Adam Jones: Manny Machado would “one hundred percent” be treated differently if he were white

Diamondbacks outfielder Adam Jones is well aware of the way race affects how players are treated. In 2017, when Jones was with the Orioles, fans at Fenway Park spat racist epithets and taunts, and threw peanuts at him. nfl factory jerseys Major League Baseball and the Red Sox apologized to Jones, but his account of the incident was widely disputed by the usual suspects.nfl wholesale jerseys authentic

Last week in Arizona, Padres third baseman Manny Machado was called for interference after hitting a pop-up. Machado put his head down and very gently lobbed his bat like so many hitters do after making contact. Machado never touched catcher John Ryan Murphy as he attempted to catch the pop-up, but was called for interference nevertheless. The Diamondbacks  best nfl jerseys from china broadcasters, Steve Berthiaume and Bob Brenly exoriated Machado, calling his actions “bush league.” The pair went on to rake Machado over the coals, with Brenly fantasizing about Machado getting “dropped in his tracks” by the wrong guy. Berthiaume later exclaimed, “300 million dollars!”where can i find nfl jerseysgettyimages-994941936-e1555032607836

Machado, whose reputation does precede him, earned himself few friends in the postseason last year against the Brewers. In Game 2 of the NLCS, Machado didn’t run out a grounder. He later told Ken Rosenthal on the FS1 broadcast, “Obviously, I’m not going to change. I’m not the type of player that’s going to be ‘Johnny Hustle’ and run down the line and slide to first base and … you know, whatever can happen. That’s just not my personality, that’s not my cup of tea, that’s not who I am.”authentic nfl jersey china

In Game 3, Machado twice made illegal slides into Brewers shortstop Orlando Arcia, attempting to break up double plays. On the second of the two slides, Machado was called out for interference. In the 10th inning of Game 4, Machado hit a ground ball to Arcia. As Machado crossed the first base bag, his left leg collided with Jesús Aguilar’s right leg, which was planted on the first base bag. The two exchanged words and the benches emptied. cheap china jerseys nfl The two appeared to put the issue behind them when Machado reached safely on a single in the 13th inning.

Objectively speaking, Machado has been a dirty player. However, it can also be true that the color of his skin affects how other people — particularly white people — perceive him. Machado has been lambasted for his actions while Chase Utley, who broke Rubén original nike nfl jerseys Tejada’s leg with an awful slide in the playoffs and had a new rule preventing such slides colloquially named after him, received a fraction of the criticism.

MLB Superstar Power Rankings: How All 30 Teams’ Biggest Stars Stack Up

What makes a superstar? That’s the first question we had to answer before ranking each MLB team’s representative. cheap real nfl jerseys

Stats, awards and accolades matter. Most of the players on this list are objectively the best players on their respective clubs.

But we also considered more subjective factors such as popularity, charisma and name recognition. In some cases, only one obvious choice existed. In others, a team had an embarrassment of riches from which to choose. In others still, we had to stretch to find a worthy candidate.

That stipulated, here is the biggest superstar (or, occasionally, “superstar”) from every franchise, ranked from worst to best.

No. 30: Chris Davis, 1B, Baltimore Orioles buy nfl jerseys in bulk1e39bd6596261e706a62091357371a93_crop_exact

Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Not so long ago, Chris Davis was among the most feared sluggers in either league. Now, he’s a shell of a shell of a shell of his former self. Baltimore owes him $92 million and he’s somehow getting worse. Yet he’s still the nearest thing the rebuilding O’s have to a “superstar.” Who else would we choose? Jonathan Villar? Trey Mancini? Dylan Bundy?

No. 29: Starlin Castro, 2B, Miami Marlins best deals on nfl jerseys

Again, we’re stretching the definition of “superstar” past its breaking point. But Starlin Castro is a four-time All-Star in his age-29 season who could generate trade-deadline interest for the rebuilding Miami Marlins.nike nfl jersey differences

No. 28: Shin-Soo Choo, OF/DH, Texas Rangers  womens nike nfl jerseys

Shin-Soo Choo enjoyed a nice comeback season in 2018 and made the Junior Circuit All-Star squad. He’s owed $21 million in both 2019 and 2020, is 36 years old and is extremely limited defensively. That makes him borderline untradable for the Texas Rangers, though he’s got some gas sloshing in the tank.

