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• Some exercising ladies in Utah are working out their chances to make pole dancing … er, “pole fitness” an Olympic sport.
(”London, here we come!“)
• What happens when an LSU student reporter visits the Tigers’ tailgate dressed in Alabama gear? Let’s watch.
• Them’s fightin’ words: Ex-Viking Troy Williamson would like to “duke it out” with current Viking coach Brad Childress.
• A 12-year-old British kid gets his life of hooliganism started early.
For the last three years, Troy Williamson was a wide receiver for the Minnesota Vikings, but his time in purple and gold wasn’t anything memorable. In his three seasons, Williamson only managed to make 79 receptions for 1,067 yards. When you consider the Vikings used the 7th pick in the 2005 draft to take Troy out of South Carolina, they were probably hoping those would be his numbers each season. Instead, Vikings fans were forced to watch Troy drop pass after pass before he left and joined the Jacksonville Jaguars this year.
During his final year in Minnesota, though, Williamson had some trouble with head coach Brad Childress. You see, last November Troy’s grandmother passed away and Williamson didn’t show up for the team’s game on November 4th against the Chargers — the game Adrian Peterson set the single game rushing mark — and Childress hit him with a $25,000 fine for it. Now, after pressure from the media and other players, Childress dropped the fine. Still, it’s the principle of the thing that’s bothered Troy ever since and he’d like to dole out some justice this Sunday, Sunday, Sunday!
Officially, the Steelers-Ravens game had six injury timeouts. Something tells me more than six players got their bodies bruised last night. Fortunately, NFL commissioner Roger Goodell didn’t implement the Rollerball championship game rules in this game, because it probably would have ended up with both punters just kicking the ball to each other.
Andre Frazier was stretchered off on the first play. Both teams were down to their third-string running backs by overtime. Willis McGahee was helped off twice. Strangely, QBs Ben Roethlisberger and Joe Flacco, the two guys who got rassled down to the ground all night, didn’t leave the game prematurely with boo-boos.
But are there really any winners, as a society increased its desire for bloodlust on this night? (Sorry, that was mighty post-apocalyptic for a sports blog.) In the post-game conference, Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said the injuries did not dampen their hard-fought 23-20 win over B’more. “That’s football.” And thank God almighty for penalties, substitutions and time limits.
Speaking of men with no apparent time limits, let’s bring in our comic relief. Headlining tonight’s gig will be Funny Bone Ticker of the Year, Al Davis and the Oakland Raiders! [applause]
(Wow. He’s never looked better.)
Davis has never been a buy-the-book guy. When the book says “fire your coach, then look for a replacement?” Davis burns the book. (Or feeds it to a lamprey.) No, Davis is hellbent on finding a replacement to Lane Kiffin first, then subsequently firing Kiffin, ESPN is reporting. Perhaps this is all a cunning ruse by Davis, through the wise advise of former literary agent John Hodgman, to convince the world that time is moving backwards. By Week 11, he’ll inexplicably announce Lane Kiffin as the new head coach of the Raiders. By 2010, he’ll hire Art Shell, just to throw the world a curveball. And in 2015, he’ll lose his virginity.
So if you’re curious if Kiffin’s been canned yet, there’s only one definitive place to bookmark and refresh. The official website of the countdown, HASLANEKIFFINBEENFIRED.COM:
(Could Abe Froman be interested in the job?)
Kiffin probably doesn’t deserve to be head coach anymore, but man, when did it make sense to can coaches before October? (I think we’ve all had ex-girlfriends who we’ve strung along for far less time than Davis has done with Kiffin.) The SANTA ROSA PRESS DEMOCRAT notes that if Kiffin’s job is saved, Kalimba Edwards might have had something to do with it.
