Silva Sportz

Our Trip to the DFW Marriott (aka the most fun I've had in years!)

2007-10-14T12:17:00.000-07:00

One of my co-workers had attended the Cowboys/Rams game from two weeks ago and he told me that him and his family stayed at the hotel and that they had gotten some autographs. Of course being the hardest of hardcore, hard to the core, numero uno Dallas Cowboys fan, I immediately knew what my destiny was. I had to make the pilgrimage to the hotel and meet my heroes. So on Saturday, October 13th, Sarah, Devin, Pete, and myself took a trip to Irving to try and get some autographs. We first had to fuel up properly because we knew that we would need adequate energy to complete the task before us. We decided to stop at Mary's in Strawn for the best chicken fried steak in Texas, which of course means the best chicken-fry around. Of course we were all decked out in our finest Cowboys gear and everyone could tell we meant business. For $11.00 you get a chicken fried steak that is bigger than my head (3/4 lb to be exact), a pile of fresh-cut french fries, and salad. It was truly a meal fit for a king. We stuffed ourselves and then took our leftovers (yes, we actually all had leftovers), and headed to the DFW Airport Marriott, which is the host hotel for the Dallas Cowboys. We arrived about 4:45pm and there were already some people standing out at the fence near the players parking lot. The set up is that the players pull into a private parking lot that is blocked off to the public in their own personal vehicles. The players then park and go inside the hotel for the evening. When the players park, some of them will then walk over to the fence and sign autographs. So from the fans perspective, whenever you see an expensive vehicle coming down the street, you get excited anticipating who it could be! Then you run along the fence waiting to see which spot the car will pull into in the parking lot. Then you bumrush the fence and push woman and children out of the way and yell for your favorite player. Of course, not everyone signs but the ones who do were extremely friendly. Without further adieu, below are some pictures from our experience! (double click each picture for full size viewing)

Look at this chicken fry! It's huge!

Are you hungry yet? Mary's Cafe in Strawn, TX.

Andres and Pedro

This is when we had just arrived. We met some cool guy there from Florida and he took the pic. Pete's "got five" shirt has a pic of the Cowboys five Super Bowl championship rings on the back. Some guys came up to Pete and said they liked it. Then the guys says, "got five. Oh, that's like got milk." It was funny.

You can barely see, but if you look closely there is a guy right between those two arms. He didn't sign any autographs. People claimed it was DeMarcus Ware, but I never got a good enough look to confirm.

Here is Jason Witten. He drove up in the dark colored SUV and was just walking over to the fence. The silver SUV belongs to Brad Johnson, backup QB.

The crowd pressing in for Witten's autograph. I had already gotten it, so I was kind and slid back to let others in.

Witten again. That's Devin and some black guy. They have the same hat.

I really like this pic. Devin, Pete with the short hair, and Sarah pressing in to touch the hem of Witten's garment.

Pro Bowl punter Mat McBriar. On the ends of the parking lot the fence is only waist high.

Nick Folk, the hero from the Buffalo game.

Julius Jones just getting out of his Ferrari. The enormous grey truck next to him is Leonard Davis'. Enormous truck for enormous man, I guess.

Julius Jones up close and personal.

Linebacker Kevin Burnett. He only signed for kids. I can understand that. I'm lying - stupid kids.

It's Ken Hamlin! In the dark some of the players are hard to recognize. And some players people just don't know who they are. Everyone was calling this guy Patrick Crayton, then I saw his face and I shouted to him, "Nope. I know you, you're Ken Hamlin!" He smiled at me. I can die now.

That's Sam Hurd over there. Giving you a sense of the mob you have to push through.

WR Sam Hurd #17.

Big Leonard Davis grey truck along with some other vehicles.

Mat McBriar again. He was actually pretty big for a punter.

Kicker Nick Folk from a distance. I think that is my shoulder in blue. Pete took the pic.

Tony Romo.

TE Anthony Fasano. He was another player that I was the first to recognize.

Ken Hamlin

More Ken Hamlin. Can you ever have enough?

This is Brad Johnson emerging from his car. He didn't sign though.

Jason Witten just got out of his car! I can't explain how excited I was at this point.

Witten looking confused. Witten was really cool. Even though he is one of the biggest names on the team, he probably stayed out there signing longer than anyone.

Ken Hamlin

We ran out of film, but we still met some other cool Cowboys. At about 10:00pm all the parking spaces in the lot were full, so everyone out there pretty much left. Most of the people there were staying at the hotel, so they went inside. We retreated to our vehicle were we had brought sandwiches. While munching near the rookie parking lot, Devin spotted some guys going to their cars to leave. We quickly hurried over and met rookies Doug Free and Deon "Cricket" Anderson. Anderson was especially cool. He shook our hands and talked to us for about 5 minutes. Unfortunately we had no more film. We then made our way back to the fence, just in case any more Cowboys straggled out. Sure enough, we got to meet Remi Ayodele and Jacque Reeves and no other fans were out there but two other people. I am sure everyone is wondering where the big names were. We did see T.O. get out of nice car, but he had someone else park it. He didn't sign but he waved when everyone was yelling and then quickly went inside. Never saw Romo or Roy Williams. DeMarcus Ware, I am still not sure about but they claim that was him in the earlier pic, but I don't know for sure.

Here are all the autographs I was able to get on a really nice football:
Mat McBriar, P, #1
Sam Hurd, WR, #17
Julius Jones, RB, #21
Evan Oglesby, CB, #23
Deon Anderson, FB, #24
Ken Hamlin, FS, #26
Jacque Reeves, CB, #35
Doug Free, OT, #68
Cory Procter, C, #71
Jason Witten, TE, #82
Jay Ratliff, DE, #90
Remi Ayodele, DT, #92

If you ever come over I might let you see it for a fee. As for holding it and touching it, you don't have that kind of money.

Idiotic Temper Tantrums

2007-09-24T16:29:00.000-07:00

I know it has been awhile since I have written on Silva Sportz, but there are some recent sports stories that I must comment on.

First, the Milton Bradley story. Milton Bradley has to have one of the worst tempers in all of sports history. Scratch that, in all of history. He is mad because an ump taunted him? Seeing how easy it is to set him off and make him go nuts, I kind of want to taunt the guy just because it is so funny! Bradley claims the ump told him he was a piece of s**t and something else, blah, blah. I guess we will never know the truth of what was said on either end. Of course, I don’t think the ump should call Bradley a piece of s**t, but at the same time, has Bradley never been called a name in his life? Ignore it or tell someone else. There are so many ways that would have been a better choice to handle it than the way Bradley did. The other problem I have is that headline keep saying that Bradley’s manager “threw Bradley down”. I saw the highlights. The manager restrained him and Bradley fell and twisted his knee all by himself. FACT: If you tear your ACL because you are throwing a tantrum, then you deserve it.
Is 'provocative' umpiring responsible for Bradley's knee injury? (USA Today)

A second story I must comment on is Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy going nuts on a reporter. Do these guys not know how stupid they look while throwing their tantrums? Gundy was mad because a reporter called Bobby Reid soft. First of all I found out that the reporter was a chick. Not that that really makes a difference but I guess it is just funnier because a girl made Gundy so ticked. Since when does a reporter’s opinion matter? I could see if she said dissed Reid with some of those old Matt vs Chris Battle rhymes but come on, calling a kid soft is hardly worthy of the rant Gundy went on. If I were that reporter, I would write at least one column a week calling someone from OSU soft. I would also write a column calling Gundy a baby and then I would photoshop lots of pics of him with a diaper or a bottle or something and put it on the front page. Also if I were at that press conference when he went on his tirade I would not have been able to resist just standing up and shouting, “hey coach you’re soft, Bobby Reid’s soft, your whole team is soft!” I think Coors Lite should use that Gundy clip for one of their beer commercials where the guys talk to different coaches. But only on two conditions. Number one, OSU or Mike Gundy get no profits from it and number two, it has to make Gundy look stupid. Again.
Cowboys' Gundy doesn't back down after postgame tirade (ESPN)

Speaking of crazy people, I can’t pass up this quote of the day. I heard that Mike Tyson was in court Monday from his arrest last year. A judge asked him, “Do you use cocaine?” to which Tyson responded, “Whenever I can get my hands on it.” While I would never condone drug use, I feel like Chappelle on “I know black people”, somehow Tyson’s answer is correct and by correct I mean cool.
Tyson Pleads Guilty to Drug, DUI Charges (Associate Press)

New NFL Gear

2007-08-15T20:42:00.001-07:00

I need someone's help please. I am trying to find this tracksuit or warmup suit or whatever you want to call it. I have seen L.T. wearing one during last Sunday night's preseason game and also Frank Gore was wearing one one Monday night's game. As you can see, it is made by Reebok, but it was not on their site. If anyone can tell me where to get one, then you will gain mad fame and props. Thanks.

Best Team Drafts

2007-04-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

I had originally planned on reviewing and ranking every team’s draft. But as I began to undertake that task, I realized that that is 32 teams a whole lot more time than I have to spend on this. Until someone wants to start paying me to write about the NFL full-time, then sorry but I have to cut it short. So what I will do is give a couple teams that I feel had the best draft and then hopefully tomorrow I can drop a few of the worst drafting teams.

First I will cover the teams that had the best drafts. A couple of teams mentioned as having good drafts are 49ers, Cardinals, Cowboys, Raiders, Browns, Falcon, Colts, Panthers, and Vikings. (Based on Pro Football Weekly and NFL.com. Before I give two teams that I believe had the best drafts, I want to qualify how I arrived at my decision. I considered what team’s picks will have an impact on their team immediately. Of course to truly evaluate a draft, we would have to look at least 3 years down the road, maybe even more. Since I am not John Tetor, I can only look at the present. Also I considered the team’s needs coming into the draft to see if they met their biggest needs. So judging on that criteria, my the two teams I feel had the best draft are the Carlolina Panthers and the Minnesota Vikings.

Carolina Panthers:
25. Jon Beason, LB, Miami
45. Dwayne Jarrett, WR, USC
59. Ryan Kalil, C, USC
83. Charles Johnson, DE, Georgia
118. Ryne Robinson, WR, Miami (Ohio)
155. Dante Rosario, TE, Oregon
164. Tim Shaw, LB, Penn State
226. C.J. Wilson, CB, Baylor

In no particular order, I had the Panthers biggest needs as OT, DE, WR, TE, LB. As you can see they covered several of those. I can see the first four picks starting or at least receiving significant playing time. Beason and Kalil were both tops at their position coming into this draft. Jarrett and Johnson both dominated competition at one point in their college careers. If they can carry that success over, they could both be great values. Finally, not many people know about Wilson, but he is confident and talented and could contribute in nickel packages and special teams.

The second team with the best draft was the Minnesota Vikings.
7. Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
44. Sidney Rice, WR, South Carolina
72. Marcus McCauley,CB, Fresno State
102. Brian Robison,DE, Texas
146. Aundrae Allison, WR, East Carolina
176. Rufus Alexander, LB, Oklahoma
217. Tyler Thigpen, QB, Coastal Carolina
233. Chandler Williams, WR, Florida International

In no particular order, here are the Vikings needs coming into draft. OL depth, firepower on offense, secondary depth, and a pass-rush. I don’t think I have to say much about Peterson. I believe he will be the Rookie of the Year. As for Sidney Rice, he had some injuries last year that made people forget about him some, but at one time he was the most consistent wide-out in college, even ahead of Calvin Johnson. In my opionion, Rice was the second/third best receiver in the draft. McCauley was potentially a first round pick. Robison, as anyone who follows Texas Longhorns knows, is a player. He has a motor and as he showed at the combine, he is an athlete. I also like the pick of Alexander. Alexander fell down many draft board because he is small and apparently not very strong. Alexander does however have a nose for the ball, as he proved as a standout at OU.

Check back later to see who did worst job drafting this week-end.

Cowboys Draft Picks

2007-04-29T16:47:00.000-07:00

Here are the Cowboys picks from the 2007 NFL draft. I have included links to info on all the players so you can find out all about the newest members of the greatest team on earth. Hopefully all these men can produce in some way. Also the Cowboys site has some bios, which are basically the NFL bios re-copied, but they do have some video clips of our picks or some other good analysis.

Round 1
Pick #26 Anthony Spencer, OLB, Purdue
Spencer's NFL.com profile here. Spencer's Scout.com profile here.

Round 3
Pick #67 James Marten, OT, Boston College
Marten NFL.com profile here. Scout.com profile here.

Round 4
Pick #103 Isaiah Stanback, QB/WR, Washington
NFL.com profile here. Scout.com profile here. Here's article about Stanback and how he never got to live up to his potential.

Pick #122 Doug Free, OT, Northern Illinois
NFL.com profile here. Scout.com profile here.

Round 6
Pick #178 Nick Folk, K/P, Arizona
NFL.com profile here. Scout.com profile here.

Pick #195 Deon Anderson, FB, Connecticut
NFL.com profile here. Scout.com profile here. Here's an article about how Anderson was poor and had to live in a locker room.

Round 7
Pick #212 Courtney Brown, CB, Cal Poly
NFL.com profile here. Scout.com profile here.

Pick #237 Alan Ball, CB, Illinois
Profile from Illinois since this guy was pretty unknown, he didn’t have an NFL.com profile but Scout.com does have him as a 3 star prospect here.

Finally, how did the experts rank Dallas' draft? Gil Brandt of NFL.com's analysis can be found here.

Day 2 Notable Draft Picks

2007-04-29T16:39:00.000-07:00

Here are some of the more notable players taken on the second day of the draft. You can review the entire draft here.

Round 4
100. Oakland Raiders - Michael Bush, RB, Louisville
102. Minnesota Vikings - Brian Robison , DE, Texas
107. New Orleans Saints - Antonio Pittman, RB, Ohio St
112. Pittsburgh Steelers - Daniel Sepulveda, P, Baylor
117. Detroit Lions - Manuel Ramirez, OG, Texas Tech
120. Seattle Seahawks - Baraka Atkins, DE, Miami

Round 5
142. Arizona Cardinals - Steve Breaston, WR, Michigan
143. Washington Redskins - Dallas Sartz, OLB, USC
174. Baltimore Ravens - Troy Smith, QB, Ohio St

Round 6
176. Minnesota Vikings - Rufus Alexander, LB, Oklahoma
183. Houston Texans - Casey Studdard, G, Texas
188. Tennessee Titans - Joel Filani, WR, Texas Tech
193. Green Bay Packers - Mason Crosby, K, Colorado
196. Kansas City Chiefs - Herbert Taylor, OT, TCU
205. Washington Redskins - Jordan Palmer, QB, UTEP

Round 7
227. Pittsburgh Steelers - Dallas Baker, WR, Florida
235. NY Jets - Chansi Stuckey, WR, Clemson
239. Buffalo Bills - CJ Ah You, DE, Oklahoma
240. San Diego - Brandon Siler, LB, Florida
Mr Irrelevant 255. Detroit Lions – Ramzee Robinson, CB, Alabama

2007 Draft - Round One Wrap-up

2007-04-29T10:16:00.000-07:00

Okay so day one of the 2007 NFL draft is in the books. Rounds 1-3 held some surprises, some obvious picks, and a whole lot of trades. As you can check my Mock Drafts in previous posts, I didn’t do so hot. Not terrible, but not great. I got seven of the round one picks correct, which out of 32 sounds crappy, but in actuality it’s about average. The best mock draft that I tracked was Pro Football Weekly, who got a whopping 13 picks correct in the first round, including the first 8 picks! I won’t waste time telling you everyone or every site I tracked, but a few notables are ESPN’s draft gurus, Mel Kiper got 8 correct picks in his mock draft and Todd McShay got 7 correct. Sports Illustrated’s mock draft that was printed in their most recent issue was compiled by SI writer Jeffri Chadiha, who got 5 picks correct. Anyway, if you want to know the rest, then shoot me an e-mail. Now onto my analysis of round one. (I’m too lazy to do all three rounds, but after Sunday and the entire draft is complete, hopefully, I can post my draft review for each team).

1. Oakland Raiders – JaMarcus Russell, QB, LSU
No huge surprise here. At first I wasn’t high on Russell, but I guess I sort of bought into the hype, because I think he will be allright. But, I won’t be shocked if he flops. Honestly, I thought and still do think that Andrew Walters is an NFL quality QB, but Russell was the right pick for this team.

2. Detroit Lions – Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech
I don’t like how people have been saying that Johnson is a “sure thing”. There is never any sure thing coming out of college, you just never know what will happen. I know everyone tries to clown the Lions for always taking receivers but this was again the right pick. Kitna is capable at quarterback and if Johnson live up to his hype, with Roy, and Mike Furrey, these Lee-owns could give the Cards or Colts a run for best receiving corp in the league.

3. Cleveland Browns – Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin
Again, people kept saying Thomas was the “safest” pick. Since when has the NFL been about being “safe”? It’s all about winning and I think Quinn was the best chance to help this team win. I guess it worked out for them in the end, since they ended up getting Thomas and Quinn, but truth be told, the Browns got kind of lucky for that to happen. On paper, the Browns are starting to look pretty good, but unfortunately games aren’t played on paper and this has been a struggling franchise for years. We’ll see.

4. Tampa Bay Bucs – Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson
I don’t know about Adams. I have to be honest, I just haven’t seen him play enough (hilights don’t count). The Bucs weren’t really sure what to get here and I would imagine they considered trading down, but if no one will trade, then you gotta make the pick, and you gotta take the best player available. That was prolly Adams here.

5. Arizona Cardinals – Levi Brown, OT, Penn St
Wow, really surprised me with this pick. Like the Bucs before, I would imagine the Cards considered trading down after Thomas was gone, but if you can’t get a deal, you can’t get a deal. I would’ve taken Adrian Peterson here. Yeah, they got Edge but I think he is definitely on the decline. Peterson is a game-breaker that doesn’t come around very often. Besides in the league now you almost have to have two starting –level RB’s. With that said, the line was in desperate need of improvement and Brown should start immediately.

6. Washington Redskins – LaRon Landry, S, LSU
As many people know there are a couple of different draft strategies when it comes to picking. You can either take the best player available or you can fill your biggest need, or a combo of both. I think here, the ‘Skins took best player available in Landry. I don’t know if people know how good Landry was/is. In my opinion, he was prolly third on my big board of best overall players. He could be scary in the defensive backfield with the Meast, Sean Taylor, but I think Taylor is kind of overrated. Anyway he should make an immediate impact, so the ‘Skins made the right choice.

7. Minnesota Vikings – Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
I had heard rumors that the Vikes were for sure gonna take Landry with this pick, just one problem. The ‘Skins took him with the pick right before! Vikings needed help with a pass-rusher, but this is too high to take any of the remaining options. It comes down to Quinn or Peterson and I think the Vikings feel they have made an investment in Tarvaris Jackson, so they want to see him through. Besides, you can’t go wrong with Peterson, who I predict will be rookie of da year.

