My Sporting News

OJ Simpson, Marion Jones, Jailhouse Rock

2008-01-11T15:37:00.001-08:00

Well, if you are OJ Simpson or Marion Jones you'd better get ready to recognize that tune. One has been sentenced today and the other is being held for allegedly breaking the bond. Today, Marion Jones was sentenced to 6 months in prison for giving false testimony to two federal grand jury investigations. Yep, she lied. Jones was a record-breaking sprinter who simply blew the competition away. She plead guilty to 2 counts of obstruction during the steroid investigation and a check cashing scheme. The IOC stripped Jones of the five medals she won at the 2000 Games in Sydney, which was a record in itself. after she admitted taking banned performance-enhancing drugs. She was the first athlete convicted in the almost five-year-old U.S. government steroid investigation. Jones was sentenced this morning to six months in prison, followed by two years of probation for perjury.

OJ, OJ, OJ. What would we do without a "juice" alert. OJ Simpson is currently in custody in Florida on allegations that he's violated some terms of his bail from a Las Vegas armed robbery. Simpson was supposed to go before a judge Wednesday at the requests of DA David Roger. OJ Simpson was freed 9/19 on $125,000 bail following the arrest on these allegations. You remember what they were and the famous tape that's got him and several associates in Las Vegas taking back some of the property that "belonged" to him. What's got him in this trouble. Well, supposedly he phoned one of these associates to talk, well supposedly talk about this associates testimony at the pre-lim hearings. OJ Simpson has plead not guilty to these 12 criminal counts in what prosecutors are saying is a kidnapping and armed robbery.

Kelly Tilghman Apologizes After Lynching Statement

2008-01-08T17:53:00.001-08:00

"Kelly Tilghman to Damage Control, I think I've made a mistake, over"..."Damage Control to Kelly Tilghman, yes you have, over".

Commentator for the Golf Channel had more than a slip of the tongue the other day when she remarked the young players should "lynch Tiger Woods in a back Alley". Such a poor choice of words for this lady. The outcry has been astounding. Not to mention the precedents that have been laid forth so to speak. Um, remember Don Imus and his remarks about the Rutgers Women basketball team. Just what happened to Imus. Oh yeah, he got fired!

The Golf Channel is reporting that Kelly apologized for her recent statement both privately with Tiger Woods and on Air. So where does her fate lie now. Is she going to be reprimanded? Will she be next firing for crude remarks like Imus was? I don't think so.

Yes she's screwed up. Yes she made a mistake, a big mistake. Yes she's made both formal and informal apologies to the public and Tiger. But will that keep her. No. Here's what will. Tilghman will remain as the face for the Golf Channel. History was made not that long ago by her becoming golf's first female lead announcer. To much face to save. The Golf Channel has way too much invested in her. Will she be ridiculed? Absolutely and probably for some time. Tiger will likely accept her apology but never forget her remarks and move on, too much pressure on this cooker. It's not like the Fuzzy comments.

Personally, I think she should resign myself. Not likely though, the Golf Channel will get so much press out of this matter, their ratings will likely sky rocket even further.

Tom Brady AP Offensive Player of the Year 2007

2008-01-08T13:48:00.001-08:00

Well here's a shocker, Tom Brady, quarterback of the jet-set record-setting New England Patriots won the 2007 Associated Press Offensive Player of the Year. As if anyones really surprised by that. Tom Brady is one of only 3 quarterbacks to have every garnered this award. The other two were, yep you guessed it, Brett Favre (fah-ver-rah) and Peyton Manning. It's also Brady's second time he's won the award joining the likes of Manning, Shaun Alexander and LaDanian Tomlinson. Humble in everything though, it's all about the team:

"Individual awards haven't been as important to me as the team goals, and I've said that for a long time," Brady said. "While I'm very flattered to be honored in that way, I understand that my greatest satisfaction comes from winning games and being the leader of this football team. I take that job very seriously and I hope that translates into a win this week."

What really struck me about this though, 3 of the 4 finalists for the award were Patriots. Tom Brady, Randy Moss and Wes Welker. Come on, Wes Welker, please. Yes he's had a good year. Yes he is a good player. But please, Wes Welker is not even the number 1 or 2 on the team. It's just my opinion but there were other more noteable players that could have been there. The other final contestant was Brett Favre. Not surprising though was the Tom Brady and Randy Moss were 1 and 2 in the voting. The dynamic-duo has simply been incredible this year. Let's just take a look at some of the accolades:

Tom Brady, Randy Moss, Patriots in General

Threw for 50 touchdowns, previous record 49
Completion Percentage 68.9
Passer Rating 117.2
Passing Yards: 4,806
Randy Moss 23 touchdowns beating Jerry Rice's 22 touchdown record, and some of those catches were outstanding
Scored 589 points
75 touchdowns

Voting wasn't even really close at 35.5 votes to 12.5 votes for the runner-up. But it was nice to see Randy Moss get the recognition he deserved to after the year he has had. Congratulations Tom Brady on a proficient and outstanding year.