The world’s best golfer has a time limit of 24 months before he can play again? So stay strong and resolute in your fantasy golf keeper leagues, because Tiger Woods‘ ACL injury recovery could last as long as two years, sez THE TELEGRAPH. World famous surgeon Lanny L. Johnson said — no kidding! — that the ligament means something different to football players than it does to golfers:
“If you tear your cruciate ligament in American football, you can play within a year – and with full confidence within two years. Based on this, and the recovery period of other athletes, I am guessing that Tiger will need two years.”
Wow. What a world in which we take advice from guys named Lanny.
What about a world in which you take advice from guys named Joey Porter?
So, all you people out there who picked the Vikes to win the NFC North — how you feeling right about now? It seemed odd, I thought, that so many people were willing to support a team that had, uh, a bit of a question mark at the quarterback position. A question mark that is now so big that he can’t even keep Gus Frerotte off the field.
Frerotte, the NFL’s equivalent to Ted McGinley, is coming off a stellar season with the Rams in which he posted a lofty 58.3 QB rating in eight starts. Apparently, that’s good enough for Brad Childress to send Tarvaris Jackson to the rails. And really, after you’ve been displaced by Gus, is there any future for you in the NFL?
You know how sometimes you break up with a girl, only she refuses to leave your house at first? And then she finally leaves but ends up coming back to hang out? But when she comes back, she uses your phone to call some other dude and try to hook up, all while telling you how much she loves you? Yeah, that’s a pretty poor metaphor for what’s going on in the Brett Favre-Green Bay divorce case right now.
The point being is that the Packers, according to the MINNEAPOLIS STAR- TRIBUNE, are now reporting that Favre repeatedly called members of the Minnesota coaching staff. Odds are fairly good that he was not letting them know what a “great young prospect” they have in Tavaris Jackson.
Read more…
• VIKES GEEK, courtesy of RANDBALL, passes along news that Minnesota coach Brad Childress may soon be jobless:
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• LARRY BROWN SPORTS would gladly get behind Tony Romo, but not behind Ben Roethlisberger - and see for yourself why.• DEUCE OF DAVENPORT gets out the checkbook, as former Jets RB Curtis Martin wants to buy into an NFL team.
• 100% INJURY RATE calls in Robert Stack, as they try to figure out the unsolved mysteries of these missing basketball players:
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• The BOSTON GLOBE’S EXTRA BASES predicts that if A-Rod comes back to the Yankees, Boston’s Mike Lowell might join him.• Speaking of the pinstripe palookas, The MIAMI HERALD notes that Mariano Rivera will likely stay in the Bronx. If not, Joe Torre has some room in the Dodgers rotation.
• Sisters are doin’ it for themselves: ABC - the Aussie version - reports that Venus & Serena Williams will pair up for doubles at the next Australian Open:
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• From the mouths of babes, THE WIZARD OF ODDS hears “Dennis Dixon for Heisman!.”• THE ANGRY T gets lost in translation, as they figure out what’s really being said before Ohio State-Michigan.
• The ATLANTA JOURNAL CONSTITUTION learns that Steve Spurrier will keep the gloves off, as the Ol’ Ball Coach is not up to a few rounds with Herschel Walker:
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• JEN’S FREE THROWS shoots the curl, as they show video of Weber State’s mascot doing some indoor surfing.• BLEACHER REPORT keeps the coaching carousel turning, as they list possible replacements for Tommy Tuberville at Auburn.
VIKES’ PETERSON TEARS KNEE LIGAMENT, OUT NEXT WEEK: Adrian Peterson is out for next week’s game after suffering a torn knee:
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BLOOMBERG reports the Vikings running back tore a knee ligament after getting hit by the Packers’ Al Harris during Minnesota’s 34-0 loss to Green Bay.But don’t jump out of any windows yet, fantasy football owners. Coach Brad Childress said Peterson’s injury would not require surgery.
“The good news is that the knee otherwise is stable. I’m told that’s a good-healing ligament. So if it was a lineman, maybe he’s braced up and plays this week.”
There’s no set time for Peterson’s return to the sidelines. But it’s a safe bet that Purple Jesus will rise again.