No. 27: Alex Gordon, OF, Kansas City Royals  where to find nfl jerseys

Alex Gordon is a payroll drag for the small-market Kansas City Royals, who owe him $20 million in 2019 with a $4 million buyout next season. That said, the six-time Gold Glover had a .313 average and .973 OPS entering play Wednesday. Second baseman Whit Merrifield is the better player at this point, but Gordon is the bigger name, and there’s at least a glimmer of hope for a rebound. where to find cheap nfl jerseys

No. 26: Miguel Cabrera, 1B/DH, Detroit Tigers

It pains us to put Miguel Cabrera, a likely Hall of Famer, this low. But he’ll turn 36 on April 18, played only 38 games in 2018 due to injury and sports a .681 OPS with one extra-base hit thus far in 2019. A comeback is theoretically in the cards for the two-time American League MVP, and his name recognition alone makes him the biggest superstar on a largely anonymous Tigers roster.

Ravens boost WR corps with ex-Raider Roberts

The Baltimore Ravens on Friday signed former Oakland Raiders wide receiver Seth Roberts to a one-year deal, providing much-needed help on the outside for quarterback Lamar Jackson.

Roberts has a shot to start for a Ravens team that has few wholesale jerseys nfl experienced receivers. Only two wide receivers on the roster — Willie Snead and Chris Moore — have caught passes in an NFL regular season.

Roberts, 28, had 45 receptions for 494 yards and two touchdowns last season, his fifth with the Raiders. He has 158 receptions for 1,826 yards and 13 touchdowns in 62 games, including 25 starts.

Perhaps the biggest plus with Roberts is his reputation for being an excellent downfield blocker. The Ravens have talked about how they were looking for receivers who can be physical in their run-heavy offense.

Bringing in Roberts doesn’t preclude the Ravens from drafting a wide receiver as high as the first round at the end of the month.cheap china nfl jerseysi

Baltimore is revamping its receiver group once again after cutting Michael Crabtree and not re-signing John Brown (who joined the Buffalo Bills).

The Ravens are familiar with Roberts, who scored the winning touchdown to beat them in September 2015. Roberts caught the go-ahead 12-yard score with 27 seconds remaining in a 37-33 win for Oakland.

This is only the second free-agent signing on the offensive side of the ball for Baltimore this offseason. The Ravens signed running back Mark Ingram last month.real nfl jerseys for cheap

Roberts was released by the Raiders on china jerseys nfl  Thursday, one day after the team signed wide receiver Ryan Grant.best nfl jersey

The Raiders have revamped their wide receiver depth chart this offseason. Oakland added Antonio Brown, Tyrell Williams and Grant and released Jordy Nelson and Roberts.

Roberts had been scheduled to receive a base salary of $4.45 million in 2019.where can i find cheap nfl jerseys

Trey Flowers, DL, Detroit Lions

The only premier pass-rusher in his prime to hit the market this year was former New England Patriot Trey Flowers. The versatile defender landed with the Detroit Lions, who received only 21 sacks from their defensive linemen in 2018.kids nfl football jerseys

Flowers, capable of playing at end and tackle, is just 25 years old.nfl kid jerseyshi-res-7e722d68ac56dabc3c6563ba81078563_crop_exact

He’s replacing the old and broken-down Ezekiel Ansah, who had just four sacks in limited action last year. Flowers has produced 21 over the last three seasons, but he’s constantly been in the backfield as a sack-opportunity creator for his teammatesnfl jersey for kids . He was responsible for 78 total pressures on 581 pass-rushing snaps last year, per Pro Football Focus.

His run defense is also a massive boost to a unit that ranked 16th in yards allowed per carry. Flowers will affect Detroit’s entire front seven even if his sack production isn’t significant. Fellow pass-rushers Kerry Hyder and Romeo Okwara will benefit from his presence.nfl jerseys for kids on sale

North Dakota State Bison

Record: 18-15, 9-7 in Summit

How They Got Here: The door swung wide-open in the Summit League when Mike Daum and South Dakota State lost to Western Illinois in the first game of the conference tournament. The Bison seized that opportunity, wrapping up the automatic bid with a 73-63 victory nfl youth jersey over No. 2 seed Omaha in the championship game.

