Saturday, November 30, 2013

Wild Finish In Syracuse As The Orange Defeat Boston College, BC's Andre Williams Hurt

It was a must win for Syracuse if the Orange were going to be bowl eligible that came down to the final six seconds.  Orange quarterback Terrel Hunt found Josh Parris for the game winner for Syracuse

Thanks Fox Sports South

“It was unbelievable, everything was unbelievable." Parris said.  "The throw, play call was perfect. I didn’t think he was going to call the play. It was a great play call.”

"I thought that was an awesome call." Syracuse head coach Scott Shafer said. "I couldn’t be prouder, the kids just kept fighting."

Hunt finished the game completing 29 out of 43 passes for 270 yards and two touchdown, one interception.

Boston College running back Andre Williams came into the game against Syracuse with 2,073 yards gained 29 yards and a touchdown against the Orange before leaving the game in the third quarter.

“He was hurting, he was hurt right from the beginning." Boston College head coach Steve Addazio said.  "He took a shot early on that same shoulder and was trying to go and just couldn’t go and he couldn’t run with that force and certainly not going to put him in harm’s way."

We had to see someone who's having a special season like Andre Williams was having injured in the final game of the season.  

Williams wasn't able to make one final lasting impression on the Heisman Trophy Award voters.

It was a long short anyway.

Duke Rings The Victory Bell All The Way To Charlotte As ACC Coastal Division Champions

The Duke Blue Devils were picked dead last in the ACC football pre-season poll.

Don't you wish you put some money down in the Las Vegas sports books on Duke winning the Coastal Division now.

Saturday Duke defeated North Carolina 27-25 to win the ACC Coastal Division and play Florida State in the ACC Championship Game next week in Charlotte.

Thanks WTVD-TV, Raleigh/Durham


Courtesy: Blue Devil Network


Duke finishes the regular season 10-2, never in the history of Blue Devil football had a Duke team won 10 games in a season.

Anthony Boone has never lost a game as the Duke starting quarterback.  The streak has now reached 10 straight games.

Against the Tar Heels Boone completed 23-of-34 passes for 274 yards and two touchdowns leading the Blue Devils to victory over their rivals in the baby blues.

This is a special football team that has owned the fourth quarter.  Duke overcame at 25-24 deficit in the final quarter with the Blue Devils fourth, 4th quarter comeback win.

Duke's defense is special as well in the fourth quarter only giving up 37 4th quarter points all season and has not given up over seven points in the fourth quarter all season.

Duke moves on to the ACC Championship Game in Charlotte to play soon to be top ranked Florida State.

Miracle At Jordan Hare 2, Auburn Wins The Iron Bowl Over Alabama

How can you top Auburn's hail mary win over Georgia two weeks ago?

Running back a missed field goal the entire length of the field on the last play of the game against Alabama. Officially Chris Davis ran the missed field goal attempt 100 yards but who cares, that run defeated the Crimson Tide.

Watch and if your a Auburn Tiger fan, enjoy.


That gets a colossal "War Eagle!"

Chris Davis' run is etched in the great chapters of the "Iron Bowl."

Here's how the voice of the Auburn Tigers Rod Bramblett call the final play.  It's a classic.



With Auburn's last two football games Bramblett will have the best resume reel in the history of radio.

Nebraska Fans Not Calling For Bo Pelini To Be Fired

Bo Pelini
{HT: Lincoln (Neb.) Journal-Star}

Nebraska head coach Bo Pelini dared his athletic director Shawn Eichorst to fire him during a bizarre post game tirade during his press conference following the Cornhuskers 38-17 loss to Iowa.

Perhaps Husker fans are more "Pro-Bo"

After the game the Lincoln Journal Star surveyed Nebraska fans as to whether Bo Pelini should stay or go.

Norm Phiffer from Lincoln, NE says Bo should stay.

Nebraska A.D. Shawn Eichorst
"No, absolutely not. You can’t make changes every six years, change guys every six years and expect to have a successful program. We need to stay with what we’ve got.”

Husker fans don't take to kindly though to offensive coordinator Tim Beck or defensive coordinator John Papuchis.

"I think Tim Beck and John Papuchis should, be (fired) though."  Dan McMullen from Council Bluffs, Iowa said.  "I think they’re taking him down. I think Bo is a hell of a coach, but his coordinators will drag him down.”

The only opinion that matter is Eichorst who says he will evaluate Pellini's performance at the end of the season.

You wonder if Pelini teed up Eichorst to pull the trigger and fire him during his post game melt down in front of the assembled media.

It's going to be an interesting few days in Lincoln.

Oregon Barely Wins The Civil War 36-35, Sixth Win In A Row Over Oregon State

The 117th Civil War Between Oregon and Oregon State came down to a 12 yard touchdown pass from Marcus Mariota to Josh Huff with 29 seconds left to give the Ducks and 36-35 win over the Beavers.

Thanks Fox Sports 1:

Thanks KEZI-TV, Eugene, Oregon

"Quite frankly, it was a bad throw," Mariota said. "Huff made a great catch. I said, 'Thank you, man, that would've looked bad.'"

“It’s surreal,” Huff was quoted in the Eugene (OR) Register-Guard. “I didn’t imagine my last game would come down like that. It was everything I dreamed of. As a little kid growing up in the backyard playing with my dad and cousins, I always went through those scenarios, and it finally came true. I have been waiting for this moment.”


Huff's touchdown winner capped off a career day with 186 yards receiving, 10th best in Duck history.  Huff added career highs in receptions with 9 and touchdowns with three.


