Bowden ((pictured, thanks Tallahassee Democrat)) is expected to announce his resignation by way of a statement to be released Tuesday, sources told the Democrat.
As part of his retirement, Bowden is expected to be offered a non-coaching position at FSU for an unspecified amount of time. In addition to any settlement compensation that may be negotiated as part of his retirement, Bowden is also entitled to $1 million upon his retirement as part of a clause in his coaching contract that was agreed upon at least 10 years ago.
It is unclear if Bowden will coach the bowl game or not, but sources have said if he does coach one last game then the Gator Bowl may try to select FSU for its Jan. 1 game.
Bowden’s retirement means Jimbo Fisher will become the first head football coach FSU has hired in 34 seasons.
If this is indeed the case, it's a crappy way to go out for sure... The entire "Coach-in-Waiting" concept is a joke, and a lot of people would venture to say that the FSU "Coach-in-Waiting" is one...
This means that Jimbo Fisher will clean house on one side of the ball- not his own...
FOSG Lee Gordon from WCTV-TV in Tallahassee has your evening update which still contains maybes and possibles for Bowden...
We know about the 10AM meeting Tuesday where Coach Bowden is supposed to address his future on the sidelines at Florida State. He had a meeting with university President TK Wetherell and AD Randy Spetman that lasted about an hour Monday.
Sources close to the program have told OSG Sports that what Bowden will be wrestling with the remainder of today is the following:
1) A reduced role as Head Coach in 2010 2) Jimbo Fisher will be making the decision as to who replaces retiring DC Mickey Andrews. Fisher also will have control over making wholesale changes to the defensive coaching staff in general.
((Read what you want in to the idea of Chuck Amato being retained there...))
3) It was implied in the meeting with Wetherell and Spetman that next year will be Bowden's last as Head Coach- regardless of success level.
Bowden would get his "farewell tour."
Boosters of the Florida State program are, understandably, divided on the issue. There is the side that wants Bowden gone after whatever-mediocre bowl FSU will play in before New Year's Day. There are also those who want to give the man his farewell ((considering what he has meant to the program)) and not have it end on an ugly note.
That is the Bowden Family decision for your Monday evening...
And, yes, we're still holding off on our Mickey Andrews info until all this calms down and we can put a garnet and gold bow on this whole proceeding...
7PM UPDATE: WCTV-TV in Tallahassee is reporting the following
Florida State has scheduled a team meeting for 2:15pm where it is expected that they will inform the players that Bobby Bowden will step down as head football coach at Florida State.
However, a meeting is still scheduled for the morning between Bowden and members of the University. As of now, no decsion has been made on Bowden's future, but an announcement should come after the morning meeting.
FSU's media relations department says that an announcement could come on Tuesday in the form of a press release, but nothing has been scheduled where Bobby Bowden or any other member of the team will address the media.
The New York Daily News is citing a source inside the Notre Dame program that athletic director Jack Swarbrick decided to make the move now.
Photo Courtesy: Getty Images
WNDU-TV in South Bend has, obviously, in-depth coverage... Jeff Jeffers sits in the newsroom for his sound from AD Swarbrick...
Weis has not met with the team since he was told he will not be returning as head coach. The team leaders did meet with Swarbrick this morning for discussions about the possibility of attending a bowl game, however there was no official vote at the meeting.
Irish assistant head coach/offense, wide receivers coach and recruiting coordinator Rob Ianello will take over until a successor is chosen.
More of WNDU-TV's coverage can be found here... a lot more...
The profanity laced tirade that Serena Williams unleashed at the U.S Open back in early September has proven to be a bit expensive for her. Since it was a "Grand Slam" offense, she was fined the max...$82,500 to be exact and she was put on probation for the next 2 years. Should she commit another "Offense" during that period, the fine would double to $172,ooo and she be barred from the next U.S Open.
((Serena Williams says not so nice things//Courtesy: The TimesOnline.co.uk))
Really, this isn't a humungous story, but it does give us an excuse to re-run the video of her shall we say...entertaining tirade. Enjoy the video, Thanks You Tube:
It's was a long death watch here at the OSG HQ but we knew this day was coming when William & Mary beat up on the Wahoos in the season opener.
With a sorry season and a fan base becoming more and more apathetic, Virginia athletic director Craig Littlepage had to pull the trigger and he did on Sunday.
"There is not a coach in the college game who has worked harder than Al Groh in trying to build a football program. Football is his life and he dedicated himself to the University and to our football team,"
Littlepage said in a statement released by the University. "We are grateful for his service and for his commitment to his players and his coaching staff."
Groh had 2 years remaining on his contract. He and UVA came to an agreement and will receive $4.33 million.
Nice way to say "Get out."
Groh released this statement Sunday night:
I am privileged to have represented this fine University – a school from which my two sons and I have earned degrees. I hope I have represented it well.
I feel very fortunate.
I am an ordinary guy who has been lucky to have been around some extraordinary players and coaches who put me in a position to enjoy many fulfilling games and seasons – and that’s the truth.
I gave everything I had to the position and to each game.
I have coached Hall of Fame players, worked alongside Hall of Fame coaches, and coached in two Super Bowls, but my time as the Head Coach of the Virginia Cavaliers has been my most memorable coaching experience.
What I will remember the most are the players’ faces in the locker room after some of the great wins we had over legendary programs like Penn State, Florida State, and Miami; rivals North Carolina and Maryland; and in bowl games.
I sincerely appreciate the efforts of all the coaches and players who have been a part of our program – I am indebted to you. I hope the players feel that one of their most positive college experiences was playing for Al Groh.
My coaching philosophy and method of building teams has trust and teamwork as bedrocks. We were poised to solidify our position as a top team. Instead, as that trust and collaboration deteriorated, I could see this day coming.
We arrived with a set of principles that we have tried to remain faithful to and we leave with those principles intact. Change can make things better or worse. I have every confidence that this will be a positive change for the Groh family and I look forward to my next game.
To all the members of the Virginia football family: I love you and God bless you.