Reason to Believe: This Bison are not afraid to let it rip from beyond the arc. They’ve attempted 861 threes on the season—28th in the nation—and hit at a respectable 36.6 percent clip. Their rotation goes nine deep, which should help them keep fresh against a more athletic opponent. On top of all that, they’re as battle-tested as any small school in the nation, with games against NET top 50 teams in Gonzaga, Iowa State and New Mexico State on their non-conference schedule.nfl replica jerseys cheap

Reason to Worry: The experience gained in those high-profile games is nice, but it also bears mentioning that they lost all three by a combined 81 points. A home victory against sub-150 UC Santa Barbara is their best win, and they have a total of nine Quad 3 and Quad 4 losses.replica nfl jerseys

March Madness Ceiling: The Bison pulled off an upset of No. nfl replica jerseys 5 Oklahoma in the 2014 tournament. This year’s group isn’t nearly as talented as that No. 12 seed was, though. A steep uphill battle awaits.

LB Reggie Ragland, Kansas City Chiefs

The Kansas City Chiefs acquired Reggie Ragland 10 days before the start of the 2017 season. The linebacker became a full-time starter by Week 8, but he managed only 44 total tackles.

A full year with the same franchise will significantly help Ragland, especially since he missed his entire rookie campaign after suffering a torn ACL during training camp.

“I’m very comfortable now,” the 2016 second-round pick said,cheap nike nfl jerseys free shipping  per the Kansas City Star’s Blair Kerkhoff. “As far as the defense is concerned, I’m more comfortable now.”

The Chiefs jettisoned all-time leading tackler Derrick Johnson this offseason, which created an opportunity for Ragland to become an every-down option. The 2015 SEC Defensive Player of the Year was considered a two-down run defender coming into the league nfl cheap jerseys nike . Next to Anthony Hitchens, he will now attempt to show his skill set exceeds previous expectations.

“I feel like I am underrated as a cover guy, but as a three-down guy, nfl nike jerseys for cheap you want to be the main guy out there calling everything, and you want to get the guys lined up,” Ragland said.

Right now, the third-year veteran isn’t only a starting inside linebacker; he’s also a nickel backer unless he proves he can’t handle coverage responsibilities.

Other Thursday Free-Agency News

More Jimmy Butler Drama?

What would an NBA offseason be without drama manufactured by social media habits that may be A) alleged hacks, B) oversized fingers having trouble on regulation keyboards, C) legitimate expressions of personal thoughts or D) passive-aggressive actions meant to elicit some unknown outcome?

Here we go again. This time, as Cycle’s Thomas Duffy shared cheap nike nfl jersey , Jimmy Butler liked an Instagram comment that advocated for him and Kyrie Irving to use 2019 free agency to join the New York Knicks.

Does it mean anything? Probably not. But it is the latest in a long line of signals indicating Butler is dissatisfied with his spot on the Minnesota Timberwolves.

“A league source said Butler, who has been frustrated with the nonchalant attitudes of younger teammates—specifically Karl-Anthony Towns—does not intend to sign an extension with the Timberwolves,” Joe Cowley reported for the Chicago Sun-Times earlier this offseason.cheap nike nfl jerseys wholesale

That came after Sporting News’ Sean Deveney revealed Butler, who can opt out of his contract after 2018-19, was dissatisfied with playing alongside Andrew Wiggins and before he liked multiple Instagram comments that encouraged him to join the San Antonio Spurs.cheap nfl nike jersey

This could be a case of ongoing trolling. But where there’s smoke, fire typically exists.