8. Atlanta Falcons – Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas
I will spare any references to the old Dirty Bird RB. Just know that this is what the Falcons needed most (pass rusher) and Anderson is the best DE at this point.

9. Miami Dolphins – Ted Ginn, Jr, WR, Ohio St
Well it was bound to happen. Every year someone has to make a bonehead pick. Not saying Ginn will necessarily be a bust, (although, in my opinion he isn’t nearly that good of a receiver) but I am saying this was a bad pick for the ‘Phins. I mean they desperately need a QB and Quinn falls into their lap and what do they do? Receiver wasn’t even one of their top three needs. So they took a player too early that they didn’t even need. They screwed the pooch men.

10. Houston Texans – Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville
They did need D-line help and if Okoye can live up to his potential then this youngster can develop into a fine DT and that could give the Texans a promising, young line along with Big Mario.

11. San Francisco 49ers- Patrick Willis, LB, Ole Miss
The Niners have been rebuilding on both sides of the ball and needed some D-line, linebacker, and receiver help. Willis is a great player and should be a star in the league for years to come. Couldn’t go wrong with this pick.

12. Buffalo Bills – Marshawn Lynch, RB, California
The Bills had two enormous needs coming into this draft. They desperately needed a RB and desperately needed some LB’s. I believe they would’ve taken Willis if the ‘Niners hadn’t snagged him right before. This was a little high for Lynch, but it also would’ve been high to take any of the other backers left also. This was probably the best pick, otherwise they would have had to trade for a RB because after Lynch, none of the other RB’s in this draft have full-time starter talent.

13. St. Louis Rams – Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska
Oh man, this guy looks like a zombie. The Rams did need pass-rush help and Carriker supposedly has a non-stop motor. They think he will be another Grant Wistrom. Good pick.

14. NY Jets (from CAR) – Darrelle Revis, CB, Pittsburgh
The Jets moved up to grab Revis. They needed a corner, I just think that their would’ve been a good corner when they picked at 25. However, I assume their scouting department really liked Revis and thought he was the best corner for them. If he’s your guy then trading up to secure him is a good move. He should be a starter next year so good move.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers – Lawrence Timmons, LB, Florida State
Well I already don’t like Timmons because he wore #83 in college. Why??? Anyway, the Steelers are trying to replace Joey Porter so a linebacker was a natural pick here. However, I am not sure about Timmons pass-rushing ability, but he will probably be an upgrade from Porter who had fallen off. Remember when SI tried to say Porter was the most feared man in the NFL?

16. Green Bay Packers, Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee
As everyone already knows , it is claimed Harrell would’ve been a top 10 pick if he hadn’t torn his bicep, so maybe this is a steal? But no, he did tear his biceps so he wasn’t going to be taken high. I think the Pack reached for Harrell here. They could’ve used some offensive firepower here instead like a wideout or even Greg Olsen (sorry Big Spring). They still have to trade for an RB also.

17. Denver Broncos (from JAX) – Jarvis Moss, DE/LB, Florida
The Broncos traded up to snag Moss. They did need linebacker help, but I think Moss projected better as a 3-4 outside backer. I don’t think the Munchos should’ve moved up to take Moss. They could’ve gotten a solid LB with pick 21.

18. Cincinnati Bengals – Leon Hall, CB, Michigan
The Bengals needed a corner and Hall was projected to be the best on many boards. However, against every top-tier competition he face, he struggled (Jarrett, Ginn, etc). Hall will face nothing but the best in the NFL so we’ll see if he’s up to it.

19. Tennessee Titans – Michael Griffin, S, Texas
I thought the Titans would’ve taken a receiver here, but I guess there wasn’t anyone they liked in this position. Griffin does have big play potential plus look how their last Texas draftee worked out for them.

20. NY Giants – Aaron Ross, CB, Texas
Ross was actually who I had the G-men taking in my mock draft. They needed a corner or o-line help. Good pick for the Giants, just too bad he will have to get beat at least two games a year.

21. Jacksonville Jaguars – Reggie Nelson, S, Florida
Another pick I had in my mock draft. They Jags wanted Nelson, and I’m pretty sure they would’ve taken him at pick 17, so to be able to trade down, get the extra picks, and still get your man? Can’t get much better than that!

22. Cleveland Browns (from DAL) – Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame
First let me touch on Dallas’ end of the deal. Sheer genius. Okay Dallas knew that several teams were looking to move up to take Quinn here. Dallas also knew that more than likely at this pick they weren’t going to get any player that would be a sure-fire starter. So when they are offered the Browns picks you gotta jump on it. Plus to get the Browns first round pick next year should be really juicy (I sang that) as the odds that Cleveland finished in bottom 5 picks. Now onto Cleveland’s end of the deal…they wanted Quinn badly. I mean badly. In fact they almost took him with the third pick. So to be able to get Joe freakin Thomas and still get a franchise QB is a helluvadeal. HECKUVARUSH!! Seriously, many people tried to say that the Browns gave up too much by giving their first round pick for next year. What would they have gotten with that pick next year? A franchise QB! Basically they just got him a year earlier, plus Quinn has a shot to be really good, plus he is a fan-favorite being from Ohio. So it worked out great for both teams.

23. Kansas City Chiefs – Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU
Chefs did need a receiver desperately, especially one who can be explosive. Supposedly Bowe fits that mold so this was a good pick for them.

24. New England Patriots – Brandon Meriweather, S, Miami
I believe Meriweather was the second best safety in this draft after Landry. His stock took some hits for off-the-field issues, but the Pats are probably the best team for people with questionable character. Belicheck and his staff know how to keep people in line and even more importantly they know how to get the most from players especially DB’s. Meriweather can be a playmaker for years to come. I actually had the Pats picking Meriweather with their pick at #28.

25. Carolina Panthers (from NYJ) – Jon Beason, LB, Miami
Well the Panthers could’ve used Greg Olsen, but they do love their defense. They also had some holes at backer so Beason will have an opportunity to start. Plus, the Panthers got those extra picks from the Jets for moving down, so all in all, not a bad move.

26. Dallas Cowboys (from PHI) – Anthony Spencer, DE/OLB, Purdue
Wow. I have been loving Spencer for a while now. He is a beast! The Cowboys were actually gonna take Spencer with their 22nd pick, so to get him later was genius. Sure they had to give away some picks to move back up, but they had picks to spare and Spencer is well worth it. Good move by Cowboys, as for the Eagles moving down, well they are idiots so I could care less what they do. Screw them.

27. New Orleans Saints – Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee
I thought for sure the Aints would get a corner here, but I’ll admit they did need some receiver help. Joe Horn is gone so Meachem should fill in nicely.

28. San Francisco 49ers (from NE) – Joe Staley, T, Central Michigan
As I said earlier, the ‘Niners are totally rebuilding so that means filling lots of holes. Staley was their man so no problem moving up to take him. You gotta think about trading picks like this: Would the later round picks that you give away have gotten you a player of value equal to the one you are moving up to take? For example for San Fran would the picks they gave away (don’t remember specifically what they were) gonna produce like Joe Staley will? I say no and apparently the Niners said no also. Staley has a chance to start from week one. As for New England, the had didn’t think their was any player of value here that they desperately wanted now, so they decided the better value for them was taking the extra picks.

29. Baltimore Ravens- Ben Grubbs, G, Auburn
In the NFL you always need plenty of quality O-lineman and D-lineman. I thought the Ravens should have looked for some linebacking help, with the departure of Adalius. Grubbs will probably start next year.

30. San Diego Chargers- Craig Davis, WR, LSU
Wow. After Miami, most shocking pick of round one. The Chargers did need a wideout or safety with this pick. This is where your scouting department come in. For the Chargers to think Davis was the best wideout available at this point says a lot. No one, and I mean no one had Davis rated this high, so only time will tell if the Chargers are genius or fools.

31. Chicago Bears – Greg Olsen, TE, Miami
The NFC Champion Bears really had no glaring needs. They still have a problem with Briggs holding out and a questionable QB, but for the most part, no payer picked here would be a week one starter. I didn’t even consider Olsen here, but now I really like the pick. Olsen can cause problems and every sucky QB needs a safety valve.

32. Indianapolis Colts – Anthony Gonzalez, WR, Ohio St
The Colts, like the Bears before, had no glaring holes to fill. This pick was pretty much gonna be best player available. With the vaunted passing attack of the Colts, Gonzalez is a great pick. He was never flashy, but Gonzalez was a solid receiver and should fill Stokely’s void nicely.

Situ's Updated 2007 Mock Draft

2007-04-27T23:12:00.000-07:00

Note the date and time posted so you can verify that this was submitted before the actual draft took place!

1. Oakland Raiders - JaMarcus Russell QB LSU

2. Detroit Lions – Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech

3. Cleveland Browns - Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson

5. Arizona Cardinals – Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin

6. Washington Redskins – Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville

7. Minnesota Vikings – Laron Landry, S, LSU

8. Atlanta Falcons – Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas

9. Miami Dolphins – Levi Brown, T, Penn St

10. Denver Broncos (from HOU) – Patrick Willis, LB, Ole Miss

11. San Francisco 49ers – Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska

12. Buffalo Bills – Leon Hall, CB, Michigan

13. St Louis Rams – Alan Branch, DT, Michigan

14. Carolina Panthers – Greg Olsen, TE, Miami

15. Pittsburgh Steelers – Jarvis Moss, LB, Florida

16. Green Bay Packers – Marshawn Lynch, RB, Cal

17. Jacksonville Jaguars – Reggie Nelson, S, Florida

18. Cincinatti Bengals – Paul Posloszny, LB, Penn State

19. Tennessee Titans – Ted Ginn, WR, Ohio State

20. NY Giants – Aaron Ross, CB, Texas

21. Houston Texans (from DEN) – Darrelle Revis, CB, Pittsburgh

22. Dallas Cowboys – Dwayne Jarrett, WR, USC

23. Kansas City Chiefs – Dwayne Bowe, WR, LSU

24. New England Patriots – Lawrence Timmons, LB, Florida State

25. NY Jets – Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas

26. Philadelphia Eagles – John Beason, LB, Miami

27. New Orleans Saints – Anthony Gonzalez, WR, Ohio St

28. New England Patriots – Brandon Meriweather, S, Miami

29. Baltimore Ravens – Anthony Spencer , DE/LB, Purdue

30. San Diego Chargers – Michael Griffin, S, Texas

31. Chicago Bears – Ben Grubbs, G, Auburn

32. Indianapolis Colts – Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee

Situ's 2007 Mock Draft

2007-04-26T12:26:00.000-07:00

1. Oakland Raiders - JaMarcus Russell QB LSU
The Raiders, or namely Al Davis, have been on JaMarcus’ nutz for a while now. They want him to just air it out to Moss and hell that just might work but I doubt the O-line can block to let Moss get down field.

2. Detroit Lions – Brady Quinn, QB, Notre Dame
Matt Millen read “Drafting for Dummies” upside down. This organization doesn’t know how to pick. They could take Calvin Johnson, but I think they are so tired of getting made fun of for always taking receivers that they will pass this year. The weird thing is, this is finally the year they should really take him. Anyway, they have mad regrets not taking a QB last year and they are close to not having any fans so it’s time to get a face of the franchise in Quinn.

3. Cleveland Browns - Adrian Peterson, RB, Oklahoma
Could use Joe Thomas or Calvin Johnson but Peterson could have more of an impact with the 1-2 punch with J-Lew. Damn, I just feel sorry for AD since he has to be a Brown. Oh well, he overcame going to gay OU so he is used to it.

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Calvin Johnson, WR, Georgia Tech
It was speculated that Johnson was only good because he had such a great, cool QB. Anyway, the Bucs get their boyfriend and they didn’t even have to trade or sleep with Geezoid or anyting like dat. Now if they can just decide which of their 10 QB’s will get the ball to Johnson, they will be straight.

5. Arizona Cardinals – Joe Thomas, OT, Wisconsin
Every year some O-lineman is supposed to be a king…remember Bob Gallery? Yeah he fuckin sucks but D’Brickashaw is solid and Thomas will be solid also. The Cards O-line was horrible last year and they lost their best man, so Thomas starts immediately, he doesn’t even have to show up or anything, he starts for them already. Right now he starts and he hasn’t even been drafted. No, I mean if you go into Ken Whisenhunt’s office, Joe Thomas is on the death chart as the number one left tackle right now.

6. Washington Redskins – Gaines Adams, DE, Clemson
The ‘Skins were last in the NFL last year in sacks with a franchise-record low 19 sacks for all season. Adams is a gift to fall to them here so this is a no-brainer. Dan Snyder isn’t good at drafting so they could surprise people with someone stupid here, like a gay guard or something, but they can’t be that dumb.

7. Minnesota Vikings – Jamaal Anderson, DE, Arkansas
Let me just say right off the bat that the Vikings could take a number of players here. They are a team that is in the rebuilding phase and if any of the big name backs/receivers are available here, they will take them. With that said, as you can see in this mock draft, none of them are here so the Vikes go with their other big need. While their defense was tops in the league at stopping the run, they were also 31st against the pass. A possible choice here is Laron Landry but I will go with Anderson as their pass rush struggled most. Look for the Vikings to be drafting in the top 3 next year as they will blow this season.

8. Atlanta Falcons – LaRon Landry, S, LSU
Atlanta is another team that, like Minnesota, has lots of holes. Should they draft Stanley Yelnats? Prolly, but they will get the best player available, the black Ron Perlman. Pete will buy his jersey.

9. Miami Dolphins – Amobi Okoye, DT, Louisville
The trend continues – like the Vikings and Falcons before them, the ‘Phins have many needs. Their O-line is super crappy and a OT could be taken here, but I still maintain that lineman are easy to be found later. With a pick this high you want something more impacting, and Okoye has too much potential. Plus, he told his HS coach that he was related to Chrisian Okoye. Although, Miami passes on the O-lineman here, look for them to draft like two or three in later rounds. Oh and they will be picking in the top three next year also.

10. Houston Texans – Leon Hall, CB, Michigan
The Texans dropped the ball last year by not drafting hometown hero Vince. That really has nothing to do with this, I just wanted to remind any Texans fans who might read this that they fucked up on that one. Anyway…remember last year when the Texans tried to say, “we play the Colts twice a year so we need players to defend against their passing attack”. Well, they still play the Colts twice a year and they still need those defenders. Maybe Adam Carriker, but I go with Hall. If he’s good they’ll have two good, young corners with Hall and Dunta Robinson. Wait did I just say Dunta Robinson was a good corner?

11. San Francisco 49ers – Adam Carriker, DE, Nebraska
The ‘Niners were busy in the off-season to fill many holes, especially on D. They still need some pass rushers to go along with the great Manny Lawson. Carriker has a good motor and is a hard worker which Coach Nolan likes. Niners could also look at a receiver here, but still may be a little early to take the ones left.

12. Buffalo Bills – Patrick Willis, LB, Mississippi
The Bills desperately need a RB and an ILB. Allright let me break it down to you like this: Right now their starting RB is the A-Train, Anthony Thomas. His back-up is Shaud Williams. As for their LB’s, other than Angelo Crowell, you won’t even have heard of these dudes. I am serious. Right now, UT has better backers than the Bills. They are so desperate for LB’s that Coy Wire is now a LB. What’s he gon’ do, jump out a swimming pool? Anyway, the Bills will address both these in this draft and the choice is tough, but I go with Willis only because he is a better talent than Marshawn Lynch. I really don’t see any way AD could fall to here, but if so, it’s a done deal, the Bills would snatch him up.

13. St Louis Rams – Alan Branch, DT, Michigan
This is kinda by default. They need some D-Lineman. Who is better Branch or Justin Harrell? I say Harrell but they will prolly think it’s Branch and grab him here.

14. Carolina Panthers – Greg Olsen, TE, Miami
Panthers defense is stronger than offense right now, so I give this first pick to the offensive side of the ball. Could go with an OT or S but I heard someone who covers the Panthers say that Olsen was a “big Steve Smith” so umm yeah.

15. Pittsburgh Steelers – Jarvis Moss, LB, Florida
The Steelers will still run 3-4 but are transitioning to 4-3. Moss will replace Joey Porter and is already a better pass rusher.

16. Green Bay Packers – Marshawn Lynch, RB, Cal
This was too easy. Sorry, but Vernand Morency is not carrying the runningback load. With letting Almond go, the Packers are surely going to take an RB with this pick and Lynch is the best available back.

17. Jacksonville Jaguars – Reggie Nelson, S, Florida
Deon Grant peaced out and Donovin Darius is getting old. I don’t have anything witty to say here. Sorry.

18. Cincinatti Bengals – Paul Posloszny, LB, Penn State
Did I spell his name right? Who cares. Marvin Lewis thinks he likes Ted Ginn but their linebacker core is too crappy to pass up Posloszny. And I believe he is a good leader so maybe he can keep all their players from getting arrested all the time. I doubt it, but maybe.

19. Tennessee Titans – Ted Ginn, WR, Ohio State
Obviously the Titans need a big play receiver as they let the Hobbit go. It could be argued who is the best receiver at this point and I leaned some towards Dwayne Jarrett since Norm Chow knows him, but I think they will need someone who can stretch the field as their other receivers are possession type guys. Also Ginn can return punts/kicks for them since they lost Adam Jones due to beatin’ down strippers.

20. NY Giants – Aaron Ross, CB, Texas
The Giants need a cornerback or an OLB. Who cares what they do, they will be gay next year by default. Aaron Ross is cool though.

21. Denver Broncos – Robert Meachem, WR, Tennessee
The Munchos lost a few players to death this off-season but they also have some old players they need to replace. Among them d-line, safety, and receiver. They will cover receiver here.

22. Dallas Cowboys – Levi Brown, OT, Penn State
The Cowboys have lots of options here to pretty much get the best player available. Hell, if Brown falls this low, I say grab his fat ass to replace Flozell-hotel who is old and falling off. Other possibilities are a cool safety, cool pass rusher, or cool receiver. They’ll be in the Super Bowl.

23. Kansas City Chiefs – Dwayne Jarrett, WR, USC
Have the Chiefs ever had a good wide-out? They did have that one guy from HSU but clearly their only feared receiver is their tight end. Jarrett can be the playmaker they need at wide-out.

24. New England Patriots – Lawrence Timmons, LB, Florida State
The Pats, like the Cowboys, are pretty good. Actually I will be first to call they meet up in the Super Bowl.

25. NY Jets – Darrelle Revis , CB, Pitt
Uh, this is what they need.

26. Philadelphia Eagles – John Beason, LB, Miami
Here are two facts. The Eagles are gay, no matter who they pick. John Beason used to play fullback.

27. New Orleans Saints – Chris Houston, CB, Arkansas
They will get a corner here, just don’t know who. I figure Houston is best one left, but maybe that dude from Fresno St. They need to get that Pepsi machine even though it couldn’t do a bench rep.