All sorts of names will be thrown out there. I wouldn't be surprised if someone goes down I-64 to Blacksburg to see if Bud Foster is interested. Chris Petersen at Boise State might get a call. You will hear the names of Kevin Sumlin, Brian Kelly, etc.
My guess is that Virginia will find a hot shot non-BCS head coach who wants a chance at a BCS school but won't command a king's ransom, an up and coming assistant coach or someone from the lower divisions with a track record of championships.
Let the silly season begin.
Photo Courtesy: Matt Gentry/The Roanoke Times
Marc Davis from the Newsplex, otherwise known as WCAV-TV in Charlottesville, caught up with Groh- who has already switched allegiances to the SEC...
Mark Fainaru-Wada hits a homerun with the piece below involving the untimely, and probably, wrongful death of Grambling basketball player Henry White back in August.
Fainaru-Wada exposes some sketchy practices involving the then-coaching staff and their discipline of players- having them run on a 95-degree day before the school year started...
Apparent violations and missteps are evident in the investigation, and it looks like the Tigers are about to pay the piper seriously...
Montreal Alouettes kicker Damon Duval nailed his second-chance field goal from 34 yards out as time expired to give the Als a 28-27 win over the Saskatchewan Roughriders to win the 97th Grey Cup- the Canadian Football League version of the Super Bowl.
Initially, Duval missed wide from 44 yards out, but the Green Riders were penalized for having too many men on the field.
In the CFL, it's a 10-yarder...
Duval made the mulligan to finish the season 16-3...
And, yes, it's that Damon Duval...
The Als were down 16 points with less than half a quarter to go at McMahon Stadium in Calgary. But a TD pass from Anthony Calvillo to Ben Cahoon brought the Als within two with a little over three minutes left.
They missed the two-point conversion to keep the score at 27-25, and the Als defense made a stand to get the ball back for a game-winning possession.
The Als led only once all day- at the finish...
Here's the game-winning kick and the last five minutes of the game in real time... ((HT: TSN/CFL/ON2))
Those of us at OSG HQ have determined, to no one's surprise, that Arkansas and Mississippi State are the most improved teams in the SEC this season.
You've seen what Ryan Mallette can do when given an offense not like Michigan's. ANd with Dan Mullen teaching athletes in Starkville, you've seen the results again.
This includes a win over a drain-circling Ole Miss team in this year's Egg Bowl.
FOSG Heather Cook has your highlights from the world of Conference USA and the previously mentioned Ole Miss-Miss State game...
For the third day in a row, Tiger Woods did not answer questions from the Florida Highway Patrol regarding his Friday night crash inside the Isleworth Community.
Honestly, he doesn't have to... all he needs to do in the interim is provide, license, registration, and proof of insurance... which he did... Woods now is being represented by high-falootin' Orlando lawyer Mark NeJame.
NeJame is called the "Johnnie Cochran of Central Florida..." Well, then...
Right now, there are still a lot more questions than there are answers to this whole thing. A lot of the details don't add up...
What was he doing at that hour...??? And, no, the play-by-play given to date by the Windermere Police doesn't help...
And if it was so innocent, and Tiger's fault- as he says by his own admission, then why don't we all know what really went down...???
There's a whiff of shenanigans in the air, but we're not going to go there yet...
Matt Winer and Tom Rinaldi have your Sunday update...
First and foremost, what in the blue hell was up with the uniforms for both teams...???
Kansas broke out their Dairy Queen red tops with the blue pants... Missouri had something that looked like retro uni's, but charcoal grey helmets and ((what we're told is)) a black logo...???
What???!!!
We did a little digging... the Swoosh was promoting something they're calling "beast mode." They're talking something about "rivalry gear."
Yes, it's all about marketing and what you need to get your friends for Festivus...
Anyway...
Grant Ressel hit a 27-yard field goal as time expired, giving the Missouri the 41-39 win over Kansas at Arrowhead Stadium.
Missouri (8-4, 4-4) had 553 total yards, but needed a safety with 2:39 left and Ressel's fourth field goal of the game to beat its biggest rival and potentially end coach Mark Mangino's eight-year stint at Kansas (5-7, 1-7).
Danario Alexander caught 15 passes for 233 yards, the third time he's eclipsed 200 yards in four games, and Derrick Washington ran for 111 yards and two scores for the Tigers.
Some of us at OSG HQ have maintained that the Bowden Era should have been over a while back at Florida State...
Hiring Jeff as his Offensive Coordinator- bad idea... The University hiring Jimbo Fisher as "Coach-in-Waiting"- worse idea...
Offensive- yes... Genius- no...
Eight years of mediocrity can wear on a fan base and alums... and it has... All of the coaches are doing nothing correctly these days... and they ALL need to leave campus... ALL OF THEM!!!
The entrenched veterans will not listen to the "In-Waitings" and vice versa. All that creates is a bad environment and mixed messages for the recruits...
You don't win football games that way. Brother Wilkie actually called to see if I was in the process of doing harm to myself during the game Saturday- which was a 37-10 blowout...
I wasn't since I knew we were in trouble from the beginning...
Either be very good at what you do or very bad... average gets you nothing except ignored...
Here's Sam Lane's post-mortem from Gainesville...
God bless... and ((insert your divine being here)) bless those Florida uni's... Awful, awful, awful...
Virginia has fired Al Groh after nine seasons as football coach at his alma mater.
Groh's dismissal Sunday comes less than 24 hours after the Cavaliers finished their worst season since 1982- going 2-9...
Virginia lost its final six games and finished with a losing record for the third time in four years. Groh beat Virginia Tech just once in nine games during his tenure.
The decline was especially felt at home games, where the Cavaliers average attendance had dropped by 13,600 in the last two seasons...
But those of us at OSG HQ maintain that men who recite poems at pressers know they're done in the first place...
Montana was down to South Dakota State 45-21 with 5-and-a-half to go in the third... They scored 27 points in 13 minutes and sped past the Jackrabbits 61-48
Ridiculous how the world tilted in this one...