Farewell Joe Gibbs

2008-01-08T12:12:00.001-08:00

Joe Gibbs retired today as coach and team president of the Washington Redskins three days after they were knocked out of the playoffs. It was a tough year for Joe Gibbs. The very public mental mistakes with the double timeouts. The death of Sean Taylor. Going on a tremendous run just to make the playoffs. A season that definitely tested Gibbs and his coaching abilities. Not that I'm questioning his abilities at all.

Joe Gibbs will remain a part of the Washington Redskins organization by being a special advisor to owner Dan Snyder. The news was a shock to many of the Redskins players as Gibbs still had a year remaining on his contract.

"That's part of this business -- it's full of surprises," safety Pierson Prioleau said.

The rumor mill is already swirling with names to replace Gibbs as head coach. In fact, the Redskins already have two former head coaches on staff. Gregg Williams and Al Saunders. Another name being thrown in the mix but could possibly be just wishful thinking is retired Pittsburgh coach Bill Cowher. The team will have to comply with the "Rooney Rule" and interview at least one minority as they seek a new coach. The players really seemed to endorse Gregg Williams and it's very evident by their play.

Joe Gibbs record since returning to the NFL was a mere 31-36 and 1-2 in the playoffs. This is the second time in Joe Gibbs Redskin coaching career where he raised the team to playoff contention. Gibbs one three NFL titles. Joe Gibbs final career stats look like this:
171-101 overall
17-7 playoffs
.629 winning percentage (3rd all time with coaches with more than 125 wins)

Good luck Joe!

Gina Carano is One Bad B#*$&, American Gladiators Crush

2008-01-07T14:05:00.001-08:00

Gina Carano of American Gladiators is not someone I would want to mess with in any ring or circumstance, although I could think of a few that might be fun as she is sexy as hell. She has a devastating upper-cut. Her dad played for the Dallas Cowboys as a backup quarterback from 1977-1983, Glenn Carano. An American Mixed Martial Arts fighter and loves Thai Boxing.

Also appearing live on Showtime February 16th at 10 PM ET, she will be taking part in an EliteXC event where she will be participating. Opponent un-announced at this time. She's a perfect 5-0 in MMA fights winning 2 by decision and 2 by KO.

Check out this video clip of one of her fights:

Way to go Gina Carano, you are one of a kind in my eyes.

June Jones is SMU Football

2008-01-07T12:27:00.000-08:00

June Jones and SMU have come to an agreement to make him the new head coach for SMU football as being reported on the Dallas Morning News website. Something this program desperately needed, a good ol' kick in the run-n-shoot. The agreement will give June Jones a five-year deal paying him just about $2 million a year. This will make June Jones the highest paid coach in Conference USA. Hawaii tried all they could, even having the governor calling him, but to no avail.

June Jones completely turned around the Hawaii football programming and definitely has another rebuilding job on his hands with the Mustangs latest season ending in a 1-11 record. This is not Jones's first stint in Texas. He was with both the USFL with the Houston Gamblers and the NFL Houston Oilers. Welcome back to Texas June Jones.

American Gladiators, Hellga Brings It

2008-01-06T16:10:00.001-08:00

I can't wait, the premiere of American Gladiators airs tonight on NBC and that's when all Hell(ga)s gonna break loose. Hellga, aka Robin Coleman, is a 6-foot 1-inch, 205 pound female gladiator that is all woman! I love what they put in her bio on the site:

"When she stomps into Gladiator Arena, most sensible opponents run for cover rather than risk a Viking funeral. She may have left her horned helmet on the boat, but she hits with the force of Thor's hammer, and quickly sends opponents straight to Valhalla." -American Gladiator's website.

She looks like an abosulte beast who's "bust"ing at the top so too speak. The show's being hosted by Hulk Hogan and Laila Ali which should be interesting. Hogan a showman from wrestling hall of fame and Laila Ali of female boxing fame. I still remember when he slammed Andre the Giant. Anyways, American Gladiators appears tonight 9/8C tonight, don't miss it, I know I won't.

Vince Young Active and Driving

2008-01-06T13:44:00.000-08:00

Vince Young is alright enough to start Sunday to allow him to become the youngest Tennessee quarterback to start a playoff game. He spent about 20 minutes warming up on the field before the AFC wild-card game against the Chargers. His right thigh is still not 100% so it'll be fun watching to see how it all goes. If Vince Young gets the chances to run, that'll be the real test to see how it holds up. He hurt his right thigh a week ago beating Indianapolis 16-10.

His first drive, Young drove the team down the field converting a long 3rd down series and finally ending in a field goal. Second drive ended when Young took a big hit by Igor Ochampsky on a third down where it looked like he was gone from the game. He's such a competitor as he was back the very next series. It's going to be fun to watch the rest of this game as it looks like its going to be one hell of a game.

The Jeff Garcia Curse, Not Today

2008-01-06T12:41:00.000-08:00

There was a lot of hype about the Jeff Garcia "curse" heading into Sunday's game against the New York Giants. Many places all over were talking about how Jeff Garcia had the Giants number having beat the Giants on a few occasions and in big situations like todays game. One such example was last season when Jeff Garcia filled in for an injured Donovan McNabb, and completed 17 of 31 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown to help Philadelphia defeat New York 23-20 in a wild-card game. Five years ago, Jeff Garcia helped lead the second biggest playoff comeback in league history when he threw for 331 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed seven times for 60 yards and a TD to help San Francisco rally from a 38-14 deficit and defeat New York 39-38. However, the past is the past and it's a brand new day every day you wake up.

The Buc's got off to a good start holding the Giants and then being lead down the field by Jeff Garcia to an eventual touchdown to take a 7-0 lead, however the Buc's wouldn't score again until late in the 4th quarter but that wouldn't matter as they were already down 21.

The New York Giants and Eli Manning took care of business today defeating Jeff Garcia and the Tampa Bay Buc's today to move on in the NFL Playoffs.

Who Is David Garrard

2008-01-05T17:31:00.001-08:00

David Garrard has lived a very interesting life. He grew up in Durham, North Carolina and attended Southern High School. At a very early age, 14, his mother past away from breast cancer. In June 2004, doctors diagnosed Garrard with Crohn's disease and he underwent surgery to remove a portion of his intestines, a 12-inch portion. In spite of that, he still played during the 2004 NFL season. He and his wife Mary have one child, a son, Justin Thomas Garrard, born September 17, 2007.

When David began his NFL career he started the David Garrard Foundation to promote breast cancer awareness and research. But where did he come from before the NFL? Well, he was an All-American back in high school for Southern High in Durham. He was a heavily recruited prospect that ended up going to East Carolina University. Garrard was a red-shirt freshman when he took over the helm at quarterback for the East Carolina Pirates. Although big at 240-pounds, he was mobile. He started every game during his collegiate career beginning from the 99 - 01 season. When he was a sophomore, ECU beat the likes of WVU, South Carolina, NC State and the Miami Hurricanes. While at ECU, he broke 28 school passing and offensive records and compiled more than 9000 passing yards and a 1000 rushing yards.

His road to the NFL began through Tom Coughlin as the air-apparent to Mark Brunell. However, Coughlin was fired in 2002 and Jack Del Rio drafted his guy Byron Leftwich who eventually replace Brunell. Garrard continued to bide his time behind Leftwich until this year when Del Rio decided that David Garrard gave them a much better chance to win.

Tony Sparano Interviewed with Dolphins Jeff Ireland

2008-01-05T16:54:00.001-08:00

The AP is reporting that Tony Sparano, assistant head coach of the Dallas Cowboys, interviewed today with former Cowboy and new GM of the Miami Dolphins Jeff Ireland. The Dolphins were fitting this in today as starting tomorrow Sparano is "off-limits" so to speak due to NFL rules. Sparano will not be able to be interviewed again until either the Cowboys lose and are out of the playoffs or if they by chance reach the Super Bowl, the open week before that. Sparano and Jason Garrett also interviewed with the Baltimore Ravens today as well.

Funny how Ireland is talking to his formers but not really. Both Ireland and Parcells want to hire a coach who holds their football philosophies so why not where they just came from. Sparano's only other head coaching experience was at New Haven from 94-98.

No. 1 Cornerback Prospect Patrick Johnson Commits, LSU

2008-01-05T14:45:00.001-08:00

The highly-touted cornerback prospect Patrick Johnson commits today. Johnson was being courted by many schools this year including LSU, Florida, Miami and Florida State. Earlier in the week, he ruled out Miami as a possibility and whittled his list down to the top 3. His choice today during the All-American Bowl in San Antonio was LSU. He simply stated that he feels comfortable with LSU coach Les Miles. Looks like the Tigers will be adding to that already impressive defense.

Patrick Johnson is a mid-term graduate and plans on enrolling at LSU for the next semester mid-January.

Ray Rice of Rutgers Football Sets Records

2008-01-05T14:23:00.001-08:00

Ray Rice of Rutgers sets 3 personal best and school records during their complete whipping of Ball State today 52-30 in the International Bowl. The 5-foot 9-inch, 205-pound running back rushed for 281 yards and four touchdowns. Ray Rice also set Rutgers football single-season rushing record at 2,013 yards and also 25 touchdowns. Just an incredible performance today and the line did an outstanding job on the 99th ranked defense of Ball state at times opening up holes you could drive a big-rig through. With that, Rice was able to add another school record when he broke off a 90-yard touchdown run in the second half.

Ray Rice does have another year of eligibility and it was funny to hear the fans chanting, “One more year".

Skating Legend Dorothy Hamill has Breast Cancer

2008-01-04T23:00:00.000-08:00

Skating legend and olympic gold medalist Dorothy Hamill, age 51, has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is undergoing treatment at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. Hamill said in a statement Friday that the prognosis is favorable, but she will miss some of the "Broadway on Ice" tour while having treatment. She hopes to rejoin the tour soon.

Hamill also was a three-time U.S. champion and won the world title in 1976. She retired shortly after, and joined the Ice Capades in 1977.

This ver sad news indeed but the prognosis and her take on it seem favorable and I wish her all the best.

Top 7 Reasons Martina Hingis Did Cocaine

2008-01-04T18:29:00.000-08:00

Martina Hingis, former #1 woman tennis player in the world, was banned today from tennis by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) for testing positive for cocaine at Wimbledon last year. When the cocaine accusations surfaced back in November, Hingis did announce that she was retiring. During that time, Martina Hingis denied using drugs.

Top 7 Reasons Martina Hingis Did Cocaine
7. She wanted to hang out, wanted someone to take her out, cocaine
6. She wanted to get down, get down on the ground, cocaine
5. She got bad news, wanted to kick them blues, cocaine
4. Her day was done and she's got to run, cocaine
3. Her thing was gone and she wanted to ride on, cocaine
2. She don’t lie, she don’t lie, she don’t lie, cocaine

AND THE NUMBER 1 REASON MARTINA HINGIS DID COCAINE
1. She liked the way it smelled

I really like #2 above, just like those famous last words of one of our former presidents "I did not have sexual relations with that woman". Sad situation, she should of used better judgement and just said no. But hopefully this brought a little smile to a bad situation.

Zach Randolph and that dang headband

2008-01-04T14:34:00.001-08:00

Zach Randolph was suspended one game without pay by the NBA today. As if the woeful Knicks needed any thing else. What he do, well he threw his headband at referee Tony Brothers with 1:47 to go in the third during their last loss to Sacramento Wednesday. Ok, well let's clarify, he threw it in the "direction" of Tony. Didn't hit him. Landed by his feet. The NBA said that the headband hit the official.

Randolph has been averaging 32.7 minutes and 17.7 points per contest this year, not to mention a team-high 10.0 rebounds. New York will miss Zach Randolph as he will miss the game at San Antonio on Friday.

Will Muschamp, Texas Longhorns Defensive Coordinator

2008-01-04T08:16:00.001-08:00

Being reported from My Fox Austin this morning, Will Muschamp was hired today by the Longhorns as their new co-defensive coordinator and linebackers coach. This wasn't the first time Mack Brown has come courting an Auburn Defensive Coordinator and I would have to assume that Tommy Tuberville is not too happy with the situation at hand. For a young, 37-year old coach, Will Muschamp has already amassed quite the resume. Muschamp has coached under Nick Saban at Louisiana State University and the Miami Dolphins as coordinator and linebackers coach. The defense Muschamp coached this year was outstanding as it seems most defenses he coaches. Auburns defense this year was ranked eigth overall yielding less than 300 yards a game. They were 7th in pass defense giving up only 179 yards a game. Plus, they were fifth in scoring having allowed just 16 points a game. Stack that all together and you've got a pretty dang good defense to lean on.

Matt Clement Now a Cardinal

2008-01-03T14:16:00.001-08:00

Even after Matt Clement missed the entire 2007 season while rehabbing from shoulder surgery, the 6-foot-3, 210-pound, 33-year old pitcher signed a one-year deal today with the St. Louis Cardinals. His last outing was June 14, 2006 against Minnesota when he left the game with some shoulder discomfort.

Clement has a career record of 87-86 and a 4.47 ERA. He's been in the bigs over 9 seasons now. The Cardinals are taking a chance based on their findings from rehab and a recent physical that Clement will be able to return to form and become a solid spot in their rotation.

Nick Swisher Dealt to White Sox

2008-01-03T13:28:00.001-08:00

Nick Swisher, the 27-year old switch-hitting outfielder of the Oakland A's was dealt to the Chi White Sox today. This is the second major move of the Athletics organization. The first was when they dealt Dan Haren to Arizona back on December 14th. The Swisher trade to the White Sox was for three minor leaguers, pitcher Gio Gonzalez, pitcher Fautino De Los Santos and outfielder Ryan Sweeney. The A's are seeming to look like they are in a rebuilding mode here.

Swisher can pull double duty and has played both the outfield and first base for the A's filling in for other injured players. He was a first round pick for Oakland back in the 2002 draft.

Proper Name: Nicholas Thompson Swisher

Born: November 25, 1980

Columbus, OH

Height: 6-0

Weight: 216 lbs.

Age: 27

Bats: B

Throws: Left

Pos: RF

Experience: 3 years

2007 Salary: $400,000

College: Ohio State

2007 Stats
.262 Batting Average
22 Home Runs
78 RBI's
100 Walks
.381 On-base percentage

A nice triple by Swisher

Big Tuna To Cam Cameron, You're Fired, Trump Style

2008-01-03T08:35:00.001-08:00

Laying down the law Trump style, the Miami Dolphins have fired Cam Cameron. Not only that, they cleaned house. Ireland and the Tuna released all but two members of the coaching staff today. The two reprieved coaches, George Edwards and Steve Hoffman, have a little history with Ireland and Parcells at the Dallas Cowboys. Some are calling it a courtesy move to release the staff as they will have the ability to either hunt for open vacancies else where as well as have the resolve to interview for upcoming positions once the new head coach is in place.

I personally think this was great move as there are a few coaches coming to tenure or that are already on the market as well, Billick, Singletary, Tice, Schottenheimer, Ryan, Caldwell. It looks like the Dolphins are finally putting a structure and plan for continuity. Now the next step is to see what players are kept.

Bill Stewart, Head Coach, WVU

2008-01-03T05:47:00.001-08:00

First of congratulations Bill Stewart and the WVU football program for an impressive win over Bob Stoops #3 Oklahoma Sooners 48-28 in last nights Tostitos' Fiesta Bowl. WVU dropped the hammer on the sooners in the first half by not allowing the sooners to score a touchdown and only giving up a single field goal.

The wires are reporting this morning that it didn't take long for WVU to drop the "interim" tag from Bill Stewart's head coaching title after that performance last night. Sources are saying the Stewart will be officially introduced at the team's hotel this morning in a news conference at 11 a.m. EST. by the athletic department spokesman Mike Fragale had confirmed with the AP. For more on the story, click here.

All I can say is that with everything that has happened to WVU in the past weeks, the loss to Pitt, the loss of Rodriguez, everyone in the country including myself saying that Oklahoma had the edge, it's good to see someone like Stewart, who seems to have the love and respect of his players get a win like that and then the spoils of the victory.

Chuck Bresnahan and the Double Axe

2008-01-02T21:00:00.000-08:00

This season was not quite as bad as one of the Bengal's seasons of the 90's. Back then, Bengals fans would have popped some bubbly with a season of 7-9. This year, however, it's quite the cause for concern and has definitely gotten the attention of the Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis.

This was the first year the Bengals actually took a step backwards since he took over the helm. For a team with that much talent on offense (Carson Palmer, TJ, Ocho-Cinco, etc.) and first round draft picks on defense, they sank as fast as the Titanic.

It was all to close to a faint view of the past. It's nice to see that Lewis recognizes this and can see the need for a change.

"There's got to be revisions in things we do. There's got to be an urgency, and sweeping it clean" Lewis said Monday.

With the defense finishing near the bottom of the league, that's where the changes started today as defensive coordinator Chuck Bresnahan was fired. Bresnahan came to the Bengals via the Oakland Raiders where he also served as defensive coordinator. He has had a four year stint with the Bengals since and three of those four years has been as the defensive coordinators.

The changes didn't stop there though, linebackers coach Ricky Hunley was also fired. Hunley had been the Bengals' linebackers coach for the past five seasons.

I wouldn't expect that the changes are over for the Bengals though as Lewis knows there are more tough decisions to make with an offense that went stale having only scored less than 20 points in four of the last five games.

Who Is Sam Bradford

2008-01-02T15:00:00.000-08:00

Height/Weight: 6-5/213
Birthdate: 11/08/1987
Birthplace: Oklahoma City, OK
Team: Oklahoma
Class: Freshman

Sam Bradford is a 6-foot-5, 213 pound redshirt freshman that was named Oklahoma's starting quarterback back in August 2007 where he beat out two others (junior Joey Halzle and freshman Keith Nichol) to earn the job.

Bradford attended Putnam City North High School in Oklahoma City where he threw for 2,422 yards and 19 touchdowns his senior year. He took over the reigns for Paul Thompson, who led Oklahoma to the Big 12 Championship. Bradford also directed the team to another Big 12 Title this year.

Kent Bradford, Sam's dad, was also a player, an offensive lineman for the Sooners back in the 70's.

Bradford has hardly looked like a freshman on the game field this year. Besides the Big 12 title win, Bradford had another very impressive win this year against the then #19 ranked Texas Longhorns. He had an impressive 244 yards through the air and 3 touchdowns to lead the Sooners past the Longhorns 28-21.

Sam Bradford is one of the best freshman in the nation. This year he has thrown for 2,879 yards with 34 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. He's just been incredibly accurate and very controlled. He has been at the helm of a very powerful offense this year that ranks third in the country in scoring at 43.4 points per game and 18th in total offense at 451.2 yards per game.

Here's a quick little post game interview of Oklahoma Sooners Sam Bradford after winning the Big 12 Title:

I Know Who Gets My Vote

2008-01-02T14:32:00.000-08:00

Chris Bosh brings it all back home. Funny, witty, and a definite vote getter. Nothing like a good old grass-roots campaign. Chris Bosh, you get my vote. Looks like you've got a real future in advertising if this basketball thing doesn't work out for ya. Yee-haw!

Sugar Bowl Results - Dreams and Nightmares

2008-01-02T08:55:00.000-08:00

The final whistle blew and for a season of dreams still left a lot of questions surrounding one team and a nightmare for another. Was it to be another Boise St. for Hawaii? Not on this night. The 4th ranked Georgia Bulldogs pumelled the 10th ranked Hawaii Warriors 41-10.

The much heralded Colt Brennan was held to zero touchdown passes in a game for only the second time this year. The previous time he was held without a touchdown pass in a game was during a stint where he only played two, yes 2, plays. The Bulldogs simply brought an unrelentless pressure attack on him that made Hawaii's o-line look like a seive taking him to the turf on multiple occassions and intercepting him three times. Brennan also fumbled near the end-zone which was returned for a touchdown in the third quarter. The high-powered Warriors attack was held to only a first half field goal.

A picture of consistency, the Bulldogs scored throughout the game, and taking the heart of the Warriors by scoring on their first four possessions and drove the nail in the coffin at the start of the second half by forcing turnovers on Hawaii's first 3 possessions after the break. Georgia's defense simply played phenomenal. It was fitting for this game that the player of the game was a defensive player.

Georgia finished the season 11-2. Should they have been in the title game? I think that was the message they were trying to send, but if you don't win your conference why should you be considered. All questions could've been resolved if they would have simply done that. Hawaii's winning streak was stopped and ended at twelve finishing the year 12-1 with a nightmarish performance. The dream is over and today is a new day.

Fiesta Bowl - West Virginia vs. Oklahoma

2008-01-01T21:53:00.000-08:00

Memo to the Mountaineers: Here's your silver platter, just beat Pittsburgh. Well, obviously that didn't happen cause if it did, West Virginia would be playing in the BCS Championship game against Ohio State instead of the Tostito's Fiesta Bowl versus the Oklahoma Sooners. That loss against Pittsburgh was only the second of the year for West Virginia which finished the season 10-2. To add salt to the wound, not only did the Pittsburgh loss kick them out of the Championship game, but coach Rich Rodriguez also left to fill the vacancy at Michigan taking over for Loyd Carr. Bill Stewart, who has been named interim head coach, will lead the Mountaineers onto the grid-iron for the next battle.

Like the Mountaineers, the Sooners only lost 2 games in 2007 as well. However, there is a bit of a difference in the Sooners 2 losses. Both losses were during in-conference play, both were on the road, both were to teams that played during this years bowls. The Sooners did rally and win the Big 12 title with a 38-17 victory over the Missouri Tigers in the title game on December 1st.

Both teams are very explosive teams and have the ability to throw up huge numbers both in the stats column and on the scoreboard. Both defenses rank in the top 10 in the nation. This one has all the makings of a classic. However, when the final whistle blows I'd expect the ol' Boomer Sooners to be on top due to a couple of factors, playing a very rough Big 12 schedule and the fact that coach Rodriguez will not be there. There's potential for a very high-scoring and entertaining game.

Gametime: 8:00 PM EST on January 2nd, 2008.

Missouri Spanks Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl

2008-01-01T21:05:00.000-08:00

Predators and prey, tigers and hogs, was it a simple case of the law of the jungle. It sure was in the Cotton Bowl today. The Missouri Tigers simply put on a clinic against the Arkansas Razorbacks defeating them 38-7. Tony Temple ran wild and the patience and execution of the offense was excellent. I really thought that this one would be a bit closer than it was but the Tigers seemed to have the answers for both Jones and McFadden keeping them out of the endzone for the better part of the day.

One of the two Heisman Trophy finalist in the game today came to play. Chase Daniel completed 12-of-29 passes for 136 yards with one interception for Missouri which finished the season now 12-2. A nice little rebound from a disappointing blowout loss to the Oklahoma Sooners in the Big 12 championship game.

"I didn't play as well as I wanted to, but it doesn't matter," said Daniel. "You look at the score, it's 38-7 against a really good Arkansas team."

Darren McFadden, the Heisman Trophy runner-up, after being cleared to play from a little controversy earlier in the week from some questionable media reports did somewhat get his. He ran for 105 yards on 21 carries and did score Arkansas only touchdown of the day. Felix Jones, Arkansas' other talented running back, was held in check and only rushed 10 times for 45 yards. Arkansas was also playing a little handicapped as they were playing the game under interim coach and defensive coordinator Reggie Herring since their former head coach Houston Nutt departed to take over coaching duties at Ole Miss at the end of the season. New head coach Bobby Petrino watched from the stands. Arkansas finished the season 8-5.

Who is Juice Williams?

2008-01-01T16:03:00.000-08:00

Juice Williams is the Fighting Illini Quarter Back. Here are just a few stats from the new "Juice":
College Team: Illinois
Position: QB
Number: #7
Full Name: Juice Williams
Born: November 19, 1987
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Height: 6-2
Weight: 223 lbs.

He is only a Sophomore so the Illini have a good future.

For more information on Juice's background you can find it here.

Missouri Tigers Tony Temple Breaks Record

2008-01-01T15:54:00.000-08:00

Tony Temple had one hell of a day today in the Tigers Cotton Bowl victory over Arkansas. Guess he had a little chip on his shoulder going against Arkansas's McFadden who was a Heisman finalist this year. So, what'd he do, nothing much really except rush for 281 yards and four touchdowns, both Cotton Bowl records, as No. 7 Missouri beat No. 25 Arkansas, 38-7 like a step-child.

Not only did he break 2 records, what's amazing to me is he did this on just 24 attempts. The old record of 265 yards and three touchdowns was held by Rice's Dicky Meagle. Nice job Mr. Temple.

Sugar Bowl

2008-01-01T09:30:00.000-08:00

Is it another Boise St/Oklahoma? That's what I keep hearing about this Hawaii/Georgia game. Both teams have great offensive powers, Hawaii with Colt and the passing game and Georgia with the ground game and Moreno. Both teams strengths seem to inherently compliment the other teams weakness. There is one fact, Mark Richt's salary is bigger than the entire Hawaii football funding at 2.2 million dollars.

Georgia will have to manage the clock and keep ball control in there favor and out of Hawaii's hands. You will no doubt see a very large dose of the running game today and Georgia definitely has the capabilities to light up huge numbers on the ground with there dynamic duo. The downfall of Georgia will be there defense which seems to get lit-up by the passing game as Tennessee did to them not too long ago. You can bet that they will be blitzing every chance as it seems all teams do against Hawaii, so not likely they would see something new.

Hawaii's offense, passing, passing and more passing. Nothing surprising here. What has been a surprise is Hawaii's defense against the run the last few games where they have stepped up in some pretty steep situations. It'll be interesting to see how they hold up against a real power-house running game.

I personally think this will be a very fun and entertaining game to watch. Not to mention a pretty high scoring affair.

NHL Winter Classic

2008-01-01T08:12:00.000-08:00

The puck will drop today for the NHL Winter Classic, the League's first regular season outdoor game in the United States, at 1:00 PM EST. This New Year's Day will feature the Penguins vs. Sabres. Some of the hottest young NHL stars will hit the ice including Penguins Center Sidney Crosby and Sabres Goalie Ryan Miller. The game will be played at Ralph Wilson Stadium. A very large crowd is expected at this event however the record for an outdoor NHL game should remain in tact as there's simply not enough seating available to break it. The current record is held from the Michigan/Michigan St. game.

Happy New Year!

Ravens Season Over, So Is Brian Billicks Job

2007-12-31T16:16:00.001-08:00

Brian Billick was fired after nine seasons coaching in Baltimore. As he started with the Ravens, they were a very aggressive and determined team, playoff bound and even won a super bowl. But Brian Billick's demise came slow and painfully as the Ravens seasons have deteriorated through the years. After the disappointing 5 - 11 record this year, just 24 hours after their last game, Brian Billick and his entire staff was dismissed from their jobs.

Billick won the 2001 Super Bowl in just his second season with the Baltimore Ravens. In 2006, the Ravens were 13-3, but this year lost a team record nine in a row. Billick had three years left on his contract that would have paid him US$5 million per season.

NFL Playoff Schedule

2007-12-31T11:26:00.000-08:00

Here's the latest for the 2008 NFL Playoff Schedule:

Wild Card Weekend
Saturday, January 5, 2008
NFC Wild Card Game - Things will kickoff with the Washington Redskins at Seattle Seahawks at 4:30pm on NBC. This will be a rematch of the playoff game from 2005 when the Seahawks beat the Redskins in the first round 20-13 in Seattle.
AFC Wild Card Game - Jacksonville Jaguars will travel to the Pittsburgh Steelers for a game at 8pm on NBC.

Sunday, January 6, 2008
NFC Wild Card Game - New York Giants at Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 1pm on FOX
AFC Wild Card Game - Tennessee Titans at San Diego Chargers at 4:30pm on CBS

Divisional Playoffs
Saturday, January 12, 2008
NFC Divisional Playoff Game - 4:30pm - FOX
AFC Divisional Playoff Game - 8:00pm - CBS

Sunday, January 13, 2008
AFC Divisional Playoff Game - 1:00pm - CBS
NFC Divisional Playoff Game - 4:30pm - FOX

Conference Championships
Sunday, January 20, 2008
AFC Championship Game - 3:00pm - CBS
NFC Championship Game - 6:30pm - FOX

Super Bowl XLII
Sunday, February 3, 2008 - University of Phoenix Stadium
AFC Champion vs. NFC Champion - 6:00pm - FOX

I can't wait for it all to start next weekend.

Your 2008 NFL Opponents Are In

2007-12-31T04:22:00.001-08:00

Looks as if the Patriot's will have the long hauls this upcoming year. They will be scheduled for four cross-country trips for 2008 that will see them in Oakland, San Diego, San Francisco and Seattle.

So far, all home and away opponents are set but game dates and times are still TBD. So go ahead and start planning for next year by seeing who your favorite NFL team will face in 2008.

You can see who your team will face here.

Redskins In, Vikings Out - NFL Playoffs

2007-12-30T18:15:00.000-08:00

Washington Redskins 27 - Dallas Cowboys 6
I don't know what's worse for team morale, being blown out without your starters in and resting them for the playoffs like Jacksonville did today against Houston, or playing your starters (who produce nothing) and getting thumped by a rival. Well, the Redskins thumped the Cowboys this afternoon and battled there way back into the playoffs. Mystique, mojo, win one for the Gibb'er, remember Sean Taylor, whatever you want to call it, they did it. The Washington Redskins are the final NFC team in the playoffs this year.

Wade Phillips is an idiot. How do you even play your starters in a situation where you've already wrapped up your playoff spot coming into the game, almost getting Romo hurt with no time left before half-time and sticking him back in a Hail Mary type situation, and for what? Probably one of the best decisions he made today was pulling Tony Romo with 6:42 left in the third quarter at which point the Cowboys had a grand total of about 80 yards total offense. The Washington Redskins defense played really lights-out today and at the beginning of the 4th quarter, that big offensive line of Dallas had garnered negative total yards on the ground. What happened to the ground game?

A very impressive performance by the Washington Redskins today. Santana Moss had a huge day on the Dallas secondary and the old man Todd Collins can still wing it with a QB rating of 106.4. They are really playing with a lot of confidence and Seattle better get ready for this Washington Redskins team. Nothing like a rematch to start these NFL playoffs. Seattle came out the victor in 2005 with a 20-10 victory over the Washington Redskins, but I'm expecting a much tighter game this time around. Should be fun to watch. With the way the Washington Redskins are currently playing, I wouldn't be surprised to see them in the later playoff rounds.