28. New England Patriots – Brandon Meriweather, S, Miami
Damn, why does this great-ass team get all the picks? Pete and I still have a bet of who will be better between Meriweather and Laron Landry. If the Pats get Meriweather, he will definitely be the one with the better team honors.

29. Baltimore Ravens – Anthony Spencer , DE/LB, Purdue
They think Dan Cody can replace Adalius Thomas, but what they really want is a beast to get to the QB. Spencer is their man for the job.

30. San Diego Chargers – Michael Griffin, S, Texas
The Chargers need a safety or a receiver. Receivers are deep in this draft.

31. Chicago Bears – John Beck, QB, BYU
I say the Bears do something shocking here. Clearly the weakest point on their team last year was the unreliable Grossman. Some people say Beck is the best QB in this draft, ahead of Russell and Quinn. He won’t be around long, so why not grab him? Only other possibility is an OLB in case Lance Briggs refuses to play.

32. Indianapolis Colts – Justin Harrell, DT, Tennessee
They claim he would’ve been a top 10 pick if he hadn’t torn his biceps. And the Colts need a big DT to plug up the middle where they struggled against the run.

Sleepers:
Brian Smith, DE/OLB, Missouri - Go read about him here.

Eric Weddle, DB, Utah - He's great. Here's a scouting report on Weddle.

Anthony Spencer, DE/OLB, Purdue - I guess he ain't really a sleeper, since I have him going in the first round, but he isn't that know and he will be tremendous. Here's the low-down on Spencer.

You Gonna Buy This?

2007-03-10T22:53:00.000-08:00

This is kinda cool but also kind of disappointing. The Chargers will unveil new uniforms and a new logo Wednesday, March 14th. It is always pretty cool when teams get new uniforms, it’s just that the Chargers have some of the coolest uniforms in the league. Whatchu know ‘bout them powder blues? Anyway, maybe their new logo will be that swoll Jack Nicholson.

Chargers to unveil bold new tradition (Chargers.com)

More Mascot Mayhem

2007-03-08T23:07:00.000-08:00

First we had T-Rac in a golf cart running over Adrian McPherson. McPherson then sued T-Rac. Now there is another lawsuit against a mascot. A man is suing the Indiana Pacers mascot, Boomer, because he claims Boomer tackled him and permanently injured his back. What is up with this guy? Is he just after money or is he the biggest puss ever for letting a mascot take him out? Here is Boomer, a cat who tackled a grown man and hurt him.

Titans’ mascot sued over golf cart injury (Newschannel5.com)

Pacers’ mascot sued over on-court tackle (Foxsports.com)

New B-ball Uni's

2007-03-08T07:26:00.000-08:00

Last night Syracuse debuted their new Nike uniforms against UConn. They are new form-fitting tops, kinda like Under-Armour with extra baggy shorts. You can see a video clip of Syracuse rockin' the uni's here. Along with the Orangemen, Nike is also redesigning the uniforms of Florida, Arizona, and Ohio St. Florida supposedly has already worn theirs and the other schools should debut them sometime this week. Here is Nike's explanation of what they were trying to do.

"Basketball works in lock step with the music and entertainment culture, specifically hiphop," said Hans George, Nike's general manager of global basketball apparel. "Hip-hop is growing up. It's becoming more businesslike." Patricia Mears, deputy director of the museum at the Fashion Institute of Technology in Manhattan, said Nike's look might be more old school than futuristic. "It's probably true that the pants take their cue from the hip-hop look," she said, "but the overall silhouette also reminds me of men's casual sportswear from the midcentury. Often, American men donned sleek tops and tucked them into pleated full-cut trousers." But beyond style, the new outfits are supposed to be more functional. George and some of the athletes say that because the jersey is body-fitting and made of two synthetics, Sphere and Dri-FIT, it will better wick away moisture. And by eliminating 10 inches of fabric from the waist, where it bunches up, players have a cleaner look, said David Egelhoff, the director of men's basketball operations at Ohio State. Yet Daryl Gross, the athletic director at Syracuse, said its greater effect might be on the game. "You can't grab the jersey," he said.

Personally, I've never seen anybody in hip-hop rockin' skin-tight shirts but what do I know. Here are some sample pics of the different uniforms.

NIKE Bringing Sexy Back for College Hoops (Sportsfanmagazine.com)

Can You Guess Who?

2007-03-07T09:07:00.000-08:00

Okay folks, today we are gonna have a little quiz-whiz! Here are some highlights from an NFL quarterback, tell me if you can guess who this is referring to...

2nd highest career NFL win percentage among active QB's
3rd highest completion percentage in the history of the NFL.
The only QB in the history of the NFL to complete 60% or more of his passes for nine straight seasons (Joe Montana & Steve Young are 2nd with eight straight seasons)
On 9/14/03 surpassed the 20,000-yard plateau for career passing yeads
6th highest career NFL win percentage among active quarterbacks
Highest quarterback rating in the NFC in 2002
Threw 22 touchdown passes and only 6 interceptions in 2002
Only player in the history of the NFL to complete a touchdown pass to himself
In the Top Ten in NFL history for career quarterback rating

Give up? Then scroll down.....

Yep, it Brad Johnson, the new backup QB for the Dallas Cowboys. I know what you're thinking...no way all that stuff can be true, but it is. At least that's what his website says. So do you think Johnson will be a good addition to the 'Boys? This one tall man at church used to look like him.

Brad Johnson personal fansite (www.bradjohnson14.com)

Look-A-Likes - Pat McQuistan and That Dude from "Mask"

2007-03-04T08:51:00.000-08:00

Pat McQuistan

and

That dude from "Mask"

New and Notes - Dom Rhodes and Randy McMichael

2007-03-03T19:21:00.000-08:00

Dom Rhodes met with NY Giants GM Jerry Reese and Tom Coughlin Friday and he supposedly underwent a physical and met with the other G-men coaches today, Saturday.

Also, it is reported that the Dolphins are trying to shop around TE Randy McMichael. They reportedly want a third round pick for him. We'll see what happens with both these items.

P.S. - Visanthe Shiancoe is now a Viking. On a side note I always thought his name was spelled Visante Shanco or something like that. Whatever.

NFL Free Agency Has Begun!

2007-03-03T13:16:00.000-08:00

Here are some thoughts on the first days of free agency:

Why the hell do the Bucs want so many Q’s? They signed Garcia, traded for Dick Plummer, Limo is coming back from death, and they still have Bruce Gradkowski who they thought was good. If you melt all those QB’s down and then mash them together, they might make a solid starter. They should bring back Shaun King. More here.

People mad overpaid for players that aren’t nearly as good as their contracts. Sure Nate Clements is a good corner, but $80 mill? The guys has never even made a Pro Bowl and now he is the highest paid defender in the NFL?!! In the Niners defense, they can always restructure Clements contract later if he doesn’t produce like they want, but at least $22 million is guaranteed. Hey if the dumb Niners want to overspend and waste money that is there own choice, but they ruin free agency for others. Just think how much the Cowboys will have to fork over for T-New when his contract is up in two years. By the way Champ Belly’s last deal was 7 yrs for $63 million. Do you think Clements is $17 million better than Bailey? I don’t. More here.

Speaking of overspending, the Browns paid Eric Steinbach $49.5 million over 7 years. Everyone thought last year that the Vikings were crazy for paying Steve Hutchinson $49 million for 7 years and now this? I know that Steinbach isn’t better than Hutchinson. Oh well, the Browns continue to be the gayest franchise. More here.

Todd France is having the best week ever. Check it out why here. Even if he gets a miniscule percentage of his clients salaries he negotiated, France is a very wealthy man. Mover over Drew Rosehaus, there is a new top dog in agent land.

Here are some other cool movers around the league: The Pats got Adalius Thomas. Also the Hobbit is now a Ram and the Munchos signed Big Daddy Dan Wilkinson. The Bills got Derrick Dockery and the ‘Skins got London Fletcher-Baker. As for the greatest team in the world, the ‘Boys are chillin’ right now although big Len Davis did visit Valley Ranch Friday, but then left without a deal finalized.

An NBA football team??

2007-02-01T16:41:00.000-08:00

No i did not write this myself. I found this article on ESPN Insider written by David Thorpe and thought it was pretty cool. Since I am one of the few insiders we know, i decide to share it. (kinda pullin a Keifer huh?)

OFFENSE

Quarterback: Jason Kidd
The triple-double king has the three ingredients of a great quarterback: He can run, pass and lead. Kidd still has plenty of juice left in the tank. Just beat out Steve Nash, partly on size.

Tailback: Dwyane Wade
Changes gears and explodes through cracks like a bigger Marshall Faulk, but can make you miss with his twists and spins. He is the master at finishing (long runs, in this case).

Tight end: Amare Stoudemire
A nightmare matchup for an LB thanks to his speed and vertical, plus he has "hands for days." Picture the Chargers' Antonio Gates, who played hoops at Kent State, but six inches taller.

Wide receiver: Mike Miller
The reigning Sixth Man of the Year is the perfect possession receiver on this team of stars.

Wide receiver: Leandro Barbosa
This speed demon can stretch any defense, and he is tough enough to make the catch in the middle, too.

Wide receiver: LeBron James
Think Michael Irvin, then add serious height and 20 pounds. His combo of speed and size makes him the go-to guy on this offense.

Left tackle: Reggie Evans
Kidd wants the meanest "big ugly" to protect his blind spot, and Evans has the long arms and the disposition of a great bodyguard.

Left guard: Carlos Boozer
Boozer's agility and speed make him lethal as a pulling guard. His massive frame will pave the way for some great sweeps.

Center: Chris Kaman
Kaman's a footwork master, and he comes from an underrated football conference.

Right guard: Eddy Curry
This big guy has developed into a nice power player, giving Wade the perfect lead for his power runs off tackle.

Right tackle: Danny Fortson
We needed some nastiness on the strong side to keep people out of Kidd's face on rollouts.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

DEFENSE

Free safety: Trevor Ariza
The fastest guy on the field, he can make up for any mistakes made in front of or behind him.

Strong safety: Chauncey Billups
Rugged and smart, will not fall for play-action passes. Also has the ability to knock down big shots.

Cornerback: Allen Iverson
He'd be playing on Sundays if he weren't such a gifted scorer. He's a former all-state high school quarterback and our best defender on the gridiron.

Cornerback: Nate Robinson
A mismatch at 5-9, but speed and vertical make up for lack of size (just ask Yao). Won't back down from anyone (see MSG brawl). And boasts experience (played DB for Washington Huskies).

Middle linebacker: Ron Artest
And you thought Dick Butkus was a maniac …

Outside linebacker: Ruben Patterson
Our blitzing specialist, he is very quick in tight spaces and plays with incredible energy.

Outside linebacker: Kobe Bryant
Relentless and will defend both the run and the pass -- our version of Derrick Brooks.

Defensive end: Dwight Howard
Super-quick big man. "Too Tall Dwight" will line up on the strong side and force the QB to throw over his massive reach.

Defensive tackle: Brian Cardinal
A bit undersized but will make things happen so our big dogs can eat. He's used to getting beat up and coming back for more.

Defensive tackle: Craig Smith
Maybe the strongest man, pound-for-pound, on our team.

Defensive end: Ben Wallace
The Smiths, Bubba and Bruce, were big and quick, but this cat is on a whole other level. Also a monster on special teams blocking kicks.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SPECIAL TEAMS

Punter: Manu Ginobili
The Argentinean was born to kick, has great footwork and focus, and lives for the pressure moment. You can trust him in a field-position battle.

Kicker: Darrell Armstrong
A long-distance specialist nowadays. Was a kicker at D-II Fayetteville State, where he connected from 48 yards out.

Punt returner: Earl Boykins
Any guy crazy enough to think he can play in the NBA at 5-foot-5 is uniquely qualified to return punts ... plus he has the quickness too. Iverson can help us out here too.

Kick returner: Monta Ellis
The pride of Mississippi has the jets to be a gamebreaker every time he touches the rock.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

COACHING STAFF

Defensive coordinator: Gregg Popovich
A master motivator who will use the tremendous team speed and nasty attitudes to create as much havoc as the '85 Bears did with their "46" defense.

Offensive coordinator: Don Nelson
With every trick in the book, Nellie will create and take advantage of mismatch opportunities for his freakishly athletic and tall skill players.

Coach: Pat Riley
The reigning champ gets the honor of coaching this team of stars, as Riley is just the man to get these athletes to play physically. He'll even look good in a windbreaker.

Finally.....

2007-01-01T17:24:00.000-08:00

Today the Falcons fired Head Coach Jim Mora Jr. after a disappointing 7-9 season, 26-22 career record. I know his defense was banged up a lot this year but he had the most explosive man in the league on his team in Too Cool Mr. Michael Vick. Vick isn’t the most accurate passer, but he can make plays and Mora didn’t utilize him enough. Strik

Besides from the on-field troubles Atlanta had, Mora also said he would take the Washington Huskies job if available. Mora insisted he was only joking. That is equivalent to Vick saying he would like to quarterback the Panthers or something!

If the Falcons can get a coach who would run a spread offense and let Vick takeoff whenever, and pound Warrick Dunn and Jerious Norwod, the Falcons should be in the play-offs. It’s inexcusable a team with Vick’s talent and punishing run game like Atlanta’s is not in the play-offs.

K News (that means quick)

2006-12-19T07:51:00.000-08:00

Jevan Snead is transfering to Ole Miss. He will have 3 years of eligibility.

Prince At XLI

2006-12-11T13:19:00.000-08:00

It was announced today that Prince will be the halftime entertainment at this year's Super Bowl. Super Bowl XLI will be February 4th in Miami and will be broadcast on CBS. Prince is an interesting choice because ever since Janet Jackson showed her boobie at halftime of Panthers/Patriots, it seems the NFL and the broadcasters have feared what might happen during the Super Bowls halftime show. The last two years they tried to play it safe by having on really, really old dudes such as Paul McCartney and Mick Jagger. Prince has not been without controversy in the past. He wrote slave on his cheek and he even changed his name to a symbol (which I have no idea how to type on my computer). Prince has also been known for very sexual songs and performances in the past but he has toned it down in recent years. I guess he has toned it down enought that whoever selects the halftime entertainment felt Prince was a good call. So, are you happy with Prince performing at halftime? Who would you like to see perform at halftime of the Super Bowl instead or in the future?

Prince to perform at Super Bowl

Cowboys Get Tony Parrish

2006-12-07T15:58:00.000-08:00

The Cowboys signed veteran Free Safety Tony Parrish off of waivers. Parrish was released this week by the Niners. Dallas' current FS include the 6-5 rook Pat Watkins and special teams standout Keith Davis.

Parrish's last complete season was 2003 where he had arguably his best season as a pro. 79 tackles, 18 passes deflected, and 9 interceptions. I think Parrish is a solid player although he is coming off a broken right fibula from the 2005 season.

In other news, Lisa Leslie will miss this upcoming WNBA season cuz she is pregnant.

That Bowl Lineup Is In

2006-12-03T17:29:00.000-08:00

The BCS schedule has finally been announced . Here are the match-ups:
National Championship - Ohio State vs. Florida
Rose Bowl - Michigan vs. USC
Sugar Bowl - Notre Dame vs. LSU
Orange Bowl - Wake Forest vs. Louisville
Fiesta Bowl - Boise State vs. Oklahoma

Some other notable bowl games:
Alamo Bowl - Texas vs. Iowa
Cotton Bowl - Nebraska vs. Auburn
Capital One Bowl - Arkansas vs. Wisconsin
Gator Bowl - West Virginia vs. Georgia Tech
Outback - Penn St vs. Tennessee
Chick-fil-A - Virginia Tech vs. Georgia
Holiday - Cal vs. Texas A&M
Emerald - Florida State vs. UCLA

For a complete listing of all bowl games and when they are aired, click here.

So, did Michigan get screwed? Should it be the Wolverines facing the Buckeyes for all the marbles? I think in terms of what team has the best chance to beat the Buckeyes, then yes it would be the Wolverines. However with their win over Arkansas yesterday, I do believe that the Gators do deserve to be #2 and thus face the Buckeyes in the championship. I think the Rose Bowl should be a game not to miss also with some potent offenses taking the field. The Sugar Bowl could be renamed the overrated bowl as I’m not sure either of these teams deserved a BCS game in my opinion. Another interesting game to watch will be the Fiesta Bowl. All year long Boise State has said that they deserved more respect and to be considered with the top teams. We’ll see if they are correct when they face a good OU team. As for the Orange Bowl, I’m sure it will get overlooked by many as Wake Forest and Louisville don’t appear to be the most marketable teams. However I think Louisville is one the top teams in the nation so tune in to this too. I’ll make my official predictions closer to the actual games.

So what do you think? Who got screwed? What games are you most looking forward to? Are you happy with the National Championship? Tell me whatcha think dude.

Fox Sports Official BCS website here

2006 College Football Awards

2006-12-03T08:45:00.000-08:00

You can now go here and vote for the 2006 College Football Awards. I won't list all the categories or people nominated, just check it out and vote for your favorites. The winners will be announced live on ESPN on Thursday, Dec 07 at 6:00PM CST.

UT Update

2006-12-03T08:28:00.000-08:00

Well, it is now official. Texas’ QB Jevan Snead will transfer at mid-term. Snead is not the only Longhorn to file paperwork to leave the school. Sophomore DE Chris Brown and sophomore OT Greg Dolan will also transfer and leave Texas. While Brown and Dolan will be missed, Snead will have a possibility to have a much larger impact on the Longhorns future, namely their upcoming bowl game. Starter Colt McCoy is still healing from a stinger and it is not known if he will be ready to go by the end of the month. Trainer Kenny Boyd issued an update on McCoy's injury Friday, saying the quarterback "has made significant progress over the past week.We will continue to monitor and evaluate him," Boyd said. "One thing we know about Colt is he'll work really hard and do everything in his power to get back. He's progressing extremely well." The Longhorns do not begin bowl practice until Dec. 12. They wouldn't leave for either bowl game until Dec. 26. But if McCoy can’t go, and without a number two QB, where does that leave Texas under center? Texas is left with just walk-on Matt McCoy and redshirted Sherrod Harris for its date in either the Gator or Alamo Bowl. It is highly unlikely that head coach Mack Brown would lift Harris' redshirt for a second-tier bowl game. Earlier in the year, Brown said a worst-case-scenario would include WR Quan Cosby taking over at QB. The sophomore was a two-time Texas 2A First-Team All-Stater at QB in 1999-2000. Brown has also said a while back that WR Billy Pittman could be pressed into action at QB. Pittman was a four-year starter at Cameron Yoe and was the scout team 'running quarterback' during his RS-freshman year in 2004. You can see it is a pretty interesting situation. As far as what bowl the Longhorns will even be playing in, here are the top possibilities for Texas. Georgia Tech will play in the Gator bowl. They accepted an invitation Saturday night. So that leaves Texas in the mix. The folks at the Gator Bowl could also choose Louisville, but Louisville played in Jacksonville last year, so Texas is a strong possibility. We know Iowa is in the Alamo Bowl. So, if the Gator Bowl passes on Texas, the Horns will likely land in San Antonio. That will probably land West Virginia in the Gator Bowl. If that happens, Texas would likely play in the Alamo Bowl on Dec. 30. Whatever the case, with the quarterback situation, it should make for an interesting game!