Derek Buerkle from KPAX has your highlights...
Your round of 8 is:
Stephen F Austin at Montana App State at Richmond New Hampshire at Villanova William and mary at Southern Illinois
But, from what we understand, Whitman was a better Defensive Coordinator...
Virginia had a 7-nothing lead on Virginia Tech in the Commonwealth Cup Saturday. But somewhere in between the 7-nothing lead and the end of the game, the Cavs were outscored 42-6...
The best part comes from the post-game presser for Groh, who OSG HQ has maintained should have been out of a job after the disastrous start to the season losing to Bill, Mary, and TCU...
Sioux Falls held Morningside (10-2) scoreless in the second half and won 49-21 at Sioux Falls... The win extended the Cougars winning streak to 27 straight games.
St. Xavier (Ill.) scored 52 unanswered points in the first three quarters en route to a 52-10 victory over Lambuth.
Those of us wish Lambuth's Hugh Freeze all the best when he's picked up as an OC very close to home very soon... we think...
Behind the strength of a school-record 37-point second quarter, Lindenwood secured a 64-26 win over Ottawa (Kan.).
And Carroll knocked off MidAmerica Nazarene 34-13 to go 25-2 in post-season games all-time...
Here's the IR's coverage from the game with highlights and postgame from Coach Van and a bunch of players...
Here's your semifinals, all times local next Saturday... St. Xavier University (Ill.) @ University of Sioux Falls (S.D.) – 1 p.m. Lindenwood University (Mo.) @ Carroll College (Mont.) – 12:07 p.m.
California won 57-35 at West Lib, sending the home team packing with an 11-2 record- the best in school history...
WL's Zach Amedro finished the game with 365 yards passing, two touchdowns, and three INTs. He finished his junior season with 4,945 yards passing and 49 TD's, which led the nation. The Harlon Hill finalist, Division II's version of the Heisman Trophy, will enter his senior season with 10,675 career passing yards and 88 touchdown passes.
But here's Josh Zenner from WDIO talking about Grand Valley State beating UMD... Watch what he does off the top... he forgot something...
Grand Valley gets Carson-Newman and Cal, PA gets Northwest Missouri State...
They may have well just called BYU QB Max Hall's post-game the "Holy S***" He's a senior and doesn't care what he says about the other school... especially after throwing the game-winning TD in overtime for the 26-23 win...
Rick Aaron starts your postgame and Hall starts mouthing off at the 2:00 mark or so... fun stuff for a change...
But we do figure that Max will be receiving a letter in the mail signed by Craig Thompson some time very soon...
37 total yards of offense for someone touted as a Heisman hopeful... but, yes, CJ Spiller did have a very pretty kickoff return for a TD- his 7th and a record...
But that wasn't going to do it for Clemson as they lose to the OBC and South Carolina 34-17...
The Tigers 6-game win streak in the series is kaput... Here's your wrap from Cole St. Clair at the Fairgrounds...
Nope... they actually held on to beat North Carolina 28-27 Saturday.
“This is the hardest year I’ve ever been through,” NC State Head Coach Tom O’Brien said. “Your best football player on defense [linebacker Nate Irving] almost kills himself in the summer. You end the year with your offensive coordinator with cancer. We played with a walk-on corner the whole second half.”
O’Brien said his team was “like a MASH unit out there.”
“It’s a disaster right now,” he said. “Thank God it’s over. I don’t think we could play in a bowl if we wanted to.”
The Tarheels finish up at 8-4 and could, now, be going anywhere for a bowl... O'Brien gets his wish and gets to stay home for the holidays...
From all impressions, this was the most excited Lieutenant Bogumil has been all year long...
Those of us at OSG HQ send our thoughts and prayers to Dana Bible and the whole Wolfpack family as they go through this together...
Has Bud Selig really been Commissioner of Major League Baseball for the last 17 years...??? It really has been a long time since we didn't have an owner in charge of our national pasttime...
Meh...
According to Rogers' sources, a group of five owners went up to Selig at the owner's meeting earlier in the month and asked if he wanted another term...
He said he had "other things he wanted to do..."
So, now the owners get to craft another CBA before Selig heads off in to the sunset- eating hot dogs while he walks... and be rest assured that his replacement will be a Lieutenant or Andy MacPhail...
What will Selig be remembered for...??? Other than steroids creating a mockery of the game for a profound lack of a testing policy and an easy way to circumvent any kind of punishment...???
Those of us at OSG think this should bore you to death... ((HT: CapNewsNet))
When we find video of the 2002 All-Star TIE, we'll post it as well...
Porter is currently the assistant coach at LSU, and has been one of the top contenders for the position along with Jerry Gray, secondary coach for the Washington Redskins.
An announcement by the University of Memphis Athletic Department is expected on Sunday.
MyFoxMemphis' Greg Gaston caught up with Memphis HOF'er Danton Barto about the Porter hiring...they played together on campus...
Well, it looks like the 1st of the sort of "Big Name" schools has started the carousel. Multiple outlets are reporting that the University of Louisville has fired its football coach, Steve Kragthorpe.
More from the Louisville Courier-Journal RIGHT HERE WHAS-TV has the story too...it's RIGHT HERE
((Steve Kragthorpe is perplexed//Courtesy: John Summers/IconSI))
The move is expected to be announced at a Press Conference going on roughly about the time we write this story. AD Tom Jurich met with Kragthorpe early on Saturday. The firing should not come as a huge surprise, the Cardinals had there worst year in a long time this season, finishing 4-8. In fact their record has gotten progressively worse under Kragthorpe who was hired to replace Bobby Petrino after the 2006 season
The Cardinals are at somewhat of a crossroads as they will open a large expansion of Papa Johns Stadium next season, though the attendance for their games has been steadily dwindling. Already, there had been speculation (mostly from delusional Louisville people) that they wanted to hire Jon Gruden. Lately, speculation has swirled about Texas Tech Coach Mike Leach being a potential candidate.