Not a bad final impression by Josh Huff to the Duck fans in Eugene.  A career day, the winning touchdown catch against their in-state rival and the sixth win in a row of Oregon State.




Friday, November 29, 2013

Iowa Beats Nebraska and Bo Pelini Dares Someone to Fire Him

It must be rough being Bo Pelini these days. Never mind what happened to brother Carl at Florida Atlantic, Bo's got his own problems.

Those problems start--and end with a restless Cornhusker fanbase who are increasingly unhappy with Pelini and his performance.

Iowa is the latest to add to the beat Nebraska war cry, beating the Cornhuskers 38-17 in Lincoln. The Hawkeyes took advantage of 2 Ron Kellogg III interceptions sending Nebraska to their 3rd home loss of the season.

The loss left Nebraska at 8-4 on the season, 5-3 in the Big 10, Iowa improves to the same record. And unfortunately, after a great win by Iowa, all anyone could talk about is Nebraska coach Bo Pelini.

Pelini has been under fire by alumni (most notably Tommy Frazier) and much of the fanbase for their perceived under-performance of the team. However, to fire the $3 million a year coach is going to take a lot of money and a big leap of faith by AD Shawn Eichorst.

For his part Pelini immediately added fuel to the fire by stating in his post game presser "If they want to fire me, go ahead" adding he was proud of his and the teams accomplishments and that the program is heading in the right direction.

And he may not totally be wrong.

It's not like Nebraska has been terrible. Though they haven't been the Nebraska of the 1990's and earlier. And that's something that the fans and alumni need to remember. For every coaching change that helps improve the program, consider what happened to Tennessee when they fired Philip Fulmer, the Vols haven't been relevant since that happened.

Your highlights from ESPN




Ohio Tries to be Funny By Banning M's This Weekend

((ht: sbnation.com))

Apparently, well, at least acc-rding t- a res-lution passed in the state -f "HI" (ohio), every-ne living there is str-ngly enc-uraged not to use the letter "M" when speaking...-r writing this weekend.

Why?

Because it's their bizarre way -f standing behind the -nly University that any-ne in the state -f HI is supposed to -r all-wed t- care about, "HI State".

The G-vern-r of -HI- even Tweeted ab-ut the res-luti-n, taking pride and -wnership of his pr-clamati-n.

And the reas-n f-r this banning -f letters?

This week is their annual rivalry game with "Ichigan".

S-, while we respect traditi-n and understand that pe-ple often d- stupid things when it comes to f--tball rivalries, this -ne -ay be the silliest thing we've ever heard. It even t-ps "HI State cach Urban Eyer" banning media c-vering the team fr-- wearing blue shirts. -ade even m-re ridicul-us earlier this seas-n when he didn't tell any-ne he was d-ing it.




And the reas-n f-r this banning -f letters?

This week is their annual rivalry game with "Ichigan".


N-w, bef-re y-u say we have n- sense -f hu--r, we say t- y-u "read this st-ry....cl-sely. You'll see -ur sense of hu--r has never been better.


ICYMI: Texas Handles Texas Tech on Thanksgiving Night

Somehow, someway, the Texas Longhorns are trying to salvage what many outside the program consider a bad season.

But Thursday night's 41-16 win versus Texas Tech puts the Longhorns at 8-3, 7-1 in the Big 12 this season. And if Oklahoma State loses to Oklahoma, the Longhorns will win the Big 12.

Texas ran for 282 yards and QB Case McCoy threw for 2 TD's, which more than offset the Red Raiders who shot themselves in their own feet by collecting 11 penalties on the night.

For Tech, it was their 5th straight loss after starting the season 7-0.

FOX Sports provides the highlights:

ICYMI: Turkey Day Football: Miss St. Wins Egg Bowl in OT

What would the day after Thanksgiving be without some College Football recaps?

Last night, while you were sleeping off your Turkey coma, Mississippi State beat Ole Miss 17-10 in Overtime to take the Egg Bowl title.

The Bulldogs, who evened their record at 6-6 needed a heroic rescue from injured QB Dak Prescott to get the win. Coach Dan Mullen called on Prescott who had a left shoulder injury to come in and lead a 4th quarter comeback, which he did by leading the team down field, the drive capped by a 36-yard field goal Evan Sobiesk.

That tied the game at 10 and with the Bulldogs facing a 4th and 1 at the 3 yard line in the 1st overtime, Prescott pulled out some magic, scoring what would be the game winner on a sneak.

Ole Miss got the ball close on their possession, but QB Bo Wallace fumbled and the ball was recovered by Mississippi State in the end zone to end things.

ESPN give us the highlights (there weren't many)


Thursday, November 28, 2013

Rick Vaive Asks To Be Removed From NHL Lawsuit

((HT: Sportsnet))

Rick Vaive was one of the big names, along with Gary Leeman, that was attached to the initial list of players chasing a lawsuit against the National Hockey League- claiming the league was derelict in their administration of player safety when it came to trauma...

Now, just as quickly, the number of players in the class action suit is over 200. But Vaive wants out...

Here's his attorney, Trevor Whiffen, interviewing with Bobcat and Damien Cox explaining why...
Vaive’s lawyer Trevor Whiffen claims his client wasn’t provided with a copy of the claim before it was released to the public, and that he would not have agreed to the allegations made in the suit: “Mr. Vaive misunderstood the nature of the proceeding being brought, and believed this claim was similar to the worker’s compensation claim being advanced in California on behalf of several former NHL players,” Whiffen said in a statement.

Oops...
The HQ wonders just how many other players will back out after reading the not-so-fine print...

