FCC Ends NFL Blackout Rule

Congratulations NFL fan, you can now watch your hometown team on TV whether or not they sell out their game.

The FCC put an end to the 39-year old NFL Broadcast rule Tuesday morning with a unanimous 5-0 vote.

The ruling was put in place in 1975 to help the league which at the time got most of their profit from people going to games. It was an easy way to force people to attend if they wanted to see their teams games. The league now gets most of their profit from broadcast rights.

The vote however was a bit symbolic--it means the government no longer supports the NFL doing it. But they can still enforce it and keep the rule as a part of their TV contracts. And they more than likely will.

However legislation is already in the works that would require them to do it or lose their anti-trust exemption. And in the long run, we suspect they will cave. Essentially, this means celebrate, but realize you may not see the blackouts end for a couple of years.

The NFL has always argued that having empty seats might hurt their image and that they might have to move their games to pay TV if the blackout rule ended.

Don't bet on that happening.

The NFL already has issues with empty seats at their games. Yeah, sure, they announce tickets purchased as their attendance figures rather than butts in seats, but if you watch, most games are not exactly 100% full.

And as for TV, the ratings on free TV still dwarf anything they'd get on cable or Pay Per View. The outcry if they did that would further the already negative public image they currently hold.

That's not to say they won't try it at some point, we think they will. But there will be pushback. More than they probably think there will be.

Oh No! TBS Baseball Guy's do a "Boom Goes the Dynamite" Parody

((ht: mlb.com))

For many of us in the world of TV Sports, this local TV sportscast by Brian Collins is arguably one of the most awkward segments in history.



In 2005, it was one of the early "Viral Videos" that now populate the Internets..

For some reason, which we guess the promo department at TBS Sports would have to explain, the folks doing the Major League Baseball playoffs decided they would spoof it with it's team of analysts including Ron Darling, Cal Ripken Jr., Gary Sheffield and Pedro Martinez.

Granted it is pretty funny, but that's because we are familiar with the original. But many of you probably aren't. And if we have to qualify or explain the set-up to the joke to you, chances are it's not that funny or missing the intended audience.

And that's our TV marketing lecture for the day...

Here's the TBS Promo, it's certainly...um...different...

NFL Admits Refs Erred on Penalty for Prayer

The NFL admits that the referees in Monday nights Kansas City vs. New England game made a mistake when they penalized Chiefs DB Husain Abdullah for praying after he scored a TD on an interception return.

Abdullah and the Chiefs were penalized 15-yards for an unsportsman like conduct penalty after he slid to his knees and bowed down in the end zone for a brief Muslim prayer.

The NFL rulebook says "Players are prohibited from engaging in any celebrations or demonstrations while on the ground".

But the league also said that rule should not apply to expressions of religious freedom.

The call did not have any affect on the game, the Chiefs obliterated the hapless Patriots 41-14 in Kansas City.

Our pals at the 4-letter won't embed the highlights, so we had to search for video of said celebration. It's vertical video, but video never the less...

OTL: Jovan Belcher's Brain Had CTE Traces

((HT: ESPN-OTL/Delsohn))

Steve Delsohn's story on the two years since the death of Kansas City Chief Jovan Belcher, really, is no surprise.

In 2012, Belcher would kill his wife and child in the early morning hours of December 1st. The ensuing investigation after the exhuming of his body yielded the possibility of the Tau protein in his brain that is an indicator of CTE.

The hook from Delsohn:

If it can be shown that Belcher did have CTE, Belcher's daughter and mother, together, would be eligible for up to $4 million under the proposed concussion settlement between the NFL and former players. Furthermore, the lawyers representing Belcher's daughter have filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the Chiefs on her behalf. Belcher's mother, with different attorneys, filed an almost identical suit.

Here's discussion of the lawsuit at the time
((HT: KCPT))


Word was that Belcher's mother had the idea that her son's brain should be examined to determine if concussions could have been a cause or "the" cause in the behavior Jovan Belcher exhibited in, eventually, killing Kasandra Perkins and his 3-month-old daughter.

Scott Pioli was the Chiefs GM at the time and was standing in front of Belcher when he committed suicide. He addressed the subject at the Roman Numeral Classic after the year was over.
((HT: Dan Patrick Show))

Dwyer Formally Charged With Hitting His Wife

Arizona Cardinals RB Jonathan Dwyer has been charged with 9 counts- involving assaulting his wife in two separate incidents in July. The final tally is felony aggravated assault and eight misdemeanors, including assault, criminal damage and disorderly conduct.

Investigators say Dwyer broke his wife's nose with a head-butt during the first argument and he allegedly punched his wife and threw a shoe at his 17-month-old son the next day.

Dwyer was booked September 17th on "suspicion of aggravated assault" against his son, but the indictment didn't have any charges related to any incident with him- just the nine with his wife.

Police in the Phoenix area also think that the first incident involving Dwyer and his wife centered around the notion that she didn't like apparent contact between Dwyer and another woman.

Lester Munson discusses the legal stuff
((HT: ESPN))


The next hearing involving Dwyer is set for October 6th in Phoenix.

Tony Stewart Speaks Publicly For 1st Time Since Ward Incident

NASCAR Sprint Cup driver and team owner Tony Stewart spoke publicly Monday morning for the first time since the August incident that changed his life.

Stewart has been mostly a recluse since a dirt track car he was driving collided with driver Kevin Ward Jr. who got out of his car after a spin out at an upstate New York track.

There were tons of questions as to whether Stewart deliberately hit Ward or if it was just an accident. Ontario County, New York prosecutors investigated what happened and presented their evidence to a Grand Jury and that Jury came back just last week and said they could not move forward with charges.

A subdued Stewart sat alone at a podium and took questions from a large group of assembled media types:

--Stewart: "I know what happened and I know it was an accident"

--Stewart said he would like to talk to the Ward family, but does not think he needs to because he has closure in the matter. Though he added he would make himself available at any time if the family wants to talk.

--He described the awkward feeling of not doing anything other than going from the track to his track motorhome to his office and his home and nothing else. And that he ran the smaller tracks for fun, it helped keep him energized and he misses that.

--He's not done any fan appearances or corporate appearances since the incident, though he does feel like he will begin to do some in the near future.

--He also talked at length about realizing there is more to life than just racing and that he needs to round things out and do more of things he's put on hold because of his devotion to racing.

--Stewart said he avoided reading reports of what happened for a long time but has eventually started reading. He talked about the wrongness of "picking sides" at what happened. He said it's about an accident that cost a man his life adding "picking sides" takes away from Ward and himself.

--"There's been nothing normal about my life the past 7-weeks". Stewart describing what he's been doing and his interaction with his race team and others.

--Stewart was asked his thoughts on toxicology reports stating Ward was "under the influence"--"It didn't matter to me a young driver lost his life and that's all that mattered".

No huge revelations in the press conference and we did not expect any. A somber Stewart related what he's been going through and it's VERY clear this has made a huge impact on his life.

While he says what happened has not impacted the back half of his race season, the fact is it had to have some impact.

It's very clear, at least to us, Stewart has been struggling with this. He's also having to deal with Ward's family calling for more action and insisting that what happened was intentional.

Coming out and addressing the issue at hand at one time was perhaps the best thing he and his team could have done. We know he's been avoiding having to talk about it, and doing it with everyone in the building limits him having to be chased and asked about it in perpetuity.

It was very interesting to see...and hear.

Duck! Auburn Has A Gatling Gun That Shoots T-Shirts

((ht: cbssports.com))

And we thought you just had to pay attention during baseball and hockey games for objects flying into the stands.

We were wrong.