It will be interesting to see what Louisville does. Along with the coaches who already have jobs, guys such as Tommy Tuberville and Philip Fulmer, who apparently already has a staff ready to go are out there after sitting out 2009, will no doubt be anxious to find some work.
We also have two names in our hip pocket that we're hanging on to, and when the time is right we'll let you know who those guys are...
One of the great voices in baseball, long-time New York Yankees public address announcer Bob Sheppard is not returning to the booth...
For anyone who has been to the Bronx his intonations have been a fixture since 1951- when Sheppard was 41 YEARS OLD!!!!!
Sheppard told mlb.com: "I have no plans of coming back," Sheppard told the website in a telephone interview. "Time has passed me by, I think. I had a good run for it. I enjoyed doing what I did. I don't think, at my age, I'm going to suddenly regain the stamina that is really needed if you do the job and do it well."
For those of you that can't do the math... Sheppard is 99 years young...
One of the coolest things, though, is that whenever Derek Jeter still steps up to the plate, it's still Sheppard's voice you hear...
Even if it's a recording, it's still the guy Reggie Jackson referred to as "The Voice of God."
Sheppard will definitely be missed... Here's is the video that played at Yankee Stadium on his day back in 2007... ((HT: MLB/YES))
Tiger Woods was involved in a one-car crash early this morning in his Isleworth community... according to reports from the Florida Highway Patrol, his car struck a fire hydrant and then proceeded into a tree.
Woods was transported to hospital and released according to Woods' spokesman Glenn Greenspan...
FHP says that alcohol is not a factor in the accident, but charges are being investigated in the case and may be pending...
So now we begin the homestretch on the greatest time of the Sports year. We have survived that time period where all 4 of the major sports overlap and more importantly, the College Football season winds down.
With that in mind, here are the things that we at OSG Sports are thankful for this year.
1) College Football- Though we complain about the BCS (a lot), truly, there is nothing like the College Football season. While we understand the passion behind the other sports, it really, really doesn't compare to College Football, particularly in the South. 2) Lane Kiffin- Who else would keep bloggers and Sports Websites throughout the vastness of the Internets and Televisions busy throughout the past year. We truly thank both Al Davis and Mike Hamilton for foisting the Kiffin upon us all. 3) Mike Locksley- Perhaps the ultimate "Strange But True" story of the year. Locksley jacks the jaw of one of his assistant coaches...and walks away relatively unscathed. However, his New Mexico team is 1-10 this year, he may not escape that. 4) Allen Iverson- This guy really thinks he can "Help" an NBA team. No, Allen...you may be a question, but you sure aren't an "Answer". You aren't nearly as good as you think you are and you are an absolute "Cancer" to any team stupid enough to pick you up. What part of "Team" do you not understand? 5) The Phoenix Coyotes- Speaking for me, I never totally understood this story, but for Brother Jon, this was the holy nirvana of stories. All I know is that the owner is broke, the team can't draw fans and the NHL doesn't want anyone to buy them and move them. 6) Jim Ballsillie- Yes, he is a "Gazillionaire" who can buy pretty much anything he wants. Except an NHL Hockey team. For whatever reason, the Bettman recoils in disgust at the mention of this man's name. We stand a better chance of a Tall Person running the NHL than Ballsillie getting his own hockey team. 7) The Second Half of the NFL Season- Granted the NFL draws boffo ratings from the minute the season begins in September, but really, for the most part, the games are meaningless until now. Who cares if the 6-4 Giants beat the 5-5 Falcons in mid-November? Either team could win their last 6 or lose their last 6. Plus, College Football stops in December, so we've at least got the NFL to keep us warm for a month or so. 8) Not mentioning Golf, Tennis, Auto Racing or Baseball- Does anyone really care about these sports? Particularly after August? Come on...really do you care? Should they even play after mid-August? No, I didn't think so. 9) The You Tube- You Tube gets mention here, because, quite honestly, we would have a hard time doing a lot of the stories that we do without it. They have a pretty endless source of clips on just about everything that you can think of and they are always a good source for Hockey Fights. 10) Turkeys- No, not just Washington State or Randy Lerner or any other goofball in the world of Sports...we are talking about one of the greatest meals of the year. What better than a roasted Turkey with all of the trimmings? For that matter, the Thanksgiving weekend itself. A weekend where it's OK to eat as much as you can and watch as much Football as you can...so make sure that you do that...and read the OSG because we are thankful for any and every reader that we can get.
In the spirit of the Holiday, enjoy the Greatest Thanksgiving Episode of them all: Thanks to the magic of Hulu.com:
Yes, we have reached that time of year. The time where not only do we all basically stuff our faces while sitting around and watching football, but the time where the College Football season itself starts winding down.
By the way, did anyone else get a good laugh out of the Lords of the BCS hiring former Presidential Advisior Ari Fleischer to help "Improve" their image?
Things, for the most part have sorted out and roughly 1/2 of the teams in Division 1 who have won 1/2 there games, will be taking a few weeks off before playing in one of the 896 College Bowl games.
So with that in mind...we move on to Part 2 of the Movie...this time with the legendary Telly Savalas in a prominent role....Who loves ya' baby?
So now..."Let's move on with the Countdown"...Thanks Casey The Dirty Dozen (The Original)...
1) Florida 11-0 (So the era of the Tebow is winding towards it's end. Will Florida be the same? Can the world stand the change? Will the sun shine tomorrow? Will I have Cranberry Sauce with my Turkey? All good questions that the world is waiting for answers on. This Week: Florida 73, Florida State 40) 2) Alabama 11-0 (I officially announce my vote for Mark Ingram as this years Heisman Trophy winner. There, I said it! He's been the best player on one of the best teams. Period. There is nothing snarky or funny I can add. This Week: Alabamie 31, Auburn 20) 3) Texas 11-0 (Oh...by the way. Colt McCoy is winding his college football career down too. Anyone outside of Texas aware of that? The Longhorns have already started practice for the BCS Championship game...a game played in another year. This Week: Texas 41, Texas A&M 18) 4) TCU 11-0 (I still think they should get one of the Championship Game berths. But it will never happen. Ever. I just want to add that despite adding Ari Fleischer as image consultant, the BCS will never get it right...ever. This Week: TCU 51, New Mexico 10) 5) Cincinnati 10-0 (This is the one team ranked in the right place. Already, we are getting tired of hearing that Brian Kelly should be the next coach at Notre Dame. People...NOTRE DAME IS NO LONGER A BETTER JOB!!!! Do you not understand that? This Week: Cincinnati 41, Illinois 7 Turkeys) 6) Boise State 11-0 (Again, they are where they should be. They get props for running the table. They should be in one of the BCS Bowls, hear me Ari? This Week Boise St. 41, Nevada 39) 7) Georgia Tech 10-1 (Normally it would be good for them for having a bye before playing their arch rivals Georgia. This year, it wouldn't matter. They just have to stand and watch...Georgia will lose the game without Tech having to get in their way. Trust me...it will happen...Tech is a good team...Georgia is like a 3 Stooges episode. This Week: Georgia Tech 41, Georgia will be Curly, Larry and Moe and 21 points) 8)Pittsburgh 9-1 (What does the Wannstache have to be thankful for this Thanksgiving? A good defense, Bill Stull and Dion Lewis. What does he not have to be thankful for? Finishing at West Virginia and Cincinnati at home. This Week: Pitt 31, W.Va. 21) 9) Oregon 9-2 (Business taken care of. Win in a week and they get to "Run for the Roses"...Oooops...I mean play in the "Grandaddy of them All". This is a solid team, that most schools wouldn't want a part of. This Week: Bye Week) 10) Ohio St. 10-2 (Can anyone explain the stupidity of this teams season ending? Why? They won't play again for 5 or 6 weeks. Granted they could use the practice, but still...Perhaps that is why the Bucks continually SUCK in Bowl Games. This Week: Practice for the Rose Bowl) 11) Clemson 8-3 (If Mark Ingram doesn't win the Heisman, can C.J. Spiller get the award? Without Spiller, the Tigers are a 4 win team...at best. Really, he is that good. Have you not ever seen him play? Find a way to check him out...great ballplayer and a good kid. This Week: Clemson 37, South Carolina 21) 12) Oklahoma St. 9-2 (Yeah, they have made it back after completely disappointing in the mid-season. They have bounced back because they "Are men dammit!" "They are men and they are 40!"...OK so maybe they aren't 40, but you get my point. This Week: Oak. State 30, Oklahoma 28)
The Bottom of the Barrel. *Special Mention*- Congrats to New Mexico who won their game last week. Nobody was more shocked than us here at the OSG.
5. Maryland 2-9 (Normally Ralph Freidgen would be looking forward to a holiday that revolved around food. We are guessing not so much this year. This has been a bad team, pretty much all year. Next year, they will be looking for a new coach. This Week: Boston College 24, Maryland 21) 4) Virginia 3-8 (Another one bites the dust, hey, another one bites the dust....buh, buh, buh...another one bites the dust. Al Groh...did you enjoy coaching in College? Another disappointing season in Charlottesville. This Week: Va. Tech 35, Virginia 20) 3) Washington St. 1-10 (Why does this continue? Why do they put up with this team? Why does this team continually suck? Why ask why? Why do I like gravy on my Mashed Potatoes? Why do I like stuffing with the Turkey? Why are Cranberries so tasty? So many questions...so few answers. This Week: Washington 45 Turkey Legs, Wash. St. 1 Big Turkey) 2) Western Kentucky 0-10 (Well, at least they are perfect at something. I really can't go any further here...there isn't anything to say except..."Viva la 2010"! This Week: FAU 31, W.Ky 29) 1) E. Michigan 0-10 (Well, it really hasn't been a good year to be playing football in Michigan has it? No, they picked a bad time to stop sniffing airplane glue? Did they pick a bad time to stop drinking? Who knows? Who cares? This Week: Akron 92, E.Michigan know the Red Zone is for loading and unloading.)
Last Week: 10-3...not bad. This Season: 125-38...Pretty DAMN GOOD!!!
To all who read this...Really, I hope someone actually does...HAVE A HAPPY TURKEY!!! Your Turkey sacrificed a lot for you this year.
The Montreal Canadiens Georges Laraque got a five-game unpaid vacation from his day job for the following hit on the Detroit Red Wings Niklas Kronwall...
And those of us at OSG HQ are pretty sure that popping Darren Helm in the mush with his stick didn't help matters at the beginning of the shift...
You heard the Wings play-by-play guys... they thought the play on Kronwall was dirty. Stupid and unnecessary to be sure... but Laraque's rep got that adjective thrown at him more than anything...
You're looking at us like "What in the hell are you doing putting this story up here...???"
Understand... we wouldn't do it if we didn't think you'd need to know about things like this down the line...
New York's Court of Appeals ruled Tuesday that the state can use eminent domain to force homeowners and businesses to sell their properties for a massive development in Brooklyn that includes a new arena for the New Jersey Nets.
In a 6-1 ruling, the Court said the Empire State Development Corp.'s finding that the area was blighted was enough to justify taking the land.
A group of tenants and owners claim the seizure is unconstitutional. They argue that developer Bruce Ratner's proposed $4.9 billion, 22-acre Atlantic Yards project mainly enriches private interests, while the state constitution requires public use for taking land.
Okay... now that you've read the official mumbo-jumbo from a leagl standpoint... what does this all mean...???
Simple... if this legal precedent sticks... it means that any team that wants ((what they think is)) prime real estate to build an arena or stadium- they can take it and give you whatever amount of money they deem "fair."
The lesson here... live in an area that will never be suitable enough to build a new home for your hometown sports team... live far away or in the air somewhere...
Here how our friends at MyFoxNY and Fox5 covered the deal... Believe us.. this was a "deal..."
((HT: GlobeSports/Shoalts)) We've covered the exploits and shenanigans of the Tampa Bay Lightning ownership pairing in the past.
