The recent scandal in which a New Jersey high school cancelled its football season after seven varsity players were charged with hazing and sexually assaulting younger players, has led to more scrutiny about football and youth sports.
Have competitive teenage athletics gotten out of hand? Should high schools eliminate their sports teams?
Read the Discussion »When the Gaillardia Golf and Country Club opened in 1998, it was to be the crown jewel of golf in Oklahoma City, complete with an 18-hole P.G.A. championship course and a 55,000-square-foot clubhouse of Norman-style architecture. The Gaylord family, best known as Oklahoma media moguls and owners of the Grand Ole Opry, sank a reported $59 million into the project.
Over the next 15 years, however, the course changed hands and fell into disrepair as a glut of new courses and declining demand punished the market. Finally, early this year, Gaillardia was sold to Concert Golf Partners, an investment firm based in Newport Beach, Calif., which assumed $7 million in loans and now owns the property free and clear.
"Between 1998 and 2005 there would have been a bidding war," said Peter Nanula, the chairman of Concert Golf who previously ran Arnold Palmer Golf Management.
While golf is still anathema to many investment portfolios, investors who have the cash see the current market as an opportunity to scoop up distressed clubs and revamp their business models.
"It's certainly a buyer's market," said Larry Hirsh, president of Golf Property Analysts. "There are a lot of distressed courses, financing is difficult and most buyers don't have the ability to write a check."
Valuations for golf courses — and golf course debt — have been slow to recover even as most asset classes have recovered from the financial crisis. Last year was the eighth consecutive year of net club closings, according to the National Golf Foundation, with 157 closings and 14 openings. Most existing courses, meanwhile, are still worth far less than they were before the recession.
Several factors have been dragging down the industry, experts say, including changing family dynamics, overbuilding in the late 1990s and an absence of lenders.
In 2007, the three big players in this area — GE Capital, Textron and Capmark — had more than $2 billion in golf loans outstanding, which were already in decline, Mr. Nanula said. In 2012, that number was just $500 million. Today, what lending is done is extremely fragmented, with interest rates starting about 7 percent and loan-to-value ratios around 50 percent, compared with 90 percent before the recession.
"It would be like if Wells Fargo and Chase suddenly quit making home loans," he said, noting that lenders left the market for a variety of reasons, not all of them related to loan performance.
But that has opened the door for investors like Mr. Nanula, who raised his $50 million private equity fund in 2012 and has since bought eight golf course clubs and loans. In 2013, the asset management giant Fortress Investment Group began financing Arcis Equity Partners, a Dallas-based private equity firm that specializes in leisure. In March, Tower Three Partners of Greenwich, Conn., took a majority stake in the Heritage Golf Group, an owner and operator of premier private, resort and daily fee golf properties.
Foreign investors are also joining the game. Heritage Est. St. Andrews, based in Luxembourg, recently formed a fund to invest in and enhance undervalued golf properties. Pacific Links International of Canada began acquiring clubs in 2012 and now owns 10 in the United States, bringing its network of owned, affiliate and reciprocal clubs to more than 100 worldwide.
Last September, the world's largest owner and operator of private clubs, ClubCorp Holdings, went public at $14 a share. The Dallas-based company, which had been owned by the private equity firm KSL Capital Partners, has used the injection of capital to add to its portfolio of clubs and eventually pay off its high-yield debt. It now owns 109 golf and country clubs in 23 states and Mexico. Its shares climbed as high as $19.30 in May and closed at $18.63 on Thursday.
More golf courses are likely to close over the next couple of years, said Eric Affeldt, ClubCorp's chief executive, but for the right clubs in the right markets, the tide is turning. "We sold more memberships last year than at any time over the last 10 years," he said. "As capacity returns to a healthier level, things should only improve."
Though the housing boom and easy access to credit helped pave the way for hundreds of new courses, the buildup began decades earlier. From 1986 through 2005, about 4,200 net new golf courses were added in the United States, a 40 percent increase, according to the National Golf Foundation.
The biggest frenzy was in the late 1990s, Mr. Affeldt said, after an "erroneous report" said that the supply of golf courses would not be sufficient to accommodate retiring baby boomers. Between 1994 and 1999, the market added on average a net 343 courses a year.
What the projections did not account for, however, was changing behavior among retirees. "Prior to 2000, the assumption was that boomers would behave the same as retirees in the 1950s through 1990s — people would retire and get a membership at a golf club," said Douglas Main, director of real estate consulting with Deloitte Transaction and Business Analytics. While plenty of baby boomers still love to golf, he said, many are working longer, traveling more and taking up other leisure activities.
Meanwhile, the younger set has not given the industry much of a bump. "The family dynamic has changed," Mr. Hirsh said. "Dad's not leaving for the golf course at 8 o'clock Saturday morning and coming home just in time for dinner."
Consequently, for more than a decade, the number of rounds played has been down or flat.
Though the industry as a whole has been under a black cloud, not all clubs are losing money. The clubs that have held up best are those in densely populated areas with limited land on which to develop, Mr. Main noted. "You can have a club in Chicago doing better than one in Florida or Texas, even after you factor for the weather," he said.
The worst off are those developed in the last 15 years as part of a residential community off the beaten path. "They're relying solely on demand from that community," Mr. Main added. Indeed, many of the new courses built during the housing boom were meant to be subsidized by home sales. When the bottom fell out of the housing market, developers had no way to pay for the expensive amenity. In many cases they defaulted on their loans, which are now getting scooped up by investors.
"Golf courses have high fixed costs," Mr. Nanula said. "At a typical course, it's at least $500,000 a year just to mow the grass." Moreover, many clubs are mismanaged, he said. "The typical dynamic at a private club is that it's not run with profit in mind but with the idea of making the place fabulous," he said. As a result, he said, "we consistently see clubs that have no rhyme or reason on spending."
As such, investors focus primarily on buying private clubs — annual and monthly dues are "stickier" than daily fees on public courses — and turning around the operations.
While the right location and management is crucial, the golf clubs that are doing well have also evolved from being golf centric to family centric. "It's now golf with a small 'g' instead of a capital 'G,' " Mr. Affeldt said, explaining that ClubCorp is refreshing food and beverage operations, relaxing dress codes and adding water parks, tennis courts and fitness facilities. Case in point: His home club, Brookhaven Country Club in Dallas. "Kids are playing putt-putt golf and running around in their bare feet while grandmas do water aerobics," he said. "It's the epitome of a multiuse, multigenerational club."
The pool of buyers has improved considerably over the past year, said Jeff Woolson, managing director of CBRE's golf and resort division, but that has not necessarily driven up prices.
Rather than base their offers on the value of the real estate, as many did in the past, buyers are focusing on the cash flow generated by the business. "This is a fundamental change," Mr. Woolson said. "Prior to the recession, we didn't even talk about gross revenue multipliers."
Before the financial crisis, buyers were paying the equivalent of 11 to 14 times net income, he said. Now, the going rate for a well-run course is in line with other businesses, typically six to eight times net income, he said — assuming there is income.
The change is warranted, Mr. Woolson said, because most courses left on the market have deed restrictions that preclude developing them for other purposes. "Where people got into trouble was thinking golf is a real estate investment," he said. "Golf courses are a real estate asset only insomuch as they use real estate in association with their business."
In fact, golf courses typically cost more to build than they are worth. "They're like new cars," Mr. Hirsh added. "They're worth less the minute you drive off the lot."
There was a lot of hype surrounding the first round of the 2014 N.F.L draft, and it didn't disappoint. From the slide of Johnny Manziel to the unexpected names called in the second half of the round, the first 32 picks in 2014 came with a lot of excitement.
After the Houston Texans drafted defensive end Jadeveon Clowney and the St. Louis Rams selected offensive tackle Greg Robinson, things got a whole lot murkier. There really wasn't a consensus on what the Jacksonville Jaguars might do with the third overall pick, and they shocked some with the selection of quarterback Blake Bortles.
The intrigue continued as the Buffalo Bills gave up the No. 9 overall pick and two selections in 2015, including their first-round pick, to jump up to No. 4 for wide receiver Sammy Watkins. Although Watkins was the consensus top wide receiver available this year, it's certainly worth questioning if he's worth two first-round picks and another mid-rounder.
As the draft unfolded, the seemingly impossible became a reality as Manziel slipped out of the top 10. When he fell to No. 12, you had to wonder if the Giants might bite the bullet and grab the controversial quarterback. They instead opted for L.S.U.'s Odell Beckham Jr.—a talented-but-undersized wide receiver with elite speed.
As Manziel slipped to No. 16, many assumed Cowboys owner Jerry Jones would back out on his vow to bypass the A&M passer if he was still on the board. He stood by his word, as Dallas addressed a need along the offensive line. The first big surprise came three picks later with the Dolphins and the 19th overall selection — Tennessee offensive tackle Ja'Waun James.