Video Bomb Wars Continue: LeBron Returns Fire on Dwayne Wade

Haha!

Who doesn't love a good video bomb battle?

Mere days after Dwayne Wade got the best of Miami Heat teammate LeBron James by doing this...



Wednesday night, LeBron fired back. And yeah, it was pretty funny too:



We eagerly await the return fire...

Match Fixing Investigation In Britain Steps Up...

((HT: SkyNews/The Telegraph))

Match fixing shouldn't be a surprise to any of you...

In relatively impoverished countries with sports as an outlet, it makes sense for athletes who aren't paid well to take steps to feed their check books...

The Telegraph ran an undercover investigation that traced match fixing back to Malaysia and interviewed one of the lower-level players in the process to get most of their background...


And now open for discussing...


Former footballer Delroy Facey, now an agent, was one of six allegedly arrested as a part of the investigation by the National Crime Agency- the British version of the FBI. There is talk that some of the fixing in British circles was in the Football Association and not in the Premier League.

Reports: Andy Enfield and Tim Floyd Pulled Apart at Hoops Tourney

((ht: si.com))

So, we're guessing that new USC basketball coach Andy Enfield and former USC and current UTEP coach Tim Floyd won't be exchanging Christmas Cards this year.

According to Sports Illustrated basketball expert Seth Davis, the two got into a heated exchange Wednesday night a reception to kick off the Battle 4 Atlantis Basketball tournament.

Several of the assistants had to be pulled apart too.

The heat between the two dates back to last summer when Floyd accused Enfield of tampering with Isaac Hamilton, a recruit from the Southern California area who had signed a letter of intent. He later changed his mind, but Floyd refused to let him out. Hamilton ended up at UCLA.

It got worse when Enfield, in a story in Men's Journal was quoted saying Floyd "Shows up every day at work and realizes he's in El Paso, Texas and he's pissed off he didn't get the USC job 2 months ago"

Ooooh....burn....

Read the entire Seth Davis story with play-by-play as the incident unfolded RIGHT HERE

It's not often you hear publicly about coaches who appear to not like each other. And yes, it happens more than you think. But most all of them are very careful not to let that get out.

Like any other business, it's a very closed fraternity where everyone knows or knows of everyone else. And it's also a business where you may have to work with or work for that person somewhere down the line.










CupGate: Did J-Kidd Spill On Purpose...???

((HT: NBA on ESPN))

With 8.3 seconds left in Wednesday's game against the Lakers, Tyshawn Taylor knocked into his head coach, Jason Kidd, and spilled his drink on the floor of the Lakers home court...

Not completely unheard of, you say...???

Completely innocent... you say...???

The Nets were out of time outs and it gave the Nets a chance to draw up a play to try and go for the icing...

Look for yourself...
((HT: YES))


"Cup slipped out of my hand while I was getting Ty," Kidd said. "Sweaty palms. I was never good with the ball.

"In the heat of the battle, you're trying to get guys in and out of the game, and the cup fell out of my hand."


Video replays appeared to show Kidd saying "Hit me."

Kidd, obviously, denies it as does Taylor...

"No [Kidd didn't say that]. I wasn't paying attention. I just kind of bumped him," Taylor said postgame. "I didn't even know he was holding [anything]. [But] coach was drinking a soda on the sideline. I was like, 'What's he doing?'

"It could ice a free throw shooter and be a timeout when you don't have one, but that wasn't the thought process. I was just coming out, and he was in my way. 'Coach, get out of my way, bro.' "

Gamecock Fans Burn That Tiger

Yes the Clemson/South Carolina rivalry, it can get mean and nasty.  Gamecock fans made their statement, they burned that tiger.


It is on.

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

JR Isn't A Fan Of The Concussion Lawsuit

((HT: Sportsnet))

And we now have a player coming forward who isn't a fan of the current lawsuit where people are piling on to turn the thing into a class action suit rather quickly...

Jeremy Roenick was a guest on "Prime Time Sports" with Bobcat and Damien Cox...

Mel Owens Speaks On NHL Concussion Lawsuit, Plaintiff Number Grows...

((HT: Sportsnet))

Mel Owens, the lead attorney on the NHL concussion lawsuit, made time for "HockeyCentral" on Sportsnet and The Fan Radio Network to discuss the idea behind the lawsuit and where it stands...

It made for interesting conversation among Owens, Daren Millard, Doug MacLean, and Nick Kypreos...

Kypreos was, obviously, on the old-school, player's side about education...
MacLean was not happy, either, from a front office perspective...
Sportsnet's Chris Johnston reports that the number of players in the lawsuit is now over 200...

Rockets Attempt To Sing Holiday Song (And Fail)

((HT: CSN Houston/NBA))

The Houston Rockets got into the holiday spirit as, for the first time in forever, Thanksgiving and Chanukah start on the same times of the year...

So, the Rockets decided to break out into Chanukah song...
And the HQ is still stunned as to what to think...

Your Normal, Every Day, 3/4-Court Buzzer Beater

((HT: Huntington University their own selves))

Marion University was up one with one second left over Huntington...

And the HQ gives you that kind of set-up for this reason...

The play-by-play after that...

DEVELOPING: Sao Paolo Stadium Collapse Kills 2

((HT: Sky News))

The stadium scheduled to be the centerpiece of the Rio/Brazil World Cup has collapsed- causing significant damage, setback, and killing two... the numbers, initially called three fatalities...

The Itaquerao stadium was claimed to be "94 percent" completed before the accident.

Some local media said the accident occurred when a crane collapsed on top of a metal structure inside the stadium.

Here's the breaker...


