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.
It’s a scientific fact* - the only people who like football’s BCS system are the people who are getting rich off of it. The suits who run the BCS conferences and athletic programs, the corporations who sponsor college football games and broadcasts, the sham “non-profit” organizations whose “revenue in excess of expenses” overfloweth - these are the people who love the BCS, and unfortunately it’s their opinions that count when it comes to any potential reorganization of college football.
(Small conference football doesn’t matter, right?)
The non-BCS conferences have been complaining about this for years. Programs like Boise State have proved that teams from smaller conferences can compete and win at the highest levels of competition. The Mountain West and Western Athletic conferences and people like Sen. Orrin Hatch have been yelling loud and clear that the system is broken. But when given an opportunity to take a stand and strike a serious blow to the BCS’ legitimacy, what did the MWC and WAC do? They signed an agreement to keep the current system in place. So much for social justice.
College football fans will likely recall Matt Vasgersian’s epic call of Owen Schmitt’s touchdown in West Virginia’s upset win over Oklahoma in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. As the burly Schmitt barreled down the sideline en route to a long touchdown, Vasgersian yelled, “Like a runaway beer truck!”
(This isn’t a mugshot, but whatever his mugshot looked like is undoubtedly inferior to this.)
It was an iconic nickname in an era where so few are spontaneous and evocative, and one that stuck with him as he joined the NFL. Spontaneous and evocative, yes, but now, extremely unfortunate.
Hey, readers! Time for another enthralling SbB Clever Caption Contest!
Today, we take a look back at last night’s fascinating Fiesta Bowl. Just how were the Longhorns able to rally & best the Buckeyes? By scanning the sidelines, we come across a sight more inspiring to UT fans than Bevo belching “The Eyes of Texas Are Upon You”: Matthew McConaughey.
What’s this Hollywood hunk hollerin’ about? Submit your suggestions into the comments section listed below. Winner will be announced in the end-of-they-day recap, with a chance to claim your own DVD copy of “Failure To Launch” - to throw in the trash at your own leisure.
Good luck & good writing! Or Matt will sign up to do “Failure To Launch 2″.
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.
Boston, Cleveland and Orlando were a combined 82-17 headed into yesterday. The North Carolina Tar Heels and the White Gritty Hearty Tyler Hansbroughs, a subset of UNC, were a combined 13-0. Andtheyalllost to the Knicks, Wizards, Raptors, and Boston College. A matching game might be fun, but sadly all winners and losers were listed respectively.
The C’s, Magic and Heels losses were all about the same; great teams had OK days and their opponents rose to the occasion. The Cavaliers game, though, ended in much controversy. Apparently traveling is a rule in the NBA, and an astute referee discovered this deep within the rulebook and called out LeBron James on this very infraction. Were the traveling not ratified and therefore whistled, James’ basket would have counted and tied the game. Perhaps a foul call could’ve made it a three-point play. But it appears ‘Bron got enough calls his way over the years against the Wizards. Call it magi-karma.
I wish I could tell you what the heck this thing is, but it was a float in the Fiesta Bowl Parade this weekend. (Ohbytheway, they do a parade for the Fiesta Bowl. D’ya know that?) Ohio State could probably tell us what that balloon name is — for now we’ll christen it Tortilla Flotilla — but for now we’ll just stare and wonder how the heck Ohio State will hang with Texas, considering the Buckeyes amassed a total of nine points against both Rose Bowl combatants. If there’s hope, it’s in opposing coach Mack Brown’s analysis of how the game will unfold:
“If the teams are even, the team that wants to be there the most and has the edge and is more motivated usually wins.”
Let’s see. They got pulverized by two SEC teams in two consecutive championships. They got nailed by USC and Penn State in back-to-back manhandlings. Todd Boeckman is getting the sentimental senior decision to see time in the game, despite Terrelle Pryor’s messianic performances throughout the year. Yep. I can’t imagine which team’s more motivated.
Just so I have this all straightened out, ESPN considers the above stories “news.” They also notate news as hinging on “sources,” which is information they receive that they cannot divulge. They are completely accurate and news-making. They also like to share “rumors,” which — if you click through — are stories that aren’t reported by ESPN, and since they hinge on someone else’s veracity, cannot be trusted as “sports news.” Jon Heyman said it? Watch out, loyal reader! You could get sourceroll’d!
Or “slapped silly” by Russian hockey players:
GUNAXIN isn’t very impressed with the Capitals’ Alexander Semin’s fighting technique. Nor are the broadcasters on the Rangers side: “I’m gonna slap you silly!”
You can read Joe Posnanski for his meandering thoughts on the baseball Hall of Fame, or on his tangential rant about Barry Manilow covering lame ’80s songs. The decision … is yours.
I saw this on Saturday, but so did DETROIT FREE PRESS’s Drew Sharp also saw Matt Millen on TV taking responsibility for the Lions’ miserable failures, making him pretty much the last guy to do so. Oh, he said it was his fault. I guess we’re all even. Play ball!
THE OREGONIAN drank enough coffee to last through Portland State’s win over Northern Arizona. It took four overtimes. Oh, they’ll sleep tonight!
Sorry to harp on this further, but this Jay Mariotti to AOL thing is still a little too surreal. The CHICAGO TRIBUNE talked with him about the move. From a man who said the future of sports journalism “sadly is not in newspapers”is writing for … AOL. Have I showed you the mousetrap-powered car I made in high school? Wanna know what I made the wheels out of?
Want to watch Tarvaris Jackson get flattened over and over again by Chris Clemons in the middle of his interception-TD? Go over to THE 700 LEVEL and knock yourself out.
The LONDON TIMES has a list of 2009’s most anticipated movies, and sure enough, no sports flicks crack the half-century group. No Major League 4: Julio Franco’s Last Stand?
Fun with hot stove stats! FIRE JIM BOWDEN looks at intentional walks and which managers incorrectly make the call to purposely have the pitcher throw four balls
And finally, life imitates Norm McDonald’s Dirty Work after a robbery suspect was apprehended, thanks to the trail of popcorn leading from the store to the perp’s living room. No word if Isiah Thomas is an abettor.