The Manziel drama finally ended when the Browns traded up — their third and final trade on the night — to grab the Aggies' quarterback. As mentioned earlier, the fall was extremely unlikely given Manziel's placement in mock drafts.
With surprise selections come unexpected falls. There are a number of talented players still on the board, including a handful of wide receivers many thought could slip into the back of the first round; Penn State's Allen Robinson, Fresno State's Davante Adams, U.S.C.'s Marqise Lee and Vanderbilt's Jordan Matthews should all hear their names called somewhere in the second round.
At the quarterback position, the next man off of the board will almost certainly be Fresno State's Derek Carr. When Minnesota traded back into the first round, there were rumblings that they might prefer Carr to Bridgewater.
It will be really interesting to see when the first running back comes off of the board. The top options in most rankings seem to be Ohio State's Carlos Hyde and Washington's Bishop Sankey, but you could make an argument that neither player will have their name called in the second round. Could we really see a draft with no back selected in the first 64 picks?
And finally, the defensive players likely to hear their names called early in the second round include defensive tackles Timmy Jernigan and Louis Nix, along with defensive ends Demarcus Lawrence and Kony Ealy.
Regardless of what happens in Day 2, the 2014 N.F.L. draft has already lived up to the billing.
The Seattle Seahawks are widely considered one of the best drafting teams in the league since Pete Carroll came to town, but one reason they're so successful is that they understand the draft is filled with randomness. In any random environment, it makes sense to maximize opportunities at success, and the Seahawks do that by continually trading down and stockpiling picks—opportunities to hit on players.
This deal, which included the Vikings' second- and fourth-round picks, still makes sense for Minnesota. In Louisville's Teddy Bridgewater, the Vikes will get a quarterback who was remarkably productive in college. In 2013, Bridgewater completed an unfathomable 71.0 percent of his passes, throwing for 9.3 yards-per-attempt in the process. With a 31-to-4 touchdown-to-interception ratio, Bridgewater was also safe with the football.
Minnesota is one of the best possible landing spots for Bridgewater because 1) he doesn't need to start right away and 2) Adrian Peterson is a nice little bonus to have at the running back position.
"He fits our profile," Jets G.M. John Idzik said of Calvin Pryor. "He's a physical presence on the field." http://t.co/9XqW7cwSR6
— NYT Sports (@NYTSports) 9 May 14
The Broncos went off the grid with yet another first-round cornerback in Bradley Roby. A 5'11", 194-pound defensive back out of Ohio State, Roby was suspended early in 2013 after getting arrested for misdemeanor battery.
In Denver, Roby is going to try to cash in on his elite skill set. He is likely going to contribute on special teams out of the gate, competing for time in the slot.
"The quarterback needs some help," Jerry Reese, the Giants' G.M., said of Odell Beckham Jr. "This guy is a weapon." http://t.co/kolBO32a2U
— NYT Sports (@NYTSports) 9 May 14
Continuing the run on safeties, the San Francisco 49ers grabbed Northern Illinois' Jimmie Ward. It's the second straight draft in which the Niners took a safety in the first round, as they grabbed L.S.U.'s Eric Reid in 2013.
In Ward, the 49ers will get a small safety who has shown an ability to consistently make big plays. He hauled in seven interceptions in 2013, complementing his 95 total tackles. Despite his 192-pound body, Ward has shown toughness and a willingness to drop down into the box to get after ball carriers. Still, he's going to be playing primarily "center field" for San Francisco.
NFL Network's Mike Mayock commented that, "I didn't see Ward going until the second or maybe the third round."
The New England Patriots are never afraid to go against the grain with their draft picks, and they did just that in grabbing Florida defensive tackle Dominique Easley. Easley is a somewhat undersized defensive tackle at just 288 pounds, so he'll likely convert to play as a five-technique end in the Pats' base packages.
Easley was widely considered a first-rounder heading into the 2013 season, but he tore his knee in the beginning of the year. Many thought he'd drop, but his impressive film was too good for New England to pass on.
Easley's pass-rushing prowess is questionable. Even prior to 2013, he never tallied more than four sacks in a single season.
The Carolina Panthers are extremely thin at wide receiver, so it's no surprise that they addressed the position near the end of the first round with Florida State's Kelvin Benjamin. The 15-touchdown wide receiver had one season with more than 1,000 yards at F.S.U.
The key to Benjamin might be how we view him. He's a 6'5", 242-pound player who could very well be seen as a tight end who lines up out wide. He's almost certainly going to be a dominant red-zone player in the N.F.L.
The question is if Benjamin can be more than that, continually helping Cam Newton lead the Panthers' offense into a position to score. If not, a first-rounder is a steep price to pay for a red-zone specialist.
In terms of height/weight/speed combination players, you aren't going to get much better than Washington State's Deone Bucannon at the safety position. At 6'1", 211 pounds with sub-4.5 speed, Bucannon has both size and athleticism.
In today's N.F.L., safeties are being asked to play more and more man coverage, and Bucannon can certainly deliver in that area. He's arguably the top man-to-man safety in this class. Don't count out Arizona using him at cornerback in certain packages.
When the Eagles drafted Louisville defensive end Marcus Smith with the 26th overall selection, the crowd in Radio City Music Hall collectively seemed to not recognize the name that was called. Smith wasn't projected as a first-round pick by many, but he has a big game.
At Louisville, Smith tallied 14.5 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss in 2013. He has good size and athleticism at 6'3", 251 pounds with a 35-inch vertical and 4.68 speed.
It will be interesting to see how the Eagles deploy their new first-round pick. He could very well work as a hand-in-the-dirt defensive end, but Philly also has the option of using Smith in a Von Miller type outside linebacker role, moving him to defensive end in passing situations.
When a cornerback is undersized, he better possess elite speed. T.C.U.'s Jason Verrett doesn't have ideal size, but he sure can fly, checking in as fast as 4.36 in the 40-yard dash at the N.F.L. scouting combine.
Verrett was productive in 2012 with six picks for the Horned Frogs. A shoulder issue limited his playing time in 2013, but his impressive predraft performances kept Verrett in the first-round conversation.
Verrett could start in the slot for San Diego, which is probably where he'll thrive. His ball skills are some of the best in this class and he excels when he can turn and run with receivers, but he's probably going to have some trouble if he's matched up on the outside.
Many analysts didn't expect Michigan State cornerback Darqueze Dennard to last into the second half of the first round of the draft. With Gilbert and Fuller getting selected ahead of him, though, Dennard dropped to a point where Cincinnati was able to obtain a player who was not only likely atop their board, but also plays a position of need.
Dennard is similar to Fuller as a physical cornerback, despite his sub-200-pound frame. He's going to compete for playing time right away, hoping to replace one of the Bengals' talented-but-aging cornerbacks in Terence Newman and Leon Hall.
The Kansas City Chiefs already have arguably the league's top outside linebacker duo in Tamba Hali and Justin Houston. You have to think the selection of Auburn defensive end Dee Ford was a "best player available" pick for Kansas City, since Ford is going to need to convert to 3-4 outside linebacker for the Chiefs.
Ford is 6'2", 252 pounds with 32.9-inch arms. He was productive in his final year at Auburn with 10.5 sacks. However, there are a couple concerns. First, Ford totaled only 14.5 tackles for loss. Sacks are notoriously volatile since they're a relatively low-frequency event, so tackles for loss is a decent proxy for overall explosiveness. You'd like to see more production in that area.
Second, Ford wasn't an impact player prior to 2013; in the four prior years he was at Auburn, Ford tallied 10 total sacks and 13 combined tackles for loss. It's a major concern when a player doesn't produce at a high level until he's older than the players against whom he's competing.
In Kansas City, Ford will probably be a pass-rush specialist to start.
Johnny Football's draft-day slide has come to an end, as the Cleveland Browns have jumped up to grab him at No. 22 overall. They surrendered their third-round pick to move up four spots in the deal.
Manziel's drop was a bit unexpected just because he was so unimaginably productive at Texas A&M: 7,820 yards, 9.1 yards-per-attempt, and 63 passing touchdowns in two years. He also added 30 rushing touchdowns during that time.
Some of the probable reasons for Manziel's fall were a perceived lack of both accuracy and height. However, Manziel completed 68.9 percent of his passes, including a higher completion rate from the pocket than outside of it.
Manziel's height is a concern, but don't forget that there's really good evidence that short quarterbacks typically fail because of a lack of elite hand size, not actually because they're short. WIth hands just under 10 inches long, Manziel's hands are unusually large for his height.
He should start from the get-go in Cleveland.
