Never on IR

Taking Time Off Already? Yeah, I Got Stuff To Do

2010-06-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was a slow day around these parts (family in town until Monday). This weekend will be too (buddy's getting married). But Never on IR will be back full-time by Monday, or Tuesday at the very latest. (Hopefully your reaction to that news will be nothing like the ones you see above.)

Thanks for clicking this way for the last few days. I'll strive to keep you coming back next week and beyond. I know some of you may be sent this way via Facebook, Twitter, or BallHype, but please feel free to comment directly on the site. It's open to anyone and anonymous commentary is accepted. (I'll even chime in.) Also, I encourage anyone to send any ideas to tips@neveronir.com. And if you like what you see, tell your friends. (Sorry, shameless plug. I know.) Enjoy the World Cup.

[Big Baby's drool via, a startled Sheed via]

Ron Artest Compares His Defensive Prowess to Ancient Chinese Maneuver, Keeps Sports Journalists Happy

2010-06-10T09:37:00.000-07:00

The internet and Ron Artest are the perfect pair. If this man had played in the NBA just 15 years ago we would not have come to know everything about his eccentric lifestyle. Luckily, he plays in today's information age. The latest nuttiness comes from a comment made to Fanhouse regarding Paul Pierce's lack of acknowledgment towards his defensive effort:

"I know how to change a game defensively," Artest said. "I've dominated games defensively, and sometimes people don't see it. It's like that Chinese death blow hit. You don't feel until it's in you, and five seconds later, you kind of die. I forget the name of it, but it's a death blow."

I'm sure it's a death blow, Ron. Please, do us all a favor, never change.

[Image via]

LeBron-O-Rama (Sorta, Maybe): Brooklyn New Jersey Nets Hire Avery Johnson as Head Coach

2010-06-10T08:20:00.000-07:00

Not the splashiest hire, but certainly one that makes sense from a basketball standpoint, especially for a team like the Nets (12 wins last year!). Avery Johnson confirmed it with his employers, and the rest of the world, by speaking with Hannah Storm on Wednesday afternoon. The deal is said to be for three years. Of course, one question led to another, and next thing you know he's being asked about LeBron. After the recent tampering fines leveled on Mark Cuban and Steve Kerr, Johnson was smart, replying, "Who are you talking about?" Congratulations are in order for a genuinely good guy in Johnson, but it's most definitely a sad day for anyone who enjoyed watching the Toyota Halftime show during those Jazz/Warriors Friday night games in the middle of January who couldn't wait to hear him laugh at a terrible joke from Jalen Rose.

In other LeBron coaching-related news, Tom Izzo has told his team that he is mulling over the Cavs offer.

[Image: AP]

USC Getting The NCAA Hammer Today. No, Really. This Time It's True

2010-06-10T06:23:00.000-07:00

We've been through this a number of times over the last few weeks, so I won't believe it until I see video of an actual press conference announcing it. Both ESPN Los Angeles and the LA Times say the NCAA will finally come down on USC today. Among the alleged sanctions are a 2-year bowl ban (now a big deal with all the expansion talk), a loss in scholarships (Lane Kiffin and recruiting extraordinaire Ed Orgeron will find a way around it), and having to vacate its wins from the season(s) in question (2004 at the very least). So, yes the NCAA does have some teeth. If these unnamed sources from both reports are correct, USC athletic director Mike Garrett should consider resigning because it is hard to imagine him keeping his job for much longer. Then again, this is the University of Spoiled Children, so different rules always apply.

[Photo of AD Mike Garrett via LA Times]

Nebraska and Texas Hold Future of College Athletics in Their Hands, Conferencesplosion Likely to Get Even Messier [UPDATE: Colorado Buffs Accept Pac-10 Invitation]

2010-06-10T06:00:00.000-07:00

Everyday a new report surfaces stating what timetable the Big Ten and Pac-10 are following in their expansion pursuits. It appears as if the day has finally arrived, though. Multiple sources (Chicago Tribune, Orangebloods.com) are labeling Nebraska's move to the Big Ten virtually finalized. The Lawrence Journal-World has learned that "It's a done deal." With NU out the door, those six teams who were invited to join the Pac-10 are now probably headed in that direction. Assuming of course that Texas is convinced enough, after Nebraska's departure, to head out west. And this is where things get even more complicated.

After the Nebraska "done deal" stories came out late Wednesday, the Pac-16 was beginning to look like a done deal, with Colorado reportedly already being offered an invitation, according to ESPN. [UPDATE: CU is gone to the Pac-10, formal announcement coming at 11 local time in Boulder.] Per the World Wide Leader, Pac-10 officials prefer CU over Baylor due to its presence in the Denver market. No brainer there. The same report claims that despite being split into two divisions, the newly formed behemoth would like to have both division champions receive automatic BCS bids, instead of staging a conference championship game. So, not only would teams from opposite divisions rarely play each other during the regular season, but they wouldn't even meet to decide who's heading to Pasadena?

Part of the Pac-16 deal is obviously to bring along Texas A&M. Unless of course the SEC has anything to say about it. Sports Illustrated's Andy Staples says that SEC officials reached out to A&M "months ago" regarding a potential move east. Officials from both Texas schools are scheduled to meet today to discuss all the possibilities. The Aggies could simply be trying to hold on the Big 12, sans Nebraska, and be using this supposed SEC invitation as leverage. From a competitive standpoint a move east doesn't make much sense for the boys in College Station, but the SEC would love to have a team in Texas not only for an expansion to its wallet, but for its recruiting hotbed as well. Or, if this is real, would Texas consider joining the SEC as well? Doubtful. It's one thing to have to compete with USC, but adding Florida, LSU, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and/or Auburn to your schedule is a whole different animal.

Let's assume Nebraska accepts a bid to join the Big Ten and the Pac-16 goes on as planned (none of this would actually take place on the field for at least two more years, making for a presumably awkward period from here until then). Later on, the Big Ten could arrive at 14, or 16, (and demand two BCS bids) teams with the likes of Missouri, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh, and/or Rutgers as possible additions, but unless something radical happens over the next 24 hours or so, it will take place in gradual steps over the next few years.

For now, Mizzou would be left out of both expansion scenarios. They would most definitely hold out for as long as possible in hopes of getting invited to the Big Ten. There's also already a rumor floating around that of the actual leftovers, Kansas and Kansas State could receive some consideration from the Big East. That's assuming, the Big Ten or the ACC (in a reactionary last-ditch effort) don't completely dismantle the conference. As for Iowa State and Baylor, welcome to Conference USA.

The most interesting thing about all of this, though, is that the SEC wouldn't really need to expand in any of these scenarios. In terms of adding large television markets the only teams that would make sense are Texas and/or Texas A&M. But that doesn't seem as likely. Florida State would be stupid to leave the ACC and Clemson, Georgia Tech, and Miami don't seem to be worth the trouble. Regardless, though, the most successful conference in football wouldn't stand idle as the rest of the world changes around it.

So by 2016 we could be looking at 14-16 team conferences in the Pac-10, Big 10, SEC, and ACC. Or of course, there's a chance today's meetings down in the Lone Star State lead to the survival of the Big 12. In which case, Colorado and Utah might be the only teams joining the Pac-10 and the Mountain West and/or Conference USA might get raided in order to fill out the Big 12.

I'm going to go take an Advil.

[Image: Getty]

Enjoy the Stanley Cup Tonight, but Before You Do Watch This Brazilian Butt Figting Dance

2010-06-09T14:38:00.000-07:00

YouTube Video
I saw this on The Daily Show earlier today. The dance is apparently all the rage down in Brazil. A bit NSFW, maybe. We'll see if Robinho chooses to celebrate in a similar fashion after scoring a goal in this year's World Cup...Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals tonight. A full slate of baseball too.

[Programming Notes: Links @ Lunch has been scrapped. But like anything, if you find something of note send it this way: tips@neveronir.com]

Oregon QB Jeremiah Masoli Is An Absolute Moron, Gets Kicked Off Team

2010-06-09T14:13:00.000-07:00

It seems as if stealing valuables from a frat house wasn't enough fun for Jeremiah Masoli. Per the Portland Oregonian, earlier this week, he was pulled over by a police officer after not stopping when pulling out of a driveway. What did the officer find in Masoli's ride? Oh, nothing. Just a little bit of weed. Head coach Chip Kelly, who despite having to deal with this idiot and the whole LeGarette Blount situation led his team to a Rose Bowl last season and brings back a formidable squad, is understandably unhappy.

"He knew what he had at stake," Kelly told The Oregonian. "We set parameters for him and it was up to him to make sure that he followed through. We had a plan in place, he had an opportunity to come back in 2011 and he failed to do the things that he needed to do."

The funniest part about all of this though, is another note buried in this story:

Reports indicate that Darron Thomas, one of the quarterbacks competing to succeed Masoli as the starter, was also in the car.

[Image: Getty]

Thief Does Like Entourage's Turtle, Returns Ron Dayne's Goods in Plastic Bag

2010-06-09T12:27:00.000-07:00

Poor Ron Dayne. NFL washout. Dude still lives in his college town long after his playing days. And the recent victim of a theft involving a memento to his glory days at Wisconsin. Well according to CBS Sports, those stolen Rose Bowl rings have been returned. Anonymously. In a plastic bag at his Madison apartment. No confirmation yet on whether or not Dom was given an escape vehicle or Vinny still couldn't get the movie.

[Image via]

Argentina Prepares for World Cup with Firing Squad

2010-06-09T11:05:00.000-07:00

h&amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;YouTube Video&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;&amp;amp;amp;lt;/p&amp;amp;amp;gt;

The always eccentric, but ever entertaining, Diego Maradona knows how to get his team ready for the world's greatest stage. He places his players in front of a firing squad.

(H/T The Spoiler)

Baltimore Orioles Poised to Rid Baseball Tonight Watchers of Their Collective Misery, Hire Bobby Valentine

2010-06-09T10:16:00.000-07:00

The Baltimore Sun is reporting that the Orioles have two primary candidates in mind as they try to fill their vacant managing position. O's execs are considering former Cleveland Indians skipper Eric Wedge, and in what should be music to everyone's ears, current ESPN ~~buffoon~~ analyst and former Mets manager Bobby Valentine. Here's hoping the latter happens.

[Photo: Mandatory Mustache]

LeBron-O-Rama: Owner Dan Gilbert Not Consulting with His Star, Amare Opting Out

2010-06-09T09:10:00.000-07:00

LeBron-O-Rama follows the off season travails of the one and only LeBron Raymone James. And by extension, everything done by the likes of Chicago, Miami, New York, New Jersey, et al, in pursuit of James and the rest of the 2010 free agent class. Much of it is rumor and almost all of it won't happen. But that's not the point. Like his pregame antics, this may get old and go on long into the summer (well, at least the getting old part is true), but LeBron-O-Rama will be here for as long as it takes. Enter (basically, just keep reading this post), as King James and perhaps your team's future await.

It appears as if the Tom Izzo to Cleveland reports are true and the longtime Michigan State coach is seriously considering an offer. But apparently, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert could care less what LeBron thinks about his hiring/firing decisions.

"The concept that LeBron James has been involved in any way, shape or form with firing our head coach, involved in the transition to general manager Chris Grant and will be involved in future coaching decisions and hires is totally, 100 percent and patently false," Gilbert said.

Alright, that's settled then. Doesn't Gilbert sound like a terrible version of Jerry Jones? Watch him lose out on LeBron and go after Rudy Gay and/or Joe Johnson. (Not that either one of them would sign there. Joakim Noah was right, who the hell wants to go to Cleveland?)

In other free agent news, Amare Stoudemire is planning on opting out of his contract in the event that Phoenix doesn't offer him an extension by the end of the month. So at least the Heat have that going for them.

[A contemplating LeBron via Bettors Edge (no clue what that is, BTW)]

Matt Wieters Doesn't Know How to Call Pitches, So Naturally He's a Retard

2010-06-09T08:36:00.000-07:00

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Somewhat lost in all of the Stephen Strasburg hysteria was this clip from MLB Network. ~~Old Hickory, a.k.a. Andrew Jackson~~ Peter Gammons called Matt Wieters the "R" word. Your move Sarah Palin.

(H/T SportsGrid)

Conferencesplosion Coming This Week: Nebraska Breaking Away from Texas, Iowa State Cries Foul

2010-06-09T08:24:00.000-07:00

If you believe all the reports surfacing over the last 24 hours, that "12-18 month window" the Big Ten was supposedly working with has been thrown out. Conference expansion has become a high stakes game, with so many moving parts, that the first group to pounce will reap the most rewards. In fact, we could have some significant changes in the landscape as soon as this week.

Despite a potential Pac-16 being all the rage just a few days ago, it now appears as if the first move may come from the Big Ten. The Omaha World Herald is reporting that Nebraska will accept their invitation as soon as Friday of this week. Missouri would likely head in that direction as well, but university officials have refused to comment so far.

Amid all this speculation, another one of the leftovers, Iowa State, is complaining like the fat kid who got picked last for every game when we were in elementary school. And enlisting the help of their state's governor. Yeah, like that will help.

“There needs to be more fairness in all this to everyone concerned,” [Iowa Gov. Chet] Culver said in an interview Tuesday with the Des Moines Register.

Sorry Governor, but fairness went out the door when Temple was kicked out of the Big East even though the conference could have used a few more teams after being raided by the ACC a few years ago.

So Friday? Okay. Good. Now we know when to clear our schedules.

[Photo: AP]

Stephen Strasburg Has Better Debut than LeBron Did in 2003

2010-06-09T07:23:00.000-07:00

Stephen Strasburg lived up to the hype, and then some. Kid's line: 7 IP, 14 K, 0 BB, 2 R, 4 H. Automatic sellout everywhere he goes from here on out. He summed up his night quite perfectly:

“The only thing I really remember is the first pitch—ball inside— everything else is just such a blur,” Strasburg said. “At one point I lost track of how many innings I threw. I was like, ‘You know what? I’m just going to go out there and have fun.’ It’s amazing."

That noise you just heard, yeah, that's the rest of the league's collective, "Oh s---" moment.

[Strasburg already celebrating rock star status via The Canadian Press]

Tribune Claims that 'Chrissy' Pronger Wears a Skirt When Out on the Ice

2010-06-09T06:52:00.000-07:00

The New York Post is usually quick to use an eye-catching photo to get its readers' attention. Just ask Shane Victorino. But as the image to the right shows, apparently the Chicago Tribune, not local tabloid Sun Times, is getting in that business as well. Chris Pronger was asked about his depiction, but he didn't take the bait, opting for the phrase made famous by Drew Rosenhaus, instead: "Next question."

[Image: ESPN via Chicago Tribune]

Golden Tate Needed to Get His Doughnut On, So What if It Was 3 AM? [UPDATE: Tate was Drunk]

2010-06-09T06:26:00.000-07:00

Seattle Seahawks rookie wideout Golden Tate really likes doughnuts. He really, really, really likes doughnuts. Specifically, maple bars. They're "irresistible," he says. How irresistible? Enough to go to a doughnut shop after hours and eat one. Yes, TMZ has learned that Tate was given a "trespass warning" after he and his friend walked into a Seattle area doughnut shop at 3 a.m. and ate a few. Understandably, after the incident Tate and his pal immediately went back to his parent's basement, finished a bowl and played Halo until dawn. [Update: TMZ has uncovered the 911 tape from a call placed by the night baker, describing Tate and his friend as "drunk" and "acting retarded."]

[Image: Getty]

Washington Nationals Future On Display Tonight, MLB Ecstatic For Sure

2010-06-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

Tonight marks the first on-the-field sign that the Washington Nationals are reviving Major League Baseball in our nation's capital. The off-field maneuvers began last year with the drafting of Stephen Strasburg, and continued last night when they took Bryce Harper first overall. Strasburg will be on a strict pitches/innings count tonight (but it's the Pirates, he should get through six no problem), but Darren Rovell projects a huge financial windfall, for both tonight and the rest of the year, regardless. Suffice to say, if all goes according to plan (and Nats fans better hope that means a few more high draft picks, a la Tampa Bay) baseball will be back in D.C. Think baseball is doing well right now? Wait until there's another eastern seaboard team doing well and a major media market criticizing its every move, and baseball will be real happy then. Also, don't be surprised if ESPN D.C. just so happens to launch around that time as well.

[D.C.'s future hopes and dreams via Real Clear Sports]

College Wrestler Throws Puke-Filled Condoms at Rent-A-Cop. No, Seriously

2010-06-08T14:53:00.000-07:00

A 19-year old freshman wrestler at North Central College in Illinois has been charged with battery and disorderly conduct after attacking a security officer who thought he was responding to a call from a girl needing an escort. (H/T Deadspin) Instead, this happened:

Police said the security officer did not see the female student when he arrived. When he got out of his vehicle to look around for the woman, at least two vomit-filled condoms were thrown at him, police said. The contents of the condoms struck the officer's vehicle and got on the officer's clothes, police said.

Per the Daily Herald, this isn't the kid's first citation since arriving on campus. He was given an M.I.P. last December.

[The culprit via Daily Herald]

Charles Barkley Not a Fan of Michael Jordan's Facial Hair

2010-06-08T14:33:00.000-07:00

The always entertaining Charles Barkley went on Dan Lebatard's radio show and was asked to chime in on the obvious: Celtics/Lakers and the LeBron sweepstakes. He was also asked about Michael Jordan's mustache, as seen in his latest ad spot for Hanes.. The Cuckster doesn't think all too highly of it.

“Hey Dan, I have got to admit when I saw that commercial I had to take a double take…That is one of the stupidest things that I have seen in a long time.

[...]

I was totally in shock and just, I just can’t believe that. That is really not good at all.”

It's too bad this kind of commentary isn't available during the NBA Finals.

[Michael's tiny mustache via Sports Radio Interviews, a shocked Charles via SI]

Links at Lunch: Kid Falls Asleep During Obama Speech, D-Wade wanted in Miami, Nats Big Payday, and Pete Rose Cheated

2010-06-08T11:19:00.000-07:00

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(H/T to Jimmy Traina)

Links @ Lunch will try bring you some of the best of what the World Wide Web of Sports has to offer on any given day. It will usually be posted between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., providing this blogger with some free time to ~~watch TV, browse the internet, lounge around, take a shower~~ attend to some other important matters. Like everything else regarding the site, if you find anything interesting or funny send it this way: tips@neveronir.com. Links after the jump...

Miami is pulling out all the stops to keep D-Wade in town. (Miami Herald)

Aaron Rodgers thinks Tony Kornheiser is "terrible." (The Big Lead)

Pete Rose corked his bat. NO WAY! (Deadspin)

Nats beefing up their bank account big time with Stephen Strasburg debut. (Sports Biz with Darren Rovell)

Hedo Turkoglu wants out of Canada right now. Would like to return to Sacramento. (Woj)

Scientists discover that not looking is beneficial when kicking a penalty kick. (NJ.com)

Fenway Paawk will host a soccer game. (Boston.com)

Even though they've only played five games in the series, Stanley Cup Champions gear is already available. (Puck Daddy)

New Immigration Law Ruins D'Backs Fans Chance at Seeing Hall & Oates

2010-06-08T10:49:00.000-07:00

The new immigration law passed in Arizona has garnered attention throughout the country. And the sports world hasn't been left immune. Baseball is holding its All-Star game there next year and there have already been calls for a boycott. For now, MLB has decided to go on with it. During their playoff run, the Phoenix Suns decided to use jerseys with "Los Suns" written across the front. Now the Arizona Diamondbacks will have to give their fans some bad news because of it. Hall & Oates were set to play at Chase Field on July 3 after the D'Backs finished their game versus the Dodgers, but they decided to cancel their show because of Arizona's controversial decision. According to unconfirmed reports, when asked to comment, the 80s rock icons replied, "I Can't Go For That (No Can Do)."

[Hall & Oates via AJC blog Radio & TV talk]

The Latest Conferencesplosion Details: Big 12 Staying in Tact, Notre Dame & Syracuse a Packaged Deal

2010-06-08T10:00:00.000-07:00

The conference expansion merry go round is still in full swing. One report already has Pac-10 commissioner Larry Scott sending out invitations to six Big 12 schools as early as this week. He just can't decide between Colorado and Baylor. As we await what could potentially be the largest change in collegiate athletics history, it seems that some ~~of the would be leftovers~~ schools are getting a bit sad about possibly dismantling the Big 12.
Baylor President Ken Star would rather have nothing happen:

"The Baylor nation is really standing up of one cheerful accord and saying Baylor must remain in the Big 12 and let's keep the Big 12 together," he said.

Of course, in the event something major does happen, they want in. The Dallas Morning News obtained an email from Baylor Regent Buddy Jones, which stated the following:

"We cannot let the other schools in Texas (A&M, U.T., Tech) leave the Big XII WITHOUT BAYLOR BEING INCLUDED IN THE PACKAGE. Long and short – if U.T., A&M and Tech demand that any move to any other conference include ALL TEXAS BASED TEAMS from the Big XII, we are golden. We need to be in a PACKAGE DEAL!"

Jones's emails also address the Nebraska issue (I said yesterday that they were "hardly [a] main money driver" to emphasize how important Texas was in all of this, but UT seems to be content with staying where they are only if NU stays.):

"It's hard enough get the home teams to stick tight. But harder still to influence a bunch of corn shuckers."

Likewise, Kansas, who despite arguably being one of the top five basketball programs in the history of college hoops is most certainly one of the odd men out in any scenario, doesn't want to see any changes. How much so? Their chancellor has been reduced to begging her northern division brethren to not bolt for the Big Ten.

Due to all the talk, and lack of a solution, Mountain West officials have opted to stay put for now. (Sorry Boise State.) But one interesting tidbit did come out of their recent meetings. An actual mountain west (region, not conference) school was discussed.

Asked if Colorado specifically came up in the discussions, [MWC Commissioner Craig] Thompson said, "Yes".