Check out the "T-Shirt Gatling" gun rolled out at Auburn during the Auburn/Arkansas game earlier this season. There's a really good chance someone in the crowd got drilled if they weren't paying attention.

And if you've been to an Auburn game...well...

Though we do wonder if this is a subtle message to Texas where everything is supposed to be bigger. Or maybe not...

If you don't know what a "Gatling" gun is, we shouldn't have to explain it. Suffice to say it's a big gun that shoots objects in rapid fire succession.

Check out the video:



And since you are now fascinated...here's some slo-mo video of the contraption:

Paul Konerko Says Good Bye

((HT: MLB.com))

This retirement kinda got lost in all the Derek Jeter hullabaloo, but Paul Konerko played his last game in the majors for the Chicago White Sox.

He was pulled in the 6th inning for a defensive replacement


PK actually gave time to talk about what was going down before the game as well...
((HT:CSNChicago))


Konerko will now enter the "Hall of Very Good" and be beloved on the South Side forever...

Souza's Grab Preserves Nats No-No

((HT: MLB.com/MASN))

Steven Souza was put into left field for defensive purposes sunday afternoon...

Now, all of us know why...


Jordan Zimmerman went the distance for the first no-hitter in Nationals history. The opposing pitcher in the 1-0 win was Henderson Alvarez for the Marlins. If that name is familiar to you, it's because he had a no-hitter on the last day of the 2013 regular season.

The Nats won their 96th game of the season 30 games over .500 as they get ready for the post-season...

Makes you wonder who will get the no-hitter going against Zimmerman on the last day of the 2015 season...

Just sayin'...

And, Then, There Was This Streaker...

((HT: WAVY-TV))

Some folks, when they run on the field, are like the guy at Ohio State Saturday...

Others are like the guy at Old Dominion who actually get some work done and make a statement...


Looks like he got off the field in one piece. No word on his success rate off the field after he ran into the concourse...

Ess-E-Cee Recap: Congrats To UK And What Was Bielema Thinking...???

((HT: WLEX-TV/KBTX-TV))

Mark Stoops was able to do something that his successors have not been able to do- actually beat an SEC opponent for the first time in almost 1,100 days...

The Wildcats knocked off Vanderbilt (who are looking to be a really bad football team, by the way) in Lexington- even as a favored program heading into Saturday.

Strangely, fans would like to see the stands at Commonwealth Stadium more-filled than they currently are...
Just ask them...
On the flip side, the HQ would like to know what Arkansas head coach Bret Bielema was thinking in overtime running to the right on a 4th and 2 when he needed a first down to keep the period moving- and your running game was non-existent. You had your chance, Arkansas, and you flat blew it. "A lot of things that caused us to lose this game today came from within our locker room," Razorbacks coach Bret Bielema said postgame. "Our third edge we talk about is playing clean, and that means playing penalty-free. ... The good news is we can correct those things. Our guys did several things throughout the course of the game to get excited about. But obviously, not enough to close it." Here's your local look...

Pac-12 Recap: Turned Into The Wild West For A Day

((HT: Pac-12 Network))

It seemed to be all about comebacks and close ones Saturday...

First, for those of us who play fantasy college football Wazzu's Connor Halliday is usually a solid selection. Last week was no different as Halliday threw for 4 TD's ana orchestrated a fourth quarter comeback as the Cougs beat Utah 28-27.

Here's Ted Robinson and Glenn Parker to discuss


And Cal and Colorado didn't seem to be able to stop each other for an entire afternoon. The game 14 TD passes by the two teams and it took six quarters to decide a game that had 115 total points.

Kevin Calabro and Yogi Roth discuss

Yes, We're Showing Yale Highlights...

((HT: WTNH-TV))

This wasn't really one of those games that comes up and bites you as a reason to be shown under a normal circumstance

But, it turned out to be one of the games of the day
John Pierson has the context


The HQ has always been one of those groups that enjoys telling the story of the underdog- and when a Division I-AA squad knocks off a Division I squad... doesn't matter who, where, or when... we'll show it...

It's also the 100th anniversary of the Yale Bowl, so it gives us another reason to tell the story of Coach Reno and what he and the Elis pulled off yesterday.

Record Breaker: Watson Brown Breaks NCAA Loss Record

Watson Brown is probably the last of a dying breed in the coaching business.

A good man who does things the right way and now the holder of a record not likely to be broken: Most losses by a College Football coach with more than 10-years experience.

Brown lost his 200th game as a coach Saturday when his team, Tennessee Tech got beat by Northern Iowa 50-7.

The scary part for this incarnation of a Brown team, they had 92 total yards of offense in the game. 84 of which came on a TD run by Radir Annoor.

Watson Brown, the brother of former Texas and North Carolina coach Mack Brown now has a career coaching record of 128-200-1. He's been a head coach for the better part of 29 seasons and made stops at Austin Peay, Vanderbilt, UAB, Cincinnati and Rice.

In this era of what have you done for me today coaches, Brown's record is not likely to be broken. Few coaches who lose at Division 1 schools get more than 2 or 3 seasons and some less than that. And those who lose at more than one place, rarely get another chance.

That being said, there are few coaches more respected or well liked then the well traveled Brown.

Will he survive at Tennessee Tech, a small school in the Tennessee mountain town of Cookeville? We don't know. The Golden Eagles don't have a tradition of success. They are not a "Power 5" school. Heck, they don't even play FBS football.

But in this era of schools living on football money, it will be difficult for them to keep Brown around considering how bad his team is.

ESPN sent Tom Rinaldi to do what he does in this awesome story:

So, How Turbo-Fired Is Brady Hoke NOW???!!!

((HT: BTN))

Minnesota got the "Little Brown Jug" back from Michigan for the first time since 2005 with a win in Ann Arbor. For the first time in the 135-year history of the program, the Wolverines have three losses before the end of September.

Brady Hoke fired Al Borges after the collapse last season and hired Doug Nussmeier- and that hasn't gone well. Michigan was 12th in the Big Ten in scoring, ninth in total offense, 12th in passing, and sixth in rushing GOING INTO SATURDAY...

The team has lost to Notre Dame, Utah, and now Minnesota.

Here's the highlights (if you're a Minnesota fan, anyway)


The larger issue that really deserves everyone's attention is the shoddy handling of QB Shane Morris' obvious concussion. Morris had to be helped off the field by a lineman, was out for a handful of plays, and then was put back in.

And he shouldn't have when Morris was already 7-for-19 and was trailing 30-7
((HT: DrewCHallett))


Here's some truncated Hoke postgame where he claims he didn't hear the boos and the demand that he be fired
((HT: WXYZ-TV))


The HQ thinks that Hoke might last a while (in the sense of weeks, not seasons), and the firing of Charlie Weis probably didn't help Hoke and his Career Dissipation Light in Ann Arbor.

Charlie Weis Fired at Kansas

The Charlie Weis era at Kansas is over.

The former Notre Dame head coach, University of Florida offensive coordinator and former offensive coordinator of the New England Patriots was fired Sunday morning after compiling a 6-22 record at Kansas in 3 seasons.

The school announced Defensive Coordinator Clint Bowen will be the interim coach for the rest of the 2014 season.

From athletic director Sheahon Zenger; "I appreciate what Coach Weis did with several facets of our football program," Zenger continued.  "But we have not made the on-the-field progress we believe we should.  I believe new leadership gives our coaches and players the best chance to make a fresh start."

Read the entire press release from the school RIGHT HERE

This is likely the end of Weis' head coaching career. He's considered by most a pretty decent guy, but not someone capable of being successful running a top tier D-1 program.