The Dawg Pound can let go of the bone now…
— El Belson (@el_belson) 9 May 14
O-M-G!!!!!!! Way to make me sweat this out! Johnny Football to the Browns at No. 22. #genius
— Melissa Hoppert (@MHoppertNYT) 9 May 14
Green Bay needed a free safety and they got their man in Alabama's Ha Ha Clinton-Dix. As mentioned, Clinton-Dix is very similar to Louisville's Calvin Pryor from an athletic standpoint; at 6'1", 208 pounds, Clinton-Dix has good size for the safety position, but he ran just 4.58 at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Despite the lackluster 40-yard dash, many analysts consider Clinton-Dix to be this class's best true free safety. On a defense that shows as many exotic looks as Green Bay's, Clinton-Dix will be asked to play a lot of Cover-1 as a true deep man, as well as some man-to-man coverage.
Ha Ha a Packer… Three cheers for the newest Cheesehead
— El Belson (@el_belson) 9 May 14
Although the Saints have sported one of the league's most potent passing attacks for years, most assume that's due primarily to the arm of quarterback Drew Brees. New Orleans just got him some help.
In Oregon State's Brandin Cooks, the Saints have acquired a player who was productive throughout his college career. Last year, he totaled 128 catches—one-hundred-twenty-eight catches!—for 1,730 yards and 16 scores. He's one of the few undersized receivers (5'10", 189 pounds) who has shown signs of remaining relevant in the red zone.
Cooks' other biggest positives are his speed (4.31) and age. Still just 20-years old, Cooks dominated the Pac-12 at an age that suggests he still has plenty of room for growth. Adjusting for age still appears to be a major draft market inefficiency, so Cooks has plenty of big advantages to combat his small stature.
Before the draft began, I mocked quarterback Johnny Manziel to the Cleveland Browns at No. 4 overall. Boy was I wrong.
As we enter the 20s of the 2014 N.F.L. draft, Manziel is still on the board. Teams are likely concerned about his lack of ideal quarterback height and, perhaps, some off-field issues.
But just how unlikely was a Manziel slide? Well, aggregating expert mock drafts and looking at team needs, Advanced Football Analytics estimated the probability of Manziel falling to this portion of the draft at just a couple percent.
Let's hope for Manziel's sake that he doesn't wait in the green room much longer.
When the draft process started, Tennessee offensive tackle Ja'Waun James was considered a mid-round pick. He slowly rose up boards, but prior to a few minutes ago, most still considered him a second-round talent.
The Miami Dolphins disagreed, making James the 19th overall pick in the draft. James has prototypical left tackle size at 6'6", 311 pounds with 35-inch arms. Again, those long arms are important, as they allow offensive tackles to get into the chest of pass-rushers to help control at the point-of-attack.
James started 49 games at Tennessee—a school record—and he should be a starter by training camp for Miam
With the 18th overall pick, the New York Jets selected Louisville safety Calvin Pryor. Pryor was competing with Alabama's Ha Ha Clinton-Dix to be the top safety off of the board.
Physically, Pryor and Clinton-Dix are basically spitting images of one another—play-making safeties without elite measurables. At 5'11", 207 pounds, Pryor ran a 4.58 in the 40-yard dash, jumped 34.5 inches vertically, and recorded a sub-10-foot broad jump. Film nuts rave about his ability, though, saying he flies all over the field.
The fit should be a good one for the Jets—a team that will probably ask Pryor to do a whole lot of different things. He'll play in the box, where many believe he excels, but he's also likely to get some time in the back end as a "centerfielder" for the Jets' D. NFL Network's Mike Mayock likens Pryor to "a larger Bob Sanders."
Very Rex Ryan to take a DB… Only a handful of boos, which counts as approval by Jets fans…
— El Belson (@el_belson) 9 May 14
It seems like the Ravens go defense every season, and they were at it this year with the selection of Alabama linebacker C.J. Mosley.
Mosley is a 6'2", 234-pound linebacker with decent speed at 4.63. Widely considered the top inside linebacker prospect in this class from a pure talent perspective, the concern with Mosley is his health. If he can stay on the field, he'll be able to play both inside and outside in Baltimore.
At Alabama, Mosley recorded back-to-back triple-digit tackle seasons over the past two years. He's versatile enough to stay on the field on third down, which is important with any linebacker taken in the first round in today's N.F.L.
The Ravens bypassed both Ha Ha Clinton-Dix and Calvin Pryor—the draft's consensus top two safeties.
Mosley chosen by Ravens… which means the J-E-T-S chants have started…
— El Belson (@el_belson) 9 May 14
With 16th Pick in the draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected Notre Dame offensive tackle Zack Martin. Martin is the final of the "Big Four" group of this class's top offensive tackles. The redshirt senior is a tactician on the outside, but he has a few red flags. First is his arm length—32.9 inches. That's not necessarily a death sentence to Martin's N.F.L. prospects, but linemen with that arm length often kick inside to guard. Could Martin move in that direction?
The Cowboys currently have Doug Free starting at right tackle, but that's a position that needs to be upgraded. The same could be said for right guard, though. The most likely outcome is that Martin starts at right guard for Dallas and develops there until the 'Boys are ready to move him outside, if they deem that appropriate. Otherwise, he could be a long-term answer on the inside. His versatility was surely a plus for the Cowboys.
It looks like the Manziel-to-Dallas rumors won't come to fruition.
And the #Cowboys pass on Johnny Football, too! Hmmm…
— Melissa Hoppert (@MHoppertNYT) 9 May 14
The Steelers are notorious for selecting "hard-nosed" football players, and Ohio State linebacker Ryan Shazier is no exception. He recorded triple-digit tackles in 2013—23.5 of which were behind the line-of-scrimmage—while also racking up seven sacks.
Shazier will help to upgrade a Pittsburgh defense that has become very old very quickly. His 6'1", 237-pound frame is a little small for the inside, although that's his most probable position in Pittsburgh. He could also kick outside in passing situations.
With the 14th overall selection, the Chicago Bears drafted the second cornerback off of the board in Virginia Tech's Kyle Fuller. At 6'0", Fuller's length appears to match what Chicago wants to do outside.
At Tech, Fuller wasn't a high-interception player with just six career picks—two in each of the past two seasons. Part of that was simply due to not being targeted, though. Fuller has the ability to play every type of coverage, including press-man and zone. He's a physical player who could be Chicago's nickel man in 2014, or perhaps a starter on the outside.
The current surprise players still left on the board include Manziel and Notre Dame offensive tackle Zack Martin.
Odell Beckham is undersized, but will give the Giants a deep threat to complement current slot man Victor Cruz: http://t.co/yPHKnsBa75
— NYT Sports (@NYTSports) 9 May 14
The Bears and Cowboys are both probably disappointed as the St. Louis Rams select Pitt defensive tackle Aaron Donald—a player many linked to both Chicago and Dallas.
Donald was one of the most productive players at any position, racking up 29.5 sacks and 66 tackles-for-loss during his college career, including 11 sacks and 28.5 tackles-for-loss (wow!) last year alone. Donald is a short-armed player with 32.6-inch arms, but you can overlook that trait a bit when you see such incredible success at the major collegiate level.
Donald will bolster an already impressive St. Louis defensive line. In Chris Long and Robert Quinn, the Rams have one of the league's top outside pass-rushing duos. With Donald working inside with Michael Brockers, it's difficult to find a more intimidating defensive line in the N.F.L.
How do they get those No. 1 jerseys to the NFL draft picks so fast? We're on it. http://t.co/nWCG0joLXi
— NYT Sports (@NYTSports) 9 May 14
The New York Giants decided to bypass Mr. Manziel and give quarterback Eli Manning a weapon on the outside in L.S.U.'s Odell Beckham Jr. The wide receiver's biggest positive is his straight-line speed; he's a sub-4.40 player who made some miraculous catches in the SEC.
The knock on Beckham is that he's undersized. At 5'11", 198 pounds, Beckham isn't going to overpower defenders in the big leagues. The question is if his route-running ability—which is superb—can make up for his light frame. Beckham might have a little trouble scoring in the red zone; he averaged four touchdowns per year at L.S.U.
Nonetheless, Beckham will give the Giants a deep threat to complement current slot man Victor Cruz. The duo could split time inside, with both capable of moving anywhere along the offensive formation.
A bit of a surprise for Giants to go away from their traditional mode, which would have been OL Zack Martin #GiantsDraft #giants
— Bill Pennington (@billmpennington) 9 May 14
Michigan offensive tackle Taylor Lewan's slide didn't figure to last too long, and it ended at No. 11 with the Tennessee Titans. The pick figured to be a "best player available" selection for Tennessee, a team that is already pretty well stocked along the offensive line.
Lewan is an absolutely massive offensive tackle at 6-7 and 309 pounds, yet he is also one of this class's most athletic. His combination of quickness (4.87 in the 40-yard dash) and length (33.9-inch arms) should help the Titans' attempt to field the N.F.L.'s top offensive line.
