martedì 29 settembre 2015

Nolan Arenado and Carlos Gonzalez gave their support to Walt Weiss

Joe Johnson on Deron Williams's Nets buyout: 'It's not that bad here'

It's fair to say that Deron Williams's time with the Brooklyn Nets did not go nearly as well as planned. After joining the franchise for the final few months of the 2010-2011 season with the expectation of becoming the main attraction for the team's 2012 move from New Jersey to New York's hippest borough, Williams suffered a steep drop in form amid injuries and some disappointing finishes for one of the NBA's most expensive rosters. Those struggles became most egregious in each of the past two postseasons, when Williams could not come through in big spots and even went scoreless in an Eastern Conference Semifinals game against the Miami Heat. The successes were all too rare and drove the still only 31-year-old point guard to reach a buyout agreement this offseason that freed him to join his hometown Dallas Mavericks.

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Despite those struggles, one of Williams's former teammates does not understand why he was so intent on leaving Brooklyn. At Nets media day on Monday, Joe Johnson expressed confusion over the departure. From Roderick Boone for Newsday:

"What did he have, like two years left on his deal?" Johnson said Monday at Nets media day. "I don't know if he wanted the buyout, if they just bought him out. I don't know. I'm just saying if he wanted to get bought out, I don't think it was that big of a deal, that bad. That's just me."

Johnson said he hasn't spoken to Williams since he left, something that offered insight into their relationship. A moody Williams often alienated himself from his Nets teammates, including Johnson. [...]

"Honestly, I didn't know what was going to happen -- if I was going to get traded, if he was going to get traded," Johnson said. "I didn't really know. But I didn't see that coming. I didn't see that coming, him getting bought out. I don't think it was that bad. It's not that bad here, so to be wanting to get bought out, I couldn't really put my fingers around that one.

"But I hear that he's happy, so that's the most important thing for him. He's back at home. So good for him."

First, let's address Johnson's choice of words. Saying that the experience of playing with the Nets is "not that bad" suggests that it is in fact somewhat bad, albeit not terrible enough to give up millions of dollars for the sake of free agency. It's as if the Nets are the NBA equivalent of having to move in with your in-laws. Sure, it's nice to have a babysitter on hand whenever you need one, but does Lionel Hollins your father-in-law really have to question your career earning potential at every available opportunity?

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At any rate, Johnson is not exactly wrong here. The Williams buyout came as a surprise to outsiders — a high-profile deal to cut salary was very likely but it seemed as if Johnson would be the more movable player given his skillset and a contract that expires this offseason. Williams's decision made things much easier on the Nets, naturally, especially considering that his performance relative to expectations had the potential to turn into an ever-present issue and media distraction.

Ultimately, it's that context that makes Johnson seem not so much on target as experiencing a failure of empathy. Like Williams, he came to the Nets with several All-Star selections and a reputation as a productive player. Unlike his former backcourt partner, Johnson had already been tabbed as overpaid after signing a massive nine-figure deal with the Atlanta Hawks that became one of the league's worst contracts as soon as he signed it in July 2010. He was brought to Brooklyn to be a piece of an excellent starting lineup and not its leading star, a factor that by itself ensured that he would never receive the same amount of criticism as Williams. The Nets were a disappointment as a whole, but no one took as much of the blame as their point guard. It was deserved, to be sure, but it's also easy to understand why he would have been uncomfortable.

A quick glance at Williams's preseason comments from Dallas clarify the situation even more. From Tim McMahon of ESPNDallas.com:

"I want to prove myself wrong," Williams said Monday during the Mavericks' media day. "I started to doubt myself in the past. Mentally, it took a toll on me. I just got to get out of that rut that I was in the last couple years mentally, and I look forward to this situation. [...]

"Talking to [owner Mark Cuban] and talking to coach [Rick Carlisle], that's kind of the plan, just hitting that reset button, clearing my head and getting away from the situation that wasn't going well for me or the team in Brooklyn," said Williams, who cited having four head coaches in three and a half seasons as another factor in his underwhelming stint with the Nets. "It's a total change coming here.

"Let what happened in Brooklyn be in the past and move forward. It's over and done with. I'm a Maverick, and I'm excited to play with the group we have and for Coach Carlisle."

Whether Williams alienated himself from Johnson and other teammates or not, his desire to leave the Nets two years before the end of his contract is not a grand mystery. The reasoning should be evident to anyone willing to consider his point of view.

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Eric Freeman is a writer for Ball Don't Lie on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at efreeman_ysports@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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Sports & Recreation
Basketball
Deron Williams
Brooklyn Nets

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Special night for d'Arnaud brothers in Phillies' win over Mets

Chase and Travis d'Arnaud will probably be talking for years to come about the breaking ball Chase struck out on in the bottom of the seventh inning Tuesday.

Chase d'Arnaud was pinch-hitting for the Phillies with Travis catching for the visiting Mets and Jonathon Niese on the mound. It was the first time the two brothers, who grew up in the Los Angeles area, played against each other in the major leagues.It also was the first time they had played against each other since both were in the minor leagues in 2009.