Three-Team Trade Alert cheap nfl jerseys china nike

As broken down by ESPN.com’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets and Atlanta Hawks all wound up exchanging pieces such that the following franchises ended up with these new assets:

Brooklyn: 2019 first-round pick from Denver (top-12 protected), future second-round pick from Atlanta, future second-round pick from Denver, Kenneth Faried, Darrell Arthur
Denver: Isaiah Whitehead (subsequently waived)
Atlanta: future second-round pick from Brooklyn, Jeremy Lin

Though this features plenty of moving pieces, the swap isn’t a particularly complicated one. The motivations are rather obvious for each of the three organizations. nike nfl jerseys cheap china

Brooklyn continues doing what general manager Sean Marks does best: absorbing overpaid contributors into cap space so the Nets can gain access to more draft picks and have increased opportunities to land impact players. This time, the process comes at the expense of a soon-to-be 30-year-old version of Lin who’s attempting to bounce back from a patella tendon injury that limited him to a single appearance in 2017-18.

Denver is engaging in a pure salary dump and parting with multiple draft picks to clear the books of Faried and Arthur’s salaries. According to Wojnarowski, doing so saves them $21 million in payouts as they look to get beneath the luxury-tax threshold. cheap nfl nike jerseys from china

The Hawks are the sneaky squad here, parting with only a second-round selection to get their hands on Lin’s upside. He may be coming off a season-ending injury and preparing to enter his 30s, but his skills in the pick-and-roll game could still work nicely off the Atlanta bench while he mentors Dennis Schroder (if he’s not moved in a later deal) and Trae Young.

Though no one emerges as a massive winner,china nike nfl jerseys cheap  it’s hard to find losers in this particular sequence.

Selecting Deandre Ayton

FiveThirtyEight.com’s CARMELO model can again serve as a reality check, projecting Deandre Ayton to earn just minus-0.3 WAR during his first go-round with the Phoenix Suns. But those numbers are based on comparisons to other players with similar physical and statistical profiles; they don’t account for improvement that can come when he’s fully focused and playing in a system that maximizes his talents far better than the Arizona Wildcats ever could. nike nfl jerseys cheap china

Summer league has already allowed him to showcase these tools. Through three games, the big man is playing only 25.8 minutes per contest but averaging 16.0 points, 11.0 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 1.0 blocks while shooting 66.7 percent from the field, per china nike nfl jerseys cheap  Turnovers haven’t been an issue, and his defense has already been better than expected—especially in a marquee matchup against Mohamed Bamba.

“That’s a talent. That’s a talent at 7’1″ or whatever,” first-year Suns head coach Igor Kokoskov said after the battle with the Orlando Magic, per Justin Spears of the Arizona Daily Star. “He blocks the shot, is a rim protector and runs the floor. That’s a talent. That’s why we have him, that’s why we love him.”

Ayton isn’t going to require much adjustment time before going to work as a featured member of the Suns’ attack. He should immediately slot in as the starting 5 and be handed plentiful touches to alleviate some of the offensive responsibility shouldered by Devin Booker. cheap nfl nike jerseys from china

He’ll struggle at times; even the best rookies do. But this big man has the skills necessary to become an offensive prototype in today’s NBA, buoying Phoenix with his combination of interior touch and shooting acumen on the perimeter. Moreover, his team has no reason to hold him back as he attempts to lead the charge out of the Western Conference basement. cheap nike nfl jerseys free shipping

Ayton alone won’t get the Suns back into the playoff mix. The combined product of their offseason adventures probably won’t, either.

But respectability is the first step, and he’s ready to help them achieve that part of the rebuilding journey. nfl cheap jerseys nike

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Head coach: Dirk Koetter (14-18)

Key assistants: Offensive coordinator Todd Monken, defensive coordinator Mike Smith

Koetter took over as Tampa Bay’s offensive coordinator in 2015, and that unit went on to rank 20th in scoring. He was then promoted to head coach, and they’ve ranked 18th in each of the last two seasons. Save for a five-game hot streak in the second half of the 2016 season, Koetter has gone 9-18 as head coach of a relatively talented team.

His seat should be on fire.

Monken doesn’t look any better considering that the last two seasons were his first as an NFL offensive coordinator. Smith has experience, but his defenses have ranked in the bottom 10 in each of his two campaigns with the team.

This staff isn’t the answer in Tampa.

Head coach: Hue Jackson (9-39)

Key assistants: Offensive coordinator Todd Haley, defensive coordinator Gregg Williams, quarterbacks coach Ken Zampese

A supposed quarterback whisperer, Jackson has gotten nothing out of six different signal-callers since he took over the Browns in 2016. That’s a big reason he’s lost 31 of his 32 games in Cleveland.