Meanwhile, Johnny Football continues to wait.
The Giants, who don't have an experienced or proven tight end on their roster, will be seeing the highest-rated TE in the draft pool, North Carolina's Eric Ebron, during their opening game of the season against Detroit.
— Bill Pennignton
In a move that's sure to surprise a lot of folks, the Detroit Lions decided to forgo upgrading their defense and instead opted to give quarterback Matthew Stafford another weapon in tight end Eric Ebron. Ebron, a U.N.C. tight end, should certainly help take pressure off Calvin Johnson on the outside.
At North Carolina, Ebron was highly productive as a pass-catching tight end, improving his reception and yardage totals each year he was there. His 2013 line of 62/973/3 was impressive. The only concerning number there is the 3 — Ebron's low touchdown total. Despite his 6-4, 245-pound frame, Ebron was never a dominant scorer with only a 7.1 percent career touchdown rate.
Ebron's arrival probably signals the beginning of the end for the current tight end, Brandon Pettigrew. Ebron is a far more athletic player who should be able to get up the field with ease; he averaged 16.1 yards per reception at North Carolina, so some are viewing him almost as a really big wide receiver.
Damn. Tight End Eric Lebron goes to Detroit with the 10th pick. That was supposed to be the Giants' next tight end! Is Manziel plan B?
— Justin Sablich (@JSablichNYT) 9 May 14
Minnesota was comfortable moving down one pick while still being able to nab its guy, U.C.L.A. outside linebacker Anthony Barr. Although Barr didn't get as much predraft hype as many of the other top-10 players, you knew his combination of athleticism and production wouldn't last long.
Over the past two seasons, Barr produced an unbelievable 23.5 sacks and 41.5 tackles for loss. Those are pretty jaw-dropping numbers for a player who was a running back just two years ago.
Some were concerned with Barr's ability to transition to a seven-technique defensive end — the position he'll play in Minnesota — but his natural pass-rushing ability is truly elite.
Vikings pick Anthony Barr… Mixed reaction.
— El Belson (@el_belson) 9 May 14
After trading down five spots to start the draft, the Cleveland Browns are on the move again, jumping just a single spot to draft cornerback Justin Gilbert out of Oklahoma State. Why move up just one spot? It's possible that the Minnesota Vikings told Cleveland that some other team was looking to trade up for their selection, urging the Browns to best the offer if they wanted to nab their man. Cleveland needed to send Minnesota just a fifth-rounder to make the move.
When the Browns jumped one position, some thought that maybe they were looking to go with quarterback Johnny Manziel. Instead, they drafted someone considered to be the prototype at cornerback. At 6 feet and 202 pounds, Gilbert clocked in at 4.37 in the 40-yard dash at the combine. His combination of size and speed is top-tier.
In Cleveland, he'll pair with Joe Haden to provide the Browns with one of the more frightening cornerback duos in the N.F.L. Cleveland might now have the personnel to contain the divisional foes A. J. Green and Antonio Brown.
And that's why I didn't do a mock draft! Browns take CB Justin Gilbert & the crowd erupts with groans of disappointment and disgust.
— Justin Sablich (@JSablichNYT) 9 May 14
Are they chanting Cleveland Sucks at Radio City? I can only imagine what's going on in Cleveland.
— Melissa Hoppert (@MHoppertNYT) 9 May 14
Looking to give the second-year quarterback Mike Glennon some help on the outside, the Buccaneers drafted Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans with the seventh overall selection. The pick wasn't necessarily shocking, but it's mildly surprising that the new coach Lovie Smith bypassed defense (like Pittsburgh defensive tackle Aaron Donald) in favor of an offensive player.
Johnny Manziel got most of the attention at Texas A&M, but much of his success was due to the high-level talent of Evans. In 2012, Evans grabbed 82 passes for 1,105 yards and 5 touchdowns. With defenses clamping down on him last year, Evans's reception total dropped to 69, yet he still managed more yards (1,394) and touchdowns (12).
Evans's closest N.F.L. comparison is probably the current Bucs wide receiver Vincent Jackson — another big, physical player who can get deep and score with consistency. At 6-5 and 225 pounds, Evans is going to pair with Jackson to give Tampa Bay perhaps the most red-zone-efficient wide receiver corps in 2014.
Another Aggie goes before Johnny Football
— El Belson (@el_belson) 9 May 14
The rumors were that if linebacker Khalil Mack slipped to Cleveland's fourth overall pick, Atlanta was prepared to move up to get him. That might have been the case, but the Browns received an offer from Buffalo that they just couldn't pass up. Atlanta was placed in a position in which they needed to wait on Oakland, and the Raiders indeed drafted the player many assumed was the apple of Atlanta's eye.
Instead, the Falcons opted to protect quarterback Matt Ryan with Texas A&M offensive tackle Jake Matthews. Not quite the same caliber of athlete as the No. 2 pick, Greg Robinson, Matthews was still a stone wall for the Aggies. He's leaner than Robinson — 6-5, 308 pounds — but his size and length (33.4-inch arms) are plenty good enough to excel in the N.F.L.
Matthews should start right out of the gate for the Falcons. He has experience on both sides of the football.
J. Football now not even the first Aggie selected after Jake Matthews goes 6th to Atlanta
— Zach Schonbrun (@zschonbrun) 9 May 14
Pretty muted response for Jake Matthews. Are there no Falcons fans in the house?
— El Belson (@el_belson) 9 May 14
With the fifth overall selection, the Oakland Raiders drafted Buffalo linebacker Khalil Mack. Oakland had been rumored to have a lot of interest in both Mack and Texas A&M wide receiver Mike Evans, but they went defense with the consensus second-best defensive player still on the board.
At Buffalo, Mack was unbelievably productive. Last year, he totaled 100 tackles while recording 10.5 sacks and 19 tackles for loss. Mack also impressed at the scouting combine, jumping 40 inches vertically and recording an unbelievable 10 feet 8 inches in the broad.
In Oakland, Mack will most likely work as a hybrid player who can drop into coverage at times. The majority of Mack's snaps, though, will probably come as a pass rusher. His ability to get to the quarterback was really what warranted such a high selection.
In a bit of a shocker, the Buffalo Bills traded up from the ninth overall selection, swapping picks with the Cleveland Browns to get up to No. 4 over all. The Bills gave up this year's first and next year's first and fourth to get Clemson wide receiver Sammy Watkins.
In Watkins, Buffalo will get a very versatile receiver who can pretty much do it all — quick screens, deep routes and even the occasional rush. He's a 6-foot-1, 211-pound receiver with sub-4.40 speed who was productive right out of the gate in college. In his freshman year, Watkins caught 82 passes for 1,219 yards and 12 touchdowns. When a player can dominate college competition at an age younger than the majority of his opponents, that's a great sign.
Watkins will start from Day 1 in Buffalo.
Bills take Sammy Watkins. NFL marketers knew what they were doing with #DraftDay. My heart is pounding.
— Melissa Hoppert (@MHoppertNYT) 9 May 14
The Jacksonville Jaguars didn't take long to select U.C.F. quarterback Blake Bortles with the third overall selection. The pick is somewhat surprising, although the fact that we haven't heard much quarterback talk out of Jacksonville this year could be because they were indeed targeting Bortles all along.
Bortles was highly efficient at Central Florida, throwing for 8.5 yards-per-attempt and completing 65.7 percent of his passes during his three-year career. He also recorded an impressive 56-to-19 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
The only concern? Hand size. N.F.L. teams have seemed to pay more attention to quarterback hand size in recent years because it's predictive of success at the position. Although Bortles is tall, his hands are just 9.38 inches long—smaller than the league average of 9.6.
Wow… The buzz for Bortles was intense… Johnny Football skipped over.
— El Belson (@el_belson) 9 May 14
No one was completely positive if the St. Louis Rams would target an offensive weapon for their quarterback, someone to protect him on the outside, or even a prospect to eventually replace him. At least in the first round, they went with the middle option.
Auburn offensive tackle Greg Robinson is a mammoth 6-foot-5, 332-pound offensive tackle who started 25 of 26 career games at Auburn. Robinson's most attractive trait might be his 35-inch arms; arm length is strongly correlated with N.F.L. success for offensive tackles.
In St. Louis, Robinson will most likely compete with Joe Barksdale to immediately get time at right tackle, and he could eventually kick over to Sam Bradford's blind side in place of the current left tackle, Rodger Saffold.
The Giants host the Texans on Sept. 21: Eli Manning scrambling between the rush of J. J. Watt and Clowney. (And perhaps counting on tonight's first-round pick to keep him upright.)
— Bill Pennington
As expected, the Houston Texans opened the 2014 N.F.L. draft by selecting South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney. Houston used the entirety of its allotted time to field any last-minute trade offers, but in the end, Clowney's ability was too attractive to pass up.