Though we should add he struggled in Gainesville at Florida as offensive coordinator as well. He's got 2-years left on his deal with the struggling Jayhawks who have been one of college football's worst teams over the past 5 years.

Weis is also officially the 1st coach fired this season.

Don't Run Onto The Field In Columbus

((HT: Scout.com/Jeremy Fogel's Instagram))

Lest ye get Rock Bottomed...

Some genius, a little lighted up on liquid courage at the Ohio State-Cincy game last night, decided to get onto the field at the Shoe.

The tOSU strength coach (which as a rule, you don't want to cross), Anthony Schlegel, took matters into his own hands before the yellow jackets got involved.

Head Ball Coach Can't Believe South Carolina Lost To Mizzou

Early in the fourth quarter South Carolina wide receiver Pharoh Cooper caught a 23 yard touchdown
pass from Dylan Thompson to give the Gamecocks at 20-7 lead at home.



Though the 'Cocks nailed the extra point head coach Steve Spurrier's gut said go for two.

'I messed up on the two-point conversion, should have gone for it." Spurrier said.  "I wasn’t even thinking about it until I looked up and saw it was 20-7. I had something in my mind that 16-7 might be real good the way our defense was playing. All of a sudden Pharoh [Cooper] caught that [the touchdown pass] and nobody even on the bench thought about it [going for two points]. I looked up and said you know what we should have gone for two, too late now. That was a mistake on my part."

That's because Mizzou scored 14 unanswered points in the fourth quarter to stun South Carolina 21-20 leaving the head ball coach sick at his stomach.



"It was a tough night for us."  Spurrier said.

Meanwhile Gary Pinkel was thrilled.

"When things got tough, we just stayed positive." Pinkel said. "Big win for us."

It's big because Mizzou is the only team in the SEC East that's undefeated in conference play.

"We just have got to focus on getting better and the confidence level that you gain for something like this is significant."  Pinkel said.  "We’ve got to be a lot better football team. We’ve got to use this to make us better, not use this to make us feel good.”

Royals Back In Post-Season For First Time Since '85

((HT: MLB.com))

The HQ just thought this was a cool happening last night...

The Kansas City Royals, with their win Friday night, clinched their first post-season bid in almost three decades.

Closer Greg Holland has been solid at the back all year long and, with a lot of blue in the crowd at Comiskey, the visotors got the win over the White Sox and made it to play one more game.


Here's Jeremy Guthrie firing up the other Royals once they clinched a spot in the post-season and got to bathe each other in the clubhouse.


MLB.com had some cool comparisons about the current roster with the last time the team was in:

In 1985, more than half of the Royals' current active roster had not yet been born. Yordano Ventura, DOB June 3, 1991, wasn't even a thought in his parents' minds. Lorde, the New Zealand songstress behind the team's somewhat unofficial anthem, wasn't born until 1996.

Wade Davis and Greg Holland were born in September and October of the Royals' last postseason year.

The wreck of the Titanic was discovered. The first Nintendo system was released in America, on which you played Super Mario for the first time. You bought "We Are the World" because you liked Michael Jackson and Lionel Ritchie. You read the inaugural strip of Calvin and Hobbes.

And that is just a small sample of it...

Congrats to y'all and whaddya want to bet the Braves might make the token play for their old assistant GM in the process...???

You Haven't Seen A Display Like This In A While...

((HT: York Revolution their own selves))

The Atlantic League playoffs are going full bore and York needed some offensive help to square their game.

Sean Smith obliged, but something went wrong along the way.
What followed was an act of dedication the HQ hasn't seen in a long time...


The Revs won 2-1 in extras and Smith was due for surgery on his torn ACL before Game 4 Saturday night...

Amazing display and we hope he gets better soon...

Whoa! UCLA Kicks It Up a Notch Runs Away From Az. State

((ht: foxsports.com))

It was supposed to be a battle of two top 15 ranked teams. And by all expectations, the game was supposed to be a close one.

And for about a quarter or so, the Arizona State vs. UCLA game was close.

Then the Bruins scored 28 points in 7 minutes on the strength of a 95-yard interception return and 100-yard kickoff return by Ishmael Adams and annihilated the Sun Devils 62-27.

Yes, 62-27.

The two teams combined for 1200 yards of offense and believe it or not Arizona State ran 105 plays, quite a few more than the Bruins.

But Adams speed and Brett Hundley's 4-touchdowns and 355 passing yards were more than enough to prove State may have, well, been overmatched.

Your highlights from FOX Sports:

Yeah, Jeter's Last Game Was What It Should Have Been...

((HT: MLB.com/YES))

It was the last night for Derek Jeter in the Bronx as he is hanging them up after two decades as a Yankee...

The HQ knows that is news to all of you, but the scriptwriters were out in full force.
Here's his last charge of the infield...


And, then, getting the first Yankees runs on the board with a shot to left-center


You could see Jeets taking a lot of deep breaths and the Bleacher Creatures were roll calling him at every opportunity. David Robertson gave up a game-tying homer in the top of the ninth with two outs to Steve Pearce.

So, all of Hiroki Kuroda's work went into the toilet and the Yanks had to earn it one last time.

Jeter hit a game-winning single on the bottom of the ninth driving in Antoine Richardson from second for the 6-5 win.
((HT: Sports on STC's Vine))

Report: Roger Goodell and DeMaurice Smith to Consult Charlie Strong on Discipline

Roger Goodell

((ht:texas.247sports.com))

Huh?

According to reports by noted University of Texas insider Chip Brown, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell and NFLPA Head DeMaurice Smith are seeking out Longhorns head coach Charlie Strong about Strong's "Core Values".

Specifically, Brown lists Strong's commitment to having his Longhorns live up to the Core Values, which are 1) Honesty, 2) Treat Women with respect, 3) No Drugs, 4) No Stealing and 5) No Guns.

Anyone on the Texas roster who fails to live up to that gets dropped. And thus far, Strong has dismissed 9 players and suspended 3 more for not living up to them.

Read more from Texas.247sports.com RIGHT HERE

Interesting thought process here. We respect what Charlie Strong is trying to do at Texas win, lose or otherwise. It's the way a College Football program SHOULD be run.

And the "Core Values" are something that should be a given for all athletes and quite honestly, for people in general to emulate. Really, it is.

But for the NFL, the problem runs a bit deeper. We think it would be great if the league adopted this to base there discipline rules on. But how do you enforce it?

The NFL's problem from day 1 is they never seemed to take these problems as seriously as society does. As long as the team gets their player back, nobody seemed to care.

But if Goodell and Smith are indeed serious and looking for opportunities to come up with a better system/program to institute, then by all means--go for it...
char

Boston Marathon Bombing Trial Pushed To January

((HT: MyFoxBoston))

But a change of venue request was denied that was put forth by the defense team of suspected bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev.

Judge George O'Toole has now ruled that the trial will begin after the New Year's holiday instead of early November as was previously designated. Tsarnaev's lawyers wanted to delay the trial for a year and wanted a change of venue- saying that there's no way their client can get a fair trail in Boston.

Understandable idea...

Here's the latest on all the legal wrangling
Boston News, Weather, Sports | FOX 25 | MyFoxBoston

Tsarnaev could face the death penalty if convicted of making pressure cooker bombs with his brother that went off at the 2013 Boston Marathon- injuring 260 and killing three.

The Dirty Dozen and Bottom of the Barrel: Anarchy...or Not?

Well, so far, we've had a few close calls, a few upsets (minor) and a lot of overhyping. All three things have defined a College Football season that so far can be defined as: Meh...

Outside last week when Jameis Winston cost himself the Heisman Trophy repeat and nearly cost Florida State a shot at a repeat title, everything that happened happened and no real chaos ensued...



