Sunday in San Diego, the Chargers beat the Raiders for the 13th straight time, a bitter pill for the legions of SoCal Raider fans who made the annual journey south from (East) Los Angeles.

(NFL apparently is like Vegas to J-Russ and Cable: A game of “chance”)

With the lossthe Raiders dropped to 2-6, their playoff hopes out the window.

But despite Sunday’s result and the season’s circumstances, JaMarcus Russell wasn’t displeased with himself after the Charger loss. Nor was his coach. Read more…

OK, technically this is what’s known as piling on, and I’m going to have to throw the flag. But that doesn’t mean I didn’t laugh out loud when I saw it. By the way, they’re also considering the two-hand touch rule for defenders rushing Tom Brady, I hear. Read more…

Because no battle is ever won, he said. They are not even fought. The field only reveals to man his own folly and despair, and victory is an illusion of philosophers and fools. - William Faulker, “The Sound and the Fury”

That was written by Mississippi’s “greatest author,” who I also thought was kind of overrated. Which, it turns out, could easily apply on multiple levels to the Ole Miss football team. On a national stage and with a No. 4 ranking, the Rebels completely imploded, falling 16-10 at South Carolina last night. It may or may not be true that no battle is ever won, but for Ole Miss, this one was certainly lost.

Mainly it was lost for two reasons: QB Jevan Snead had a miserable game, going 7 for 21 for 107 yards while being pressured by the Gamecocks’ defense all night. And Houston Nutt’s game plan reminded you of why he was barely a .500 coach with a backfield of Felix Jones and Darren McFadden at Arkansas. Nutt seemed unable to accept that the passing game just wasn’t working, and waited until the fourth quarter to turn to running back Dexter McLuster. He ran for 68 yards in the final quarter, but by then it was too little, too late. Read more…

OK, Michael Vick is leaps and bounds better than JaMarcus Russell. He may even be a decent guy, at least in his interactions with species of a non-canine persuasion. But how desperate do the Oakland Raiders have to be for a quarterback that they’re already campaigning for him to be starting behind center next year?

(At least we know he looks good in Raiders colors.)

It’s one thing to voice support for a friend and former teammate. It’s another entirely to peg your contract to a felon making it on the outside. While Vick can throw a mean spiral, nobody can throw good money after bad like cornerback DeAngelo Hall, who’s willing to put up his $70 million contract as collateral that Vick won’t get into trouble with the law if the Raiders sign him.

Read more…

• Coming soon to a silver screen near you: Al Pacino as Tommy Lasorda.

• Oh, the football-playing kids these days, with their hijinks ‘n’ horseplay ‘n’ penchant for shoving broomsticks up each other’s butts.

• With one quick skip across The Pond, John Daly goes from white trash to Eurotrash.

• George O’Leary wants his players to kill - er, make that George O’Leary wants to kill his players.

• Not learning the lessons from Vai Sikahema’s slaughtering, Jose Canseco wants to go a few more rounds in the ring.

Read more…

You would think that after being phoned up & thrown out by Al Davis, the sad saga of Lane Kiffin & the Raiders would have finally come to an end. Kiffin would no longer had to concern himself with the absurdist opera in Oakland, and instead be free to take whatever orange-clad collegiate coaching offer would come his way.

Yes, you’d think that, but you’d be wrong. Lane just can’t seem to stay away from the adventures at Alameda County Coliseum. Even though he’s no longer on the payroll (and the Raiders desperately don’t want to pay the remainder of his contract), Kiffin is still in contact with one of his ex-players - and is still discussing X’s and O’s.

Read more…

Apparently, not even God can save the Cubs. The CHICAGO TRIBUNE reports that team brought in a priest to spread Holy Water on their bench before Game 1 to exorcise the demons of collapses past. But after last night’s wretched 10-3 loss to the Dodgers in Game 2, the Cubs look ready to call the priest back - this time to perform Last Rites.

How bad was it last night? How about every starting infielder making an error. Not the kind of night the Cubs needed when Carlos Zambrano decided to bring his less-than-A Game to the mound - more like his Z Game. The only bad news for the Dodgers was that Takashi Saito got shelled, giving up three hits and two runs without recording an out. Somehow I think the Dodgers will take the results.

In other playoff news, it turns out the Rays are pretty good after all. At least we know that Evan Longoria is. Tampa Bay’s rookie sensation became the second player in baseball history to smack homers in his first two post-season at-bats in the team’s 6-4 win over the White Sox. (The first? Gary Gaetti, now a coach with in the Rays’ farm system.) If almost-namesake Eva Longoria sent him champagne to celebrate the Rays’ playoff berth, what’s she going to get him now?

But it wasn’t all sunshine and roses in Tampa last night. As the Rays were doing something historic, the No. 10 South Florida football team was doing something familiar: getting upset on an ESPN Thursday night game. In this case it was Pittsburgh doing the honors, with Dave Wannstedt pulling of the type of victory that will somehow save his job after the team finishes 7-5.

As for other sports news, here’s what you missed while you were watching the Vice Presidential Debate and wondering if Joe Biden was wearing more make-up than Sarah Palin:

• BBC SPORT bellies up with news that John Daly is considering swinging his sticks in the European Tour next year - get ready for a run on Gitanes.
• The SALT LAKE CITY TRIBUNE rubs salt in the wounds of USC fans by noting that the Utah Utes did what the Trojans’ couldn’t do: pull off a comeback against Oregon State to maintain a perfect record.
• The DAILY RECORD reports on two couples suffering from MS who had a special day at the closing of Shea Stadium - even if they didn’t need the additional pain of watching the Mets collapse.
• THE HOCKEY NEWS slides over the latest comments from the always calm, cool, & collected Sean Avery, who takes some verbal slapshots at Don Cherry & the NHL’s marketing strategy.
• According to the CHARLOTTE OBSERVER, Rusty Wallace debunks wild rumors that he was planning on making a comeback. Who started the rumors? His brother Kenny.
• Ray Ratto of the SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE is hardly lamenting that the new team name in Oklahoma City will mean an end to the Warriors’ mascot Thunder.
• The ATHENS (OH) POST sets its sights on an Ohio University basketball player who was arrested after shooting two sorority girls with an Airsoft rifle.
• If you believe the NORTHWEST FLORIDA DAILY NEWS, apparently things have gotten so PC on high school football teams that threatening to slit a teammate’s throat will get you arrested.
• The SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE reports that JaMarcus Russell enjoyed playing for Lane Kiffin - expect Al Davis to unexpectedly cut Russell within the week.
• The NEW YORK DAILY NEWS breaks the bad news that Jared Jeffries will be out for six to eight weeks after breaking his leg in a scrimmage.

Alex Marvez of FOXSports.com has a piece this weekend that we thought might be satire, a least for a second: “Player weigh-ins will no longer air as part of the NFL Network’s Combine coverage, FOXSports.com has learned.”

Combine director Jeff Foster said, “There was concern from current NFL players that the participants would be more comfortable if they were not paraded around without their shirts on. It was an entirely appropriate suggestion. The weigh-ins should never have been televised.” Read more…