The question about Clowney: If he's truly the once-in-a-decade sort of prospect some are making him out to be, why the lack of production in 2013? Double teams or not, you'd certainly expect a world-class edge rusher to total more than three sacks and 11.5 tackles for loss. In comparison, Clowney recorded 13 sacks and 23.5 tackles for loss in 2012.
Still, it's not as if 6-foot-6, 266-pound defensive ends with 34.5-inch arms and 4.53 speed grow on trees. Whether or not he'll fulfill his potential, you can't argue that Clowney's ceiling in the N.F.L. is otherworldly.
In Houston, Clowney will pair with Whitney Mercilus as the Texans' pass-rushing outside linebacker duo. Houston will most likely move Brooks Reed inside, so the pick could represent an upgrade at two positions.
The Houston Texans select Jadeveon Clowney with the first pick of the NFL draft. Only took them 4 months, 8 days and 10 minutes to decide.
— Justin Sablich (@JSablichNYT) 9 May 14
The N.F.L. draft has come a long way. Take a look.
We're mere minutes away from the N.F.L. draft, and as expected, rumors are running rampant.
The Detroit Lions love U.C.L.A. defensive end Anthony Barr, according to NFL.com's Ian Rapoport, but they might not get him if ESPN's Bob Holtzman is right that Barr is one of the Minnesota Vikings' targets with the eighth overall selection.
The Pittsburgh Steelers are a team to watch for North Carolina tight end Eric Ebron, and the Atlanta Falcons appear to be the team most likely to trade up. But not too far.
ESPN's Adam Schefter says the Jacksonville Jaguars are "intrigued" by Johnny Manziel at No. 3 over all, while Fox's Jay Glazer thinks Johnny Football is going to fall to the Arizona Cardinals in the back half of the first round. Or he could go somewhere in the middle (including to a certain New York team). One thing we know for sure about Manziel is that he's the Cowboys' top-rated quarterback, per ESPN's Todd McShay. Unless, of course, he isn't.
The fact is that we don't really know very much about what's going to unfold tonight and, outside of those picking near the top of the draft, neither do the teams. But that's what makes the draft so special. That's what adds to the intrigue. That's what has fans coming back for more.
There are about a million ways the draft could develop tonight, but the one certainty is that there will be twists and turns not even the most sophisticated analysts could envision.
Our motto for the 2014 N.F.L. draft: Expect the unexpected.
And here's a little more information to whet your appetite before the draft. Melissa Hoppert, The Times's N.F.L. editor, reveals what to look for as teams make their picks this week.
We're an hour away from the first pick. Now's a good time to take another look at the Retro Report's take on the 1998 draft.
While the 2014 season technically started on March 22 in Australia when the Los Angeles Dodgers played the Arizona Diamondbacks, and yes, the Dodgers played again last night against the San Diego Padres, Monday is the closest thing we have to a traditional opening day, with 25 of the 26 teams in action playing for the first time this year.
What better day to get to know the coming season? Times reporters and editors will share their insights and analysis on the coming year while keeping tabs on the first full slate of games of 2014, including the Mets and the Nationals live from Citi Field at 1 p.m. Eastern.
J. R. Smith had no reason to do it, but that had never stopped him before.
Smith has drawn the eyeballs of the N.B.A. league office once again, this time by reaching down to untie the laces on Shawn Marion's left sneaker during the Knicks' victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. It was an inconsequential play — both players were awaiting a free-throw attempt — but it was widely considered an unsportsmanlike act, and Smith spent some time on Monday defending himself on Twitter.
Coach Mike Woodson was not amused by the episode. Before Tuesday's game against the Pistons, he said: "He shouldn't be doing stuff like that. I'm going to talk to him a little more about it when I get in there. His focus should just be on playing basketball. That's what it's about, and those are things you just don't do. You think you've seen it all, and something creeps in."
Off-the-court drama is nothing new for Smith, who started the season by serving a five-game suspension for violating the league's drug policy.
In November, he again incurred the wrath of the N.B.A., which fined him $25,000, for threatening the Pistons' Brandon Jennings on Twitter. A refresher: Jennings had questioned the legitimacy of Chris Smith's employment by the Knicks. J. R. Smith, who is Chris's older brother, responded by writing that he might send some of his "street homies" to Detroit, presumably to confront Jennings. Smith punctuated the post with the hashtag #DeadSerious.
Chris Smith was cut by the Knicks last week to clear a roster spot for Jeremy Tyler.
J. R. Smith's season has been a slog, and he was averaging 11.5 points and shooting a career-low 34.8 percent entering Tuesday's game.
Against the Rockets last Friday, he launched an ill-advised (and errant) 3-point shot with about 20 seconds remaining in a tie game. The Knicks could have held the ball and taken the final shot, but Smith had other plans. The Knicks wound up losing after the Rockets made two free throws. Smith later said he thought the Knicks were trailing by 2 points.
Smith, who won the N.B.A.'s Sixth Man Award last season, had off-season knee surgery after signing a three-year contract worth $18 million. He has not been the same player since.
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NEWARK — Jaromir Jagr, who will turn 42 during his fifth Winter Olympics next month, is part of a golden generation of Czech hockey that is slowly passing into history. Yet the fact that Jagr is still being looked to as one of his country's top players headed to Sochi says a lot about the state of the game in his country.
Czech hockey is seen as being in serious decline after almost a century as a European power. Jagr is still around from the glory days of the late 1990s and early 2000s, when the Czechs won gold at Nagano in 1998 and three straight world championships from 1999 to 2001. But the country has come upon hard times since.
Fewer and fewer young Czech players are reaching the N.H.L., or contributing to an ever-shrinking trophy haul at international tournaments. That has left the Czechs' hopes at Sochi largely in the hands of Jagr; his 37-year-old Devils teammate Patrik Elias; and Petr Nedved, at 42 the oldest player on the country's Olympic team.
"He might be the best player on our team," Jagr said Tuesday of Nedved, who is playing in the Czech Extraliga. "He was at the world championship last year and there were a lot of guys from the N.H.L., and he was better than them."
Jagr did not want to talk about his own selection to Czech Olympic team before the Devils' 3-2 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers at Prudential Center on Tuesday. But Jagr, who with an assist in the first period tied Mario Lemieux for seventh on the career scoring with 1,723 points, did acknowledge the problems the country has had producing young talent.
"We've had a tough time," he said.
The numbers illustrate a drying pipeline of young Czech players to the elite level.
In 2001, when the Czech Republic's U-20 team won the second of back-to-back world junior tournaments, 46 Czechs were taken in the N.H.L. draft. Those numbers have declined steadily since, with six chosen in 2012 and just three last June.
The Czech junior team has won only one medal since 2001, a bronze in 2005, and was knocked out of this year's tournament with two wins in five games.
At the senior level, the work of winning championships is increasingly being left to the older players. Jagr starred on the 1998 gold-medal-winning team. He was also on the Czech teams that won the 2005 and 2010 world championship tournaments, the country's only hockey titles of the last 13 years.
But the number of Czechs reaching the N.H.L. has plummeted. In 2002-3, there were 80 Czech players in the N.H.L.; this season, there are just over 30.
Among the theories put forth for the decline: the fall of Communism in 1989 removed the structure and state subsidies that long nurtured the game; a spike in the birthrate 35 to 45 years ago produced Jagr's golden generation, but was followed by a sharp drop-off that shrunk the talent pool; or, as Jagr maintained, just the luck of the draw, a simple matter of odds.
"I think everybody goes through this," he said. "Even Canada is going through this right now. Every time there was a world championship in juniors, they won, and now they haven't won in five years. Things change."
Flyers forward Jakub Voracek, who at 24 is one of the youngest members of the Czech team, will play in his first Olympics this year. He said Tuesday he was aware that his generation was inheriting the mantle of Jagr's golden generation.
"I think a lot of people would put it that way," he said. "It's probably one of their last big tournaments — though you never know with Jags; he might play to 57 and have three, four more Olympics in him.
"But if you want to put it that way, we should take over in a couple years, and hopefully, we're going to be successful."
Brayden Schenn scored at 1 minutes 50 seconds of overtime and the Philadelphia Flyers beat the host Devils, 3-2, on Tuesday night after giving up a late short-handed goal that forced the extra session.
Claude Giroux and Scott Hartnell also scored for Philadelphia, which ended a six-game trip with a 5-1 record. Ray Emery made 31 saves.
Michael Ryder tied the score at 2-2 on a short-handed goal with 30 seconds left in regulation. It came on a great feed from defenseman Marek Zidlicky, with goalie Martin Brodeur on the bench for an extra skater.
Adam Henrique also scored for the Devils, who are 0-2-1 in their last three games.