Or not...

Surely that is in our future, but uh...not this week, the slate of games, while not exactly cupcake week, doesn't exactly feature any barn burners either. Those happen--we hope...in October.

It sure is helping our bottom line as evidence by us going 12-2 last week in picks. That puts the total thus far at 35-5, which folks, is pretty darn good.

With so little to talk about folks, we'll throw Casey out there and say "On with the countdown"


THE DIRTY DOZEN:

1) Florida St. 3-0. This pains us. Morally we want them to lose so maybe they understand how they are enabling Jameis Winston. But that ain't happening right now. This applies:



And that ain't happening this week. (This Week: at NC State. Our Pick: FSU 41, NCState 23)

2) Oklahoma 4-0. The Sooners had a tough time in West by god Virginia, but that wasn't a surprise. They still won. We aren't sold they are in this for the long haul, but there is nobody in the Big 9 we think that is capable of knocking them off. (This Week: BYE)

3) Oregon 4-0. The Duckies also struggled at Washington State, but did eeek out the win. We see this team as being very similar to Oregon teams in the past. They haven't played any of the PAC 12 teams that will push them hard. Yet. (This Week: BYE)

4) Alabama 4-0. Yes, the Tide annihilated a highly overrated Florida team. But this is still a team with flaws. However, Blake Sims has been a revelation and Amari Cooper has been fantastic. Oddly, the defense may be their biggest concern. (This Week: BYE)

5) Auburn 3-0. We were surprised to see how much they struggled with a game K-State team. Even though it was a road game. The Wildcats kept the Tigers offense largely in check. And had a chance to win, but didn't. One more week for Auburn before schedule gets tough. (This Week: vs. La.Tech. Our Pick: Auburn 49, La. Tech 12)

6) Texas A&M 4-0. Trill Hill continues to put up big numbers, the Aggies continue to roll. But consider the opponents, 3 cupcakes and a South Carolina team with so-so defense. It's about to get tougher as the SEC West schedule kicks in in earnest. (This Week: vs. Arkansas. Our Pick: Aggies 37, Ark. 23)

7) Mississippi St. 4-0. Yeah, beating LSU in Death Valley will get you here. Now can you stay? Dak Prescott was awesome and until a late 4th quarter collapse, so was the defense. They looked like a title contender. Will it last? (This Week: BYE)

8) Baylor 3-0. Stop us if you've heard this before. Tons of points, questionable defense and conference with few challengers. Oh, and likely to fold when pushed. Yeah, all these have described Baylor for the past couple of seasons. And that isn't going to change. (This Week: at Iowa St. Our Pick: Baylor 51, Iowa St. 38)

9) Notre Dame 3-0. Arggh! This hurts us to put these guys here. The schedule has been cupcake palooza. But they are ND and they get ranked if they win. And we don't wanna put a one loss team above them...yet. (This Week: at Syracuse. Our Pick: ND 30, Cuse 20)

10) Ole Miss 3-0. Again undefeated and they've dominated a string of cupcakes. What'cha gonna do when the pressure is on? Oh, did we add they are in the brutal SEC West? The schedule kicks in soon, but not this week. (This Week: vs. Memphis. Our Pick: Ole Miss 35, Memphis 21)

11) Georgia 2-1. Okay, yeah, we put a one loss team here. The feeling is this team will get better as the season goes on. The defense is the only question and they are young. But they won't be tested as much as we thought. Or will they? (This Week: vs. Tennessee. Our Pick: UGA 37, Vols 23)

12) Arizona St. 3-0. Time to find out if they are contenders or pretenders. And yes, they are undefeated. And no, they haven't really played anyone of note. That's about to change. (This Week: vs. UCLA. Our Pick: UCLA 28, Arizona St. 21)

THE BOTTOM OF THE BARREL



5) UMass 0-4. Oh you poor Minutemen. You still are masters of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. And you've been a perennial occupant of our list of crappy teams. We don't expect that to change anytime soon. (This Week: vs. Bowling Green. Our Pick: BGU 13, UMass 12)

4) Rice Krispies 0-3. Sigh. We thought about making Rice Krispies jokes, but we've used up most of them over the past couple seasons. Regular readers..or reader should know this. So we will stop. (This Week: at Southern Miss. Our Pick: Southern Miss 21, Rice 17)

3) Troy 0-4. Zoinks. They play UGA, get ball first, drive down field and miss a field goal. They never came close to scoring again getting beat 66-0. Yes, 66-0. Sigh...(This Week: at LaMonroe. Our Pick: Monroe 45, Troy 13)

2) Miami OH 0-4. Another long time cellar dweller who hasn't really shown any signs of climbing out. MAC Inaction! Woooo! (This Week: at Buffalo. Our Pick: Buffalo 33 Wings, OH Miami 10)

1) SMU 0-4. How can you score 12 points in 4 games and call yourselves a Division 1 football team? Oh, and your coach walked away from the mess after 2 of those games. Don't expect to leave this spot all season long. (This Week: vs. TCU Our Pick: TCU 47, SMU 3)

Enjoy your late '70's early '80's concept music video:

OSG NAIA: Edward Waters Comes From 34 Down To Win

((HT: Joshua Jackson))

J-Jacks is a voice in Jacksonville with the Sharks and Edward Waters College- whom the HQ has seen play at Raines High School against Shorter in their NAIA days.

He was around in Pikeville, Kentucky a week and a half ago when EWC was down 48-14 with seven minutes to go in regulation.

What happened was amazing and really cool as they came back to win 49-48

Here's the highlights from the last seven minutes that include a TD pass with no time left on the clock in regulation and a really tough point after touchdown that followed


Admittedly, UPike is in a big transition period this year. Allan Holland, Junior was named interim head football coach in mid-August. Dudley Hilton had to step down for personal and health reasons. The Bears, with the loss, are now 1-3 with another loss this weekend to Lindsey Wilson.

EWC is 2-2 before this weekend's game with Point.

Someone Actually Touched Messi

((HT: beINSports))

Barcelona played Malaga today in La Liga and it appeared that the back line for Malaga wasn't going to roll over for anyone...

Much less Messi...

The weird thing about the whole exchange was that Weligton and Pique each got yellows when a red card REALLY would have been appropriate.

How good was Malaga's defense...???

Barcelona were held without a shot on goal in a league game for the first time in the past 11 seasons...

That good...

Ward Family Not Satisfied With Stewart Grand Jury Decision

((HT: WHEC-TV))

Understandably so...

After the Ontario County (NY) Grand Jury returned the idea that they were not going to come back with an indictment of Tony Stewart in the death of driver Kevin Ward, Junior in a race August 9th in upper New York state, the Ward family issued their own statement:

"Our son got out of his car during caution when the race was suspended. All the other vehicles were reducing speed and not accelerating except for Stewart, who intentionally tried to intimidate Kevin by accelerating and sliding his car toward him, causing the tragedy. The focus should be on the actions of Mr. Stewart. This matter is not at rest and we will pursue all remedies in fairness to Kevin.”

Here's team coverage of the Grand Jury decision


"I personally am very happy with the outcome," Canadaigua Race Director Greg Hixson said when interviewed Wednesday. "I've seen the videos, I was there, I saw it live and for Tony to be charged I think would have been another crime. It's unfortunate and my heart goes out to the Ward family, but having another life ruined because of it, I thought it would have been very unjust."

Contradiction: Victims Lawyer Says Jameis Winston's Lawyer Offered to Pay Them Off

((ht: orlandosentinel.com))

Quickly on the heels of a statement released by the lawyer for Florida State University QB Jameis Winston, saying the woman accusing Winston of sexual assault wanted to be bought off, comes a direct contradiction.