Now some good news for Texas and Colt McCoy. McCoy has been selected as the Associated Press Big 12 Newcomer of the Year and was the runner-up to Nebraska QB Zac Taylor as the conference Offensive Player of the Year. McCoy was a semifinalist for the 2006 Davey O'Brien Award (nation's top QB) and was also named Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year by the conference coaches. Big-ups Jim Ned and the big city of Tuscola!

Texas players elect to transfer (Official UT website)

The King Back

2006-12-02T16:59:00.000-08:00

Highly touted freshmen/lord/king/beast Greg Oden played his first game of the year as Ohio State defeated Valpraiso 78-58. Mr. Oden scored 14 points, a team leading 5 blocks, and a team leading 10 boards. He had missed all this time due to a torn wrist ligament. His former high school teammate Mike Conley Jr. added 7 points and 7 assists.

A November To Forget

2006-11-30T23:31:00.000-08:00

First, on November 11th, a butt whooping at the hands of Kansas State dashed any hopes Texas had for a repeat at the National Championship. Oh, and their prized QB got knocked out of the game. Then last Friday, the Longhorns got beat by Texas A&M and lost their opportunity to play for a Big XII championship. Oh, and Colt McCoy was knocked out of the game again. Then last Monday came word that the Longhorns prized defensive coordinator was leaving to accept a head coaching position. And not just any head coaching position, but a position with a conference rival in Iowa State. Finally, just the other day, the rumors began flying that backup quarterback Jevan Snead was looking to leave Texas also (see below). What could go wrong for Texas next? Well, not all is doom and gloom in Austin. First, it’s been rumored that Alabama defensive coordinator and now Crimson Tide interim head coach Joe Kines, Miami defensive coordinator Randy Shannon and Washington Redskins secondary coach Jerry Gray are possible candidates to replace Chizik. Texas co-defensive coordinator Duane Akina could also be considered. I have also heard that Texas would be headed to either the Gator or Alamo bowls because the Cotton had settled on the loser of the Big 12 title game – Oklahoma or Nebraska. It will be the Gator Bowl if West Virginia loses at home to Rutgers on Saturday. It will be the Alamo if West Virginia wins. The ACC opponent in the Gator would probably be Clemson, which lost three of its last four. The opponent in the Alamo is a 6-6 Iowa team. Neither opponent seems too great, and either way Texas should be the heavy favorite. Finally, it should be noted that as of today, Texas has an extremely talented recruiting class coming in next year. Although official signing day is still months away, the Longhorns have several verbal commitments including Trey Allen, John Brantley, Curtis Brown, John Chiles, Michael Huey, Andre Jones, Aundre McGaskey, Jerrod Gooch, Malcolm Williams, and Keenan Robinson just to name a few. You can read the entire commitment list here. So Longhorn fans, although November was definitely a month to forget, the future looks bright. As the saying goes, at Texas they don’t rebuild, they reload!

Snead Out At Texas Part II

2006-11-30T22:39:00.000-08:00

Pete already broke the story below, but since I had a piece written, I may as well post also so as not to waste. So to add to Pete's original story...

It has been rumored that Texas quarterback Jevan Snead has asked out of his scholarship at Texas. It seems that Snead is looking at transferring to another school to play ball. No official word as of yet as to where Snead could be looking at transferring, although I have heard he is strongly considering TCU. Houston and Louisville are also options. Personally, I had a feeling that this issue might arise with Colt McCoy playing as well as he did this season. Snead enrolled at Texas believing that he had an honest shot at winning the starting quarterback job, and he did. Unfortunately for Snead, once McCoy got the job, he never looked back (unless you count the times this year he has died in games the last two weeks). So at this point McCoy looks the be the starter from here on out and since Snead and McCoy both would have three years of eligibility left, Snead will be relegated to career back-up by staying at Texas. There is the chance that McCoy could do so well at UT that he leaves school early for the pros, but even then that would only give Snead one year at the helm. And there isn’t any guarantee that Snead will even remain the number two guy in the future. The Longhorns have a strong verbal commitment from Trinity Catholic high school senior John Brantley. Brantley is the number two ranked, pro-style quarterback in the nation according to Rivals.com and he should be in Austin next fall. In fact Brantley will for sure be in Austin next week, as he has an official visit scheduled and you can be sure Snead’s decision will have an effect on Brantley’s final choice of school. So although this rumor of Snead’s departure from the Longhorns hasn’t been confirmed yet, this move makes sense to me, as I have previously mentioned. Snead is a far too talented quarterback to spend time on the bench. It should be noted that Coach Mack Brown met with the freshman earlier this week. Snead talked to Brown about the possibility of transferring, and the coach told him to think about it more before making a decision. As of Friday early morning, Snead had yet to ask for the official paperwork for release from the team. Depending on when or if Snead files for transfer, his eligibility for the bowl game could be in doubt. I will attempt to contact Snead to get more info, so check back at Silva Sportz for the latest news regarding this breaking story.

Snead to Transfer?

2006-11-30T15:41:00.000-08:00

According to reports, Jevan Snead is looking to transfer. If true, my man Sherrod Harris will get to crush. And not the turtle or wrestler. Snead will stay with the team through their bowl game and leave later.

After Vince Young left, Snead was supposed to contend with Colt McCoy for the starting job. While Colt has put up Heisman-Like numbers, Sneads only action this year has been mop up duty for Colt, and replacing him after injuries. Jevan must think he can just start anywhere but wasn’t he trying to go to Florida? Then Tim Tebow signed, so he went to Texas. I bet he goes to OU……for Jerry and JR’s sake.

Homo For Romo

2006-11-30T08:46:00.000-08:00

Just in case you didn't know, Tony Romo leads the NFL with a passer rating of 110.8. Second is Peyton Manning who is a full 10 points behind Romo. Since Romo has taken the reigns as starter, the Cowboys are 4-1 and the 'Skins got suuuper lucky. As you can see, Romo is the Cowboys savior. I think this video pretty much sums up Cowboys fans feelings for our guy.

Go vote for him for Pro Bowl here.

Nooooooooo!!!

2006-11-28T16:35:00.000-08:00

This is too sad. Roderick George Toombs has cancer. I'll give you a hint who he is, he mows niggas down.

Read more here.

Bye-Bye Vanderjagt, We Won't Miss You

2006-11-27T19:48:00.000-08:00

The good news: Vanderjagt is "out" in Dallas. The bad news: Martin Grammatica is "in". The Cowboys fire one crappy kicker and pick up another crappy one in his place. I do believe this is a good move because at least the Cowboys will save a lot of money by letting Vandy go. Also Grammatica can kick off. Most importantly, I don't want Vanderjagt getting a ring when the Cowboys win the Super Bowl after all the misses he's had. So how did the most accurate kicker in NFL history become so craptastic? Well many people would point to his key miss against the Steelers in last year's playoffs. That miss is second only to Scott Norwood for biggest choke in NFL kicking history and I don't think Vanderjagt ever recovered. Some people would also point to Vandy's downfall being when he started to highlight his hair, which is pretty gay. I would however point to when Vanderjagt made a trip to Texas a few years back as a guest at Indianapolis Colts longsnapper Justin Snow's football camp in Abilene, TX. After spending the day in Texas' August 100+ degree heat, Vanderjagt remarked "It's too ____ hot here, I'm leaving!" and he then proceeded to go get in his Escalade. The Silva boys knew right then and there that Vanderjagt was soft and wouldn't cut it here in the great state of Tejas. So, here's the plan from here on out: Romo just throws touchdowns and we trust Marteen to make EP's. Got it? Good.

A Defense of Mr. Michael Vick

2006-11-27T13:30:00.000-08:00

Many people are ripping Mike Vick today saying that he is incapable of being a quality NFL quarterback. I still disagree with those people. First of all, Vick has shown that he is capable of being a “passing “ QB. Just look at his stats from weeks 6 & 7 of this year. In week 6 against the Steelers, Vick was 18 of 30 for 232 yds and 4 TD’s. He finished that day with a 96.1 QB rating, which is quality. He also still rushed for 40 yds. Then next week against the Bengals, Vick was 19 of 27 for 291 yards and 3 TD’s and a 142.7 rating which is excellent. Of course many people would say those are the exceptions for Vick and not the norm. That may be true, but the goal of NFL franchises is to win games and ultimately championships. Vick has already led the Falcons to a Conference championship. Also Vick seems to receive the brunt of the blame when Atlanta is struggling. What about their defense? The Saints put 31 points of the board Sunday against this Falcon D. That means even if Vick had thrown 4 touchdowns, his team would have still come up short. Atlanta’s defense is 22nd in league giving up 340 yds a game. They were supposed to be a “rebuilt” defense with new, key additions. Instead the defense has been a disappointment, with new, key additions such as John Abraham only playing in 3 games this year. Finally, with the exception of Alge Crumpler, the Falcons have hands-down the worst receiving corps in the NFL. Roddy White, Michael Jenkins, Ashley Lelie, and Adam Jennings could not even start as a third WR for most teams. White, Lelie, and Jenkins are all former first rounders but what many people overlook is that this simply means these players were drafted in the 1st round, not that they actually have 1st round receiver talent. (see Charles Rodgers and Mike Williams). No group of wide-outs has worse hands or are worse route runners in the NFL than Atlanta’s group. If you watched the Falcons game against the Saints this past Sunday you know exactly what I mean. There were at least 5 dropped balls, possibly more. Also one of the drops was a sure TD. Just how bad were the Falcon receivers yesterday? Here is what Joe Horn had to say about them, and he plays for the opposing team!

“This is a league where if you don't do your job, they run your ass off. Those guys better wake up and smell the coffee and start catching the damned football. I can't blame [Vick] for, you know, being upset at them sometimes."

If you know anything about football, then you know how much it helps a quarterback when his receivers get open. So how do receivers beat the coverage? By running precise routes and using proper technique. The Falcons receivers seem to only know how to run 1 routes and even then they cannot be counted on to haul in the deep ball even when it hits them in their hands. As for Vick flipping off the crowd after the loss, he pretty much summed it up himself. Vick said

"First and foremost, I would like to apologize for my inappropriate actions with fans today. I was frustrated and upset at how the game was going for my team, and that frustration came out the wrong way."

He knows he was wrong and many a people have done many a stupid thing in the face of frustration (see Albert Haynesworth and Tyler Brayton). What do think? I am giving Vick too much credit? Would you want him to start for your team? Is the Falcon’s answer to their woes Matt Schaub?

Fan Appreciation? (AHN All Headline News)

Vick makes obscene gesture to home crowd (Fox Sports)

BCS

2006-11-21T07:34:00.000-08:00

With all this crazy BCS crap I want to put in my 2 cents. Okay we are trying to find out who will play Ohio State in the Championship. Theres only 3 teams in contention; Michigan, USC, and Florida. Now I know that you think Notre Dame and Arkansas have a chance to play, but they clearly shouldn’t. So, as the rest of these scenarios play out, they are obviously best case, and it is assumed that USC will beat UCLA and Florida beats Florida State. Well, here we go……

Michigan (11-1) - The Logans best bet for a rematch in Glensdale would be if Arkansas gets whooped by LSU, but beats Florida. And Notre Dame barely beats USC. That would leave this:

#1. Ohio State (12-0)
#2. Michigan (11-1)
#3. Notre Dame (11-1)
#4. USC (10-2)
#5. Arkansas (11-2)
#6. Florida (11-2)

USC (9-1) - The Trojans will play for a title if they simply can win out. Yup, just beat Notre Dame. Beat ‘em by 40 or 1 point, I don’t care. Since we are already assuming they will beat UCLA. But if you beat ND by a hefty margin, more people will be convinced. So actually I take that back. Put it on them for style points. That would leave this:

#1. Ohio State (12-0)
#2. USC (11-1)
#3. Michigan (11-1)
I don’t really care how the rest plays out cause it wont matter!

Florida (10-1) - Win out and hope Notre Dame can beat USC. But beat Arkansas pretty good for style points. Cause hey, a good ol’ ass whoopin never hurt anyone. Unless you are on the receiving end. That would leave this:

#1. Ohio State (12-0)
#2. Florida (12-1)
#3. Michigan (11-1)
#4. Notre Dame (11-1)
#5. USC (10-2)
#6. Arkansas (11-2)

UFC 65 Results

2006-11-19T06:36:00.000-08:00

Last night there were two titles on the line. In the Heavyweight fight, it was Tim Sylvia vs. Jeff Snowman Monson.

This fight went the distance and had Sylvia winning by decision. All fight, Snowman tried taking Sylvia down and failed throughout the first 2 rounds. I believe his first takedown was in round 3, but Sylvia was too dominant even on the ground breaking out of two guillotine attempts. Snowmans arms were too short to do any real damage to Sylvia while on the ground.

This fight did get boring near the end. In the 5th and final round, Sylvia didn't even attack, but just preserved his title. He had Snowman on his back in a defensive position but really they both didn't attack.

Even referee Big John McCarthy had to remind the fighters that this was indeed a fight and to go at each other. When this match ended, the fans booed cuz they wanted action. After the fight, Snowman looked beat up in the face pretty bad, and Sylvia's face looked fresh.

The next fight was the main event with Welterweight champ Matt Hughes defending his belt against Georges St. Pierre. This would be their second fight (Hughes won the first bout).

Georges started on fire, attacking early and being really aggressive (which is what we pay money to see Maine-i-ac). Hughes never really did much damage on Georges throughout the 1st round. I should mention though that Georges was attempting inside leg kicks and hit Hughes in the crotch 2 consecutive times!

He also connected with his classic spinning back kick.(not in the nads but in the gut) In the closing seconds though, It seemed like Georges knocked Hughes out when he went flying to the floor, but he was saved by the bell.

The 2nd round was no different with Georges controlling the fight. He then connected with a big kick to the dome, and pounced Hughes with rapid fire punches and the ref stopped the fight. Congrats to Georges St. Pierre on an ass-kicking.

He is cool cuz at the end, when he was thanking people, he said because he's not an American, he's from Canada, he would rep this belt for North America. He is by far the first man to rep a continent.

Coach Tressel Has His Priorities

2006-11-18T16:09:00.000-08:00

If you have spent any time looking at MySpaces, you know that many celebrities have legitimate pages. You also know that many of the pages are fake and super lame. Many times you can tell if the space is real or fake by the pictures posted, the bios written etc. Then there are other times when you wonder if you are really looking at the page of a famous, well-known person or some 15 year old with lots of free time. Here is one myspace that has been debated as to whether it was real or not. As you can see the Jim Tressel page is put together well and looks quality but at the same time doesn't the coach of the #1 ranked team in college football have better ways to spend his time than adding you to his friend list? Well today the controversy was settled and Silva Sportz can confirm that the Jim Tressell MySpace page is officially bogus. How do I know that? Well because at exactly 6:07 PM central time, Coach Tressel's page showed he was "online now". Interesting because at that same time Coach Tressel was coaching his Buckeyes in a hard fought battle against Michigan with about 3 minutes left in the game. Conclusion: Unless coach was working one of these under the sweater vest, somebody is busted!

Look-A-Likes - "Beanie" and Jayceon Taylor

2006-11-18T14:12:00.000-08:00

Ohio St. super freshman Chris Wells

and

West Coast representa The Game

R.I.P.

2006-11-17T13:15:00.000-08:00

Legendary Michigan coach Bo Schembechler passed away today at the early age of 77. Schembechler compiled a 194-48-5 record at while coaching at Michigan from 1969-1989. He was also a seven-time Big Ten coach of the year.

This will probably spark a flame under the wolverine team. So i'm pickin' Michigan on Saturday. Who you got?

It's Official

2006-11-16T07:35:00.000-08:00

I'm officialy a trojan. I signed my letter Wednesday.

Dirty Leon Washington

2006-11-15T11:00:00.000-08:00

This would be worth money! I believe this is one of the few pics of this card on the web. Not even ESPN had it.

(In Young Joc Voice) It's Goin' Down

2006-11-14T06:33:00.000-08:00

On May 5, 2007, welterweight champ Floyd Mayweather Jr. will fight junior middleweight champ Oscar De La Hoya on HBO. I said HBO in a backpack.

The fight will take place in either the MGM Grand in Vegas, or the Staples Center in L.A. Floyd Mayweathers pops, FM Sr., is the trainer for De La Hoya.

Finally.....

2006-11-13T13:48:00.000-08:00

It is official. This is such breaking news, that I cant find an AP article about it. The Skins announced that Jason Campbell will make his first start Sunday against Tampa Bay. This won't only be his first start, but his first regular season snap too. I guess Joe Gibbs is expecting to put a spark under his gay team.

Campbell led the Auburn Tigers to an undefeated 2004 season in which he was named the MVP in the SEC Championship game.

He was the 25th pick in the 2005 NFL draft. He was the 3rd quarterback selected after Alex Smith and Aaron Rodgers.

Marcus Coleman Cut

2006-11-11T16:26:00.000-08:00

Cowboys Safety Marcus Colmeman was cut a after DWI. FUNNY!! He didnt contribute anyways. Coleman already served a 4 game suspension for violating the league's substance abuse policy.

I know...

2006-11-09T07:23:00.000-08:00

Okay so Ohio State and Michigan are clearly the frontrunners for the title game. But if Michigan beats them on the 18th, I wouldnt want to watch a rematch again in the national championsihp! And if Texas played Ohio State again I think it would be a totally different story. So Tejas should be considered for the big dance. And if Louisville wins out, they should definately go to the title game. But if Rutgers or Boise State win out, they wont make it.

So here are some scenarios:
Ohio State vs. Texas
Ohio State vs. Louisville
Michigan vs. Louisville
Michigan vs. Texas

None of those boys will have more than 1 loss. Cheer for Rutgers tonight becasue if they win, Ohio State beats Michigan, oooohhhh baby we'll have a rematch from Septemeber 9th! Oh mark them calendars gentlemen! Cause Texas will upset them. If you can call that an upset.

Phil's Midseason Mayhem

2006-11-08T18:52:00.000-08:00

Most memorable moment of the year so far:
Saints winning in their first home game.

NFL MVP:
Peyton Manning

Offensive Player of the Year (different from MVP):
Drew Brees

Defensive Player of the Year:
Brian Urlacher

Rookie of the Year:
Joseph Addai

Rookie Bust:
Chad Jackson

Surprise player of the year:
Donovan McNabb

Biggest disappointment of the year:
Daunte Culpepper

Surprise team of the year (good):
Saints

Surprise team of the year (bad):
Dolphins

Coach of the year:
If you don’t say Sean Payton, you’re a fool.