So CU has options now in the event that Baylor dumps them from being in a Pac-16.

Then there's the whole Big Ten situation. We know Nebraska and Missouri seem to already have at least one foot out the door of the Big 12, but is the other one already in the Big Ten? According to CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd Notre Dame is still the apple of the Big Ten's eye and the quickest way to get Touchdown Jesus on board would be to dismantle the Big East, leaving a depleted conference in which ND would refuse to play its other sports. In Dodd's scenario a combination of Rutgers or Pittsburgh (or both) along with Syracuse might be enough to persuade the Golden Domers.

Nothing has happened just yet. As the days and weeks go on, it seems like everyone is too afraid to pull the trigger.

Kid's at the Ballpark, Who Cares if He Has a Beer?

2010-06-07T15:36:00.000-07:00

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I will bid you adieu with the greatest video you will see today. A Phillies fan, who, as you can see, was born in the aughts (a.k.a he's not exactly 21), drinking a beer. Atta kid. Excellent parenting, by the way. No one around him even notices. Gotta start 'em early I guess. Your options for tonight are local baseball broadcasts or Padres/Phillies on ESPN.

(Video via The Fightins, H/T to Deadspin)

Thanks for riding along on this first day back. We'll see if it's this busy as the week goes on.

Getting Deported from South Africa: Argentine Soccer Fanatics Wanting to Take It Up A Notch

2010-06-07T15:14:00.000-07:00

There are unruly fans in every sport, but soccer aficionados usually take the cake. If you need proof go no further than here and here. In case that doesn't convince you, the following story should. Ten Argentine soccer "hooligans" (the AP's word, not mine) arrived in South Africa with the sole intention of ruining the World Cup through acts of violence.

"Intelligence indicated that these persons would commit acts of public disorder, engage in acts of violence and provoke conflict with certain fans of opponent teams and other groups from Argentina during the 2010 FIFA World Cup,'' the statement said.

Local police said that one of the men who was apprehended had recently been released on bail after a murder charge. The World Cup truly brings out the absolute best in all of us. That's two soccer hooligan stories on the first day the site is back and I get the feeling there will be plenty more over the next month or so.

[A presumably better looking Argentine fan than the ones being deported via soccersfunny.com]

Kentucky Grad Assistant Tries to Live up to Billy Gillispie's Name, Gets Arrested in Ill-Advised Pursuit

2010-06-07T14:51:00.000-07:00

Another University of Kentucky coach finds himself in hot water after throwing down a little too hard over the weekend. At least in football grad assistant Matt McCutchan's case, he wasn't behind the wheel. He decided to rage in the stairwell of a Hampton Inn, instead. Classy. McCutchan was booked for alcohol intoxication and released after eight hours in the slammer. He has yet to comment. No surprise there, dude must have a wicked hangover.

(H/T to Frat House Sports)

[Random guy passed out in a hotel hallway via]

Rockies' Ubaldo Jimenez Baffling Hitters, Challenging Marks Set By All-Time Greats

2010-06-07T14:19:00.000-07:00

Ubaldo Jimenez is having a truly magical season. After yesterday afternoon's victory in Arizona, the young Dominican's record stands at 11-1. Both his E.R.A. and WHIP are a microscopic 0.93. He's stranding over 92 percent of his base runners, while the league hits a minuscule .174 against him. In the increasingly popular sabermetric world he stands as such: 2.71 FIP (basically a measure of E.R.A. based on what a pitcher does alone without considering his defense's actions), which is good for fifth in the majors; and he's already racked up 3 WAR, which is second only to fellow 2010 no-hit hurler Roy Halladay. Despite giving up two runs in the bottom of the 8th yesterday, this phenom now holds the Colorado Rockies record for consecutive shutout innings at 33. Seven innings prior to that, Jimenez accomplished a first in this season of all seasons, he loaded the bases.

[The 2010 NL Cy Young Award Winner via Rockies Review]

Stephon Marbury Gives Ridiculous Answer to Question Regarding How Ridiculous He Is

2010-06-07T12:02:00.000-07:00

YouTube Video

At one point I honestly thought Stephon Marbury and Kevin Garnett could be a more athletic, though likely not as successful, version of Stockton and Malone. Then Marbury got traded all over the place, became a salary cap albatross in New York, and as you can see in the video above, decided to go on USTREAM and record himself doing some of the most bizarre things imaginable. He now finds himself playing basketball in China. While, his former running mate is three wins away from a second NBA title. But back to Starbury. He recently spoke to Harcore Sports Radio about, among other things, why he doesn't think he's completely out of his mind.

"I think for the most part, people see the basketball, they see what people say on T.V., they hear what people say on the radio, they watch Starbury T.V. and are like he’s crazy. But what’s crazy? I mean, I don’t know really what’s crazy anymore. Then on T.V., they show two girls kissing each other and they show two dudes kissing each other – and I’m like you calling me crazy? I’m not saying that’s right or wrong, I’m saying the people that’s putting that out there, I’m like how are you calling me crazy."

Umm...what? Yeah, there really isn't any sensible response to that.

Links @ Lunch: Rajon Rondo Curses, Tiger Happy Being Average, and Some Soccer Stuff

2010-06-07T10:44:00.000-07:00

YouTube Video
NSFW remarks from Rondo/Nate Robinson (H/T YBB)

Links @ Lunch will try bring you some of the best of what the World Wide Web of Sports has to offer on any given day. It will usually be posted between 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., providing this blogger with some free time to ~~watch TV, browse the internet, lounge around, take a shower~~ attend to some other important matters. Like everything else regarding the site, if you find anything interesting or funny send it this way: tips@neveronir.com. Links after the jump...

Brazilian President won't mind if the Argentine national team gets laid. A-LOT. (The Spoiler)

Tiger seems to be lowering his expectations. (USA Today)

Watched a few moments of last night's Stanley Cup Finals game, still not qualified to utter anything about this sport. So I'll leave game five's recap to somebody else. (Puck Daddy)

FIFA rankings have no bearing on World Cup Results (WSJ)

LeBron-O-Rama: Good Friend Jay-Z says he won't get involved. (NYDN)

Mel-O-Rama: Carmelo Anthony talks contract extension. Oh no, here we go. (Ken Berger)

Counting down the best hair-dos from the '94 World Cup. (Joe Sports Fan)

Let the scandals begin: controversy surrounding USA-England ref. (TSB)

Brewers Minor League Affiliate using BP Oil Spill as Gimmick, Still Stink

2010-06-07T10:12:00.000-07:00

The massive oil spill in the Gulf has been drawing our attention for well over a month now. It's officially the largest oil spill in U.S. history and neither the government, nor British Petroleum have been able to find a way to stop it.

Thus, the term BP has become synonymous with everything that's bad about multinational corporations.

As a result, in what could only be found endearing at the minor league level, the Brevard County Manatees of the Florida State League (a Milwaukee Brewers Single-A affiliate) have decided to stop referring to batting practice as BP. In fact, they're scrapping the name altogether, deciding to refer to their pre-game plate tuneup as a "hitting rehearsal." Manatees GM Kyle Smith wants to make sure everyone knows where the team stands.

"We hope to send a message to the community that we are definitely worried with the pollution that is in the waters off the Gulf Coast and its potential impact on the beaches here in Brevard County."

No word yet if the residents of Brevard County will flock to these "rehearsal[s]," or if the change in name will improve the Manatees' 3rd-to-last .644 OPS, let alone their 20-35 record.

[BC Mantees logo via Wikipedia, Oil gushing out via Reuters]

SB Nation Going Head-to-Head with Boys in Bristol

2010-06-07T10:10:00.000-07:00

SB Nation prides itself on being the voice of the fan. If you read a team-specific (and likely, heavily biased) blog, chances are its part of SB Nation. There was obviously a need for such content and SBN has been wildly successful in its pursuits. How successful? Starting today, the network is launching regional sites, a la ESPN. (Comcast and Fox Sports have made similar attempts at branding their regional television networks in an online format, with varying degrees of success.)

Budget cuts at newspapers have forced a lot of changes to the country's sports pages over the last few years, and local, digital outlets have been able to fill in that void. For the traditional outlets that can survive, sites like ESPN Cities are proving to be a worthy adversary. How well SBN will do is anyone's guess. The New York Times piece will certainly garner some curiosity today. Here's hoping it lasts.

This is yet another step in what some might call the merger of the blog world with the main stream media. Truth is, quality writing is relevant no matter where it's coming from. And if SBN can be successful, it bodes well for the rest of us.

[Screen grab via SBNation.com]

Hooliganism not Exclusive to Soccer, Greek Basketball Fans Go Berserk

2010-06-07T09:16:00.000-07:00

Greece is going through some really hard economic times right now. (Who isn't?) So much so, that the EU and IMF had to bail the country out and they may have to give up on the Euro all together. But I won't bore you with the economic details. Like anyone caught in the doldrums, Greeks enjoy going to a nearby stadium or arena to watch some friendly competition. On Sunday that meant attending a playoff game at Olympiakos's home arena as they took on Panathinaikos. The home team found itself down by eight in the third quarter, so naturally its fans decided to unleash fireworks and "projectiles." But Europeans are used to this kind of craziness, right? Happens all the time. Sometimes more than once per event:

It was not the first time during the game.

[...]

The game had started 40 minutes late after more than 200 Olympiakos fans without tickets invaded the arena and clashed with riot police who used tear gas.

South African soccer fans, I raise you a couple hundred nutty Greeks.

[Photo: GreekReporter.com]

LeBron-O-Rama: Bulls hire new Coach, Cavs want Tom Izzo

2010-06-07T08:35:00.000-07:00

LeBron-O-Rama follows the off season travails of the one and only LeBron Raymone James. And by extension, everything done by the likes of Chicago, Miami, New York, New Jersey, et al, in pursuit of James and the rest of the 2010 free agent class. Much of it is rumor and almost all of it won't happen. But that's not the point. Like his pregame antics, this may get old and go on long into the summer (well, at least the getting old part is true), but LeBron-O-Rama will be here for as long as it takes. Enter (basically, just keep reading this post), as King James and perhaps your team's future await.

The first domino in the free agent frenzy has fallen. Over the weekend the Chicago Bulls hired Tom Thibodeau as their next head coach. Thibodeau is known as the defensive guru behind the Celtics recent success. His agent is none other than LeBron pal, and behind-the-scenes basketball matchmaker, World Wide Wes. Citing league higher ups, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports says Bulls brass wasn't even all that convinced that Thibodeau was worth the risk (18-year assistant). Some even believe the chess pieces will all be in place prior to the start of free agency:

As one front-office executive with a franchise that has significant salary-cap space this summer said, “I think all the big free-agent deals will be done by July 1, if not the draft. The NBA would have a cow if [it] knew what’s going on now.”

How does Cavs owner Dan Gilbert counteract that move? By making an even splashier hire. John Calipari? Staying in Lexington (we'll see for how long). Larry Brown? Apparently happily employed by Michael Jordan. Phil Jackson? You're kidding, right? Tom Izzo? HA! Eh, maybe not so funny after all. One report speaks of an offer already on the table.

If the offer has been made, LeBron's ears are sure to perk up. If Izzo surprises everyone and actually accepts a deal, he might pull a Nick Saban and run back to the college ranks quickly. See, according to Woj, working for Gilbert might not be worth it even with a huge salary (unless your name is LeBron):

[Gilbert] behaved like the permissive parent who believed his kid would love him more if he spoiled him rotten. And it got the Cavs a superstar, James, who never respected anyone and a cast of associates who had the run of the place.

So this is where we stand: two cities hitching their wagon to one player and trying to up the ante one potentially ill-advised move at a time. All the while, the reigning two time MVP sits in his castle hoarding all the attention away from the NBA Finals.

[A contemplating LeBron via Bettors Edge (no clue what that is, BTW)]

Uber-Conferencesplosion on Its Way, Who Will Blink First: Big Ten or Pac-10?

2010-06-07T07:21:00.000-07:00

Who knew the so-called "domino effect" pertained to conference expansion and not communism or nuclear proliferation?

We've been at this for months. First, it was the Big Ten hoping to strong arm its way into finally welcoming Notre Dame among its member schools. Then things quieted down for a bit. Soon thereafter, Missouri, Nebraska and Rutgers practically let the world know they would gladly join Michigan and Ohio State tomorrow if they could. Nothing happened. Later on, every conference commissioner (even Big ~~Joke~~ East head honcho John Marinatto) basically came out of the wood work and said they were monitoring the situation closely and were not going to be sitting by the sidelines. Eventually, it became pretty obvious that Texas was the biggest get in any of these discussions. Fast forward to today and you've now got Pac-10 schools giving their commissioner approval to pursue expansion. This comes less than 72 hours after rumors began to fly that there would soon be a Pac-16 that stretched from L.A. to Stillwater, Lubbock to Seattle. Oh, if it were only that simple.

Despite the potential of six Big 12 schools (Colorado, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, Texas A&M, and Texas Tech) heading west, reports began to surface on Sunday that the conference had given an ultimatum to Nebraska and Missouri (hardly the main money drivers in any of these scenarios, but whatever). They have two weeks to decide whether they're in or out. Presumably, Big 12 officials would look to expand themselves in the event that only those two left. But all indications are that Colorado is dying to add the likes of UCLA and Cal as hated rivals. Unless Baylor officials and Texas legislators have something to say about it. Confused yet?

This is where it gets fun. Just like a decade and a half or so ago, when the Big 12 was carved out of the Big 8 and the old Southwest Conference, no one will get Texas unless it brings along its two ugly stepsisters, Baylor and Texas Tech. So Colorado, sorry but you might just be left in no man's land. Don't worry though, misery loves company, it's called Kansas, Kansas State, and Iowa State.

Presumably, the best football conference in the country, the SEC, would not be left in the dust. They might be able to offer Texas and/or Texas A&M a sweeter deal. Of course, both Oklahoma schools would probably want to head in whatever direction those Lone Star State institutions (funny, but true, academics do have a say in all of this) head. Or, the SEC could poach the ACC (Florida State and Clemson), creating another domino effect east of the Mississippi.

There's also a chance that expansion would be minimal. The Big Ten could get an answer to its long time prayers and simply go to 12 by adding the Golden Domers, while Colorado and Utah (Remember that rumor from a few months ago? Yeah, I almost forgot too.) become new members of what would likely be known as the Pac-12. On an even less earth shattering scale, there are also talks of the Pac-10 and Big 12 simply joining forces to create a network and agree in principle on more inter-conference matchups in football (despite little fan fare, they already participate in an inter-conference showdown in basketball).

Oh, I almost forgot: Boise State is expected to get an invitation to join the Mountain West at some point this week.

Also, by the time you read this post everything has probably changed and there are completely new scenarios being discussed.

I don't know about you, but my head just exploded.

[Likely destruction of life as we know it via GifFlix.com]

Terrible Soccer Teams' Zany Fans Don't Understand How to Get in Line for Tickets

2010-06-07T07:14:00.000-07:00

The World Cup is set to begin Friday when Mexico takes on host country South Africa. As the first event of this magnitude held there, security concerns have been an issue since the Rainbow Nation was awarded the 2010 World Cup a few years back. This being the country's coming out party, peace and quiet in the days leading up to the opening game were probably in order. Except somebody forgot to tell that to fans at an exhibition game between Nigeria and North Korea on Sunday. See, FIFA opted to make tickets for this game free. What happens when you combine that with thousands of rabid soccer fans?

"large groups of people gathered outside the gates wanting to come in and wanting to get free tickets. Unfortunately in the process, the gates were opened and there was a stampede," [police spokesman Lt. Col. Eugene] Opperman said.

According to the report a total of 15 people were injured. FIFA claims this has no bearing on the tournament and it is "fully confident" the Cup will go on without a hitch. But the AP's story didn't end there. Nope, apparently they're in the comedy writing business as well:

Such chaos is not uncommon to soccer.

[Photo: Associated Press]

Rajon Rando Continues Triple-Double Obsession, Celtics Tie Series with 103-94 Win

2010-06-07T06:44:00.000-07:00

Ray Allen set a new record for 3-pointers in an NBA Finals game with eight. (He was held in check after halftime, though, scoring only 5 points and sinking only one of his 3-point attempts.) Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett were non-existent on the offensive end (4-16 shooting). Kobe Bryant (caught in foul trouble throughout, did not play well) hit a clutch three in the closing seconds of the first half, swinging the momentum towards the Lakers. L.A. followed that up with a 9-2 run to begin the third quarter and go up 57-56, forcing the Celtics to call a timeout. Andrew Bynum (21 pts, 6 reb, 7 blk) and Pau Gasol (25, 8, and 6) were outstanding on both ends of the floor.

But none of it mattered in the end. A tight game came down to one man: Rajon Rando. He had 10 of his 19 points in the final six minutes, to go along with a key block on Derek Fisher's shot with 2:07 left (Boston was only up by three at that point) and stealing the ball away from Kobe inside of a minute to play. Rondo also recorded his fifth career playoff triple-double. So no surprise here, headed to Beantown knotted up at one.

Quick thoughts after two games: Is Kobe's ridiculous playoff run cooling off? Nah. Can the C's win three more games with an ineffective Pierce? No way. Will Lamar Odom show up in Boston? Doubt it. Will Khloe come along for the ride? Let's hope so (see next question). More importantly, will she bring her sisters? Please do! Hopefully Andy Garcia (click the link, it's funny) won't be making the trip, though.

[Photo: Getty]

[To quote Ed Helms's character in The Hangover, "We are back...we are back!" Yup, Never on IR has returned. With a move to Syracuse in a few weeks, the start of grad school shortly thereafter, and a few other things going on, the number and frequency of posts will vary greatly from day to day.]

It's Been Fun

2009-11-11T11:22:00.000-08:00

For the few of you who happen to stumble upon this site from time to time, I say thank you. Blogging has been a great experience. What started as an occasionally updated site in June turned into a daily and frequent thing over the last couple of months. And I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did.

As you can see, there hasn't been an update in well over a week and it will likely remain that way for the foreseeable future. The truth is that as much as I was enjoying this experience, reality has begun to set it. I need a job. The journalism field has always been a tough one to crack and now it's only harder. Spending hours upon hours at my desk to keep NoIR new and fresh certainly provided a bit of exposure and kept me busy. But it also left me little time to go out and look for an everyday job, which until now was something I was trying to avoid - hoping a "real" journalism job would come calling soon. (I say "real" because of perception, not to put down anyone who blogs. This IS by all means REAL journalism, even if some don't agree.) I'm not giving up on that goal by any means, but for the time being NoIR will be on an extended hiatus.

Does that mean the site may never come back? Maybe, but it doesn't mean my blogging days are over. I have an entirely new found respect for those who have wholeheartedly embraced this medium and thus, significantly changed the landscape of both the internet and journalism. It truly takes quite a bit of hard work and dedication to run your own site and provide quality content to your readers.

So for now this isn't a "good-bye," but simply, a "see you later."

(Yes, I couldn't bow out without giving you something to look at, so the lovely Hayden Panettiere should suffice. FYI, if you'd like to keep up with some of the same sports commentary, albeit not as frequent, feel free to follow me on twitter @lozotweets.)

Friday Link Scene: NFL Pick 'Em Week 9, Green Bay Mayor has too much time on his hands, and NBA team logos

2009-10-30T16:40:00.000-07:00

She should be hired as a new SEC official...The week has come to a close. Basketball tonight, college pigskin tomorrow afternoon, the Favre Bowl on Sunday, and the World Series continues from Philly, all this weekend. More importantly, though, tomorrow's Halloween. So before I leave you I have a few tidbits. First, if you have a few too many adult beverages and do something that is "frowned upon" remember that those court ordered community service hours might be thrown out if you offer the judge some chicken wings. And second, also concerning the consumption of those adult beverages, just because she's dressed as Eve it doesn't mean she's not actually a Steve...

This week's NFL picks come in rapid fire fashion. Here we go: Seahawks over Cowboys, Colts over 49ers, Jets over Dolphins, Giants over Eagles, Broncos over Ravens, Packers over Vikings, and Saints over Falcons.

No one is more excited for the return of Benedict Arnold to Green Bay than the town's mayor. (Sportress of Blogitude)

This is what hard work and dedication can lead to. (The Chive)

There might be a way to hit against Mariano Rivera, Erin Andrews, and Caroline Wozniacki after the jump.

The most vociferous of sports owners weighs in on Dan Snyder. (DC Sports Bog)

A strategy that might work against Mariano Rivera. (Baseball Musings)

A video essay of how Bud Selig and Jay-Z came together for last night's pregame concert. (Big League Stew)

You might like Erin Andrews assistant. (Busted Coverage)

Terry Bowden may be coming to a campus near you. (Times Daily)

So people do care about hockey. (Sports Media Watch)

The lovely Caroline Wozniacki is in an awkward photo opp. (Guyism)

No one's ever too old to bring a glove to the ballpark. (Joe Sports Fan)

What NBA team logos should really look like. (Page 2)

Dodger Blues

2009-10-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

The Los Angeles Dodgers are out of the playoffs and the big story involving the team now centers around the ugly divorce the owners, Frank and Jamie McCourt, are going through. So, naturally, the complaining is at an all-time high. Veteran LA Times' scribe, and Around the Horn blowhard, Bill Plaschke decided to pour it on today:

And, really, as embarrassing as the McCourts have behaved toward each other, has it been any worse than watching violent fans roam Dodger Stadium while celebrated stoner Snoop Dogg promotes the team on the video board?

By the time the McCourts started one divorce, another was already being finalized, between the team and the values that once made it so special.

Plaschke also complains about the team's thriftiness and coddling of Manny Ramirez. The column is titled "Dodgers' owner really cheated on fans," which is pretty funny because the fans came out in droves this season at Chavez Ravine and loved everything Manny-related, even after the PEDs suspension. It actually sounds more like they cheated on an aging writer's ideals.