John Clunie responded to a report on TMZ.com that said Winston's lawyer David Cornwell was saying Clunie's client was looking for $7 million to go away and never be heard from again.

Read the TMZ report RIGHT HERE

Clunie said it was actually Cornwell who reached out to the woman's original lawyer, Patricia Carroll with intent to by the accuser off. And that after being rejected on the phone, Cornwell showed up at Carroll's office in Tampa to negotiate in person.

Clunie added during that meeting; "Settlement discussions were immediately unproductive as Cornwell was crude and insulting going as far to say 'your client likes to @#$! football players'"

He added that Cornwell accused the woman of waiting to file a complaint until 2-years later when in fact she came forward after FSU approached her in October of 2013 investigating Winston for allegations of a second report of misconduct against another woman.

Read the entire story from the Orlando Sentinel RIGHT HERE

All this legal "He said, she said" adds yet another layer to a very bizarre investigation that stemmed from an incident in 2012. The D.A in Leon County declined to move forward with charges and FSU is alleged to have barely investigated the incident in which neither party denied there was a sexual incident of some sorts.

The stories are a bit different and the summary investigations, or lack thereof has FSU the target of a Title IX investigation by Federal Investigators.

Winston, according to his lawyer is said to be cooperating in that investigation, which would be a contradiction of all the others, which he didn't.

It will be interesting to see what happens when the latest investigation closes in the next few weeks.

No Charges for Tony Stewart in Death of Kevin Ward

An Ontario County, New York Grand Jury has declined to charge NASCAR driver Tony Stewart in the death of driver Kevin Ward in a dirt track accident at the Canandaigua Speedway on August 9th.

The incident occurred at the small track after Stewart and Ward got tangled up during a race. Ward spun out and after the incident, got out of his car and appeared on video to approach Stewart's car, still in motion at a fairly high rate of speed.

Ward died from the impact.

Stewart released a statement saying; "This has been the toughest and most emotional experience of my life and it will stay with me forever. While much of the attention has been on me, it's important to remember a young man lost his life. Kevin Ward Jr's family and friends will always be in my thoughts and prayers."

County D.A Michael Tantillo had asked the Grand Jury to consider charges of second degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide. They could not come to a unanimous decision on either.

Most agreed Tantillo would have had a difficult time proving criminal intent in the incident and issue further complicated when he said Ward had been under the influence of marijuana that night, "enough to impair judgement".

Stewart took a 3-week leave of absence from racing after the incident. He still could be Civilly charged in the incident, but that has yet to happen.

NASCAR released a statement:

"There are no winners in tragedy. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the Kevin Ward Jr. family and Tony Stewart as they all cope with this tragic incident at Canandaigua Motorsports Park. This has been a difficult time for everyone involved and we have respected the local authorities responsible for reviewing this case."

As did Stewart:

“This has been the toughest and most emotional experience of my life, and it will stay with me forever. I’m very grateful for all the support I’ve received and continue to receive. “I respect everything the District Attorney and Sheriff’s Office did to thoroughly investigate this tragic accident. While the process was long and emotionally difficult, it allowed for all the facts of the accident to be identified and known. “While much of the attention has been on me, it’s important to remember a young man lost his life. Kevin Ward Jr.’s family and friends will always be in my thoughts and prayers.”

Ha! Cuba Gooding Jr Wins Shoot The Puck Celebrates By Undressing

((ht: cbssports.com))

Hey, count me among those that weren't aware Cuba Gooding Jr still rated as a celebrity. I don't remember him being in a movie other than Jerry Maguire though undoubtedly he has.

Mr. Gooding Jr. is also apparently a hockey fan with a decent skill set. Or at least puck handling skills.

The reason we say this: Check out the video of him stepping up at a Chicago Blackhawks preseason game the other night.

Brought on the ice to participate in the incredibly difficult (try it if you don't believe us) "Shoot the Puck" game, Gooding absolutely nails the 3rd shot.

And proceeds to celebrate by walking down the ice, shedding his jacket and shirt for no apparent reason.

Celebrate Mr. Gooding Jr., celebrate...

Video proof:

Jameis Winston "Cooperating" With Title IX Investigation... Was There An Attempted Extortion...?

((HT: WCTV-TV/TMZ))

While the attorney for FSU QB Jameis Winston, David Cornwell, admits that his client is cooperating with the Title IX investigation on campus, he also says that the accuser in the previous rape case tried to extort money from his client.

$7-million worth of being left alone...

TMZ has a copy of the letter and it claims that the accuser's attorney, Patricia Carroll, was ready to deal:

According to the letter -- obtained by TMZ Sports -- the alleged victim's lawyer, Patricia Carroll, demanded $7 MIL to settle her client's claims against FSU and Winston, telling Cornwell, "If we settle, you will never hear from my client or me again -- in the press or anywhere."

Cornwell says he rejected her offer and 4 days later she went to the media.

Fisher is now ready to move on and make sure that his quarterback is going to not get into any more trouble.

Here's the Jimbo Fisher press conference from this week where he addresses the "miscommunication" between staff and coaches involving the wearing of the uniform for the Clemson game.


The HQ still has tremendous issues with Winston even being on the field Saturday. We always thought "suspended" meant something the equivalent of staying at home, not being in attendance, and learning some kind if lesson in all of this.

The HQ doesn't buy the whole "miscommunication" gambit and the idea that the network broadcasting the game actually had 48 cut-aways (as counted by Deadspin) of him watching his team on the sidelines is appalling.

The glorification of a suspended athlete has nothing to do with subplot and it wouldn't have if he was off the field- where he belonged- in the first place.

The HQ is also not fond of Winston jumping into the middle of Sean McGuire's moment after the win and we're fairly sure there's a huge disconnect in Winston's brain when it comes to "getting it."

Which he, surely and consistenty, has not and will not. Entitlement and coddling are two words that seem to be fairly consistent in the administration of Winston's life path and we're pretty tired of it.

There's nothing wrong with being a "heel." Each sporting element has them and needs them for the sake of daily argument. But Winston, through all of his instances, has gone past that role into one of an individual who we're all waiting to fall and won't have any sympsthy when he does.

Carolina's Jordan Staal breaks leg in NHL preseason game

Jordan Staal is not happy. (photo courtesy The Canadian Press)

Ron Francis, Executive Vice President and General Manager of the National Hockey League’s Carolina Hurricanes, tonight announced that center Jordan Staal suffered a broken bone in the lower portion of his right leg during the team’s preseason game against the Buffalo Sabres.

Staal, 26, was injured during the third period when he got tangled up with Sabres defenseman Josh Gorges in the third period of Carolina’s 2-0 exhibition loss. Staal will return to Raleigh with the team on Wednesday and will be evaluated by team doctors on Thursday. 

A timetable for his recovery has yet to be determined.

Cap One Cup: Liverpool Advances After 15 Rounds of PK

((HT: Beanyman Sports))

The match between Liverpool and Middlesbrough took almost two and a half hours to complete- with the teams going into the 15th round of penalty kicks before it was decided in the bottom half off a Boro miss...

Here's the highlights


And manager Brendan Rodgers discussing a long night


Albert Adomah, for the record, is the Boro player who punched his shot wide in the bottom of the 15th after a spirited comeback at Anfield by a squad that didn't seem all that bent out of shape having to play a 4th Round game on the road.

Threr were, probably, a lot of records set in the match. But Liverpool advances into the Round of 16 with the other 6 squads who join the 10 advancing today tomorrow.

OSG High: A Doinked PAT That Worked

((HT: Cam Smith/Outside The Box/Big Sioux Media))

Take you to South Dakota high school football between Dell Rapids and Milbank when this happened...