One owner got the chance to buy out the other. The owner of the first part couldn't get his financing together, so now its the other owner's turn to try and get financing to buy the owner of the first part out once and for all..
Sound confusing...???
It is...
Len Barrie was supposed to get the first dibs on buying out Oren Koules. Barrie was supposed to get financing help on a British Columbia development from a Dubai-based outfit. It hasn't happened... to the tune of US$350-million of not happening.
So, now Barrie is getting his books looked at by the Canada Revenue Agency after a former auditor pretty much yelled shenanigans...
It's like having the IRS look at your books in the States... and we all know how that goes... guilty until proven innocent.
The auditor claims that Barrie financed his Lightning stake with funds from his Bear Mountain development project.
Koules has even moved down to Tampa to keep a restrictive-financial eye on things. He's still looking for a dance partner, but hasn't found one yet, either.
Those of us at OSG HQ are doing the math: Florida, Atlanta, Tampa, Columbus, Phoenix, the Islanders, Nashville...
((HT: GlobeSports/Naylor)) Add another name to the list... long, growing, or otherwise indicating an interest in the Phoenix Coyotes...
Montreal businessman Steve Stotland is leading a group of Phoenix-area investors who want to buy the NHL’s Coyotes and keep the team in Glendale.
Stotland, part of a group that looked into buying the Montreal Canadiens when they were up for sale in 2000 and again this year, said he began pursuing the Coyotes after the team emerged from bankruptcy court.
Stotland has a group called Camelback Hockey, and he thinks that with improvement on the ice and local ownership that the Desert Dogs can succeed there.
Bill Daly has stated publicly that Stotland does exist as an interested party, and both sides met in New York City last week.
"They will put stipulations which we will have to abide by,” Stotland said to the Globe and Mail. “We’re not in there for one year. We’re committed. But the financial agreements have to be reasonable because the NHL doesn’t want a local group to go through the same thing the last owner did. I want to show the NHL is viable in Glendale. [Jobing.com Arena] is one of the nicest facilities in the NHL. And if we start winning, with a local group in place, we just have to get the fans back.”
For a team that is set to lose US$50-million this year alone, there are a lot of people lining up for the right to own the squad. Those of us at OSG HQ are encouraged, but still think the team needs to go elsewhere for long-term success...
The Winter Classic is such a hit with the National Hockey League and their fans that the American Hockey League is now going to give it a shot.
Something called the "Mirabito Outdoor Classic" will be played February 20th at the New York State Fairgrounds in Syracuse.
The Empire State Development Corporation expects the game will bring $1 million to the area and draw about 20,000 fans from across New York and Northeastern Canada.
The local Crunch will be taking on the Binghamton Senators...
Officials think it will take two weeks to prep for the game. The Fairgrounds will have to remove all the snow, bring in portable locker rooms and heaters, and make the rink.
The New York State Fair is giving labor and facilities totaling around $40,000. Onondaga County is also providing the gravel for the ice rink and part-time labor from the County’s facilities department. The Empire State Development will provide $75,000 for the event, which will be used to help offset the cost of the ice rink rental.
Here's how our friends at WSYR-TV covered it... from the anchor desk no less...
One of the true "Old School" of Professional Sports owners passed away early this afternoon. Abe Pollin, 85 years old and the owner of the Washington Wizards and former owner of the Washington Capitals passed away after losing his battle with a rare neurological disease.
More from the Washington Post RIGHT HERE For those of you who prefer the Washington Times, there story is RIGHT HERE
Pollin had a huge impact on the Sports landscape in the nation's capitol. Along with owning 2 franchises at one point, he was the driving force behind the teams getting a downtown arena built. He was lucky enough to see his NBA team win a title in the 1970's and the Hockey team made it to the Stanley Cup in 1998, he sold the team to Ted Leonis the next year.
The legally beleaguered Tennessee Volunteers got one of there players back today. Safety Janzen Jackson who was alleged to have taken part in the attempted robbery which cost 2 of his former teammates there spot on the Vols roster, has been allowed to return. In fact...the Kiffin says that not only will Jackson be back, he'll start against Kentucky.
Most of you already know the back story on this issue, so we won't go into detail. It is a bit concerning that the Vols and The Kiffin in particular don't seem to concerned that they've had 3 players arrested and 2 dismissed from the team in the past 3 weeks. Maybe that isn't an issue in Knoxville. Maybe since even dating back to the Great Pumpkin, they've had a long and cherished history of players getting in trouble, they don't think twice about it? I don't know. We are just reporting on this one...for the time being.
WBIR also brings us Coach Lane Kiffin's comments on Jackson's return:
Really, the past few weeks have...shall we say...been "Less" than pleasant for Notre Dame football. Just a mere 3-4 weeks ago, there was talk of them making the BCS, heck...Lou Holtz said so, so it must be true.
Well, to top off losing 3 out of the last 4 comes this one. Quarterback Jimmy Clausen got into a brief skirmish Saturday night after the Irish lost to UConn and he came out of it with a black eye. Granted, according to all reports, the incident was not his fault, rather the fault of a drunk and stupid alleged fan...but it was an incident never the less.
More from the WSBT-TV- RIGHT HERE. The South Bend Tribune's version is RIGHT HERE
((Jimmy Clausen wearing Eye Black//Courtesy: Marcus Marter/South Bend Tribune))
Embattled and probably soon unemployed Notre Dame Coach Charlie Weis pretty much would not comment...at all about the incident other than saying "He'll play" in this weeks game against Stanford.
This hasn't been a "Banner" season for the Irish, but then again, neither have the past 10 or so. The one "Breakout" performance thus far has been the play of Clausen who at one point was very much in the Heisman conversation. Those discussions have faded much like Notre Dame has, but Clausen has most definitely enhanced his stock with the NFL. The incident Saturday was unfortunate and definitely not his fault, but we really couldn't not mention it at all now, could we?
Here is some video of Mr. Clausen playing QB. Laugh if you will at the "Ambitious" commentary from the poster: Thanks You Tube
Sometimes, revenge is a dish best served with balls...
GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF THE GUTTER!!!
From the Monday "Dan Patrick Show," show producer Paul Pabst and show-blogger Andrew "McLovin' " Perloff had a bet over the MLS Cup Final between the LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake.
McLovin' got the win so that meant Paulie had to take Dodgeballs and soccer balls from the free throw line...
Hilarity ensues...
Now, if those of us at OSG HQ could get a studio space like that, we'd be in business...
Looks like the Big 10 may have its mojo back. None of the league’s upperclassman tested the NBA waters and returned to school. What does that mean? Lots of floor burns and black eyes because every Big 10 game will be a fight plus the race to the Big 10 title will be a war.
BEST TEAM IN THE BIG 10: MICHIGAN STATE
It’s a coin flip between Michigan State and Purdue but you have to go with the Spartans. They made it to the NCAA title game last year and despite 2 key losses still has the talent to make another final four run. Michigan State does return the reigning Big 10 player of the year in Kalin Lucas who now takes on a leadership role in the backcourt. Lucas is big time. You know Michigan State will have big bangers in the paint commanding the boards and the Spartans have that especially with incoming Freshman Derrick Nix in the mix. Nix is 6-9, 290 pounds and was Michigan’s Mr. Basketball a year ago averaging 15 rebounds per game.
BEST PLAYER IN THE BIG 10: Evan Turner – Ohio State Talk about a workhouse, last year Turner lead the Buckeyes in scoring, rebounding, assists and steals. Turner did it all last year because he had to. This year with Jon Diebler, William Buford and a healthy David Lighty he may not have to wear the Superman “S” the whole time however, Turner’s definitely the Buckeyes go to guy. Turner could be collecting big checks in the NBA but decided to stay in Columbus for a Big 10 title run.
OSG’s Big 10 Prediction
Michigan State Purdue Ohio State Illinois Michigan Minnesota Wisconsin Penn State Northwestern Indiana Iowa
Northeastern University becomes the second school in metro Boston to blow up their football program. The school started the sport in 1933 and finished with a 289-364-17record.
The President of the school, Joseph Aoun, and AD Peter Roby made the decision Friday. The program's 87 players and 10 coaches learned Sunday night at a meeting on campus with Roby, a day after the team won its final game 33-27 at the University of Rhode Island. The Huskies won their final two games to finish 3-8, their sixth consecutive losing season.
"Our goal for athletics is to achieve sustainable excellence in all areas. We do not define success merely through wins and losses. Instead, we recognize that success comes from creating a positive student-athlete experience. The primary motivation for this decision was based on the significant obstacles to providing this experience for our football players."
Then, sir, it's either one of two things...
You yourself think your football players are substandard thinkers and can't create , or you don't want to put forth the effort to make football a "positive student-athlete experience." And if, in fact, the main obstacle was money to invest, recruit, and make the experience positive- then don't put $10-million bucks in to a new multi-purpose arena on campus.
And then there was this spirited discussion this morning on MyFoxBoston... Awesome television when a news guy and a sports guy disagree...
It is the "chicken-and-egg" angle for all of this... But we still side with the football team...
Nu'Keese Richardson will not be enrolled at the University of Tennessee next semester.
WVLT-TV in Knoxville knows someone who spoke with the receiver himself, and Nu'Keese said he would not be returning next semester and that he'll head back to his home state of Florida.
Those of us at OSG HQ think he's headed to the University of North Alabama for his next round of football, but that's just us...
In other news, the driver of the car that was used in the Edwards-Richardson-Jackson armed robbery attempt, and Jackson himself, have had their charges dropped.
The news release from the Knox County DA's office says: "The investigation and review of all relevant evidence failed to show (that) Ms. Montmarquet and Mr. Jackson had prior knowledge that the attempted robber was going to take place and were unaware something had occurred until after they pulled out of the Pilot Store (on Cumberland Ave.)"
Marie Lynn Montmarquet's drug possession and paraphernalia charges will remain and be prosecuted by the DA's office.
Here's how WVLT-TV covered the story earlier Monday...
Either New Mexico was really good Saturday or Colorado State was really, really bad...
We're thinking the latter...
The Locksley-led Lobos took out the Rams for their first win of the year in the WAC.
James Aho kicked a 27-yard field goal for the winning margin...
But don't feel too happy for the 1-10 team. They get TCU next week, and the Horned Frogs are most definitely going to have to go for style points in that one.
Her's your highlights and post, thanks to our freinds at KRQE-TV in Albuquerque.
In his first season at the University of North Alabama... where, apparently, one-third of his players were booted out of D1 programs because of one disciplinary issue or another...
Nice...
North Alabama beat Arkansas Tech 41-28 on Saturday. UNA beat the Wonder Boys 42-17 on October 3rd and now will play Carson-Newman.
UNA recorded its 24th straight win over teams from Arkansas.
Carl Prather has your highlights- starting at about the 2:15 mark... ((HT: WAFF-TV/Huntsville))
Oh, Brother Wilkie can fill you guys in on the whole "Wonderboys" thing... We have no earthly idea...
John Camino had four touchdowns to lead the Carroll College Saints (12-0) to a 59-7 blowout over Dickinson State.
Carroll racked up 302 yards on the ground, and limited the Blue Hawks to 108 yards of total offense, including -10 on the ground.
The five-time NAIA champions, runner-ups in 2008, will host MidAmerica Nazarene in the quarterfinals Saturday.
Here's the IR's wrap with highlighs and a bunch of sound from players and Coach Van.
Here's your quarterfinal matchups for next Saturday... all times local... Morningside at Sioux Falls, noon Lambuth at Saint Xavier, noon Mid-America Nazarene at Carroll, 12:07 Ottawa at Lindenwood, 12:30 p.m.
Oklahoma wore white unis and helmets for the first time in forty years, and after the 41-13 loss to Texas Tech in Lubbock, they may put them away for another forty.
Four of OU's losses were by a total of twelve points... This one was a horizon job...and it was OU's worst loss since 2005...
