6:17 PM Cincinnati WR Chris Henrysuffers a broken forearm during the Bengals' 17-7 win over the Ravens, and could be out for the rest of the season.
5:53 PMPeyton Manning becomes the first NFL QB to throw for 40,000 in a single decade, and his 125th career win ties him with Frank Tarkenton at 4th on the all-time QB victory list. Jim Caldwell also becomes the first NFL coach to start his career 8-0 since 1930.
Clausen said this week that he did his best to avoid what happened: “I was just going up to him to say he’s a heck of a receiver. He was making plays left and right and he’s a real good talent.”
Gunnell wasn’t nearly as complimentary. Actually, swap out “nearly as” with “at all”. Read more…
It’s been quite the week for battling college players, as anyone in the general vicinity of the University of Kansas can attest. But how can we leave you on a Friday with images of Mark Mangino angrily spanking his players with a spatula? It wouldn’t be right. Let’s shift our gaze to the rolling hills of Virginia, where something much more uplifting is going on.
Virginia Tech is playing host to Miami in what might be considered a rather important ACC tussle on Saturday. And among the items for purchase at the university bookstore in Blacksburg, besides these, will be wristbands for $1, with the proceeds going to a very special cause. It’s all Frank Beamer’s idea, and it’s a pretty classy move on the part of the Hokies head coach. Read more…
Usually, going 2-for-12 would represent a lousy series for a baseball player, not a rough night. But that was what Travis Tucker of Texas did in the Longhorns’ NCAA regional game against Boston College on Friday night. And Saturday morning. But while Tucker may have had a rough night, he at least came through when it counted - in the 25th inning - as his single gave Texas a 3-2 victory over Boston College in the longest game in NCAA baseball history.
And with the win, Texas earned the right to rest until tonight, where they get the winner of this afternoon’s elimination game between Army and Boston College - which started about nine hours after last night’s game ended. I’m sure that the Eagles are full of energy to take on the Cadets, as much as the Longhorns are not looking forward to another night game against Boston College.
It hasn’t been a fantastic last year or so for New Jersey Nets rookie forward Sean Williams. Sure, he was drafted 17th overall in the NBA this past summer, but, um, it was by the Nets, so that sucks. New Jersey is currently 24-30 on the season and not a serious threat for the postseason this season or in the near future. Not only that, but pundits were a little surprised Williams had gone that early, considering he had been kicked off the BC campus, then the basketball team for sundry offenses, not the least of which was enjoying that hippie lettuce. Plus he’s barely even playing.
(Had it only been this obvious.)
But all that disciplinary history’s just that, right? Certainly, all is forgiven and forgotten if Williams is invited back to the epic BC-Duke game last weekend as a “VIP Guest,” right? What’s that? Oh, he’s still banned from campus? Under penalty of arrest? Oh, this is going to get awkward. Read more…
Mangini will be replacing Romeo Crennel, which must be a bit of deja vu: Eric also replaced Crennel as the Patriots’ defensive coordinator when Crennel left to take the Browns’ head coaching job back in 2005. And to make Mangini feel even more at home, he’s also the brother-in-law of Cleveland Indians GM Mark Shapiro. Several sources are reporting that Crennel might be part of Mangini’s staff, either as defensive coordinator or special assistant. I’m sure that won’t be awkward at all.
We all know how this story is supposed to go. Texas blows Ohio State out of the water, Oklahoma scrapes by Florida and the Longhorns join the slew of teams through history that have a huge beef about how they deserved to win a national championship.
(Theo! Give this man a sweater vest already!)
Only it didn’t turn out that way. OK, the second half of that equation may still come true, but Texas did anything but blow Ohio State out of the water. Instead, it took a 26-yard touchdown pass from late-game maestro and Texas quarterback Colt McCoy to 26-year-old going on 35-year-old Quan Cosby with 0:16 left, giving the ‘Horns a miraculous come-from-behind, 24-21 win in the Fiesta Bowl.
So what now for the BCS? The OU-Florida winner will officially hoist the crystal trophy that allegedly signifies the national champ on Thursday night, but that only guarantees the champion of the Harris and Coaches polls. The Associated Press, meanwhile, can name its own champ, so its plausible — if still extremely unlikely — that Texas, Utah or USC could steal some share of the crown.