Yes, you saw it right...

Off the face mask and through...

Dell Rapids won 51-0

The Bironas Saga Is Getting Odd...

((HT: WKRN-TV))

The wife of former Tennessee Titans kicker Rob Bironas called local Nashville Police to consider him missing just before his crash. Rachel Bradshaw thought her husband had gone to bed and, when she couldn't locate him inside their home, called to file a police report. The report was being filled out over the phone when the news of the crash came to the NPD.

Bironas was traveling at a high rate of speed about a mile from his home Saturday night when he lost control of his car in a curve, struck a line of trees and overturned in a culvert.

His autopsy was completed Monday and his body was released. Toxicology results, however, could take weeks to get back.

Here's the look at the accident report from Andy Cordan
WKRN News 2

Jim Wyatt's article in the The Tennessean presents a troubling picture of the moments before where Bironas allegedly threatened two Belmont University students in another car and may have tried to run another car off the road entirely.

Connor Fraley relayed what happened:

"His window was down, and we pulled up and I said, "Hey man, just a heads up, something's burning from your exhaust. Your exhaust smells horrible, just wanted to let you know,'' Fraley recalled telling Bironas. "He looked over at me and said "I'm going to kill everybody in your (expletive) vehicle. It was so random, so bizarre I was like, "What?" And he said the exact same thing again."

Bironas apparently went from that confrontation to another involving a married couple in another vehicle.
They were the ones who called 911 after their confrontation and they also happened on the crash of Bironas' car.

Hockey Returns: First Fight of the Year

((ht: cbssports.com))

Ah...cooler weather, changing leaves...and hockey. All signs that fall is upon us and winter is but right around the corner.

And as the calendar quickly approaches October, so begins the NHL season. But right now, it's only in the form of exhibition games.

But that apparently doesn't mean practice like the NFL does.

At least not for Wayne Simmonds of the Philadelphia Flyers. Watch as Simmonds checks Korbinian Holzer of the Toronto Maple Leafs into the boards after the whistle.

Holzer, none too pleased, shoves Simmonds. And Mr. Simmonds, well, he responded by two big roundhouse punches and a shove back.

Low and behold as Mr. Holzer ends up on the ice, Simmonds ends up ejected and more than likely will be fined.

God bless the Hockey...

A Very Special First MLB Hit In Arlington

((HT: MLB.com))

A lot of folks get their first major league hit in circumstances a lot less lengthy than the Texas Rangers' Guilder Rodriguez...

It took the September call-up of the 31-year-old to get in the line-up after almost 1,100 minor league games- the equivalent of almost 7 seasons eventhough he has spent 14 actual seasons in the minors.

But he finally got it with his family in attendance...


The Rangers have seen Rodriguez be a mentor to two other infielders in the system- Rougned Odor and Luis Sardinas. Interim manager Tim Bogar wanted to throw Rodriguez a solid for all he has done.

His career looks like one of those roadmaps you would think with stops that included Helena, Beloit, Huntsville, West Virginia, Brevard County, the Arizona League, OKC, Frisco, and Round Rock. He's a career .256 hitter in the minors, so three cheers to the Rangers for seeing what the guy has done as a lifer.

Banner Bests Mites Football Squad

((HT: James Cracolici))

Wallkill's (NY) 6 and 7-year-old football team got to do what every other football team in the country does for their home games...

Run through a banner to get to the sidelines...

Almost...


They won 24-0, by the way, so the embarassment of the pre-game didn't stick...

Ravens Owner Says Rice Leaked Info To ESPN for Investigation

By now, if you are following the ongoing saga of the NFL and Ray Rice, you are probably aware of a story released by ESPN's Outside the Lines saying the Ravens knew everything and tried help hide the existence of the damning "elevator" video.

In case you haven't read it, you can read the Don Van Natta and Kevin Van Valkenburg investigation RIGHT HERE

Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti came out firing, accusing Rice, his friends and his defense team of leaking information, trying to help build a case for Rice to return to football at some point in time.

He also publicly apologized for not following through and trying to look at the video inside the elevator at the New Jersey Casino. He admitted he was wrong and and wishes he could do it over again.

Bisciotti simultaneously released a letter to the Ravens fan base which is posted on their website: (A brief summary)

--Bisciotti reiterates this: "As I stated to you in my letter on September 9th, we did not do all we should have done and no amount of explanation can remedy that. But there has been no misdirection or misinformation by the Ravens"

--A statement by Ravens head of security Darren Sanders who is been alleged to have seen or informed of the inside the elevator video shortly after Ray Rice punched Janay Rice in the elevator:

“I did not receive an account of what happened in the elevator “within hours” of the incident.  Within a couple of days, I asked the casino and the Atlantic City Police Department for a copy of any videotape of the incident.  They said they could not release a copy of the videotape to me.  Some days later—I believe it was on February 25—I spoke to an Atlantic City police official again, asking again whether I could get a copy of the tape or, if not, whether I could come to his New Jersey office and view it. He said I could not, but he did offer to view the tape and describe what he saw."

---A statement by team G.M Ozzie Newsome who is alleged to have been told exactly what happened by Rice.

“I did not receive an account of what happened in the elevator “within hours” of the incident.  Within a couple of days, I asked the casino and the Atlantic City Police Department for a copy of any videotape of the incident.  They said they could not release a copy of the videotape to me.  Some days later—I believe it was on February 25—I spoke to an Atlantic City police official again, asking again whether I could get a copy of the tape or, if not, whether I could come to his New Jersey office and view it. He said I could not, but he did offer to view the tape and describe what he 
saw. "

--And then this, countering the allegation Bisciotti offered Rice a job after releasing him. And that the offer was made for "hush" money:

“I did not receive an account of what happened in the elevator “within hours” of the incident.  Within a couple of days, I asked the casino and the Atlantic City Police Department for a copy of any videotape of the incident.  They said they could not release a copy of the videotape to me.  Some days later—I believe it was on February 25—I spoke to an Atlantic City police official again, asking again whether I could get a copy of the tape or, if not, whether I could come to his New Jersey office and view it. He said I could not, but he did offer to view the tape and describe what he saw. "

You can read the entire statement countering all points of the article RIGHT HERE

Bisciotti spent a good portion of the time talking about his surprise the NFL did not know about the video and not thinking to ask Rice's lawyer, who DID have the tape, to see it.

He also got emotional denying that he lobbied NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for a shorter suspension for Rice initially saying, "Why would I do that?" "I played golf with the commissioner but nobody has ever accused us of being friends" "I expected a 4-6 game suspension for Ray, not 2"

Another strong statement: The NFL has never escalated domestic violence to the level of bar fights and drugs. And to be honest, he's right. He's done a strong job of stating the NFL's weakness, inequity and lack of a strong discipline policy. He also said this is a great opportunity for the league and for Goodell to take the lead and change and elevate the response to domestic violence.

To his credit, Bisciotti was quite a bit more open and emotional than NFL commissioner Roger Goodell when talking about the issue. He did not hide behind vagueness, he was upset he and his team's integrity was being questioned. And his team came prepared to repute every aspect of ESPN's report.

We suspect the truth in this matter, like most, lies somewhere between these two stories. But props to Bisciotti and the Ravens team for being prepared and able to explain every accusation.

We hope to god this is the end of the lengthy press conferences about this subject. It happened. It was horrible. A lot of people made a lot of mistakes. Let's find out who did and when the time is right, release the information.

But until then, we are ready for the Sports world to move on.

D3 Records Fall In LaVerne-Whitworth Game

((HT: LaVerne Leopards))

Whitworth University out of Spokane played LaVerne over the weekend.