"The safety of workers is the top priority for FIFA, the LOC, the federal government. We know the safety of all workers has always been paramount for all the construction companies contracted to build the 12 FIFA World Cup stadiums," FIFA said in a statement.

More when we know more...

Here's a longer breaker from Brazilian news with aerials...

Surprising No One: Braves New Suitors Approve Deal

((HT: 11Alive))

The Braves are moving to the suburbs and this was the next phase in the shoe-horning of the process...

Not really surprising anyone, though...

The Cobb County (GA) Commission approved the deal that has too many holes and too many elements in flux...

But, what the heck...
After it was done, the standard statement was released by the Fulton County Commission Chairman along with Atlanta City Council members, Atlanta Central Progress, and the Atlanta Fulton County Recreational Authority- all aggrieved by the move and disappointed by the proceedings: Ever since our county received the disappointing news that the Atlanta Braves plan to move out of Fulton County at the conclusion of the 2016 season, Fulton County Commissioners and Atlanta City Council members have expressed a desire to keep the team here in Atlanta. Tonight's vote by commissioners in Cobb County agreeing to move ahead with efforts to bring the team there are certainly a disappointment , but political and economic leaders in Fulton County still believe the Braves could and should have a viable future in Atlanta. We understand the team's concerns about economic development in the area surrounding Turner Field. We believe there are still solutions civic and business leaders could pursue in conjunction with the ball club to keep the team as a thriving part of our community. We hope to have a dialogue with the team to make that case. The Atlanta Braves are a proud symbol of a great city and we still hope to keep them in Atlanta.
The traffic issues are still bad BEFORE construction and a move was considered...

So, what now...???

ClubberSpeak: Bob Cole – The King

((HT: Jim Lang Blog))

The HQ admits that being in television and having satellite dishes and the NHL Network at our collective disposal has introduced us to how hockey should be produced, announced, and presented on a weekly basis...

With the new television deal that has rocked the landscape up north, Clubber addresses one figure who may not be a part of the new era in the sport...

Unless you have been living in a cave you have heard about the massive new deal Rogers and Sportsnet signed with the NHL.

A big concern for a lot of hockey fans across Canada will be what is going to happen to a lot of our favourite Hockey Night in Canada personalities when the new deal kicks in next year.

I realize a lot of hockey fans won`t agree with me but if this means the end of Bob Cole at Hockey Night in Canada, I am really going to miss him.

Now did Bob Cole make the odd mistake during the call of a game? Sure he did. Did Cole misidentify players from time to time? Yes to that as well.

But there was something about Cole’s voice that brought a sense of drama and excitement to a big game that has yet to be matched in this country. Catch phrases like “Oh Harry” (In reference to his long time colour analyst Harry Neale.) and “Oh baby!” are a part of our hockey vocabulary in Canada.

I will let you in on a little secret. In tribute to Cole I would drop in an “Oh Harry” or an “Oh baby” reference when I did the hockey highlights on Sportsnet. Maybe that’s why I am not at Sportsnet anymore but I loved doing it and I didn’t care what anyone thought.



Call me sentimental but when I think of Bob Cole’s magnificent career at Hockey Night in Canada I choose to think of all his great moments in the booth. And goodness knows he had a lot of them.

That is why Bob Cole will always be the king.

Long live the king.


Here's more of the King...
Oh, baby!!!

Jordan Lynch With Another Heisman Trophy Statement

Will Northern Illinois quarterback Jordan Lynch win the Heisman Trophy?

Probably not, it's been earmarked for Florida State quarterback Jameis Winston since week one.  

Tuesday night on a frigid night in Dekalb, Illinois Lynch had another record setting performance against Western Michigan making one last impression on the Heisman Trophy voters.

Lynch broke his own NCAA record for rushing yards by a quarterback with 327 yards on 27 carries.  He set the record October 19th against Central Michigan with 316 yards.


WREX.com – Rockford’s News Leader
Oh by the way Northern Illinois finished the regular season 12-0 and kept alive the nations best conference winning streak of 25 games defeating Western Michigan 33-14.

"I think Jordan Lynch is the best college player in football, I really believe that."  Western Michigan head coach P.J. Fleck said.  "He's an elite player. From watching him live and just being around him, I really believe that, and I think that's what the Heisman Trophy is all about - finding the best player in the country and finding the best player that makes everyone around him better. I don't know what else to say about him but I will end it with that he deserves to be in New York City. "

"It was fun," Lynch said. "It was hard to throw the ball in those conditions, and good thing we have a good running game."

One might say Lynch was the running game for the Huskies.  The game was played in 17 degree temperatures and a light snow fall.

While Jameis Winston appears to be the odds on favorite for the Heisman Trophy Jordan Lynch and Boston College running back Andre Williams have had some superhuman performances in November.

Lynch has more game to campaign for the Heisman next week in the MAC Championship Game.

Williams has one last shot to make a lasting impression Saturday as Boston College takes on Syracuse.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Rogers Gets The Next 12 Years Of The NHL Up North...

((HT: Sportsnet))

And this is huge in a few ways...

1) The dollar figure- C$5.2-billion over 12 years... the largest deal in league history...

2) Sportsnet gets the "Hockey Night in Canada" brand, but can sub-lease it back to the CBC for four years...

3) It completely boxes out TSN nationally- the top-ranked cable network in the country and puts CBC under the thumb of Sportsnet- as it barely hangs on to any kind of sports branding...

Any kind...

Which means that the future of Don Cherry is in flux right now... and he can't even tell you what his future is...

4) CBC, run through public funding, can't flip the profits they make from hockey and turn them into other shows...