After Reviewing the Play, The Ruling on the Field Stands

2009-10-30T10:56:00.000-07:00

Baseball has come under fire this postseason because of a number of terrible calls made by umpires both in the division series and championship series. Last night Jorge Posada was doubled up on a ball that bounced right before it hit Ryan Howard's glove and was ruled a line drive. To the naked eye, especially at game speed, it looked like Howard caught it cleanly, but the play only adds fodder for the replay crowd to keep complaining and asking for a change. Somewhere between the "red flag challenge" group and the "let's not change anything" group lies a happy medium where replay is extended for all boundary calls, not just home runs. Just don't put Bud Selig into either of those camps. Per ESPN's Jim Caple,

"The more baseball people I talk to, there is a lot of trepidation about it and I think their trepidation is fair," Selig told reporters before Game 2 of the World Series on Thursday. "I've spent a lot of time [on this] over the past month and will spend a lot of time in the ensuing months as well. I don't want to overreact. You can make light of that but when you start to think you're going to have more intrusions -- and even if their good intrusions -- it's something that you have to be very careful about. Affecting the game on the field is not something I really want to do."

Baseball, even when it's broke, we don't fix it.

Morning Musings: Game 2, Thursday Night Football, Baby Bulls, and other Thoughts

2009-10-30T07:00:00.000-07:00

Add another show to Thursday's already great lineup. FX's The League debuted last night and looks pretty promising. It revolves around a group of friends' fantasy football obsession. Very funny pilot episode, hopefully it'll continue to be as good. If you missed it, you're in luck. It's on cable, which means FX will have it on a number of times from now until the second episode. Plus, the always easy on the eyes Leslie Bibb is in it...

All Even: Pedro pitched well, but not well enough. A.J. Burnett was great and Rivera did what he always does. A win's a win, but the Yanks can't be all that encouraged with their hitting after two games. They're only reaching base at a .246 clip and are 1-9 with runners in scoring position. The warmer temperatures in Philly over the weekend should wake up the bats. The Phillies supposed weakness, their bullpen, has been a big part of their success these playoffs, and it continued last night with two scoreless innings, on two hits, no walks, and four strikeouts.

Game 3: Andy Pettite and Cole Hamels will be on the hill Saturday. The former's looked like the playoff performer he was in the 90s, while the latter has been knocked around this postseason. Philadelphia was better on the road than they were at home this year, plus there should be plenty of NY fans in attendance. I'm expecting more of a 5-4 type game.

ACC Race: Beamer ball can kiss any BCS at-large hopes they may have had good-bye now. The costly fumble by Ryan Williams gives them three losses for the season. Barring a complete collapse from Georgia Tech, a secondary bowl is in store for these Hockies. Ever since Michael Vick left for the NFL, it seems like this team has huge preseason expectations and never quite lives up to them. This year was no different. (Yes, I know they've won the ACC a number of times, but people have had national title game expectations for this team and they have never come to fruition.)

Baby Bulls: a healthy Luol Deng will be a world of difference for Chicago this year. Fans at the United Center must be happy to see a Hinrich/Rose back court work so well together. Rose is more of a slasher and Hinrich is more of an outside shooter, while both can create their own shots, and more importantly, set up their teammates. Chicago was also able to frustrate Parker, Manu, and Richard Jefferson, forcing Tim Duncan to be the focal point for the Spurs on offense.That formula won't work for the aging Spurs.

Melo: big night for TNT's Kenny Smith's MVP pick. They're 2-0 now, but the Nuggets need a secondary scorer. Billups may have had 22, but that was on an off shooting night in which he was bailed out by going to the line a dozen times. That won't always be the case. This team should be much better than +4 when Carmelo's on the floor pouring it on with 41 points. Second night in a row Greg Oden does his thing, and Brandon Roy always shows up in these big games, doesn't he?

Quick Hits:

I won't give the release of the college basketball preseason polls too much attention. Unlike football, the season, and postseason, isn't dictated by the polls. That being said, there are six teams from the Big Ten and five teams from the Big East, for those keeping score.

Maurice Jones-Drew is getting some attention for saying that his Jaguars are the best team in the league. The Jets and Pats still remain on the schedule, so he'll get popped soon enough.

Soon to be freed ~~from jail cell loving~~ Tim Donaghy is trying to round up a publisher for his book that is supposed to expose all the facts regarding NBA officiating over the years. A few excerpts have been released. The league will review the allegations. Reading over the alleged improprieties, the more outlandish details sound a bit like sour grapes, but the favoritism topic is pretty interesting.

Yesterday I decided to catch up on three weeks of Mad Men and didn't end the day with the usual links post, so to make up for it here's a very abridged version for you to enjoy:

A minor league hockey team will pay tribute to the King of Pop with their unis. (Deadspin)

Manute Bol is still freakishly tall and still hanging out with people 1/3 his size. There's a joke in there somewhere about the girl in the pic being just tall enough. (The Angry T)

Packers fans won't listen, but this is what they should do when #4 comes to town this weekend. (Shutdown Corner)

Getting you ready for college hoops: the sport's best names. (The Dagger)

The ownership vs. fans saga playing out in our nation's capital is getting out of hand. If you want to keep up on the latest, Dan Steinberg's got you covered. (DC Sports Bog)

Very good read on the issue of homophobia in the NFL after the Larry Johnson fall out. (KC Star)

April Madness?

2009-10-29T16:44:00.000-07:00

In recent years, a few lousy NBA franchises have come under scrutiny for tanking at the end of the regular season in order to have a better chance at a high lottery pick. Veterans with dubious injuries being shut down and other regulars getting unnecessary rest down the stretch have become quite common during the final weeks. The league would obviously like this practice to change. After all, it has to sell a product in 30 NBA cities, not just the 16 making the playoffs. Well, Denver Nuggets VP Mark Warkentien is suggesting the league follow college basketball's lead.

According to a report by SI.com's Ian Thomsen, Warkentien is proposing a "mini single-elimination postseason tournament in which the Nos. 8-15 teams in each conference would play up to three games in pursuit of the eighth and final spot in the playoffs." Nothing would change for the top seven seeds in each conference, and the teams would still be placed in the lottery depending on their regular season record, not on the results of the a "mini" tournament. Essentially, this would not prevent a team from purposely playing poorly down the stretch and getting the first pick, but those mysterious injuries and unnecessary benchings might go away if they have a fighter's chance at getting into the playoffs.

Of course the eight seed would complain, but it should, in theory, run the 15 seed out of the building. And like anything else in professional sports, all parties involved would have to approve. Per Thomsen's conversation with a league GM,

"There would be collective bargaining issues involved in something like this," the GM said. "There would have to be give-and-take with the players' association to make this work."

Some might argue that this waters down the playoff push, but this league already sends more than half of its teams to the postseason. What's the problem with a little more fun for an extra week?

College Football Pick 'Em: Week 9

2009-10-29T16:13:00.000-07:00

Those two are simply there to get you ready for the weekend's marquee game at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon on Saturday night...After posting a perfect record two weeks ago I went for the home run last week. I didn't exactly strike out looking. No, it was more of a pop up to short. What did I overlook when picking games? I neglected Clemson's underrated offense (as well as Miami's young defense), the fact that Michigan still isn't ready for the big time, and that Washington isn't either. 4-3 isn't bad, though. And 33-23 overall is much better than I expected. The picks you shouldn't make are after the jump.

North Carolina at #13 Virginia Tech: ACC on Thursday night, what could be better? Well, perhaps if UNC had lived up to its preseason expectations this would be a sexier matchup, but this will have to do. Two of the best defenses in the country will be on display tonight. The Hockies will have less turnovers and win 19-12.

Georgia vs. #1 Florida: will Georgia derail the Gators title hopes. No chance. This is about as lopsided a game as you'll find this weekend. Tim Tebow will start playing like Tim Tebow again. UF wins easy 36-14.

#22 South Carolina at Tennessee: the winner of this one is likely looking at second place in the SEC East, and for South Carolina that might very well mean a Capital One Bowl invite. If you're a fan of smash mouth football, and the occasional sloppy play, tune in. Gamecocks win 16-10.

#3 Texas at #14 Oklahoma State: I had this game penciled as an OSU win during my Big XII Bold Predictions prior to the season, but there's no Dex Bryant or Kendall Hunter and the Longhorns are starting to play better. Texas stays undefeated, 34-20.

#5 USC at #10 Oregon: USC already laid its annual dud. Oregon will compete the whole way. Lots of lead changes, but in the end the Trojans defense contains Jeremiah Masoli just enough, winning 27-23.

Upset Special: I'm going to take a HUGE chance and have some fun here. #12 Penn State travels to Northwestern this week hoping to keep its BCS, and Big Ten title, hopes alive. Although he's a bit interception-happy, Northwestern QB Mike Kafka is pretty good. They'll pull off a major upset at home, 23-21. (17 point underdogs, seriously, don't listen to me on this one.)

Large Spread Cover: Cincinnati travels to Syracuse as 15.5 point favorites. Regardless of who starts at quarterback they'll put up big numbers and their defense will stop the Orangemen all afternoon. Bearcats, 38-10.

Morning Musings: World Series, NBA's 2nd Night, and More

2009-10-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

All the stars came out in full for game one, but much to their chagrin the "other" team won. Only four more games, with three ending in the same result, for J-Roll's prediction to come true. Good thing a full NBA schedule provided some entertainment once Philadelphia took a large lead...

Round 1: as many expected, as soon as the bullpens came in the offenses began to light things up. Unfortunately for the Yanks, the Phillies bullpen never came in. Cliff Lee was phenomenal and even without the ninth inning barrage, Chase Utley had already done enough damage with his two early homeruns. The seven days off might have made CC Sabathia a bit rusty to start out, as he fell behind a few hitters at the outset, but other than the two pitches that Utley belted to right field he pitched pretty well. An encouraging sign for Philly is that their lineup wasn't intimidated by CC. A not so encouraging sign for New York was that their bullpen couldn't keep it close.

Game 2: Pedro vs. Burnett tonight. Hitting from the left side, Mart Texeira needs to get out of this playoff funk. Likewise, the Philly bats should score a few more runs as well. I don't see either pitcher getting past the sixth inning, which means NY has to hope the arms in the pen don't blow it.

News from the Association: Ty Lawson is going to be a great addition in Denver ... Atlanta's balanced attack was encouraging, too bad they won't get to play defensively-impaired Indiana 82 times ... To no one's surprise, Elton Brand still doesn't fit into the 76ers offense ... Michael Beasley and Jermaine O'Neal had the kind of games you only have when playing the Knicks ... Kevin Durant, and every other OKC starter for that matter, got to quiet the +/- critics last night ... It's true, having Stephen Curry and Monta Ellis on the floor at the same time doesn't work, but it has nothing to do with offense ... Oh no, LeBron had a triple-double, yet the Cavs fall to 0-2, as we await the media's doomsday scenarios.

Quick Hits:

Titans head coach Jeff Fisher has decided to channel his inner Eric Mangini (or Dan Hawkins, if you're of the college football persuasion) and won't announce who his starting quarterback will be until today. The funny part of all of this, is that he actually thinks it matters.

Larry Johnson is suspended for the next two weeks. Speculation over his forced exit from KC is rampant. Lucky for LJ, the Raiders still exist.

As we get closer to winter it's looking more and more like the fall guy in Queens will be Omar Minaya. The Mets' latest move, retaining scout Sandy Johnson to help Minaya with personnel decisions, is akin to GM Vinny Cerrato bringing in Sherm Lewis in Washington. The writing's on the wall. The Wilpons should just fire the guy, instead of having him for a lame duck season (or few months depending on how things go in 2010).

Wednesday Link-O-Rama: Saints Chances at an Undefeated Season, Hating on the World Series, and Dwight Howard is a Nice Guy

2009-10-28T15:54:00.000-07:00

His name is Nimrod Tishman. Seriously. He's from Israel and the NCAA just cleared him to play for the University of Florida...Rain permitting, the Fall Classic will begin tonight. In case you haven't already been bombarded with analysis and predictions regarding Phils/Yanks, here's mine. If you're sick of baseball, the NBA has a heavy dose of games on tonight led by Jazz/Nuggets, Cavs/Raptors and Hornets/Spurs. Hockey also has a busy night, but I won't pretend to know anything about that sport. For those who want to get in the holiday spirit, the alphabet network has the classic "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown".

For eye candy reasons, I disagree with reason number two, but...5 reasons to hate the World Series. (The Big Picture)

Frathouse culture in Bristol is still alive and well. (Busted Coverage)

Guess who's defending the SEC refs? (College Football Talk)

Lil Wayne helps Lane Kiffin's "street cred", popularity contest in Baltimore, a football player goes nuts, and it pays to be friends with Dwight Howard after the jump.

The Saints are going undefeated. (The Big Lead)

Remember that lady who offered sex for WS tickets? A radio station has come to the rescue. (The Sporting Blog)

No way! Stacy Keibler is more popular than Cal Ripken. (Sportress of Blogitude)

Tweeters, make sure to follow Dwight Howard. It may be rewarding. (Magic Basketblog)

Weezy raps about Lane Kiffin around the 1:12 mark. (Dr. Saturday)

Stupid, religious people are waaaaaaaaay too sensitive. (FOX News)

Wondering why the NFL has a double standard when it comes do disciplining employees. (Sporting News)

Defamed referee Tim Donaghy's book will be very controversial. (Deadspin)

Complaining about pro sports seasons lasting too long. (OC Register)

Coaches are overrated. (Page 2)

Player attacks ref with own helmet. (The Big Lead)

Redskins fan with a great sign gets booted from the stadium. (Mr. Irrelevant)

Because it won't get old anytime soon:

Is It Sunday Yet? Favre Bowl II, Trying to Stay Unbeaten, and NFC Supremacy on Display

2009-10-28T12:12:00.000-07:00

My sources are telling me that there's a much ballyhooed-about game being played at Lambeau Field this Sunday afternoon. Weird. I haven't really heard much about it. The race for the top spot in the NFC is on the line, and with a few upsets (I don't believe there are any upsets in pro football, but whatever) the entire lid might be blown off it. We've never had three undefeated teams this far into the season. Will that continue? The weekend's five biggest games are previewed after the jump.

Denver Broncos at Baltimore Ravens: the oddest statistics in this matchup are these, Denver is allowing the fewest points and Baltimore is scoring the fifth most points. The Ravens desperately need a win to stay afloat in the AFC playoff picture and with two weeks to prepare for the Broncos and playing at home, a big loss would be almost inexcusable. John Harbaugh's defense has looked less than spectacular the last couple of weeks and the way Kyle Orton and his receivers are playing right now, they need to step up. This will be low scoring affair for sure.

San Francisco 49ers at Indianapolis Colts: in a win over the Giants last week, the Cards proved they are still the team to beat in the NFC West, so San Fran needs to keep pace. As well as their defense has played for most of the year, they haven't faced a QB like Peyton Manning, who looks absolutely unstoppable right now. Michael Crabtree was good in his debut and figures to be utilized much more this week. How often Dwight Freeney and Robert Mathis are able to get to newly tabbed starter Alex Smith will be the difference in this one.

New York Giants at Philadelphia Eagles: a classic NFC East rivalry is renewed, as the winner of this game will be in the driver's seat to win the division. The Giants secondary has looked pretty suspect the last few weeks and that needs to change if they want to stop Donovan McNabb and DeSean Jackson on Sunday. If Philly can stop NY's run game, it will be close. If not, the Giants should win easily.

Minnesota Vikings at Green Bay Packers: I suspect the anticipation for this one will reach ridiculous heights as we get closer to Sunday. And FOX will focus its entire pregame show on it as well. The Packers, who were left for dead after losing in Minnesota a few weeks ago, now look like a legitimate playoff contender. The Vikings would like to avoid consecutive losses and keep with the Saints in the home field advantage race. How well the line protects Aaron Rodgers, a problem most of the season, will be key. And if the Packers follow Pittsburgh's lead and force #4 to beat them on his own, it will be a long day for the Vikings offense.

Atlanta Falcons at New Orleans Saints: nothing about Atlanta is all that impressive so far this season, while just about everything New Orleans-related has been very impressive. No way the Saints don't put up at least 35 points on Monday. Matt Ryan looked flustered last week against Dallas, and showed that he can be picked off if the pressure is there. That's good news to Darren Sharper's ears. Tony Romo, Tom Brady and Jay Cutler have all had big days against the Falcons defense, so Drew Brees should have no trouble doing the same. Michael Turner's presence, or lack thereof, will have a big impact on the outcome of this game.

Soccer Hooligan Goes All Mike Tyson on Unsuspecting Fan

2009-10-28T10:36:00.000-07:00

In this country we might never quite understand how much the rest of the world loves soccer. The sport is notorious for its crazy fans. Evidence here, here, and here. Adding to the nuttiness, a "thug" bit part of a man's ear off at the Champions League final in Rome between Manchester United and Barcelona on May 27 of this year. Apparently the victim of the attack tried to intervene as a man and a woman were arguing. He was threatened by said attacker, who ended up finding him in the stands later on and decided a simple fist fight wasn't enough, going straight for the guy's ear. Hoping someone will recognize him, police have released these two photos and the video above of said "thug" as he's walking away.

Weird Headline of the Week: Scantily Clad Hockey Dudes

2009-10-28T08:15:00.000-07:00

If you've had a few drinks and there's an attractive lady friend, or two, hanging out with you and your buddies a game of strip poker, or strip anything, might sound like a pretty good idea. But the alcohol is key. I mean, how on earth would you ever be able to convince those girls to do it otherwise, right? Unless of course you're playing strip hockey in Boise, Idaho. With a bunch of guys. Yup, you read that right.

Here's the first line of the story:

An Idaho junior hockey team was banished temporarily from a city ice rink after players engaged in a game of "strip hockey" -- shedding a piece of uniform every time a practice shot missed its mark.

Only dudes were involved. The local police is now investigating if the team may have violated public indecency laws. This is the clincher, "The city forbids people from showing their buttocks in public, largely to curb erotic dance parlors. Exemptions include dance, ballet, music or dramatic performances, or artistic displays; nudity during hockey practice isn't on the list."

Teams at every level of competition, especially men's teams, are notorious for weird "bonding" activities, but this one reached a new level of homo erotica. What the hell do these kids tell their parents? Or more importantly, their girlfriends? I'm at a loss for words. Seriously, WTF?

2009 World Series Preview: Philadelphia Phillies vs. New York Yankees

2009-10-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

Finally, the World Series is here. It's only fitting that the best team in baseball, the New York Yankees, look for their first championship since 2000, and 27th overall, against the defending champs, the Philadelphia Phillies. If it's potent offenses you're looking for, look no further than these two teams. If it's high quality aces who can take you deep into games you're looking for, look no further than these two teams. And if you're looking for clubs that exude confidence and have a penchant for performing well in the game's largest of stages, then look no further than these two teams. Basically, this has all the makings to be a phenomenal, evenly-matched series.

The lineups are an absolute wash. Deciphering who might have a hitting advantage is a waste of time. The only advantage in this department, will be when the Yankees won't have a DH in games three, four, and five (if it gets that far). And even then, the other eight guys are good enough to overcome whatever shortcomings that may present.

Back to the DH question, though. With the three games in Philly, it will be interesting to see how Joe Girardi uses his bench in pinch hitting and double-switch situations. It's not that he's not accustomed the a National League style of play (he played and managed there for years), but choosing the correct guy between Hideki Matsui, Brett Gardner, and Jerry Hairston Jr. might make a huge difference in the outcome of a few games.

Both lineups will have to face at least two differnt lefties (the Phillies may choose to go with J.A. Happ to start a game, thus forcing the Yanks to face three south paws), which gives an advantage to the pitchers in this series. So the bullpens will be key. It would be too simplistic to say New York has the better pen. They probably do, but Charlie Manuel isn't afraid to use Happ or Joe Blanton in relief, and you can't ignore Brad Lidge's new found confidence.

Prediction: I've been wrong all along with these Phillies. I said they would lose to Colorado in four games, they didn't. Then I said the Dodgers would beat them in seven. That didn't happen, either. From the start of the playoffs I thought the Yankees would find themselves here. So, do I take the team I believed in all month long, or the team I doubted all month long? Bronx Bombers in seven games. They've been the best team in baseball all year long and history tells us that repeating isn't easy.

This is going to be a lot of fun to watch, though. Enjoy it.

Morning Musings: NBA Tipoff, World Series Thoughts, and some Quick Hits

2009-10-28T07:00:00.000-07:00

It's nice to have the NBA season underway, now there will be something to watch on weekday evenings once the World Series is over. Not that the first game has very much bearing on the entire season, but both of my NBA Finals picks won last night. Enough gloating, though, let's get to the games.

Ring Ceremony: I'm definitely part of the crowd that's drinking the Clippers Kool-Aid this season, but even though they were in it for three quarters, no one was going to come in and steal the Lakers thunder last night. Marriage was not an issue for Lamar Odom, Kobe was his usual self, Bynum played extremely well, and Artest understands his role. Not that the first game really tells you much, but barring prolonged injuries pencil these guys in for 65+ wins. As for the Clips, Eric Gordon continues to build off his rookie year and Craig Smith was very good off the bench, but Baron Davis had an awful game. Davis can't play like that if LA's other team has any hopes to make the playoffs.

Boston vs. Cleveland: It's only game one of 82, but it's clear that the additions of Rasheed Wallace, Marquis Daniels, and Shelden Williams are all positive ones for Boston. The added depth will be key as the season goes on and the big three need more rest. Likewise, the new guys looked completely in-sync and were quite effective in their respective roles. As for Cleveland, losing to the Celtics at home for the first time since 2004 shouldn't be all that discouraging. With Shaq now in the fold, it's going to take some time for this team to gel offensively.