Tech had 549 yards of offense- 187 on the ground. So much for that 6th-ranked defense in the country...
Quarterback Landry Jones completed just 18 of 35 passes, and running backs Chris Brown and DeMarco Murray combined for 51 yards rushing on 18 carries.
Saturday's 28-point defeat was the third-most lopsided loss in the Bob Stoops era. Only USC in 2004 (55-19) and Texas in 2005 (45-12) were worse.
Who wants to bet he's talking to folks in South Bend real soon...???
Newsok.com's Berry Tramel has the op-ed piece with the OU beat writers from Jones Stadium in Lubbock...
It was a game of stickers, throwbacks, and pink buckeyes...
Ohio State broke out the old unis for their game against Michigan. The Buckeyes won it 21-10, but this year's game was more about someone and her fight with breast cancer.
Stefanie Spielman, wife of OSU and NFL linebacker Chris, lost her fight with cancer at the age of 42.
Those of us at OSG HQ choose to acknowledge that a game was played... We choose to recognize that Michigan is an average football university at best...
But we also choose to remember what's important...
Andrea Cambern and Jerry Revish anchor coverage...
After three seasons at Georgia Southern University, Chris Hatcher is out as head coach- much to the hand-waving Big Phil's delight and lack of surprise.
The glory days of Erk Russell long since passed at Southern, AD Sam Baker thought that the "Hatch Attack" would bring playoff berths and post-season success back to Statesboro, Georgia.
All it brought, instead, was frustration at both Hatch and Baker for a hiccuping offense and an inconsistent defense.
Southern finished their season with a win Saturday, but it simply wasn't enough and the past few seasons have proven to be unacceptable for boosters and fans.
Here's FOSG Frank Sulkowski with the news...
Those of us at OSG HQ have covered Hatch since his time as a quarterback at Valdosta State University, back when we all had a lot more hair. He is a great man and should land on his feet very soon.
D2 was his bag, and he had the routine down cold. It'll be interesting to see what happens to Hatch and the guys on his staff...
Those of us at OSG HQ have come to a few conclusions...
1) UGA Joe Cox is not a good college quarterback...
Evidence, your honor, comes from the last two throws he made... directly to Kentucky players and not Georgia receivers... Cox failed to look off receivers before delivering the football and deciding to throw to larger linebackers instead of his receivers who were dressed in the same colored uniform as he was.
Forcing the issue under pressure yields sub-standard results...
2) UGA DC Willy Martinez is short for The Hedges...
Too many points given up... too many yards given up... Too many plays where opposing players run free...
Liberty Bowl reps were in attendance in Athens Saturday... now, they're looking at other schools. Do not be surprised if the Dawgs go to Birmingham and play another mediocre ACC squad before Christmas...
Here's your highlights, thanks to our friends at WLEX-TV in Lexington Brent Carney got to stand in front of a monitor for the recap...
After losing three games by a total of four points after the slaying of teammate Jasper Howard, UConn finally got a win Saturday- in South Bend, against Notre Dame, in double overtime- 33-30...
Andre Dixon scored on a 4-yard touchdown run in the second overtime, and we think that all this does is send Charlie Weis packing with an $18-million golden dome parachute...
Weis said 6-5 wasn't acceptable when he took the job, and those of us at OSG HQ think 6-5 is unacceptable now...
Here's your coverage of the game, thanks to our friends at WTNH-TV... John Pierson stands inside in front of a monitor...
Oregon beat Arizona 44-41 in double overtime Saturday... and, apparently, no one has figured out how to stop Ducks QB Jeremiah Masoli.
Masoli was responsible for 6 TD's on the day in one fashion or another- including the one that sent the game to free football to begin with and the game winner in the second free frame...
The only thing holding them from a bid in the Rose Bowl is their game against Oregon State next weekend...
Here's your wrap, thanks to our friends at KVAL-TV in Eugene...
Did anyone else watch the end of the LSU/Ole Miss game on Saturday afternoon? The game itself for the 1st oh...57 minutes of game time was a typically dull, not exciting SEC defensive extravaganza. The last 3 minutes...some of the craziest football that you'll ever see.
Ole Miss goes up 25-17 with about 3 minutes to go. LSU gets the ball and drives down the field, they score with about a minute and a half to go. They try to go for 2. The first attempt, pass interference is called and they get to try again; this time from the 1 yard line. The second try, Ole Miss blitzes and LSU for some reason runs the same exact fade they tried the 1st time, this time...the pass goes incomplete and you are thinking game over...You'd be wrong.
LSU goes to kickoff and has to go onsides with it. For some reason, the kicker bounces it straight at an Ole Miss player who goes Matador on it and Brandon LaFell for LSU picks it up on the hop and runs another 10 yards. LSU gets the ball and moves it down to the 3o with a little under a minute to go. They botch the next two plays and all of a sudden, it's 4th and 26 on the 50 yard line with 9 seconds to go. Somehow, Jordan Jefferson completes the pass down inside the 10 yard line, but there is only 1 second to go...the clock stops for the chains to move. After some hesitation, the Tigers line up to run a play...and don't even snap the ball. Game over, Ole Miss wins 25-22.
Anyway, it was an incredibly bizarre ending to an otherwise pretty good game. Here is your coverage, from WAFB-TV in Baton Rouge, you'll have to follow the link RIGHT HERE
And your sound from a somewhat apologetic Les Miles, thanks WBRZ-TV:
Yeah, we know about the whole Mickey Andrews thing and we know about the seniors on senior day... but there's one other voice that will be taking leave after this year.
Those of you who have either heard or attended a game at Doak Campbell Stadium know the booming voice that carries everyone through an FSU game...
Few have seen Nick Menacof's face until now...
Menacof is retiring after a quarter-century as PA Announcer in Tallahassee...
FOSG Lee Gordon caught up with the man before he says we all should have one last, safe trip home... ((HT: WCTV-TV))
And, yes, we know more about the Andrews departure than we're letting on right now... When we have our facts straight, we'll tell you more of what we know...