So, Sportsnet outspent everyone and CBC continues to fall behind in sports programming, but one of the first things the commissioner had to do was survive "Prime Time Sports" with Bob McCown....

Here's The Bettman with Bobcat...

Okay, Carl... You Haven't Resigned, You're Fired...

Florida Atlantic withdrew Carl Pelini's resignation as football coach and has now fired him with cause saying he failed to report misconduct by members of his staff...

Assumedly this has to do with the former DC, Pete Rekstis, and his admission he used illegal drugs...

The letter doesn't mention any of Pelini's drug use...

Pelini resigned October 30. But Pelini denied the illegal drug use claim made by FAU AD Patrick Chun- even as another member of the FAU staff admitted seeing him use marijuana and cocaine.
((HT: FAUOwlTV))


The semantics of Pelini now having/needing to repay $500,000 are now moot... which means that lump sum is, probably, now his settlement.

FAU is 3-0 since Pelini was replaced by interim coach Brian Wright, and could become bowl-eligible with a win in the regular-season finale against FIU... which looks promising...

Tom Fornelli discusses the resignation/firing at the time it went down with Tim Brando...
((HT: CBS Sports Network))

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: I Thought Turkey's Could Fly



If you have no idea about this or what it is....look up WKRP in Cincinnati, a TV show from the early 1980's. If you do that, the above video will be very funny.

Kinda like those of us who actually bought into the Baylor Bears...or the Oregon Ducks. By now you know Baylor blew their BCS opportunity after getting hammered by Oklahoma State last week. That overshadowed flashy media darlings Oregon, who coming off a loss to Stanford decided that it wasn't worth showing up to play Arizona.

But enough of that. It's Thanksgiving. Rivalry week. The week you get to talk trash and say mean things about other teams.

((Note--I said plenty about my Georgia Southern Eagles over the past few days. I stopped laughing on Tuesday))



And we aren't laughing about this week. The week where all of College Football will be focusing on the state of Alabama. (More in a minute)

Last Week: Okay, we struggled. A little. 13-2. That makes us 142-21 on the season.



Yeah....

So, in the immortal words of Casey Kasem, it's "On with the Countdown"

THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Florida State 11-0. As long as or until Jameis Winston is a free man, FSU is #1 in our book. They have crushed...everyone they've played. And young Mr. Winston, should he get in trouble, won't BE in trouble until after Thanksgiving. Or what's commonly known as AFTER the Florida game. This Week: at Florida. Our Pick: FSU 48, Florida 10

2) Alabama 11-0. Hmmmm....now we get to find out if they are REALLY the big dog or not. And yes, we know the past history. We just aren't convinced of this years version. Because much like Ohio State, the schedule, well, hasn't been impressive. This Week: at Auburn. Our Pick: Alabama 41, Auburn 37

3) Ohio St. 11-0. Yes, they talk lots of crazy talk about Michigan. Heck, Urbane Meyer even banned Sports Writers from wearing dark blue to practice. And yes, it's as childish as it sounded. Nothing seems to make the Buckeye's sphincters tighter than saying Michigan it appears. Lucky for them the Wolverines aren't very good. This Week: at Michigan. Our Pick: Ohio St 38, Michigan 23

4) Missouri 10-1 Well, they bounced back. The Tigers could easily be 11-0 and in the BCS title talk, but they gagged vs. South Carolina. They still may pay heavily for that. Still, this is a well balanced, strong team that we think will be good for many years to come. This Week: vs. Texas A&M. Our Pick: Mizzou 43, Johnny Football's 34

5) Auburn 10-1. Talk about being on a roll. The week off most certainly will help the Tigers, who are still catching their breath after the Georgia win 2 weeks ago. We do think they have a punchers chance this week since the Iron Bowl is at their place. Though we do think this is the week where luck runs out. This Week: See #2

6) Oklahoma St. 10-1. Yay for the Fighting Gundy's. He may be a man and he may be 46 now, but this also arguably may be his best, but not most talented team. They totally dominated Baylor last week. In every way. Gotta make it last another week. This Week: vs. Oklahoma. Our Pick: Okie St. 31, OU 23

7) Clemson 10-1. Say this for Clemson. They are resilient. They started oh, so well and aside from totally laying an egg vs. Florida State, they've won everything else. Though some of the games have been too close for comfort. This Week: at South Carolina. Our Pick: South Carolina 33, Clemson 27.

8) South Carolina 10-2. Again, they haven't been impressive, but they keep winning. If not for the narrow escape at Missouri and UCF, they'd be 8-4 and not even in this conversation. But instead, they still have a shot at the SEC title. We'll see if that actually happens. This Week: See #9

9) Northern Illinois 11-0. Undefeated. Yes, they are undefeated. So they get to be in OUR poll. And they have the guy who SHOULD win the Heisman, Jordan Lynch (he won't). They still may sneak into the BCS, which would be VERY interesting. This Week: vs. W.Michigan. Our Pick: N.Illinois 47, W.Michigan 23

10) Fresno St. 10-0. The Bulldogs have their own worthy Heisman contender in Derek Carr. 39 passing TD's this season. Yes please. However, they won't get a BCS shot unless Northern Illinois loses. Which is unfortunate. You really should watch them play. This Week: at San Jose St. Our Pick: Fresno St. 43, San Jose St. 27.

