with SB Nation while promoting his partnership with Courtyard by Marriott. They hosted an event the night before the draft also featuring Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford - no stranger to high expectations in Detroit himself after being the top overall draft pick there in 2009. The two swapped some football stories and gave away VIP tickets to the draft.

As far as what’s to come this season? Hutchinson told the Lions’ press corps Thursday night that he isn’t focused on the outcome as much as he is the process. “I am going to be focused on the every day grind and just getting better as a player to help the team...I have these beliefs about myself and I don’t really give a crap about what you say about me.”

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customdesignnnn · 3 years ago

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Three Cincinnati Bengals Takeaways From Duke Tobin's Pre-NFL Draft News Conference

Three Cincinnati Bengals Takeaways From Duke Tobin’s Pre-NFL Draft News Conference

CINCINNATI — Duke Tobin addressed the media on Friday ahead of the 2022 NFL Draft. The Bengals Director of Player Personnel isn’t going to share much, but he did give us morsels of information that he’ll give us. Here are three takeaways from Tobin’s news conference. Corner on the Mind © Kirthmon F. Dozier via Imagn Content Services, LLC The Bengals haven’t taken a cornerback in the first…

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#2022 NFL draft #AllBengals Insiders+#Cincinnati Bengals #Duke TObin #GM report

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reportwire · 3 years ago

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NFL first-round mock draft: Three QBs in Round 1

With only one week until the NFL Draft, teams are finalizing their draft boards. Here’s a look at our first-round mock draft, as of April 20, 2022. 1 of 32 1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA Today Sports Images After addressing their offensive line already via free agency, the Jags can now beef up the pass rush and add another elite pass rusher…

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newsfact · 3 years ago

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NFL first-round mock draft: Three QBs in Round 1

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techcrunchappcom · 4 years ago

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New Post has been published on http://techcrunchapp.com/why-tom-izzo-and-michigan-state-basketball-might-get-emoni-bates-for-two-years-detroit-free-press/

Why Tom Izzo and Michigan State basketball might get Emoni Bates for two years - Detroit Free Press

Emoni Bates scores 63 points and grabs 21 rebounds in Ypsilanti Lincoln’s double-overtime 108-102 win over Chelsea on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020.

Detroit Free Press

Ten years ago, Tom Izzo waited to hear from LeBron James.

The call never came.

Izzo turned down a chance to jump to the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers and instead remained at Michigan State. Less than a month later, James announced on ESPN he would be taking his talents to Miami.

It turned out to be the right move for Izzo.

[ 25 years of ‘Mr. March’: Preorder our updated Tom Izzo book today! ]

And on Monday, he finally landed his generational talent in Emoni Bates.

Emoni Bates committed to Michigan State on ESPN’s SportsCenter show Monday. (Photo: ESPN)

Now, he must wait to see when – and if – that union can happen. And if it does, there is a chance Izzo could have the budding superstar for two years, and not one.

Bates’ stunning midday announcement to commit to MSU could eventually be “The Decision” for the Spartans. In two years at Ypsilanti Lincoln, the athletic 6-foot-9 forward has become one of the most heralded high school prospects in the country, perhaps since James skipped college for the NBA nearly two decades ago.

“I’m not sure what the future may hold,” Bates said as he and family members hoisted Spartan hats to their heads, “but as I do know right now, I will be committing to Michigan State University.”

[ Want more MSU news? Download our free mobile app on iPhone and Android! ]

Road ahead

Bates is Izzo’s first commitment for the 2022 class. But a lot can transpire between now and then that will weigh on his decision to head to MSU or go elsewhere.

He could even stick around East Lansing for two years.

Ypsilanti Lincoln’s Emoni Bates drives against Ann Arbor Huron during the first half at EMU’s Convocation Center in Ypsilanti, Tuesday, March 3, 2020. (Photo: Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press)

• The most interesting possibility is Bates could reclassify and forego his senior season in high school to enter college a year early, and join guard Pierre Brooks II as part of the Spartans’ 2021 class. Both Bates and his father, Elgin, told ESPN’s Jeff Borzello they have not made any decision; however, Sports Illustrated’s Michael Rosenberg reported Monday that Bates will indeed reclassify. “After this year it will tell me everything I need to know,” Bates told ESPN. “I can’t decide on that right now. After this year, if it’s too easy, I might – but if not, I’m probably going to play another year.”

His father, who is creating his own prep school, Ypsilanti Prep Aim High, told ESPN: “By the end of his junior year, he will be in position to graduate. We don’t know yet. It’s up to him, it’s a day-by-day thing for him. It might be a decision he decides to make later on.”

[ Windsor: Emoni Bates is a monumental win for MSU, even if he never plays ]

• Bates’ birthday makes any decision to reclassify more about going to college early, not about turning pro.