NBA schedule not qualified for Nat'l TV: There were two other NBA games last night, Washington beat Dallas and Houston lost to Portland. The Wizards showed how big of a difference Gilbert Arenas can make, especially on a night when Caron Butler was cold and Antwan Jamison was unavailable. As everyone should have expected, the Mavs looked like a bunch of discombobulated parts. The only reason Houston wasn't run out of the building is because they play great team defense and nine guys played 15 minutes or more, so everyone was fresh. Greg Oden looked good doing what he's supposed to do, swatting/altering shots and crashing the boards.

Game 1: Tonight's matchup between CC Sabathia and Cliff Lee is already being labeled as an "all-time" great. Yes, runs will be hard to come by early on, but as soon as these two horses start getting tired and if, and when, the bullpen has to come in, both lineup's will wake up immediately. Both teams are pretty homer-happy clubs, so some solo shots late might end up being the difference tonight. (Full breakdown and prediction for this series will be up shortly.)

Quick Hits:

After losing out on Manny Acta, the Astros hired Red Sox bench coach Brad Mills to be their manager. Mills has a tough road ahead. This is an cash-strapped, aging team with a less than stellar farm system and an owner whose expectations are a tad bit too high.

The NCAA has decided to keep Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant suspended for the entire season. It's unfortunate, but hopefully he won't lean towards entering the NFL Draft just yet. Sure, he'll wow everyone at the combine and/or private workouts, but the lack of playing time will make him drop on many teams' boards.

Bobby Knight is making it more and more awkward for the University of Indiana. He rejected a check sent to him intended as a settlement for a lawsuit he filed against the school because the money was raised through alumni. He's due to be inducted into the Indiana hall of fame next week, but hasn't informed the school if he will attend the ceremony or not. As defiant as Knight can be, I'd put my money on him not telling anyone he's going to attend and then be there once the event gets started.

Tuesday Link Party: Plenty from the NBA, Lima Time, and a Great Beer Commercial

2009-10-27T16:01:00.000-07:00

Oh, the New York Post never disappoints, does it? Excuse my giddiness, but the NBA tips off tonight! (If you need a last second preview before tonight's double-header on TNT, click here.) Good news for all of you who are trigger happy when it comes to your remote, this Sunday will be the first day in quite a while when all major professional leagues (NBA, MLB, NFL and NHL) will all have regular season or postseason games on.

A Phillies fan really, really, really wanted some World Series tickets. (Deadspin)

So we now know what were Sherm Lewis's play calling options last night. (The Sporting Blog)

Big Baby Davis is injured for the first few months thanks to a fight. (Ball Don't Lie)

More from the Association, WAGs and that great beer commercial after the jump.

J.J. Reddick may be the next big thing on the hip-hop scene. (NBA Off-Season)

Another day, another league discusses international expansion. (Sports Radio Interviews)

Because it's never too early: comparing Lane Kiffin to Nick Saban. (Rocky Top Talk)

Steve Carell in a sports movie. (Sports Rubbish)

Winning the NBA title without foreigners can be difficult. (Inter Basket)

Buzz Bissinger does not like the "one and done" rule. (NY Times)

It's Lima Time. (Busted Coverage)

A guide to this year's NBA uniform changes. (Page 2)

ESPN overreacted to Bob Griese's recent on-air comments. (The Big Lead)

Top 10 NBA WAGs. (Bleacher Report)

Redskins will not allow signs of any kind at FedEx Field. (DC Sports Bog)

Unfortunately, the FCC would never allow this on television:

(H/T to Guyism)

I couldn't get to it today, but the World Series will be previewed tomorrow.

Refereeing a Solution

2009-10-27T15:22:00.000-07:00

Questionable calls in sports are nothing new. There's not a huge difference between first base ump Don Denkinger's botched call in the 1985 World Series between the St. Louis Cardinals and Kansas City Royals and today's poor officiating, regardless of sport. The major changes are that we now have the internet, 24/7 sports channels and around the clock talk radio.

SEC football, the king of the college game, has recently come under fire for its officials making bad calls that have favored Alabama and Florida. Conspiracy theorists suggest the conference is out to get the little guys in hopes of ensuring a dream championship game matchup.
This isn't the only recent incident involving college football and officials who were subsequently suspended for making bad calls. If you recall, the Pac-10 suspended its officials for making a terrible call on an onside kick at the end of a game between Oregon and Oklahoma three years ago.

Tony Barnhart, a.k.a Mr. College Football, of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution has a very good solution:

It seems to me that it’s time for the conferences—all of them—to get out of the officiating business. Let’s have officials assigned on a national basis so that they are not identified with one conference, who is technically their employer. It certainly wouldn’t solve all the problems because officials are human beings and human beings are going to make mistakes. But it would take away one argument from those who see a massive conspiracy behind every missed call. That, in and of itself, would be a welcomed change.

Hopefully conference officials are paying attention.

Because Saturday Can't Get Here Soon Enough: Pac-10 & Big XII to be Decided this Weekend

2009-10-27T13:51:00.000-07:00

It's the final college football weekend of October, which means teams are entering the "must win" portion of their schedules. This is also Halloween weekend, so before you go out for a night of costumed-debauchery make sure to watch these five games. Starting with a Thursday night ACC battle...

North Carolina at #13 Virginia Tech: the Hokies still have a chance at winning the division, or at the very least, get a BCS at-large bid. For UNC, it's a much different story. After begining the season with high hopes, the Tar Heels are now 4-3 and winless in conference. A big upset over VaTech would salvage the season and get them much closer to bowl eligibility. Butch Davis's defense is actually much better than Frank Beamer's, so a grind it out football game should be in store.

Georgia vs. #1 Florida: the Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party will give something to Jacksonville that the city hasn't experience in weeks, quality football in front of a sell-out crowd without a local television black out. Tim Tebow's recent complaints about their offensive struggles should come to an end against UGA's 90th ranked pass defense. Georgia can't stop anyone lately, so a blowout similar to last season may very well happen.

#22 South Carolina at Tennessee: de-fense...clap, clap....de-fense...clap, clap. Both the Gamecocks and Vols have defenses ranked among the top 14 teams nationally. An ugly SEC classic with a score somewhere in the range of 7-3 is not entirely out of the question. Whichever quarterback, Stephen Garcia or Jonathan Crompton, minimizes his mistakes will likely come out victorious. Although, several mistakes, a.k.a turnovers, from each of them are very likely as well.

#3 Texas at #14 Oklahoma State: with Oklahoma out of the picture this is now the de facto Big XII ~~South~~ championship game. Colt McCoy hopes to build off his first truly impressive game against Mizzou last week, while OSU tries to stay relevant despite not having the services of Kendall Hunter and Dez Bryant. The Cowboys are giving up over 250 yards passing per game, but you can't discount their home field advantage. The victory over Georgia to open the season was labeled as possibly the most important game in their program's history. A win over the Longhorns and that won't be the case anymore.

#5 USC at #10 Oregon: not only does the Pac-10's BCS bid depend on this game, but Boise State could really use an Oregon victory as well. For as much pub as Oregon's offense gets, their defense is among the top 20 in the country. USC is only slightly better, but certainly didn't look that way a few days ago at Oregon State. It is incredibly obvious that this year's Trojans look very beatable. Recent history suggests that SC has already suffered it's annual Pac-10 loss, but with the game in Eugene I wouldn't look past the Ducks. Expect a high scoring affair.

Let's Move On

2009-10-27T12:18:00.000-07:00

Sunday afternoon news hit that Mark McGwire was going to be the Cardinals hitting instructor for the coming year. Tony LaRussa made it official yesterday, when he announced that he was returning to the team in 2010 and bringing along his former controversial first baseman. (I say controversial because of what has happened since his retirement, not because he was in any way, shape, or form a problem while playing even when the steroids question was brought up.) Obviously, with a hire like this, people in and around the game are wondering why McGwire would choose to come back. Why now? And most importantly, will he admit to any wrongdoing?

Many are sure to find his addition to the Cardinals staff repulsive. (As if they have never done anything wrong, but hey, sports should be held to a higher standard, right?) Others are probably wondering if he can really offer anything to the team. As I also suspect that a majority of baseball fans outside of Missouri aren't overly concerned with his hiring. But few are taking the approach that the Houston Chronicle's Richard Justice is taking:

McGwire's return is an important moment in how baseball should deal with its steroid era moving forward. Some of these men — McGwire, Pettitte, Roger Clemens, Miguel Tejada — weren't just great players. They were great teammates, caring people.

Baseball will never be over steroids completely, and dealing with the tainted players will be the toughest part of the rehabilitation process. I want them all to apologize, to explain what they did and why. Yet I also want them back. I want them to be embraced, to be allowed to contribute, to be good citizens of their sport.

McGwire's return is a huge start. He may have some explaining to do and some apologies to make, but so do most of the rest of us.

Amen. This has nothing to do with rooting for a bad guy, or giving someone an undeserved second chance. Baseball needs to move on, and if McGwire owns up to his alleged steroids use the game will only be better because of it.

2009 NBA Preview: Who Will Win It All?

2009-10-27T11:25:00.000-07:00

For a league that sends more than half of its teams to the playoffs, it's pretty interesting that there's such a huge disparity between the contenders and non-contenders. This off season the top teams in each conference only got better, separating themselves even further from the rest of the pack. Barring unforeseen circumstances or costly injuries, there should be no more than five to six teams with legitimate championship aspirations. You know the names. The question is, how will we get there?

Eastern Conference Playoff Seeds (for full preview click here):

Cleveland Cavaliers
Orlando Magic
Boston Celtics
Washington Wizards
Atlanta Hawks
Chicago Bulls
Miami Heat
Toronto Raptors

1st Round: Of the four first round matchups only two really stand out as series where the lower seed could win. Chicago gave Boston a run for its money last year in the playoffs and if they do meet next June, should do so again, but with a fully healthy KG and Rasheed in the mix I don't see them pulling off the upset. Then there's the Washington/Atlanta series. The difference there will be Gilbert Arenas. So, the top four seeds advance to the second round.

Conference Semifinals: Washington and Boston try to get payback for recent playoff series losses to Cleveland and Orlando, respectively. Both would be great series likely to go six, if not seven, games. Boston's depth hurts Orlando's chances and Washington is a good team, but not yet ready to take on any of the East's big three.

Conference Finals: Boston vs. Cleveland. The series the league and TV execs are hoping to get. Both play great defense, have a superstar with a killer instinct, rebound well, and bolster a fairly deep bench. So what will the difference be? Ray Allen. The Cavs have no one that can shoot like he can and having to KG and Pierce will leave him with a bunch of open shot opportunities. Celtics win the series in seven games.

Western Conference Playoff Seeds (for full preview click here):

Los Angeles Lakers
San Antonio Spurs
Utah Jazz
Portland Trailblazers
Denver Nuggets
New Orleans Hornets
Dallas Mavericks
Phoenix Suns

1st Round: unlike their eastern conference brethren, the west could see all the lower seed winning in the first round. Well, maybe not Phoenix, but definitely the other three. Will it happen? Probably not, but the Utah/New Orleans and Denver/Portland series are very intriguing. The Jazz are a more physical team and that should get them through the first round, while Denver is coming off a Western Conference finals appearance and get an entire off season and training camp with Chauncey Billups. Portland's a nice team with a lot of potential, but I'll take experience in this series and pick Denver.

Conference Semifinals: Utah at San Antonio and a Denver/LA rematch. The Lakers are the class of the NBA and like last year will come out victorious against the Nuggets. San Antonio/Utah presents an interesting situation. The Spurs are deeper this season with the additions of Richard Jefferson and DeJuan Blair and their ability to run more when RJ, Parker, and Manu are all on the floor will be difficult for anyone on the Jazz who's not named Deron Williams to stop.

Conference Finals: Lakers vs. Spurs. Seven games? Yes. Last second finishes? Absolutely. Questionable game altering calls that will be debated all day long afterwards? Of course. Down the stretch, Kobe and Artest will likely defend Parker and Manu, leaving RJ to someone like Derek Fisher or Lamar Odom. That being the case, San Antonio will have trouble getting off good shots. Lakers win.

2010 NBA Finals: a rematch from two seasons ago, another classic Lakers vs. Celtics showdown. It will come down to matchups. The Lakers versatility and athleticism with the likes of Odom, Bynum, Gasol and Artest will be too much for the Celtics. Lake show repeats, winning in seven games.

I wish you all a happy tip-off and good luck in fantasy leagues. Enjoy the season.

Morning Musings: MNF, Halos Off Season, and the Clippers

2009-10-27T07:00:00.000-07:00

It was a pretty lackluster night for sports viewing. Oh, look at that. What a perfect segue into Monday Night Football.

Opposite Directions: even though Philadelphia inexplicably lost to Oakland last week, the Eagles and Redskins could be described as polar opposites at this point in the season. Philly's offense is jelling now that Donovan McNabb is back from his injury, while the Skins can't keep embattled QB Jason Campbell upright (sacked six times last night). DeSean Jackson was the story of night, breaking free for two long touchdowns in a game that was over by halftime. Washington displayed a complete lack of effort throughout and truly beat themselves (led the game in first downs, total yards, passing yards, and turnovers, with four). At this point it's not worth my time or yours to contemplate Jim Zorn's inevitable fate.

What to do, what to do: (wanted to address this yesterday, but didn't get around to it) for the most part, the Angels pitching was good enough to keep up with the Yankees. What did them in was terrible hitting and an inability to reach base any way possible, something they were phenomenal at all year long. This team has to decide if it's worth bringing Vladimir Guerrero back, and if so, for how much? More and more, he looks like a full time DH, but will he accept that role? Bobby Abreu has to be re-signed, no questions asked. Their biggest off season decision will revolve around John Lackey. The Angels have the money to bring him back, the only thing keeping them from possibly doing so is a potential bidding war among teams desperate for pitching in a market that lacks pitchers of his caliber. If they don't sing him to a new contract, they're left with a few nice number three starters in Scott Kazmir, Jered Weaver and Joe Saunders, and the uncertainty around guys like Ervin Santana and Kelvim Escobar. Basically, they have no choice but to bring Lackey back.

Quick Hits:

Sam Bradford has opted to have surgery and, if all goes well, prep for and enter the 2010 draft. The timing of his scheduled recovery and draft day are way too close. Will someone take a chance on him early in the first round? Without question. Have you seen some of the quarterbacks out there?

The SEC would make things a lot easier if it simply fined head coaches for their negative comments towards officials. It's not like they can't afford it.

As if things couldn't get any worse for all three Clippers fans out there, Blake Griffin will be out anywhere from four to six weeks with a broken left kneecap. I was part of the crowd that truly thought this team would make significant strides this season. Who will C-list actors sitting court side root for now?

Linking Into Monday Night: College Gameday Signs, Halloween is on its Way, NBA Thoughts, and World Series Ruminations

2009-10-26T17:31:00.000-07:00

If you're willing to lug that much weight around after a few drinks you may want to consider those fully operable iPhone costumes to the right for Halloween this weekend (H/T to Guyism). Sports on TV tonight? Redskins/Eagles on MNF. Before you dismiss Washington, the Eagles lost to Oakland last week. If that doesn't picque your interest the Wild and Blackhawks are on Versus. Basically, what I'm trying to say is that you should read a book or catch a good movie.

NBC has "If it's Sunday, it's Meet The Press." Here at Never on IR it's "If it's Monday, it's College Gameday Signs." (College Game Balls)

The World Series preview arrives tomorrow, but just to get you in the spirit of things here's some other Fall Classic thoughts. (Big League Stew)

Sticking with baseball: your 2009 World Series WAGS. (COED Magazine)

Some dress up ideas for Saturday night, Barkley wants a new job, and more Redskins fall out after the jump.

The man behind the great game of basketball thought of a curious way to make players taller. (The Dagger)

Because Halloween is coming up: slideshow of creative sports related costumes. (OC Register)

Shaq's offensive assignments with the Cavs are very simple. Very simple. (Waiting for Next Year)

Baseball could really use a long series. (NY Times)

If my NBA preview wasn't enough, Michael Wilbon's got you covered. (Wash Post)

The situation in Skins land is getting dire. (DC Sports Bog) (The Sporting Blog)

If you haven't heard about the two Indian pitchers in the Pirates system, read up. Their story is now being turned into a movie. (Sports Biz with Darren Rovell)

Being a huge fan of his television exploits, I don't want to see this happen, but Sir Charles wants to be a GM. (Boston Globe)

Vladimir Guerrerro is quite the mamma's boy. (MLB Trade Rumors)

The Sanchise was hungry yesterday during the game. (The Sports Hernia)

NCAA Cash Conundrum

2009-10-26T16:49:00.000-07:00

At most Division 1-A schools, or Football Bowl Subdivision depending on which sport you are referring to, there is at best two sports that practically subsidize the entire athletic department. No matter how successful the indoor track team, soccer team, or tennis team may be, football and/or basketball are making sure that those other athletes have uniforms for every game, equipment for every practice, a usable weight room, and the proper medical and conditioning staff. But the increasing costs associated with the two collegiate sporting giants is causing problems for many universities and those problems are only exacerbated by the current economic realities.

Recently, a survey was conducted among presidents of schools with major college football programs to figure out a way to rain in spending. Some of their ideas are being considered. Per the AP,

Dutch Baughman, the [Division 1-A Athletic Directors] association's executive director, told the commission the majority of ADs at the 120 FBS schools support what he called "low-hanging fruit," measures he believes could be implemented quickly. Most notably, they include:

- Eliminating off-campus housing before home contests, a common practice for many football programs who check into hotels before a game to minimize distractions.

- Creating a sport-by-sport squad limit for team travel, something that's already in place for football.

- Reducing the permissible number of regular-season contests.

- Eliminating nontraditional seasons of competition and all foreign travel, outside of any already contracted.

Eliminating "off-campus housing" and "nontraditional seasons" for football and basketball, respectively, would certainly save an athletic department quite a bit of money. But it's hard to tell a multimillion dollar coach he can't take his team where he wants so they'll be better prepared come game day.

And therein lies a big part of the problem. Head coaching salaries have gotten out of hand, so a department is left with very little money to go to its other athletic endeavors. The other big concern for university presidents who were part of the survey is the growing influence of television revenue that has eroded their authority within athletic departments.

Now, does this mean that there will be a sea change in terms of how schools pay coaches or negotiate television revenue? Absolutely not. Too many people are fattening their wallets with the current system and want no part of a new one.

So where will that leave cash-strapped ADs? At major schools you won't see football or basketball costs significantly brought down. The uproar is not worth the fight. As Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney says,

"Cutting costs, especially at the national or conference level, is heavy lifting. It is a contact sport, whether you're a president, a commissioner or athletic director," Delany said. "Unless you're prepared to deal with boosters, board members, power coaches and the public, and I'm talking about in a conflict-rich environment, don't take it on."

But those two sports may end up being too costly for the Louisiana-Monroes or Ball States of this world. Unless of course, the majority of their schedules turn into hefty pay days by traveling to play big conference schools. On the other side of things, some Big Ten, Big XII, or SEC schools might have to start telling its swimmers and sprinters that there's simply not enough money to go around.

Unfair to the kids? Sure it is. Should there be some serious changes made to the financial system that runs football and basketball at the D-1 level? Absolutely. Is anyone out there going to campaign hard for money from the major sports to go to things like lacrosse? No way. And it would be hypocritical for me to sit here and say that, because the last thing I want is for my cash strapped alma mater (Colorado) to take some of its football money and bring back the men's tennis team. Now that, might push me to take action.

2009 NBA Preview: Western Conference

2009-10-26T16:35:00.000-07:00

Again, this is simply a "how will they finish" post, not who wins. The Eastern Conference preview is already up. Now it's time for the Western Conference.

15. Sacramento Kings: rookie Tyreke Evans, I like, waste of athleticism and space Desmond Mason, I don't. This is a nice, balanced offensive team that can't keep opposing teams from putting up 110 against them.

14. Minnesota Timberwolves: Kurt Rambis sure has his work cut out for him and losing Kevin Love for the first month or two of the season won't help. I'm not convinced that Jonny Flynn or Corey Brewer can be quality starters in this league.

13. Houston Rockets: No Yao, no T-Mac, and no Artest spells absolute doom for this team. Aaron Brooks, Trevor Ariza, and Shane Battier will keep them in games with their defense, but that's not exactly a formidable top three.

12. Memphis Grizzlies: if you're one to harp on the lack of team play in the NBA, the Grizz provide perfect ammunition for your argument. Zach Randolph, O.J. Mayo, and Allen Iverson? A lot of talent on this squad, and having glue guys like Mike Conley and Rudy Gay will help keep all those personalities from falling completely apart.

11. Golden State Warriors: not a big fan of having Monta Ellis and Stephen Curry on the floor at the same time and the Stephen Jackson situation needs to be resolved. A lot like Don Nelson's Dallas teams, these Warriors will run up and down the court and fill up the stats sheet, but there isn't nearly enough talent to break into the group of western conference playoff teams.

10. Los Angeles Clippers: guys like Eric Gordon, Al Thornton, and rookie Blake Griffin make this a fun team to watch as long as Baron Davis doesn't force things or becomes the center of attention. Mike Dunleavy may finally have this lowly franchise headed in the right direction. Expect L.A.'s other team to be in playoff contention during the final weeks of the season.

9. Oklahoma City Thunder: I may think much more highly of this team than most would, but the addition of an outside shooter in rookie James Harden to an already established core of Kevin Durant, Jeff Green and Russell Westbrook will pay huge dividends. Both the Thunder and Clips will finish just a few games behind Phoenix for the final playoff spot.

8. Phoenix Suns: the gambler in me wants to remove the Suns from the playoffs altogether and anoint one of the two previously mentioned teams, but the first six guys in Alvin Gentry's rotation is still good enough for about 46-48 wins. Just don't expect them to do much once they do get into the postseason.

7. Dallas Mavericks: not very high on the fighting Mark Cubans. Even with Jason Kidd feeding him the ball, I think Shawn Marion's best years are behind him. Drew Gooden and Erick Dampier rotating at the center position is not a positive, either.

6. New Orleans Hornets: I may be one of the few who believes the acquisition of Emeka Okafor is an upgrade. And as long as CP3 is still running things and David West stays healthy, they're a playoff lock.

5. Denver Nuggets: yes, losing Linas Kleiza is not a good thing, but drafting Ty Lawson adds a completely new dimension to this team. Whenever Chauncey Billups needs a short rest, Law can come in and run teams out of the building with Melo and J.R. Smith running alongside him.

4. Portland Trailblazers: Nate McMillan's top nine guys all play great fundamental basketball, Brandon Roy looks more and more like a bonafide star with every coming year, and Andre Miller will help tremendously. But there's still something missing here.

3. Utah Jazz: Carlos Boozer and Paul Millsap are smart players, they won't let a battle for who gets more playing time become this team's narrative. Ronnie Brewer continues to improve and a healthy Mehmet Okur means Jerry Sloan's squad will be back among the conference's elite.

2. San Antonio Spurs: adding Richard Jefferson and Antonio McDyess means the Spurs are serious about making another run at a title. Rookie DeJuan Blair may surprise some people this season and as long as Tim Duncan's minutes kept under control during the regular season a long run into June is not out of the question.

1. Los Angeles Lakers: what can I say about the defending champs? They subtract Trevor Ariza and add Ron Artest. Everyone else is back. Class of the West without a doubt.

Playoff predictions to be posted tomorrow morning.

We Are All Snobs

2009-10-26T13:18:00.000-07:00

If anything the BCS has made college football snobs out of all of us. "I like rooting for Cinderella stories like Boise State or Utah, but please don't put them in the national title game," we say. "They would have no chance against the top echelon of teams like Florida, USC, Alabama, Texas, or Oklahoma." That attitude doesn't just apply to teams from non-big six conferences, though. Thanks to Ohio State's consecutive egg layings we want no part of a Big Ten-SEC, or Big Ten versus any other conference for that matter, national title game. And don't get a college football fan started on the Big East, a.k.a the BCS's untalented little brother.

Assuming the Bama/Florida loser doesn't finish ranked second, and if Texas loses a game, Iowa should play in the national title game if it runs the table. The Hawkeyes are ranked fourth in this week's BCS rankings and the computers have them as the number one team in the land.

Then there's poor Cincinnati, who despite thumping Louisville to remain undefeated, dropped three spots, to eighth, even behind a USC team that already lost a game and barely beat Oregon State on Saturday.

It all comes back to USC, doesn't it? See the Trojans are just a few percentage points behind Iowa and there is no doubt in my mind that even if Iowa wins the rest of their games, Pete Carroll's team will somehow leapfrog them and be in better position to crash the BCS National Title Game.

The problem with this is not that it's unfair. We all know that. The real problem is that it's exactly what we want to happen. Outside of the Midwest, the rest of the country is dreading the idea of an Iowa or Cincinnati playing for a national title while a "more qualified" one-loss team like USC is left out.

For whatever reason, we like to know exactly how things will end up in college football, yet we enjoy the uncertainty of college basketball. Sure, upsets are fun, but not when it results in "second-tier" teams playing in major bowl games. And the pollsters and people who run the computers are cut from the same thread. So before we can truly call out the BCS, we have to take a good hard look at ourselves and realize that we are all simply enablers.

Czar Craze

2009-10-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

The NFL is known as the ultimate copy cat league. Bill Walsh ran the west coast offense to perfection with the 49ers in the 80s and by the early part of this decade the majority of the league's teams were running some version of it. The famous "Tampa 2" defense brought championships to Tampa Bay and Indianapolis, so parts of it were installed everywhere. Miami surprised everyone with the wildcat last season, so now everyone's running it. Well, the Dolphins are now at the forefront of another trend setting maneuver: the appointment of football czars.

Bill Parcell's role on the Dolphins gives him nearly full power when it comes to personnel decisions. No one is drafted, signed, or traded for without his seal of approval. And it has worked for Miami so far. Parcell's emphasis on defense, running the football, and toughness, as well as hiring a coaching staff that can implement such a system, led them to the playoffs last year and has them a few plays away from being in the thick of things this season.

Well, the rest of the league has been paying attention. Just last week, we found out that Dan Snyder was interested in hiring former head coach Joe Gibbs in a similar role. Gibbs decided he would rather stay retired. (Can you blame him?)

Yesterday, we got wind that Mike Holgrem isn't necessarily interested in coming back as a head coach somewhere, but instead, would like to work for the Seahawks in a "Bill Parcells-type role."

Obviously, having a former successful head coach running the front office can be more beneficial than relying solely on a business oriented professional in that position, but to assume it would work out immediately would be foolish. Whether it's players, coaches, or philosophies, no league takes the "chew 'em and spit 'em back out" approach as seriously, or does it as quickly, as the NFL.

At this rate, don't be surprised if Tony Dungy and/or Bill Cowher set up shop somewhere with similar roles. Likewise, Jerry Jones and Ted Thompson might lean towards waking up the ghosts of Tom Landry and Vince Lombardi to help their teams get back to the Super Bowl.

Welcome to the National Football League where you're only as good as last fall's styles.

2009 NBA Preview: Eastern Conference

2009-10-26T11:51:00.000-07:00

The NBA season tips off tomorrow night. Similar to the NFL preview from a couple months ago, this will be in countdown fashion. This is merely an order of finish post, not who will win it all. That post will be up tomorrow. I'll start with the Eastern Conference.

15. Milwaukee Bucks: their regular rotation includes Luc Richard Mbah A Moute, Hakim Warrick, and Brandon Jennings. These Bucks are a long, long, long ways away from playing any meaningful basketball.

14. New Jersey Nets: Devin Harris has established himself as one of the premier guards in the league and Brook Lopez is making strides. I like Chris Douglas-Roberts and rookie Terrence Williams off the bench, but the loss of Vince Carter is huge.

13. New York Knicks: they'll score a lot of points, there's no doubt about that, but other than David Lee and Chris Duhon, no one plays defense on this team. Although their points per game numbers may tell you otherwise, too many mediocre players are getting big minutes.

12. Indiana Pacers: like the Knicks, the Pacers are allergic to playing defense. And no, Dahntay Jones won't dispel those concerns. Danny Granger is a great player in Jim O'Brien's system, but with his size he should be a force on the boards, and he's no where near that.

11. Philadelphia 76ers: the 6ers suffer from a major identity crisis. They can run the floor when guys like Lou Williams, Andre Iguodala, or Thaddeus Young are on the floor. But Elton Brand, Samuel Dalembert, and Jason Kapono (rotation regulars) really slow them down.

10. Charlotte Bobcats: nice group of players without enough fire power to break into the playoffs. Tyson Chandler and rookie Gerald Henderson fit Larry Brown's defense-first system very well, but no one on their roster scares you if the game is close at the end.

9. Detroit Pistons: their string of playoff appearances has run out. Charlie Villanueva and Ben Gordon are decent pickups, but neither defends well. And any team with Rodney Stuckey and Kwame Brown in the starting lineup won't get very far.

8. Toronto Raptors: having two field generals out there in Hedo Turkoglu and Jose Calderon will do wonders for both Chris Bosh and Andrea Bargnani. Likewise, rookie DeMar DeRozan's growing pains won't be as hard felt.

7. Miami Heat: let's face it, Jermaine O'Neal is never going to be the player he used to be, which means they will go as far as Dwyane Wade can take them. He plays MVP caliber basketball night in and night out, but he still desperately needs a sidekick.

6. Chicago Bulls: Luol Deng is back, Derrick Rose has a year under his belt, and Joakim Noah exudes confidence. This is a team to keep your eye on. If Deng stays healthy, watch out.

5. Atlanta Hawks: one through nine there may be few teams deeper than these Hawks. The only problem is that Josh Smith would rather be on top plays every night than play efficient basketball, and Marvin Williams and Al Horford have to have a bigger presence on defense for them to make any noise this season.

4. Washington Wizards: what a difference one player can make. Yes, a healthy Gilbert Arenas will translate into 25-30 more wins for the Wiz. Flip Saunders will have them running a little more, so the acquisitions of Mike Miller and Randy Foye bode well.

3. Boston Celtics: their season depends on the health of their big three plus one (Rasheed Wallace). The addition of Marquis Daniels gives them some much needed depth. I think Doc Rivers will limit his stars minutes early on so they won't be gassed come playoff time.

2. Orlando Magic: the defending conference champs lost Turkoglu, but added Vince Carter and Brandon Bass. Turkoglu was perfect running that point forward position and dishing it inside to Dwight Howard or kicking it back outside for open threes. The Magic will miss that, but Bass is more physical inside.

1. Cleveland Cavaliers: like last year, the Cavs will beat up on the bad teams and play pretty well against the good ones and probably win 60 or more games with that formula. Shaquille O'Neal will only be a problem against the truly elite teams, so in the regular season having him clog the lane won't be that big of a deal. Anthony Parker at the two is a much needed improvement over Delonte West.

Western Conference preview will be up this afternoon.

We're Going Polling: BCS Reshuffling, At-Large Picture, and Mumme Poll Changes

2009-10-26T07:45:00.000-07:00

With so few matchups featuring two top 25 teams and all but three of those ranked teams losing on Saturday, one would think that the BCS rankings would remain pretty well in tact. Oh, but that would be wrong. I mean, what would the BCS be without some fun changes from week to week? Not to worry, though, the top three remain in tact no matter how unimpressive they may look.

Please Explain: So let me get this straight. Iowa's 15-13 victory over Michigan State was enough for the computers to move them up from third to first, ahead of Florida and Alabama? USC squeaking by Oregon State means they are better than an undefeated Boise State team? And Cincinnati destroys Louisville and drops three spots? OK, just making sure we're all the same page here.

At-Large: It's still very early, but the BCS at-large berth picture is beginning to come into focus. The loser of the UF/Bama SEC title game will get one of the four at-large bids, so unless LSU upsets the Crimson Tide in two weeks they're looking at the Capital One Bowl. With Oklahoma State being the only remotely viable candidate from the Big XII to join the BCS party if Texas wins out, the Big Ten is looking very good for an at-large bid. The only way the Pac-10 sends two teams to the BCS is if Oregon defeats USC this week and both teams win out after that. Boise State reached its ceiling last week and with TCU jumping ahead of them, the Broncos need the Horned Frogs to lose or for all hell to break loose to get back in the BCS discussion.

(Full BCS Rankings)

Mumme Poll Ballot for this week:

Alabama
Florida
Texas
Cincinnati
TCU
Boise State
Iowa
LSU
Oregon
Penn State
Georgia Tech
Southern Cal

Explanation: Neither Alabama's win over Tennessee, Florida's win over Mississippi State, nor Texas's win over Missouri (although lopsided) showed me anything to change my top 3.

Cincinnati is the class of the Big East and continues to show it’s the best of the "other" undefeated teams. TCU jumps over Iowa thanks to the Hawkeyes poor showing against Michigan State, and ahead of Boise State because of SOS.

Then it's the best of the one-loss variety. The losses rank as follows: LSU's loss to UF, Oregon's loss to BSU, Penn State's loss to Iowa, GaTech's loss to Miami, and USC's loss to Washington.

Next five: Virginia Tech, Houston, Oklahoma State, Miami, and Pittsburgh

Case of the Mondays: Lopsided Sunday, QB Show, and other thoughts

2009-10-26T06:40:00.000-07:00

It truly was an all or nothing day in the NFL yesterday. So many lopsided games, leaving half the country's fans pretty happy and confident and the other half hoping that was as bad as it will get for them in 2009. I'm sure whomever scheduled it this way would have never anticipated having this large of a gap between the league's haves and have-nots.

Blowouts Galore: If you had the pleasure of watching Pats/Bucs, Chargers/Chiefs, Packers/Browns, Colts/Rams, Jets/Raiders, and/or Bengals/Bears, then you were surely in for quite a treat. Complete and utter domination wouldn't suffice. These games were so lopsided that players from The Citadel might even argue that they looked better against Florida last season in a 70-19 loss, than the losers did in these games. Whether you're more of a cup half full or cup half empty guy, it doesn't really matter, the outcome of these games supports both trains of thought. But I'm going to lean on the cup half empty side for now. Chicago's lackluster effort at Cincinnati aside, the other five losers in those six aforementioned games are by far the cellar dwellers of the league and they certainly did not disappoint yesterday afternoon. Want further proof of just how bad Tampa Bay, Kansas City, Cleveland, St. Louis, Oakland, and Chicago were on Sunday? These are the head-to-head stats:

Absolutely dreadful. Although some may argue it shows that there are some truly elite teams vying for playoff spots this season, the NFL cannot be happy with having this many bottom feeders. Interestingly enough, the home team lost five of those six contests.

Quarterback's World: From the beginning of this season many of the experts have brought up the fact that we are witnessing an era of phenomenal quarterback play. Yesterday only gave us further proof. Not to hit you over the head with more statistics, but the following are some of the best QB performances from yesterday, most of which were part of the winning side of those games mentioned above:

Monday Morning Blitz:

Minnesota suffered its first loss because holding Adrian Peterson in check, worked for the Steelers. They forced Brett Favre to drop back to pass 55 times, causing two turnovers (both by Favre and both returned for scores), sacking him four times, and completely disrupting the Vikings flow on offense.Basically, Pittsburgh just provided the blueprint to beating this team.

The first half of the Saints/Dolphins game was an aberration. New Orleans does have a great defense. Their second half stats: two interceptions returned for touchdowns, four three-and-outs, and 154 yards allowed (52 of those yards came on a last ditch effort by Miami when the game was already in hand).

Mark Sanchez the hero meet Mark Sanchez the game manager. The Jets won't be able to run the ball like that (316 yards), nor will the defense be able to dominate so easily every week, but the Sanchise barely broke a sweat. More importantly, he had zero turnovers.

Thanks to Eli Manning's three interceptions, the Cardinals, who were not all that impressive last night, now sit atop a very weak NFC West all by themselves.They were considered dead in the water just a few weeks ago.

The NFC looked like a top heavy conference not too long ago. Now it features nine teams that are within two games of a division lead.The next ten weeks should be very interesting.

I really feel bad for the markets that had to witness the poor play in that Bills/Panthers game. Carolina led the game in every major statistical category, including turnovers and penalties, which is why it lost 20-9. Is it just me, or has every week had an "Ugly Bowl"?

Morning Musings: ALCS, Football Doldrums, and Some Twitter News

2009-10-26T06:00:00.000-07:00

A mostly unimpressive Saturday of college football? Check. A fairly boring NFL Sunday? Check. Wanting basketball to get under way to not be so consumed by pigskin? Check. And the Yankees finally clinching a World Series berth? Check. I'll start with that last one today.

"Thuhhhhhh Yankees Win": It took a little longer than the Bombers wanted it to, but they're back in the World Series. Andy Pettite looked like Andy Pettite circa 1996 and the lineup did what it always does. Blaming any part of the outcome of game six on those senseless errors by the Angels during the eighth inning would be unfair to both teams. With no game seven, ALCS MVP CC Sabathia gets to pitch in game one on Wednesday against Cliff Lee. This is going to be a great series. The teams could not be more evenly matched. Predictions regarding this year's Fall Classic will come tomorrow.

Case of the Mondays Lite: Four of the NFL's early games were decided by an average score of 46-6 ... A healthy Carson Palmer belongs among the top four QBs in the league, and a Bengals team with a healthy Palmer will make the playoffs this season ... Tony Romo and Mark Sanchez combined for zero picks, while Matt Ryan and Tom Brady each had two ... Jerry Jones's Boys are 4-2, which means their annual collapse is not too far away.

College Scene: Can't decide if the SEC is really that good, or if Alabama and Florida are coasting until the SEC title game ... I'm sure Boise State's drubbing of Hawaii on the road was well worth the trip and extremely late night (in the upper 48, at least) kickoff time now that everyone and their brother has leapfrogged them in the polls ... Can't wait for that ACC tie breaker mess ... USC hasn't looked this beatable since Pete Carroll's first season at the helm ... Anyone else think that the Big XII North champ would have a tough time winning the Mid-American Conference's eastern division?

Quick Hits:

Attention to all fantasy football owners, Chad Ochocinco wants to create an NFL social news network using twitter and players' official accounts on the popular micro blogging site. No tweets will be allowed to be retweeted without the expressed written consent of the Ochocinco News Network .

In other twitter news, UCLA wide receiver Randall Carroll decided to use a racial slur to describe offensive coordinator Norm Chow in a recent tweet. How long until someone labels this incident as part of "Obama's America"?

Miami Heat forward Michael Beasley can't buy a break. Some less than impressive photos of him were revealed over the weekend. High school phenom, one-and-done college basketball star, first round pick, and NBA flame out? It's certainly headed that way.

The NFL is considering having its officials wear helmets on the field. Great idea. It's long overdue and I'm surprised it's only being seriously considered until now.

Manny Acta is the Cleveland Indians' new manager. What he proved in Washington before being fired earlier this year, I have no idea. This seems like a Buck Showalter-type hire, where Acta does as much as he can to create a culture of winning and the next guy takes them to the next level.

Mark McGwire is back at it. He will be the Cardinals hitting coach next season. I hear his hand-eye coordination is phenomenal. There's no one better at injecting himself in the clubhouse while still remaining on the lookout for snitches.

Programming Note: should have gotten to these much earlier, but NBA preview/prediction posts will be up later today and continue tomorrow before the season tips off.

Friday Link Scene: NFL teams can't watch highlights, Barry Larkin for the HOF, and video proving Philadelphia's greatness

2009-10-23T17:27:00.000-07:00

The week has come to a close. Tomorrow afternoon's college football schedule leaves a lot to be desired, but thankfully game six of the Yanks/Angels series will be on. There's Vikings/Steelers, Bears/Bengals, and Cardinals/Giants on Sunday and Mad Men continues its best season yet later that evening.

Oh, and before I go, I'll leave you with a warning. If you happen to be flying over the weekend and your pilot looks like that, you might miss your destination.

Josh McDaniels hasn't always looked so scary. (The Beckett Blog)

It involves a Phillies fan, Roman candles, and a tree, a.k.a a must click. (Sports Rubbish)

Sad news out of Redskins camp. No jokes here. (Pro Football Talk)

Funny fantasy basketball team names, how to become a football coach, and an uphill battle for a Big East football team after the jump.

A countdown of the best fantasy basketball team names. (OC Register)

There's going to be a huge influx of juniors in next year's NFL Draft. Most teams won't be able to see their highlights, though. (SI.com)

Former Reds shortstop Barry Larkin should be in the HOF. (Red Reporter)

Expect many more football games played in London. (The Sporting Blog)

Scandal on the women's tennis tour involving the lovely Caroline Wozniacki. (SF Chronicle)

Michael Vick's new image. (Sports Biz with Darren Rovell)

Sending Joe Saunders to the mound for game six vs. the Yanks is a bad idea. (Bats)

If you want to be an NFL head coach all you need is the look. (The Big Lead)

It's tough out there for a Cincinnati head football coach. (CBSSports.com)

I just found out I have NBA TV, and you might have it too. (Sports Media Watch)

Another sign of just how great Philadelphians are:

The Yankee Way

2009-10-23T16:53:00.000-07:00

It's very easy to pick on the Yankees. They have a huge payroll. Their third baseman admitted to having used steroids in the past. Their go-to "God Bless America" singer was dismissed after making some antisemitic comments. They became the first team to collapse and lose a playoff series after being up 3-0. All of those comments usually ring pretty hollow because they are, for the most part, rooted in jealousy and/or envy. When you're the most successful franchise in the history of sports it simply comes with the territory. What also comes with the territory are ridiculous expectations and the absurd overreactions to go along with them.

Joe Girardi's decisions in both games three and five of the ALCS (both Yankee losses) have been brought into question. He brought in Alfredo Aceves in the eleventh inning of game three after David Robertson had only thrown eleven pitches and gotten two quick outs. Aceves imploded, allowing the game winning run to score. Yesterday, some would argue that leaving A.J. Burnett in the game to pitch the seventh inning was a mistake and the Angels ended up winning that one as well. But how big of a mistake will both of those decisions end up being if the Angels win both games in the Bronx this weekend?

To quote New York Daily News reporter Jesse Spector,

"after failing to guide a $200 million team to October a year ago, compounded with a collapse in the playoffs this year for which he must bear the responsibility, it's impossible to see how the Yankees could keep him..."

After only two years at the helm? In that case, if the Yanks fall apart over the weekend, he shouldn't be the only one held responsible. Brian Cashman assembled this "$200 million team," so fire him as well. Alfredo Aceves and A.J. Burnett made those Angels wins possible, get rid of them too. Pitching coach Dave Eiland probably didn't have either hurler prepared well enough, so go ahead and tell him to file for unemployment. All the scouts who wrote up the reports that supported most of Girardi's moves in these playoffs, they must be wrong, show them to the curb.

The Yankees: where if you don't meet expectations quickly enough, you're gone in a New York minute.

NFL Pick 'Em: Week 7

2009-10-23T15:25:00.000-07:00

If the Halos extend the Yankees to seven games, Sunday night will be decision time for some of you. Baseball playoffs on FOX or the Cardinals at the Giants on NBC? There's another important decision to consider before then as well. Last week's picks went 4-3. Not great, but respectable. Still, the record on the season is a remarkably solid 24-11. I don't know if that's better than your bookie has done, but maybe I've got a good thing going here and it wouldn't hurt to take my advice. Who am I kidding? All good things come to an end. Hopefully, it won't be this week, though. I take a stab at a few games after the jump.

San Francisco 49ers at Houston Texans: all attention surrounding this game will go towards Michael Crabtree. Matt Schaub is starting to get in a groove, but as a whole, his team has been the master of inconsistency over the years. 49ers win 24-17.

Minnesota Vikings at Pittsburgh Steelers: the Favrettes will look to continue their undefeated season, while the Steelers try to rain on their parade. No dome field advantage here, Pittsburgh wins 20-17.

New England Patriots vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (in London): Britain gets the pleasure of watching the best, and worst, of what the NFL has to offer. Remember 59-0 last week? Expect something similar. Pats 45-9.

Chicago Bears at Cincinnati Bengals: both teams need a win to get back on track or risk falling farther behind in their respective divisions. Carson Palmer at home or Jay Cutler on the road? I'm leaning Palmer's way. Bengals 27-21.

Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys: I'll make a bold prediction here. Tony Romo will throw more interceptions than Matt Ryan and thus lose in a close game, 28-24.

Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants: Kurt Warner is licking his chops right now after seeing how poorly the Giants secondary performed last week. Eli Manning should have an easier time and the running game will, as usual, do very well against a not so good Cardinals front seven. Look for a shootout, and a Giants 31-27 victory.

Philadelphia Eagles at Washington Redskins: Philly can ill afford another embarrassment after last week's debacle vs. Oakland. Lucky for them, they get to face a team in utter disarray. Eagles win easily, 31-13.

NCAA Takes Stab at Another Fruitless Attempt to Look Tough

2009-10-23T14:51:00.000-07:00

Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delaney

Lately the college basketball recruiting landscape has taken a page out of our nation's capital by becoming the epitome of a can't get something for nothing place. The practice of hiring an AAU or high school phenom's coach/trainer/agent/money grabbing adviser has become as much a part of college basketball as the term "bubble teams." Not surprisingly, the Washington Post is reporting that our favorite punching bag, the NCAA, would like to bring a stop to this process:

Big Ten Commissioner Jim Delany called the current basketball recruiting landscape "chaos" in a news release put out by the NCAA, saying that "if you starve the system of money, prospects will be free to make decisions on the basis of the right educational and athletic considerations, rather than because there is a third-party adult who is influencing him as a result of benefits received."

The question is, would a new set of rules actually clean up the system? Long time Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim has his doubts, stating,

"I don't have a lot of faith in that."

Additionally, many school boosters donate money to AAU programs, but:

Most of the top AAU programs are set up as nonprofits. But because tax laws do not require nonprofits to identify donors, almost all don't, which makes policing the practice difficult. The NCAA did not reveal how it would prohibit the practice in its news release touting the planned restrictions.

The most likely scenario involves the NCAA creating a new set of rules and then having little to no chance at truly enforcing them. But what else should we expect, really?

Trouble Looming in NFL Labor Negotiations

2009-10-23T12:37:00.000-07:00

Could this headline rear back its ugly head?

Blogger was down earlier, so no Morning Musings today.

Of the four major sports, the National Football League has gone on the longest without some kind of work stoppage (1987 players' strike). Even so, as much as fans may not want to think about it, the NFL and its players union is headed for a fierce battle very soon. Unless both parties come to an agreement in the next few months, the 2010 season will be an uncapped year. And if nothing is done by the end of next season, we may be looking at a work stoppage in 2011. Commissioner Roger Goodell has instructed owners to keep quiet so as to not hurt their efforts in reaching a new collective bargaining agreement.

A big reason for recent labor peace in the NFL has been its revenue sharing system. One could argue that no league does a better job of distributing the wealth and keeping a level playing field than the NFL. Some owners would like that to change, and that's why next season's uncapped season may present a problem to the league in its effort to negotiate a deal with the union.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has already been fined for comments he made regarding a new stadium deal for the Vikings in which he spoke about the idea of revenue sharing as a whole. Per ESPN's Chris Mortensen,

"Right now, we are subsidizing this market," Jones said. "It's unthinkable to think that the market you've got here, with 3.5 million people, and have teams like Kansas City and Green Bay subsidizing this market. That will stop. That's going to stop. That's called revenue sharing. That's on its way out."

Therein lies the problem for Goodell. According to a report by Don Banks on SI.com,

"[a] veteran club official said he senses a growing league-wide mentality to encourage clubs to tread carefully in the uncapped year."

See, nothing would be worse for the league if an owner like Jones or Dan Snyder uses an uncapped season to go all out in free agency. Then the league would not be able to keep a straight face when telling the players that the "financial realities" have changed. Likewise, if spending is drastically scaled back, the union could argue that collusion is to blame.

The league truly finds itself stuck between a rock and a hard place. Will free-willing owners do as they please and risk hurting the overall health of the sport? Or would such over the top spending lead to a new system of revenue sharing, a la baseball, where the rich simply get richer? On the other hand, could a lack of spending lead the union to act first and go on strike before risking a potential lockout in 2011?

As the saying goes, only time will tell, but unfortunately for all parties involved, time is running out.

Linking Up Thursday: Philly Celebrates, From the Retirement Home to the NFL, and Terrell Owens

2009-10-22T16:34:00.000-07:00

Who do you think he wants to flip off now after watching last night's game? It's A.J. Burnett vs. John Lackey tonight. I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that if A-ROD gets two hits or more the Yanks will close out the series tonight. It's also a great night for television. The Office, Community, Parks and Rec, 30 Rock, Fringe, Flash Forward, all on. Oh yeah, you could also watch Florida State continue to spiral into oblivion as they play at North Carolina.

You stay classy, Philadelphia. (Awful Announcing)

Adidas or Nike? That is the question for Jordan's kid. (The Dagger)

The Sanchise is quite a ladies man. (New York Post)

The demise of Terrell Owens, John Calipari needs to relax on those predictions, and the second and final mention regarding Steve Phillips you'll see on this site after the jump.

Tempering all excitement over the 2010 NFL Draft. (Wisconsin Sports Fanatic)

Top-10 Ways to Ditch a Girl at Game Time. (Bleacher Report)

The Red Sox have a "personality" problem. (Baseball Musings)

From the bingo table to play calling, only in America. (DC Sports Bog)

In the world of crazy athlete's names this one might take the cake. (Guyism)

Anything involving Ocho is always a good read. (Sports Radio Interviews)

John Calipari is the king of hyperbole. (The Dagger)

Lane Kiffin is a master recruiter. (No Guts No Glory)

“He’s hit the wall,” the AFC executive said. “I think he has. I think it’s done or close to it. He’ll have a couple of games here and there where he shows up, but big picture, long term, I think it’s done.” He was referring to Terrel Owens. (Yahoo! Sports)

In yesterday's links post I featured a link to a story on The Big Lead about the whole Steve Phillips situation. I chose to only address it in that way because even though it was the story of the day, personally, I don't really think these types of things are anyone else's business. (Some might think I'm being a hypocrite, but I couldn't simply ignore it.) That being said, The Sporting Blog is taking Deadspin to task for its decision to post salacious rumors about other ESPN employees without confirmation. (Not that they should have even if the stories were confirmed.) And to that I applaud you, Sporting Blog. As a small time blogger, and new member of this medium, I am glad to see that not everyone who does this strives to be part of the Perez Hilton world we live in. So, thank you for sticking up for the rest of us out here in these internets who would rather not be lumped together with that crowd.

Now, back to the fun. I called out a Philadelphia fan in particular, and all East coast fans in general, not too long ago for their ridiculous behavior. Well, the Phillies are NL Champs, so the following was to be expected:

College Football Pick 'Em: Week 8

2009-10-22T15:19:00.000-07:00

After last week's 7-0 record (29-20 overall) I can't help but feel pretty confident with this week's picks. Unless you follow a specific team, no matchup really stands out from this Saturday. Either way, a few games should still be interesting because, as we all know, surprises in college football are about as sure of a thing as death and taxes. I try my luck after the jump.

Tennessee at #2 Alabama: on paper this may look like a lopsided victory for Alabama, but Monte Kiffin's defense is good enough to keep the score down. Of course, Bama's defense is one of the best in the country. Mark Ingram will have a big day, and the Tide roll 31-10.

#13 Penn State at Michigan: other than their loss to Iowa, Joe Pa's team has yet to play a formidable opponent this season, and as good as their defense has been they haven't faced an offense like Michigan's. Some might call this an upset, but it's inner conference and the Nittany Lions are only four point favorites. Wolverines win 27-20.

Clem:son at #9 Miami: following Virginia Tech's loss last week, the U is now sitting pretty as the ACC favorite. Clemson won't really threaten that position. Jacory Harris should throw for 300 yards, in a 34-16 win.

#8 TCU at #16 BYU: a great defense, TCU, against a great offense. I really believe TCU has been preparing itself to be part of the BCS equation over the last few years and they're not about to kill their chances. They'll win 31-24.

Oregon State at #7 USC: it's beginning to look a lot like every other year in L.A. Pete Caroll's team loses a close, conference game early and then rolls the rest of the way. It'll continue this week as Matt Barkley leads his troops 28-13.

Upset Special: my pick for this week comes from the Pac-10. Washington is hosting #11 Oregon. Steve Sarkisian already proved he can have his players ready to go in these big games, i.e. USC and LSU. Jeremiah Masoli will revert back to the first few weeks of the season, as the Huskies land another stunning upset, 26-21.

Large Spread Cover: #5 Cincinnati welcomes Louisville to town as 17 point favorites. Regardless of who starts under center for the Bearcats, their defense will probably score some points as well. They won't cover by much, but it'll do, 36-13.

Keep Up the Good Work Ron

2009-10-22T13:27:00.000-07:00

Ron Artest is by far the most interesting interview subject in all of sports. It doesn't even come close. Last season, during the playoffs, he gave us that phenomenal gem in the video above. (Gets good around the 1:52 mark, but the TNT guys' banter is priceless.)

Yesterday, Ron joined Dan Patrick on his radio show and, like he always does, had some pretty interesting things to say.

After discussing how he was getting along with his new teammates and surroundings, Dan asked Ron about how everything went down when he signed with the Lakers over the summer and what other teams he considered. His response:

"Agent said the Lakers, it was like the first team to call. I didn’t think the Lakers were interested. They called at 12:01. I was like 'Wow! The Lakers called.' Didn’t even think about talking to any other teams. Only other option was Greece. I really wanted to go to Greece, but when the Lakers called I kind of forgot about Greece. That was like one of my first options."

Dan, like anyone else listening to the show, was surprised with that answer. Greece? Really? Ron's reasoning:

"I got a couple friends out there and like the coaching. Grew attached to Greece. I always wanted to play there."

[...]

"It was kind of cool. Basketball is so global now."

Ok. So he considered playing ball overseas. Not that far fetched, right? Well, Detroit was also on his list as well. Even after the Brawl at Auburn Hills? Yes. Why he thought it would be a good idea:

"I thought it was important I play in Detroit because of what happened and the stuff I’m trying to do in my career. Although, Detroit was something that was necessary. I thought that if I could play in Detroit, you know, not that it would show change. It would just be a message to like the youth out there what I’m always trying to do."

(Listen to full interview)

From a fan's perspective, having Ron in L.A. is perfect. He already staged his own photo shoot with a very attractive model earlier this summer. I'm sure he'll have a CD out sometime in the near future and will promote it often. As I'm sure that his acting gigs are being lined up as you read this. Keep up the good work Ron Ron.

The NBA: where unintentional comedy happens.

Failure in Washington...What Else is New? [UPDATE: Gibbs responds, sorta]

2009-10-22T11:34:00.000-07:00

The title was meant as a joke, not a political stance.

The Washington Redskins are all the rage these days. And none of it is positive. Sherm Lewis is now calling the plays and earlier this week, Hall of Fame wide receiver Steve Largent suggested that Jim Zorn almost quit when he got the news. Publicly, Zorn has admitted to being hesitant at first, but now says he's behind the decision. Per Sports Radio Interviews,

"I think it's going to be very difficult, but we all are going to have this challenge before us and we're going to make the best of it. We're not out of it."

Truth be told, Zorn is probably still quite peeved at his owner Dan Snyder and GM Vinny Cerrato. To suggest anything to the contrary would be foolish. His days are numbered and if he quits Snyder doesn't have to pay his full salary, so he rather stick around until he's fired. Considering the fact that he won't get another chance at being a head coach in the NFL anytime soon, or probably ever, you cannot blame Zorn for taking this approach. And if you've never dealt with a very stubborn person before, I suggest you meet a football head coach.

So what's next for this franchise? Well, word around the NFL is that former three-time Super Bowl champion Redskins head coach Joe Gibbs will be brought in to work a role similar to what Bill Parcells holds in Miami. Basically, he will make all the hiring decisions to fit a type of system that would put a winning product on the field. If 'Skins brass is discussing this and it actually happens, then fans in our nation's capital might actually have something to cheer about soon. Emphasis on might. Nothing is guaranteed in this league and one man certainly won't make a huge difference as long as Snyder is still calling too many of the shots.

[Update: Pro Football Talk, via the Washington Post, is saying that a source close to Gibbs doubts he has any interest.]

FOX Adding Some Fire to Their Lineup

2009-10-22T07:08:00.000-07:00

Let's hope the FCC isn't paying too much attention to the World Series next week, so that we can get a chance at hearing the kind of honest and refreshing opinions we've been wanting for so long. See, FOX has hired our favorite foul-mouthed manager to work the pre and postgame coverage during this year's Fall Classic. I'm speaking of the one and only Ozzie Guillen of course. A walking, bleeping quote machine.

Some of his better quotes over the years have included his thoughts on someday getting the 2005 World Series team back together:

"Those ceremonies -- 'Oh, let's bring back those guys from 2005,' we're all crippled and fucked up, pushing wheelchairs, kids crying because his dad was on the ballclub -- fuck that. I don't need that bull. A bunch of fat guys, another one is broke. 'Hey, where's your ring?' 'Oh, I don't know, I sold that son of a bitch two years ago.'"

Or how about what he thinks of Around the Horn nuisance and former cowardly reporter Jay Mariotti:

"What a piece of shit he is, fucking fag. He's a garbage. He's always been a garbage. And he will die a garbage."

Well, then. I can't wait for the World Series to get under way. It'll be like having a combination of Charles Barkley and George Carlin's "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television" analyzing the games.

And who could forget his rant on Mike North's show on 670 THE SCORE in Chicago:

Morning Musings: NLCS, ALCS, Dodgers Off Season, and Jeff Fisher

2009-10-22T06:15:00.000-07:00

Well, that didn't last long. Philadelphia may very well find out who they'll face in the World Series as soon as tonight.

Easy does it: just like last year, this series took all of five games. The Philly bats were simply too much for the Dodgers weak starting rotation and overused bullpen. Not even the resurgent Vicente Padilla could keep the series going. Not to continue harping on this, but guess how well the boys in blue did with runners in scoring position last night? They went one-for-six. Once again, Cole Hamels didn't pitch a very good game, and once again, it didn't matter. Now they get to set up their rotation and await the victor of the Yankees/Angels series.

The end is near: similar to the other L.A. team, the poor Halos find themselves completely overmatched. On the brink of elimination, Mike Scioscia will send John Lackey to the mound. In game one of this series, he allowed 12 base runners in 5 & 2/3 innings. A.J. Burnett (2.19 ERA through 12 & 1/3 innings in the postseason) will take the hill for New York. The way the Yankees are hitting it's hard to envision this not being over after tonight's game.

What now? New year, same result. Ned Colletti and Joe Torre enter the off season with a number of questions to answer. Will they bring back free agents Orlando Hudson and Ronnie Belliard? Will they pick up Manny's option? How about Jon Garland's option? Did free agent to-be Vicente Padilla do enough to get a new contract? Does injury-prone Jason Schmidt still have a place on this team? If any or all of these guys are allowed to walk, do you go after available players like Matt Holliday, Bobby Abreu, Mark DeRosa, or John Lackey, to replace them? This could very well be an interesting off season around Chavez Ravine.

Oops: The fact that Jeff Fisher felt like, or might have been told, he had to apologize after poking fun at his team by wearing a Colts jersey at a charity event is a prime example of how absurd fans have become these days. Yahoo! Sports' Charles Robinson (always a great read for any NFL fan, FYI) is suggesting this may have been a strategic move by Fisher to dare the owner to fire him. I agree with Robinson that he probably didn't do it because of that, but what does it say about the NFL that such a question could be raised after the prolonged success Fisher has had in Tennessee?

Morning Blitz:

Dodgers bench coach Don Mattingly has admitted to speaking to Indians management regarding their vacant managerial position. He'll probably have a formal interview now that his current team is out of the playoffs. Good luck. Cleveland is a four to five year project.

Sam Bradford was supposed to "address the nation" yesterday, but the press conference has been rescheduled to today. One report states that he will opt to have surgery. Goodbye 2009. Hello NFL?

Cedric Benson thinks he was blackballed by those in and around the Bears organization. I think he's probably just angry that there aren't very many places in Cincinnati for him to party like this.

Former wide receiver Steve Largent told a radio station that his buddy Jim Zorn nearly quit over the last few days. Wouldn't you? This back room strong arming between Zorn and Daniel Snyder is getting ridiculous. Fire the guy. It'll cost you Dan, but I could have sworn that was never a problem in the past.

The SEC has suspended the officiating crew that blew a crucial call during the Florida/Arkansas game. Hopefully, they'll hit the classroom during their time off.

Wednesday Link-O-Rama: Scandal in Bristol, More Terrelle Pryor Nonsense, and Lamar Odom News

2009-10-21T17:32:00.000-07:00

You can't be surprised with the image to the right. It was only a matter of time, really. If you wear that this Halloween your hot date can be another popular costume this year, Kate Gosselin. Or maybe let her give Octomom a try?

Andre Eithier's first inning HR gives Vicente Padilla a one run lead, but Jason Werth belts one to right field to go up 3-1. It's over. For Conference USA football fans, the mothership has Tulsa at UTEP on tonight.

If you haven't heard already, a prominent ESPN personality had an affair. (The Big Lead)

Someone actually made money with Bernie Madoff? (Sports Biz with Darren Rovell)

Like they have nothing better to do: Congress asking for Obama to get involved with the BCS. (AP)

Cuban defector about to become part of a bidding war, getting to the bottom of this Terrelle Pryor "scandal," and a sign of our economic times after the jump.

When it rains it pours for the Cleveland Browns. (Pro Football Talk)

The Ole Ball Coach is upset with Bama. (Tuscaloosa News)

For those of you who are Insiders: Cuban prospect Aroldis Chapman is coming to America. (La Esquina Blog)

Apparently baseball's collective bargaining agreement is unfair. (Baltimore Sun)

We now know the true reason behind Terrelle Pryor's lackluster season. (The Sporting Blog)

The least ~~attractive~~ annoying, Kardashian sister and Lamar Odom singing, "We want prenup." (Ball Don't Lie)

Economic realities of collegiate athletic departments. (The Seattle Times)

Richard Seymour believes his team is playoff-bound. Remember that he no longer plays for the Pats. (Pro Football Talk)

The future of athlete endorsements? (Sports Biz with Darren Rovell)

Is It Sunday Yet? The Favrettes vs. Big Ben, Crabtree Bowl, and the G-Men Try to get Back on Track

2009-10-21T15:29:00.000-07:00

It's hump day around here, which means it's time to preview the weekend of pro football. And there's a huge game coming up for both teams involved. Quarterback Brooks Bollinger and his Florida Tuskers are at home to take on the league rushing leader Cory Ross and the California Redwoods. Oh, whoops...that's a UFL game. My mistake. I must have gotten too excited about second rate football leagues after watching Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL? last night. No worries, a few NFL games are mentioned after the jump.

Minnesota Vikings at Pittsburgh Steelers: If three months ago I would’ve said that coming into this game one team would be undefeated and the other would be struggling to get to 4-2, what would your answers have been? Ben Roethlisberger will have the Vikings defense in his face all game long, but that never really seems to bother Big Ben. He will need a more reliable run game, though. With Troy Polamalu back, Brett Favre and Adrian Peterson won’t have an easy day, either. If Minnesota wins, all talks of this fast start being a flash in the pan cease to exist. If Pittsburgh wins, it means their title defense is far from over.

San Francisco 49ers at Houston Texans: The big question going into this game is how well, if at all, Michael Crabtree will play? Will he make a big difference in the 49ers struggling passing game? He’ll probably contribute, but fantasy owners shouldn’t expect an explosive day from the rookie wide out. Frank Gore is listed as probable for Sunday’s game, and San Fran desperately needs him back (replacement Glen Coffee hasn’t looked nearly as good as he did in camp). Houston, on the other hand is now 3-3 and making a legitimate run towards a wild card playoff berth. Matt Schaub has proven he can be a great quarterback when his line gives him enough time in the pocket, but I get the feeling linebacker Patrick Willis might have something to say about that come Sunday.

Atlanta Falcons at Dallas Cowboys: Both squads are coming off not-so-convincing wins over Chicago and Kansas City, respectively. Matt Ryan always seems to make the right decision, while the Cowboys seem to play better when Tony Romo slings it all over the field (even if that leaves Dallas prone to turnovers). The ‘Boys also have the third best rushing attack in the league, while Michael Turner hasn’t played nearly to the level he did last year. Why do I get the feeling it will come down to quarterback play, though? Or that at the very least, that will become the story come Sunday afternoon?

Chicago Bears at Cincinnati Bengals: Cincinnati must have been drinking too much of its own Kool-Aid because they laid an absolute egg at home against Houston last week. Meanwhile, Chicago is probably feeling like it should’ve won down in Atlanta last week. Jay Cutler must be smiling knowing that Antwan Odom won't be lined up on the other side, but Rey Maualuga won’t let this team, and its secondary, have another game like last week’s. Matt Forte needs to become a factor this week if the Bears want to have a shot because Carson Palmer isn’t prone to being contained on consecutive weeks, so more ball control will be key for Chicago.