11) Stanford 9-2. So, they got beat by USC 2 weeks ago. Not a bad loss. At least not as bad as the Utah loss. Still, don't underestimate the Tree. They could beat a lot of teams ranked above or near them. But we'll never find out. At least not this season. This Week: vs. Notre Dame. Our Pick: Stanford 33, Notre Dame 21

12) Michigan St. 10-1. Finally another Big 10 team steps up to the plate. The Spartans got off to a rough start, though the defense never waned. If not for a hiccup with Notre Dame, they'd be in a different group too. And facing off with Ohio State in the conference title game, still gives them a shot. This Week: vs. Minnesota. Our Pick: Michigan St. 27, Minnesota 10

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL



5) Florida 4-7. Yeah, we could have gone the easy route with some winless teams. But why? Bwahahahahahahahahahahahaha! You lost to my alma mater. You will never live this down. EVER! The Tebow seems like he graced you with his presence decades ago now, doesn't he? So sorry. This Week: see above #1

4) Hawaii 0-10. Give them credit, they didn't quit. Losing to Wyoming last week in OT is not embarrasing.



But poor Norm Chow, once the most respected offensive coach in all of College Football. Now he's overseeing this. Wah, wah, wah! This Week: vs. Army. Our Pick: Army 34, Hawaii 28

3) Georgia State 0-11. Again, nice effort. If not for a missed 2-pt conversion, the Panthers may have escaped our little list. But alas, Arkansas State escaped with the victory. This Week: vs South Alabama. Our Pick: Ga.State 31, S.Alabama 21 UPSET!!

2) Miami (OH). oh and 11. Thank god it ends on Friday. No, not the world silly, the Redhawks season. One that to them probably seems like it started in 2003. They did reach double figures 5 times this season. So there is that. This Week: at Ball St. Our Pick: Ball St. 44, Miami (OH) 7

1) Southern Miss. 0-11. Oh, wither the poor Golden Eagles. Another season, no wins. Maybe a win in 2014? The odds are in your favor. We think. Things certainly can't get much worse. Can they? This Week: vs. UAB. Our Pick: UAB 20, S.Miss 13

And so we come to the end of another season. Yes, there will be a final poll and conference title picks--but that will be it. And then there will be the bowl games.

Enjoy your turkey, enjoy your football and enjoy your holiday travel. We'll see you next week....



Monday, November 25, 2013

And Now It's The NHL's Turn On Concussions...

((HT: NHL/Puck Daddy))

We know how much the NFL and its players have gone hammer and tong over the concussion issue...

Now, it is the NHL's turn to handle it. Ten former players have filed a suit in a DC court claiming the league knew about the risks involved in contact within the sport. The players claim the league didn't do anything proactive until 2010 when the league made it a penalty to go after another player's head...

The list of plaintiffs: Gary Leeman, Bradley Aitken, Darren Banks, Curt Bennett, Richard Dunn, Warren Holmes, Robert Manno, Blair James Stewart, Morris Titanic, and Rick Vaive...

Here's some of what Vaive dealt with in the league...


And Leeman...


Just for examples...

The law firm of Namanny, Byrne, and Owens is filing a class action lawsuit with the Silverman, Thompson, Slutkin, and White firm of Baltimore, Maryland.

Their full release is here, but the highlight is:

In 2004 the NHL introduced a series of updates to the rule-set to encourage a faster, more exciting, and ultimately more marketable product. As a result, the number of violent in-game collisions and occurrence of head trauma have increased. When coupled with the NHL’s refusal to protect players by banning full-body checking or penalizing on-ice fist fights, the league has created a dangerous atmosphere for players. The complaint alleges that the NHL either ignores or consistently lags behind other hockey leagues in adopting protections for players in accordance with current medical knowledge of concussions. Instead, the NHL continues to glorify and empower players known as “enforcers”- players with the singular intention of injuring the opposing team.

Here's the NHL's retort:

"We are aware of the class action lawsuit filed today in the United States District Court for the District of Columbia on behalf of a group of former NHL Players. While the subject matter is very serious, we are completely satisfied with the responsible manner in which the League and the Players' Association have managed Player safety over time, including with respect to head injuries and concussions. We intend to defend the case vigorously and have no further comment at this time."

And, so it begins... and won't be over with for a long time...

Canadian Curling Olympic Trials to Feature Ron Burgundy on Play-by-Play?

Yeah, sure we know, it's a promotional spot, but that won't make it any less funny.

TSN announced Sunday night, they've hired a new announcer to help with their broadcast of the "Roar of the Rings" next week.

For those of us in the states, the event is a big deal, it's the Olympic Trials for the Canadian Olympic Curling team.

Oh, the broadcaster for hire, none other than one Ron Burgundy (Will Ferrell).

You might be familiar with Mr. Burgundy's work: Anchorman and Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues. (soon to be released)

How could we pass up an opportunity for this?

OSG High: Florida QB Breaks Passing Records, Loses Shootout

((HT: ActionNewsJax))

Bishop Kenny QB John Wolford scored 10 TDs and set two state records in a playoff loss to Clay High, 74-73, in a semi-finals matchup in Class 5A. Wolford threw for eight and ran for two totaling 773 yards of offense on the night- 539 in the air. The eight passing TD's gave him the state record of 96 previously held by Tim Tebow...

Wolford is heading to East Carolina with a four-year total of 10,384 yards- also, the most in state history.

Here's the highlights...

4 More Charged In Steubenville Rape Case

((HT: WTRF-TV))

The Steubenville High rape case continues to gather depth as four more individuals have been arrested in association with the case where Steubenville football players recorded a rape a 16-year-old on their camera phones, shuttled it around on social media, and were part of a conspiracy to make sure no charges were filed in and around the football team.