First Pick in next year’s NFL Draft:
Cardinals

AFC Champ:
Patriots

NFC Champ:
Giants

Speeder's Mid-Season Updates

2006-11-08T18:40:00.000-08:00

Most memorable moment of the year so far: Al Haynesworth stomping Andre Gurode

NFL MVP: Peyton Manning, Like always he has sick stats and his Colts are 8-0.

Offensive Player of the Year (different from MVP): LaDainian Tomlinson, He is 2nd in rushing, 1st in rush TD’s, and has more catches than Keyshawn, Terry Glenn, Antonio Gates, and Moss(Randy or Santanna). WOW!!

Defensive Player of the Year: …..TIE…..Champ Bailey, this was tough to choose cuz no one has been outstanding. He is 2nd in INTs, tied for 7th in PD, and 4th in tackles for Denver, plus his real name is Roland/ Urlacher is the best player on the best defense, 8th in tackles, and one tough S.O.B.

Rookie of the Year: Marques Colston, 4th in yards, 1st in TD’s. A huge reason the Saints are contenders, plus he was a 7th round pick!

Rookie Bust: John McCargo, 1st he shouldn’t have been picked 26th overall!!!! In 4 out of 8 games, he has 6 tackles! He probably wasn’t hurt he just sucks. I knew he would suck. Plus he sounds gay.

Surprise player of the year: Damon Huard, He is 2nd in passer rating, and has a disgusting TD-INT ratio of 11-1, and led the Chiefs to a 5-3 record.

Biggest disappointment of the year: Shaun Alexander, NO IT’S NOT THE MADDEN CURSE. He has played in 3 game and has 187 yards and 2 TD’s. I also took him with the first overall pick in our fantasy league. (Grinch to Pete, You’re an idiot!!)

Surprise team of the year (good): Saints, 6-2 is pretty damn good! Most people expected them to win 6 games max, and now they lead the NFC South. 007(Sean Payton) has done a hell of a job. JEARB!!!!!!!!!!!!

Surprise team of the year (bad): Dolphins, 2-6 and they suck. Culpepper was supposed to be their savior and he lost his job! Nick Saban has lost this team. Hey Stro, At least they will draft high next year.

Coach of the year: Sean Payton, SEE SURPRISE TEAM OF THE YEAR

First Pick in next year’s NFL Draft: Cardinals

AFC Champ: Chargers

NFC Champ: Cowboys

Situ’s NFL Mid-Season Round-Up

2006-11-08T17:29:00.000-08:00

Most memorable moment of the year so far: seeing Trent Green knocked out cold, which was one of the hardest hits of all time and I saw it live and Al Haynesworth stomp on Andre Gurode which I also saw live. Also the ridiculously bad production of the once great Monday Night Football.

NFL MVP: Peyton Manning. If you get a chance at all to watch Manning play this year, don’t miss it. You may be watching history in the greatest quarterback of all time having possibly his best season.

Offensive Player of the Year (different from MVP): LaDainian Tomlinson

Defensive Player of the Year: Champ Bailey. Julius Peppers was an early favorite but his production has dropped some. Also Urlacher’s unfortunate injury sets him back too, but either of these could make a comeback to claim it.

Rookie of the Year: Marques Colston is probably most productive, but as far as who will become the best player in the long run, Laurence Maroney.

Rookie Bust: Reggie Bush, Bobby Carpenter is not far behind, but Bush had such higher expectations that he is not living up to.

Surprise player of the year (good): Tony Romo. Before the pre-season, most people didn’t even know he existed.

Biggest disappointment of the year: Terrell Owens, too many dropped passes on big plays.

Surprise team of the year (good): New Orleans Saints. I seriously expected them to contend for next years first draft pick and now they should win their division.

Surprise team of the year (bad): Pittsburgh Steelers. Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Dolphins were also considered but I think they were just overhyped. The Bucs had actually made the playoffs last year but the Steelers are the freakin’ defending world champs! Now they’ll be lucky to not finish last in their division.

Coach of the year: Sean Payton, see surprise team of year above.

First pick in next year’s NFL draft: It’s hard to see any team being worse than the Raiders are right now. Then again, the Raiders beat the Cardinals! So the Arizona Cardinals are on the clock…

AFC Champ: Indianapolis Colts. This will be the year that the Colts finally get the job done.

NFC Champ: Whoever wins home field advantage throughout the playoffs including Giants, Bears, Seahawks. So as not to wuss out, I’ll go with the Bears.

The Count is Out For TUF 4 Finale

2006-11-07T10:57:00.000-08:00

This Saturday is the Ultimate Fighter 4 finale. In the welterweight final it’s Chris Lytle vs. Matt Serra. In the middleweight final Patrick Cote will be facing Travis Lutter. There are a few other matches scheduled for that evening, mostly other fighter from TUF 4. However one match that was highly anticipated was recently cancelled. The great Michael Bisping was scheduled to fight in his first fight since knocking out Josh Haynes on the TUF 3 finale. Bisping is currently 11-0, but he will have to wait a while to run his undefeated streak to 12. The Count is from Liverpool, England and he could not get a visa to travel to the U.S. for the fight. When the UFC President told Bisping the bad news, he reportedly said "Dana, no" in his classic voice. First we won’t let Mexicans into the country and now we won’t let the great Bisping in. U.S. lost some fame for that one. Seriously, though I hope Bisping and the UFC get the issues with the visa worked out because the fans definitely want to see the Count back in the octagon soon. You can view the complete fight card for TUF 4 finale here. Also, if you have missed any episodes of season 4, I saw a commercial advertising that Spike TV will be airing a marathon of the entire season all day Saturday leading up to the finale that evening.

I Didn't Even Know Gnats Had Groins

2006-11-07T06:30:00.000-08:00

What is the big deal about Tyler Brayton kneeing gay Jerramy Stevens in the crotch Monday Night? No seriously, everyone is making a way bigger deal out of this than it really is. First of all, the majority of people commenting on it have never even played football, so they have no idea about what types of things go on in games or the emotions and passions that are on display. Unless you have played quality football for a length of time, no one cares what you think about the incident. Also, if you watch closely, you will see that Stevens is the first one to take a swing, or kick, at the crotch. He tries to kick Brayton with his whole leg. If you watch the video you can see Steven’s leg swing up between’s Brayton’s legs. If anyone tries to kick you in the groin, you have a free pass to kick or knee them back in theirs. I mean the better thing would have been to punch Jerramy Steven’s in the face, but he had a helmet on. Also Warren Sapp is correct with his comments in saying that Stevens is a punk. I think a better word would have been that he is a pussy but you get the picture. No one in the league runs their mouth more without backing it up than Stevens. You can hear the crappy MNF announcers weigh in with their two cents, but their credibility was thrown out long ago. Mike Greenberg said regarding the incident that it was “one of the worst things I have ever seen an athlete do on the field” and I have also heard several other comments regarding the incident that said that Brayton should be suspended anywhere from 1 to 3 games and be fined at least 5 figures. I don’t agree with that. While I do assume that the league will punish Brayton and I would say he deserves it for breaking the rules, I would say that Brayton should be fined around $7,500 and receive no suspension. Also after reviewing the tape, I believe Stevens should be fined about $5,000. Also, this was caught on Monday Night Football so that is the only reason that a big deal is being made out of it. Obviously Jerramy Stevens didn’t think it was a big deal as he didn’t even double over or anything. Either that or it just confirms my suspicions that Stevens’ has had a vagina all along.

Here is a second, shorter clip so you can review Stevens' first kick without having to watch the whole clip again.

How Good Is Colt McCoy?

2006-11-05T17:26:00.000-08:00

Colt McCoy for Heisman? Sounds ridiculous right? You think I am just being a fan, right? Well since you won’t believe Fan Situ, I will have to make my case as Reporter Situ. First off, who are the leading candidates for the Heisman at the quarterback position? Well many people would say this is debatable, so I will pull from credible sources. According to HeismanPundit.com, the top three quarterback candidates are in order Troy Smith, Brady Quinn, and Erik Ainge. According to ESPN‘s Heisman page, the top three QB candidates are Smith, Quinn, and Pat White. Finally according to Fox Sports, their top three QB candidates are Smith, Quinn, and White. So let’s take a look at how these four quarterbacks stack up against each other and as Los would say, “how’s Colt McCoy?” so we will throw him into the mix also. (These stats are current as of today, November 5th.)

Smith - 158-of-237 for 2,006 yds, 22 TDs, 3 INTs, 66.7% comp rate and 165.9 rating.
Quinn -216-of-338 for 2,579 yds, 25 TDs, 4 INTs, 63.9% comp rate and 150.04 rating.
White - 77-of-113 for 1,044 yds, 6 TDs, 5 INTs, 68.1% comp rate and 154.4 rating.
Ainge - 168-of-252 for 2,216 yds, 16 TDs, 8 INTs, 66.7% comp rate and 155.1 rating.
McCoy - 170-of-246 for 2,051 yds, 27 TDs, 4 INTs, 69.1% comp rate and 172.1 rating.

Smith - 53 rushes for 206 yds, 1 TD
Quinn – 59 rushes for (negative) -37 yds, 2 TD’s
White – 96 rushes for 744 yds, 13 TD’s
Ainge – 19 rushes for (negative) -58 yds, 1 TD
McCoy – 62 rushes for 180 yds, 1 TD

Colt leads in touchdowns, completion percentage, and passer rating. The numbers don’t lie, you can see McCoy is clearly one of, if not the best, quarterbacks in the NCAA right now. I know that is extremely rare for a freshman to win the Heisman, but I believe McCoy should at least be invited to the ceremony in New York. If not that, then let me be the first to begin the official campaign of McCoy for Heisman in ’07. Actually I think this guy was first but you get the point. McCoy is close to having people say, “Vince who?” Okay maybe not because V.Y. was a king, but then surely McCoy is the successor to the throne.

McCoy deserves to be part of Heisman conversation (Austin American Statesman)

Here is another nice Colt McCoy site I came across. GoColtGo.com

Look-A-Likes - Chris Henry And An Alien

2006-11-05T08:58:00.000-08:00

Bengals WR Chris Henry

and

An alien from "Signs"

Quick news....

2006-11-04T21:52:00.000-08:00

Pretty Boy defeated Carlos Baldomir in a 12 round unanimous decision. Mayweather is now 37-0 with 24 KOs and the new WBC welterweight champion. For round-by-round scoring click here.

So much for that quarterback controversy. Colt McCoy threw for 3 TDs in a win over the Ed Baby Zylans which gave him 27 on the year, breaking VY and Limo's single season touchdown mark. He is only 2 shy of the NCAA record for freshman. That record was set by UNLV's David Neill in 1998.

Speaking of Neill's, Neil Patrick Harris, better known as Doogie Howser, prefers sausage over "fur burgers" if you naw mean. Harris told People magazine, "I am happy to dispel any rumors or misconceptions and am quite proud to say that I am a very content gay man living my life to the fullest..."

Joe Paterno And The Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day

2006-11-04T18:37:00.000-08:00

I bet when Coach Paterno woke up this morning, he had gum in his hair. I don’t know that for sure but I do know three reasons why today was not a good day for Joe Pa.
1) His squad lost to Wisconsin 13 to 3 Saturday.
2) He was blown up big time on the sideline. (watch the clip repeatedly on any sports highlight show) Too sad!
3) Craig James called him an “old fart” on national TV. I officially hate Craig James.
This picture pretty much sums up his day. The only thing left that could have happened to him would be if he got plain sneakers when his assistants got the ones with the stripe. Maybe he should move to Australia.

Another Athlete Busted For 'Roids

2006-11-04T08:22:00.000-08:00

We all know about the baseball players (too many to list) and then there's Floyd Landis and Tim Montgomery and most recently Shawne Merriman. Now add to the list the name of Stephan Bonnar of UFC fame. Bonnar is most known for being the first winner of UFC's Ultimate Fighter reality show. That won him a contract with the UFC after a classic fight with Forrest Griffin. Apparently Bonnar knew Griffin was a lot to handle and he wanted a little extra "edge" for the second fight. Of course by edge I mean anabolic steroids. Bonnar tested positive for anabolic steroids after his UFC 62 loss to Griffin. Bonnar was fined $5,000 and suspended for nine months by the Nevada State Athletic Commission Friday for the positive test. He will be eligible to fight again in May 2007. I can only imagine this picture is what it must have felt like after Bonnar found out he was busted. (If you don't follow UFC, that if Bonnar getting punched in the mizouth by Griffin from their last match.)

Bonnar fined, suspended (UFC.com)

Mayweather Jr. vs. Baldomir

2006-11-04T07:36:00.000-08:00

Tonight at the Mandalay Bay in Vegas (am I Vega?), Floyd Mayweather Jr. (36-0, 24 KOs) takes on welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir (43-9-6, 13 KOs). Baldomir weighed in at 147 lbs., and Mayweather Jr. weighed 146 lbs.

This will be the first time in six years that Floyd’s uncle Roger Mayweather, is not in his corner. Roger is in jail for jacking up his young sons grandma. Baldomir said "Basically, it's going to be a big excuse for Mayweather when he loses."

Pretty Boy isn’t too concerned either about his uncles absence, "I figure I should be able to go out there and conduct myself in an orderly fashion and put on a hell of a performance for 45 minutes". I think my boy Mayweather Jr. will win.

Other fights on this card:
• Featherweights: Robert Guerrero (36-3-1, 27 KOs) vs. Orlando Salido (27-9-2, 18 KOs), 12 rounds, for Guerrero's title
• Welterweights: Paul Williams (31-0, 23 KOs) vs. Mauro Lucero (42-11-1, 28 KOs), 10 rounds
• Heavyweights: Chris Arreola (17-0, 15 KOs) vs. Damian Wills (21-0-1, 15 KOs), 8 rounds

Look-a-Likes

2006-11-03T08:28:00.000-08:00

Coach Alexander did claim he would trade Kamer and a bag of skiddles for me to play runningback.

Nuggets Guard Earl Boykins

Coach Alexander (former Cooper HS coach)

Hall Of Fame worthy??

2006-10-31T07:30:00.000-08:00

Am I James Worthy? So just since Curtis is finally gonna hang it up alot of people think he is HOF worthy. Is he? not in my opinon but many will think he is. Same with Bus. Just because you had a long career doesnt make you the best to play at your position. If that was the case, then Vinny Testeverde and Drew Bledsoe are first balloters. BUt that aint tha case. Props for being able to play 10+ years, but you arent great. I think Marshall Faulk will get in. In that span from like 1998-2002, he was the greatest thing ever. A coming up class will be pretty punishing for runningbacks, but none of them but Fauilk should get in. And i dont think Tiki should get in either. What do you think??

Who Needs Wins When You Have Fans Like This

2006-10-31T06:42:00.000-08:00

Sure the Cowboys owned Jake Delhomme and the Panthers Sunday night, but I really feel kinda bad for Delhomme. After all, he let this woman down. Deborah Voit, pictured here, was arrested for stalking Panthers QB, Jake Delhomme. Here is an excerpt of the events.

Voit's latest trip to the jail, this time on charges of stalking Delhomme, comes after what team and police sources describe as a nearly week long series of events that left the Panthers quarterback fearful for his own safety, and his family's safety. Friday, October 6, two days before the Cleveland game, Delhomme told police Voit came to Bank of America Stadium, got past security, and followed him onto the practice field. Team sources say Voit also handed coach John Fox a letter for Delhomme. Saturday, October 7, team sources tell 6NEWS Voit showed up this time at the Westin Hotel. She again made her way past security to the floors where the team stays. Sources said she went room to room, knocking on Panther players' doors, looking for Delhomme's room and later called his room at least twice. Sunday, October 8, on game day against the Browns, police sources say Voit called Delhomme at his hotel room at least five times, starting at 7:45 a.m. before the team breakfast. On Monday and Tuesday after the Cleveland game, police sources tell 6NEWS there were up to a dozen more calls of Voit phoning Delhomme's parents and other family members hundreds of miles away in Louisiana, looking for the quarterback's cell phone number in Charlotte. Finally on Wednesday, October 11 team sources tell 6NEWS Voit parked her car at a Third Ward restaurant next to the Panthers practice field and tried to get past security again. This time she was arrested for trespassing, and felony stalking. Court records show Delhomme wants Voit prosecuted.

Wow. With fans like Voit, it makes me feel like painting my face is pretty lame.

Woman jailed, accused of stalking Panthers quarterback (WCNC.com)

Coach Belichick’s Son Likes To Smoke Out

2006-10-31T06:30:00.000-08:00

After the Patriots blow-out win over Minnesota Monday night, it doesn’t seem like it can get any better for their coach Bill Belichick. The truth is Belichick coached the game with the knowledge that his son is a confirmed pot-head. Bill’s son, Stephen (pictured to the left) was arrested late Saturday night when the cops busted him and a friend getting blazed in a parked car. A police report states, “the car reeked of marijuana.” Yesterday Stephen pleaded guilty in court and will be on probation for the next six months. Yeah, that fool looks like he would get mad blown. Now Bill knows where all the allowance he was giving his kid went to.

Bill's son's bust (Boston Herald)

Happy Halloween!

2006-10-30T14:06:00.000-08:00

Mash, mash, mash!

In case you can't tell, that's Bobby Brown and Mike Tyson.

Luckafye

2006-10-29T05:13:00.000-08:00

There is a new Cooper post up at GoFridayNight.com. Check it out using the link in the right column. Also since this is a-low week, be sure to check the blog at Go Friday Night everyday this week because we will try to post something often. We might even post our juicier a-low posts here at Silva Sportz just because the Abilene Reporter News sanctions me on the Cougar blog but I am my own grandpa here baby! Aww, Vegas baby! (meaning the Silva boyz are in charge and we post whatever we want here) Go Cougars!

Nooooooooooo!!!!!!!!

2006-10-28T12:07:00.000-07:00

Here at Silvasportz we try to avoid swearing, but this is too damn sad for any avid boxing fan, or sports fan period. R.I.P. homie......

Hall Of Fame

2006-10-27T13:20:00.000-07:00

There are three little words in sports that can be argued over for hours. No matter who you talk to, everybody's oponion will be different and thats why I love it. The NFL Hall of Fame is what's supposed to be very prestigious but has been a little watered down in the past few years.

With 111 names being submitted for election into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, today it got me thinkin' about some possible inductees. The obvious ones this year should be commisioner Paul Tagliabue, and Denver runningback Terrel Davis. But don't forget about the many ones who have already been eligible like Art Monk and Michael Irvin.

Others available for the first time include Bruce Matthews, Randall Cunningham, Mark Stepnoski, Eric Allen, The inventor of the Lambeau Leap, and Ricky Watters just to name a few.

Many people have argued that TD shouldnt be in and vice versa. But in my opinion if Gale Sayers made it in with a short career, than why can't TD? Terrell played a full season only four times. And he was the top back in his prime. I think he should definitely get in. Same argument can be made for Bo Jackson. Even though his career was cut short. The following is a list of RB's averages who were great.