Chase d'Arnaud might howl for years that his brother didn't give him a fastball to hit during his at-bat. However, Chase d'Arnaud got the last laugh watching his brother strike out for the final out in the Phillies' 4-3 victory.

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Travis d'Arnaud is the younger brother at 26, but he is the more experienced at the major league level having played for the Mets in parts of the past three seasons, including much of the second half of this season. Chase d'Arnaud is a 28-year-old infielder for the Phillies who was called up earlier this month. He had played in the majors in parts of three previous seasons all for Pittsburgh but still hasn't reached the 100-game milestone. The Daily News talked with both before the game.

Travis seems well on his way to earning more time at the big league level behind the plate. It remains to be seen if he sticks for the longterm and if Chase can do the same. Tuesday's meeting might have been just the first of many more to come.

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Regardless of what the future holds for both, Tuesday's encounter in the seventh inning will at least be a special memory for them, even though it ended with Chase heading back to the dugout as the second out of the frame. He took a peek back at his brother and smiled.

More MLB coverage from Yahoo Sports:

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Kyle Ringo is a contributing writer to Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at kyle.ringo@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KyleRingo

Baseball
Sports & Recreation
Phillies

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Twitter may axe its 140-character limit

If you frequently find yourself needing to say more than what Twitter's 140-character limit allows, here's some good new - Twitter is reportedly working on a way to let users go beyond the current character limit.

'People familiar' with Twitter's plans say that the new product would allow people to post "long-form content to the service," according to Recode.

Of course, it isn't clear on what it will look like, or even if it will be a completely new service or a tweak to Twitter itself, but the hope is to bolster growth of the social media.

'140 Plus'

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that interim CEO and co-founder Jack Dorsey is pushing a project that is internally called "140 Plus."

The project is basically looking at the different ways Twitter could extend the 140 character limit, but again, there still isn't a clear indication yet if it will be a new product or a simply updating Twitter with a larger character limit.

And if it does extend the limit, the question would then be by how much? According to sources speaking to Recode, there has also been discussions about how the 140-character limit is measured, and possibly removing links and user handles from the count.

Extending the limit could potentially increase user growth, or at least garner more interest in the service - or it could end up annoying current users who love the limited character space.

We'll be getting in contact with Twitter for comment, but we doubt we'll get a confirmation.

NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden has officially on Twitter

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AMD shows thin and light business notebooks can still be powerful

Versus: Nexus 6P vs Nexus 6

FC Porto 2-1 Chelsea

FC Porto v Chelsea

FC Porto 2

Brás André 39′ Maicon 52′

Chelsea 1

Willian 45′

FT 90 +4
HT 1-1

Maicon headed in the winner for Porto

29 September 2015 Last updated at 22:27

By Shamoon Hafez BBC Sport

Chelsea's poor start to the season continued as they were beaten by Porto in the Champions League.

Andre Andre gave Porto the lead, volleying in after Asmir Begovic pushed away Yacine Brahimi's effort.

Midfielder Willian equalised on the stroke of half-time with a superb free-kick from the edge of the area.

Maicon put the home side ahead again with a flicked header at the front post, before Diego Costa rattled the bar with a curling shot.

Chelsea's Cesc Fabregas and Pedro both forced Spain team-mate Iker Casillas - making a record 152nd appearance in the competition - into saves early on.

But despite their early pressure, and a late penalty claim for a handball by Ivan Marcano, they came away from the Estadio do Dragao with nothing.

Problems at the back

Yacine Brahimi (8) caused Branislav Ivanovic (2) plenty of problems and skinned him for the first goal

Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho sprung a surprise before kick-off by leaving out last year's PFA player of the year Eden Hazard, who has struggled for form this season. On-loan striker Radamel Falcao failed to even make the bench against his old side.

Meanwhile, Brazilian midfield duo Willian and Ramires - who both came on and scored in the 2-2 draw against Newcastle at the weekend - were named in the starting side, as was striker Diego Costa, currently serving a domestic suspension.

But it was in defence that the Blues looked to have the biggest problems when the Portuguese league leaders went ahead six minutes before half-time. Full-back Branislav Ivanovic's problematic season continued when he was too easily beaten by Algerian Brahimi in the lead-up to Andre's goal.

Mourinho described his side's first-half performance against the Magpies as "minus one out of 10" and this tie looked to be heading the same away until Willian levelled with a curling free-kick.

Chelsea have conceded the second most goals (14) in the Premier League this season, and Jolen Lopetegui's Porto underlined the London club's problems at the back as Maicon lost his marker to reach a near-post corner and head past Begovic's front post. Danilo also hit the post from another set piece.

Mourinho magic wearing off?

Toiling in 15th place in the defence of their Premier League title, eight points behind leaders Manchester United, Mourinho's side have now suffered five defeats in 11 games across all competitions this season.

The Portuguese manager has had disagreements with the media and differences with his coaching staff as his team have stuttered so far domestically, and Mourinho's troubles appeared to have poured over into Europe.