Two players, Ma'Lik Richmond and Trent Mays, were convicted in the case and now four more individuals are up on charges after a grand jury investigation. Richmond was convicted of rape and sentenced to a year as a juvenile. Mays was convicted of rape and of using his phone to take a picture of the girl.

He was sentenced to two years in juvenile detention.

A special grand jury had investigated whether coaches and/or school administrators knew of the rape allegation, but failed to report that they knew- and exactly just how much they knew.

Here's the initial results brought forth...

Steubenville City Schools Superintendent Michael McVey has been indicted on five counts:

One count of tampering with evidence - a third degree felony
Two Counts of obstructing justice - a fifth degree felony
One count of falsification, a first degree misdemeanor
One count of obstructing official business, a second degree misdemeanor


McVey could face up to 7 years and 270 days in prison.

The second person is Lynnett Gorman- the principal of West Elementary in Steubenville- was charged with failure to report child abuse, a fourth degree misdemeanor. Gorman could face up to 30 days in jail.

The third is Seth Fluharty- wrestling coach and special education teacher at Steubenville High. He was also charged with failure to report child abuse. Fluharty could serve up to the same 30 day sentence.

The fourth is Matthew Bellardine, a former volunteer coach for the football team, who faces four charges including:

Underage persons offenses concerning ("beer or intoxicating liquor") - a first degree misdemeanor
Obstructing Official Business - a second degree misdemeanor
Falsification - a first degree misdemeanor
Contributing to the unruliness or delinquency of a child - a first degree misdemeanor


Bellardine could serve up to 1 year and 265 days in jail.

Here's the press conference in full with Ohio AG Mike DeWine
WTRF 7 News Sports Weather - Wheeling Steubenville

Here's the press release on the findings of the grand jury...

2 Injured As Woman Jumps From Top Section In Oakland

((HT: KGO-TV))

What motivated a woman to jump from the 300 section of the Oakland Coliseum is still a mystery. But, what is certain, is that the Marine that tried to catch her- and injured himself seriously in the process- saved her life...

The woman's injuries are said to be far more serious still- even critical.
Authorities do admit she would have died immediately had it not been for the man who broke her fall of 30 feet.

Here's the look from O.co

Sunday, November 24, 2013

An Open Letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell



You bet I am...bro...
Dear Mr. Goodell:

I am writing to you today to express my extreme displeasure with the NFL’s new penalty focus. As a former defensive player, it feels as if you’re taking the football out of football. From what I can tell, it’s like the League would rather have teams that score 45, 50, 55 points in a game where defenders have to play pattycake when they tackle the other team. It seems like the League believes all of those points would energize the fan base and bring more money into the team’s pockets.

Au contraire…

All you are doing is pissing off the true fan. All you are doing is making students of the game pissed off with your unbalanced penalties. Sure, protect the quarterback, but all of these defenseless player crazy calls are turning football into woosball.

All because you’re afraid of a little hard contact? 

THIS IS FOOTBALL. These players are getting paid millions of dollars and they KNOW WHAT’S AT STAKE when they signed their contracts.

You are tying the hands of defensive backs all around the League. When Hall of Famers like Ronnie Lott and Warren Sapp have gone on record saying how offensively lopsided the League has become, shouldn’t you listen? Future HOFer Ray Lewis vents about it every single week.

At what time do you decide the penalties are too much? At what time should you MAN UP and let the defense play defense? Defenders are taught to drive through a defender in a LEGAL way, and you're not giving them a chance.

If these shenanigans continue, I will no longer be a fan of the League. I don’t like shootouts. I prefer slugfests where it actually take skill and cunning to make the right defensive play to stop the other team. Being a lifelong NFC East fan, three yards and a cloud of dust is MUCH better than teams running for 842 yards. 

Offense wins games, but defense wins championships. Or so they used to say…I guess not so much in today's NFL.

Please reconsider the balance in penalty calling, and protect the defense just as much as your precious offense.

Sincerely yours,
Brother JDub


Bon Jovi To Bills: I'll Be There For You (?)

((HT: CBS Sports/LaCanfora))

So, Jon Bon Jovi, eh...???

Well, the HQ knows his relationship with owning football things- it goes back to the Philadelphia Soul arena franchise... Here's the Soul catching their 2008 indoor title...
((HT: ESPN on ABC))


No secret that Bon Jovi would be going head-to-head with Rogers Communications for the Bills (since the team already plays in SkyDome), but LaCanfora asserts that Tim Leiweke and AEG could be working with the rocker for the chase...

Here was Jason LaCanfora's appearance on "The Other Pregame Show" and talked about the idea of Toronto and the city continuing its relationship with the Buffalo Bills...
I guess there's only one more thing to say...

OSG Prem: Spurs Surrender Six To City...

((HT: NBCSports/BPL))

So much for having the toughest defense in the League...

13 seconds in, Jesus Navas placed a beautiful shot in the upper corner against Tottenham and it was profoundly downhill after that...

Manchester City gets 3 in each half and wins 6-nil at the Etihad...

The blowout win puts City up to fourth in the league with a league-leading goal differential of +21.

The loss is the worst in the league for Tottenham since a 6-1 loss to Chelsea in 1998. The shutout for Spurs is also the first time they have scoreless in three straight games since January of 2009.

Here's a lot of City offense...

Vandy Stuns Vols On Fake Jump Pass

((HT: XOS Sports/SEC))

It is painfully obvious to the HQ that both Lane Kiffin and Derek Dooley have poisoned the Tennessee Volunteer water until further notice...

And the most immediate confirmation of that fact was last night as Vanderbilt drove 92 yards in 12 plays culminating in a Patton Robinette shotgun snap, fake jump pass, bootleg for a score with 12 seconds left in regulation for the 14-10 win

IN KNOXVILLE...