Schenn's winner was set up by a terrific back-door pass by defenseman Nicklas Grossman from the left point. He saw Schenn, who was cut across the stomach with a skate earlier in the game, moving down the right side and found the center in the right circle for a shot that beat Brodeur, who had 25 saves.
"It's kind of mind-boggling a little bit because we are better than what the results on the ice are," said Brodeur, who had made a close-in save on Schenn on a late power play to keep the Devils in the game.
The Devils took a 1-0 lead in the opening minute on a great individual effort by Jaromir Jagr. He skated around a Flyers defenseman in the right circle and centered the puck across the crease. It tipped Ryan Clowe's stick, and Henrique came out from behind the net to tap it in.
The point was the 1,723rd of Jagr's career, tying him with former Pittsburgh Penguins teammate Mario Lemieux for seventh on the N.H.L. career list.
ISLANDERS 5, MAPLE LEAFS 3 Frans Nielsen, Calvin De Haan and Cal Clutterbuck scored third-period goals to lead the visiting Islanders past the Toronto Maple Leafs, 5-3, on Tuesday night.
The Islanders (16-22-7) kicked off a six-game trip with their second win in two nights with the backup Kevin Poulin (23 saves) in goal.
It was another frustrating loss for Toronto (21-18-5), which outshot the Islanders by 26-25 in its first game since being beaten, 7-1, at home by the Rangers on Saturday night.
Nielsen's power-play goal, his 16th of the season, broke a 2-2 tie. De Haan scored his first N.H.L. goal, and Clutterbuck closed the scoring with an empty-netter with less than 10 seconds left. Kyle Okposo and Michael Grabner also scored for the Islanders, and John Tavares, named to Canada's Olympic team earlier Tuesday, added three assists.
LIGHTNING 4, JETS 2 Martin St. Louis scored the tiebreaking goal in the third period and added an empty-netter to lead visiting Tampa Bay past the Winnipeg in a penalty-filled game.
The Jets were outshot by a wide margin for most of the game but still went into the third tied at 2-2. They scored two power-play goals and had managed to kill off four of the chances they handed Tampa Bay until St. Louis tipped in Victor Hedman's point shot at 8:39 on a fifth power play.
PREDATORS 3, SHARKS 2 Mattias Ekholm's first N.H.L. goal proved to be the winner as host Nashville beat San Jose for the Predators' first victory in four games.
COYOTES 6, FLAMES 0 Thomas Greiss stopped 27 shots, Lauri Korpikoski had a goal and two assists, and host Phoenix rolled to a victory over Calgary.
POSTPONEMENT IN BUFFALO The N.H.L. postponed Tuesday's game in Buffalo between the Sabres and the Carolina Hurricanes because of a snowstorm in western New York.
Keith Appling made a tiebreaking 3-pointer with 29 seconds left and finished with 20 points, 7 assists and 6 rebounds to help No. 5 Michigan State beat No. 3 Ohio State, 72-68, in overtime Tuesday.
Marc Loving of Ohio State driving against Michigan State. The Buckeyes rallied from a 17-point deficit but lost, 72-68.
Baylor's Rico Gathers battled for a loose ball against Iowa State, but the No. 7 Bears were outscored in the second half and lost.
The Spartans (14-1, 3-0 Big Ten) led by 55-38 with a little more than 8 minutes left, but the Buckeyes (15-1, 2-1) closed regulation with a 20-3 run.
Ohio State's Aaron Craft made a 3-point play with 2 minutes 2 seconds left, and then followed with a layup a minute later. Amir Williams's putback dunk with 19 seconds left tied the game and sent it to overtime.
IOWA ST. 87, BAYLOR 72 DeAndre Kane had a season-high 30 points with nine assists and host No. 9 Iowa State rolled past No. 7 Baylor, setting a team record with its 14th straight win.
Melvin Ejim added 18 points for Iowa State (14-0, 2-0 Big 12), which outscored Baylor, 47-34, in the second half. Gary Franklin and Brady Heslip each had 15 points for Baylor (12-2, 0-1), which had won six straight games.
SYRACUSE 72, VIRGINIA TECH 52 C. J. Fair scored 17 points and No. 2 Syracuse used a 16-0 run to pull away in the second half.
Jerami Grant had 12 points and 10 rebounds and Trevor Cooley scored 11 points for the visiting Orange (15-0, 2-0 Atlantic Coast Conference).
C. J. Barksdale led Virginia Tech (8-6, 1-1) with 12 points. The Hokies were outrebounded, 41-25.
DUKE 79, GEORGIA TECH 57 Rodney Hood scored 15 of his 27 points in the second half, and No. 16 Duke won at home.
The slumping freshman Jabari Parker was 4 of 12 from the field and had 12 points for the Blue Devils (12-3, 1-1 A.C.C.), who had fallen outside the top 10 for the first time in the regular season since November 2007. Marcus Georges-Hunt scored 18 for Georgia Tech (9-6, 0-2).
KANSAS ST. 65, T.C.U. 47 Thomas Gipson scored 19 points, Marcus Foster added 16 and visiting No. 25 Kansas State extended its winning streak to 10 games.
The Wildcats (12-3, 2-0 Big 12) made 7 of 15 3-point attempts. Amric Fields scored 14 points for host Texas Christian (9-5, 0-2).
Women
UCONN 90, HOUSTON 40 Breanna Stewart had 24 points, 9 rebounds and 6 blocked shots to lead top-ranked UConn to a rout of visiting Houston in the first meeting between the programs.
The Huskies (16-0, 4-0 American Athletic Conference) had 17 blocks. The Cougars (4-11, 0-4) lost their fourth straight since Todd Buchanan resigned as the coach.
Barton Silverman/The New York Times
Carmelo Anthony after hitting a 3-pointer late in the game against Detroit.
The Knicks found a winning formula in Texas, and brought it home to New York — barely. After leading by 17 points late in the third quarter at Madison Square Garden, the Knicks nearly blew it Tuesday night. The Detroit Pistons almost stole a game that would have meant another night of misery for Knicks fans.
However, the Knicks hung on for an 89-85 victory, led by Carmelo Anthony (34 points), who had an impressive shooting performance, making 13 of 24 from the field, including 6 of 7 from 3-point range. With their best player feeling it, the Knicks built on a 2-1 Texas trip by winning their third game in their last four starts. This has been a difficult season for the Knicks (12-22), but they are showing signs that the worst might be over.
"We're starting to have a little bit more fun out there, trust each other a lot more than we have," Anthony said. "When it comes down to situations in games, guys feel like we're all on the same page, and all a part of what's going on."
The Knicks also got a lift from point guard Raymond Felton (12 points, 6 assists), playing his first game since Dec. 20 because of a hamstring injury. Felton did more than just make a cameo. He started, played 30 minutes and was on the floor for the final seven and a half minutes.
Asked what Felton brought to the floor, Anthony said: "The way he can play the pick and roll, the way he can get to the paint, create for others. He trusts us to make the shots. He gets in the paint and makes things happen."
But the Pistons (14-21) came close to ruining things for the Knicks, pulling to within 86-85, with possession of the ball and 27.1 seconds to play.
The Pistons cleared out for forward Josh Smith, who was defended by Anthony. Anthony bottled up Smith, who forced up a dreadfully short air ball. The Knicks rebounded and Felton was fouled with 6.9 seconds left.
Felton made the first free throw, and when he missed the second, Kenyon Martin tapped the rebound to Anthony, who was fouled with 2.9 seconds left. Anthony made both free throws to give the Knicks their final 4-point margin.
How long the good times last for the Knicks remains to be seen, especially with the N.B.A. champion Miami Heat coming to the Garden on Thursday night. But with the Knicks on a mini roll, they look better prepared to face the Heat than they did several weeks ago.
"That's who we play next?" Anthony said, smiling. "I did not know. We gotta face them some way, one day or another. When we play, Thursday? We gotta face them. It is what it is. We can't run from them."
Often the first game after a trip results in a letdown, but the Knicks were focused and energized. They dominated the third quarter, taking control by outscoring the Pistons, 32-17. That included a game-changing 15-0 run, which began with the Knicks trailing, 49-47.
Coach Mike Woodson called a timeout at that point, and whatever he said, the Knicks should record it. The Pistons did not score for the next three and a half minutes, and the Knicks took control for good.
There was plenty of highlight-reel material for the Knicks during that quarter. Amar'e Stoudemire went baseline for a ferocious reverse dunk, spinning around center Andre Drummond and leaving him flat-footed.
There was a hustle play by Felton, who lost control of his dribble, but dove on the floor to regain control of the basketball. Felton then passed from a prone position to Anthony, who drained a 3-pointer.