Arizona Cardinals at New York Giants: Think Kurt Warner can’t wait to air it out after watching how awful the Giants secondary played against New Orleans last week? If New York’s secondary doesn’t show up to play, the lack of a viable running game won’t matter at all to Arizona. For Arizona’s defense, despite keeping Matt Haselbeck in check last week, its pass rush and pass coverage has been mostly non-existent. So, if he has good enough protection Eli Manning will be just fine. Don’t be surprised if this turns into a shootout. The Giants have faced good offenses twice this season, at Dallas and at New Orleans, and given up a total of 79 points in those contests.

Because It's Wednesday and We Have Nothing More to Talk About: Terrelle Pryor

2009-10-21T13:55:00.000-07:00

Think this might have worked?

Watching the Ohio State Buckeyes play football this season is a bit like having Blake Lively work as a gas station attendant, a lot of talent is being wasted. As head coach Jim Tressel and his offensive staff continue to try to morph Terrelle Pryor into Craig Krenzel or, god forbid, Todd Boeckman, the Buckeyes continue to look completely out of sync. Already at two losses, this kind of offensive inefficiency won't work against Iowa and it might not even do much against Michigan. Fans and media members have all openly asked the question of when Tressel will realize that giving his prized 2008 recruit some free reign under center might actually result in winning some more ballgames. A few others have decided to chime in.

Ray Reitz, Pryor's high school coach spoke out and, like the rest of us, he feels like his former player is being misused:

"They've put the reins on him and they need to let him go free. When I watch Terrelle play right now, I see a robot."

He goes on to say that running some "zone-reads," the play made famous by Tim Tebow and Urban Meyer's Florida Gators over the last few years, would better suit Pryor's talents. The coach even went as far as suggesting that he would look better in another Big Ten offense:

"There is no question that Rich Rodriguez's offense, for example, would be more apt to suit Terrelle's skills," Reitz said. "But Ohio State sold him on the idea that they would prepare him for the NFL and that they don't run 'zone-read' in the NFL. Jim Tressel is a great coach. But I can tell you there is more to Terrelle Pryor than what we've been seeing."

So recruits being promised the world is not a message board myth? Putting that aside, most of the criticism is going Tressel's way, but Buckeyes receiver DeVier Posey felt like he still needed to defend his quarterback:

"There's only one Tim Tebow in this world and I don't really know what people want from [Pryor]," Posey said. "He's going to get better. He really can't do much worse."

Posey is probably right. It's hard to imagine Pryor doing much worse than his performance at Purdue last week. Knowing Tressel, though, who coaches his football team just like the way he dresses, little change will come about in the near future.

A-LOVE

2009-10-21T11:51:00.000-07:00

"Mr. April!" "Overpaid!" "Juicer!" "A-FRAUD!"

All attributed to one Alexander Emmanuel Rodriguez, even three weeks ago. It doesn't help that he plays the hot corner for the most successful franchise in the history of sports in the largest media market on the planet. To quote a skit from the unfortunately short-lived Chappelle's Show "Hate, hate, hate, hate, hate..." So what's the buzz today after a three-for-four, one homerun, two RBI night? Not to mention a postseason where he's hitting over .400 and driven in a run in every single game?

The New York Post's Mike Vaccaro:

In only 245 days, he has risen from pariah to messiah, from reviled to revered, from a rogue whose reputation was left stranded on the side of the road to a player who makes grown men shake their heads in wonder.

John Harper of the New York Daily News:

It's safe to say he's earned his pinstripes from even the most cynical of Yankee fans who have said they could never embrace him.

Newark Star-Ledger scribe, Steve Politi:

The time has come to stop searching for answers and just enjoy this. What Rodriguez is doing this postseason is one of the most incredible displays of baseball we’ve seen in a long time...

So complete is the transformation that, when he steps to the plate now, it is almost more shocking when he doesn’t get a hit.

The situation will undoubtedly sour as soon as he has an 0-fer in what looks like an inevitable World Series appearance for these Yankees. But it just goes to show you how rewriting your life or career's narrative is very easy in this country, especially if you're a celebrity.

Mark Cuban Speaks Truth

2009-10-21T10:04:00.000-07:00

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban tends to run his mouth from time to time. But unlike some of his vociferous counterparts, what he says usually makes a lot of sense. That is probably why David Stern hands him down so many fines every year. Cuban points out obvious mistakes that the league would much rather keep in house and fix without all the public hoopla. Well, guess who's at it again? Cuban took part in a Q&A session at his alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh, yesterday, and what he said will certainly get way more attention that it deserves as the news cycle slows into the afternoon.

Cuban was asked about his thoughts on the Rashard Lewis steroids suspension.

"I'll get killed for saying this," Cuban replied, "but I'm not so against steroids if they're administered under proper supervision and there is no long-term damage."

Oh no! Steroids are good and should be allowed? What? Get rid of Cuban! Bar him from all professional sports!

Cuban is right. He will most likely get killed by many delusional fans and media members alike, as the day goes on. Don't be surprised if several columns harp on this non-story as well.

The truth is that what he's saying is absolutely correct. We, as regular everyday citizens, are prescribed steroids for rehabilitation purposes all the time, yet whenever an athlete is placed in the same situation our automatic reaction is to say s/he is trying to cheat the game. Now, suggesting that all athletes who use steroids use them in an honest and legal manner would be ignorant, but if done "under proper supervision," as Cuban says, no one should have a problem with it. To quote Cuban one more time,

"To me, it's just common sense."

Chillin with Ocho

2009-10-21T07:55:00.000-07:00

Chad Ochocinco has provided us and the NFL with the phrase "Child please," countless end zone celebrations, and thousands of dollars worth of fines . Now for only cuatronuevenueve (that's $4.99 for the español-impaired) on iTunes you can have the "Chad Ochocinco Experience" every where you go. Among its many features, the app includes:

The Ochocinco Soundboard in English and in Spanish
What would Ocho Do? Submit questions to Chad and he will select a few and answer them within the app.
Follow Ocho Cinco on a map.

Ocho, you give and you give and you give. But what do you ask from us?

Sports TV + Star Trek Technology = Awesomeness

2009-10-21T07:04:00.000-07:00

New technologies are added to our television sports experience every season. Just last week, I mentioned some innovations ESPN and Fox were adding to their baseball broadcasts. We now get wind of Disney unveiling its new ESPN Innovation Lab at Disney's Wide World of Sports in Orlando. Per the Orlando Sentinel, among the many ideas being tested are:

•EA Virtual Playbook. In addition to the NFL and NBA playbooks, soccer is next on the list and will make its debut during the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

•Ball Track. ESPN didn't invent this technology, which relies on a Doppler radar tracking system to predict a ball's path, but was first to use the technology on a broadcast — the 2009 Major League Baseball Home Run Derby.

•Ultimate interviewing. This will allow anchors to "beam" people from the field into the studio and vice versa. It will make its ESPN debut next spring during the World Cup.

•ESPN 3D. It's exactly what it sounds like. Technology currently is being developed to view games three-dimensionally.

Much of it sounds awesome. Although, I must admit, the whole beaming people into the studio thing looked kind of spooky and awkward during CNN's election coverage last November.

Personally, I can't wait until, for a small fee of oh I don't know, $999.99, I can have a game beamed live into my living room. Imagine sitting there after you've just cracked open a cold one and have your fingers covered in wing sauce, while Rey Maualuga comes up from behind you to tackle Adrian Peterson. Or polishing off a Domino's extra large pepperoni pizza as LeBron James goes for a breakaway dunk right over your face. That's some crazy stuff, man.

Chicago Writer Calls Out Fans for Being Fans

2009-10-21T06:41:00.000-07:00

Many times, postings on message boards and calls to sports talk radio shows are amalgamations of unnecessary hate and downright absurd suggestions from nutty fans. This summer, neither the Favre-Vikings marriage nor the Cutler-Orton trade were spared. For the Chicago Tribune's Rick Morrissey (you were expecting someone else after reading that headline, right?), the ridiculousness has reached a tipping point.

All three quarterbacks are enjoying some level of team success and both Favre and Orton are making early season runs at the MVP trophy, so Morrissey called out these fans by saying,

"I'd suggest your life is lacking in some fundamental way. There are hobbies that can help fill the hours. Extreme stamp collecting, for example."

Then going further by making an even better suggestion,

"Rather than waiting for players to stumble, how about, as coaches like to say, we just tip our caps to them?"

With the dwindling number of print subscriptions, not much ink or paper was wasted on such a pointless opinion. So that's good. Although, Morrissey is probably still chuckling over that stamps joke.

Morning Musings: ALCS, NLCS, Spitgate, and the USFL

2009-10-21T06:00:00.000-07:00

A number of people, including this esteemed blogger, thought both of the league championships series would be competitive, but except for a few innings, two ball clubs have been completely overmatched by the other two. And last night was no different.

Yankees Dominant: Not a whole lot to say, really. CC was phenomenal, A-ROD continues to silence the A-Fraud crowd, and the Angels simply don't have an answer right now. The Red Sox proved both in 2004 and 2007 that being down 3-0 or 3-1 in a series doesn't mean it's over, but it's very hard to picture the Angels doing anything to make that happen. The only other part of the game that truly stood out were two terrible calls by third base umpire Tim McClelland. Luckily, neither one affected the outcome of the game. This series, and both bullpens, get a much needed off day before Thursday night's game five.

One More Win: The only thing the Dodgers have going for them is that Vicente Padilla (14.1 IP, 1 ER, 10 K, 2 BB, and a 2-0 team record in games he's started this postseason) is on the mound tonight. Even though he got the win in game one of the series, Cole Hamels hasn't pitched well at all in these playoffs (8 ER on 15 hits in 10.1 innings pitched), but that point will be rendered moot if L.A. continues to leave so many runners in scoring position (6-30 at the plate in those situations).

United States Football League: For as much criticism as ESPN gets, its "30 for 30" series has been very good. And last night's premiere of Mike Tollin's film "Small Potatoes: Who Killed the USFL?" was its best yet. Now, I won't pretend to have known a whole about the league prior to watching the film (my parents weren't even dating when the USFL was formed and by the time it folded I wasn't even born), but watching it you can't help but think what might have been had the league been given a better chance to succeed. Before last night, my understanding was that Donald Trump had driven the league to the ground and after watching the film, that idea was only solidified even more. Although Trump's lofty and ridiculous pursuits are certainly a large part of the story, seeing the end zone celebrations and the big hair and crazy fans was a refreshing reminder that football in its purest form is supposed to be fun. In case you missed it, the film will re-air tonight on ESPN2 at 7 ET, tomorrow on ESPN Classic at 8 ET, and once again next Monday on the deuce at 5 ET. I strongly suggest you check it out.

Morning Blitz:

Spitgate 2009 involving Mariano Rivera was all the rage on these here internets yesterday. Not only is the video somewhat inconclusive, but if you look at it closely it sort of appears as if the spit wad doesn't even land on the ball. Regardless, who cares? It doesn't diminish Mo's career in the least bit. Nor do I think the question should be made.

The term "Manny being Manny" got a new definition the other night when Ramirez decided to hit the showers after being pulled for a defensive replacement in the ninth inning instead of watching the Phillies come back alongside his teammates in the dugout. What else is knew? Calling the Dodgers out for allowing this kind of behavior or berating Manny for acting like this is pointless. Neither one has pretended that things would ever be any different.

Jeff Fisher had a little fun at a charity event yesterday, wearing a Colts jersey when presenting Tony Dungy at a charity event. Good for him. Life is too short to be serious all the time. Titans fans should be glad they have a coach like him, although I doubt that's what they thought as soon as they found out about it.

It appears as if the NBA and its refs will come to an agreement in the near future. Great. If there's one sport where the officiating is questioned more than these postseason umpires have been, it's basketball. The reviews from the preseason have been mixed, but most lean towards suggesting the replacement refs are too whistle-happy. Hopefully, things will be resolved by opening night, or the first few weeks of the season, at the latest.

With all the changes taking place in Cleveland, and the money that Eric Mangini would be owed, chances are slim to none that he will be fired anytime soon. But when a self-proclaimed music magazine that is constantly criticized for being more pop culture and corporately-driven than anything else, calls your tenure "a sort of Hurricane Andrew of football mismanagement," things can't be going too well.

Suggested Rise and Shine Reading:

I know many of many out there may well be Yankee and A-ROD haters, and I may simply be a baseball purist on this one, but the game is at its best when the boys in pinstripes are doing well. If anything else Steve Politi of the Newark Star-Ledger is one of the truly great writers in the business today, so at the very least read his great take on Rodriguez's playoff run.

Tuesday Link Party: Sports Ass-Grabbing, Dick Vitale is Awesome Baby, and Lane Kiffin Embraces a New Recruiting Fad

2009-10-20T16:35:00.000-07:00

Only one baseball game on tonight. If there is such a thing as momentum the Halos will probably tie the series tonight. We'll have to wait and see how A-Rod shows his excitement in this game. Also on the tube tonight, ESPN's "30 for 30" documentary series takes a look at the short lived history of the USFL, so make sure to check that out.

The San Diego Chargers are done. Break the team apart! (SD Union-Tribune)

Because the picture above is too funny, here are the rules to ass grabbing. (Hail Mary Jane)

Don't play awful football in the NFL, or else you may face the wrath of Rich Gannon. (Pro Football Talk)

Dickie V is a PTPer with the ladies, a sign of our economic times, and cheering in the press box after the jump.

Dick Vitale teaches young adults a thing or two about skirt chasing. (The Sporting Blog)

One of the Celts' big three owes Al Horford money. (Ball Don't Lie)

Really sad story involving an unfortunate accident at the Chargers/Broncos game last night. (USA Today)

Tennessee football is at the forefront of recruiting. (Go Vols Xtra)

Scott Boras is going all out for another one of his clients. (LA Times)

Asking for the "FOX News" of sports. (Favre Dollar Footlongs)

Someone at MLB.com clicked the "publish" button too soon last night. (Awful Announcing)

Hopefully this made-up Sherron Collins/John Wall feud will hit twitter soon enough. (The Dagger)

Jason Campbell comes to a conclusion we all made weeks ago. (Sports Radio Interviews)

A Mets fan's worst fear may be realized shortly. (The Faster Times)

This economy has claimed its first relocation victim. (USA Today)

Homerism is OK as long as it happens off the air (H/T to Jimmy Traina at Hot Clicks):

Because Saturday Can't Get Here Soon Enough: Big Games in the Pac-10 & a Mountain West Showcase

2009-10-20T15:55:00.000-07:00

Last week's college football slate certainly lived up to the hype. Florida, Texas and USC were all taken to the brink, Georgia Tech brought down the goalposts in a win over Virginia Tech, and even South Carolina held its own in a game against the Crimson Tide. Barring major upsets the polls should look roughly the same next week, as there are only two games involving two top 25 teams (if you go by the AP). But inner conference games tend to surprise us every year, so even without a sexy matchup it should make for an interesting Saturday. Five games to pay attention to after the jump.

Tennessee at #2 Alabama: Lane Kiffin has been denied his request to wear the traditional home orange in Tuscaloosa, but it's not like that would've helped his team in this one. Vols may be able to find solace in seeing how Bama didn't actually pull away from South Carolina until the fourth quarter last week. Mark Ingram single-handedly carried the offense last week and is beginning to garner some serious Heisman consideration. Monte Kiffin's defense is no slouch, though, ranked thirty-first against the run. Jonathan Crompton is averaging 263.6 yards per over the last three games and actually looks like a formidable QB, but Nick Saban's defense only gives up 163 yards per game through the air. It's going to be your run of the mill SEC contest where the defense dictates the outcome.

#11 Oregon at Washington: as the weeks go by, Oregon's loss to Boise State is looking more and more like a fluke. Jeremiah Masoli may not be 100 percent this week, but that shouldn't be a problem against a Huskies team that is ranked in the bottom 15 in total defense. Despite a number of losses in close games, Steve Sarkisian has completely changed the attitude around Seattle and actually brings an offense averaging more yards per game than the Ducks, albeit .7 more per game. Classic west coast shoot out? Not so fast, Oregon's defense is the fifteenth best in the country. If Masoli can't play anything like his healthy-self, this will get interesting. And you have to believe Boise State will be watching.

#13 Penn State at Michigan: the Wolverines exploded on offense against poor Delaware State last week, so confidence on that side of the ball isn't exactly lacking. On the other hand, Penn State arrives in Ann Arbor tied with Florida for allowing the fewest points per game, 8.7. The Nittany Lions are trying to salvage their BCS hopes, while Big Blue wants to play the part of spoiler and place themselves in a better bowl position. This game will be close and whoever has the bigger day, Tate Forcier or Darryl Clark, will come out on top.

#8 TCU at #16 BYU: who would've thought that the marquee game of the week, if you go by the polls and College Gameday's decision to be in attendance, would come in the Mountain West Conference? TCU's defense is the fourth best in the nation (total defense) and BYU's offense is ranked seventh in the nation. Due to strength of schedule and quality wins, BYU still has an outside shot at a BCS game if it wins at home this Saturday. A win for the Horned Frogs improves their already undefeated resume and would get them closer and closer to jumping ahead of Boise State in the rankings. A lot is ridding on this game not only for both of these teams, but for the entire conference as well.

Oregon State at #7 USC: the Beavers have played the part of USC-spoiler a few times over the last few years are looking to do it again. Even at one loss, USC has a chance at the BCS title game if everything goes there way. Oregon State can still get to the Rose Bowl, and a victory over the Trojans would put them on the correct path. Jacquizz Rodgers is coming off a 189-yard day against Stanford, but USC boasts the fourth best run defense. Matt Barkley looks much more comfortable in this offense and his receivers are beginning to step up. Oregon State's defense is simply middle of the road, but despite what the numbers may say this SC offense is beatable. Beavers head coach Mike Riley always has his guys ready to go in this matchup, so a close one is to be expected.

NCAA Actually Gets Something Right

2009-10-20T14:28:00.000-07:00

Criticizing the NCAA is far too easy. This organization is supposed to be the governing body of college athletics in our country, but has absolutely no power over college football. It also enjoys meddling in the lives of its student athletes by considering even a simple hand shake between a season ticket holder and a player improper. So it came as a complete shock to me when the first paragraph of a story at ESPN.com said the following:

Momentum is building to allow coaches in most NCAA sports to recruit some athletes from professional teams, according to the head of an NCAA committee that has proposed the major rule change.

Before anyone becomes confused, this rule change would primarily affect sports like tennis and volleyball, which have much more of an international flavor. See, the high school and college athletics scene across the globe is nothing like it is here, so many kids are thrown in with the pros from a very young age. These kids are then recruited to play at the collegiate level here in the U.S. but many times become ineligible because of the tricky situation of having played with paid, non-amateurs.

Per ESPN, a number of coaches associations are "lined up" behind this idea. It makes perfect sense to allow these kids who had no other choice but to play on professional or semi-professional teams back home to participate here in the U.S. Additionally, it eliminates any confusion for the NCAA when trying to investigate athletic organizations from all over the world. I can't believe I'm saying this, but the NCAA may actually get this one right.

Morning Musings: Thrilling Baseball Finishes, Bolts Get the Royal Treatment & Other Football News

2009-10-20T06:06:00.000-07:00

Baseball could not have asked for a better set of games to go up against Monday Night Football. To steal a line from MLB's ad campaign, "This is beyond a late inning comeback. This is beyond baseball."

Never Surrender: the Dodgers/Phillies game shifted when, instead of challenging Matt Stairs with fastballs, Jonathan Broxton nibbled around the edges of the strike zone and walked him on four pitches. I know he has a penchant for pinch hit homers, but the guy is ancient and you're throwing 100 mph gas out there! Broxton followed that up by hitting Carlos Ruiz. Greg Dobbs lined out and, as half of the picture above shows, the rest is postseason history. Similar to their game two victory, the Dodgers are just doing enough not to lose. These teams are off tomorrow, but I just don't see how L.A. gets back in this thing.

Some Fight Left: the lead-in to Phillies/Dodgers certainly held up to its end of the bargain. Just when it looked like New York would go up 3-0 in the series Vladimir Guerrero belted one to left field to tie the game in the sixth inning. Then, tied at 4-4 in the bottom of the eleventh, with two outs and nobody on, Joe Girardi elected to pull David Robertson after only 11 pitches. Alfredo Aceves came in and fell behind both hitters with Jeff Mathis getting the game winning hit. After the game, Girardi explained the move as such, "we have all the matchups and all the scouting reports, and we felt that, you know, it was a better matchup for us." Regardless, I would love to be able to listen in on New York sports talk radio right now, especially the crazy callers. CC Sabathia and Scott Kazmir take the mound tonight. Kazmir pitched very well against New York in 2009, but his last start was awful (5 ER, 3 BB). Sabathia has been great so far this postseason and the short rest shouldn't be a problem.

Flying Mile High: Eddie Royal's phenomenal day aside, the Broncos defense disrupted Phillip Rivers all game long, sacking him five times and forcing him to make a number of hurried throws. Denver's third down defense was great, as the Chargers could only covert on two of 11 tries. Denver's legitimacy could no longer be questioned after beating New England last week, but now the question becomes, when will they lose? Sitting at 2-3 the Bolts need a miracle turn around like last season to salvage the season. Even if they do, Norv Turner's days are probably numbered.

Morning Blitz:

In the sixth inning of last night's Dodgers/Phillies game, home plate umpire Ted Barrett called a third strike on an outside pitch to Russell Martin. Martin complained for about 15 seconds and then walked away. Barrett kept staring at him, almost daring Martin to look back and say something in order to get thrown out. This is ridiculous. I understand you may have a precious ego Mr. Barrett, but no one is paying to see you do your thing. Don't entice a player to come after you.

Losing nose tackle Kris Jenkins is a huge blow to the Jets. Much of their early success could have been attributed to his presence against opposing teams' rushing attacks. Now, at 3-3 and without him, Jets fans probably can't help but think the season may be lost.

When the Redskins brought in Sherman Lewis to be an offensive consultant two weeks ago, some began to speculate that his role would soon become greater. It has. He's now calling all of the plays. We also now know that that the team reached out to Mike Shanahan not too long ago, but he declined because he had no interest in coming in mid-season. What a joke and mess of a team.