Experts believed as recently as last year the league would lower its age limit for the draft from 19 to 18 (currently a player must turn 19 during the draft’s calendar year and be one year removed from high school). It has been a hot topic in college and the NBA for the latter part of the 2010s, and many felt Bates would become the first beneficiary of a potential rules change after he turns 18 in 2022.

However, talks about eliminating the “one-and-done” rule went from seemingly a done deal in early 2019 to an impasse during ongoing labor negotiations this winter. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski in April reported the rules change may not be on the table until 2025 at the earliest now as part of the next collective bargaining agreement.

Bates was born Jan. 28, 2004, meaning he cannot enter the NBA draft until 2023 after he turns 19. Even if he reclassifies, he would not be eligible for the 2022 draft, which could allow him to stay at MSU for two seasons.

Ypsilanti Lincoln’s Emoni Bates (21) walks off the court after the Railsplitters won 72-56 over Howell at MHSAA Division 1 semifinal at the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Friday, March 15, 2019. (Photo: Junfu Han, Detroit Free Press)

• Bates also would not meet the G League’s minimum age requirement of 18 for the 2021-22 season, and would not be eligible for the NBA’s development system draft until the 2022-23 season.

He could opt to not reclassify, play his final two years of high school at his father’s newly created Ypsilanti Prep Academy and then enter the G League. Or Bates could reclassify, play one year at MSU and then test the G League. The G League recently began pulling some high-end players away from colleges – including No. 1 2020 prospect Jalen Greens and former Michigan commit Isaiah Todd – with a boost of $500,000 salaries.

However, Bates told ESPN he would prefer to play college basketball.

“It’s good for certain players. That’s a lot of money,” he said. “I don’t really plan on, I don’t think I’ll do it. It’s good for some people, but I don’t think I’ll head that route.”

• Discussions are urgent and ongoing across the country within the NCAA, state and federal legislatures about athletes being able to financially capitalize on their names, images and likenesses. And a megahyped star on the rise like Bates would be a major test case of a college athlete’s peak value for endorsements.

In May, the Michigan House of Representatives with a 94-13 vote approved a bipartisan plan to allow college athletes to earn compensation on their likeness. Many of those guidelines would take effect before the end of 2022 if the state Senate approves the bill, which would give Bates a chance to financially capitalize on his status as one of the game’s best prospects.

Those laws and rules also could be expedited as a growing number of states are enacting legislation that allow athletes to begin to exert their name, image and likeness rights as soon as next summer.

• Bates could follow the overseas route LaMelo Ball and a handful of other top prospects have taken until becoming eligible for the draft, and earn a sizeable paycheck. It would not expedite Bates’ path to the NBA because of his birthday.

And that also seems like the least likely option given Bates’ strong feelings for Izzo and MSU’s coaching staff.

“I want to say thanks to coach Iz and (assistant coach Mike Garland) for staying with me since I was younger and being there through the process,” Bates said on ESPN. “They’ve been showing love to me since I was in seventh grade, they’ve been recruiting me hard since then. I just know they’re showing that their love is genuine, and they’ve just been there for a long time.

“I’m big on loyalty, and they showed me all the loyalty.”

Coup for two?

Tom Izzo and wife Lupe, right, celebrate Michigan State’s 68-67 win over Duke in the NCAA East Region Final, Sunday, March 31, 2019 at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press)

Izzo could be rewarded for that persistence – potentially for two years — if Bates doesn’t turn pro.

MSU’s coaches cannot talk about recruits until they sign a letter of intent. But there is no need to when that player is the consensus No. 1 in his class and considered among the best prospects this century.

Bates’ announcement is as big as when Magic Johnson said after winning the 1977 state championship as a senior at Lansing Everett that, “Next year, I will be attending Michigan State University.” That announcement gave Izzo’s mentor, Jud Heathcote, the key piece for the Spartans’ first national championship in 1979, and Johnson left for the NBA after his second season at MSU.

Izzo has had his share of big-time recruits, with Mateen Cleaves’ decision in 1996 the building block for the Spartans’ 2000 national championship. In recent years, Miles Bridges in 2016 and Jaren Jackson Jr. a year later became the Hall of Fame coach’s highest-rated recruits, along with Kelvin Torbert in 2001.

But none compare to Bates, who has been touted as the nation’s best in his age group – and then some – since he was throwing down dunks as a lanky seventh grader.

High school basketball star Emoni Bates looks on during the second half of the Michigan State vs. Maryland game on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2020, at the Breslin Center in East Lansing. (Photo: Nick King/Lansing State Journal)

One of his earliest suitors was Izzo, who spent any chance he could driving to see Lincoln play the past two years. Bates was a frequent visitor to MSU and befriended a number of the Spartans, and Izzo reportedly was the only college coach to contact him at midnight on June 15 – the first moment he could talk to players who finished their sophomore season.

And those years and that late-night phone call paid off at 1:48 p.m. Monday, when Bates beamed as he put on the white hat with the green Spartan logo.