Emmitt Smith - 4.2
Earl Campbell - 4.3
Eric Dickerson - 4.4
Walter Payton - 4.4
Gale Sayers - 5.0
Jim Brown - 5.2

Bo Jackson had a 5.4 and TD had a 4.6. So you decide who should get in.

As for Irvin, he had a great career and was the best reciever in his prime. But since he has lost so much fame in the recent months I am pondering whether or not he gets in. Oh and since this is so interesting, there will be many more posts about who should or shouldnt get in. Well, what do yall think??

Da Da Da Da Da ... Todd Haley's Not Lovin' It

2006-10-27T04:36:00.000-07:00

As if Dallas Cowboys “passing game coordinator” Todd Haley didn’t have enough on his mind. First, he had to deal with the whole T.O. beef from a few weeks back. Then there was the whole benching of Bledsoe, new quarterback issue. However, I think Haley’s newest “problem” could take the cake, or the salad that is. It seems Haley is suing a Southlake McDonalds because his wife and nanny found a dead rat in a salad from Mickey D’s. The Fort Worth Star Telegram reports:

According to the lawsuit filed in Tarrant County, on June 5 Christine Haley ordered $14 worth of food, including the salad, at the drive-through at 2155 West Southlake Blvd. She took the food home, where she and Kelley began eating out of the salad bowl. The women ate a few bites before they uncovered what they later determined to be a stiff young roof rat on its back, with its whiskers intact and its mouth agape. The women gagged and vomited repeatedly, the lawsuit alleges.

Haley, his wife, and the nanny (not Fran Drescher) are suing for $1.7 million because "since eating salad that may have touched the rat and touching the dead rodent with their forks, the women have had difficulty keeping food down and can no longer go out to eat, the lawsuit states. They are forced to make their food from scratch, allowing themselves to see each ingredient placed in the dish they are cooking". *Note to self: do not eat at McDonalds in Southlake.

Cowboys coach claims dead rat found in salad (Fort Worth Star Telegram)
Todd Haley is having a weird month (AOL Sports)

MLB = Major League Boring

2006-10-27T03:54:00.000-07:00

So it is pretty much consensus that this year’s World Series is ridiculously lame. Bud Selig may think that “the sport has never been more popular” but the reality is this: The 2006 World Series is on its way to becoming the lowest-rated Fall Classic of all time. Game3 recorded a 10.2 rating, down 7% from Game 3 of last season's White Sox-Astros matchup. The three-game ratings average of 9.9 is down 7% from the first three games of last year's Series. The 2005 World Series was the lowest-rated (11.1 average for Chicago's four-game sweep) Fall Classic in history. So how low has baseball sunk? So low that people would rather watch A.C. Slater battle Jerry Springer in dance-off than tune in to the baseball world championships. I mean this is the World Series, it’s the big dance for the whole enchilada and yet fans are turning away left and right. So what is the reason that people just aren’t interested in viewing baseball anymore? I’ll give you three reason why I think people just aren't interested in baseball.

1) Baseball is sooooo drawn out. The regular season is drawn out to 162 games. Sorry but with that many games, it’s hard for every game to count. Teams can go on 10 game losing streaks and be perfectly fine. Even now we have the World Series which is drawn out to seven more games. Suspense can only build so long. After a week of a “championship” it’s excitement wears off. Then there’s the games themselves. Most last well over 3 hours and they simply are not exciting. During that 3+ hours the majority of the game is in a lull with not much going on. MLB, you gotta figure out a way to make the games count more.

2) Lack of superstars. Baseball players must be happy with their guaranteed, ridiculously large salaries because MLB does absolutely nothing to market it’s players. I mean think about how many commercials you see during the NFL season with Peyton Manning or Donovan McNabb. Even first year players like Reggie Bush have a commercial on almost every hour. During the NBA season you can’t watch a show without seeing a Lebron or K.G. commercial. Not only that but football and basketball stars are funny and entertaining in their commercials. Now compare that to MLB. Not counting an actual advertisement for a baseball game, when is the last time you have seen a commercial or ad with a baseball player in it? Who is the most well-know MLB star? Barry Bonds and he is know for being hated! Baseball is a league of “average joes”. The majority of baseball players could walk down the street and you wouldn’t think twice that they were a professional athlete. Baseball if you wanna build a fan base for your sport, build a fan base for your players first.

3) Baseball needs to get rid of the intentional walk. What is the most exciting play in baseball? Hands down it’s the home-run and the more men on base when the homer is hit, the better. Fans love nothing more than to see the games biggest stars do what they do best. But what happens in baseball when there are two men on base and one of the games biggest stars comes to bat? They intentionally walk them so that they can’t make the big, exciting play. Can you imagine if other sports did this? What if Kobe wasn’t allowed to take game-winning shots because he was “too good”. What if the NFL took Mike Vick out of games on third down? It just doesn’t make sense for your sports biggest stars to not be allowed to make your sports biggest plays. I know people will say it’s “strategy” but it’s just another way to make the game more borrrrrrrrring…..

In conclusion, those are just a few of the reasons that I thought of why baseball is so lame to watch on TV. Selig may be happy right now because the money is rolling in, but he needs to wake up and see that he is losing a fan base in a hurry. Sorry baseball, I wish I could tell you that I am going to watch the rest of the World Series but the reality is I will probably find something better to watch. Maybe Emmitt Smith will be on TV dancing again.

Ratings take classic fall (New York Daily News)
Dancers beat baseball stars in ratings (Reuters)

Lamont Jordan Crying...No Seriously, He Sheds Some Tears

2006-10-27T02:51:00.000-07:00

This is from a few weeks ago on Sunday night. Lamont Jordan just fumbled on a crucial drive when the game was still close for the Raiders. Do you think he's upset?

Am I a jerk for posting this? Oh, well it's still funny when he eats that towel at the end like a dog.

Funny!!

2006-10-25T13:03:00.000-07:00

I was just listening to ESPN and I heard Merril Hoge talk about how he had so much concussions in his career. For those of you who dont know who Hogey (pronounced hodge-ee) is, he was a bruising runner for the Steelers in the late 80's.

Anyways there's nothin wrong with getting concussions but the funny thing is that he still feels the aftermath of them. He even said he had to learn how to read all over again. And the bright lights that were in his face were hurting him. Funny??

He also is noted as saying Oregon quarterback Kellen Clemens is a better quarterback than VY or Leinart. And he also overcame cancer. (Not Kellen Clemens, Merril Hoge.) Heres proof..... (not of Merril Hoge overcoming cancer, but of him saying Clemens is better than VY and Leinart)

A Good Move??

2006-10-25T12:28:00.000-07:00

Finally! Tony Romo will get his first NFL start this sunday against the Carolina Panthers. Tuna made it official Wednesday.

"Any time you do something like this, it's not without a lot of consideration," Parcells said. "I've been thinking about it for some time. … Hopefully, maybe as the team is comprised right now, he might be able to do a couple of things that assist us." Basically what he is saying is this: "That statuesque puss can't get the job done behind our crappy o-line. So we're expecting Tony to get the job done." And i think he will do just fine.

The Cowboys haven't had a solid starter since Aikman in like 2000. The different Q's who failed to get it done include Anthony Wright, Chad Hutchinson, Quincy Carter, Ryan Leaf, Vinny Testaverde, and of most recent Drew Bledsoe.

Romo finished monday night's game 14 of 25 for 227 yards, 2 TD's and 3 INTs. How do you think he'll do the rest of the season??

Another Theisman Contradiction...Are You Really Surprised?

2006-10-25T05:25:00.000-07:00

Joe was on Mike and Mike this morning and was discussing the recent Monday night game. The discussion was how bad the Cowboys offense looked and Joe sorta came to their defense by saying, "What people forget is how good the Giants are. New York is the best team in the NFC". Well, they do have alot of quality stars and they have beaten some really good teams, there's just one problem. Just last week on Monday night Joe presented a discourse on why the Bears where the best team in the NFL. He even said that they would go undefeated! Geez, a team has one bye week and Joe replaces them at the top of his team-crush list. What gives? Oh yeah, he's an IDIOT!

Postive Tests Have Legitimately Come From Over-the-Counter Supplements

2006-10-25T04:18:00.000-07:00

I know you’re probably getting tired of hearing about the Merriman/’roids posts from the past two days, but I really feel I must share some recent information that I came across. First, I really think this makes total sense. Second, check this article out that proves a person really can fail a drug test from over-the-counter supplements. It involves NFL running back Mike Cloud. I believe Cloud’s positive test occurred in 2003. Here is an excerpt from the article.

The former Boston College star's unfortunate situation began when he took a basic chocolate-flavored protein powder (Nitro-Tech) while with the Chiefs, then subsequently tested positive for metabolites of the steroid nandrolone. Nothing regarding nandrolone appeared on the label that would so much as hint at such an addition to the ingredients. The league tested the product and found it to be the culprit and confirmed it appeared to be an innocent mistake. But the NFL has a zero-tolerance policy that has helped clean up the league from illegal steroids, and Cloud was nevertheless hit with a four-game suspension without pay.

As you may have noticed, Nitro-Tech protein is a very popular product that can be purchased at any supplement store. With that being said, I would bet good money that Nitro-Tech has since changed their formula or ingredients as a result of their lawsuit, so I doubt that Merriman’s case is the exact same as Clouds. At the same time, it shows that testing positive can occur from over-the-counter, legal supplements. In conclusion, I am not necessarily defending Merriman, but I am defending the truth. What do you think?

If you can’t beat them, join them? (NBC Sports)
MuscleTech sued for positive drug test (Supplement Watchdog)

"Guess That Injury!"

2006-10-25T03:20:00.000-07:00

Hey everybody, it’s time for everyone’s favorite sports blog game….”Guess That Injury!!” Boy, have we got a good one for you today. Ready? Okay, no cheating!

Number sixth ranked tennis player Kim Clijsters was forced to stop training for two days due to an injury she sustained when she….
A) Tripped over her dogs playing soccer
B) Slipped in the bathroom on a towel
C) Was involved in a minor car accident
D) Burned her hand making Halloween cookies

If you answered D then you are wrong, the correct answer is A! That’s right Clijsters was playing soccer in her backyard with her boyfriend and her dogs when one of her dogs took her tennis-playing self down! And it was a good enough tackle to bruise Clijsters tailbone and make her miss valuable training time. Oh, Kim didn’t you learn from this, don’t screw around with a dog and his soccer ball! Thanks for playing everyone!

Clijsters bruises tailbone after falling over dog (Fox Sports)

NBC Jacks Fox For Their Game

2006-10-25T02:57:00.000-07:00

This is the first season that the NFL is implementing “flexible scheduling” meaning that for the Sunday night games that air on NBC (except for last Sunday, curse you World Series) in weeks 10-15 and week 17, NBC will have their choice of what game to air. And NBC has made their first choice for week 10. Drum roll please. And with the first pick in the scheduling draft for the game to air the evening of November 12th, NBC selects…. Bears vs Giants! Not a bad match-up if both teams keep playing like they have been as of recent. This very well could be a match-up of two first place teams. Fox will replace Bears/Giants which was scheduled for 3:15 CST kickoff by moving up (or would it be back?) anyway Fox will move Saints vs Steelers from noon to 3:15. That should be a pretty good game too, so in my opinion, flexible scheduling, so far so good.

NBC takes Bears/Giants away from Fox (ESPN.com)

Look-A-Likes - Jim Mora & Bindi Irwin

2006-10-24T23:46:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Sarah Anderson for today's look-a-like. Still wondering if she saw Bindi first and said, "hey that little girl looks like Jim Mora!" or saw Mora and said, "that coach looks like the Croc Hunter's daughter!" Either way, here ya go.

Atlanta Falcons head coachJim Mora

and

Bindi Irwin, daughter of the late Steve Irwin.

Who to Blame for Monday Night.......

2006-10-24T08:47:00.000-07:00

I know exactly why the boys lost last night. The offensive line. Flozell, Kyle Kozier, Gurode, Marco Rivera, and Marc Colombo/J Fabini did terrible. Now I know football is a team sport, but it’s not the quarterback or the running back who wins games, it’s the fat butts. If you dominate up front on offense and defense, your chances of winning skyrocket and I can almost guarantee victory for you.

Yes Bledsoe made poor decisions as did Romo, but out of 37 pass attempts, they were sacked 6 times! Because of protection, O-Line , Julius, and TE’s, Dallas gave up a safety. If you didn’t see, LaVar Arrington (who is done for the year now with a ruptured achilles) came on a delayed blitz and nailed Bledsoe. From what I saw, Julius should’ve picked him up in that split second, but I’m not for sure what the Boys protection scheme was on that play.

Dallas couldn’t run the ball either. In football if you can run the ball effectively, I swear you will win madmo games. Not only does it wear down the opposing defense, you can grind out the clock and change the tempo of a game. It is very demoralizing to see a team run the ball down your throat. (Cooper vs. Temple)

The Cowboys ran the ball 21 times for only 69 yards (3.3 avg.) which is pitiful. On the other hand, the G Men carried 39 times 155 yards (4.0 avg.) which is solid. Because of this, the Giants had the ball for about 5 minutes longer. Our boy Julius, who came in with 3 consecutive 100 yard games, got shut down and only gained 30 yards. Hell, Brandon Jacobs had 40 yards! Dallas is now 3-3.

In their loss to the Jags, Dallas out rushed them but had 3 turnovers to the Jags 1. In their loss to Philly, Dallas again out rushed them but had 5 turnovers to Philly’s 2. Last night the G-men out rushed Dallas and had 2 turnovers to Dallas’ 4.

In Dallas’ 3 victories, Julius averaged 4.9 yards a pop, which is excellent. In 3 losses he averages 3.4 yards which is kind of sucky. When Dallas can run the ball effective and not turn the ball over (which is an obvious formula for success) they win.

Update On Merriman's Failed Drug Test

2006-10-24T04:07:00.000-07:00

Okay kids, here is the latest on Shawne Merriman and his failed drug test and subsequent suspension. Merriman is appealing his suspension so he will continue to practice and play for the Chargers. The reason for the appeal? Merriman’s attorney David Cornwell said he believed Merriman tested positive for the steroid nandrolone, which is prohibited under the league's substance-abuse policy. Cornwell said the substance was in a supplement Merriman has been taking. So Merriman and his lawyer are appealing his suspension due to the fact that they claim Merriman tested positive not due to steroid abuse but rather because he took a tainted substance. Which as I reported yesterday here on Silva Sportz totally contradicts what Merriman says on his own website where he says that he is not taking any supplements at this time. But back to the issue of Merriman saying he took a “tainted” substance. Could an athlete really give a positive steroid test due to a supplement he/she is taking? Well before I answer that, let me give you some background on nandrolone, the substance Merriman tested positive for. Nandrolone is an anabolic steroid (a muscle-building chemical) which occurs naturally in the human body, but only in tiny quantities. It is very similar in structure to the male hormone testosterone, and has many of the same effects in terms of increasing muscle mass, without some of the more unwanted side-effects such as increased body hair or aggressive behavior. For an excellent further explanation, read here. But back to the point of testing positive for nandrolone due to supplements. Merriman is not the first athlete busted to make this claim. Olympic sprinters, boxers, and several other athletes that have failed drug tests claim that the nandrolone in their system arose from the use of protein milkshakes and the amino acid creatine, which are perfectly legal and used as dietary supplements to increase weight. This is essentially what Merriman is now claiming. So could he be correct? In 2000, Aberdeen University conducted a preliminary investigation that found that dietary supplements themselves are harmless and produce no increased levels of nandrolone. Exercise alone, too, doesn't cause any problems. But a combination of both dietary supplements (none of which contain a banned substance) and exercise can result in a positive nandrolone test. The reason for this is still unclear, but one theory is that there is a link between heavy training, the dehydration that goes with it, and their effects upon the components of high protein diets. However this is not conclusive, so there is still many unknown facts about nandrolone. In my opionion, Merriman’s suspension will stick. We will never know if he intentionally took the steroid or his test was due to an accident. Either way Merriman’s reputation has definitely take a hit and he has a lot or work to do to clean up his now tarnished image. However, I’m sure for Charger fans a deep play-off run would help.

More on Nandrolone (Wikipedia)

Bledsoe or Romo, Who 'Ya Got?

2006-10-24T04:00:00.000-07:00

Last night Tony Romo finally got the nod at starting quarterback for the Dallas Cowboys. Unfortunately, he wasn’t much of an improvement from the man the replaced Drew Bledsoe. Each played a half, with Romo throwing for more yards, 227 to Bledsoe’s 111. Romo also threw two touchdowns versus none for Bledsoe. However Romo had three interceptions to Bledsoe’s one.
So who should the Cowboys go with next week against the Carolina Panthers and consequently the rest of the season? I would argue that Romo is the way to go-mo. Although Romo did not perform anywhere near where he was expected to, I do believe that the main difference between Romo and Bledsoe is that Romo has upside. We know what we are getting with Bledsoe, an old statue that makes poor decisions with the ball. Romo at least needs a chance to see what he can do. I am not saying that Romo is the answer but at least the Cowboys organization needs to know that. I am 100% sure right now that Drew Bledsoe is not the answer. I have no idea how Romo will play in future contests. For those people who might think that I am being too hard on Bledsoe, well I am not the first person who didn’t think that he could be a quality NFL starting quarterback. Bill Belicheck didn’t think Bledsoe could get the job done either that is why he gave him to the Buffalo Bills. Bills coach Mike Mularkey also didn’t think Bledsoe had what it took and let him go too. However Bill Parcells likes Bledsoe and also the Cowboys didn’t have many options at quarterback at the time, so Drew came to Dallas. However his time has clearly passed and now we look to the future. Let Romo quarterback this team for the rest of the year. After these next ten games the Cowboys will know whether Romo is the future of this franchise or not. If not, then they address the quarterback position in next year’s draft or free agency. What do you think the Cowboys options are at quarterback at this point?

MNF, We Won't Take It Anymore!

2006-10-24T03:36:00.000-07:00

I would like to take this time to vent about ESPN’s Monday Night Football. I am fed up with the announcing crew and the constant “show” that some very good football games have been made into. I won’t get into how much the announcing stinks, just Google “MNF sucks” and you will find countless examples. I am venting about the constant celebrity guests that have to appear every week. A few weeks ago, I thought James Denton was about as worse as it could get. Okay, maybe that was the actual worse guest they could get, but the point is why does ESPN feel the need to interrupt good football games with these interviews? Listen, I love Emmitt Smith just as much if not more than anybody else, but even I’ll admit that if I want to know about him on Dancing with the Stars, then I’ll freakin’ watch that show! I heard someone say this past week that quality announcing has gone out the window these days, at least on TV. Television announcers rarely if ever give insight into the actual game such as down and distance, formations of the offense and defense, game strategy etc. Instead while the game is going on they plug ABC’s other shows that no one wants to watch. (except you Ugly Betty, which coincidentally, I have never seen plugged). If you want to hear an example of quality announcing, listen to a game broadcast on radio some time. So since I am so frustrated I decided to let ESPN know how I felt. I found this page on their website where you can send in a complaint. I did and I would encourage you to do the same. My only advice would be that you please be intelligent. If you just shoot them an e-mail that says they suck in all caps with a few choice swears thrown in, I don’t think they will take you too seriously. My hope is that they would receive enough complaints to realize that they have a legitimate problem on their hands and they will in turn take steps to correct it. Let ‘em know how you feel!