In a 59-of-83 performance for 589 yards, Bryan Peterson threw six touchdowns without an interception. He also threw the game-winning 14-yard touchdown with 30 seconds left for the 50-48 win.

Peterson broke the D3 records for completions in a game and most consecutive passes without a pick. He set team records for single-game yardage, completions and attempts.

On the flip side for LaVerne, Billy Livingston threw for 469 yards and 7 TD's while Jon Lilly caught 6 touchdowns and had 274 yards receiving on the afternoon.

Here's the highlights- presumably edited for TV sake...

Change Begins: Braves Fire Frank Wren

For Braves fans, it's necessary change.

The Atlanta Braves did something Monday they haven't done since 1990, they fired someone before a season ended, in this case, their General Manager.

The Braves announced they've parted ways with Frank Wren, who's been overseeing the team since his boss John Schuerholz was promoted to team president in 2007.

Wren has an odd resume during his Braves tenure as the team seemed to excel at finding guys like Aaron Harang and other players who underachieved and getting the most out of them.

But he was horrible at big ticket signings. Wren was responsible for the Dan Uggla and BJ Upton signings, leaving the Braves on the hook for some $45 million in contracts to one player who's no longer with the team and the other, likely to join him shortly.

But the overriding issue was an apparent rift with people inside the organization. There's been rumblings for the past month that he (Wren) may have been running off people like Dave Wallace and others and was responsible for some of the discord bubbling to the surface over the past couple of weeks.

The Braves had been contending and as recently as the end of August were potential leaders for a wild-card berth. But the team continued their habit of September falls and now sit at 76-79 on the season and are officially out of the playoffs.

John Hart, former GM in Cleveland and Texas and special assistant this year to Schuerholz takes over as interim GM with no clear frontrunner for the permanent job.

Rumors say team manager Fredi Gonzalez is safe...for now, but is likely going to have to make wholesale changes in the coaching staff.

We will see.

BASTA: Offense Sputters Again As Giants Swept At Hands Of Padres

((HT: BASTA their own selves/Leonard))

The Giants came into Petco Park on Friday full of confidence and enthusiasm. They leave on Sunday demoralized and broken, swept by the hapless San Diego Padres, whose team wOBA starts with a two (.282). San Francisco made these Padres look like world-beaters, giving up eight runs on Sunday to the worst offensive team in the major leagues. They have scored fourteen runs in their last eight games, dropping six of eight in the process. With the loss, all hopes of winning the NL West are essentially lost; with the Dodgers’ win on Sunday, San Francisco fell 4.5 games back in the divisional race. They are now tied with Pittsburgh for the first wild card spot; Milwaukee sits 4.5 back, likely an unsurmountable deficit.

Despite the fact that the Giants are practically a lock to make the postseason (98.8% chance), they are no lock to advance far beyond the wild card play-in game (if that). The offense has been silent without Angel Pagan in the lineup, putting four runs across the board in the three-game series. They weren’t much better on Sunday, as their sole runs in an 8-2 loss came on rookie Chris Dominguez’s homer, the first hit of his career. Dominguez launched a 3-1 fastball from Ian Kennedy off of the Western Supply Company Building in left field, cutting the Padres’ lead to 5-2. He became the first Giant to have a homer for a first career hit since Adam Duvall in June.

Besides the homer, the offense was lifeless, failing to get their first hit until two outs in the forth on a Buster Posey infield single. (Yes, you read that right) Unlike San Francisco, the Padres looked very comfortable at the plate, tagging starter Ryan Vogelsong for four runs in five innings. Petco Park continued to haunt the righty, who had posted a 9.37 ERA at the park before Sunday. He was a 5.53 ERA on the season against NL West opponents. Yasmani Grandal had a big day at the dish, going one for two with three RBI’s. His sacrifice fly in the sixth contributed to a four-run outburst from San Diego, chasing Vogelsong from the game.

The Giants now head to Los Angeles full of uncertainty and despair. They will have to take two out of three from the Dodgers to avoid watching them celebrate a division clinch. Luckily, Dodger Stadium does not have a pool.
((HT: FOX Sports))


After being the hottest team in baseball for a stretch, the Giants find themselves facing a postseason possibly without Angel Pagan or an offense. This series against Los Angeles will define the Giants’ season. Can they be resilient? It will be certainly be a test, facing Haren, Greinke, and Kershaw. Haren (13-11, 4.14) will open the series on Monday against Jake Peavy (6-4, 2.16).

Here's A Way To Celebrate A Win In Seattle...

((HT: Alex Flanagan))

Seattle Seahawks corner DeShawn Shead proposed to his girlfriend after the team's 26-20 overtime win over the Denver Broncos.

Evidence below


About 30 minutes after the game he told his girlfriend, Jessica Martinez, to meet him to the field. Shead was successful in his questions and answer session and you saw all the teammates and family that were there to witness the moment.

Good deal and a way to finish the day...

OSG High: Kevin Turner's HS FB Team Honored On Anniversary

((HT: WSFA-TV))

It's the 30th anniversary season of the Prattville (AL) High football state championship and they were honored Friday night in front of their home crowd.

One of the stars of that squad was Kevin Turner- whose life the HQ has chronicled with his diagnosis of ALS and his battles over recognition of the disease by his former employer.

Full disclosure- the HQ donates to the Kevin Turner Foundation regularly as we do for other ALS charitable organizations.

Turner and his team were celebrated- as they should...

Here's the tribute of the special team with an equally special man in attendance
WSFA.com Montgomery Alabama news.

Others who graduated with Turner and the Prattville High Student Government Association raised more than $4,000 for his foundation and presented him the check at the game.

Here's the ceremony in full from Stacy Mills Facebook page

Post by Stacy Mills.

How About Another FCS Win Over FBS...???

((HT: Patrick Netherton his own self))

We include this one because we can...

P-Netherton is the pay-by-play voice for the Northwestern State (LA) Demons and they were on the road last night at Joe Aillet Stadium to take on Louisiana Tech.

All we needed was a last-second field goal for the upset
The HQ got it...


Well called, sir... congratulations...

And that win puts a big dent in the La Tech bowl ideas...

An 80-Yard Goal To Seal It...

((HT: Fox Soccer/Bundesliga))

If I asked you who you thought was on top of the Bundesliga table after four matches, you'd probably give me something like Bayern Munich or Dortmund, right...???

What the HQ figured...

But, no, it's recently promoted Paderborn who are on top...

They sealed their win this weekend with one of those shots that went from one end to the other since the Hannover goalie was up on offense late in the match.

The ploy didn't work, thanks to Moritz Stoppelkamp

Goal Stoppelkamp [ Paderborn 2-0 Hannover ] 20... by Bundes2014

Must Be Nice Having Your Own Security Detail

((HT: Chris Vlahos))

The HQ had heard about this yesterday, but now we have definitive proof that the folks in College Station DO NOT mess around when it comes to Reveille VIII.

If you're a receiver and you get within the area code of the Texas A&M mascot, this might happen to you...


Vlahos tells us that A&M sophomore Ryan Kreider gets all ths kudos with the shoulder tackle...

Nice work...

OSG High: It Was 11v11 Until Someone Else Showed Up...

((HT: Deb Carson and KRIS-TV))

This was a few nights ago when Kingsville was taking on Robstown (Texas). Looked like one side was about to score...

And think about just how important and focused you have to be on both sides of the ball...

The concentration...

Then, it's broken by someone else who just wanted to play...

Post by Friday Night Fever.

Clanga's Dillon Day Is Out Of Control

((HT: ESPN/Saturdays Down South))

MSU's Dillon Day seems to enjoy the role of the heel...