BY VANDERBILT...
Here's your highlights...


Vandy is now 7-4, Tennessee is the opposite...

Here's Butch Jones postgame...
((HT: Knoxnews.com))


Joshua Dobbs finished 11-of-19 passing for 53 yards and Tennessee generated only 237 yards of offense.

Vandy now has a two-game winning streak against UT for the first time since the 1920's.

The HQ is in agreement that Jones is the right guy to bring the program back to where it should...
It may take 15 years or so...

Why Ga. Southern Beating Florida Means More to Me Than It Does You

By now if you are a College Football fan, you know that Georgia Southern beat the University of Florida 26-20 Saturday afternoon.

And yes, anytime an FBS (Div-1AA) team beats a FCS (Div-1) team, it's a big deal. It's even bigger if they beat a team from the once mighty SEC.

It also gives the SEC bashers (everyone who lives outside the Southeastern U.S) more fuel to argue the SEC isn't what people think it is. Especially this year.

You can argue that Florida had so many injured players and was playing their 3rd string QB. And for what it's worth, Ga. Southern was down 16 scholarship players with injury too.

But no, the reason it means more to me than you: I went to Georgia Southern. I was there when the program was in year 2 (1983--I'm old). I was there for the first two National Championships the Eagles won (1985, 1986).

GaSouthern vs. SCState 1985
Going to a smaller school is different than going to a big one. Especially if you live in the south. Sports talk radio, TV and others don't pay attention to the little guys. Ever. They consider games like this a joke.

It's tough when your whole life you get asked "You Georgia or Florida?" or growing up in Florida it was "Florida or Florida State?".

How 'bout neither?

Me…and most of my friends don't consider ourselves bandwagon jumpers. Living in the South, there are millions who claim to be fans of schools they never attended. And many of them are the psychotic ones with the tricked out decorated buses or traveling all over the southeast going to games or doing crazy stuff degrading or trying to embarrass their opponents. Not us.

No, sorry, if you went to a small school like Georgia Southern, that's your team. It's always your team. You don't get to pull for anyone else.

When I graduated from Southern (1988), my friends and I tried to go to all the "Big School" games we played afterwards. We were there in 1986 when we played Florida, in a thunderstorm and set a "Then" stadium record for most yards rushing. We lost 38-14, but we were hoarse for a week.

I didn't get to go to Tallahassee in 1988 when we led FSU 10-6 after 3 quarters. I was working my 1st TV job in Lynchburg, Virginia. And when I came back from working a UVA football game late that afternoon, my Sports Anchor told me "You guys are beating FSU", my 1st response was "I call bullshit". We didn't win, we lost 23-10. But we scared them.

Fast forward a couple years. We were in the stands, at Jordan-Hare stadium when the Eagles walked to the locker room at halftime, leading Auburn 17-3. We all made a pact if we won, we were going to get arrested. We didn't win, but we scared the crap out of them.

It's hard to explain the attachment that I have to the football team. I'm not a crazed SEC type fan who's entire life in the fall revolves around going to or stopping the day to watch every second of the game. I haven't named my dog Eagle or have blue and white painted stuff around my house. I have one Georgia Southern t-shirt and a GSU sweatshirt. But Southern always has a place in my heart.

Heck, how could it not? When I was there, I was at every game. In 1986, I was a DJ on the campus radio station, WVGS. My shift was 10 a.m-1 p.m. And at the time, we started all our games at 1:30. That gave me just enough time to get across campus and make the game.

In 1987, I actually worked the games. I was a Broadcast major and we traditionally shot all the games from the top of the press box. I took it one step further. We scrounged up a second set of gear and while we took turns shooting up top, I would spend the second half and eventually the whole game on the field.

That's where I really got hooked.

Before long I was going to practice on Monday's and interviewing coach Russell and some players about the upcoming game and shipping it to TV stations around the state. By midseason, we started traveling to the games we could drive to. I got to know some of the players and had a couple of them play on my intramural basketball team. And the coolest thing to me, when I saw Erk Russell, he would always say hi to me.

True side story--Every Monday, when I interviewed him, we'd start the same way. "So coach, talk about last Saturday's game. How did the team play and how does it get you ready for next week?" "Well, Phil, 38 is more than 17, we won, they lost, so I guess it was a good week. It should help us be ready when ______ comes to town".

I always have kept up with Georgia Southern Football and always made it known they're "My Team". But I sort of bent my own rule. Some of you know I worked in Sports for a long, long time. And covered the University of Georgia for some 10-years. Got to know some of the behind the scenes folks there and had a nice, cordial relationship with coach Richt. Heck, Brother Jon, Brother Wilkie and I wrote a book about Georgia Football.

And admittedly, I like to see them win.

But Georgia Southern is always in my heart. My 4.5 years there were some of the best--and worst times of my life. I'm so thankful I went there instead of a big school.

True side story--I was accepted at the University of Florida coming out of Lake Brantley High School in Altamonte Springs, Florida. But it was conditional--I would have had to go to summer school and do well before being accepted for a fall term.

I never went.

And if I did, I would never have made it through the core curriculum. I barely made it through my 1st two years at Southern.

So that's why Georgia Southern beating Florida means more to me. Southern had played 20 games against Division 1 schools, we'd never beaten one. Florida had played 47 games against non-Division 1 schools, they'd never lost.

Neither of those statements will ever be said again.


Here's the TV story from fellow Georgia Southern grad Frank Sulkowski of WJCL-TV in Savannah who also knows just how big of a deal this is: