Heavy Weight Clean Hit

This is the age-old question where the National Hockey League is concerned...

A player lowers his head, an opposing player seeing an opening, lowers the boom...

This happened Saturday night in the Carolina/New York Islanders game. The Canes Brandon Sutter was skating into the Islanders zone with his eye on the puck. The Isles Doug Weight absolutely destroys Sutter with a shot to the upper body. Sutter goes unconscious and all hell breaks lose...

No surprises there...

But the hit was considered "clean" by NHL standards...
Here is the hit... thanks to FS Carolinas and the youtube...


TSN's Bob McKenzie raises the standard questions in black...

Remember, this isn't the first time the Canes have had heavy-check aftermath.
From the McKenzie piece... the key paragraph...

"The league should at least stop saying it's concerned with hits to the head, because it's not," Rutherford told TSN.ca. "I've had four players - Erik Cole, Trevor Letowski, Matt Cullen and now Brandon Sutter - get badly injured on hits to the head and only one of the guys who hit them was suspended. So don't tell me the league is concerned about hits to the head because it's not."

Sutter remains in a Long Island hospital under observation...

You're Bumetanide-ing Me Out, Man...

In a story first reported by Josina Anderson of KDVR-TV/Fox 31 in Denver, upwards of 10 active NFL players have tested positive for a banned substance- three of them have been linked to the New Orleans Saints franchise... Deuce McAllister, Charles Grant, and Will Smith.

This release of information could not have come out at a worse time for The Shield with the Saints set to play San Diego in London Sunday. Chris Mortensen has added the name of Houston Texans' long-snapper Bryan Pittman to the list. Pittman has hired an attorney, David Cornwell, to represent him.

The illegal substance, bumetanide, is a weight-loss diuretic ((translation- water pill)) and has also been suspected to be a masking agent for steroids in an individual's system.

If the test is in fact positive, it may result in a four-game suspension for the three Saints players- the standard suspension length for a first-time violation.

Saints lineman Jamar Nesbit has just returned from a four-game suspension of his own. The drug linked to Nesbit was bumetanide, and it is unknown whether or not Nesbit's name is on the list released to the Denver television station for their story.

Teddy Kider from the New Orleans Times-Picayune got in touch with Dr. Don Catlin, president and CEO of Anti-Doping Research, Incorporated. Catlin explained what bumetanide can do in a person's system...

"Part of the reason (Bumetanides) are on the list of banned substances is that they create a lot of water excretion, lots of prewater, lots of urine, and that can lower the concentration of a drug, "Catlin said. "And, of course, we are always trying to find drugs in urine. If you have diluted urine, we are going to have more difficulty finding the drugs."

Catlin added: "That's one of the two reasons why it's on the list. The other reason is to make weight in sports such as boxing and wrestling, where athletes have to come in under a certain weight to stay in their category."

Initial coverage from ABC26 in New Orleans is below...


One final note that those of us at OSG HQ find somewhat amusing...
Cornwell issued another statement calling on the league to revoke Josina Anderson's "credentials and access to NFL games and other league events until she discloses her source."

We are amused by the paper trail of this paper tiger...

Zeke Throws Daughter Under The Bus... Allegedly...

So... whom do you believe...???

New York Knicks Special Consultant-Scout-All-Around-Franchise-Destroyer Isiah Thomas ((Pictured, thanks NYPost)), or the local sheriff in regards to the latest 911 call to the Thomas imitation-palatial estate...

If you believe Isiah you hear the following...

"...reached on his cell phone Friday, the 47-year-old NBA great told the New York Post that he had not been treated for a sleeping pill overdose, and that it was 17-year-old daughter Lauren who had a medical issue.

It "wasn't an overdose," he said. "My daughter is very down right now. None of us are OK."

If you believe Harrison, New York Police Chief David Hall you hear the following...

"My cops ... know the difference between a 47-year-old black male and a young black female," Hall said.

"These people should learn something from Richard Nixon - it's not the crime, it's the cover-up," he added.

Ya see... Thomas is now claiming that is was not he that had, apparently, too many Lunesta at bedtime Friday. His son is corroborating the Isiah version of the story...

The local police, however, are not...