And one thing was confirmed after last night’s game: This time Texas will get at least one vote for No. 1 in the Coaches’ poll. From Mack Brown (he confirmed it after the game). Guess he’s learning something from us here at SbB, no?
Of course, the Fiesta Bowl wasn’t the only thing going on; the Big East hosted the latest in what is sure to be a season-long string of all top-15 tussles, with Notre Dame taking control of a matchup with fellow Catholic crew Georgetown. Luke Harangody outdueled super freshman Greg Monroe, and probably took a strong early lead in the race for Big East player of the year in the process. It sent the Hoyas to a second loss against a Top-15 team, which just might have some in the nation’s capital worrying. Oh, wait, they’re preoccupied with some inauguration thing? Never mind.
Who knew that Jack Del Rio and Mike Tice were boys? Well, not only do the two coaches “hang”, they do so with copious amounts of alcohol … in very public places. This video comes via Boston site BARSTOOL SPORTS, documenting the pairs successful run and Tice’s rendition of God Bless America while he’s completely wasted. Weird, funny, quirky and a little disturbing, all rolled into one. Then again, should we really be surprised? After all, Tice is the man who practically invented the Super Bowl ticket scalping scandal. Still, if there was ever any chance for a second head coaching go-round for Tice, it seems hard to assume that’s still in play after that video.
And then there’s the Jeff Jagozinski scenario. Where to begin on that. Boston College — at least officially — is still claiming that “Jagz” is out of a job as soon as he goes for an interview with the Jets. The Jets say they plan to speak to him and Jagodzinski says he’ll go for the interview. So BC is about to look for a new coach, right? Well, maybe not. Eagles athletic director Gene DeFillipio softened his stance some today and seemed to leave the door slightly ajar for a Jagodzinski return, assuming that the two-year head coach with 20 wins at the ACC school doesn’t land the New York job. Still, it seems likely that Jagz will be out of a job if he did interview Monday night … or if he’s talking with Jets GM Mike Tannenbaum as you read this. The one thing that seems certain is that the entire situation has become completely surreal, especially for a mid-pedigree college football school like Boston College.
Sports Business Journal’s John Ourand has some interesting “things to watch for in 2009“. The highlights: NFL Network will merge with a media company, the NCAA Tournament will expand and both NBA and NHL TV will be on your regular cable lineup sooner rather than later. For the most part, we like it.
Kurt Warner’s conception of God is so defined that he likes to draw him. But when he screws up, he can’t decide whether to brush it off as Jesus or someone else. Whatever. This video just proves that he can’t draw:
Chelsea defender Ashley Cole famously cheated on British pop star wife Cheryl last year with a woman universally declared a trampy blonde while being so drunk that he eventually vomited all over her. Cheryl is finally responding a year later, and her take is … “I know the circumstances.” I.e., no big deal.
Admit it - you’ve wanted to punch Frank Beamer in the face before. In this day and age, how high and mighty do you have to be to stay with the same school for 22 years? And just who does he think he is, winning his third ACC championship in his fifth season in the conference?
That’s redshirt senior Cory Holt with the strong right hook in an attempt to keep Beamer grounded. And lest you think it didn’t hurt that badly, Holt is the team’s third-string QB, so the arm strength is there. Thank God he didn’t accidentally lance Beamer’s goiter, otherwise the entire sideline would have been showered in something other than Gatorade. (Video after the jump.) Read more…
Myron Rolle is a Rhodes Scholarship Finalist. His Florida State teammate, Darius McClure, is definitely not. In fact, he’s not even going to be sharing the field with Rolle anymore, thanks to one of the worst-executed celebrations we’ve seen in college football in a long time.
Kids, this is what an idiot looks like when he tears his knee.
According to THE TALLAHASSEE DEMOCRAT, McClure suffered a season — and college career — ending knee injury late in Florida State’s loss to Boston College last Saturday. That would be sad story, except for the fact that McClure injured it celebrating an interception, leaping up to shoulder bump the significantly larger Toddrick Verdell (Toddrick? Really?) and landing wrong when he hit the turf. FSU isn’t announcing whether he tore his ACL or PCL, or if he just has significant cartilage damage, but whatever he did, McClure is definitely done.
