The longtime head coach is not ruling it out either.The star wide receiver went radio silent in the days before the team’s regular-season finale against Cincinnati last Sunday Hakeem Butler Jersey , in essence abandoning the club in what Tomlin described as its “darkest hour.”Though Brown did make a cameo appearance on the sideline — rocking a fur coat — as the Steelers edged the Bengals , he vanished before the final gun and did not show up on Monday for exit interviews and to clear out his locker.Tomlin said Brown arrived at practice last Wednesday reporting discomfort in his lower body. The team gave Brown the day off, did so again on Thursday. On Friday, Tomlin sent Brown home to rest and suggested he get an MRI on the banged up knee.Tomlin did not hear from Brown on Saturday to get an update. When Drew Rosenhaus, Brown’s agent, reached out on Sunday morning to tell Tomlin that Brown was available to play, Tomlin “drew a line in the sand” and said Brown could best serve the Steelers by cheering on the sideline.While Tomlin demurred when asked during his season-ending news conference on Wednesday if Brown “quit,” the longtime head coach offered little in defense of the perennial Pro Bowler, whose historic production has become increasingly at odds with his erratic off-the-field behavior.“The bottom line is we were playing a significant game and he didn’t do a good enough job of communicating of being available in the hours leading up to that performance,” Tomlin said.“So we needed to make decisions pertinent to getting to play in that performance. So, I’ve been real clear at outlining what transpired, the level of communication, things of that nature. Obviously there are some things within that that you can infer, certainly.”Rather than spend time elaborating on how the Steelers went from 7-2-1 the week before Thanksgiving to 9-6-1 and missing the postseason for the first time since 2013 — a collapse Tomlin plans to “wallow” in over the next few weeks — he spent the majority of his time responding to questions about Brown.It’s nothing new. The 30-year-old is the only player in NFL history with six straight 100-catch seasons Chris Lindstrom Jersey , but has become adept at drawing headlines for things that have nothing to do with football, be it livestreaming from the postgame locker room in Kansas City two years ago to threatening a reporter from ESPN on social media in September to suggesting on Twitter he should be traded .It hasn’t stopped. As Tomlin spoke, Brown — who has three years remaining on his four-year, $72 million extension he signed in the spring of 2017 — published a post on Instagram to his 3.1 million followers saying “I am divinely blessed with free will. I utilize that gift, choosing to take charge of my life.” Brown also appeared with former teammate James Harrison, who promised an exclusive “interview” with Brown.Tomlin has long had a policy of trying to tune out what his players say or do on social media, but admitted there’s a level of “disappointment” when it comes to Brown’s actions before adding it’s immaterial to his job.Asked if there’s a point with Brown or any player where the distractions can outweigh the on-the-field benefits, Tomlin said “certainly.”Whether the Steelers are at that point is unclear. Tomlin said the team has not received any “formal” trade requests from Brown’s camp.Tomlin declined to get into what punishment Brown may face in the future, saying the club is still gathering information. Tomlin does believe that Brown was dealing with some type of injury, but added to his knowledge that Brown has not undergone the MRI.“Like we do in all circumstances, we will deal with it appropriately and deal with it in-house,” Tomlin said.Brown’s future status is just one of a number of questions the Steelers will face over the next few months, starting with the coaching staff. The defense and special teams both had critical missteps this season and offensive line coach Mike Munchak is in the mix for several open head coaching positions.“When you lack success, when you fail http://www.falconsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-kaleb-mcgary-jersey , change is a part of it,” Tomlin said. “We talk about it. As a staff we talk about it. As players, in exit meetings. That’s just our business.”So lately, has been addressing the perpetual drama surrounding one of the NFL’s most talented and mercurial players.
Since divisional play began in 1969, only three times has a division had two teams with at least 100 wins.

That could happen again this year in the AL East – and maybe the AL West as well.

The Yankees, Red Sox, Astros and Mariners are all on pace to win over 100 games, and they’ve created tight races atop those two divisions. With two wild cards in each league, those four teams have some breathing room in the race for the postseason, but there should be plenty of incentive to win the division title and avoid the one-game, winner-take-all scenario that the wild cards have to deal with.

The Yankees and Red Sox just played a three-game series in New York. The games weren’t all that suspenseful – they ended 8-1, 11-0 and 11-1, with the Yankees winning two of three.

The first time two teams from one division won at least 100 games was in 1980, when the Yankees (103-59) outlasted the Orioles (100-62) atop the AL East. A seven-game winning streak in mid-September helped New York hold on.

In 1993 Kendall Sheffield Jersey , the last year before the wild card, the Braves (104-58) and Giants (103-59) dueled all the way to the final day before San Francisco was done in by a 12-1 loss to the rival Dodgers. Atlanta was 10 games out on the morning of July 23 but went 49-16 the rest of the way.

The only time in the six-division era that a 100-win team failed to finish first was when Oakland went 102-60 in 2001 and still ended up 14 games behind a 116-win Seattle team.

None of the teams involved in those three previous examples made it to the World Series, so consider that a word of caution to this year’s American League behemoths.

Some other developments around the majors:

SHORTER WAITS

If the Mariners make the postseason this year, it will be their first appearance since that remarkable 2001 season. Baseball’s next-longest drought belongs to the Marlins, who haven’t made it since winning the World Series as a wild card in 2003.

The addition of extra wild cards has made it easier for teams to avoid long stretches without a postseason berth. The Padres haven’t made it since 2006 and the White Sox haven’t been in since 2008. Aside from those two teams, the Marlins and the Mariners, every major league franchise has made the postseason at least once since 2011.

HIGHLIGHT

The outfield wall in Toronto is high enough that it doesn’t lend itself to home run-robbing catches. Blue Jays center fielder Kevin Pillar figured out a solution, however, planting a foot on the wall and using it to vault himself up while making a catch on a drive by Detroit’s Nicholas Castellanos. Even Castellanos applauded that catch Sunday.

LINES OF THE WEEK

Two from the Red Sox-Yankees series: Chris Sale allowed one hit in seven innings, striking out 11 in Boston’s 11-0 win Saturday night. The following evening, it was New York delivering an 11-1 blowout. Aaron Hicks hit three home runs for the Yankees in that game.

Sale has a 1.73 career ERA against the Yankees, best among pitchers with at least 10 starts against them since 1920. But Sunday’s six-homer barrage brought New York’s season total to 137, a franchise record for before the All-Star break.

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