Giants' Ramses Barden feels it's best to move on

There comes a time in someone's career where it's best for a team and a player to part ways. It's happened with the Detroit Lions and Titus Young, but that was a situation where the Lions had no choice but to cut him loose. New York Giants receiver Ramses Barden feels that he needs to move on and get a fresh start in his career.

The Giants drafted the Cal Poly product in the third round of the NFL draft in 2009. He was thought of as a sleeper pick. Barden has good size (6-6) and decent speed, but it never translated to success on the field. He had a few moments (caught nine passes for 138 yards in a win over Carolina), but not enough for the Giants to make him a priority in free agency. Barden knows it's time to find an opportunity elsewhere.

“I’m really seriously kind of excited for the offseason, because as much fun as I’ve had in New York — and yeah, I’m comfortable there — it’s probably best for me to start looking other places for a new system, for a refreshed sense of welcoming,” Barden said. “I think everybody can benefit from newness in their lives. This is going to be one of those for me.”

Maybe Barden will go somewhere and finally breakthrough. The potential is there and maybe he just didn't fit the Giants' system. He did get stuck behind some good receivers (Nicks, Rueben Randle, Victor Cruz). Maybe he goes somewhere and gets a sufficient amount of playing time to prove himself.

If it doesn't work out for him then it never will.

"It" girl of the week: Jenna Webb

The Just Sports & Just Us "It girl" of the week is Jenna Webb

Missouri's Sheldon Richardson believes he should be the No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft

Missouri's Sheldon Richardson is best known for his statement about Georgia playing "old man football". He later apologized to Bulldogs head coach Mark Richt after his Tigers were whacked by the Bulldogs.

Richardson doesn't lack confidence and speaks his mind whether it's right or wrong. There's nothing wrong with being confident but it'll set you up for a letdown if you're not careful.

The outspoken Richardson sounds cocky and confident as ever going into the NFL Draft. Richardson proclaimed himself the best player in the draft and that he should be the number one pick.

“I see myself as the top pick, not a top-10 pick,” Richardson said Saturday at the NFL Combine. “I didn’t come into this draft to be second to anyone. If they see what they like — they’re going to get a (heck) of a ballplayer.”

Richardson should be a top 20 pick in the draft, but he'll be in for a rude awakening on draft day when hee isn't selected number one. The way he runs his mouth could have him slide down to the second round because you know NFL suits don't like players that run their mouth before they've proven anything on the highest level.

Richardson should learn to zip it before it costs him a few million dollars.

Damon hoping the Yankees give him a call

With Curtis Granderson out for 10 weeks with a broken forearm the New York Yankees are exploring options for a replacement until Granderson is back in action.

One of the options probably won't be the well traveled Johnny Damon who looks like he's trying to hang on in the majors.

Damon has shown interest in coming back to the Yankees and is hoping to get a call from the team. But he is a realist and knows that the Yankees won't 'reach out' to him.


“I don’t think it will,” Damon told The Post tonight. “They’ve had plenty of opportunities since 2009 and it hasn’t happened. But if they call, I’m ready to go.”


“I would play for the minimum [$490,000 per year, prorated] for six weeks,” he said. “If Granderson, returns I would leave. If there’s no room for me, I am gone.”

Last year Damon played in 64 games with the Cleveland Indians but was released after compiling a meager .222 batting average.

Damon believes going back to New York would help invigorate his game.

I don't believe that anything will help Damon right now. He needs to hang it up and call it a career.  

Seattle city officials making NBA dates for Key Arena

The sale of the Sacramento Kings to a Seattle investment group hasn't been approved, but it hasn't stopped Seattle city officials from tentatively scheduling home games at Key Arena for the 2013-2014 season.


Seattle officials are penciling tentative dates for the SuperSonics to play at KeyArena in the 2013-14 National Basketball Association season.

That scheduling includes working in dates for current tenants at Key, including the Seattle Storm and the Seattle University Redhawks. It also depends on the NBA Board of Governors voting to approve a sale of the Sacramento Kings to the Seattle investment group headed by investor Chris Hansen and to move the team to Seattle. Both decisions could come at the Board of Governors meeting April 18.

The Seattle City Council received a briefing this morning on plans to build a new half-billion-dollar arena in Sodo and prepare the Sonics former home at Key for up to three seasons starting in November.

The owners of the Kings, Joe and Gavin Maloof have flirted with the idea of moving the Kings since the city hasn't come to a deal to finance a new arena. The sale to Hansen's group is nearly a done deal and barring an eleventh hour miracle it looks like Seattle will have their Supersonics back.

Howard says his poor conditioning led to losses

Dwight Howard hasn't been a big hit with the Los Angeles Lakers so far. The team has been in disarray for most of the year and hasn't clicked at all. The Lakers are in danger of missing the playoffs and Kobe Bryant isn't happy with the losing.

Being new in town, Howard has received his fair share of blame. Howard has now accepted some of the responsibility for the Lakers poor season. Howard told Ramona Shelbourne of ESPNLosAngeles.com that his lack of conditioning costs the Lakers some games this season.

"You've got to have energy and I want to bring that energy every night," Howard said in a revealing interview Saturday afternoon. "That's my job. They count on me to be that guy. I just know how much more effective I will be when I'm in better shape. And, unfortunately, it's cost us a lot of games."

"I knew that would be a process. The better shape I'm in, the more active I can be and the more I'm able to do on the floor," he said. "But it was a struggle at first because I just didn't have it in the tank, especially on defense."

That can't sit well with Braynt. He made a big deal out of Shaquille O'Neal delaying surgery on his toe and being out of shape when he came to camp.

It's true that Dwight has had back surgery and didn't have a full training camp/preseason to get ready but his poor attitude hasn't helped the team either.

As much as I liked the trade of Howard to the Lakers,I said he was too big of a goof to mesh well with Bryant who takes this game ultra serious.  

I'll give Howard some credit for taking some of the blame for the Lakers' woes and not pointing fingers elsewhere.

Collins says Bynum not close to playing

Philadelphia 76ers big man Andrew Bynum has been missing all season long. It's due to injury so it's not like he's been underachieving all season. Bynum says he plans on returning this season, but head coach Doug Collins says Bynum's not close to playing at all.

After Bynum practiced with the team Friday, Collins wasn't thrilled about the possibility of Bynum coming back and concluded that this has been a lost season.

"He looked like a guy who hadn't played in nine months," Collins said. "I don't think any bells and whistles should be sent off that he's close to playing."

"It's amazing seeing him standing out there; he distorted the whole practice," Collins said. "You get visions of what might've been ... He's said that he's going to play, but this season is slipping away. We've got 24 games after (this weekend). We're eight (games) under .500, and we've got to play the Miami Heat four times."

It almost sounds as if Collins is throwing in the towel for this season.

The Sixers are battling for the eighth spot in the eastern Conference but are in danger of missing the playoffs. It would've helped if they had a healthy Bynum all season. Even for half a season. But right now Bynum might be better served just sitting out the rest of this season and trying to come back strong next year.