If he keeps it up, he will have done more than earn the title and a profound lack of unprofessionalism to go with it...

Last year, he got a half-game suspension for stomping on an Auburn player.

Last night against LSU, Day cleated Tiger players twice- first, he stomped on Davon Godchaux’s stomach, and then he found Rashard Robinson’s groin.

Evidence below...


Stay classy, Dillon... there's always the Raiders...

OSG Prem: Okay, Manchester United Isn't All The Way Back...

((HT: BPL on NBCSN))

After the dismantling of QPR last weekend by Manchester United, the HQ had raised an eyebrow thinking that maybe Louis van Gaal had the team going in the right direction.

The HQ may have sold the return a little soon...

After leads of 2-0 and 3-1, Leicester City came storming back at King Power to score FOUR UNANSWERED to beat the Reds 5-3. A lot of people thought the final score was a misprint, but it's not.

In a weekend that was strange to say the very least (like West Brom's win over Spurs also on Sunday), this seemed to be the exclamation point in the whole table.

Here's goal five off a PK reinforcing Ulloa's importance for the Foxes


Louis van Gaal, as you saw at the end of the last highlight, was befuddled and beside himself...
((HT: BBC Sport/Beanyman Sports))

How Does North Carolina Give Up 70...???

((HT: WNCT-TV))

Larry Fedora has some 'splaining to do...

How, in the age of trying to improve your defensive stock do you do this...???

Allow East Carolina QB Shane Carden to throw for 438 yards
Allow three second quarter touchdowns, including a pick-6
Allow 789 total yards by the Pirates offense
Allow the most points scored in school history
Allow the most yards in school history

Bottom line was that the Tarheels did and it ended up being a 29-point loss (70-41) that, really, didn't even seem that close...

Here's the highlights- obviously condensed a great deal for television sake
Greenville, NC | News | Weather | Sports - WNCT.com

The American Conference now has its poster child in both Carden and East Carolina. It will be interesting to see what happens in their conference with them and, more importantly, just how much of a leash the coaching staff in Chapel Hill will have going forward.

Has Brady Hoke Reached Turbo-Fired Status Yet...???

((HT: Pac-12 Network))

So, just how fired is Brady Hoke right now...???

We ask because after a 26-10 loss to UTAH... yes, UTAH!!!

Rich Rodriguez is 4-0 and Michigan is not...

Here's the big story from the Big House


So, the HQ guesses you could say both the weather and Utah stopped the Wolverines.

Former Tennessee Titans Kicker Rob Bironas Dies In Crash

((ht: newschannel5.com))

Former Tennessee Titans kicker Rob Bironas was found dead late Saturday night after a single vehicle crash in Nashville, Tennessee.

The 36-year old Bironas is the all-time leading scorer in Titans history and was known as one of the most clutch kickers in the NFL.

According to our friends at Newschannel 5 in Nashville, police say Bironas's GMC Yukon went off the road at a high rate of speed, crashed into some trees, flipped and landed in a drainage ditch less than a mile from his home.

They tried to get him to Vanderbilt's Memorial Hospital but he passed away en route.

Bironas, who began college at Auburn and then transferred to Georgia Southern, started his pro career in the Arena League.

In 2005, he won a job with the Titans and was voted all-pro in 2007 and 2008. The Titans released him before the 2014 season began.

He was active in the Nashville community through his charitable foundation which provided opportunities to under privileged kids throughout the Metro Nashville area.

Bironas was married former to NFL star Terry Bradshaw's daughter Rachel this past June.

Our friends at NewsChannel5 provide video:

ICYMI: FSU Survives Clemson in OT

It wasn't a pretty win, but it will still go down as a "W" in the scorebook.

It went to overtime and took a tremendous effort by the #1 ranked, defending champ Florida State defense to save them.

But it was overshadowed in some respect by what happened before the game ever started.

Despite suspended star QB Jameis Winston inexplicably dressing out and starting to warm up before the game, the Seminoles stay undefeated with a 23-17 win over Clemson. Winston would be chewed out by his head coach Jimbo Fisher, sent back to the locker room and reappear in sweats.

Winston's suspension meant backup QB Sean Maguire got the start in a big ACC game. And while Maguire didn't exactly shine and almost lost the game, throwing an interception with just over 2-minutes left and Clemson driving for a possible game winning score.

But 'Noles DT Eddie Goldman knocked the ball out of Tiger RB C.J Davidson's hands and FSU recovered.

FSU's Karlos Williams would score the game winner in overtime and FSU escaped on their home turf, without their immature, star QB.

ESPN.com gives us the highlights:

Hail Mary Pass A Game Winner For Arizona

Arizona was down 28-6 at halftime to California at home.

Rich Rodriquez must of had a hell of a halftime speech.

“There wasn’t any panic at halftime,” Rodriguez said. “We’re in shape. I told the guys before the game that we were going to have to play for 60 minutes.”

Arizona outscored California 43-27 in the second half and that would have been a story however the way the game ended trumped all of that.

With the Wildcats down 43-45 on the games final play Anu Soloman, who threw for a school record 520 yards, threw the Hail Mary and Austin Hill caught it to win the game for Arizona 49-45.


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"Anu (Solomon) threw a great ball and I'm just happy I was able to make the
catch." Hill said.  "The whole time I was hoping that I wouldn't get bumped into or anyone land on top of me so I could secure the catch. It means a lot to me that I was able to secure the catch."

"Winning on a Hail Mary is so improbable." Arizona head coach Rich Rodriquez said.  "At first you are exhilarated and then you're thinking ‘how did that just happen?’ I'm so happy for Austin Hill who is a senior that bounced back. You're happy for Anu Solomon) who was off tonight, but kept battling and executed the last play. I'm happy for   the people who stayed and watched the game. It's a good day to be an Arizona Wildcat."

"We’re sorry we didn’t find a way to win the ball game tonight, but I told them it won’t ever happen again." California quarterback Sonny Dykes said.  "It is part of growing up, and getting a program turned around.”

Oh, by the way, it might have taken a Hail Mary, but Rich Rod is 4-0 at Arizona. Michigan isn't 4-0.
— Pete Fiutak (@PeteFiutak) September 21, 2014

When Was The Last Time You Saw This Penalty...???

((HT: BTN))

First, just watch the play in the Eastern Michigan- Michigan State game...


When had you seen that one before today...???

Yep... a long time ago...

Eastern Michigan center Dwayne Brown committed the infraction (so you can attach a name to a face) in the MSU-EMU game where the Spartans win 73-14

What Is It With Miami And Nebraska...???

((HT: BTN))

It was like the 1990's all over again out there- especially when the players didn't like the way they were going against each other at one point


It was a fun one in Lincoln as the Huskers eventually won 41-31

Jameis Winston Dresses Out For Game Without Telling Coach

Oh boy...

If there were any doubt that Jameis Winston doesn't get it (life), warmups for the Clemson game should seal the deal.

Winston, apparently without the knowledge of head coach Jimbo Fisher, dressed out for the game and began participating in warm ups despite being suspended for the game.

And then Jimbo found out...

Winston apparently REALLY appears to believe the rules don't apply to him. How does he get dressed out and nobody noticed? Come on FSU...do you think nobody is paying attention to you?

---Sigh---

Either way, here's a brief Vine video of Fisher chewing Winston out and sending him to the locker room. As much as we hate to admit this, we will never cheer for Florida State to lose more than the Clemson game Saturday night.

We honest-to-goodness hope this costs the team a shot at the National title, because after this disrespect...they don't deserve it.

Here's the Vine video (thanks gifdsports)