Jackson deserves some credit for posting an 8-8 record in 2011 with a mediocre Raiders team, but he never excelled as an offensive coordinator and hasn’t done so as a head coach, either. His .188 winning percentage is the lowest in modern NFL history among coaches with at least 40 career games under their belt.

Veteran NFL writer Don Banks runs a relatively new site called HeadCoachRanking.com, which uses a detailed formula to rank all NFL head coaches broadly and within specific categories. And in 2017, Jackson and the now-fired Chuck Pagano finished tied for last.cheap wholesale nike nfl jerseys

Haley and Williams bring experience to the primary coordinator positions. However, the former has never been part of a championship team, and the latter hasn’t accomplished much since he returned to the league after a one-year hiatus due to the Bountygate scandal.

This isn’t the worst staff in football, but it would benefit from some new energy.

Head coach: Vance Joseph (5-11)cheap nfl nike jerseys free shipping

Key assistants: Offensive coordinator Bill Musgrave, defensive coordinator Joe Woods, quarterbacks coach Mike Sullivan cheap nike jerseys nfl

Joseph was a puzzling hire to begin with, considering that he had just one season under his belt as a defensive coordinator in Miami and that the Dolphins ranked 29th defensively that year. The Broncos didn’t surrender a lot of yards but gave up far too many points in his maiden season, and now he enters his second yar on the hot seat with just a handful of wins under his belt. cheap nfl jerseys from china nike

Only Jackson, Chuck Pagano and Jack Del Rio performed worse in terms of total ranking at Head Coach Ranking. cheap new nike nfl jerseys

But it’s too early to call him a failure, and at least he has some support. Quarterback Case Keenum is in good hands with the experienced and respected Sullivan, while Musgrave deserves a second season to turn the offense around after doing exactly that with the Raiders in 2016.cheap nfl jerseys nike china

Manny Machado Trade Rumors: Dodgers, Phillies Among 7 Potential Suitors

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Chris Archer believes his teammate and fellow starting hurler, Blake Snell, belongs in the 2018 All-Star Game, and he pointed the blame for his absence at Major League Baseball players in a tweet Sunday:Seven teams have reportedly made the Baltimore Orioles trade offers for shortstop Manny Machado.

According to Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun, a source said the offers rank in the following order from best to worst: Los Angeles Dodgers, Arizona Diamondbacks, Milwaukee Brewers, Philadelphia Phillies, Atlanta Braves, Cleveland Indians and Chicago Cubs.order cheap nfl jerseys

Encina also noted that all the offers are “very close” in terms of how the Orioles view them.

The 26-year-old Machado is in the midst of an All-Star-caliber season, as he is hitting .310 with 21 home runs and 60 RBI. He is currently on pace to set career highs across the board.

Machado can become a free agent during the offseason, and with no contract extension coming together, the O’s have a great deal of motivation to trade him.

Baltimore is the worst team in Major League Baseball this season at 24-64.nike nfl jersey china

Machado is one of the best young players in baseball from a hitting perspective, and he is also capable of playing great defense at shortstop or third base, which adds to his value.

Six of the seven teams rumored to have made offers for Machado are from the National League, which suggests Machado could significantly shake up the NL race down the stretch.youth nfl jerseys

That is especially true in the NL West since the Dodgers and D-backs reportedly have the two best offers on the table.

Arizona holds a one-game lead over L.A. cheap nfl jersey china in the NL West, but the Dodgers have been making steady progress since a slow start to the season.

Despite reportedly having the best offer, the Dodgers reportedly have not included outfield prospect Alex Verdugo or pitching prospect Yadier Alvarez, per Encina.cheap nfl jersey from china

The Orioles rank 28th in Major League Baseball with a team ERA of 4.82, which suggests they may value young, talented pitchers in a Machado trade.wholesale nfl jerseys supply

Any team that deals for Machado will be taking a significant chance since he can leave for nothing next offseason in free agency.

He is an elite player, however, and acquiring him could mean the difference between making the World Series and falling short, especially in the wide-open NL jersey nfl.

The non-waiver trade deadline is on July 31, meaning Machado will likely be on the move before that date.