Contact ESPN (ESPN.com)

Also, here is a commentator address where you can send a letter to any commentator on ESPN. I would suggest doing this also, but like I said earlier no threats or swears but rather a coherent, intelligent explanation of your feelings about them and suggestion you have for improvement.

Kenny Rogers Ca-Ca Hands

2006-10-23T03:51:00.000-07:00

I was going to write a nice post about the Kenny Rogers brown stuff controversy but then I came across a post at The Sports Pulse that basically said everything that I was going to. So why do the work when you can have someone else do it for you! I will say this, if I was a Cardinals player I would be pissed that my manager didn’t do anything about the brown stuff. I mean if I’m competing for a world championship, I’ll take every opportunity I can to bust my opponent. Then again maybe LaRussa was afraid of something like this happening again.

Check out “Is Kenny Rogers a cheater or just dumb?” (The Sports Pulse)

The Saga That Is Chargers Linebackers

2006-10-23T03:02:00.000-07:00

First the Chargers lost starting linebacker Steve Foley due to getting popped by a cop. Then Sunday, another starting linebacker, Shaun Phillips, was lost by the Chargers when he injured his right calf against the Chefs. Now perhaps the biggest loss of all, the Chargers will be without their best defender and budding superstar Shawne Merriman. Merriman didn’t injure anything, except maybe his hormone levels. It was reported Sunday by Chris Mortensen that Merriman will be suspended for four games for violating the leagues substance abuse policy. The initial positive test occurred more than a week ago with Shaun Rogers and Matt Lehr but unlike Lehr and Rogers, a source says Merriman’s positive test was definitely for steroids and not a related supplement. It was also reported that both Merriman's “A” and “B” samples had come back positive. Basically that means this wasn’t any type of fluke or accident or mistake and there is no doubt the test really was for what it said it was for.
Now it will be interesting to see if the Chargers and Merriman attempt to make up some type of excuse for the positive test. Apparently they are as Merriman is in the process of appealing his suspension. Also the San Diego Union Tribune cites a source that said the appeal process is ongoing and that there is “a reason behind this (appeal)” and “this is not the finality of it.” Interesting to see what that means exactly. Also it is unknown right now when the suspension will actually begin, but Merriman would be eligible to return Nov. 26 against the Oakland Raiders if he sat out immediately. First-time offenders of the NFL's steroid policy receive a minimum four-game ban without pay. A second positive test gets you eight games, and a third positive gets a yearlong suspension.
Here is something else I find really interesting. On Merriman’s website he has a question and answer section. Someone sends him this question. “What supplements do you take if any?” Merriman’s answer, “I am not taking any supplements at this time.” At first I thought this was simply ironic and pretty funny in light of the recent incidents. However, the more I thought about it, I simply cannot believe that Merriman is being honest with his answer. Merriman is in the position that his sole career is based on him being able to perform physically. He is required to have his body in top physical condition. Why would he not take any supplements at all? In the past I have been involved with serious bodybuilding and weightlifting and I know from experience that it is almost a requirement for athletes at the level of Merriman’s to take some type of supplements.
For example, Merriman is listed at 6’4” and 270 pounds so a man his size that pushes his body to the limits that he does simply cannot get the amount of required protein and nutrients needed to maintain and perform at the level he does. Remember a supplement is in no way a steroid or anything illegal. I don’t know how Merriman defines supplements, but I would consider it to mean protein powders, nutrition bars, vitamins, etc. So then why would Merriman say that he takes absolutely nothing? To me that seems almost like a guilty conscience speaking. Rather than try to separate truth from lie, legal from illegal, prohibited substance from allowed, it is just easier for Merriman to say that he takes nothing.
As of right now, Merriman is probably the most famous NFL player who has ever been suspended for steroids. I have already read some rumors of people saying that Merriman didn’t deserve his rookie of the year award or even to be drafted as high as he was. They think that Merriman is the athlete he is now simply due to steroids. Those people are simply uneducated on supplements, athletic training and weightlifting. I have no idea how long Merriman has been taking whatever prohibited substance he has been taking. My guess would be that he started taking his banned substance recently, as he was rigorously tested previously last year and his time leading up to the draft. Merriman has stated over and over again that his goals are to help the Chargers win and to personally become the best defender in the league and even history. I think Merriman is naturally tremendously gifted and he works his butt off in the gym. He got caught up trying to achieve his goal of being the most dominant defender and someone he thought was a friend fed on this goal and offered Merriman something enticing and illegal. With that being said, Merriman has broken the rules and he deserves the punishment set before him. Regardless of the reason that he was wrong, he was ultimately wrong. Hopefully Merriman can put this behind him and learn from his foolish mistake. Not only has he hurt himself but he has hurt his team and he better hope that the Chargers are still in the playoff hunt when he comes off his suspension. Let us know how you feel about the whole issue.

Merriman suspended after testing positive for steroids (San Diego Union Tribune)
NFL to suspend Chargers linebacker (Mercury News)

Silva Sportz Has A New Friend

2006-10-21T05:09:00.000-07:00

It’s true, Silva Sportz has made a new pal. David runs the site SportsBlogging.net where he reviews and posts about sports blogs. Why does this man do this you might ask? For one simple reason, he likes it! David is an admitted sports junkie who says he “scours the internet for new sports blogs every day”. I recently submitted Silva Sportz to David so that he could check it out and give any critiques he had. Here is what David had to say about us. I know what you’re thinking and no I didn’t pay him anything and no we are not related. His generous comments notwithstanding, I do enjoy the site. He has some helful tips posted and obviously features a nice variety or sports blogs. So check it and be sure to show him some love.

SportsBlogging.net

Jerry Porter's Role Model Has To Be T.O.

2006-10-21T03:12:00.000-07:00

I just came across Andrea Kremer’s blog at NBC sports. Andrea is a sideline reporter for NBC’s Sunday Night football show. I think the official name is something like, “NBC Sunday Night Football Night in America for Football on Sunday Night.” Something like that. Normally I don’t give the female sideline reporters much credence, and it has nothing to do with me being sexist. It’s just most of the time those chics (okay kinda sexist) don’t have much worthy to say, other than who injured what and how. Kremer’s blog however may be the exception, as it is rather insightful. Her most recent posting is about her most recent assignment, the Raiders vs Broncos game from the 15th. Kremer begins by basically ripping the Raiders. She isn’t really ripping them per se, but more like being honest about where they stand, which in turn reads as ripping. She writes this regarding the Raiders: “You simply know they're going to lose. You can feel it during the game and you can see it in the blank stare of their head coach, Art Shell. Sunday night, Shell must have felt like an emergency room doctor who couldn't stop the bleeding of a trauma patient rushed into the hospital.” Kremer then goes on to say that Oakland can’t lure top coaches there and top players don’t want to stay. Kremer then reports some news regarding wide-out Jerry Porter than was interesting, to say the least. On October 14th Porter was suspended for four games for conduct detrimental to the team. What exactly does “conduct detrimental to the team” mean? (Here’s where it gets juicy) Kremer reports that,

in Friday's (October 13) practice, Porter was goofing around and Shell asked him to stop. He continued to mess around saying he was just having fun and Shell didn't exactly embrace that attitude. Porter continued complaining about the length of practice -- "how bleeping long are we practicing today." That was it for Shell and he kicked him off the field.

But it doesn’t stop there, no sirree! Kremer goes on to say that it looked like Porter was actually going to possibly get some P.T. for the first time all season due to an injury to Johnny Morant, the Raiders other receiver. Porter had been running scout team for the defense but when Shell asked him to get some reps with the first team offense Porter refused to join them! As if that wasn’t bad enough the problems go back even farther than that. Kremer goes on to say,

Shell said the problems extend beyond their issues in the off season when coach and player clearly got off on the wrong foot from day one, with comments like, Porter complaining that the Raiders should've hired Mike Martz. As for the man Shell did hire as his offensive coordinator, Tom Walsh told me the last meaningful conversation he had with Porter was in February, a few days after he was hired, when Porter came by his office to introduce himself and talk about some basic concepts of the offense. One Raider official told me that in addition, back in March, Porter let it be known to the coaches: "if you put me on the field, you don't know what you'll get from me." I'm told it was said in a tone more as a taunt than an excited-to-show-you-what-I-can-do attitude....

Wow, Porter is a piece of work and I ain’t just talking about this. I don’t know what happened to make Porter think that his s*** don’t stink, but I will give Art Shell props for putting him in his place. The Ray-duhs may be a freakin’ joke, but they are Art Shell’s freakin’ joke and don’t you forget it! Anyway, you may want to check out Andrea Kremer’s other blogs, as she has proven to me that sideline broads (sexist??) sometimes have something worthwhile to say after all.

Notes, quotes, and anecdotes Week 6 (Andrea Kremer’s blog courtesy of NBC Sports)
Jerry Porter suspended (AOL Sports Fanhouse)

Dominic Rhodes For Pro Bowl

2006-10-21T01:17:00.000-07:00

If you don’t already know, Dominic Rhodes is the starting running back of the Indianapolis Colts. He went to Abilene Cooper, the same high school as the Silva Boyz. The oldest of the Silva boyz, Andrew, played on the same football team with Rhodes. Rhodes has always been a special talent, leading the Abilene Cooper Cougars to the 1996 5A State title game. Unfortunately, that day was not the Cougars day, and we lost to Austin Westlake who was quarterbacked then by current New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees. After high school Rhodes then went on to Tyler Junior College where he twice earned All-America honors. Rhodes then transferred to Midwestern State University where he set several school and conference records. In 2001 Rhodes was signed by the Colts as an undrafted free agent. That year Rhodes rushed for 1,104 yards the most ever by an undrafted rookie free agent in NFL history. You can read Rhodes’ complete biography and career stats here. As you can see, we are proud of our hometown star. In fact we want to do our part to see Rhodes is rewarded for his hard work with a trip to the Pro Bowl. The NFL allows fans to vote for the football players they would like to see in Honolulu here. Once there simply click “VOTE NOW” and then you select the stars you want to go to the Pro Bowl. You can vote for every position but if you would rather, you can select to vote for just one position or just one player. So vote for Dominic Rhodes. Then vote for him again. Then once more just because. Hopefully we will see Dominic in Hawaii come February!

Vote here!

One Down, One To Go

2006-10-20T17:13:00.000-07:00

Do you want the good news or the bad news first? The good news is that Tony Kornheiser is now saying that he is done with Monday Night Football! The bad news, he is finishing out the rest of the year. Actually, the more I think about it, this is a win-win situation. We get to continue to hear and see Kornheiser make a fool of himself for ten more weeks, but if even when he gets unbearably annoying (talking about his fantasy team, getting information blatantly wrong, lusting after James Denton) we will know deep down in our hearts that he will be outta there soon! Kornheiser said he has "no plans at the moment'' to return to Monday Night Football next season. "At the moment, in my mind, I always thought I signed up for one year.” Tony goes on to say that he hates the traveling, but he knew he would. What he didn't anticipate was the amount of preparation it takes each week. Wait a second, is he trying to say that he prepares? I ain’t buyin’ it. I have to wonder why Tony would say that he thought he signed up for one year. Why would he go into this thing knowing he wouldn’t really enjoy it, even if only for one year? My guess is that what Tony didn’t really bank on is the ridiculous amount of blogs, articles, and e-mails sent to him that say how much he flat out sucks. Now all we have to do is get rid of Theisman.

One and Done? (New York Post)

Kornheiser is indeed horrible, but don’t take my word for it!
The Great MNF Announcing Crew (Silva Sportz)
The Kornheiser Chronicles: Week 06 (AOL Sports Blog)
NFL Week 6 (Sports Central)
On Third (and hopefully final) Thought (Awful Announcing)

News And Notes - Did You Know Edition

2006-10-20T03:55:00.000-07:00

Did you know that fool Calvin Johnson, Jr. can’t lose? Even if Johnson gets sick or injured, he has an NCAA-affiliated insurance policy that would pay him up to $3 million if he can’t sign with an NFL team. If I’m Johnson, I might have to grab me some turf-toe and go chill for a few. On a serious note, I wonder how many other players have this policy in place, ie: Michael Bush and Adrian Peterson.

Did you know…Adimchinobe Echemandu (who??) may get the starting nod as the Raiders running back Sunday.

Did you know…that only 32 percent of Americans consider themselves fans of professional baseball? That is according to a new AP-AOL sports poll that was released Thursday. The poll also stated that 48 percent of fans want Barry Bonds to fall short of Hank Aaron's homerun record; 33 percent would like Bonds to break it, and another 16 percent said they didn't care. Hey, that only adds up to 97%. I think the other 3 % want just don’t want to ever see this again. Ever.

Did you know…teenagers and pedophiles aren’t the only ones gettin’ down on MySpace. (scroll down to “Support for Jackson”)

Did you know…Seahawks coach Mike Holmgren will wear a pink "cancer awareness" ribbon on the sideline during Sunday's game as part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Look, just ‘cause homeboy has breasts, doesn’t mean he has to wear the ribbon – does it?

Shaq Don't Like Jack Dissin' Black

2006-10-20T02:45:00.000-07:00

Rarely as of recent has a movie come along that I really, really wanted to shell out the $7 for and break down and go see it. Then I saw the previews for the new Scorsese flick, “The Departed” and it seemed interesting enough. Then there is the all-star cast including DiCaprio, Matt Damon, Nicholson, Wahlberg, Martin Sheen, Alec Baldwin, the dude from the Donald Logue show, and last but not least, the great Anthony Anderson (you didn’t know he was in this picture) and how could I pass this up! Then the reviews came out and it seemed like everyone who saw this movie absolutely loved it. Well, almost everyone. Shaq and his wifey recently went out to see the movie and were heard groaning and sighing loudly because at the beginning of the movie apparently Jack Nicholson says “nigger”. It was also reported Shaq and wifey left within minutes because they didn’t like the use of the offensive term. I haven’t seen the film yet, so I really would have to see what the content of the scene is when the dialogue is used before passing judgment. I mean, I would never agree that it’s okay to degrade people with words, but often times we do view many things we don't agree with (gratuitous violence comes to mind) for the sake of entertainment. Also I’m sure Jack was acting and I know he attends lots of Laker games so I would imagine he has love for bruthas, at least for Kobe. But in the end, if Shaq was truly offended then I would say he did well by walking out of the movie and taking a stand for his beliefs.

Scorsese’s Flick Doesn’t Score With Shaq (Hiphopdx)

Atiim Kiambu Barber To Retire

2006-10-20T01:54:00.000-07:00

I’m still trying to figure out why everyone is acting so shocked that Tiki Barber (real name Atiim Kiambu Barber) has recently announced that this will be his last year of football. Loyal readers of this site know that Silva Sportz broke this back in July. As I said then, and I still maintain today, if Tiki wants to hang it up, then who is to say otherwise? This is a personal decision between Barber and his familia and those people and those people alone should make the decision whether Barber is back toting the rock next year. So while I back Barber and whatever choice he makes, I would caution him that there is a wrong way to go about this, and Barber is running the risk with recent comments that he wouldn't commit to saying his retirement was 100 percent certain: "It's week six of the NFL season, so I won't say that." However, he also said there was "nothing" that would change his mind. This seem like a bit of a contradiction to me and I think that is the worst thing a player could do. Now I understand there are circumstances such as injuries where players have a tougher time coming to a decision as to whether or not to hang up the cleats. However, with Tiki, he simply wants to pursue other things and with his above comments he comes across as flip-flopping between whether he’ll be back with the G-Men or not. "I have a lot of interests and I've never wanted to be solely defined as a football player," Barber said. First, I would say right now Barber’s body is hurting and as I heard former NFL’er, Mark Schlereth remark recently, every player considers retiring at this point in the season when you are feeling those hits from last Sunday and preparing to do it all again the next Sunday. Secondly, sorry Tiki, but no matter what you go on to accomplish, you will be hard-pressed to make everyone forget that you got your start in athletics. If you don’t believe me, just ask this guy.
So what are Tiki’s other interests? Well appeared a number of times as a guest host on Fox News morning show, “Fox and Friends” and has signed a contract with the network to be a general contributor and appear each Tuesday (dubbed "Tuesdays with Tiki" or "Tiki Tuesday") on the morning program. Barber has even gone so far as stating that his goal after football is to become a host of NBC's “Today show”. Tiki and his brother Ronde have also recently released their third children’s book.
In conclusion, I’m really not surprised why Barber would even bring retirement up at this time of the year. Regardless, a Barber-less Giants would certainly be a weakened Giants team. There are few backs in the league who are as complete and as consistent as Barber is and has been over the past years. It will be interesting to see how this one plays out.

Barber reiterates that he will probably retire after this season (ESPN.com/AP wire)

Brandon Jacobs ready to step in if Tiki Barber retires (ESPN.com/AP wire)

First Willie, Now Tiki? (Silva Sportz)

If The NFL Was A High School

2006-10-19T04:11:00.000-07:00

NBC Sports has an interesting piece that speculates who would fill what role if the NFL was a high school. It is a pretty funny article that also lists the NFL’s “10 most popular kids.” Here is a small excerpt.

“Bill Parcells not allowing his rebellious students to use the bathroom during fifth period history, Jerry Porter once again skipping Art Shell's disorderly science class, and new principal Roger Goodell sitting mouth open, hair disheveled, staring at the list of students facing suspensions.”

The article also lists the NFL’s “10 most popular kids” with some funny blurbs about each one. For example, about Mike Vick:

“There was a lot of talk about Vick when he was still in junior high. He was tearing up the blacktop at lunch and dominating sixth-graders in P.E. class. When he got to NFL High as a freshman, he impressed with phenomenal highlights on junior varsity.”

And regarding Reggie Bush:

“Bush is definitely the coolest kid in the freshman class; hanging out with upperclassmen, going to the senior class parties and might even score a date to the prom.”

About Ray-Ray:

“He's the kind of guy who will hit another guy in the arm as he walks by in the halls. The other guy will act like it didn't hurt that bad and even give a little half-hearted smile -- mainly out of insecurity -- before muttering to his friend what a jerk Lewis is. Then later when that guy is walking with a cookie or something, Lewis will deliver an even bigger punch knocking the cookie to the ground. Lewis will then pick it up, run 15 yards the other way where he will eat the cookie and do a spastic, very scary style of dance.”