Anthony was on fire, hitting three consecutive 3-pointers during that 15-0 run. This was a game when Anthony did not feel compelled to force shots, with the Knicks getting good looks, creating offense with their defense and sharing the basketball.
Late in the third quarter, the Knicks' lead had ballooned to 69-52, and there was reason to think they might waltz to a victory.
However, these are the Knicks, and this is the N.B.A. The Pistons mounted a comeback. Several weeks ago, the Knicks may have lost this game. But since the calendar has turned to 2014, the Knicks seemed more committed to becoming a better team.
REBOUNDS
Center Tyson Chandler (upper respiratory infection) did not play, but the Knicks hoped he would be ready for the Heat. ... Metta World Peace had platelet-rich plasma therapy on his injured left knee Monday and was pleased with the results, although no timetable was given for his return. "I heal faster than some young guys, which is kind of crazy," he said. "I'm not on H.G.H. Test me. Just like Floyd Mayweather said. I'll take the test. I guess 'cause I'm sexy. Most sexy people heal fast."... Josh Smith (21 points, 12 rebounds) led the Pistons, who also got 17 rebounds from Andre Drummond.
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PASADENA, Calif. — Jameis Winston was the Heisman Trophy winner, the quarterback of what many believed to be the best offense in college football. Winston, with his signature smile, had led the Seminoles offense in blowout victory after blowout victory this season, making it hard to believe he would let a victory escape him Monday night.
Winston had been smiling all season, even as he was investigated on a claim of sexual assault for which he was ultimately not charged. Even as Florida State kept winning and the stakes grew, he kept smiling. He appeared as if he had never had a bad day in his life. He had not really had a bad game all season. He had not really been tested.
On Monday, his 20th birthday, he was challenged on the football field, in the Bowl Championship Series national title game against Auburn. Trailing by 4 points, with 71 seconds left, Winston marched down the field, completing 6 of 7 passes for 77 yards, capping the drive by coolly lofting the winning 2-yard touchdown pass to Kelvin Benjamin, giving Florida State a 34-31 lead and cementing his place in Florida State history, among quarterback royalty.
Charlie Ward. Chris Weinke. And now Jameis Winston.
The previous 16 Heisman-winning quarterbacks had a 7-9 record in their bowl games. Worse, those who played for a national title went 4-7. Winston had shrugged at the correlation.
"One thing I can tell you about history," he said, "it's in the past."
His first drive Monday went well enough. He converted a long third down on a 29-yard pass to Rashad Greene to lead Florida State into the red zone. But after he was sacked on another third down, the Seminoles settled for a field goal. Winston was maybe not as invincible as he had seemed. He looked a bit jittery.
Over the Seminoles' next three possessions, they gained 24 yards on 12 plays and punted three times. This was the most prolific offense in college football, the one that had outscored its opponents this season by 42.3 points a game. This offense could do anything it wanted to do, Winston had said ahead of Monday's game. Now as he tried to scramble, tried to make a play, he was stripped of the ball near his own 27-yard line.
Soon, Auburn quarterback Nick Marshall was in the end zone, celebrating a 4-yard score and a 21-3 Auburn lead. Marshall had made timely throws, Tre Mason had picked up steam, and Winston had completed one pass since the opening drive. The Auburn defense, which had given up about 423 yards a game, was supposed to be a weakness. But the Tigers were pressuring Winston, frustrating him, containing him.
The Seminoles' offense stalled again after Greene dropped a third-down pass, but a fake punt gave them a first down and some momentum. Winston completed two passes to Greene and ripped off a 21-yard run, setting up a short touchdown run for Devonta Freeman and making the score 21-10 at halftime.
Winston seemed inspired. Then the Seminoles went three-and-out to start the second half. Their defense tightened through the third quarter. Marshall and Mason were not running free. Auburn punted on all three of its third-quarter possessions, but Florida State could manage only a field goal. Auburn still led, 21-13.
Time was precious. After Marshall threw an interception early in the fourth quarter, Winston took over at his own 44-yard line and led a five-play, 56-yard touchdown drive.
But Marshall responded with a 13-play, 69-yard drive that ended with a field goal, giving Auburn a 24-20 lead.
From there, the game turned frenetic, the crowd delirious.
Levonte Whitfield, who goes by Kermit, returned the ensuing kickoff for a touchdown.
Mason responded with a 37-yard touchdown run.
That gave Winston the ball, down 31-27, with 1 minute 11 seconds left. He completed an 8-yard pass to Greene, then another short pass that Greene took for 49 yards. A few plays later, on third-and-8 from Auburn's 10, Winston threw into the end zone and the Auburn cornerback Chris Davis was called for pass interference.
On the next play, Winston found Benjamin in the end zone to win the game.
Zach Johnson pulled away with three straight birdies on the back nine at Kapalua, Hawaii, and closed with a seven-under 66 to win the Tournament of Champions. He won by one shot over Jordan Spieth, who birdied the last two holes for a 69. It was Johnson's third win in his last six starts.
Clemson's record-setting junior wide receiver, Sammy Watkins, is headed to the N.F.L. Watkins leaves as the university's career leader with 240 receptions and 3,391 receiving yards.
Also announcing for the N.F.L. draft were two Central Florida players, quarterback Blake Bortles and running back Storm Johnson. But U.C.L.A. quarterback Brett Hundley decided to return for his junior season.
Thousands turned out in tribute to the Portuguese soccer great Eusebio in Lisbon, where his coffin was put on public display. Some 10,000 fans at the Stadium of Light cheered and sang when the coffin was placed in the center of the field before the funeral cortege proceeded through downtown. The government declared three days of national mourning after Eusebio's death Sunday at 71.
■ The Dutch club Vitesse Arnhem faced criticism from politicians for traveling to Abu Dhabi for a training camp without defender Dan Mori, who was not allowed into the country because he is Israeli. A Vitesse spokeswoman said the team was told a day before it flew to Abu Dhabi on Sunday that Mori would not be allowed into the country. Officials in the United Arab Emirates could not immediately be reached for comment. (AP)
■ Arsenal forward Theo Walcott will miss the rest of the season and the World Cup for England after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. Walcott was injured making a tackle near the end of Arsenal's 2-0 win over Tottenham in the F.A. Cup on Saturday. As medics carried him in front of visiting fans, Walcott signaled the 2-0 score with his fingers, prompting Tottenham supporters to pelt him with coins and bottles. (AP)
■ FIFA's president, Sepp Blatter, criticized Brazil's preparations for the World Cup, calling it further behind than any other nation hosting the event in his tenure. Brazil has completed only 6 of the 12 World Cup stadiums despite a FIFA deadline to finish by the end of 2013. (AP)
PASADENA, Calif. — A furious second-half comeback. A 100-yard kickoff return. A touchdown drive led by a redshirt freshman quarterback that ended with 13 seconds on the clock.
That was all it took to end the Southeastern Conference's stranglehold on the Bowl Championship Series trophy. That was what it took for Florida State to out-Auburn the Auburn Tigers in its 34-31 triumph at the Rose Bowl Stadium on Monday night.
The final minutes looked like a wayward polygraph test, the teams flying up the field, the lead flipping back and forth. A full 24 points were scored in the last 4 minutes 42 seconds, otherwise known this season as the time when Auburn normally did something — like catching a tipped Hail Mary pass or returning a missed field goal for a touchdown — to pull off another stunner.
That meant that Auburn had Florida State right where it wanted it late in the fourth quarter. Sure, the Seminoles had unleashed Levonte Whitfield, he of the 4.37 40-yard dash and the Kermit nickname, for a kickoff return that started in the front of the end zone, moved toward the left sideline and ended 100 yards down field. But this was Auburn, the team for whom "insurmountable" means "let's get started."
The Tigers took over with 4:31 left. Auburn time, at least in 2013. In seven plays they moved the ball to Florida State's 37-yard-line. The next handoff went to running back Tre Mason, who sliced up the middle, scooted into the secondary and scored to reclaim the lead, 31-27.
"Felt pretty good," Coach Gus Malzahn said of his team's chances at that point.
Only Auburn made a critical mistake there. It left 1:19 on the clock against Florida State's offense.
That was enough for Jameis Winston, the Heisman Trophy winner who spent the latter part of this season under scrutiny for an accusation of sexual assault. Winston, known as Famous Jameis, more famous than ever now, began the march.
Florida State's drive started on its own 20-yard-line. It stalled on Auburn's 10. On that play, on third down, Winston lobbed a pass into the end zone, and while the toss fell incomplete, it also drew a pass interference penalty on Chris Davis, the Auburn player who returned the missed field goal to beat Alabama.
The penalty extended the drive. The Seminoles avoided a fourth down.
On first-and-goal from the 2, Winston scanned the defense. He later said he knew the instant he looked at Auburn's play call that the Seminoles were going to score.
