2:00 PM The latest coach who would prefer playoffs to the BCS: Georgia Tech's Paul Johnson. From the AJC: "Johnson said he's not saying it now because his team is ranked No. 7 and may not get a chance to play for the title this season. He said he brings it up because it makes the most sense."
1:31 PMBobby Valentine really, REALLY wants to be a major league manager again. Did I say how much he really wants to be a major league manager? He really does. Really.
Okay, so today wasn’t the best day for the Eagles. Sure, Kevin Kolb was surprisingly decent in relief of Donovan McNabb - up until giving up a 97 yard TAINT to Darren Sharper to finish the game -going 31-51 for 391 yards and 2 TDs. But Drew Brees is the best quarterback in the NFL right now, and he absolutely scorched the Eagles defense, rendering all offensive effort wasted for Philly. And though Brian Westbrook had a pedestrian 64 yards from scrimmage, he is eligible to take home one hell of a prize.
HELLO! The woman holding the sign seems a little ehh, but on the right? Thumbs up indeed, ma’am, and if you’ve also got a thing for bloggers with receding hairlines… call me.
As for the rest of the early games, the NFL is weird. Read more…
Drew Brees has left New Orleans Saints training camp upon learning of the death of his 59-year-old mother, Mina.
The AUSTIN AMERICAN-STATESMAN reports that Mina had died in Colorado while visiting her son Reid, although the cause of her death is unknown at this time.
Although it is sad news for the Brees family, Drew & his mom weren’t always on the best of terms.
It’s always hard to hear about when athletes - or hell, anybody, for that matter - have strained relationships with their parents. It’s not the natural state of things and there’s no substitute for a loving parent when it comes to keeping yourself normal.
(Worse yet, she never taught him how to use a chair correctly. The horror. The horror.)
But that sort of goes out the window when it comes to people like Mina Brees, Drew Brees‘ mom. No, unlike most deteriorated family situations, this isn’t caused by substance abuse or other basic life screwups - she’s an attorney. Specifically, she’s one with no qualms about thinly-veiled extortion attempts against local businesses in Houston.
Hey there, readers. Before you head off for that great glorious weekend, why not make an attempt at today’s SbB Clever Caption Contest?
For Friday, we’re featuring a couple of Purdue alums catching up on old times - the Bears’ Kyle Orton & the Saints’ Drew Brees:
What would these ol’ Boilermaker QBs be yakking it up about? Submit your suggestions into the comments section linked below. The winning quip will be announced in the end-of-the-day recap.
Write something quickly before Joe Tiller finishes cleaning out his office!
Being a college football coach is a high-pressure business - maybe not being an air traffic controller or a heart surgeon, where if you screw up people die, but it can be pretty intense. And if your team is getting a nasty reputation for late-season collapses, it might start getting to you after awhile. Witness South Florida coach Jim Leavitt: THE WIZ OF ODDS has video of him losing his mind during a press conference:
This is exactly how my cousin Aldo used to act, right before he took to chasing after the ice cream truck with his pants off and trying to recruit local children to “help repel the Huns.” Despite the lack of blustery, screaming theatrics, I’d still like to suggest that Leavitt ask his doctor if Paxil is right for him.
If ever there was an appropriate way to recap a ridiculously high-scoring (i.e. actually fun to watch) Week 12 in the NFL, the Saints’ 51-29 thrashing of the Packers was it. New Orleans became the 12th team to score 30 or more points this week, more than during any other week this season.
Drew Bress continued his assault on the NFL record books, throwing for 323 yards and four TDs, but the Saints’ MVP might have been Packers’ QB Aaron Rodgers, who had a very Brett Favre-like performance on Monday night, except this was the bad Favre of 2005-2006. Translation: Rodgers threw three interceptions and the Packers had no chance.
And finally, a word to the wise - if you are going to shoot someone flashing a random group of tailgaters before a Cowboys game, try not to do it from directly behind them. Then again, if the flasher in question looks like a 45-year-old high school softball coach, maybe it’s for the best:
Here are some other stories you might have missed last night as you, like the rest of the US, were an emotional wreck after hearing about the Hannity and Colmes divorce:
Not even Tiger Woods is recession-proof: BLOOMBERG says that GM is pulling out of its endorsement deal at the end of the year, meaning that he’ll get to quit pretending that he really loves driving a Buick.
Retired NHL goon Claude Lemieux is attempting a comeback, as the CANADIAN POST reports that the 43-year-old has signed a tryout contract with the San Jose Sharks. He’ll be heading to the AHL first to work on his baiting and sucker punching.
RIVALS.COM has a depressing look at Northwestern, the worst basketball program of the major conferences and the only which which has never been to the NCAA tournament. But at least their football team has a rich history of…ugh, never mind.
Your usual video of a student’s first trip to the Montana/Montana State rivalry, including drinking, push-ups…and a pretty solid catfight at about 1:05 in. (The problem with catfights in Montana in November: too much clothing to rip off.):
The Clippers/Knicks trade is in limbo because of questions about Cuttino Mobley’s heart, says David Aldridge on NBA.COM. Literally - the Knicks have concerns about a possible pre-existing heart condition.
Mike Shanahan tells the AP that he’s OK with players taking out idiot fans who run out onto the field during games. How does he expect his team to tackle rowdy fans if they can’t even stop the Raiders?
Bob Arum confirms to ESPN.COM that the fight between Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley is back on for Jan. 24 in Las Vegas, as boxing continues to respond to rumors of its demise by putting out decent fight cards.
Eric Thomas, who helped lead Kent State to the Elite Eight back in 2002, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for burglary and assault. The DAILY KENT STATER says that’s enough to get a banner with his accomplishments pulled off the rafters, but not enough for his number to be unretired.
Roger Goodell tells BROADCASTING & CABLE that despite the BCS package going to ESPN, we shouldn’t expect NFL playoff games on cable anytime soon. Also of note: the BCS considered a package that would have put all the BCS games on FX, which is just weird.
Next up for Bush is arthroscopic surgery, obviously; the meniscus is vital to proper weight distribution when running, and Reggie Bush kinda sorta needs that. Rehab won’t be terribly bad, though. The timetable looks like just 3+ weeks for recovery, not the 9-12 months usually slotted for major knee ligament repair.
Kenny Chesney loves football. Not as much as he loves Peyton Manning, but it’s close. Yesterday, the country music star made his second straight appearance at Saints’ training camp.
And because he’s head coach Sean Payton’s good buddy, Chesney not only got a practice jersey (it even had his name on it!), but he also got to work out with the first team, something Reggie Bush hasn’t always been able to say. In addition to fielding punts and catching passes from quarterback Drew Brees, we also learned that Chesney has a fondness for helping grown men undress.
Saints quarterback Drew Brees has a special appreciation for military history; both his grandparents served in World War II, and his dad was drafted in Vietnam.
It was several months ago when Brees visited Okinawa, where his grandfather participated in the invasion of that Japanese island 63 years earlier. Read more…
