DALLAS -- Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban says his decision to revoke the credentials of two ESPN writers who cover his team was driven partly by concern that automated game reports could eventually replace human-generated content.Cuban said Monday that he banned Marc Stein and Tim MacMahon from Mavericks home games to bring attention to the issue of companies using automation in sports coverage.The Associated Press, in a partnership with Automated Insights, produces automated stories on minor league baseball but does not use the technology for most of its sports coverage. The AP has at least one reporter at all games in the four major professional sports and most major college football and basketball games.Maybe I will be wrong but I see a direct path from the trends in coverage of games we are seeing over the last couple years to the automation of reporting on games and the curation of related content, Cuban wrote in an email to the AP. This isnt a knock on wire services or their reporters. They are valued and valuable in sports coverage.The billionaire who made his fortune through internet technology said his action wasnt prompted by ESPNs plan to cover the Mavericks, which he said he wasnt changing.Cuban said he responded after learning that ESPN was relying on wire services for game coverage on 19 NBA teams. Barry Bedlan, APs sports product manager, said ESPN has relied on us for years.Nothing has changed from our perspective and there are no plans to change that, Bedlan said.Cuban said he was responding to what he considers a disturbing trend of reporters being replaced by machines.While it may seem counterintuitive to ban someone from covering us as a way of stopping automation, it really was my only option, Cuban said. As is evident by the AP partnership with Automated Insights, its not if but when.ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz declined to comment on Cubans claims, referring to a statement Sunday when the network said it was committed to thoroughly covering the Mavs and the NBA. A league spokesman didnt return a message seeking comment Monday.MacMahon has covered the Mavericks primarily for several years but has spent more time in other cities this season. Stein joined ESPN as a national NBA writer in 2000 after previously covering the Mavericks for the Dallas newspaper. Both reporters are based in Dallas. Wholeasale Eagles Jerseys .C. -- When North Carolina freshman Ryan Switzer reported to training camp in August he was a little miffed to learn he was third on the depth chart at punt returner. Cheap Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys . Once again, DeLaet finished tied for second at a PGA Tour stop on the weekend, this time at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. 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The talk of the offseason has been about both teams winning enough games to make the playoffs as the New Orleans Saints host the Oakland Raiders on Sunday.New Orleans boasts a coach in Sean Payton and a franchise quarterback in Drew Brees, who have won a Super Bowl.Oakland owns a dynamic offense led by quarterback Derek Carr and a veteran defensive coach in Jack Del Rio.Saints general manager Mickey Loomis knows how to build a team that can win a Lombardi Trophy. General manager Reggie McKenzie, after tearing the Raiders roster down and starting over, is looking to leave his own fingerprints and legacy on the silver and black.New Orleans is coming off a 7-9 season that felt worse than the record. The offense was stagnant at times and the defense struggled so mightily that Rob Ryan, the defensive coordinator, was fired.Payton enlisted Dennis Allen to run his defense. Ironically, it was Allen who was McKenzies first head coach hire in Oakland. And subsequently, his first coach to fire. In the NFL, it is truly how the world turns.We come in expecting to win our division. Thats our goal, its our goal every year. Were not going to back away from that, Del Rio said.The Raiders have not made the playoffs since 2003. They also finished 7-9 in 2015 and there is more optimism for this young group of players. With third-year man Carr at quarterback and throwing to second-year wide receiver Amari Cooper, the Raiders offense looks to be hitting full stride.Brees, the beloved quarterback of the Saints, has to be excited about the financial windfall he received heading into the season opener. On Wednesday, Brees signed a two-year extension that had long been discussed.The contract keeps him in black and gold for the next two seasons and pays him a fully guaranteed $44.25 million. Brees facing a very good Raiders defense behind his much-maligned offensive line has to give the former Super Bowl MVP pause, though.The Raiders defense is full of upstarts and has one of the most explosive players in the NFL in defensive end Khalil Mack. The first-round selection in 2014 received All-Pro votes at two positions last season.Mack has the speed and hand usage to beat tackles around the edge. He also has the power to bull-rush a guard on the interior. The Saints offensive line is banged up, especially their best offensive lineman -- lefft tackle Terron Armstead.ddddddddddddIf Armstead cannot play or is limited, second-year utility man Andrus Peat has played left tackle, left guard and right guard in his career. Starting left guard Tim Lelito may have to shift to right guard.Because of the injury situation and the important responsibility to protect Brees, the Saints brought back former Pro-Bowl guard Jahri Evans on Wednesday.New Orleans center Max Unger is the one true constant along the offensive line. If Evans can hold his own against Raiders defensive tackle Jihad Ward, the Saints should be able to find running room inside.The Saints offense has shown the ability to run the football with Mark Ingram. The former Alabama runner continues to produce better than four yards per carry and has become a viable threat out of the backfield.Oaklands linebacking corps is still a work in progress and starting middle linebacker Ben Heeney was getting pushed for playing time by 2016 sixth-round selection Cory James in the preseason.The running attack of the Raiders also needs to play a factor into this game. So much has been made of Carrs aerial attack, running back Latavius Murray often gets left out of the conversation.Murray can find positive yards on the left side running behind a giant offensive line led by free-agent addition Kelechi Osemele and left tackle Donald Penn.The Saints defense is banged up as well and has Cleveland Browns castoff Paul Kruger, a natural outside linebacker, playing some defensive end.This offseason brought much change to the aforementioned Saints defense. Linebacker James Laurinaitis signed after the Los Angeles Rams let him go. Laurinaitis and the Saints secondary led by safety Jarius Byrd know they have to improve over last years unit.The new middle linebacker hopes that working against Brees will have them prepared for Carr, Cooper and wide receiver Michael Crabtree.Said Laurinaitis: It challenges our whole defense to raise our level up, because if not its going to be all of those practices where he can carve you up and embarrass you. I have been really encouraged by how our defense has competed against our offense day in day out because they put a lot of stress on the tempo that they move at. ' ' '