The receiver that he targeted, Kelvin Benjamin, struck Winston as emotional before the game started. He had tears in his eyes. Then he hauled in the winning touchdown in decidedly Auburn fashion for a 2-yard score and thanked teammates who believed in him. Same as his quarterback.
"I was ready," Winston said. "I wanted to be in that situation."
The Seminoles' victory came in the final B.C.S. championship game. It ended a streak of seven straight B.C.S. titles secured by the SEC, including four straight won by universities from Alabama.
Auburn attempted one final miracle on the final play. But where a tipped desperation pass was completed against Georgia and a missed field goal was returned 109 yards against Alabama, a last-gasp comeback bid on Monday at the Rose Bowl was simply thwarted.
A full 94,208 stood and acknowledged this defibrillator of a football game.
"The A.C.C. is good football, folks," Florida State Coach Jimbo Fisher said, referring to the Atlantic Coast Conference. "I'm happy for the A.C.C. There's some good football played in this conference, too."
The theme before the game centered on destiny versus dominance, or a so-called team of destiny (Auburn) against a dominant one (Florida State), or the best team versus perhaps the hottest one. The catchy alliteration highlighted the stark contrast between these teams — Auburn and its four fourth-quarter comebacks (two of the miracle variety) and how Florida State never trailed after halftime.
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The defending champion Dustin Johnson shot a four-under-par 69 to join Webb Simpson and Jordan Spieth in a tie for first after the third round of the Tournament of Champions in Kapalua, Hawaii.
The second-round leader, Zach Johnson, shot a 74 to fall to fourth.
Jerome Miron/USA TODAY Sports, via Reuters
The Knicks' J. R. Smith, right, driving past the Mavericks' Vince Carter as his teammate Kenyon Martin set a pick. Smith finished with 7 points in Sunday's win.
DALLAS — The Knicks arrived in Texas last week as a fragile, broken team. Two of their rotation players did not even make the trip because of injuries. Their starting point guard spent all three games in street clothes as he recovered from a strained groin.
Iman Shumpert could not shoot. The Knicks could not win. And Coach Mike Woodson could do little to avoid questions about his job security.
"You have to move forward," Kenyon Martin said.
Far from the pressure cooker of Madison Square Garden, the Knicks proved surprisingly capable of reassembling their confidence on the road, capping their four-day swing through Texas with a 92-80 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night at American Airlines Center.
While the Knicks (11-22) have to shake an addiction to distractions that borders on self-immolation — much of the pregame talk here centered on their late-game blunders in Friday's loss to the Houston Rockets — they are suddenly showcasing some toughness and resolve, clawing their way back from rock bottom.
On Sunday, Shumpert again asserted himself when it mattered most. After scoring 53 points in his previous two games, he was quiet until late in the fourth. After the Mavericks' Jose Calderon connected on back-to-back 3-pointers to cut the lead to 82-76, Shumpert answered with consecutive baskets for the Knicks.
He scored on an up-and-under layup after he recognized that Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavericks' 7-foot forward, was standing straight up, anticipating Shumpert would attempt a 3-pointer. Instead, Shumpert attacked the basket. On the next possession, Carmelo Anthony spotted Shumpert outside the 3-point arc.
"I was wide open," said Shumpert, who had 9 points and turned in another fine defensive effort. "I think they forgot about me."
In the locker room after the game, Shumpert asked for cold medication. He was under the weather, and he blamed Tyson Chandler, who had left the game in the first quarter with an upper respiratory infection. Specifically, Shumpert blamed Chandler's children. "Kids got all them germs," Shumpert said.
Despite feeling less than their best, the Knicks played their finest basketball of the season in Texas, upsetting the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday before engaging in their ill-fated duel with the Rockets. Sunday's victory was a total team effort, to borrow one of Woodson's favorite phrases.
Consider a sequence early in the fourth quarter. After trailing by 19 points, the Mavericks (19-15) reduced the deficit to 68-62 when Vince Carter made a 3-pointer. The Knicks' reserves responded with a 7-0 run that included contributions from J. R. Smith (long jumper), Toure' Murry (aggressive drive) and Tim Hardaway Jr., who swerved his way to the basket for a 3-point play. Woodson kicked his leg and pumped his fist.
"It's been a good, successful trip," Woodson said. "Now, we have to go home and establish something there."
Anthony led five teammates in double figures with 19 points. Martin, appearing in his hometown after missing Friday's game with a sore ankle, had 14 points and 6 rebounds. His contributions were especially important in the absence of Chandler, who played only four minutes.
It was an important win. The fumes from the Houston debacle were still lingering Sunday morning when the Knicks gathered here for their shootaround. That contest had ended with a series of crushing mental lapses by the team, including Smith's stupefying decision to launch a 3-pointer with about 20 seconds left in a tie game. The Knicks could have held the ball for the final shot. Instead, Smith missed and the Rockets converted two free throws to secure a 102-100 win.
Woodson remained at a loss to explain Smith's 3-point attempt, other than to say he "went blank." Curiously, Woodson named an accomplice in the meltdown: Beno Udrih, who had erred by passing the ball to Smith in the first place, Woodson said.
"Did Beno have to throw him the ball? You got to look at that," he said. "There are a lot of things that you just — when you're winning and losing games, man, it's a fine line. When you've had those struggles that we've had, you just can't make those mistakes."
For another team, perhaps all this chatter would be disruptive. The Knicks seem used to it by now. Distractions are their milieu. It is something of an art, and they are suddenly thriving amid it all.
Udrih, in particular, had a strong start against the Mavericks. He drained an early 3-pointer, and then dropped a bounce pass to Martin for a layup and a 20-13 lead. But no player was more dominant early on than Anthony, who collected 15 points, 4 rebounds and 3 assists in the first quarter, as the Knicks raced to a 29-17 advantage.
Udrih, who finished with 8 assists, again supplied big minutes as Raymond Felton sat out his sixth straight game with a strained groin. Woodson described Felton as "day to day," a phrase that has also become an indispensable part of Felton's vocabulary. He has missed 16 games this season with various ailments.
"I'd like to get a healthy team," Woodson said, "and see where we are as a ball club."
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Every week, The New York Times will choose one essential game to watch, highlighting hot teams, winning and losing streaks, and statistical intrigue in the N.B.A.
Toronto at Indiana, Tuesday, 7 p.m. Eastern
The Toronto Raptors appeared like one of the many N.B.A. teams that would look past this season and toward a highly anticipated draft class this summer. They traded Rudy Gay, their best scorer, to the Sacramento Kings as part of a seven-player deal Dec. 9. Since the trade, the Raptors are 9-4. They have beaten the Indiana Pacers and the Oklahoma City Thunder and recently ran off a five-game winning streak.
Trading Gay has allowed the Raptors to flourish on both sides of the ball. The team's defense is allowing 4 fewer points per hundred possessions since Gay's departure, while the offense is scoring nearly 105 points in the same amount of time. Sustaining that kind of offensive efficiency would make the Raptors' attack one of the best in the league.
Looking more closely at the Raptors' numbers shows just how mobile their offense has become. Their assist percentage since the trade is more than 60 percent, meaning that three-fifths of all Raptors baskets come directly after a pass. It is not shocking that losing Gay resulted in a more efficient offense — after all, Gay has been putting up almost 19 shots a game, while only shooting about 38 percent. That the Raptors have been able to construct a highly functional attack so quickly after losing Gay speaks to a nascent talent that few fans would have predicted. Raptors Coach Dwane Casey has been recognized for his team's success, being named the Eastern Conference coach of the month Friday, only the third time a Toronto coach has won the honor.
The Raptors' success has been enough to vault them into fourth place in the East. But just as they have become interesting, they have also come up against the top teams in their conference. They lost to the Miami Heat, 102-97, on Sunday and next face the Pacers, who dropped a 95-82 decision to the Raptors last Wednesday.
The Pacers are one of the top teams — if not the premier team — in the East, but they need to work on taking better care of the ball. They are in the bottom third in the league when it comes to turnovers, averaging 15.1 a game. In last week's loss to the Raptors, they committed 22 turnovers.
Indiana is working on integrating Danny Granger into its lineup. Granger was sidelined by a leg injury for all but five games last season and has only just returned. He is averaging about 21 minutes a game and his production is steadily improving: He had 13 points against the New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday, his best performance of the season. Granger was once the Pacers' offensive star. If his play even begins to approach the level it was at two years ago, the Pacers will be an even bigger threat.
It has been a down season in the East, but the Raptors' sudden success should serve as an inspiration to middling teams across the conference. As good as the Raptors have been, it is still difficult to see them as anything but an upstart, a suddenly fortunate team whose sudden boost might have as much to do with a burst of high morale as actual talent. Another win against the Pacers could signal that the Raptors are for real, and could be reason for pause for some fans in Indiana.