According to the Post, an ambulance and two police officers responded to a 911 call that came in from the Thomas home a couple minutes after midnight, Hall said. The victim was taken about 5 miles from the home to White Plains Hospital Center, where officials declined to identify the overdose patient.

"It wasn't his daughter," Hall told The Associated Press. "And why they're throwing her under the bus is beyond my ability to understand."

Well, actually, we do have our answer... it's Isiah...

Allegedly...

WABC-TV's coverage is below...

Palin Drops Puck, Goalie Injured

Friday night Republican Vice Presidential candidate Sarah Palin dropped the ceremonial first puck before the Los Angeles Kings - St. Louis Blues game. (Video below: Thanks FS Midwest)

After Palin dropped the puck, Blues goalie Manny Legace was the first player on the ice. A team official pointed to the carpet but according to Legace, the official moved his own foot from the carpet just as Legace put his foot down causing the carpet to slide. Legace fell and gingerly made his way to the crease.

Legace ended up hurting his hip or he described it as a strained left hip flexor. It's not believed to be serious just very painful.

After Legace made his first save of the night the pain felt worse. He played the entire first period facing 12 shots and allowing 2 L.A. Kings goals.

Does Legace have hard feelings toward Palin? That answer would be no.

"She's been pretty good for our game," Legace said. "I'm starting to like her more and more. No grudge."

Shattering Hit

Milan Lucic of the Boston Bruins crushes Mike Van Ryn of the Toronto Maple Leafs and shatters the glass.

Check out the video courtesy of TSN

"Houston Bowl" Comes To Fayetteville, Arkansas

There are many great college football games this weekend but the one I personally look forward to will kick off at Reynolds Razorback Stadium Saturday night. Ole Miss at Arkansas may not be on your list but it tops mine.

Saturday, Ole Miss head coach Houston Nutt returns to Arkansas for the first time since he resigned last November as head coach of the Razorbacks. Nutt became a polarizing figure in the Razorback nation the last couple of years. From the Gus Malzahn experience to cell phone gate, blah, blah, blah, no sense rehashing the chain of events that led to Nutt's getting the heck out of dodge (or Fayetteville.) Nutt wasn't interested either when asked about it during his weekly press conference.

"I don’t want to get into all that. How did they know I was leaving or when I was leaving?" Nutt said. "All I know is that we gave a lot of effort and a lot of energy to that program for 10 years every single day from daylight to exhaustion."

There were many in the Razorback nation who wanted to see Nutt throw it a little more, to have a more entertaining offense. I thought it was pretty entertaining watching Darren McFadden and Felix Jones bust some long TD runs. I suspect Nutt knew he didn't have the type of quarterback that could sling it, and Hog fans, judging from this year Nutt might have been correct.

On the flipside, Bobby Petrino came to Arkansas in a storm of controversy that initially created a deeper divide among Razorback Nation. I've got to give Petrino credit, he practiced good P.R., showed a bit of personality and won over those Hog fans who had doubt. Petrino is taking a beat down this year but the track record is there for success.

Petrino is playing down the side story of Saturday's Ole Miss - Arkansas game.

"I understand the build up by the Razorback fans, that’s natural." Patrino said. "Our players understand that it’s our football team against their football team. Let’s take the coaches out of it, let’s take the past out of it and let’s just get ready to go out there and compete, play hard, play the game that we all love."

You bet Ole Miss and especially Arkansas (myself included) circled this date on their calendar. He didn't circle the date but Nutt thought about it.

"I don’t know an exact number, but off and on." Nutt said. "There have been several times when you think about what it’s going to be like when you’re coming from the opposite side, coming from the other dressing room. Now, you’re halfway through the season, you’re locked into Ole Miss, you’re locked into the players you have here and I’ve gotten very close to them. I’m looking forward to it, but I can’t give you an exact number of how many times. It’s definitely crossed my mind."

If anything, Saturday's Ole Miss - Arkansas game ramps up this rivalry.

"There will be a lot of people at the ball game, and it was probably an instant rival as soon as most of our staff came over here since there was so much talk about it." Nutt said.

What kind of reception will Houston Nutt get at the game? My guess it will be a mixture of polite applause and a cold reception. There still many wounds that haven't healed among the Hog fan base.

I can tell you this, Ole Miss will play hard, Arkansas will play hard. Nutt's Arkansas recruits will play hard. It should be an intense football game Saturday in the Ozarks.

You can read more from Wally Hall’s column in Friday’s Arkansas Democrat – Gazette.

More analysis from the Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal.

Houston Nutt Photo Courtesy: Getty Images

Bobby Petrino Photo Courtesy: Wesley Hitt/Arkansas

Lute Is Leaving Arizona

Lute Olson is retiring as head basketball coach at the University of Arizona.

"This was not a decision that was made lightly," Olson said. "I've had a wonderful run at The University of Arizona. I leave with a great sense of pride in what we have accomplished here."

"At this stage in my life, I want to devote my time to my children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, family and friends. I look forward to watching Wildcat basketball and visiting with my colleagues in the coaching profession. It is time to pass the program on to a younger staff, to transition the university to the next generation of basketball."

Olson legacy will loom large at U 0f A. in 25 season on the Arizona bench Olson led the Wildcats to 4 final fours and a national title in 1997 as well as 11 Pac-10 Championships, 4 Pac-10 Tournamemt titles. Most impressively, Olson led Arizona to 23 straight NCAA Tournament appearances, the longest active streak in the NCAA.

Read more from the Arizona Daily Star.

Paola Boivin of the Arizona Republic says it’s the end of a dynasty at UA.

Photo Courtesy: Xavier Gallegos/Tucson Citizen

Willie Williams Is Alive

The only game in town Thursday was in Rome, Georgia...

You've caught our occasional musings about life on the road, and you get the chance to see the polls on a weekly basis in a world where scholarships aren't at the level of Division 1 life.

It was a short week for both the Union College ((Ky)) folks as well as the home team for OSG HQ, the Shorter Hawks. The second game in five days for both between two ranked teams in the Top 25 in the NAIA.

Barron Stadium holds 6,500 in a sell-out. It wasn't quite that many, but there was an interesting looking middle linebacker for the visitors- Willie Williams ((pictured, thanks to me)).

Yes, that Willie Williams...

The Willie Williams that was found out to have been brought up on eleven different charges as a juvenile. The Willie Williams that then-Miami Head Coach Larry Coker acknowledged he didn't know about all those warrants while he was being recruited. The Willie Williams who decided to empty fire extinguishers in a hotel during a recruiting trip.

Union is Williams' fifth school. Let's see if we can recall them- Miami, Louisville, West Los Angeles Junior College, Glenville State, and now Union College. Two D1's, a JuCo, a D2, and an NAIA school. And, yes, we know he never played at Glenville, but it still counts.

He's listed at 6-4, 220, but doesn't look the part. But, in the Mid-South Conference Williams is ridiculously dominant. He averages close to a dozen tackles a game, at least one of those per loss on average, and gets a sack per game as well. Safe to say the game plan with Shorter's option/veer offense was to block down, double team, and shade as far away from the middle of the field as possible. And the Hawks did a great job of that.

The only time he was mentioned was when the Hawks ran up the middle- which was only done to set up stud running back AJ Cooley ((and anyone else)) hitting the edge. And the Hawks got a signature win by avoidance therapy.

33-27...

I asked AJ about what is was like going against Williams and that defense and he thought their approach was pretty sound- treat him just like everyone else. They did... and Williams looked just like every other guy wearing the number 13 on a football field.

Lesson learned... it will be interesting to see if Williams is the same way going through a town like Barbourville, Kentucky.

The Damn Dirty Dozen Again!

More Conference Fun Ahead...

This is like the greatest time of the year for College Football, isn't it? We are getting deep into the conference schedules and we are finding out, kinda like Santa Claus, who's been naughty and who's been nice (ok, so good and not so good might work better-chalk it up to the cooler weather).

Last Week 10-3, Overall 16-7. Expect the Dozen to shift further after this week:

1. Texas (Yes, they deserve it. If Colt McCoy keeps completing 81% of his passes, these guys may never lose. This Week: Texas 41, Ok. State 24)

2. Alabama (The best 1st Half team in the country. The 2nd half...not so much. This Week: Alabamie 16, Tennessee 9)

3. State Penn (Looks like they are here to stay. Win this week and they can coast. Maybe if they get to the BCS, JoePa will finally go away. This Week: State Penn 20, Ohio St. 13)

4. Oh..klahoma (Where the sweeps down the plains. Probably the best 1 loss team out there, can they stay that way? This Week: Oklahoma 47, K-State 27)

5. Oh..klahoma...State (The fighting Mike Gundy's are pretty good. Saying Mike Gundy mulitple times is good for OSG business. This Week: Poor Mike Gundy, See #1)

6. Florida (Not totally sold yet, the next couple of weeks will tell. I can't wait until next week in Jacksonville-((i'll be there)) This Week: Florida 23, Kentucky 13)

7. Texas Tech (Again, not buying this. They will lose, it's just a matter of when, they still have no "D". This Week: Texas Tech 41, Kansas 34)

8. Georgia (I'm still waiting for a breakout performance from these guys. They've underachieved, but they also have had a major injury bug hit them. This Week: Georgia 23, LSU 20)

9. USC (I don't know why they jumped so high after killing Wash. State, everyone smashes them. They are good, I don't think they are great+the PAC 10 sucks. This Week: USC 41, Arizona 20)

10. Ohio State (The most confusing team in the NCAA. They are never as good as they appear. That hasn't changed for the 59th year in a row. This Week: See #3)

11. LSU (The personnel turnover is finally catching up with LeSmiles. Beating South Carolina isn't all that great now, is it? This Week: See #8)

12. Georgia Tech (I don't know how, but they are 6-1. Don't sell these guys short. They aren't always pretty but they play hard and have a helluva "D". This Week: Ga.Tech 20, Virginia 6)

The Bottom of the Barrel:

5. SMU (Paging June Jones, June Jones, please pick up the white courtesy phone, it's last year in Hawaii calling. This Week: Navy 41, SMU 14)

4. Syrie-cuse (Will someone please put them out of their misery? Paging Dr. Kevorkian, Dr. Kevorkian? This Week: Louisville 35, Little Orange 10)

3. North Texas (Do we really need to say anything else. I'm suprised the State of Texas hasn't expelled them from the state. This Week: Troy 38, North Texas 6)

2. Washington (This kind of explains why they never get sunshine in the Pacific Northwest this time of year. Has anyone checked to see if there is a Shleprock on the roster? This Week: Notre Dame 27, Washington 17) ed. note-these guys must really suck if I pick ND to beat them

1. Washington State (USC's 4th team scored at will, Elon's 3rd team scored on them, Valdosta States 2nd team scored on them and Shorter's scout team scored on them. God they suck! This Week: Stanford 31, Wash.St. 3 ((bless the trees!))

That is all we've got. If you are a fan of the Bottom of the Barrel, well, Basketball season is on the way soon. Have a Great Day!

Bear Down Arizona, Lute Could Be Leaving

Rumors are flying around Tucson that Lute Olson is leaving as head basketball coach at Arizona. A source told the worldwide leader's Dick Vitale (never one to keep his mouth shut) that Olson is stepping down and associate coach Mike Dunlap will take over on an interim basis.




This is news to the Universities adminstration who say they have not been informed by Olson that he is stepping down. The 4-letter word quotes Arizona spokesman Tom Duddleston, "We're not making any announcement to that effect." At this moment there is nothing going on."



At this moment, eh.



The Arizona Daily Star reported that Olson missed practice yesterday and was unable to attend the Rotary Club of Tucson luncheon for health related issues.



So coach Olson calls in sick and appears to be never heard from again. Sounds like the way they used to get rid of Soviet dictators.



We will keep you posted.



More from the Arizona Republic

A Salute To The ((Don't Say Devil)) Rays

And, probably the only version we could find that wouldn't get any of you in trouble from any of the following: GE, NBC, and Lorne Michaels and his comedically-talented hammer-dropping, legal team from hay-ell...

Enjoy... and carry on...

More Cowbell!!! Baseball Championship Programming From Tampa

((HT: WTSP-TV and 10connects.com))

We're going to try something... as long as this link lasts...
Occasionally, there should be some live television-type programming from Tampa surrounding that best-of-seven game series that starts today...

News, sports, features... this is live television, folks...
Check in during normal news broadcast hours east coast time...
We'll all see what happens...

Room For Another In The Horseshoe...?

Well, duh...

Globesports and TSN in Canada are bringing out the idea that some National Hockey League governors have informally ((emphasize the word- informally)) floated the thought of a second franchise in the Greater Toronto Area ((pictured, thanks NHL Images/Getty Images)).

Would the area support another franchise...?

Mental Note: What has Jim Balsillie been doing trying to bring a group to Hamilton and renovate the Copps Coliseum...?

Hello...???

Anyway... David Shoalts of the Globe and Mail brought up the idea after talking to some governors who suggest that one scenario is to give Balsillie an expansion franchise in the GTA after restoring financial stability to the Nashville Predators...

((Ed. note- Isn't that what got the Preds into this mess with Craig Leipold, AEG, and the Los Angeles Kings...? Just axin'))

From Shoalts... ahem... quote...

"Calgary Flames co-owner Harley Hotchkiss, a former chairman of the NHL board of governors, is also aware of the Balsillie movement.

“I've heard bits and pieces of this scenario, although not in that kind of detail,” he said. “Our priority is to have the existing franchises solid.”

“[It is] an interesting scenario,” Mr. Hotchkiss added, “ but I can only speak generally.”

Richard Peddie, president of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment, said the organization would not automatically reject the idea of a second team in Toronto.

“When and if the league brings expansion to the table, we'll listen and decide what is best [for hockey],” he said."

One governor told Shoalts that Balsillie would never get a team into Hamilton because "it's a minor-league town." There is also the thought that a team in Hamilton would put up a road block for anyone in the Golden Horsehoe ((the area from 12:00 to 6:00 hugging the western edge of Lake Ontario)) that, previously, would go catch a Buffalo Sabres game.

"We do not want to kill the Sabres,” the governor said. “But if there was a second team in Toronto, that would not hurt Buffalo.”

But another interviewee by Shoalts thought that asking Balsillie for a massive expansion fee would placate the Sabres financially...

Stephen Brunt likes the idea, but only if it's through relocation...

TSN's coverage is in black...

TSN's Dave Hodge waxes on the thought in black...

LeBatard Sides With Glazer in Favre Flap

Dan LeBatard of the Miami affiliate of four-letter radio went against company policy and interviewed Fox Sports' Jay Galzer about the whole Brett Favre-phone-call-to-Detroit thing.

There was an edict in Bristol not to address the matter on any level since Favre told Chris Mortensen that Glazer was fibbing about the whole "no-he-didn't-leak-info-to-anyone" phone call. Only when Favre addressed the matter at his Jets press conference did the four-letter acknowledge any actions at all...

LeBatard decided that Favre wasn't on the up-and-up and talked to Glazer about it anyway...
Here's the exchange in all its glory...
((HT: WAXY-AM Radio and the youtube))

Breakin' the Law! Breakin' the Law!

Trouble in the Pits...

It looks like another NASCAR Driver and Crew Chief are in trouble for...shall we say...bending the rules. Brian Vickers, driver of the #83 car, team owner Dietrich Mateschitz and crew chief Craig Smokstad all are in various forms of trouble with the Car Police. Take a look at the release:

For Immediate Release

No. 83 Team Penalized For Post-Race Inspection Infractions

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Oct. 22, 2008) – NASCAR has issued penalties, suspensions and fines to the No. 83 team in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, as a result of rules infractions found on Tuesday during a Martinsville post-race inspection at the NASCAR Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C.
The car was found to be in violation of Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing); 12-4-Q (car, car parts, components and/or equipment used do not conform to NASCAR rules); and 20-2.1-D (exterior sheet metal body parts did not meet the specified minimum thickness) of the 2008 NASCAR rule book.
As a result, both the crew chief, Kevin Hamlin, and the car chief, Craig Smokstad, have been suspended indefinitely from NASCAR. Additionally, Hamlin has been fined $100,000.
Driver Brian Vickers and owner Dietrich Mateschitz have been penalized with the loss of 150 driver and 150 owner points, respectively.

Oh well, it sucks to be them, but then again, since they aren't in the "Race for the Chase" or whatever it is that NASCAR calls there season ending countdown; it really doesn't matter, no racers seem to exsist unless they are in the top 12 and in the so-called chase. (Yes, that is a snarky editorial comment)

Thanks NASCAR for the copy of the logo (hopefully a proper credit)

College Basketball: UConn The Pick In The Big East

Yes we are in the middle of college football where Texas dominates the world right now but college basketball begins soon and yes all the pre-season banter has begun for you college hoop junkies. Most the Division I conferences are in the middle of the conference media days so let the pre-season predictions roll in.

Let's start with the Big East Conference, a conference sooooo big.. (HOW BIG IS IT?) That's a great question. It's so big 4 bottom feeders each year won't make the conference tournament. That's the best I have but you get the picture.

Congratulations Luke Harangoody of Notre Dame, you have been picked as the pre-season player of the year in the Big East this season. Harangoody won the Big East POY last year so it's a no brainer.

Connecticut is the pick to win the Big East Conference by the league coaches. Jim Calhoun thanks you. Here's the list:

Preseason Coaches' Poll
1. Connecticut (9) 214
2. Louisville (3) 205
3. Pittsburgh (3) 200
4. Notre Dame (1) 195
5. Villanova 153
6. Marquette 146
7. Georgetown 141
8. Syracuse 139
9. West Virginia 121
10. Providence 99
11. Cincinnati 91
12. Rutgers 53
13. Seton Hall 50
14. St. John’s 44
15. DePaul 43
16. USF 26
First-place votes in parentheses.

Luke Harangoody Photo Courtesy: AP

Division II Poll ((Week of October 21st))

1. Grand Valley State Lakers (23) 7-0 646
2. Abilene Christian Wildcats (3) 7-0 625
3. Northwest Missouri State Bearcats 7-1 586
4. Bloomsburg Huskies 8-0 560
5. Delta State Statesmen 6-1 552
6t. California (PA) Vulcans 7-1 459
6t. Minnesota-Duluth Bulldogs 8-0 459
8. North Alabama Lions 7-1 455
9. Valdosta State Blazers 6-1 450
10. Central Washington Wildcats 7-1 410
11. West Texas A&M Buffaloes 7-1 405
12. Tuskegee Golden Tigers 7-0 357
13t. Chadron State Eagles 7-1 345
13t. Pittsburg State Gorillas 7-1 345
15. Edinboro Fighting Scots 7-1 281
16. Tarleton State Texans 7-1 264
17. Carson-Newman Eagles 5-2 227
18. Central Missouri State Mules 6-2 168
19. American Intl Yellow Jackets 7-0 143
20. Wingate Bulldogs 7-1 127
21. Indiana (PA) Crimson Hawks 5-2 113
22. West Virginia State Yellow Jackets 6-1 86
23. Ashland Eagles 6-2 78
24. West Chester Golden Rams 6-2 61
25. Midwestern State Mustangs 5-2 45

Others receiving votes: Seton Hill, 44; Fayetteville St, 33; Michigan Tech, 25; Arkansas-Monticello, 22; Albany St, 20; Mesa St, 13; Newberry, 11; Colorado School of Mines, 10; North Carolina-Pembroke, 9; Wayne St (MI), 5; East Stroudsburg, 4; Washburn, 3; Catawba, 1; Charleston, 1; Elizabeth City St, 1; Hillsdale, 1.

"Soldier" Winslow Suspended

((HT: Brother Martin))

Cleveland Browns Tight End/Soldier Kellen Winslow, Junior ((pictured arms akimbo, thanks WOIO-TV)) has been suspended by the club for popping off in a post-game interview about his perceived lack of love from the front office after suffering a staph infection and spending a few nights in the hospital.

The club felt compelled not to disclose what Winslow's injury was, but Winslow did Sunday. He was none too happy about General Manager Phil Savage not giving vigil bedside while he was in recovery...

From the Browns themselves...

"The Cleveland Browns are committed to winning and taking care of our players. We are also committed to protecting the privacy of our players, particularly with regard to medical issues. To that end, following discussions with Kellen Winslow and his representation, the Browns agreed to make every effort to maintain the confidentiality of his recent medical condition.

"As an organization, we have worked hard to ensure the safety and well-being of our players. Consistent with this effort, we have consulted the team's medical experts to ensure that any instances of staph infections are evaluated and treated thoroughly and expeditiously, and in accordance with the recommended standard of care. Further, steps have been and continue to be taken on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis to protect our players and personnel at our training facility and stadium.

During training camp, the entire team took part in an extensive presentation by experts in the field of infectious diseases. It was an educational meeting that informed players of the issues, how to prevent and minimize the risks of infection, and what preventative measures we as an organization had employed to assure maximum safety for the team combined with a Q&A session for the players. Kellen was in attendance at that meeting. Since that meeting, not one player has approached me, Romeo Crennel, or our medical staff with concerns as to how we have dealt with this issue.

Kellen has expressed his desire to be a productive member of the Cleveland Browns. His comments and behavior on Sunday evening, however, were unwarranted, inappropriate, and unnecessarily disparaging to our organization. His statements brought unjustified negative attention to our organization, and violated the team-first concept of our football squad. Therefore, disciplinary action will be taken in the form of a one-game suspension without pay for conduct detrimental to the club.

Beginning Wednesday, the focus of the coaches and players will be on preparing for the upcoming game against the Jacksonville Jaguars."

Winslow is not allowed to participate in any of the Browns' reindeer games this week, but is eligible to return on Monday the 27th...

By the way, did you know Winslow was a soldier...?

Elite XC X'd Out

From Dave Meltzer at Yahoo Sports...

The Elite XC folks will all be looking for work at the end of the week.

Elite was, by some reports, as much as US$55-million in the hole after a bad TV deal in year one of their existence with Showtime, and purchasing four other rival companies. Those losses would have forced Elite, eventually, to sell to Showtime or declare bankruptcy.

“I got a call earlier [Monday] telling me they were shutting down,” said Frank Shamrock, who was a television commentator, a main event fighter and a shareholder in the promotion told Meltzer.

UFC Poohbah Dana White has already said he wouldn't go anywhere near Kimbo Slice ((pictured, thanks Vancouver Sun/Stephen Shugerman-Getty Images)), but he may have to re-think his plan on female fighters like Gina Carano.

More from Meltzer:

"The Elite XC sale was believed to be close to completion heading into the Oct. 4 show on CBS. The show was a ratings success, beating both Major League Baseball playoff games and both major college football games in the target male 18-49 demographic, but left the brand tainted due to a controversy stemming from the main event.

CBS funded the event because Elite XC didn’t have the money to continue while negotiations for the sale continued."

Then, Seth Petruzelli went and opened his mouth on an Orlando radio station that further increased the credibility questions of Elite after the Slice upset... that didn't help, either...

“The promoters kind of hinted to me and they gave me the money to stand and trade with him,” Petruzelli said two days after the fight on “The Monsters in Orlando” radio show. “They didn’t want me to take him down.

“Let’s just put it that way. It was worth my while to try and stand up and punch with him.”

Elite XC, we hardly knew ye... but it does give us one more excuse to show the Slice-Petruzelli fight and hear Gus Johnson go... well, All Gus Johnson on us again...

((HT: Elite XC/CBS/the youtube))

Seven Answers State Charges

And, yes, we are talking about Michael Vick...

According to the Virginian-Pilot newspaper, 7 is set to answer the state dogfighting charges hanging over his head via video conference next week. His anticipated guilty plea is an attempt to orchestrate an early release into a half-way house.

According to the Virginia-Pilot's Tim McGlone...

The papers that were filed say that Vick needs to resolve his state charges before he can be eligible for entry into a halfway house. Vick’s scheduled release date is July 20 and the soonest he could enter a program is six months before that.

No court date has been set officially, but the Surry County Court next convenes on November 5.

Surry County Commonwealth’s Attorney Gerald G. Poindexter has not been available for comment so far today.

From WVEC-TV:

VICK ATTORNEYS STATEMENT: (VIA FAX TO 13NEWS)

"Today, William R. "Billy" Martin and Lawrence H. "Woody" Woodward, Jr., attorneys for Michael Vick, announced that they filed a motion in Surry County, Virginia asking the Court to allow Mr. Vick, pursuant to the Virginia Rules, to enter a plea of guilty to the pending state charges via videoconference. Together with his motion, Mr. Vick filed a waiver in which he forgoes his right to personally appear at the plea hearing and agrees to be bound by the decision of the court. Mr. Vick is committed to taking ((sic)) responsibilty for his actions. He is hopeful that, through this motion, the trial court will allow him to finally resolve these matters and put the charges behind him so that he can begin to focus on his future and to prepare to be reunited with his family."

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