This was not Chris Webber or Jabari Parker, the two players who got away from Izzo that still he regrets. Forget about LeBron, who he admittedly would have loved to coach.

Bates could be Izzo’s Magic and help win him a second national title in the twilight of his coaching career. And maybe, like Magic, he’ll even have two years to do it.

That’s if Izzo’s biggest dream becomes a reality.

Contact Chris Solari: [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @chrissolari. Read more on the Michigan State Spartans and sign up for our Spartans newsletter.

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strictlyfavorites · 5 years ago

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Michigan football can't keep pace with Alabama, ends season with 35-16 Citrus Bowl loss

Michigan defensive back Daxton Hill gives up a touchdown pass to Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy against during the first half of U-M's 35-16 loss in the Citrus Bowl on Wednesday, Jan. 1, 2020, in Orlando, Florida. Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press

Michigan football had a chance to change perception with a win against a college football superpower.

But Alabama's NFL-ready talent was too difficult to overcome, and the Wolverines' offense eventually went cold in Wednesday's 35-16 loss in the Citrus Bowl.

Michigan was the underdog, up against an Alabama team replete with NFL talent. Few gave the Wolverines a chance to beat the Crimson Tide. Yet they held a 16-14 halftime lead and trailed by just five points entering the fourth quarter.

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krogerconews · 5 years ago

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The Detroit Tigers' Lakeland home saved this man's life

Anthony (Amp) Milton and his co-workers pull the tarp over Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium in Lakeland, Florida.(Photo: Kirthmon F. Dozier, ... from Google Alert - safeway | publix | albertson's https://ift.tt/2sC7NMs via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Google Alert - safeway | publix | albertson's #competitors

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jayvoicetrg · 5 years ago

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Michigan State's Cassius Winston makes first shot after pregame honors brother's death

Michigan State’s Cassius Winston makes first shot after pregame honors brother’s death

It was an emotional setting for Sunday night’s Michigan State basketball’s game against Binghamton included a tearful Tom Izzo and Cassius Winston even before tip-off.

Albion College guard Zachary Winston, 19, Cassius’ brother, died on Saturday after being struck by a train in Albion.

Cassius Winston hits the first shot against Binghamton on Sunday. (Photo: Kirthmon F. Dozier, Detroit Free Press)

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#Michigan State&039;s Cassius Winston makes first shot after pregame honors brother&039;s death

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junker-town · 3 years ago

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Dan Campbell is a football robot, and he’s perfect for the Lions

Photo by Rey Del Rio/Getty Images

Detroit is a new-look team with Campbell at the helm.

We know that Dan Campbell exists. We have an abundance of evidence that he is a human, who played tight end in the NFL, and made the transition to coach. Still, I can’t help but feel like Campbell may be a cyborg created by an advanced A.I. that was fed information exclusively from 1980s football movies featuring grizzled, classic football tropes.

The Lions may only be 1-10-1 this season, but Detroit has been far better than their record shows. There’s a ton of fight in the team this year, and while they have a ways to go from a talent perspective, it’s clear they have something promising to build off. Now the legend of Dan Campbell is growing, with praise coming from unlikely places. The latest comes from Broncos QB Teddy Bridgewater, who explained just how motivational the coach is.

“Dan, he’s awesome. His energy is contagious and I’m pretty sure those players in Detroit love playing for him. I was able to spend those two years with him in New Orleans and the things that he was able to do with those tight ends in that room — whenever he stood in front of the team and talked, you’re ready to just storm out of that meeting and punch a guy in the face for no reason.”

It’s pretty impressive to be motivated enough to commit random acts of violence, but this is the Dan Campbell effect, apparently. Former NFL GM Pat Kirwin compared Campbell to Bill Cowher in terms of his personality, but let’s be honest — the jaw is a hell of a resemblance too. Dude even looks like Cowher when he’s fuming on the sideline.

Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK

The most remarkable thing about what Campbell is doing in Detroit is that he’s simply delivering on his promises, a rare commodity in the NFL. We’re accustomed to coaches talking big game, but not really backing it up. That’s just not the case here.

From the second Campbell arrived he told everyone what to expect, who he was, and what he was going to do. This was a team who was going to be aggressive, never stop fighting, and even bite a kneecap if they have to.

The written quote doesn't capture the levels here. Both kneecaps! pic.twitter.com/9RAUs7GOYr

— Kevin Cole (@KevinColePFF) January 21, 2021

That shined through when the Lions won their first game, beating the Vikings on Sunday. This wasn’t a team relieved to win, it was a unit that was hungry for more — that’s the football culture Campbell has built in Detroit.

What began as a unique hiring people were unsure of, has fast become one of the wisest decisions in modern NFL coaching. Campbell is the real deal, and as long as the front office can supply him with talent, there’s something special brewing in Detroit.

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