Another Monday, another SEC officiating crew is proved wrong. Oh wait, it's the same one that blew a few calls in the LSU/Georgia game. This time, Arkansas got robbed in its upset bid at Florida. You cannot be serious. The same crew screwed up both games? That's simply inexcusable. Give them a week off to study up.

Linking Into Monday Night: College Gameday Signs, Drunken Tomfoolery & Fodder for Duke Haters

2009-10-19T17:07:00.000-07:00

Her name is Jenn Brown. She's a rising star on the sideline reporting scene, which probably means the Big Ten Network will snatch her up pretty soon... We've got some extra inning baseball in SoCal. Such is the luck of the Angels, their two best opportunities to win a game in this series have come down to trying to get anything going against the Yankees bullpen. Dodgers/Phillies and Broncos/Chargers are on shortly. If the LA bats can't do anything and San Diego doesn't run the football well, those games will be over pretty quickly. And if that does happen, you can switch over to the Sharks/Rangers game.

The best signs from College Gameday: Part 1 (Busted Coverage)

The best signs from College Gameday: Part Deux (College Game Balls)

In case you missed Midnight Madness, here's a bunch of videos. (The Sporting Blog)

Public urination, more pictures from a busy college football Saturday, and Dennis Rodman is back in the news after the jump.

Redskins fans have had enough. (FAN EXODUS.COM)

Nets promotional team pulling out all the stops. (Sports Biz with Darren Rovell)

Kyle Orton trying to stay as cold as the Rockies. (The Angry T)

Ever thought you could do better than MLB managers? There's an app for that. (U.S.S. Mariner)

Folks in Cincinnati are very excited about their Bearcats. (700 WLW)

Pittsburgh Steelers kicker Jeff Reed is one drunken, crazy dude. (Deadspin)

Don't mess with Filipino basketball players, they'll go Ron Artest on you. (Ball Don't Lie)

More college football fun. (Guyism)

Remember the Seahawks Owen Schmitt bashing his head with his own helmet last week? Well, you can now hold on to that memory forever. (Jacknut Apparel)

If you hate Duke, here's more reason to do so. (The Dagger)

Unwritten rules among baseball umpires are untrue. (New York Times)

It involves Dennis Rodman. Just click on it. (Not Qualified To Comment)

Running over 20 mph, so easy, even a caveman could do it. (The Sporting Blog)

Sticking It to the Fans

2009-10-19T15:50:00.000-07:00

As evidenced by the ridiculous new media rules the SEC tried to implement prior to this season, and the fact that the highest court in the land will take a look at a case involving the No Fun League and an antitrust lawsuit brought on by a small time merchandiser, sports leagues love having full control of their product. According to the New York Post another small time merchandiser, and well-known Yankee fan, "Bald Vinny" Milano is now caught in the ire of the MLB Players Association.

See, Milano sells t-shirts and other apparel specifically for die-hard Yankee fans, including one featuring the "Swisher Salute." Much to Milano's dismay, the MLBPA decided to trademark the phrase in order to sell similar products through third parties. Obviously, a large retailer selling these t-shirts would make business for "Bald Vinny" very difficult. Thank you Major League Baseball Players Association for letting us know that the bottom dollar is so important the everyday fan can't even enjoy a little money on the side.

I Love College

2009-10-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

Like chasing half a bottle of cheap tequila with a Corona or stealing every possible sign around town to plaster your apartment's wall with, rushing the field after a big win is a time honored college tradition. Sometimes the field rushing results in goal post removal as well. Such was the case on Saturday in Atlanta, when Georgia Tech upset the higher ranked Virginia Tech Hokies in front of a packed house. After tearing down the goal posts not everyone was left unscathed, though. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Georgia Tech President G.P. "Bud" Peterson is asking for a review of stadium safety procedures. Per the AJC:

A possible broken arm, asthma attack and "hurt" ankle are on the preliminary list of injuries from Saturday's victory celebration after Tech beat then-No. 4 Virginia Tech 28-23, spokesman Matt Nagel said in a statement.

All I can say is get well soon kids. That kind of drunken excitement will be needed against Georgia to end the season. Oh and Halloween is coming up, too.

No Love Lost Here

2009-10-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

Minnesota Vikings defensive end, and resident funny man, Jared Allen is well on his way to becoming a studio analyst as soon as his playing days are over. During training camp, reports of a possible "schism" in the locker room over Brett Favre's arrival led Allen to utter the following:

I dont think anyone on this team knows what schism means let alone use it in a sentence form. At first I thought schism was an STD, and I was like WOAH we practice abstinence here!

Then, after a 33-31 victory over the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday in which he had seven tackles, including four for a loss, he was asked about all the trash talk coming from Ravens rookie offensive tackle Michael Oher. Allen's response,

"Maybe it's a confidence builder for themselves. He'll be all right. He's a good player."

Oher's comments weren't as gracious, saying,

"There is nothing really special about him."

Luckily for us, Allen went on Jay Glazer's "After Party" to discuss the situation.

Video of his great response is after the jump.

We're Going Polling: BCS is Back, Computers Speak, and the Nat'l Title Picture

2009-10-19T10:39:00.000-07:00

Ahhh...we've arrived at our favorite part of the college football season: the release of the first BCS rankings. The rankings turned out to be just about what everyone was expecting. AP voters have rightfully placed Alabama in the number one spot, but the coaches, Harris poll voters, and computers all disagree, so Florida debuts as the BCS numero uno. Other thoughts on the BCS rankings and my Mumme Poll ballot for this week after the jump.

Computers' Thoughts: the BCS computers are one-third of the formula and they love undefeated teams, ranking Iowa and Cincinnati third and fourth, respectively. For Iowa this means that even if they were to lose against Ohio State, an at-large spot is well within reach at this point. On the other end of the spectrum, the computers do not like USC at all, putting them at 11. Nor do they like the SC's most formidable opponent, either, as Ohio State comes in at 32nd in the computer rankings. Ouch.

Moving on Up: Boise State and Cincinnati enter the poll ranked forth and fifth, respectively. Does that mean that loses by Florida, Alabama, or Texas could propel either team into the national title discussion? Well, it probably does for Cincinnati, but BSU will start dropping behind some one-loss teams as soon as they start racking up some conference victories. But it is interesting that the Bearcats actually have a shot. (They'll obviously need some help from the Big XII and SEC, but it's a shot nonetheless.)

Top Dogs: as CBS Sports' Dennis Dodd pointed out last week, rarely do both of the top two teams from the initial BCS rankingsmake it to the title game. It's actually only happened once. In this case it's fairly obvious that barring a few crazy upsets it won't happen again, as Florida and Alabama are on a collision course towards the SEC title game. The winner would likely face Texas in the national title game, unless the Longhorns stumble somewhere down the road.

[Full BCS rankings]

My Mumme Poll Ballot for week 8:

Alabama
Florida
Texas
Cincinnati
USC
Boise State
Iowa
Miami
LSU
TCU
Oregon
Ohio State

Again, anyone can participate in this poll, just click here and register.

Case of the Mondays: Bad Defense, Futility Comes to an End, and Other Quick Hits

2009-10-19T10:01:00.000-07:00

Including idle Indianapolis, there are only four undefeated teams left, with one of them, Denver playing in San Diego tonight. Three teams still have 0-16 hopes, and as expected the sixth and final playoff spot in both conferences is a free for all with ten teams with similar records vying for two spots right now. Details from week 6 after the jump.

Defense is fleeting: three of last season's top seven defenses, were absolutely torched yesterday.

The Giants could not stop Drew Brees. The pressure was never there (only one sack and two other hits) and already missing safety Kenny Phillips, there secondary was severely exposed. They gave up 369 yards and four scores through the air. That opened up New Orleans' run game as well, as they racked up 133 yards on the ground. Having played mostly bad offenses in Oakland, Kansas City, Tampa Bay, and Washington prior to this week, going forward New York has to be concerned about there job against a vaunted Saints offense.

Baltimore tried playing catchup, but there was only so much Joe Flacco and company could do. For the second straight week a back racked up a hundred yard day against the Ravens, this time it was Adrian Peterson. And Brett Favre looked like the Brett Favre we've been watching all season long. On a number of plays, Baltimore's secondary looked completely overmatched against the Vikings receivers. With guys like Ed Reed and Dominique Foxworth, that is simply inexcusable.

Oh the Tennessee Titans. How do I begin to dissect there egg laying in Foxboro. Their defense was on the field for 77 plays and 39 minutes, giving up a whopping 619 total yards and 59 points. Tom Brady threw five touchdowns in the second quarter alone. Laurence Maroney actually looked like a feature back. This is the same Titans team that sent three players from their secondary to the Pro Bowl last year. Of course, there's only so much a defense can do when the offense coughs it up five times.

Wait a minute....we won? Oakland and Kansas City won their games...no, seriously.

The Raiders made the Eagles one dimensional, forcing Donovan McNabb to be the difference maker. And it worked. Not only that, JaMarcus Russell completed most of his passes and their ground game actually produced. Credit the defense for this win, though, as Russell threw his customary two picks but they only led to three Philadelphia points.

Welcome to the show Kansas City. Getting their first win over who else, the Redskins, wasn't pretty. The game featured two woeful offenses, but the Chiefs had no turnovers, very few penalties and controlled the clock, which is all you have to do these days to beat a Washington team that's falling apart.

Quick Hits:

It really is astounding how Matt Hasselbeck dictates everything thing Seattle does. Against Arizona yesterday, he barely completed 30% of his passes and since the Seahawks have no run game, the Cardinals had the game wrapped up by halftime.

Now sitting at 3-3, the Jets no longer look like the playoff lock that everyone was talking about after they beat New England. Mark Sanchez is given too much trust and is still a turnover machine (five interceptions vs. Buffalo), so rushing for over 300 yards doesn't really help.

Atlanta may be the quietest 4-1 team in the league. That's because they should be 3-2. Chicago shot itself in the foot last night by turning the ball over on two separate trips to the red zone and not being able to tie the game on a long drive at the end.

ESPN Is The Story, Even When It Isn't

2009-10-19T06:36:00.000-07:00

Due to injury, KC Star columnist Jason Whitlock was unable to attend the Chiefs first victory in person yesterday in Washington. Watching the game on television like the rest of us, he couldn't believe that the announcers mostly "feed viewers a lot of team-friendly propaganda." After taking shots at CBS's Ian Eagle and Rich Gannon, Whitlock calls out the network-pro sports marriage. Then, not surprisingly, he deviates from those points and throws this out there:

ESPN is in the process of taking over and redefining sports journalism. ESPN is in partnership with all of the sports leagues. The Worldwide Leader has been launching Web sites targeted at specific markets. ESPNChicago.com, ESPNBoston.com and ESPNDallas.com have all launched in recent months. At some point, there very well could be an ESPNKansascity.com.

We’re going to be fed team-influenced, sports propaganda 24/7.

It’s a joke. It’s un-American.

Welcome to the world according to Whitlock. Where the very fabric of our nation is undermined by the boys in Bristol.

Morning Musings: NLCS, Football & Midnight Madness

2009-10-19T06:00:00.000-07:00

If this weekend wasn't further proof that October is the best sports month of the year, then I don't know what to tell you. Adding to all the fun: basketball is about to get under way...

Pheeling it: I could wax poetically about Cliff Lee pitching an absolute gem (8 innings, 0 runs, 3 hits, 10 Ks, 0 BB) or focus on the Phillies' two through five hitters reaching base eleven times, scoring five of their eleven runs, and driving in eight of those eleven. Point being, this game was over before it even got started. LA had no chance in this one and are lucky to even be down 2-1 in the series. Playing the what if game can be futile, but the Dodgers are one senseless Chase Utley error from being on the brink of elimination. Randy Wolf and Joe Blanton take the mound tonight. The only thing that LA has going for itself right now is that Wolf was great on the road during the regular season (2.78 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, .224 BAA), but the Phils were 10-6 in Blanton's home starts this year.

Case of the Mondays Lite: if you had any doubts about the Saints before, yesterday should have been proof enough that they are a major force in the NFC. Call me crazy, but Drew Brees is the best quarterback in the NFL. There I said it....The Jets have been sent back down to earth in large part because they have a rookie starting quarterback and it's starting to show....Biggest surprise of the day was not the Eagles losing to Oakland, but JaMarcus Russell completing 61% of his passes....Tennessee's precipitous fall continues to absolutely baffle me, as I'm sure it's doing the same to many. (Full Case of the Mondays post will be up a bit later this morning.)

College Scene: Alabama still looks much more impressive than Florida does....Raise your hand if you had Oklahoma going to the Holiday Bowl before the season started....The day we see Notre Dame dominate any facet of any game against a legitimate opponent will be the day pigs fly....How are those top skill players (Terrelle Pryor, Darrell Scott and Julio Jones) from the class of 2008 looking right about now?

Tempering "Big Blue Madness": Midnight Madness made its triumphant return on Friday, with the most ballyhooed rendition taking place at Rupp Arena. With John Calipari in the fold and a stellar recruiting class coming in, expect the media to go nuts over this team and don't be surprised if they are a preseason final four pick by some of the experts. Sure, this team will be very good, but learning Calipari's dribble drive offense won't be easy and the SEC schedule doesn't exactly provide a team with the greatest test come tournament time.

Stros Looking Back: Houston Astros are considering bringing back the most successful manager in team history, Phil Garner. Garner caught lighting in a bottle in 2004, coming in as the interim guy and leading the team to a great second half comeback and all the way to the seventh game of the NLCS. The following year, Houston made its first World Series appearance. The talent level is no where near either one of those teams, but the expectations from the front office are. That doesn't bode well for anyone vying for this position.

Morning Blitz:

Cincinnati Bengals may have been torched by Matt Schaub in there loss to Houston, but losing leading sack man Antwan Odom for the year is even bigger. Their pass rush is a big reason why they opened with a 4-1 start.

Stephon Marbury must have been auditioning for Last Comic Standing when he told the New York Post, "I'm resting, doing what Michael Jordan did, enjoy life, do things I haven't done in 16 years, keep building my empire."

I will never understand why teams take forever to fire a guy. Instead of dumping their coach now, the Redskins have decided to relieve Jim Zorn of his play calling duties. Why bother with the wait and see period? He's done. Get it over with. Unless of course, Dan Snyder favorite, and team GM Vinny Cerrato's status is tied to Zorn's.

Friday Blog Scene: TBS Mishap, a Hot Chick with a Good Story, and Fried Butter...Yum!

2009-10-16T16:42:00.000-07:00

What a game, huh? Unfortunately for the Phillies, Chase Utley is public enemy number one in Philadelphia right about now. How he doesn't make a clean throw on that play I have no idea. The series would be all but wrapped up at 2-0 going back to the City of Brotherly Love. That's postseason baseball for ya. Moving on...Pittsburgh is at Rutgers on the WWL tonight. If Pitt wins they're still in the Big East race. If they lose, Cincinnati might as well circle the first week in January for a BCS berth. If second rate football doesn't excite you the Yanks and Halos get under way with CC and Lackey on the hill on a very chilly night in the Bronx. On to the links...

Attention all Browns fans: don't tweet Braylon Edwards, he couldn't care less about your team. (Fanhouse)

TBS doesn't know how to spell. (Awful Announcing)

A former marginal NFL quarterback doesn't like the wildcat. Boo hoo. (Pro Football Talk)

Menacing linebacker with an interesting wardrobe choice, concern in Athens, and one crazy kid after the jump.

How scary does an All-Big XII linebacker look in a snuggie? (Dr. Saturday)

Midnight Madness is tonight! (The Dagger)

How bad have things gotten around Georgia football. Well, check out this photo. (Get the Picture)

I'm not sure what to think of the medals for Vancouver's winter games. (The Sporting Blog)

Because college hoops is right around the corner: your 2009-2010 announcing teams. (Awful Announcing)

At least Bobby Bowden has support from somebody out there. (College Football Talk)

Former college football star sues school because he didn't make it in the pros. (Dr. Saturday)

A Steeler tries to pick up a model, she loses all interest when she sees a car seat in his vehicle. (Busted Coverage)

Who knew fried butter would give a kid happy feet?

NFL Pick 'Em: Week 6

2009-10-16T14:01:00.000-07:00

We've learned a lot so far this season. For example, the key to a good defense is not having stars, but attitude and players who fit the system you run, just ask Denver. Cincinnati can go on to win the AFC North, but selling tickets in this economy, especially in the Midwest, will still be a struggle. New England's run as the team to beat in the AFC isn't over, but it sure is fading (mostly due to the ascension of other teams, though). The NFC is still very top heavy with New York, Philadelphia, Minnesota, and New Orleans leaps and bounds better than everyone else. Personally, I've learned that luck is on my side when it comes to picking games. I called the Bengals and Broncos big wins and bring a 20-8 record (5-2 last week) into this week. Which means that I probably just jinxed myself.....oh well. Picks are after jump.

Baltimore Ravens at Minnesota Vikings: the Ravens are trying to bounce back after consecutive losses, while the Vikings come in on the high of just having blown out lowly St. Louis and still being undefeated. Defense, defense, defense. That's what this game will come down to. Baltimore's secondary has shown signs of weakness this season, but they'll be ready to go against #4 and Minnesota's game plan won't revolve around taking a lot of shots down field anyway. Picking this matchup is like pulling hairs, but I'll take Baltimore on the road 24-20.

New York Giants at New Orleans Saints: another great game in an NFC city. Drew Brees needs to get back to his early season form if the Saints want to do anything against New York's defense. Eli Manning's health will certainly be an issue, but his line should give him enough protection. Giants power rushing attack will just be too much for New Orleans, as they win 27-21.

Kansas City Chiefs at Washington Redskins: so the Skins get another chance at becoming another team's first chance at a victory. I have many doubts about the Chiefs, especially their running game, but so far this year we've learned that we can count on Washington to not only always keep it close but to find the dumbest way possible to lose. They won't disappoint, Chiefs get their first win 19-13.

St. Louis Rams at Jacksonville Jaguars: this game will have more points scored than Cleveland's 6-3 victory over Buffalo, but the quality of play will be just as bad, if not worse. Can St. Louis figure out a way to get on in the board in 2009? Well, both teams rank in the bottom half of the league in rush defense. Maurice Jones-Drew or Steven Jackson? MJD. Jags win in front of a half empty stadium, 24-10.

Arizona Cardinals at Seattle Seahawks: welcome to this week's shootout. Heavy passing teams with no run games. Arizona has been playing lackluster football all season long, and with Matt Hasselbeck back under center, the Seahawks are looking like a serious contender in the NFC West. Those trends will continue, in a 34-27 Seattle victory.

Chicago Bears at Atlanta Falcons: even though glossing over their depth charts might suggest that the better defense will prevail, neither team is very good at stopping the passing game, so both Jay Cutler and Matt Ryan should have big days. My guess is that Ryan will make less mistakes and win 31-26.

Denver Broncos at San Diego Chargers: the Broncos are sixth in the NFL against the run, the Bolts can't run the ball and are hurting on the offensive line. Translation: Elvis Dumervil will be in Phillip Rivers's grill all night long. There's a new sheriff in town in the AFC West and he resides in the Mile High City. They'll win this one 23-16.

How Opposing Teams Become Gator Bait

2009-10-16T13:08:00.000-07:00

Every coach has a different way of motivating his players. Some, like former Colts head man Tony Dungy and current embattled Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins, use love and understanding, to very different results. USC's Pete Carroll prefers that he and his staff be very loose and make sure the guys are having a good time out there. There's also known tyrants who instill fear and respect in their players, like Nick Saban at Alabama. Enter Urban Meyer and the Florida Gators locker room, where rumors are spread faster than 14 year-old girls do via text.

His assistants are encouraged to take part in the following:

"Between now and Saturday's 3:30 p.m. kickoff with Arkansas in The Swamp, players at any time might hear from their position coach about how an opposing player, TV analyst or national columnist doubted the Gators.

Even if it's not completely true."

Linebacker Ryan Stamper said, "I don't really recall anything from the LSU game, but they made it seem like they were saying stuff about us." Even though nothing was really said he adds, "The light still kind of goes off."

So false gossip is the name of the game in Gainesville. Whatever works, right? With its physical nature, football is probably the one sport where it truly does help to hate the opponent. So placing bulletin board material around the locker room is nothing new, but actually making it up and admitting you do? That is certainly new. Good luck Arkansas, you're going to be in for a long afternoon. [Orlando Sentinel]

Improving Your Baseball TV Viewing Experience

2009-10-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

ESPN

Baseball is always the last sport to catch on with technological advancements. I don't have to harp on blown calls during this postseason for you to understand. If you've watched any of the games you already know what I'm talking about. Interestingly enough, though, baseball broadcasts have always been at the forefront of these advancements. FOX went through a trial and error period with cameras embedded in catcher's masks as well as in the batter's box looking towards hitters as they attempted to swing at a pitch. USA Today is reporting that starting tonight both FOX, during its telecast of the Yankees/Angels game, and ESPN, on Baseball Tonight, are set to unveil some neat, new tricks.

On select replays, FOX will provide viewers with the speed of pitches both when they leave the pitcher's hand and when they cross the plate, which is something I'm sure baseball enthusiasts have always wondered. So kudos there. The boys in Bristol will superimpose actual pitches simulated from games into the studio and have their analysts stand in the batter's box and discuss all the intricacies of that particular pitch. Also, very cool.

Hopefully these new tools won't be overused, though. Technology can add to a broadcast and that's why watching games on television has become so much fun these days. There's so much information for a viewer to digest that s/he cannot while at the stadium. (Yes it doesn't beat the live excitement, I know.) But as FOX proved with its NHL coverage in the 90s, when they inexplicably decided to start placing a glow around the puck so viewers could follow the action much more closely, these advancements can also distract viewers and take away from the game.