Mourinho's side easily defeated Maccabi Tel Aviv 4-0 in their opening group game and Chelsea might have taken a point from a hardworking Porto side.

But they saw efforts either hit the woodwork or deflected wide, while Marcano appeared to handle the ball in the area, as Mourinho, who has won the competition with Porto and Inter Milan, saw his team defeated at his former club.

Man of the match - Yacine Brahimi

Algerian midfielder Yacine Brahimi gave Blues full-back Branislav Ivanovic a torrid evening with his pace and trickery. In defence, he also won the ball back nine times, the joint-most of any Porto player

'Two ridiculous moments cost us'

Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho: "We watch dozens and dozens of repetitions of Porto taking corners. We were completely ready for that and in a moment when the game is under control we concede a goal that is ridiculous.

"They hit the post from a similar mistake. Apart from that, the game was balanced. Two ridiculous moments and we were punished."

Porto coach Julen Lopetegui: "The players attitude was amazing, spectacular. It was our best performance of the season. I have to congratulate my team. This three points are totally deserved. It was tough and unfair to go to the dressing room at half-time with a draw, but we reacted well."

The stats you need to know

Chelsea have lost more games this season (5) than in the whole of last season
The Blues suffered their first defeat in 10 European matches against Portuguese opposition, with their last defeat also against Porto
Mourinho's side have conceded 18 goals this season - last season, they conceded their 18th goal on 10 December
Midfielder Willian scored from a direct free-kick for the third game running
Porto have scored in each of their past 12 Champions League games

What next?

Chelsea face a tricky home game against Southampton on Saturday, while they come up against Dynamo Kiev in their third Group F game in the Champions League on 20 October.

Lineup, Bookings (7) & Substitutions (6)

FC Porto

12 Casillas
02 Maxi Pereira
04 Maicon
05 Marcano Sierra Booked
03 Martins Indi Booked
20 Brás André (Layun - 80' )
22 Hélio Pereira Booked
06 da Silva Neves (Goebel - 78' )
25 Imbula Booked
08 Brahimi (Osvaldo - 87' )
09 Aboubakar

Substitutes

01 Helton
10 Osvaldo
11 Tello
15 Goebel
17 Corona
21 Layun
23 Bueno

Chelsea

01 Begovic
02 Ivanovic
05 Zouma
24 Cahill Booked
28 Azpilicueta Booked
07 Ramires (Matic - 73' Booked )
12 Mikel (Hazard - 62' )
17 Pedro (Nunes do Nascimento - 73' )
04 Fàbregas
22 Willian
19 Diego Costa

Substitutes

06 Baba
10 Hazard
16 Nunes do Nascimento
21 Matic
26 Terry
27 Blackman
36 Loftus-Cheek

Ref: Antonio Miguel Mateu Lahoz

Att: 46,120

Match Stats

Possession

43 57

Shots

22 12

On target

6 3

Corners

8 4

Fouls

14 13

Live Text Commentary

Full time

Full Time Match ends, FC Porto 2, Chelsea 1.

90:00 +3:24 Full time

Full Time Second Half ends, FC Porto 2, Chelsea 1.

90:00 +3:07

Attempt blocked. Kenedy (Chelsea) left footed shot from the centre of the box is blocked. Assisted by Diego Costa.

90:00 +0:53

Attempt blocked. Willian (Chelsea) left footed shot from outside the box is blocked.

89:46

Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Marcano.

88:27 Booking

Booking Giannelli Imbula (FC Porto) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

88:20

Willian (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the defensive half.

88:20

Foul by Giannelli Imbula (FC Porto).

87:11

Diego Costa (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

87:11

Foul by Evandro Goebel (FC Porto).

86:01 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, FC Porto. Pablo Daniel Osvaldo replaces Yacine Brahimi.

84:34

Attempt missed. Nemanja Matic (Chelsea) left footed shot from outside the box is high and wide to the left. Assisted by Cesc Fàbregas.

81:13 Booking

Booking Danilo Pereira (FC Porto) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

81:03

Eden Hazard (Chelsea) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

81:03

Foul by Danilo Pereira (FC Porto).

80:29

Danilo Pereira (FC Porto) hits the left post with a header from the centre of the box. Assisted by Miguel Layún with a cross following a corner.

79:57

Corner, FC Porto. Conceded by Gary Cahill.

79:38 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, FC Porto. Miguel Layún replaces André André.

78:48 Booking

Booking Nemanja Matic (Chelsea) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.

78:35

Foul by Nemanja Matic (Chelsea).

78:35

Giannelli Imbula (FC Porto) wins a free kick in the attacking half.

77:23 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, FC Porto. Evandro Goebel replaces Rúben Neves.

73:34

Attempt missed. Branislav Ivanovic (Chelsea) header from the centre of the box is close, but misses to the right. Assisted by Willian with a cross following a corner.

72:59

Corner, Chelsea. Conceded by Danilo Pereira.

72:30 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Chelsea. Nemanja Matic replaces Ramires.

72:21 Substitution

Substitution Substitution, Chelsea. Kenedy replaces Pedro.