The article’s author, Jimmy Spencer, also has some sick Saved by the Bell references. He says about Donovan McNabb:

“He's well liked and people think he's super. But this guy is up to something, like Jessie Spanos' New York City stepbrother.”

Now that’s a great sportswriter. Spencer ranks T.O. as the most popular kid at NFL high and says this about him:

“Owens has it all and that's why he is the most popular kid at NFL High. He's Zack Morris and A.C. Slater combined. He is the class clown, the bully, charming and good looking, and he drinks up every ounce of attention that showers him.”

Rating the NFL’s top personalities (NBCSports.com)

Would You Take A Beating For $5,000?

2006-10-19T03:44:00.000-07:00

I came across this article that list the pay-outs the fighters received at UFC’s last two pay per view events, UFC 63 & 64. You can read the entire list of salaries for every fighter on the cards here. Here are a few of the notables:

(from UFC 63)
Matt Hughes: $130,000 (defeated BJ Penn)
BJ Penn: $50,000 (lost to Matt Hughes)
Rashad Evans: $24,000 (defeated Jason Lambert)
Danny Abaddi: $5,000 (lost to Jorge Gurgel)

(from UFC 64)
Anderson Silva: $50,000 (defeated Rich Franklin)
Sean Sherk: $22,000 (defeated Kenny Florian)
Rich Franklin: $21,000 (lost to Anderson Silva)
Kenny Florian: $8,000 (lost to Sean Sherk)
Kalib Starnes: $5,000 (lost to Yushin Okami)

I have no idea how the UFC and the fighters arrive at these amounts. You can see Matt Hughes got paid the most but I can understand that, as he is one of the more popular men in the UFC. However, I can’t help but thinking Rich Franklin got screwed. If wonder if it was really worth the $21 large for Rich to get his nose seriously smashed by Silva’s knees?

Look-A-Likes - Rush Probst, Anthony Denison, and Guy Morriss

2006-10-18T18:34:00.000-07:00

Hoover high school football coach Rush Probst

And

Actor Anthony Denison (who also played a football coach on the hit TV series "Playmakers")

And

Baylor University head football coach Guy Morriss

News and Notes - Rogers and Lehr Suspended

2006-10-18T03:51:00.000-07:00

Lions DT Shaun Rogers has been suspended for four games without pay by the NFL for using a banned substance. The substance wasn’t anything illegal but rather an appetite suppressant Rogers had purchased at GNC. Rogers said he was trying to control his weight and he didn’t know he had done anything wrong until he tested positive during training camp. I have no idea why Rogers is just now being suspended, but I bet he never imagined his fatness would cost him this much $$$.

Falcons offensive lineman Matt Lehr was also suspended 4 games for violating the league’s substance abuse policy.

I don’t know how you can get much more ironic than this.

Some guy thinks Tiki is “America’s Back”

Marcus Vick has been activated by the Dolphins. Vick had previously been on the practice squad but was moved up this week to provide needed depth at both quarterback and receiver. Vick will be the 3rd quarterback on the depth chart and also plays receiver, which will help the team out with an injury to Marty Booker.

Silva Sportz Second Celebrity Spokesman?

2006-10-18T03:45:00.000-07:00

Just about a week after we posted regarding the possibility of Darrent Williams becoming Silva Sportz first professional spokesman, we may have a second ambassador in the works. Whom you may ask? Well it’s none other than Syracuse quarterback Perry Patterson. You may remember Patterson was featured as a Look-A-Like on Silva Sportz last Saturday. Well that very day, Patterson, a relative unknown before, achieved national notoriety for giving the finger to the West Virginia fans during the Orangemen’s game against the Mountaineers. ESPN was airing the game and caught Patterson red-handed, or rather red-fingered. The clip was aired over and over on ESPN that weekend. Patterson has since apologized saying, "I made an out-of-character gesture to the fans and I let them get to me. It's not what represents Syracuse. It's not what Coach is trying to build in this program. It was completely out of character. I was embarrassed. I felt bad about it.” We here at Silva Sportz forgive you Perry. In fact we’d like to propose something like this as a business deal between us. Can't wait to hear from you soon!

Quote Of The Week - Ditka Punking Irvin

2006-10-18T03:02:00.000-07:00

Today's Quote of the week comes from da coach himself, Mike Ditka. Ditka said to Michael Irvin on the most recent Monday Night Countdown:

"Michael, penny for your thoughts but you don't have any. You're blind. You make no sense, Michael. None."

My first thought, “Ouch, coach.” My second thought, “Coach you are 100% correct and thank you for saying what everyone is thinking.”

While we're on the subject of how crazy Michael Irvin has gotten lately, here is a bonus picture of him when he wore that tiny tie. Irvin has been so ridiculous lately that he has fallen into that Theisman category where you never want to miss them speaking because you are sure they will say something wacky.

News And Notes - O-Coordinators Fired and Booger Traded

2006-10-17T14:59:00.000-07:00

Today was the trade deadline for the NFL, 4:00 pm EST to be exact. And this is all we got: The Bucs sent DT Booger McFarland to Indianapolis in return for the Colts 2nd round pick in the ‘07 draft.

In other Bucs news (why do we care about the Bucs today?) Tampa Bay signed CB Phillip Buchanon, who was released by the Houston Texans yesterday.

In light of last night’s debacle, the Cardinals coach Dennis Green has changed offensive coordinators, replacing Keith Rowen with quarterbacks coach Mike Kruczek.

Not to be outdone in the battle of crappy offenses, the Ravens have fired their offensive coordinator, Jim Fassel.

The Koroner has been suspended without pay for a minimum of one year for violating the NFL's substance abuse policy.

NBC has this “flexible scheduling” bidness that allows them to select which games they’ll air in order to avoid anymore games along the lines of Raiders/Broncos from last Sunday night. My boy Matt Mosley is reporting that there is the possibility of the Cowboys/Colts game and even the Cowboys/Saints game could be moved to a Sunday night. More here.

9 vs 11 Isn't Fair...Or Is It?

2006-10-17T14:19:00.000-07:00

Tell me why the Lyle-Klickitat-Wishram Cubs 7th graders are playing 11-man football with only 9 players? I know you think this was a one time thing due to injury or some other odd circumstance, but the truth is this is how the Cubs normally play week in and week out. Now you’re saying, “well these kids must suck” but the truth is the Lyle-Klickitat-Wishram Cubs haven’t lost a game in two years. The nine players, all of whom are playing every down of every game, say they do get tired, but refuse to give up. Coach Don Smith says, "They've got 50 kids our first game. I said 'guys, so what, we've got more heart than all 50- 48 kids over there'" Wow. I’ll give the Cubs their props ,but how embarrassing is that to get beat by this team? I would also be interested to see what kind of formations they line up in and what kind of defense they run.

Read complete story and watch video here:
Lyle Football Team Shows It’s Heart (Katu.com)

Loso shot

2006-10-17T13:00:00.000-07:00

John Jackson AKA Fabolous was shot this morning in a Manhattan parking lot. After taking one to the thigh, he was taken to Bellevue Hospital and listd in stable condition.

The four men who were involved in the shooting were later stopped by the police and taken into custody.

Fab will be releasing his newest album later this December.

Daaaaa Bears....

2006-10-17T07:06:00.000-07:00

Or as Cuba Gooding calls them, da bears bulls. Last night I really dont think the Cardinals beat themselves. The bears D is just cold as hell. As you know i went to lay down in the 3rd and i thought to myself "what if the bears really came back?" So i got up to watch it after i heard Mark Anderson force that fumble that Mike Brown took house. I thought if they really can find a way to come back from a 20 point deficit, on the road, that woud be a huge confidence booster for a Super Bowl contender. And you know that! We now know that on a night when the Bears O struggles, there D can scraight up clamp down and play lights out. I gotta give mad props to my boy Urlacher for his performance in the 4th, and I also think Lovie Smith should be credited with the game ball for never letting them think they were out. And all Super Bowl teams have that mentality. When you think, and play like that, YOU ARE NEVER OUT. Let this be a message to the rest of the NFL. You can make an excuse by telling yourself it was just the sucky Cards', but I don't think anyone else would have comeback under those circumstances.

Does God Hate The Cardinals?

2006-10-17T04:33:00.000-07:00

I don’t even care to go into detail about last night’s game, but I feel as though something must be said. What is with the Arizona Cardinals? Who do they owe money to that they have to keep blowing these games? Let me refresh your memory… In week 3, Kurt Warner fumbled a snap at the Rams 18 with 1:46 to play and St Louis recovers to preserve the 16-14 victory . Then last week the Cards gave up a 10 point lead in the 4th quarter to let the Chiefs come back. The Cardinals still had a final chance to pull out the victory but Neil Rackers missed a 51-yard kick that would have tied it with 2 seconds to play. The Chiefs won 23-20. That brings us to last night. The Bears offense didn’t score a TD all night! The Bears had six turnovers, count ‘em six turnovers! Oh yeah, and the Cardinals had a 20-0 lead at halftime. So the Bears come back with defense and special teams and yet the Cardinals still have a chance to win, but Rackers misses again, this week from 41 yards out.
But the best part of last night had to be Denny Green’s post-game press conference. I am still trying to find a video of it, but until then you can at least listen to him here. Green totally flipped out cursing and banging on the podium! Many people this morning are blaming the loss on Green, saying that he was too conservative with the playcalling. I prefer to blame the loss on Edge James. He looked terrible all night and then during the key final minutes in the game, Edge coughs up the rock. Edge you may have given your team black shoes and take them to skrip clubs, but I’m sure they would trade in those breasts and dark sneaks for at least a 3 to 4 yard average (James finished with a 1.52 yd avg). oh yeah, and not getting out-muscled by Urlacher wouldn’t hurt either.

*UPDATE: Found the video of Coach Green pissed off. Enjoy!*

What's Next for Adrian Peterson?

2006-10-17T00:05:00.000-07:00

The Big Lead has a nice review of Oklahoma’s 2006 season, or at least the things that I’ll remember about it. One of the most memorable moments had to be the one that occurred towards the end of last Saturday’s game against Iowa State. Here it is in case you have been living in a cave. (Note: This video is pretty low-quality, but at the same time, good enough quality to let you see the run and injury in question).

I have heard many people criticize coach Stoops for having Peterson in the game with OU ahead 27-9 with only 6:38 left in the game. I don’t think it is coach Stoops’ fault. He was attempting to run out the clock and he called a run play. Also all week and all game all we heard about was how this was the first game that Peterson’s father, Nelson was able to watch Adrian play. You see, during the 1990s, Nelson Peterson worked at a Wal-Mart warehouse in the small East Texas town of Palestine and helped coach young Adrian's pee-wee football teams. At the same time, he helped run a large crack cocaine trafficking operation that led to his arrest in 1998. Nelson spent eight years in federal prison in Texarkana and was released October 5th from an Oklahoma City halfway house. Nelson has never attended any of Adrian's high school or college games until Saturday. So with the big deal about Peterson having his father able to watch him play in person for the first time in years, I’m sure Adrian wanting to play as much as he could and I’m sure coach Stoops had no problem letting Peterson run out the clock. Except for one thing. Peterson, it seems, has 99 injury. In case you forgot, he dislocated his left shoulder in fall practice in 2004, reaggravated it during the regular season and then had surgery in that offseason. Peterson also missed one game last season and was severely limited in three others with a sprained right ankle. And now this. Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge A.D. fan, but after watching the clip of Peterson’s run and subsequent injury, I have concluded that he was showboating as he went into the endzone.
Now, I have heard one announcer say that Peterson runs reckless and that is true, but surely that can’t be a negative knock on Peterson? Every coach would love to have a back that ran with half the determination and passion that Peterson runs with. With that being said, why is Peterson so out of control as he enters the endzone? I know the guy clips Peterson’s leg as he crosses the goal line but I don’t see how Peterson didn’t have the balance to keep his feet on a hit that wasn’t nearly as hard as others he has broken and stayed upright. I think Peterson was just starting a dive into the endzone celebration style and when the defender hit him, it caused his own momentum to slam him into the ground hard thus breaking his clavicle. So we know Peterson is done for this season. He might be back for a bowl game, but that is really irrelevant right now, as their bowl game won’t be a BCS bowl or anything that counts for much. So now the question is where does this leave Peterson? Well he has a few options:
1) Peterson could come back to OU and play his senior season. This would be likely only if Peterson feels like Oklahoma will be a competitive team next year, as in competing for a National Championship. This is not going to be the case, so more than likely Peterson will make the jump to the pros.
2) So Peterson will make the jump. There have already been rumors that the Raiders have said they will surely take Peterson with the number one pick. I know there is no guarantee that the Ray-duhs will have the number one pick, but let’s be serious now, we all know they will. Now if I am Peterson I would simply refuse to play for that franchise so maybe that will factor into his decision to come out early. No one wants to play for the Raiders right now, not even people who play for the Raiders right now.
3) Here is one of the most interesting rumors I have heard. CollegeFootballTalk.com reports this: “Another note: some of our NFL scout friends told us that Peterson will not be a Top 5 lock in the 2007 NFL draft since the injury seems to be another indication that he is about as sturdy as Humpty Dumpty.” Now that is definitely interesting but I personally could not see the five worst teams in the NFL passing on a talent such as Peterson. However, stranger things have happened. Stay tuned to see what the future holds for Adrian Peterson.

Florida International and Miami's Battle Royale

2006-10-16T21:24:00.000-07:00

So now that a few days have passed since the royal rumble that occurred at the OB between the “M” and FIU, we are beginning to see what type of punishment will be handed down to those involved.
The ACC and Miami suspended 13 players. All will miss Saturday's game at winless Duke. Sophomore safety Anthony Reddick was suspended indefinitely. Here is a list of the Miami players suspended along with their number so that you can find them in the film clip and see exactly what their part was in the melee.
Anthony Reddick #26, this is homeboy swinging his helmet like a club.
Carlos Armour #27
Chris Barney #79
James Bryant #45
Tyrone Byrd #67, comes charging in and tackles/bodyslams FIU player
DajLeon Farr #11, runs into the middle out of nowhere and throws a bow/forearm blow to an FIU players back
Ryan Hill #12
Bruce Johnson #22
Charlie Jones #34
Brandon Meriweather #19, Team Captain, visited a Children’s Hospital Friday morning, just a day before he was stomping fools. He is the one putting in work with his feet.
Brian Monroe #15
Derrick Morse #71, spears into the pile after his bubba is taken down
Randy Phillips #6

In addition to the ACC suspensions announced yesterday, the University of Miami Athletic Department is taking the following action:
• With respect to fighting, any future violation will subject student-athletes to seasonal or permanent suspensions
• The Athletic Department has re-emphasized to the football coaching staff the University's commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and their responsibility to communicate this principle to the student-athletes.
• The coaches will be held accountable for any violation of this principle.
• Any further action by a student-athlete that violates these principles will not be tolerated by the University.
• Further, additional disciplinary measures will be taken for all involved players, including community service and other unspecified actions.
Meanwhile, the Golden Panthers took a harsher stance -- dismissing two players, Chris Smith, #26 and Marshall McDuffie Jr, #24, and extending the suspensions of all other 16 sanctioned players indefinitely. Smith is the one who tackles the Miami player and punches him in the face. McDuffie Jr is pushed back by an official out of the screen, then charges back in and kicks the down Miami player in the head. FIU said that the suspended players also will participate in 10 hours of anger-management counseling, fulfill 50 hours of community service targeted at South Florida youth and remain on athletic probation through the end of the school year.

So is the one game suspension enough? Not in my opinion. I don’t really see how the suspension is much punishment. Did you know that this was the Hurricanes' third fight in their last seven games? And all that happens is that the 13 Miami players will miss Saturday’s game against Duke who is last in the ACC and hasn’t won a game all year. Sitting out this week against Duke just doesn’t count as any kind of meaningful punishment. And if you think it does, just ask Duke. You may think that FIU set the better example by dismissing two players from the team, however what you may not know is that the two players will remain on scholarship at FIU, meaning although they can’t play football, they will still receive a free education.
One of the other big issues regarding the brawl was what would happen to Lamar Thomas, one of the announcers who made the infamous comments in the above clip.
Thomas told ESPN's Dan Patrick on his radio show Monday that he was "a little hyped up," and "Anybody who knows me knows I played the game of football with my heart on my sleeve," Thomas told Patrick. Thomas also added, "Certainly in no way do I condone fighting, but what I was trying to say is that back in my day we would have handled our business." What? I think that means you do condone fighting, Lamar. All I can say is that since Thomas likes brawling so much, he may need to begin looking for a career with the WWE or something because Thomas was fired by Comcast Sports SouthEast Monday for his foolish comments. I also was curious as to how Thomas’ partner in the booth, Jason Solodkin felt, so I asked him. I sent Solodkin an e-mail and told him that I appreciated his professionalism during the obviously awkward moment of hearing his co-announcer attempt to justify what was taking place in front of them. I also asked Solodkin how he felt as he heard the comments Thomas’ made and what action he thought, if any, should be taken. Solodkin e-mailed me back this response:

"Andrew-
Thank you for your comments. I believe a decision was made by the station regarding Lamar's position on the broadcast. I felt the scene on the screen could tell the story, and I was startled by the violence on the field. There really isn't too much that can be said in a situation like that (or that should be said, I suppose)..."

So I guess that’s it for now. But don’t expect this thing to go away anytime soon. The repercussions from Saturday will be felt for years to come by both universities and several players and coaches.

Look-A-Likes - Art Shell and Some Random Kid

2006-10-16T17:03:00.000-07:00

A little background on today's look-a-like...

The Sports Pulse brings up an interesting point today. They wonder,

"Art Shell needs to find a new profession. Maybe Texas Hold Em poker? He has the best poker face. Whether it’s kicking a field goal, getting penalized, or not converting on 4th down, he has the same blank stare on his face."

This is exactly what the Silva men have been screamin' since the season started! What is up with the faces Art Shell makes on the sideline? He looks like...well, just look.

Art Shell

And

Some random kid with down syndrome.

Sunshine Indeed...

2006-10-16T07:31:00.000-07:00

This Morning on my way to school I was listening to Mike and Mike and they were talking about the Flordia International/Miami brawl. Well for some strange reason Dickie V was on there and thinks all those players involved in the fight should be banned from football. But that is not why this article is being written.

After Dickie V's comments, Joe Theisman came on and started saying how this was so bad, and it was a disgrace to the game. Now, he's super gay, so anytime he is speaking it is cant miss television. Or cant miss radio for that matter.

But he then proceeded to comment on what that radio announcer said. Excuse me for not calling him by his real name, because I forgot it, and cant find it. Anywayz, Sunshine rambles on about how "thuggish" Miami players are and then said they were from "Tha M". Hey pussy, its clearly the "U"! I cant go into more detail because I am working. Bu the moral of this story is SUNSHINE IS SUPER GAY. He is giving "you know who" a run for there money as the biggest cutdown alive.